http://www.mangafox.com/manga/love_so_life/
If ever there was a title that really didn't tell you anything about a show, Spiral would be a good answer. If there was ever a box cover that didn't give you an inkling of what the plot of the show might be, the answer would again be Spiral. The reality, however, is that these are the most telling things about Spiral, a show that's all about mystery, intrigue and keeping your cards close to your chest.
And that's really what Spiral does best, throwing out plot points like shrewd bets from a poker-faced card shark. A bold opening move, answered by bluffs, cunning bets and a quick move into the call, where the episode comes to a nail-biting conclusion. Each episode manages to surprise at the end with its expertly woven drama and suspense.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Anime Magico (IWAMOTO Naoki) Chapter 8 7 9
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/magico_iwamoto_naoki/
When high schooler Ayumu Narumi is a suspect in the murder of one of his classmates, he doesn't take the matter lightly. He sets about solving the girl's murder himself. In the process Ayumu uncovers a web of mysteries surrounding the murder victim, the murderer, and his own brother. Caught up in the strange plot, Ayumu has no choice but to go on fighting battles of wits to keep himself alive when he becomes the target of the mysterious Blade Children.
When high schooler Ayumu Narumi is a suspect in the murder of one of his classmates, he doesn't take the matter lightly. He sets about solving the girl's murder himself. In the process Ayumu uncovers a web of mysteries surrounding the murder victim, the murderer, and his own brother. Caught up in the strange plot, Ayumu has no choice but to go on fighting battles of wits to keep himself alive when he becomes the target of the mysterious Blade Children.
live action Akuma to Love Song Chapter 51
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akuma_to_love_song/
If you recall from the first episode, some lady-thugs have burned down a village. Being the chipper do-gooder she is, Hideyoshi realizes that the best way to cheer them up is to roll up her sleeves, help them pull up some radishes, and make them laugh. Because even though their entire village and livelihood has just been razed to the ground, all they need is a song and dance, and a feather in their caps. Good ol’ Hideyoshi. If she were King, there'd never be any sorrow in this heavy world of ours. But to add insult to injury—injury being the assumption the creative staff has made that all their viewers are mindless twits who will consume anything they cram down our collective throats—later in the episode, we find out that Hideyoshi is actually somewhat proficient in kung fu, because she once saw it in a TV show.
The creators of Battle Girls - Time Paradox seem to care so little about this brainshart of theirs that at some point, they probably had a writers meeting in which someone intrepid intern said, “Wait, none of this makes sense.” And then the senior writer said, “Yeah, I don't care. People will watch it anyway, and we'll sell body pillows, and it'll be fine. Go get me a latte.”
This is the last episode of Battle Girls - Time Paradox I will ever watch in my entire life. All the riches in Atlantis could not prompt me to watch another minute of this show, and I will be the merrier for it.
If you recall from the first episode, some lady-thugs have burned down a village. Being the chipper do-gooder she is, Hideyoshi realizes that the best way to cheer them up is to roll up her sleeves, help them pull up some radishes, and make them laugh. Because even though their entire village and livelihood has just been razed to the ground, all they need is a song and dance, and a feather in their caps. Good ol’ Hideyoshi. If she were King, there'd never be any sorrow in this heavy world of ours. But to add insult to injury—injury being the assumption the creative staff has made that all their viewers are mindless twits who will consume anything they cram down our collective throats—later in the episode, we find out that Hideyoshi is actually somewhat proficient in kung fu, because she once saw it in a TV show.
The creators of Battle Girls - Time Paradox seem to care so little about this brainshart of theirs that at some point, they probably had a writers meeting in which someone intrepid intern said, “Wait, none of this makes sense.” And then the senior writer said, “Yeah, I don't care. People will watch it anyway, and we'll sell body pillows, and it'll be fine. Go get me a latte.”
This is the last episode of Battle Girls - Time Paradox I will ever watch in my entire life. All the riches in Atlantis could not prompt me to watch another minute of this show, and I will be the merrier for it.
Anime Kono Oneesan wa Fiction desu!? Chapter 5 6
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/kono_oneesan_wa_fiction_desu/
Look, if someone from the future strolled into your house waving some fancy future technology around, you would flip out. Your first question would be, “What on Earth is that?? Why can it read my mind/teleport food/whatever-future-whoop-de-doo??” And then maybe you'd ask, “Wait, what the hell are you doing in my house?” This is what normal humans do. Don't tell me that if someone rolled into Sengoku Era Japan that nobody would care about a cellphone. This is two episodes in a row now of Battle Girls – Time Paradox where nobody is even remotely curious about this magic future technology. In this episode, Hideyoshi even uses her cellphone to play some chirpy J-Pop for some villagers, and they just think, “Oh, hey, music.”
Is there a gas leak in my apartment? Why doesn't anybody care about this?
I am willing to suspend the majority of my disbelief for any given series. I completely believe that Hideyoshi fell through a giant plot hole into ancient Japan. I completely believe that there is a talking dog, and that the entire country is populated by woman. That's fine. But dammit, don't tell me that someone pulls out a cellphone and people don't have a billion questions. All I ask for is a tiny shred of internal logic, because everything else in this show is so preposterously stupid that I am owed at least that.
Look, if someone from the future strolled into your house waving some fancy future technology around, you would flip out. Your first question would be, “What on Earth is that?? Why can it read my mind/teleport food/whatever-future-whoop-de-doo??” And then maybe you'd ask, “Wait, what the hell are you doing in my house?” This is what normal humans do. Don't tell me that if someone rolled into Sengoku Era Japan that nobody would care about a cellphone. This is two episodes in a row now of Battle Girls – Time Paradox where nobody is even remotely curious about this magic future technology. In this episode, Hideyoshi even uses her cellphone to play some chirpy J-Pop for some villagers, and they just think, “Oh, hey, music.”
Is there a gas leak in my apartment? Why doesn't anybody care about this?
I am willing to suspend the majority of my disbelief for any given series. I completely believe that Hideyoshi fell through a giant plot hole into ancient Japan. I completely believe that there is a talking dog, and that the entire country is populated by woman. That's fine. But dammit, don't tell me that someone pulls out a cellphone and people don't have a billion questions. All I ask for is a tiny shred of internal logic, because everything else in this show is so preposterously stupid that I am owed at least that.
Anime Nyotai-ka Chapter 25
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/nyotai_ka/
It also helps that Steins;Gate is pleasant to look at. The low-contrast artwork gives the series a hazy dreamlike quality, but there's still an almost obsessive attention to detail. Take the landlord's shop, for instance. By day, he also runs a TV repair shop. The animators at WHITE FOX could've easily just given the storefront a generic reflective glare, but even with the in-series sun shining brightly on the store, you can still see hints of old TVs through the window. If I was in charge of this show, I sure as Hell wouldn't make the effort to draw that. It's tiny things that one would never think to actually look for, but that's when it's the most impressive. If you can't tell they put any extra work into it, then it looks natural. Not bad for a relatively young animation studio, whose only other big projects were Tears to Tiara and some key animation here and there.
Even though only two episodes have been released, Steins;Gate is already in my Top 5 for shows to follow this season. The storyline is intriguing, but most of all, Okabe is intriguing. I can't tell if he's a joke or not, and that uncertainty has me asking for more. That, and the nerd part of me really wants to hear more about this time travel theory of theirs, because I've always referred to it as the 12 Monkeys Theory. Which, by the way, predates John Titor by five years, so he can go hang.
It also helps that Steins;Gate is pleasant to look at. The low-contrast artwork gives the series a hazy dreamlike quality, but there's still an almost obsessive attention to detail. Take the landlord's shop, for instance. By day, he also runs a TV repair shop. The animators at WHITE FOX could've easily just given the storefront a generic reflective glare, but even with the in-series sun shining brightly on the store, you can still see hints of old TVs through the window. If I was in charge of this show, I sure as Hell wouldn't make the effort to draw that. It's tiny things that one would never think to actually look for, but that's when it's the most impressive. If you can't tell they put any extra work into it, then it looks natural. Not bad for a relatively young animation studio, whose only other big projects were Tears to Tiara and some key animation here and there.
Even though only two episodes have been released, Steins;Gate is already in my Top 5 for shows to follow this season. The storyline is intriguing, but most of all, Okabe is intriguing. I can't tell if he's a joke or not, and that uncertainty has me asking for more. That, and the nerd part of me really wants to hear more about this time travel theory of theirs, because I've always referred to it as the 12 Monkeys Theory. Which, by the way, predates John Titor by five years, so he can go hang.
anime AKB49 - Renai Kinshi Jourei Chapter 8
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akb49_renai_kinshi_jourei/
Does it still count as madness if the person everyone thought was crazy was right all along? It's a little hard to tell with Okabe, the self-proclaimed mad scientist of Steins;Gate. On the outside, he looks mad, acts mad, and even says he's mad. But the Organization that he's been muttering about all this time may actually be tampering with his stuff, and his microwave… well, if it's not a time machine, then it's something strange. Though at the same time, he is taking most of his research cues from some fraud on the Internet, so the odds are split on if he's a kook or a genius.
The great thing about Steins;Gate is that even though it's still an ever-widening canyon of mysteries, it doesn't really feel like it's tricking people into watching. It's not using any cheap hooks to keep viewers glued to the show. Sure, there are plenty of unanswered questions, but to be fair, the characters don't know what's going on either. So instead of being duped into watching a show where the writers just flat-out refuse to explain something, we get to learn everything at the same pace as Okabe and his crew. Who was the weird girl that bumped into him on the street, looking for that IBM? We don't know, but he doesn't know either. Why did his goo banana reappear on the bunch? Nobody knows. But I trust the series to tell me once Okabe figures it out, so I feel fairly confident that this show isn't going to be a waste of time in the long run.
Does it still count as madness if the person everyone thought was crazy was right all along? It's a little hard to tell with Okabe, the self-proclaimed mad scientist of Steins;Gate. On the outside, he looks mad, acts mad, and even says he's mad. But the Organization that he's been muttering about all this time may actually be tampering with his stuff, and his microwave… well, if it's not a time machine, then it's something strange. Though at the same time, he is taking most of his research cues from some fraud on the Internet, so the odds are split on if he's a kook or a genius.
The great thing about Steins;Gate is that even though it's still an ever-widening canyon of mysteries, it doesn't really feel like it's tricking people into watching. It's not using any cheap hooks to keep viewers glued to the show. Sure, there are plenty of unanswered questions, but to be fair, the characters don't know what's going on either. So instead of being duped into watching a show where the writers just flat-out refuse to explain something, we get to learn everything at the same pace as Okabe and his crew. Who was the weird girl that bumped into him on the street, looking for that IBM? We don't know, but he doesn't know either. Why did his goo banana reappear on the bunch? Nobody knows. But I trust the series to tell me once Okabe figures it out, so I feel fairly confident that this show isn't going to be a waste of time in the long run.
Anime Movie Initial D Chapter 584
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/initial_d/
Like most bishoujo-game-turned-Kleenex-poppers of its ilk, A Bridge to the Starry Skies reliably delivers some key traits. For starters, it's very good looking. The characters are perpetually fresh-faced and well-coiffed, and have been keeping up a rigorous exercise and diet plan. All the backgrounds are effortlessly beautiful. The orchestral score is magical and tinkling. Everything looks and feels like it came out of some kind of fairytale, where poverty and anguish don't exist, and sunshine grows on trees. It's the ultimate feel-good anime.
But it's also incredibly trite. There is not a single drop of creativity in this used-up storyline. I'm sure at some point in the season, they'll all go to the beach. Maybe one of the girls will make Kazuma some food while she blushes. It doesn't really matter. Presumably, the only thing keeping people watching is wanting to know which girl he ends up with. But it's irrelevant. Who he chooses doesn't matter—what matters is which girl the viewer chooses. And with a script as painfully dull as A Bridge to the Starry Skies, they may as well save some effort and just send out slideshows on CD-ROM.
Like most bishoujo-game-turned-Kleenex-poppers of its ilk, A Bridge to the Starry Skies reliably delivers some key traits. For starters, it's very good looking. The characters are perpetually fresh-faced and well-coiffed, and have been keeping up a rigorous exercise and diet plan. All the backgrounds are effortlessly beautiful. The orchestral score is magical and tinkling. Everything looks and feels like it came out of some kind of fairytale, where poverty and anguish don't exist, and sunshine grows on trees. It's the ultimate feel-good anime.
But it's also incredibly trite. There is not a single drop of creativity in this used-up storyline. I'm sure at some point in the season, they'll all go to the beach. Maybe one of the girls will make Kazuma some food while she blushes. It doesn't really matter. Presumably, the only thing keeping people watching is wanting to know which girl he ends up with. But it's irrelevant. Who he chooses doesn't matter—what matters is which girl the viewer chooses. And with a script as painfully dull as A Bridge to the Starry Skies, they may as well save some effort and just send out slideshows on CD-ROM.
OVA Code Geass: Shikkoku no Renya Chapter 9 10
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/code_geass_shikkoku_no_renya/
It may actually blow your mind to learn that A Bridge to the Starry Skies is an adaptation of an adult bishoujo game. I know. I couldn't believe it either when I found out. I mean, nothing in the first episode gave it away at all, so I was pretty lucky that I was sitting down when I heard the news. Here, I thought I was watching an avant-garde piece about a high school boy who moves to the countryside with his sickly younger brother, and ends up living in a rustic inn with giant baths, and befriends three cute girls by the end of the episode. Spoiler alert—they all have different wank-ready stereotypes! Double spoiler—there's a wa-wa-waaaaacky monkey character who's probably going to come back in later episodes! Hold on to your hats, folks!
Kazuma's little brother wasn't holding onto his hat when the monkey took it, so that's how all sorts of shenanigans start. Our strapping hero soon meets cute with a strawberry blonde whom he accidentally trip-kisses, then gets kicked in the face by The Feisty One. I'd continue to summarize the story, but I'm afraid I'd accidentally be giving away the plots of a dozen other anime series exactly like this one. Boy, I'd sure be surprised if more ladies didn't move into that big empty inn.
It may actually blow your mind to learn that A Bridge to the Starry Skies is an adaptation of an adult bishoujo game. I know. I couldn't believe it either when I found out. I mean, nothing in the first episode gave it away at all, so I was pretty lucky that I was sitting down when I heard the news. Here, I thought I was watching an avant-garde piece about a high school boy who moves to the countryside with his sickly younger brother, and ends up living in a rustic inn with giant baths, and befriends three cute girls by the end of the episode. Spoiler alert—they all have different wank-ready stereotypes! Double spoiler—there's a wa-wa-waaaaacky monkey character who's probably going to come back in later episodes! Hold on to your hats, folks!
Kazuma's little brother wasn't holding onto his hat when the monkey took it, so that's how all sorts of shenanigans start. Our strapping hero soon meets cute with a strawberry blonde whom he accidentally trip-kisses, then gets kicked in the face by The Feisty One. I'd continue to summarize the story, but I'm afraid I'd accidentally be giving away the plots of a dozen other anime series exactly like this one. Boy, I'd sure be surprised if more ladies didn't move into that big empty inn.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Last Inning Chapter 75 Anime
http://www.mangareader.net/804/last-inning.html
It's said that Harumi's elementary school is haunted by a bizarre collection of subterranean Japanese demons. When her and her friends set out to investigate these paranormal rumors, they not only find out that they are true, but that a face stealing yokai is on the rampage. Teaming up with some of the more bizarre looking, if friendlier, supernatural beings, they attempt to take it down and banish it back to hell.
This is the third attempt at adapting Go Nagai's classic children's horror-comedy manga into an anime, and the fact it is being tried yet again shows how popular his work still is in Japan. I've always considered Nagai to be an interesting parallel to “God of manga” and Astro Boy creater Osamu Tezuka – while both wrote stories for all age groups from small children to adults, Nagai's approach was always a little more edgy. Nagai's children's works are almost a response to the sensible, intelligent kid's tales of Tezuka - and that's evident here. It's loud and bawdy instead of clever and moralistic, with its fair share of naughty, puerile schoolboy humour jokes - but they feel fine here in this context, as this is a show primarily for naughty puerile schoolboys. If I were eight years old watching this now, I'd probably be rolling round the floor in fits of snotty giggles and screaming for more.
It's said that Harumi's elementary school is haunted by a bizarre collection of subterranean Japanese demons. When her and her friends set out to investigate these paranormal rumors, they not only find out that they are true, but that a face stealing yokai is on the rampage. Teaming up with some of the more bizarre looking, if friendlier, supernatural beings, they attempt to take it down and banish it back to hell.
This is the third attempt at adapting Go Nagai's classic children's horror-comedy manga into an anime, and the fact it is being tried yet again shows how popular his work still is in Japan. I've always considered Nagai to be an interesting parallel to “God of manga” and Astro Boy creater Osamu Tezuka – while both wrote stories for all age groups from small children to adults, Nagai's approach was always a little more edgy. Nagai's children's works are almost a response to the sensible, intelligent kid's tales of Tezuka - and that's evident here. It's loud and bawdy instead of clever and moralistic, with its fair share of naughty, puerile schoolboy humour jokes - but they feel fine here in this context, as this is a show primarily for naughty puerile schoolboys. If I were eight years old watching this now, I'd probably be rolling round the floor in fits of snotty giggles and screaming for more.
Mayoi Neko Overrun Chapter 11 OVA
http://www.mangareader.net/1308/mayoi-neko-overrun.html
Maybe that is a little harsh – SKET Dance does exactly what it sets out to do: create a thoroughly safe, wholesome and unchallenging show for tweens that want to be teens but are understandably a little bit scared of the whole business. It takes them by the hand and reassures them that life will be fine, and when you get bigger you'll still have good friends you can have fun with. At least I hope that's who this show is aimed at. The rest of us can learn one interesting thing from this first episode: that the making of generic, unchallenging children's’ TV is the same the world over – dominated by old men in suits that still believe kids are happy with just competent production values and bland 80s pop-rock soundtracks.
Maybe that is a little harsh – SKET Dance does exactly what it sets out to do: create a thoroughly safe, wholesome and unchallenging show for tweens that want to be teens but are understandably a little bit scared of the whole business. It takes them by the hand and reassures them that life will be fine, and when you get bigger you'll still have good friends you can have fun with. At least I hope that's who this show is aimed at. The rest of us can learn one interesting thing from this first episode: that the making of generic, unchallenging children's’ TV is the same the world over – dominated by old men in suits that still believe kids are happy with just competent production values and bland 80s pop-rock soundtracks.
Baby Steps Chapter 41 Anime
http://www.mangareader.net/1096/baby-steps.html
Generic anime setup number 5: Shy boy is transferred to a new school in a new town, within minutes of being there bumps (literally, and hopefully in some slightly embarrassing way involving a misunderstanding) into an excitable or kooky girl that in turns introduces him to her group of friends. This group of students then spend the rest of the season bonding and getting past social differences and problems, before becoming BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!
SKET Dance bills itself as a comedy, which is where the problems start. It's just not funny. The group that new kid Teppei falls in with are the SKET (Support Kindness Encouragement Troubleshoot) club, and while their character designs suggest they might be a bit edgy and crazy, they are actually just three rather dull do-gooders. Helping other school kids out with problems with bullies and school life is an admirable and wholesome activity, but sadly it doesn't leave many opportunities for comedy or action. I mean, it's not like they're secretly ninjas. Or that the school bullies ride cool mecha. Or that the school is actually built on the site of an ancient massacre where a group of bandits were wiped out by a noble lone samurai, who it turns out is an ancestor of Teppei, and now the bandits’ souls are rising up and possessing the bodies of the bullies so they can take bloody revenge. Or, you know, anything interesting.
Generic anime setup number 5: Shy boy is transferred to a new school in a new town, within minutes of being there bumps (literally, and hopefully in some slightly embarrassing way involving a misunderstanding) into an excitable or kooky girl that in turns introduces him to her group of friends. This group of students then spend the rest of the season bonding and getting past social differences and problems, before becoming BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!
SKET Dance bills itself as a comedy, which is where the problems start. It's just not funny. The group that new kid Teppei falls in with are the SKET (Support Kindness Encouragement Troubleshoot) club, and while their character designs suggest they might be a bit edgy and crazy, they are actually just three rather dull do-gooders. Helping other school kids out with problems with bullies and school life is an admirable and wholesome activity, but sadly it doesn't leave many opportunities for comedy or action. I mean, it's not like they're secretly ninjas. Or that the school bullies ride cool mecha. Or that the school is actually built on the site of an ancient massacre where a group of bandits were wiped out by a noble lone samurai, who it turns out is an ancestor of Teppei, and now the bandits’ souls are rising up and possessing the bodies of the bullies so they can take bloody revenge. Or, you know, anything interesting.
Y+M Chapter 56 anime
http://www.mangareader.net/1105/ym.html
As well as being funny the show looks pretty good too. I'd always thought these half length shows looked crappy because of budgetary restrictions, so either Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san has been given an extravagant purse or its staff are just more experienced and talented. The latter could certainly be true, considering this comes from famed studio Production I.G – which in itself is enough for most anime fans to want to check it out.
As well as being funny the show looks pretty good too. I'd always thought these half length shows looked crappy because of budgetary restrictions, so either Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san has been given an extravagant purse or its staff are just more experienced and talented. The latter could certainly be true, considering this comes from famed studio Production I.G – which in itself is enough for most anime fans to want to check it out.
Chibi Vampire Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Anime
Young girl Sakuma has a part time job working for the mysterious Black Jack like detective Akutabe, who summons demons to help him with cases. When a furious housewife comes to him to get revenge on her cheating husband, he gives Sakuma the use of the Azazel, a lust demon whose formidable power is underplayed by the fact he manifests as an adorable kawaii plushie. Hilarity ensues.
Which is a bit of a relief, as most of the 12 minute comedies this season – of which this is also one – have been quite lacking in laughs. Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san brings the funny with a bunch of gross out sight-gags, mainly based around blood loss and humping, but also has a far more knowing and witty streak. It seems to taking aim at not only the horror genre but also anime in general – this first episode makes fun of fan service as well as the way moe otaku seem obsessed with their heroines remaining virgins at all costs. It's refreshing to see some adult humor that doesn't rely on sexual embarrassment for once.
http://www.mangareader.net/317/karin.html
Which is a bit of a relief, as most of the 12 minute comedies this season – of which this is also one – have been quite lacking in laughs. Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san brings the funny with a bunch of gross out sight-gags, mainly based around blood loss and humping, but also has a far more knowing and witty streak. It seems to taking aim at not only the horror genre but also anime in general – this first episode makes fun of fan service as well as the way moe otaku seem obsessed with their heroines remaining virgins at all costs. It's refreshing to see some adult humor that doesn't rely on sexual embarrassment for once.
http://www.mangareader.net/317/karin.html
Zero no Tsukaima Chevalier Chapter 5 Anime
What did surprise me about Hen Zemi was how slightly sinister it felt at times. The girls in the show are depicted as nothing but objects, which the male characters try to manipulate and pressurise into ‘owing’ them favors or letting them grope them. Again, it's a short gag show, but this kind of tiresome misogyny is probably one of the main reasons it's not in the slightest bit funny.
If sex is something distant and alien that you still snigger about, then Hen Zemi might have something for you. Everyone else should probably stay away, unless you really must see the cheapest looking 12 minutes of animation this season.
http://www.mangareader.net/370/zero-no-tsukaima.html
If sex is something distant and alien that you still snigger about, then Hen Zemi might have something for you. Everyone else should probably stay away, unless you really must see the cheapest looking 12 minutes of animation this season.
http://www.mangareader.net/370/zero-no-tsukaima.html
B.O.D.Y. Chapter 29 Anime
http://www.mangareader.net/1129/body.html
Nanako is a college student who, despite seeming to be a well adjusted and shy girl, is attending a class on hentai. Why is she doing this? Is it because she has an interest in the cultural significance of pornography? Or because she wants to major in psychology and work in the area of sexual development? Don't be ridiculous! This is anime! Nanoko is a girl! She is doing it because there is a boy she likes in the class.
This season's reoccurring theme seems to be anime comedies that are not actually funny. Hen Zemi is the latest addition, and at just over 12 minutes long there's no reason to expect any depth from this simple gag show. Just make sure you don't expect any laughs either.
Nanako is a college student who, despite seeming to be a well adjusted and shy girl, is attending a class on hentai. Why is she doing this? Is it because she has an interest in the cultural significance of pornography? Or because she wants to major in psychology and work in the area of sexual development? Don't be ridiculous! This is anime! Nanoko is a girl! She is doing it because there is a boy she likes in the class.
This season's reoccurring theme seems to be anime comedies that are not actually funny. Hen Zemi is the latest addition, and at just over 12 minutes long there's no reason to expect any depth from this simple gag show. Just make sure you don't expect any laughs either.
Maken-ki Chapter 35 Anime
http://www.mangareader.net/671/maken-ki.html
In fact, the inclusion of the sexual aspects of Asarotte's TO-Y baffles even more on further reflection. If 2D underage succubuses (Succubae? Succubi?) are your fetish then I'm sure Google is your friend – the internet must be full of actual hentai anime and manga that will float your boat. Similarly, if you live in Japan (well, not Tokyo perhaps) you can probably pick far more explicit stuff up at your local manga store. It seems that the only real reason for this show's premise is to draw attention and create a minor controversy.
Which is probably exactly the reason it might gain a fanbase outside of Japan – it'll appeal to that highly vocal minority of foreign otaku that still view anime as some kind of outrageous novelty product, who like to jump up and down point at the crazy Japanese cartoons. You know the type – the kind of self proclaimed otaku that see their fandom as some kind of strange rebellion against everyone, and as a way to draw attention and create a minor controversy. Not that there's anything wrong with that at all – rebellion in itself can be extremely healthy and refreshing – but you'd just wish people could find something a little less generic, disposable and tame to rebel with.
In fact, the inclusion of the sexual aspects of Asarotte's TO-Y baffles even more on further reflection. If 2D underage succubuses (Succubae? Succubi?) are your fetish then I'm sure Google is your friend – the internet must be full of actual hentai anime and manga that will float your boat. Similarly, if you live in Japan (well, not Tokyo perhaps) you can probably pick far more explicit stuff up at your local manga store. It seems that the only real reason for this show's premise is to draw attention and create a minor controversy.
Which is probably exactly the reason it might gain a fanbase outside of Japan – it'll appeal to that highly vocal minority of foreign otaku that still view anime as some kind of outrageous novelty product, who like to jump up and down point at the crazy Japanese cartoons. You know the type – the kind of self proclaimed otaku that see their fandom as some kind of strange rebellion against everyone, and as a way to draw attention and create a minor controversy. Not that there's anything wrong with that at all – rebellion in itself can be extremely healthy and refreshing – but you'd just wish people could find something a little less generic, disposable and tame to rebel with.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Magician Chapter 35 scanlation
Then again, these deficiencies in story are easily overlooked when one is being distracted by a healthy dose of eye candy. There's no shortage of attractive characters here, although the male-to-female ratio is clearly a bit skewed. The specific roles of each Wonderland character also result in distinctive costuming, from cat and rabbit ears to more conventional modes of 19th-century dress. The sharp linework and visual clarity also help to keep the story understandable—when people talk to each other, they actually talk to each other, rather than disappear in a shower of tones and special effects. The panel layouts, too, maintain a strict rectangular form that's more pleasing to the eye than an overload of decorative clutter. The only situation where this restrained style might be a drawback is in the backgrounds, which are perhaps too sparse to put the "wonder" in Wonderland.
Wordplay is pretty much a lost cause in foreign interpretations of Alice in Wonderland, but this English translation of a Japanese work at least tries to spice up the text. It's most noticeable in the White Rabbit's dialogue, as he occasionally lapses into poetic rhyme. By some kind of linguistic miracle, though, it hardly ever sounds forced; in fact, many of the rhymes find a clever way to fit themselves into the script. The other characters aren't quite as ornate with their words—it's mostly standard conversational English—but it still leans more towards formal speech patterns that would have made sense in Victorian times, rather than loose sentence fragments or slang. Sound effects, on the other hand, are handled with less care: if it's a big noise or something essential to the plot, the translation is there, but a lot of times the minor sounds are simply left untranslated (not that they have much impact on the story anyway).
http://www.mangareader.net/1655/magician.html
Wordplay is pretty much a lost cause in foreign interpretations of Alice in Wonderland, but this English translation of a Japanese work at least tries to spice up the text. It's most noticeable in the White Rabbit's dialogue, as he occasionally lapses into poetic rhyme. By some kind of linguistic miracle, though, it hardly ever sounds forced; in fact, many of the rhymes find a clever way to fit themselves into the script. The other characters aren't quite as ornate with their words—it's mostly standard conversational English—but it still leans more towards formal speech patterns that would have made sense in Victorian times, rather than loose sentence fragments or slang. Sound effects, on the other hand, are handled with less care: if it's a big noise or something essential to the plot, the translation is there, but a lot of times the minor sounds are simply left untranslated (not that they have much impact on the story anyway).
http://www.mangareader.net/1655/magician.html
Bobobo-Bo bo-bobo Chapter 123 scanlations
In the first volume of the series, for example, Alice learned that the lovesick denizens of Wonderland were a result of her subconscious desires (an explanation that obviously works best with a manga-fied teenage Alice, not a seven-and-a-half-year-old child). This time, it's the bizarre cycle of life and death in Wonderland that adds a new wrinkle to the story—a cycle involving spectral beings, timepieces left behind by those beings, and the clockmaker that Alice is staying with. It also explains why everyone is so gun-happy in this strange world: after all, why worry about the value of human life when there's always a way to get it back? Philosophical explorations such as these, and the strange behaviors that they lead to, help to give the series new points of interest that go beyond Carroll's original creation.
http://www.mangareader.net/642/bobobo-bo-bo-bobo.html
http://www.mangareader.net/642/bobobo-bo-bo-bobo.html
Lets Lagoon Chapter 16 scanlations
In the true spirit of "nonsense" literature, however, the story keeps wandering off in new directions—and thus fails to follow up on many of the earlier plot points. Remember how Alice was supposed to get home? By collecting a bottle of liquid symbolizing her interactions with Wonderland's inhabitants? That happened in the series' first chapter, and hasn't been mentioned since. We haven't heard from the mysterious pretty boy in her dreams, either (another original creation that seemed so promising). Instead, this volume is content to pass Alice on from one bishounen to the next, and that's why the story, despite its wild flights of fancy, lacks a true sense of drama. Instead we're supposed to be content with disjointed scenarios like a re-creation of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, or the White Rabbit's ever more threatening (yet comical) advances toward Alice, and maybe some hints that the characters are more sinister than they seem. But when is the series going to pull it all together?
http://www.mangareader.net/986/lets-lagoon.html
http://www.mangareader.net/986/lets-lagoon.html
Oyasumi Punpun Chapter 85 scanlations
After all, Alice in Wonderland (or more correctly, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass) is not simply the quintessential children's book. It's also a spoof-take on contemporary Victorian culture, a deft exploration of mathematics and logic, and a towering feat of wordplay. Most people who try to put their own spin on Alice have enough trouble just nailing down the story part—and even that, Carroll already perfected. Anyone who dares to play with the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts is only going to end up with hollow replicas of the originals.
http://www.mangareader.net/763/oyasumi-punpun.html
http://www.mangareader.net/763/oyasumi-punpun.html
Bokura ga Ita Chapter 65 scalations
Alice's life has been a mess ever since she got kidnapped by a young man with rabbit ears and taken to the strange realm of Wonderland. It's a world where territorial factions are at war, where people pull guns on each other at a moment's notice, and where all the guys are madly in love with Alice. Or maybe just mad. However, after a midnight tea-party with some of Wonderland's inhabitants, Alice starts to think that they're not so bad after all. Even Ace, a soldier for the scheming Queen of Hearts, is willing to defend Alice against the White Rabbit's inappropriate advances. But nothing can protect Alice from the shocking secret she is about to discover—a secret that has everything to do with life and death in Wonderland.
http://www.mangareader.net/1055/bokura-ga-ita.html
http://www.mangareader.net/1055/bokura-ga-ita.html
Shingeki no Kyojin Chapter 11 scanlatons
This version of Toradora! also benefits greatly from Zekkyō's artwork which brings an energy to the story that the plot itself can sometimes lack. It's cute, lively and oftentimes hilarious, especially given the weird expressions on the cast's faces, Taiga's in particular. The style lends itself best to her, especially when she's having scattered moments of teary-eyed sadness or an honest smile, all of which are given special attention by the artist.
Toradora! won't win many points for originality yet its eccentricities make this a decent first volume. Both Taiga and Ryuuji have their own special issues played for our entertainment. It's amusing seeing how they clash. The story's romance is a little hard to care about though when there's more chemistry between them than the targets of their affections. But that's likely intentional, as we can see a relationship between the Palmtop Tiger and her servant coming a mile away. It's this feeling that Toradora! is just another trope-coasting plot that holds it back. Thankfully often over the top characters and cute artwork prove how this kind of otaku-targeted material still manages to find an audience nearly every time anyway.
http://www.mangareader.net/shingeki-no-kyojin
Toradora! won't win many points for originality yet its eccentricities make this a decent first volume. Both Taiga and Ryuuji have their own special issues played for our entertainment. It's amusing seeing how they clash. The story's romance is a little hard to care about though when there's more chemistry between them than the targets of their affections. But that's likely intentional, as we can see a relationship between the Palmtop Tiger and her servant coming a mile away. It's this feeling that Toradora! is just another trope-coasting plot that holds it back. Thankfully often over the top characters and cute artwork prove how this kind of otaku-targeted material still manages to find an audience nearly every time anyway.
http://www.mangareader.net/shingeki-no-kyojin
The Meteor Chapter 21 scanlations
By this point readers have been given just enough reason to care about how things play out for Ryuuji and Taiga. It's easy to pity Ryuuji for what he goes through with Taiga, and surprisingly easy to feel sympathy for Taiga for her earnest, tongue-tied attempts to talk to Kitamura. At the same time the plot itself still feels uninspired – haven't we read similar stories far too many times before?
Fortunately Seven Seas does a great job playing up the series' stronger points with exceptional adaptation work. There was a lot of care taken with the way characters speak, including the use of bolds and italics to put emphasis on specific words. A little bit of slang and intentionally sloppy grammar tailor the speech perfectly to teenagers as well.
http://www.mangareader.net/the-meteor
Fortunately Seven Seas does a great job playing up the series' stronger points with exceptional adaptation work. There was a lot of care taken with the way characters speak, including the use of bolds and italics to put emphasis on specific words. A little bit of slang and intentionally sloppy grammar tailor the speech perfectly to teenagers as well.
http://www.mangareader.net/the-meteor
Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume Chapter 49 scanlations
Were women not already enough trouble in Ryuuji's life, you also have his mother. Her simple role as the busty, blush-cheeked eye-candy is as transparent as her lacy undergarments. She's selfish, lazy and just lays around the house whining cheerfully for Ryuuji to feed her. It's almost impressive that despite this, her airheaded-nature somehow makes her hard to hate. Still, you'll be grateful she's only there part-time.
Kitamura and Kushieda are prominent in the book, but even they develop little past being one-dimensional plot devices. Kitamura is easy-going and good with girls, in contrast with Ryuuji. Kushieda is the very definition of peppy and gets along with everyone, which contrasts with Taiga. The two spend quite a bit of time together as members of the student council and there's an underlying sense that they know more of what's going on than they let on. Or perhaps it's something else altogether. Either way the volume ends on a cliffhanger when readers see Kushieda being a lot more serious than we were lead to believe was possible.
http://www.mangareader.net/686/shiawase-kissa-sanchoume.html
Kitamura and Kushieda are prominent in the book, but even they develop little past being one-dimensional plot devices. Kitamura is easy-going and good with girls, in contrast with Ryuuji. Kushieda is the very definition of peppy and gets along with everyone, which contrasts with Taiga. The two spend quite a bit of time together as members of the student council and there's an underlying sense that they know more of what's going on than they let on. Or perhaps it's something else altogether. Either way the volume ends on a cliffhanger when readers see Kushieda being a lot more serious than we were lead to believe was possible.
http://www.mangareader.net/686/shiawase-kissa-sanchoume.html
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Live in Concert by Ray Charles - Listen
Even so, IGLOO would be mildly interesting entertainment were it not for one minor problem. Its visuals are a disaster. Cutting-edge CGI definitely has its uses—in IGLOO it's the battles, which are dynamic and spectacularly bombastic, despite the mobile suits' plastic-model articulation and look (they were actually designed using commercially available Gundam models as their basis). The problem arises when those same techniques are applied to human movement. Director Takashi Imanishi used motion capture and professional actors to create his characters' expressions and body language, and the actors, spurred on by some unknown stimulus (perhaps the fact that their faces will never be connected to their performances), charge headlong for the wall dividing forcefulness from caricature and go straight over the top. Characters roll their eyes like mad cows, gnash their teeth, over-emote, and just generally ham it up. It's a completely new concept: bad physical acting in anime. To be fair, it isn't entirely the actors' fault. Characters' faces are at that creepy, waxy mid-point between artificiality and realism, and the computer has not yet been invented that can handle the insane subtleties of human expression, even with the help of real human models.
Live in Concert by Ray Charles
Live in Concert by Ray Charles
Blood Pressures by The Kills - Listen
A universe as expansive as the Gundam universe is bound to have a few oddities. Take the silly cartoon educational videos on the 08th MS Team DVDs or the absolutely bizarre SD Gundam. Though it isn't exactly hobnobbing with SD Gundam, MS IGLOO's ill-fated experimentations with fully 3D CG animation and motion-capture acting so overpower its modest merits that it is more of a footnote than a landmark in the history of the Gundam franchise.
Set in the original and most realistic of the many Gundam universes, the series forgoes the franchise's customary evenhandedness to focus exclusively on the Zeon forces, but is scripted with a sympathetic eye for the little tragedies of those left behind by a war that created bigger heroes and claimed more important lives than their own. And that's where the praise ends. The series rehashes many of the ideas that the franchise has been kicking around for decades (war is tragic and pointless. Revelation city.) and it obviously thinks killing off newly-introduced characters each episode (another hoary Gundam cliché) is a more effective dramatic device than it actually is. Each episode follows a rigid formula: the 603 unit receives a new technology along with its last-of-the-cowboys operator; Oliver tests it but something goes wrong; the vehicle and its pilot get thrown into real combat, during which they prove themselves but perish in the process. It's stiff, hidebound, and thoroughly unimaginative.
Blood Pressures by The Kills
Set in the original and most realistic of the many Gundam universes, the series forgoes the franchise's customary evenhandedness to focus exclusively on the Zeon forces, but is scripted with a sympathetic eye for the little tragedies of those left behind by a war that created bigger heroes and claimed more important lives than their own. And that's where the praise ends. The series rehashes many of the ideas that the franchise has been kicking around for decades (war is tragic and pointless. Revelation city.) and it obviously thinks killing off newly-introduced characters each episode (another hoary Gundam cliché) is a more effective dramatic device than it actually is. Each episode follows a rigid formula: the 603 unit receives a new technology along with its last-of-the-cowboys operator; Oliver tests it but something goes wrong; the vehicle and its pilot get thrown into real combat, during which they prove themselves but perish in the process. It's stiff, hidebound, and thoroughly unimaginative.
Blood Pressures by The Kills
See My Friends by Ray Davies -Listen
See My Friends by Ray Davies
The cause, however, is beside the point. The effect is all that matters, and the effect is devastating. Already endangered by their short introductions and habit of dying quickly, the characters quickly become unintentional jokes under the influence of their stilted performances. However, as ripe as Hemme's mad-dog barking or Sonnen's neurotic twitching are, it's Imanishi's habit of retaining the compensatory stylistic exaggerations of two-dimensional anime that pushes the unintentional humor from merely amusing to gut-bustingly bad. Freezing the camera on the faces of two characters as they mime surprise at their recognition of each other is bad enough (in photo-realistic 3D), but the slo-mo sparkly hair-flip during Commander Cadillac's introduction nearly put me in traction. When you seek to bring animation as close to live-action as possible, you must accept that the rules of live action—in acting and in direction—hold sway, not the rules of animation. Imanishi doesn't, and MS IGLOO suffers as a consequence.
Though a fitting score for a mecha drama—it includes all of the rousing action and lonely sadness one could desire—and blessed with a pretty, melancholy opening theme, IGLOO's music is so bluntly wielded that it leaves a much worse impression than it should. Imanishi keeps his musical support quiet and often silent, but when it does come out to play, it's the clumsy, obvious play of a schoolyard bully.
The cause, however, is beside the point. The effect is all that matters, and the effect is devastating. Already endangered by their short introductions and habit of dying quickly, the characters quickly become unintentional jokes under the influence of their stilted performances. However, as ripe as Hemme's mad-dog barking or Sonnen's neurotic twitching are, it's Imanishi's habit of retaining the compensatory stylistic exaggerations of two-dimensional anime that pushes the unintentional humor from merely amusing to gut-bustingly bad. Freezing the camera on the faces of two characters as they mime surprise at their recognition of each other is bad enough (in photo-realistic 3D), but the slo-mo sparkly hair-flip during Commander Cadillac's introduction nearly put me in traction. When you seek to bring animation as close to live-action as possible, you must accept that the rules of live action—in acting and in direction—hold sway, not the rules of animation. Imanishi doesn't, and MS IGLOO suffers as a consequence.
Though a fitting score for a mecha drama—it includes all of the rousing action and lonely sadness one could desire—and blessed with a pretty, melancholy opening theme, IGLOO's music is so bluntly wielded that it leaves a much worse impression than it should. Imanishi keeps his musical support quiet and often silent, but when it does come out to play, it's the clumsy, obvious play of a schoolyard bully.
Moving Pictures - Deluxe Edition by Rush - Listen
Moving Pictures - Deluxe Edition by Rush
Behind the big events, overlooked by the powerful forces of war and forgotten by history, the 603 Technical Evaluation Unit spent the tumultuous months of the One Year War supporting the Zeon war effort by testing its army's newest weapons for battle readiness. On a beat-up converted passenger spaceship, frighteningly Teutonic but essentially kindhearted Engineering Lieutenant Oliver May puts technologies that may never see a real battlefield through their paces. Cooperating with a sharp-tongued Special Operations officer with the unlikely name of Monique Cadillac, he comes into contact with a range of proud but outdated specialists who have pinned their hopes on the new technologies he is testing. Unfortunately for them, characters left behind by the times, as any aging movie-cowboy will tell you, tend to die messily.
Behind the big events, overlooked by the powerful forces of war and forgotten by history, the 603 Technical Evaluation Unit spent the tumultuous months of the One Year War supporting the Zeon war effort by testing its army's newest weapons for battle readiness. On a beat-up converted passenger spaceship, frighteningly Teutonic but essentially kindhearted Engineering Lieutenant Oliver May puts technologies that may never see a real battlefield through their paces. Cooperating with a sharp-tongued Special Operations officer with the unlikely name of Monique Cadillac, he comes into contact with a range of proud but outdated specialists who have pinned their hopes on the new technologies he is testing. Unfortunately for them, characters left behind by the times, as any aging movie-cowboy will tell you, tend to die messily.
The Best of Leon Russell by Leon Russell - listen
This DVD contains one of the most entertaining extras to ever accompany an anime release: voice actress Yui Horie (Jiyu/Jubei-chan) takes beginner's kendo lessons with actual swordsmen from the Yagyu school. Not only does she discuss the history of the real Jubei, but she learns a few basic moves from the masters. Sure, you could look at the art galleries too, but make sure not to miss this fun little foray into kendo.
With Jiyu trying to escape her destiny as Jubei-chan and her pursuers trying to force it upon her, this series needs a good dose of comedy more than ever, and somehow it works: absurd antics right next to revenge-driven drama. Even with all that, there's still time for blistering duels between friends turned into bitter enemies. How can one series do so much? It's all about exploring the consequences of history converging upon the present. Consequences that can be sad, sweet, strange, or silly—and consequences that will depend on the choices of one young girl.
The Best of Leon Russell by Leon Russell
With Jiyu trying to escape her destiny as Jubei-chan and her pursuers trying to force it upon her, this series needs a good dose of comedy more than ever, and somehow it works: absurd antics right next to revenge-driven drama. Even with all that, there's still time for blistering duels between friends turned into bitter enemies. How can one series do so much? It's all about exploring the consequences of history converging upon the present. Consequences that can be sad, sweet, strange, or silly—and consequences that will depend on the choices of one young girl.
The Best of Leon Russell by Leon Russell
Steady As She Goes by Hot Tuna - Listen
Steady As She Goes by Hot Tuna
Although the urgent, wordless theme song is still an essential part of the soundtrack, it's no longer as much of a repetitive nuisance as it was in the first four episodes. The music branches out into more styles, and while most of them are just simple melodies repeating in different ways, the unique arrangements help to set the mood. The fight scenes in particular are marked by heavy percussion, resembling traditional Japanese music that the original Jubei himself might have listened to.
Despite this show's strengths, it's let down by an English dub that fails to make the characters real in the way the story does. All too often the voice actors trip up over the phrasing and dismantle any natural flow of dialogue. Even when it's to sync with mouth movements, there's something about the way the words are arranged that puts pauses in all the wrong places. Maybe the script is to blame, taking a free-and-easy approach with the original translation and rearranging much of the dialogue. Shades of meaning get lost or conversations take a different turn because the dub script refuses to agree with the subtitles.
Although the urgent, wordless theme song is still an essential part of the soundtrack, it's no longer as much of a repetitive nuisance as it was in the first four episodes. The music branches out into more styles, and while most of them are just simple melodies repeating in different ways, the unique arrangements help to set the mood. The fight scenes in particular are marked by heavy percussion, resembling traditional Japanese music that the original Jubei himself might have listened to.
Despite this show's strengths, it's let down by an English dub that fails to make the characters real in the way the story does. All too often the voice actors trip up over the phrasing and dismantle any natural flow of dialogue. Even when it's to sync with mouth movements, there's something about the way the words are arranged that puts pauses in all the wrong places. Maybe the script is to blame, taking a free-and-easy approach with the original translation and rearranging much of the dialogue. Shades of meaning get lost or conversations take a different turn because the dub script refuses to agree with the subtitles.
Tron: Legacy Reconfigured by Daft Punk - listen
Tron: Legacy Reconfigured by Daft Punk
For those averse to prolonged melodrama, however, the comedy sequences balance things out at a breakneck pace. Kita Furo's encounter with a tree in Episode 6 would normally be just an ordinary gag, but the timing makes it ten times funnier. Or just when Jiyu/Jubei-chan is about to get into serious trouble, we're suddenly whisked away to a ridiculous scene of the guys from school stalking her house. These rollercoaster mood swings—contemplative one moment; zany the next—can be either imaginative or confusing, depending on your viewpoint. But never let it be said that this is a mediocre show: it does wacky comedy better than most, being sassy rather than stupid, and it does drama better than most, going deep into the characters' issues of vengeance, family, and life's purpose. Sometimes the two even collide in the strangest places: who would have thought that Freesia's tragic back story would involve being raised by a community of talking, singing forest animals?
Madhouse's animation style is as daring as the storyline itself, jumping between art techniques as often as the series jumps between moods. When Jiyu's father loses himself in the samurai novel he's writing, a montage of traditional feudal art complements the scene; the Siberia Yagyu clan, even at their most serious, still have that one guy who's drawn really weird. The studio's only misstep is experimenting with CGI—there's a mascot character that's supposed to be the Siberia Yagyu's spy, except it looks more like a reject from the Toy Story cast. Luckily, the character only appears in one episode here (perhaps the animators also realized that it wasn't working out). The simple, rounded character designs may look like kids' stuff, but there's a certain craftsmanship in being able to render Jiyu and Freesia's features with just a few bold lines. Further craftsmanship comes out in the action scenes—in Episode 7, the transformed versions of Jubei-chan and Freesia duke it out in mid-air, twirling and slashing away in a swordfight that rivals any of the more conventional action series. Best of all, the fights don't take three episodes to finish, so you can be guaranteed of the story moving along.
For those averse to prolonged melodrama, however, the comedy sequences balance things out at a breakneck pace. Kita Furo's encounter with a tree in Episode 6 would normally be just an ordinary gag, but the timing makes it ten times funnier. Or just when Jiyu/Jubei-chan is about to get into serious trouble, we're suddenly whisked away to a ridiculous scene of the guys from school stalking her house. These rollercoaster mood swings—contemplative one moment; zany the next—can be either imaginative or confusing, depending on your viewpoint. But never let it be said that this is a mediocre show: it does wacky comedy better than most, being sassy rather than stupid, and it does drama better than most, going deep into the characters' issues of vengeance, family, and life's purpose. Sometimes the two even collide in the strangest places: who would have thought that Freesia's tragic back story would involve being raised by a community of talking, singing forest animals?
Madhouse's animation style is as daring as the storyline itself, jumping between art techniques as often as the series jumps between moods. When Jiyu's father loses himself in the samurai novel he's writing, a montage of traditional feudal art complements the scene; the Siberia Yagyu clan, even at their most serious, still have that one guy who's drawn really weird. The studio's only misstep is experimenting with CGI—there's a mascot character that's supposed to be the Siberia Yagyu's spy, except it looks more like a reject from the Toy Story cast. Luckily, the character only appears in one episode here (perhaps the animators also realized that it wasn't working out). The simple, rounded character designs may look like kids' stuff, but there's a certain craftsmanship in being able to render Jiyu and Freesia's features with just a few bold lines. Further craftsmanship comes out in the action scenes—in Episode 7, the transformed versions of Jubei-chan and Freesia duke it out in mid-air, twirling and slashing away in a swordfight that rivals any of the more conventional action series. Best of all, the fights don't take three episodes to finish, so you can be guaranteed of the story moving along.
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert - Listen
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert by Original Broadway cast
There are plenty of humorous ninja shows in anime. There are plenty of serious ninja shows. But few of them can cram those extremes together like Jubei-Chan 2, which bounces between comedy and drama like a warrior traversing the rooftops. Friendly characters and bright colors welcome you in with a smile, and then ... BAM! Suddenly it's all action and battle and fear and death. It takes a lot of guts to pull off something like this, where silliness and despair share such close quarters. Luckily, this is one series that meets the challenge.
Being a reincarnated swordsman is serious business. Yes, even if that swordsman now occupies the body of a cheerful teenage girl. Two of the three episodes on this disc begin in a reflective mood—Jiyu sitting on the rooftop, contemplating her dual identity and how much she just wants to be herself. Fans of ninja Jubei-chan need not worry, though, as Jiyu is forced into transforming a couple of times and still displays her usual swordfighting skills. The direction of the storyline isn't too surprising—everybody wants to fight her, while Jiyu just wants to live her life and be friends with Freesia—but each scene makes the most of its dramatic potential.
There are plenty of humorous ninja shows in anime. There are plenty of serious ninja shows. But few of them can cram those extremes together like Jubei-Chan 2, which bounces between comedy and drama like a warrior traversing the rooftops. Friendly characters and bright colors welcome you in with a smile, and then ... BAM! Suddenly it's all action and battle and fear and death. It takes a lot of guts to pull off something like this, where silliness and despair share such close quarters. Luckily, this is one series that meets the challenge.
Being a reincarnated swordsman is serious business. Yes, even if that swordsman now occupies the body of a cheerful teenage girl. Two of the three episodes on this disc begin in a reflective mood—Jiyu sitting on the rooftop, contemplating her dual identity and how much she just wants to be herself. Fans of ninja Jubei-chan need not worry, though, as Jiyu is forced into transforming a couple of times and still displays her usual swordfighting skills. The direction of the storyline isn't too surprising—everybody wants to fight her, while Jiyu just wants to live her life and be friends with Freesia—but each scene makes the most of its dramatic potential.
How To Become Clairvoyant by Robbie Robertson listen
How To Become Clairvoyant by Robbie Robertson
Jiyu Nanohana has renounced her status as the reincarnation of legendary swordsman Yagyu Jubei, but that doesn't stop Jubei's old enemies from hunting her down. The renegade Siberia Yagyu clan wants revenge, but that may be tricky if Jiyu refuses to fight them. Meanwhile, Freesia, who claims to be Jubei's true heir, is still after the Lovely Eyepatch that turns Jiyu into Jubei-chan. Unable to hold back her grudge any longer, Freesia reveals that the only reason she hangs out with Jiyu is because she wants the Eyepatch. But that isn't the only shock in store: when Jiyu learns that her father lied to her, she runs out of the house and straight into the clutches of Yagyu rebel Kita Furo. The more she tries to stay the same, the more she has to change ... into the warrior Jubei-chan.
Jiyu Nanohana has renounced her status as the reincarnation of legendary swordsman Yagyu Jubei, but that doesn't stop Jubei's old enemies from hunting her down. The renegade Siberia Yagyu clan wants revenge, but that may be tricky if Jiyu refuses to fight them. Meanwhile, Freesia, who claims to be Jubei's true heir, is still after the Lovely Eyepatch that turns Jiyu into Jubei-chan. Unable to hold back her grudge any longer, Freesia reveals that the only reason she hangs out with Jiyu is because she wants the Eyepatch. But that isn't the only shock in store: when Jiyu learns that her father lied to her, she runs out of the house and straight into the clutches of Yagyu rebel Kita Furo. The more she tries to stay the same, the more she has to change ... into the warrior Jubei-chan.
Songs for Japan by Various Artists listen
So where does this show fail? The viewer is stuck with the English dub, so she has no idea what the original intentions were for this show. Being a typical fan, she'll probably want to know if these are the original names for the characters and if the translation is staying true to the original release. Considering the fact that this show definitely feels like its being targeted towards kids, it's a safe bet that the translation is nowhere near the original script.
The DVD itself is nothing to write home about. It contains the first four episodes with appropriate chapter stops. The closest thing the viewer gets for extras would be the previews for other ADV releases.
Overall, the show has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it's being released without any information on the original Japanese version. True fans of anime will probably not waste their time with this show. The show will only do well, if it manages to find a nice spot on some afternoon block of cartoons.
Bakuman Chapter 127 Graphic Novel book
The show itself follows the line of the standard quest show. The heroes' father has gone missing on a quest for Power Stones, seven stones with mystical powers. There are the typical characters: a faithful butler, mysterious mystic, two ninjas and a rival samurai, which all add up to a good start for a quest story.
Production values are very high for this show. The artwork and animation are gorgeous. Bright colors create the necessary atmosphere for this light quest comedy. The character designs do lean towards being childish in nature, but again only add to the overall atmosphere.
Bakuman Comedy, Romance, School http://www.mangahere.com/manga/bakuman/
Production values are very high for this show. The artwork and animation are gorgeous. Bright colors create the necessary atmosphere for this light quest comedy. The character designs do lean towards being childish in nature, but again only add to the overall atmosphere.
Bakuman Comedy, Romance, School http://www.mangahere.com/manga/bakuman/
Air Gear Chapter 312 manga Graphic Novel book
Power Stone: Mystery of the Stones is the first volume for the Power Stone series based on the CAPCOM Video Game of the same name. Art and animation are done by Studio Pierrot based in Japan. Lacey Entertainment has licensed Power Stone for release in the U.S. and Canada. DVD production is being handled by A.D. Vision.
Right away, you can tell Lacey Entertainment is targeting kids with this release and trying to ride the coattails of other Japanese fads. The opening song harks back to the songs for other imports like Pokémon and Monster Rancher. There is also no Japanese language track available, so viewers are stuck with the English dub.
Air Gear Action, Comedy, Drama
http://www.mangahere.com/manga/air_gear/
Right away, you can tell Lacey Entertainment is targeting kids with this release and trying to ride the coattails of other Japanese fads. The opening song harks back to the songs for other imports like Pokémon and Monster Rancher. There is also no Japanese language track available, so viewers are stuck with the English dub.
Air Gear Action, Comedy, Drama
http://www.mangahere.com/manga/air_gear/
Kunisaki Izumo no Jijou Chapter 18 Graphic Novel book
Everyone wants to be a hero, and Edward Falcon isn't shirking his dream to become the top fighter in the world! The only problem is his nagging butler wants Edward to search for his father, who disappeared while looking for the mysterious powerstones. Edward finds himself in the middle of trouble when he receives one of the stones. Now, he is chased by a mysterious band of ninja and an honorable samurai.
Will Edward find his missing father and discover the secret of the Power Stones?
Action, Comedy, Gender http://www.mangahere.com/manga/kunisaki_izumo_no_jijou/
Will Edward find his missing father and discover the secret of the Power Stones?
Action, Comedy, Gender http://www.mangahere.com/manga/kunisaki_izumo_no_jijou/
Judge Chapter 10 manga Graphic Novel book
The extras are very minimal to say the least, including the clean opening and closing videos as well as a handful of Madman previews. Other than missing out on some foil effects for the cover, Madman's release is completely identical to its US counterpart.
Whether you will enjoy Air Gear or not certainly rides on your tolerance for light hearted anime and interests in the Air Treks. Despite showing itself to be a fun and amusing title during the first disc, Air Gear makes it quite obvious that the series will ride a very formulaic wave that we have seen done countless times.
Drama, Horror, Mystery http://www.mangahere.com/manga/judge/
Whether you will enjoy Air Gear or not certainly rides on your tolerance for light hearted anime and interests in the Air Treks. Despite showing itself to be a fun and amusing title during the first disc, Air Gear makes it quite obvious that the series will ride a very formulaic wave that we have seen done countless times.
Drama, Horror, Mystery http://www.mangahere.com/manga/judge/
Magico Chapter 2 0 1 manga Graphic Novel book
http://www.mangahere.com/manga/magico/
Right from the start Air Gear does not disappoint in the music department. The opening theme "Chain" by Back-Off is an absolutely rocking track that will continually have you turning the volume up so you can rock out to it, whilst the closing theme “SKY-2-HIGH” by skankfunk is certainly one for the electronica fans out there. The background music is also just as good, keeping itself varied whilst playing a lot of pumped up tracks that suit the show very well. The only issue, which is probably a production fault, is that the 5.1 surround channel is absolutely blaring compared to the 2.0 Japanese track, so it may pay to turn the volume down slightly prior to watching this dvd.
The English dub may not light your ears on fire, but it certainly is above average compared to most of the anime we see coming out in recent times. Jay Hickman's British accent for Spitfire was certainly one of the best surprises along with John Gremillion's take on the Rez-Boa-Dog's leader Inuyama. The English script is fairly run of the mill, adding and changing slang and profanities to sound more suitable with the Western language, whilst keeping the substance of the Japanese script intact. At the end of it though, there is certainly a feeling of enjoyment that comes from the English dub, a feeling that fits the show's image wonderfully.
Right from the start Air Gear does not disappoint in the music department. The opening theme "Chain" by Back-Off is an absolutely rocking track that will continually have you turning the volume up so you can rock out to it, whilst the closing theme “SKY-2-HIGH” by skankfunk is certainly one for the electronica fans out there. The background music is also just as good, keeping itself varied whilst playing a lot of pumped up tracks that suit the show very well. The only issue, which is probably a production fault, is that the 5.1 surround channel is absolutely blaring compared to the 2.0 Japanese track, so it may pay to turn the volume down slightly prior to watching this dvd.
The English dub may not light your ears on fire, but it certainly is above average compared to most of the anime we see coming out in recent times. Jay Hickman's British accent for Spitfire was certainly one of the best surprises along with John Gremillion's take on the Rez-Boa-Dog's leader Inuyama. The English script is fairly run of the mill, adding and changing slang and profanities to sound more suitable with the Western language, whilst keeping the substance of the Japanese script intact. At the end of it though, there is certainly a feeling of enjoyment that comes from the English dub, a feeling that fits the show's image wonderfully.
Working!! manga chapter 59 Graphic Novel book
Ikki decides to take a set of AT's out for some fun, but it quickly becomes pear shaped as he not only gets mistaken as a member of the Sleeping Forest, but also gets taken to a Storm Rider meeting and subsequently picks an Air Trek battle with the Skull Saders, a gang in which Ikki has had some prior run ins with. Despite not knowing any rules and putting his caretaker's group at risk, Ikki's brashness gets the best of him and soon his inexperience finds him in alot of trouble. It is not long though before the sisters show up to help bail Ikki out of trouble, giving him a much needed chance to catch up and rejoin the race. It is during this showdown though that we first witness Ikki's untapped potential, subsequently performing an advanced technique without realising and passing the Skull Sadder leader to win the race. It is not long though before Ikki decides to create his own Storm Rider team and begin making his way to the top.
Thankfully Air Gear makes up for its lack of plot with some interesting character models and some great visuals. The main cast themselves are unsurprisingly bland in terms of design with some fairly run of the mill looks that do not try to be original most of the time. Simca is pretty much the only standout main character in terms of design right now, however being one of the main female cast members its understandable. The gangs however are a different story, each being pictured in relation to their gang and personal traits, which leads to some quite amusing scenes with the Rez-Boa-Dogs and their dog masks, as well as large Buccha's AT's appearing as massive tanks from time to time. The art however is where Air Gear begins to shine, containing some of the most detailed background art around that goes brilliantly with the character animations. CG also makes a fairly common appearance and very rarely looks out of place.
Working!! manga
Comedy, Gender Bender, http://www.mangahere.com/manga/working/
Thankfully Air Gear makes up for its lack of plot with some interesting character models and some great visuals. The main cast themselves are unsurprisingly bland in terms of design with some fairly run of the mill looks that do not try to be original most of the time. Simca is pretty much the only standout main character in terms of design right now, however being one of the main female cast members its understandable. The gangs however are a different story, each being pictured in relation to their gang and personal traits, which leads to some quite amusing scenes with the Rez-Boa-Dogs and their dog masks, as well as large Buccha's AT's appearing as massive tanks from time to time. The art however is where Air Gear begins to shine, containing some of the most detailed background art around that goes brilliantly with the character animations. CG also makes a fairly common appearance and very rarely looks out of place.
Working!! manga
Comedy, Gender Bender, http://www.mangahere.com/manga/working/
Oumagadoki Doubutsuen Chapter 24 Graphic Novel book
High speeds, big tricks and humourous situations are all in a days work for Air Gear, the latest sports crazed anime to hit our shelves in recent times courtesy of Madman Entertainment. Don't be fooled into any insecurities though as Air Gear is as formulaic as they come, combining the best clichés the shonen genre has to offer with fanservice, bad jokes and a plot which rivals that of a childrens show. Despite all of this though, Air Gear still manages to ooze enough 'coolness' from its music and animation that it is quite easy to forget many of its flaws whilst your reaching for the remote to turn the volume up during the rocking opening theme.
Air Gear is based around Air Treks (ATs) a modified set of roller blades containing a small motor which gives riders the ability to achieve high speeds and big airs. These 'Storm Riders' have formed an underground competition of sorts, allowing groups to compete against one another in order to move up the rankings and gain better status. As is tradition with these types of plots, a poor sapless down on his luck guy is given the lead role and is poised with an untapped potential set on sending him to the top. Air Gear does not disappoint one bit, introducing us to Itsuki Minami (Ikki) an 8th grade freeloader living with four sisters due to some undiscussed reasons. One night Ikki decides to venture into a forbidden room he comes across in the hallway, unsurprisingly discovering a number of AT's and an emblem for the sister's group Sleeping Forest.
Graphic Novel book
Oumagadoki Doubutsuen
Action, Comedy, Fantasy http://www.mangahere.com/manga/oumagadoki_doubutsuen/
Air Gear is based around Air Treks (ATs) a modified set of roller blades containing a small motor which gives riders the ability to achieve high speeds and big airs. These 'Storm Riders' have formed an underground competition of sorts, allowing groups to compete against one another in order to move up the rankings and gain better status. As is tradition with these types of plots, a poor sapless down on his luck guy is given the lead role and is poised with an untapped potential set on sending him to the top. Air Gear does not disappoint one bit, introducing us to Itsuki Minami (Ikki) an 8th grade freeloader living with four sisters due to some undiscussed reasons. One night Ikki decides to venture into a forbidden room he comes across in the hallway, unsurprisingly discovering a number of AT's and an emblem for the sister's group Sleeping Forest.
Graphic Novel book
Oumagadoki Doubutsuen
Action, Comedy, Fantasy http://www.mangahere.com/manga/oumagadoki_doubutsuen/
Rain Chapter 6 manga Graphic Novel book
Ride Hard, Fly High! Welcome to the world of Storm Riders, where motor-powered inline skates called "Air Treks" take extreme sports to a whole new level. Those who dare to ride with these high tech devices risk life and limb in a struggle for fame, power and wings to take to the sky.
Enter Ikki Minami, the toughest fighter on the east side of town. He rules his school, takes on violent gangs single-handedly and lives with the Noyamanos; four sexy sisters with a surprising secret. And after a humiliating defeat to a terrifying gang of Storm Riders, the sisters welcome him to the world of Air Trek, where his strength, speed and ambitions soar to brand-new heights.
Now, with powerful new wings, he must protect his friends, his school and his pride in fierce Air Trek battles known as "Parts Wars." One mistake could cost him everything, but each victory brings him one step closer to becoming the king of the sky.
Rain
Action, Adventure, Fantasy http://www.mangahere.com/manga/rain/
Enter Ikki Minami, the toughest fighter on the east side of town. He rules his school, takes on violent gangs single-handedly and lives with the Noyamanos; four sexy sisters with a surprising secret. And after a humiliating defeat to a terrifying gang of Storm Riders, the sisters welcome him to the world of Air Trek, where his strength, speed and ambitions soar to brand-new heights.
Now, with powerful new wings, he must protect his friends, his school and his pride in fierce Air Trek battles known as "Parts Wars." One mistake could cost him everything, but each victory brings him one step closer to becoming the king of the sky.
Rain
Action, Adventure, Fantasy http://www.mangahere.com/manga/rain/
Genshiken Chapter 63 Graphic Novel book
Other than clean versions of the TV and OVA opening and closing sequences, the only extras on this set are the uncut versions of the Extra Stage OVAs. The OVAs themselves are a pair of side-stories about Mako, who D'dites might remember as Iketani's one-time girlfriend. They offer a single decent race and a good deal of perspective on what was going on on Mako's side of the relationship, as well as where she went afterwards, but are otherwise pretty disposable. The uncut versions remove some steam from the episodes' shower and bath sequences, which fans of fan-service will appreciate (frontal nudity, boys; have at it!) but won't make or break anyone else's experience.
While Takumi mentally overcomes all the bad stuff thrown his way this season, none of it actually gets resolved until the Initial D movie (located chronologically after these episodes, but released earlier). And the relative dearth of nerve-punishing racing action doesn't get resolved until the television series following that. Still, a pair of excellent races and some surprisingly well-written character drama make this a worthy view, even if it weren't necessary to fully appreciate the high-octane gearhead action of the next season.
Comedy, Romance, Seinen http://www.mangahere.com/manga/genshiken/
While Takumi mentally overcomes all the bad stuff thrown his way this season, none of it actually gets resolved until the Initial D movie (located chronologically after these episodes, but released earlier). And the relative dearth of nerve-punishing racing action doesn't get resolved until the television series following that. Still, a pair of excellent races and some surprisingly well-written character drama make this a worthy view, even if it weren't necessary to fully appreciate the high-octane gearhead action of the next season.
Comedy, Romance, Seinen http://www.mangahere.com/manga/genshiken/
Arago Chapter 62 Graphic Novel book
On a purely technical level, this season is an improvement over the first. The characters are still flat and ugly as sin, and the 2D animation isn't much prettier, but the 3DCG is definitely improving. Lines bend more gracefully and there are fewer obvious CG polygons in both the cars and their surroundings. When a tailpipe moves, you can still see that it isn't round like a tailpipe should be, but at least they aren't octagonal any more. The physics engine is also better, so the cars are less atrociously unreal in their movements, as are their engines during the sprinkling of intern-o-cam engine shots. The all-important soundtrack adds a few more roaring guitars but otherwise remains the same electronic rave-up it has always been.
Even improved, though, there's nothing particularly attractive about any of it—save the soundtrack. When the series is trying to get at Takumi's inner turmoil or get us to feel Mogi's pain, the stylistic decisions it makes—particularly as regards to those hideous, immobile character designs—are undeniably unfortunate. That said, during the races the intense character designs, slick CGI cars, and techno-thumping eurotrash soundtrack make perfect sense, colliding to create thrilling automotive ballets that maintain high excitement for improbably long periods. Which just makes it that much more unfortunate that there's so few of them this season.
Arago
Action, Mystery, Romance http://www.mangahere.com/manga/arago/
Even improved, though, there's nothing particularly attractive about any of it—save the soundtrack. When the series is trying to get at Takumi's inner turmoil or get us to feel Mogi's pain, the stylistic decisions it makes—particularly as regards to those hideous, immobile character designs—are undeniably unfortunate. That said, during the races the intense character designs, slick CGI cars, and techno-thumping eurotrash soundtrack make perfect sense, colliding to create thrilling automotive ballets that maintain high excitement for improbably long periods. Which just makes it that much more unfortunate that there's so few of them this season.
Arago
Action, Mystery, Romance http://www.mangahere.com/manga/arago/
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