Friday, December 5, 2008
UPDATES - 12/05/08
I have a review of He is My Master Vol: 1 that has just been published, and I am working on a feature article for next week as well, in addition I am pulling together some DVD reviews as well, so hopefully we are back on track.
MANGA REVIEW: He is My Master Vol: 1
From the Back Cover:
Welcome to the day-to-day adventures of the richest most perverted kid on the block- Nakabayashi Yoshitaka. At 14 years old, he's already a master blackmailer, sports a major superiority complex, and has a uniform fetish to boot.
After inheriting the family fortune upon his parents' deaths, Yoshitaka decides to fire all the old staff and hire some new live-in maids to help him look after the estate. Unfortunately, he gets more than he bargained for when two hot girls and their pet Alligator Pochi shop up to fill the positions!
Initial Impressions
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Forgotten but not gone
But I am going to try to change that.
I am dedicating an hour a day to writing/working for this blog, so there should be a lot more content heading your way here pretty soon.
Again sorry for how long I have been absent, I miss this blog and the joy it brings to me.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
I'm bhack!!!!
I have got a bunch of new stuff to get reviews up on, I am also going to be doing a series of interviews with some of the convention crowd both locally here in Utah and nationally as well.
So look forward to the coming weeks and months, I am sure its going to be a blast, when I get a chance I will get a new posting schedule up!
Take care
Friday, August 29, 2008
Anime 10 Things I love/hate about you...
Ok, so I got thinking about stuff the other night and realized that there are always going to be things we love or hate about a hobby, so without further ado...
Love | Hate |
1. Amazingly cool stories | 1. The same old stories |
2. Fans having all sorts of fun | 2. Fans having smells |
3. New Gundam series | 3. Gundam making no sense |
4. New Manga being released | 4. Manga being stopped midway |
5. Shows that push boundaries | 5. Ignoring boundaries of good taste |
6. Cute new characters | 6. Pokemon [nuff said] |
7. Blu-ray releases | 7. Costs of the Blu-ray releases |
8. Japanese games in America | 8. Games not brought out in English |
9. Fans defending shows | 9. Fans whining about shows |
10. Haruhi Suzumiya | 10. Naruto |
Friday, August 22, 2008
Move done...
Ok so here is the deal, I have gotten moved to Pit, not sure how long it will be before I get going with the blog again as far as reviews and stuff go, I anticipate it might take a couple of weeks still. But do bear with me, as I do have a lot of material to get up and get going on.
Talk to you soon!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
UPDATES - 08/07/08
Anyways, so you know, I am going to be leaving Utah on next Thursday, and will likely be out of commission for the next 5 days following that, I might get a chance to post a note while on the road but there are no guarantees.
One thing the slight sabbatical is going to do for me is give me a chance to get caught up on my Manga reading and Anime viewing, which should allow for a lot more content to get put up on the site soon enough.
Talk to you tommorow with the review!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
A picture is worth 1000 words...
Monday, August 4, 2008
I need to go back...
Japan, I need to go back...
These last few years have been pretty trying for me, not always in a bad way, but I have lost a lot of who I am in the process, everything became blurred between, marriage, love, divorce, the SCA I have sorted drifted away. Then my roomate got me into Megatokyo, and there for some reason it all came back, the love of Anime, the contrasts of Tokyo between old and new...I just realized that I missed it a lot.
I have been there a number of times before thanks to my father being an airline pilot, and I loved it, there was something special and serene about the place that appealed to me...I just need to get back and try to find some of what I have been missing again, to walk those streets alone again one more time...
Sunday, August 3, 2008
UPDATES - 08/03/08
I have been working mostly on getting my house ready for sale at the moment, its ready to go almost, still cleaning out the garage and stuff like that. But its a rather long process...
Picked up a new Manga last night, the first volume of the prequel series to Fushugi Yugi published by Viz, and I will get a review up pretty soon. In addition I am working on reviews for the complete series of The Galaxy Railways and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Vol. 2
I am hoping to have these all published bef0re this weekend when I am going to be out at an SCA event then beginning the move to PA.
Monday, July 21, 2008
UPDATES - 7/21/08
Now don't get me wrong, I am still going to be posting articles and reviews on as often a basis as I can, but to try and hold to a shcedule right now isn't particulary realistic, so keep looking each week and I will do what I can to get new reviews and material up, hopefully by this time in September I will be back into normal run, until my daughter comes along in October, then its anybodys guess.
This week I am going to have a new DVD review up and hopefully a feature article, thanks for sticking with me!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
UPDATES - 07/16/08
Ok, sorry about the Manga review not getting up yesterday, I wasn't able to complete it in time, due to some other...distractions...the iPhone Apps store is out and I spent far too much time playing with that monday, my bad sorry. Its really amazing what this phone is capable of, I just need to remember to get my scheduled stuff done first LOL!
Anyways as you know I am in the process of getting ready to move across the country, so things are going to be sporadic for awhile, I will get up what I can when I can, but just be patient, I am going to have a full blown office/studio in the new home which should make working on my art and this site a lot easier. Give it time, I promise not to disappoint [well not often ^_~]
Out for the moment, will try to get that Manga review posted, if not today I will shuffle it to next week.
Sign of the Times
1) ADV Films is in serious financial trouble, they are in the process of restructuring and saying all the right things, but the reality is that they are selling off properties and right now and are in a state of flux with regards to their product offerings.
2) Geneon is now effectively gone, while their employees are completing a number of the properties for Funimation [the new liscensor] their existence as an independent studio is now basically over.
3) "Fansubbing" was a subject of an entire panel with studio execs and legal council, who while they understand the past need/history for fansubbing, are seeing larger and larger losses on products that have been fansubbed before they have ever been released commercially in the North American market. Not to mention the rampant sharing of commercial episodes via Torrents and P2P systems.
4) The Manga industry is having its own issues as well, with the reorganization of Tokyopop, and the well documented drop in sales in major chain booksellers, along with the continued presence of "Scanlations" the Manga industry is feeling the pinch as well.
Not exactly the rosiest picture in the world is it? With the downturn [some would say nosedive] of the US economy the situation isn't going t0 get better, and may in fact get worse, so what can we as fans do to help the industry survive these lean times? In short, we need to start paying for the hobby that we love so much.
I have been around since the early days, when "Fansubbing" was the only way to get any Anime other than the odd offerings of the then fledgling ADV, Viz, Animego, and Central Park Media/US Manga Corps. I understand that there is a lot that has never been/ never will be liscenced over here in Anime form, so I understand the downloading of stuff like that, however, if and when those series get picked up, we owe it to the commercial companies here to buy the DVDs and delete the fansubs. The same goes for Manga, its one thing downloading a "Scanlation" when a series isn't liscenced, but as soon as it becomes available commercially we should be buying it, thereby supporting the company going to the trouble of releasing it in this market.
Now I know that the economy is weak and everyone is trying to find ways to cut back and still enjoy their hobbies [trust me I know how that is] and people feel that Anime is overpriced [unless you used to pay $65 for a 30min VHS personally I dont't think you should cry too much, but thats me] but the reality is that this is still a niche market. What this means is that the costs are going to be higher, we need to be able to live with that if we want the domestic industry to survive!
What does this mean? It means buying your favourite shows on DVD, buying that Manga instead of downloading it, or even worse going into a store and reading without buying! We have all got to do our parts. If it isn't liscenced this isn't an issue, but as soon as it gets liscenced we owe it to the producers to pick up the commercial copies of the shows that we enjoy and makes sure that they are able to keep bringing more and more quality products to these shores.
With any luck the industry will manage to survive this down period and come back as strong as ever.
Monday, July 14, 2008
UPDATES - 07/14/08
Take care and thanks for your support!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
MANGA REVIEW: Onegai Teacher 1&2
NOTE: As of this writing it appears that these two volumes are out of print commercially, if you want your own copies check Amazon.com or eBay
I first saw Onegai Teacher [Please Teacher for those of us here in the west] about 3 years ago and fell in love with the story and artwork, while it was far too brief I felt that if it was given a longer more detailed treatment it would be much more enjoyable.
So it was with great anticipation that I ordered volumes 1 and 2 of the Manga, only to find out when they arrived that they were an adaptation of the series, and there were only two volumes total. In addition the artwork looked far different from that of the show, but I was willing to give it a chance to live up to the shows, heartwarming, if flawed story.
Story – 6.5/10
“That... Day I met my new teacher. It completely changed everything.” That line just about sums up the story of a 18 year old boy, who looks 15 [due to an illness where he effectively stops in time] who ends up marrying his 20 something half Alien homeroom teacher to keep her secret, definitely a mouthful, and a lot of stress.
Kei’s and Mizuho’s relationship is one of humor, tenderness, triumph and tradgedy, two people who are brought together under the most trying of circumstances that come to fall in love with one another.
Like all love comedies, other characters fitting into tight Anime stereotypes, the tom boyish girl with the crush on our lead, the somewhat perverted in laws, the very sweet but clueless female friend, all come to play in the story. Sadly the Manga does very little to try and make the supporting cast any more than simply cardboard cut outs for our leads to work around, its an all to familiar problem with romantic comedies, and one that sadly crops its head up again here.
Onegai Teacher the Manga, is an adaptation of the Anime series, so the story doesn’t deviate too far from the show, there are some minor alterations for the sake of brevity, but they don’t hurt the plot in any fashion.
The Manga does have the same flaw that the Anime does however, at only two volumes long there really isn’t a ton of room to develop the characters, this becomes a real issue in the latter volume as they are rushing to tidy everything up quickly, it feels forced and jarring. I had the same issue with the Anime as well, and the problem is only magnified here.
I love the story concept for the series, but its brevity, especially in the Manga format prevents it from jumping into the upper echelons of Manga available.
Art - 6/10
I loved the art direction in the Anime, the characters were fully realized and our heroine Mizuho was a breathtaking sight to behold, sadly the Manga doesn’t live up to this.
The artwork by Shizuru Hayashiya is a mixed bag that falls somewhere between the elongated, pointy look of “Clamp” and the more traditional Anime lines. I found the character design to be very inconsistent and even jarring at points when it seemed like the character was someone completely different two panels later, simply based off of a lack of continuity in the artwork. Backgrounds fair little better, since they are almost non existent through the entire two volume series.
Does the artwork work to tell the story? Yes, but in comparison to the Anime its so crude that it makes it much harder to enjoy the story, and see its true potential.
Final Conclusions overall – 6.25/10
With its even briefer storyline and crude artwork its nearly impossible to recommend this slightly above average two volume adaptation to anyone but pure fans and collectors.
+ Story is still very sweet and tender
Likable main characters
- To brief a space to convey the nuances of the relationships
Artwork is very crude
Completely forgettable supporting cast
Publisher: Comics One*
Cost USD: $9.99
Rating: 13+
*Out of business as of 2005
Friday, July 4, 2008
*SPECIAL REVIEW* Megatokyo
I had heard about the comic for sometime from my roommate, he told me that I really should check it out, I had run into it in passing before, but never stopped long enough to look, to me it had always sorta been the "Hip thing" "Cool thing" and I am usually the last person that will get involved with the latest craze when it comes to Anime/Manga fandom [part of the reason I have never gotten into Naruto I guess] But I figured that I would give it another try one day when I had a few spare minutes at work, it might be fun to see what a North Americans take on this art for is like, what the heck right? Well, I managed to completely read the whole series current [as of March] in two days!
When I started reading I laughed at all of the gaming industry jokes and the satiric humor between the lead characters, Piro and Largo [interestingly enough, neither one of them ever seems to have a last name] as they try to invade E3 [you can never have too many John Romero/Daikatana jokes], then all of a sudden *whoosh!* they are off to Japan, and that’s where the real fun begins.
Piro is the definition of an Otaku, right down to the complete lack of confidence when it comes to women. Largo on the other hand, he is gamer geek, who speaks almost entirely in “l33t” speak as the series goes on. The two of them couldn’t be more different, but their friendship is wonderful to watch as it evolves and matures, and in many ways goes completely the wrong direction. Into their midst comes Hyasaka Erika, and Nanasawa Kimiko, two female roommates that have known each other since highschool, Kimiko is an aspiring Seiryu [voice actress] while Erika works in a local gaming store, much to her own chagrin.
The love interests and coupling are introduced very early on, but it’s the development of those relationships that makes for some of the more wonderful moments in the series. I don’t want to give a lot away, but by the time you get caught up to the current comic, you will have seen every Anime/Manga stereotype thrown on its ear, but with an amazing amount of reverence and loving care. [watch for Genbu and you will see what I mean] Fred Gallagher has so much respect for the culture of Japan and Anime/Manga fandom that he is careful not to overstep his bounds, his storytelling is very well done, parts heartfelt and amusing all in one.
I have heard people criticize the artwork, one has to understand that Fred has been learning as he goes, he is an architect by training not a comic book artist, so for him, it has been all about learning how the human body moves and emotes, not to mention the process of creating 3 strips a week. The early comics were crude by comparison to the later ones, but I urge you to give it a chance, by the current strips the characters look unique, and full of life. Like any good artist Fred is able to capture the feelings of his characters and render them lovingly on the page.
Megatokyo is available on http://www.megatokyo.com on roughly a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule [though that can fluctuate] and you can read the archives there. But I do urge you to go the Megagear Store on the site, and purchase the in print graphic novel compilations of the series as that will help Fred out, as well as keep the series going for the long haul.
I can recommend this series whole heartedly, you will definitely laugh, you might even cry, its one of the true gems of the web coming scene.
4th of July! Happy Independence Day!
May you enjoy a safe [preferably non alcohol and fireworks induced death] and happy holiday!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
UPDATES - 07/03/08
But no matter, we are back to normal starting Monday, with a special review to be posted tommorow on the 4th of July.
I look forward to getting this site back and rolling again, as there is a lot that I need to review and get up for your reading pleasure!
Take care!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
How I came back from Anime burnout...
When I think back to my beginings in the early 90's I can't help but feel like a bit of a pioneer, at the time there was very little commercially available over here. Sure you had the staples of Robotech and Akira, but other than that it was slim pickings, Animego was just getting started as was US Manga Corps, ADV was barely a blip on the radar and Viz was still concerned mostly with over priced Manga translations separated into monthly comics. There wasn't much there...
I was a member of a local Anime club at the time, watching 3rd generation tapes sent over from Japan and then fansubbed using an Amiga computer. We would get together for 7 hours once a month and pour through the latest stuff. It was a good time to be alive, I ran a small fanzine at the time and had a lot of fun perusing BBS's for all things Anime related...Then something happened...
We started to see more commercial releases, not just regular Anime, but Hentai as well, there seemed to be a real march towards legitimacy, much of it was dubbed, and horribly at that, but the inroads were there. The problems for me began when it became more and more commercial and there seemed to be a movement to market towards the teenagers. Our monthly club meetings began to feel more like the local highschool social, and it wasn't in a good way, the kids were rude, disrespectful and all the wanted was the "new dubbed stuff" our older membership waned, I stayed for awhile and then went my own way. By this time I had been to Japan a number of times and started collecting, working on my own more anyways.
Then like all young people I ended up going to college and tried to help the Anime club there, but I found more of the same, and even worse as they would ban all sorts of stuff because people didn't like the content. Some I agreed with, but others I didn't. It was hard, I couldn't really afford to collect what I wanted as VHS tapes were costing a fortune, and what was being released was skewing more to the "Big breasted girls and giant robots" than anything with much substance. I saw Princess Mononoke in theaters and loved every moment, but still I felt that the industry had passed me by.
So I walked away...
My ex wife was into some of it, but not the way I once was, I would catch bits and pieces here and there collecting the odd bits, but the passion was gone. I spent the next few years lightly tracking the industry but for the most part not caring. I did start watching a few more series again Please! Teacher and Vampire Princess Miyu: The TV Series but I still felt more on the outside looking in. Then I started reading Megatokyo and found myself wanting to draw again, of course in an Anime style, which led me back online to see what I could find. I started purusing the stores again and found how much had changes and for the better at that, it was exciting again. Not only on the Anime front, but the ability to buy Manga the way it was intended and at a reasonable price was very cool as well.
What got me through the burnout was realizing that what I enjoyed was still there, and with the advent of DVD I could still enjoy it as it was meant in the original Japanese, but still have the ability to throw the dubs on for people that preferred it that way. There was so much new to be explored and amazing people to do it with, and it seemed that age didn't really matter, which is nice since I turned 30 this year, people don't really care, if anything they enjoy having someone around who has seen more of the hobby than they have.
Its good to be back!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Some new series...
UPDATES - 06/16/08
Working on a Manga review for tommorow, after that I am not sure for the week, but I am going to do what I can before I leave for an extended camping trip.
Later!
Friday, June 13, 2008
UPDATES - 06/13/08
Sorry folks, I hope to be back in order by then with expected content etc.
Take care!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Back in Utah...
I haven't gotten any new updates ready to roll yet this week, I am going to get the term of the week changed here this morning and will see about getting a DVD review ready for later in the week.
The site should be back to normal starting next week, so bear with me, still recovering from the trip plus getting back into the swing of things at work.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
MANGA REVIEW: Chrono Crusade V1
I was first exposed to Chrono Crusade back in the winter of 2004, I was working in California at the time and read a review on the now defunct Animefringe website of the Anime, and was very intruiged. However as often happens in life, I got busy and did't find the show again until the end of my true dark period in 2005. But this time what I found was the Manga and grabbed the first volume on site.
The cover is beautiful was a full portrait of Rosette and Chrono, there is no synopsis on the back which is a bit of shame for first time lookers, but on the other hand its presented as it would have originally been published in Japan.
For some reason it seems that the Catholic church is always a point of interest for the Japanese when they do religously based occult stories. Chrono Crusade takes place in the "Roaring Twenties" right before the stock market crash, its a time of induglance and deccadence, people are wanting new highs, even if those highs involve the loss of their immortal souls. Brought into this tumultuous time is the duo of Chrono and Rosette, members of the Magdelanian order of demon hunting nuns/priests.
There is just one catch...Chrono is a demon, soul bound to Rosette by a contract, linked to a ornate watch worn around her neck, the more he uses his powers the quicker her life is drained, he cannot survive without her, she cannot survive without him. It makes for an beautiful dynamic, two people bound to each other for life, how little of it they may have left.
Its not often that a first volume of anything manages to pull you in effectively, so often series will take a couple to get going properly, Chrono Crusade manages to avoid this pitfall and pulls you in immeadiately. The story and art do a magnificent job of drawing you into the time period, and the volume leaves just enough questions to make you ache to pick up the second one.
A wonderful start to the series, a must read for any fans of the Anime, and Manga in general.
Monday, June 2, 2008
RANT: Community doesn't mean support group!
Ok so I was perusing the forums over on Anime News Network and found the following post:
"I think there is a community with Anime, I have some problems and I don't fit in other groups, and people don't like me, but people here talk to me, it helps me feel better about myself, so there is a community"
Alright, first off, I totally can relate to not feeling accepted, I think that we all have been there to some extent at one time or another, and some of us more than others. I am glad that people have found a hobby that they love...
But...THAT DOESN'T MAKE US A SUPPORT GROUP!
Sorry, now I have that out let me explain, I was a member of a highschool Anime club, we met on weekends at a local rec center and kicked back and watched a lot of shows, had a great time [see my "Golden Age" article for more information] but as the years wore on I noticed a disturbing trend, more and more of the new members we were getting were people with some rather serious interpersonal issues. We would later find out that the local highschool counselors reccomended us as a place that kids could go to get support, from "People just like you"
What the heck? Ok here's the thing, while yes many of us had had outcast status pinned on our heads at some point we had never though of the club as a support group, it was just like any other group that met, people coming together who enjoyed the same things. Now all of a sudden were were being asked to make people feel welcome because they were told "They are just like you" not fair, not right to the members of the club.
As the years have passed and I have gotten older I have noticed this trend more and more, kids/adults that feel lost, seem to gravitate towards the Anime/Manga scene to try and fit in. The problem is that there are a lot of true hobbyists out there for whom this is more than a little annoying, they feel that this tarnishes what they love and lumps them into a more support grop role, one they don't always want let alone are qualified for.
I lurked a lot on the forum page for the Cherry Blossom Ball at Anime Boston last year [wonderous idea BTW, kudos to the event organizers] and watched as it slowly became a discussion of finding a date and being "unable to get a date is HS" or those still in HS trying to deal with the realities of teen life. I felt for the organizers because they tried and tried to keep the thread on topic, but it kept coming back to dates, and being outcasts. It was a shame, I get that people felt that they would be left out, even though the organizers kept stressing that dates weren't required, but honestly it started to make the thread hard to read as it became more and more about folks emotional states than about the actual ball itself.
Its a tough situation, people want to feel accepted and wanted, but at the same time, people want to feel what they are doing is a hobby and not as someone elses support group. I was recently yelled at in a comic store by a guy because I just wanted to check out and leave and he wanted to keep talking to me about how great Naruto is. I finally told him politely that I didn't want to argue, and he said "Well I have Apsbergers, so this is how it is for me" this was an employee that handled the Anime/Manga section...I didn't even know how to react, I want to be friendly but I am not about to be yelled at either.
I want people to feel welcome and free to share their opinions, but I also feel that we should be trying to enforce that we are a community [if one can call us that] of hobbyists and not a support group.
I have Tourettes, and serious depression, its something I will live with for the rest of my life, and I will defend ANYONE that gets slammed because of a disability, but I don't ask the members of my hobbies to be my support network, I have groups for that.
Anyways, thats about it, let me know what you think, what you think we have a responsibility to do, use the comments section on the blog I would really like to here the thoughts of anyone else on this subject.
Later!
UPDATES - 06/02/08
Ok, so it looks like I might have gotten lucky, I was able to push myself and get the better part of a weeks content done before I leave on my trip. There will be a "Rant" posted today, a Manga review posted tommorow, and hopefully a DVD review on thursday.
I leave town thursday morning and will be out of contact until sunday, so expect an update on monday as to whats happening next week.
Take care!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Forums are coming!
I will be looking for moderators probably pretty soon, I would like to have 2 of them, so if you are interested [Only those over the age of 18 please, some adult content will be present on the site]
Anyhow take care, hope to have some other small updates today and tommorow, then I will be off for most of next week with life returning to normal the following one.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
UPDATES - 05/28/08 - IMPORTANT
I am going to be very busy working on my house and getting ready for the main part of the job interview process next week in Pitssburgh, so artciles and content may be few and far between in that time. I will try to bank a bit of content that I can use the Blogger Scheduler to be able to post while I am gone, but realisticly it will likely be the week of June 9th before things get back to normal.
There will be mostly quick news updates, and a First Look posted this week, other than that I will be mostly gone.
Take care, I'll keep ya posted!
Friday, May 23, 2008
GAME REVIEW - Triggerheart Excelica
Something fun...
Its a lovely piece of her in a Loli-Goth type look playing here guitar, seems to run around $60 USD shipped! Little expensive, but I would love to get my hands on one.
Anyways, I am working on a game review of Triggerheart Excelica for the XBOX 360 which I hope to post later today or first thing in the morning, so be on the lookout for that.
I will be gone most of saturday and sunday, so I won't be on much, also with monday being Memorial Day here in the US I am going to likely take my gal to the local waterpark, so I might not get the regular monday updates done, we will see though...
Take care, talk at you later!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
DVD Review - The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Vol 1
Story - 9/10
Art - 9/10
+ Wonferful characters and story
Studio: Bandai Entertainment
Rating: 13+
A note about reviews
The reason is that I usally only watch my Anime subtitled, this comes from years in the fansubbing world, I just prefer it that way. If there is interest I will start talking about the dubbing and the English voices, its just that up til now I haven't felt the need.
Anyways enjoy todays DVD review, and I will talk at you again later today or tommorow!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Gashapon - The new collectible drug
I am more than impressed with their quality, you do pay a fair chunk for them, about $10 US shipped for the most part [based off of eBay] there are places selling them new in the capsules, but they are harder to find.
If you fancy getting into Gashapon collecting I would try looking on eBay, and put in "Gashapon, Figure" and see what shows up, you might even find something from a series you have never heard of but think look cool none the less.
There are a few collector sites out there as well, they are a bit hit and miss, one that I found to be somewhat useful is http://www.gashaponcollector.com/ they have a nice selection to show what has been/is available and a news section as well.
Have fun collecting!
UPDATES - 04/21/08
I am working on a feature article that will be posted later today, then I should have the DVD review ready to roll for tommorow. With any luck I am going to get a substitute quicky game review up here in the next few hours, so watch for that.
Again, sorry about issues with updating, its a crazy time in my life right now. But I promise I am going to get back to normal here soon.
Talk at you later!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Crazy schedule
I am going to try to keep to the regular schedule but there is no guarantee, I will keep you posted as to the plans as they happen.
Cya!
Friday, May 16, 2008
UPDATES - 05/16/08
I am working on something special for this afternoon, hopefully it will be up before I leave for home for the night. Keep your eyes peeled!
Gotta run!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
UPDATES - 05/15/08
Assuming that I get the chance I may post an extra feature article this week as a thank you for hanging in there with me while I got myself on schedule better. Keep watching for it.
Gotta run right now, see you later!
MOVIE REVIEW - Speed Racer
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Golden Era [From a matter of perspective]
You hear people talk about "Golden Era's" all the time in history, the Rennaisance is the big one, the Roaring 20's being another. So what do some people consider the "Golden Era"of Anime/Manga fandom? The result may surprise you.
For ME and a lot of old timers the "Golden Era" was when there was very little commercially available on the Anime/Manga front, yes the prices were astronomical on stuff released over here and we were watching 8th generation tapes poorly subtitled, but there was something special at the same time, blazing a trail, opening a new frontier.
I was a member of the Vancouver Japanese Animation Club [VJAC for short] that was responsible for a group called Arctic Animation, this is the same Arctic Animation that would go on to do the complete fan sub of Maison Ikkoku, Patlabor, Record of Lodoss War and others. If you were a fan back then, chances are you saw a lot of our clubs work. This was a really neat time to be in fandom, we would get new series all the time and see them sometimes completely without subtitles [let me tell you The Five Star Stories basically make no sense without them, but it was fun anyways] but we loved it all because we thought there was something really special about what we were doing.
Trying to aquire merchandise was also a nightmare, really the only major places that you could get them were in California here in the USA and then from overseas, quite often in the UK, it was insane. But we loved getting each and every little piece that we could aquire, they were treasures to us.
There wasn't activism then about certain series, in fact it was precisely the opposite people were excited about anything new and unique that came down the pipe. There wasn't the whole "My series is better than yours" it didn't exist because we were thrilled with anything that came out.
We hung on every new release, hunted down Gundam kits like they were going out of style, these were great times to be a fan, maybe one day we will get back to them...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
UPDATES - 05/13/08
I just preorderd Vexille so I hope to have a review of that up pretty close to release date.
Also I am planning on adding a "Series/Episode Review" and a "First Look" sections. "Series/Episode Review" will cover a look at individual episodes or sometimes a full series, "First Look" will be a preview of upcoming releases here in North America, as well as sometimes a quick peek at a series before a complete review can be done.
Talk to you later!
MANGA REVIEW: My - HiME V1
When Fuuka Academy is attacked by strange creatures called Oprphans, the school sets up a special task force of its female members---called HiMEs---who must team up with a unique “Key” to battle these invaders! Yuuichi Tate is the new boy in town, thrilled to be at a new school. But he soon discovers that he’s the key for not just one but TWO HiMEs!
Two highly competitive, rival schoolgirls. One overzealous boy. And that’s just the start of the trouble!
Initial Impressions - 8/10
NOTE: This title comes with a Parental Advisory warning. This title may not be suitable for those under 18 years of age.
So I decided to go ahead and do something different this time round with my latest Manga purchase, I decided that instead of buying something I knew something about I would grab something off the shelf I hadn’t heard of. I took a look at covers and read the back synopsis, and ended up setting on My-HiME.
First off the cover has a really nice portrait of one of the female leads from the series, even if she is a bit on the ridiculously endowed side. I appreciate the parental warning very clearly displayed on the book, makes it very clear that this title isn’t intended for those under 18 years of age.
The story from the read on the back cover sounded interesting, so the initial impression is very good.
Story - 6/10
I haven’t seen the Anime of the same name that people say is markedly so very different. So I am basing my story judgement based only on the Manga, I hope to get some of the Anime at some point to judge better.
So theoretically this sounds to be a bit of a harem comic with a Magical Girl twist to it, the problem is that it never seems to be either. It’s a spastic story at best, I got lost 10 pages in as to who was supposed to be in charge of what, it gets started fast which is good, but there are a lot of details left out. Such as how does an apparent 8 year old end up running a school?! There are also a number of jarring flashbacks of our hero that don’t help as much as they hinder.
Another problem is the translation, he holds a Kendo sword and talks about being in the Fencing Club?! What the heck? Also he goes on to speak about having fateful encounters at one point when referencing girls? There seems to have been a huge disconnect with translators and quality control on this one.
Once you get a little deeper into the story one can see there might be some promise, I will probably grab volume 2 to see if there is an improvement.
Art - 7/10
The art in the volume is nice, the action scenes are very well done and the character designs work well if a bit generic. There is a total lack of details in the backgrounds at points which some people might find off putting, I don’t mind as it really keeps the focus on the characters.
There is a ton of Fan Service in the volume if that is your type of thing, but for the most part it isn’t explicit, but after awhile you question if they just ran out of story ideas. It’s almost jarring the amount of times the girls clothes seem to explode into nothingness.
Final Conclusions overall - 7/10
I really wanted to enjoy this volume more, it looked to have a fun premise and from what I could see the artwork looked decent. But the story is really what’s holding it back, it just leaps around with no sense of direction or clarity.
Hopefully future volumes will improve on this.
NOTE: For the most part the story and art in this volume doesn’t seem to warrant the 18+ warning, however the last few pages definitely take an adult twist…Parents, you have been warned.
+ Decent artwork
- Storyline is a mishmash
Little background detail
Large volumes of Fan Service [bordering on the pornographic]
Publisher: Tokyopop
Cost: $9.99
Rating: Explicit Content 18+
Monday, May 12, 2008
A bit of writers block
I am not going to make excuses for why things aren't getting done, honestly I could come up with a thousand reasons and it wouldn't matter. What really does matter is that I am promising content that I am currently not delivering. There is a bunch of new stuff in the pipeline that I should be able to get finished today or tommorow, which will cover me through the next week or so then we will go from there.
With any luck [yes I know that I have said that before] I should be able to get a enough content created that I am really only worrying about the articles and the news and will be able to keep pace with that.
Thanks for the understanding!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Quick updates...
I removed the poll, no one voted LOL, if anyone out there is even reading this, I might only be writing to myself, I really hope not but you never know ;) I will revisit the issue in a couple of months to see where this is then.
I am also going to be using some more of the "Blogger in Draft" features, so be aware some things may look strange while I get the kinks worked out.
Gotta run, at work as usual, will try to get the Manga review posted tonight.
Community in Anime/Manga fandom
Enjoy, and give me your thoughts...
You know, when I got started in Anime fandom some 15 years ago there was a real sense of community, we were a bunch of people dedicated to a very niche hobby trading tapes and stories, honestly for me and many others that was a golden age. Now, the times have changed…
Commercialization of Anime has brought about some wonderful advances [go to your local DVD store of note FYE, Fry's and you will see] but at the same time its caused the soul of the community to vanish.
One first has to understand what made the community what it was back 15 years ago, we were people that were interested in Japanese culture as much as we were the animation, there was an understanding that we were watching things that were as much a cultural window as entertainment. The problem with now is that the fans really don't have a clue where its all come from, they complain about the $30 DVD with 4 episodes, I remember paying twice that for VHS tapes with one episode on them! We never would run around calling each other “Chan” and “Sama” honestly, we would have felt that to be an insult to the culture not the least making fools of ourselves. For us it wasn't a fad so much as it was a hobby that we really didn't care if it was understood or not. Now, all you hear is people calling themselves Japanese names and glorifying series as the greatest ever without even looking at what came from the past.
I recently saw it first hand when I was in our local comic shop, one of the employees was there and I looked up at the screen and saw an AMV playing of Oh! My Goddess The Movie. He proceeded to tell me how amazing this show is and how it's the pinnacle of modern Anime, and wanted to know if I was interested in coming to the store's Anime night. I asked him what they would be showing and he listed the episodes of Naruto and Bleach along with Bubblegum Crisis. I politely declined, he asked why, I explained that for me, when I used to go to club meetings, it was to see something new, not the same stuff from the TV. He looked at me and said “How can you call yourself an Anime fan and not love Naruto?!” I couldn't believe my ears. It underscored to me how today there is far more activism in Anime than there is community, I shouldn't have to defend not liking Naruto to be a fan, but its more of a “Look at me I'm an Anime fan!” than anything else anymore. Call me old and jaded, but being told by a couple of kids how everything prior to Bleach sucked is more than a little annoying.
There is community to be found, but its in the smaller niche groups, Cosplayer's, Fansubbers etc. honestly I would love to see the community go back to smaller more focused groups without all the commercialization. Where true fans could really enjoy themselves and not be lumped in with the kids who don't know what fandom really is.
I would love to see community rise again, truly I would, I just don't see it happening anytime soon.
Friday, May 2, 2008
*SPECIAL REVIEW* Star Crossed Destiny
As I said from the outset, there is more to this than simply a review of the comic, as seems to be customary these days the author provides a sort of commentary along with her pieces of work. I have actually found myself equally drawn to the story of the artist who created the comic.
This is her life's work, she is a talented young woman that is trying to make her way at something that few people even remotely suceed at, she deserves so much credit for that alone, I have read all the posts she has written about squeaking by financially because she is trying to make this dream real, I could never fault someone for that. Dreams are meant to be chased, and if possible caught. Juno's work to overcome all that she has to get this far is a testament to her strength as a person and an artist.
She is an inspiration to me, I have my own dreams when it comes to comic writing and the web, I have designs and ideas floating around in my head that I am just trying to figure out how to get on paper. Her site inspired me to keep chasing the dream of the story I have to tell...Thank you...
I am going to post links to the comic here on the blog, I encourage you to go read it, enjoy it, above all, if you do like it, support it!
I told you this wouldn't be a normal review, but I hope that it can show the passion one woman has for her work and the passion she has engendered in others. I only hope to make this site and my dream just as successful one day.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Ok...So me and scheduling have some kinks to work out..
The comic? Well I got my art pad yesterday for my new laptop [thats a whole post it itself about assumptions we make about shoppers] and I am really liking it so far, I have some stuff in the works right now, the style is very different than what I have posted so far but I think you will like it!
Anyhow, I am out right now, I am going to get the computer story typed up so I can post it later tonight or tommorow...
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Weekend insanity and more...
I am going to try to get the review for the second volume of th Gunslinger Girl Manga posted this afternoon then hopefully we are back on schedule.
In other news, I have gotten back into my passion for Gundam model kits again, I will post some shots as I get them done, will also add a few kit reviews as time goes on...Until then, heres a box shot of what I am working on right now, its an SD Sazabi that has been modified into one of the characters from Dynasty Warriors
I am not sure right now if I am going to keep the color scheme on the box or do it as the more traditional scheme from Char's Counterattack we will have to see, I will post progress shots when I have them.
Talk to you later!
Friday, April 25, 2008
MANGA REVIEW: Gunslinger Girl V1
Initial Impressions - 9/10
From the first time that I heard of the Gunslinger Girl Anime I knew that I was in for something special. So it was quite the surprise that I found the Manga 2 weeks after picking up the first 3 volumes of the Anime.
Picking up the volume of the Manga for the first time I couldn’t help but be struck by the beautiful cover artwork on the young girl on the front, with the stark contrasts of the Violin and the Pistol. Surely this was going to be a unique read indeed.
Story - 9/10
Controversy has followed this series since its initial release, there have been a number of reviewers who say that the whole thing is unsavory at best, downright disturbing at worst. This reviewer decided to dig deeper to see what lies beneath the surface. The series is about “The Social Welfare Agency” in Italy, which takes disabled kids [girls only it seems at this point] and aids them with getting into society. The reality is that the agency is a front for turning children into efficient cybernetic assassins that are trained to handle the Italian government’s dirty work. Each cyborg has a “handler” an male adult that is used to guide and train their charge. They are “conditioned” brain washed to be loyal to their handlers, and to forget the traumas that they have been through.
Sounding interesting so far? So lets get the criticism out of the way, I would say that of the four girls you meet in the first volume only one looks older than 11, its jarring, but this isn’t some weird Loli-con, it’s a look at what could society do under certain circumstances. There have been jabs made at the “conditioning” but through the whole volume what you come to understand is that the handlers don’t want to brainwash the girls, each of them has a different relationship with their charge, but none could be called abusive, or ugly. The girls are each so unique you get drawn into their lives, hopes, dream, and failures. You will cheer their triumphs, and grieve for their losses. There is a wonderful tenderness to the story that goes along with the brutality of their jobs as assassins, its these contrasts that make this story so engrosing.
The first volume does a decent job of introducing the girls, Henrietta, Tirela, Rico, and Claes. Each one has their own story. Through flashback we are told the specific stories of Rico and Henrietta, the others I assume will be told in later volumes. Henrietta is the most human of the bunch, deeply devoted to her handler Giuseppe to the point of it being obsessive, Giuseppe generally loves the girl like she is his sister and would do anything to help her succeed. Rico has a much different time, she is much more cold and calculating with her kills, her handler Jean can actually be physically abusvie and harsh with her, its a complete contrast to Henrietta and Giuseppe. We don't know much about the other two Claes seems to keep to herself, Triela is the oldest of the bunch and seems to act like a big sister to the rest, her relationship with her handler Hillshire is contentious at best with her constantly struggling against her bonds.
Art - 8/10
In many series the art is what carries the comic, the story while good plays second fiddle, in Gunslinger Girl the images are more complimentary to the story. The fight scenes are incredible creating amazing senses of movement and power.
Also of note is the detail put into the firearms, they are amazing, every detail on the real versions is present here, something you rarely see in a comic these days. The character designs are lovely and delicate, the girls have an almost angelic softness to them, they rarely smile, but when they do you can feel the emotions raditating from them. The problem is that while lovely the character designs are quite basic, which might seem a bit off putting to some, personally I don't see an issue with them, they convey the story well and aren't so basic as to be jarring.
A side note, it appears that the sections have different borders depending on what they are about, the backstory and flashback ones have a black background while the ones in the current time are a white one, its a really interesting way of differentiating what is happening at each time in the story.
Final Conclusions overall - 8.5/10
Gunslinger Girl is a unique read, the story is dark and disturbing, but at the same time thought provoking and inspiring at points. One has to be amazed at the triumphs of the characters through the adversities to which they have been subjected, and dogged devotion to the agency and in turn their handlers.
An enjoyable read, with great pacing and story, worth every penny.
+ Deep story and characters
Slick action scenes
Incredibly detailed Firearms
- Character art is relatively basic
Story may be disturbing to some
Publisher: ADV
Cost: $9.99
Age: Older Teens 16+
Schedule going forward and other fun...
Mon: Term of the Week Change
Tues: Manga Review
Weds: Article of some sort
Thurs: DVD/Blu-ray review
Fri: Another review [one or the other]
Alright, so thats the concept, right now, of course you will see other random updates annd stuff, but those are the planned days for reviews and such. We will see how this goes, if I find I have more and more material developing I will change the schedule.
Anyhow, I have to run and complete some stuff here at work, be on the lookout for today's review sometime early this afternoon.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Back at work and new addictions
Ok, so my roomate decided to introduce me to Final Fantasy XI online, and I am loving it, I honestly wasn't sure if I would, but I thought what the heck I would give it a chance, I have played Ragnarok and World of Warcraft before, but this one really is holding me right now. Its not as pretty as WOW. but there is something about it, I don't know, it feels like going home, guess its the Anime fan thats doing it. ^_~
Also I am getting totally addicted to some webcomics out there, Megatokyo, Star Crossed Destiny, and Drow Tales. I am going to be posting links and reviews to them as soon as I get a chance [and in some cases permission] because honestly, I think everyone should check these out. I am also going to encourage people to support these artists by visiting their stores and getting some of their "Swag" if you like what they do, keep them in business and show your appreciation.
Other than that, Gunslinger Girl Anime/Manga has got me addicted, I should have the reviews up this weekend, hopefully sooner, sorry for the slow pace, I am trying to put a schedule together and its not quite working yet LOL.
Anyways, out for now! Take care!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Days of life...
I fight it, everyday of my life, and I will keep fighting it for the rest of my life. Its hard,sometimes it gets to me, but usually I am able to fight it off. I have realized that getting back to and giving into my fandom again is helping a lot, its helping me to stay balanced and finding my grip on things.
Drawing has been a real peace for me as well. We will see where it takes me, hopefully, I will pull something cool out of it, if not, so be it.
Nanami Ogura - First of my sketches
The characte you see below is a character design for one of my female leads in the comic that I am planning on doing. I still have a lot of work to do, but I am willing to keep practicing and learning.
Please let me know what you think...
Monday, April 21, 2008
Well that was productive!
Went home and my roomate and I ended up watching some episodes of the original Mobile Suit Gundam the animation hasn't held up that great over the years but the story has [Amuro is whiny as I remember and Char still can't stop blabbing.] It was fun to get back to the roots of my fandom for a bit.
Anyhow, sorry about the lack of new content, I did add a new listing of what I am reading/watching/playing just for fun, and so you can see what to expect reviews on.
Note on reviews, some of the stuff that I am going to be reviewing will be stuff that has been out for awhile, but I only just recently got/found, please take a look at this stuff anyways, you might never know what you have missed or should go back to again.
Ok, gotta actually be productive here at work today... - Out!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
SOS Brigade, and weekend news.
My roomates and I decided to sit down and watch some Anime, I picked up volume 1 of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and volumes 1-3 of Gunslinger Girls along with some more Trinity Blood so we have a bit to watch over the next few days. All I can say so far is Haruhi Suzumiya is by far one of the craziest characters I have ever seen, full review will follow as soon as I am done the volume.
I am going to be scanning some of my own art tommorow to give you guys an idea of what I am working on. I am also working on a very special project right now, involving some experiments using actual fabric textures and such for a creating character clothing I will post it when done.
Still working on some graphics for the site, they are taking longer than I planned, so just hang in there with the changes, I think you will like what I am doing.
Have a great weekend, if I don't get a chance to update before Monday!