Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
Planet Iscandar may still be far, far away but the Space Battleship Yamato live action movie is finally here. Well, in Japan at least. It was released in theaters December 1, 2010. The film was directed by Takashi Yamazaki under Toho studios.
Space Battleship Yamato
Extended clips for your viewing pleasure
Sure there are reviews circulating the net about the film but resist the temptation. DO NOT READ THEM. The Space Battleship Yamato is such an iconic anime series, it deserves our respect.
We first caught a glimpe of the anime version in the late 70s, which ran through to the early 80s. Of course, what aired in our neck of the woods was the dubbed US version called Starblazers.
The anime was written and directed by Leiji Matsumoto--the man responsible for Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999.
We do hope the movie sticks to the orginal plot.
We'd love to give a brief summary about the anime series but we rather you guys listen to the opening English dub theme song. Just click play on the clip below.
Starblazers opening sequence
Star Blazers anime lyrics! Make sure you're alone or bring your laptop with you and hide. Play the clip and sing along!
We're off to outer space
We're leaving Mother Earth
To save the human race
Our Star Blazers
Searching for a distant star
Heading off to Iscandar
Leaving all we love behind
Who knows what dangers we'll find
We must be strong and brave
Our home we've got to save
If we don't in just one year
Mother Earth will disappear
Fighting with the Gamilons
We won't stop until we've won
Then we'll return and when we arrive
The Earth will survive
With our Star Blazers
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
1DEATH BY RABBIT
What do you get when you mix a bunch of cute bunnies with high-powered tactical weapons that would make any gun-loving fool drool?
Here it is.
Anime
Based on a manga by Motofumi Kobayashi, Cat Shit One follows the adventures of two bunnies named Botasky and Packy as they carry out some of the most gut-wrenching military missions in rabbit history.
The anime starts in the Middle East (We're guessing Afghanistan) while in the manga, the US-Afghan war story arc comes in the later volumes.
Based on Bota's rifle, this episode was set during or after 2004. Bota seems to be using an Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle which was released in 2004. Packy, on the other hand, carries a rare Knight's Armament SR-47 which never went into service.
We wish we could tell you more but there's only one episode for now.
The 3D animation itself is most excellent. It isn't Pixar quality just yet but the detail is pretty good...specially the weapons. We've read some other online reviews saying otherwise and we're wondering if we're talking about the same anime. Anyway, watch the first installment on http://www.animeultima.tv/
This series is produced my Anima Inc. and directed by Kazuya Sasahara.
According to online sources, the DVD/Bluray will be available on Amazon soon.
Three school girls and a female school nurse with looks to satisfy every prepubescent male teen fantasy? Check! Two geeks with hearts of gold? Check! Token little girl who lost her dad to a zombie frenzy? Check! Guns?Check!Baseball bat?Check!Boken? Check! More zombies? Check!
Time to enroll in the High School of the Dead.
High School of the Dead began as a manga wiitten by Daisuke Sato and illustrated by Shoji Sato. (still on going) It was made into a 12-episode anime series that was directed by Tetsuo Araki and written by Yosuke Kuroda under Madhouse Studios.
The series is like any other apocalyptic zombie-survival flick. How does it go? A zombie pandemic breaks out. Chaos ensues. The heroes of the story must get from point A to point B while navigating through a zombie-infested city. Each character's true will is tested as they witness the breakdown of society. There you go.
Other critics might argue that we're glossing over the profoundness of the storyline. Please. Please. Please. It's a zombie flick. We grew up with zombie flicks. We love ém to death. But the true genius about this series isn't in the plot...it's the beautiful animation, the action...and the FAN SERVICE!
Ah, the fan service.
The director has utilized fan service with mathemtical precision to get just the right amount of laughs at the right moments. In fact, if fan service were a science experiment, this anime would be a resounding breakthrough. That being said, it isn’t for everybody. It's definitely not for kids.
So, if you have not seen this, go out and buy a copy and follow students Takashi and Rei as they lead their ragtag group to salvation. (Okay, maybe not salvation.)
Trailer
Chara-Ani makes HOTD figures like this one. (Also available from Amazon)
This sample shows Rei giving a zombie a "love tap"
3FALL FOR A HEADLESS WOMAN
It's a tale about finding ones self...and ones missing head.
How much deeper can you get than that?
Actually...a lot more.
So lets start digging.
Durarara!! started off as a light novel, which later spawned a manga series bearing the same title. It was then turned into an anime series. The anime's ending remains unresolved because both novel and manga, which are written by Ryohgo Narita, are still on going.
The Durarara!! anime was directed by Takahiro Omori under Brain Base Studios.
The story begins soft-spoken Ryuugime Mikado arriving at Ikebukuro City, Tokyo. He knows close to nothing about the downtown nature of the city. He quickly learns about its inner workings with the help of his best friend, Masaomi Kida.
As the story unfolds, the purpose-seeking Ryuugime starts to encounter a bunch of odd characters, including the headless Black Rider named Selty. A ton of characters later, the plot goes through the grinder with the onset of a gang war between two mysterious groups called the Dollars and the Yellow Scarves.
Selty’s back story makes things even more complicated.She’s been searching years for her missing head, which she lost for some unknown reason. Selty believes that finding her head may bring back memories of her origin which have eluded her for so long.
Confused yet? Good. Let's start over. Selty's actually an Irish farie known as a dulahan. A dulahan is often rendered holding its head under one arm while riding a black horse. Sound familiar?
Anyway, Selty ends up in Ikebukuro looking for her head. In the process she changes her appearance into something more modern and acceptable--a black rider. And yes, the bike is the horse. The Black Rider instantly becomes an urban legend.
After the first few installments however, it becomes apparent that Selty isn't just some legendary wraith or farie--she's the heart of Ikebukuro. (Figuratively of course, had to clarify that because you can never ever know with anime, right?) Let’s fast forward again to Ryuugamine arriving in the city.
Now, please kindly go back to the top of this entry and try to make something out of the mess we’ve written.
So, the animation quality is above average.The characters are all well written but it’s Selty that really stands out. For a farie with a missing head, she seems to be the most human of all the Durarara!! cast.
And that in itself was a great directorial achievement.So hats off to Takahiro Omori...or heads off, we mean.
Trailer
Selty figure manufactured by Kaitendo.
4 POST-APOCALYPTIC MOE-JOE
Watch this anime and you'll be thinking of puppies, kittens, cotton-candy, teddy bears, fluffy bunnies and the color pink for days.
You see, nobody does slice of life with uber cute characters quite like the Japanese.
That’s why one slice of this moe pie just isn’t enough.
So Ra No Wo To was an original concept by Paradores. Paradores authored the manga adaptation of So Ra No Wo To which was illustrated by Yagi Shinba.We’ve been trying to research on Paradores but have not been able to get any substantial data. As soon as we get more info on Paradores, we’ll write a feature on that.
The 12-episode anime was directed by Mamoru Kanbe and written by Hiroyuki Yoshino for A-1 / Aniplex.
Set after a Great War which caused worldwide technological regression, the story revolves around a young female soldier called Kanata. She joins the army determined to master the bugle. She’s then assigned to the 1121st Platoon stationed at the Time-Keeping Fortress in the small town of Seize.The platoon, strangely enough, is composed only of women. (Yes, there's an underlying significance to this.)And as Kanata goes through her days being mentored by fellow bugler, Master Sargeant Rio Kazumiya, life in the town unfolds slowly beneath the shadow of impending war.
The series is peppered with reoccurring themes like Kanata’s bugle obsession, platoon chores, training, a tank that needs repairs, Rio’s secret, the fear of war and the legend of the Fire Maidens. All these elements come together nicely to create a world that envelops you totally and keeps you in the moment with the characters.
Each episode was very relaxed in terms of pacing.There were no major twists and turns that got in the way.It was simple--and character development was on the money.
On that note, Mamuro Kanbe did such an outstanding job we ended up wanting to take a vacation in the town of Seize.(This confused our travel agent immensely.)
At times when you feel life's going too fast or when your mind seems to be running in all directions at once, pop in a copy of So Ra No Wo To in the machine--watch and just chill out.
Trailer
5 REPEATER GARNERS TOP HONOR
You’ve been living in the jungle with a bunch of gorillas.
You’ve been trapped in a nuclear bunker all your life.
You’ve just woken up from a coma after 10 years.
You had a lobotomy a while back.
These are just some of the top reasons why some of you folk might have missed out on Full Metal Alchemist.
Anime
Manga
We'll keep this short. The FMA manga ran from 2001 to 2010 and was written and drawn by female mangaka, Hiromu Arkawa.
Set in alternate steam-punk reality, the manga follows the adventures of brothers Alphonse and Edward Elric.
Early on, the father of these two brothers (an alchemist) disappears for mysterious reasons. Still, the brothers are able to lead relatively normal lives with their mother--until she dies unexpectedly. Not being able to deal with their grief, the two brothers attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy. The alchemy principle of "equivalent exchange", however forbids the resurrection of the dead. But being kids, the Elric brothers push on. This deals Alphonse and Edward a debilitating blow during the experiment. Alphonse loses his body and his soul ends up in an old suit of armor. Edward, on the other hand, loses an arm and a leg.
With their failure weighing heavily on them, they vow to redeem themselves by getting their bodies back as they serve their land as State Alchemists.
Compelling?You bet you’re a**!
In 2003, Studio Bones produced an anime adaptation of the manga.Directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Sho Aikawa, the anime stayed faithful to the manga during the first dozen or so episodes. But since the series had to end in 2004 the studios went on to formulate their own ending while the manga storyline stretched on. This took FMA on a whole different direction. Despite all the changes, the first version did pretty well.
But still...a fake ending is a fake ending.
Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fast forward to 2009!Is Full Metal Alchemist still compelling?You bet you’re a**!
Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood the series comes out. Still under Studio Bones, this retelling was helmed by Yasuhiro Irie and penned by Hiroshi Onogi. This time the studio stuck to Hiromu Arakawa's original vision. By the middle of 2010, the anime ends.
How was it? We won't spoil it for those few who missed it. Let's just say it rocked.
Great storyline. Great character development. Great action. Great villains. Great ending.
