| Home |
| About |
| Archives |
| Links |
| Anime |
| Arts |
| Books |
| CDs |
| Decluttering |
| Disney |
| DVDs |
| Family |
| Games |
| Japanese |
| Jpop |
| Life |
| Manga |
| Memories |
| Movies |
| Pals |
| Photos |
| Poetry |
| Trips |
| Videos |
|
Latest Flickr
|
|
Latest Twitter
|
 Feed |
 Twitter |
 Facebook |
| Phoenix / The Complete Collection : 5 of 5 | |
|
2.20.2010
6:58 AM | Link0 comments |
 "Life itself is that which never ends" is the overarching theme of this beautiful, philosophical, and supremely entertaining anime based on Osamu Tezuka's manga masterpiece. I rented and completely enjoyed this series in 2008, and finally got the boxed set for Christmas this year and loved every minute of watching it again! It's rare that I review something twice, but I just had to mention this series again, which actually does justice to one of the best manga ever created, and gives me such a peaceful, healing feeling. Without going into detail that I've covered before, Phoenix combines stories of the ancient past with tales of the extreme future, linked by the godlike Phoenix (firebird or Hi no Tori) who represents the resilience of life. I tried to notice new details in each story, since it had been just long enough for me to be surprised at dramatic events. I loved the moment that Nagi finally calls Saruta father in The Dawn, and smiled at how cute and kind Chihiro the robot is in The Resurrection. The story of the nun Bikuni and her never-ending time cycle makes The Transformation such a creative self-contained episode, and of course the long saga of the wolf-faced Ingugami in The Sun is simply epic. I was amazed all over again at the battle scene - while human armies fight on the ground, the spirits of Buddhism and Shintoism war above the clouds! Finally, I took note of how The Future was expertly edited from the manga version (removing all scenes in the underground cities), although I would love to see a longer version. But this story of Masato, who lives billions of years to see the recreation of life on the dead Earth, is unbelievably moving, and does such a wonderful job of summarizing the theme of the anime. Tezuka was a brilliant treasure, and I think he would have completely approved of this incredible adaptation of his life's work. I'm so glad to have this anime in my collection and I'm looking forward to watching it and being moved all over again!
|
| Ikkicon goings-on | |
|
1.03.2010
9:33 AM | Link2 comments |
 This weekend I started off the new year with a bang by going to Ikkicon, an anime convention right here in Austin! Matt & Kumiko went with me, and we met Kimberly (fellow manga/anime maniac) & Mark to enjoy the craziness together. The convention was a first for Matt & Kumiko, and I had a great time watching their reactions, plus it was fun to see Matt so excited about taking photos of all the costumes. (Check out his totally professional shots, much better than mine!) Speaking of cosplay, I was amazed at the ratio of costumed to non-costumed fans - it almost made plain-clothes fans like us seem out of place. There were fantastic costumes from so many genres (anime, manga, video games, and other animated films like 9, which were my favorite costumes of all), and since Kimberly is much more of an expert than I am, it was great having her around to tell us who all the characters were. I ended up buying a total of six Godzilla figures in the dealers room (I even haggled a tiny bit for a better price!), we checked out the lame Maid Cafe (pretty disappointing), watched the Ikki Idol competition (which would have been great with a little organization), and enjoyed the big cosplay competition, which was thankfully structured as a quick-moving fashion show. Though Ikkicon was nothing like A-Kon or Anime Expo, it was still tons of fun, especially since it's great seeing geeks like me of all ages reveling in their common obsessions and enjoying being all together! View photos: Ikkicon 2010
|
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny / Vol 5 & Vol 6 : 3 of 5 | |
|
12.18.2009
6:25 AM | Link0 comments |
 Although I don't think this series has a chance of being as good as Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, these two DVDs do a great job at the attempt! Lots of storylines are going on at this point, crisscrossing each other and making it necessary to really pay attention (especially when many characters look so similar!). One plot involves Lacus Cline and her attempted assassination, while a fake Lacus is doing concerts to boost troop morale (and definitely being used to control people's loyalty!). There's a lot of focus on the Phantom Pain group, especially Stella, who is saved by Shinn when she almost drowns, causing her to form a bond with him (not knowing they are on opposite sides of the war, of course). Later they fight each other in their Mobile Suits while Stella tries to protect the place she was "born" - a diabolical laboratory where Naturals (humans) are "enhanced" with drugs and memory wipes to become perfect soldiers (which really casts an evil spin on the Earth forces). There are a couple of the usual recap episodes, but these are some of the best I've seen, since they are constructed as flashbacks for Shinn in order to reveal a much deeper level of his character (finally!). There's also a tense meeting between Kira and Athrun, who find they have lost each other's trust and seem to be on opposite sides of the conflict yet again. Of course, there are also some cool extended battle scenes featuring all sorts of Mobile Suits and other craft, plus there's a switch to a new opening theme song and beautiful title sequence. Whenever I finish watching one of these DVDs I always wish I had the next one ready to pop in the DVD player, so that's definitely a good sign!
|
| Anime DVD Holiday Gift Guide | |
|
11.26.2009
6:32 AM | Link0 comments |
 I always get in the holiday spirit a little early, but now that Thanksgiving is here, there no denying it's time to start getting your decorations up, listening to Christmas music, and of course, shopping! Just in case you need to shop for an anime fan or any geek who loves cool DVDs, I thought I'd look back on some of my favorite series and recommend them as great holiday gifts. All of these series are available in easy to order DVD sets, and are definitely the kind of shows that are fun to watch more than once. I have most of them in my collection already, and the ones I don't, I plan on buying someday!Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex WEBmikey Review | Buy from Amazon Perfect for fans of futuristic, cyber-cool action, with excellent animation, intelligent storylines, and brilliant music, Shirow Masamune's net-infused saga is one of the best anime I've seen in a while. I just watched this series twice in the past few months, so it's definitely a favorite! Appleseed: Ex Machina WEBmikey Review | Buy from Amazon Another Shirow Masamune masterpiece, brought to life with an amazing blend of traditional and computer animation, filled with action set against an incredible advanced cityscape. Death Note WEBmikey Review | Buy from Amazon One of the best plotlines to come around in years, with elements of mystery, crime and fantasy that will please everyone from Sherlock Holmes fans to goth lovers! I never dreamed the anime could do justice to the original manga, but this series totally delivers. Mobile Suit Gundam SEED WEBmikey Review | Buy from Amazon Every geek needs to enjoy one of the many Gundam series (I think it's the law!), and there's no better place to start than Gundam SEED, which features fantastic characterization, an excellent Jpop soundtrack, and of course, bad-ass Mobile Suit battles! Phoenix WEBmikey Review | Buy from Amazon For the anime fan with an appreciation for Japanese culture (as well as the brilliance of Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and other incredible manga), this animated version of Tezuka's grand opus features stories set in ancient Japan as well as the sprawling cities of the future, weaved together with an intriguing spiritual theme. I can't wait to watch this one again! Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 WEBmikey Review | Buy from Amazon This is an older anime series, but I have to say it's one of my favorites because of the fantastic female characters (of varying temperaments) who don high-tech armor and fight against robots gone wild! I can't get enough of the futuristic scenery, full-force action, and strong personalities. Azumanga Daioh WEBmikey Review | Buy from Amazon If you're buying for a geek with a soft spot, I guarantee their heart will be warmed by this group of high school girls, who simply grow up and experience life together with all its ups and downs (and cat bites). This series is totally hilarious, but also tear-jerking, which is a great combination! |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex / Complete 1st Season Collection : 5 of 5 | |
|
11.23.2009
5:56 PM | Link0 comments |
 Even though I just watched all 26 episodes of this incredible anime series on Netflix Watch Instantly in September, I had to buy this DVD set to watch it again in the original Japanese (plus I was tempted since my dad let me know about a special price at Amazon.com!). I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the entire series again, and not only was it fascinating to discover new details in the story, but truthfully I understood the broad Laughing Man case much better this time. I'm still completely impressed with the format of this series as a futuristic, cyberized "cop show", and there are so many standalone episodes that really shine, sometimes for fantastic action sequences, but often for in-depth character development that is so hard to do in a 30 minute episode. My favorites are episodes that feature a particular character, such as Batou's undercover operation where he encounters his former boxing hero, or Aramaki's trip to England where he foils a mafia money laundering via wine investment scheme. And like many fans, I absolutely love the Tachikoma (it was great to hear their Japanese voice), both in the touching episode where the little girl looks for her dog, and of course in the climax of the series where they return to sacrifice themselves to protect Batou (which actually brought a tear to my eye). Speaking of Tachikoma, this DVD set includes the Tachikoma Days comedy segments with each episode (which were not available on Netflix), and some of these are hilarious! Each DVD also includes interviews (in Japanese) with voice actors, CG artists, script writers and directors that are short and to the point, but still really interesting to watch. I could go on and on about this series - while I was watching it I noted way too many cool details to mention in this short review! Obviously Ghost in the Shell has quickly become one of my favorite anime series, not only because it's action-packed and incredibly cool, but because the intelligent plots and deep characterization require a level of attention and thought that completely draw me into the story. I can't wait to see the second season of this show sometime soon!
|
| Death Note / Re-Light Vol 2 : 3 of 5 | |
|
10.31.2009
2:50 PM | Link0 comments |
 I know you're wondering how I could possibly watch even more Death Note, but since I kind of enjoyed the first Re-Light DVD, which condenses the entire anime into a movie-length story, I pretty much had to watch this second part of the saga. While the first movie did its best to cram nearly all the major plot points into two-hours, this time around they went crazy with editing and simply chopped out huge sections of the story! I have to admit that while I was watching it I just decided to enjoy it and not worry about it, but afterwards I couldn't believe that giant dramatic segments like the death of Light's dad and great character backstory like Mikami's childhood were completely missing. Although it's a shame that so much good material was lost, Re-Light Vol 2 moves along at a much more even pace than Re-Light Vol 1, even finding time for things like Misa's dinner with Takada (one of my favorite scenes). Some of the editing may have been a good thing, since I kind of liked the way Near's SPK members are killed through Light's actions, rather than by Mellow's somewhat overly complex mafia subplot. There are only a couple of truly new scenes (not nearly as effective as the new material in Re-Light Vol 1), including L talking with some kids at the Whammy House (plus a look at Near's thought processes as he plays with a million dominos), and of course the new SPK killings (which is pretty intense). As always, I enjoyed the animation and Japanese voice acting, but it was a little obvious that the new scenes didn't have quite the same quality of the original anime. This DVD doesn't include any bonus material with the editors - it would be interesting to see if the same team worked on this film, since their methods are so entirely opposite. I've always thought the first half of Death Note is better than the second, so I guess the butchering of this half didn't bother me as much as it will some fans, and I still had a good time watching such a fantastic anime in a new way. As far as I know, there's no other Death Note incarnations left for me to see, so I guess this is truly the end!Labels: anime, death note, dvds |
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Vol 3 & Vol 4 : 3 of 5 | |
|
10.19.2009
12:26 PM | Link0 comments |
 I'm still really enjoying this Mobile Suit Gundam series, and it moves so quickly that a DVD full of episodes is over before I know it! Although SEED Destiny is certainly cool, it's definitely not as moving as the original SEED, but it seems this sequel is becoming more and more like the first series all the time, especially since most of the original characters have returned, and they're even on the old Archangel together now. Volume 3 focuses mostly on Cagali, who is being politically manipulated to the point of allowing Orb to break their neutral ways and join an alliance, and she even agrees to marry a total weasel for the sake of her country. Thankfully, she's rescued (or kidnapped, depending on your point of view) by Kira piloting the classic Freedom Gundam, and she joins her old allies (including the Dessert Tiger, Lacus, Kira, and the original Archangel captain). They also introduce an awesome new opening theme by High & Mighty Color, which has been in my iTunes collection for years already! Volume 4 is full of battles, which are particularly exciting this time around, since they include some underwater action as well as some great cinematography as the mobile suits maneuver in and out of thick banks of clouds. Some of the best character development so far occurs when Athrun (who has now rejoined Zaft as an elite FAITH member) has a serious conversation with Shinn, and this series certainly needs more of those moments! Unfortunately, the super-long Impulse Gundam launch sequence animation gets reused a few times too many (even though it's definitely cool to watch), which comes across as filler to me. But SEED Destiny has just started to warm up, so I'm totally looking forward to watching it to the end!
|
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Vol 1 & Vol 2 : 3 of 5 | |
|
9.30.2009
11:50 AM | Link0 comments |
 It's time to start my second Mobile Suit Gundam anime series, and since I just finished Gundam SEED, there's no other choice than the immediate sequel Gundam SEED Destiny. Although I've read a few ho-hum comments on this series, I know I'm going to enjoy it simply because I already have a feel for most of the characters and the background of the Cosmic Era in this particular Gundam universe. The new main character is Shinn Asuka, whose family was killed before his eyes in the previous war, leaving him with quite a grudge to bear. Shinn carries around his deceased sister's cell phone so he can hear her voice message, which is a great example of the kind of tragedy than Gundam seems to express so well. This series begins a lot like the previous one with the theft of some new technology mobile suits (called Chaos, Gaia and Abyss), and at first it's very difficult to decipher what nations are fighting and who is to blame, but this only adds to the tension and uncertainty of the conflict! Athrun is kind of undercover as "Alex", acting as Cagali's assistant, and his association with Orb later sparks some animosity from Shinn, who thinks Athrun should be fully on the side of ZAFT and the Coordinators. Shinn pilots the amazing new Impulse Gundam, which can assemble itself in mid-flight and even change equipment, making for some cool launch sequence animation (that I'm sure I'll see again and again throughout the show!). The real problems begin when some Coordinator terrorists force the Junius Seven memorial to fall to Earth, causing catastrophic damage and prodding the Earth forces into declaring war against the Coordinators once again. It's sad to see a time of peace drawn inevitably into conflict, and even Athrun begins to be swayed to fight. So far I'm loving the opening and closing themes and animation (although Shinn and Athrun look extremely similar, making you depend on their uniforms to tell them apart at times), and I can't wait to keep watching this saga until the end!
|
| Haunted by Ghost in the Shell | |
|
9.10.2009
12:05 PM | Link0 comments |
 This isn't really a review, but I thought I should comment on a new anime world that I've been immersed in recently. Way back when I first started watching anime, I rented most of the "essentials" of the genre, including films like Akira and of course, Ghost in the Shell. At the time I wasn't into manga and had never heard of Shirow Masamune, but since then I've become a fan of his detailed cyberpunk style through Appleseed, so I was interested in looking at his other work with new appreciation. Although I almost never watch dubbed anime, I decided to make an exception for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, since it was just too tempting to have it accessible on Netflix Watch Instantly. I was completely blown away by the series, and kept watching episode after episode until I finished it all! I'm a sucker for all the incredible technology, modern cities, and even cool cars, with fantastic characters and plots to boot. The implications of cyberbrains in an always-connected world and all the accompanying philosophical questions are fascinating, and it was thrilling watching Section 9 solve all the various crimes this kind of world makes possible (including "hacking eyes" to conceal identity!). I also really fell for the Tachikomas (intelligent "tanks"), and now I'm dying to add them to my toy collection! After finishing the series, I decided to watch the original movie again, which was excellent (I don't think I appreciated the slow montages the first time around), and I also viewed the third movie, which has one of the longest titles I know: Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society! I can't wait to check out the second complete series, as well as the second movie, but I think I need to watch another Gundam series while Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is still pretty fresh in my mind. There's just too much anime and not enough time!
|
| Death Note / Re-Light Vol 1 : 3 of 5 | |
|
8.31.2009
12:02 PM | Link0 comments |
 Although I’ve read the entire Death Note manga, watched the complete anime series, plus the live action movies, it seems they’ve figured out a way to squeeze a few more hours of attention out of me. Death Note: Re-Light is an interesting idea, which is to retell the story from a different point of view, which happens to be none other than Ryuk the Shinigami in this case! Unfortunately, this movie is just the first half of the anime re-edited and crammed into a two-hour time frame, with only a few new scenes added to keep things interesting. However, since I enjoyed the series so much, I didn’t really mind watching this compressed version, and I was impressed with the editing (especially the re-voicing of a few scenes to help explain the plot). Truthfully, the only moments from Ryuk’s point of view happen in the opening and closing framing scenes, which take place in the Shinigami realm as Ryuk tells his story to another Shinigami, and looks almost longingly at Light’s name in his Death Note (which he wrote to kill Light at the end of the series). The other new scenes include a new meeting between Light and L (not nearly as effective as the original), plus an extended moment at L’s funeral where Light goes mad with his victory (which provides a chilling look into the Light’s character). Most of my favorite scenes from the anime are all included in the movie, and they even kept in Misa’s creepy song, though that seems like something that would have been easy to cut. I think claiming this movie is a new version of the story goes a little far – at least they should have let Ryuk do some narration to make it seem more like he was telling the story! The DVD includes some nice Japanese interviews with the director and voice actors, but they are pretty short. I still had a good time watching Death Note: Re-Light (and I know I’m going to watch the next volume, which will compress the second half of the series), but I can’t really recommend it to new viewers (since it’s more difficult to follow than the extended series), so only dedicated fans should check it out!Labels: anime, death note, dvds |
| Ponyo : 5 of 5 | |
|
8.28.2009
11:58 AM | Link0 comments |
 It’s been way too long since anything from Studio Ghibli has seen a US release, so I’m really happy that Disney decided to release Ponyo (Gake no Ue no Ponyo in Japanese) in theaters (thanks to Hayao Miyazaki’s good friendship with Disney’s John Lasseter)! With the exception of Pixar’s masterpieces, lately I’ve been getting a little tired of too much CG (even in live-action films), so I’ve been feeling nostalgic to see some classic, old-school creativity. Ponyo completely fulfilled my wish, since Miyazaki’s goal was to stay away from CG completely, so the movie was created entirely with watercolors and pastels. The effect is stunning, since you can see the “humanity” in every frame – being able to observe brushstrokes and crayon-ish lines makes Ponyo feel like true living artwork from start to finish! Miyazaki was inspired to make this movie after seeing Disney’s The Little Mermaid, but of course the fairy tale was only the seed for Miyazaki’s brilliant imagination, which always offers a menagerie of bizarre creatures (both real and mythical) that made me gasp many times. Ponyo herself is amazingly cute – her far-apart bug-eyes when she is a fish really did remind me of funny goldfish I’ve seen at the pet store, and she’s hilarious as a rambunctious girl jumping around and discovering a new life on land. I enjoyed Sosuke’s character, but I think I was more impressed with Sosuke’s mom, who displayed such a wide range of emotion (love for her son and the seniors contrasting with a tough attitude) and was great looking to boot. But speaking of beauty, Gran Mamare (the “sea mother”) was absolutely breathtaking, with some of the most subtle facial animation I’ve seen in a long time! There are so many moments I could mention that I enjoyed, both funny and touching, such as Sosuke communicating with his dad across the ocean via signal light, or Ponyo using her powers to make Sosuke’s toy boat big enough to carry them. I can’t wait to watch Ponyo again on DVD, not only to take in the visuals again, but also to hear the original Japanese dialogue (Disney does a fine job of voice direction, but a dub can never compare to the original in my opinion!). Ponyo is simply required viewing for any fan of animation, and a wonderful, magical movie for anyone else to enjoy!
|
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Vol 9 & Vol 10 : 4 of 5 | |
|
8.04.2009
7:20 PM | Link0 comments |
 The last two volumes of this awesome anime series contain the final 10 episodes (which brings the total episode count to 50), but the time absolutely flew by while watching them since I was glued to the TV! The plot completes the move from Earth back to space, which means lots of zero gravity tears and blood (as well as cool character floating that I enjoyed in the early episodes). The war is fought between three sides at this point: the Earth forces (the Naturals), ZAFT (the Coordinators), and the rebels, now lead by Lacus Cline who has transformed into an incredibly strong person, inspiring her soldiers to fight for true peace. Athrun decides he has to talk to his father (who happens to lead the ZAFT army) about his new understanding of the war (not a pleasant conversation), and at the same time Mu La Flaga discovers some devastating news about his relationship to Le Creuset, who totally becomes the ultimate villain with the one goal of wiping out humanity (he even uses poor Flay to deliver data that causes the war to escalate to horrific lengths)! These episodes are jam-packed with huge battles between giant fleets, thousands of mobile suits (including the reckless Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider), as well as monster-sized weapons, but the series still manages to keep the intimate emotions of the main characters in the forefront. Unfortunately, there's quite a bit of animation recycling going on in these battles - normally this doesn't bother me, but there was one particular sequence of a mobile suit pilot that kept showing up over and over! But that's only a minor complaint - Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is so much more than animation alone. It tells an incredible tale of how love can survive in the midst of war, eventually making a way for peace to reign. This anime was so cool that as soon as the last episode was over I had to order my first Gundam model kit (a new level of geekdom for me), and I can't wait to move on to the next Gundam series!
|
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Vol 7 & Vol 8 : 4 of 5 | |
|
7.20.2009
11:39 AM | Link0 comments |
 It's so great to get back to this awesome anime series, and I watched both of these two DVDs really quickly (usually in one five-episode sitting!). This show was already incredible, and now the story is even more interesting, so I can't wait to watch the rest of it (two more DVDs to go). Kira and Athrun finally face off in a huge battle, leaving both of them wounded and recovering in unusual places - Kira ends up at ZAFT under the care of Lacus Cline, and Athrun is back at Orb with Cagalli. Both of them have some dramatic scenes as they brood over the fact that they tried to kill each other, which is the kind of emotional moments that this series does so well. There are some tense scenes involving some hatred of a ZAFT prisoner, but these are soon interrupted by ZAFT's huge "Operation Spit Break", which unleashes a horrible betrayal on both sides of the war! Now the main characters rightfully question the judgment of those calling the shots in the military, and a new kind of alliance against the war itself begins to form. The best part of this is that Kira and Athrun slowly end up on the same side, and when they are fighting together and protecting each other the action is so awesome! Of course, they both have new Gundam suits now (called Freedom and Justice), which are equipped with N-Jammer Cancellers that allow them to be nuclear powered. A nice side effect of this is that La Flaga gets to pilot Kira's old Strike Gundam after it's repaired! These volumes complete the long arc of battles on Earth, since at the end the neutral nation of Orb returns to space, setting up the last set of episodes. During this exodus, the truth about Kira and Cagalli is revealed (not what I was expecting, but a nice turn), so I'm looking forward to seeing how this affects what happens next!
|
| More fun in Los Angeles | |
|
7.10.2009
6:17 PM | Link0 comments |
 I have a few more memories to write about the Los Angeles trip, mostly not Anime Expo related, except for this first one! The Toshiyuki Morikawa panel (which I saw by "accident" while waiting for the Morning Musume panel) was thoroughly excellent, and Dae and I both enjoyed it. Morikawa is a tremendously famous Japanese voice actor, who has hundreds of credits to his name, not only in the anime field, but also live-action dubbing (he is even the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the dubbed Star Wars films). He is best known as the voice of Sephiroth, the ultimate evil villain in the Final Fantasy series of video games, and he definitely has a huge fan base! The crowd was absolutely enamored with everything he had to say (one girl sitting next to me was so excited that she felt she needed to translate everything to me as he said it, even though there was a professional translator doing the same thing). The fan questions were great, since they were mostly requests to do voices. My favorite was a girl named Daphne who asked him to use the voice of Sephiroth and ask her to marry him. Morikawa loved the request, and did his evil laugh with a sinister "Daphne! Kekkon shite kuru!" It was pretty awesome!In addition to all the time with Dae in Anime Expo lines, we had a fun time in Little Tokyo after the concert. We got to shop around a bit (I bought a cheap Godzilla toy) and listen to a live sax/keyboard combo, then we had some great sushi (including some incredible hamachi sashimi with shiso leaf, plus plenty of sake!). Also during the trip we got to hang out with Ernesto two nights, and had a wonderful time drinking and catching up! On the 4th of July, Ernesto got us into a super-fancy party in a neighborhood near Hollywood, since his sister's friend is married to a rich (and generous) lawyer. The house was built in 1935, and the interior decorating looks like a magazine (I should have taken photos inside, but I didn't want to snoop!). The backyard has a beautiful pool, tons of Adventureland style plants, and the place was buzzing with caterers delivering hors d'ouvres, as well as serving a full dinner and dessert, and of course an open bar with expensive Balvenie scotch! I got to talk with Ernesto's dad and sister, and we all had a blast watching the fireworks (from a nearby country club). I always have so much fun with my LA friends - it's no wonder I'm always ready to make the trip! View photos: Los Angeles Pals 2009
|
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Vol 5 & Vol 6 : 4 of 5 | |
|
5.15.2009
6:58 AM | Link0 comments |
 I'm really enjoying this awesome anime series, and I can easily see how so many fans have been obsessed with all the amazing technology - everything has a intricate design and a cool code name (and new vehicles and weapons are introduced in almost every episode!). But along with the action, the character development on this series is stellar, since they always manage to focus on both sides of the war, showing the conflict inside each character doing what they feel they must do, even though they may be a kind soul with no desire to kill. That point is made clear in two key battles: first with Kira's defeat of the Desert Tiger (it was a shame to see this interesting character go so soon), and next with the huge face-off between Kira and Athrun, during which two of the most likable personalities are killed (Nichol's death at Kira's hands is particularly sad, since Nichol's sensitive and artistic nature is brought out in the previous scenes). On the female side of things, Flay (I still don't like her) is jealous of Cagalli, who befriends Athrun while they are stranded on an island, and we also learn of Cagali's connections to Orb, the neutral nation who made the new mobile suits in the first place. There's also some big news mentioned by Kira's parents about his sibling, but it's no surprise to me (I'm just waiting for the inevitable to be revealed!). Action-wise, I loved the undersea battle, and the Archangel's huge barrel roll was pretty spectacular! Although Volume 6 has a few obligatory flashback episodes, they're definitely well done (and the switch to Nami Tamaki's new theme song is pretty awesome!). I'm really looking forward to seeing where this series goes next, but I have to take a break to complete my Godzilla goal!
|
| Death Note Vol 9 : 4 of 5 | |
|
3.09.2009
9:25 PM | Link0 comments |
 After watching nine DVDs with 37 total episodes, I've finally finished the anime version of Death Note, and it was incredible. Of course, I had already read the entire manga series, and even watched the whole anime on Cartoon Network, but I still rented all the DVDs so I could hear the original Japanese voice work, which was awesome. Actually, I've enjoyed all the incarnations of Death Note I've experienced (manga, anime, live action), because the story is so good that it's interesting to see it interpreted in different ways. But getting back to the anime, this final DVD contains the last five episodes, starting with Near's all-out challenge to Kira for a final showdown. It's fascinating to watch every subtle move of the notebook and the various tampering going on, especially when you know the outcome of the plot beforehand! The animation does an incredible job of portraying some incredibly emotional moments, including the sad end of Takada, Matsuda's explosion when he realizes his "hero" Light has been evil all along, and of course the dramatic death of Light/Kira (which is a bit different from the manga, but probably designed to generate a bit more sympathy, and I can appreciate both versions). The final warehouse scene is stretched to two entire episodes, which are for the most part characters standing and delivering dialogue, but the animators somehow transformed these scenes into a riveting experience! As usual, there are some voice actor interviews included, but I really wish there was some behind-the-scenes material about the animation itself. It's nice to finish this anime series, and even though it was tough waiting for each volume to be released, the anticipation was kind of fun!Labels: anime, death note, dvds |
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Vol 3 & Vol 4 : 4 of 5 | |
|
2.16.2009
12:01 PM | Link0 comments |
 After enjoying the first two volumes of this series so much, I had intended to continue watching it right away, but for some reason Volume 3 was delayed on Netflix for a long time! Finally it became available, and I immediately watched the whole thing, as well as Volume 4, and this series just keeps getting better (no wonder it has so many fans.). Of course, there are tons of amazing Mobile Suit battles to enjoy, both in space as well as on Earth, since the plot takes the Archangel back home. The huge confrontation during the reentry into Earth's atmosphere is unbelievably exciting (some of the best battle anime, which can sometimes get boring and predictable, that I've ever seen!), and the tragic destruction of the civilian shuttle was totally shocking. That brings me to Gundam SEED's next strength, which is the intense emotions and character development! Kira begins to be consumed by his obligation to protect everyone, fueled by the bizarre manipulations of Flay, who I'm beginning to trust less with each moment. Even the rest of the child crew of the Archangel really begin to grow when they decide to officially join the military because they feel the need to help end the war. This excellent characterization also carries over to the ZAFT side of the conflict, as we begin to understand Le Creuset a little more, as well as the new enemy on Earth, the Desert Tiger (who seems to have a conscience, plus an obsession with coffee!). I'm really enjoying the music, too - a second opening theme is introduced in these episodes, and I like how the closing theme begins before the last scene ends. So far Gundam SEED has succeeded in being thrilling yet "serious" at the same time, so I can't wait to see what happens next!
|
| Death Note Vol 8 : 3 of 5 | |
|
1.18.2009
2:35 PM | Link0 comments |
 I'm still enjoying watching this great anime series in Japanese on DVD, even though I've already seen the whole thing dubbed in English on Cartoon Network (and read the entire manga, of course). There are some big jumps in time to move the plot along, but the major events have to do with the Shinigami Sidoh's arrival, Light's failed plan against Mello that leads to the death of his dad, and the introduction of Mikami to take over as the new operating Kira. Since I know the story so well, I tried to focus on little details, such as Sidoh's love of chocolate (much like Ryuk's craving for apples), as well as the cool animation used when Near stops the angry mob by raining cash on them (the texture mapping on each bill is pretty incredible). Seeing Light's dad on his death bed and knowing that he dies without ever realizing that Light is Kira makes for a really dramatic scene, and one of the strengths of this anime is always getting moments like this right! I really enjoyed the background story for Mikami, played out with some self-narration by the character and revealing plausible reasons why someone could be so disturbed (and come to the same moral conclusions as Light). This DVD has the same old interviews with the dubbing talent, which included the voice artist who originally dubbed the voice of Shampoo in Ranma 1/2! I used to have a huge cartoon crush on Shampoo, so it was shocking to find out her voice came from such a boring looking person. I'm definitely ready for the next DVD, which I think is the final volume of the anime!Labels: anime, death note, dvds |
| Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Vol 1 & Vol 2 : 4 of 5 | |
|
12.18.2008
5:49 AM | Link1 comments |
 It's time to start a new anime series, and after looking through my "watch someday" list, I decided to take on Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (even though it's a long 10 DVD series that will keep me cranking for a while). The Gundam genre is a true staple of anime fandom, but this is my first time to watch one of these popular mecha shows, so I was worried about getting into this huge universe and understanding what's going on. I had read lots of comments praising SEED as a favorite series of the bunch, and fortunately the show is just so cool that it doesn't really matter if the background story is a little fuzzy (and it was easy to educate myself with Wikipedia anyway)! There's no point into trying to explain the plot here, except to mention that the main character Kira (who pilots a cool Gundam with phase shift armor) often has to face his childhood friend Athrun, who is fighting on the other side of the war. There's actually a lot of semi-philosophical moments about the purpose of war, how it affects both sides and no one is truly "right", which fleshes out the characters well, but for now I just want to mention the cool battles and machinery! The mobile suits themselves are really detailed, and I love how they launch on foot sleds kind of like Battlestar Galactica Vipers. The space battles are really exciting, with lots of attention to realism and devices like maneuvering jets, and it's interesting to watch the characters move around in the zero gravity interiors of the giant warships (I also like the naval terminology such as "sinking" an enemy ship). Unfortunately, this series was completed before most anime was produced in 16:9, even though it's not that old, but at least the visuals are so stunning (with surprisingly few CG crutches) that it doesn't matter. I'm really excited about continuing this series and watching the further battles between Earth and ZAFT!
|
| Death Note Vol 7 : 4 of 5 | |
|
11.05.2008
8:00 PM | Link0 comments |
 I'm always excited about the next Death Note DVD release, even though I've already watched the whole series (dubbed, unfortunately) on TV, and I think Netflix sent this to me the day it came out since it was at the top of my queue! This volume finally finishes the Light versus L arc (far better than the Near and Mello arc, in my opinion), and the anime interpretation of these final events is definitely spectacular. The inclusion of the creepy song that Misa sings as she resumes her activities with the notebook is nothing short of amazing, especially since this is something that couldn't be conveyed in manga alone. L's death scene is dramatic and fantastic, and the just prior moments of "friendship" between Light and L really make the moment poignant. Soon afterward Near and Mello are introduced, and time moves forward to the year 2012. The scenes regarding Sayu's kidnaping are really tense, but I especially loved the slow motion falling of Near's dice sculpture as his team of agents is killed. I think the story moves along much too quickly in these episodes (it was even rushed in the manga), but the anime does a pretty good job of making the course of events clear. As usual, there's a quick interview with some English dub voice artists, and I realized for the first time that L is played by Gaeta from Battlestar Galactica! I'm really looking forward to the next volume of this DVDs series when it comes out in December!Labels: anime, death note, dvds |
| Death Note Vol 6 : 4 of 5 | |
|
9.29.2008
7:26 AM | Link0 comments |
 Lately I've been writing anime reviews two volumes at a time, but since I'm totally caught up on Death Note DVD releases, I have to write about this one now (since the next DVD doesn't come out for a month). This volume contains some of the more intense plot developments in the story, including the huge build-up to the capture of Higuchi as the "third Kira". It's cool to see Misa and Light regain their memories just as planned - this particular point is so complex that they take the time to go over all of the notebook swapping in detail via a flashback, and it's amazing how everything was thought out. There was some nice animation this time, especially during car chase scenes (the reflections are really cool), and I also noticed a nice touch with both Light and his dad refusing to use a handgun (which shows how both of them cherish justice, but with much different outcomes). After watching the new frenetic opening and closing sequences a few times, I've finally decided I like them (regardless of the intense music), since they both have awesome images and color (and Misa looks really hot, too). This DVD has the standard voice actor interview segment, which is pretty boring, but it was interesting to hear how the voice actor for Rem tries to duplicate the Japanese actor's voice. I'm looking forward to the next volume and seeing more of the story - it doesn't matter that I already know what happens!Labels: anime, death note, dvds |
| Appleseed Ex Machina : 4 of 5 | |
|
9.24.2008
7:59 AM | Link0 comments |
 The first Appleseed movie was one of the most unexpectedly cool anime movies I had seen in a long time, so I didn't expect to enjoy this sequel as much (but of course, I had to buy it). But director Shinji Aramaki (known for his detailed mecha designs) and producer John Woo (who collaborated on the staging and awesome gunplay action) completely surprised me by creating something even more spectacular! This time they're calling their animation technique "HD Animation", since it uses the motion capture technology from the first Appleseed, but they really enhanced the level of detail and subtle movements, which allows for full 3D modeled faces, rather than the "cels on top of CG" look from before. Thankfully, they still take care to give the characters a cartoon look (gotta avoid that uncanny valley), while at the same time bringing incredible detail to the screen in the form of beautiful cityscapes and fantastic computer displays. The plot concerns an entity called Halcon who wants to bring the world together as one machine (nothing too original there), but there is some wonderful character development as Briareos' DNA is used to make a kind of clone Bioroid, which brings up lots of emotions in Deunan (who looks totally cool and beautiful in her updated character design and designer outfits). I was amazed to hear animation expert Jerry Beck doing the commentary track, but unfortunately it wasn't super-interesting (too many silent moments). The second DVD in this set has a couple of documentaries on manga in general and Japanese culture, which are actually pretty lame, but the brief background on Appleseed's creator was fascinating (and now I definitely want to check out the manga!). I really had fun geeking out and watching this awesome movie with all the lights out - Appleseed Ex Machina really satisfied my recent craving for cool futuristic anime!
|
| This Ugly Yet Beautiful World / Vol 1 - Vol 3 : 3 of 5 | |
|
9.12.2008
6:54 AM | Link0 comments |
 I decided it was time to start a completely new anime series, so I chose this one since it was only 12 episodes (so I could finish it quickly), plus I remember reading about it in Newtype since it was made by the same people who created my beloved Mahoromatic. I finished this show in no time at all, so as a whole I can say this series gets a solid "so-so" from me - I don't really have anything negative to report, but this story didn't scratch my itch for a cool show to get into. The plot has to do with Hikari and Akari, two mysterious and cute girls who arrive from space (along with giant monsters that appear and try to destroy them), and a group of friends (including the main character Takeru) who teach them about the world in which we live. The episodes range from the typical learning about school life and going to festivals to much more serious topics like dealing with death and loss. Of course, the plot takes on huge significance when the true nature of Hikari is revealed, and along with the expected semi-understandable cosmic storyline, some wonderful feelings about discovering and enjoying the small blessings of life are expressed. Even though the girls are cute (with lots of almost clinical fan service) and the situations get serious, I never really bonded with the characters, so this was a tear-free show for me. Each DVD includes some nice translation notes that I enjoyed reading, and the theme song was pretty cool, too. I might have thought this series was better if I had been in a different mood - I just wanted something with a little more futuristic action. It's not even close to Mahoromatic in emotional impact, but This Ugly Yet Beautiful World is still a nice series if you're looking for a short anime time commitment!
|
| Batman: Gotham Night : 4 of 5 | |
|
8.23.2008
11:58 AM | Link0 comments |
 I was a little leery of buying this DVD because I knew so little about it, but since I really wanted it as part of my Batman animation collection (and because I knew Bruce Timm was involved), I decided to get it. I definitely made the right decision, since I haven't enjoyed an animated experience with so many "Wow!" moments in a long time! Gotham Night is a collection of six short stories that loosely tie together, set in the world of the Batman Begins and The Dark Night movies (although they wisely still used Kevin Conroy from the animated series as the voice of Batman). Each segment has a different director and studio, so each story has a unique style. Since nearly all of the studios are Japanese, this is essentially Batman set in a cutting-edge anime world! This style probably isn't for everyone, but I completely loved seeing so many various styles and designs for Batman's costume and villains, creative use of CG, and all kinds of truly unique animation techniques - this is the perfect film for Batman fans who are also animation geeks! In fact, my favorite part of watching the movie was going nuts as each new segment began, since it's always a complete change from the previous style. The entire movie is animated in full 16:9 widescreen, which looks spectacular during the many expansive views of Gotham City. I can't begin to discuss each of the six stories, but I should at least say that Have I Got a Story for You was my least favorite animation-wise (though the plot was cool), and Field Test gave me the most thrills, since it's the closest to traditional anime (coolest Batman costume ever, if you ask me!). Working Through Pain has a fantastic plot, and Deadshot is one of the best Batman fights ever animated. The bonus material was a little lacking for my taste, although I really enjoyed the long Bob Kane biography, since I knew nothing about him until now. Gotham Night has received some mixed reviews, but I was blown away - if you're open to see Batman in an entirely new way, you owe it to yourself to watch it!
|
| Ninja Nonsense / The Legend of Shinobu Vol 3 & Vol 4 : 3 of 5 | |
|
8.14.2008
7:34 AM | Link0 comments |
 Though I've had trouble finishing up the manga version of this story (since I can't find the final volume!), I quickly watched the entire anime series and enjoyed it all! Ninja Nonsense is completely lighthearted and goofy, with plenty of risque situations thrown in just for fun. Both volumes continue the short 15 minute episode format (similar to Adult Swim shows), managing to hit all the usual cliches with tons of laughs. I enjoyed the guys vs. girls baseball game episode, mainly due to the funny lines from all the ninja guys drooling over the girls ("I was born to witness this moment!"). Of course, there's a return to the hot spring with lots of attempts to sneak a peek, a haunted house at the school festival, and a hilarious Christmas celebration, which is especially funny just because of all the hidden jokes in the background (you never know when you're going to see a surprise naked ninja butt). My favorite episode focuses on Sasuke (the only faceless ninja with a name) and his hilarious dream of being married to all the girl characters in the show (even Kaede's mom!), and then he fights a demon by making it wear hot mustard underwear (which is a good example of the kind of humor this show is all about)! The finale features a nice Sailor Moon parody, and then actually makes fun of anime final episodes in general, as Shinobu passes her big exams, goes to study abroad, gets kicked out, and is happy reunited with Kaede. Both DVDs include a nice interview with the Japanese voice actors, and it's fun to see the guys and girls who actually screamed all those funny lines. Ninja Nonsense is pretty much exactly what the title describes, but I really enjoyed it!
|
| Ninja Nonsense / The Legend of Shinobu Vol 1 & Vol 2 : 3 of 5 | |
|
6.27.2008
6:28 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've been on a good anime rental streak lately, so I thought I would check out this animated series based on the manga Ninin ga Shinobuden (that I've been enjoying). This show is completely crazy, fast-paced, cute, and filled with semi-adult humor just like the manga, so it's hilarious to watch, as long as you aren't expecting any serious character development. The animation style is very clean and bright, and definitely matches the source material, and it's fun to see Shinobu the female ninja in training come to life, especially when she's doing cute things like fawning over Kaede! Onsokumaru is particularly funny, too, because his voice is so bizarre! The theme songs are pretty frantic, but the closing credits are over an interesting stop-motion sequence that's really cool. The first volume follows the manga very closely, with Shinobu meeting Kaede and her first visit to the ninja school, and then the pace picks up since Shinobu's sister Miyabi is already introduced in the very next episode. The second volume begins with a hilariously perverted summer swimming party, and also includes the weirdest episode where Onsokumaru goes to Hell, tries to overthrow Heaven, and gets kicked out, which brings him back to life! Another episode has some wild Bon Odori hijinks, plus a sing-along segment with dance steps you can follow. There are a few hints at a larger story brewing after Izumi (the master of the other ninja school) shows up, but I can't imagine the plot getting too serious. Even though this anime is completely silly, I really enjoyed it and laughed like crazy - I'm definitely going to watch the rest of the series (and finish the manga as well)!
|
| Death Note Vol 4 & Vol 5 : 4 of 5 | |
|
6.25.2008
8:27 PM | Link0 comments |
 I somehow got out of the habit of watching Death Note on Cartoon Network, so I enjoyed these two DVDs of the series even more. I'm a bigger fan of the first arc of the plot (before L is killed) than the second, so these episodes (four per DVD) are really cool. I should also mention that since Death Note is presented in widescreen, I can upscale it to use my full HDTV screen! Volume 4 includes the first meeting of Light and Misa, starting with her interesting way of spotting him with her Shinigami eyes (which are presented in an eerie red color), and later her dramatic conversation when Light finally embraces her. This volume also begins Light's incredible plan to give up the Death Note (one of the most incredible parts of the story) and his long confinement. In Volume 5, the confinement finally ends and the Yotsuba Corporation segment begins, which includes some tense (but funny) scenes with Matsuda as Misa's manager. I'm still enjoying the way this series keeps presenting interesting images to go with long conversation or thought sequences, such as the symbolic Light and L standing on skyscrapers, or slow pans across L's endless supplies of sweets while he talks. A new opening and closing theme begins on Volume 5, which has a fantastic visual look, but the original theme song is a million times better! Both DVDs contain interviews with voice artists used in the dubbed dialogue, and I enjoyed seeing Misa's actress (who was cute and quirky), but of course I would never choose their performance over the original Japanese. Unfortunately, now I have to wait until the end of August for the next DVD to be released!Labels: anime, death note, dvds |
| Full Metal Panic Fumoffu Vols 2, 3, 4 : 3 of 5 | |
|
6.18.2008
7:55 AM | Link0 comments |
 I watched the first DVD of this fun series way back in 2006, and now two years later, I suddenly decided to watch all the remaining volumes quickly to finish it off! I wouldn't recommend taking such a huge break in the middle of a series, but with a light-hearted comedy like Full Metal Panic Fumoffu, it wasn't a problem. As you may know, the original Full Metal Panic (which I loved) was a much more dramatic story about Sosuke the soldier and Kaname, the girl he must protect. Fumoffu is like a collection of short in-between stories, focusing completely on the comedy of Sosuke's undercover work at Kaname's high school. I finally learned what "fumoffu" means - it's the sound that Sosuke makes when he talks inside a huge Bonta-kun suit, which is the cuddly bear mascot of an amusement park (and Sosuke converts the suit into a battle mecha!). Each DVD only has three episodes, so watching them goes by quickly, but there are plenty of laughs in each story! There are some crazy storylines such as the haunted hospital and the ponytail pervert, but the best by far is when Tessa (from the original series) returns to visit as a two-week student at the school, starting up all kinds of jealousy between her and Kaname (and it just wouldn't be anime without an extended hot springs sequence!). The final episode was especially weird, about a biological weapon that eats clothing, but of course that fits the tone of this series nicely. Although I really enjoyed laughing at this series (and the theme song is excellent, too), there's really nothing special about it. But if you're a Full Metal Panic fan, it's a great way to spend some additional fun time with these characters!
|
| Phoenix Vols 1-3 : 5 of 5 | |
|
5.28.2008
7:32 AM | Link0 comments |
 When I saw that my favorite manga of all time, Osamu Tezuka's masterpiece Phoenix, was being released as an anime on DVD, I was both excited and skeptical. I waited until I finished all three DVDs before writing this review, and I have to say that I'm overwhelmed by the majesty of this series! The beauty begins with the opening credits, featuring incredible images of the history of life itself set to a wonderful orchestral theme, and the episodes include some narration at the beginning and end to properly set each tale within its broad scope. Of course, only a fraction of the original manga could be included, but they selected many of my favorite stories, set in both the past and future. Saruta is included as a character in each story, weaving them all together, and the animation (although a bit modernized) stays true to Tezuka's character designs and certainly to his ultimate message. The stories included are The Dawn (4 episodes in the past), The Resurrection (2 episodes in he future), The Transformation (1 episode in the past, the beautiful story of the cycle of the nun), The Sun (4 episodes in the past, about Inugami the human/wolf and the plight of ancient religion versus the rise of Buddhism), and The Future (2 episodes in the future, with Masato who becomes the last immortal human on Earth and witnesses the rebirth of the planet). I watched the entire series on the edge of my seat, eyes wide open to take it all in - I'm amazed they could actually bring the feel of Tezuka's work to animation so well! The selected stories truly communicate the awesomeness of life - that which never ends. Even though I rented this series, I'm incredibly tempted to buy it so I can watch it again, since it's definitely something I want in my collection, so I hope they release it as a box set soon. I can't recommend this series enough for Tezuka fans - you won't be disappointed!
|
| Nerima Daikon Brothers Vol 2 & Vol 3 : 3 of 5 | |
|
3.22.2008
6:55 AM | Link0 comments |
 This hilarious musical anime series is only twelve episodes long, so I rented both of these DVDs fairly quickly and finished it fast. Although it was still lots of fun, I have to admit that this show is much better in the earlier episodes, before you've heard the same song variations over and over. But aside from that, the second DVD includes tons of hilarity, while the third DVD tries to wrap it up with a really bizarre ending. Yukika the "gadget policewoman" really shines as her character is developed, and her crazy panda fetish is awesome (I always laugh out loud when she goes nuts and screams "Switch on!"). She also has a funny scene where she dresses up in a pink Darth Vader costume to go undercover! Most of the plots involve a complex parody of something or someone in Japanese pop culture (explained very well by the popup note subtitles), but there's even an episode with a deranged Michael Jackson look-alike (who sings a tender song about his dream amusement park, filled with random vocal interjections like "Ow!"). The ending is a huge spoof on former Prime Minister Koizumi, where he sends his lion troops to fight an army of pandas on the daikon field. It's totally bizarre, and I would have much rather seen the band just build their dome and fulfill their concert dream! Each DVD contains some excellent Japanese commentary tracks with the directory and voice actors, who are all enthusiastic and lively - really a joy to listen to! Shigeru Matsuzaki, the famous singer who plays Hideki, is a real firecracker with an amazing attitude. Be prepared to watch each episode three times - once normally, once with commentary, and once with the notes subtitles! Even though it went a little downhill towards the end, Nerima Daikon Brothers is still a series I wouldn't mind watching again someday - and singing along!
|
| Death Note Vol 2 & Vol 3: 4 of 5 | |
|
3.17.2008
9:44 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've recently rented both of the next Death Note DVDs, and I'm still enjoying watching this series a second time in Japanese, even though I'm currently watching the newer episodes on Cartoon Network. The Volume 2 DVD contains the genius plot to kill all of the FBI agents through Raye Penber, which is absolutely chilling, and then quickly moves on to Light's cruel manipulation of Raye's fiancee. In both of these plots, Light tells his victim he's Kira just before it's too late, which is pretty devastating! Light's character really reveals itself as a creepy combination of perfection and evil, which is part of what makes this series so fascinating! On Volume 3, L decides to confront Light by entering the same college, and they begin a high-tension relationship that can only be explained by long thought monologues. When I read the manga I expected this to be a big challenge for the anime, but they really pull it off well with some dramatic artwork! Misa Amane is finally introduced as the second Kira (and of course her voice is cute in the way only a Japanese's girl's voice can be!), but the real stand-out moment of this DVD is when the Shinigami Rem tells the story of the other Shinigami who loved Misa and gave himself to save her life - it's presented like a bittersweet fairy tale! Unfortunately, now I have to wait for future DVDs of this series to be released, but I'm definitely going to keep renting them until the show ends. I'm curious to find out if they plan on continuing the plot past the L story arc!Labels: anime, death note, dvds |
| Nerima Daikon Brothers Vol 1 : 4 of 5 | |
|
2.29.2008
7:47 AM | Link0 comments |
 I saw an episode of this series on a Newtype preview DVD, and it was so wacky that I actually remembered to put it in my Netflix queue, and I received the first DVD recently (apparently the next Death Note was unavailable!). This is one of the craziest anime series I've seen in a long time, but I have to say I thought it was fantastic! The main characters are Hideki, his cute cousin Mako, and Ichiro (oh, and there's a panda who follows them around, too!), who dream of being a popular band performing huge concerts. Unfortunately, they're poor, so they live next to their daikon field, apparently their only source of income, and somehow end up fighting against injustice in their town (though always hoping to steal a little cash along the way). But the real concept of the show is that every episode is a musical! That's right, each plot is wall-to-wall songs, and they are totally hilarious! There are several themes that are repeated often (with lyric alterations) - Mako's sexy song, the money-lender's song, a fight introduction song, and so on. It's too bizarre to believe, and it's so much fun to watch! Of course, this show is one of the biggest subtitle challenges ever attempted - it's really fast-paced (tons of quick lines that only appear on screen for a second), and on top of that, there's a second set of subtitles to explain all the cultural references and humor. The explanations are super-interesting, but you need to have the pause button ready at all times! As expected, there are lots of raunchy jokes and adult humor (in a funny, PG-13 style), and the plots on this first DVD are pretty good, involving everything from Korean pachinko parlors to sexy nurses in a scam hospital! I don't know how they can continue filling each episode with songs for the whole series, but I definitely intend to find out!
|
| Death Note Vol 1 : 5 of 5 | |
|
1.22.2008
6:19 PM | Link0 comments |
 Since I completely enjoyed reading the entire series of Death Note manga, I've been watching the anime on Cartoon Network and marveling at how well the story has been adapted to animation. But of course, I have a big problem with the English dubbing (Light's voice isn't too bad, but L's voice is horrendous), so I decided to rent the series on DVD as well. As I expected, it's so much cooler watching the series in Japanese - everything just has the right feel and emotion that I don't think a dub can ever capture. The story itself is just as fascinating as I remember, and I'm really enjoying seeing it unfold even though I know everything that's going to happen. The anime is able to grab the viewer in ways the manga couldn't, especially in interesting scenes like Ryuk's journey from the Shinigami world to the human world, or via some masterful montages (my favorite is when Light really gets going on writing names in the Death Note, with huge arm gestures and quick cuts to the suffering criminals that flow perfectly with the dramatic music!). The artwork is completely on-model compared to the manga, and often uses interesting camera moves and lighting that I know must be a pain to draw! In this volume I thought the exciting bus-jacking scene (where Light manages to get the name of the FBI agent Raye Penber) was well done, as well as the explanation of Light's trick hiding place for the Death Note. Overall, the series has really captured the same tone as the manga (and the cool opening and closing themes don't hurt the mood either), so I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!Labels: anime, death note, dvds |
| The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya / Vol 4 : 4 of 5 | |
|
1.18.2008
6:53 AM | Link0 comments |
 This final DVD contains the last three episodes of this anime, which are by far the best of the entire series! Finally I can start to understand why this series started such a fan phenomenon, since these episodes have something to offer not only in humor and fun animation, but even show some inner feelings that have often been hidden for the rest of the story. The first plot on the DVD covers the school arts festival (which ties in with the very first episode's home video by the SOS Brigade), with all the expected elements (such as Mikuru in a maid cafe), but then shows Haruhi and Yuki filling in for a rock band with some absent members. The concert is fantastic - not only is the music great, but the animation both of the guitar playing and drumming is totally realistic (possibly rotoscoped!). This scene really shows Haruhi experiencing true joy, and it finally made me like her character! Next we have a fun video game duel with the computer club, which takes place mostly in the fantasy world of the game itself. There are hilarious Star Blazers references, and even a polka-dotted space ship for Mikuru, and this story reveals a nice side to Yuki as well. The final episode is really amazing, since after so many frenetic plots and situations, it completely slows down and covers a lazy winter day in a completely touching way. There are even moments where the camera will stay in a long shot for a full minute, just observing Yuki reading or Kyon napping. It was so minimalist that I completely loved it! There's also a cool bonus feature of Aya Hinano touring the Kyoto Animation studio, and seeing all the animators hard at work is pretty fascinating. Even though it took a while to grow on me, I enjoyed Haruhi enough to hope for another season, and at least I now understand what all the buzz has been about!
|
| Music Moments | |
|
12.19.2007
8:46 AM | Link0 comments |
 It's time for five more mini music reviews, featuring a little Disney, a little Christmas, and some Jpop, of course! I'll start with Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland, which is an amazing soundtrack re-recording that's only available via iTunes. I never realized that Disney made these studio recreations, but the sound quality and arrangements are fantastic compared to the original movie score. I actually prefer Kathryn Beaumont's cute English voice over Darlene Gillespie's, but she did a fine job (I think she was the most talented classic Mouseketeer)!After finishing up every last episode of Sailor Moon recently, I really wanted to have all the cheesy songs in my collection, so I was happy to discover Sailor Moon Super Best, which includes all the themes and other numbers from all seasons of the show. Some of these are actually cool ballads in a retro kind of way, especially if you appreciate the 70's style horns and strings (so different from anime soundtracks today!). But most importantly, I'll always enjoy singing Moonlight Densetsu! Each year I always buy myself a new holiday album, and this year I was persuaded by an iTunes sale to get Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics, featuring all of the South Park characters butchering classic Christmas carols as well as other songs that simply set a new standard for holiday irreverence! This CD is totally hilarious if you have an extremely open-minded sense of humor, and I have to admit that I love singing along with everyone's favorite magical Christmas poo! Now on to Jpop! I had to buy Morning Musume's All Singles Complete collection, even though I already had all of these songs on other albums, just because the concept and packaging was so cool, and it's worth it to me to have all of these songs in order on a nice CD set (which has been playing in my car for weeks now!). The bonus DVD, where each member chooses their favorite concert performance, has some great older footage that I hadn't seen before, but why did so many of them have to pick Do It Now? Maybe they just like holding the microphones upside down for the rap! Finally, I really like Morning Musume's new single Mikan, even though it's a pretty big jump stylistically from their previous two singles, but I guess it's time for a peppy, anime theme-ish song. I definitely enjoy the lyrics and the cool little piano licks, as well as Reina's lines in the final chorus (I thought it was funny when she mentioned them on Five Stars!). The video is lots of fun, too, but I have to say that I'm not a fan of eye reflection effects, and the little squares on their eyeballs make everyone look like robots! Labels: anime, cds, disney, jpop, morning musume |
| The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya / Vol 3 : 3 of 5 | |
|
12.13.2007
7:33 AM | Link0 comments |
 The third DVD in this series went by even faster than the first two, since there are only three episodes! The first episode is almost too weird to be comprehensible, and was probably my least favorite so far. Haruhi designs the SOS Brigade logo, which somehow wakes-up another "thought entity" (or something that Yuki barely explains), and they end up having to battle with a monster version of the computer kid that Haruhi blackmailed earlier in the series. After that there's a two-part story where everyone takes a little vacation on a secluded island, which ends up turning into a murder mystery. The plot is pretty interesting, but it all boils down to trying to keep Haruhi from getting bored, since if she's bored she will think something into existence! Besides the typical "bikinis at the beach" anime scene, this story also featured a really weird technique for reenacting the murder - it was shot in live action and displayed with various filter effects, which looks cool, but still kind of jarring in the middle of the show. The bonus features include more footage of Aya Hinano (the voice of Haruhi), who is super-cute in her photo session and signing books for fans, but to tell the truth, I still have yet to see why this show has become so popular! So many people have declared this anime one of the best, but right now I don't see it. It's definitely fun and I enjoy it, but I'm not getting a huge emotional charge out of it or anything. Oh well, at least it's fun to keep up with the phenomenon, so bring on the next DVD (after Christmas, of course)!
|
| Embarrassing reading | |
|
12.08.2007
2:35 PM | Link0 comments |
 I'm really getting into holiday mode, which means relaxing a little more and enjoying things like reading! I've been catching up on some actual books lately, but of course I'm still reading manga, too. Besides the regular volumes I like, I'm still a faithful subscriber to Shojo Beat - my embarrassing little pleasure! Every month I enjoy finding what happens in all the stories (and I definitely skip over the girly beauty tips!) - I still haven't forgiven them for getting rid of Nana, but the current line-up is pretty good. The best by far is Honey & Clover, which always makes me laugh at the antics of these crazy art school characters, and I think Crimson Hero is pretty inspiring. I didn't like Vampire Knight at first, but it's starting to grow on me! I know that I'm supposed to be reading Shonen Jump since I'm a guy, but I can't help it if I'd rather read emotional stories instead of all that ninja crap! Now if I could only read it on a train, it would feel more like Japan - maybe when Austin light rail opens I'll have to give it a try!Talking about manga reminds me of anime, and I recently enjoyed the full-length Black Jack movie on the Sci-Fi Channel! Black Jack is one of Osamu Tezuka's characters that I'd like to know more about, but he's just barely been available in the US, so I was surprised this movie was on. The dub was terrible, of course, but the plot and the animation were pretty nice! I wish the movie was more about why Black Jack became a renegade surgeon and his relationship to Pinoko, but it was still cool to watch anyway. |
| The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya / Vol 2 : 3 of 5 | |
|
11.30.2007
7:29 AM | Link0 comments |
 I hardly ever continue watching an anime series so quickly (I usually watch other things between volumes for variety), but Netflix was super-fast and these episodes are so short that it's been easy to breeze through this show during study breaks! These four episodes take a big turn from the last volume as the plot goes from weird to completely bizarre, and at the same time the situation gets more serious as Haruhi's "cosmic powers" are revealed. Somehow she actually creates reality with thought (unknowingly), so the fact that she's bored with everyday life means she might just end the universe to start up a new one! There's a nice Haruhi monologue where we get to see past her tough exterior for a moment, which leads nicely into a great episode where Haruhi and Kyon find themselves in another reality, and Kyon has to convince her to give the "real" reality another chance (with an unexpected kiss!). After all that drama, the other episodes lighten up with the SOS Brigade entering a baseball tournament, which is pretty hilarious since Yuki, the alien representative of the Thought Entity (yes, that's pretty weird), helps them win the game by changing the physical properties of the bat. There's some funny cheerleading from Mikuru in this episode, too! I should also mention that these DVDs have a lot of bonus material, the best of which is some Japanese-produced behind the scenes segments with the voice actors for the show. Watching the recording session for one of the show's songs was really interesting! Now that I can kind of see the tone of this series, I'm a little more into it than I was after watching Volume 1, so of course the next DVD will be on its way to me soon.
|
| The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya / Vol 1 : 3 of 5 | |
|
11.26.2007
6:07 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've had this series in my Netflix queue from way back when I was still subscribing to Newtype. They were constantly gushing about what a great anime series this is, and it's definitely got a ton of attention online and everywhere else, so I'm glad I finally got the time to give it a try. Recently my taste has been leaning towards more serious anime and manga, but I have to say that Haruhi was pretty funny, so I'm definitely going to keep watching! I was really impressed by how the series begins, since the entire first episode is nothing more than a homemade film created by the characters (but it does reveal some interesting hints, in a way). In the next three episodes, Haruhi and all the members of her new SOS Brigade are introduced, and they are soon revealed to be exactly what Haruhi is devoted to finding: aliens, future people, and ESPers (psychics)! The only normal guy is Kyon (his nickname), and the story unfolds from his point of view, which is great since he's just as confused as the viewer! There are some really outrageous moments dealing with Haruhi's "handling" (literally) of Mikuru, the super-cute girl of the group, especially when she's forced to wear crazy outfits like a bunny suit! This entire DVD went by really fast - the episodes seem a little shorter than average, but it kind of helps the story move along. I'm worried that if they don't bring a little true emotion into all this craziness that I will get bored with the series, but for now I'm content to giggle and enjoy the hilarity!
|
| Appleseed / Limited Collector's Edition : 4 of 5 | |
|
9.17.2007
12:37 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've had this DVD in my pile waiting to be watched for so long it's scary! I bought it soon after it was released, since there was so much hype about it, and now I understand why - Appleseed is a seriously cool movie! The process used to make this film is fascinating, since it's actually the first completely 3D modeled CGI film from Japan, and it truly has an amazing look. I always knew the environments were 3D models, but I never knew that the characters themselves were all modeled as well, and mostly animated via motion capture (including some interesting lip-sync facial techniques). Because this is still an anime, they chose to render the characters with 2D flat shading (which is why I was confused!), and this gives the film really amazing style. All of this is presented on an excellent Japanese documentary included in the set, along with lots of other great bonus material. The story itself is packed with action in an awesome futuristic setting, with the basic plot concerning artificial humans called bioroids and the rift in human society because of their existence. The main characters Deunan and Briareos (who is a cyborg) undergo great development in the story, but Hitomi the bioroid is my favorite because she's just too cute. The soundtrack is fantastic, full of modernistic rock songs, and I really appreciate the fact that the camera angles used are very tasteful (since they can often get too crazy in a CGI film). Appleseed is an incredible movie and definitely a milestone in both anime and CGI animation in general!
|
| Sailor Moon Movie Collection : 4 of 5 | |
|
8.19.2007
7:14 AM | Link0 comments |
 There are three Sailor Moon movies (each going along with a particular season of the show), and I actually rented each of these way back in 2000, but since I bought this semi-bootleg set quite a while ago, I decided to watch them again just to finish off my recent marathon! Each movie is barely over an hour, but they all have nice stories with a little more character insight than an average episode of the show. Sailor Moon R reveals some of Mamoru's childhood with a flower-loving alien, and Sailor Moon S (my favorite of the three) focuses on Luna the cat, who falls in love with an astronomer. The story sounds crazy, but it's really emotional and touching (especially when she gets her wish to become human just for a moment!). Sailor Moon Super S has a pretty weird plot about stealing children to power a black hole (focusing on Chibi-Moon just like the same season of the series), but at least the rest of the Sailor Soldiers appear (I like their cool attacks, especially Sailor Pluto's "Dead Scream"). Now that I've watched all of these again, I'm actually getting the urge to take on the live-action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon all over again! Tasukete!Labels: anime, dvds, sailor moon |
| Sailor Stars : 4 of 5 | |
|
8.09.2007
7:43 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've finally finished watching every episode of Sailor Stars, the 5th season of Sailor Moon, and it only took me a year since I finished Sailor Moon Super S! This season was particularly fun and interesting, and now that I've seen it I can understand why it was never released in the US market, since the story involves lots of gender-bending. The plot is still a great one, though, starting off with a mini-arc about another encounter with their old enemy Queen Neherenia (quickly resolved in about six episodes), and next switching into the main story involving the new villain Lady Galaxia and the new heroes, the Sailor Starlights (who are actually girl Sailor Soldiers, but turn into boy pop idols when they aren't fighting enemies!). The best element of the story is that Mamoru is out of the picture most of the time, so Usagi gets to have a tentative, uncomfortable, and sweet romance with Seiya, one of the Starlights. Their scenes together are really emotional, even if we know all along that Usagi and Mamoru will end up together in the end. The middle of the series gets into a typical Sailor Moon formula (an enemy tries to steal a Star Seed from someone, which turns them into a monster, which the Sailor Soldiers defeat), but I kind of like the repetitive consistency. It's great to see all of the Sailor Solders together (even Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Saturn), and of course, the crazy attack names get better and better - Sailor Moon's main attack is now "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" and one of the Starlights attacks with "Star Gentle Uterus!" (I swear I am not making this up!). So now I've seen all the Sailor Moon there is to see (though I'm going to watch the three movies again since I bought that set, too), and I'm still a fan!Labels: anime, dvds, sailor moon |
| Astro Boy 1980s Japanese opening theme | |
|
7.28.2007
12:28 PM | Link0 comments |
 Lately I have been watching a ton of Astro Boy (already four episodes today!), since I realy want to finish this DVD set before I move on to other things to watch. The show is really fantastic, as I've said before, and it's kind of cool absorbing each episode one after another, since you can really watch the characters grow and see all kinds of connections. There are so many great stories, such as the Greatest Robot in the World saga, all of the Atlas episodes, and even some guest appearances by other Tezuka characters, such as Black Jack and Princess Knight! Of course, now I've heard the theme song a billion times, but strangely enough, I couldn't find the actual Japanese lyrics with translation on the web, so I just did my own. I tend to translate more literally than poetically, since it helps me learn vocabulary, and it's amazing how even a simple song like this can contain idiomatic phrases and things. By the way, Astro's "real" name in Japanese translates to Mighty Atom. So, here's the Astro Boy opening theme from the 1980s anime!Japanese sora wo koete ra ra ra hoshi no kanata yukuzo atomu jetto no kagiri kokoro yasashii ra ra ra kagaku no ko juuman bariki da tetsuwan atomu mimi wo sumase ra ra ra me wo mihare sou da atomu yudan wo suruna kokoro tadashi ra ra ra kagaku no ko nanatsu no iryoku sa tetsuwan atomu English Passing through the sky, la la la Far off in the stars Go, Atom (Astro), To the limit of your jets! His heart is kind He's a child of science He has 100,000 horsepower Mighty Atom (Astro Boy) Listen carefully, la la la Be amazed! That's Atom (Astro) Don't be unprepared His heart is just He's a child of science He has seven powers Mighty Atom (Astro Boy) |
| Astro Boy Complete Collection : 5 of 5 | |
|
7.20.2007
12:24 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've only watched about a fourth of this series so far, but since it's eight DVDs long I decided I should go ahead and write about it! Since I really love Astro Boy, I want to see all three animated series eventually, and I really enjoyed the most recent one, so I was happy to snag this set at a discount price. This is the second of the three series, broadcast in Japan in the 80s in color, and it was Osamu Tezuka's (the creator of Astro) favorite. In fact, he actually wrote all the scripts for the series, which is wonderful since the stories closely follow the original manga (even complete subplots like the heartwarming Robio & Robiette)! The animation is colorful though quite simple, but every now and then features some incredible space ship or robot designs, and of course the characters are completely true to Tezuka's artwork (then often even do the funny walk with outstretched legs that Tezuka fans will recognize right away!). The music has lots of cheesy 80s synth sounds, but the opening and closing theme songs are fantastic (and I hum the all the time, since I haven't found the Japanese lyrics yet). It's so cool to see Astro being built and coming to life for the first time, as well as the introduction of Astro's robot parents and cute sister Uran. Seeing these shows in the original Japanese is great, and I love hearing the cute things that Astro says when he fights (plus he's pretty handy with his "ass-guns" that you definitely never saw in the US!). So far this is just about as perfect as an Astro Boy cartoon can get, and I'm certainly going to enjoy watching the rest of the series!
|
| Re-watching favorites | |
|
4.26.2007
7:26 AM | Link0 comments |
 I know, I know - I have so much stuff I want to watch that I couldn't possibly re-watch things I've already seen, right? Well, a while back ADV Films had a really great DVD sale going on, so I ended up buying complete sets (for practically nothing!) of a couple anime series that I really enjoyed the first time around! I've been watching an episode here and there, and I've been enjoying them all over again. I've already re-finished Chance Pop Session, which I still think has a cute soap-opera style plot, and I'm well on my way into Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, which quenches my thirst for science fiction coolness. After I bought these sets, I realized that I should really own the entire Chobits, so I picked that up from Overstock.com (I think it's going out of print soon, if it hasn't already), and now it's waiting for me, too. While I'm talking about watching things, I also checked out another movie via Amazon Unbox - I missed Jet Li's Fearless in the theater, so it was nice to watch it at home. Truthfully, I wasn't really moved by the plot, but the action was cool, although I didn't watch it closely enough for me to really review it!Labels: anime |
| Gatchaman / Collection 9 : 5 of 5 | |
|
11.27.2006
11:26 PM | Link0 comments |
 I can't believe I've finished all 105 episodes of this anime classic - it seems like I was only just recently excited about buying the first DVD set, and now I have nine of them on my shelf! I was filled with anticipation when I started the first disc, but then I was surprised that these episodes didn't really lead up to the big ending - they were the typical plots that could have fit anywhere in the series (but still great!). But the second disc delivered completely, quickly getting into Joe's tragic health problem, the big mystery secret behind the identity of Berg Katse, and the ultimate Galactor plot (orchestrated by Leader X, double-crossing Katse!) to destroy the world! Along the way there's plenty of emotion for everyone, even though a couple of the episodes are a little goofy (especially when Galactor tries to convince Ken that he's awakened 20 years in the future). You've got to love a mecha with a name like Grape Bomber, and there's also a cool giant catfish to battle, too! The bonus disc has some interesting material on the various releases of the series in Japan, as well as a great list of the various Science Ninja techniques, but also has a real snooze-fest with the American voice actors, who just bore me to tears (sorry, ADV!). Gatchaman has been so much fun to watch - nothing else can capture the drama and excitement of 70s anime for me!
|
