The Ultimate Unraveling: The Enigma behind HYPERSONIC Music Club - Anime's Lost Gem!

Highlights

Hypersonic Music Club is a 7-minute short film that was the final released work of animator Osamu Kobayashi, who tragically passed away in 2021.

The film is an adaptation of Patrick Macias' comic and was originally released on TokyoScope's online platform. It explores the production process and introduces the team members behind it.

Set in a dystopian future, the story revolves around a group of teenage cyborgs who defy the law by running a covert music club. However, their rebellion takes an unexpected turn when they confront supernatural beings from an alternate dimension.

In the modern world, it is often believed that nothing truly disappears. However, it is disheartening how many pieces of media are lost due to lack of preservation or expired licenses. This sad reality only amplifies the significance of unexpected discoveries, such as the story of Hypersonic Music Club.

Directed and written by Osamu Kobayashi, a renowned animator, illustrator, and industry legend whose contributions to anime history are well-documented, this 7-minute short film was completed in 2017 but never saw the light of day. Tragically, Kobayashi lost his battle with cancer on April 6, 2021, making this recently unveiled ONA his final released work.

Who Was Osamu Kobayashi?

Hypersonic Music Club was launched online via TokyoScope, Patrick Macias' blog. Macias, the creator of the comic that inspired the short film, shared insightful details about its production, the team involved, and his personal experience collaborating with Kobayashi.

I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to accompany him throughout the creation of this anime. Kobayashi's youthful passion for music made him the ideal candidate to transform "HYPERSONIC" into its final form.

- TokyoScope, August 1, 2023

Kobayashi gained widespread recognition for his involvement in Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, a 2004 coming-of-age drama produced by Studio Madhouse. This series delves into the triumphs and struggles of a rock band, showcasing Kobayashi's exceptional talent in an eclectic and truly inspiring manner. Despite showing its age, the series continues to possess a raw and forceful quality.

Kobayashi's distinctive style truly shines in character-driven dramas like Beck, where he skillfully presents realistic environments and character designs that successfully capture authenticity through expressive performances. Additionally, he has contributed his artistic flair to numerous episodes of other popular anime series throughout the years. Although his work on Episode 4 of Gurren Lagann may have sparked controversy, his four episodes of Naruto Shippuden (480-483), despite being filler content, are widely commended.

What Is Hypersonic Music Club?

The mentioned episodes delve into the childhood of the main characters, providing slower-paced and character-driven chapters that perfectly align with Kobayashi's storytelling style. This story arc demonstrates that not all fillers are devoid of value. Similar to some of the most captivating figures in the industry, Kobayashi was a remarkably talented individual whose influence could be detected in nearly every aspect of the episodes he worked on.

Hypersonic Music Club is a vibrant and whimsical science fiction tale set in a distant future. In a school where music is forbidden, the music-loving cyborg teenagers are left disheartened. However, once school is dismissed, these teens retreat to a clandestine music club, where they unleash their passion for melody. However, when Byrd, one of the club members, enhances the sound system with cutting-edge technology, Val and her companions find themselves unexpectedly confronted by unwanted visitors at the club.

Extradimensional demons have arrived in search of "The Mystery Frequency," causing Val's friend Cosima to be abducted and transported to another dimension. On top of that, the club's secret is exposed to the administrators, leaving Val clueless about how to rescue her friend. Byrd strikes a deal with the school administration, hoping to gather everyone and confront the demons once more in order to save Cosima.

This comic was one of Crunchyroll's initial original projects, developed in collaboration with artist MITSUME. The anime short covers the first and only chapter, taking some creative liberties with the story and visuals while staying mostly faithful. Although it is brief, credit goes to Kobayashi and his team for crafting a captivating introduction. It feels like a condensed pilot episode for a series that never materialized.

What Is & Might Have Been

Little is known about the reasons why this project remained unreleased until this year. In 2015, Chapter 1 was made available on Crunchyroll, accompanied by a limited-edition merchandise line featuring designs by MITSUME. At present, the first chapter still appears on Crunchyroll's website, although the page for it is curiously blank. However, the chapter can still be accessed in its entirety through an article on Crunchyroll News (linked below) or on Hypersonic Music Club's Tumblr page.

According to TokyoScope, the anime was produced in 2017, two years after the release of Chapter 1. It is possible that the anime was intended to gauge interest in a full series based on the original concept or to attract more attention to the comic. Regardless of the reason, Crunchyroll decided not to proceed with the project, leaving both the anime and its source material unfinished.

The circumstances surrounding this production remain largely unknown. However, TokyoScope's unveiling of this long-lost work has allowed us to connect it with an impressive list of names. Takashi Mukouda, the animation director for Inu-Oh in 2021, served as the animation director and character designer for this project. The staff also included notable animators such as Mitsuo Iso, Yoshimichi Kameda, and Hisashi Mori, known for their work on Ghost in the Shell and One Punch Man, among others.

Regardless of how audiences perceived Hypersonic Music Club, whether as a passing oddity or a hidden gem, the true value of this discovery lies in the opportunity it presents to reflect on the career of Osamu Kobayashi. Hopefully, the excitement surrounding this rediscovered project will inspire fans to revisit his work and, in turn, introduce more people to an artist who deserves recognition.

Hypersonic Music Club is available to stream for free on TokyoScope's blog.

Source: TokyoScope, Crunchyroll News