The first teaser trailer for the anime movie adaptation of Kazuki Sakuraba’s novel Fuse: A Gun Girl’s Detective Story (Fuse Gansaku: Satomi Hakkenden) has been released and it looks like an exciting historical tale.
The story follows a teen girl named Hamaji who joins her brother in hunting dog-human hybrids known as Fuse as part of a karmic cycle of retribution. The writer of Fuse Gansaku: Satomi Hakkenden is Kazuki Sakuraba who is also the author of the Gosick light novels which were recently turned into a TV anime. Interestingly Sakuraba’s tale was inspired by a 19th century epic novel series named Nansō Satomi Hakkenden written by late edo period popular author Kyokutei Bakin. His tale dealt with themes based on Buddhist philosophy, Confucianism, and bushido. His original story follows eight samurai serving the Satomi clan during the Sengoku (Warring States) period. These samurai are the reincarnations of the spirits that Princess Fuse mothered with a dog named Yatsufusa and they each represent a Confucianist virtue.
Although this isn’t the first time Kyokutei’s story has been adapted into modern mediums like anime – it had a 1999 TV anime series named Shin Hakkenden and the story was 
adapted for the video game Okami – it is the first time I have encountered it. Directing this project is Masayuki Miyaji (Eureka Seven, Xam’d: Lost Memories), Ichiro Okouchi, the scriptwriter for episodes of Azumanga Daioh and the Berserk movie adaptations, is handling the script for this movie and music comes from Michiru Oshima who also handled the music for Production I.G.s historial fantasy Le Chevalier D’Eon.
Staff: Masayuki Miyaji (Director) Ichiro Okouchi (Script), Seiichi Hashimoto (Character Design), Kazuki Sakuraba (Original Novelist), Michiru Oshima (Music),
Voice Actors: N/A
Studio: Asmik-Ace Entertainment
Genkinahito 
Hmmm. I am not sure I like the character design much, but at the same time I can’t deny that the trailer does get me interested…
The trailer has me hooked as well. I liked the character design a lot. It has the crispness of Summer Wars. That and the music reminded me of The House of Five Leaves.
I’m in two minds. I rewatched the trailer – in some parts the character design is fine, but when the girl and masked boy crash into each other I definitely don’t like their faces/eyes (different type of design). Obviously I’m being super picky here!
I do like those mask things though! Makes me think of Mononoke Hime. And of Issho ni Neyou (manga) – which has a lovely premise although the manga is somewhat half-baked.
I had a similar reaction to the same scene actually but I liked the rest of it. That’s a great point about the mask and Princess Mononoke.