What do I know about Zero Desigze?

I know of its essence: it is an animated project by Leiji Matsumoto.

I know of its existence: it is in the works, due out at the end of this year, most likely as an OVA.

And we also have this:

We can glean a few things from the image.  First off, the project is behind schedule.  We’re in 2011 and there’s still no official release date 😦

The project is not Matsumoto’s alone, as the words in green tell us.  It is a joint collaboration between Leiji and one Isao Yasuda.  We know very little about Yasuda.  He’s in his mid-forties.  According to Twitter he owns and/or heads a “character contents business”, and according to 2ch sells Yamato products and was somehow involved with Leiji’s New Yamato projects back when he (briefly) held full copyright over the franchise.  He apparently lives in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward, which is Leiji’s own neighborhood as well.

Fashion-wise we can be very pleased.  The heroine sports a gorgeous triple-hearted Ardis design ending in a Yuki Mori-style groinline pattern!!  I don’t think you can get much fancier than that in the Leijiverse.  Plus she’s got über-long socks.  Wow.  I’ve seen double-hearted Ardis before (in Interstella 5555) but never triple.  The dude looks awesome too, especially because he doesn’t seem to be a Daiba clone.

The ship is Yamatoesque.  All in all there are unmistakable echoes of the Yamato franchise all over this project.  Yasuda’s presence, the silver-red ship, the heroine’s fashion.  Let’s hope this comes out well…and soon.

~ by Haloed Bane on May 23, 2011.