Heat Seeker - Macross-ing My Fingers

MACROSS-ING MY FINGERS

When Macross came out in the 80’s, I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.  It was a space opera juiced up with mecha madness.  There were planes that turned into robots, giant aliens, monumental battles and the occasional pop idols. But even this winning combination couldn’t stop me from eventually disliking mecha for very, very long time. 

I don’t know what it was, but something about the Maross craze just made me lose interest and actively seek out other anime genres. It took nearly a decade and a half before I’d see another Macross anime—thankfully, it was the limited OVA series, Macross Zero.  And it was this five-episode 20^th anniversary prequel which restored my faith in mecha-based storylines. 

So, fast forward to January 22, 2011.  It’s just a few days before the premiere of Macross Frontier: Sayonara No Tsubasa, in Japan. This new movie is directed by Macross veteran, Shōji Kawamori. 

From the trailer, it looks like the filmakers made sure all the standard elements were in the mix. That could actually be a bad thing.  If they expect Macross’s audience to grow, the plot has to take off from a different angle. 

JJ Abrams did just that when he envisioned the genisis of Star Trek.  Abrams kept all the standard Star Trek elements but he gave the story-telling a new spin. It's true that loyal fans of the aging franchise had mixed feeling about it.  Some loved it.  Some hated it.  But one thing’s for sure, Abrams laid down a stronger and wider foundation for the newer generation of Star Trek fans to tread on.

Let’s hope Shōji Kawamori's newest Macross film delivers something that will not only keep his old fans happy, but something that will entice a larger and younger fan base.

I’m crossing my fingers.

--Mori

Randomimity - One Piece featured on NHK Today's Close-up

ONE PIECE FEATURED ON NHK TODAY'S CLOSE-UP
Watching NHK World on cable is pretty much like playing the lotto.  Sometimes you get lucky.

I had just gotten home from work.  I was clicking away, channel-surfing, when I chanced upon TV host, Hiroko Kuniya, interviewing a very distinguished-looking gentleman. When the camera pulled away from the guest, I was pleasantly surprised. The whole Today's Close-up set was plastered with enlarged images from the One Piece Manga. 

I hit the jackpot.

The show discussed the reasons behind the popularity of One Piece.  (With over 200,000,000 books sold, One Piece is the best-selling shonen of all time.) I wasn't able to get the name of the guest but I've seen enough of these programs to know that he was either a university professor or independent expert on Japanese pop culture.

The guest gave credence to the social changes that swept Japan in the late 90's for One Piece's success.  Apparently, in the late 90's, working Japanese adults felt that they were not being rewarded for their hard-work.  This made a lot of them gravitate towards One Piece's colorful storylines--which dealt mainly with themes of insecurity, pride, determination, alienation and friendship.

To be honest, I was never really a fan of One Piece.  The fact that it was so popular made me avoid the manga and the anime. But after watching Today's Close-up and learning about the socio-cultural implications of the most successful manga in Japan, I think I'll give it a whirl.

--Mori

Herr Direktor - Leiji Matsumoto

LEIJI MATSUMOTO
Date of Birth: January 25, 1938

Place of Birth: Kurume City, Furuoka Prefecture

Best Known For: Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy 999 & Captain Harlock

1 Leiji Matsumoto's first manga was Mitsubachi no Bouken.  It was published in 1954.

2 He drew shoujo manga early in his career.

3 He gained fame when he began working on the shonen, Otoko Oidon, in 1971.

4 He married Miyako Maki, a former shoujo manga artist.

5 He designed a touring water bus (ferry) called the Himoko.