September 01, 2012
It's quirky and odd, but it's kind of touching in a socially maladjusted way.
However, I noticed something else as it progressed.
No cellphones.
Also, the camera. It's a camera...not a cellphone ap and seems to use film. Furthermore, Urabe doesn't seem worried about infinite digital copies.
So the show is set in the past.
Is it really a period piece?
If so when is it set and what are the little period trappings that I'm missing?
The "UFO" that Urabe uses on her pencil was seen a lot in the '80s (on Urusei Yatsura for instance) but that might not count.
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August 10, 2012
This is the categories icon on their website...
UPDATE: Actually, she's not a bad choice for that category's mascot all things considered.
But I still laughed.
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July 28, 2012
Oh my.
This quirkfest is getting...creepy.
It's also damned interesting.
Oh crap...you caught my stigmata.
UPDATE:
Now it just disturbs me.
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July 25, 2012
discuss...
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July 22, 2012
I did not expect a cross -over. Ending both the El Santo and Batman franchises was interesting, but seeing El Santo be so bitter and twisted in his old age was heartbreaking. Still, the team-up between Batman and Blue Demon at the end and the epic battle with them saving the orphanage full of Hispanic kids was a nice touch. It was inspiring to see Blue Demon taking up (and redeeming) El Santo's sullied torch.
That last paragraph may not be entirely accurate, but it has the virtue of being spoiler free.
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July 15, 2012
As for the A part of the AMV, I'd seen .gifs from this bit of animation around for years and was curious as to what it was from. I'd initially thought it was an ad or some such, but as this makes clear it's from something called Yogurting.
Wait...Yogurting? Well, with a name like that I was kinda hoping for a show from the burgeoning fermentation genre...like Moyashimon. Alas, it's a Korean MMORPG set in a high school with a mystery emphasis and apparently no lactobaccillus at all.
So the video source is a bust as far as any interest for me. But damn! Points for the 'pipes..
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July 11, 2012
Three other shows had piqued my interest, two of which I've finished.
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san was mentioned here before. For most of its run this Magical Girlfiend/ Lovecraft comedy was worth at least a couple of laughs an episode, though only to a very narrow segment of humanity that has read Lovecraft, still watches anime and who are sufficiently un-sociaized to get gags like this...
Towards the end there was considerable buildup to a story that was going to be set in the Dreamlands. This looked looked to be quite promising. Unfortunately, the last few episodes seem to have been replaced with a stock harem comedy ending that came out of nowhere, derailed the plot and was sappy, cliched, boring and pointless. I'm not sure what was going on there. The ending really feels like it belongs to some other show.
Aside from the unfunny ending, I found it to be enjoyable fluff, but this show is definitely an acquired taste...
The original Queens Blade series, was refreshingly devoid of any pretensions of respectability. Set in a fantasy kingdom where the empress is chosen not by heredity but by the perfectly reasonable method of a gladiatorial catfight tournament, it did not take itself at all seriously, tempering its over the top cheesecake with a couple of interesting side characters. It was not a good show by any means but I watched it at a friends house a year or so ago and it was something of a guilty pleasure.
This seasons installment, Queens Blade Rebellion combines vulgarity, pretentiousness, a nonsensical plot, lots of lolis, faux futanari follies, several unlikeable characters and a side order of sadism to produce one of the most execrable shows I have ever had the poor judgement to sit through. This is just dreadful. I cannot do justice in mere words to how wretched this show is and I refuse to go back and wade through that cesspit to grab frames to put behind a NSFW tag, so you'll have to take my word for it. It stinks on ice.
Mysterious Girlfriend X is interesting but I've only seen 3 eps so far. I hope to catch up over the next week. If I'd watched this instead of that Queens Blade abomination I'd be current with the show and likely be a much happier person.
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July 09, 2012
Lessee...we've got
*Frank Langella
*Pompous hipsters
*A home care robot
*In a heist movie
Yeah..this has potential.
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July 07, 2012
Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is an uneven film that alternates between the best and worst Hollywood has to offer. Blessed with superb production values and some very interesting concepts, the film suffers from a lack of focus, a lack of believability, and most unfortunately for a horror film, a lack of actual suspense.
The film follows a pair of archeologists who have become convinced that life on Earth was seeded by aliens. They convince the CEO of an exceedingly wealthy conglomerate to finance an expedition to a distant star they believe is the home of the aliens who engineered life on earth. They find out that they might be right, but in the process discover unspeakable ancient horrors.
Ridley Scott’s films tend to be visually striking and this one is no exception. The shipboard sets are futuristic in the extreme, yet they appear quite functional. The lighting and subdued color in certain exterior shots give a genuinely unearthly feel to the alien world. The set designs of alien passageways achieve a particularly interesting effect, giving at once impressions of the grandeur and massive scale of the structure while also conveying a sense of profound claustrophobia. When alien life is encountered, it does indeed look quite alien except in once case where the familiarity in appearance is the point. Even handheld tools loot futuristic but practical. A combination computer notepad/ flashlight/ sample collection kit is particularly well designed. The spacesuits are based on some of the latest work by NASA and MIT. Yet they have subtle touches that harkens back to ‘50s sci-fi in a brilliant blending of retro and futuristic design elements. On the other hand the flamethrowers look really toy-like and also lead to a believability question: "Why are they bringing FLAMETHROWERS of all things?â€
That failure to suspend the audience’s disbelief is one of the major
problems of the film, the flamethrowers being the least egregious example. A
few others include:
A woman, who
gives herself a cesarean and spends the rest of the film doing action
heroine physical antics.
A group of scientists on an alien world who just take
off their helmets when they discover the atmosphere is breathable (alien germs
be damned).
The film is billed as a horror movie. However, there is little in the
way of actual suspense. Two scientists behaving quite stupidly, die horribly
and very predictably. There is betrayal aboard the ship which the audience most
likely saw coming a mile away. The scares all have a very perfunctory feeling
to them and the only real surprise is the shocking and quite disturbing visual
of the aforementioned cesarean operation.
This is no doubt supposed to be the jaw
dropping moment of the film much like the famous chest-burster scene in Alien. It is quite graphic, but
in the theater, the audience was giggling at that point.
The movie is not a direct prequel to Alien, but it does establish what is going on in that universe. It also has some interesting concepts but they are only slightly explored.
Michael
Fassbender plays David, a rather sinister android and he does a superb job of
conveying his nonhuman perspective. It's implied that he has developed a rigid code of ethics...just not human ones. He seems to have aspirations as well. This is
something the rest of the characters tend to miss and it is a neat transhumanist twist.
Fassbender gives a deadpan performance with subtle tics that convey a palpable sense of
frustration and yearning without expressing any actual emotion. However, this is never explored to any depth.
There is a
fatalistic and yet inspiring
message about heroism. One plot point revolves around a character sacrificing
himself in such a way no one will ever know that he saved all of humanity. The
main plot with its Lovecraftian overtones has tremendous potential as well, but
this is never fully realized.
Instead the film wastes all its good effects, visuals and quirky ideas
on a disjointed story that has a decidedly paint by numbers feel to it. The
films excuse for suspense is a collection of haunted house and slasher film
tropes.
Prometheus is an intriguing, gorgeous
but ultimately quite disappointing film. I had high hopes for it but they were largely unfulfilled.
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July 01, 2012
Most surprising of all, the show pulled of a thoroughly satisfying climax and wrap-up while leaving it open ended enough for a sequel.
Also, I must say that I did not see THIS coming:
This show will leave a considerable gap.
I will definitely be picking up the DVDs. (SENTAI is indeed bringing it over, and has actually put out for a dub by Bang Zoom. which is one of the best outfits in the industry.)
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June 10, 2012
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June 09, 2012
Although the concept is dubious in the extreme, this film is surprisingly entertaining. Imagine what would happen if Irwin Allen and Ishiro Honda had collaborated and had Jerry Bruckheimers special effects staff. THIS! Seriously, it's a late '50s Toho epic with a disaster movies plot structure.
The films effects are pretty good , either a lot more practical effects were used than is the norm or the CGI has gotten a lot better. There are surprises, a couple of obligatory "OH NO WAY!"moments and some unlikely coincidences but amazingly, no glaring plot holes.
This film is by no means art, but is rather better than most. I quite enjoyed it.
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June 04, 2012
Good grief this is an odd show.
It's wacky.
It's quirky.
It's gross.
Then this happens...
Which, in the context of the episode is really disturbing.
Possibilities:
1: SHE'S AN ALIEN
2: Souvlaki keeps a log of these things and she secretly read it.
3: She's a witch.
4: Souvlaki will soon discover that his quiet high-school life is shattered when Urabe reveals that he has been chosen to pilot a GIANT ROBOT.
Three episodes in, laughs are still outnumbering gag reflexes, but WTFs are catching up to both. I am now quite thoroughly intrigued.
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June 02, 2012
Even if one does everything right...
Even if one has a superb staff, excellent kit, a clever and thoroughly solid plan that one executes admirably...
That pacing really comes to the fore in this installment. After last weeks action packed previews and the episodes rather jarring teaser the story switches gears abruptly to move at a quite leisurely clip.
Marika formulates her plan, there are character expositions and various background points are clarified. In any other show a build up this gradual would drag unbearably, yet here, every little bit of what seems at first glance to be padding is structure. Every bit of it matters, if not to the plot, then to the characterizations.
When it finally happens, the action is that much more satisfying.
Of course, I'm not sure if my high opinion of this kids show speaks more negatively of US television or me.
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May 28, 2012
- Sentai Filmworks is confirmed as the licensor for Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works
- Aniplex will take pre-orders for the second volume of Fate/zero on Blu-Ray starting June 1st for release on September 9th simultaneously with the Japanese release
- Bakemonogatari will be receiving a new sub only boxset release this Fall on Blu-Ray with no plans to dub either it or the sequel series Nisemonogatari. Unfortunately, there are also no plans to stream Bakemonogatari.
- Aniplex does not have plans to go back and dub either Blue Exorcist or Fate/Zero
- OreImo will be re-released later this summer in a lower-priced DVD edition
- Baccano will be re-released following its previous limited Blu-Ray box release
- Kara no Kyoukai/Garden of Sinners will be released in a new limited edition DVD boxset this Fa
There is a bit of good news in that Sentai did indeed get UlBW. They have announced a Bang Zoom dub which speaks well of their finances and confidence in the market.
However, In the rest of the announcements I note the continued trend in avoiding dubs. While this is of little direct concern to many of our readers it means that the current plan does seem to be to skip the US Distributors and simply release Subtitled Japanese Blue Rays at... Japanese prices.
US Anime is doomed!...must..tweet...everybody!
The Japanese prices are insane and, I believe, counter-productive even to their domestic market in the long term, but they are, in part, a response to the huge piracy issue, the shrinking domestic market (which the prices help to shrink) and the fact that the Japanese companies have the additional overhead of producing the product (US and other overseas distributors just have licensing, distribution and occasionally dubbing ).
I would be very surprised if a lot of the licensing was not discontinued in favor of just the subtitle track. The total sales would drop but a few hundred or a couple of thousand sales total would make what they'd get from licensing with an option for more if it was a runaway hit. If there is licensing in the future it might well be restricted to dub only in the future to kill re-imports.
The Japanese prices also make clear one reason why collector Otaku are thought of poorly in Japan. The hobby there takes as much money as a heroin habit. Someone who indulges in it there is either rich beyond the dreams of Avarice or has some seriously screwed up priorities.
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I have a confession to make.
I...
I...
I actually liked High School of the Dead.
I may be the only human being for whom that is true.
Allow me to defend this most indefensible of opinions.
First, it must be acknowledged that most of the criticisms of this show have valid points. The fan service is a bit over the top. I sure as hell could have done without the damned panty shots. It is a grim show. It is aggressively and flamboyantly excessive. It is disrespectful to physics.
The early episodes in particular do a better job than many zombie movies (even Romero's own) of conveying the actual horror of the whole zombie apocalypse situation. They handle that bit really well. This is all the more remarkable because of the breakneck pacing of the early episodes. The show manages to combine non-stop action with a sense of genuine dread as the characters realize just what is going on and the implications of it.
It is a horrific show, and at times hard to watch, but the admittedly excessive fan service actually mitigates this somewhat. It is sufficiently silly to act as comic relief and thereby break some of the tension.
In fact, the two most gratuitous episodes regards cheesecake, 6 and 7, (where the show managed to work in sort of a bathhouse episode), were in some ways the saving grace of the series. Both actually had some neat, even thoughtful, character bits. They also added a bit of humanity and decency that saved the show from becoming the nihilistic exercise so many stories in this genre are.
From that point the show becomes not so much a horror show as a show about retaining ones humanity in the midst of a societies collapse. The cheesecake is somewhat toned down in later episodes as well.
In any event the show is never boring.
For all that, I probably would not have liked it had I not first seen the dub, which is superb, and is delivered with the staccato pacing of a Howard Hawks film and with just a bit of snark. The voice acting is really well done Mark Laskowski and Maggie Flecknoe in particular do a superb job. The nurse in the dub has a voice that can grate cheese...but that actually fits. As I type this there's a 12 minute spoileriffic excerpt from ep2 of the dub here which gives a good overview of the pacing of the early episodes.
It is also, despite it's exceedingly grim nature, a show that manages to be surprisingly upbeat and I frankly found it rather fun.
...and now
Well, now you know that about me.
#Regards...that .gif
The bullet is traveling in the vicinity of 2700 feet per second.
The bosoms in question transit back and forth during the time that the projectile passes through the area of interest and thus are moving at least twice as fast as the bullet itself. This gives a breast speed of at least 5400fps.
The speed of sound at sea level is roughly 1100fps. 5400 fps is just under 5 times that or approximately Mach 4.8-Mach 4.9 so a conservative reading of the available evidence would indicate that in addition to her levelheadedness, well developed sense of ethics, athleticism and general competence, Saeko possesses hypersonic tits.
The above analysis was originally posted here....where spoilers and snark dance the tango together.
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May 27, 2012
It muddled along as a moderately enjoyable collection of random events until suddenly...
It all began to come together.
Every random bit is there for a reason, either to ad to the plot, or distract from it or provide nice character continuity.
This episode is a rollicking good time but it is has a much darker edge than earlier ones. This is a real battle and in the worst possible circumstances.
Also this show has space battles, dogfights...and silly pirate hats that make perfect sense in context.
I'll call this one a win.
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May 20, 2012
Mysterious Girlfriend X is a perversely engaging show. I'm not sure I'll be able to get past the squick factor, but I laughed out loud several times.
Certainly it delivers at least part of what it promises in that there is a girlfriend and she is sure as hell mysterious.
Urabe is the quintessential mysterious transfer student and seems to have a rather traumatic past...
She's a bit odd; not a typical space cadet in that she seems to be aware and a decent student, just not very sociable, a little awkward and apparently sleep deprived. She's really kind of interesting in the same way our hero protagonist is not...
Souvlaki here is well named as he appears to be just a random piece of animated meat whose job is to be enough of a cypher that salivapheliacs of all walks of life will be able to relate to him.
"Excuse me. My name is Tsubaki."
Anyway...
The two end up sitting next to each other and after a while romance blossoms oozes between them.
It is a very off-beat and rather cute show.
There is also drool...rather a LOT of drool.
I nearly wretched twice.
I laughed out loud 4 times..once while almost wretching.
Thus I find myself conflicted but holding at 2 to 1 in favor of continuing the series.
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May 07, 2012
The last post was High octane nightmare fuel so here is something that is...merely wrong.
Beware, NSFW language.
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