
Hoity-toity auteur types are bound to make grand statements every so often, and Yutaka Yamamoto (a.k.a. Yamakan) is apparently no stranger to that sort of thing. The former KyoAni luminary who was behind season one of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, as well as helping on Lucky Star, Kannagi, Sora no Woto, and Black Rock Shooter, is working on a new anime called "Fractale", and it's somehow inspired by the works of Benoît Mandelbrot, the father of Fractal Geometry.
Yeah, I'm stumped too.
The script will be written by Hiroki Azuma, a prominent young literary critic, as well. Sound hoity-toity enough for you?
The premise, though, sounds somewhat more down-to-earth:
The story takes place on an island, where the "Fractale System" is beginning to collapse. One day, Crane finds an injured girl, Phryne under a cliff. She disappear,s leaving a pendant. Crane sets out on a journey with a girl-shaped avatar [named] Nessa, to look for Phryne and discover the secret of Fractale System.
Check out some blurry scans below. As for that "grand statement" I mentioned above? Apparently Yamakan "is prepared to retire if Fractale does poorly." Grand, indeed.
While I honestly doubt that he'd actually follow through on that threat, the show's performance could certainly affect what he thinks about the future of the industry. And as someone who enjoyed Haruhi and Black Rock Shooter, I'd rather not give him the chance. Besides, if Fractale turns out to be good, everyone wins!
What are your hopes for Yamakan's new work? What's the "secret" of the Fractale System? Is it people? Is Fractale people?!