For those who will be on O’ahu today or tomorrow, the Regal Dole Cannery 18 theaters will have a special screening of the second live action movie from the Death Note franchise. There will be one screening each day, at 19:30.
Archive for the 'anime' Category
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Bwahaha, I can’t believe I let this one go by till now! Cropping up in fansubs, an OAV series titled Detroit Metal City. Designs and art are ugly style, ala Initial D, but it fits. I’m sure it’s completely intentional as Studio 4C is well capable of some outstanding artistic work. About a recent college graduate following his dream to perform in a band, but it’s not going in quite the direction he wished. Outrageous and hilarious, and yet with all good humour, there’s a hint of reality. Death metal with a Japanese slant. Who knows what’s really behind the paint!
Oh shoots, I just discovered there’s a live action movie that should be out too, complete with Gene Simmons cameo!
Might just have to get the soundtrack. Hey Roy, cosplay outfit for you!
Finally made it to a Honolulu Festival, having missed quite a few past cultural events. I like going to the Convention Center venue, hate to admit it, because it’s air conditioned. And something different this year was the inclusion of a performance by Haruko Momoi, a popular anime voice actress. She had along a good sized group of her fanclub too. It was entertaining, and I mean that in a good way, not a cynical way. A tiny peek into otaku-dom, got a taste of the energy and enthusiasm without being swamped by massive crowds of a true hardcore event. 
And her performance was good, I honestly have to say she sang better than a lot of other big name J-Pop acts I’ve seen televised live. I do wonder what kind of toll this takes on her voice, unless it really is how she talks.
Having arrived late on Sunday and not seeing any of Saturday, I missed a lot of the performers, but still got to see a lot of vibrant performances. Go to see an aboriginal Taiwan group, interestingly it had a very native american Indian feel. And I hoofed it on over to Waikiki to catch the Grand Parade. It seems I kind of choose my position poorly. If I were being hardcore photog I would have roamed the street, but I wasn’t feeling that. I just parked in one spot and dealt with it. Didn’t even move when the finale Daijayama dragon rained sparks chasing everyone around me away. Anyway, I’ll get pics processed and posted sometime, I’m pretty pooped.
Just watched the legitimate release of the 2006 Kyoto Animation version of Kanon. Root had given me the older 2002 Toei Animation version as fansubs years ago and I liked the general premise, but remake version is definitely better in both writing and animation quality. ADV Films, who did the legit release of the Air series for the USDM has released the first 4-episode volume of Kanon, with the second volume due out in February. Continue reading ‘Omoidasenai Machi – Kanon TV 2006’
Ok, the new season of anime has started in Japan, and I haven’t said much about the shows because I haven’t seen anything of much note yet. There’s been some shows that are looking to be decent enough to find possibly entertaining, like Clannad, Bamboo Blade (surprisingly), and some others ok but not particularly unusual. I was begining to think there wasn’t going to be anything as good as the previous season. And then Moyashimon comes along. It remains to be seen how good this turns out to be, but the premise and the first episode are off to a good start. So how’s this, it’s about a kid who can see germs. I’ve said in the past that you can find a manga about virtually anything, but I have to admit this is something I wouldn’t have thought of. So we have anthropomorphic yeast and their buddies having parties and whatnot. Trying to figure out where the character designs remind me of, perhaps Genshiken. He is entering college too. Anyway, I’m interested to see where this goes, and all the cute little germies, when you think about it I think it would be pretty icky to have this ability.
Through the wonders of the Net, I’ve been able to watch the first episode of the live action TV series just days after it aired in Japan. I’m not quite sure what to think yet. I don’t think Hideaki Anno had anything to do with this incarnation, I believe its directed by a dude responsible for a bunch of current modern tokusatsu Kamen Rider shows. Perhaps its best going in not knowing anything and entering with an open, blank mind. But with how many versions its been through and originating from the mind of Go Nagai, how can an J-pop culture otaku not. Continue reading ‘Cutey/ie Honey The Live’
Maybe summer season sees the better shows. So far it hasn’t been too bad. This one here although not breaking any grounds in originality, I find quite entertaining. You’ve got the guy who’d had a childhood trauma thinking a mermaid tried to drown him in charge of the school swim team. So is it a sport anime? There’s a bunch of hot girls on the team, so is it a harem anime? Hard to really say. I can say I like the art, and the character designs kind of remind me of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, which is a good thing. And of course there’s fanservice. Fanservice can be a tricky thing, and in this case I think they got it right! So this show is a good example of a show doesn’t have to be very original to be pretty entertaining.
Moetan
And now we have an example of a show that is really cliched that is NOT very entertaining to me. I was interested in this as some of the Engrish examples from the print media I’ve seen from this was pretty classic. Having finally seen the 1st ep I have to say I’m dissapointed. It’s full of cliches and I can’t really take it. Sure there’s fanservice, of heavy lolita type. But they’re in high school. So if they look, sound, and act like gradeschoolers but say they’re highschoolers it’s alright? Are they trying to pull a USA translation edit? Yes, we all wear seifuku and carry school bookbags, but we’re in college, really! And to top it all off, the Engrish is NOT very “good”, or actually not horribly bad in the wonderful way I hoped.
Ah, my faith in anime is renewed. For a while I was getting mired in mass of ho hum anime, but lately there’s been enough good stuff that it has lifted me out of that funk. 
The latest discovery is “Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei”, I’d translate it as Farewell Doctor Despair, although more literaly it would be Goodbye Despair Teacher. Teacher would be more proper. This is another show that defies description into a genre. It is a school life thing I suppose. We have the ultimate pessimist teacher, and the ultimate optomist student. Of course they first meet outside of school, as he’s trying to commit suicide, or become taller. Nice art, very stylie, the skinny bowlegs will prob bother Dave, funny stuff.
What the f?!?! My brain is melting!
Okay, so the next cycle of anime is starting up and one of the first I decided to inflict upon myself was this, Potemayo. Uh, how can I describe it? I like the watercolor like BG art. As you can see the chara designs are cute. But how can I describe it? It’s… like Binchoutan on acid. The chibi things are cute yet evil but cute. The OP theme ranks with the finest of brain melting cuteness songs. There’s a pooping yellow piyoko orb. Can’t resist… brain mush… need more….
Oh, and then there’s the promo video for Moetan. Good to see that Engrish education is going strong, reenforced with grossly underage fanservice!
Talk about mind trip. Satoshi Kon just loves messing with your mind. His latest anime movie, Paprika has had a few showings in the U.S., hopefully in a film festival near you soon. If you’re familiar with his other works like Perfect Blue, Paranoia Agent, you probably already expect the mind melting that you will be in for. And the central subject of this film is dreams, so there’s no holds barred. It is quite a trip. And yes, that’s Megumi Hayashibara voicing the lead female. Gets to do both a serious and low emotion voice & the more familiar in one role. I’m not including any images, just do a search on Paprika and you’ll get tons of hits with images & trailers.