“You can’t let Mr. James take away Matthew. He’s not his little puppet for his amusement. He has a very important role here.”

broderic on September 9, 2008

I just signed up for Nico Video. It’s some kind of Japanese site. I have no idea what it’s about. I think they are producing video and putting it up there. I just joined to watch Penguin Musume. No idea what it’s about. There’s even no fansub. Just yet. But I laughed at the first episode.

So how did I register? They have a spanish version of the site. I had to use the rudimentary spanish I know to register for a Japanese site. Some kind of weirdness is that.

“Dave, if by some incredible miracle Bill does come back, don’t tell him I put his coffee mug in my pants.”

broderic on September 9, 2008

Link of the Day [9.09.08]

That’s one crazy link, hunh? I know that it is better web etiquette to put an actual descriptive phrase for the link enclosed in those anchor tags, but I’m just continuing on with the grand tradition of the raw URL, because it’s the way it looks if I post via email. Keep it the same for both web-based or email-based posts and you don’t have to worry about the format. You do have to worry about the length of the line, because iPhone wraps it weird;.

Anywhoo, today’s link is to OtakuUSA magazine’s article on “Gateway Anime.” That’s anime that leads you to becoming a life long fan. It’s similar to how cigarettes or pot can lead you to harder drugs like crystal meth or special K. I know my gateway anime is Robotech. I did watch a few episodes of StarBlazers, but it was usually on crappy UHF and hard to get good reception, so it was tough to watch. And I did love watching Speed Racer and Kimba, the White Lion, but being so young at the time, I didn’t think about them being “Japanese Animation.” They were just some cartoon.

Robotech was different. You couldn’t wait for it to come on, so you’d hurry home to watch it or set the VCR to tape it. Then you’d watch it over and over. And not too long afterwards, you buy your first Valkyrie fighter. And it was cool. Next came the models. And finally, you’d get that first crush on a 2D girl. Oh, Lisa Hayes (Misa Hiyase in the original Macross), forget that lame Rick Hunter…

Hunh? Where was I?

Oh, yeah, Robotech was my gateway anime that started me down the anime fandom road. Not to mention School Rumble.

http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?
sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&
tier=3&nid=F15C3E187035436091591E5987742890

“They use a word that rhymes with ‘gritches’ that starts with a B.”

broderic on September 6, 2008

Link of the Day [9.06.08]

Liking anime means that sometimes you end up immersing yourself in that otaku culture. You like what the crowd like (Macross Frontier, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya). You do what the crowd does (wish to go to Japan or Akihibara). You buy things the crowd buys. Anime figures.

Good Smile Company makes very nice figures of characters from anime. They’re mainly the girls, because nothing gets the otaku heart pumping like 2D girls rendered in 3D. Finally, Good Smile Company is recognizing that the otaku culture is no longer contained on the shores of Japan, and with the globalization of anime, it can be found all over the world. They’re creating an English version of the site run by Danny Choo to get all information about their line figures to those who have money to burn. Now I don’t have to learn Japanese.

http://eng.goodsmile.info/top/eng/

Quote of the Day [9.01.08]

broderic on September 1, 2008

Look up at the starry sky and tell me about my own light
Where are you now? And who are you with?

If I think about enjoying things, I feel sad
I weep all by myself at the movie that we saw together

The person who I love is faraway
Too faraway and I feel like crying
When I wake up tomorrow
Look, hope just might be born, Good night!

I still I still I love you!
I’m waiting waiting forever
I still I still I love you!
I won’t stop, Hi!!

In the depths of my slumber, my dream gives my memories a ‘One day’
And there were some lies in your words

Even though you embraced me
Saying, “I won’t let go” and “I’m only yours”
The promise softly disappeared in the dark night

I’m forever searching for
The person who I love
I’m sure that even when I wake up
I’ll still want to feel the illusion, Morning

I lost I lost I lost you!
You’re making making my music
I lost I lost I lost you!
Can’t we meet anymore? No!

The person who I love is faraway
Too faraway and I feel like crying
When I wake up tomorrow
Look, hope just might be born, Good night!

I’m forever searching for
The person who I love
I’m sure that even when I wake up
I’ll still want to feel the illusion, Morning

I still I still I love you!
I’m waiting waiting forever
I still I still I love you!
I won’t stop
I still I still I love you!
I’m waiting waiting forever
I still I still I love you!
We can meet again, right? Right!!

ENOZ featuring Suzumiya Haruhi, “Lost My Music” (thanks for English translation)

Anime question of the day [8.27.08]

broderic on August 28, 2008

Who needs a remake of Robotech when we have Macross Frontier to watch?

Just release it in the US already. Quit with the lawsuits and give us our US blue ray discs of Frontier. I’ll also buy the original Macross.

Link of the Day [8.20.08]

broderic on August 20, 2008

Macross Frontier is the latest iteration of the Macross anime. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the first Macross saga, the franchise goes back to all the hallmarks of the first one. The love triangle is there. The city on a spaceship is there. The mecha is there. The drama is there. And the singing. Boy, howdy, the singing!

When you watch it, you will recognize the plot beats that Macross Frontier mimics from the original. Yet, the milieu has been changed. I’ve been watching a lot of anime and the ones made today are vastly different than those of the 80s. For one thing, I don’t remember there being so much fan service in the original Macross. There was that one shower scene, but no fascination with boobs. Macross Frontier, while not overt about it, doesn’t shy away from fan service. And moe seems to have creeped into this one. Girls with glasses, maids, nekomimi, absolute territory: they’re there. Still, I wonder if its because I watch a lot of current anime that I notice these things or are they really embedded in the show.

The songs are also a nice touch, but not knowing the Macross universe too well, I don’t know if they are singing a new song or something from the previous stuff. It’s good to listen to, but I wonder which ones to download for my anime playlist.

http://www.macrossf.com/

Macross Frontier

broderic on August 18, 2008

Watch it! Watch it now.

If you don’t like my suggestions for anime because they lean too much towards romantic comedies for guys, and you are more interested in mecha, then watch Macross Frontier. It’s that good.

The story is extremely similar to the original. A young brash kid joins up with the military to fly a veritech fighter. He’s caught in a love triangle with the older lady and the young singing ingenue. He’s got the Skull Squadron leader giving him hell. He’s got two buddies who back him up wherever he goes.

But the mecha. It rocks. I want one of those VF-25, but as a transformable figure. With the armor on it.