Hana no Utame Gothicmade 
Japanese Title: ゴテイック メード 花 の 詩女
Romaji: Goteikku Me-do Hana no Uta Me
Release Date: 01st November 2012 (Japan)
Running Time: N/A
Director: Mamoru Nagano
Writer: Mamoru Nagano
Starring: Maria Kawamura, Nozomu Sasaki, Akio Ohtsuka, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Ikue Ohtani
Kadokawa initiated this anime movie to celebrate 65 years since the founding of their business. It looks like a slice of great old school anime. Gothicmade is the directorial debut of designer and manga creator Mamoru Nagano. On top of directing he also takes on other major roles such as screenwriting, storyboarding and character design. If the anime looks old school then it reflects the fact that he has been in the animation industry for quite some time, his biggest project being the manga/anime franchise Five Star Stories (1986!!!) which is also handled by Kadokawa and is still being released today.
Carmine is a tiny colony world under the harsh control of the ruling interplanetary league. It would be unremarkable except that this planet special is that it has a special tradition: young women known as songstresses inherit and pass down the memories of the generations that came before them. They then use this knowledge to help the people of their planet.
A 16-year-old named Berin Ajelli has been reborn as a songstress and must set out on a holy pilgrimage across the planet to the capital. After hearing rumours of a possible terrorist attact the militant Donau Empire send Prince Toriharon to protect her but he is the antitheis of everything Bellin believes in. The two are stuck together on their journey to the capital of Carmine.
Also old school, are the voice actors involved. His wife, Maria Kawamura was a seiyuu for many characters in 80’s and 90’s anime like Naga in Slayers and Yui in Megazone 23. She is providing one of the voices and the film’s theme song. Other seiyuu include Nozomu Sasaki (Bud in Megazone 23 and Ham in Monster Rancher) who takes on the role of Toriharon, Akio Ohtsuka (Samson in Banner of the Stars, Black Jack in the anime of the same name), Ai Orikasa (Ryoko in Tenchi Muyo), Yoshiko Sakakibara (Shinobu in the Patlabor franchise) and Ikue Ohtani (Pikachu in Pokemon, Tony Chopper in One Piece). It has music by Seikou Nagaoka (Strike Witches, Tenchi Muyo!, El Hazard – The Magnificent World).
We’ll find out if it is any good when it gets released next month!
Genkinahito 