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Most, that is--but not all. If the series comes from the weekly SHONEN JUMP magazine (itself, the size of a flippin' Yellow Pages!!), then it can run almost eternally. ALMOST! One Shonen Jump series closing after--let's say--a 7-year run, well, that's cause for celebration (especially if all the story arcs are completed). But, a record TWO SERIES in the same week, after some 7 and 5 years, is something. I'm talking about "BLEACH" (7 Years, 366 episodes!!) and "GINTAMA" (close to 5 Years, 252 episodes!!!).
YEP!!! As this GAG SHOT proves, they're GONE!!!
But, "BLEACH" and "GINTAMA" weren't the only ones to call it an era. The Winter 2012 Season has come to a slamming close. Here's the rundown of the shows that have packed-up and closed in the past 2 weeks:
"BLEACH"
"GINTAMA"
"CHIHAYAFURU"
"BAKUMAN Season 2"
"DANSH KOUKOUSEI NO NICHIJOU"
"ANO NATSU DE MATTERU"
"ANOTHER" (really sorry to see this creepy one go!)
"BRAVE 10"
"RINNE NO LAGRANGE"
"SHAKUGAN NO SHANA III"--yup, the story is FINISHED!!
"ZERO NO TSUKAIMA F"
"BEELZEBUB"--at least we got 60 out of it!
"HIGH SCHOOL DxD" (damn--no fair!! Only 12?!?)
"BLACK ROCK SHOOTER" (only got as far as 8!!)
"GUILTY CROWN",
and, last but not least,
"NISEMONOGATARI" (only 11).
Good news is "BODACIOUS SPACE PIRATES" is still continuing (possibly a 24/26 episode run), "RECORDER AND RANDSELL" is the first Short to be picked up for a 2nd Season (yea--like, what the fuck!), "SKET Dance" is almost at the "One Year Mark" (Episode 52 drops this coming Thursday, 3-29-2012), and "QUEEN'S BLADE: REBELLION" is only 2 weeks away from this posting.
Well, the Spring 2012 Season is on, and we're still waiting for that breakout hit (can't have a "RO-KYU-BU" or a "DENPA ONNA TO SEISHUN OTOKO" every year, ya'll!).
- Mood:artistic
I say: BRING ON THE REBELLION!!!
(Yea, I'm looking forward to this, bay-bay!!)
Still on the subject of Media Blasters: KITTY, their preeminent Hentai Wing is all but quiet for the moment--nothing new or reissued--but still very much active. As for the Live Action branch, some shocking news, which shouldn't have come as a surprise to those who are in the know: TOHO is blocking the US DVD Premiere of GODZILLA VS. MEGALON. (And for that matter, the further release of DESTROY ALL MONSTERS, too!!) According to Media Blasters Facebook page, all the masters and properties for DVD/BluRay assembly were ready (this probably meant not only the remastered film, but enough extras to stuff a truck!). TOHO's infamous lawyer brigade, on the other hand, had different plans. Mind you, a deluxe version of DESTROY ALL MONSTERS made it to the stores in late October 2011--I HAVE my copy!! That release was FROZEN by TOHO (even though it was previously LICENSED thru TOHO to Media Blasters) after mid-November 2011. Translation: whatever is STILL on the shelves of your local FYE or BEST BUY is IT--until further notice. Nonetheless, for those of us who acted quickly, we've got it, and that's all that matters. So, officially, still awaiting a proper American DVD/BD Premiere are (in sequence) GODZILLA VS. MEGALON, GODZILLA 1985 (The Return Of Godzilla) and GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE.
(Hell, while we're on the subject of classic TOHO tokatsu films, still missing are:
1. "Half-Human"
2. "The Secret Of The Telegian"
3. "The Human Vapor"
4. "The Last War"
5. "Gorath"
6. "Kagi No Kagi" (a.k.a. "What's Up, Tiger Lily?"-the real, non-Woody Allen film)
7. "Submersion Of Japan" (a.k.a. "Tidal Wave")
8. "Espy"
9. "Prophecies Of Nostradamus" (a.k.a. "Last Days Of Planet Earth")
10."Sayonara, Jupitor"
11."Rebith Of Mothra 3: King Ghidorah Attacks"....among others.)
BACK TO ANIME IN THE US of A---of which there really ain't none, store-wise.
Most of what's being licensed--NEW--has yet to see a DVD issue (yup, I'm still holding out for RO-KYU-BU.....er, I mean "Fast Break"--HA!), while a lot of old, and I do mean OLD (as in a Generation!!) anime are being swiped up by (the appropriately named) DISKOTEK (who, despite my chiding their name and modus operandi, appears to be extremely serious in their mission--all power to them!). Only problem is, it's hard to get older anime into stores. You just can't sell anything 20+years-old, no matter how classic it may be, to anime's current 14-18 year-old "demographic". (Hell, unless it's something worthwhile, you couldn't sell that shit to me, either. Animego--yup, they're still alive, to an extent--recently passed off a 1988 judo-girl series as something new to a 2008 audience, SIGHT UNSEEN. It flopped, 'natch. Unheard-of series, ancient animation, unheard-of cast. Just because it seemed interesting to Animego doesn't make it interesting to the mass audience raised on Pokemon. Or--to someone like me, who, despite being from the First Generation, NEVER SEEN THIS SHOW BEFORE.)
Funi----errrrrrr, THAT Company----is still trying to find it's identity (post-Dragon Ball Z), and is going with a slightly ecchi format. One good thing is, GONZO has STILL trusted them with the STRIKE WITCHES franchise, which is a good thing (same cast and crew are returning to dub Season 2--coming in April!!). No sign of SKET Dance making it to The States as of yet (we've got it's parent series, GINTAMA, out the ass here, thanks to VIZ). HELLSING ULTIMATE is still at the mercy of F----THEM!!----here in The States. And, although the original US Cast have been troupers about the whole thing, I'm wondering how long can we keep their services on a series that issues an 45-50 minute episode once per year. The last thing I want is for Crispin Freeman and Vickie Harwood to throw up their hands and say "FUCK IT--I'm outta here!!".
Warner Bros./DC, on the other hand, have been taking up the anime-slack with their ongoing DC UNIVERSE Titles (always top notch, and acted to death!!). Also, FOX Sunday Animation Domination (or, "The Seth MacFarland Block") has taken over, becoming the current generation's "Saturday Morning". Now, while the above are NOT what we know as "anime", NONE of this wouldn't have happened if it WASN'T for anime. So, THERE!! (Personally, "The Cleveland Show" is the shit!! Personally.)
SO, while I'm waiting for STRIKE WITCHES 2, SQUID GIRL Season 2, and the remainder of QUEEN'S BLADE to hit US Shores, I'll stick with getting my current anime fix online. Still trying to see what SUMMER 2012 brings, because, so far, Winter 2012 and Spring 2012 have gotten kinda stagnant. Yea, there's HIGH SCHOOL DxD (on AT-X) and maybe SHANA (which will finally take it's bow--after 3 seasons and 8 years--one week after this posting), but just about everything else has kinda....settled. Not a good sign. Hentai has sorta picked up (TENTACLE AND WITCHES--a.k.a. "The MM-cast gone 'Hentai'!"--is raking it in for PIXY, as is EUPHORIA and RINKAN CLUB---something about PIXY that brings out quality). Outside of that, it's business as usual.
Well, that's THAT, so until NEXT TIME, I'll
- Mood:artistic
1. MARINE BOY
ATTENTION WARNER BROS.: DVD THIS ASAP (before we LOSE "Marine Boy"/"Neptina" themselves, Ms. Corrine Orr, to time!!)!!! We've LOST both Jack Grimes AND the great Peter Fernandez, so get those SEVEN-ARTS rights straightened, and give us "MARINE BOY"!!!
2. PRINCE PLANET
ANOTHER AWESOME 1960s GEM (also with Titra's Corrine Orr as the title character), but in this case, it's TRANS-LUX (a.k.a. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TV) that has it's rights screwed over. C'mon MGM (which has the AIP-TV catalog)--give us Papi!!
3. The original CUTEY HONEY!!!!
The kanji reads, "I'm Going To TRANSFORM, Now!!" Let's hope Honey-chan transforms into "LAWYER HONEY", who can plead with TOEI to being the original version from 1973-1974 here to The States. Scandalous in it's time, but nearly 40 years have passed, and as we learned from ADV-Film's original 1994 release of "NEW Cutey Honey", she will make it on the DVD/BD market. HONEY---FLASH!!
4. CREAM LEMON!!!!
Sorry, but I don't give a damn what ANYBODY SAYS: This is the Hentai Anime Anthology from which ALL Hentai continues to be measured. Plus, it also helped that some legendary anime names contributed to this original 16-volume series. C'Mon, DISCOTEK Video (yea, I'm calling YOU out!!): Get some BALLS and let's DO this!!
There are a few others that made it to The States back-in-the-day when UHF-TV was the only way to discover anime, and they too have yet to see a DVD/BD release:
"PRINCESS KNIGHT"
"THE AMAZING THREE"
"ALAKAZAM THE GREAT"
"LEO THE LION" (the sequel to "Kimba")
"TRANZOR-Z" (Manzinger Z)
"FLINT THE TIME DETECTIVE"
"GOOD WITCH SALLY" (yup, we even had "Minky Momo")
"THE ADVENTURES OF HEIDI" (recently RE-AIRED somewhere)
"MACROSS-DO YOU REMEMBER LOVE?" (still badass 30 years down the line!)
"PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON"--ALL Seasons (previously issued, but OOP since 2006!!!).
Yeas, that's some good shit that's missing. Personally, I'm bummed about MARINE BOY never seeing the light of ANY USA Video, until 2008's "SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS, Vol. One"--REMASTERED so pristine that I almost had a heart attack. Just that ONE episode!!! From the FIRST SEASON (with the calypso instrumental opening). I only WISH they would've had either the Count Shark episode or the Captain Kiddd (with 3-D!!) episode from the ass-kicking Second Season (with that Prog Rock opening theme!!). NO FAIR, Warner Bros. Especially for those of us who waited a whole generation just to OWN it. No Fair---but, I digress.
Anyways, until NEXT TIME, I'll
- Mood:artistic
"PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA, Vol. One"
OK--here's the deal: Aniplex USA has decided to literally approximate the US-Dubbed issue of MADOKA with it's Japanese original counterpart, down to the letter: packaging, episode count/sequence/exact extras.....and the ultra-high price. Yup----
$97.95, plus tax (translation: $105.99). Online retailers, like Robert's Anime Corner Store and The Right Stuf, were offering the basic discount of $75.99 (no, REALLY!!), but it is still an awful lot (yes, I'm talkin' 'bout the Deluxe Version, with the Drama CD, Soundtrack CD, etc.).
But, sorryass economy be damned---VOLUME ONE OF "MADOKA" is SOLD THE FUCK OUT!!! (Really, it is--well, online, at least!!). The Right Stuf, had to restock immediately on Valentine's Day (the release date), all due to advanced pre-order. Yo--as much as I LOVE anime (and I championed "MADOKA" to death), if it's over $50 for any box set, I start to check my wallet, and then grumble. (Remember when I bitched about Fu-------on's "DANCE IN THE VAMPIRE BUND", only to discover how barebones it was for the $60?! Well, "MADOKA", Vol. One has all the bells-n-whistles, but c'mon---whose pussy do I have to lick just to get the DISCOUNT?!)
Well, all-in-all, Aniplex's great American experiment----fuckin' WORKED!! Damn. The POWER of MADOKA compels ye!! The POWER of MADOKA compels ye!!!
Oh well, when folks put their mind to BUY something they waited for and saved for, then DAMN THE TORPEDOES--here they come, cash in hand. Still, without the discount, when all is said and done come June, 2012 after all three volumes are finally issued, folks are gonna be set back some $317.79!!! WOW!!! There are full-series TV Shows which don't cost THAT MUCH ("SPACE: 1999"--both season complete box set--went for $250-including the IMPORT Tax since it came from ITV in Great Britain; the complete 5-season Box Set of "GET SMART"--with the shoe-phone--topped out at $150 Brand New; On the OTHER END of the spectrum, Columbia has repackaged all 60 Discs and 10 1/2 Seasons of "MARRIED...With Children", in their original packaging with all the extras and in a simple Bundy-House Box for a scaryass-cheap $50!!!!!-New!!!, with some places, like Best Buy, giving it away for only $25!!!!). Get where I'm coming from?!
But, who am I to judge my fellow otaku--right*?!
Well, 'til NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!!
( *Awwwwww, c'mon--share the WEALTH, you well-heeled fucks!!! JEEZ!!)
- Mood:
bouncy
You know how it goes in YOUR FAMILY: Unless they're CLONES, your SIBLINGS all look slightly different from one another, but still have the family resemblance (eyes, nose, hair, etc.,). The differences usually have a little something to do with, let's say, body type (you might be as skinny as a reed, while your brother is the fattest fuck on the block---or the youngest one in the family looks 25 years older than the older sibling who, despite being, say 5-9 years older, actually appears 15 years younger.). Yea, Nature has a habit of pulling shit like that, and when it happens, the inherent misunderstandings create...errrrr, uhhhmm..."comedy"(?!).
All of that seems to be the driving force behind one of the strangest "shorties" to come down the pike in a long while, "RECORDER AND RANDSELL".
Ryotaro "Jinnai" Okiayu and Rei "Kugi-Kugi" Kugimiya are Atsushi Miyagawa and Atsumi Miyagawa, respectively---two siblings with the odd cosmic problem mentioned in the previous paragraph. See, Atsushi may LOOK like a 28-year-old dude, but he's actually an 11-year-old boy in a grown-man's body (and, a 5th grader!!!), while Atsumi on the other hand resembles loli-jailbait, but is actually a 17-year-old 12th-grader who puberty appears to have taken a great big sidestep.
Luckily, these episodes clock-in at a quick 3 Minutes, because if they ran just a couple minutes longer, they would've turned into something as WRONG (but, just as FUNNY) as last year's "Health And Wellness For 30-Year-Olds" (in which Ryo-san also was the star). Of course, Kugi-Kugi is playing to type in this series as a cute loli, but so far, her tsundere-side hasn't come out yet (nor has that world-famous "URUSAI!! URUSAI!! URUSAI!!!--SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!!"). Funny thing is, we might NOT get THAT here--well, at least from Kugi-Kugi, because it was her Co-Star who ORIGINATED that phrase almost 20 years earlier in "EL HAZARD".
ANYWAYS---back to what makes this quickie WORK: The Misunderstandings (especially as it concerns Atsushi). While his classmates and teacher and sister and family friends all all cool with Atsu-kun's "growth spurt", his very appearance with his female classmates causes people to get the wrong idea, and call the cops on him. Even if he's innocently showing the inner-liner of his trench-coat to one of his girl classmates, some "concerned citizen"--mainly a woman--would call the cops and have him arrested for "flashing"!!! (Which actually happened in the very first episode.)
Atsumi-chan has her own problems, too, primarily with her hottie classmate who assumes that Atsu-chan is non-pubescent and short due to "malnourishment" (definitely NOT the case here). Also, Atsu-chan's appearance comes in handy when her brother is in trouble (she quickly becomes "niece" to her 'little' brother's "uncle").
These little misunderstandings happen on a regular basis, and the sister-brother combo always manages to get thru it with some kind of aplomb. It also helps that the comedy plays off the slice-of-life nature of the series, and not some wayout "Simpsons"/"Family Guy" way. As a matter of fact, the CLOSEST show "RECORDER AND RANDSELL" actually comes close to is a show that most of you readers probably NEVER even seen, because you probably weren't around to even catch it RERUNS---
---and that would be "THE MUNSTERS". Man, I used to LOVE that show when I was coming up, but little did I know that it was a thinly-veiled take on social norms and racial prejudice. You see, there we two such shows on during that time, "THE MUNSTERS" and it's Rival, "THE ADDAMS FAMILY". While the LATTER show was about MONSTERS who are trying to LIVE as Ordinary Folks, the FORMER was about ORDINARY PEOPLE who just happen to be, what we would call, "Monsters". Herman--who actually resembled FRANKENSTEIN--was just another working Joe, but whenever anyone outside of his normal circle of family, friends and co-workers lay eyes on him (or the rest of the family), they HAUL ASS!!! Of course, like all families, even The Munsters have a "black sheep oddball", their niece Marilyn--from a different offshoot of the family. You see, Marilyn is what we would consider..."Normal"--FUCK IT: Marilyn Munster is one hotass bitch who looks like her late namesake, Marilyn Monroe. Problem is, poor girl has a hard time getting a date or keeping a boyfriend because she feels that she's "unattractive and hideous, and not as beautiful as her ('Bride-Of-Frankenstein'!!! No, REALLY!!) Aunt Lily". In actuality, Marilyn, like all teenage girls, brings her dates home to meet the family, and of course, the moment the usually congenial Herman answers the door, Marilyn's dates become Olympic Track Stars!!
Sorry for the LONG Synopsis of "The Munsters", but the scenario is the SAME--to an extent--for "RECORDER AND RANDSELL", with poor 11-year-old-boy-in-a-28-year-old-man's-b
SO, let's get down to Biz-Nizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz................
My Rating: 3-1/2-out-of-5 RYO-OHKI's!!
"RECORDER AND RANDSELL" is oddly kinda---errrrrr----"cute", mainly because, like I said, of the show's slice-of-life nature. If this show played out like "The Simpsons" or "Family Guy", it NEVER would've worked. Plus, if it was 15 Minutes a pop (like last year's "Health And Wellness For 30-Year-Olds"), it may have wound up a diluted mess, with all the humor turned into sappiness. In other words, it's perfect as is.
----------------------------------------
In OTHER NEWS: Megaupload may have been the big scapegoat in terms of the bullshit that happened all thru the month of January 2012, but other ulpload/download sites stepped up in it's stead. Filesonic Corp. laid low while all this was happening (and even gone as far as to delete files and WHOLE ACCOUNTS), but has decided to come back online. Most share sites that previously used Fileserve/Filesonic decided to NOT FORGIVE THEM, and dropped them altogether (after retrieving their "surviving" files, of course). Wupload (formerly of Fileserve Corp.) effectively went "rogue" and upped their game. Meanwhile, Rapidshare--who almost 6 years ago went through this same stuff, via ACTA--has come back strong, and has become the new go-to. HEY---the forces of paranoia will NOT stop Internet Freedom.
So, until NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!!
OH---ONE MORE THING BEFORE I LEAVE:
MEDIA BLASTERS, another anchor of US Anime Retail, has downsized--considerably!! John Sirabella has laid off the majority of his staff, leaving MB with about 12 people running things. Don't get me wrong: MB is STILL ACTIVE, but new titles are gonna be few and far between for the moment. A couple of Anime Box Sets (among them, "IKKI TOUSEN: GREAT GUARDIANS") had thier releases completely scrapped. But, the main HIGHLIGHT concerned something that was completely out of Media Blaster's control:
The (now 3-1/2 Month Long!!) Delay of "GODZILLA VS. MEGALON"!!!
And for this, you can thank TOHO Co., Ltd. themselves (and their "secondary monster", LAWYERGON, the Monster Of Litigation) for this delay. According to John Sirabella, TOKYO SHOCK (Media Blaster's Japanese Live Action division) has ALL the media for the DVD/BluRay issue of GvM, but TOHO refuses to allow this movie to hit our shores (well, the U.S.A., at least) in a proper licensed release. Mainly, this has to do with the terrible treatment this movie got ever since it's 2nd theatrical issue, when Cinema Shares began to cut the fuck out of it, sending the print into Public Domain Hell for a full generation. And, the Mystery Science Theater 3000-treatment was the straw that broke the camel's back. TOHO swiped back ALL of the copies in existence in the US (that haven't been sold--so, those who DO have the Goodtimes/Anchor Bay/Etc-versions now have 'collector's items'). Media Blasters has also been informed by "Lawyergon" to put (their DEFINITIVE VERSION) of "DESTROY ALL MONSTERS" on hold until further notice. (I got MINE--and it is the pinnacle!! 'Nuff Said!!). So, until "Lawyergon" can be appeased, the FIRST EVER Licensed Home Video Version of "GODZILLA VS. MEGALON" will remain on hold (and YES, until word comes that it's outright cancelled, I STILL have my copy on "pre-order").
THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EDITION, FOLKS!!!
- Mood:
cheerful
But, ACTA isn't a good thing--in fact, it's BAD!!
Just like 2 other 'Actions' that were recently "turned back", ACTA is bad for The Internet. And, like I mentioned in a previous entry, ACTA is much older and has been laying in wait since the last time it made big news almost a decade ago. OK---let's make ACTA big news once more: By doing to IT what we, the World Wide Internet Community, did to SOPA and PIPA.
On this DAY-Saturday, February 11, 2012-we once again will join in PROTEST!!!
Until NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!!
- Mood:accomplished
EUPHORIA!!!
Please, believe me when I tell you that this is some very evil shit!!!
NO--I'M SERIOUS!!! "EUPHORIA" is probably the most evil hentai in a long while (and, I'm measuring it against the likes of "UROTSUKIDOJI", "NIGHT SHIFT NURSES" and "BONDAGE GAME", a'ight!!). You just don't open an anime--hell, a MOVIE--with some poor bitch getting the SHIT (literally!!!) shocked outta her in The Electric Chair (yes---THAT 'Electric Chair', Ol' Sparky!!).
Just like in the Horror Franchise that inspired this, "EUPHORIA" is centered around a 'survival game' in which the contestants must follow the instructions of a depraved 'games master'--in this case, an intelligent computer--in order to make it thru to the next round, and eventually, freedom. Of course, if you refuse to follow the rules of the game--or reject the games outright--then, it's "Game Over". And "Game Over" means "Death". This explains that horrible opening scene: One of the girls disagreed with the instructions, causing the lights to suddenly go out (the screen goes BLACK--no shadows, just BLACK!), leading to terrifying screams, then flashing lights, and finally the revelation.
No, seriously---the bitch gets fried in the chair (3rd degree burns all over her arms/legs/face, bugged-out eyes, steaming puddle of piss under her as well as a bloody turd mashed under her). So that this wouldn't happen to the rest of our cast (one high school boy, 3 high school girls, one
The show's title mainly refers to the mental state our cast (more specifically, the male member) winds up in over the course of the show. Everybody HAS a dark side to them--no exceptions, it's human nature--but our male lead's darkness manifests in him kinda blacking out while performing extremely lewd acts to the girls (sorta a 'blind rapist'). Yea, he's really a nice guy, but his lewd side just begs to be released. Poor kid actually gets turned on when he sees the first girl electrocuted.
Luckily for him, he has a kindred spirit in a half-cast ice queen who has no qualms about sacrificing her sex just to survive. She becomes the first "keyhole" to the first door of this game (for the record: The "Keyholes" are the girls, while the boy is The "Key"--anatomically speaking). In the game of The First Door, he is supposed to fuck her-vaginally-very hard, and cum twice inside of her, as per instruction. Failure to do so would mean "Game Over"! They obey, but unless they get in the proper mindset, it's hard to follow through. Luckily, the girl encourages him to keep hard (let's just say she has strong vaginal muscles), and together, they complete the First Door. Sadly, the poor ice-queen (who, despite her demeanor, was a virgin up to that point) winds up babbling and then passes out from exasperation. First Door opened--now, onto the next Door (and the next "Keyhole").......
.........NEXT TIME, when volume 2 is released.
Within the past 2 1/2 years, there's been an amazing creative output in the hentai division of Anime. It's almost mainstream now (what with well-known Seiyuu joining the casts), with new titles being churned out about 8 times a month (no joke--it's really hard to keep up with the output). Yet, like all "product", you get your Hits and Misses; your Wins and Losses; your Highs and Lows; your Treasures and Trash. To be honest, "EUPHORIA" falls within the "Treasure/Trash" category--you either want to keep it, out of sheer curiosity, or pitch it, out of disgust. Well, call me one sick fuck, but I'm keeping it, mainly to see where the story goes. HEY--SUE ME!!! At least, we don't have gruesomely ultra-deformed breasts big enough to have a penis penetrate the nipples or the clitoris being grossly enlarged and SKINNED by a razor-blade (THAT'S from that sick shit called "BONDAGE GAME").
So, all-in-all, my rating for "EUPHORIA", vol. 1, will be......
2-3/4 RYO-OHKI's (just shy of 3!!)
And, I'm really being charitable here, because, first off, it's a "fantasy" (much like your basic "Ogre/Demon/God-rapes the-Goddess/Valkyrie/Elf" hentai), meaning that it's so over-the-top that one shouldn't take it too seriously. "SAW" is much the same way--'body parts' and all. Hell, so is a video/concert by the likes of Austria's RAMMSTEIN (do you really believe that they are sucking each others dicks onstage?! Please!). "EUPHORIA" is on THAT level. It's programmed to be a turn-off and only for the strong of nerve. In other words, it's a "roughie". That type of porno is almost a no-no nowadays (yea, even you basic "elf-rape" and "binkan"/"gangbang" hentai are gentle by comparison). So, like, enter this world if you dare.
As for REGULAR anime, we've got a few Winter 2012 Surprise Hits: "High School DxD" (yep--with the AT-X option, hint, hint), "Listen Girls, I'm Your Father!" (only appears "wrong", but kinda fun), "Kill Me, Baby!!" (yes, it's as WRONG as you THINK it is--and fuckin' funny!!), "Bodacious Space Pirates" (naturally, the 'event title' of the Season), "Recorder and Randsall" (thank GAWD it's only 3 minutes long!!), and in March, the "STRIKE WITCHES" movie hits the screens (in Japan). All of the above, I'll keep you informed on.
So, until NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!!
- Mood: cheerful
turn Internet operators into a private copyright police.
impose harsh and unfair penalties on users and consumers.
harm access to medicines and to essential knowledge in poor countries.
inhibit innovation.
establish new anti-democratic policy-making that bypass parliaments.
That's right--just when we've (more or less) sent SOPA and PICA back to the drawing board with it's tail tucked between it's legs, the older international organization ACTA rears its ugly head AGAIN (for the first time in about a decade). It waited for the right moment to rise up.
What really makes ACTA scary--besides being the prototype for SOPA and PIPA--is that goddamn LOGO. Looks a bit "Mousey" to me. And, if that IS the case, then we KNOW WHO is backing ACTA. Can't be more blatant than that. All the more reason to also put ACTA in it's place. The last thing we want is for THIS to happen:
"Disney's SAILOR MOON"; "Disney's DRAGONBALL-Z"; "Disney's MACROSS"; "Disney's PRETTY CURE"---you get the idea. It's already happened to MARVEL--what, you DIDN'T know?! And, let's not bring up Studio Ghibli. Plus, Disney's reputation for collectively destroying the past if it doesn't suit it's sensibilities (you try to find a "race-cartoon", or a WW2 Propaganda cartoon, or practically ANY cartoon--sans Disney or Warner Bros.--prior to 1943 on TV or current DVD). It doesn't matter WHICH studio, especially if said cartoon was in Public Domain. 9 times out of 10, Disney would've bought it, placed it in the vaults (if they felt it has some value for possible---very late---reissue), or outright destroyed it altogether (like I said, the "race cartoons", WW2 Propaganda films, or something a salacious as a Tex Avery throwdown). And, Disney destroys it's own (for a company that can all but disavow a great film for it's time, based on REAL African American folklore--"Song Of The South", unseen SINCE 1969!!!--Disney can damn sure throw a modern day minstrel show disguised as a "princess movie" on today's unsuspecting children AND their parents who don't know any better--it shall remain NAMELESS, thank you very much.).
SO----
why bring up DISNEY in regards to ACTA in an Anime Blog?! Like I stated above--taking over to the point of outright censorship. Sorry, but we can't and won't have that. Therefore, just like we're holding fort against the onslaught of SOPA, PIPA, a paranoid FBI, et.al, then so shall stand firm against ACTA.
Because, quite frankly, we in the Anime community just don't need this bullshit.
Therefore, in the FACE of ACTA, SOPA, PICA-whomever-
I giveth unto ye................................
ECCHI, ECCHI, ECCHI!!!
Full-Contact Bikini BEACH VOLLEYBALL!!
HOT Alien Babes and Sexy Schoolteachers in Bikinis!!!
Alien CAT-GIRLS In School Swimsuits!!!
Tough-n-Sexy Blazing Dyke Lesbians in Bikinis!!!
Ladies with Natural Personal Flotation Devices!!!and, finally-------
Bikini-clad Lolis from Outer Space!!!!!!!That's right, all the good things that make MY ANIME FIX(tm) what it is. So, go right ahead---BAN ME!!! Just you try!!!
AND NOW, Back To Business (for the First Time in 2012):
"STAR * JEWEL"
Or---The Return Of The Legendary Toshihiro "Toshiki" Hirano!!!
When we last left the Father of ICZER-ONE, he was finishing the TV Version of "VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU" about '97. So, it's literally been a generation. How does he make his return? By going all CREAM LEMON on us again, with this Futanari Hentai. True to Mr. Hirano's ICZER-ONE, there are NO GUYS!!! ALL CHICKS!!! (So what if these babes are PACKING---all female hentai is a win-win!) As a matter of fact, here's how I summed it up in a plot synopsis for DDL-Hentai:
Earth has become the carnal battleground between two separate factions of a race of interstellar futanari goddesses. They are after Star Jewels, a form of crystal produced from women during the height of orgasm. The Star Jewels not only give the goddesses great powers, but are also capable of powering their large warships. The angel-like Light Faction must save the Earth from the succubus-like Dark Faction by taking back the Star Jewels stolen from human females, but what happens if a Light Goddess receives the Star Jewel of a Dark Goddess by mistake?
My little take on this hentai?! Well for starters, this first entry ends on a cliffhanger, so there will be more. Also, it's LONG--47 minutes!!! The Futa-action is nasty (despite the censorship), but in a superheroine-type fantasy way. The backgrounds, music, character designs are all top-notch, and the acting is so damn tounge-in-cheek, it had me wondering it the Seiyuu had dildoes in the studio and were waving them in each other's faces during the recording. It was a over-the-top as you'd expect of a hentai like this....and I want MORE!! Plus, did I mention it's from Toshiki Hirano?! WIN!!!!
My Rating: 3 out of 5 Rho-Ohki's.
I'll be the first to admit that dick-girls are not everyone's cup of tea, but when it's in an "suspension of belief" scenario, such as a way-out sci-fi or mind-blowing sword/laser-and-sandal fantasy, then there's no reason for you NOT to grab a beer or two and have a good time.
So there, you have it--my first Review of this fucked-up Year Of The Dragon. SOPA/PICA/ACTA be Damned!!
And Finally: "Your ANIME Ain't Really BADASS Unless The COSPLAYERS Come Out To PLAY"!!(tm)(Sena and Yosura of "HAGENAI")
This was from Comiket 81 last November in Tokyo. NICE!
Well, 'til NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!!
- Mood: chipper
I guess by now, it's no secret that The FBI and US Department Of Justice--under the cover of proposed bill called the Stop Online Piracy Act and it's rider, the Protect Internet Protocal Act--has shut down MegaUpload, sending shockwaves throughout the internet community. And, one day later, SOPA and PIPA were held back by Congress for revamping. Meaning, that The Feds NEVER REALLY NEEDED SAID BILLS/LAWS to conduct this raid on free speech. In military and law enforcement circles, something like this is called a "Smokescreen".
What does this mean for internet freedom in general--not just the online anime fan community, of which I'm a part of, but my fellow bloggers and internet musicians--all of which I'm a part of, via THIS BLOG and a few music sites featuring my own original music?
EVERYTHING!! All of this, mainly because The Motion Picture Association Of America (the MPPA) was unjustifiably "threatened" by "foreign pirates". (yup, it was mainly the MPAA, with the RIAA--Recording Industry Association of America--jumping aboard.) It hurts mainly because--sure, I'll be the first to admit that there's a lot of stuff posted that SHOULD be under Copyright, but also there's a lot of stuff that has been in the Public Domain longer than some of our parents been alive--an awful lot of other stuff on the web is USER GENERATED. This BLOG (and ALL Blogs), for that matter. Hell, with the exception of BillBoard and iTunes, the BULK of NEW MUSIC on the web is USER GENERATED (Translation: Independent Musician/Songwriters upload and distribute their OWN material for streaming and download via their own webpages or music sites like IndieCharts, SoundClick, SoundCloud, BroadJam, etc., without having to mess around with the Major Labels, who are RIAA certified.). This also goes for Indie Film Producers (who don't wish to put up with the restrictions and rigormaroll of the MPAA).
But, alas, we're experiencing a cataclysm of sorts. The loss of MegaUpload--and as of this posting, FileSonic--is sending some share sites out to pasture. All in the name of "protecting American Jobs"--no, seriously; that's the main catchphrase of the commercial being run in support of SOPA.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I always believed that a PIRATE--in economic terms--was someone who blatantly takes or copies something, and then RESELLS it under their own brand, with that same something being a much inferior product (a BROADCAST TV Rip or a Camcorder-In-The-Back-Of-The-Theater Bootleg of a movie). THOSE IDIOTS should be locked up!! But, in the case of the online anime community--especially during this age of less and less domestic licensing--have an Unspoken Ethic: Download, but DO NOT copy or redistribute or package for sale-INSTEAD, PURCHASE the same program when LICENSED, and ENCOURAGE program to get licensed--then DELETE previous Download. In other words: PROMO, plain and simple. THIS is how the Fansub Sites work.
And, now, it's all turning into crap, thanks to a government that has a habit of acting first, questioning later. I've heard stories of certain other governments doing this to it's people--and MY Government calls them "REGIMES". I'm not trying to put down my nation, but the way it's acting sounds just like a "regime" to me. But hey, who am I to say--right?!
I'm sorry, but this bullshit SUCKS harder than HOOVER!! Period.
To paraphrase one of my Childhood Musical Heroes, the late, great JIMMY CASTOR (by the way, Thank You E-Man!!!):
"What we're about to do is go BAAAAAACCCCCCKKKkkkkkkk.......
Back To The Analog Age--When the ONLY THING that EXISTED was DIAL-UP!! HIGH-BANDWIDTH TORRENTS!! CAVE PEOPLES!!
WINDOWS 95!!! No Internet Streaming!! No World-Wide Internet TV!! CAVE PEOPLES!!! NNNNNNNGGGGHHHHHhhhhhhh!!!!"
Scary thing is, we're all on the verge of becoming "Troglodytes" once more. Yea, I'm from that FIRST GENERATION who remembered anime on broadcast syndicated TV, in Black-and-White, on fuzzy UHF-channels airing very early before school and after school. Not much choice in that first era, so we took what we could get, and NOT EVERY AREA had the same program--syndication packaging meant you might have to wait for "Astro-Boy" to "premiere" in your city, some 2 years after the East Coast got it, etc.
Back to the Cave Man era of the late 1980's-early 1990's when AKIRA and UROSTUKIDOJI and PROJECT A-KO and BUBBLEGUM CRISIS and DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO and TENCHI-MUYO were practically all there was on VHS....at nearly $30 for 2 Epsiodes. When Anime was still on the fringes and was treated worse than Disco Albums was in the late 1970s.
MAN---THIS JUST PLAIN SUCKS!!!
But, hey--who the fuck am I to throw in the towel!! I've been a fan since before some of your parents were born, and will continue to love anime to death...Draconian Governments Gone Mad or NOT!!
So, Until NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!!
Kinda Nice While It All Lasted. Still, Let's Not Give Up Hope And Fight The Fight.
- Mood:
aggravated
FUCK INTERNET CENSORSHIP!!
On this day, Wednesday, January 18, 2012, this blog, "MY ANIME FIX", is participating in the STOP SOPA/PIPA Movement regarding censorship over the internet. I throw my personal support behind my peers who are also participating in this event.
For more information:
https://www.eff.org/sites/default/f
This is my own personal version of the protest. Still, if you would like to participate in other ways:
http://sopastrike.com/
And, until NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!!
Lawrence Wise,
Author/Bloggist
"MY ANIME FIX", via LiveJournal.com
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 2:35 PM (EST)
- Mood: chipper
Man, I tell ya', sometimes, you've just gotta ask yourself, "Why?!"
I mean, after The Great Anime Crash Of 2006, us consumers were hoping for a godsend of sorts. When Bandai brought back the licenses for all of their titles and began redistributing some of them ("AGENT AIKa" immediately comes to mind), I cheered. These titles are saved and will not go out of print, I thought. Sadly, Bandai--despite being older--was NO "Pioneer"/"Geneon". The new releases they had were few and far between. Don't get me wrong, there were hits ("Lucky Star", "The Melancholy Of Harumi Suzimiya", and of course, "Gundam"), but on the whole, not on the level or speed of, let's say, a "Funi*****on".
Now, comes word that Bandai Entertainment will CEASE distribution of new titles in The You-Ess-of-Ayyyyy, as of February 2012. The titles they currently have will remain in print until they are sold out, but after that, it's "buh-bye, Bandai". Of course, I'm saying "DAMN!", because this basically leaves anime fans at the mercy of Funi***on and (Heaven Forbid!) Disney. Yup, you read right--DISNEY. The latest Hayou Miyazaki film will be shoved down your throats with a bland US-Adaptation Dub and minimal promotion, or, in most cases, mis-promotion. And Funi***on--we all know of their reputation. (YES--I have that bare-bones "ROSARIO + VAMPIRE" BluRay....and I got something to say about it--NEXT EDITION!)
With Bandai effectively out of the water (mainly because they haven't been getting the sales that they wanted--the cause of which was almost non-existent promotion), this only leaves The Right Stuf, Media Blasters and Sentai Filmworks to counter Funi***on. So far, they're holding up, despite the latter company literally swiping whatever it gets it's hands on.
Bandai's out, but Aniplex-USA is in. Like Geneon, they're dropping their own product on our shores in the same configuration as the Japanese are getting it---and at the same ultra-high prices (before it's all completed, "Madoka" will set us back a good $350-bucks-and-some-change!!!). My US Consumer Money is still on both Media Blasters and Sentai Filmworks (both have reasonable prices, and fuller DVD Packages).
Let's prey that Aniplex-USA doesn't get greedy and arrogant and make like Bandai. That would set a bad business precedent.
Oh well, until NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!!
Oh yea, almost forgot: Since it is 2012, the Year Of The Dragon, I thought I'd give this blog a fresh look. I'm still BUILDING that LOOK, so hang on. In the meantime, say hello to some friends of mine whose LINKS are in the side column. See ya'll again!
- Mood:accomplished
Shall Worship. Inkstead, Giveth Your Faith Over To Thine
Mighty Overlord From The Sea.....
LORD IKA "SQUID GIRL" MUSUME!!!
OBEY YOUR CONQUERING MASTER!!!!!!
(DeGeso, DeGeso, DeGeso, DeGeso!!!!)
Prepare yourselves for one crazy-fun 2012--MAYANS BE DAMNED!!!
Well, 'til NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!
- Mood: cheerful
(Best Fucking Title Of An Anime Series in Recent Times!!)
When this show, "Mōretsu Pirates", was announced about 3 1/2 months ago, fans started drooling--myself, included. Yea, it's probably gonna be your basic "babes-in-outer space-with-guns" spiel, but what really sold me was the title, as Anglicized by the company behind it: "Miniskirt Uchuu Kaizou" ("Miniskirt Space Pirates"). FUCK!!! YEA!!!
OK--as the picture, and currently YouTube-streaming previews state--the girls DO wear miniskirts--In SPAAAAAAAAAACCCCE! (hahahaha!! Had to get my "Pig"-groove on...Muppet Show fans KNOW what I mean!) And, yea, we get lots of cute action (they're Pirates--bitches have GUNS!!). And, we also get the OTHER translation of the title, the "award-winning":
Bodacious Space Pirates!!!!!
Now, the show WILL PREMIERE on Saturday, January 7, 2012, and CRUNCHYROLL already has streaming dibs on it, which is good. But, what's better is that before the next fall, we will have BD/DVDs in our grubby little hands, thanks to SENTAI FILMWORKS immediately (as in, 4 hours prior to THIS POSTING) swiping the license. And, the first episode hasn't even aired, yet. Man, I can just hear Cynthia Martinez and Jessica Boone in this--yup, we're getting a DUB, too.
Now, you're probably saying, "Yo, man--when That Other Comapny In Texas snatches titles in such fashion, you trash 'em; so, why go easy on Sentai?!" Easy: the other company has lost respect among most anime fans. Sure, they license great shows and do decent dubbing jobs when they have to, but releasing them on DVD/BD in a timely fashion is a whole other matter. (yup, just got "Rosario + Vampire" only a week ago, in a bare-bones BD.)
So, news about Sentai quickly swiping this show--sight unseen, based on title alone--is great news. Besides, any show that features "the usual suspects" (Kana Hanazawa/"Kahana", Yui Horie, Mariya Ise, Rina Satou, Shizuka Ito, and Haruka Tomatsu) is bound to be sumthin'-sumthin'.
Also on the upcoming for Winter 2012 List:
"KILL ME BABY!!"--already saw a snippet and it's worth 5 beers!
"Carnival Phantasm 3"--more insane "Fate/Stay" goodness.
"QUEEN'S BLADE: Rebellion"--It's 4 years after Season 2, and it will be the shit!! Bar none!!
"Listen To Me, Girls-I AM Your Father"--worth a look-into.
"Another"--the horror anime I'm dying to check out and review.
"Ano Natsu de Matteru"--from the team behind the "Onegai" franchise. Welcome back!
"Zero No Tsukaima F"--Harem, Harem-Harem!! Harem. Harem.
Those are MY main targets for Winter 2012.
Well, until NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!
----------------------------------------
Oh, one more thing before I say "Rabbit, git yo' ass out th' door!"--
A big MY ANIME FIX 2011 Shout Out to:
Facebook,
Animetake,
Anime News Network,
DDL-Anime/Hentai,
Hiryuu Fansubs,
EROBEATS Fansubs,
Kira Fansubs,
Doki Fansubs,
SubDESU/SubDESU-H,
Sentai Filmworks,
Media Blasters,
Kawaii Girl Japan,
YouTube,
FYE,
Best Buy,
Media Blasters,
Aarin Fantasy,
Funimation,
Bandai,
Sony Classics/TOHO USA,
Kadakawa Shoten/Daiei,
Rai/Rainbow,
Fox Animation,
DC Universe Animation,
Marvel Animation,
Dreamworks Animation,
and most of all, YOU!!!
SEE YA' IN 2012-Next Week!!!!!
- Mood:awake
Really; I mean, ain't it funny how we can move from TIGERS to RABBITS to DRAGONS in a span of 2 short years.
Nonetheless, with these crazy 12 months out of the way, it's time to bid the Best Anime Babes of 2011 a fond farewell:
Bye-Bye "RIO'S RAINBOW GATE". Rio, our (literal) Goddess Of Victory opened the year up with a smile. Hell, just looking at this photo, I'm smiling right now.
So long "ONII-CHAN NO KOTO". Nasty Nao, perverse Haruka and mysterious Mayuka...ya'll were so wrong that it was just right.
Ahhhhh, the babes of "FREEZING". It had the 3-B's: Babes, Battles and Boobs!! Ahhhh, Satelizer, Ganessa, Ingrid, and Rana-- oh please come back for a Second Season. Until then, see ya'!
KUGI-KUGI!!!!!!! As "ARIA THE SCARLET AMMO"!!
KUGI-KUGI!!!!! As ASTAROTTE in "ASTAROTTE NO OMOCHA"!!!
KUGI-KUGI!!! As SHANA in "SHAGUKAN NO SHANA III-FINAL"!!! Plus, with supporting roles in "FREEZING" and "KAITO TENSHI TWIN ANGEL", how much Rie Kugimiya can we stand in one year?! Man, I could just hear her telling me to "Urusai!! Urusai!! Urusai!! ('Shut Up!! Shut Up!! Shut Up!!')" right now. Well, 'til next time, Kugi-Kugi.
Teen Dream Rina Hidaka led a silly, all-girl Samurai Anime called "SENGOKU OTOME-MOMOIRO PARADOX", which wasn't all that bad. See you, again "Hidari".
"THE DARK RABBIT HAS 10 LIVES", and ethereal vampire princess Saito Himea was as gorgeous as fuck!! The show was questionable, but Himea was....lolilicious!!! Hope to see her again. And, speaking of "lolis":
Let's hear it for them cute li'l Bobble-Haids of Team "RO-KYU-BU"!! To paraphrase a now-infamous T-Shirt (which has since been PULLED from the MARKET): These Grade School Basketball Stars ARE The BEST!! Come back, my Lolis!!!
COME BACK, JIGGLYPUFF OPPAI!!!! COME BACK!!!! 2011 was the Year of SPHERE, who, in one form or another, was literally all over the fucking place. For instance, Team Minaki (Mina Kotobuki and Aki Toyosaki) tore up folks with laughter and flushed faces in the second naughtiest boobfest of the year (right behind "FREEZING"), "MANYUU HIKEN-CHOU". How WRONG was this show?! Wrong enough for folks to want it back next year!! MORE BOOBS, PLEASE!!!
And, more "DOG DAYS", too--which has been confirmed for a second season!! YAAAAAAY!!! More Yui Horie as our Puppy Princess and more Ami Koshimizu as 'Kimba The White Lioness' (errr, I meant "Princess Leo"!). Something about a Lion-Girl in a halter-top and cut-off Levi short-shorts. Until next season, babe.
And please, give us some more "MEAT"!!! But, until then, farewell our friends from "HAGANAI". Marina Inoue, who opened up the year as Rio, closes the whole year out as the extremely shy and dark Yozora, while Kanae Ito supplies all the "MEAT" as rich girl Sena. I'm gonna miss this show becaus it actually fun and the character designs were easy on the eyes. from the same person who gave us...
"DENPA ONNA TO SEISHUN OTOKO", starring the sweetest looking babe in all of anime (PERIOD!!! Sorry Lum, Nova and Trixie!!), the futon-wearing barefooted Erio Touwa. (Errrr, 'E.T.', can you slip outta the futon just for a little bit? Pretty please?)
There ya' go!!! Plus, giving us the 'SHAFT', too. Sweeeet. See ya' next season, you gift-wrapped angel. OH---and about 'Angels':
Haruka Tomatatsu and Mamiko Noto, babes, I LOVE YA!! And, since it is confirmed, see ya'll next season for "KAITO TENSHI TWIN ANGEL 3"!! 
No doubt about it--we need more good dramas. After all, it was through "BUNNY DROP" that we got to meet a Star Of Tomorrow, 10-year-old Aya Matsuura who debuted as "Rin" in one of them most talked about and touching anime shows in a long while. We need to have a second season of this show. So long, Little Rin.
While I'm on the subject of heartwarming shows, despite it having a little bit of fan service and a lot of harem silliness, it was touching to watch Yuka Iguchi as "Subaru" in "MAYO CHIKI". How she held her own against the likes of Eri Kitamura, Kana Asumi, Mariya Ise and Kana Hanazawa without getting lost in that all-star Seiyuu-Fest, is beyond me. Please come back, my butler-girl!!
Let's pause for a moment for a word from our Sponsor. Here's Minako Kotobuki, again, as "Blue Rose", 16-year-old pop idol Ice Witch Superhero from "TIGER AND BUNNY". To be honest, until that show picked up the pace in its second half, Minako-chan was the ONLY REASON I'd watch it. Outside of that, fuck the bro-mance bullshit! Be seeing ya', Rose.
NEED LESS SIN-SORE-SHIP IN 2012!!
The "Holy Light (and sometimes, cute little birdies, kitties and robots?!?!) Of Censorship" was all over the place this year, but it completely fucked over "Manyuu Hiken-chou", and THESE TWO SHOWS: "MAKEN-KI" (above) and,
"MAJI-KOI"!! Oh sure, we got some censor-shit like this in "Onii-chan No Koto", but it wasn't as obnoxious as in these two shows. It was just as worse in "Manyuu Hiken-Chou", because the Holy Light would screw your eyes over. Sadly, "Maken-Ki" and "Maji-Koi" didn't have a uncensored/semi-censored AT-X option, like "Freezing" and "Manyuu Hiken-Chou". And, with the evil empire of Funimation swiping these 2 shows up, most fans, myself included, said a collective "fuck it". Sadly, because of that, "Maken-Ki" and "Maji-Koi" won't really be missed.
Censorship was extra prevalent in the 5th adaptation of "Blood", and for good reason. "BLOOD-C" (the "C" was for Studio CLAMP) starred Nana Mizuki as "Saya" (this time, a glasses girl with a bubbly personality--or was she?!). When the demon-slaying action happened, all niceness was thrown out the fucking window--Saya IS "Saya", thank god for that!! And, we're getting a MOVIE out of it in the SUMMER of 2012. Fuck It--I'M THERE!!
Back to Kanae Ito, in the role of her career. Just prior to "HANASAKU IROHA", Kanae was the star of such bimbonic fare as "Asobi Ikuyo", and occassionally a little bit of jiggly fare as "Queen's Blade", but nothing truly serious--until March 2011, when her character, Ohana, got the living shit slapped out of her by her grandmother---and never once wimpered or flinched. Hell, to show you how strong Ohana was, fans had to wait 21 epsiodes for her to sob. And you know what? We've got a SECOND SEASON on the way. Love ya', Kanae-chan.Still, as much as I'm wishing that most of the shows this year featuring some of my favorite actresses get a second season, there is ONE SHOW that SHOULD NOT get another season--simply because of it's almost theatrical scale:
"PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA" is the one show that not even Mother Nature could fuck with. As a matter of fact, after Mother Nature DID bring forth the 3rd Cataclysm Of The 21st Century on the continent of Japan, it was THIS SHOW, which gave the people of Japan--and the entire world--HOPE. Aoi Yuki, one year to the date of her debut in "Dance In The Vampire Bund", gave one of the best performances ever as the title character, Madoka. But, it was her sempai, Chiwa Saito as Homura, who came forth shining bright. After 10+ years in the business--mainly as tsundere characters--Chiwa-chan won the world's attention in epsiodes 10 and 12...simply by letting loose and crying in her real voice. In episode 12, when an astral-like Homura and a God-like Madoka embraced, the world cried with her. Mind you, in Japan, the FINAL Episode aired at 3:00 AM that morning--and it scored an amazing 3.7 rating. Pretty high, considering the desired audience was supposed to be asleep. No second season here--but 3 movies are on the way!! MADOKA 4Ever!!
Yes indeed, I'm gonna miss ALL of this year's anime hotties, but each of them pales in comparisson to the final one to be mentioned. You see, on the Monday after this posting, which will be the day after Christmas, our Ever-So-Squiddy Conquerer goes back to the Sea to prepare for her (possible) THIRD "Invasion". Yup, it's true:
"SQUID GIRL", until you return to your new converts, I will miss you the MOST!! Come Back, my Squiddy Master. Conquer me again and again!! DeGeso, DeGeso, DeGeso!!!!
WHEW!!!! There, you have it!!!
It took a while to put this edition together, but it was fuckin' fun, as well. What will 2012 really hold for anime?! We'll just have to see.
ALSO---as if you DON'T know the DRILL by now:
"YOUR FAVORITE ANIME AIN'T NOTHING,
UNLESS THE COSPLAYERS COME OUT TO
PLAY!!" (TM)
And what's more fun than just an ordinary Cosplayer?! When your favorite Seiyuu does the job--and WELL!! Of course, if she does it OUT OF CHARACTER, then, that's something completely amazing. Case in point: In "MAYO CHIKI", ERI KITAMURA ("Kitaeri") portray Subaru's "master", scheming rich bitch Kanade Suzutsuki. But, what would happen if Kitaeri decides to walk in Yuka Iguchi's 'Butler Shoes'?! You. Get. THIS:
D-D-D-D-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNN
I don't know about YOU, but Kitaeri knocks the Subaru Cosplay out the park. I mean, she fuckin' LOOKS the part--and that's badass!! Alright, ya'll--that's ALL!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Until NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!
- Mood: chipper
(Awwwwwwwwww, it's "Loli-Claus"!! So Kawaiiiiiiiiii!!!)
2011, The Year Of The Rabbit, has been a wild one for Anime. And, when I say "wild", I mean "off-kilter". who would've thought that the greatest threat to Anime WOULDN'T be a prudish Western audience (who STILL has a hard time understanding certain tropes), but NATURE, herself!! Yea, a cataclysm that literally shook a culture, and the world. Because of that, almost everything after--let's say, April/May 2011 has been kinda...uhhm, "sedate".
Oh, don't get me wrong: you still got "product', but it just didn't feel "event worthy". Nothing on the level of a "Strike Witches", or a "Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt", or a "Gurren Lagen". Just mainly "product"--which, after the terrifying events of earlier this year, is a good thing--it gives creators time to get their bearings together.
That's not to say we didn't have anything WORTH talking about in Anime for 2011. I mean, if you DON'T KNOW "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" by now, then you are totally outta the loop. Well, instead of rehashing all that was decent as far as Anime output is concerned, let me talk about what I wish for next year---
my Anime Chirstmas Wish List:
Dear Anime Loli-Santa, in 2012, I wish for-
1) A little more ecchi. Yup, that's me to a "T"--can't live without my naked girls bouncin' 'round. And please, make it funny, because jiggles go great with giggles. And finally, let AT-X get it's status back as the "Ecchi Network" so we can enjoy our late-night goodies uncensored. And Santa--do something about that dreaded "Holy Light Of Sin-Sore-Ship". OK, now that that's outta the way:
2) More good dramas. Anime is not only a 'Creator's Medium', it's also (and most importantly) an 'Actor's Medium'. Of course, you would never know that the way it's "promoted" here in The YOU-ESS-Of-Ayyyy, but the selling point of practically all anime is the cast. A great seiyuu makes even the crappiest show worth watching. Which brings up the Drama Point. Kanae Ito, known for some of the most bimbonic roles of the past couple of years, shocked her fans after her character Ohana received the "slap felt around the world" by one of the greatest anime voice actresses of the previous generation in "HANASAKU IROHA". To be bitch slapped by Ms. Yuki/Nova of "STAR BLAZERS" (Tamie Kubota), and not even flinch kept folks coming back week-after-week. Then, by Summer, "BUNNY DROP" premiered and the world was introduced to a (now 10-year-old) young lady who has made the world cry with her and smile as she grew into her family (Ayu Matsuura). Please, give us a Second Season for BOTH!
3) More SHORTS!! 2011 was the YEAR of the Anime Short, and quite a few of them have been downright great. I mean, if you're able to pack a lot into 5-10 minutes with flash animation and great acting, then that says a lot. The majority of them are very funny (a quick laugh to brighten things up), but one of them, "HONTO NI ATTA! REBAI SENSEI", began to tug at the heartstrings as it went on. And, the scary thing is, it's still continuing.
4) More "As-It-Happens" Worldwide Fandom! Now look--I'm an "old schooler" who initially REJECTED the internet as a means of getting my anime. Of course, that was before 2008. Since then, I've been a fan and follower and promoter of fansubs and share sites because thru them, we're getting the shows as they happen. Just like on our TVs. "MADOKA" wouldn't have had the impact it had if, let's say, we got it some 4 years down the line on DVD with the distributor trying to pass it off as "new". Hell, if it wasn't for the internet literally bringing this world of ours together, Anime would be just another....errrr..."foreign film". But, you mention "SKET DANCE" to some kid on the street, and 9-times-outta-10, he'll respond "Bossun". Shared culture rocks!! And finally...
5) More ANIME IN THE STORES!! Yea, sounds like I'm beating a dead horse with this, but that's what it's really all about--buying your favorite show. Until America (especially) stop treating a Pop Culture as a "Event", instead of what it really is, we will never get some of the good stuff that hit the Anime Airwaves this year. I mean, hey, I'd be damned if someone puts "MANYUU HIKENCHOU" on the US Airwaves, but "DOG DAYS", on the other hand, would've been a hit. In other words, US programmers, it's OUT THERE--you just got to know where to, and HOW to, look.
So, there you have it, the MY ANIME FIX "My Anime Christmas Wish List". I hope ya'll have a Merry Chirstmas. I'll be back witcha after the New Year (MAYANS BE DAMNED!!!) Don't forget to give a holla to your favorite Cosplayers and support your favorite Fansub and Share Sites.
Well, 'til NEXT TIME, I'll
SEE YA', THEN!!
- Mood:artistic
