Despera (Yoshitoshi ABe, Chiaki J. Konaka, Ryutaro Nakamura's latest project)

[Raiza Sunozaki]

Originally Posted by Poetic Justice

So..late or early 2011 guys?

Well, considering the anime is airing after the serialization ends, which is next issue, apparently, if we're lucky, we might get it as a summer 2010 series.
Still, there hasn't been any news on it, so either they're keeping quiet about it to make it a surprise, or we still have a season or two's wait ahead of us.

[Weils]

Animage July 2010



Final chapter! Well that's it folks, for the time being.

Here's some points gleaned either from ABe's blog, Konaka's site, Despera blog and Animage magazine:
- Firstly, status of Despera anime is TBA. Yes, quite disappointing...but Konaka has informed those interested to be patient and keep a lookout for updates. (2010/06/09 entry, title: Ikebukuro Montparnasse)

Originally Posted by Konaka's site (June 9th, 2010)

アニメ版については、本誌の文に書いたとおりでして、製作開始の折には参加を表明された方も、また辛抱をお 願いする次第です。

- On ABe's blog, he has stated that the official Despera blog on Animage website will be updated with more news on everything Despera, including upcoming artbook compilation, e-book, etc. (2010/05/29 blog entry).

Originally Posted by ABe's blog (May 29th, 2010)

ですぺら
アニメージュの連載が来月号で完結します。
以後は公式サイトで連載しつつ、画集、電子書籍版を出す予定です。

- Despera blog announced that Konaka will be releasing extended scripts to the Despera storyline shown in the previous issues of Animage. If anybody has some idea to the story on the Despera scans I posted, you would notice that the story, although in chronological order, is rather disjointed from chapter to chapter. Konaka will be writing the full story in between gaps of the serialized chapters and releasing them on Despera blog, perhaps with a full novel on the way.

Originally Posted by Konaka's site (June 9th, 2010)

長らくのご無沙汰でした。
アニメージュ誌にて連載をしていた『ですぺら』、今月号で完結しました。
前に書いたのですが、この連載では大正時代と現代と、二つの時間軸を同時に扱う事にして、現代文のパートは 私自身の普段の日常もネタにしていたところもあり、このサイトで書く事とバッティングする面もあって、つい ついこちらが疎かに。
連載は終わったのですが、一冊の本として全体も再構成し、書き下ろしも多く加える予定なので、まだ終わった という訳でもなく、また公式サイトの方にも私の文章が今後掲載されていく予定もあって、出版版の『ですぺら 』は未だ続きます。

[Raiza Sunozaki]

Son of a-
I swear, they just love leading us around like this.
Well, hopefully we get it out before the end of the year, at least. The Tatami Galaxy is probably ending soon, so I'll be craving psychological and metaphorical anime soon.

[Kanon]

Sigh... I was really hoping for some news about the anime this month. It's been a year since this thread was created. Well, as long as the project isn't dropped, I'm fine with waiting...

[Weils]

Update: From what I can understand from the extra column in Despera's final chapter, Konaka has cited director Ryutaro Nakamura's health problems of late as reason for the delay of the anime's production. The original plan was to have ABe's illustrations and Konaka's story in the serialization as baseline for Nakamura to start producing the anime.

Although I really want Despera anime to be out asap, I hope Nakamura gets better enough to work on it, if and when he decides to start.

[felix]

Whats his sickness?

[physics223]

I seriously hope Madhouse or some capable anime studio is going to support this project. I don't want the collusion of SEL's creators to fall into a studio like Gonzo (or its recent inception).

[Josh the Otaku]

Hello, I just thought I'd update everyone on the situation with Despera. I wrote Konaka-san and received a reply. I wrote him the following:

Hello Mr. Konaka,

I am interested in the Despera project. May I ask the status of the Despera project? From what I understand, the Despera anime was delayed because of Ryutaro Nakamura having health problems. Is this still the case? Is the anime moving along? On your blog post of June 9th, you mentioned that you would be releasing extended Despera scripts, to go along with the serialization in Animage, but you mentioned that there might be a Despera novel. May I ask if there have been any developments regarding a Despera novel? If so, would you be writing it and when might it be released?

Sincerely,
Joshua

He replied with the following:

Hello Joshua,
Thank you for contacting me.
Yes, the anime of "Despera" have been stopped so far.
But I think you will be glad that I can tell you something.
As the graphic novel "Despera" is preparing to publish.
And we plan to publish paperless version too.
It will be included English version.
The next year, you maybe read that.

Regards.

cjk

[bateszi]

That's a shame

I hope Ryutaro Nakamura turns out okay, too. The last thing we need this year is for another great anime director to pass away.

[Josh the Otaku]

By the way, here is a translation of that interview featured in the Animage issues. http://tinypic.com/r/20r8dvq/7

And I retrieved it from these scans available at http://anonscanlations.blogspot.com/...era-scans.html

Here's a question, the Wikipedia article for Despera at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despera includes a picture of Ain and the 'man' and interestingly shows a face for the 'man' who was suppose to be faceless. Is it an official image or was the image edited and is a fan image? Is that really the man's face or is it just an edit done by someone?

[Raiza Sunozaki]

Josh, you are awesome in my books for writing to him.
It's a pity we won't be seeing the anime for a while now, but I'll make sure to pick up the light novel as soon as it shows up in English.

[drobertbaker]

Originally Posted by Josh the Otaku

Here's a question, the Wikipedia article for Despera at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despera includes a picture of Ain and the 'man' and interestingly shows a face for the 'man' who was suppose to be faceless.

I don't see a face on that link, just a black circle.

[orion]

Originally Posted by drobertbaker

I don't see a face on that link, just a black circle.

If you increase your monitor magnification, there's a face on the person sitting against the wall. Isn't it from an earlier scan ? Scan is in this post.

[drobertbaker]

Ah yes! I see it now.

I remember that our friend Weils was feeding us these images every month. Unfortunately the picture split excluded the area under discussion. Hard call.

[Josh the Otaku]

Thank you for the compliment, Raiza. I wrote Konaka-san again to ask for clarification regarding the actual contents of the Despera novel. I wanted to know if the Despera novel would include the Animage material/writing or if it would be all new material. What I wrote is as follows, including his response:

Hello Konaka-san,

May I ask if the upcoming Despera graphic novel will include the same material in the Animage serialization (from July 2009 to July 2010) or will it include all new material or will it be a mixture of both? Like, will it be all new material or will it be a compilation of the serialization into one novel?

Sincerely,
Josh

Hello Joshua again,

Our plans on the "Despera" are according to...
The graphic novel book will includes some new contents and illustrations.
This will be the re-creation work for us.
And this book will not contain the essays what I wrote in the series.
But the paperless version, I mean eBook ,r PDF, i App whatever---
will be totally reissue of the Animage magazine's series.

Regards

cjk

His answer is unclear to me. For example he says that the graphic novel book will include "some" new material and illustrations, which suggests that it will include the Animage text and material and simply be an extension/expansion of that text. But on the other hand he says the book will not contain the "essays" that he wrote for the series (the Animage serialization). Now, I don't know if by "essays" he meant the story concept and omake included in the Animage series or if by essays he meant the actual Despera text of the Animage light novel (which is very short and thus could be considered essay in length). If he meant the actual text and not just the story concept and omake essays included in the Animage series, then it will not include the Animage material. Just thought I'd update you all on the situation. The language barrier is difficult. I'm hoping to major in East Asian Studies with a specialization in Japanese language, writing and literature but until that time, I can only speak to Konaka-san in english and it's hard for me to understand him.

[Weils]

Hi Josh, thanks for supplying us with this information.

I haven't been active since posting the final issue scans and the last bit of info I can make out.

Like you said, I think Konaka-san is saying that the physical graphic novel will have the story and illustrations from the Animage serializations and also new text and artwork to expand on the series. However the story concept and omake (which I believe are the essays) will not be included. The paperless version seems to be as Konaka-san said, a complete reissue of the Animage serialization. That means the story, concept and omake intact.

[Josh the Otaku]

Thank you for your response, Weils. It's nice to know you're back. I would like to add that not long ago on 4chan's /a/ board, an anime aficianado (like myself) asked for an update on Despera and someone responded saying that the Despera anime has been "cancelled" and that it will remain a light novel and that is all. Although Konaka-san does not explicitly say it is cancelled but "stopped", I'm not sure we will see a Despera anime. Of course, I'm not just an anime aficianado, I'm also a manga aficianado, so at least I will have a graphic novel to look forward to if that is indeed the case.

[Grim_Reaper]

That's not good
Hope we will get the anime sooner or later.

[Raiza Sunozaki]

Thanks again for clarifying a little more, Josh.
But bugger. I love physical books, so I'm definitely picking up the light novel, but it looks like I'm going to have to pick up the e-version as well, to get all the awesome stuff.

Originally Posted by Josh the Otaku

I would like to add that not long ago on 4chan's /a/ board, an anime aficianado (like myself) asked for an update on Despera and someone responded saying that the Despera anime has been "cancelled" and that it will remain a light novel and that is all. Although Konaka-san does not explicitly say it is cancelled but "stopped", I'm not sure we will see a Despera anime. Of course, I'm not just an anime aficianado, I'm also a manga aficianado, so at least I will have a graphic novel to look forward to if that is indeed the case.

Damn. This disappoints me quite a bit. Despera was one of the few anime I was looking forwards to for the 2011 anime line-up. My craving for deep, psychological plots has been left unchecked for far too long.
Well, being /a/, I'm not sure I can take it too seriously, but even just rumours of it being cancelled are a bad thing.

[rabidfox]

I'd be willing to fansub if/when it comes out. I'm hopeful... So please contact me when the time comes.