Friday, December 5, 2008

UPDATES - 12/05/08

Ok so finally we have new content!

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

I can't say there is usually a lot of science to what I do when it comes to choosing items for review, usually I head to the local Barnes and Noble and just see whats available, and what catches my eye. Once in awhile though I go hunting for a series, I had stumbled upon He is My Master accidentally one evening while searching Anime online and thought that the premise might make for a fun read. I looked for Vol: 1 for quite some time, a couple of months, before I finally found my copy, in my opinion it was worth every second of the hunt.

Story - 8/10

I enjoy a good comedic light read sometimes when it comes to my manga, I don't always want something uber serious, or even with tones of uber seriousness, He is My Master definately falls on the lighter side.

Just a shred beyond preposterous comes the story of an extremely wealthy young man, Yoshitaka, with a uniform fetish who after losing his parents decides to hire an all new staff, so he can find a "young hot maid" he gets more than he bargained for with the arrival of Natsuki, and Izumi, two runaway teenagers, along with their pet Alligator Pochi.

The characters are extremely likeable, while the three leads generally fit into pretty tight Anime stereotypes, there is an undeniable charm to them, that only makes you want to read more. The star of the series though really is the Alligator Pochi who manages to steal almost every scene he is in.

I have to say I haven't laughed this hard in a long time, while some of the translation might feel a little off sometimes, and there seem to be a few gaps in storytelling [where did the Mitsuki-Chan Defence Force come from anyways?] there in an undeniable charm to the story and characters, there's a cute but cheeky humor to the writing that keeps you coming back for more.

Art - 8/10

As always art is a subjective thing, but I really love the classic lines in He is My Master, they harken back to a different time for Anime and Manga, and thats certainly not a bad thing. The characters are full of life and emotion, some of Izumi's emotions are an absolute riot, and Pochi looks wonderful in his cute, albeit atylized look. Backgrounds are equally well done with large amounts of detail, not overdone but not too lacking either.

Final Conclusions overall - 8/10

We all need some light hearted humor in our lives, He is My Master fits wonderfully into that category and should be a fan pleaser for many a volume to come, with its wonderful characters [GO POCH!] and cute refreshing artwork.

+ Good story, fun character, nice artwork

- Translation needs some work, some odd gaps in story

Publisher: Seven Seas

Cost USD: $9.99

Rating: 16+

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Forgotten but not gone

Ok, so life went a little nuts here in the last month or so and I just haven't been able to get this thing back on track, try as I might...

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!!!!

Ok, so I really haven't meant to abandon this blog, my life just got very hectic with moving across the country for a new job only to have to come all the way back due to some temporary changes, to my daughter being born...Its been a little nutty, I realize that I have totally neglected this site, but thats going to change...Starting right now!

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...

LoveHate
1. Amazingly cool stories1. The same old stories
2. Fans having all sorts of fun2. Fans having smells
3. New Gundam series3. Gundam making no sense
4. New Manga being released4. Manga being stopped midway
5. Shows that push boundaries5. Ignoring boundaries of good taste
6. Cute new characters6. Pokemon [nuff said]
7. Blu-ray releases7. Costs of the Blu-ray releases
8. Japanese games in America8. Games not brought out in English
9. Fans defending shows9. Fans whining about shows
10. Haruhi Suzumiya10. 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

Ok, so you really want to know whats been taking up all my time recently that I have free? Look for the review late tommorow ^_~

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...

So I was in Barnes and Noble the other night doing a weekly Manga shop and I noticed this girl sitting on the ground with a stack of Manga reading away, since I had posted about this a couple of weeks back, I thought I would add the photo here for emphasis that this phenomenon is going on everywhere right now.


Monday, August 4, 2008

I need to go back...

I don't write about my own life much if ever here, this was meant to be a light business endeavour in some ways, but since this topic merges with the blog so well I figured that it would be ok, and let you get to know me a bit better as well...

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

Ok, so as I said things are a bit hectic around here right now, I want to post more and get more content up here and everytime something goes haywire and wrong. However I think I might be seeing some light at the end of the tunnel and will work towards that.

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

Ok, for the record I am not abandoning the blog, its just that right now I am having some issues with life and work that make it very hard for me to be doing constant content updates currently. So I am doing something that I really don't want to do, but this only going to be temporary. I am going to suspend the schedule for the next 8 weeks.

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

Whoops!

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

Anime Expo 2008 has come and gone and there is real reason for concern when it comes to the North American Anime/Manga market:

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

Ok, updating term of the week later today, and I should have the usual slate of content this week done, Manga review of Ragnarok feature article on the state of the Anime/Manga industry during the economic downturn in the USA [which isn't good btw.] and then the DVD review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Vol.2

Take care and thanks for your support!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

MANGA REVIEW: Onegai Teacher 1&2

Initial Impressions - 6/10

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

When I came back to Anime/Manga again full force, it had nothing to do with some new amazing Japanese series believe it or not, I owe it all to a North American web comic called 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!

Happy 4th of July to all of you living in the USA, or Americans living abroad...

May you enjoy a safe [preferably non alcohol and fireworks induced death] and happy holiday!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

UPDATES - 07/03/08

Ok first off, a sincere hearfelt appology, it seems that no matter what I have tried the last couple of weeks I haven't been able to get anything posted to the site.

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...

I was sitting here the other day thinking about where my renewed love for Anime/Manga came from, and how I got through my burnout phase.


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...

Ok, so I am getting back into the fansubbing side of things, I have a pair of shows downloaded right now to go through Mamotte Shugogetten [of which you saw a Manga review as an early post] and He is my Master! which seems to be a light hearted cosplay comedy.

Currently neither of these shows has been picked up for commercial release in the USA so I am comfortable downloading them, if that changes however I will remove them, as I feel it best to support the domestic publishers as much as possible.

To tide you over, here is an image from the He is my Master! Manga [which I will be reviewing shortly as well]


UPDATES - 06/16/08

Ok, the "Term of the week" is now updated, first time I have gotten that done in the last couple of weeks, sorry about that.

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

Ok, this is going to be quick, haven't forgotten this place, I have been super busy with work, looks like everything is getting pushed back to the first part of next week.

Sorry folks, I hope to be back in order by then with expected content etc.

Take care!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Back in Utah...

Ok, so I am back from my interview in Pittsburgh, no news yet, but we will see what happens, should know more in the next day or so hopefully.

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


Initial Impressions - 9/10

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.

Story - 8/10

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.

Never knowing exactly how much that time is, it weighs on Rosette and her childish "Live for the day" attitude is both heart warming and sobering at the same time, she knows her fate, and is at peace with it. Chrono will do anything to protect Rosette and make sure that her life lasts as long as possible, but he too knows the fate to which they are both bound, the contrast between him bound with the watch and when he is unleashed is a sight, and further underscores his devotion, dare I say love, for Rosette.

The inital volume has two unconnected stories in it that set the scene for further installments, this is definately the prologue to the story, as other than the ongoing situation with Rosette and Chrono there is no overiding story arc. This could sadly have the effect of people not picking up the second volume, when really the entire series is worth a read.
Art - 8/10

Daisuke Moriyama's artwork is lovely to behond, while at times it seems slightly crude [things like closeups on characters etc.] the overall lasting effect is pleasing and enjoyable. His flair for design when it comes to the Catholic church costumes is also quite amusing.

Where his art trully shines is in the combat scenes and action, his sense of movement is excellent and unlike many Manga artists he doesn't forget his backgrouds either. Its refreshing to see someone who takes the whole scene into account not just the characters, its the mark of a good action artist to be sure.

Final Conclusions overall - 8/10

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.

+ Well done story and setting
Excellent action art
Characters are well drawn

- Story is very isolated, no real overiding arc
Art can be a little crude at times.

Publisher: ADV
Cost USD: $9.99
Rating: 13+

Monday, June 2, 2008

RANT: Community doesn't mean support group!

WARNING INCOMING RANT!

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

Hey all!

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!

So...I have decided to add a forum to this site, still working on the bugs of how to get it setup, probably at least a month or more before they go live [in beta form at least] These will be full featured Anime/Manga forums, should be a lot of fun to meet new people and get to know them.

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

So I hope you all had a good holiday weekend, we were busy with the S.C.A. for a good chunk of it which meant no real updates to the site.

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


One has to wonder sometimes what Microsoft is thinking with their XBOX Live Arcade for the 360, don't get me wrong I have gotten some really great games off the system, but I have also seen a lot of clunkers on there that cost an arm and a leg to own, It would be nice if Microsoft would apply some sort of quality control to what gets released on the system. Triggerheart Excelica falls somewhere in between the two categories, not being amazing, but not being totally horrible either.


Triggerheart Excelica is a rerelease of a Naomi system arcade game that was ported over to the Dreamcasst in 2007 [yes apparently there were still a few games coming out for that doomed system even after it was officially dead, who knew?] the premise is like most other curtain shooters "Kill them don't die" seems simple enough? The unique mechanic here in an "anchor button" that shoots out and latches onto opposing ships which you can then use like a mace to destroy other attackers with. You play one of two armored female Anime characters on a quest to save their home planet, game lasts five stages with end bosses for each.

Gameplay 6/10

Ok lets start right off by saying that five stages simply isn't long enough, especailly for a game that is priced in the premium category of 800 Microsoft Points [roughly $10 USD] there should have been more to the game for that price, certainly at least double the number of levels.

The two main characters are virtually the same, one has a spread weapon the other uses a direct fire gun, but honestly the gameplay doesn't vary much for either, why is that? Because the anchor gun is virtually the only way to survive long term in the game and rack up the needed points for any of the achievements, its a shame that the game is so reliant on one mechanic as to reduce all others to window dressing.
As said above the game consists of only 5 levels, with end bosses for each, other than the final boss there really isn't much creativity when it comes to the bosses and their design. The game supposedly has a system built in that the more powerful you are when you get to a boss the stronger it is, I can't say I really have noticed a difference, since their attacks are so cheap its nearly impossible to stay alive.

Enemy design has the same flaw, with very little variety between the different levels, lots of palette changes, but not much else.

You aren't also going to be really powering anything up either, which takes some of the fun out of a curtain shooter, you do get to power up your main gun some, but I'll be damned if I actually saw any form of difference. You do get the requisite big bombs and they are quite effective, but other than that, don't expect many spectacular weapon attacks.

Its a fun game that feels more like a puzzle game than a shooter, the problem with that is that the anchor gun is anything but reliable and controlling it can be a royal pain, you never feel completely in control of the system, which makes it problematic to control and use effectively.

Graphics 6/10

Very little makeover has gone into this game since its release on the Dreamcast, the Anime character portraits that you see in the menus and closing credits are lovely, but other than that the in game graphics are pretty bland, nothing certainly to write home about in this day and age of HD television.

Sound 6/10

The music in this game is pretty standard fare for a shooter using lots of techno to make its point, its nothing special and won't be memorable for very long. The voice effects are pretty limited and the screams of the girls as they get killed...well...they sound like something else to be completely honest.

Nothing horrible, but nothing amazing in the audio department either.

Overall 6/10

For a little simple curtain shooter Triggerheart Excelica works, but since you end up paying nearly $10 for a game that can be finished in 30 minutes I can't help but rate the game just above average, if it ever goes on sale it might be worth looking into, but for 800 Points, it is far from a reasonable offer.

Platform: XBOX 360
Cost: 800 Microsoft Points [roughly $10]

Something fun...

Ok, so on the heels of yesterdays review of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya I found the most beautiful prepainted resin statue on eBay. I thought I would share!


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


Initial Impressions - 10/10

Few shows have had as much hype as this one going into is North American release, ever since its release in Japan The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya has and almost cult like following [if you don't believe me, look the title up on YouTube] so I had a good idea going in what to expect. The DVD is nicely packaged and from its front cover alone you can tell that the show is going to be something special indeed. 4 Episodes [5 if you count "Episode 0"] are included on the disk with the usual Japanese language with subtitles, and English Dub.

Story - 9/10

Wow, where to begin, it seems like a simple premise, the main character is a freshman highschool student, Haruhi Suzumiya, who on the first day of class stands up and announces that she wants to only deal with "Interesting people" Time Travellers, Aliens, Espers. Her classmates seem to think she is basically insane, and ignore her, only one Kyon, has the guts to engage her. He finds a somewhat cute, spunky, girl that gets no enjoyment out of any of the school clubs, since she already joined them all and left almost immeadiately.

It is fr0m this that Haruhi litterally kidnaps Kyon into forming their own club, the S.O.S brigade [Save our world by Overloading it with fun Suzumiya Haruhi's Brigade], which's mission statement is "To find Aliens, Time Travellers, and Espers and PLAY WITH THEM!" needless to say hijinks ensue a plenty. She recruits [kidnaps in one case] others into the club and through a rash of autocratic, morally questionable decisons, manages to form some semblance of a club.
A couple of things stand out about the show, Kyon is the one telling the story from his perspective which makes for a lot of laughs mostly due to his sardonic humor, seeing how he views Haruhi through his own eyes is amusing in of itself. Also the show takes so many Anime sterotypes, the Moe [Cute girl] fetish along with so many others and pulls them all together into what could be termed either an Otaku's nightmare, or greatest joy, the fan service, is rarely sexual and makes fun of itself when it is, its nice to see the standards flipped on their head once in awhile and this show delivers that in spades.
In addition to those who might have seen this fansubbed, be aware the episodes run chronologically in the DVD realease as opposed to the scrambled order of the original TV release, this makes for a more organized [maybe a little less unique] viewing experience.

WARNING SPOILERS: What Haruhi doesn't realize is that all of her club members other than Kyon are actually what she is seeking, Alien, Time Traveller, and Esper. They have been sent by their various organizations because there are a lot theories that Haruhi could be a threat to space and time itself. Kyon handles all this with a remarkable amount of resolve and understanding, while simultaneously trying to make sure that Haruhi doesn't get them all suspended or expelled with her antics.

Art - 9/10

For a show that has a pretty normal setting, the art is wonderful, the characters are each unique, from the cheerfully demonic Haruhi, through the wide eyed Mikuru to the sardonic Kyon they each have their own wonderful mannerisms and traits that brings the whole series to life.

The colors here are bright and cheerful, I was especially thrilled with the clarity on my Plasma TV with the DVD transfer, the series is an absolute joy to watch indeed.

Extras - 8/10

Textless openings and closings, along with the infamous "Episode 0" highlight the bonus materials on the disc.

While the former are pretty obvious "Episode 0" is something quite different, its done in a documentary style about the life of Asahina Mikuru [Haruhi's usual abuse target] and was done as a sci-fi entry into their schools film festival. I would advise NOT watching this until you have seen the other episodes on the disk as a lot of the material is more humorous after seeing the inital set of episodes, a great additon to be sure though.

Final Conclusions overall - 9/10

I haven't anticpated getting my hands on a series in quite some time, and I can tell you that I wasn't disappointed, it is a lovely light hearted show, with remarkable depth, that is absolutely Japanese in its tone and structure. I loved every minute of it, and cannot wait to get the rest of the volumes, for enjoyment and review.

+ Wonferful characters and story
Great artwork
- Would have loved more than 4[5] episodes.

Studio: Bandai Entertainment
Price: $9.99 [Got it on special at FYE, usually retails in the $24.95 range]
Rating:
13+

A note about reviews

Just a side note about my reviews, specifically DVD reviews, you will note that I usually don't talk about the Audio, I will be adding a sound track section soon, but I don't speak about the dubbing.

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

Figure collecting and building have always been staples of the Anime/Manga scene, from the garage kits of old [see feature article next weds for their history] to the PVC figurines of the last few years. However probably the biggest change in the figure scene have been the collectible Gashapon figures of the last 6 years or so.

Gashapon figures are similar to the vending machine toys over here in the USA except for the fact that unlinke here where we spend .25 for a piece of junk they will spend anywhere from $3 - $7 for a wonderful collectible figure.
These figures have become the latest Otaku craze in Japan and overseas, primarily due to the advancements in PVC casting and painting the figures are realistic looking and of sufficent detail to make them deisrable collectibles. Some of them have been known to fetch quite a decent amount on the secondary market, where limited edition "Secret figures" go for quite a premium.

I personally have a small number of them, mostly from the series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya they are wonderful little figures and I am supremely happy with them, here is a picture of one them that should be arriving any day now.




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

Sorry about the lack of the Manga review for yesterday, things have been a little hectic with people sick around the house and stuff, so I got a bit side tracked.

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

Ok so for the next few weeks my life is going to be VERY hectic, I have a job interview that is going to be taking me out of the state for a little while, plus with S.C.A. [Society for Creative Anachronism] events coming up the posting schedule might be a little off.

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

Ok so I am seeing more and more traffic to the site, which is a good thing indeed! I am going to start adding some game reviews as well, as always this stuff is going to be slow coming, its based off what I can aquire as until I get this more established, its pretty unlikely that the game companies are going to send me free copies ;)

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

Ok so we are getting better here, I got all the promised stuff for the week posted [Term of the Week, Manga Review, Feature article] and this weeks DVD review ended up being a film review. So all things considered its getting better.

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


Speed Racer has been hyped ever since it was announced that the Wachowskis [of Matrix and V for Vendetta fame] were helming the adaptation of this classic Anime. So was the result worth the hype? Equal parts yes and no.

I have to say that I am mixed on the work of the Wachowskis, I loved the original Matrix, but the sequels felt more like an attempt to cash in on their original success than realy furthering the story, and in many ways felt like a regression. V for Vendetta was a masterpiece, they stuck to the original source material and created a compelling, haunting vision of what the future could hold. So it was with a slight trepidation that I went and saw Speed Racer on opening night.

The story follows the one in the Anime to a large extent, Speed Racer [Emile Hirsch], is a young boy who can dream of nothing else than racing cars and being like his older brother Rex, who is tragically killed in a mysterious racing accident after leaving the family racing team to go his own way. When Speed grows up he eventually asscends in the family team run by his father "Pops" [John Goodman] and begins to carve his own path, when an unusual racing Tycoon, Royalton [played masterfully by Rex Allam] comes into the scene Speed must decide between doing whats best for his family, and fame and fortune.

The visual presentation screams Anime, the colors are bright, vibrant and oversaturated, the cars are every bit as crazy as they were in the TV show, and the characters and environments have that wonderful larger than life feel [when you see Royalton industries you will understand] There are also some wonderful touches to the show that harken back to its Japanese roots, you will see row upon row of cherry trees in full bloom and the writing is almost all in Japanese, its a lovely touch that shows the Wachowskis reverance for the material.

The action scenes are second to none, while obviously computer generated its hard not to get caught up in the environments and their majesty, from the rally race to the main race tracks their is an over the top insanity that manages to still stay realatively grounded in reality. You will laugh at the absurdity at the weapons used, but find the scenes draw you in and not let go. The sense of speed is amazing, and I don't doubt that some will get motion sick watching this film.

So if you add that all together, then what was my issue that left me thinking this was anything less than perfect? My problem comes down to the casting, primarily the use of all the Australian and British actors, for a story that is supposed to be set in Japan you see very little of the Japanese, the actors they hired are amazing, but the film felt jarring with them in it, I wasn't prepared for the constant barrage of British and Aussie accents, it felt out of place.

Those thematic issues aside the cast did a very good job headlined by Rex Allam as Royalton and Matthew Fox as Racer X, those two along with John Goodman as Pops, Susan Sarrandon as Mom, and Emile Hirsch as Speed Racer gave convincing performances as both family and foe, the journey was fun to watch for all of them, each playing off the other with the delicateness that the script required. The comedic performances by John Goodman and Christina Ricci [Who honestly looks like an Anime character given life] were price of admission alone.

Crowds have been mixed, as opening weekend numbers show, its certainly not the Matrix, but it wasn't meant to be, it was meant to be a fun family film harkening back to a simpler time, and it does that in spades. While the true Anime fan is going to have some niggles, even they won't be able to resist it charms and have a great time.

Final Conclusion 8/10

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The Golden Era [From a matter of perspective]

This article goes hand in hand with my one from last week, trying to explain in more detail what I mean about "Golden Era"

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

Ok, Term of the Week has been changed, and the latest review [My HiME V1] has been posted, on schedule no less! We will see if I can keep this up for the week, but so far so good right?

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

Ok so last week was a disaster, good news was I got an article posted and the "Term of the Week" changed. Bad news was that everything else didn't get completed.

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...

Ok so I got the first article up and posted on time, along with this weeks term of the week, the Manga review is a few days late, sorry about that, I am working on getting it all sorted out. I am hoping to go on a binge this weekend and write a half dozen or so reviews to try and make sure that I keep on track for the next few weeks.

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

NOTE: This was a response to the Answerman question "Do you feel a sense of community with fellow Anime fans?" over on Anime News Network, they published it so I thought I would share it as this weeks article...

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

I know I said that I wouldn't be getting any new content up until next week, but I just got permission to post this review, and I really wanted to get this up. This is going to be more stream of conciousness than my normal reviews, but there is a reason for it, this review is as much about the process and the courage of the creator as it is about the final product...

So I present to you my readers... Star Crossed Destiny


I came across this web comic by accident, I was over on the Megatokyo fourms and found someone that had a link to it in their signature, for the heck of it I clicked away...I found the page and started reading, I finished 2 days later, reading as much as I could on breaks between calls at work, I was pulled in, and it never let go...

The story that the author Juno has created is absolutely amazing, she has a wonderful sense for character and storytelling that you rarely find in this day and age. So often authors get caught into standard Anime/Manga/Comic stereotypes that they don't have the guts or creativity to carve new ground out for themselves. Thats where this piece is different, the author had the guts to take her characters in a vastly different direction, people caught out of their own world, changed forever, its a beautiful story and don't want to ruin it here.

Artwork is simply breathtaking, I know that the author has at times complained in her own blog about its quality, but honestly her sense of movement and color are wonderful, as it her job of characterization, its a wonderful blending of Anime/Manga style and North American Comics, she is to be commended for bringing two totally diverse styles together with such skill. Again where others are willing to stick to a standard formula, the artist is willing to branch out and try something different and risky, I give all the credit in the world to people willing to do that.


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..

Ok, folks, sorry, this actual "Schedule" I am trying to be on has been harder than I thought it would be. I have half completed reviews and articles, but nothing ready...So I am going to ahead and get all the content done and ready for posting for next week...Hopefully if I have a full week of stuff under the belt I might get ahead and then be able to work on articles and stuff for the future weeks...So thats the plan...LOL...

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...

Ok first off, sorry that the term change only happened this morning, I have been a bit on the sick side and didn't get a chance to update the blog til later than expected. Also I am sorry if the writing in the last Manga review was a little off, I rushed to finish it, and thats a no no, so I will post an edited version soon.

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

The girl has a mechanical body. However she is still an adolescent girl

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...

Ok, so here is the TENATIVE schedule going forward for site updates and we will see what happens from there...

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

So I am back at work today, actually feeling pretty good, we will see where it goes, since the depression can hit at any time, but I feel really good right now, and I intend to keep it that way.

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...

So I have been off work the last couple of days...I had a horrible depression attack, for many years I have suffered from extreme depression and even with medication it gets to me still.

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

Ok, so here goes, I have been delaying long enough, please remember that I haven't picked up a pencil or pen to paper in the better part of ten years, and I wasn't very good back then either. I think my time working as a graphic artist have helped me somewhat though.

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!

Ok so I had every intention of getting my stuff scanned yesterday and up, along with the next couple of reviews that I wanted to get done...But then I ended up at the hobby/game store and well got lost...I ended up picking up the first 3[?] volumes of the Gunslinger Girl Manga, along with a neat model kit from Armored Core 4 so we will see what that all turns into.

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.

So not a whole heck of a lot to report tonight, went out and celebrated my 30th birthday, just a lot of fun hanging out with the friends. I have to say its not bad to hang out with people that are willing to help you stay young, remind you not to take anything seriously, that sort of thing.

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!