The Anime Life

Secret Santa Review: Dennōu Coil

2009-12-24T14:07:00.000-08:00

As a part of ReverseThieves' Secret Santa review project, a number of anime bloggers such as myself got together and swapped suggestions. We each were given an anime blogger and had to examine their MyAnimeList to choose 3 shows that the blogger had not seen. These shows could be no longer than 26 episodes long. Lastly, we could not know who was giving us these recommendations, and thus ReverseThieves' delivered the suggestions to each blogger. After receiving the 3 recommendations we were tasked with choosing 1 to review.

The shows recommended to me were Kanon (2006), Sola, and Dennōu Coil. Out of these choices Kanon is the only one I was at all familiar with. I had a general idea of the story and knew that eventually I would watch this show; therefore, I wanted to defer this choice and choose one I was much less familiar with. That led me to Sola and Dennōu Coil. Again I knew very little about either, but just from the first few minutes of Dennōu Coil I saw the use of cyber-technology and I knew, being an IT person, that this might be of interest to me. Indeed it was, and I must truly thank my Secret Santa for recommending this, and and the other two anime to me. While I might still wait to get to the other shows, I've watched Dennōu Coil and truly enjoyed the experience I might not otherwise have had.

Dennōu Coil: Review

Like so many anime about Japan, the story takes place in an alternate reality, where nearly everything is be digitized. Pets, limbs, traffic, and so much more is all connected. Simply put on a pair of cyber glasses and anyone can enter into this elaborate world that the naked eye cannot see. On a day to day basis, the adults seem to take use of the digitization merely for convenience, if at all, but for the kids this these glasses let them enter into the most elaborate playground of all. For the 6th grader Yuko, the female lead of the anime, the city of Daikoku where she has moved to is the most fascinating of all the cities, due to the heightened connections and fluxes between the city and the cyber world.

The story initially highlights Yuko's transition into this city, and the friendships she makes with kids at her school who have become fairly skilled at hacking for their amusement. However with the introduction of a new student, and expert 'hacker', known as Isako, strange occurrences begin to increase. Likewise Haraken, a fellow student, is searching to find out more about the death of a classmate potentially due to what's presumed to be a virus, aka an Illegal, and in doing so leads the kid's into territory that is potentially quite dangerous. As the show progresses, and the kids immerse themselves more and more into the digital world, we're left wondering what awaits them - exciting new discoveries or dark pasts and even darker futures?

This balance between adolescence, mystery, and mass-digitization is what grabbed me from the start, and continued throughout to be a powerful draw to keep watching. In fact, I'd say the story itself is really the primary draw. The show has bare-bone animation styling, purposeful I'm sure, and is no way meant to be watched on beauty alone. Additionally, one might assume that since the story is all about kids that there can be little depth; however, that is far from the truth. Instead, much like with Evangelion and 20th Century Boys, the acts of children can have great consequences. With 20th Century Boys especially I see a parrallel with Dennōu Coil, particularly when Yuko's past as an even younger child seems to contain information she's not even aware of that's connected to mysteries in the present. This dichotomy
of time adds to the allure, and is just yet another reason why Dennōu Coil kept me wanting more.

In summary, I sensed a pattern in the shows suggested to me, being that of kids. In anime, unlike cartoons, these kids experience many of the difficulties that ordinary kids do, and at times even more so. That said Dennōu Coil did a fantastic job portraying coming-of-age emotions in an alternate reality, an in doing so reminded me what anime is and what it should be. Dennōu Coil is what anime should be, and I'm thankful it was recommended to me, and I'd like to recommend it to anyone wanting to explore the at times wacky, but always wondrous, world of Dennōu Coil.

Slight Revival: Anime Secret Santa Project!

2009-12-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

So I know I said I'd be transferring locations with my writings, and that's still true, but a special occasion as brought me back to "The Anime Life" for one more post.
That occasion? Reverse Thieves Secret Santa Anime project!

Reverse Thieves's site describes the project best but essentially a bunch of anime bloggers opted in and, per Secret Santa protocol, are recommending shows to watch to one another. We each had to go to our 'Secret' person's MyAnimeList page and find 3 shows they hadn't watched, at or under 26 episodes, that we felt the person would like. Following that we are sent our recommendations by proxy and then we choose 1 to watch and review for December 24th/25th. At that time we will post our review of the show we chose.

Ultimately all that, while perhaps interesting, is just my lead-in for this. Expect an anime review here for the show I chose from my Secret Santa's recommendations. I'll likely end up hosting it at the new site too, but since this is the one I listed I'll certainly post it here first.

Moving locales!

2009-10-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hello there! I know this is pretty standard for me by now but it's been awhile since I've posted. That said I'm actually partnering up with some friends of mine in an anime club I joined and we're starting our own site covering what I covered and much more! The site is www.BBAMAJAM.com and depending on when you read this it may not be fully developed, but if it is please peruse, enjoy, and join our community. :D

I hope to bring much of what I brought in this blog to the site only perhaps with more spell checking and grammar checking going on. ;) All in all, this should be a good time and I'm looking forward to our full release of the site!

Good news!

2009-04-19T20:08:00.001-07:00

I know I've been absent once again, but I have good news at least for me. I think I am at a point in my life where, while I'll likely be busy quite soon hopefully with a transition from a part-time to a full-time job, I will not be tied down to the same pressing deadlines that have affected me these past few months.

That said I have also gotten myself even more involved in more projects than before, although perhaps enough have fallen to the wayside to make up for it. Essentially though I am now working staff at my local anime convention, i.e. JAMPcon! For those who may have read my posts before, you probably already know this but the original plan for JAMPcon '09 has been put off till JAMPcon '10. In fact, we're essentially starting over from scratch in a lot of ways, which while disappointing I know allows for JAMPcon to save on overhead fees, while also giving me and other JAMPers more time to go to Persacon this summer in Alabama. My official title is Head Assistant, but what I do varies. I think I got this position because I kept hassling our fine president, Veggie-Trunks, about little things here and there, questions I wanted answered, con prep. I was concerned about, and lo and behold that's put me in a position of responsibility. I guess that's my punishment;) Seriously though I love what I'm doing with the con, and while I know sometimes people forget that putting on a con takes up personal time, money, effort, and love, especially when the con actually takes place, I feel anything sacrificed on my part will only lead to another person's good time :D I do apologize to any friends who may read this that there are very good reasons why I cannot tell you what I know (which is truly the little I know), but by all means message Veggie to see if you can become staff ^_^ Just expect to put in some work, which I know even for me is usally when I just gradually back away..., but if you want to be in well power = responsibility, even if the power is small and the responsibility's significant. Like I said though I'm truly enjoying this process and yeah we're a year out (May 21st-23rd, 2010) but we have 2 fine guests, Travis Willingham, known as Col. Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist and many other awesome characters, and Vic Mignona, known as Ed from Fullmetal Alchemist, also along with many other truly awesome characters (believe me I'd start to list them but really they've done so much it'd be hard to stop!) So by all means go to www.jampcon.net and check out the site, sign-up for the forum at http://jamp.forums-free.com/, or check out our twitter (yes twitter) at http://twitter.com/jampcon.

Details of what I've done lately are admittedly quite lengthy too, so I'll just say that I believe since this writing I've gone to two cons, Daigacon and MTAC, and had tons of fun at both. Ever since MTAC last year I have gone to every con as press, thanks to my radio show, and at Daigacon I was able to interview Jason Thompson, author of Manga: the Complete Guide, as well as Mark Henry, Con Director for Daigacon '09, and then I was also able to get some short drops from Josh Grelle (Voice Actor) and Chris Ayres (Voice Actor). You can hear those all at www.myspace.com/tokyotowerfm. They are all awesome people and truly helped make Daigacon an awesome experience, especially Mark of course poor guy putting it on (I now know a little more of your labors!), and I sure hope to be back next year!

MTAC was a blast too but largely thanks to my many friends, old and new, that I was able to see :) I did go to an inordinate amount of panels and on Saturday I actually went to 4 separate concerts, 5 total for the weekend, while still checking out the MTAC Idol, Super Sentai panel, Bleach & Naruto photo shoots, Voice Actor extravaganza panel, and lastly getting to meet and getting a radio drop from Jeff Nimoy, known for voicing Wolfwood from Trigun and his Adventures in Anime work, alongside Quinton Flynn, a voice actor as well. I got an absurd amount of video, and quite a number of pictures too, so if you'd like check the vids out at www.youtube.com/zippydj and the pics at www.flickr.com/millermz. (Sorry for all the links - I'm not trying to plug myself I guess, but I just have stuff to show... that's my story ^_^)

Now like I said I'm slowing down my work load, and actually after this week that will dramatically decrease, excluding the job search which has just begun. The Tokyo Tower j-rock/j-pop radio show me and a friend host is still going strong, and while we're online streaming only now if you're reading this hopefully that won't be a problem. We're on every Wednesday night from 9 to 11pm eastern, and yes shameless plug here for sure but the link is at www.wawl.org - just click on the listen link (if you have any problems e-mail me at tokyotowerfm@gmail.com)

Sadly I have not been watching a lot of anime, although that will change too. I am currently keeping up with Bleach and Naruto: Shippuden, the manga of those too, and I am watching the new Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood revisioning of the original on Funimation's website, while also checking out the new Dragonball Z revisioning, which is called Dragonball Kai. Speaking of Dragonball did anyone see the movie Dragonball Evolution? About 7 of my friends and I made it into a fun group event, and while my brother felt the movie was worth than the Twilight film, I think those of us who had actually seen Dragonball thought "well it's no Dragonball movie really, but it's at least entertaining" while I don't even know what my friends thought who didn't know of Dragonball prior to this. Probably just, well that's weird (a legitimate reaction let me tell you).

That's where I'm at now, bordering between closing a chapter in my life, opening up a new, hopefully financially secure one preferably around where I'm at now, while the whole time teetering on the balance beam that is the RightStuff.com bargain sale. Totally crazy... hard to resist... the power! That's everything in a nutshell. Sorry for being so slow.

Friday Day 1 Recap of ConNooga

2009-03-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

It’s time again for my con review. Been awhile I know, especially since I skipped out on doing one for this past AWA, but perhaps since ConNooga’s a bit closer to home, or because so much just went on, I feel it deserves a full rundown. That said, I've decided to split this into parts to ensure I get this completed. So here's part 1.

Friday

As I try to do with most cons, I got to ConNooga early and had little difficulty registering. Now ConNooga’s not huge enough yet to have many of the registration troubles, but pre-reg which is what I did helped of course. So my pass & press pass attached, I met up with the first of many friends I’d hang out with over the course of the weekend, and that’s Propmaster John. John and I just sort of surveyed the area at first to familiarize ourselves for the weekend ahead. First, we went to the Anime room and saw that Advent Children was playing in the anime screening room. Then we stopped at the game room, which was already getting a small crowd so we decided to hold off on our Guitar Hero skills for the moment, so as not to totally embarrass ourselves quite yet. All the while, I we chatted with some of the various staff I’d met either through the radio show or just because of last year’s ConNooga, which was fun too because clearly I knew more of them then I realized.

We made sure to check out the dealer’s room too, and like last year I was quite impressed with what there was to offer. Anime seemed to have a greater presence, while Star Wars seemed to pervade across the floor. Having not met Brian there yet, my dealer room specialist due to his less shy, casual demeanor with dealers, John and I casually walked around looking at some of the items without buying anything at that time. I did take some notes of dealers I would absolutely have to return to, but as I said we moved on before lightening our wallets right then.

At this point John, who was only able to be there for a short while Friday, took off as I met up with another friend Nate. Nate was nice enough to loan me his extremely nice camera, and I do feel I was taking fair advantage of it at that point, especially by taking pictures of some of the many cosplayers who were arriving. Knowing he’s the skilled one though, I returned the camera to him, and being his first con, we then discussed what we should attend. Sharing similar interests in tech stuff, and having a friend suggesting this panel, we decided on going to the Podcast Panel. I had attended this panel last year, and indeed I was curious if this was led by the same people by before, and I was glad to see this was indeed true. The panelists, perhaps because they are podcasters, were very easygoing and the conversation flow came quite naturally. I learned even more than I realized, as an avid podcaster fan myself, predominantly because there seemed to be an audiophile in the audience asking some good specific questions, and also because there were many more technological advancements in podcasting than I could even realize would occur in a years time. We chatted with them afterwards, and I know that evening I made sure to check some of the sites they’d mentioned to see if perhaps one day I myself might need them to assist with a podcast of my own.

Having had a decently long day at work, I didn’t really have too many plans for anything else that specific, so for the little time left that evening I met up with a couple friends, Brian and Brad, and hung out with them for a brief bit basically getting our bearings on who was going to what when. Since I was press, and had some nice equipment loaned courtesy of the WAWL and Chattanooga State, I made sure to get some audio from the first day, specifically by interviewing Nate and his opinions after a few hours undergoing his first convention experience. This was a good test of the equipment, and my knowledge of it, since it’d been awhile, but all in all it turned out great. Nate and I then parted ways, deciding to meet up again tomorrow after prioritizing the parade as our first activity for the sure to be busy Saturday.

hide album news!

2009-02-28T11:11:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from UniversalMusicJapan YouTube channel:

世界中のhideファンの投票で選曲された、hideを愛する人たちに贈るベスト・アルバム『 We ♡ （LOVE） hide　～The Best in The World～』2009年4月29日発売決定!!
今も世代を超え、国境を超えて求め続けられる存在hide。そのhideの楽曲を世界中からリクエストを募り、上位20曲をアルバムにコンプリート!!
このリクエストは日本のみならず全世界からの応募をお待ちしています。「We ♡ （LOVE） hide」のタイトル通り、あなたの愛するhideの1曲を投票してください！

国境を越えて・・・「We Love hide」!!!

投票は3月1日からオフィシャルサイトhide-cityスペシャルページで受け付けます（hide-city http://www.hide-city.com/）。
hide楽曲視聴はこちらから http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...

hide's greatest hits album "We♡ [LOVE] hide ～The Best in The World" will be released on April 29th 2009.
This album is dedicated to all fans who love hide from all over the world!! Pick your most favorite hide song. Top 20 votes will be included in this album!
Listen to his music on http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list... .
Voting starts from March 1st on official website （hide-city http://www.hide-city.com/）.

Everyone in the world is eligible to vote.
Over the boarders..."We Love hide!"

The Beauty of Buford, GA

2009-01-19T21:33:00.001-08:00

Giant Robot in Buford, GA, originally uploaded by millermz.

Well, I've been watching more and more shows and really need to seat myself down and write some full reviews, but seems like this post won't be the time for that. Instead, I just wanted to discuss some exciting items I was able to pick up on a fantastic trip to Buford, GA this past weekend (just north of Atlanta).

The reason for going was essentially friends of mine suggesting we do something with this 3-day weekend such as a road trip, plus they knew some good shopping opportunities in Buford, explicitly a couple anime stores, while we also have between us 2 friends down there we might be able to see. Well, sadly due to the brevity of our trip, one night, and our friends long work hours that never happened, but oh the awesomeness of their stores was far too much for this mind of mine.

Before I go into detail about those stores, let me mention some of the other activities we took part it in case anyone headed down there is interested. First I'll cover food starting with our excellent dinner at Kani's House. This is a semi-typical Japanese restaurant where you can either get the performance style dinner or sit in a more typical restaurant environment. We were worried about a wait but needn't be since they had so much room, which was nice because we got seated immediately and the cook got there as a few others joined us at the table (community seating and all). The food was fine and a better than usual at these sorts of establishments, which was nice, but importantly for me the show had some little differences such as rice tossing by the chef into people's mouths, including my friends and mine (with successful catches both) to spice up the pre-lims. Birthdays were going on near us to so we got to see the sing/drum show w/ picture for the memories, which was cool to although being none of our birthdays we just watched in curiosity. Otherwise, not too much difference however you expect some kind of familiarity between restaurants of this type, and we got a little better than expected, leaving us full and satisfied.

Our other main food stop of interest was an ASSI International Grocery Store that essentially is a Korean grocery store with several items imported from other various asian nations. Apparently there are a substantial number of Koreans in Buford, and this fact is noticeable in so many places, and makes for really cool stores to check out such as ASSI. Aside from some casual picture taking of the various import foods, my friends and I also picked up some variety items specifically I got some 99% Cocoa Chocolate (cooking purposes only I assure you), some puffy pastry mixed box, and some Pocari Sweat that I had heard about but never tried (interesting, taste like watermelon). Nothing seemed to spectacular after our taste tests in the hotel room, but we just went in to try different foods so we did and for that purpose alone the visit to ASSI was quite worthwhile.

As an aside, before I do get to the matter of the awesome stores for otaku needs, I must say we spotted quite the spectacle on one of the roads we travelled on. This appeared to be a giant robot near a conference or event center, and clearly to us we knew this was Kodak moment gold. Thus, as we knew we should do, we stopped by since no one was around anyways and marvelled at the robot, took pictures with the robot, and just realized that for whatever reason, this art store/center, which it seemed to be, had a robot. Either way how very cool and yes that is what the blog opener pic is from.

I mentioned this trip had some shopping purposes, so I will not slight you by leaving out what took up a substantial amount of our time, i.e., visiting these unique stores. First of all, we visited the Mall of Georgia, said to be Georgia's largest mall, and checked out the store Fandom, a place my local friends have frequented on their previous trips to Buford. Definitely this was quite cool and really made me wish for more stores like this locally, as I was looking at a variety of plushies, keychains, wallscrolls, cd's and other otaku goodies. While we would later find out that in comparison to the other anime stores we would visit Fandom's prices were a bit high, at the time everything seemed so awesome, so I picked up a Code Geass wallscroll for my room and some CD's, T.M Revolution's coordinate album, Penicillin's Flower Circus album, and Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid OST. Not knowing we would hit any other anime stores for certain, my friends chose these as a strong lead off location, and made sure to grab a few items to go, such as figures and a wall scroll or two. We headed out afterward, after seeing Chopper and the AAA Braves PR team hyping up the Braves move to Buford, and headed onto the one store that I have wanted to go to for so long, Fry's Electronics.

Casually known as Fry's, this store was recommended to me primarily for electronics, but with the promise of being the best of Best Buy, Circuit City, and a couple other similar stores. Truly, these mentions were no lie because I was overwhelmed by all the amazing items there, and this was with little venture into the electronics section, their bread & butter so to speak. What truly wiped me out though was the extensive aisle they devoted to anime, which not only had shows new, old, and classic, but had them all at outrageously great prices! I saw Genshiken, great show I've been wanting to pick up for some time, and Yuko the Negotiator, short show I actually just finished, and got them both. I then headed to the magazine section, which was equally impressive, to look for Protoculture, the anime magazine, but sadly that was the one disappointment, of the store and the trip, since I had no luck finding a copy. That minor blemish aside, Fry's was all the awesomeness I had been led to believe and I tell you now if you get the chance go to Fry's, bring money, spend money, help the economy, and smile as you find so much great stuff.

Leaving Fry's, we actually went to eat at Kani's House, but having talked about that already I'll skip to our last stop Saturday night before retiring to our hotel room. That stop, as is common locally too, was to a bookstore although instead of our local Books-A-Million, Buford has a Borders, another store I love almost as much as Fry's. Now, the size of Buford's Borders was much to be desired, as my Books-A-Million is bigger and has much more material, yet I was impressed with some of the unique titles they had, specifically the book I ended up picking up, the Genshiken Official Book. Having spent all I wanted to for the moment I knew I wasn't going to buy any more of the books they had, including a cool Hayao Miyazaki art book, so I left happy, but not as overwhelmed by some of the bigger city Borders, which is to be expected I guess.

Either way, I felt that Saturday had so much going on that I just didn't expect Sunday to equal that fun and amazement, but that was before I found Lydia's ARTBOX & Pica Pica, two anime/otaku stores in Buford's Discover Mall. First we stopped in Lydia's ARTBOX, where I saw a plethora of plushies to my liking, as well as figures, which included some I had not seen anywhere else except maybe the far reaches of the internet. Feeling the strain on my personal limit, I ended up not buying these items, but I discovered behind the counter just to the right my great weakness J-Rock CD's & DVD's, and lo and behold they were calling for me with the second CD only half off. Truly, this was a kid in a candy store moment, as I counted the Miyavi CD's with 2 hands, and did the math in my head realizing that perhaps I could squeeze a little more out of me for some CD's. Thinking at the time my debit card was not working, I and my friends decided we would return after finding Pica Pica, and hopefully I could get to an ATM in between then, so I didn't have to use truly emergency funds for such a non-emergency (although to me it seemed to be).

Well, Pica Pica was another one of those stores where an anime fan on a budget should probably never step into, more so perhaps than Lydia's ARTBOX, since Pica Pica was specifically devoted to being a Japanese goods outlet. Clearly they lived up to this title, as their wall scrolls, while perhaps a bit cheap quality, were numerous and their figures even more so than Lydia's ARTBOX. My friends started checking around for some such items, and this is where we discovered that Fandom really was more pricey, so finding some of what they wanted at nice prices, my friends bought a couple items while I reminded myself of the promise of J-Rock for my ears and show, and continued the hunt for an ATM.

Ultimately, I had no luck with an ATM, but my card actually worked on the first try at Lydia's ARTBOX, so go figure there, but either way something I'm very grateful for. This little miracle as it seemed paved the way for me to pick up, at not just a reasonable but a fantastic price, 5 Miyavi CD's (w/ some DVD material mixed in), and 1 3-CD pack titled hide: Perfect Single Box, hide being of X-Japan fame, and one of my favorite J-Rock artists, along with Miyavi, a new addition to that category. If I had purchased this all online, or even in most stores, the amount would have been something like 25$ for CD with about 45$ for the hide single box, but the price I paid was about half of that, which once again I cannot mention how amazing this was to me, and still is. I basically hung around long enough to see if maybe I had missed another great CD in the batch, but deciding my wallet had suffered enough, I bounded out of the store to make sure the dream was real and that I actually got that many CD's so cheaply. Thankfully, as I am now listening to some of the hide voiceless tracks, one of the wonderful parts of this box collection, I know that the dream was real.

I had seen Buford, and Buford saw me, and by the end of our trip I came away a happier otaku, nay a happier man, and while Buford may miss me a little bit now, the city has implanted in me a beacon that will call for me to return sometime in the future (after Spring Con season), so we can do business again.

Live-Action Cowboy Bebop Proposal Officially Announced

2009-01-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

Anime News Network has the news on this story so go check it out.

Link Here

Top Music on Tokyo Tower for 2008!!!

2008-12-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot to mention that I'm on a holiday break from my J-Rock/J-Pop radio show Tokyo Tower until January 7th, but my co-host and I celebrated with a countdown show highlighting some of the top played tracks & artists for the year last week. So I thought I'd post that up here for anyone who is particularly curious. If you are really inquisitive about it all, the show starts back on January 7th @ 9PM Eastern Time and runs for 2 hours, till 11PM Eastern Time every Wednesday night online at www.WAWL.org where you can stream us from any PC! The welcome back show on January 7th will actually be a retrospective look at Japan's top songs for 2008, but we'll get back to normal requests and all the week after. Enough chatter though from me, so here's the lists for your personal perusing!

Top American Artists on Tokyo Tower for 2008
1. Eyeshine
2. Vic Mignona
3. Blip Blip Bleep

Top Con Circuit Artists on Tokyo Tower for 2008
1. Eyeshine
2. The Captains
3. T.M. Revolution
4. Yoko Ishida
5. Vic Mignona

Top Games for Music on Tokyo Tower for 2008
1. Final Fantasy
2. Street Fighter
3. Spyro
4. Sonic
5. Megaman

Top Anime for Music on Tokyo Tower for 2008
1. Bleach
2. Naruto
3. Beck
4. Nerima Daikon Brothers
5. Saiyuki

Top Anime OPs/EDs on Tokyo Tower for 2008
1. Orange Range - Asterisk (Bleach 1st OP)
2. Maximum the Hormone - Zetsubou Billy (Death Note 1st ED)
3. Flow - World End (Code Geass R2 OP 1)
4. Inoue Joe - Closer (Naruto Shippuden OP 6)
5. L'arc-en-Ciel - Ready, Steady, Go (Fullmetal Alchemist OP 2)

Top Solo Artists on Tokyo Tower for 2008
1. Hide
2. Gackt
3. Hyadin
4. Miyavi
5. Yoko Ishida

Now for the lists people have been waiting for! Since this is only a 2 hour show that happens weekly, and since we pried ourselves on diversity of music, many of these are ties so that's why the numbering may look a little funny. Just to give you heads up in case you think this looks rather funny.

Top 25 Artists on Tokyo Tower for 2008
1. Hide
2. UVERworld
2. X-Japan
3. Dir en Grey
4. Orange Range
4. Flow
5. Nobuo Uematsu
6. Gackt
6. Glay
6. Hyadin
6. L'arc-en-Ciel
6. Nerima Daikon Brothers
6. Shiro Sagisu
6. Eyeshine
7. The Captains
7. High and Mighty Color
8. Home Made Kazoku
8. Asian Kung-Fu Generation
8. ACID
8. Acid Black Cherry
8. Maximum the Hormone
8. Miyavi
9. F.size.free
9. Beat Crusaders
9. Abingdon Boys School

Top 15 Songs on Tokyo Tower for 2008
1. X-Japan - "I.V."
2. Orange Range - "Asterisk"
2. F.size.free - "Charisma"
2. Maximum the Hormone - "Zetsubou Billy"
2. Saiyuki Gunlock Reload - "Shiny Moon"
3. Inoue Joe - "Closer"
3. ACID - "Hanafubuki"
3. Sambomaster - "Hikari no Rock"
3. High and Mighty Color - "Ichirin no Hana"
3. Sunset Switch - "My Pace"
3. Abingdon Boys School - "Nephilim"
3. Hazel Fernandes - "Number 1"
3. L'arc-en-Ciel - "Ready, Steady, Go"
3. Hikaru Utada - "Simple and Clean"
3. Flow - "World End"

Post-Vacation & Christmas!

2008-12-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I've returned from the state of Florida, aka what keeps FARK alive :), and all went quite positively alright. My one day stop to Disney World's Epcot was quite exciting, and as far as this blog is concerned, the Japanese place at Epcot, while not very culturally stimulating, was certainly commercially interesting especially since they have updated the massive store to incorporate a plethora of pocky, ramune, instant ramen, & other Japanese food items. More importantly, since right now I'm South Beach-ing it and cannot have sugar, there is now a nice presence of anime type material, including Bleach, Naruto, and even Inuyasha plushies and shirts, while also filling out with the higher price items such as figures and models from Evangeleon and Final Fantasy VII. I was looking for any more Bleach or Naruto material at the time, so instead I reached out to their book section and picked up "Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation" by Helen McCarthy. Already, I've realize 1) I need to check out more about Miyazaki and 2) this is also just a good general introduction into the basics of how animation is made, at least the early chapters, so I am enjoying how this is giving me more than just Miyazaki, although obviously that is what I bought the book for. I also picked up a couple pretty cool, artsy postcards which I'll have to scan and post up, while my brother bought a Japanese novel translated into English, one of the early Japanese novels as its mentioned on the book, so that should be pretty cool. Otherwise, we just enjoyed our trip to warmer climates, only to return to the more mild-cold that I'm living in currently.

Of course, today is Christmas day which is always exciting for me. Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate out there by the way. But yeah, back to my Christmas. Basically, celebrated with friends, messaged some people to say hey, and I have been playing, or preparing to play, with my presents since about 10am this morning. My main grabs were the Dark Knight (Special Edition), the 1st Bleach Movie (Special Edition?), the book "Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide", and 25$ worth of iTunes music to buffer my radio show with more J-Rock & J-Pop tracks. I'm quite thankful for all these gifts and I have already begun to avoid Karasu-tengu breeding grounds (thankfully not living in Japan makes one less susceptible to Japanese monsters, usually), but I was really excited as well with some of the gifts I gave my brother, which maybe a bad thing but oh well.

Essentially, last year I ended up getting him 5 gifts, and I thought I wouldn't do it again, but alas I failed, so this year he got 6 gifts including the box set for Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu, the Bleach Wii game, a Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad pin, which I also found one more myself, and a Leek Girl shirt, which turns out was for girls, thus my mom will be the likeliest, and still unlikely, candidate to wear that, but even with that last little error, all stuff I like, and thankfully he loves, so good buys even if some were a bit more self-oriented than they should be. He can always return them so even if there was a problem it could be solved by a receipt and a nearby store. All in all though, pretty awesome Christmas as usual, and I know I'll be enjoying the little I have of my break left with gifts, family, friends, & anime, so all's well.

That said I don't have much more to offer now, but hopefully you all are enjoying these hours of Christmas we have left (East coasters and westward), and I'll try to be back soon again!

Vacation!

2008-12-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

So I'm currently on vacation for a little under a week, so my posts will probably be as irregular as they have been (sorry again). Good news though is that I'm keeping busy, specifically I'm checking out a couple books that Otaku might like, including a new fan made publication called "How To Avoid Hara-kiri: A Guide To Surviving Anime Conventions", which I'm already finding quite true and insightful, even if perhaps this initial run has some slight errors (missing the word "to" a number of times and a duplicate page for instance), but I'll give a proper review when I'm done for you all.

Oh, also my vacation is actually taking me to Disney World for 1 day, specifically Epcot, so I'll see what they have at the Japan section in their Circle of Countries, or whatever it's called. It's been awhile since I've gone so I'm sure there's much more now, and hopefully I'll be picking up new stuff there as well :)

Ok so it's getting late and I'm tired after the ride, so that's all I will say for now. Until next time!

I'm Impressed: Musings on Naruto Shippuden

2008-12-15T10:49:00.001-08:00

Immortals, originally uploaded by ..Uchiha_Shosuke...

I've probably mentioned before that I had the benefit of starting into Naruto fandom late, which has it's ups and downs for sure, but the biggest positive is that by the time I watched up to the filler arc, the one everyone hates and rightfully so, Shippuden was releasing so I skipped the filler and went straight to the new Naruto: Shippuden.

I was quite a fan of Naruto fairly early on being entranced by the Zabuza arc and how, unlike kids in mechs, these guys looked as if the pain was more brutal, and the need more pressing. Sure, some emo-ness and "believe its!" kind of wore a bit on me, but not enough to cover a genuinely entertaining story. I think the fights with the Sound Ninja impressed me the most, seeing how these kids were having to fight for their village and their friends and were giving it their all till they passed out or worse died (which I don't remember happening).

With the transition to Shippuden, expectations were high for many, and since I at that point hadn't begun to read the manga, I truly had no concept of where the story was going except some rough idea of Akatsuki being the big baddies. Well a time jump alone does not nessecarily mean awesomeness, but finding Gaara pitted against Deidara so early, and then having Sakura & Naruto go after Sasori and Deidara? Awesome! But that's only the beginning, especially since their's a bit of slow down with the Sai arc. More importantly though you have Naruto's all out fight with Orichimaru, which highlights the awesome animation styles they've used of late, while also allowing just purely great fights continue on for many episodes. Sure, they too have probably a bit too much talking but it's not terrible.

Lately though, I had begun to read ahead and I saw the Shikamaru & Asuma fights with Akatsuki coming, and with the filler saga underway (like Bleach actually quite decent), I just couldn't wait to see how this would all come together in fluid animation. Wonderfully is how I'd put it best, as we get to see Kakuzu and Hidan go all out absurd truly no-holds barred, and watch Shikamaru, the greatest mind in Konoha, demonstrate truly why he's the leader he is. The animation styling is superb, the fighting is just terrific, and frankly the only disappointment is that the fight with Hidan ends the way it does (or so I think till I see this next episode perhaps?)

I know I do not usually comment on a show till it's over, but with these long Shonen Jump shows such as Naruto and Bleach that's hard to do its hard to any other way. Anyways, I just thought I'd share my thoughts on what to me is one of the best long running shows on air, and maybe I'll have to give equal time to Bleach now, since we've just hit the truly awesome phase on that show as well.

Dragon Ball: Live Action Movie Trailer

2008-12-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

So this is the movie that people have talked about making for probably 10+ years. Well, by now you've probably heard indeed it's been made and the release date for it in the US is April 8. Recently a trailer was released here stateside, and I watched it and well I'm skeptical to say the least. Another trailer, this one an for those in internationally, was just released 2 days ago and while I'm still skeptical, I will say this one gives me a little more hope. Who knows though could be amazing. Either way I know I'll be there with my friends to check it out.

If you want to learn more, and not have to sort through all those fake trailers, then here's the international trailer for the movie.

Life!!!

2008-11-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

So I'm in the middle of my lunch break and thought I'd push down that mass of text that was my last post a bit further, but to be honest in this brief time I do not have too much to say.

I do see that my visitor rate, even with my unannounced hiatus, is surprisingly strong and I've had nice comments too so thanks very much! I know some bloggers have asked for link trades, and I'm perfectly fine with that but I need to re-do the way I've been posting blog links, since I was using a 3rd party now essentially unneeded thanks to Bloggers simplicity. That'll probably take a bit though. I do think I responded to all the comments though, so that's good :)

Basically though I'm just preparing for Thanksgiving, and then switching almost immediately to Christmas preperation. My relatives have already asked for me to make my wish list, so I've done that via Amazon. Also many friends of mine from a Georgia club, Animacon, are visiting here in a couple weeks so we'll be doing our Christmas swap early. I've got everyone's gift ordered, one from Shopping Mall Japan which I still love, and hopefully they'll be showing up on my doorstep here in the next couple days.

Con season is also peeking around the corner as we have two semi-local cons in Knoxville and Memphis, which alas I probably can't attend, but even further in Destin a couple of my friends and I are looking to go to AnimeSouth, which should be exciting. Smaller than AWA, and MTAC too I believe, this should be a nice con with a great and unique atmosphere for photos - or as I say, Bleach on the Beach! After that Connooga, MTAC, Daigacon, JAMPcon, and AWA, with a possible Animazement if I can work it out, will be the cons that round out my schedule for the year. My semester's going to be extremely busy so it might not be possible, but I'll for sure do at least JAMPcon, MTAC, and AWA, with great hopes for Daigacon, since it is the return to life of my first con. All that's in the planning stages though, so still a matter of time before I really know what will happen.

Other then that though I'm just watching anime and reading manga as usual. I love the Omnibus or Big manga releases, since they're cheaper and save me from purchasing 3 unique items. That's how I've been reading Battle Royale, Dragonball, and Kenshin and I hope they release more of these in the future. For shows, Bleach and Naruto: Shippuden are just awesome right now, so they take up my main viewing time. Bleach is finally getting to where my MTAC spoilers took me, and I wish I could get into it further but either way this next episode's where it all comes together for me and I've got great anticipation for it. Naruto: Shippuden on the other hand has had several recently great episodes, specifically featuring Asuma and his old Team 10 and their fight with Akatsuki. Part 1 of the fight is over, and part 2 has begun and I think the animators are going all out on this episodes, especially with what seems to be a new fluidity to the graphics. Shippuden always seemed to have a different style, but this is really being featured now, and to me it's like we went from standard viewing to Hi-Def. So yeah loving these, and curious about all the Japanese companies releasing these soon, since if you haven't read my last post is what's about to happen.

Otherwise everything's golden or so I imagine, so just looking forward to a restful Thanksgiving. I may post before then but in case not have a happy Thanksgiving and I'll see you on the other side!

Anime Today: From Japan to America In An Instant

2008-11-17T10:34:00.001-08:00

crunchyroll - feed your need!002705, originally uploaded by Shellingfordinjugem.

I decided that instead of immediately launching into a review, I would concentrate on what I see as the changing anime world of today. Sounds lofty I know, but really I don't want to focus on content, since I still don't have experience enough to cover the history, and I don't want to concentrate on the fandom per se, because I'm impressed and shocked by fans, usually at the same time, every step of the way in my life. Instead, I will focus on the industry, primarily the American, which I know a tiny bit about, and how, in this seemingly volatile time for media in general, the American anime industry is changing. Specifically what interests me is the content delivery system for anime for American audiences and how, now here's where my expertise comes in, companies are using the internet as opposed to traditional media to give us the goods, so to speak.

As with music and movies, sites such as YouTube, MySpace, and Hulu have been developed, with the first 2 initially developed to promote individuality and social networking, into high profile content providers of music and movies, primarily popular. In a way, especially with the creation of Hulu, this was an attempt by established media companies to hold on to their position in the media market, and not get swallowed up by internet piracy. By allowing videos to be watched for free at high quality, with limited ads of course, Hulu is attempting to make profit without totally relying on DVD sales. This model has since expanded with music and now anime.

In the beginning of fan subbing, most of the distribution was community based, with fans sending them to one another via personal communiques or IRC channels forming, along with LiveJournals, around the fan subbing group themselves. With time, this connection with the fan subbers themselves has diminished since now anime fans do not have to interact with the subbers directly, although many still do by choice. Instead, those anime fans venturing out into the webs, new and old, have many alternative methods of receiving their precious anime.

First and quite similarly to the original model of getting anime online, many individuals find blogs that will link to a streaming episode or that have download links attached to their reviews. Some of these blogs are in fact the new sites for fan subbers, to replace or supplement their LiveJournals. Blogs allow for up-to-date news to be posted quite easily, and the overall simplicity allows for anyone to create one (this blog exemplifies this).

The second method and the one that is probably most preferred, due to the high quality of the videos and the option for possession on one's computer, is torrenting. Torrenting is an many ways more than just new Napster, Limewire, and Kazaa, in that the technology for actually downloading files is different, and to many, more efficient. Many individuals also join torrent communities, such as the once reknowned Oink. Not only do these communities lead to online social interaction but by being select about their memberships sites like Oink can control the amount of leechers, those who effectively 'steal' without giving back via uploading to the community. Torrenting has gotten more simple with time as interfaces such as Vuze (formerly Azureus), µTorrent, and many others, combine easy to control user interfaces with effective downloading. Still perhaps for those with the faster connection speed, torrents essentially dominate as the new face of peer-to-peer file sharing.

The last method for delivery of anime online is streaming video sites. Starting off with YouTube, the mother of all online video sites still, many anime fans were able to watch a plethora of releases that, through user submissions, were put for the world to see on the then unrestricted pages of YouTube. The quality may not have been perfect, and finding what you wanted was sometimes a work of art, but put simply YouTube had the ability to 'have it all' if the world's anime fans so uploaded it, at least until the restrictions came. Even so, for many YouTube is still an anime wonderland for parodies, amv's and the like, and even more recently, but for the moment I digress.

Let me discuss another website that, quite like YouTube, allows users to upload videos for mass viewing albeit for the niche Otaku crowd. That site is Crunchyroll.com aka Crunchyroll. Crunchyroll was one of the most popular websites for finding licensed anime, and their aggregation of unlicensed anime coming over as fansubs has, and continues, to push Crunchyroll as the #1 site for anime fans wanting to stream anime online. Depending on your perspective of the anime industry, there story can either be one of success, shame, or just mystery. Essentially, what has occurred is that Crunchyroll, a site that would leave licensed anime up until absolutely forced otherwise, was given substantial funding from venture capitalists to the tune of 4 million dollars. Since the deal, Crunchyroll's rolled out several site updates but, more importantly, they've made deals with several companies such as MediaBlasters and Gonzo to deliver content via their site often merely days after the Japanese release. Needless to say this isn't dubbed material, but the company does add a subtitle track for American and other english speaking audiences.

Much of this material so far has been new shows, some rather quirky and non-mainstream, but with shows like Strike Witches and Kurogane no Linebarrel Crunchyroll's helping deliver presumably the next waves of anime releases. Recently they have also begun delivering retrospectively by providing the 2nd season of Digimon, among other older series, and this leaves room open for more dub releases online in the future.

Perhaps partly due to Crunchyroll's success, along with their own interests, companies such as Funimation have rolled out impressive amounts of shows that they've released here in the US on their own site and websites such as YouTube. Viz already took advantage of iTunes with their cheap prices for shows such as Death Note, Bleach, and Naruto, and now Funimation is previewing shows such as Ouran High School Host Club and Darker Than Black, teasing the viewer with a couple episodes so as to, ideally, get them to purchase the releases on DVD.

This leads to a very important question that everyone, fan and industry worker alike, should be wondering and that's 'where's the revenue coming from'? Well, as in the example with Funimation, much of the funds will presumably come from people who pick up the releases in store; however, sites such as Crunchyroll rely on ads along with donations. No ads show up in the shows as of yet on their site, merely in the page boundaries, but for every episode released they asked for an equivalent, but still optional, donation especially for their first releases. Seeing as how anyone with a free registration can, when its available, use the high quality viewing feature one would imagine little reason to pay up more; however, as mentioned in Anime News Network today, Naruto Shippuden episodes will be released subtitled through Crunchyroll for free a week after the episode releases in Japan, and paid subscribers will be able to watch the subbed episode merely one hour after it shows in Japan. Viz is also going to be releasing the new Naruto Shippuden episodes subtitled shortly after airing possibly leading to some competition, although if Viz still has the license for Naruto Shippuden their sales for DVD's, when released, could perhaps benefit from the multiple methods of viewing for Naruto Shippuden.

Perhaps Viz, Funimation, Gonzo, and sites such as YouTube and Crunchyroll are risking too much, but when companies have to fight piracy and fan subbers, which could conceivably be considered piracy, then they probably see this sort of thing as a small sacrifice. The biggest news to come out of all this as of late was the announcement, coupled with the Naruto Shippuden release article on Anime News Network, that on January 8th Crunchyroll will only be accepting videos allowed by their respective licensors. In a move much like Napster, Crunchyroll will then 360 from a stubborn protector of free uploads to an integral, albeit independent, component of the Japanese and American anime companies new distribution plans. How will this all turn out is anyone's guess, but as an anime fan looking to find the latest releases, instead of checking out Best Buy and Amazon.com, you may find yourself getting on YouTube or Crunchyroll and streaming the high quality video minutes after Japan itself gets to check it out.

So much to say... and Dir en Grey!!!

2008-11-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome back from my unannounced, unanticipated, unappreciated hiatus!

Let me first say that probably because I've done so many reviews my actual # of hits is surprisingly high even after not posting, and I appreciate all those who stopped by and am sad that I didn't offer anything more recent to keep you around. I could add some lame, albeit true, excuses about just being busy with life in general; however, I think I'll just post some stuff about what's going on lately with an emphasis of my most recent exciting trip which was to see Dir en Grey in concert Atlanta style!

First of all, I've had a year now of doing my radio show which was quite exciting and also the week of Halloween we hit the 50 show mark! Likewise I also got a new co-host. We call him The Cay and he's been a friend of mine online then off for about a year now, and he makes this show just click so I'm very grateful that he's on board. Exciting as all that is though there may be questionable times ahead because the station's being sold and it's future, while set for internet radio, is still uncertain in how to make and pay for a presence online. Fees for online music is different than paying for college radio, but I'll let our Station Manager and Assistant-Station Manager handle that issue :)

Let's see... I also had my birthday which was cool but doesn't deserve too much mention. My aunt, who is very awesome by the way, picked up a book for me on Hikkimori which if you've watched the anime 'Welcome to the NHK' is what the main character is. My brother bought me the latest Bleach DS game, which he summarily beat in a couple hours, which is actually a good thing because now I can just fight like I want with all the characters. Just a few more than last time and the missions are harder, but I'm enjoying the game. I also have purchased, on the recommendation of my co-workers, some of the Batman comics specifically 'The Killing Joke', one of Joker's stories, and then on my own I purchased 'The Long Halloween' which was quite cool, and a new manga called 'Batman: Death Mask' which highlights Bruce's training in Japan and how that past may have caught up with him in a strange and Japanese way. Good strange though so all is well there.

Speaking of manga I've actually picked up several new ones including all of Dazzle, at least to the present amount published here, and also Air Gear, up to present date as well. Likewise, I picked up the 4th Battle Royale Omnibus which is even crazier than ever, if you can believe it, and I picked up the first 2 Black Lagoon manga volumes which I've enjoyed even having seen the show. Actually, I've seen all the shows and/or movies for the manga I have now, including the new Melancholy of Haruhi Shizumia(sp?) that I just picked up. Maybe I'm not good at branching out or I just like seeing what might have been missed, although in some of these cases the manga came second so I just must have really liked the show. Either way that's my biggest financial contribution to anime/manga aside from the occastional magazine.

Dir en Grey - Live @ Atlanta!

My real excitement recently was my trip yesterday to Atlanta to see Dir en Grey. Ever since I read on the JAMPcon forums about their visit to Atlanta a couple years ago and listened to their tracks enough to get into them as a band I knew they were a concert I didn't want to miss. So when I saw they were coming back I told a couple of my friends, including The Cay, and we made plans and grabbed our tickets for the event.

Well, having ordered them online so early, due to a previous snafu with ticket purchases on my part, I had an incredibly long time to wait and honestly almost forget the concert was upcoming. Perhaps times were good I'm not sure, but either way it'd slipped to the back of my mine. That said when this past Monday hit I was all ready for Dir en Grey, and after some basic organization my friends and I figured out our plans and headed down.

So Saturday The Cay, myself, and Liz (long time friend of the show), got in my car and we drove down to Atlanta to meet up with our other friend Mallory (also friend of the show). We met at Cumberland Mall, right by AWA's current locale, and then hopped in Mallory's car and worked our way around to the event. Had a bit of trouble getting parked but I paid the $10 and we'd passed the line so we knew where to go. This is where things get interesting though, because Center Stage, the venue for the concert, is attached to perhaps 2 other clubs and with no overtly Dir en Grey merchandise we began to suspect the line we'd passed was for a concert in a different part of the building. So we went to the Center Stage Theatre entrance and there were maybe 8 other people in there at that time. The Cay went and asked a Will Call booth lady if this was where Dir en Grey were performing so we went back and waited in our tiny line for about 20 minutes reassured we had done the right thing. Wrong. After all that time in line someone came up to us talking about how some of these people had waited for 24 hours for a Meet & Greet with the band. Not only did he not even state which band, since clearly at this point we could hear one next door rocking out perhaps in a sound check, but to come up to us after waiting all that long was just too much. So, finally clarifying that we were not where we were supposed to be we went back to that long line we'd seen earlier and indeed after all that time indoors waiting the line had grown two times as long! Turns out this actually worked out even after all that because we'd been in the warmth waiting, and when we got back to the line they started moving people in immediately and we hardly had to wait. Still though there was clearly some lack of courtesy or common sense on the venue's part, but not enough to ruin the whole night by any means.

So having finally gotten inside we saw everyone headed to the pit, and instead of joining them (good idea) we headed to the swag table to buy some Dir en Grey gear (great idea). I picked up one of the tour shirts they had which has the album cover on the front and the band on the back, with the dates and locales listed on the bottom. Cost a pretty penny but it was worth it (wearing it now actually). I also picked up a Special Edition CD, which starting at the Atlanta show, our show, I could've gotten signed by 2 of the band members (didn't know how many at the time), but we had too much of a drive to wait sadly. After that we settled in our seats and waited for the opening act "The Human Abstract". Since I don't have much to say about them I'll put in this paragraph, but basically I thought they did alright, and except for some feedback issues did a fair job as the introduction band. The best part was probably the lead singer at the end riling the audience up, since before that (and I always am, it's my nature) we were all quite mellow in the crowd. So thanks to them for opening and for helping with the mood.

That said nothing kicked off the mood like Dir en Grey coming out on stage, and well of course we were all in high anticipation so I was definitely feeling it when the crowd broke their anticipation with actualization upon the band's entrance. That said there were two things I immediately noticed. One, the drum set was amazing with 360 degree drums and at least 3 bass drums! Second, Kyo is incredibly short. This is not helped by the fact that the bassist is rather tall, but even for Japanese, on average shorter than Americans, he was quite tiny. However, all 100% of him packed some energy like a firecracker just waiting to burst at any minute. Since most of the song's involve an almost unusual juxtaposition of screaming and amazing melodies I just had to wonder how someone could sing so well live, and there was admittedly a rather heavy use of echo for some of the longer parts, but even so this guy can sing and scream his guts out song after song and keep delivering!

Having a little more ignorance that most with Dir en Grey, especially since I host a J-Pop/J-Rock show, I focused on the tracks I knew and thus was quite pleased to hear their latest singles 'Dozing Green' and 'Glass Skin' back-to-back. I was sure one of these would be an encore track, but I guess I forgot many of the fans that night have probably listened to all of their records many times and thus like old favorites maybe even more than new. This in a way worked for my friend Mallory, although there was still some hope that they would be dressed in a Visual-Kei fashion as they did in their early years, but no each band member was more street dressed than anything, with Kyo in a green Adidas track suit.

Dress aside, I mentioned the energy and while I'm sure in comparison to what I'd imagine (and having seen some lives) the Japanese audience would act like at Dir en Grey concerts, I probably have seen crazier more energetic audiences throughout the show. Then again I was focused mainly on my sections which was the outer rim of the actual seats, and quite clearly I saw in front of the stage and myself a mosh pit in almost full form, at least more full than I'd seen at any previous concert I have attended. So clearly the pulse just seemed to have moved away towards the stage itself, as it should, and those bouncers were so prepared it was like a factory with the audience leading the crowd surfer to the stage, the bouncers helping them down, and then the crowd surfer following the path as directed by the bouncers so that in another 20 minutes the surfer could return again to his/her place of habitat. Crazy how it worked but whatever makes them happy.

Anyways, to gain anymore from the concert at this point you probably would have needed to be there, since the power of words only takes us so far; however, I will say that all of my friends, after getting our hearing back, were chatting up about how awesome an experience it was and, for The Cay since this was his 1st concert, how this was a great opportunity for a beginning into the concert world. Now this wasn't my first j-rock concert, having seen The Captains, Peelander-Z, and The Emeralds in Chattanooga, this was the most modern sounding of the 3 acts, and definitely my first J-Metal show while perhaps the hardest metal show I've been to yet. If they come back I hope to see them again, and all I can say is if you've listened to and like they're music, then you'll want to check them out if you get such a fortunate chance.

That said I think I'll be calling it a night and I'll hopefully flesh out some more of what I've watched and seen recently for this blog, since I looked back and noticed I missed a lot of stuff, but all that should be upcoming assuming my life schedule doesn't harness me too much.

Bleach: Diamond Dust Rebellion - Audio Review

2008-09-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

Everytime I return it seems longer and longer since I've been here, and I apologize for that. I've got some catching up to do, but thankfully I have content to fill these 'pages' once again.

However, before I return with a regular flow I wanted to introduce this audience in a way to my radio doings, since I do host a J-Rock/J-Pop show, while still doing my part to review the latest Bleach film. So to do this, I've decided to embed a flash audio player where you can listen to myself, and my co-host for Tokyo Tower FM, discuss the latest Bleach film.

Sure I will still put up a write-up for the film, but I do hope you enjoy listening to us as well :)

(P.S. Yes, we were still wrong Ikkaku is the 3rd Seat, and Yumichika is incorrect too; instead, Yatshiru is actually the pink haired, anti-GPS device that Kenpachi always has with him o.0)

L: Change The WorLd: Review

2008-07-07T10:58:00.001-07:00

Change The World, originally uploaded by bojanglesyy30.

For many of you Death Note fans, I'd imagine you have at least followed up and watched one if not both of the live action Death Note movies. Perhaps you were impressed, or just confused as the plot ran astray from the story the manga/anime follows. Either way, based on the sheer number of fans that showed up in American (and Japanese) theaters for the Death Note films, I can tell the movies generated plenty of interest and, being a Death Note fan myself, I know my interest was peaked. This became even more true when I read that the movies were so successful that L himself, a rather popular character to say the least, was getting a film, and when I saw this fan subbed last week for the first time I knew I had to watch it immediately.

First of all, I will have to give some small spoilers to the first two Death Note movies so I will try to do that quickly and be as precise as possible not to ruin those fine films. The story takes place when L himself is finishing up his battle with Light and, in doing so, writes his own name in the death note thus giving himself a limited amount of life and, by his choosing, a quiet death. Almost immediately, the Kira issue is resolved and never returned to, and L for the most part begins to count down his days in relative peace.

Across the world in Thailand, peace is not apparent as a town has been ravaged by a unique virus in an apparent test case by some military/terrorist organization. K, along with L a member of Wammy's House (Watari), finds a boy who shows no apparent sign of infection and at the risk of his own life sends him of to contact Watari. At the same time Maki Nikaido, daughter to a genius biochemist, finds her father victim to the same disease in his research lab and, in an attempt to escape the culprits, also tries to find Watari. L, since Watari is now dead, takes care of both of the children as he realizes that he may still have time in his life to help protect the world from the terrorist and their plot to use the virus to kill millions.

The director, Hideo Nakata, in an interview with The Star stated that he "wanted to portray L’s human side", and truly this movie focuses on not just L's own humanity, but each and everyone in the world's as we see the villains trying to 'save the world' with destruction, while L himself, soon to die, tries as best as he can to protect those around few around him. This is an L who is out of his element, both with Watari gone, and now having to take care of 2 scared children, yet L, more or less a child himself in many ways, does his best to rise to the challenge.

Contrary to the two Death Note films, this movie has little of the action that the previous two had, and frankly not much of the 'genius' characteristics that L shows customarily is here either; however, for myself as a Death Note fan, I was enchanted by the movie as L, played by the very talented actor Ken'ichi Matsuyama, comes to life perfectly. Don't worry too much, there are a couple of bloody scenes, two of which quite amazingly so, but in general this is less about foiling a terrorist plot and more about L and his last days on earth.

School Rumble: Review

2008-06-20T07:34:00.001-07:00

School Rumble, originally uploaded by BlogDeManu.

So I see that it's just 2 days shy of a month since my last post, and considering how many hits I'm getting frankly I should have just posted something a long time ago. But things come up, and while I've watched plenty of anime, I guess I just did not think to sit down and discuss. For the first time in a long time though, I will do just that with School Rumble, a 2 soon to be 3 season show. Oh and while I have seen both of the 2 seasons released in Japan, don't worry this isn't a 'spoiler' review.

School Rumble

Many shows recently have been developed under the mantra of zany school comedy, such as Haruhi and Lucky Star. Then there are shows like Hayate the Combat Butler, which revels in otaku in-jokes, with a plethora of references for the long time otaku. School Rumble is pleasantly a mixture of both types of shows with emphasis on the former as the name clearly emphasizes the school aspect, but trust me, there's all sorts of jokes that will have you rolling on the floor as well, some otaku related and others that just are.

The story centers around a number of students and more as the show develops, but primarily the initial focus is from the point of view of one student named Harima. Harima's the bad-boy delinquent, everyone knows this and so he is generally left alone at school, if he even comes to school at all. One day, Harima has an incident where a girl at his school named Tenma, in extraordinary circumstances, is sleeping and, arms wrapped around Harima, she mutters "I love you", starting off feelings in Harima he'd never known and, upon waking up, leading Tenma to fear that a "hentai man" was apparently attacking her. This type of mix-up is so typical in the show, that "The Taming of the Shrew" should probably just bow out.

Anyways, Harima now in love with Tenma, decides to change his look (to cover up from the "hentai man" incident, and come to school much more often where, the aloof, crazy, but often adorable Tenma will be. Tenma however has herself fallen for one of the most boring students in classes and is attempting to win his heart while Tenma and her friends all have love trysts of their own, rounding out this anime into its true romantic comedy form. So throughout the season we get the pleasure, and sheer enjoyment, of watching as love rises and then bellyflops, only to rise up again after misunderstanding, misunderstanding, and sheer craziness.

You'll find yourself caring for the characters, not just on their paths to potential romance, but just in their daily lives as they deal with the struggles of being a teen in a high school anime. If you like strange, funny, and endearing moments, only to return back to hilarious moments time and time again, then you will love following along with School Rumble.

Eyeshine Videos from MTAC!

2008-05-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a little while but maybe you'll be interested in some more post-MTAC goodness.

This time, I'm posting my collective videos of Eyeshine, specifically their live concert vids but also the Eyeshine and Johnny Yong Bosch's drops for my radio show.
I know the audio's not the best quality, and frankly the video isn't either, but even so I think this does a decent job of highlighting the concert. Hope you enjoy!

"Summertime" - Eyeshine @ MTAC

"Sunday Flower" - Eyeshine @ MTAC

"Come Back Down" - Eyeshine @ MTAC

"21st Century" - Eyeshine @ MTAC

"Blackout" - Eyeshine @ MTAC

"" - Eyeshine @ MTAC (Unsure of title)

Where Eyeshine Got Their Name @ MTAC Panel

Eyeshine - 91.5 WAWL Drop

Johnny Yong Bosch - 91.5 WAWL Drop

Post-MTAC Infinity Recap

2008-05-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

For some reason, largely due to the overwhelming nature of what had only just occurred, I guess I just couldn't sit myself down to type my description of MTAC. However, after finally resting and relaxing I believe I will now commence with my post-MTAC account of the whole con and my experiences there in.

Day 1 - Friday

First of all, MTAC was the first convention where I had ever stayed in the hotel, since I'd been lucky to have several local cons, so that and the fact I was going to see Greg Ayres, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Eyeshine already had my interest peak. One 2.5 hour drive later and let's just say that, even as a walk-in, I was just glad to be standing again (last time I'd say that), and frankly the walk-in line wasn't bad at all which was nice. I immediately purchased a t-shirt, then ran into some of my friends, including some who I know count as new friends, and they were going to wait around for a room to open up while I got in contact with MTAC's media relations and got my press pass.

That was quite an easy process, so I took care of that quickly and returned to wait with my friends. They were a bit unhappy when our requested time past without us having a room, but thankfully the hotel told us 3PM and we got a room at 1:30PM, which was only a half hour past the expected time. During this wait I got to get some quick shots of the dealers room line and the lobby, which was already brimming with otaku especially those in cosplay. Once we got to the room my friends joined the fray, as I stayed in non-cosplay for the entire weekend.

So then we left our room and walked around and got a gist for the layout of the convention. Having not been to MTAC before, I heard that the hallway was substantially wider than last years, but in all honesty I felt a bit cramped especially when passing by the dealers room and its respective line. Many of the rooms seemed a bit small too, but I'll get to that when the issues arose. All in all, I did understand rather quickly where everything I wanted to see was going to be, and that was all that mattered to me.

My friends and I took a quick look around artist alley, and we also made sure to check out the dealers room, which was an exciting sight to see because, as opposed to some of the more seasoned con goers, there was plenty I hadn't seen before. Especially exciting was the snack booth, for obvious reasons, and the booth that had the J-Rock posters, cd's, & magazines. I saw a poster signed by The GazettE I believe and I thought about picking that up, but actually during my first runaround I didn't grab anything, although my friends actually did most of their shopping on this trip. Afterwards, we tried to go to the AMV Contest but aside from being packed into the main room, which was probably a bit too small for such an event, the music was frankly just too loud. Maybe on my own I would've at least stayed a bit longer, but we decided we'd keep checking around what was going on.

After fighting the crowds, we finally decided to try to check out the opening ceremonies. As was common with many of the main events the line was quite long, and going over, as events tend too, my friends convinced me to check out the event with my press pass power while they would either wait some more or just head back to the room. So I did, and I was pleased how accessible everything was to me as I just sauntered in, found a seat, actually got redirected to a better seat for press, dead center by the way, and was pretty much just allowed to take pictures and video. Realizing that the opening ceremonies lent themselves more to video, I prepared my video camera and as everything started I just captured as much as I could.

The Opening Ceremonies began with a song by the Land Barons, the Godzilla theme which they did quite a good job on. Since apparently Kaiju was sort of the theme of MTAC Infinity, this was a rather fitting opening. After that, the executive con staff strutted in to music, and Lucas the con director was welcomed by Con Kitty with a kiss, and then left to MC the ceremonies. He said he'd keep the talk short, and he lived up to that, as he discussed the various activities occurring throughout the weekend, with great thanks as well to us, the fans, and the guests who came to MTAC Infinity. Then the guest walked out, briefly waving some humorously on the phone, with Peelander-Z and Kaiju adding a little extra, and lastly Con Kitty, in her own Kaiju suit, decided to join in the fun and stomp out a little cardboard city. Destruction was rampant, but we all enjoyed the experience and the Land Barons played us out. At this point, I hung around for about 3 more songs but, having to get ready for later, I decided to return to the room.

Thankfully, my kind friends had decided to grab me some Chinese food to eat, and they had made some excellent sandwiches earlier, so food for that day was quite superb. But, tired from the drive and dealing with some mean allergies, a welcome rest was just that, very welcome. Anyways the only item I had scheduled for myself was the Karaoke, and that turned out to be American songs, and my friend James was planning on singing "Happy People" by Skoop On Somebody (from Bleach), which was not an American song. So, we continued to walk around some more but in general aside from some picture taking and hilarious room conversations with my con mates, I basically called it a night relatively early.

Day 2 - Saturday

With strange wookie sounds coming from one of my hotel neighbors, I awoke and prepared for the busiest day of the convention, Saturday. Already on schedule, I'd planned to attend the voice actor panel that began at 10:30 that morning. So, I ate one of the left over sandwiches we had, and headed with cameras in hand down to see what strange stuff both Greg and Johnny would have to share. As predicted, they had some rather humorous stories, including Greg's near fight with a fan and Johnny's band getting kicked out for "dancing too hard" from a Con DDR room, but they also had some more insightful words, including Greg Ayres comments on the anime industry at present and fansubbing, and Johnny's own demonstration of how he voices Hollow ichigo. All this I was able to catch on video, so for the full experience just hop on over to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT1C-tPPD1k and check out the 6 part Q&A.

Afterwards, my friends and I returned to the room, where some had stayed, and they prepared for the later activities. My friend James had spent Friday evening though learning how to enter MTAC Idol, which was focusing on Japanese songs, and having done so he actually headed down to compete. I decided to pop in my head for a little bit, and I saw one song and then was hoping James would be next only to get, amazingly enough, to hear James announced as the next contestant. Since I was already filming the act before I was able to film his whole performance, which can be found here. I'd always heard James was a good singer, but seeing as how he had to do acappella, and more then pulled it off, I knew he truly was. I didn't stay to see whether he won or not (and he didn't), and I also missed Shukaku's performance, but I enjoyed what I saw and moved on with the con.

After Karaoke, we hung around in the room some more and prepared, a bit late too, for the Bleach panel. We made it to the line and there were already approximately 40 people in front of us. I used the power of the press to take some quick shots of the panelists setting up and also get a feel for the room which, considering the line was probably 100 people by the start of the panel, was way too tiny. The cut-off line though just happened to be behind me though, and I was able to get a seat in the center aisle close enough to take a couple pictures. The panel itself was divided into three tiers of spoiler, current with Cartoon Network's run of the dub, current with Bleach sub releases, and current with the manga. Since I wanted to keep taking pictures I stayed through all three levels and got to see all the contests (which are too spoiler for this post), but I enjoyed being with other Bleach fans and hearing all the discussion and hypotheticals that we brought up regarding Bleach future.

This was followed immediately by the Bleach photo shoot, which was quite a sizeable venture into itself, because I ended up spending at least an hour taking pictures with a variety of cameras from all my friends. I quite enjoyed the photo shoot, although by the end people were getting restless, and my feet were a bit tired, but I just shot and shot so now I have really the only cosplay photos I took the whole con. I've got some of these posted up and others Jai, one of my con roommates, kindly held onto (so I'll post those up later).

I believe that at this point I deserved some rest, so I and many of my friends headed back to our room where we sort of just hung out. Many of my friends switched into their other costumes, while I, still-non cosplaying, merely checked my batteries and charged them for later press ventures. This was a great idea on my part because my next activities would be both the 1^st half of the Slants concert and the entire Eyeshine concert.

I was planning on going with at least somebody to the concerts, but everyone in my room was tired and, with Code Geass' first episode releasing and the new Bleach episode on, they decided they'd rest and watch instead, which works fine. I ended up heading down then and, with the power of the pass, caught the Slants sound check and took some pictures and then stayed for the 1^st half of the show, which was quite good, before I went back to the room to take care of some things to prepare for the Eyeshine concert. Upon returning, I barely made it in before the doors opened so I don't really have any shots from their sound check; however, I got some nice pictures of the band from my position up front, which wasn't too loud at all, and then I slunk back to the back of the room and shot some video alongside the other videographers. Sadly, due to some disturbances with my computer situation now, uploading those videos will still take a while.

After the concert, I headed immediately down to the Bleach panel room and I set myself up to get a nice picture taking position in the back. Having figured out the hotel at this point was a big help, because I beat the mass rush. Being so late, I think that many of the younger kids who came for only Saturday had already begun to leave; but even so, the Q&A was well attended. Johnny and the others were unsure what to do, since they said bands don't often have Q&A's, but they talked about the origin of their name, which came from a Crocodile Hunter episode, their future music plans, which simply put would be more events then before, and then they signed autographs and sold merchandise, of which I bought 2 cd's, one for my friend and con roommate Liz, and one pin, and one picture which they signed along with the 2 cd's. Since there were so many people this did take awhile, but I hung around especially to see if Johnny and Eyeshine would perhaps do some drops for the radio station, and they were quite willing to do so, and actually we got 3 drops right after the panel. (Thanks!!!)

Upon returning to the room, the time was about 1:30 and I returned to a dark room, but Jai, Joe, James, and I stayed up talking for a bit more, cracking ourselves up till we all fell asleep.

Day 3 - Sunday

This morning we woke up with intent, and the realization that with checkout we probably needed to get our stuff together. This took up a substantial portion of the morning, but thankfully for me I didn't have too much stuff to carry, since I was sans a cosplay, and James and Liz rode up together, and James and I had briefly gone out to Kroger the night before only to return to an amazingly close parking spot, so at least as much stuff as they had, they were quite close to the car. By about 10:30/11 we had packed up everything and headed down for some last minute dealers room / artist alley activity. The day before I had picked up some amazing Pocky that we all tried, and Eric, also one of my con roommates, and I made sure to grab us some more. James found a Kon plushy dressed up as Nell that was quite cool, and Liz purchased a Saiyuki poster too. Artist alley was more of a browse for us, since I'd stopped by quickly yesterday and bought a couple cool portrait style drawings of Sakura and Naruto, from Naruto, and Re-l Mayer from Ergo Proxy.

Having taken care of that, my main goal at this point was to meet with Greg Ayres sometime before 2PM, because he said at the autograph session I went to that if I found him then I'd be able to get a radio drop with him, but it'd have to be early Sunday. However, by the time I found him he was just minutes late for an autograph session and people were already hounding him, so I thought I'd just leave enough alone and, being too tired to wait much more, find him at the next con we're both at. James and Liz were hanging around to pick up some swords for James' 'Lazy Taichou' cosplay, but that didn't end up happening since we couldn't find the guy, so we, all quite tired, decided just to head back to Chattanooga.

Funny enough I actually left a few minutes after and caught up with them on the road, and we caravanned for at least 1 hour, but aside from that I returned to rest and relax, and try to upload pics and vids, all of which I have done for the former, and some which I have done for the latter.

All in all, I had a great con experience and MTAC is definitely a con I'd love to return to. I had no problems with public safety, which I can't say was true for my friends. Also, Christi Binkley the Director of Media Relations for MTAC was quite helpful, getting me set-up with a press pass and, when I was at my peak of tired on Saturday, she checked in on me to see how I was doing, which was very nice of her.

So to summarize what MTAC is for those who have yet to go, you've got a lot of fun panels and events, some featuring some key anime voice actors and exciting bands/musical acts, while the environment itself is still sizeable enough to where you don't feel too overwhelmed, as you would at AWA (another awesome con), but there are enough people still to where you can truly see some amazing cosplayers too! All in all MTAC was great fun, and I already can't wait for the next one.

MTAC Prep. & Oricon Reviews

2008-04-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Well, sorry for the absence of late, but apparently post-JAMPcon and pre-MTAC has really been a busy time for me. Thankfully, MTAC is tommorrow though which I'm thrilled about! I actually will be acting press for my radio show, so I might get another perspective entirely, and possibly some spots at the very least, or even interviews with some of the guests attending. All in all, this should be a promising time, and I plan on having a lot of fun especially since this will be my first time actually staying in the hotel of a convention. I know I'll have pictures and plenty to write about as well, so expect that in the near future.

On another note though, I did promise music reviews and I will now deliver. Let me say though that while still reviews, these have been tailored a bit differently because I've been posting them on my Oricon profile. That's right, I may have mentioned that with the help of Google Translate I have set-up my own profile on the Oricon website, and as they ask, I will along with anyone else who has a profile, be submitting user reviews. These can be on singles, cds, and dvd's, but for now I've chosen to do thus far 2 albums and 2 singles. Let me not say more and instead present you these 3 reviews of, as you'll see, releases that I am quite fond of (hence, the overtly positive nature of the wording.)

Abingdon Boys School - Abingdon Boys School (Album)

Takanori Nishikawa, of T.M. Revolution fame, has brought together a synthesis of talent and craftsmanship which could only spell out success, and indeed this new creation, Abingdon Boys School, with their debut release have met or even surpassed all expectations.

Tracks such as "Innocent Sorrow" and "Howling" successfully mix Nishikawa's vocals, the band's own energy, and Toshiyuki's own mixing skills to provide us with two nu-metal anthems deserving of praise, while "Nephilim" lets the energy slip on a little more slowly, only to leave you totally engaged and enthused by the end of the song. That's not to say though the singles are the only contributions worth noting, as their first track "As One" easily sticks out on its own merits, while A.B.S.'s cover of "Dress" originally by Buck-Tick is a wonderful rendition which provides a great homage to the original tune.

One can only hope that they'll maintain their energy for more albums, but with Takanori at the helm, and a new single already released not off of their album, "Blade Chord", I believe we can expect great things to come.

Acid Black Cherry - Black Cherry (Single)

Yasu, of Janne Da Arc fame, has created quite a side project with Acid Black Cherry. Unique and raucous all the while, none of the singles stick out so clearly as this, the partial title track "Black Cherry". Initially melodic, the single starts off with Yasu crooning gently as the mood invites the listener in, and then with the help of Pistolvalve providing all the horns, and there are many, you suddenly find yourself surrounded by funk, jazz, and swing as you rock along to the suddenly up-tempo Yasu, leading the band right along. Original? Definitely, but if all music were just 4 piece rock outfits then we'd never get to experience the wondrous song that is "Black Cherry."

Bump of Chicken - Orbital Period (Album)

Bump of Chicken may have one of the strangest names in rock by far; however, when you pop in this, or any of their albums, the sometimes docile, always soulful, tunes speak for themselves. This may be why Bump of Chicken in have continually been charting in the top 10 spots, and often been ranked in the top 3 or even the acclaimed #1 spot.

My favorite song on the track, a perfect example of Bump of Chicken's ability to move one succinctly and sweetly, is Hana no Na, which was the 5th most popular song for 2007. Frankly, while I love the other tracks as well, this one so overwhelmed me with its overt simplicity that I'd say the album, and the band, would be worth checking out after hearing this song alone. But please feel free to explore the rest of "The Orbital Period" too, and may you find in your own way what Bump of Chicken means to you.

Nobodyknows+ - Hero's Come Back (Single)

When Naruto returned after many "filler" episodes, expectation ran high, not only with the show itself, but also the music since the openings and endings thus far had been so great. Likely no one expected a song of this ear pounding magnitude though, and with a beat and a flow, Naruto returned thus heralding in, for many, Nobodyknows+ as one of the crew.

Indeed, like their contemporaries, such as Orange Range, many of their tracks rely on R&B sentimentalities to deliver hits. But, Hero's Come Back used sheer force of will to cement itself into our mind. Perhaps American rap may have denigrated greatly, but Nobodyknows+ proves you can have a quality song, with a rap sound, an anthem of a tune, and an overall heroic quality.

JAMPcon '08! - Recap

2008-04-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

I somehow imagined that I might have time to churn out an album review, but that was before I realized instead that my time would be totally, and positively, devoted to JAMPcon. True enough, because while I got a lot of sleep, I was able to do little else until Sunday. The weekend was packed with adventure, comedy, and all sorts of quirky con things so now stay put as I describe in length the riviting tale of my con experiences at JAMPcon, Chattanooga’s first anime convention!

Day 1

So I got off from work about 1:20 or so, a little after opening ceremonies sadly, and then I headed immediately downtown to the convention. After ConNooga, I knew I’d be pretty familiar with the hotel itself so that was quite nice, although registration would have been easy to find anyways. Once in the lobby I saw a surprising number of cosplayers already, and Veggie, Chris, and other staff floating around, so it looked like the con was already getting quite underway. I then ran into some of my friends, but they were going to check into the hotel and get into their Cosplay outfits so I let them do that and I went to explore the area.

First, I started with the Dealers’ Room because the Roosevelt Room, where the dealers were at, is located right off of the main lobby. I wasn’t sure what the room would look like, but I saw the 7 or 8 dealers there all with there wares, and immediately across from the entrance door was a dealer with a variety of weapons, so that was a cool sight to enter into. I explored on my own briefly, although I’d return on numerous occasions with most of my friends just to glance around. I ran into Brian, who hung out with me most of ConNooga, and we spent some time looking at the cool swords. They even had some wooden ones ready made for cosplayers, and I know I saw several of those being used throughout the weekend.

Then I left and headed over to Artist Alley, which I do have to say was a bit estranged, at first especially, from the rest of the convention. Since there was a slight overlap with an EMCS convention in the Galleries and Finley Lecture Hall basically there were just 6 or so artists sitting around with few people there looking yet. I was about to have to pick-up my brother to join me, so I decided I’d give the Artist Alley a more thorough look at a later time.

The trip to pick-up my brother was simple, so no story there but once we returned we checked him in, got his wristband, and then headed out once more to explore the con. At this point, let me say I’d taken some of my time early at work to print out a schedule and categorize those events that interested me with a "Might" and those that I felt I had to go to with a "Must." All in all, I feel that was quite a successful way of organizing, even if I didn’t do everything I said. However, with time still left to kill we didn’t yet head out for our first event, instead we came upon an interesting scene, not THE interesting scene but the follow-up.

Basically, we saw our friends Liz, James, and many other Maconites, all in cosplay, hanging around and a Link was recanting how he fell, no, was pushed into the fountain, apparently by a now mostly apologetic Yumichika cosplayer, who we would later see all weekend. Video from YouTube below...

Apparently Link lost some items in the fountain, so Yumichika in repayment decided to wade in for the items, with Link trying to search for the final item himself. This drew quite a crowd, and eventually a security guard came over but as far as I could tell no harm was done and no conflicts arose, but I also don’t know if Link ever got back that missing item from the watery depths.

Either way, at this point my brother and I realized that it was time to move on and I then gave him the initial tour of the Dealer’s Room, which impressed him but not enough to buy anything at that moment.

We then headed over to the Crystal Room, also just off the main lobby, and joined Linlin of the Funk for her J-Rock panel. I think Linlin did a great job, but clearly we weren’t the most interactive audience so we were hard to deal with. First, she didn’t know whether we wanted to discuss, play a game, have contests, or what and we weren’t really committal, so she put in a cool video she’d put together highlighting 1 minute clips of different J-Rock artists videos. I should have paid more attention since the answers for contest questions were there, but all in all as a DJ myself I found it cool to not only see these videos but also here someone else pronounce the artist names so I could know whether I’d been correct at all.

Afterwards, there was some casual conversation, but for the most part we went into contest mode where I happily, and proudly, answered two of the questions thus earning me candy and a box of pocky! The questions were as follows: 1) What PV, specifically that Linlin showed, had two gay pairings male and female (paraphrased)? and 2) What J-Rock band adds a comma to their name? Well, the answer to the first question is Pierrot’s "Yuuyami’s Suicide" and the answer to the second question is Kaggra,. Sure, I didn’t earn the bigger prizes like the magazines she had, but pocky does taste good. I definitely enjoyed Linlin’s panel, and I hope she can return next year to host too, because crazy conflicts aside I’d like to see what she has in store for us then.

After the J-Rock panel, my brother and I grabbed a quick sandwich at the deli and headed over to the guest panel with Samantha Inoue Harte! While I didn’t have any questions personally, many of the audience members did thus prompting some quality interplay, with Samantha telling stories about her love for zombies, her crazy apartment, anime on one side horror on the other, and her work as a animator and voice actress. I would see her one other time too, so I’ll save telling her most hilarious story for then; however, Samantha was definitely a nice and great guest to have, and I’m definitely glad she came.

Since this was Friday, and my eyes were becoming irritated by allergies, a theme for the rest of the weekend, my brother and I decided we’d find some easy entertainment over in the game room where the Smash Brothers Brawl tournament was just about to begin. Now the game room was a bit smaller that day as far as number of TV’s and consoles, so the TV we were watching was a bit small, not normally an issue for me but since my eye sight was apparently wavering that made it difficult to watch the game. Then again, I’m not one for watching I’m one for playing, but I didn’t do that till the next day. So, after watching the tournament for awhile I drove my brother and I home and had a nice sleep.

Day 2

So I woke up early for Saturday, knowing this one probably be my most packed day, and indeed I had plans for early on until fairly late. Sadly though, the first event I wanted to attend Konoha Confessions, coordinated by Shukaku, could not come to be since too many of the voice actors couldn’t attend. I hope she can get this together for next year, because what Shukaku does with voice acting and paraodies is always quite hilarious. In fact, I actually did get to see some examples of this shortly after, but I’ll get to that momentarily.

Because instead of Konoha Confessions, we headed on over to the voice actor panel with Samantha Harte. While we’d spent nearly 2 hours with her the day before, she kept amusing us, particularly with the story of her first voice acting experience, which if you meet her you must ask her to recant in detail. What’s cool about Samantha, among many things, is that she was actually a fan herself of anime. Most voice actors I’d say become fans to some degree, but she was a fan first. Additionally, she lives in Austin which, for some personal history, was a city I lived in during my youth, although I can recall very little these many years later. She told us stories though of ADV Austin, and its disappearance and the effects on the voice actor community, and gave us a unique perspective on the industry fans just don’t have. Once again I was glad to have her, and since both panels had different feels and different questions I’m definitely glad I went to both.

After that, we headed next door. For the time had come for the Bleach panel, hosted by Chris, VP of JAMPcon, and my friends Liz and James. Chris was taking care of the technical needs, and James ended up being the MC for the event which worked out quite well. The panel was rather packed, and in fact I believe Bleach cosplayers were the most represented at JAMPcon, and of course most of them went to the panel, which was cool. The conversations drifted, from favorite characters to favorite moments and more, with only a few spoilers which I was able to avoid with well-placed hands on ears. The Yumichika cosplayer I mentioned earlier clearly had some Bleach knowledge, as she won both contests, the first required you to name all of Orihime’s attack/defense people, and the last one, for the 1st season box set, required you to name all of the Captains and Lieutenants. But yeah, Yumichika won both, and actually she gave the 1st prize, a Bleach doll, away to win the 2nd prize which works.

Part of the panel consisted of James showing his comedic "Channel Changing" Bleach parody, and Shukaku also showed some of her own parodies as well. Both were very funny, but I didn’t know that apparently Shukaku has overseen some extremely well-known parodies. I mean I knew that was her schtick; however, it was definitely cool to see that many recognized the videos from the internet. This helped round out what was, as I said, an excellent and exciting panel, with the final hurrah being a Bleach photoshoot. There’s not so much to talk about but I’ll upload pictures on here for you to see.

My brother and I realized our schedule was going to be relatively packed, and with Liz, James, and others going to change into their next cosplay outfits we felt that we might as well eat lunch. So we drove on down to Sekisui, which was definitely a great lunch. We both got a bento box type meal, so plenty of diversity yet all, to say the least, quite awesome. Afterwards, we went back to the convention much more rested and now quite full.

Thankfully, when we arrived we were able to see some interesting sights, particularly the last bit of Shukaku’s "Popular Dances" panel. Well, I wouldn’t call it a panel, because everyone was in the large ballroom doing actual dances, including the ever popular Haruhi dance and... yes, the macarena?!? Well, yeah and I’ve got pictures :) Seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves, but like I said we only caught the end but even so I can definitely tell this was something everyone had fun doing.

My brother and I though had to head on though to the Anime @ the Library Panel, hosted by Ali Banks who puts on the Anime @ the Library events which I sponsor. Most of the information she went over was pretty familiar to be, but some girls from Ringgold were there and since not many libraries have what ours has, you could tell they were impressed. She had a t-shirt to give away, and while I knew the answer I passed, and actually I got to randomly pick the girl who won, so congratulations to her on the shirt! I’ve felt, even before I returned home, that Anime @ the Library was a good chance for those of us local otaku to get together more often, and I hope this will help at least to some degree spread the word about what we do at the library. Of course, you’re going to be there Saturday for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children right? Yes...

Well, my brother and I then decided to hang around in the ballroom, and there were still plenty of cosplayers in there and, while I may have got my timing wrong on this, I believe it was then that I saw once again Yumichika. This time she was leading what I can only describe as a collective troupe of Bleach cosplayers in a dance/song combo from one of the Bleach Musicals. In all honestly, they were quite good and you can tell Yumichika gave it her all too, which clearly showed in the fine results when they were finished.

During this same time, Shukaku I believe came up with the great idea of limbo. While there probably were several individuals not in cosplay, those who did were particularly funny because obviously some costumes do not lend themselves to successful limboing. Even so, the winner was a costume which, and I don’t remember the name now, had a tube which alone would make limboing extremely difficult. Thankfully, I’ve got video and pictures from the event which I’ll try to upload for you all to look at.

After what I guess must’ve been the Final Fantasy Reunion, we then walked around a bit more and eventually wound up at the Rock Band tournament. This time I actually got to play Rock Band for the first time, on one of the game stations not being used for the tournamnent. The only instrument there was the drums; however, playing this game is something I’d wanted to do for awhile so lack of selection wasn’t going to stop me. I did enjoy it, and I think I did alright on easy, but I still have problems with the aestethics of the game itself, but I won’t bore you with that. What was particularly cool was that all of a suddent I looked over and there was Samantha Harte, guest extraordinaire, singing in the Rock Band tournament. I knew she’d mentioned that she liked to play Rock Band, but I guess I just didn’t connect that wiht a likelihood of her being there. Either way, I watched her group play for awhile, and then a Bleach group came and played, which was also cool.

At that point though, I had to duck out and head over to the Saiyuki panel. This was probably the only panel with substantial delay, but that’s because Andrea was hosting, and to be fair she had a ton to do this entire weekend so it’s amazing she could even host a panel. My friends were coming too as the Saiyuki party and since they were getting their costume together it took a little while longer than normal.

Thus, the timing worked out perfectly as my brother and I held the room and then we all pretty much convened at one time. Basically, the conversation flow was sort of general discussion; however, of particular interest to me was the difference between the anime and the manga. I always knew such differences not only existed but were pervasive in the industry; however, I didn’t realize how much darker Saiyuki was in the manga. I guess killing demons is a pretty gruesome concept, and their background stories were never that happy. Now I guess I’ll have to pick up the manga and read along.

Afterward, we got some pictures of everyone in the Saiyuki party and then sort of split off for a bit, as I went to help my friend Brian prepare what he needed to DJ the rave. David went to another panel hosted by Samantha on animation, and from what I heard had a lot of fun. I learned a substantial amount on DJing, although in no way would I claim to be anyway proficient but I appreciate Brian showing me what he does.

I then hung around a bit to take pictures of Brian DJing and ravers raving for Brian, and while there was a little confusion on the music selection, I believe that all got settled and everything sounded like it went alright. I had to go because my eyes were acting up once again, but I had a very busy and enjoyable day, so I was in need of some rest.

Day 3

By this time, I was beginning to realize my attempts at getting extra sleep must’ve worn off, but then again Cons can wear you out. Still though, my brother got up and drove to the hotel, this time with the stark realization that this was our last opportunity to go to the Dealers Room. So away we went, my brother picking up some pocky for us, and I buying to prints, one of D-Gray Man chracters, and the other from the Bleach movie "Memories of Nobody." My brother also decided to get an Urahara doll, since this is the character he most likely wants to cosplay, probably for AWA ’08. All in all, we bought surprisingly little, but I was, and am, more than content with my purchases.

After this we explored the lobby, and came across the Crystal Room and lo and behold Chris, VP, had popped in Karas, so we stopped and watched for about 30 minutes. I didn’t realize that it was a movie, but we both agreed it seemed a bit confusing, even though the CG was very well done. Realizing that it was a movie though, we headed off to find out whether the Final Fantasy Tactics Battle was taking place, because I knew this would be a wonderful photo opportunity.

Upon reaching the ballroom, at first I was a little worried since there were tons of people but no fighting. However, apparently they were waiting on Link who was the MC, and did arrive shortly thereafter. What began easily became one of my favorite parts of the convention. Why? Well, the battles weren’t that flashy, and since dice controlled much of the action, the pace wasn’t that fast; however, Link had an excellent humor to him that was often rather dry, but always provided great hilarity.

Thankfully, in addition to the many pictures I have of the Tactics Battle I also have a couple vids to, including one I’ll post below of a full length fight. This event ended up being so good I skipped JAMPcon 2009 (sorry Andrea), and I was really quite disappointed when my brother and I had to leave and finish school work for Monday, but real life always comes in hard Sunday after a con. I did hear that a human Death Note won the battle, but I wasn’t sure, I just know I enjoyed all the battles I saw and that I will strongly request the return of this event.

As I said though at this point we had to leave, and all in all I had a terrific time! This was the first convention where I really had multiple friends attending, and having gone to the volunteer meetings and getting to know the dedicated staff that put this together I definitely have a since of joy in knowing what they accomplished. I’ve already decided I’m going to take a more active role in next year’s convention, because while JAMPcon was great, especially for a first year, we can make JAMPcon better.

So feel like joining me for JAMPcon 2009? I hope so

My Anime Life: Spring '08

2008-03-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been able to keep decently regular postings but nothing to be too proud of. Thankfully though, since I've been relatively on top of new releases, shows and manga, you all are still visiting. Maybe you're not coming back, but my stats show a number of google there way to a review, and hopefully hang around to check out what else I've written.

With that in mind, I have to apologize a bit because this post will be a bit more introspective. Not sappy or emo-y, instead I just want to catch you up with what's going on, and what will be going on, in my anime life. To start with apparently someone else decided the name "The Anime Life" was a good idea, and now there's a www.TheAnimeLife.com. I wish them the best of luck and I'll have to check out their site more in the future.

Perhaps more importantly to me I just finished my 20th Tokyo Tower show! That's right, 20 weeks of me bumbling together to play for Chattanooga, and anyone else who wants to stream me through the web, 2 hours of J-Rock/J-Pop/Anime/Game music goodness. I must say I've met a lot of cool people doing the show, and just knowing I'll meet more in the future is more than enough inspiration to keep me going. Of course, I've also greatly expanded my own musical knowledge and taste, which is something I've always strived for. I remember downloading every track on the Oricon charts for 2 months to try to catch myself up with what's hot in Japan. Now, while I still do this to a lesser degree, I believe I know have become my own cache of J-Rock knowledge, and with the help of friends, bloggers, and my own research skills I feel that I truly provide Tokyo Tower listeners with a diverse yet enjoyable blend of quality Japanese music. Of course, they (or you) know that better than I do.

I will say one part of doing the radio show, something I'd hoped would happen, that is very awesome is that I'm now slowly connecting to more Japanese artists. Two artists so far that I've connected with, aside from The Captains, would be Yuga Krita and F.size.free. Yuga is a solo artist who is a premier sitar player, and is fairly new on the music scene promoting himself and his music through MySpace. F.size.free, who I also met on MySpace, is an up-and-coming band in Japan that play a style of new-wave rock, fused with Japanese sensibilities, which I have come to throughly enjoy! Eiji, leader of F.size.free, was nice enough to send me one of their CD's, and they have since been requested on my show, so I can't help but hope that maybe as they work on becoming bigger in Japan I can, in my own way, help them out here in the U.S., where they hope to tour. Since most of my conversations with these artists and others are through Google Translate the process can be slow going, but I have always loved connecting with musicians, and I'm glad to be able to do this in my current position.

Speaking of, if you know of any cool Japanese musicians I should play on my show, or try to connect with in some fashion, then feel free to send me a message here or at tokyotowerfm@gmail.com. I also will be doing album reviews here and on the show's MySpace, www.myspace.com/tokyotowerfm, so feel free to request album reviews too!

Stepping aside from my musical anime life, which now seems almost daunting, I'd like to enter my Convention phase. As you may know, I've only been to 2 anime conventions thus far, Daigacon and AWA 13, and I truly enjoyed both of them. I also went to ConNooga, another cool convention, and while that was a multi-fandom convention, I had a pleasent time there as well, connecting with friends, and making new ones too. All of that though builds up for what will truly be a great time I'm sure this weekend at JAMPcon. I've been excited about this convention for awhile, and after every volunteer meeting I've attended, I just get more and more ready to go to the con already! Of course, I can't do that, but still I'm excited. Frankly, I do not know whether I'll have an official position or not, since I am only quasi-volunteer still I believe, but I hope to cover the convention for the radio show and, if at all possible, get Illich and Samantha to at least do some promos for the show, but maybe interviews if I get truly gutsy (which I'll put on the show and here.) Of course, I'm also looking forward to just hanging out with some of my friends, both local, and not so local since I do not get to see them often enough. So all in all, excitement all around and I know I'll have an all too lengthy post for you to read about sometime shortly after the convention.

I should probably add here, with less detail and gusto, that I also hope to attend at least two other conventions coming up in the near future. The first convention is MTAC, or the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention. I met some of the staff of MTAC both at Daigacon and at ConNooga, and Niko, community relations director of MTAC, was nice enough to do a drop for the show. While I live 1 hour from Nashville, and have for years, I just hadn't had the fandom, nor the friends to go, and while I may only be able to attend one day, I still am really hoping to go, especially since voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch, who does Ichigo from Bleach, and Renton from Eureka among other characters, will be in attendance. Finally West coast meets East coast I say, so I'm definitely looking forward, should I go (90% sure?), to MTAC.

Of course, the more far off convention I have planned is AWA, and frankly I haven't looked up anything on the convention yet, because I'm assuming there's not much information out yet, but I just know I had a lot of fun last year and I plan to this year too.

Now, as busy as my life may seem with all that, I also attend our local library's monthly events titled "Anime @ the Library" where we watch either a volume of an anime show, or a full length anime movie. I have only been able to attend a couple, sadly I missed the Mushishi one, but the radio is sponsoring these events, as did my predecessor Johnny Otaku. However, any obligation aside I've met some cool friends at the library too, including Brian who hung out with me at ConNooga, and I just like watching anime with others, so after JAMPcon I know I'll be ready for a nice relaxing, anime watching Saturday at the library.

Well, thankfully I can't come up with any more going on in my so-called anime life, because even though the actual time taken up is short, I think my time writing about it has become very long indeed. So, I promise some reviews coming up, hopefully of the album variety, but for now I'll let you relax after the trek this blog post has become. [I will say for those of you following this closely, except for the Taste of Chaos Tour I was unable to attend sadly, my predictions have pretty much come to pass and maybe have even been exceeded :) )

JAMPcon is still on!

2008-03-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

This is probably an unnecessary post; however, since the JAMPcon website went down many people may wonder about the status of the convention. Therefore, let me say JAMPcon is still on, and if you'd like to be kept up to date then check out the JAMPcon forum, which is still online, here - http://www.phpbbplanet.com/jampcon/.

The MySpace page is also still present - www.myspace.com/jampcon and to contact the director(s) jampcon@yahoo.com also still works.

Apparently there's just been a minor issue with the site hosts, and they are trying to fix this. I've been getting a surprising number of hits lately, so I thought this was as good a place as any to make this announcement.

JAMPcon
What?: Chattanooga's 1st anime convention
Dates: March 28-30, 2008
Where?: Chattanooga Choo Choo, Holiday Inn @ Chattanooga, TN

Preview: Doubt (Manga)

2008-03-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Aside from the fact it's been some days since I've posted, I thought I'd try something new with this post that I hadn't yet done. Essentially, that is to introduce a manga to you. I know I said I only truly review anime & manga once I've finished them entirely, but sometimes my interest is peaked early and thus I want to share my intrigue to you. I believe I did this most recently with "Claymore", a show I have since finished, but I'd never taken this idea into the world of manga, which OneManga.com has exponentially opened up for me. So here now is my introduction to Doubt.

Doubt (Manga): A Preview

As the photo probably immediately illustrates Doubt is no manga for kids. The grotesque juxtaposition of bunnies with blood, scars, and eeriness should demonstrate this key point. Of course, for someone like myself this also can be quite cool, but let's get to the plot.

The story begins with a rather creepy story about a wolf who snuck in disguised as a bunny into a group of bunnies and one by one killed the bunnies. The bunnies realized that one among them was the wolf, and that if they killed the correct one, then they'd be safe; but otherwise, they'd all die as the wolf fed on. The manga then states this is such a game, and transitions to a group of kids that all have met up online(?), and now meet in person, due to their involvement in a game called "Rabbit Doubt". Auspicious, no?

Well the main character, Yuu, already knows one of the girls Mitsuki, but the other three are new to him, and one of the kids doesn't show up at all. So they meet and even comment how they get along like old chums. Shortly after though, we see Yuu knocked unconscious by someone with a rabbit "head" on and Yuu finds himself, his companions, and the missing player, all trapped in a lab. Suddenly they realize the game they imagined may not be the game they are playing, as one of the characters has been killed and stuck to a wall, while each of the others have bar codes now for one-time use for doors, letting them slowly discover their evil surroundings.

Will they find the "rabbit" in disguise? Or will the killer wolf win? That is the game "Rabbit Doubt."

--This alone was intriguing enough for me, and for those who liked the Saw series then you'll probably see some parallels. Having read further then what I gave in plot, I would like to say I'm still quite hooked, and still sadly have little idea as to who the killer is, although that'd just spoil the story. I am throughly enjoying the series though, and at least at this point recommend this to anyone wanting to read the scanalations (found on OneManga.com; provided by SnoopyCool.com)

ConNooga '08: The Con, The Experience

2008-02-28T06:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I was going to try to write this when I wasn't tired, but with work, school, and the busy busy convention I guess I can't help but be a bit sluggish. So hopefully this is mostly congruent, but I don't promise much more than that.

Day 1

I got off work around 1 o'clock and decided I'd head to the con about 2, which is approximately when the con started moving along. Perhaps because I was ridiculously early, or maybe because everyone else was so late, I had very little to do early on. This is why I walked all around the con area (excluding the dealers room) about 3 or 4 times before I ever even went to a presentation. Sadly, by the time I did get to where my first planned event was, a panel called Con-it is!, I saw that a sign had been placed saying that the session had been cancelled. Seeing as how this was supposed to have a variety of individuals from visiting cons I wasn't too surprised since they probably hadn't had time to get settled into the hotel yet. Additionally, the room where the event was supposed to be held is called "Town Hall" which, for future reference, is one of the more troublesome locations to find.

So during the hour I now had I decided to head over to the Console Gaming room to find that there had been some late setup there too, so it might be awhile before they got that going. I didn't mind since this allowed me more time to take pictures of the grounds and get situated with the area. By the time I made it to an event, which was MAW Productions Panel, I found that the panel was, sadly and once again due to probably the early timing of the event, low attended. This was the start of what would become a cool series of panels hosted by MAW Productions, the rest of which I'll discuss later. This panel was more of an introduction to first, Jetta: Tales of Toshigawa, and then Muley, the loveable puppet. Jetta: Tales of Toshigawa is an independently produced and created comic by Martheus Wade, with the help of his wife Janet Wade and his editor Kevin Williams. Martheus described how the idea of Jetta first came to be and mentioned that the story and art comes from both an American comic and Japanese anime/manga background, which is of course particularly cool to me liking both myself. Writing this after the con I can say that I did pick up Vol. 1 through 3 and I promise to write a review later, so forgive me for not providing more details on the story.

Muley the mule, who actually also has a comic produced about him, is Kevin Williams creation solely and, as he put it, represents a cross between "Charlie Schulz's Peanuts and Jim Henson's Muppets." Indeed Muley, while perhaps not whom one would expect to see at a con, was a nice addition and led me to see a later puppet panel of Williams, which I will get to later.

As I left their panel, I still saw little else going on that I wanted to see for awhile, with some of the key panels duplicated the next day; thus, and with great foresight apparently, I went to visit some friends and rest some for the next day. So while I had enjoyed the panel I saw, at this point in the convention I hadn't truly found my own spirit at ConNooga yet. Thankfully though Saturday was the day when I did.

Day 2

After a good nights rest, with sweet Advent Children dreams on my mind I rose up and headed out for a hopefully exciting day of ConNooga. Okay, well actually I went to work for a couple of hours, but by 11:50 I was at the con and getting prepared to watch some exciting AMV's. Thankfully this is exactly what happened, however trouble started off (and sadly continued) through the AMV viewings, primarily being the bad sound (which was due to the room's setup, and little could be done except a location change) and regular glitches that were seen about every 2mins 40secs of video. Initially I thought these video problems were caused by the submitters to the contest; however, every video was affected, so obviously there was a greater dilemma. Considering even that though I did thoroughly enjoy what I saw and was impressed by the great pool of talent that I witnessed. Having been to AWA I've seen some awesome AMV's, and I do believe a couple of these could be taken to that level of competition. So I definitely had a hard time choosing who to vote for, and now I'm still waiting excitedly for the results (which I must have missed).

Sometime during the latter part of the AMV contest, I ran into my friend Brian, whom I met recently at Anime @ the Library here at the Hamilton-County Library. I actually hung out with Brian a majority of the con, and I'm certainly glad I did because Brian is much more of a con pro than me, not to mention much more social (which my DJing still hasn't completely fixed :P.) So after the AMV contest, I suggested we head over to the Dealer's Room so we waited for the hotel shuttle bus and rode it over to the Dealer's Room, which while nice and sizeable is still quite far away. As we walked around we found ourselves surrounded by a variety of booths, covering all sorts of genres, events, celebrities, and artists as well. Brian truly showed his conversational abilities as we, ok he and I standing by, pleasantly chatted with many of the vendors there. I was recognized by Joshua, who runs a local online store called Anime Pub, and we chatted about the con thus far and sales and just generally had a good time.

In fact, that's kind of a nice summary for especially my 1st Dealer's Room experience, when I wasn't just shopping, We met a lot of nice people and got to look at potential wares, which is great especially since I had set aside a little bit of money for later purchases. I did actually make one purchase though during this visit where I purchased a drawing of Urahara for my brother from Liana of MangaNaise, who is a 13-yr old artist. I ended up coming back to get a couple pieces from her, but I'll mention that as with everything else in the future when I come to it.

At this point in the day, the time was about 2:10 and so we headed over to try to catch the majority of the Anime 101 panel. After some brief confusion about the room, we finally settled in just in time to hear some insightful discussion on the anime industry and much of the process involved in distributing dubs into anime. The panel was hosted by two veteran MTAC staffers and perhaps for the better we seemed to jump in after the introduction to "What is anime?", since we clearly know that already. During the rest of the panel was discussed fandom, the industry, and secrets to buying anime among many other exciting topics. Brian and I actually hung around a bit to talk to them afterwards before heading off to grab some lunch at Quizno's.

After lunch we decided to check out what was going on in the Console Gaming room, which was beginning to look as it did for the rest of the con, which was busy, and then we headed to the Finley Lecture Hall where we caught the 2nd half to the "Sci-Fi Quiz Show!". Let me at this point mention that while I can probably blend in with Sci-Fi fans, due to my demeanor and look, if you were to actually set me down and try to hold a discussion about the intricacies of the Star Trek universe I'd crumble or melt or both. So needless to say the Jeopardy game was completely over my head. However, I still had a fun time watching the contestants, skilled and decently skilled, try their best to conjure up all the knowledge they had gained in their lives. All I have to say is too bad this wasn't a game where you could ask the audience, because they seemed quite skilled as well (minus me of course).

Afterwards Brian and I walked around a bit and checked out some of the contestants preparing for Saber Idol before I went to the "Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa" panel and Brian went to Saber Idol. To say that this panel was much of the same would be untrue, since we were able to watch part of a documentary on Jetta and MAW Productions; however, I do feel at this time there is little more that I could say, and instead suggest waiting for the video itself to be released. I was happy that there were more people this time around, and the question and answer session, as many do, added some additional goodness to the panel. Also Martheus was kind enough to give me a poster of Jetta and Shi, a character by William Tucci. The poster is in support of a new release featuring the two characters in a crossover comic and one that, gathering from my readings thus far of Jetta, I'll have to definitely check out. Even with all the many happenings in that panel, I still was out early from the panel and got a chance to head over to the Saber Idol panel.

Saber Idol, for those who probably do not know, is basically an American Idol version of solo-light saber fights, i.e. the infamous Star Wars kid. Pretty much the contestant stylistically swings and slices with the saber to music and the celebrity judges rate the performers and decide who gets to go on. For better or worse, I entered in when they had narrowed down the competition to two contestants, so I watched the final half of those two and saw that the guy, who I had actually been watching practice in the lobby, won the show. Apparently, and I know I missed this, the host who would go on to be crowned Mr. ConNooga was himself a skilled saberist and had won a competition out in California. So when prompted to "put up or shut up" as one judge put it, he frankly left everyone quiet as he put on a dazzlingly skilled show of light saber ability (a sentence I never knew I'd write.) Seriously though, I'll post up a little video (if there's not one below already) showing how good this guy was, because wow…

Then, as the packed theatre let out for Saber Idol, I found Brian again and we trekked out in the cold to the Dealers Room. Apparently, as opposed to my schedule given to me, the Dealers Room had been closed so we trekked back and sat back in the theatre for about the first half of a movie titled "Chain Saw Sally". Chain Saw Sally is the story, or so I gathered from what I watched, of a lady, now the town's librarian, who was traumatized by her parent's murder which see witnessed at a young age and who has since become a serial killer with a preference for Chainsaws. The plot indeed has more to it than that, but that's the premise which can obviously paint a picture of at least a large part of the action. Perhaps needless to say this is basically a modern B-movie, and had all the qualities that a B-movie should, or so I'm told. While horror's not my thing, I will say that I was able to watch this film a lot more easily than I imagined, and I do kind of wished I'd been able to see how the story wrapped up. However, at this point I had to move back to the puppetry.

Yes, it was time for one of the panels I had missed previously which was "Them F*$& Puppets." Basically the show was about as crude as the name suggests; however, seeing puppets with drinking habits, regular seizures, and troubled inadequacies due to, of all things, a devotion to Sci-Fi and comics can be quite funny. Much of the show was actually pre-recorded which allowed for some on location filming, particularly in a segment titled "Great Places in America to Take A Dump." However, there was definitely a fair share of live puppetry as well, culminating in the revealing of the puppet masters, including Kevin Williams, and they discussed the inspiration for their characters and where they were taking the show, which basically will be web shows. All in all, that was quite enjoyable and, perhaps aside from "Chainsaw Sally" the only adult programming I took part in.

With that over, and the realization that I was going to wake up early to hit the dealer's room and get around to the radio work I needed to do, I decided against hanging out at the dances or parties and instead went home and dreamt of a galaxy far far away.

Day 3

On Sunday I did indeed wake up early and head straight to the con where I was able to get some early pictures of the vendors final set-ups. Sadly I had missed my opportunity to see some of the vendors, as I'm sure they had a long drive ahead; however most were still there and I was definitely able to shop as I wanted. First, I stopped by MAW Productions booth and finally picked up my three copies of Jetta: Tales of Toshigawa, which Martheus and Janet kindly signed for me, and for picking up all three volumes there I was also given another poster, this time of the character Turra, also done by Martheus' in the Toshigawa realm. I then discussed the possibility of a radio drop and they agreed; however, with Kevin away I walked around a bit till his return to take care of the drop.

So then, while in the Artist Alley part of the dealer's room, I decided to grab "Misfire" a comic by Chris Hazelton, and I got a print from him as well. Then I proceeded to one booth where I struck up a conversation with the guy there about J-Pop & Anime soundtracks and before I knew it left with the soundtracks for Shakugan no Shana, Howl's Moving Castle, and Akira symphony style. Meandering around I also returned to one store I'd seen before which had some cool magazines imported from Japan so I bought one of them, which was a late 2006 edition of the J-Rock/Visual Kei magazine "Cure". Then I went back to Liana's booth and picked up two more of her artwork, one with Rukia and one with Kakashi. Of course, during all of this I also stopped a couple times at Anime Pub to chat with Joshua, and eventually I made sure to pick up some Bleach playing cards there.

During the time that had passed I was also able to get a 'drop' for Tokyo Tower from one of the MTAC guys (thanks!), and I also did return to get some rather lengthy, and quite funny, drops from Martheus, Jade, and Kevin representing first Jetta: Tales of Toshigawa and then Kevin and Muley did a drop of their own, both of which I greatly appreciate!

Riding off of my excitement with getting all my radio needs done, I then went to a panel I had been looking forward to the whole weekend, which was the Podcasting 101 panel. Indeed, being in "Town Hall" and on the last day I wasn't too surprised by the low attendance, but even so I found the panel itself quite cool. There were 4 hosts, with a total of probably 6 podcasts combined (including Guild Cast, Southern Pagans, SEPS), so they had plenty of experience. What was comforting to me, as someone who'd leaned towards podcast creating, is that unlike many of the people I listen to they had little to no initial audio experience. Instead they learned as they went and to their credit continued improving. Of course, having been a podcast listener for about 2 and a half years I indeed have a great familiarity with the medium, so some of the information was old for me, but even so I had an enjoyable time.

Having finished the panel, my shopping, and my radio drops I essentially had little to do left, so Brian and I went and ate some lunch at Panera's and then came back for the ConNooga Closing and Q&A hosted by Todd, Con Chair of ConNooga. This was a good event to see because one you can see how much the people did love the con, myself among them, and two a lot of good questions came about, and suggestions too, which will hopefully make the con better next year. I'd say the only issue I had, aside from perhaps trying to get the AMV set-up better, would be to as some suggested put more signs up announcing the events going on in all of the rooms. This helps particularly if there's a schedule change and also, while I thought this was done alright, any 18+ programming that people may be trying to avoid.

All in all though, I definitely had a great time at ConNooga! Since I was on my own the first day everything started a bit slow, but from Saturday on especially I found myself enjoying the whole experience quite extensively. Even as an anime fan who knows little about Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or Horror I definitely plan on returning next year!

Death Note: Another Note Review

2008-02-17T07:37:00.001-08:00

I was perusing my local Books-A-Million last night when I stumbled upon two books that truly excited me, both Death Note related. The first being the release of Volume 13, or the "How to Read" volume which basically acts as an encylopedia for the story. The 2nd book was one I'd never even heard of titled Death Note: Another Note, and was apparently a side story for L pre-Kira case. Of course, I was fascinated by the cool cover as much as the concept, so I grabbed in and read it all last night, only to now be able provide you with my review.

The story begins with a killer, known as Beyond Birthday (B.B.), who has presented the LA police with a seemingly impossible case to crack, leaving similar voodoo dolls at the scene, but changing his modus operundi with every kill. Naomi Misora, currently on temporary leave from the FBI, has heard little of the case, but when she gets a random call from L, the world famous detective, he asks her to be his eyes and ears and to delve deep into the case to discover Beyond Birthday's intentions, before he can kill again.

Of course, aside from what is actually a decently exciting story, the extra bonus here is for Death Note fans to learn a little more about L, and a whole lot more about Misora. As with Death Note, there are definitely twists and turns to keep the reader excited, but this time we can't see both sides of the story so the intensity may be even more satisfying. Once again too, B.B. and L present us with a great challenge of wits, and Misora does a fine job too adding her own conjectures to the mix, as they all try to get closer to their goals, L and Misora to save, and B.B. to... well you'll have to see.

Last note for die hard fans of Death Note is that while this story was written by Nisio Isin, instead of Tsugumi Ohba (both pen names), the sense of the characters remains the same so the enjoyment level is still decently high. Indeed, this is no Death Note anew, but for a side story I'd say it's fairly good and, in my opinion, worth the purchase.

Tales of Earthsea Review

2008-02-12T07:53:00.001-08:00

Gedo Senki, originally uploaded by rc!.

Seems that Miyazaki, first with Hayao and now with his son Goro, will become ever synonymous with epic, beautifully crafted anime productions. Since that's exactly what Miyazaki's movies have been so far, and that is exactly what Tales of Earthsea showed itself to be.

The story begins in a distant castle where a boy, Arren apparent son of the King, has gone briefly missing. According to the King's wizard the Equilibrium is more and more out of balance, while Arren himself shows up early, himself a bit imbalanced, and stabs his father leaving him to die.

After which, Arren is shown traveling in the desert, when after being encircled by wolves, a wizard named Sparrowhawk comes to his rescue. The two then, as fellow wanderers, head off in the direction of a city, known for slave trading. Arren, after seeing a girl chased by slave traders, ends up fighting them and winning. The girl, named Therru, though, scared by the boy's sudden evil disposition in the fight, flees. Arren himself only gets into more trouble as he himself is captured only to be saved by Sparrowhawk and then nursed back to health by the woman in care of Therru. Discomfort between the kids though will be the least of their problems, as everyone soon discovers.

As you can see, that was quite a long plot intro but the movie really does have such epic development that, even as much as I revealed, you only learned of a small part of the story. As is typical of father Miyazaki films, the characters themselves have a world of potential depth which we only glimpse at, and in this movie perhaps more than any I wish we took more time to understand them. Particularly Arren and Theru, because both seem to have a dark past that is merely hinted at, and yet is the driving motivation for many of their present actions. I guess I couldn't expect that too much though, considering the movie is already quite lengthy.

I'll keep my comments on the animation and music brief, because quite frankly both seem to be near replications of Hayao's. In my opinion, unless Goro was trying to separate himself I think this is a great thing, although I do realize some elements may in fact become too common. For instance, for better or worse, I could picture so many of the other characters, such as in Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, in the same world as Tales of Earthsea. Maybe that could be a grand concept, sort of a trifecta of Miyazaki all in one world, but likely that won't happen.

Oh well, I guess this last paragraph might detail the differences between the son and father, but like I said I saw so much in common that I couldn't entirely differentiate between the two, except in the movie's story. This leaves me with no choice but to highly recommend the film, because even though I am still sad at what was left unsaid, and you'll notice the need for such at the end, the movie was quite beautiful and definitely enjoyable!

Mushishi Review

2008-02-11T08:01:00.001-08:00

Mushishi, originally uploaded by Matacentauros.

Once again I seem to have stumbled upon a show which is just intriguing enough to where I seem to rush through all 26 episodes. Oh well, because now I can review this strange wonder of a show, titled Mushishi.

The title, Mushi-shi, in essence means Mushi master. Mushi are creatures, for lack of a better term, that are more basic than the most basic of bacteria. In fact, they are essentially ephemeral beings which are tied closely to the energy of life itself and thus most humans cannot see them. However, they interact with various lifeforms in many ways, both positively and negatively, and often when encountered by people cause many strange occurrences to occur. Thus the need for a Mushi-shi.

Ginko the lead character, and only true regular character, is such a Mushi-shi. Constantly traveling due to his irregular attractiveness to Mushi, he goes from village to village and town to town helping those he encounters in there dealings with Mushi. Not selfish, nor selfless, Ginko seems merely to act as a bridge between the two worlds, human and mushi, as they try to coexist.

Due to the constant traveling, the series builds itself upon individual interactions with mushi, almost always involving characters never mentioned in other episodes. The formula then is merely people + mushi, and enter Ginko; however, as simple as that seems the story works, and the show lends itself more to casual viewing, especially with the peaceful music and the lush landscapes present to us.

If I were to compare this show to another, the first one that comes to mind is xxxHolic. Both have sort of a 'surreal' quality, and both of the main characters see entities which few others can see. Additionally, each episode of xxxHolic tends to be fairly stand-alone, as new 'addicts' arrive at Yuko's, and the ordeal then begins and usually ends with one episode. xxxHolic does have more of a romantic-comedy streak, even with the occasionally dark undertones that Mushi-shi and xxxHolic share. So while not completely similar, I think if you liked one then you probably should at least check out the other.

Overall, I found Mushishi a strange, yet relaxing anime which truly did help while the time away, while still providing me with nice entertainment. So if you want to take a break from fast paced action shows, then this is the first show I'd recommend to you.

I now have to go watch the live action Mushisi (Bugmaster), but I'll catch you up with that film at a later date... :D

The Captains - "Tandem With You" PV

2008-01-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

You know I noticed, quite obviously as you'd presume, that the more I post the more people seem to want to read my posts. Therefore, I hope to speed up and increase my posting, which should be easy as far as content is concerned since I took various unannounced hiatuses recently. Now though, I just have to make sure I have the time... :D

In the meantime, here is a newly released PV from one of my favorite Japanese rock bands The Captains, who were one of the featured acts at AWA this past year and have been most recently featured in the USA's premier J-Rock magazine Purple Sky.

Le Chevalier D'eon Review

2008-01-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

As I continue to wait and watch the episodes of shows coming out this season, I thought I'd catch up on some recommended shows I've missed from the near past. So, in marathon form, I watched that alt-history, trendy French-styled anime, Le Chevalier D'eon.

For those who don't know, Le Chevalier D'eon is the story of one man named D'eon, knight and noble under Louis XV (mid-1700's), who finds his sister Lia dead, and her vengeful soul lingering in his own body. Struck by the tragedy, D'eon realizes how little he knew about his sister and her work for the king. So D'eon and his companions set themselves out to discover both what Lia was doing and who killed her. Of course the truth is not always what it seems, and D'eon and company learn quickly that the price for knowledge can be quite steep.

First of all, I remember watching an episode of Track-Shun that featured Le Chevalier D'eon and while I can't remember whether Chris tracked it or shunned it I definitely thought that the show clearly had a uniqueness to it that, if pulled off, could really deliver. My thoughts then did not prove me wrong, and in fact I found the show even more interesting than I ever imagined, for you'll soon see that these Frenchmen don't just fight with sword and guns, although there's plenty of that too.

Aside from the story though, what really struck me was the animation. The animation is quite beautiful, and the extravagance of the costumes and particularly the cityscapes adds a whole new level of excitement to an already exciting show. Particularly well done are the sword fights, which have an almost matrix quality to them.

Looking back on the show now though I will say, spoiler free of course, that if you get into this story be prepared for some depression, because this tale is not a happy one. For those of you who have seen Blood +, it's really quite similar as both left me feeling fairly mellow. Regardless though, if you're a fan of classic sword fighting, alternate history tales, or France this is definitely for you, while I'd still recommend Le Chevalier D'eon to others, just because this truly was a novel and exciting show.

New Season; New Shows

2008-01-20T21:08:00.001-08:00

spice and wolf horo and tail, originally uploaded by teeif.

Well, I've noticed that as I sink deeper and deeper into Otakudom more of my time, and money of course, seem to feed this habit that is anime and manga. This is especially true every fall and spring when all the shows I've enjoyed watching, such as D-Gray Man, Hayate the Combat Butler, Naruto, etc. come back with fervor while so many new shows are beginning their runs, i.e., Spice and Wolf (pictured). I haven't even begun to mention the shows, old and new, my new local otaku friends have gotten me into, such as Tokyo Majin, Kyo Kara Maoh!, and School Rumble.

Oh, and I must add that with the discovery, thanks all to my brother, of OneManga.com that the manga I've been reading has grown exponentially. But you know what that is perfectly cool with me and I know this will provide substantial content opportunity for the blog and my radio show. So please, I know this post wasn't all too intriguing since it's all about me, but soon I'll release the horde that is my critiquing self and let fly with reviews, news, and more!

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If you want to stay up-to-date on my progress just check out my anime list over at MyAnimeList.net - "http://myanimelist.net/animelist/zippy". Truly is an awesome site so feel free to join up and add me as a friend :D

My Anime Life in 2008

2008-01-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I have to say with my life having been as busy this past year, I would have hardly imagined I would have done so much with my anime life.

However, for better or worse I have easily accumulated more anime, watched more shows, attended more events than any year prior. Ok, who I am kidding I thought this was a great year with the highlights being AWA 13 and the start of my JRock/JPop radio show Tokyo Tower FM!

The future appears to be quite promising as well. Already, I've got 2 cons planned for the Spring, Connooga and JAMPcon respectively, and I should be attending AWA again, and maybe even MTAC if I get the chance. Additionally, the Taste of Chaos Tour is coming to Atlanta for one of their shows, and MUCC and D'espairsray will be playing, so hopefully I can clear my calendar and make an appearance to what will likely be an awesome show. Of course, this is all for starters but if you have any other suggested activities please feel free to let me in on them, because the more the better.

Well in the meantime I'll try to enjoy this last little part of break, while I keep having fun with my various Christmas gifts, including my new camera. Oh well, maybe I'll post about that at a later time.

Sayonara!

Tokyo Tower FM @ 91.5 WAWL

2007-11-04T17:18:00.001-08:00

TokyoTowerFMPosterBasic2, originally uploaded by millermz.

So it's been awhile since I last posted, and frankly I've been quite busy with life but in a cool way, relating to this blog in particular, since I've started hosting my own JRock/JPop/Anime/Game at my local community college.

That's right, and as the title of this post states the show is "Tokyo Tower FM", although that FM's getting a lot of people confused, so maybe that won't last.

But anyways I've done about 6 shows so far and am truly enjoying every bit! In particular, I enjoy having met so many people even during this limited time since the show's started. In particular, someone I met on the JAMPcon forums, Liz aka Ichigo07, is really cool and has provided me with a substantial amount of music. She also introduced me to her friend James, also cool, who's also given me tons of music, which I am greatly appreciative of (thanks to you both!)

Of course though, I just love the music and am discovering new music all the time, which has has always been something I've loved to do with regards to music: American Japanese, or otherwise.

If you'd like to know more about the show, see the previous playlists, or just message me I've set-up a MySpace which can be found at myspace.com/tokyotowerfm.

So if you're in the Chattanooga area you can check the show out every Wednesday night from 9 to 11PM (EST), or stream the show online at www.WAWL.org.

Like I said, I've definitely enjoyed doing the show and I hope that if you listen you'll enjoy the show as much as I do! :D

The Places I Have Been

2007-10-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Sam from Meansauce messaged me some time back discussing how college can keep a person busy, and I definitely believe that now more than ever! :D Plus, working a new job, I find my days are significantly more busy than previously, but that's understandable.

Thankfully though, while I have been busy with class and work, I've still had many successful ventures into what one would consider Otaku life, and all of them truly are quite exciting!!!

But instead of making a blog post for each one, as I should've, I'm going to cram this blog post with all of my news and recent activities, chronologically I suppose... (ok, I left out one but look at how long this post is!!!)

The Captains @ 91.5 WAWL, Chattanooga, TN - CSTCC

So, as I mentioned in my last post oh so long ago, the Captains were coming, and of course have by now come and gone, to Chattanooga. Little did I know how cool and awesome it'd be (sure, I guessed...), even considering that their radio appearance on the WAWL, the station where I DJ at, didn't go at all like I planned, everything was frankly better than I could have planned!

First, Eric, creator of Tokyo No Radio which released the Captains first American release "Last Group Sounds", called me saying the band had arrived at Chattanooga State (CSTCC), the college where I was bringing them so they could go onto 91.5 WAWL, the station there, to talk a bit about themselves and the show. As I walked towards the parking lot, I couldn't help but see them immediately because, save for their manager and Eric, they were decked out in their Captains' uniforms. After meeting them, I discussed with Eric and Kizuhiko, leader of The Captains, what's going to occur, let Kizuhiko talk a few minutes, play a song, and then discuss the concert and let them go do what they need to do before the show.

Well, that's what happened but, and I thank my fellow dj Stevo for this, I actually did nothing but bring the band and pick the song because Stevo, whose shift it was, was excellent with the interview, and I could tell that was a great experience for all parties. Stevo apparently knew more than a few things about JRock, having friends in the service, and so I was actually assisted by someone whom was quite able and quite helpful!

Now, I didn't mention this before but, as is often the case at the station, there was a class of students who were in the radio station, and since the station's fairly cramped as is, when The Captain's entered eyes quickly shifted to them. So then, after about 15 minutes on air we left and found the class, which turned out to be a professional theatre class, outside and The Captain's chatted briefly and got some pictures with the group, Stevo, and myself, and all was quite cheery. After that, we walked back and I talked a bit more with the band, and they were on there way to rest before the big show that night.

The Captains @ Rhythm & Brews, Chattanooga, TN

That evening was the night of the performance, and since I wasn't sure what the venue was like, I was excited of course, but equally curious just about what the atmosphere of the show would be like. My dad, who'd been before and was interested in hearing The Captains', who'd I'd talked so much about, came with me and brought along his video camera to shoot the performance, which is now on YouTube.

Upon getting to the venue, I discovered that Rhythm & Brews is a decently small place, but with a nice balcony which I immediately headed to. Once I claimed my table, I went visited with Eric briefly, purchased some items from The Emeralds, Peelander-Z, and The Captains, and headed back up goodies in hand to my table to await the concert. After a few minutes, I realized to my disappointment, that as happens too often in Chattanooga, the crowd would be fairly small, but I did get to talk with a friend of mine who I met at 91.5 WAWL back when I used to work there before college, and we talked for a bit which was quite cool.

Back to the show though, even with the few people there, The Captains clearly were energized and ready to perform, and perform they did! Both my Dad and I were blown away by the performance, and if I wasn't before, I can clearly say I am now a significant fan of The Captains. I'd go into more detail, but the videos do more justice, so I'll paste a link here for you all to look and enjoy :)

The Captains Live @ Chattanooga, TN - Entire Show (Playlist)
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EDDEB32187AAFA16

Anime Weekend Atlanta - Saturday Edition

After The Captains' performance, I felt particularly emboldened I guess to do more Otaku activities, and with Anime Weekend Atlanta approaching, I was given a surprising opportunity to do just that. At first, I was reticent though, because living near Atlanta I know enough to realize cool stuff goes on there, but that driving is generally a pain! Trust me... But upon telling my brother that Greg Ayres, voice actor for Koyuki from BECK would be there, he was enthusiastic enough to convince me that we needed to go down Saturday.

So we did, and first off I must say AWA is located mostly outside of the city on the northside, where I come in from, so that was truly the easisest drive I've ever had to Atlanta! Although, once the con was over I know even the drive would've been worth taking, but let me return to what I actually did at AWA.

First, my brother and I waited in line for registration for some time, so we took our time and got a glimpse at a vast amount of the cosplayers there. For the most part, I'd say there was clearly a diverse nature, but Bleach and Death Note seemed to rule the day, with shows such as Haruhi, Ouran, and Naruto a little behind them. After waiting in line, my brother and I scouted out the dealer's room briefly, and then headed on to our first panels of the day.

The 1st panel was called Anime in Academia, and being that both my brother and I are both students at different levels, we found this to be pretty enjoyable. While I thought the guy's talk was intriguing, I'd say the list of books and resources he gave were probably worth the whole talk.

After that, my brother and I hung around in that room for the next panel, which was the Anime World Order Podcast Panel. Now, this was a bit of an accidental misnomer as we soon learned, because Daryl from AWO, was actually too busy with helping AWA in other ways to lead the full panel, although he did make an appearence. Instead, we were greeted by Noah and Aaron of the Ninja Consultant Podcast, and Paul from The Greatest Movie Ever! Podcast, which I thought was cool since I'm an occasional listener of the Ninja Consultants, and frankly I thought I'd never see them anywhere near me. Additionally, in the crowd I saw Alan, Bryce, and Jefferson from the OtakuGeneration.net podcast, and while I didn't get to talk to them like I wanted to, it was still cool to see them. I'd say the panel was half A.W.O. tribute, half crazy anime/podcasting discussions, which is exactly what I wanted it to be, so I felt like I got my money's worth so to speak :)

After that, my brother and I went to the dealer's room and met Greg Ayres, which was cool, and he signed our program in a very BECK fashion, which was awesome. Then we realized we had some time on our hands, so we scoured the dealer's room, picked up some pocky, grabbed some sushi for lunch and basically rested for an hour, which was enjoyable since I was already pretty overwhelmed by all that was going on at that point. In the same vein though, my brother and I thought we would enjoy the con and relax a bit by watching the AMV competition, and we did, but oh my gosh I wasn't ready for what I saw, which was a gigantic room filled to capacity with tons and tons of people! Only later did I learn, thanks to listening to OG's AWA coverage, that AWA is in fact the con for AMV's, but even so I don't think I would've had any idea that there would be so many people all watching AMV's. Of course, as one would expect, the AMV's were I'd say all quite stunning! My favorite AMV, which I'll link to here, was the MPAA Piracy - One Piece Parody, and my close favorite, as addictive as it is, was a mash-up of many shows all to a song about how wonderful "Bumble-bee Tuna" is.

Then we hung around because conveniently the three JRock bands that were playing that night at AWA, The Captains, The Emeralds, & Peelander-Z, were going to have a group Q&A with the audience. The bands came out to much fanfare and cheer from the many fangirls present, and all of the bands certainly gave the audience a lot to enjoy, especially when different members would mimic other's on stage. Sure, the questions weren't anything too special, but the result was great, and thanks to some quick thinking and the power of technology I was able to capture the whole Q&A, which I'll link to here of course.

Between the AMV competition and the Q&A session, much time had passed so before my brother and I decided to grab some dinner, we made a sweep of artist alley to pick some cool poster's we saw, which in case I can't scan, I'll just tell you the shows that are featured: Bleach, Haruhi, and Naruto. Trust me, I think they're cool.

The final hurrah then for us at AWA was then the concert itself, which was truly awesome to say the least. Due to the return drive, my brother and I were only able to stay for The Captains, but seeing the mass of people there getting into the music made me feel so good, especially after the few people that came to Chattanooga. Even more than this though, you could tell the band's energy level had just risen to a new high, which I thought hardly possible. As you may have guessed, yes I got some footage, but only two songs sadly since my battery was dying, but even so I hope you enjoy what I did get! That was truly the capstone for a great day, and a great con which I plan to return to for sure!!!

The Captains, The Emeralds, & Peelander-Z

2007-09-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

For so many of us, the chance of seeing a JRock, JPop artist/band at a Con is a thrilling experience... So, when I hear that Japanese musicians are coming to tour the States, I'm extremely excited! In other words, right now I'm oh-so extremely excited because the JRock bands, The Captains, The Emeralds, & Peelander-Z, are not only touring, but they're also coming to my neck of the woods, good ole' scenic Chattanooga, TN!!!

Even more intriguing is that through what was mostly accident, I am now helping promote The Captains and their visit to Chattanooga. I won't go into details regarding the how, but I will provide the who. Mainly the fact that Eric Bresler, director of Otaku Unite! and also the creator and owner of the website and label(?) Tokyo No Radio, is in charge of the Captains tour, so I'll be helping him out with posting up flyers and posters.

Now many of you probably already know Peelander-Z and possibly the band The Emeralds, since they've toured the US before, both having gone to SXSW; however, this is the first time for the band The Captains, and it promises to be an awesome show!!!

For those who want to know more, they have a MySpace and website which I'll link to, but here's a little blurb about them.

About the Captains:
Modern Group Sound champions The Captains consider themselves the “Last Group Sounds”, proudly carrying on the tradition of their rock and roll forefathers. The Captains’ first two records were released in 2002 on the independent Autobahn Records label. These were followed by their 2004 release “The New World” in which the band solidified their sound and style. The Captains’ made their major label debut on Toshiba EMI with their fourth record, “The Rock’n’Roll Frontline” in 2006. Also that year, in honor of the genre’s 40th anniversary, The Captains released a three song EP entitled “GS Covers” which included covers of GS legends The Carnabeats and The Dynamites.

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Cool, huh? Even more cool, and something for a longer talk later, is that you can find their album Bara No Ori on iTunes, or if you pre-order their new album, "Last Group Sounds" now from Tokyo No Radio up until the 18th of this month, you can get a free sticker and tour poster.

At this point you may be wondering, yes but will they be coming to my area? Well, for your sake I hope so; but for sure, the three bands' biggest performance will be undoubtedly at Anime Weekend Atlanta, in addition though, you can find these bands in a variety of cities all throughout September, so hopefully you can stop by and hear them play!

Enough of my scribbling though, I'll just let you go check them out for yourselves...

The Captains
- MySpace
- Tokyo No Radio: The Captains

Peelander-Z
- MySpace
- Official Site

The Emeralds
- MySpace

More purchases...

2007-09-02T20:41:00.001-07:00

Manga/Web Comic Sampling, originally uploaded by millermz.

Seems like every time I come into a little money I end up spending it fairly quickly, and that was exactly what happened today when my brother and I hit up our local anime store. Even so, I'm always happy upon leaving, and I definitely feel we got our fill today.

My brother's stash

Tokyo Godfather's (Movie)
Samurai 7 (Complete Series)
Pocky (Plain Chocolate)

My stash

Berserk (Complete Series)
I My Me! Strawberry Eggs (Complete Series)
Pocky (Almond and Chocolate)

So add this with what I purchased recently, including the documentary Otaku Unite!, and I have enough to last a club a whole year!!! Or so I imagine...

Snack Break - Men's Pocky

2007-09-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

Men's Pocky, originally uploaded by millermz.

Well, I've been able to keep up with my quick pace much better than I imagined, but I believe it's time for a snack break.

That's right, time for some pocky, but not just ordinary or strawberry pocky, this is the infamous Men's pocky! Ok, at least I thought it was infamous as the concept is truly strange, but upon tasting it I really only noticed a slight difference in the taste and texture. For instance, I believe this may have a bit more chocolate, although I can't confirm it for sure, and while it tastes almost like normal chocolate pocky this Men's pocky took on almost a fudge flavor which was definitely nice.

So overall, even with slight changes, this is tied for first now with strawberry pocky, and I will definitely purchase some in the future! Of course, I'm a male eating Men's pocky, but what would happen if...?

Samurai Deeper Kyo Review

2007-09-01T18:44:00.001-07:00

kyo, originally uploaded by simalem.

"Four years have past since the bloody battle of Sekigahara. On that day a legend was born - Demon Eyes Kyo the 1000 man slayer. Since then he has lain dormant, hidden inside the body of a medicine man, a healer named Kyoshiro Mibu. But now Demon Eyes Kyo has awakened. The future as it was meant to be, will now be changed forever."

Or so says every opening in the English dub, which is how I watched this show. Honestly, I was confused too much while watching this show to string together a highly cohesive plot, so we'll just leave it at that.

At this point let me say this will probably be the most negative review yet, since for the most part I've truly liked the shows. Of course, while some of you may be excited about this, I do have to say for the most part I did enjoy the show; however, enjoying the experience and enjoying the anime may be quite different, since this show was just lacking.

Let me launch into my main problem, and that would be the overall confusion presented in the show by the numerous characters. In the first episode the audience is introduced to Kyoshiro, who's a medicine man, Yuya, who's a bounty hunter, and I believe Yukimura, who you find out about later. Seems simple thus far with only three characters but, and I invite you to check out the wiki "list of characters", as each episode progresses there seem to be an exponential increase in the number of main characters present. So much so that by the end I bet few people remember who's who, or more importantly why they are where they are in the first place?

Which brings up another matter, and that's the issue of each character's goals. Eventually, and this really doesn't spoil much, many of the characters hang around Kyo, and usually each of them have an episode early on focusing on some part of their history. Sometimes though, these episodes explain very little and merely bring out more questions, while other times when what's settled has been settled, you'd imagine the character would leave, but for whatever reason they are still there!!!

Now, let me speak to the animation, which overall I thought was done well, when you could see it. Apparently, and I don't know how widely this is known, there's something called the "Kyo Effect" or similar to that at least, among the crew of the OtakuGeneration.net podcast. This refers to the overuse of pans and close-ups on characters, thus allowing the animator to focus solely on the faces and lips, while actually showing very little of the body movement. This can lead to some boring fights, which makes since once you've seen the show, since very few fights keep your attention, let alone make you really get into the action.

Like I said, I did enjoy the experience, but for me that was because I watched it with my friend who got me into anime. We do both agree it wasn't the best fare though, and I can only put my hope in the manga, which I've told has been significantly better. Let's hope so...

JAMPcon!!!

2007-09-01T14:44:00.001-07:00

JAMPcon Banner, originally uploaded by millermz.

I have been meaning to post something on JAMPcon for sometime now; however, now that I've finally got the chance, well be prepared because I won't hold back!

Specifics (in journalistic terms):

What? - JAMPcon is the 2nd anime convention hosted in Tennessee, and the first ever in Chattanooga.
Where? - Chattanooga, TN at the Choo Choo
When? - March 28-30, 2008

I'm extremely excited about JAMPcon because after I moved away from Bowling Green, KY, home of Daigacon, back to Tennessee, I thought it'd be awhile before an anime convention was in my backyard. However, JAMPcon has changed all of that!

This first year is to be themed Final Fantasy, which for many of you should add a whole level of fun, or maybe just curiosity. Additionally, the guests thus far are Samantha Harte and Illich Guardiola with more on the way I'm sure.

So if you live anywhere near Chattanooga, or will be in the area then, you should definitely try to stop by JAMPcon and check out what they'll have to offer. Like I said, as planned this should be my second con ever, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the otaku of Chattanooga can create!

For more details:
- Official Site: http://www.jampcon.net/
- MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jampcon
- Forum: http://www.phpbbplanet.com/jampcon
- Or check the group out on Facebook...

New blog favorite and other updates

2007-09-01T12:12:00.001-07:00

Well, first I'd like to make note of a cool blogger I met online, and his site Meansauce. I've listed Meansauce under my favorite blogs category on the left, so feel free to visit!

Additionally, I realized that I have so many reviews and updates to give, that I may just have to make a number of posts back to back in a very short time period. Since most of my readers find specific post's through Google, I'm not too troubled by the idea, but I just wanted to warn any of you who read post by post that hopefully a lot of posts are on the way. I promise for some of you these are going to be great, and for others maybe just noteworthy, but hopefully cool.

So now onto my next post, the first of the batch!!!

Black Lagoon Season I and II Review

2007-09-01T10:39:00.001-07:00

Alter Revy 10, originally uploaded by JuJu_B.

Rokuro Okajima was just a mild-mannered white-collar for a big Japanese company. Like many at his level, here was more of a whipping boy for the company, and he seemed fine with that. That is until he's taken hostage by the Black Lagoon and left as dead by the company he works for.

Rokuro takes this moment to change his identity to Rock and he joins up with his hostage takers the Black Lagoon, where along with the misfit crew, Revy, Dutch, and Benny, he finds a world where violence and crime are the law, and business is either "kill or be killed."

Now I'd like to say that after so long without a review, I thought choosing a newer show would be much appreciated, especially if you like me buy a couple, or a few, anime magazines and kept seeing the Black Lagoon ads and promos and wondering is the show really any good?

Generally I'm worried when I see that much press on a show, and especially so much press focusing on one character, specifically Revy (pictured above.) Every ad I've seen has Revy, filling that girls with guns quota, just staring at you gun drawn and ready to fire, (which if you watch the show you'll see really does fit!) Here's how AnimeInsider described Revy in a section titled 'Gratuitous Fan Service.'

"For an antitdote to the too-cutesy girls of the anime world consider Revy. A tattooed, swearing spitfire of a woman, she's all about drinking, smoking and never properly buttoning her shorts. And, for that added touch of realism, she's genuinely messed up in the head."

This is as you'll see if you watch the show a very fitting description; however, I thought this focus would be distracting, or just infer there's no plot so guys out there watch Revy!

Thankfully though, this is quite the contrary. Having seen all 24 episodes produced, the 1st season and the 2nd season Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage, I would have to say the show is actually a good example of how violence, plot, and characters with some depth can still go together. So even if you just watch the show for the action, you can at least appreciate the character's, especially when you see Rock, with his white-collar background, reach deep inside these hardened criminals heart's and truly affect their lives, or at least try to.

Now don't expect the show to get too sappy though, because even when Rock does show the alternative less-violent side to a situation, often that get's blown away by gun smoke from many directions. However, we do gradually see humanity returning, and even with as open and ending as the 2nd season has (please let there be a third just for resolution...) we know that hope for the characters is not too far because after only a couple episodes we quickly care for them

As an aside I suppose, I don't usually dwell on the animation too much, because while it's not overly artsy it's definitely not low-budgeted either, so it's just nice and not distracting. I believe the show is so story driven, that while the shoot-outs are very cool, the director probably wanted to focus on the characters more then special effects.

Overall, I left with a very positive feeling about this show. True, the concept of an average guy getting stuck with criminals, outlaws, or otherwise is not completely original, but I believe when you see how it all plays out, you'll realize that the show is more then just, especially in the character Rock

Now, let's see if they come out with another season, because I need more closure!!!

Question?

2007-08-26T19:46:00.001-07:00

Question? !, originally uploaded by megadem.

Over the past couple months I've kept up fairly regularly with this blog, which I'm definitely glad to be able to say. I've provided anime reviews, links to amv's and music videos, one con report, and of course just some general banter.

Even so, my honest intention of creating a blog was to hopefully create either an exciting site that many would like to visit regularly, or a dedicated few which is cool too, or on the other hand this blog could be a launching pad for a hopeful career/part-time work writing for anime/otaku publications about anime/otaku topics. Now, I know I'd be impatient to expect either of those options to have really happened, but I still can't help thinking that I have more that I could do, no that I should do, to help with the blog.

So, here's my question posed to you, and it's simply this - should I try to conduct interviews for this blog. While this may be something that'd give an obvious boost, I ask this credulously because my blog is admittedly nothing special, and I don't know who I'd be able to really even get as an interview subject at this point. Not to mention, that I'm still fairly new in the fan community, so I have not met many people yet, at least personally, that might qualify.

Now, I do have interview experience, having interviewed bands for my college's online magazine, and having covered a convention before - Daigacon (which finally explains for all those wondering early on why I was busy so much during the con.) So it's not like I lack the skill, just the name recognition, or site recognition.

I already mentioned one reason why this interest me, but additionally I am hoping to start an anime/jrock/jpop anime show at my local college radio station (show name suggestions, please! ), and will hopefully conduct interviews for that as well. However, that's still in my mind, so at the moment both the concept of interviewing for the blog, and me doing the radio show, are still possibilities, albeit a definite hopeful for the show.

Well, I know this is long, but I really would appreciate any feedback regarding this. Perhaps I'll find the answer myself, but I like comments as well, so don't be afraid to leave some.

Ok, so regardless my next post will be something a lot less introspective and a lot more otaku so if you didn't like this, then please await the next post, which will be so much cooler... I hope.

JRock Band Vid - Mono

2007-08-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

When I heard the Japanese rock group Mono (rhymes with Oh No) was in the process of touring the U.S., and that they'd be swinging by my area, I knew immediately that I wanted to go, but I didn't know what they sounded like. As happens so often, YouTube became an excellent resource as I found this video that I'm sharing today, featuring Mono playing live (& a brief interview).

I watched several other vids, and went on their MySpace as well to learn more about the band; however, this video served as such a great introduction, that I thought I should pass it onto you. Who knows? Maybe Mono is touring in your area. (Just check http://www.tokyonoradio.com/tours.html)

Even if they're not, Mono is one of a number of groups which have albums selling in the U.S. online, and presumably in a few stores, for the traditional domestic prices we're used to, i.e., 10$/15$. So you can check them out there...

Of course, you may not know whether you like the music yet, so all chatting aside, and here's the video.

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Artist: Mono
Song: Yearning

Time + Anime = Many Episodes Watched

2007-08-24T21:25:00.001-07:00

Death Glare, originally uploaded by Cristie H..

This is going to be quick and simple, so let me just say that once again I've found myself with a fair amount of time to watch anime, and in doing so have gone through a couple of shows (and one movie), which I will now list with one or two words describing my opinion of them.

1. Habane Renmei - Surprisingly depressing
2. Cowboy Bebop - Definite fan
3. Elfen Lied - Woah! Gory...
4. Cowboy Bebop Movie - Well done

Since my full reviews seem to get the most visits, I'll try to eventually give a full review for all of these shows, but that's all for now!

Preview: Claymore

2007-08-19T08:11:00.001-07:00

preview_claymore, originally uploaded by winghon83.

For those of you who give this site more then a momentary viewing, you've probably realized that while I end up finishing and writing reviews on all these shows that my list of anime that I'm "Currently Watching" just seems to become larger.

Well, it's done so again with the addition of two new series I'm really into, and that's Claymore and Darker Than Black. Before I give a little plot introduction on the first of those two shows, Claymore, I'd merely like to comment that I am most likely getting myself in too deep by watching this many shows, because most of them are, or are going to be, at least 50 episodes long, and the one show that's short xxxHolic just had a sequel announced, so that'll mean even more episodes that I have to watch for that show. Clearly I've just found too much free time somewhere, because I wait for the fansubs, and since they're all scattered about, in terms of release time, I find myself impatiently wanting to watch more which ultimately leads me to, you've guessed it, another new anime series! Well, enough about my impatience and the drawbacks therein, let me tell you a bit about Claymore, my latest "Currently Watching" addition.

Claymore: A Preview

The time period for this show is probably back in the 1700's or 1800's, when most of humanity still found themselves in towns or villages. Life isn't so simple though, because monsters called Yoma are killing off villagers, only to then assume the mind and body of one of their prey, and blend in thus preventing detection and allowing for more feedings.

The only weapon the humans have are beings called Claymores, due to their distinctive weapon of choice, the sword known as the claymore. These are women, half-human and half-yoma, who can detect and most often kill Yoma, and are paid to do so. The Claymores are not entirely trusted by humans, as they are part yoma themselves; however, this somewhat stable relationship continues as they keep mutual distance from each other.

However, one boy named Raki, whose parent's were the first to be killed by Yoma in their village, finds himself attached to the Claymore sent to kill the Yoma. The Claymore, surprised by his attachment, does nothing to intentionally keep him around, and instead advises him to leave, yet the two find themselves soon enough traveling companions, as the Clare, the Claymore, alongside Raki goes from mission to mission.

-- Now, that's jumping a bit ahead, about an episode or two, but that's the general idea. I want to mention at this point in time that I'm a real fan of the series, and I would definitely recommend the show (having now seen the first 20 episodes myself.) Heavy with violence and fighting, those fans who want to see, as Daryl Surat puts in his Otaku USA review, "...Berserk, only with a girl instead of a guy" will definitely find this show a treat, as I have so far.
__________________________

Well, thanks for reading, and next time I might write about Darker Than Black, or give my full review on Samurai Deeper Kyo, or something entirely different. Who knows?!?

My 1,800 Yen Worth

2007-08-16T20:22:00.001-07:00

IMG_2104.JPG, originally uploaded by tabasou.

Well, with the help of JList.com I was able to supply myself with some nice JPop/JRock music, and while I am still saddened that none of the bands associated with Sony or their affiiliate labels can be found on iTunes Japan I still like what I picked-up which I shall now describe.

First, since I had pretty limited funds I didn't want to go spending it all on one CD, so I primarily stuck to EPs and Singles. Thus, when I ran across the Japanese band Onsoku Line, when looking at bands said to be similar to The Pillows, I was very happy to find they had just release a new Single release titled Koiuta. After a quick sampling of the three tracks: Koiuta, Kogarashini Dakarete, and Amemachi, I felt happy enough, and spent my first 500 or so yen on their single.

Next I went for an artist I'd already found to be on iTunes Japan and that's the group Back-On. They're best known for doing the opening song for Air Gear, titled Chain; however, I'd found their other songs to be pretty cool too, especially their most recent single New World. But I didn't want to waste my precious iTunes Japan card on something I could easily get, or already had, so instead I went into their back catalog and purchased their EP titled Adachi Tribe.

One thing I was afraid of was that I'd be left with less that 150 yen, since that was the going price of the cheapest songs; however, somehow I must've gotten truly lucky because 150 yen was exactly the amount I ended up with.

So, and this story is much shorter, I just clicked on the rock section and browsed around until I found a track I liked. I happened upon such a song by Lost in Time, 約束, which I don't know how to translate but it sounded good and at least at present it's Lost in Time's most popular download, so I figured that alone was good enough reason to buy it, and so I did.

Now, as I mentioned I only was able to sample most of the songs, but I'm listening to them right now and will try to get back to you sometime in the near future with my thoughts.

I will make one comment regarding the process, and only to say that purchasing from JList.com, and then actually using the Japanese iTunes card was fairly simple, so for those of you out there who have yet to try it because of worries, well you need not hesitate. The only issue is what I ran into and that is the fact that many bands are not yet on iTunes Japan because of the Sony vs. iTunes fight over there, but you should be able to find plenty of music still, so it's in my opinion definitely still worth the money.

Well that's it for the present, and I'll return soon!

Paprika and more...

2007-08-12T21:42:00.001-07:00

Paprika movie poster, originally uploaded by Sakuya Masaki.

Well, I know I haven't posted in some time, but even in the week and a half absence I've somehow found much more that I can talk about. The main item being the film Paprika, which was showing in my city's downtown. I had no idea, but coincidentally saw the film listed and I went that very same day.

While I won't give the movie a full review, I will say I enjoyed the movie, especially with the theater experience. Having seen one of Satoshi Kon's other film Perfect Blue, I was more then prepared for a strange experience, and that is indeed what I got; however, one of the amazing qualities that anime allows for is an extreme sense of the visual surreal, while still being stylistically beautiful. Not that other genres don't also have that; however, it just seems directors like Satoshi Kon really know how to amplify those qualities of anime to a beautiful extreme.

My second item of note is more of something I consider a personal accomplishment, at least until I get a ton of negative comments, and that's the completion of my fourth AMV! I began watching Hayate the Combat Butler, after hearing about it on a couple of podcasts, watching the preview on Track-shun finally pushed me to watch the series, for which I'm grateful. I always figured, and still do to some degree, that heavily romantic animes aren't necessarily for me; however, I liked the romantic comedy side of Full Metal Panic, and I can now see why Hayate the Combat Butler, basically a romantic comedy with young characters, also attracted me. Of course, it didn't hurt that along with the comedy, they added often, comedically so, the breaking of the 4th wall, along with a plethora of funny anime references.

To get to the point though, I made an AMV with Hayate the Combat Butler and Green Day's cover of Lennon's "Working Class Hero" and as I mentioned I'm quite proud of the end result. So as not to hoist the AMV upon you already, I'll put the video at the end, but feel free to check it out if you like!

Last of all, my brother and I went back to our local anime store and picked up another batch of goodies. First my brother decided to grab the second Bleach OST (original soundtrack), and while it was my intention to grab some JPop/JRock, I ended up leaving with the complete imported Melancholy of Haruhi Shizuma and Bartender, which those regular readers may recognize as a show I've previously reviewed. Apparently, by purchasing one of those shows I was allowed to pick out a sticker packet with about 30 or so stickers all themed to various shows, and since I'm really not too picky, I grabbed a Naruto pack, and now have an aptly placed sticker of Kakashi's squad on the back of my iPod video.

So I guess if you take me away from posting about anime somehow I become more involved with it. Seems strange to me, but clearly I've done a lot since my last posting. Hopefully, next time I'll be able to go into more detail on Paprika or that Samurai Deeper Kyo review I've still been delaying. Guess we'll see as always!

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Working Class Butler
Anime: Hayate the Combat Butler
Music: Working Class Hero - Green Day

1000 Views +

2007-08-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

Now I know with the internet, milestones such as getting a thousand hits or views are really something few even notice, but noticing that I've now had over 1000 views, I have to say that honestly I'm flattered that so many people have passed by.

So if you do happen to swing by feel free to comment and add your two cents, because the internet is just that cheap. Speaking of which, I accidentally said I only got one 'strange' comment some time back; however, I forgot in one of my very first posts I had a nice comment sent in by Kristine, and I just want to say sorry for forgetting you and thanks once again for the comment! Even as only a few months have passed time seems to have passed by very quickly for me and sometimes I forget stuff like that.

Ultimately though, I want to thank all of you though who choose to visit for viewing, and I'll be back with more soon!

Beck Review

2007-07-31T16:46:00.001-07:00

Beck - Vol. 1 & Special Case, originally uploaded by millermz.

To be young, bored, and beat-up. So is the life of Yukio Tanaka, a.k.a. Koyuki, who is a kid with an average life and he assumes he'll grow up to become about as much of a nobody as he is know.

Then one day Koyuki meets Ryuske, an older teen who moved recently back to Japan after living in New York. Currently with his grandmother in a run down shack, Ryuske would seem to be even worse off then Koyuki, but he's got a passion that drive's him and that's music and his hope to form the greatest band ever. At about the same time, Koyuki reconnects with Izumi, a girl who was best friends, and likely Koyuki's only friend, when he was younger. Now though, she has changed - becoming more popular, and with her knowledge of music rivaling Koyuki's by far, even more distant in this new world he's discovered around him.

So Koyuki, infused with the sounds of the popular rock band Dying Breed, takes it upon himself to learn the guitar, and maybe one day become more than that average teenager he so seems to be.

As always, I feel I've left out so much, because Koyuki discovers so many friends along the way, and while this isn't a show that can easily be spoiled, I believe that you should still discover the show on your own as I did.

Which leads me to my overall perspective, which as you may have seen with my recent posts is just great! I love this show, and as I remember hearing in the commentary for the first disc, Beck as an anime truly comes off as a long running indie movie. For while there are some points which are conclusive, overall you truly are watching Koyuki grow up and discover what his passions are and what he should do in life. While some movies would make the ending turn out obvious, you never know what will really happen, and that's with all of the sub-plots as well.

Next to the music, which I'll get into in a second, one of my favorite aspects are the characters. There are some you love, some you hate, and some you just wonder about, but in their own way they are true. As cliche as this concept might b, you most likely know someone who's just like a certain character in the show, because there is nothing overall strange. While I know this is an anime, the show could, and maybe should, be done in a live-action format easily.

As far as music, I'd read from a couple posts on other blogs that overall it was so so; however, having watched the dubbed version, and then getting the original Japanese soundtracks, I'd say it was all amazing! As you'll hear often there is a heavy Beat Crusaders presence, with their song "Hit In The USA" as the opening song, and several other tracks supposedly sung by bands in the show being actual Beat Crusaders tracks. Even more so though, Toru Hidaka, vocalist and guitarist for Beat Crusaders, actually assisted with the music production for the show. If you hated that "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" Bleach song, don't worry because these are the Beat Crusaders at their best, and the songs composed by other Japanese bands, real and in the story, are likewise pretty awesome, so I think you'll get swept up in the sound just as Koyuki does.

So if you're into music, and more down-to-earth anime, then this should be an immediate rent or buy.

--- Well, I'm surprised how long it's been since I've done an actual anime review, but I'm glad I did... Now onto more otaku goodness elsewhere, and maybe I'll review Samurai Deeper Kyo next time, but I guess you'll just have to see.

Looking for Jrock/pop/rap/indie suggestions

2007-07-26T19:07:00.001-07:00

JRock @ Umeda Station- Osaka, originally uploaded by HONDAcrg.

I know I haven't been too traditional with my posts lately; however, I've finished up both Beck and Samurai Deeper Kyo recently, so expect reviews soon. Also, I just picked up an interesting manga called Bus Gamers, and while I know little about it, I'm enjoying what I've read thus far.

My main reason though for asking about suggestions regarding Japanese music of all varieties is that I'm going to try and host a JRock type show, or so I hope. While I appreciate suggestions with anime themes, I really want to bring the rock-ier sounds of Japan over, because I believe not enough people truly understand that just because the language is different, Japanese people still know how to rock. Actually this can be said for most other countries, but obviously I have a connection I feel with getting Japanese music out into the world.

Having recently moved, I seem to be surrounded my a new burgeoning fan community, and I really hope that I can be a part of that! Which reminds me I'll have to plug the debut con we'll have next year, but let me just part for now, and leave all that for the future.

Anime's #1 Emo Kid Is Back!!!

2007-07-21T15:46:00.001-07:00

Now I know I'm not that fast with news, but wildarmsheero, creator of the Mistakes of Youth webcomic, posted a link to the Evangeleon 1.0 trailer, and I thought I'd pass it along as well.

Hell Is Here...

2007-07-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Partly for amusement, and partly to push the last post down, so as to not remind me of the ickyness of Squid, I now present to you AMV Hell 1, the first of many now infamous AMV Hell vids (which you may have heard of already). To say the least, this is probably PG-13(at least).

There's more AMV Hell on YouTube, including full hour productions, but here's the original site, so go thank them for all the craziness they've provided!
- http://amvhell.com/ -

Went to Yuki!/ Fear the Squid!

2007-07-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally went to Yuki again. Now, while I still enjoyed the meal, I do have to say one thing loud and clear... I AM NEVER EATING RAW BABY SQUID EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, because no offense, it's quite disgusting.

Beautifully Arresting

2007-07-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well, regretfully do to the lack of a certain dubbed or fan subbed episode from Beck, I've had to pause my watching of the show; however, since I like it so much, I already planned to buy the series and now will just do that.

Now, many comments have gone both ways, on whether the music's actually any good, but for me it's been mix and match until I found "Moon On The Water", said to be by one of the band's in the show named Dying Breed, but actually it's by the Beat Crusaders, who did the opening track "Hit In The USA". Now, I do like the original Beat Crusaders' version, but I was just overwhelmed upon hearing the song sung *correction* as done by the Japanese voice actors. Amazing to say the least, in my opinion, and thus I'd like to share the vid here. Now, for fans of the Beat Crusaders, or just people curious to hear the original, I'll put that video up as well. But either way, it's an awesome song that just seems to have a real power to it that just moves you.

Enjoy!!!

Beck - Japanese Anime Version

Original Video Below - Beat Crusaders

I've found my "Dying Breed"!!!

2007-07-11T20:53:00.001-07:00

beck, originally uploaded by neomonkey.

Well, while the blog's apparently just not comment worthy yet, I believe I've independently found a show which I'll truly enjoy, and that's BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad. Now I'd heard a bit about the show, and the concept did sound pretty cool, but I was always unsure, and I wanted to get the chance to listen to both dub and sub, since the even re-did much of the music on the dub.

Someone ended up giving me the dubs, now coming out, and I'm hooked. Not only is the show about one of my greatest passions, music, but the realism of the show seems to add to it a quality that few anime are likely to have these days. Of course I've only seen a few episodes so far, but Beck's looking really snazzy!!!

Stuck In The Filler With You

2007-07-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I've hit a few episodes in Inuyasha where I can just tell there's little to no plot, so I'll skip ahead a couple to hopefully the main arc. However, my request for show recommendations is still out there, so hopefully I'll have some diversionary, fresh exciting show soon.

Not much has changed here, so I admit I don't have a lot to say, but I want to add a couple of AMV's I found on YouTube and a fun Eureka 7 / Bleach Opening Mash-up, not of my own creation, for you to enjoy.

"What Vincent's Done" created by InnerSakura16
Anime(s) Used: Ergo Proxy
Song(s) Used: "What I've Done" by Linkin Park

"(If It Were Bleach) Eureka 7 5th Opening" created by darkreu
Anime(s) Used: Eureka 7
Song(s) Used: "Asterisk" by Orange Range

"Can't Stop The Rain" created by Inosbiggestfan
Anime(s) Used: Naruto
Song(s) Used: "Can't Stop The Rain" by Cascada

Eclectic Hog Productions Debut!!!

2007-07-08T01:36:00.001-07:00

Eclectic Hog Shirt - Arrancar (Hollow) #1/Uno, originally uploaded by millermz.

Well, I know I mentioned some time ago that I might be selling products through CafePress, and while I wasn't quite ready to announce that on The Anime Life before, I feel that now with some good ideas underway, from a very excellent creative team, that I can unveil what is my CafePress Store.

First of all, since I'd like to think at least someone might like to visit? Anybody... the url is http://www.cafepress.com/eclectichog. Why? Well that's a good question, but basically the name Eclectic Hog just seemed to fit a) the eclectic nature of my project, while hog was something my mom through in, which was b) so much better than anything I'd come up with.

Now, the eclectic component is something to notice, if only because you might notice now that there are very few shirts actually anime related in the store. Well, with the Arrancar line-up, that should soon change, with 9 more shirts, and if interested, these may feature the names of the arrancar themselves on the backs.

The other shirt anime related just says simply "Fillers Suck." While I don't prefer to phrase my distaste in such a manner, I know that filler's generally are horrific, and I figured maybe some people felt so strongly about that they'd maybe wear a shirt saying so. Who knows, because at this point I certainly don't.

All I know is that I thought I'd introduce you to the shop, and hopefully you'll have some interest in the future to look around. Now, I will be providing some updates occasionally but trust me, this blog is in now way just a way to sell shirts, so while I may push Eclectic Hog products occasionally, with a side image or something, I'll still keep doing what I've been doing, which is blogging away all that happens or I've seen in my still relatively short anime life.

So, please bear with me if you hate this, or if you love this then thanks ahead of time in case you by anything, but since I don't know what you'll do, have a very ambivalent time, and I'll be back with a commercial free post in a day or two.

What to watch?

2007-07-06T22:47:00.001-07:00

Mobile Suit Gundam RX-78-2 / 機動戦士ガンダム, originally uploaded by coolyota.

Well, for some I may seem to watch a profuse amount of shows in a short time, and this may be the case. Therefore, I don't know if it'll be surprising to hear that I am nearing the end of both Samurai Deeper Kyo and xxxHolic. While I am a regular viewer and fan of Bleach, D-Gray Man, Naruto, and what left I have of Inuyasha, I still find myself wanting something different to fill in my waiting between fan sub releases.

Now, I have taken on a personal venture of watching the original Mobile Suit Gundam; however, I'm progressing slowly, as I am with inuyasha. Therefore, I was wondering if anyone out there would like to suggest a show, fantastically new, classically old or somewhere in between, for me to watch. Preferably, and this may sound dumb, I'd rather have suggestions of shows you think are good. Also, I'm not into boy-love anything, so no offense, but that's not going to be something I'll sit down and watch.

While I know I've only had one comment so far, way long ago, I still feel that it is only appropriate to ask those of you that drop by, and I know you're out there, to just comment at the end of this post, or any other post if you're not choosy, with a suggestion for me to check out. I'm sure this will lead me to discover many more titles if you feel interest in suggesting a show, and I must say I'd greatly appreciate the suggestion.

Well, that's all for now, but maybe soon, I'll be discussing a suggested show. Hopefully so, but either way, I'll post back soon!

Shortest post ever!

2007-07-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Yuki was closed for the holidays.

Don't worry though, because I will return.

Culinary Delights

2007-07-04T11:47:00.001-07:00

Cooking Lecture: Japanese - 松花堂弁当 Shokado-style Bento Box (Japanese "Lunchbox"), originally uploaded by panduh.

I am upset. For the entirety of my life I've only eaten Japanese food maybe four times. This isn't just upsetting as an otaku, but also as for myself just as a person, since I consider myself to be fairly cosmopolitan. Yes when I was younger the concept of raw fish disgusted me, and now having recently graduated from college the price for quality Japanese hurts the most; however, I would like to overcome this and thankfully I've found a way to do this temporarily at least, in the only was possible, and that is to go to my fine local Japanese restaurant.

At this point, I guess I find little harm divulging my current location since I'll only be hear for such a short while. Thus, I'm at present in pleasant Bowling Green, KY. Bowling Green is the home of many find things such as Corvettes, Duncan Hines (the man not the company), and Daigacon, the 1st going on 2nd year con that I wrote about in my very first blog posts for this blog. Incidentally, Bowling Green also probably has the greatest, of one of the greatest, percentages of restaurants per residents. Thankfully, this means there are a few Japanese restaurants around, but the only one I've gone to, and maybe the only one I'll go to, is that chosen by Yoko Ishida and Yunmao Ayakawa on their visit to Bowling Green, which is the restaurant Yuki.

The first time I attempted a visit Yuki I went inside to find a great atmosphere and a 2-hour wait. Being graduation weekend, I should've seen this coming, but I didn't and my schedule wouldn't allow for me to experience Yuki's fine dinging first hand, that night at least.

However, imbued with confidence that this was the place I had heard local otaku rant and rave about, plus seeing Yoko Ishida's autographed picture by the counter, I returned with my friend, whom got me seriously into anime, to venture out to Yuki another night, where I had easily one of the best meals in my life. Regretfully, I don't entirely remember all of the items I ate; however, I know I had sushi, specifically tuna roll, and some other great items that when put together, led my friend to say I had basically ordered a sushi-style bento box.

What's the point of all this? Well, before I leave oh-so serene Bowling Green, I've already made plans to attend Yuki one more time. Now, I can't say I'm going to be adventurous and trying something new, regardless, I can't believe that I, and especially my otaku self, lasted this long without it! Yes I know I sound like a fan boy for food, but with a restaurant like Yuki, it's hard not to be.

JRock/JPop Returns!

2007-07-01T07:12:00.001-07:00

Boom Boom Satellites at Endfest 2000, originally uploaded by .damien.

Well, I was going to try to write another review before I go on my week long trip; however, I feel that instead, I'll leave you with some of the tunes I'll be listening to on my way north.

First off, this is a song I've mentioned previously as being the second ending of Shakugan No Shana, and that's the track 'Aka no Seijaku' as sung by Yoko Ishida. Not only do I love having seen Yoko in person, but this is truly an excellent song, and the way it's transitioned into in Shana is almost always so perfect that I just keep watching the ending after every episode. Now, the link isn't to a PV (or promotional video, which is the music video equivalent in Japan); however, this is more of a slideshow I found on YouTube with different Shakugan No Shana related pics put to the song. Nothing wrong with that, especially if you like the show too, so go check that out.

Next, I was clickling around randomly in the music section on Crunchy Roll, when I came across an artist labeled as Japanese Electronica/Rock. This had me curious enough, but when the first guitar riff busts out of this song, the first of theirs I listened to, I knew I couldn't get enough. The band is known as Boom Boom Satellites (pictured above), and this song is 'Kick It Out'.

Well, while there are probably several more JPop/JRock tracks I'm going to listen to, I'll just let you in on those later if you're interested. Until then, or until next week, hope all is well and I'll return shortly enough - I promise.

Otaku USA Review

2007-06-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

While I consider myself to be a fairly punctual person, for some reason I've done a number of reviews of shows, both fairly new and old. However for some reason or another I have not yet reviewed the new anime/otaku magazine, Otaku USA. Now I know I've mentioned the magazine in a previous post, and specifically discussed how Patrick Macias, of whom I'm a fan, is the editor-in-chief, but I will now go into discussion about the whole magazine, all 158 pages of it, and give you my personal opinion, which just to give a little away is quite positive.

First, I am going to say that even from the cover I'm getting good vibes. Yes, I know they say don't judge a book by it's cover, but as a retired assistant-managing editor of an online magazine, I realize that covers of print magazines have a lasting value that you don't find on the web, and thus the cover's got to do both grab one's attention and keep it, all at the same time. Well, as Patrick mentioned in his most recent interview with the guys of Otaku Generation, there is just something about a an awesome looking samurai guy that says otaku.

Enough on the cover though, since you may already be bored, but don't be, because there's plenty more to come. First off, let's mention what is decently traditional, but still very cool. Well, the bonus CD is nice, then there's the Highlander pullout, and then you have the manga insert. However, they put a nice little spin on the manga section, and if you haven't figured this out yet let me be your guiding light, because no the manga pages aren't upside down accidentally. On the contrary, this allows Otaku USA to be read left to right, and for all of us picky wanna-do-it-like-they-do-it-in-the-land-of-the-rising-sun otaku to flip the magazine, and read our manga right. I mean correct, as in right to left.

Now, here's what I really want to talk about, and that's what I feel set's Otaku USA apart. First of all, the writers themselves. Now Patrick is writing and delivering those otaku tidbits which can only be had from someone who knows and goes to Japan, so it's pretty hard to deny how cool that is. In addition though, as I've mentioned being a fan of podcasts, particularly anime/otaku related podcasts, I can't help but be overjoyed at seeing both Clarissa and Daryl from Anime World Order providing their own thoughts as always, only in nice print form this time. Don't worry guys, if you ever come across this, because while you're great to hear off-the-cuff, you come across equally cool in the magazine.

Alright, now to the content itself! About time right, well that's what I'm saying too, but more in reference to the extensive treatment Otaku USA gives manga. Now, I'm not claiming to have been a fan for some long extensive time, and I'm definitely not saying that the manga is always better than the anime. What I want to say though is that upon discovering manga, I felt like I could enjoy old favorites in new ways, and enjoy new shows in a manner much more personal, and perhaps even approachable. Thus, when I first was looking for information on what manga to read, in magazines, I was sadly disappointed by the lack of good quality recommendations and reviews. However, Otaku USA not only covers with breadth the world of manga, but depth as well, giving just enough information for me to know what I might be interested in, and what may be something to pass. This includes both present series and future releases.

Now, I know Patrick, if he ever somehow comes across this, which may happen but probably not likely, is thinking we went to a lot of work to distinguish ourselves, and 'all you talk about are manga reviews which can be found online?' Ok, so maybe he wouldn't but if so you'd be right so far, because I'm missing what maybe most important, and that's what otaku don't get to see enough of, mainly japanese fandom. Shown wonderfully in Patrick's article on Gundam Plastic Model Kits. Now, Gundam is, and should be thought of, as one of the most popular anime series in the U.S., especially considering how much mainstream tv coverage Gundam, particularly Gundam Wing, has received. So you could say that model kits are popular here as well, and I'd imagine they are to a degree. Even if that's so though, few get to experience the phenomenon, especially at the home of Bandai, where Patrick builds a Gundam I'd say easily the size of a person.

Additionally, Otaku USA is able to draw in interviews it'd seem with Japanese manga artists, and probably others knowing how Patrick himself has developed connections over the years with the anime and manga industry in Japan. For this issue, the highlight was with Tow Ubukata, writer for manga/anime such as Le Cevalier d'Eon. I won't get into the details, since if you're curious you should really just buy the magazine and find out for youself, but let's just say from one interviewer talking about another, Jason Thompson, writer of the article, does a great job, as can be seen in the pages of interesting - no wait, intriguing questions, which lead most often to Tow and some equally fascinating responses.

There's more I could say, and I maybe should since I didn't even get to talk about the articles on Wonder Festival and the Tokyo International Anime Fair; however, I believe I've made my point with what I've said, and that is that Otaku USA is filled, and I do mean that, with lots of exciting content that any Otaku will drool over. (Warning: when reading Otaku USA, wear bib.)

On to the constructive criticism, I actually have to admit that I liked it so much, there's really little to say. Initially my only issue would have been akin to Anne's comments to the Otaku Generation crew, and that's the issue of American fandom, and the lack of in Otaku USA. However, I believe that for many who travel to conventions, which sadly I don't get to do enough of, that's probably old hat. If not, then maybe one day I'll try to pick up that torch and interview convention personalities myself, but that may be sometime off still.

So with all the profuse comments aside, I can just say that as a magazine Otaku USA has earned it's place as a new regular read for me, and if you consider yourself an otaku too, then I'd check it out, because I'm sure it won't be long before after you pick up the first issue, that you'll find copies of Otaku USA filling up your bookshelf.

Death Note - Manga Review (With Spoilers!!!)

2007-06-26T01:33:00.001-07:00

Death Note notebook, originally uploaded by Sodium.

Thanks to the greatness that is my local Barnes & Noble, I have been able to get both Otaku USA, and now, the 12th Death Note a decent amount of time before their official release date. Thus I present to you in all it's glory, and just plain crazy length, my review of the manga series that is Death Note.

Death Note Review - Manga (w/ Spoilers!)

Light is a genius. True fact. Light is the number one student in all of Japan. On top of that, Light's brilliant mental capacities have allowed him to assist his dad, Chief Inspector Soichiro Yagami, in solving several cases, which without Light's help may have been left a mystery. Yet, Light's life seems to be too routine, almost boring, while the world arround him appears to have, our modern world presumably, has sunk further and further into deeper levels of banality, criminality, and just plain filthiness.

Ryuk is a death god. True fact. Ryuk however has no particular skills that we're made aware of. Instead, like all death gods in the shinigami realm, Ryuk only has a notebook known appropriately as a Death Note, which allows Ryuk to kill humans before their time, so as to extend his own life. Ryuk too is bored, and like Light has found disgust in the death god world, where other shinigami such as himself have forgotten their purpose and do naught but gamble all day.

So to entertain himself Ryuk drops his Death Note in the human world, where, as Ryuk later says, by mere coincidence Light happens upon the book. While at first a disbeliever, Light quickly takes use of the Death Note and uses his will on all those evil, much to the entertainment of Ryuk. Light want's to create a new world, with himself as the god; however, these deaths do not go unnoticed, as Light purposefully uses the Death Note to kill criminals only by heart attack.

Early on both Japanese and world officials,led by a mysterious genius crime solver named L team up to battle Kira, as Light has now become known, so as uncover the one beind the murders, and put an end to the mass deaths. Neither L nor Kira are willing to back down, and only time will tell who will remain victorious in this time of chaos.

SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT!!!!

Now, as this message states, all above for anyone who kept reading past my two previous spoiler alerts, that was my normal, spoiler-free introduction. However, seeing as how this has been my first ever complete series to read by manga alone, and frankly such a cool one at that, I figure I'll give the story a better going over, which will require some giveaways, both minor and major.

Still with me? Ok, then I'll start by discussing the part of the book before L dies. See for me, these chapters will always be my favorite, because the L and Kira duel pitted possibly the two greatest young minds of Japan up against each other in a way that almost sends shivers down the spine. Sure, L was just a sweets junkie, and Kira was merely a student; however, when the two twist and turn into the other's heads, the ride alone is worth the full price of the volume, let alone series. Even more so though, the conversations that the two have together, with L always suspecting Light but also keeping him as a friend, show how close L and Light had to get to each other, and really how messed up the world would become, as the 'friends' disputes, eventually leading to Light killing L, foreshadow the tough times ahead under Kira's semi-tyrannical rule. (That last point's up for debate.)

Before L died, I also felt that the manga creator, Tsugumi Ohba, probably used most of his best plot devices, keeping the story mixed-up yet entirely enjoyable all at the same time. In chronological order, we first have the entrance of the second Kira, whom we discover to be Misa. This sets up Lights first follower, since Misa is entirely devoted to Kira. More importantly though, from this point on Light always seem to rely on a least one other person, even more so than he did on Ryuk in the beginning.

My favorite part in Death Note was when Light's father Soichiro has to prove his son's innocence by following Light's false 13 day rule, where a user of the notebook presumably dies afterward. The ingeniousness of Light is shown to such perfection that the whole time you really have no concept how he doesn't either die or get caught right there, and yet Light is confident, from the beginning, that his plan will work and that he'll be free.

One other component I won't focus on too much is that part of the story where Light sends a notebook to a Yotsuba business man. I liked how the killing was chosen by committee, and the guess who aspect in trying to figure out which one was the temporary Kira was very cool. All in all, this almost sidetracked the eventual plot, but I didn't complain about that at all.

Of course, the climax of really the first half of the book is L's death, which completely came as a shock to me. Ok, well the timing was a shock, since I felt that at the end I thought L and Kira would be dead, by each other's hands. However, Light got his final smirk in as L lay in the midst of a heart attack, knowing he was right all along, and yet still physically unable to disclose that information, sharing the same fate as Raye Penbar's wife.

After this point in time, i won't deny I felt a little disappointment. Part of this was my fault, since I didn't get into Death Note when it first released, I was able to accumulate about 4 of the volumes, and read them succinctly. This was not the case with the rest, partly because I began borrowing them from a friend, and also because of the overall wait between volumes. This time gap allowed me to forget details that I felt were overall key, as often are in such a complex story as this. Therefore, every time I picked up a new volume by the time I got into the story, I was very well along in the book, and still piecing together what I thought I knew from the last book. Of course, this didn't kill my fun, as much as it just stunted it a bit.

My immediate interest in this post-L world, plus the three years of time gone by, was that not only did L become the new L, but that the original L had successors, named Near and Mello. Indeed, the presumption was that with the original L out of the way Light would basically have free reign since the investigative police force, led by his dad, were too compromised by their position to Light, and thus could be killed at any time.

This concept led to an ever more exciting idea, and that's the question which Light hinted at earlier, and that's would Light kill his family if need be. Well, in the last volume if you had any doubts the answer is a clear resounding yes!!!, but for this part of the series, Vol. 8 I believe, we as readers are still a little curious. Sayu, Light's sister, being kidnapped by Mello is therefore even more intense, and the death of Soichiro, while an eventuality as far as I believed, shows even more how serious the situation had become, and how much the world had turned.

Then again, when talking about the changing world, the whole ending of the book, after seemingly knocking out Mello, is really about this changing of the guards, from the police to Kira. Light kills significant world leaders on top of many more prisoners, thus sending more countries such as the U.S. and Japan to give in to Kira. In fact, the investigative team themselves become endangered because in the new world trying to capture Kira is now less important than protecting his ideals, and not only that, but is considered criminal.

At this point, we introduce two new characters, who stay more or less with us till the very end. One being Teru Mikami, who is hand chosen by Light as the new Kira, to kill while Light is under general surveillance by Near. The second character is Kiyomi Takada, an old ex who just happens to be chosen, due to her previous Kira support, by Mikami as Kira's newest spokesperson. As we see later, Mikami who is meticulous to a fault, is actually just that, as his loyal support for Kira ends up killing Light in the end. Takada, on the other hand, is indeed loyal, but also seemed to me to be the greatest risk at all, leading me to even believe that Misa might kill Light out of jealousy. Now I know that's stupid in retrospect; however, I definitely believe that Takada's death was impending, and therefore not surprising.

Last Warning for End of Book Spoilers!!!

With the latest volume, one might say little is actually done, and this is true, since Near's and Light's talking and thinking take up several pages. Really though Light almost convinces the reader that he might somehow live, although as the general consensus seemed to be saying, and correctly so, that Light would indeed die. Which he does, as Mello sacrifices herself to the cause, thus allowing Near to unravel the final trick, just days before Light really would have won.

What scared me about this part though, is 1) how depraved Light gets when he's about to die, and 2) how evil Ryuk seems about the whole scene, since he does kill Light himself. Sure, faced with my own death, I wouldn't be very happy either, but I guess since Light's a sore loser, he looks that much more beaten, and broken than most, especially when faced with his own death. As far as Ryuk's actions, true he had no loyalty to the start, but honestly, the entertainment was good, so just pay the admission and help a guy in need.

Ok, not that it'd happen, but there was always the thought, and that's really what the reader's left with really just a bunch of thoughts and what ifs. Matsuda himself ponders this aloud and presents a decently, although obviously wrong, convincing argument. In addition, the Kira followers at the end suggest perhaps that closure isn't meant to be complete, and that's understandable, since the world was ruled for a couple of years by a mysterious killer named Kira. Overall though, Light did seem to get what was coming to him, and while we followed him from the beginning, the parting was not of such sweet sorrow, as much as that of bitterness, and confusion.

Spoiler free conclusion!!!

So, to end then, I clearly enjoyed the story, as the verbose nature of my above statements I believe demonstrate. The story had twists and turns that I never saw coming and loved every time, along with characters that even with death seemed to leave behind some sadness, probably since most of the times they were crucial to the whole cooky tale in some way or another. All in all, I will say then the 2nd story arc may not be my favorite, or at least not so much as the L dominated first, but Death Note's a definite read for all otaku, who can appreciate some mystery, don’t mind violence, and like to use their mind!

Air Gear Review and Shakugan No Shana Updates!

2007-06-24T22:05:00.001-07:00

originally uploaded by lemontuned.

First of all, I'd like to mention that as you've probably noticed, these pics are from a variety fo flickr users, who allow their pics to be public, and thus able to be blogged. Well, while I'm not sure whether to contact them individually, I would like to thank those whose pictures I've used, because 99% of the time they are way cooler than mine. I think that point is proven with the above picture.

Also, as you may have seen in the past I used to rush into a review; however, I feel that since I generally have something to say on top of my critiques, that from now on the review may be after a paragraph or two, or in this case several, because I'll update you on occurrences first, and then I'll give the review.

So, today no updates about myself, but I will say this. I have kept trying to write about two items, one being my CafePress store, which although it has limited stuff right now, I'd of course love to show off and talk about. (http://www.cafepress.com/EclecticHog) The other is Otaku USA. I got mine about 6 days early and for whatever reason I have yet to review the magazine. Sure I discussed it, and I will state now I'm definitely a fan, and I know I've already mentioned that I like what Patrick Macias, editor-in-chief of Otaku USA, has done in the past, so that's a reasonable expectation. Still, I feel as if I should give the magazine a comprehensive review, so I'll try to remind me, and if you could try to remind me, then next time we'll make it happen.

Alright now onto:

Shakugan No Shana Updates

While, as mentioned previously, the second season won't be out till October in Japan, and I forgot to mention that there's already a movie that came out in Japan this past April, and on top of that, there's a OVA centered around a school trip. Yes, comedy galore if you're into that, and in this case I am especially since you get some slight insight into the enthusiastic friend, Matake Ogata, and her love for Tanaka, which I thought sort of expanded the Shana universe character a bit.

Lastly though, and perhaps most strangely, there are two mini-specials, or omake epsidoes. Omake means in Japanese extra or bonus, so says wiki, and that's what these are. Now, what sticks out about these specials is that Shana is entirely in chibi form, which for those of you other there in the know, cool, and those who don't, it's basically tiny, and even more cute, or so they say. Think Ah! My Mini Goddess if that helps. So yeah, Shana's tinier than ever, and yet most of the sequences are key emotional scenes from the show, just with chibi Shana. Ok, the 2nd special does distinguish itself with some strange repeats of Yoshida jiggling, but that's fan service for you, which also for those who may not know, basically is anything similar to some slight cleavage, or a panty shot for the otaku's added excitement, or once again, so they say.

Something important to mention though, is for the specials you need to have watched the whole show to really get the full benefit of them, and for the OVA, you just need to watch the first 13 episodes, so basically the first half, of the Shakugan No Shana series. As for the movie, once again we'll just have to await some fansubs, so look forward to that most likely, although with the show licensed by Geneon there's a chance they'll try to get a jump on the movie release here, although don't hedge your bets.

Wow! All of that, and I still haven't gotten to the review. While I can't promise the wait will be, or was if you've gotten this far, worth it, I do have a special place for this next show, but why spoil that now. Let's just get to the review!

Review of Air Gear

Modern day Tokyo is bustling as always, but with the introduction of Air Treks, teens can take their roller blading skills everywhere, as the new technology allows anywhere to become a their new skating ground, high or low, with Air Treks they go anywhere. The problem is that Itsuki Minami, otherwise known as Ikki leader of the gang the East Side Gunz, is that without Air Trecks his gang days may be over, as he early on is badly beat up by the Skull Saders. However, Ikki soon discovers that amongst the Noyamano sisters stuff, whom he lives with, that there's a pair of Air Trecks, and soon Ikki's not only learning to ride, but challenging every team he can and paving his own road in the sky.

First off, you may be thinking what I thought before I watched the first few episodes, and that's either a) rollerbading's not that cool, or b) even if rollerblading is cool, how can you make a show based on that concept. Well here's how, and the answer is with some success, because surprisingly enough Air Gear did captivate my interest. In fact, and this is why it's so special, Air Gear for better or worse was the first anime I ever found, and watched entirely on my own. Not only that, but I did it early too, and watched episode by episode as the fansubs came out while the Japanese run was still on.

More about the story though, what I really liked were the characters, because you have stubborn, I can do anything Ikki who really is just that typical anime character, whom may get on your nerves, but man when he puts his mind to it he really can do everything. On top of that, his friends are funny as well, with one character known as Kazu actually fitting that skateboarder stereotype, and another Onigiri providing humor, while looking more like a pig than anything else. On top of that, are the sometimes lovely, but often abusive Noyamano sisters. Ringo, whom you gather kind of has a crush on Ikki, is the one most seen, but the other's are often found in the house, beating up on Ikki or just disturbing him. As you see as the show progresses, they do show their affection for Ikki and actually help him a couple of times, but generally, except with Ringo, that's hard to tell.

Now that I've mentioned them, I can go into what will probably define this anime as good or bad for many, and that's the overt use of fan service. Well, I guess it's hard not to be overt when talking about fan service, but let's just say that while not over the top, the creator clearly intends, as is with the manga, there to be added emphasis on this aspect of the show. Perhaps the creator also though that awesome roller blades couldn't hold a show together, but whatever the reasoning, I just wanted you to be aware.

One cool component to this anime too, I felt, was the music. For instance, the opening theme Chain by Back-On, to use a term of old, is indeed pretty radical. I mean you really feel the energy of the opening, and are just excited for the show to start. The ending, Sky-2-High by Skanfunk (yes, Skankfunk) doesn't let down either, and may be cooler than the opening. So while this anime not only helped me find my grounding as an anime fan, once again as scary as that may be, the show also allowed me to develop my until then diminished interest in JRock, JRap, and JPop. As soon as I could I found both of these songs, and I still continue to listen to them, along with the slough of other anime/jrock tracks I've gathered through time.

So yeah, this anime sort of holds a soft spot for me, but that doesn't mean I can't bash it either. For instance, the premise is indeed a bit goofy, as, and I wish I'd been able to go into this more in the plot summary, you soon find out there are Kings so to speak, and roads, which certain Storm Riders, another name for those skilled with Air Trecks, travel on...?

In addition, the anime ends at a place where you just know there has to be a season 2. In fact, I've turned to reading the manga, and scanalations, for the sole purpose of discovering what occurs after episode 25, which is the final episode of what is hopefully the first season of Air Gear, and not the full show. If indeed the 25 episodes out now are the full show, then honestly I might come back on here and recommend everyone to just switch to the manga, although watching the air trecks in motion is cooler than just seeing them on page, or so I believe.

Regardless even with such qualms I've found the show to be overall very enjoyable, and hopefully if you start watching the show now, which is being released here in the U.S. by ADV Films, then by the time you catch up to the ending, they may have another season out in Japan.

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What, more you say? Well, yeah, since Air Gear also was the first anime that inspired me to make an AMV, strangely enough my most popular even though it's my first, I've decided I might as well upload it here, for the world to see and, if you want, critique.

What's Going On

2007-06-23T15:28:00.001-07:00

Anime DVD racks at the Place d'Orléans HMV store., originally uploaded by Steve Brandon.

Generally, since I'm either trying to post some sort of review, or other anime related content, I feel as if I rarely get a chance to expound about my own anime partakings. Indeed, I started of this blog with a con report about my activities, but it seems like it's going to be until next year till I am able to attend another con, so really all I'm doing is watching shows, buy stuff, and well talking otaku here on this blog, and assorted forums.

So, I'll try to expound upon my watching shows, since that's easily the most prevalent part of anime in my life. As you may have seen, I all of a sudden had Shakugan no Shana up on currently watching, only to marathon through and review it in my previous post. Before, and during that, though I've been watching Inuyasha which is quite a feat in itself, because while I do like the show, I do agree parts get repetitive, but more importantly I just finished episode 68, and I believe there are 99 more to go plus some movies, so the long haul is just that, long!

When I think of a show like Inuyasha though, I realize that while the overarching goal of collecting the jewel shards is always there, almost like a MacGuffin, there is still a fair amount of action. Naruto and Bleach on the other hand have seemingly cooler plots, which vary by story arc; however, much like Dragonball Z, training and talking seem to be more prevalent in the stories than the cool battles which, let's face it, are one of the main reasons many of us, male especially, otaku turned to anime, and these shonen shows in the first place.

Of course, anime isn't all fighting, and a show I discovered through Aaron of the Weekly Anime Review podcast, and rediscovered through Wildarmsheero of the Mistakes of Youth web comic, proves that, and that show is Genshiken. I'll do a full review later, but just to say simply the show is about Japanese otaku, and one I think all otaku need to see. I'd already finished the first season, and started watching the OVA's, which are pretty cool too. Now another's season's on the way, so I'm excited about that, so I guess with new seasons of Shakugan No Shana and Genshiken on the way I'm pretty set for my distant future anime watching.

Other than that as I mentioned I'm not con touring yet, since I'm trying to secure a job and really where I'll be living these next few years, but I've planned accordingly for really any company's town to which I'm applying. So for now, I can stay hooked to this blog from wherever, and talk to whomever, which is always cool. Like I've mentioned in the past, if something catches your eye, or strikes it like a stick, then please comment and say what was wrong, right, or just out of this world, because I didn't just start this blog for me...

Either way, I appreciate those of you who do, and have stop by, so thanks for that, and I guess I'll try to have another review on the way for my next post!

Shakugan No Shana Review

2007-06-22T09:16:00.001-07:00

shakugan_no_shana, originally uploaded by perry_marco.

Once again I return with another series, still fairly new, but one that has been recently licensed by Geneon. Now, I watched the subs, so my review will be from that perspective, but I have great hopes that this show gets a good dub track, because while I understand how it's not going to be everyone's favorite, I definitely enjoyed it, but let me just tell you more about that in the review!

Review of Shakugan No Shana

Anime has taught us that life can be short, but what happens when you find out that you are dead, and whom you know as you is really a temporary replacement that will soon disappear with no one noticing that you've left this world. Those are the harsh realities Yuji Sakai faces one day, when he meets a Slayer with Flaming Hair and Blazing Eyes. She saves him from a monster known as a Rinne, and from what he presumes to be an early death, only to show that the torch that he is now and all the other torches he now sees are only used to balance the world's power of existence, lest it becomes distorted and creates mass destruction. As the slayer, otherwise known as a flame haze explains, he is just a torch.

However, when the Flame Haze that saved Yuji, who is early on given the name Shana by him, realizes that Yuji maybe more than just a torch; Yuji, struggling to assert himself as, well, himself, wants to help, just as Shana does, and so throughout the series, comes to her aid, and teams up with her against those that would cause imbalance to the world.

Alright, now as you see the plot summary is a little confusing, and there is a substantial amount I didn't go into. Hopefully though, from this you'll get a sense of the basic story, and will learn the rest if, and I recommend that you do, watch the full 24 episodes.

To talk a little about the story in terms of other anime, I guess it's fair to say that while fairly mature in parts, the anime can often be broken down to cool action, and high-school love triangles, because as you see about a third of the way through, the story takes a very romantic turn. Now personally, and I believe I'm right here, I am one of the few males I know that maybe has a greater tolerance, and sometimes even a preference, for shows that have some romantic element to them. Full Metal Panic being a great example, because like Shakugan No Shana, there is still some nice action and fight scenes to behold. Unlike Full Metal Panic, there are no really filler episodes to speak of and the tone is rarely as comedic.

The animation, while potentially looking more like CGI at times, comes across quite beautifully, as do the character designs. As you see there are a variety of other flame hazes that at some point make a presence, and every one of them for the most part, has a distinctive style which makes them just look quite cool. I also think that, while some of the backgrounds are made to be static for a reason, that the detail generally surrounding their day to day lives looks nice as well, and makes for a full picture.

Lastly, what excited me about this anime when I saw the first episode some time ago at club, was the music. Now, I generally am not a quick fan of female vocalists; however, I liked all the opening themes for the most part, and really just loved the ending themes. The first ending theme, "Yoake Umarekuru Shōjo" by Yoko Takahashi is great with Shakugan No Shana, if only for the fact that they blending the ending of each episode so well with this ending theme. I mean I'd just admire the transitions, thinking about how this was done so well. My favorite song from the whole bunch though, was the 2nd ending theme by Yoko Ishida, titled "Aka no Seijaku." The song flows nicely as well, but doesn't get such treatment as the first opening in terms of transition. However, I feel the song on it's own just as a peaceful power to it, if that makes sense, and finding out that it was done by Yoko Ishida, whom I got to see at Daigacon, added even more excitement, and makes me regret that I missed most of her concert. Alas!

So, all in all I felt the anime was definitely a good package, with a nice story and nice style bringing edge to what otherwise might be just passed off as another romance/action story. I guess I will reiterate the point that if you thought it'd be all action you may be disappointed, as I know some are with Yuji, who at times can come off a little lame, but once you get into it, I think you'll be almost embedded in the story itself, caring about what happens to what characters, just as I was. Oh, and if you really liked the show, then good news, because they're releasing a second season so to speak over in Japan as a follow-up, so more to look forward to for the fans out there.

Bartender Review

2007-06-20T22:06:00.001-07:00

Bartender, originally uploaded by oxcuridaz.

I know that I want to somehow achieve otaku notoriety with my writing, as I've been hoping and trying for freelance work for a couple months now; however, as with all things I guess that may only come with time. As such, I hope to always have regularity with my blog, and good content as well. My last post was more on a whim, and something that interested me but probably not too many others. Now though, I'm back with a review of a show that's not been licensed, so I hope this will be of more interest to those few readers I've accrued in the past couple of months.

Review of Bartender

There is a small bar, hardly noticeable unless one's looking for it, known as Eden Hall. There works the bartender Ryu Sasakura, one who is said can give the customers their "Glass of the God." Indeed, Ryu does show himself to be a master bartender, and with each episode he is able to, with his knowledge of spirits and people, deliver to each customer their "Glass of the God" and thus alleviate their worries, and sometimes even improve their life.

That's the plot, and right off the bat you're probably think either this sounds very dull, or quite awesome. Well, I won't deny that this is the most placid anime I've ever seen; however, that comfort and serenity that is found in the bar, is perfectly reflected in the anime, and as each customer gets a pick-me-up, I as the viewer felt equally lifted.

Now, the series originated from a manga by Araki Joh, and has been adapted into this eleven episode anime. Obviously, the length is not too long to provide a real sense of commitment, and since the stories don't exactly intermix, one can go some time without watching an episode. I do still recommend watching them in order however, since, and this is one of my favorite parts of the show, people helped early on come back as narrators and help tell the story of others befit with woe who find themselves in the bar known as Eden Hall.

My only complaint may be that, while this anime got me interested in the work that is bartending, many of the stories told about the drinks, usually told to lend similarity to the customers' own tale, are in fact either rumored, or more-or-less made up. Now, this is not with every episode by far; however, just enough to where I wonder whether my new knowledge gained from watching Bartender is true, trivial, or even correct, although I assume the drinks themselves are quite real.

Might I add that one does not have to be an aficionado of alcohol either to enjoy this, as I myself am a legal non-drinker by choice. Merely the mystery of the bar, as they say in almost every episode, and the mystery of the character's stories is enough to draw me in.

Thus, I rate this quite favorably, and suggest this for anyone either having a bad day who wants to just relax with an episode, or for those of you waiting for subs, and want some quality anime to fill the time. As I mentioned, this anime is not action, nor really even excitement; but if you like serenity in a glass, and in anime, then this my friends is for you.

List of Methods/Rules to Increase Viral Vid Views: from the Viewpoint of YouTube

2007-06-19T11:03:00.001-07:00

YouTube_WTF???, originally uploaded by Sbocaj.

Well, have you ever felt that when you see a "book" for dummies, on iTunes and the like that you could have written that? Well, this is along those lines of logic, because I believe that I have come up with a fairly concise, and presumably pretty useful, list for those video creators out there that want to strut there stuff, but not just in front of a few people, but as many as possible. Some of these suggestions seem like common sense, while others are probably debatable, and really only come from my own personal experience. You may be asking, why post this here, on a forum about anime?

Well, for AMV's mainly. Sure, this list wasn't originally for AMV's, but with slight language difference, I'd say it works pretty well. Of course, I personally recommend adding all your AMV's to animemusicvideos.org, assuming the video fits their qualifications, because that is clearly the AMV mecca; however, if you want more views, through YouTube related sites, then that's where my list should help you.

(List is not in any order of importance)

1. Good, descriptive tags are a must, because this is how they search for your vid, and on YouTube many never read the actual description

2. Relevant title, funny if possible but don’t push it, the video should sell itself too

3. Upload to MySpace as well, along with other similar sites; better uploads are too video sites with niche’s that have your content style in mind

4. Send video to subject, if there is one; such as sending a link of a local band to the local band/manager, because they maybe will embed it on their site

5. Speed is essential; youtube is about fifteen minutes of fame, so if you have one quality vid that has relevancy only to the present or near future, like in reference to a recent event, upload that quickly

6. Bulk is preferable to uploading too; example, if you have several related vids, such as a series of vids from an art show. People search for events shortly after, not long after, and if they find one of yours and if they don’t subscribe, there’s a small chance they’ll return, so have all your wares out front so to speak, so when they click your username and see your vids you’re giving them all you’ve got

7. Tell friends, use myspace bulletins, facebook share/post, and if you have a related blog or website, then post it there

8. Digg the vid

9. Don’t disable the ability to embed; that may be your ticket to viral vid stardom

10. Send to potentially interested sites, band fan sites for instance, and related blogs; not necessary on the blogs, because they may find it themselves, but still nice, if you’re not too pushy

11. If newsworthy, send to newssites; the news likes different, and has been using youtube vids occasionally, so your vid could be just what they’ve been looking for

12. Slight vid clean-up if possible; yes, youtube is already low quality, but why decrease that any more than you have to

13. Respond to occasional comments on vid if positive, and especially if provide constructive criticism

14. Respond to really negative if there’s only one comment, and it’s not unrelated/completely ignorant, and if it is the only comment for 3 days after posting the vid; strangely, this will affect others views, so you don’t want the only word to be completely negative. Of course respond courteously.

15. Update your descrip. And add a comment of surprise to your vid, because you will be when you star hitting the high numbers; you can do this anytime, but milestones to watch for are 20k, 50k, and 100k afterwhich just jump for joy. Come on do it!

16. Categorize appropriately; if the vid is travel, then don’t say something else. Sure, sometimes these categories are more filled than others, but if you have a travel vid, that can lead to easy honors, and regardless of that, always try to describe and list your video appropriately; it’s the least we can do to keep the web clean

17. Credits are unnecessary, but if you want to ensure at least some sort of creative rights, then I say add them since people can rip vids off of youtube nowadays. You might also want to change the settings on the vid so as to ensure more protection?; but as said before, at least allow embed, and also unless everything’s going downhill, allow comments

Well, that was a long list, but hopefully useful. Now, I can't promise that I'll never do something like this again, but I sure will try not to, unless you liked it of course!

I recommend....

2007-06-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

Now, most of my post so far have been some reflection on either an anime, a convention, or perhaps a music video or an amv. However, as I get more involved with my fandom, I feel that at some point I can be more and more useful for those either just becoming Otaku, or those who just don't know about all the excellent resources offered to us as fans, most undoubtedly by other fans. So, occasionally I will try to provide updates, as does Aaron from Weekly Anime Review Podcast, on sales, or just special buys, such as one I'm going to mention later in this post.

Additionally though, I'll try to highlight some good sites for watching fan subs, if you don't already know of these, and for reading scanalations, manga translated before coming to the U.S., so hopefully you'll find these, and the other assorted sites I suggest at least decently useful. Of course, feel free to list those that you like as well, or if you run such a site, or similar site, and you feel left out then post a comment, and I'll be sure to check out your site, and perhaps put a link to it!

Fansubs

When I first started watching anime, as I've mentioned, all mine was either on purchased DVDs of friends or Cartoon Network and other anime tv programs; however, thanks to fansubs you can find those great anime before they hit the U.S. market, and then purchase all once distrubuted, right? Hopefully, so here's some links to nice fansub aggregate sites in alphabetical order.

- Alluc.org
- AnimeEden
- CrunchyRoll
- RealityLapse
- TV Links

Sales/Good Buy

Now, I saw this on Weekly Anime Review first, so all credit for the early news, but Rightstuf.com's holding a sale where, a special list of Geneon products, go for 10 for $50, and 25 for $100. While the products themselves are pretty good, if you're in the US you also get free shipping, so this is indeed a nice sale, although reluctantly my budget will not currently allow me to participate, I did catch their previous sale like this, and was very pleased. (Click here to get to Rightstuf.com)

Now, my Good Buy for this time is a less anime, but still sort of otaku, as I'm talking about something special going on over at Megatokyo. Currently, until this Sunday, Fred Gallagher, one of the creators, and only ongoing creator at this point, will be autographing all Vol. 5 Megatokyo books, along with all posters. Now, being a very recent fan of Megatokyo, while some seem to have slipped away, I found this enticing as I was going to get a poster anyways. So if you like Megatokyo and needed a little extra incentive, perhaps this is it.
(Click here for Megatokyo's store)

Alright, well I certainly outdid my short post from last time, and as always if you like this sort of thing, or don't, just comment. Be bold! I'll take all comments into consideration...

Until next time though, take care!

I'm back... but still a short post

2007-06-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well, this is probably my longest break so far from blogging, and that's due to a nessecary trip, which due to my schedule, kept me away from the internet. I'm back though, but I'm just going to post briefly, and then I'll go back to my normal lengthy posts.

First of all, I'm excited to see that so many cons are popping up in my local area. While I'm not all prepared to put my precise location, I will say Tennessee, and since most of TN is a day's drive, that leaves a lot of opportunity when new cons spring up. I'll list these in the future, with some revelation of at least what town I'm in, but for now, I'm just excited.

Ok, other then that I said I may from time to time post AMV's, including my own, and this is indeed one I made several months back. The video footage is all Full Metal Panic (w/ no spoilers), and the song is Not Enough by the band Our Lady Peace. This is the AMV that won me the Oh! My Goddess OVA set at Daigacon, so I hope you like the video.

Likewise, comments positive or negative are more then welcome, as I know I have much work still to do to become a great AMV creator.

Naruto Movie Reviews - 1, 2, & 3!!!

2007-05-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

(Warning - potential series spoilers, but no film spoilers)

I'll start out by saying that by now, if you've watched even just a part of the Naruto series, you've probably realized that the whole theme seems to be that with a little guts and determination, offered by Naruto, a down and out individual or team of same can do about anything, and thus defeat the foe that faces them. Of course traditionally this takes place over several episodes, and on the rarest occasion, in the case of Sasuke when he leaves for Orichimaru's, but who really didn't know), this doesn't even work as Sasuke's story is, according to him, sadder than Naruto's, which as always is up for debate. Regardless of that however, the films almost all, and I mean all!!!, encapsulate this idea, sometimes even three times, as I counted in the third film. So, really the plot descriptions will be short, because that's basically the idea, it's just a question of who is Naruto inspiring to fight their own battles this time.

Naruto Movie 1 - Ninja Clash in The Land of Snow

Plot = Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto (the usual bunch) are hired by a film company to serve as guards for their trip to the Land of the Snow. The feature character, Fujikaze Yukie, is a temperamental actress, who just seems down on life, and really only seems to shine in her acting. The part she plays is that of a proud princess, that charges into battle, inspiring the others. However, when we find out that she is indeed an actual princess from the Land of the Snow, which becomes the setting for most of the film, her movie seems to come to life, only with Yukie resistant, while a hidden past surfaces, and enemies arise to meet the film troupe and their guards.

What's Cool = The setting obviously, but not just literally. In fact, I love when Naruto and the others get a chance to get away from Konohah, if only because the setting allows for only much of the same, yet the frigid magnificence of the Land of Snow, acts as a perfect backdrop for battles, and heartfelt struggles.

Not Cool = Well, if you watch this first, then not much. Indeed this remains my favorite even after watching 2 and 3. However, you'll get tired of the resistant/whiny characters that need Naruto's inspirational talks, even if, in my opinion, they continually touch your heart somewhere.

Movie 2 - Great Clash! The Illusionary Ruins at the Depths of the Earth

Plot = You ever have one of those missions that just goes completely off of the original plan? Yeah, don't you hate that? Well, for Naruto and company, what started as a mission to return a ferret, developed into a mission to save hundreds, if not thousands of innocent people everywhere. Of course, that's what happens when, as Naruto discovers, puppet suits of armor aren't easy to kill, and confused dreams of utopia aren't easy to understand. Gaara and Kankuro discover this too, and thus join Naruto, Saukra, and Shikamaru in the fighting.

What's Cool = Sorry Sasuke, but it's good to have a change of pace, and adding Gaara, Kankuro, and Shikamaru to the mix, well, made your absence worth it. Likewise, for any who've seen the Fullmetal Alchemist movie, these armor suits are like those in the FMA film, only stronger, and thus cooler. Likewise, while this one also has a character much in need of a Naruto pep talk, the film takes it's time with this, and thankfully so to allow for more fighting.

Not Cool = I'm sorry I ever doubted you Sasuke, you deserved to be in this... eh, who am I kidding. Seriously though, I always wish for a little more action, especially in the case of Gaara, who I do realize really, along with the others, still only have so much power, but it just seems like since he became un-evil, (Wow, that's great diction...) he also seems to have lost some edge. I guess all in all I understood.

Naruto the Movie 3: The Animal Riot of Crescent Moon Island

Plot = Kakashi informs Naruto and Sakura that they're taking an A-class mission, along with Lee, to escort the prince of the Land of the Moon, and his son Hikaru (grandprince anyone?) safely to their home. During this short time, Hikaru, who is indeed a bitter, and just spoiled individual let's say, finally gains some respect for, and from Naruto, leading to the first of three pinky promises. However, much to my surprise the film was only a third of the way over. What awaits Naruto and the others is a surprise coup (aren't they always) against the King, thus forcing the would be visitors, and the royal family, to hide from the aggressors, and hopefully, allow them time to eventually take back the kingdom with the help of Naruto and the others of course.

What's cool = Once again, with Sasuke out of the picture, another character, in this case Rock Lee, is given the opportunity to fight, and look cool doing so. Also, the concept of a movie worked much better with this film, then episodes would have, allowing for a few more cinematic aspects to add to the general cool factor of this film.

Not cool = First of all, I almost hated this movie a third of the way in because I thought a) it was over, and b) that the only focus was helping Hikaru overcome his selfishness, and find some of happiness and inner strength. The latter part is true, but thankfully there was plenty more fighting to be done before that could happen. Lastly, three pinky swears? I know it's orginally a concept from Japan (so says wiki), thus it's not rare, but three? I think planning would've led to one very powerful pink swears, even though I understand the off-the-cuff pinky swears usually have more emotion behind them.

Oh gosh, what am I saying; I have gone crazy, but either way, I've done the reviews, so see what you think, comment back tell me I was wrong, I'm an idiot, both, or hey maybe you even thought my reviews were useful, and I love hearing that too, in fact much more then the idiot comments. Well, see you next time, and I have absolutely no idea what I'll have in store, so this'll be a mystery for both of us!!!

Outlaw Star Review

2007-05-27T01:20:00.001-07:00

Outlaw Star Wallpaper, originally uploaded by Squall the Lion.

Put one cat girl, one samurai, one bio-android, one genius whiz kid, and his partner, a cocky, wannabe outlaw, all in space with the best ship there is in the galaxy, or so says the ship's computer, and you have Outlaw Star.

One might compare the premise behind the early episodes to that of the early episodes of Cowboy Bebop, since Gene Starwind, the cocky outlaw pictured above, and Spike from Bebop do have a fair number of traits in common, along with the fact that both crews are really just trying to make a living, whether they're outlaws or cowboys, doing basically the same sort of jobs.

I mention early episodes though, because both Bebop and Outlaw Star branch off on their own paths; specifically when the search for information regarding Melfina, the bio-android/navigator of the ship titled Outlaw Star, and the simultaneous search for the Galactic Leyline, a mystery that is supposed to lead to riches beyond belief, begins in earnest, which only starts near the middle or even the ending of the series.

So yeah, ultimately the two plots are really the day-to-day survival stories, paired with the Melfina/Galactic Leyline stories, thus I can't go on much more there. But, what's particularly cool about the anime as a whole, is the characters, and especially interesting, is how they even come together in the first place, which is the point of the first few episodes. Most otaku will probably recognize some classic themes in the meetings, such as the idea of enemies becoming friends early on, as in the case of both Aisha and Suzuka, two characters that for differing reasons, have a deathwish for Gene. This makes sense since the characters are a bit cliche themselves, because really each character-type can be found in a slew of other titles, but no need to list all those here. Just to say, that while the characters seem cliche, they all offer a certain life to this anime which helps drive the story on, even more so than some of the plot devices themselves. Let's face it, if you can't care about the characters, how can you care about whether they win or lose, or really the whole story? Well, most often you can't.

Now, as far as animation goes, this show isn't all too old I don't suppose, being first-run in Japan in early 1998; however, even so the animation looks a bit dated. Once again, the character stereotypes don't help here, and really Outlaw Star just looks like Cowboy Bebop in terms of graphics as well, probably due to the fact that the same studio, Sunrise, worked on both albeit not exclusively. So yeah, the animation's no feat, but it fits, and in no way does it distract from the story, which is fine by me.

My final comment then is that this is a 26 episode show, thus you can get through it fairly quickly, but the investment's worth it and I definitely recommend this show. Especially I suggest Outlaw Star to all you otaku out there with a hankering for some action, and maybe a soft side for space themed anime. So yeah, check this out, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Anime Podcasts 2

2007-05-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well, since my next-to-last post I've seen the second Naruto film, but once again, I'm holding off on the review, mainly because I presume most of you have already seen it.

But hey, if you haven't seen that, or most of the shows I've talked about, and thus you are basically like I was only about two or three years ago, aka ignorant about the whole scene, then please keep reading and hopefully I'll be able to help you thru those early hurdles of fandom that either scare many away, or just pose as foreboding arenas of otaku gone amuck. (I'm talking about you 4chan!) Of course, I'm not the only source by any means :), and I'd like to once again comment on one of my favorite means of finding information about anime, and that's thru podcasts. Now, some time ago I wrote about two of my favorite podcasts, Weekly Anime Review and OtakuGeneration.net. Both are excellent podcasts, and Otaku Generation's about to celebrate it's 2nd anniversary, without ever having missed an episode! That's impressive...

But, and not to take away from their glory, there are many other podcasts out there as well, relating to Anime, Manga, JPop, and just general Otaku goodness (basically all thing's Japan.) Today I focus on another pair...

Anime Genesis (AG)

My first highlight is one I found sometime ago, when I first started listening to anime podcasts, and that's Anime Genesis created and hosted by Benu. Unbeknownst to me until recently, they've already had their two year anniversary, and that was sometime early to mid Winter of this year. Now, I'll admit, when I listen to these podcasts, I usually try to listen to every past episode, until I catch up with current, and then listen to them as they come out. So, I was churning through Josh in Japan (to be mentioned), Weekly Anime Review Podcast, and Otaku Generation.net, thus when I got to Anime Genesis again, after my initial hearing almost a year ago now, I was pretty left behind from that first listen. However, I'm glad to see that while some of the various co-hosts throughout the podcast have become less frequent contributors :( , (one feature of Anime Genesis that I like is their variety of co-hosts), the show has improved greatly from the humble origins from whence it began to a podcast which the fan community can, and should, appreciate. So, if you want a show with relatively younger Otaku then my previous two mentioned (OG and WARP) that know how to discuss, and of course rant, on anime and in particular anime news and developments, then this is a fine podcast to look into.

Josh in Japan (JIJ)

Now, this next podcast may seem strange to recommend to some, since Josh's podcast has gone into an extended period of dormancy. However, the archives are worth the subscription alone, and after listening to just a few podcasts, you wonder what else could Josh cover? For more information though, this podcast is hosted by Josh, and Josh alone. He is, (or was?), stationed with the U.S. military in Japan, and as such developed an interest for the culture, and really the world around him. Clearly Josh found podcasting to be another interest, and sometime I believe in early 2005, Josh put those two together. Each episode covered a different topic, or part of a topic, relating to Japan, and the cultures and customs thereof. Everything from what to do customarily when dating a Japanese woman, to cooking and eating, to hotels and transportation, Josh covered it all. What more could an Otaku want, then to learn in preparation for that eventual mecca to Japan? That's what I thought, not much... (except pocky for the long flight). So, go check out Josh in Japan; an early addition, full of quality, to the Otaku podcast community that seems to have just bloomed these past couple years.

Well, that wraps it up for my new additions, and I have to make sure to put Josh in Japan actually on my list of favorites, although I may just stick with podcasts that I'm currently listening too. I'm not sure, but regardless, I am a great fan of the anime podcasting community, and I believe this medium of fandom is an example of, not the future of fandom, but the bustling and exciting present that I'm proud to be a part of, along with, I guess, the near future for those who aren't already listening to the great content that can be found!

Mine and My Brother's Otaku Goods

2007-05-21T20:27:00.001-07:00

Mine and My Brother's Otaku Goods, originally uploaded by millermz.

Yeah, this is sort of a cheap posting, but I'll be back soon with much more goodness. I just wanted to show this pic, if anyone cares, of the little anime/otaku/etc. collection my brother and I have built up in the past couple years. For many devoted individuals, this may match but a modest portion of their own collection, but I'm happy with what I've got... for now at least!

Call me... Naruto?

2007-05-15T19:03:00.001-07:00

naruto, originally uploaded by millermz.

Call me what you want, but I will say it now. I am a fan of Naruto. No, I am not one of those people you think of wearing the headband all around, mainly because I've yet to cosplay, especially as a Naruto character (I'd have to be Choji), but because that's not me. Yes, I do have a Kakashi shirt which I occasionally wear, and a badge, which stays hanging in my car at all tmes, but I don't go around waving Naruto in people's faces every 12 seconds, or even every fifteen. That said though I, as mentioned, do like the show.

While I could go into some review now, as I originally planned for the first movie, I am just going to state my history with the show. To do that though, I'll take you back to 1990+ sometime. Back in the days when I'd come home from school and watch Dragonball Z, a tradition my brother and I casually shared. Now, this wouldn't be all the time, but it kind of became habit and part of my introduction to anime.

That said Naruto, with its fair number of similarities to Dragonball, has become my new tradition. Yes, I watch the Cartoon Network dubbed versions, and yes, I probably wouldn't have known about the show if it wasn't for Cartoon Network, and more specifically my premiere anime friend, but then again I can thank those two for most of my anime introductions (until more recently). Point is though, that watching Naruto weekly on Cartoon Network is my tradition, so I am way pre-filler, and loving it like you used to before the fillers killed the vibe.

Okay, maybe I'm just being harsh, but I think people stopped liking Naruto because of the hype, probably excessive as they say, and the fillers, oh the fillers! However, I've realized this will be the death of many a series, particularly shonen, if I let it be, so I refuse. As Naruto never gives up, neither will I, and maybe that means skipping the filler or something rash act? Not sure, but it definitely means that while I may be 'hated on' for watching, I will keep my tradition, and let those more adventurous, (at least till I’m ready), catch what's new, while I look back at their not so old memories, and rejoice anew.

Kenshin and Vash

2007-05-13T19:58:00.001-07:00

samurai cowboy 2, originally uploaded by Spiritus Ex Machina.

While the samurai and the gunman may appear to have little in coming, except perhaps apparent intent to harm, these two can be seen throughout anime in all times, in all places. For some, Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin, and Vash from Trigun, two of my favorite characters, the only similarity may be their intent to protect, using their weapons as guardians of love and peace, not of war.

However, these two go deeper then that and I'd like to break out of my regular postings even more to display the Kenshin/Vash traits which, with their similarities, tie them together as much as they tie them to our own bleeding otaku hearts. (Oh, and by the way - Spoilers are a definite!!!)

Of course, to start with the obvious; neither man wants to kill. More specifically, both have killed in the past, many people might I add, and they have a deep sense of regret about this. Even more so though, someone close to them, in Kenshin's place seen as an obvious love interest, with Vash's only potentially so due to age difference, are killed, either by the hero, as in Kenshin's case, or by an act of violence by a loved one against another loved one, as was the case of Vash when his brother Knives killed the crewmembers of the ship they were traveling on, leading Rem to sacrifice herself to save the others. So, as we often see, the heavy hands of regret and loss keep their weapons from dealing that lethal blow, or shot, and instead, more often merely wound the offender.

Now, to get into their traditional disposition, and that's best summed up by Wolfwood when he is still early on in meeting Vash - "So You CAN smile! Seeing Your previous smile so empty was like You were hiding most excruciating pain behind the mask of smiled face."

This fits because, while both Kenshin and Vash have a near constant smile, they've experienced things in their lives which few others have, and also live with the realization that much sorrow came about on their account. On the cheerier side though, this does mean that generally both Kenshin and Vash lead what appear to be happy lives on a day-to-day basis, especially when playing with kids, or helping out the women, Kenshin and Ms. Kaoru, and Vash and Milly, and more specifically, Meryl. Often, while the relationship appears strained, especially when the two hero's do something rash, we get glimpses into both Ms. Kaoru's and Meryl's hearts showing not just admiration, but true affection, and even love for the heroes.

One important idea throughout the story, maybe which I ought to have mentioned earlier, is the fame, or infamy, they have in their own respective worlds. In fact, in both cases the name Battousai the Manslayer, Kenshin, and Vash the Stampede, Vash of course, are so infamous, and feared, that the first episodes deal almost entirely with showing how Kenshin and Vash are indeed really the infamous ones and how due to their attempts at shedding the name, and all related baggage, they actually appear as if neither could truly be that dangerous. Of course, this fact is what wins over the hearts of their friends and loved ones, as well as we the fans.

Now, to look at a more general view of the anime itself, I believe we must consider the setting in which these characters live. Kenshin lives during the early Meiji period, where samurai are losing their place in society, and the revolution, that catapulted Kenshin to fame, has now lead to an uneasy society, filled with unrest, but also, so thinks Kenshin, the potential for peace. That struggle is what Kenshin trains his whole heart on achieving, and we always see Kenshin standing up for that ideal, even if it means crossing with an old ally.

Vash is much the same. After barely surviving the trip in space, due to Knive's own violent actions, Vash has seen the few colonists that survived, and landed on the desolate planet they reached, grow little by little, and Vash desperately wants to prevent such wanton violence that he saw with Knives, and to hopefully protect the people, who are themselves trying to scrape out their own existence.

Both Kenshin and Vash had some part in shaping the new world, and both feel a bit of responsibility for the progress, or lack thereof.
Which leads me into my next, and perhaps final point (due to length), and that is what we see often with heroic characters in anime, and other stories, and that is a near complete disregard of their personal safety. Kenshin, in a very stirring scene, goes to find Tomoe Yukishiro, his love, who’s by all accounts betrayed his trust, and yet, battle by battle, he pushes on. This is a unique experience though, particularly since in regards to the Rurouni Kenshin anime, this happened in the OVA's and not the series itself, but more importantly, Kenshin and Vash, in order to protect their loved ones, often go blindly, willing to sacrifice themselves for their friends. Of course, more often than not this leads to anger by those closest to them whom they were trying to protect in the first place, and thankfully these loved ones usually rush in saving the heroes from their own recklessness. Since of course, no hero can truly stand on their own, or so we're lead to believe.

Well, while there's significant amount more I could say, I'll leave it at this for now, lest I make myself tired of hearing about two of my favorite anime characters ever. If you like this kind of thing or if you hated it, or none of the above, please comment in and share your opinion. I know this was probably pretty obvious for those who've seen both shows, or read all the manga, especially if you’ve done so many times, but for those who have seen the series and maybe didn't get the greatest look, I guess this was for you.

Eureka Seven Review

2007-05-06T20:46:00.001-07:00

The Gekko, originally uploaded by millermz.

Well, as promised, I return with new content! Specifically, my review of Eureka Seven. Before I go into that though, I have mentioned previously, that one of my friends who really launched me into anime, had been watching several of these shows with me, not all at once of course. Eureka Seven was one of those shows that we started watching over a year ago on Cartoon Network, and to finally marathon through the last 6 episodes was great. So, I guess I just wanted to add that for some perspective, because now I have one less show that I'm "currently watching." But now for the review...

In a world unlike ours, a young boy named Renton Thurston lives with his grandfather in a sleepy little town. For entertainment, Renton goes 'air-surfing', for lack of a better term, on his rev board, trying to be just as good as the famous lifter (air surfer), Holland, the leader of rogue militia group, Gekkostate. What Renton doesn't know is that, thanks to his famous father Adrock, and Holland's own needs, the two shall meet. This, along with boredom, and Renton's burgenoning interest in a strange Gekkostate girl named Eureka, helps Renton decide to leave his grandfather, and join Gekkostate. What awaits is not all the excitement he was hoping for, as he has to fend for himself in Gekkostate, where Holland turns out ruder, then dude. Still, with the importance of Gekkostate's missions becoming clearer, and his fascination/infatuation with Eureka becoming stronger, Renton realizes that he'll have to grow up, to help, and even understand, those that he loves.

Well, that's more or less the story, and due to the popularity thanks to Cartoon Network I'm sure many have seen the show. So I apologize if you feel this isn't valuable, but for those who haven't, I flat down say it's a must. Now, throughout the series you're going to get a vibe that is strangely familiar, and that's of Evangelion. Don't feel worried, as this is almost expected. Similarities: Renton is about as wimpy as Shingi, Mechs are involved, Eureka is at first, about as lifeless as Rei, there is a father disconnect stronger than Shinji's but similar, and really, the crew has some similarities with Evangelion characters as well. Not to mention the story's pretty confusing, and in my opinion, the ending (no spoilers) is about as strange as the Evangelion movie's ending.

However, this is no Evangelion. Thankfully, Euereka Seven really lends it's own to the seemingly overcrowded world of anime. The graphics are great, and easily one of the drawing points. While the story is complex, being, along with Fullmetal Alchemist, another great Bones production in terms of the depth of the characters, and their connections to each other. At this point I'd say that while the first 15 or so episodes seem more like kid stuff, the anime gets a bit more gruesome, and just angsty as it progresses, so the Eureka Seven you initially like is not necessarily what you end up with. However, sort of like Fullmetal, you really realize that as the story continues, the trials and tribulations become more and more difficult, so a little more graphic violence is understandable.

My favorite components to this story, not to sound all sappy, are the various couples. Now, the main focus is the developing relationship between Renton and Eureka; however, Holland and many of the other crew members are almost all paired as well, and sometimes this adds for an interesting dynamic that, while treated seriously as opposed to anime styled high-school romances, provides humor to lighten the mood.

Something to note, that I don't always find superb in every anime is the music. Music is important in this anime though, so much so that every episode is even named after a song (although I don't believe we ever hear those songs). Thankfully this isn't music for music's sake, as most of the songs are really cool, ranging from hip-hop tunes, such the opening with Flow's song 'Days,' to cool techno pieces such as Hiroshi Watanabe's song, 'Get It By Your Hands'. Regardless, of what style, I think you'll find a song for you.

To end though, with what appears to be quite a long review, I will warn you that this anime can be confusing. As mentioned above, the ending doesn't necessarily resolve all your questions, and the anime definitely doesn't reveal itself early on. But, if you're willing to take the time to think occasionally through this seemingly daunting 50 episode series, then I say please do, because through it all, I believe that you will definitely be glad that you did.

CafePress and my new neighbors!

2007-05-01T22:54:00.001-07:00

Alphonse Elric - Fullmetal Alchemist, originally uploaded by millermz.

Well, I've been a little busy these past couple days, so I don't have a whole lot to write in this post. I will start by saying that I did finish Fullmetal Alchemist, both the series and the movie, and once again I will have some sort of review for that in the future.

Additionally, I've been noticing that the Blogcatalog, which is a popular blog directory that lists mine and other's blogs, has a set-up where user's can join a blog's "neighborhood." So far, I've had two individuals join, thus causing me to learn more about this set-up. Well, I'll post a message on you're pages probably too, but if you see this, then thanks ieh and nekokasan for being my newest neighbors. Indeed it is a wonderful day in the neigborhood... (And thanks www.blogcatalog.com)

Well, lastly I've been having this idea for some time, with a variety of other projects as well, to use CafePress to put some of my ideas/slogans/pictures in product form. I wouldn't make anything regarding this blog (yet?), since I don't have a logo or even anything remotely worth making into "The Anime Life" swag, but I am planning on making some t-shirts and such relating to anime, fandom, and just other related concepts. Currently, I have no products available, but I'll tell you when I do. If you are interested, or potentially so, then for future reference my CafePress URL is http://www.cafepress.com/EclecticHog.

Like I said, I didn't have a lot, but I hope to at least by this weekend. So until then thanks for stopping by!

AMV's!!!

2007-04-28T06:35:00.001-07:00

My AirGear AMV (Screen Shot), originally uploaded by millermz.

If you've found your way here, then there's a good chance you know all about AMV's. Just in case you don't though, an AMV, which stands for anime music video, is just as the name says. Usually, a fan will take a series, or a multitude of series, and clip some of the scenes together to a song, in some cool fashion. While the AMV's can have great technological differences, usually based on the skill of the user, plus the software, they all are a way for a fan to take their love of a show(s), and a song(s), much further.

Now, why did I bring that up? Because now, along with Japanese music videos, I will also post up some AMV's that I think or cool, or yes, possibly put one of mine in too... (Ah, those shameless plugs.) These will be from YouTube, but there are plenty of other sites that host AMV's, including the premier site, AMV.org, which if you get into this then you just need to check out! Also, if you like this, and want to see others, please comment below this post, and write in your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you...

Alright then, we'll start with our first one, which, along with all the one's I post, will be listed with a tag describing whether it has spoilers, and whether it's what I deem 'mature'.

(Has Spoilers/Is Mature)

Show - Neon Genesis Evangeleon: Song - Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drum by A Perfect Circle: Creator - MousePotato: Winner of Serious/Dramatic Category @ Otakon 2005.

What I'm Liking: Full Metal Alchemist, my new anime goodies, and Nobodyknows+

2007-04-23T14:41:00.001-07:00

Full-Metal-Alchemist_silence_9746, originally uploaded by ...EihciR Foto Album.

Well, I've decided that occasionally I might do a post sort of describing what I'm liking, to kind of keep you more up to date with what I'm doing in my own anime life. Traditionally, you only see the fruition, such as a review or a con report, but this will be my way of letting you keep pace with me.

First off, I'll start by saying that I've been watching Full Metal Alchemist, a show I should've already seen, and loving it. Now, I'd caught a few episodes on a cartoon network run some time ago thanks to a friend; however, I didn't keep up with the airings. So lately, I've been watching the Subs, and I'm around 23 and like I said, really loving it. Now, I'm sure I'll do a review, even though probably everyone else has already finished, but I'm debating whether to read the manga and then do a compare and contrast review, so if you have any ideas, just leave a comment as I'm not sure myself what I'll choose.

Now, I'm also liking Anime Stores, because until recently in my hometown there'd never been one. Now though, we have a store called Morning Glory, and while this is far from grand, it's still very sweet. I'd say that the greatest section they have is their import DVD's and CD's, since these are for the most part reasonably priced, especially from importing online. While there, my brother picked up the imported first 12 episodes of Death Note in a nice, and cool case (pics later), while I purchased the second Death Note movie (Last Name), and the 2nd soundtrack for the show GTO, or Great Teacher Onizuka, easily one of my favorite shows. Perhaps I'll give more detailed reviews on all of these later, but like I said I just at least wanted to share what I've been doing in terms of anime lately, and well shopping is the answer.

Lastly though, for my second music video ever, I've also been really into Nobodyknows+'s song 'Hero's Come Back!!', which you may recognize as the opening for the Naruto: Shippuuden. Now, like my last song by Orange Range, this too is a J-Rap song, and if you are just getting into Japanese music and think you don't like American rap, like I traditionally don't, then you'll still be pleased I bet to hear Nobodyknows+ because it is just an exciting, and rocking song to say the least. I particularly love the video, because while in some ways it seems simple, it highlights the different singers well, plus look at that spit take in the beginning! Wow.... is all I have to say.

Okay, that's it I guess, but I'll check back soon, and here's the vid:

Appleseed Review

2007-04-21T14:10:00.001-07:00

Appleseed, originally uploaded by TDKTyson.

Well, first of all, while the comments have so far only rendered one response, one creepy, creepy response, I realize that I was expecting too much if I thought I'd get more than 5, so I guess I'm happy with my one.

Hopefully though, you'll be happy because in this post I'm not pushing for comments, and instead I'm reviewing another anime film, this one titled Appleseed.

Appleseed is a film about a world trying to bring itself together after multiple, ravaging wars. Hope is out there though. In fact in this world there is an apparently highly successful community, known as Olympus, which is toted by some as a utopia. The main character Deunan, a young woman who’s highly-skilled with weaponry, is skeptical, partly because the police force of Olympus, known as E.S.W.A.T. kidnap her to join early on in the film.

However, Deunan does melodramatically reunite in Olympus with her lost comrade, and past romantic interest, Briareos this way, only to discover to her shock that his body is now 100% mechanical. Likewise, she gains a new friend Hitomi, whom she finds out is a bioroid, a name which more or less speaks for itself. Of course, life couldn't be this easy, and very early on we see that people are after Deunan, and additionally there appears to be an ongoing battle over the existence of bioroids. Will Deunan be able to find herself a new life in Olympus, or will lost memories bring her and her entire world down with her? And what is Appleseed?

Well, that's my plot summary, and if I didn't give the plot enough of a going over, then I apologize but this does let me get fairly quickly to my complaints. See, in general I find the plot to be fairly interesting; however, I don't feel I ever am close enough to understanding the character's feelings to really care as much as I'm supposed to. This plays out more in the relationship between Deunand and Briareos than any other part of the film, since nothing really happens at first, and then by the time we come to some sort of conclusion, positive, negative or otherwise, I just felt I didn't know their history enough to care one way or the other. Of course, a couple cheesy lines thrown in don’t help either, but that's not that rare.

Actually, and this is my primary complaint personally, I disliked the graphics of the characters themselves. First, let me describe how these characters look though, because it's CGI, but there's more to it. I'd say it's a combination of the Dead or Alive games, the Mii options on the Wii, and the early CGI Final Fantasy charcters. Now to some of you, this may be not just an okay component, but a truly cool part. However, for me I just couldn't quit being distracted by the character's graphics. Indeed, I do believe that the background graphics look really cool, and CGI work well there, but otherwise not so much.

In summary, if you're looking for just an amusing anime film with action, then Appleseed should fit in just fine. Especially for the cyberpunk fans out there, I'd say you may find interest, but just go in expecting a Ghost in the Shell, and I think you'll do fine.

Chidori wants you!!!

2007-04-19T19:57:00.001-07:00

Chidori, originally uploaded by millermz.

Hello everyone... Well, I've thought and thought about what to write for this post, and really nothing popped out at me, and then I thought, why don't I see if I have any readers, and if so ask what they'd be interested in reading more about?

So that's what I'm doing now, as me and Chidori go across the blogosphere and are requesting whoever reads this, nonchalantly or otherwise, to just drop a comment saying something either regarding this blog, or just anime in general, and how you fit into the anime life.

Sure I've got ideas for future reviews, and of course I can always talk about various news topics, but I just want to hear what you out there have to say... So please, feel free... (otherwise Chidori will have to hit you with a baseball bat, ouch!!!)

Monster Review

2007-04-12T22:34:00.001-07:00

deja vu, originally uploaded by jabberer.

Often times we find ourselves being dazzled by some fresh hot graphics in some sort of sci-fi, magical girl, or just all too unrealistic anime, and that’s cool. In fact, this is easily most anime, or at least what they attempt. However, the anime I chose to review (yes, not the manga), titled Monster doesn’t have those flashy, Gonzo style graphics that we so often love/ Instead, Monster has 74 episodes of great character, and story driven excitement, with an element of mystery that is sure to keep you watching. I believe it may be truly said that this would have been Agatha Christie’s favorite manga (aside from Detective Conan).

The story begins with Dr. Tenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon whose timid demeanor has allowed up to rise up in life with little conflict. In fact, he may have it essentially ‘made’, since he’s happily engaged to the hospital director’s daughter, and is in line for a significant promotion, as long as he does what he’s told of course. However, one day Tenma is told by the hospital director to abandon a surgery he’s about to begin on a “nobody”, to go operate on a famous opera singer just brought into the hospital. The operation is a success, however the man Tenma’s told to leave in other hands dies, and with the wife’s blame hits Tenma hard. Yet, when Tenma shares his thoughts, he’s met with disdain from his co-workers and fiancée, and is told essentially to comply.

However, soon after, a boy, Johan, and his twin sister Anna, are admitted into the hospital. The child has a critical injury to the brain, and only Tenma can save him, yet again the director tells him to take the case of another, this time the mayor who is also critically injured. Tenma disobeys, and saves the boy. The death of the mayor, plus Tenma’s non-compliance leaves Tenma alone, as his co-workers disavow themselves of him, and his fiancée leaves him. Shortly thereafter, the two colleagues jostling for Tenma’s place and the hospital director are killed, leaving Tenma to rise up in position, and thus become an initial, although dismissed suspect in the murder case. At the same time, the twins have disappeared.

Nine years later, Tenma finds himself taking care of a patient that fears for his life, and utters that he’s trying to avoid a monster. After the prisoner runs off, Tenma finds him the now grown up Johan, and witnesses his patient’s murder by Johan. With a fresh murder, Tenma is now heavily suspected, and he has to flee to protect his life, but more importantly, find and stop Johann, the monster he saved.

(Whew… that was a lot.)

First off, believe it or not, but that is very little of the plot, and that’s what is so great, because the beginning is already so exciting, and I promise the rest only gets better. The creator of the manga, Naoki Urasawa, designed the story full of twists and turns, and from what I understand the anime sticks extremely close to the manga. Even more interesting than the suspense, are the characters themselves which, with 74 episodes, are flushed out gradually, and appropriately. Each character has their own mysteries, so while we may not learn every item about their life early, you still, as one crunchyroll.com viewer commented, “love the characters, or love to hate them,” as opposed to just not caring.

Truly, very little seems to be left behind in detail, and what is especially impressive in this regard is the amount of information, fiction or non-fiction, that is discussed regarding the various settings, in Czechoslovakia, Germany, and elsewhere.

In terms of technical quality, as I mentioned the anime does not have the greatest graphics, but for what this anime is, which is character driven, it is indeed enough. All in all, I strongly recommend this anime, realizing that this is an investment. However, this is well worth the time, and depending on the pricing, well worth the money if this is licensed in the U.S.

Lastly, and I don’t get to say this often, but there may be an American made movie based on Monster, as Josh Olson is already supposed to be working on adapting the script. Hopefully it’ll be as awesome as the show, but we’ll have to see on that when it comes out.

J-Pop on iTunes

2007-04-08T13:01:00.003-07:00

itunesstore, originally uploaded by thoth92.

Perhaps it was coincidence that I wrote my first post on music right before iTunes added a jPop section, but regardless I am now hear to tell you, as this month's NewType told me, that access to jPop has just gotten a little bit easier.

How so? Well with iTunes. You've probably gone to the iTunes store before, hit browse, and looked around and saw little to no Japanese music. Now though, if you hit browse just after holiday you'll find the new J-Pop section, which should help the average otaku increase their access to their favorite J-artists.

Of course this isn’t all encompassing, as I was personally amiss that Orange Range was not on there, but artists with the popularity of Dir En Grey are, so it's not all bad by any means. In fact, I'm excited because while imports are cool, they're expensive, and although jbox.com has Japanese iTunes cards (with instructions), it's nice that we don't have to hassle ourselves anymore with even the slightly tedious processes.

So in closing I thank iTunes for their continued coolness, and will be purchasing from you soon...

JRock for the JSoul

2007-04-03T20:15:00.003-07:00

Orange Range, originally uploaded by Indigo Vapour.

Well, I know that last post I commented about trying to add a little more different types of content, although instead of posting more news, I want to possibly have occasional videos linked in from YouTube featuring a JRock or JPop song. Now, at this point in time I will openly admit to being fairly new to the whole Japanese music scene. I'll also admit that most of what I've heard are through anime shows only. Yet I am selective, and am theoretically, based on my background, supposed to have some kind of recognition for good music, but I guess you can determine that on your own.

I will say right now that I have mainly found myself in what I consider to be the rock, and sometimes even the rap side of Japanese music. This song, ビバ★ロック (translation anyone?) by Orange Range, is a great example of such. I found this in my local Japanese store on the NARUTO Best Hit Collection (my first import cd purchase), and although I didn't remember it from the show, I thought it was very unique, both video and song, and thus choose it as my initial 'feature j vid' if you will. One thing I will comment too, is I don't actually know what this song means, but it's clearly something about Americans, so if anyone wants to comment on that, the translated title, or other suggestions for songs please do, as I'm more than happy to have your feedback.

Otaku USA - Bringing Down The Dōjō

2007-04-02T22:14:00.003-07:00

Ikki of Air Gear, originally uploaded by millermz.

Now, I know that traditionally I've just given some reviews of anime , commented on podcasts, and then talked a brief bit about conventions, but today I'm going to hit a little bit of news. Normally, I don't do this since the feed (on the left) for anime news will be more up-to-date than I, and to be honest many probably already know this news, but I'm telling it anyway. Apparently there'll be a new anime magazine, titled Otaku USA, being head by Patrick Macias.

All right, so to answer a couple immediate questions you may have. I don't know specifics but the magazine's supposed to come out later this year, and I'm excited (although I admittedly probably buy too many anime magazines...)

To describe the magazine, I'll just post what Macias posted on his blog:

"Each issue of OtakuUSA will be oversized 9 x 10 7/8, with a poster bound in the center spread, and a DVD inserted onto the front cover, with full- length Anime features and game demos. In addition, each issue of Otaku USA will include a full manga feature, printed as a pull-out section. My aim is to make Otaku USA the best, most comprehensive Japanese pop culture magazine in the marketplace."

The typical issue of Otaku USA, which will have a cover price of $9.99 ($11.99 in Canada), will be at least 150 pages long and printed in full color on glossy paper. The bimonthly magazine will cover manga, anime, computer games and J-Pop, and it will be written by an American staff from an American point of view."

--- Seems cool right? Well, at least to me, but then again Macias is kind of the epitome of what I'd like to be since, at least till now I guess, Patrick writes in Japan about otakudom, which from my perspective, there couldn't be a cooler thing to do. (Talk about someone whose living the anime life....)

Yeah, of course we'll have to see what it's actually like when it comes out, but I'm anticipating great things!!