Ecole du Ciel

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Mafty
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Ecole du Ciel

So I know this series is older (and unfinished), but it still ran for several volumes, and developed quite a bit of story along the way. Plus when Witch from Mercury started, people compared the two(though I don't think they're that similar). So what's everyone's thoughts on the story? I thought the story really got moving in the last few volumes, and the mech designs are quite well done( It helps that the story is set post OYW so it was easier to add more MS without retconning).

So what does everyone else think?
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Seto Kaiba
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Re: Ecole du Ciel

Mafty wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 4:00 pm So I know this series is older (and unfinished), but it still ran for several volumes, and developed quite a bit of story along the way.
Another fine product - or should I say casualty - of Haruhiko Mikimoto's extremely casual attitude towards deadlines. There was a time Macross fans used to joke that Softbank Creative were the worst ones when it came to deadlines, then Mikimoto-sensei one-upped them by making schedule slips for announced books so routine that booksellers stopped even offering preorders.

Like a lot of UC side stories, I found it somewhere between unremarkable and just kind of dull. It had to struggle to remember the protagonist's name, that's how little of an impression it left.

Mafty wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 4:00 pm Plus when Witch from Mercury started, people compared the two(though I don't think they're that similar). So what's everyone's thoughts on the story? I thought the story really got moving in the last few volumes, and the mech designs are quite well done( It helps that the story is set post OYW so it was easier to add more MS without retconning).
Can't say I see the alleged similarity. Ecole wasn't an actual school, it was the Earth Federation's mobile suit pilot training program for the North American region.
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MythSearcher
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Re: Ecole du Ciel

Seto Kaiba wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 10:01 pm
Another fine product - or should I say casualty - of Haruhiko Mikimoto's extremely casual attitude towards deadlines. There was a time Macross fans used to joke that Softbank Creative were the worst ones when it came to deadlines, then Mikimoto-sensei one-upped them by making schedule slips for announced books so routine that booksellers stopped even offering preorders.
The case for Ecole du Ciel is a bit different?
Mikimoto stated clearly he will be working on Macross the first so Ecole du Ciel will be on indefinite hiatus. And since it was never announced to restart, it is fair to say that nobody needs to follow any deadlines since there will be none.
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Seto Kaiba
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Re: Ecole du Ciel

MythSearcher wrote: Fri Nov 25, 2022 12:26 am The case for Ecole du Ciel is a bit different?
Mikimoto stated clearly he will be working on Macross the first so Ecole du Ciel will be on indefinite hiatus. And since it was never announced to restart, it is fair to say that nobody needs to follow any deadlines since there will be none.
So, funny story... it's actually pretty much the same. Macross the First is on indefinite hiatus too. Has been since... oh... 2016? Missed a string of delivery dates, switched release formats, started over, missed a bunch more delivery dates, and eventually they just gave up. Ironically, the hiatus has occasionally been attributed to prioritizing work on Ecole du Ciel. Mind you, the current schedule-slipper that's allegedly taking priority over both is his big artbook project that's been delayed at least five or six times now, to the point that it doesn't get relisted anymore.

I don't expect we'll see any more of either book, really. I kinda expect him to drop that artbook and then retire. No great loss in either case.

Granted, the pointless terribly grimdark writing is on brand for UC side stories. "What if we recruited a bunch of kids to our training program, then we hired Zeon pirates to murder them all to see if one of them awakens as a Newtype before they get killed? Surely this can only succeed and nobody is going to ever react badly to us murdering a bunch of kids for the lulz, right?"
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DragoMaster009
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Re: Ecole du Ciel

I don't suppose there's any way to get him back to work on either manga?
Mafty
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Re: Ecole du Ciel

It would be up to Mikimoto's publishers or agency to get him to stick to the schedule. I didn't realize that so many of his works were affected by scheduling issues.
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Seto Kaiba
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Re: Ecole du Ciel

DragoMaster009 wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 3:30 am I don't suppose there's any way to get him back to work on either manga?
Probably not. Mikimoto went independent back in the mid-80's after spending a couple years building up his portfolio at Artland, so there's no studio leaning on him. Just his current publisher.

He's kind of quietly one-upped Softbank Creative as worst with deadlines. The old joke being never trust the first two release dates you hear for any new Softbank book having now become never trusting the release date for a Haruhiko Mikimoto book. It's gotten so bad that we were joking about retitling his forthcoming artbook Haruhiko Mikimoto Forever in honor of another infamous "when it's done" title...
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MythSearcher
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Re: Ecole du Ciel

Seto Kaiba wrote: Fri Nov 25, 2022 1:54 am Ironically, the hiatus has occasionally been attributed to prioritizing work on Ecole du Ciel.
Ecole du Ciel was held since 2008 with the exception of two chapters in 2010 and 2011 to finish of volume 12.
Macross the First was only serialised since 2009 so the most Ecole du Ciel can mess with it's schedule are those two chapters.

Oh, and just checked, Macross the First changed publisher in 2017 to Cygames(Cycomi), kinda did a reboot with some changes and only went on hiatus since Nov 2019. I also thought it was since 2016 because I was only looking at the Kadokawa's sites.
It may not be his fault though:
http://www.mikimotoharuhiko.com/page.php?&catid=10
Cycomi needed to talk to Bigwest, I guess there's some ongoing copyright issues.
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Seto Kaiba
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Re: Ecole du Ciel

MythSearcher wrote: Mon Nov 28, 2022 12:17 am Ecole du Ciel was held since 2008 with the exception of two chapters in 2010 and 2011 to finish of volume 12.
Macross the First was only serialised since 2009 so the most Ecole du Ciel can mess with it's schedule are those two chapters.
You... kinda missed the point. Twice. The initial excuse for Ecole du Ciel being on hiatus was Macross the First, but once that ended up on hiatus Macross the First's hiatus was occasionally attributed to Mikimoto going back to work on Ecole du Ciel. Especally when the content earmarked for the "updated" re-release on Cycomi turned out to be BS, late, or nonexistent. :lol:

Of course, we now know that he's almost certainly not working on any of it.

MythSearcher wrote: Mon Nov 28, 2022 12:17 am Oh, and just checked, Macross the First changed publisher in 2017 to Cygames(Cycomi), kinda did a reboot with some changes and only went on hiatus since Nov 2019. I also thought it was since 2016 because I was only looking at the Kadokawa's sites.
Yes and no... it effectively went on hiatus in 2016. Cycomi re-released it from the beginning with some minimal modifications, but there really wasn't anything substantially new to it and it stopped in almost exactly the same place as the previous serialization.
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MythSearcher
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Re: Ecole du Ciel

Seto Kaiba wrote: Mon Nov 28, 2022 2:19 am
You... kinda missed the point. Twice. The initial excuse for Ecole du Ciel being on hiatus was Macross the First, but once that ended up on hiatus Macross the First's hiatus was occasionally attributed to Mikimoto going back to work on Ecole du Ciel. Especally when the content earmarked for the "updated" re-release on Cycomi turned out to be BS, late, or nonexistent. :lol:

Of course, we now know that he's almost certainly not working on any of it.
Well, he did finished the two chapters for Ecole du Ciel at the time so the publisher can publish volume 12.


Yes and no... it effectively went on hiatus in 2016. Cycomi re-released it from the beginning with some minimal modifications, but there really wasn't anything substantially new to it and it stopped in almost exactly the same place as the previous serialization.
Well, then the copyright issue wasn't solved and not likely to solve at all then.
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