Before the popularity of Junjou Romantica and Sekaiichi Hatsukoi hit critical mass, Nakamura Shungiku‘s early work Hybrid Child had already provided a sneak peek into some of the compelling characteristics that make her work so wildly successful. After a long wait, fans can finally look forward to the upcoming anime OVA adaptation of this short stories series, centred around the common theme of a “Hybrid Child”.
This 4-part OVA series was animated by Studio Deen, the same production house responsible for Junjou Romantica and Sekaiichi Hatsukoi. The OVAs will be released this year starting 29 Oct 2014, and subsequently 26 Nov 2014, 24 Dec 2014 and 28 Jan 2015.
The “Hybrid Child” is designed to be humanlike, yet it is not simply a doll or a robot. Designed to learn and grow as a human being does, the Hybrid Child is nurtured by the love and care from its owner. In some ways, it resembles a mirror, serving as a reflection of its owner’s emotions.
As a child, Izumi Kotarou, the young head of the Izumi family, picked up a Hybrid Child abandoned in a dumpster. Insistent on keeping this “broken” doll (Hazuki), he showered it with the care that it needed to grow. 10 years later, Kotarou finds out that Hazuki’s physical life is reaching its limits. The other stories explore the bonds between the owners and their human-like companions, and lastly, we get a glimpse into the origins of the Hybrid Child.
In this series of bittersweet short stories, Nakamura explores the relationship and bond between humans and the Hybrid Child. Despite their brevity, these compelling stories will touch your heart, and make you question what makes us human. Is it a body made of flesh and bone, or the ability to feel and love?
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Cast:
Izumi Kotarou: Okamoto Nobuhiko
Hazuki: Hirakawa Daisuke
Yuzu: Yonaga Tsubasa
Seya Ichi: Kimura Ryohei
Kuroda: Ono Yuuki
Tsukishima: Matsuoka Yoshitsugu
For fans of the original manga series, it has definitely been a long wait (almost 10 years!). You would definitely not want to miss this anime adaptation, complete with upgraded graphics and a stunning seiyuu cast. Okamoto Nobuhiko, who has been casted in Nakamura’s previous work (Kisa Shouta in Sekaiichi Hatsukoi) returns to voice yet another adorable, bumbling character. Hirakawa Daisuke and Yonaga Tsubasa, current favourites of the season with their voice work in popular series Free! and Love Stage!, are expected to steal the show voicing their niche roles, while the presence of Kimura Ryohei in yet another BL work begs the all-important question: will he finally get to cross the line? (I’m guessing not -this show is very PG) Personally, this writer is also looking forward to Ono Yuuki‘s lower tones as Kuroda (highly central to the plot) and another heart-stealing, adorable performance from Matsuoka Yoshitsugu.
Check out more information at the anime website here: http://www.hybridchild.jp/index.html.
Nakamura Shungiku, well-known for her work on Junjou Romantica and Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, now has Hybrid Child making up a nice trio of anime adapatations under her belt. She masterfully attains a balance of drama and comedy with her signature use of comical scenes in her manga series, a running feature in her works.
Serialised in 「BE×BOY GOLD」between 2003-2004, Hybrid Child was compiled into a tankoubon by Kazokawa in March 2005. A drama CD of this series was released in the same year, with a different cast.
Image credit © 2014 中村春菊 . 株式会社KADOKAWA 角川書店刊 . アニメ「Hybrid Child」公式サイト (http://www.hybridchild.jp/index.html)
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