Author Topic: Fan animation from China: Hifuu Club Activity Record (Read 148951 times)

cuc · « **on:** September 20, 2014, 03:07:14 PM »

EDIT: The English version of the website has been up and running. For latest information, you can read the website or skip forward in the thread.

The word has already gotten out in the Japanese fandom, so it should be the right time to publicize it.

Some Chinese Touhou fans have been working on a ridiculously ambitious idea: a fan animation series. I have no deep involvement with the project, but they are my friends, so they do ask me for advice from time to time. Here is the project:

Circle Name: Kyoto Fantasy Troupe
Website: http://kyotofantasytroupe.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fantasytroupe

Chinese/Japanese Title:
秘封活動記録　～ The Sealed Esoteric History.

English Title:
Hifuu Club Activity Record ~ The Sealed Esoteric History.

Premise:
This series follows the exploits of Sealing Club, as they reveal the truth behind ancient tales, and discover the forgotten past of Gensokyo.

Character concept art:
Hijiri Byakuren:

Fujiwara no Mokou:

Character designs:

Merry:

Renko:

Layout samples:

Background samples:
Rendaino Graveyard:

Bamboo Forest at night:

Hakurei Shrine:

A small preview of storyboard for the first release to be completed in November (video hosted on Chinese servers, might be slow to load).

If you want to embed the video in a page, use this address:

Code: [Select]

https://ssl.thvideo.tv/mini.swf?cid=1987-0&.swf
Once completed, they will release it first at Chinese fan conventions, then in Japan and on the internet. There's no plan for large scale international distribution, but by that time you should have some way of obtaining it.

hungrybookworm · « **Reply #1 on:** September 20, 2014, 03:28:40 PM »

A Sealing Club fan animation? Yes please!

That is one gorgeous looking Hakurei Shrine.

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #2 on:** September 20, 2014, 03:43:33 PM »

Oh my, this looks splendid. I am all for anything that gives RenMary the attention they deserve.

cuc · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2014, 05:00:31 PM »

Sorry, the English titled should be Hifuu Club Activity Record ~ The Sealed Esoteric History., unless a better idea come to me. I also changed the story description for the better.

Gpop · « **Reply #4 on:** September 20, 2014, 05:04:12 PM »

I'm heavily interested in this. It looks pretty promising atm.

Satz · « **Reply #5 on:** September 20, 2014, 05:58:00 PM »

Dear God, a Touhou animation? All my yes!
I'd love to see it happen someday

Drake · « **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2014, 12:35:29 AM »

sealing club anything = instant yes

The Dratini Farmer · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2014, 12:38:46 AM »

It's looking really promising so far. I'll be sure to keep my eye on this.

Baliverne · « **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2014, 12:59:25 AM »

I gotta say....I'll eagerly be awaiting news for this project, Maribel/Renko being one of the most interesting angle of the Touhouverse in my heart.

StainGlass · « **Reply #9 on:** September 21, 2014, 04:55:54 AM »

This looks really interesting! Thanks for keeping us informed.

The production is looking really nice so far and I'll be bookmarking the blog for future updates. Looking forward to it!

Espadas · « **Reply #10 on:** September 21, 2014, 09:56:38 AM »

While i'm not a great fan of the Sealing Club, this is really an amazing work, and i'll surely keep tabs on it!

And honestly, just the mere fact that it's an actual FAN ANIMATION deserve admiration!

Tengukami · « **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2014, 12:40:53 PM »

Yes to everything Sealing Club related. I'm rooting for this one - other animation projects have fallen off way too fast. Here's hoping they blow our minds!

Hatateru · « **Reply #12 on:** September 21, 2014, 01:09:57 PM »

Man I really hope this will fly, I was hoping for some competition for Manpuku Jinja. They've been monopolizing "Touhou anime" for quite some time now

Also this looks hella interesting, especially that (presumably) pre-Gensokyo Byakuren. There might be some original material for that too, right? Man I'm really hyped now

Imosa · « **Reply #13 on:** September 21, 2014, 03:12:03 PM »

The time is now, the hype is real.

Phoenix-P · « **Reply #14 on:** September 21, 2014, 10:01:40 PM »

now that's a surprise, never thought someone was gonna do something that focused on them since they are not as famous as the others. nice to see something that's different
looking forward to it

H4xolotl · « **Reply #15 on:** September 22, 2014, 03:49:15 AM »

Does anyone know the name of the song in the trailer? Also how do you download the .swf video? None of the usual internet video rippers work and downloading the embed link just downloads a single frame

Things in the trailer preview;

Sealing club in front of a monorail and a metropolis skyline

Sealing club in the Bamboo forest of the lost

Alive Yuyuko in front of the Saigyoshi tree before being transformed

Yukari's hand coming out of a gap grasping at some ancient buildings, with (an army?) people behind her and an Orb that could be the Earth or the Moon. It could be her first invasion of the moon.

Kanako machine gunning pillars and a Snake Hydra at Suwako

cuc · « **Reply #16 on:** September 22, 2014, 05:42:13 AM »

Quote from: sodium.777 on September 22, 2014, 03:49:15 AM

Does anyone know the name of the song in the trailer? Also how do you download the .swf video? None of the usual internet video rippers work and downloading the embed link just downloads a single frame

The song is a work-in-progress version of music written for the show, based on Track 2 of Ghostly Field Club. As for downloading, the Firefox plugin NetVideoHunter works.

An Odd Sea Slug · « **Reply #17 on:** September 22, 2014, 06:07:58 AM »

Ooh, I'll certainly be keeping an eye on this.

H4xolotl · « **Reply #18 on:** September 22, 2014, 08:30:19 AM »

Quote from: cuc on September 22, 2014, 05:42:13 AM

The song is a work-in-progress version of music written for the show, based on Track 2 of Ghostly Field Club. As for downloading, the Firefox plugin NetVideoHunter works.

Ah thanks a lot

qMyon · « **Reply #19 on:** September 22, 2014, 12:31:40 PM »

Impressive-looking indeed. I'll look forward to the finished product!

Reddyne · « **Reply #20 on:** September 22, 2014, 12:48:37 PM »

Quote from: Hatateru on September 21, 2014, 01:09:57 PM

Also this looks hella interesting, especially that (presumably) pre-Gensokyo Byakuren. There might be some original material for that too, right? Man I'm really hyped now

Byakuren here might also fit the role that she's played in Forbidden Scrollery thus far. Any time Buddhist myths and legends pop up, she'll act out the role of the lead in that story. Saint Yuuten and the monk-eating youkai and another story involving challenging a group of boisterous belly-drumming tanuki have popped up so far if I remember the details right. Not to mention that the clothing and - more tellingly - the hair match the FS style, which has been depicted as simply dark since it's being drawn on a simple black-and-white medium.

Blah. I won't be able to look into any of this further or do a better job checking the legitimacy of my hypothesis until I get home from work. :/

Tiamat · « **Reply #21 on:** September 22, 2014, 05:33:10 PM »

Looks like it'll be about all of Gensokyo's major historical events, then (copious amounts of time travelling by the sealing club, obviously). Interesting.

Kuremisago · « **Reply #22 on:** September 23, 2014, 12:46:25 AM »

All my yes.
2hu animu is always welcome

Firestorm29 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 23, 2014, 06:16:51 AM »

This looks really cool. I've always wondered what something like this would be like since Mari and Renko's stories have been in CD liner notes. Quite interested.

cuc · « **Reply #24 on:** October 02, 2014, 09:35:34 AM »

A trailer. Also, site is now in English and Japanese.

http://kyotofantasytroupe.net/archives/150

It is now revealed that they are doing things the Mapuku Jinja way - the first release is "Prologue", a short music video that also functions as the opening to future episodes.

The plan is of course, hoping this prologue can attract enough support that they can actually have the resources to finish the full episodes.

Please direct any anger and frustration you may have felt to these guys - I can only tell you what I'm allowed to say.

Meanwhile, the plot relevant Chinese text from the trailer:

SPOILER:

Quote

00:57 "For what reason did she choose death"

01:03 "What caused the battle"

01:10 "The war on the moon a thousand years ago"

01:19 "What kind of stories are found behind the myths"

01:27 "Why is she bound to the darkness of the sea"

Oh it sure would be nice if they can do all that.

H4xolotl · « **Reply #25 on:** October 02, 2014, 10:43:49 AM »

ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN!!

H4xolotl · « **Reply #26 on:** October 02, 2014, 11:11:06 AM »

I reuploaded it onto Youtube since the chinese video host is pretty laggy for overseas viewers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIMAGhrVJ9k

Is there anything else I should do beyond putting their website in the description to make it a friendly reupload and not a theft of content?

Tengukami · « **Reply #27 on:** October 02, 2014, 12:55:29 PM »

That trailer looks pretty impressive! I got goosebumps. The stories around Renko and Maribel are so strange and Lynchian, yet so often overlooked. It's nice to see just a little of that brought to life.

Quote from: cuc on October 02, 2014, 09:35:34 AM

The plan is of course, hoping this prologue can attract enough support that they can actually have the resources to finish the full episodes.

Say someone in the WTC wanted to help give them support. How they can send funds? What other resources do they need?

cuc · « **Reply #28 on:** October 02, 2014, 01:34:32 PM »

Quote from: Youmu's Ghostblade on October 02, 2014, 11:11:06 AM

I reuploaded it onto Youtube since the chinese video host is pretty laggy for overseas viewers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIMAGhrVJ9k

Is there anything else I should do beyond putting their website in the description to make it a friendly reupload and not a theft of content?

That should be enough. They'll probably upload a Japanese version to Youtube.

Quote from: Tengukami on October 02, 2014, 12:55:29 PM

That trailer looks pretty impressive! I got goosebumps. The stories around Renko and Maribel are so strange and Lynchian, yet so often overlooked. It's nice to see just a little of that brought to life.

Say someone in the WTC wanted to help give them support. How they can send funds? What other resources do they need?

I'll remember to notify you if things come to that.

The Dratini Farmer · « **Reply #29 on:** October 02, 2014, 04:39:16 PM »

It looks so good, I started to tear up a little bit. I can't wait to see the whole thing.