Shadowrun Anime influences, Which would be more SR-ish? |
Shadowrun Anime influences, Which would be more SR-ish? |
Feb 17 2007, 07:41 AM
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#1
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Target Group: Members Posts: 87 Joined: 12-January 05 From: Brazil, RN, Natal (Also known as Amazonia) Member No.: 6,968 |
Recently I watched this Black Lagoon anime, that could easily be a Cyberpirates setting, minus cyber and other high-tech stuff. Well, some characters display amazing capacities that only an adept or sammie could have, like one of the protagonists, that shoots with both hands and always hits.
There´s also Ghost in the Shell, the movies and the series, but that´s far obvious. Witch Hunter Robin deals with an agency that tracks and hunts people with a "mage gene", and one of the hunters also has this gene. They don´t have not cyber, but magic is extremely SR-like. Any other sugestions for anime? I´m trying to build a new gaming group, and almost all of the candidates (except for one) are anime fans that never gamed before. My idea is that if I can relate them to the setting´s mood, they can have a better approach to gaming. |
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Feb 17 2007, 07:47 AM
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#2
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jacked in Group: Admin Posts: 8,915 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 463 |
Not an Anime fan myself, but I heard Cowboy Beebop is both good and quite cyber-punkish. Also Bubblegum Crisis might fit the theme. Akira, maybe.
Only seen Akira myself from those, and didn't like it at all, but that doesn't mean anything, since I don't really like Anime. ;) Bye Thanee |
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Feb 17 2007, 07:47 AM
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#3
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,512 Joined: 16-August 03 From: Northampton Member No.: 5,499 |
After a quick glance at my anime shelf
Akira Bubblegum Crisis Patlabor Appleseed Blood |
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Feb 17 2007, 07:50 AM
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#4
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,640 Joined: 6-June 04 Member No.: 6,383 |
I think the old GITS movie best fits the bill. I've watched quite a lot of anime over the years and I'd say that most futuristic or cyberpunk anime settings don't have quite the combat grit that Shadowrun does for someone new to the combat system.
For example, Noir (isn't futuristic, I guess) could be about a pair of Shadowrunners, but the style of the gunfights is very not Shadowrun. All the bad guys die with one hit from a tiny pistol and the unarmored non-cover-using main characters can go pistol rambo and not have any problems. For anime that resembles Shadowrun you have to get away from that dynamic. |
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Feb 17 2007, 07:52 AM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 209 Joined: 25-January 07 Member No.: 10,771 |
Bubblegum Crisis is good, as is Akira for SR style. |
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Feb 17 2007, 09:02 AM
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#6
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 7,116 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,449 |
I love Bubblegum Crisis, but it is only superficially like shadowrun. You take a first look and think "Hey, these Knight Sabers are just like shadowrunners!"
But one of shadowrun's main themes is that the runners are cogs in the very system that they fight against. They can do some good, but for the most part they are pawns. The Knight Sabers, on the other hand, make elite police units seem underarmed by comparison, kill megacorporate executives and sign the crime scene, and otherwise are at the top of the food chain. Noir has a more shadowrun feel, but as in many anime, completely mundane characters are capable of doing amazing feats in combat that couldn't be matched by the most tweaked-out adept or street samurai. In addition to the usual "You can't hit us, but we kill with every single shot" thing, you see things like one of them hitting the same spot in a wall repeatedly to make a bullet hole, then firing through that bullet hole, and killing people. Ghost in the Shell has a shadowrun feel, with the caveat that it deals with government operatives rather than independent agents. Go with the superior manga, though, not the film, which is nice eye candy but not nearly as good. Akira, other than the psis, was very shadowrun in feel. And although it is an older title, it has aged very well. |
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Feb 17 2007, 02:11 PM
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#7
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,629 Joined: 14-December 06 Member No.: 10,361 |
Watch Akira for Go-Gang inspiration, seriously. And also the riots and following government/military MASSACRES are good to set the tone.
Ghost In The Shell is amazing influence for the feel of the Matrix. The fact that they have VR (Diving) and also can hack things wirelessly is great inspiration for both sr3 and sr4. Also, the first movie confronts a lot of interesting issues that could be related back to the effects of cyberware upon the human being. Other things that feature are Ruthenium skin/polymers and vehicle rigging. Ghost in the Shell II is interesting, though I'm not totally sure what could be applied to Shadowrun. The concept of Anthroform Drones modified to be prostitutes and going nuts/getting hacked would make a great plot hook, with some tweaking. The TV show is quicker, flashier and is probably way better for one shot run ideas. Although you have to remember that a hacker (if you're sr4) can not hack another person to punch himself in the face. However, some instances of the Laughing Man (probably the l33test hacker ever) would make good ideas for things to do with the matrix (for example. If a hacker altered a Simchip production factory to cause all the chippers to think they are the laughing man, and then believe it is their mission to kill a certain government official). All i've got right now honestly. |
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Feb 17 2007, 04:21 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 548 Joined: 21-December 06 Member No.: 10,416 |
There was one on Adult Swim for a while called Blue Gender. It was about some kind of creatures that had taken over the earth and were feeding on the Humans. That could be inspiration for a Chicago Containment Zone of Inscet Spirit heavy campaign. You would have to work in magic though. Probably more to the series than I know about: I didn't really get into it and didn't watch the whole thing.
Witch Hunter Robin was an interesting premise. With modification, Bleach could work. Make the Soul Society an initiatory group for Adept and a few mages whose purpose is to hunt ghosts, ghouls, wraiths, toxics, etc. |
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Feb 17 2007, 04:50 PM
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#9
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Texhnolyze. There's no magic (or almost none, I suppose), but the characters don't demonstrate any resistance to damage they shouldn't have, and… well, there are more similarities, but they're hard to describe without giving things away. Anyway, it's awesome, and is very cyberpunk.
BLAME! Of course, you'll want to read the manga first, as I can't imagine it making any sense whatsoever without it (it's an OVA of the oldschool "let's make a short OVA for the preexisting fans" variety). It's manga rather than anime, but Duds Hunt is very Shadowrunnish. Lower tech, but the proper sort of authoritarian hopelessness. I think there were more, but I can't remember right now. ~J |
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Feb 17 2007, 09:04 PM
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#10
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Black Lagoon kicks aaaaasss!!!
And the end has a lot of syndicate action. |
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Feb 18 2007, 12:06 AM
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#11
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,468 Joined: 5-December 06 From: Somewhere in the Flooding, CalFree Member No.: 10,215 |
A awesome anime with very nice syndicate and a shedim-esque protagonist is one of my favorites: Gungrave. If you have not seen it, I do highly recommend it.
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Feb 18 2007, 03:54 AM
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#12
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Prime Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,577 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Gwynedd Valley PA Member No.: 1,221 |
The 2 season of the TV shoiw Ghost in the Shell are great for SR- each season had an over all plot but many little runs inside it.
Read or Die, the original serries or the later one have good interaction though the paper masters is a little hard to get in. in Witch Hunter the entire team has the witch gene but only the title character is active |
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Feb 18 2007, 04:00 AM
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#13
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,468 Joined: 5-December 06 From: Somewhere in the Flooding, CalFree Member No.: 10,215 |
Snow_Fox, I personally like the R.O.D. movie more the tv show, but that is IMO.
Witch Hunter Robin is also an extremely great anime, and also a good SR influence piece. GitS can be said without any arguement. For someone awesome Adept and Mystic Adept stuff, as well as beautiful swordplay and it being one of most recommended animes besides Akira, I do recommend Ninja Scroll. |
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Feb 18 2007, 05:43 AM
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#14
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Target Group: Members Posts: 87 Joined: 12-January 05 From: Brazil, RN, Natal (Also known as Amazonia) Member No.: 6,968 |
Wow, people, thanks! and all in the same day I´ve posted - now that´s quite a Dumpshock! (hehehe)
I´l take a look at the animes and mangas you indicated. Some of them I already seen, like Cowboy Bebop (that certainly has a SR-ish side to it, that I didn´t think of before), Akira (yes, exactly, the go-gangs) and Ninja Scroll (talk about adept initiates!). Or read, like Blame! (SR future?) and Appleseed (only if full cyborgs weren´t all cyberzombies...). Thank you a LOT. |
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Feb 18 2007, 12:15 PM
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#15
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Maybe on Earth, maybe in the Future… ~J |
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Feb 18 2007, 04:31 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 308 Joined: 1-June 06 From: Nova Scotia, Canada Member No.: 8,631 |
I think Serial Experiments Lain could fit in here. Yes, it's weird, yes it's a fair bit difficult for some people to understand, but if you're looking for Shadowrun in it, you've got a fair bit of it. Mostly Matrix and Technology stuff, with a nice theme backdrop.
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Feb 18 2007, 04:50 PM
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#17
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
And it has a tip of the hat to the Knights, which is always nice to see.
I really like the series, but I haven't reconciled it with Shadowrun yet which is why I didn't mention it. ~J |
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Feb 19 2007, 09:09 AM
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#18
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,314 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Lisbon, Cidade do Pecado Member No.: 185 |
Besides GitS, AD Police (cyberpunk cop spinoff) and Cyber City Oedo 808 (three hardened criminals operating as a suicide squad to shave time off their sentences, bit campy and 80s at time but not bad).
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Feb 19 2007, 12:50 PM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 106 Joined: 27-July 03 From: Mainz, Germany Member No.: 5,072 |
How about Silent Möbius? You have a group of extraordinary women either modified with cybertech or magically talented, that hunt down spirits from another dimension and their allied mages who try to bridge the gap. The roster is easily transferred to Shadowrun, I think.
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Feb 19 2007, 04:13 PM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 28-July 05 Member No.: 7,526 |
Ghost, Robin, and Bebop. In that order.
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Feb 19 2007, 09:19 PM
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#21
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 366 Joined: 9-August 06 From: Holiday Florida Member No.: 9,055 |
Another Shirow oldie that I would recommend is 'Black Magic M-66'
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Feb 19 2007, 10:05 PM
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#22
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,640 Joined: 6-June 04 Member No.: 6,383 |
I only saw a few episodes of Robin, but my two thoughts were:
1.) Isn't it funny that Robin blows up the wrong guy until she gets a pair of glasses? It's the equivalent of giving someone a M21, telling him to snipe out the hostage taker, kapow, kapow, kapow, and all the hostages have been headshotted. Then someone hands him glasses and he's like, "Crap, wrong dudes." 2.) Why does Robin sleep naked at night but wear a Victorian style getup during the day? |
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Feb 20 2007, 12:41 AM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 184 Joined: 14-January 07 From: Zurich Orbital Member No.: 10,642 |
1. They explain why that is and why she needs the glasses, but it's kinda easy to miss.
[ Spoiler ] Not touching #2, c'mon, she's 14. :P And Robin isn't the only active Craft user [ Spoiler ] So as not to completely de-rail this thread: Adapting WHR to SR is easy. The quick and dirty way is to have them hunt rogue spirits and other nuisance paracritters. "Need that Naga taken out of your basement, call..." If you wanted to write up your own setting, it could fit better, but the same could be said for any anime really. Bebop has a good SR feel, but you're missing pretty much all of the cyber save for replacement limbs. I think there's only one other character with enhancements, but my collection isn't complete so I can't be sure. |
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Feb 20 2007, 01:07 AM
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#24
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,174 Joined: 13-May 04 From: UCAS Member No.: 6,327 |
[ Spoiler ]
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Feb 20 2007, 02:35 AM
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#25
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
Bebop comments in spoiler.
[ Spoiler ] Oh, and my collection is "complete", save for the fact that one of the damn discs is fucked up and won't even read well enough to make a backup copy on my laptop. :( I keep forgetting to try the toothpaste and brasso tricks. |
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