Random Thought 416
So today I went to the municipal to register my voter's ID and gracious me, it took me 8 hours just to take an ID picture that only lasts about 3 minutes or so. I was in the middle of the scorching sun for 6 hours since the queue was very long that it went outside of the municipal. By the time I got inside until I finished taking my ID picture, it took me another 2 hours. I'm really disappointed that they cannot improve their system at all.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Kaiju Movie Sale
Kaiju is a Japanese word that means, "strange beast,' so Wikipedia tells me. It's also a buzzword at the moment, thanks to this week's release of Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim. As a refresher to what Pacific Rim is, check out the latest trailer and featurette, and get excited!
If you like what you see on the big screen and want to see more of giant monsters fighting other giant monsters (and robots), then you might want to see the has on now, featuring some great films such as Big Man Japan, Troll Hunter, Monsters, and Godzilla classics, and anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Gigantor.
If you like what you see on the big screen and want to see more of giant monsters fighting other giant monsters (and robots), then you might want to see the has on now, featuring some great films such as Big Man Japan, Troll Hunter, Monsters, and Godzilla classics, and anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Gigantor.
All about pre-1997ish anime
Like I usually do, I ranted on reddit a lot yesterday. Except this time, it was suggesting a lot of classic anime to some dude who wanted classic anime suggestions. Since I couldn't just let that fall into the aether of reddit, like everything does, I wanted to post it here. And since I have no pretense of professionalism, it's fine with me. Even if I did have a pretense of professionalism, it's since gone from my old and poorly written posts.
Without further ado:
Without further ado:
Pacific Rim vs. Neon Genesis Evangelion
I think it's okay to talk about this now.I mean, it's been out a while, yes?And, as far as I know.
If I were an average American, which by all rights I am, I'd probably not know about Neon Genesis Evangelion.Even if I'd heard of it, I may not know its origins as a serialized animated television show.The movies are just recaps, and in fact some of the plot lines were abandoned for the movie.As far as I know, there's no US equivalent of what happened.We've had TV shows turned into movies, and we've even had kids cartoons turned into major summer blockbuster movies.But I don't think we've had a long running main stream cartoon turned into a major motion picture, but containing its own story.Closest I can think would be the Simpsons.
If I were an average American, which by all rights I am, I'd probably not know about Neon Genesis Evangelion.Even if I'd heard of it, I may not know its origins as a serialized animated television show.The movies are just recaps, and in fact some of the plot lines were abandoned for the movie.As far as I know, there's no US equivalent of what happened.We've had TV shows turned into movies, and we've even had kids cartoons turned into major summer blockbuster movies.But I don't think we've had a long running main stream cartoon turned into a major motion picture, but containing its own story.Closest I can think would be the Simpsons.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Mithril: London ComicCon Shenanigans
On May the 24th to the 26th was one of the UK's biggest event for media, anime and cosplay London ComicCon.Naturally I went to see what would be going on this year. Like normal there waspanels for tv shows, meeting celebrities and a lot, and I mean a lot, of stalls selling various products from anime plushies to Japanese dining ware.
Although I did buy a few things and saw a couple of panels that's not why I go to London ComicCon. Naturally I go for the cosplay. Over the 3 days there wasvarious level of cosplay from the people who buy ones of the rack and have fun with other cosplayers cosplaying from the same series to amazing costumes where you stand there and wonder, how did they make that??
Although I did buy a few things and saw a couple of panels that's not why I go to London ComicCon. Naturally I go for the cosplay. Over the 3 days there wasvarious level of cosplay from the people who buy ones of the rack and have fun with other cosplayers cosplaying from the same series to amazing costumes where you stand there and wonder, how did they make that??
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Saboten Con Announces Guests
Saboten Con has announced the following guests for their upcoming convention:
* Yuko Miyamura - Japanese anime voice actress whose credits include Neon Genesis Evangelion, Outlaw Star, Case Closed, and Berserk.
* Yuko Miyamura - Japanese anime voice actress whose credits include Neon Genesis Evangelion, Outlaw Star, Case Closed, and Berserk.
A film review: 'Pacific Rim' is an awesome Americanization of Japanese geekdom.
DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro
SCREENPLAY: Travis Beacham, Guillermo del Toro
GENRE: Science fiction / action
SCREENPLAY: Travis Beacham, Guillermo del Toro
GENRE: Science fiction / action
Another perspective of Entertainment
Hoooaallllaaooooo.....
It's been a long time since my last post, well i got a little busy for these past week, and still got nothing from my busy-nes.
It's been a long time since my last post, well i got a little busy for these past week, and still got nothing from my busy-nes.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Cancelling the Apocalypse!
So. I saw Pacific Rim yesterday, and felt the need to write something about it. Obviously I'm not a professional critic, so I guess this might be a little rough, but honestly some of the reviews I've been seeing from the professional critics have annoyed me. I don't care if they don't like the movie, that's their right, but some of them are showing that they've clearly got no idea what the movie was trying to accomplish. Saying that it owes its existence to Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS is a bloody joke, especially given the fact that the movie is clearly intended as a way to introduce a new generation to the concept of Kaiju and giant robot films. There were a number of other inaccuracies, but I can't really be bothered with them now beyond pointing out that things like this are why I rarely bother with reviews by professional critics before seeing a movie. I normally find reviews by average viewers to be of much more use, since I'm more likely to be judging a movie on similar criteria to them.
Hence why I've decided to review this in the hopes that it helps some people decide whether or not to watch it. First though, let's make something clear. This is a movie review, so this could quite conceivably be considered to be spoilerific. You have been warned, and you read on at your own risk. That said, I have done my absolute best to avoid things I would consider to be spoilers. Pretty much all of the plot info in here is stuff you'd get from watching the trailer. Now then, let's get into it
Hence why I've decided to review this in the hopes that it helps some people decide whether or not to watch it. First though, let's make something clear. This is a movie review, so this could quite conceivably be considered to be spoilerific. You have been warned, and you read on at your own risk. That said, I have done my absolute best to avoid things I would consider to be spoilers. Pretty much all of the plot info in here is stuff you'd get from watching the trailer. Now then, let's get into it
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Old School Lane's Nickelodeon Tribute: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Anime. While it has been around in America since the 60's showing programs such as Speed Racer and Astro Boy, around the late 90's to the late 00's anime was a huge phenomenon amongst Americans. Whether it was watching the now iconic Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, One Piece, Naruto, or Bleach to the Studio Ghibli films like Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, or Spirited Away, anime was hugely popular thanks to the Internet or Cartoon Network's Saturday night block Toonami. With that said, Americans tried to ride on the popularity of anime with cartoons inspired by it. There were some good ones like Teen Titans, Ben 10, Transformers, and Samurai Jack and there were really bad ones like W.I.T.C.H., Totally Spies, and Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go! At that point, American anime programs were extremely mediocre. As for cartoons in the mid 2000's, there were slowly fading away. Nickelodeon was even slowly fading away with their programs and reputation. 2005 was a terrible year for the 90's kids with Rugrats and All That being cancelled and Nickelodeon Studios shutting down its doors. With the exception of SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly Oddparents, and Danny Phantom, Nickelodeon hasn't had a huge hit with their cartoons in a while. It needed a fresh new show to keep things afloat. On February 21, 2005, Avatar: The Last Airbender debuted on Nickelodeon.
The show was about a young boy named Aang (voiced by Zack Tyler Eisen) who was trapped in a iceberg in the South Pole and was rescued by two siblings named Sokka (voiced by All That cast member Jack DeSena), a young warrior, and Katara (voiced by Mae Whitman), the last Waterbender in her tribe. When he awakes, he slowly finds out that he had been trapped in the iceberg for 100 years and during that time, a large war started by the Fire Nation had been occuring led by an evil king named Fire Lord Ozai. It was revealed that Aang isn't a normal kid. He is the last Airbender in the world and the Avatar, a person who can master all four elements: air, water, earth, and fire. However, he has only mastered air and has yet to learn the other elements. So Aang, Katara, and Sokka travel to various locations so that Aang can learn how to master the rest of the elements. Along the way, a banished Fire Nation prince named Zuko (voiced by Dante Basco) was sent to find the Avatar so he can received his honor back from his father. He and his uncle Iroh (voiced by the late actor Mako) work together to capture the Avatar.
The show was about a young boy named Aang (voiced by Zack Tyler Eisen) who was trapped in a iceberg in the South Pole and was rescued by two siblings named Sokka (voiced by All That cast member Jack DeSena), a young warrior, and Katara (voiced by Mae Whitman), the last Waterbender in her tribe. When he awakes, he slowly finds out that he had been trapped in the iceberg for 100 years and during that time, a large war started by the Fire Nation had been occuring led by an evil king named Fire Lord Ozai. It was revealed that Aang isn't a normal kid. He is the last Airbender in the world and the Avatar, a person who can master all four elements: air, water, earth, and fire. However, he has only mastered air and has yet to learn the other elements. So Aang, Katara, and Sokka travel to various locations so that Aang can learn how to master the rest of the elements. Along the way, a banished Fire Nation prince named Zuko (voiced by Dante Basco) was sent to find the Avatar so he can received his honor back from his father. He and his uncle Iroh (voiced by the late actor Mako) work together to capture the Avatar.
The World's End
[note: this is not a "review" in the critical sense - this is how I would explain the film to someone I know. Do not expect objectivity or a balance between positive and negatives. I can talk negatively about things I really love and disappointment is not equal to disapproval.]
I much prefer the name "blood and ice cream" for the trilogy but it is apparently now the "Cornetto" trilogy.
I much prefer the name "blood and ice cream" for the trilogy but it is apparently now the "Cornetto" trilogy.
animehere.com
Lately, I've been spending a lot of time at watching (or more accurately re-watching) Neon Genesis Evangelion.At the moment, I've just finished episode 13 "Lilliputian Hitcher" in which NERV's super computers are infected by the angel Iruel.NGE will always have a special place in my heart, as it was my introduction years ago to Japanese anime.It sort of set the bar for anime in my mind and now it's difficult for me to be interested in an anime series unless there are giant mecha involved.The site has a shitload of anime series, from NGE to One Piece to Naruto and RahXephon.And like all of my favorite websites, it's FREE!
Full Post
Full Post
Monday, July 22, 2013
Evangelion 3.0
I'm perennially late with my Eva reviews, so here's the one for the third movie. By the way, if you think Pacific Rim is in any way comparable to Evangelion, you're a weeaboo.
By the end of the second Eva movie, Anno Hideaki was going strong - the series storyline was presented in a clear way, Shinji was demonstrating initiative rather than emo whining, and the animation was spectacular. Perhaps there was a dearth of new material, but over a decade had passed, and there were a few new flourishes. Enter Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 - some spoilers (structural and the main one) follow.
By the end of the second Eva movie, Anno Hideaki was going strong - the series storyline was presented in a clear way, Shinji was demonstrating initiative rather than emo whining, and the animation was spectacular. Perhaps there was a dearth of new material, but over a decade had passed, and there were a few new flourishes. Enter Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 - some spoilers (structural and the main one) follow.
5 Reasons to see 'Pacific Rim'
This past weekend my friends and I went to see the recently released Pacific Rim, a movie whose release we'd greatly anticipated. And I have to say . . . it was pretty epic. I mean, robots vs. aliens (or in this case, Jaegers vs. Kaiju). Enough said.
But then again Cowboys vs. Aliens, a movie with such promise, wound up being a complete disappointment. So much so that even Han Solo and 007 couldn't save it. Fortunately for hopeful movie go-ers like myself, Pacific Rim delivered.
Of course, you don't have to take my word for it. After all, I love Sy-Fy channel original movies, so my taste is often considered questionable. But for what it's worth, here are five good reasons to head to the theater . . .
But then again Cowboys vs. Aliens, a movie with such promise, wound up being a complete disappointment. So much so that even Han Solo and 007 couldn't save it. Fortunately for hopeful movie go-ers like myself, Pacific Rim delivered.
Of course, you don't have to take my word for it. After all, I love Sy-Fy channel original movies, so my taste is often considered questionable. But for what it's worth, here are five good reasons to head to the theater . . .
Pacific Rim
The films keep getting bigger and louder this summer, but what a summer!PACIFIC RIM (2013) has arrived.
Finally! For me personally, generally speaking, Roland Emmerich's GODZILLA (1998) - Strike One! Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS (2007) - Strike Two!Matt Reeves' CLOVERFIELD (2008) - Strike Three!Three epic face palms despite enjoying some rousing moments.PACIFIC RIM is everything we have been waiting for.
Finally! For me personally, generally speaking, Roland Emmerich's GODZILLA (1998) - Strike One! Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS (2007) - Strike Two!Matt Reeves' CLOVERFIELD (2008) - Strike Three!Three epic face palms despite enjoying some rousing moments.PACIFIC RIM is everything we have been waiting for.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
mecha-gasm.
Okay so I am not going to pretend and say that I did not find Pacific Rim a great movie to watch. But when I say great I only mean it in the mecha-crazy, big-robots-stomping-towns kind of great -- so please don't go beyond that and try to be philosophical with me and say how metaphorical the Jaegars and Kaijus are (in reference to Humanity versus Dark Side of Humanity kind of battles) -- because they're not. I was and still am a big fan slash groupie of Neon Genesis Evangelion (arguably one of the greatest mecha anime ever made) so nothing you say will make me elevate Pacific Rim to beyond what it really is.
Having said that I also admit that I have never watched any of the Gundam series, nor was I a Voltron fan, so fans of those franchise might want to differ with me. To each his/her own.
Having said that I also admit that I have never watched any of the Gundam series, nor was I a Voltron fan, so fans of those franchise might want to differ with me. To each his/her own.
Controversy: is Pacific Rim a retelling of Evangelion??!
reviews the movie and finds plenty of similarities:
The scene: Tokyo lies in ruins. A child is alone in the wreckage and terrified as a colossal monster approaches. The creature's on an unstoppable rampage and the kid's fate looks sealed. Until a savior steps in at the last moment.
The scene: Tokyo lies in ruins. A child is alone in the wreckage and terrified as a colossal monster approaches. The creature's on an unstoppable rampage and the kid's fate looks sealed. Until a savior steps in at the last moment.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
License Request Day
I was reminded after Kodansha's recent licenses at San Diego Comic Con (I'll have a post on them later) that they had both been on my last major pile. So, since I've used those requests up for the most part, let's take a look back at the bestseller charts. June 2013, to be precise.
I'm looking at the Top 50, which has 32 distinct titles on it (some titles have multiple volumes). 20 of these 32 are licensed, which shows you how "Company X never licenses the really popular stuff!" isn't true. So, already off the list are: One Piece, Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, Kimi ni Todoke, Attack on Titan, Blue Exorcist, Yotsuba&!, Bleach, Detective Conan, Black Butler, Real, Magi, Natsume's Book of Friends, Fairy Tail, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Toriko, Vagabond. Inu x Boku SS, Say "I Love You", and Drifters. Even if one of those is only as of yesterday. :)
I'm looking at the Top 50, which has 32 distinct titles on it (some titles have multiple volumes). 20 of these 32 are licensed, which shows you how "Company X never licenses the really popular stuff!" isn't true. So, already off the list are: One Piece, Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, Kimi ni Todoke, Attack on Titan, Blue Exorcist, Yotsuba&!, Bleach, Detective Conan, Black Butler, Real, Magi, Natsume's Book of Friends, Fairy Tail, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Toriko, Vagabond. Inu x Boku SS, Say "I Love You", and Drifters. Even if one of those is only as of yesterday. :)
Everything You Need to Know About Mecha
With "Pacific Rim" coming out in a couple of weeks and the marketing blitz hitting a crescendo, I think it's time to talk about mecha. The mecha genre, found primarily in Japanese media, covers stories about humanoid robots and machines, including mechanized battle armor, mechanical constructs, modified vehicles with battle capabilities, and your good old-fashioned battling robots. The Transformers are mecha, even though they're technically aliens from outer space, because they're living machines who have the ability to act like vehicles and other large mechanized objects. Iron Man is a borderline case, since his armor does give Tony Stark special enhancements, but traditional mecha tend to be more substantial machines that are piloted or operated.
I've noticed that there's been widespread confusion over the appeal of mecha in the American mainstream, as Japanese media remains an acquired taste. Why giant robots? Why building-sized machines and vehicles, often stylized to ridiculous extremes? Well, part of it's cultural, of course. Japan is famously an industry leader in the research and development of robotics, and use more of them than just about any other country in the world. Robots are also far more prevalent in Japan's popular media, with the Giant Robot genre emerging in kids' manga in the 1950s and 1960s. Several influential titles like "Mazinger Z" and "Tetsujin 28" (aka "Gigantor") seem to have kicked off the national love affair with giant, heroic, mechanical creatures. I think it's also worth remembering that Japan is home to the kaiju, the giant monsters like Godzilla and Mothra, and the same impulse that created them probably also had a hand in the robots getting supersized.
I've noticed that there's been widespread confusion over the appeal of mecha in the American mainstream, as Japanese media remains an acquired taste. Why giant robots? Why building-sized machines and vehicles, often stylized to ridiculous extremes? Well, part of it's cultural, of course. Japan is famously an industry leader in the research and development of robotics, and use more of them than just about any other country in the world. Robots are also far more prevalent in Japan's popular media, with the Giant Robot genre emerging in kids' manga in the 1950s and 1960s. Several influential titles like "Mazinger Z" and "Tetsujin 28" (aka "Gigantor") seem to have kicked off the national love affair with giant, heroic, mechanical creatures. I think it's also worth remembering that Japan is home to the kaiju, the giant monsters like Godzilla and Mothra, and the same impulse that created them probably also had a hand in the robots getting supersized.
My 13 Favorite Anime Songs
These are anime songs I like that I've heard. There are a million of them I know and millions more that I don't know, but these are the ones I felt like putting the effort into mentioning. Don't think that the songs really represent my taste in music, though. It does to an extent, but don't put too much into it. Outside of anime I don't listen to "pop music," but pop music sounds better when it's sung in a different language. And not all of these songs are pop music. I like a lot of songs from COWBOY BEBOP (enough to fill up this list), but I settled for only two. I will give honorable mentions to Call Me, Rain, Space Lion, and Blue, though. Again, I'm a democratic guy so that's why I gave other shows a chance to have a song.
I intensely dislike DBGT in English and prefer to watch it in Japanese or not at all because the Dan Dan... theme song is so much better than that absolute wretched crap music the English dub has tacked on to it.
I intensely dislike DBGT in English and prefer to watch it in Japanese or not at all because the Dan Dan... theme song is so much better than that absolute wretched crap music the English dub has tacked on to it.
A Youtube Playlist
And now for something completely different.
For fun, I've put together a of various television and movie (and related) clips. These are mostly just odds and ends that don't really have anything in common except that they all have a strong music element. Some are parts of ad campaigns, some are nostalgic oddities from my childhood, and some are unclassifiable ephemera that wouldn't be showing up on this blog except in a form like this. However, I find them all very entertaining, and worth pointing out for recommendation. Hopefully, you'll find something in the mix that tickles your fancy too.
For fun, I've put together a of various television and movie (and related) clips. These are mostly just odds and ends that don't really have anything in common except that they all have a strong music element. Some are parts of ad campaigns, some are nostalgic oddities from my childhood, and some are unclassifiable ephemera that wouldn't be showing up on this blog except in a form like this. However, I find them all very entertaining, and worth pointing out for recommendation. Hopefully, you'll find something in the mix that tickles your fancy too.
Pacific Rim (2013)
Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
I know I've spoken at great, most likely annoying lengths throughout the course of this blog about my dislike of Michael Bay. I could probably start a glue factory what with all the horse corpses I have laying around to pummel as a result of it. I give him credit where credit is due, as my shockingly glowing review of "" proves, but that is the rare exception to the norm. Overwhelmingly Bay is a hack to rival anyone rated among the most notorious, and his money-factory juggernaut films represent nearly everything that is evil and wrong with the lowest-common-denominator-seeking industry that we find ourselves saddled with.
I know I've spoken at great, most likely annoying lengths throughout the course of this blog about my dislike of Michael Bay. I could probably start a glue factory what with all the horse corpses I have laying around to pummel as a result of it. I give him credit where credit is due, as my shockingly glowing review of "" proves, but that is the rare exception to the norm. Overwhelmingly Bay is a hack to rival anyone rated among the most notorious, and his money-factory juggernaut films represent nearly everything that is evil and wrong with the lowest-common-denominator-seeking industry that we find ourselves saddled with.
Giant Robots Redeemed in "Pacific Rim"
"Pacific Rim" is the first film to be directed by Guillermo Del Toro since the "Hellboy" sequel back in 2008. It is one of his Hollywood films, meaning that it's intended to be a pure entertainment, with no deeper artistic ambitions other than to wow a summer audience. However, Del Toro is still Del Toro, and when he tackles the concept of giant monsters and giant robots causing giant destruction, he does it in a way that puts the efforts of Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich to shame.
Based on the beloved Japanese giant monster "kaiju" movies like "Godzilla," and the giant robot and mecha genres that gave us "Gigantor" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion," "Pacific Rim" takes us to a world in the not-so-distant future when giant beasts are invading our world through a breach between dimensions at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. In order to protect coastal cities from their rampaging, the world comes together and creates Jaegers, giant humanoid vehicles that must be operated by a pair of compatible pilots. These pilots have their minds linked to each other and the Jaeger through an interface called The Drift, causing them to share memories and synchronize their actions.
Based on the beloved Japanese giant monster "kaiju" movies like "Godzilla," and the giant robot and mecha genres that gave us "Gigantor" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion," "Pacific Rim" takes us to a world in the not-so-distant future when giant beasts are invading our world through a breach between dimensions at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. In order to protect coastal cities from their rampaging, the world comes together and creates Jaegers, giant humanoid vehicles that must be operated by a pair of compatible pilots. These pilots have their minds linked to each other and the Jaeger through an interface called The Drift, causing them to share memories and synchronize their actions.
Friday, July 19, 2013
What I'm watching (In Three parts); Space Battleship Yamato 2199
Ok first things first; if you watched Cartoons in the late 70s and early 80s the following clip may well make you giggle like a kid again.
Yes that's right, they remade Battleship Yamato, aka Starblazers to us English speakers and boy is it pretty. I'm not normally one for reviewing or talking about Anime but a trip to Tokyo kinda does things to you and I have been consuming it a lot of late. (probably for the first time in ten or so years) So whilst there I discovered that Yamato was being remade and released in cinemas as a series of movies that would then be broken up into episodes for DVD/TV release. Instantly hit by the nostalgia stick I returned home to track down this new series. (as well as several others that I may or may not talk about)
Yes that's right, they remade Battleship Yamato, aka Starblazers to us English speakers and boy is it pretty. I'm not normally one for reviewing or talking about Anime but a trip to Tokyo kinda does things to you and I have been consuming it a lot of late. (probably for the first time in ten or so years) So whilst there I discovered that Yamato was being remade and released in cinemas as a series of movies that would then be broken up into episodes for DVD/TV release. Instantly hit by the nostalgia stick I returned home to track down this new series. (as well as several others that I may or may not talk about)
Thursday, July 18, 2013
PACIFIC RIM goes big and delivers big where it counts
My wife. My sister. My mother. My father. My friends. They have all asked "What is Pacific Rim?" One of my friends even called it a... you know I'm going to keep that joke in the dirt but if you have a dirty mind I'm sure you know where that finished statement could go.
I plainly explained, with no true knowledge of the film, "IT'S GIANT ROBOTS VS. GIANT MONSTERS. IT LITERALLY CANNOT FAIL." (ed. note: The movie is NOT doing well in U.S. box office thanks to some cute yellow creatures and a reformed spy, and some sequel movie about grown ups)
I plainly explained, with no true knowledge of the film, "IT'S GIANT ROBOTS VS. GIANT MONSTERS. IT LITERALLY CANNOT FAIL." (ed. note: The movie is NOT doing well in U.S. box office thanks to some cute yellow creatures and a reformed spy, and some sequel movie about grown ups)
Pacific Rim
[note: this is not a "review" in the critical sense - this is how I would explain the film to someone I know. Do not expect objectivity or a balance between positive and negatives. I can talk negatively about things I really love and disappointment is not equal to disapproval.]
As most films do, the hype and previews for this entirely passed me by. I saw the massive poster at (or, indeed, on) the BFI IMAX but it didn't mean much to me - I thought it was "Pacify Crime" for a while.Pacific Rim is the ultimate otaku film that all of us had always been waiting for. Who are you, if you are Japanese and won't watch this?
As most films do, the hype and previews for this entirely passed me by. I saw the massive poster at (or, indeed, on) the BFI IMAX but it didn't mean much to me - I thought it was "Pacify Crime" for a while.Pacific Rim is the ultimate otaku film that all of us had always been waiting for. Who are you, if you are Japanese and won't watch this?
The Biggest Screen Possible
That's what you'll need if you ever want to get the most enjoyment out of Guillermo del Toro's , the "giant robots vs. giant monsters" inspired less by Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and more on Japanese monster films like Godzilla and the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. del Toro's stock might have taken a hit in recent years (he hasn't directed a film since 2008's well-reviewed but financially-disappointing Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and his production efforts have drawn little in the way of audiences), but this is still the same man who wowed us with bizarre and imaginative visuals in Pan's Labyrinth and the original Hellboy. He's gained a following as an artist who thrives on creativity and original ideas, and like a more talented Tim Burton he loves to drench his movies in his signature level of darkness and dark humor. This makes his movies instantly worth watching, as you never get the feeling that you're seeing the same old story just one more time.That said, "giant robots vs. giant monsters" isn't exactly going to appeal to anything outside a niche audience, and even with the full backing of Warner Bros. Pictures, it seems like an incredible risky project to make. So it's up to one director and his barely-famous cast to make the whole thing work.
Yeah, it was a bad day to live on the coast.
Yeah, it was a bad day to live on the coast.
Culture Shock 07.18.13: 'Pacific Rim' honors 50 years of fighting monsters
There is nothing more quintessentially Japanese than the idea of giant robots fighting giant monsters. Japanese producers have entertained audiences for five decades by pitting futuristic marvels of human ingenuity against lumbering, primeval and often mindless forces of nature.
Perhaps that is what you get when you have a society that has embraced a kind of neon-soaked, "Blade Runner" aesthetic of the future yet, because of geography and geology, faces the ever-looming threat of primordial devastation from earthquakes and tsunamis.
Perhaps that is what you get when you have a society that has embraced a kind of neon-soaked, "Blade Runner" aesthetic of the future yet, because of geography and geology, faces the ever-looming threat of primordial devastation from earthquakes and tsunamis.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Eva-Analysis
Last week I received a message from a facebook friend who had a few questions about Evangelion. Being the Eva geek that I am, I immediately jumped at the chance to share my knowledge and personal thoughts on the subject. What follows are my answers to those questions, but be warned that there are spoilers ahead. I wrote this with only the recipient in mind, so if these responses look odd here that's probably why. Anyways, let's take a look at the questions.
A. How important is Mari as a character?
A. How important is Mari as a character?
Anime Reflections: Is Neon Genesis Evangelion Really a Deconstruction?
Neon Genesis Evangelion is famous for many, many things. The complete budget breakdown, the incomprehensible ending(s), the popularization of the archetype, the probable creation of the , the mindscrews, etc. Perhaps what it's most famous for, though, is being a deconstruction of mecha (i.e., giant robot) anime. Thinking back on the series, though, I'm not so sure that's the case.
First of all, I'll need to define the term "deconstruction" for those unfamiliar with it. A deconstruction is an attempt to break down common tropes or genres to portray them more realistically. Some people think that this means "in a dark way," and that's usually the way deconstructions go, but it's not the case. A deconstruction is not an attempt to make something "darker and edgier," but an examination of the consequences that we don't normally think of. That's what deconstruction is all about: exploring the consequences in order to make you stop and think.
First of all, I'll need to define the term "deconstruction" for those unfamiliar with it. A deconstruction is an attempt to break down common tropes or genres to portray them more realistically. Some people think that this means "in a dark way," and that's usually the way deconstructions go, but it's not the case. A deconstruction is not an attempt to make something "darker and edgier," but an examination of the consequences that we don't normally think of. That's what deconstruction is all about: exploring the consequences in order to make you stop and think.
Devil Survivor 2 The Animation
Jump in my wishlist at last season (Spring 2013), an anime series adapted from video game. Finally when start airing, in early episodes make me happy, quietly entertain and keen to watch it. As times go away slowly but surely, I just like sit in my sofa and watch a "woah" show for children, until this series going completed I just move from it without expressions.
Title : Devil Survivor 2 The Animation
Title : Devil Survivor 2 The Animation
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
I made a list of anime I need to watch.
Here it is.Now you can laugh at me at all the iconic anime I haven't seen In my defense, I used to be a very avid manga reader and have read them for many now popular anime series.
* Cowboy Bebop (I know.I know.)
* Cowboy Bebop (I know.I know.)
Matching Monsters with Emotions--Thoughts about Pacific Rim, Hellboy, Eva, and FLCL
I loved Pacific Rim.Guillermo del Toro is a smart director.He knows how to be subtle, how to build emotional complexity and thematic depth.And, miraculously, he's secure enough in his self-perception to make a movie that goes one step beyond the self-conscious ironic distance one might bring to a giant robots vs. giant monsters movie in 2013, beyond deconstructionat least in my theater, there were a lot of laughs at what might have otherwise seemed inappropriate places, but they didn't feel derisive to me--more like laughs of surprise at the boldness and joy with which the movie embraces scenes, lines, and shots where other movies would feel compelled to wink at the camera in a 'see, audience, we're actually way too sophisticated to believe or say this stuff honestly, but we know you're going to eat it up so here you go' cynical sort of way.
That subject deserves more words.But, thanks to Alyssa Rosenberg tweeting a bit about rewatching the Hellboy movies, I spent a piece of last night thinking about internal and external danger, and how they work best when twinned both in scope and texture.Let's compare Pacific Rim to Hellboy.I don't want to go on to Hulk-length about this, though the subject probably deserves that kind of focus (and an analysis of Pan's Labyrinth which I only saw once a few years backhe has a baby old god wriggling inside him, literally.To accomplish his goal, he's releasing tentacly demon-dogs into the human world; to stop him, the BPRD must come together as a family in spite of their various issues, and fight back.
That subject deserves more words.But, thanks to Alyssa Rosenberg tweeting a bit about rewatching the Hellboy movies, I spent a piece of last night thinking about internal and external danger, and how they work best when twinned both in scope and texture.Let's compare Pacific Rim to Hellboy.I don't want to go on to Hulk-length about this, though the subject probably deserves that kind of focus (and an analysis of Pan's Labyrinth which I only saw once a few years backhe has a baby old god wriggling inside him, literally.To accomplish his goal, he's releasing tentacly demon-dogs into the human world; to stop him, the BPRD must come together as a family in spite of their various issues, and fight back.
I Only Just Kinda/Sorta Likes Me Sum PACIFIC RIM
It is the best kaiju[1] movie ever directed by somebody other than or .[2]
Actually, it's not really a kaiju movie:
Actually, it's not really a kaiju movie:
Kent's Damned Movie Reviews: Pacific Rim
I'm just going to go ahead and say it; I loved Pacific Rim. I loved it unabashedly and without the dried-up cynicism that invades even my own thoughts from time to time. I haven't had as much fun watching a movie in the theater since The Avengers. Apparently this is not universal. I see people complaining about it being too dark. I see people complaining about it not being dark enough. Well, I guess they made this one just for me, because it hit my sweet spot with the gooey, chewy chocolate center. I found myself grinning over the course of nearly the entirety of Guillermo del Toro's big knock-down drag-out.
It seems like del Toro, though having common flourishes in his work, has two modes of film-making. There's the Pan's Labrynth-style horror fantasies that seem to delight the arthouse community and then there's his Hellboy mode in which he goes for the big, fun action film. Both are exciting to see for different reasons and both are usually high quality in their respective genres. This is squarely in the second column. A tale of human-piloted robots (aka "Jeagers") versus alien monsters which are attempting to wipe out said humanity (kaiju, literally the Japanese word for giant monster), it also manages to have a human core that elevates the material while never bringing the film to a skidding halt.
It seems like del Toro, though having common flourishes in his work, has two modes of film-making. There's the Pan's Labrynth-style horror fantasies that seem to delight the arthouse community and then there's his Hellboy mode in which he goes for the big, fun action film. Both are exciting to see for different reasons and both are usually high quality in their respective genres. This is squarely in the second column. A tale of human-piloted robots (aka "Jeagers") versus alien monsters which are attempting to wipe out said humanity (kaiju, literally the Japanese word for giant monster), it also manages to have a human core that elevates the material while never bringing the film to a skidding halt.
REVIEW: Pacific Rim
PLOT: As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.
REVIEW: One of my most anticipated films of the summer has finally come, and boy did it deliver on the fun. Pacific Rim looks like a retread of the Transformers franchise that became wildly popular over the last few years with the moronic Michael Bay exploding his boyhood all over the place for 3 hours each time, but Tranformers this was not. Guillermo del Toro directs his first movie in 5 years, and it's an extremely welcome sight to see this guy back in the director's chair. With a relatively under the rader cast, del Toro creates a vivid world of giant robots and monsters that's as entertaining than anything of the sort I've ever seen. I did not see the film in 3D, but as I was watching in 2D I caught a few 3D gags but they did not ruin the 2D experience like most 3D films do. I do think the film could have been a pleasant experience in 3D, but I was not going to risk it. There's a lot of CGI here, and if you're going in expecting anything different, you're going to be disappointed. I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this film that complain about the overuse of CGI, and wooden acting, or lack of depth in the story. What I find comical is that what in the hell else were you expecting from Pacific Rim, a movie about giant mechanical robots controlled by humans that fight gigantic aquatic monsters? I mean, really people?
REVIEW: One of my most anticipated films of the summer has finally come, and boy did it deliver on the fun. Pacific Rim looks like a retread of the Transformers franchise that became wildly popular over the last few years with the moronic Michael Bay exploding his boyhood all over the place for 3 hours each time, but Tranformers this was not. Guillermo del Toro directs his first movie in 5 years, and it's an extremely welcome sight to see this guy back in the director's chair. With a relatively under the rader cast, del Toro creates a vivid world of giant robots and monsters that's as entertaining than anything of the sort I've ever seen. I did not see the film in 3D, but as I was watching in 2D I caught a few 3D gags but they did not ruin the 2D experience like most 3D films do. I do think the film could have been a pleasant experience in 3D, but I was not going to risk it. There's a lot of CGI here, and if you're going in expecting anything different, you're going to be disappointed. I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this film that complain about the overuse of CGI, and wooden acting, or lack of depth in the story. What I find comical is that what in the hell else were you expecting from Pacific Rim, a movie about giant mechanical robots controlled by humans that fight gigantic aquatic monsters? I mean, really people?
Top 10 Authors that Deserve more Recognition
1. NATSUKI TAKAYA: She wrote my favorite series of all time which is Fruits Basket, I think that the writing in that series is perfect. The characters are developed so well and they grow up so much over the course of the series and even though the character change a lot of the course of the series it never feels sudden and it always feels earned. I loved that even though there was so many characters they all had backstories and they all had depth to them. I loved the way that the relationships develop over the course of the series in fact something I really love about the series is that while people who haven't read it assumes that it's a love triangle series a little over half way through the series it's revealed that one of the boys couldn't never see the main character in a romantic way and trying to force those feelings would just feel empty. I also really loved that she never rushed any of the romantic relationships in the series and instead made sure that the characters were emotionally prepared to be in a relationship rather than having them assume that being with someone would fix them, I overall really like that characters had to fix themselves in the series. I always really love the foreshadowing through out the series which something you can't really appreciate until at least your second reading of the series and I really love the intention to detail that she has since she once talked about how she worried about getting something as insignificant as finger nail length right.
2. SARA SHEPARD: I think that she's really good at creating suspense and mystery in her series The Lying Game because there are so many twist and turns in that series and she always does a good job of making me suspect someone as Sutton's killer but then is able to prove that it couldn't have been them and there's quite a few other mysteries in the series that I wasn't expecting as well. I feel like Sara Shepard probably doesn't get the credit she deserves for this series because she's writing about teenage girls and teenage girls and murder mysteries rarely mix but I think she does a really good job of combining the two.
3. ELLEN HOPKINS: I think Ellen Hopkins is fairly well known do to her unique style of writing her novels in verse and while I think that her writing style does make her writing beautiful I don't think that's the only thing that she should be recognized for. Her characters are always so well developed and even when you don't like the characters you understand who the characters are and I feel like all of her characters always have depth which isn't true for most novels unfortunately. I also think she handles the controversial issues in a very emotional honest way which is something that I appreciate a lot.
2. SARA SHEPARD: I think that she's really good at creating suspense and mystery in her series The Lying Game because there are so many twist and turns in that series and she always does a good job of making me suspect someone as Sutton's killer but then is able to prove that it couldn't have been them and there's quite a few other mysteries in the series that I wasn't expecting as well. I feel like Sara Shepard probably doesn't get the credit she deserves for this series because she's writing about teenage girls and teenage girls and murder mysteries rarely mix but I think she does a really good job of combining the two.
3. ELLEN HOPKINS: I think Ellen Hopkins is fairly well known do to her unique style of writing her novels in verse and while I think that her writing style does make her writing beautiful I don't think that's the only thing that she should be recognized for. Her characters are always so well developed and even when you don't like the characters you understand who the characters are and I feel like all of her characters always have depth which isn't true for most novels unfortunately. I also think she handles the controversial issues in a very emotional honest way which is something that I appreciate a lot.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Your Brief History Of Giant Robots
Adi Tantimedh writes;
So GUILLERMO DEL TORO's PACIFIC RIM opened last weekend and there are some people who think it's a rip-off of TRANSFORMERS.
So GUILLERMO DEL TORO's PACIFIC RIM opened last weekend and there are some people who think it's a rip-off of TRANSFORMERS.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
My Thoughts on: Current State of Anime
Big colored eyes, Crazily designed hair, Accentuated features,
This is the type of stuff I live for! It pretty much comes to no surprise; but if you are still wondering, I'm a big fan of anime. I grew up on the Toonami block watching heavyweights like Dragonball Z, Gundam Wing & Yu Yu Hakusho. (My personal favorite)
This is the type of stuff I live for! It pretty much comes to no surprise; but if you are still wondering, I'm a big fan of anime. I grew up on the Toonami block watching heavyweights like Dragonball Z, Gundam Wing & Yu Yu Hakusho. (My personal favorite)
Weekly Recap July 13th: Steam Summer Sale, China Lifting Console Bans, Fanboys Want XB1 DRM
VN:F [1.9.221171]
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)
Evangelion and Star Wars Have One Thing in Common, They Both Have Been Re-worked More Than Once
Poster for Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone
I'm glad I have functioning relationship with my father, but that may be because he never had me pilot a giant robot at great personal risk to myself.
I'm glad I have functioning relationship with my father, but that may be because he never had me pilot a giant robot at great personal risk to myself.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Blog Overview Since Revival and The Months Ahead
Today marks exactly three months since I've awakened my blog from its multi-year slumber. I've managed to hold to the schedule and release one post every week. Summer is upon us, and I have some more free time, and I also want to get posts out while still fresh. This post will detail the posts I've made thus far since the blog's revival, and the posting schedule for the upcoming months. Hope you'll stay with me!
SYNOPSIS: I will list every single blog-post since the blog's revival on April 1st, giving a short description of each. The next blog-post will go live next week on Monday, the 8th. I will either post two blog posts a week (Monday-Tuesday and Friday-Saturday) or 3 blog posts per 2 weeks (a blog every 5 days) for the next two months.
SYNOPSIS: I will list every single blog-post since the blog's revival on April 1st, giving a short description of each. The next blog-post will go live next week on Monday, the 8th. I will either post two blog posts a week (Monday-Tuesday and Friday-Saturday) or 3 blog posts per 2 weeks (a blog every 5 days) for the next two months.
Pacific Rim (2013)(3/4) : Jaegers Vs. Kaijus
"Pacific Rim" is big, loud, and, above all, exciting and interesting. There are lots of crashes and bangs as those huge CGI creatures clashing with each other on the big screen, but this is not one of those bland, bloated blockbusters numbing our nerve ends. It is numbing to watch at times, but this humongous piece of work is handled with skill and passion even when it staggers due to its heavy weight. Unlike those dreadful Transformers sequels, the movie has a fairly adequate story to pull us into its action sequences, and it is also a bountiful visual experience which has always something to behold even when it becomes loud and busy.
The movie is clearly inspired by those Japanese animation series featuring giant robots such as Neon Genesis Evangelion. When I was very young, I and my little brother used to watch some of them on TV, and, as far as I could remember, we had a good time with them though I cannot possibly watch them again with straight face now. Those big robots in the animation series usually fought against equally big creatures appearing on the Earth for various fantastic reasons, and this was surely as preposterous as Japanese monster movies, which are another major inspiration of the movie.
The movie is clearly inspired by those Japanese animation series featuring giant robots such as Neon Genesis Evangelion. When I was very young, I and my little brother used to watch some of them on TV, and, as far as I could remember, we had a good time with them though I cannot possibly watch them again with straight face now. Those big robots in the animation series usually fought against equally big creatures appearing on the Earth for various fantastic reasons, and this was surely as preposterous as Japanese monster movies, which are another major inspiration of the movie.
Recap: The Shooting Star She Saw
Hello again. Earlier this year, I did a recap of an episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion; which then led to me doing more recaps of mecha anime. Now, the film Pacific Rim is coming out this week; which is the first major attempt at a western mecha movie outside the Transformers films. Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) is directing, citing his massive love for the mecha genre as the reason why he made the film.
Despite the fact that it would seem like a movie that audiences would eat up, many critics and analysts are wondering if audiences will accept this type of mecha movie; citing the failure of the film adaptation of the board game Battleship and GDT's lack of experience with big-budget films.
Still, the idea is admirable. I did mention in my recap of "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win" that Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most recognizable and popular franchises among western and Japanese anime fans. The original series may have been canceled, but it proved popular enough in reruns that many sequel series were greenlit and it became a cultural phenomenon; essentially the Japanese equivalent of Star Trek.
Despite the fact that it would seem like a movie that audiences would eat up, many critics and analysts are wondering if audiences will accept this type of mecha movie; citing the failure of the film adaptation of the board game Battleship and GDT's lack of experience with big-budget films.
Still, the idea is admirable. I did mention in my recap of "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win" that Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most recognizable and popular franchises among western and Japanese anime fans. The original series may have been canceled, but it proved popular enough in reruns that many sequel series were greenlit and it became a cultural phenomenon; essentially the Japanese equivalent of Star Trek.
Friday, July 12, 2013
1997: Take My Evolution
Eric McLeod (@) didn't really know what anime was until high school. His only anime before that point were Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, but after discovering shows like Trigun and Cowboy Bebop, he decided to give this thing called anime a try. He is currently the editor of anime content at , where he blogs about the current anime season, and is working to become a history teacher when he's not bemoaning the anime fandom on Twitter.1997 is a prime example of the adage "the more things change, the more they stay the same."
Many franchises would be born, die, or take a break in 1997. Magical-girl shows were still selling like hot cakes, super robot shows still had a footing in the market, and a little series about taming magical monsters would become one of the biggest things in the world. However, there was a noticeable shift in the content of TV anime this year, and that shift owes Neon Genesis Evangelion a favor.
Many franchises would be born, die, or take a break in 1997. Magical-girl shows were still selling like hot cakes, super robot shows still had a footing in the market, and a little series about taming magical monsters would become one of the biggest things in the world. However, there was a noticeable shift in the content of TV anime this year, and that shift owes Neon Genesis Evangelion a favor.
An Okay Way to Spend an Evening
So recently I've been spending a lot of time watching anime series. For the longest time I was against it. Why? I really have no idea. Until college I had seen a little Gundam through my siblings and some Pokemon when my parents weren't home. I got to college and that quickly changed.
My room mate at my first college was appalled that I had never seen any anime. So I decided to humor him and watch one. I selected Gundam SEED because I was familiar with Gundam and SEED itself was touted as one of the best by many. I watched SEED and SEED Destiny in two weeks. I was hooked. I watched mostly Gundam at first, but expanded my horizons over time.
My room mate at my first college was appalled that I had never seen any anime. So I decided to humor him and watch one. I selected Gundam SEED because I was familiar with Gundam and SEED itself was touted as one of the best by many. I watched SEED and SEED Destiny in two weeks. I was hooked. I watched mostly Gundam at first, but expanded my horizons over time.
My Thoughts on: Attack on Titan
In recent years, I've been longing for the Kaiju Giants to make the return to the big screen, such as Godzilla, Gamera, Mothra, etc... We've haven't seen a Japanese Kaiju film since 'Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy,' or as it's know , a worthy 43rd anniversary ofUltraman series back in 2009. Before that Cloverfleid in 2008. We could argue that films like Monsters and Troll Hunter apart of the 'Kaiju genre' but nothing has really scratch that ich, and with Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim just around the corner, and a new 'Godzilla' in the works, my slightly niche needs are finally being met.
With that said my needs have been catered for in Manga and Anime for a while now, and I've been sitting here literary kicking myself for not coming up with the premise for 'Attack on Titan,' otherwise known as 'Shingeki no Kyojin' (). A heavily stylized show where humanoid creatures called Titans have forced humanity to retreat into a system of concentric Walls, and cower in there 'cage' while Titans 'rule' the Earth.
With that said my needs have been catered for in Manga and Anime for a while now, and I've been sitting here literary kicking myself for not coming up with the premise for 'Attack on Titan,' otherwise known as 'Shingeki no Kyojin' (). A heavily stylized show where humanoid creatures called Titans have forced humanity to retreat into a system of concentric Walls, and cower in there 'cage' while Titans 'rule' the Earth.
Neon Genesis Evangelion -- The Anime and the Movie
I have a few words to say on this anime's ending. "A few words" may have been an understatement, though; I was seriously considering centering this entire post on beating the shit out of the ending provided by the original series. Of course, I'll be doing the other portions of a regular review first, due to the anime actually being decent when it made sense, but I anticipate this post to be a lot longer than those I usually do. With that, I'll begin the general summary of the story, leaving the ending out until later. As a warning, there will be spoilers in this post.
Neon Genesis Evangelion focuses on the story of Shinji Ikari, otherwise known as Pussy. When the dystopian haven of Tokyo - 3 is attacked by a monster known as an Angel, he is humanity's only hope. By piloting a robot known as an "Eva", he is capable of defending mankind. Operating under NERV, an underground organization, he and other mecha pilots must work to guard the Earth from further invasions. Notable characters include Rei, a short-haired clone of Shinji's mother; and Asuka, a bitch. I might be being a bit harsh on these character labels, but I can offer complete justification. In an attempt to discover the true nature of angels, Shinji and his friends find that the truth may prove mankind more dangerous to itself than any external threat.
Neon Genesis Evangelion focuses on the story of Shinji Ikari, otherwise known as Pussy. When the dystopian haven of Tokyo - 3 is attacked by a monster known as an Angel, he is humanity's only hope. By piloting a robot known as an "Eva", he is capable of defending mankind. Operating under NERV, an underground organization, he and other mecha pilots must work to guard the Earth from further invasions. Notable characters include Rei, a short-haired clone of Shinji's mother; and Asuka, a bitch. I might be being a bit harsh on these character labels, but I can offer complete justification. In an attempt to discover the true nature of angels, Shinji and his friends find that the truth may prove mankind more dangerous to itself than any external threat.
What is this... Favorite Anime? REVISITED
Back in October 2011, . At the time, I had a somewhat limited watch history and, to be honest, I hadn't quite thought some of them through. I figure it's about time I fix that. This time around I'm going to do it by genre instead of just naming a bunch of the same genre and copping out on the others. Variety is the spice of life, you know?
THE REQUIREMENTS: According to my friends, I have some very high standards when it comes to animated shows, and I can't really dispute that. I do have high standards for shows because I've seen so many incredible shows and can't tolerate anything less. Most of these will meet every requirement, but some might not. Some are non-negotiable, like a decent story and likable characters, while others, like animation and music, are important but won't completely ruin an anime if they aren't superb. "Graphics aren't everything" we gamers like to say...
THE REQUIREMENTS: According to my friends, I have some very high standards when it comes to animated shows, and I can't really dispute that. I do have high standards for shows because I've seen so many incredible shows and can't tolerate anything less. Most of these will meet every requirement, but some might not. Some are non-negotiable, like a decent story and likable characters, while others, like animation and music, are important but won't completely ruin an anime if they aren't superb. "Graphics aren't everything" we gamers like to say...
Flowering Evil
In the seventh episode of THE FLOWERS OF EVIL/, the currently airing adaptation of Shuzo OSHIMI's manga series of the same name, the show goes off the deep end by treating the teen-angst driven act of destruction as an almost religious experience. The sequence could easily the most beautiful thing I've seen in the last year, a moment out of time and space that neither looks like live action footage nor traditional animation, because... well, it's not quite either or. The entire series has been brought to life via rotoscoping, one of the oldest tricks in the animator's handbook, and while I myself had very mixed feelings about the process - particularly in the context of this show - the results that close episode 7 is one of the most awe-inspiring things I can remember. Without trying (or even needing to) explain how and why, anyone with a basic familiarity with animation should recognize how unusual and impressive this sequence is, and with it, for one glimmering moment in time, I felt all of my misgivings and disorientation with the show's unique visual style disappear. For the first time, I felt I finally understood what director Hiroshi NAGAHAMA saw in this unusual production method to begin with.
Episode 8 begins with a recap of the show's previous animated decadence... and then gives us a 6 minute scene in which two characters walk home at dawn. No dialog. No action. No deeper meaning that wasn't summed up in the first 30 seconds. I'm not exaggerating when I say "walking home in silence" compromised a third of the episode's content. Somewhere, David Lynch is holding his head in his hands and asking what the hell is going on, and he may or may not have even heard of the show. It's the single biggest act of professional trolling to the concept of animation actually BEING animated since the 24th broadcast episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and seeing as how that entire moment remained untouched even in the "final" presentation - the Evangelion: Death compilation movie - I've always interpreted that as the director willfully extending his middle finger in the middle of what was, up until that moment, a long-con experiment with animation styles paying off in what could be the single worst way possible. A friend of mine defended the sequence as aperfectly sedate visual representation of what it's like to come down from a severe emotional high - can't say he doesn't have a point, but if that's the case, I'm still left chasing the dragon that ended episode 7.
Episode 8 begins with a recap of the show's previous animated decadence... and then gives us a 6 minute scene in which two characters walk home at dawn. No dialog. No action. No deeper meaning that wasn't summed up in the first 30 seconds. I'm not exaggerating when I say "walking home in silence" compromised a third of the episode's content. Somewhere, David Lynch is holding his head in his hands and asking what the hell is going on, and he may or may not have even heard of the show. It's the single biggest act of professional trolling to the concept of animation actually BEING animated since the 24th broadcast episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and seeing as how that entire moment remained untouched even in the "final" presentation - the Evangelion: Death compilation movie - I've always interpreted that as the director willfully extending his middle finger in the middle of what was, up until that moment, a long-con experiment with animation styles paying off in what could be the single worst way possible. A friend of mine defended the sequence as aperfectly sedate visual representation of what it's like to come down from a severe emotional high - can't say he doesn't have a point, but if that's the case, I'm still left chasing the dragon that ended episode 7.
Rei Ayanami
Rei Ayanami (Ayanami Rei) is a fictional character from the Japanese media franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion created by Gainax. She is a clone of Yui Ikari. On some level, she may also incorporate DNA from the Second Angel, Lilith, seeing as she is the vessel for Lilith's soul. Rei Ayanami was created sometime between the year 2004, and 2008, as suggested by her appearance in Episode 21. At the beginning of the series, Rei is an enigmatic figure whose unusual behavior confounds her peers. As the series progresses, she becomes more involved with the people around her, particularly her classmate and fellow Eva pilot Shinji Ikari. She is revealed to be a key factor in the events that conclude the storyline. Her role in this conclusion is not made entirely clear in the TV series, but is one of the principal plot points of The End of Evangelion. Here are some HOT cosplays of Rei Ayanami. If you're a fan of Evangelion, I'm sure that you will like it.
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1st Anime Boston 2013
HEY BUNNIES! Ready for part 2 of my trip to Anime Boston?
Saturday started the same way, we got breakfast and headed out early. One of my friends and I especially needed to get back to the con early so we could get to see the Lolita fashion show! It was to start at 10 am and by the time we got there, there already was a looooooooong line! But I luckily for us, they probably anticipated this and it was in a huge room so we were able to get seats. I was so excited because I never saw a fashion show before.
Saturday started the same way, we got breakfast and headed out early. One of my friends and I especially needed to get back to the con early so we could get to see the Lolita fashion show! It was to start at 10 am and by the time we got there, there already was a looooooooong line! But I luckily for us, they probably anticipated this and it was in a huge room so we were able to get seats. I was so excited because I never saw a fashion show before.
The EIRIN Goes Berserk
I've been pretty quiet about the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC/ film trilogy up until this point. Truth be told I've held off on watching them until all three films were available, partly because I didn't want to torture myself with waiting a year and change to see the next one, and partly because... well, the trailer footage left me unsure if I wanted to watch the film at all.
Kentaro MIURA's now 24 year old Berserk manga is a powerhouse of of character building, realistic pseudo-European dark ages fantasy, and shocking horror, with a total of 38 collected volumes so far - and, to this day, no end in sight. This very specific combination propels the Golden Age into one of the most memorable and unusual experiences available in Japanese comics out there. It was adapted as one of the very first "otaku" shows in 1997 by Oriental Light and Magic, an experiment that pushed the boundaries of violence and sexuality on basic broadcast in an industry that had just been up-ended by surprising mainstream break-outs like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Revolutionary Girl Utena. The 25 episode BERSERK: TVseries was certainly extraordinary for its time - a gorgeously designed, phenomenally cast and scored adaptation of the manga that focused on the character development more than the fantastic and horrific elements of the original source material - but the sudden, explicitly grotesque final episode that left many seemingly important details unexplained left non-Japanese audiences with the worst case of storytelling blue-balls this side of The Sopranos.
Kentaro MIURA's now 24 year old Berserk manga is a powerhouse of of character building, realistic pseudo-European dark ages fantasy, and shocking horror, with a total of 38 collected volumes so far - and, to this day, no end in sight. This very specific combination propels the Golden Age into one of the most memorable and unusual experiences available in Japanese comics out there. It was adapted as one of the very first "otaku" shows in 1997 by Oriental Light and Magic, an experiment that pushed the boundaries of violence and sexuality on basic broadcast in an industry that had just been up-ended by surprising mainstream break-outs like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Revolutionary Girl Utena. The 25 episode BERSERK: TVseries was certainly extraordinary for its time - a gorgeously designed, phenomenally cast and scored adaptation of the manga that focused on the character development more than the fantastic and horrific elements of the original source material - but the sudden, explicitly grotesque final episode that left many seemingly important details unexplained left non-Japanese audiences with the worst case of storytelling blue-balls this side of The Sopranos.
Remember to Get Your Nominations in for the Animusic Tourney and, Incidentally, Here are my Picks to Help Jog Your Memory
Since those reading this are probably already aware of the impending start of the , I'm writing only to remind people that the time to nominate their favorite OP/ED/insert songs is fast running out.
To help those that haven't filled out their nominations yet let me help you with a look at the 15 songs I nominated after an exhaustive search through my anime music collection.:)
To help those that haven't filled out their nominations yet let me help you with a look at the 15 songs I nominated after an exhaustive search through my anime music collection.:)
Voice I-doll Superior Lunamaria Hawke Part 1
MORE THAN JUST A FIXED FIGURINE
Just for the fun of it, here's another Lunamaria Hawke-related review for this month after . ^^
Just for the fun of it, here's another Lunamaria Hawke-related review for this month after . ^^
Super Robot Wars
They go by many names.
Armored Trooper. EVA Unit. Mobile Suit. Mortar Head. Jaeger. Heavy Gear. Ryude Knight.
Armored Trooper. EVA Unit. Mobile Suit. Mortar Head. Jaeger. Heavy Gear. Ryude Knight.
Marital Bliss as Vertical Licenses Moyoco Anno's Insufficient Direction
had their first of a few upcoming this week at Anime Expo:
INSUFFICIENT DIRECTION - Moyoco Anno
INSUFFICIENT DIRECTION - Moyoco Anno
Demian, the Catcher in the Rye, and Neon Genesis Evangelion
Hisashi Saito 1980, from Space Teriyaki 2
"The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas."
"The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas."
Manga Minis: Sailor Moon Delay, New Hetalia, Shonen Jump Grows and CLAMP Slows
announced that they have plans to publish the next two volumes of Hetalia in their continued partnership with . Hetalia (Vol. 04-05) will be available "before the holiday season" according to the Tokyopop. Exact date obviously varies! RightStuf and Tokyopop the third volume exclusively through their online sites, and print-on-demand issues of the first two. (Source: )
revealed at Anime Expo that they'll be speeding up their release of Attack on Titan. Starting in August the company will be releasing one volume a month in both print and digital formats. By doing this they should be caught up to the Japanese volumes by the end of the year. This is fantastic news for the manga readers! The only downside is as someone trying to stick to just the anime until it catches up, this pains me on a very conflicted level. The pressure! The temptation! It's sad and beautiful. (Source: )
revealed at Anime Expo that they'll be speeding up their release of Attack on Titan. Starting in August the company will be releasing one volume a month in both print and digital formats. By doing this they should be caught up to the Japanese volumes by the end of the year. This is fantastic news for the manga readers! The only downside is as someone trying to stick to just the anime until it catches up, this pains me on a very conflicted level. The pressure! The temptation! It's sad and beautiful. (Source: )
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Rei Ayanami
Rei Ayanami (Ayanami Rei) is a fictional character from the Japanese media franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion created by Gainax. She is a clone of Yui Ikari. On some level, she may also incorporate DNA from the Second Angel, Lilith, seeing as she is the vessel for Lilith's soul. Rei Ayanami was created sometime between the year 2004, and 2008, as suggested by her appearance in Episode 21. At the beginning of the series, Rei is an enigmatic figure whose unusual behavior confounds her peers. As the series progresses, she becomes more involved with the people around her, particularly her classmate and fellow Eva pilot Shinji Ikari. She is revealed to be a key factor in the events that conclude the storyline. Her role in this conclusion is not made entirely clear in the TV series, but is one of the principal plot points of The End of Evangelion. Here are some HOT cosplays of Rei Ayanami. If you're a fan of Evangelion, I'm sure that you will like it.
Full Post
Full Post
An Okay Way to Spend an Evening
So recently I've been spending a lot of time watching anime series. For the longest time I was against it. Why? I really have no idea. Until college I had seen a little Gundam through my siblings and some Pokemon when my parents weren't home. I got to college and that quickly changed.
My room mate at my first college was appalled that I had never seen any anime. So I decided to humor him and watch one. I selected Gundam SEED because I was familiar with Gundam and SEED itself was touted as one of the best by many. I watched SEED and SEED Destiny in two weeks. I was hooked. I watched mostly Gundam at first, but expanded my horizons over time.
My room mate at my first college was appalled that I had never seen any anime. So I decided to humor him and watch one. I selected Gundam SEED because I was familiar with Gundam and SEED itself was touted as one of the best by many. I watched SEED and SEED Destiny in two weeks. I was hooked. I watched mostly Gundam at first, but expanded my horizons over time.
Neon Genesis Evangelion -- The Anime and the Movie
I have a few words to say on this anime's ending. "A few words" may have been an understatement, though; I was seriously considering centering this entire post on beating the shit out of the ending provided by the original series. Of course, I'll be doing the other portions of a regular review first, due to the anime actually being decent when it made sense, but I anticipate this post to be a lot longer than those I usually do. With that, I'll begin the general summary of the story, leaving the ending out until later. As a warning, there will be spoilers in this post.
Neon Genesis Evangelion focuses on the story of Shinji Ikari, otherwise known as Pussy. When the dystopian haven of Tokyo - 3 is attacked by a monster known as an Angel, he is humanity's only hope. By piloting a robot known as an "Eva", he is capable of defending mankind. Operating under NERV, an underground organization, he and other mecha pilots must work to guard the Earth from further invasions. Notable characters include Rei, a short-haired clone of Shinji's mother; and Asuka, a bitch. I might be being a bit harsh on these character labels, but I can offer complete justification. In an attempt to discover the true nature of angels, Shinji and his friends find that the truth may prove mankind more dangerous to itself than any external threat.
Neon Genesis Evangelion focuses on the story of Shinji Ikari, otherwise known as Pussy. When the dystopian haven of Tokyo - 3 is attacked by a monster known as an Angel, he is humanity's only hope. By piloting a robot known as an "Eva", he is capable of defending mankind. Operating under NERV, an underground organization, he and other mecha pilots must work to guard the Earth from further invasions. Notable characters include Rei, a short-haired clone of Shinji's mother; and Asuka, a bitch. I might be being a bit harsh on these character labels, but I can offer complete justification. In an attempt to discover the true nature of angels, Shinji and his friends find that the truth may prove mankind more dangerous to itself than any external threat.
1st Anime Boston 2013 - Part 2
HEY BUNNIES! Ready for part 2 of my trip to Anime Boston?
Saturday started the same way, we got breakfast and headed out early. One of my friends and I especially needed to get back to the con early so we could get to see the Lolita fashion show! It was to start at 10 am and by the time we got there, there already was a looooooooong line! But I luckily for us, they probably anticipated this and it was in a huge room so we were able to get seats. I was so excited because I never saw a fashion show before.
Saturday started the same way, we got breakfast and headed out early. One of my friends and I especially needed to get back to the con early so we could get to see the Lolita fashion show! It was to start at 10 am and by the time we got there, there already was a looooooooong line! But I luckily for us, they probably anticipated this and it was in a huge room so we were able to get seats. I was so excited because I never saw a fashion show before.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Remember to Get Your Nominations in for the Animusic Tourney and, Incidentally, Here are my Picks to Help Jog Your Memory
Since those reading this are probably already aware of the impending start of the , I'm writing only to remind people that the time to nominate their favorite OP/ED/insert songs is fast running out.
To help those that haven't filled out their nominations yet let me help you with a look at the 15 songs I nominated after an exhaustive search through my anime music collection.:)
To help those that haven't filled out their nominations yet let me help you with a look at the 15 songs I nominated after an exhaustive search through my anime music collection.:)
Voice I-doll Superior Lunamaria Hawke Part 1
MORE THAN JUST A FIXED FIGURINE
Just for the fun of it, here's another Lunamaria Hawke-related review for this month after . ^^
Just for the fun of it, here's another Lunamaria Hawke-related review for this month after . ^^
Super Robot Wars
They go by many names.
Armored Trooper. EVA Unit. Mobile Suit. Mortar Head. Jaeger. Heavy Gear. Ryude Knight.
Armored Trooper. EVA Unit. Mobile Suit. Mortar Head. Jaeger. Heavy Gear. Ryude Knight.
Demian, the Catcher in the Rye, and Neon Genesis Evangelion
Hisashi Saito 1980, from Space Teriyaki 2
"The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas."
"The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas."
Anime Reflections: Is Neon Genesis Evangelion Really a Deconstruction?
Neon Genesis Evangelion is famous for many, many things. The complete budget breakdown, the incomprehensible ending(s), the popularization of the archetype, the probable creation of the , the mindscrews, etc. Perhaps what it's most famous for, though, is being a deconstruction of mecha (i.e., giant robot) anime. Thinking back on the series, though, I'm not so sure that's the case.
First of all, I'll need to define the term "deconstruction" for those unfamiliar with it. A deconstruction is an attempt to break down common tropes or genres to portray them more realistically. Some people think that this means "in a dark way," and that's usually the way deconstructions go, but it's not the case. A deconstruction is not an attempt to make something "darker and edgier," but an examination of the consequences that we don't normally think of. That's what deconstruction is all about: exploring the consequences in order to make you stop and think.
First of all, I'll need to define the term "deconstruction" for those unfamiliar with it. A deconstruction is an attempt to break down common tropes or genres to portray them more realistically. Some people think that this means "in a dark way," and that's usually the way deconstructions go, but it's not the case. A deconstruction is not an attempt to make something "darker and edgier," but an examination of the consequences that we don't normally think of. That's what deconstruction is all about: exploring the consequences in order to make you stop and think.
Mithril: London ComicCon Shenanigans
On May the 24th to the 26th was one of the UK's biggest event for media, anime and cosplay London ComicCon.Naturally I went to see what would be going on this year. Like normal there waspanels for tv shows, meeting celebrities and a lot, and I mean a lot, of stalls selling various products from anime plushies to Japanese dining ware.
Although I did buy a few things and saw a couple of panels that's not why I go to London ComicCon. Naturally I go for the cosplay. Over the 3 days there wasvarious level of cosplay from the people who buy ones of the rack and have fun with other cosplayers cosplaying from the same series to amazing costumes where you stand there and wonder, how did they make that??
Although I did buy a few things and saw a couple of panels that's not why I go to London ComicCon. Naturally I go for the cosplay. Over the 3 days there wasvarious level of cosplay from the people who buy ones of the rack and have fun with other cosplayers cosplaying from the same series to amazing costumes where you stand there and wonder, how did they make that??
(???) Meet & Greet with Cosmo's Guest Cosplayers
Hello~~
Today , I am going to write about COSMO Youth Parade's Press Conference !!
Today , I am going to write about COSMO Youth Parade's Press Conference !!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Summer Premier Season (Part One): Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C3-bu
The Summer anime season has finally gotten underway with a slew of new series premiering this month. To save time I will be switching up my approach this season and only posting reviews of shows that I feel are noteworthy. Going into an anime cold turkey is fun, but writing about the lackluster first episode of a series you don't plan to watch is tedious at best and downright painful at its worst. This will allow me to highlight only the good without wasting page space on the bad. First up is:Name: Stella Jogakuin Koutou-ka C3-buRelease Date: July 4th, 2013Studio: GainaxGenre: Comedy, Slice of Life, Girls with GunsPremise: Timid Yura Yamato has just begun her brand new high school life at Stella Girls' Academy, and is unsure of where she'll fit in. She gets more than she bargained for when she meets her senior roommate's fellow club members: a ragtag group of gun enthusiast misfits who stage mock battles with airsoft weapons!The Verdict: Not bad, Gainax. I hadn't heard of this one (or the manga upon which it is based) going into the first episode so I wasn't expecting much. Gainax usually does best when they stick to their bread and butter of mecha, a la , and , so this series is a bit off topic for them. I also wasn't thrilled with the episode's abundance of diabetically-sweet moe moments which are all too common in today's school life anime.Nevertheless, things got rolling once the actual shooting started. The mock battles themselves are smoothly animated and could provide several great action set-pieces down the road. I may hate moe, but I'm a sucker for the girls-with-guns trope that pops up in most anime. Hopefully they choose to rely on the latter as the 12-episode season continues. Grating, cutesy-wutesy personalities aside, C3 still has potential as a harmless popcorn anime to help take your mind off anime that deals with heavier issues. - Full Post
Friday, July 5, 2013
Comics AM | Palestinian cartoonist released from Israeli prison
Thursday, July 4, 2013
ANN 15th Anniversary
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
San Francisco to Screen Evangelion: 3.0's US Premiere
Funimation Licenses Evangelion: 3.0 Film
New York Comic Con to Screen Evangelion 3.0 Film
"Pacific Rim" Japanese Voice Cast Announced
OtonaFami Lists 4th & Final Evangelion Film in 2015
Japanese cartoons are the root of 'Pacific Rim'
The List 6 Humanity Hating AI
Exclusive US Premiere of EVANGELION 3.0 : YOU CAN ( NOT ) REDO at JFFSF ...
Think the US Is Having a '90s Nostalgia Craze? Take a Look at Japan
China's animated struggle with cartoons
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