Saturday, November 26, 2005

Skyland, tonight on TELETOON!

SkylandI don't remember the last time I got excited about animation. Probably back in highschool when I used to get up at 7:00 am in the morning on the week-ends to watch Robotech. Man that was good anime and it brings back lots of fond memories. I remember the feeling of having come upon something few of my peers knew about at the time, and how excited I was.

Well earlier this week I had the same feeling! On Thursday night I watched an amazing new anime series called Skyland. And I'm really excited about it. It's visually stunning, hell I'll even go as far as say it's breathtaking. The setting is very interesting, even if it's a bit deja vue. But I enjoyed it so much, that I'll be watching it again tonight when it airs on TELETOON at 7:00 pm, here in Canada. I think it airs an hour later in the states, but I can't be sure.
Skyland is an international production between France and Canada, and is being aired in the USA, UK, France and Canada. Tonight's 2 episodes are a sneak peek at the series which will start in January 2006.

This is the synopsis of the show:

In 2251, the earth shattered into millions of blocks that now float in orbit around its core. These blocks remained suitable for living, and life resumed on them. Water is now the most precious resource. The Sphere, a council of leaders assembled from all over the world, has installed a dictatorship that controls water distribution. Their immense army is composed of robots, called Brigadiers, and is led by an elite force, the Guardians.

Marcus and Mila, a married couple who spearhead the pirate resistance movement, seem poised to fulfill an ancient prophecy telling of Skyland's rebirth, thus raising the hopes that the Sphere will be toppled. They have a dangerous but happy life, bringing a son, Mahad, into the world soon after their union. Shortly before the birth of their second child, Lena, Marcus and most of the pirates disappear during a major offensive against the Sphere. With hope for the freedom all but collapsed, Mila decides to raise her children under a new identity: as a Mansa farmer on a quiet block called Babylonia. Mila is kidnapped by Oslo, the evil leader of the Guardians. Her children manage to escape, and find refuge living near an eccentric savant, the Vector, in Porto Angel, a port led by the pirate Aran Cortes. Mahad and Lena will try to free their mother while Oslo tries to capture Lena, who is the key to absolute power. At first, Oslo thought that the prophecy spoke of Mila and himself, but now he's convinced that Lena is the "light" that will allow him to dominate Skyland.

The resistance movement believed that the prophecy spoke of Mila and Marcus. When Marcus disappeared, this interpretation was forgotten. Very few people now believe in the prophecy. This is a major dispute between the Vector and Cortes.

Mila has learned that her daughter is 'the light' spoken of in the prophecy. She decides to keep this from her children until they are adults, so they may have a normal childhood. They learn about the prophecy and Mila's past soon enough.

The Sphere leaders do not believe in this prophecy. The inhabitants of Skyland believe that the prophecy speaks of human beings, referring to Mahad and Lena.

But seriously, words cannot due justice to this series (well anyways to these first two episodes). You have to see it. So check your local listings and if you miss it, it airs again on Sunday. In the mean time, read up on it at the following sites:

Speaking of Attitude Studio, here is an interview (in French) with one of the 3d Graphic Designer who worked on the series. Adds a different perspective, and there are great screen captures.

Enjoy!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This isn't anime.

Anime is Japanese animation; this isn't Japanese animation, so shouldn't be labelled as anime.

CrazyKinux said...

You know what? You're absolutely right about that. My mistake! As such, I've updated both my posts about Skyland and changed Anime to Animation. I'm French speaking, and in French "cartoons" are called "dessin animé", or roughly translated "animated drawings".

I hope I didn't offend any Anime fan, since it is a medium I greatly appreciate. Thanx for the pointer!

Anonymous said...

What is going on. We (son and I) are in Montreal. We missed Premier and have been watching for when it will air again or get started with regular airings. Nothing. Not even on the teletoon site. Does anybody know what is going on?

CrazyKinux said...

If you read my latest Skyland post, you learn that it's been postponed. Nicktoons says it'll air in April, but there's no news from TELETOON. Most likely also in April.

Guess we'll just have to wait!

Anonymous said...

hey
do you guys k ow if skyland is out on dvd? i'll love to be able ot sit and watch the whole thing...
cheers
piratecentral

CrazyKinux said...

I can tell you for certain that it is not currently available on DVD.

The moment I hear anything, and I have my sources, I will let you all know!

Anonymous said...

Hé, Krazykinux !
Je te croyais mieux renseigné !
Les 13 premiers épisodes sortent en coffret en octobre (2006!)

CrazyKinux said...

And would you be so kind as to share with the rest of us the good news and give us the link where you got this wonderful information?