Castle Bang

Castle Bang
Genre	Nénédie comedy action-adventure
Voices of	Rena Neleş Saele Roano
Composer(s)	Susan Shelley
Country of origin	Gylias
Original language(s)	English French various
No. of episodes	30 (60 segments)
Production company(s)	Kamanimation Gylian National Film Institute
Release
Original network	ATV Arxaþ and Alţira
Original release	1 June 2009 – 28 December 2012

Castle Bang is a Gylian animated series which aired on ATV Arxaþ and Alţira in 2009–2012. Produced by Kamanimation and the Gylian National Film Institute, it is a nénédie comedy following the adventures of Liza Runecastle, a polymath who serves Alscia together with her sidekick Nancy Bangcroft and is handsomely rewarded for her efforts.

It is one of Gylias' most successful animated series, and is regarded as a peak of the nénédie genre, and one of the greatest cartoons of the 2000s–2010s.

Plot

The series is set in 1919 in Alscia, and follows the adventures of Liza Runecastle, a talented and attractive polymath who serves the Alscian government in a variety of ways. In her tasks, she is assisted by her unwavering yet bashful assistant, Nancy Bangcroft.

Liza is introduced as a heroine of the Alscian Border War, and accumulates a hyperbolic list of achievements over the course of the series. She is a scientist, martial artist, marksman, military commander, writer, inventor, engineer, architect, diplomat, artist, painter, model, sex worker, and businesswoman. She is Alscia's richest woman, owning a huge variety of businesses, and it is implied that the historical Gaulette conglomerate is actually "Runecastle".

By the end of the series, she has become the generalissimo of the Border Guard, has received the highest military awards and decorations conferred by Alscia, and has been granted the title of Duchess and all the orders of merit by the UOC. In the final segment, she is shown being intensely courted by the Alscian parties to run for office, with her final answer being left playfully ambiguous.

Characters

Liza Runecastle

Liza Runecastle

Voiced by: Rena Neleş

Liza is a heroine of the Alscian Border War who now leads a life of adventure, polymathy, and comfort. She has a vast and improbable array of skills and talents, and every project she is involved in becomes a triumph that further increases her glory. She is a household name who enjoys universal popularity in Alscia and is seen by everyone as a role model to aspire to.

She is boisterous, extremely self-confident, and has little modesty, enjoying showing off her cleavage and having numerous one-night stands. She has a mischievous side and enjoys teasing others good-naturedly, but is a kind and passionate woman who always thinks of what is best for her comrades and friends. She loves her fame, particularly for the way it's brought her riches, adulation, and an active sex life, but retains a sense of decorum and mainly uses her fame to encourage others to pursue their dreams and have equally great achievements.

Liza is highly charismatic and brazenly hypersexual, seeking to have as many sexual encounters as possible with Valeria Valente-like efficiency, in pursuit of a state of permanent "post-orgasmic bliss". Her closest friend is Nancy, who she loves deeply but also enjoys teasing mercilessly due to her easily embarrassed nature, claiming this is intended to "thicken her skin".

Nancy Bangcroft

Nancy Bangcroft

Voiced by: Saele Roano

Nancy is Liza's assistant. The few mentions of her past suggest that she had grown up in Xevden and fled to Alscia after it was established.

She is an extremely skilled sharpshooter, and always carries an elephant rifle. She is very timid, and when embarrassed, blushes easily. She is often awkward in social situations, and is flustered by luxury, the result of an impoverished childhood. She feels intimidated by her lack of as many effortless talents as Liza's, but the series repeatedly shows she is better than she gives herself credit for, and Liza constantly tells Nancy the same. She is portrayed as someone who tends to resort to "brute-force" tactics due to her lesser social proficiency compared to Liza.

Nancy is Liza's closest friend, and admires her greatly, while being somewhat daunted by her achievements. In turn, Liza acts as a big sister figure to her, encouraging her to be more confident and affectionately teasing her as a way to give her a "thick skin".

Production

Conception

The dynamic between the boisterous nénédette Liza and the shy sidekick Nancy is central to Castle Bang

Castle Bang originated as an individual Kamanimation project that was taken over collectively. The studio was small and specialised in erotica at the time. The creative team decided to try its hand at nénédie, and considered it an interesting challenge to create an attractive character following the model of Julie Legrand.

Chihiro Munakata was hired as character designer, as the team admired his work on Kenkyūsha Ayako to joshu Himeko, especially the stylish wardrobes he devised for his big-breasted heroines. Liza was the first character to be designed. Chihiro drew inspiration from dirndls for her outfit. The team thought the design was strong, and were inspired by its appearance to set the series in Alscia. Nancy was concieved afterwards, on the suggestion that Liza have a character to play off of. Nancy was deliberately designed to be Liza's opposite, from her personality to her appearance.

Early in production, the studio reached out to Susan Shelley to score the show. This was a highly attractive prospect, both due to the prestige of Susan's name and her highly successful soundtrack to The Magnificent Mademoiselles. Susan agreed to join the project, and had a meeting with the creative team to ask for further information about the series and the characters. The writers were inspired by the meeting to take Liza's character in a different direction, and with Susan's blessing, refashioned Liza into an affectionate parody of the Shelley family, with a dash of Valeria Valente-styled passion for efficiency.

The series was produced by Kamanimation and the Gylian National Film Institute between 2008 and 2012. The Alscian setting made the team feel it would be a natural fit for ATV Arxaþ and Alţira.

Approach

The central element of the series is the humorous portrayal of Liza Runecastle as irresistible, self-confident, and an extreme polymath. One writer recalled: "There was a kind of naughty thrill to coming up with ideas, we were basically Daedalus trying to figure out how far we could go without flying too close to the sun." The most common writing approach was to suggest a new field for Liza to be active in. One common running gag was showing Liza inventing recognisably modern technology, but with 1910s aesthetics, only for it to prove too far ahead of its time.

The writers' intention was for the viewers to both be entertained by Liza's improbable achievements, and still find her to be an admirable and endearing character. Once the character was refashioned, a jocular working title for the series was The Rise and Rise of Liza Runecastle. Liza's ability to achieve ever greater success became a crucial part of her sex appeal, together with her boisterous personality and attractive appearance.

The series' setting in 1919 Alscia allowed the writers to draw inspiration from Valeria Valente and the efficiency movement in deepening Liza's characterisation, and to have a comedic subplot running throughout the episodes where Liza and Nancy follow the Race Around the World.

Style

The creative team took inspiration from The Magnificent Mademoiselles in making a deliberately rosy portrayal of Alscia. They played up the common traits associated with Alscia in pop culture, showing an almost utopian "hurried province" where poverty doesn't exist, everyone enjoys a good life, and everyone is sharp-dressed and well-groomed. They hoped this would make the series as comforting to viewers as The Magnificent Mademoiselles had been.

Since Liza's breasts were the most prominent part of her physique, the series made a running gag out of showing her lactating, and its results: she greatly enjoys working as a wet nurse, insists on breastfeeding all her partners as an erotic act, and once per segment asks for Nancy's "help", which Nancy obliges.

In keeping with nénédie's emphasis on brevity, Castle Bang used a two shorts format, with each episode consisting of two shorts around 10 minutes long.

Characterisation

Liza's characterisation as a proud, attractive, and comically extreme polymath won widespread critical acclaim

The creators enjoyed the dynamic of Nancy as admiring yet somewhat intimidated by Liza, and Liza as a big sister figure who shows her affection physically and through teasing.

As one writer explained: "Liza is someone who's just somehow blessed, has gone through life with no adversity and easily accomplishes anything she sets out to. Nancy comes from a typical background, and nothing's ever come easy for her, she's had to fight to get where she is. The combination of the two brings out the best in each other: Nancy gets to enjoy the sweet life, and Liza has a best friend who keeps her astute."

The creative team followed a rule during production that "viewers must always laugh with Liza and Nancy, never at them." One running gag was nearly left out of the series due to the debates it caused among writers whether it was mean-spirited. The running gag in question is that Liza is shown with an insatiable appetite, eating immense amounts of food without ever getting fat, while Nancy doesn't have the same ability and worries about her weight. Ultimately, it was included in the series and used as an opportunity to show Liza being supportive and comforting towards Nancy.

Two running gags were included in every episode, usually as the ending to a segment. One was a scene Liza enthusiastically hugs Nancy while celebrating, squeezing her tightly and pushing her head into her breasts due to their height difference. Another was for Nancy to "help" Liza when lactating, and afterwards Nancy is shown with a cartoonishly large belly and jokingly complaining about feeling fat from drinking all of Liza's breast milk, while Liza playfully rubs her belly and reassures her she looks good.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was performed by Susan Shelley. Reprising a technique she was famous for, Susan scored the show as if it was serious, in order to enhance the comedy.

Susan drew on various influences to produce a "period-appropriate" soundtrack, including orchestral music, jazz, and minimalism. She acknowledged using "Rhapsody in Blue" as a key reference for how to create orchestral jazz. The score used a variety of ensembles, including orchestra, big band, small combo, and a reduced number of instruments.

Susan sought out a group of collaborators to serve as the jazz combo, much as Combustible Edison had been for The Magnificent Mademoiselles. She chose Mondo Fine for the task, beginning a lengthy and close collaboration that lasted until her death.

The score used diverse instruments and ensembles to complement the action on screen. Pizzicato violins, tuned percussion instruments, and minimalist ostinatos were used to represent the "hustle and bustle" of Alscian society, as well as its forward-looking optimism. Liza was accompanied by a soundtrack of "lusty" big band jazz, highlighted by slow drumming, blues-influenced licks, and prominent horn section. Nancy was accompanied by a soundtrack of "sensitive" piano and acoustic guitar.

The creators applauded Susan's soundtrack and considered it crucial to the show's success. One animator commented that Susan's score "winked at the audience, added another layer to the comedy, and brought grandeur to the show — you watched Liza being magnificent and you began to feel magnificent yourself."

Susan also expressed fondness for the soundtrack, declaring in Susan Shelley: A Musical Life that she was very proud of it. She quipped, "I tried my best to raise Liza Runecastle to greatness."

Reception

Castle Bang was a critical and commercial success upon airing. It became one of the biggest hits of the nénédie genre, with reviewers praising the strong characterisation, raunchy comedy, voice acting, dynamic between Liza and Nancy, and stylish soundtrack.

The series was uploaded to Proton TV as it aired, and was later released on DVD.

The series experienced significant popularity in Gylias, far beyond the creators' initial expectations. It quickly became one of Gylias' most successful animated series, and Kamanimation's biggest hit. It also marked the breakthrough role for Rena Neleş, who established herself as a leading voice actress strongly associated with nénédie.

Liza became one of the most celebrated characters in Gylianime, with a particularly strong following on the Gylian internet, and figures of her quickly became the fastest-selling merchandise in Gylias in decades.

Related media

The creators approved the creation of an action-adventure game based on the show, which was well-received.

Some time after the series ended, debate began within the creative team whether they should produce a sequel. One of the major issues was how to develop on the setting of the series. A writer commented: "What's left for Liza to do? Probably just become President of the Universe! [laughs] That was our stumbling block. We weren't sure we wanted to push Liza into politics because it might cramp her style, and since the setting is Alscia, the problem then is how do you tackle the Liberation War?"

Any plans to create a sequel to Castle Bang were permanently shelved after Susan Shelley's death in 2016. The creators thought her scoring was so important to the show's success that a sequel without her soundtrack would risk being inferior.

In the end, Kamanimation published a Gylimanga sequel, Castle Rule, in 2019, with Chihiro Munakata handling the artwork. Set in the year 2000, it shows Liza and Nancy as supercentenarians, benefitting from great advances in medicine and science. They reminisce about their lives since the events of Castle Bang, shown in flashback:

• Thanks to Liza's campaigning, the Alscian sovereignty referendum goes the other way, as Alscians vote by a landslide against joining the Free Territories.
• Alscia becomes a "tandemocracy", jointly led by Liza and Donatella Rossetti, and concludes an alliance with the Free Territories. The Free Territories and Alscia conclude a sphere of influence agreement, with Alscia given free rein to expand east of the Kackar mountains.
• Alscia's rapid expansion makes it a major combatant in the Liberation War. When the Nerveiík Kingdom is overthrown, the Varnaþ family takes refuge in Alscia. The combined Alscian military and People's Army destroy the Royal Army and rapidly overrun Nerveiík, toppling the Tymzar–Nalo regime in short order. With Alscian assistance, the Free Territories completes the liberation of territories west of the Kackar mountains.
• Liza leads diplomatic negotiations for the integration of Alscia and the Free Territories. These are successful and result in the establishment of Gylias in 1950.
• Liza becomes the Prime Minister of Gylias, leading a cabinet composed of several real-life cabinet members (including Rin Tōsaka and Sakura Tōsaka) while sidelining others. The integration of the Free Territories results in a pact of the dinner party where the liberals are in the superior position; Gylias retains the trappings of the Free Territories while in practice functioning like Alscia.
• Liza leads Gylias to a golden age of prosperity, peace, and progress. The Golden Revolution happens in a modified form, with gauchic aesthetics and clothing styles becoming ubiquituous. Valeria Valente's philosophy of efficiency is combined with decentralised planning through the Hermes Programme. Art Deco and Raygun Gothic become the defining visual and architectural styles of Gylias. The old Popular Progressive Front is expanded to include the anarcho-communists and progressive conservatives, creating a "magic coalition" that dominates Gylian politics with a divided, weak, and unpopular opposition. In reaction to liberals' dominance, both the communists and conservatives dilute their ideology and move closer to the centre, becoming more like liberals.
• Throughout it all, Liza's list of accomplishments and talents grows ever more extravagant, and she remains Gylias' richest woman, her wealth growing to unimaginable levels despite her extensive philanthropy, donations, and funding public works and state projects out of her own pocket. She remains as hypersexual and boastful as ever, achieving her goal of having sex with every adult Gylian, and personally wet nursing every Gylian baby. She has also successfully helped Nancy grow more confident and boastful herself, while remaining her closest friend, romantic partner, and devoted assistant.
• After an incredibly extravagant 100th birthday party that shuts down the Gylian economy for a week due to the collective hangovers and exhaustion from partying, Liza announces her upcoming retirement. She steps down after the 1990 federal election, having become the longest-serving and oldest democratically-elected leader in Tyran.
• Due to enormous advances in science, technology, and medicine, many of them due to Liza's own research and inventions, the maximum life span has increased immensely, while the ageing process has slowed immensely. Liza looks forward to a long and happy retirement with her beloved Nancy. In the final scene, Liza muses about the numerous sexual encounters she looks forward to in retirement, to which Nancy chuckles knowingly.