Join sisters NinJaSistah and Pandalicious and the rest of the ESH Crew each day as they discuss video games, tech gadgets, anime, manga... pretty much everything within the geek chic lifestyle.
From Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and PC game reviews, previews, news, and gushings to audience questions and rumor mill seeding galore you'll find it here at ESH!
Media Blasters recently announced it has licensed the ecchi-comedy Kanokon. Does a show like this merit any sort of attention?
Based on the light novel series by Katsumi Nishino, Kanokon revolves around Kouta, a first-year high school student who moves from the countryside to the city. On his first day at his new school, a beautiful second-year female student named Chizuru asks him to meet her alone in the music room. When he arrives, she tells him that she is in love with him and, after some heavy kissing, accidentally reveals to him that she is in fact a fox deity. From that day on Chizuru constantly hangs on Kouta, which embarrasses him greatly due to others watching and calling him the Great Erotic King. Meanwhile, a wolf deity named Nozomu transfers into Kouta’s school and class. Since meeting him, she is all over Kouta, causing Chizuru to become annoyed at her new competition for Kouta’s affection. Who’s going to be the one for Kouta, and will he be able to handle her?
Now this is another show where most of the humor is derived from the fan-service. There is a lot of quirky, perverted silliness, some of which use some great double entendres. Some things made me laugh so hard that I almost fell out of my seat. However one of the biggest issues I have with the show is the fact that it throws away one of its main premises in favor of more perverted humor. I was led to believe that there would be more dealings with the animal deities, but instead we get a cooking episode by #3. This is what happened with Rosario + Vampire, and that didn’t fare out so well. I am also surprised with some of the stuff that made it onto Japanese TV, especially the bare-assed spanking scene at the end of the third episode. Of course it’s not all bad.
I'm on the fence on what to give this series as a grade. It's truly a guilty pleasure of mine, but at the same time there are far better series out there that you could use your free moments to watch. Having said that, I'll go with my gut instinct and give this series a light B-average. However, don't watch this with your family in your premises. Don't watch it with your lover. Don't watch it with your friends (unless you can make a good drinking game out of it). Just watch it alone, and never speak of it in front of anybody. Hell, admitting that I enjoyed it makes me feel like I'm putting myself at risk of damaging my reputation.
Pandalicious and NinJaSistah welcome guest host PyroGirl to the show to chat about the anime and manga series Shugo Charawhich former host MagicMysticGrl talk about back in the day. NinJa pretty much just adds the color commentary [sometimes with a really bad "valley" impression] as both Pandalicious and PyroGirl try to impart the seriousness that is Shugo Chara. By seriousness I mean heart of people birthing eggs housing their inner selves... cute, little, chibi selves.
Shugo Chara is a hard series for me to explain so we'll just impart a quick run down: Cat-Boy not-so-bad-baddie, hints of pedophilia, magical girl syndrome, and girls that turn out to be boys. Oh yeah, probably has some incest in there as well, but the anime series is 102 episodes deep keeping Chara from being some fly-by-night series. Need more convincing to listen to the episode? Here are some of the titles we didn't use
All these 80's Movies are Turning Her Into ValleySistah
Ferrets Steal Shiny Things Like Magpies (But Magpies Aren't Shiny)
For Most Eggs, Their Dreams Ends At KFC
I Thought Keybearers Liked Small Locks
and finally
It's a Good They Didn't Mention the Incest Until Last
Satire is one of anime's so-so friends. Sometimes they work well with one another, whereas other times it just plain sucks. Fortunately for Setokai No Ichizon, satire is its best buddy.
Don't let the opening fool you. This is probably one of the more underrated shows of 2009. Setokai no Ichizon follows the daily routines of the student council members of Hekiyou Academy. Most of the council members are women, with the exception of Ken; who became a member after scoring the top scores in his level. The other members -- Kurimu (the very short Council President), Chizuru (the sadistic Secretary), Minatsu (the tomboyish Vice-President) and Mafuyu (the bishojou Treasurer) -- taunt him for his antics, but at the end of each show Ken shows them their faults, turning everything around them. One unique thing about this anime is that -- for the most part -- every episode takes place in one scene: the Student Council Room. Granted there are some cut-scenes here and there that take them out of the room for a few seconds, but just about everything happens in this one small room. It even shocks the cast members, who in the first couple minutes of the first episode say that animating a series like Setokai no Ichizon would be impossible and boring.
Fortunately, it's anything but.
Setokai no Ichizon is ripe with humor, and on top of that knows how to make fun of itself and just about every other anime that's come out in the last three years. Ken dreams of the other members becoming part of his harem, but instead is slapped in the face with denial (both literally and metaphorically). A swimsuit episode appears, and instead of focusing on the stereotypical fan-service one seems to see in anime the episode hilariously just shows Ken trying to get out of a locker the girls put him in (for obvious reasons). My favorite episode, though, has to be the fourth one, where the council members try to work on a fiction story to improve their image. The ideas range from light-novels to video games; but the best comes in the form of Kurimu starting a rock band. The jokes come fast-paced in this one scene, ranging from the idea of selling character albums for fast cash to just cleverly saying "FUCK YOU!" to Kyoto Animation. (Ken losing it over the lack of dynamic concert performances hit right at home for me, as that was what I thought made K-On! a shit storm of an anime.)
Of course the show does at time flub up a good opportunity to make fun of other forms of stereotypical anime. It tries to parody the concept of moé, but instead just adds fuel to that over-burning fire. Episode 8 pokes at "loli," and while the "playing doctor" and "house" gags are a riot the underlining theme and concept of it all was kind of unsettling. Despite these two flaws, though, a lot of the humor works well; and when it gets to its serious side (with a sort of "what we learned today" vibe) each episode wraps itself up with something any anime fan can enjoy.
Setokai no Ichizon earns itself a B+. It's a funny show that jabs at the obvious flaws of the current anime world, while at the same time pokes at itself for falling victim to said flaws.
When it comes to comedy, Japan knows its stuff. The past decade has brought us many great anime series that have made people laugh their asses off, and choosing a top ten is a no mere task. Nevertheless, I have listed ten anime comedies that have definitely earned a place in our funny bones.
10. Love Hina
This was the show that got me hooked into anime comedies. The story of Keitaro's quest to get into Tokyo University while searching for the girl he made a love promise to many a year ago was something almost any struggling high schooler/community college student could relate to. Add on the fact that Keitaro had to take care of his grandmother's apartment complex -- which contains nothing but girls -- and you get what could've been another harem comedy. Surprisingly the series always managed to make me laugh. Perhaps it was the anime chemistry between Keitaro and Naru (who may or may not be the girl he made the promise to); or perhaps it was the strange and wacky Kaolla Su, the exchange student who was like Cowboy Bebop's Ed on crack. Granted the show did lose its luster with both the Spring Special and Love Hina Again, but the first 24 episodes (and the Christmas Special) were filled with heavy laughs and lots of heart.
9. Kamen No Maid Guy
I always use this show as a sort of gateway anime for my buddies, and for good reason: It's maniacally funny! When Naeka is the lone heir to her grandfather's fortunes, she is put in danger of those who want it. So the grandfather hires Kogarashi: The Maid Guy. A transvestite superhero? Well, yes, but think of what it'd look like to see Jason Statham in a dress. It's hilarious, but you know he'll kick your ass if you snicker. Some may complain about the massive fan-service in the show (and there is a lot), but almost all of it is tied to another big laugh that's just around the corner. For example: when Saki sets up cameras in Naeka's bathroom to spy on her, Maid Guy casts one of his frozen powers on her and fixes the camera feed on the old fish salesman flossing his ass with his towel. You'll cringe with Saki, but at the same time it'll make you roll around the floor laughing your head off. Also when the female maid Fubki comes in to put Maid Guy in his place you can always bet that the end result will be hilarious.
8. Detroit Metal City
Released to coincide with the movie of the same name, Detroit Metal City followed Negishi, a pop singer who is forced to front a death metal band (under the alias of Krauser II). This follows with crazy antics involving an impromptu street performance that ends with Negishi accidentally smashing his guitar in the face of one police officer, Krauser's first movie role, the love of his life reviewing a DMC show (which ends with Krauser flipping her skirt up and calling her a "pig slut" to loud applause) and other things that can't really be named here. (Wait till you see what happens to Negishi's apartment.) The whole parody of metal bands has been done in both This is Spinal Tap and Metalocalypse, but the concept of taking a Mushroomhead-like band and putting a pop-loving vocalist in the forefront of it is a great example of ironic comedy. And with only each episode lasting about 12 minutes there was no room for Detroit Metal City to lose its blood-curdling steam.
7. Azumanga Daioh!
This comedy surrounding a group of stereotypical students didn't have a whole lot of story to it. In fact you can almost compare its plotline to that of Seinfeld: a show about high school students doing nothing. However what we got out of it was pure comedic dialogue. From Tomo's reasons for being an energetic slacker to spacey Osaka's day-dreaming escapades involving Chiyo-chan's hair, the mindset of these seemingly normal (but not really) high school students was not just funny but also imaginative. Not to mention it showed these students growing up in a world too small for them. What also made the show great were the teachers. The bantering between Yukari and Minamo always led itself down the path of drunken silliness, and the creepy teacher Kimura was more hilarious than what is legally allowed. It even succeeds in the fact that, while a Japanese high school comedy, it also has many things that regular high school students can relate to, from the struggles of getting back into school mode after vacation to the stress of preparing for college. And it's all done with a hearty laugh and a wink.
6. Nodame Cantabile
This classical music-based comedy followed the silly antics of Nodame the talented pianist and Chiaki the wannabe conductor. Like The Odd Couple, Chiaki's clean lifestyle was always fucked when Nodame's pigsty of a personality was in the same room as him. Nodame had a lot of heart to overcome her silliness, but at the same time that heart was almost instantly smothered by Chiaki's common sense. And there was that "Gyabo!" that Nodame would shout when things don't go as planned, which always brought a smile to my face. It also made it funny when they would use the works of classical performers to emphasize the comedic elements in the show (though not as criminally insane as when Ren & Stimpy did it). On top of that Nodame Cantabile had a great set of supporting characters, including the perverted conductor Stresemann and the openly-gay Masumi, who once dressed in a ballroom gown for one of the Rising Star Orchestra performances. Plus you would learn about classical music when watching, making it something of an educational aspect for the show. But what made it great was the comedic chemistry between Chiaki and Nodame. They were too different for one another, but you knew they would wind up together somehow. Seeing it happen is both sweet and comic gold. (I also recommend the live-action version, which is at times superior to the anime.)
5. Gintama
Just over 200 episodes have been made since Gintama first premiered in 2006, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Unlike some shows that refuse to die (I'm looking at you, Naruto!) this weekly program continues to bring viewers in thanks in part to its down-to-earth characters, clever plot lines, hilarious parodies and quotable one-liners. Set in a futuristic Edo Period (where samurai warriors watch TV and eat fast food) the series follows three numbskulls who must do various jobs in order to pay their rent; whether it may be saving the universe or walking an old lady down the street. Gintoki always manages to keep the spotlight to himself, even when his costars Shinpachi and Kagura try to steal it. Gintama is the type of anime comedy where watching one episode at a time just doesn't cut it. Watch five in a row, and see how many pounds you lose just from laughing.
4. Ouran High School Host Club
There are not a lot of romantic comedies out there that play out to both genders, and still manage to entertain them equally. Ouran High School Host Club is one such romantic comedy. A reverse harem if there ever was one, Ouran focuses on a host club in a rich high school, where new student Haruhi accidentally breaks the club's prized vase. In order to pay them back, Haruhi must work for the Host Club and bring forth a thousand customers. When the rest of the club members find out that Haruhi's a girl, that's when the strong romantic comedy element appears. Tamaki may be the king of the club, but it's the jesters Hikaru & Kaoru Hitachiin that bring some of the biggest comedic moments to the show. From their school pranks to the classic fight in Episode Five these two manage to create huge laughs that anyone will love. And of course there is Honey-sempai, the small twelfth-grader whose cute shell hides a master of martial arts. Ouran High School Host Club has enough lovey-dovey stuff for the girls, and a ton of comedy to keep the guys entertained without having to look at their watch.
3. My Bride Is a Mermaid
Known in Japan as Seto no Hanayome this anime about a junior high school student who must marry the daughter of a mermaid yakuza leader knew how to bring the funny. From Sun's crazy father and Masa-san to Lunar's Terminator-based dad and the jealous students that always beat the shit out of Nagasumi whenever another girl appears to be swooned by him, My Bride is a Mermaid was one series that got funnier as it progressed (rather than lose its steam halfway through). I especially love the side character Saru, who comes in either to be perverted or to give a hilariously epic speech when times are rough for Nagasumi. What makes this anime great is its timing. The jokes and visual gags flow perfectly, and when they inter-loop one another they mend together in slick harmony. You'll laugh until you cry, and then yearn for more series like this. Yes, it does steal some of its laws of the mermaids from the Ron Howard film Splash. Who cares? In my opinion this is the type of mermaid comedy Mr. Howard would've loved to have made rather than that film.
2. School Rumble
Give props to a comedy series that not only manages to be funny throughout the first season, and then find a way to be even funnier in the second. The twisted love triangle of Tenma, Harima and Karasuma never fails to entertain. From in-class tests to trips to the woods, there was no scenario that couldn't be done in a hilarious fashion. Even the disturbingly violent third episode of Season Two had a great punchline in the end that made all the violence laughable. Plus it managed to do someone many anime series couldn't do: be better than their original manga source. Now that takes a lot of great writing talent to pull off! Props also must be given to FUNimation, who not only licensed both seasons but also made an English dub that was funnier than the Japanese one. School Rumble had it all: great characters, a perfectly-match cast, huge laughs and plenty of plot to keep viewers watching.
1. Hayate the Combat Butler
No other series made me crave more like it than Hayate the Combat Butler. The story of the debt-ridden butler who must serve Lady Nagi was practically BBC-worthy. Viewers couldn't go more than twenty seconds without struggling to keep their head on while laughing. Not only did Hayate and Nagi bring the laughs, but so did every other character (even Random Man #27 Who Stands In Corner). Out of every character, though, it was the Narrator that brought the most personality; and even though you couldn't see him, you could read his facial expressions through his sarcastic wit and fourth-wall smashing commentary. Hayate and the others even get into huge fights with The Man In The Sky (no relation to the one mentioned in The Invention of Lying), leading towards the anime's biggest and most clever laughs. I was sad to see the show end last year, and hope that they renew it for a third season. It had something for everyone, otaku or not, and not a single episode of Hayate the Combat Butler failed to bring the funny. The funniest anime of that decade, and one of the best-written cartoon comedies of any time.
2009 will never be known as a good year in anime. Instead it'll be seen as the year the anime world went down the toilet. Here are five series that prove my point.
5. Zan Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei
The first two seasons of Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei were some of my guilty pleasures, with its hilarious dialogue, insane characters and clever plays-on-words. Unfortunately they quickly ran out of ideas by the time they got to Season Three. The jokes were weak, and the background humor went by so fast that it was nearly impossible to catch them. Granted a quick chuckle would come along in each episode, but it's not enough to save what was once a hugely funny program. I would say to not expect a Season Four, but with the way 2009 was with crappy anime there's no way to know for sure. (I will admit, though, that it has one of the best opening theme songs of the year. It at least has that going for them.)
4. K-On!
Imagine you're a really big fan of music-based anime (i.e.: Beck, Nerima Daikon Brothers), and you heard that Kyoto Animation -- the studio responsible for some of the best series of the past decade -- would be making a show about an all-girl rock band. You'd be pretty excited, right? Well...that excitement turned to huge disappointment with K-On!, a series that instead of showcasing -- as Brandon Flowers put it -- glamorous indie rock 'n' roll went on to focus on the music club members eating sweets and trying to act all cute for the loli-moé crowd. Setokai no Ichizon put it best in one of their early episodes: why focus on the dynamics of a rock band when you can just have cute girls doing cute things in order to sell a shitload of character albums and crappy merchandise. Thanks, but no thanks, and I sure as hell won't be tuning in to the just-announced second season.
3. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Season Two
Haruhists had a long wait ahead of them for new episodes (three years, to be exact), and what was their patience rewarded with? Eight episodes of the same fucking thing over and over and over again! The infamous "Endless Eight" arc practically killed the entire Haruhi Suzumiya franchise. Fans hated it, critics hated it, the original Haruhi director who was fired from Kyoto Animation hated it, and even Haruhi's voice actress Aya Hirano went so far as to apologize to her entire fanbase for putting up with it all. Rumor is Bandai Entertainment will be releasing it sometime in 2010, but I bet they had to do it in order to get their hands on the upcoming movie The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (which if it fails to succeed will put to end to Haruhi Suzumiya).
2. Queen's Blade
One of the most sexist cartoons to ever be made. Scantly-clad women fight one another to the death (or until one of them pisses themselves so the whole world can see). Take out all the "fan-service" (if that's what it really is), and they would've had something of a decent plot on their hands. Alas that was not the case, and both seasons (which I still can't figure out how or why it survived the first) pushed the Women's Rights Movement back another 100 years. (Yep, Queen's Blade took away women's suffrage. It's their fault.) How the series managed to score such big voice actresses as Rie Tanaka, Aya Hirano, and Yuko Goto baffles my brain. (Perhaps the paycheck was too big to refuse). It's vulgar, disgusting and will offend any woman who watches it (even more so than the Ikki Tousen saga).
1. Akikan!
The first anime I reviewed in 2009, and the worst show I have ever seen! Soda cans that transform into magical girls?! Is that the best the writers can come up with?! The characters were annoying as fuck, the pathetic male lead was so perverted that the word "sympathy" never crossed my mind, and the fan-service in the show made series like Rosario + Vampire and Ikki Tousen look like Matthew Barney's The Cremaster Cycle (Google it). Not to mention the semi-villain Hidehiko, who always tries to put the moves on the main male lead. It would've made Sacha Baron Cohen's Brüno cry foul, and the GLBT community rally up to beat the shit out of the creator of this atrocity. It was a sign of things to come in the anime world of 2009: a sign to expect the worst shows to come out of Japan since the invention of loli-con!
2009 has not been a good year for anime comedies, with almost every show practically laugh-less and too moe for its own good. Can "Nyan Koi!" manage to escape from that sort of fate?
Based on the manga by Sato Fujiwara "Nyan Koi!" follows Junpei Kōsaka, a high school student that not only despises cats, but is also allergic to them. One day Junpei kicks a can, which accidentally breaks a statue of a cat deity. As soon as this happens he gains the ability to hear and understand every cat he comes across. (Think the feline equivalent of "What Women Want.") Junpei then finds out that if he doesn't complete one-hundred good deeds for cats, then he himself would be turned into a cat. To avoid being allergic to himself, Junpei concedes and begins to complete the one-hundred tasks. Can he manage this without anyone knowing, including his crush Kaede?
After watching the first six episodes I can honestly say that "Nyan Koi!" is a joy to watch. The premise, at first, sounded too clichéd and overdone. However those ideas were put to rest by the end of the first episode. The cats, especially Tama the calico cat, are not just there to be adorable; they are there to add commentary about the humans around them. They are funny, but also a bit philosophical when they compare the lives of people to felines. Plus the Junpei/Kaede love plot is not beaten like a dead horse. How they seem to grow close to one another, and then pulled apart quickly due to feline stupidity, is quite hilarious. And yes, expect a sort of love pentagon(?) between Junpei and just about every girl he comes across, but knowing that he just wants to be with Kaede crushes any chance (thankfully) of another harem anime. In short, "Nyan Koi!" is a show that not only lets you have your cheeseburger, but your fries and shake with it.
"Nyan Koi!" gets an A. It has just about everything cat lovers can want for an anime comedy, and it also has a lot that other people can enjoy too. And this is from someone that's more of a dog person...
Instead of focusing on a recent anime that’s on Japanese TV, I figured we can look at an anime series that’s been out in America for some time. Today, we’ll focus on the comedy series “School Rumble.”
The show follows two main characters: Tenma and Haruma. Haruma is first seen as the school bully, but in reality he’s a nice guy with a crush on Tenma. Unfortunately Tenma has the hots for another guy, but Haruma doesn’t know that. The two try their best to confess their love to their darlings, but it always becomes a hilarious situation of EPIC FAIL. Will Haruma be able to tell Tenma he loves her? Will Tenma’s thick skull be able to find the hidden signals that Haruma has been sending her, or will she forever be an idiot in love with a disinterested guy?
“School Rumble” follows a very good formula that makes a great comedy series. The antics between the two main characters are fall-off-your-chair hilarious, as well are the secondary characters. There’s never a repeated joke, which is rare in comedies both in Japan, America and even in Britain. The show’s animation is bright and vivid; and though not the best in the world it fits the lightheartedness of the program. I can’t compare the dub voice to the original Japanese voice because I never watched it in Japanese, but the American voice actors seemed to do their homework when it came time to recording. No one is miscast and they sound as if they’re having fun with voicing the characters.
I give the English dub version of “School Rumble” a solid A. This is a fun and wacky comedy that anyone can enjoy. It is available through FUNimation, and you can even stream all the episodes for free on their website and on YouTube.
A new Monday morning brings with it a fresh episode of the ElectricSistaHood podcast, are you not entertained? Well, after catching this episode filled with cutting room floor goodness you will be.
In this episode of our weekly podcast, NinJaSistah introduces three segments of content we had to cut from previous episodes that have yet to air on a final episode of our podcast... until now that is. First up are some of the things we cut from our original airing of our holiday gift guide, including the RoboTech Saga anime series, iPod Touch, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 titles.
The next segment kinda keeps the holiday theme going by talking about how much both Pandalicious and NinJaSistah hate Christmas gifts/holiday decorations appearing commercially before Halloween has even happened. In the final segment of the podcast, we give you some of the anime stuff that NinJaSistah has talked about recently, but hasn't made it to your eardrums like Kiba and Maria Watches Over Us.
From the people who brought us “Evangelion,” “FLCL,” and “This Ugly Yet beautiful World” bring us the series “Shikabane Hime: Aka,” or “Corpse Princess: Aka.”
The story follows Makina Hoshimura -- an undead girl who has made a deal to kill 108 zombies in order to get into Heaven -- and Ouri Kagami, a boy who helps out at an orphanage and has a talking ghost cat. They meet one night when Ouri sees Makina, appearing dead inside the orphanage’s temple. She is brought to life by Tagami, Ouri’s adopted brother, and disappears from the temple. On the day he is set to move out a fake-vampire who is really a zombie appears, hypnotizing women and drinking their blood. Makina goes after this fake-vampire, and almost loses. Again, she runs into Oori, who finds out he can help Makina regain her strength just by hugging her. With that, Makina goes back and kills the fake-vampires and zombies that stands in her way of getting into Heaven.
GAINAX is known for doing anime that is the least-bit predictable, and “Shikabane Hime: Aka” is definitely no exception. The show is heavy on the action side, but tilts towards comic relief when appropriate. Plus the characters are sharp and witty, and there is plenty of blood-filled scenes for even classic Grindhouse fans to devour up. Plus, knowing GAINAX, we should be in for some good, trippy fun when it comes to action. I've almost completed the entire series, and so far it hasn't failed to entertain; and with the series (counting the second season) only having twenty-six episodes you can bet that there will be no room for mindless filler.
"Shikabane Hime: Aka" gets an A-. Funimation Entertainment is currently streaming subtitled episodes of the series on YouTube and their website, so check it out online whenever you’ve got a chance.
Shoppamas is upon is folks, as in-escapable as new podcast episode Monday here in the land of ESH.
In this episode of the podcast NinjaSistah and Pandalicious are joined by Xenocore to share with you some of our best of picks of what to gift the Geek/Gamer/Anime Fan in your life. Pandalicious kicks off the hour talking both games and gadgets including Skullcandy headphones and earbuds for both audiophiles and gamers on the go. Then Panda shares her pick for family fun sharing-time goodness, Lego RockBand, and for the competitive gamer Demon Souls on the PS3 and Modern Warfare 2 which is multiplatform. Her section of the show ends with Activisions' DJ Hero
Wanna know what goes into making a manga? "Doujin Work" might be a good start to do your research on.
Based off of the four-panel comic, “Doujin Work” follows Najimi, a girl who is introduced to the world of doujinshi, or fan-made comic books, by her friend Tsuyuri. After making her first manga she runs into her childhood friend Justice; who, along with his young friend Sora, make a killing at selling their comics at popular conventions. Seeing this, along with grabbing inspiration from Junichirō (a guy Najimi first met at an adult video game store and who winds up being Najimi’s first purchaser), Najimi goes to great lengths to becoming a great manga artist.
To completely understand this series, one must know how hard it is to creating a comic from scratch, which is like creating a short story from nothing; only there’s a lot more drawing involved with it. It is so hard to draw that by the time Najimi makes her fist comic she can only draw a character from one specific angle. There’s a lot of technical humor in it (such as complimenting on the paper quality when the rest of the work sucks), which could go over the heads of some non-anime watchers or comic book writers.
Each episode is only 11 minutes long, which means that sometimes it goes by too quickly to fix conflicts correctly. For the most part, though, the 11-minute time frame is quite the right size to fit this quirky-humored storyline. One of the funnier episodes involves Najimi working at a Maid Café, and how she always breaks her cutesy character thanks in part to her friends that always come by there. There’s a lot of dirty humor underlined in the story, but it’s done quite cleverly.
The show gets a B+ in my review. A lot of good humor and funny characters, but it might go over the heads of some people. It's currently available in America thanks to Media Blasters.
Before it became an anime, Eiichi Ikegami wrote a light novel called Shangri-la
No offense to Range Murata, who designed the characters for the anime, but the illustrations for the 2004 Shangri-la light novel came from Kenichi Yoshida, who creates much more mature looking characters than the anime does. Whether Yoshida's writing was better than the ill-paced anime adaptation cannot be, unless you are lucky enough to speak Japanese and buy a copy of the book. Shangri-la was also printed in issues of Newtype Magazine from '04 to '05. Damn you lucky people who read it!
You can see the entire Shangri-la anime on places like Crunchyroll and take a look at some of the novel's illustrations in the rest of the article you're reading right now. Judge for yourself: which would you rather have to entertain you?
Back in the days of Laserdisc an OVA called “Birdy the Mighty” was released to critical acclaim in Japan, and was able to retain an underground fanbase in America. Almost 15 years later a TV show called “Birdy the Mighty: Decode” was broadcasted, which follows a similar story to the Original Video Animation.
"Decode" follows a Federation investigator named Birdy, who has chased a space criminal named Geega through space to Earth. A male student, Senkawa, stumbles upon a fight between the two one night in an abandoned building, only to be severed in half as he is used as a shield by Geega against Birdy. In order to save him Birdy links Senkawa’s soul to her body, so that the two may live in different forms; but in the same shell. Together the two balance a normal life with that of a warrior trying to save the universe.
The show delivers with great action sequences with a well-toned plot that involves Senkawa’s friends, especially the love of his life. Not only does it show off wonderful visuals, but also its story flows with little to no confusion. Now granted there are some elements here and there that could’ve been reworked, and Birdy’s home planet of Altiar might’ve been a lot better if they didn’t make it look like a “Star Wars” knock-off. The villain is also a bit underwhelming, but his intentions are the complete opposite. Though it may not be that intense of an action show, it’s still fun to watch.
“Birdy the Mighty: Decode” earns a B+. It’s a welcoming change of sorts to the drivel that I had to put up with this past year, but I have yet to watch the second season to see if it was able to retain its charm. Look for it in America sometime around 2010, when FUNimation releases it in stores everywhere anime is sold
Maybe you're not aware of the latest anime coming to Japan (and to your your computer screen). Don't worry, we've got you covered!
Fairy Tail is one of the more interesting shounen anime coming out this fall. The premise is that Nancy meets Natsu, member of the mage guild Fairy Tail. Nancy would like to become a mage as well.
Fairy Tail catches you visually first, because it seems to be a mixture between One Piece and Naruto. Fairy Tail has not premiered yet, so all there is to go by is the media that have been released so far, including artwork and a trailer.
Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's main protagonist, is pretty buff, which makes him look more like Goku from Dragonball Z than the lanky rubber man, Monkey D. Luffy.
Lucy Heartfilla (I'm not making these names up) is most likely the romantic interest/pain-in-the-butt for Natsu to play off of. Judging from her uh, character design, expect Lucy to be the butt of many a boob joke. Also, expect Lucy to be incredibly sunny and cheerful.Happy is a cat. He has wings!
Makarov is probably just what he looks like: a wise old mage with wisdom to impart. He's probably a perv too. ;)
Ezra looks like an antagonist. In every picture of her she's scowling, so if she's on the side of the heroes, she must be pretty pissed off at something. Maybe Natsu turns her off.
Gray looks to be the "eternal rival" type of guy, constantly trying to prove that he's a better mage than Natsu. He'es a total opposite of Natsu; his hair and clothes are dark, in contrast to Natsu's crazy pink hair and brighter style of dress; an easy way to contrast the two young mages. Gray uses electrical magic.
Put them all together and you have Fairy Tail! Crunchyroll (who seems to be picking up every show under the sun) has picked up Fairy Tail for internet broadcast, so if you want to see what Fairy Tail is about for yourself, you will have to not only sign up for Crunchyroll, but you will also have to become a paying member. That is a major bummer for the cash-strapped. Hopefully, Fairy Tail will make it to DVD on other shores.
As you might be able to tell from the title of this week's show: "The Crazy One With All the Random Things We Ever Said," it's yet another clip show, but chock full of extra special features that you're going to enjoy. In fact, if you want to get a friend interested in the adventures of the Sistahs, this is the perfect episode for them.
In addition to NinjaSistah and Pandalicious, this episode features lots of appearances by MagicMysticGrl, and even goes into detail about the odd appearances and disappearances by her. In addition, you'll hear a couple of other of the Sistah's favorites: King Baby Duck of the Boston Bastard Brigade and Alphabox of Dead Pixel Live.
We thought that we had seen it all in Hayao Miyuzaki's film "Howl's Moving Castle", well we were WRONG. I personally take responsibility for my own stupidity in this matter. Once again Studio Ghibli along with their friends over at Walt Disney Pictures have come together to bring Hayao Miyuzaki's "Ponyo" to life!
Now since I seem to be in a spoiler kind of mood [Once again I apologize for that!] I will do my very best to not do it now.
When I think of Hayao Miyuzaki films, the first word that enters my mind is Love. He loves love....and frankly who can blame the man?! It is always a focal point in his captivating visual masterpieces. In honesty, I think this is done because everyone can relate to love. We have all experienced the positives and the negatives that can come from it! [I know I have!] He likes to play around with the concept of balance too. Nature and its way have to stay in sync or the world will revert to chaos.
Many have found that this movie is one of his oddest in his career. This is because he took his setting and put it underwater! This story has to do with the ocean and the lives beneath the waves. Miyuzaki tends to do a lot of stories that have the element of air in them. As an element, Air is seen as a pure substance and a universal power. Water on the other hand has been very important to life and it is time we gave it the respect it deserves.
With a voice cast including the acclaimed talents of people like: Cate Blanchett, Lily Tomlin, Liam Neeson, Cloris Leachmen, Betty White, Tina Fey and Matt Damon, who would doubt this movie's success! Now what about the newcomers to this facet of entertainment? Well the two chosen for the lead roles are in fact not new to fame...their last names are drenched in it...Cyrus and Jonas. Now I know what you are thinking, and you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that it isn't Miley or any of the older Jonas brothers. The leads are the younger siblings of the teeny bopper music sensation [Note: Pandalicious got immediately ill after typing those words.] So going into this movie without the knowledge of cast selection, one would never know of the Cyrus/Jonas collaboration...that is until the ending song which is a techno-bastardization done by them. However at that stage of the movie you have the magical ability to get up out of the chair...and LEAVE [I recommend you do that! since it is truly the worst point of the film!]
Ponyo will be added to my collection of Hayao Miyuzaki films once it is released on DVD. I know it will be a while before we see his influence again on the big screen but this story will hold my imagination for quite sometime.As an aside to all your families out there with young children, this is definitely a movie for young people. In fact this just might be the kind of movie you would hope who inspire your up and coming daughters and sons. When I enter into that stage of my life, by which I mean marriage and children, I will definitely be showing this movie to my offspring. Go check this out-- you will not be disappointed...maybe a little disoriented...but not disappointed.
Oh yeah! It's the beginning of the week, so you know we have to hit you with a new episode of the podcast right?
In this episode of the podcast, Pandalicious kicks the show off with what she took away from the new Tarantino flick "Inglourious Basterds," followed by some open conversation about the Rock Band support for the Lips wireless microphones as well as the new PS3 slim. Then we back the conversation up to games and NinJa jumps in with quick reactions to both Live Arcade titles Trials HD and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled.
To give you an idea of what this episode is like, here are some of the titles we didn't use:
It's Not a Spoiler Alert If You Spoil It Before the Alert
It's Got T.I.T. Right In the Middle
Canada Isn't a Religion
Don't Waste Your Microsoft Points -- You're Going to Need Them
The PS3 Slim Is No McLovin
and finally,
The Only Girls On the Internet Asking for Stalkers
The Anime Network is going to get very lazy starting at midnight on Sunday- and they want you to take advantage! As soon as August 10th comes, you'll get a taste of ADV's pay service for absolutely nada.
So mark the date, because it's time for you to gorge yourself on as much anime as you can stand. When you do, I suggest that you start with Cromartie High School. ;)
The Ninja girl came down with an abominable case of laryngitis that she just could not shake, so it was left to Pandalicious and Evermore to put together a great show. Would they be able to pull it off? What kind of show would they produce? First of all, of course they would pull it off, they are awesome and "B" it would almost have to be a clip show ya silly.
It's a cutting room floor show ladies and gents, featuring all previously un-aired ESH bits like an audience question from Jerel Smith, some Portal and Portal 2 talk from Episode 107 and even Ultimate Quest podcast host Xenocore's top 5 anime series to learn by. There is a bunch of fun tid-bits, extra tangents, and as always cursing and laughter.
This week's Anime Calamity focuses on the comedy "K-On!"
“K-On!” follows Yui, a clumsy student who just started high school. She is out looking for a club to join, but so far nothing seems to be of interest to her. Meanwhile two friends named Mio and Ritsu decide to join the light music club; but sadly they are the only members in it. If they don’t get two more people to join, then the club will be abolished. Enter Tsumugi, who stumbles into the club looking for choir practice. After hearing Mio & Ritsu’s problem she joins the club as a keyboardist. With only one member needed, the three decide to post around the school for the missing link. Yui discovers the posting, and goes to check the club out. After much begging from the other club members, and seeing how fun it is to be in a rock band, Yui decides to become the final piece in the music club’s puzzle; but will the four be able to rock out, or will their dreams become dust in the wind?
What started out as a show with loads of promise turned into yet another lame-ass excuse for moé-laden shenanigans. There is no character development remotely recognizable, and when it came to showing the girls playing the instruments the animators took the easy way out and either cut to random shots around the campus or just skipped the scene entirely. Those who watch the first episode were given hope that the girls would make a good hard-rocking band, due in part to their references to Hendrix and Jimmy Page. Instead, we’re “treated” to songs that even the Jonas Brothers would wipe their asses with. (Believe me: it’s that bad.) And this is from Kyoto Animation: the geniuses behind “Lucky Star” and “Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu.” How they can go from doing grade-A anime to a show that makes Joe Cartoon look like Miyazaki is baffling. The plot is weak, and the writing is bad. (I recently read a reply on Anime News Network that said the reason why “K-On!” was this bad was because it was bases on a 4koma [a four-panel comic]. This person obviously didn’t watch the brilliant “Azumanga Daioh!” or “Hetalia.”) I’ve been waiting for another great music-based anime since “BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad” went off the air, and this is what I’m treated with?! No thanks.
“K-On!” receives a D-. It started out as a great concept, but it quickly turned into a show that catered to the ignorant. If you want to see a music series done right, watch “BECK,” and pray to God that they make a second series of that soon.
I'm always up for a good anime. When the Halo Legends anime trailer was shown at this years Comic Con, that immediately got a spot at the top of "To Watch" list. It's a shame it won't be out until next year.
The creative director overseeing the production is Shinji Aramaki, director of Appleseed and Appleseed Ex Machina, both of which are awesome. I hope Aramaki can keep up the good work with Halo Legends.
No joking here folks, the heavens themselves moved in order to get Milk-chan from Ultimate Quest on this week's new podcast episode.
Once more, the ladies run this thang and it's funny as hell.
Pandalicious kicks the show off with her impressions of the XBLive community game 1 vs. 100 game and then Milk and NinJa chime in with some comic-con stuff which leads us down the path to COSplay. In case you didn't know, all roads lead to COSplay... and Zelda. Milk chairs the topic of Twilight Princess and adds the fun of Majora's Mask multiplayer.
We let the COSplay get the best of us, but NinJaSistah ends the tangent line by bringing it back to gaming and talking a bit about the upcoming NXE updates due to hit the Xbox dashboard this August, including the upcoming Avatar Marketplace and Netflix Parties. This podcast is chock full of awesome folks, so sit back and enjoy it!
When they say that it's tough to keep all your balls in the air, the Sistahs know that situation all too well. And it's very evident in this week's podcast.
Besides an overdose of references to balls, the Sistahs perform a first this week -- their first review of an iPhone/iPod Touch game: Rolondo II. In addition, Pandalicious talks about trying to boost her abilities in Gears of War II, as well as trying to really understand the anime Red Garden.
As always, there were more proposed titles than they could ever use. Here are this week's rejections:
The Double Entendres Have Double Entendres
You Spread Things Open, You Flick Them and You've Got Balls
You're Gonna Want to Play With These Balls
Ngmoco? Ngplease!
C'mon Plot, It's Time to Move
It's Like Zombies in the City
You Can't Use the Analogy Unless You've Really Been Kicked in the Face
This Episode Is the Balls
We usually tell you to sit back, relax and enjoy the show, but you're going to be doubled-up in laughter as the Sistahs present podcast episode 155: I Said Cog Already! Cog!
This week's Anime Calamity looks at last year's series "Sekirei."
Minato has failed his college exams…twice. He has no real talents, is unemployed, and feels extremely awkward around women. However, Minato is extremely intelligent, but for some reason is never given a break due to constant pressure. One day, a woman named Musubi falls from the sky, literally on top of Minato. She soon learns that Minato is what is called an “Ashikabi,” a human with special genes that allow them to partner up with people called “Sekirei.” The Sekirei are either extremely cute girls or very androgynous men who must fight one another in a battle known as the Sekirei Plan; with Tokyo being the battleground. Musubi becomes Minato’s Sekirei, but the real trouble comes when it’s revealed that Musubi can have more than one Sekirei.
Is this yet another men’s fantasy turned nightmare? Yes it is. The animation is well-done, and the story is somewhat original. However, these anime series where the one nerd gets all the hot ladies has grown tiresome. Sure it gives hope to people watching that such sweet girls exist, but it doesn’t help when there are already ten series out there like this currently on TV. And why do all the girls have to be so well-endowed? Can’t they learn from the likes of “Special A,” “NANA” and other series that beautiful women don’t need to have giant bean bags chairs on their chests? Also, wouldn’t they hinder the fighting skills of the women? I mean, bigger makes it heavier. Stop messing with Isaac Newton’s theories! But anyways, speaking of the fighting sequences, they are really cool; but after seeing the more creative paths taken with “Soul Eater” and “Witchblade” it pales in comparison. The characters are fun to view, and the chemistry between them is what really keeps the show watchable. It has a lot of good humorous moments, and the dialogue between the characters is filled with some good puns and jabs here and there. Still, there's nothing in this show that pushes it away from every other harem anime that has come out since.
"Sekirei" gets a B-. Good fight sequences, animation, and humor; but nothing quite original.
There is something about 1800's France converted into the year 5053 that just screams for attention...and I will gladly give it.
There is something, deep inside me that secretly longs for the flair of romanticism and intrigue. I can't even fully begin to describe where it comes from, but I noticed, as of late, that my favorite things involve places like... you guessed it...Paris. It is always portrayed as the place where you can walk down le rue (the street) and meet not only new people, but possibly yourself. So with this notion in my heart, I indulged the hopeless romantic in me by immersing myself into stories, or movies and even some music that made me think of France. Case in point, my fall back movies of late have been classics like Sabrina[The 1995 remake of the 1954 version. This remake starred Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford.], French Kiss with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. It also came out in 1995. [Perhaps I just have a thing for movies that came out in 1995.]and lastly No Reservations starring Catherine Zeta Jones and Aaron Eckart[which has more to do with french cuisine than with the culture itself]
Needless to say I am enamored with it, such is so that I've decided to revisit a series that I recall talking about in very little detail, to give it far more credit than I did previously. So with that said I am going to talk about Gankutsuou: The Counte of Monte Cristo.
First let me restate that visually this 24 episode series is eye catching! This animation style opened itself up to a creative use of layering with a splash of 3D background animation. It makes the setting of France if anything surreal to the naked eye. However to fully appreciate this form of art [Completely my opinion!], it is best to know about the origins of The Count of Monte Cristo. It is an adventure novel by written by Alexandre Dumas.
In the original story a man by the name of Edmund Dantes is wrongfully accused of being a traitor and is sentenced to rot in prision. While he is there, he befriends a priest who is also there. Edmund is educated in the ways of high society and the studies of a scholar. As a secret between the two men, the priest tells Edmund of a treasure on an Italian island called Monte Cristo. Eventually Edmund leaves prison and managed to make it to the island. Faking an injury, he stays on the island to collect the riches, makes it back to Marseille with all this fortune and a title. [You guessed it Count] He is eagerly welcomed into high society, and is now free to take revenge on the one who sent him to prison in the first place.
In this Anime, the Count, is a mysterious man. While *this* Edmund Dantes was imprisoned he encountered a cold blooded demon who promised him the means to exact his revenge in exchange for Edmund to become his vessel. This takes its toll on Edmund physical form as he has become like crystal, and can in some instances been seen through. [I believe that this is a foreshadow of the ruse that Edmund put on in the orignal story.]
The Count, in this adaptation befriends a naive 15 year old [Why? 15 years olds get all the adventures is BEYOND me] boy by the name of Albert de Morcerf. Most of this series is told from the point of view of the Gankutsuou [the demon I was telling you about previously] and through Albert. So this does not follow with the original focus of the Count like in Dumas' novel.
Like said, it is loosely based on the the enriched novel, but it still held true to a lot of atmosphere of that 1800's French period had, while creating the world of the future. It allowed for the romanticism, intrigue, the actions of men and the ways to achieve "said" greatness to be showcased.
Geneon was the first to have rights to this anime, but as we all know [due to pirating] Geneon soon fell under. It wasn't until later when FUNimation got its hands on it, that it got aired in 2004. It took about a year for the whole 24 episode series to air, due to [you guessed it] additional complications.
All in all, it is a gateway to a more sophisticated choice in anime genre. It isn't for everyone, but it never hurts to try something new... Right?
We tried.While we do our best to keep it on the PG, Pandalicious starts a rant on achievement whoring which turns into an achievement glutton VS achievement whore definition debate that ends up running into a tangent of it's own. When we get back on schedule she talks about her new found love of completing games including the Ubisoft title Assassins' Creed and what we are looking forward to in the next installment of the game. Then Ninjasistah comes back with some bits about industry mergers and acquisitions with the announcement of the Tecmo Koei merger on the heals of the ZeniMax Media id Software.
For the past few weeks, I have been hearing about a certain anime called “Queen’s Blade,” and from my understanding this show was basically a softcore hentai series that somehow was able to air on Japanese television. No one was touching it, and finding streams of the show online was next to impossible. Fortunately (or is it unfortunately), I finally came across it. Before I had even begun to watch it I was prepared to tear it to shreds, but I had to keep an open mind, and began watching it.
The first episode of the show introduces a few of the main characters. We meet Reina, who is battling Mellona the shape shifter. Witnessing the battle is Nanael, who appears to be a fallen angel of sorts. Mellona brutally defeats Reina, but before she can kill her Listy enters to save Reina’s life. Listy discovers that Reina is the missing daughter of Count Vance, and decides to capture her for the reward. They are greeted by Reina’s sister Elina, who seems very happy to see her sister alive, though beaten badly. Instead of offering a reward, Elina has Listy locked away for reasons unknown. Fortunately Listy is able to break free, and since a reward was not given to her she decides to take everything she can get her hands on. Sadly, this does not play out well, as Mellona reappears to try and kill Reina. Reina is able to defeat Mellona in a manner I can’t speak of on the air, and is able to escape from her kingdom with Listy once and for all. The two then decide to travel yonder to whatever challenges they may face.
Now this show has become infamous for its uncensored fanservice, and to be honest with you this fanservice is very unnecessary. The fight sequences are pretty good to a point, though some of the ladies’ weapons of choice seem are very perverted, like one girl shoots acid out of her tits. The plot could be interesting: swordswomen battling it out to the death until one is left standing, but it's been done way too many times in the past. The backstory to some of the characters seem interesting, but not enough to earn itself repeat viewings. "Queen's Blade" also managed to get itself an all-star cast of voice actresses like Aya Hirano, Rie Tanaka and Yuko Goto to play the characters. Perhaps the pay was really, really good and they couldn’t refuse it. Unfortunately, it’s the extremely crude fanservice that almost kills this show all kinds of dead. If there weren’t any of this stuff, we could’ve had a decent anime on our hands. Sadly, that’s not the case with “Queen’s Blade,” which manages to take a good plotline and turn it into rubbish. It's sexist, disgusting, and gives a bad name to anime.
“Queen’s Blade” is slapped with a D-. Good fight sequences and A-list voice actresses cannot mask the truth of what this show really is: one step behind porn, and the fact that it airs on TV uncensored is quite shocking. Though I’m all for uncensored TV, there’s a fine line between being tasteful and vulgar; and this is as vulgar as it can get. What sickens me more is the fact that they just ordered a second season of this shit!
The terrible trio -- Ninjasistah, Pandalicious and Xenocore join forces this week to talk about movies good and bad in this week's new podcast.
And while they all think the new Ghostbusters game is going to be great, there's also discussions about not-so-good game-to-film transfers, such as Super Mario Bros., and plumb rotten anime-to-film turkey such as Speed Racer.
Want to know how fun this episode is? Get a load of the rejected titles:
-- That's the Sound of the Men Working on the Chain Bang
-- Witless for the Prosecution
-- That Gives a Whole New Meaning to Judicial Discovery
-- People from Teas Whould Argue With Your Definition of "Talking Nahmul"
-- Simply Beating a Dead Horse Is Not the Manufacturing Process to Create Glue
-- Judge Panda Rules "Not Pwnd!"
-- This Trailer Smells Like Astro Boy
-- Sometimes Fire Works -- They Should Have Fired Michael Bay
-- A Better Movie Would Have Been John Goodman and a Monkey
This year saw a wide range of great Anime Music Videos showcased at Anime Boston. Let's take a look at some that shined brighter than most.
Let's first look at this year's best in show: ForeverZeroo's "Dragonball Z - The Silent Movie"
Although some may claim that this is a bit of a knockoff of TeamFourStar's "Dragonball Z Abridged" series, you have to admit the concept of the video is original. The usage of both the "Chibi Moon Piano Suite" from "Sailor Moon" and the transformation of a colorful show into a sepia added more to the feel of a 1920s silent flick, and the usage of that era's vernacular with a mix of our current one gave off a wonderful sense of humor for fans new and old of the Dragonball series to enjoy.
The next one we'll look at is Dianafuse's "Soul Eater - Evil Walks."
First off what a perfect song for "Soul Eater": Brian Johnson's vocals and Angus Young's trademark guitar riffs mixing with images of Medusa and Arachne will run chills down anyone's spine. (The image of Medusa behind the blood-dripping moon while Brian screams "Evil walks behind you!" fit so good it's almost scary.) The second verse of the song sounds as if it was written specifically for the Arachne character. Granted the editing isn't picture perfect, but having lyrics that piece together so well with the imagery it makes up for that in such a big way.
Number three on our list is sideswipe147's "Modern Major Clusterfuck."
Maybe it's because I just saw "The Pirates of Penzance," but this was my personal favorite of the night. Gilbert & Sullivan probably never intended for their showstopping number to be synched with Roy Mustang, but it didn't stop the AMVer for proving that it could be. This wasn't even in competition, and many of those around this Duck thought this was Best in Show; and I had to agree. It's silly, catchy and possibly one of the best AMVs I've seen in the longest time.
The Final one on our lists is DaiKun Productions' "Stranger Than Death Note."
This was the Best Comedy winner, and there's good reason for that. Casting Light Yagami as Emma Thompson as Karen Eiffel and Spike Spiegel as Will Ferrell as Harold Crick were picture perfect. However I spoke with some of my colleagues, and they felt that this wasn't a Comedy AMV (even though its concept was humorous). I guess the people who thought it was a comedy outranked the ones that thought it wasn't.
To close off this article I would like to present to you the best skit from Anime Boston 2009's Masquerade: Celebrity Jeopardy!
I don't know why it is gone, but I want it back! KThnx!
Once a year, I, Pandalicious, become enamored with the hint of anime in the air. It calls me, pulls me with the strength of a lover's embrace. I fall in love all over again with anime. It is a three-day fest of rekindled passion...however this year something seemed amiss. There was an unforeseen distance in anime’s eye. Had it met someone else...had it fallen out of love with me?! Was I...falling out of love with it?
I would say that...the reason for all this stems from a struggling economy. Not that I’m saying that relationships are stable only when there is money mind you. What I'm saying is from the standpoint of a convention...it costs money to make costumes; it costs money to get a hotel room. You need money to eat and money to buy. Essentially you need money to burn, and there was a fire...but no burning....
Convention day grew nearer and nearer and the warmth I’d felt previous felt diminished somehow...as if to warn me of some subtle disenchantment.
Unfortunately, this year I didn't arrive to Anime Boston until Saturday. Which to most is the day that the big events take place. The crowd-getter events are never held on Friday or "first" days because most are standing in lines, checking into hotel rooms, and primarily just scoping out the layout, dealer’s room, artist’s alley and the various colors of cosplay. Unfortunately this year, that alluring pull of zany antics did not seem to hold. Anime Boston was still fun and entertaining; it had just...lost some of that flair, some of its energy even.
Also as an aside, there was no "top dog" in anime this year. Of all my times at this convention, there was always one anime that won the attention of the fandom... I speculated that this year it was going to be Soul Eater. I was wrong. [Which is often the case]
Granted this year did bring out some heavy hitters that needed our attention. But I was saddened by the lack of a "sea of whomever" [Insert Naurto, Sora, Rikus or Bleach characters].
The surprising factor that I cannot neglect is the stronger presence of games at this year's event. There were more people cosplaying as game characters than anime characters. This is undoubtedly linked to the release of some popular game titles like: Halo Wars, Street Fighter IV, Soul Calibur 4 and Pokemon Platinum.
This isn't to say that gaming was left untarnished. Attendance was impacted too. It is a sign of the times I guess...
However there were many smiles, laughs and good times had this year. There will be many more to come! As long as the life of the convention comes back….I WANT IT BACK! ☺
With Pandalicious on assignment at Anime Boston and Ninjasistah off on some kind of ninja mission Evermore is left to his own devices which only means one thing: CLIP SHOW!
This one doesn't disappoint. The cutting room floor is part of our secret stash. It contains a lot of content that we end up cutting out of shows due to running our mouths too long, getting caught saying things we shouldn't, and tangents that just don't make a freaking bit of sense. Evermore has collected a few of his more favorite sound bytes from the cutting room floor content and put it together in a very entertaining episode. Featuring former show co-host MagicMysticGrl, Xenocore from Ultimate Quest and the sistahs' I urge you to kick back and enjoyEpisode 147: The Sistahs From the Cutting Room Floor.
It is safe to say that I, [Pandalicious] was taken aback over the realization that I was given press access to this years Anime Boston, after I had reigned myself to the conclusion I would not attend this year. The interesting this about this year, at least to me, was that as of late slivers of the gaming industry has been making itself more and more pronounced that this convention. Now do not get me wrong when I say this. It delights me to know end that an event that is solely supposed to be geared to the demographic of "super special awesome" anime fans is extending its hand to the pocket gamer too!
Case in point: This year Nintendo makes an appearance at Anime Boston 2009 to promote their game, Fire Emblem :Shadow Dragon. Now sadly, dear readers of ESH, as much as I'd love to review this game for you, I have yet to acquire one for my gaming pleasure. I have just recently received a Nintendo DSi![I will be surfing Pico Chat this weekend for your con goers who bring their DS' too!] Do not let this bother you in anyway, because A review will be coming!
Now I am sure you are wondering about what Nintendo has in store for us con goers. Well they are constructed a large interactive space for our enjoyment! We will get an idea of the universe that this role-playing tactics game thrives in.[From the pictures I've seen of it, I'm very excited to immerse myself into it! Don't worry I'll share the pictures!]
I have thought long and hard as to why Nintendo would think about gracing us with their appearance this year. Speculation is simply that speculation, I fully plan to ask them that exact question when I surprise them with my visit! [It isn't really a surprise, they know I am coming! :)] However if I had to guess it would be that a lot of anime fans often have portables with them to amuse themselves. [With the lines at these kinds of events, hand-held entertainment is a MUST, if one wants to retain at least SOME sanity!] Nintendo's DS line has always been popular. [Not that the PSP hasn't been....] Whenever I've casually [and by casually, I do mean charging head first into someones person space bubble] asked them what they were playing on their DS. It was often a game I had never heard of, this also stemmed from the fact that it was Japanese import. So it makes complete sense that Nintendo would have a tie in with the anime community! [Good on your Nintendo!]
So for you Con goers at Anime Boston 2009, if you are interested in role playing tactics games and have never thought of playing Fire Emblem, I suggest that you find Nintendo's booths at this years con. I doubt you will be disappointed. [I'm psyched and I haven't even left yet!] I am looking forward to playing with Nintendo, and you should be too!. See you at the Con! ^^
Little did Pandalicious realize that fate was fucking with her.
Hello Lovers of ESH. Pandalicious reporting from the inner workings of her mind. Originally, I wasn't going to even mention that this weekend May 22-24 was Anime Boston. Why? you might ask. This is simple. You see... [Flashback to early February] Pandalicious decided to launch a preemptive attack of press passes for Anime Boston. Knowing that their requirements had changed for access. She punched in the appropiate keys on her laptop and sent the application into the series of tubes known as the internet. Weeks and weeks went by, and Pandalicious....felt the cold hand of REJECTION. With this is mind and in heart she prepared (or prepared to not prepare for a venture into Boston)
However on the 20th of May, just two days before the fated event, Pandalicious felt like addressing the issue of not even getting a proper denial of access to Anime Boston. The "very polite" email was sent and reply came steadily. So....ladies and gentlemen of ESH. Pandalicious will be venturing to Anime Boston 2K9 this year. Fate was playing a trick on our little panda..
Usually Panda would already know what to expect from her favorite convention, but this year she is a lost in the dark. Does she fear this? No! In fact she welcomes it. So...If you are attending this year...and you want to say hey...contact me here at Pandalicious@electricsistahood.com. I'd love to have as much photo ops as humanly possible!
Got a piping hot fresh episode of our humble little podcast for your listening pleasure, hit the jump to learn more.
Xenocore from Ultimate Quest joins us on the mic to talk a bit about anime series that drop some knowledge or substantial amount of reality on the viewer as well as those that don't. [yeah Overman King Gainer, I'm looking at you!]Pandalicious chimes in with her opinions on the Nintendo DSi title Rhythm Heaven and how it can be productive while addictive at the same time, and then there is NinJaSistah.
Riding a crazy wave of dual Mt. Dew regular and Mt. Dew Throwback Ninja is all over the place in the episode [causing a lot to be cut out, by the way] and yet somehow manages to get on topic chatting about Sony's recent fiscal earnings announcement and how it may affect creativity and individuality throughout the industry.
When you take a gander at some of the titles we didn't use for this episode, you understand why you have to listen to it. We passed on things like:
The Many Degrees of Layitude
I Manga Like a MoFo
Longer, Better, Faster, Harder - Normally, Panda Wouldn't Mind That
It's time to enjoy another new ESH podcast episode folks, and this one stays fairly well focused which is a bit out of the norm for us.
Pandalicious and NinJaSistah go on and on and on for a bit about the state and future of handheld gaming thanks to Furian09's submitted question as well as the upcoming PS3 title Katamari Forever, Magna Carta 2 on the XBox 360, this weeks new Rock Band DLC, and the anime series Hetalia.
From Pandalicious' tales of the weird and wacky world of Hetalia to NinJaSistah's Mt. Dew fueled awkwardness throughout the hour, this episode of the podcast is a great way to kick off year 3 of the ElectricSistaHood show. So grab your warm and or frosty beverage of choice and enjoy ESH podcast episode 144: It Might Not Be the Best, But It's the Bessssssst
Oh yeah, make sure you stop by the site and check out the new digs!
If raincoat tasting isn't your cup of joe, you might want to try on this week's episode of the ESH podcast instead. It's up to you really, are you a raincoat licker or podcast enthusiast?
If you aren't, Pandalicious and NinJaSistah are plenty enthusiastic in this episode of the ESH podcast for everyone. The gals answer some of your questions, on both the anime and game tip, talk a bit about Lego Rock Band, the DragonBall movie how easy it is ignore superheroes alter egos, and one of the weirdest anime series I have ever heard of before, "Kyoran Kazoku Nikki." Seriously, it's a weird one only Pandalicious can love.
To give you better picture of this episode, take a peek at some of the titles we didn't use for this episode:
Those Fish Aren't Coy, They're Just Chillin'
The Wolverine Movie Mutated Into Something I Don't Want to See
It Depends On Your Definition of Bad
When You Give a Jellyfish a Name, It's More Than a Jellyfish
and to top it off
If You Can't Put Your Finger On It, You're Not Going to Please Anyone
Spring Anime has come in full bloom, and the first series we'll be looking at is "Eden of the East."
The first episode follows a girl named Saki, who is sightseeing in Washington, D.C. She throws a coin at the White House, hoping that it’d reach the fountain in front. The police notice her, and walk up to her to see what she’s doing. Out of nowhere comes a naked man holding a gun, a phone and no memories in his head. With his help Saki is saved, and as something of a reward offers amnesia man her coat. As soon as he leaves Saki realizes that her passport and wallet were still in there; and thus begins to chase him down. The nameless man reaches his apartment (with the help of his cell phone) and sees that he is carrying heavy arsenal and multiple passports. Saki reaches the apartment, and asks for her coat back from the man with no name. The man looks through the passports and chooses the identity of Akira Takizawa; and proceeds to burn the rest of them along with the apartment to destroy any sort of evidence of what he might have been. The two decide to leave D.C. together, and as they head for the plane news hits that Japan has been hit by a terrorist attack.
I think the best way to describe this first episode is something on the lines of “The Bourne Identity” with some humorous elements woven into it. I love the animation style of the show, as I am a huge fan of Chiko Umino, the creator of “Honey & Clover”; and the fact was we have Kenji Kamiyama, who helped make the “Ghost in the Shell” TV series one of the best shows ever, helming it gives me a lot of high hopes that we won’t be in for just some ordinary show. The voice acting is done terrifically, and it was a good call for the Japanese producers to hire American voice actors to play the American characters; instead of the usual badly-broken English we hear in some anime series that have an American setting. Plus, the opening and ending credits are done so wonderfully artistic. The ending is done with stop-motion animation; while the opening is done with written poetry in front of beautiful scenery. Oh yeah, and Oasis does the opening theme song. Yes, the Gallagher brothers! I nearly jumped out of my seat when I heard the opening chords of “Falling Down” playing. Finally, the plotline seems solid, what with the romantic interest and the terrorist plotlines piecing together what could be a sensational story. This might become Japan’s most talked-about show this year.
The first episode of “Eden of the East” earns 2009’s first A+ rating. The humanistic humor in the show mixed with what might be some interesting plot twists will make this series hard to miss; and I hope it quickly gets licensed in the States.
This is King Baby Duck: Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win! I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!
This episode of the podcast starts with a disclaimer and correction of information by Pandalicious with what's up [and more importantly not up] with her and DPL host DerrickH. Once she gets that off her chest, we get on with the business at hand and first up is the plight of The Pirate Bay copyright infringement lawsuit ruling, which starts off with a Pirates Vs. Ninjas debate. [Ninja's win by the way] We then segue into The Beatles: Rockband gushings, the current surge of western influenced or designed RPG's and even some anime with the multi-WTF-moment-creating series Peach Girl.
We only had a few alternate titles for this episode like, "More Douche Than a Daytime Drama," and "Ace Is the Place for Girls With Low Self Esteem." It was ridiculously fun to record, so grab your morning motivation and enjoy ridiculously ESH Podcast Episode 142: The Truth Burns Like Gin (It Does)
It's Monday once again so that means it's time for a new episode of the ESH podcast, and this episode the gals talk both anime and game as well as recap some previous podcast episode stuff.
We start off answering audience questions, recap some left over comments from the G.I. Joe movie, and then dig into the nuts and bolts that make up the anime series Overman King Gainer
From perception issues with being black, female, and down with the technology stuff to how to best take advantage of when the StayPuft Marshmallow Man finally comes to claim his puffy vengeance. Normally at this time I would hit you with the list of titles we didn't use, but what is most important is getting down to the good stuff.
What is a "Gintama"? Who knows. All I know is it's funny as hell!
Current OP Theme
“Gintama” takes place in an alternate 19th Century Japan, where aliens run amuck, guns are a-blazing and other wacky things ooze through the town. The show follows a trio as they perform odd jobs for any cash they cash scrounge up. The leader of the troupe, Gintoki, is a lazy Shonen Jump-reading sugar-loving-to-the-point-of-diabetes samurai whose heart sometimes gets in the way of money, but never the sweets. Second in command is Shinpachi, the somewhat brains of the operation; but a bit of a coward. Finally there’s Kagura, a small Chinese girl (who’s really an alien) with the strength of King Kong, Godzilla and Andre the Giant combined. She’s also got a puppy named Sadaharu, who's so huge that his "business" can conjure up a Mt. Poo-ji. (Sorry, couldn't resist it.) There’s no really big storyline, though there is the underlying plot about an alien war that happened a few years before; but I’m not too far into the series to know exactly the whole story.
This show is intentionally nuts, and should not be taken seriously almost at all times. The humor is top-notched, and the action is great. After watching the first four episodes I realized that this show should’ve been released in America long, long ago. In fact I find that “Gintama” is one anime samurai comedy that could possibly work on a major TV station; right in-between “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.” It’s accessible for everyone, and you won’t be confused whatsoever. There’s no Japan-only jokes. It’s worldwide humor that all will get. Well, okay, there’s Elizabeth; a character that was described in the first episode as “What the hell is that?!” I’m up to episode 22 (in Japan it’s almost at 150), and it’s hard to stop watching. It’s the potato chip of anime: you just can’t have one.
“Gintama” gets a solid A, and the best part is that you can watch it legally online on Crunchyroll. I can’t stress this enough: watch it.
Favorite ED Theme
This is King Baby Duck: Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win. I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!
Today's Anime Calamity looks at the new anime series "Chaos;Head."
Based on the popular visual novel video game of the same name, “Chaos;Head” focuses on a student named Takumi, a reclusive kid who can’t stand to be around in the third dimensional world. In fact he has secluded himself from his family in lives in a storage container. One day one of his only friends Misumi tells him of New Generation attacks, and to make matters worse Takumi is receiving disturbing images from an unknown sender named Shogun depicted these attacks. As soon as this happens Takumi is befriended, of sorts, by a bunch of sword-wielding women posing as students at his high school. With their help he goes out to search for the truth behind the attacks and stop them; even though wishes he could just stay in front of his PC and away from any sort of reality.
The character of Takumi can be seen as a representation of the current problems with the youth of Japan. He stays away from the outside world, surrounds himself with expensive toys and games while imagining his favorite female anime character is in the flesh and communicating with him. He’s frail and in need of psychiatric help. Nevertheless he manages to pull himself away from the false world of imagination and do his best to save the city with his friends. Although it’s not so much as an action show than it is a dark mystery series. In every episode there’s a twist and turn that keeps you coming back for more. I can’t say what’s going on ‘cause it’s really difficult to explain in words; so let’s just say a lot of screwed-up things happen in this show. But it’s an original story that’s not very common to see in anime these days.
“Chaos;Head” gets an A. It’s a unique suspense anime that you just can’t blink while watching. Otherwise you’ll miss something very important.
This is King Baby Duck: "Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win. I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!"
Today's Anime Calamity takes a look at "Hetalia: Axis Powers."
“Hetalia” or “helpless Italian” tells the story of different soldiers representing different countries during the first and second World War, and then exaggerating their biggest stereotypes. We meet Germany, who was able to infiltrate the former Roman Empire with a stick. He finds a tomato box that starts talking to him. Germany opens the box, where out pops Italy, a carefree coward that befriends the country and marches off to help him fight his battles. Unfortunately they get caught by France, and are forced to make cuckoo clocks and bills until the start of World War II.
The anime “Hetalia” is shown in five-minute segments. As of right now the first three are available and are quite humorous. The stereotypes are done in such a way that they’re too ridiculous to even be ridiculed. You just have to watch and laugh. It’s even funny seeing England and America constantly fight with one another, as America is the estranged sibling to the country. What’s also interesting about this show is the fact that even with all the wackiness in the series the show is quite educational. Throughout the program the actions of each character mirror an event that has happened in both World Wars. It’s clever, funny, and informative.
However it has come to much attention about “Hetalia,” and its portrayal of South Korea; so much that the TV airing of the show was canceled in favor of just a web viewing. Now first off I don’t see what all the fuss is all about. Every country involved in the series is picked on equally. Second it was revealed that South Korea won’t even be in the anime series, as it didn’t have a role in either World War. Third anime fans in Korea have gotten so angry about “Hetalia” to the point where they are threatening to fly to Japan and kill the original author (even though he lives in New York). As someone who listens to both sides of the story, I feel that the Korean anime and mange fanbase are overreacting about a series that should not be taken seriously. I don’t get offended when they make fun of America, and I am pretty sure no other country would feel offended by this series. So for those who feel offended by the show: shut up and get yourself a funny bone transplant.
“Hetalia: Axis Powers” gets an A-, but I really do urge you to read the original manga first. That way you might be able to follow it better.
This is King Baby Duck: "Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win. I'm so Godddamn slick, baby, it's a sin."
Today's Anime Calamity looks at the new comedy "Akikan!"
"Akikan!" follows a boy named Daichi, whose can of melon soda transforms into a magical human girl. I think that about explains what the show is about.
First let’s look at what’s good about the show.
....!
Well that does it for what’s good about the show! Now let’s look at what bad about the show: EVERYTHING!!!
First off the plot is total crap! Soda cans that turn into magical girls?! Is this the best that the writers can do?! Say, do you know what you call someone who wishes a soda can could turn into a girl? A fucking psychotic loser, that’s what!!!
Second are the characters. The soda girl, Melon (ooh, clever name!), is annoying as hell and lacks any sort of depth in character! Daichi is a perverted bastard who isn’t worth a lick of sympathy. Finally we get to the villain in the show: Hidehiko, who has a clock behind his desk that reads, “I love men,” and tries to put the moves on Daichi in the first episode. Congratulations, Hidehiko! You have just single-handledly set back the hard work my friends in the GLBT community have worked on for about, oh let’s says, another 70 years!
Finally there’s the humor in the show. It’s just plain stupid. There was only one good chuckle in the entire first episode, and it was wasted in the beginning. I’m not going to tell you what it is because it’s not even worth a mention.
“Akikan!” makes “Rosario + Vampire” look like the Sistine Chapel. It’s that bad. If an American company licenses it, then their headquarters should be destroyed from the inside out!
“Akikan!” gets the lowest score ever in the Anime Calamity: F-! In fact as the J-POP Emperor I decree that if someone walks up to you and recommends that you watch it, you are allowed to punch them in the face! Not only that, but I have decided that “Akikan!” must never be spoken of again, as it is now the most vulgar word in the dictionary!
The Opening Credits (so you'll know when to pull out the gun and blast a hole through the TV):
This is King Baby Duck: "Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win! I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!"
Sorry for not posting anything lately. This Ducky's been quite busy with a few upcoming projects (more on that soon). Today's Anime Calamity looks at the romantic comedy "To-Love-Ru."
OP Theme
Rito was your average guy with a crush on the hot, quiet girl in class. One night, while taking a bath a hot alien girl named Lala falls into the tub naked with Rito. Because of a contractual obligation (i.e.: Rito copped a feel of Lala) he is now engaged to the strange alien girl. Now, with a hot alien girl with a tail in his life Rito’s life becomes less ordinary; filled with robot costumes (not costumed robots), bulky alien bodyguards who like drinking out of juice boxes, and extremely jealous classmates.
The show has a decent amount of laughs; but after watching both “Kanokon” (which will be reviewed very soon) and “Umisho” the fan-service in this series is just too tiresome. It’s not as bad as “Rosario + Vampire,” but it does get tedious at times. Plus Lala is kind of annoying and a remarkably wasteful character. Some of the supporting characters are good for laughs, but at times the bit of “boys in class getting jealous of scrawny kid with hot girl” gets played out way too many times; and it was done so much better in “Seto no Hanayome.” Despite this, the show is still watchable. There’s always something to come back to in each episode, but it does not warrant repeat viewings.
The show gets a C+. It has some good laughs, but at times it feels clichéd. If it ever gets licensed, please rent it and save your money for something else.
ED Theme
This is King Bab Duck: "Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win. I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin."
An audio podcast just doesn't do justice to a couple of things the Sistahs bring up in their latest podcast. That's why you've got to check out a couple of things in this post.
First, the Sistahs get a gander at the new logos for various Pepsi products, and they don't like what they see. Neither will you:
Doesn't bring a smile to my face, but this next thing does. The voiceover for the You Rock guitar is a little cheesy, but that doesn't take away from the utility of this new peripheral:
As usual, we have to reject more titles than we use. Like these:
If You're Pepsi and You Know It, Show Your Teeth
Episode 6 Is All In Your Head
If You Think This Is Explicit, You Should Try ESH After Dark
Pregnancy and Porn -- Just Another Day In Pandaville
Platypussy -- It's Spore, Not the Next James Bond Film
A Panic Room With a View
Law & Order: Tsukihime (Dunk Dunk)
We Are All On the Internet, and We're Playing With Each Other
I'm sure that the majority of anime fans already know that there's a Dragonball live action movie around the corner.Here's the funny part. The majority of THAT majority is dreading the hell out of it, me included.
With the recent outbreak of comics and cartoons making the jump to the big screen, it was only a matter of time before Dragonball was called to the forefront. The powers that be even managed to procure a couple of my favorite big name actors such as Ernie Hudson, Chow Yun-Fat, and also James Marsters from the Buffy and Angel series. What saddens me is that these guys will forever be attached to what I see as almost a sure flop.
I'll admit that the action looks cool and that alone would probably seal it for me if I wasn't a big fan of the Dragonball anime. Check out the international trailer for Dragonball Evolution coming in 2009 and tell me your initial thoughts. I just hope this doesn't turn out to be a 90-minute movie with Gohan charging his "kamehameha" for 75-minutes of it.
Pandalicious kicks things off with observations on the Anime "The Girl Who Lept Through Time." She offers it as an example of how well Eastern literature is treated in animated form, compared to the treatment of Western literature in animation.
Ninjasistah follows up with a discussion on the Duck Dodgers animation series and how it relates to other Warner and Disney animation of the same era. Along the way Pandalicious delivers a scare about her impending pregnancy.
The titles we turned down for this episode? Here they are:
The Sistahood is about to get some new neighbors...
You might have read about it on their Facebook, but it's finally hitting your desktop! The Boston Bastard Brigade (or B3) is coming for you, so you better prepare! Join me, along with new crew members Blueonic, Dark Heart, Bam Bam, Pink Taco, and Spoony Sleuth as we talk gaming, anime, music, film, TV, sports, and what's pissing us off in our "Oh, For Fuck's Sake!" section.
As of this writing there have been two episodes recorded (one in October, one in November), plus the interview I did with Japanese punk band TsuShiMaMiRe back in September. More will be coming each week (or every other week depending on our schedules), so look out for more info as the days go by.
B3: Coming this December...
This is King Baby Duck: "Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win! I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!"
I apologize for not posting for so long. I have been busy with paper after paper at my college. (God, I'm so happy I'm done in December!) Anyways, today's Anime Calamity looks at "Special A."
Opening Theme:
Hikari has always been behind her childhood friend (or rival) Takashima. Since the age of six, when Takashima defeated Hikari in a wrestling match, she had sworn that she would defeat Takashima in anything that is challengeable. Now, both in high school, both are in the Special A ranking; which means they are the top students in the class. Takashima is the #1 student; and Hikari is the #2, which earns her the nickname “ni-san.” However, despite their rivalry, Hikari is unaware that Takashima is in love with her. Will Hikari realize that she is number one in Takashima’s heart? One can only speculate.
This sounds like your ordinary shojo anime series; and it is to an extent. Yet behind this lovey-dovey story are a lot of great plotlines and hilarious gags that will keep your belly sore for days to come. The other members of Special A are also quite silly such as Megumi, who only speaks with giant cue cards due to the fact that her voice destroys buildings; Tadashi, the wanderlust student who is frequently attacked by some of the other members; Ryuu, the animal lover that seems to be breaking some sort of animal protection act by keeping some of the most endangered species as pets; and Akira, who is fond of cute girls, but is not a lesbian and is really in love with Tadashi.
Even with its 26-episode season, the series doesn’t lose its luster. However, when I started to watch it I was worried that they might drag the secret love thing a bit too long. (I really hate it when shows do that. If you love someone, just say it!) However, if that were to happen, the show will probably be over, and some people might not like that. I did worry that the inevitable cooking episode showed up in Episode 3, which usually signals the slow painful death for a show; but in all honesty it was a good episode. Sure, the main heroine can never cook, but it’s all about how the scriptwriter tells the story; and they did it quite well. The show is fun and silly, with a good romantic side of it. It has a lot of good qualities that will please both sexes. (It’s even better than the original manga, which is a bit too slow-paced compared with its anime counterpart.)
Ending Theme:
The series earns an A-. It’s a clever shojo anime filled with laughter and a couple tears; and will surely be yet another series one should look out for in the near future.
This is King Baby Duck: "Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win! I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!"
Sure, it's another clip show, but if you haven't been listening to the podcasts from All Games, this will all be new to you. Pandalicious spent the summer crashing other podcasts, including Super Happy Funtime Show, Ultimate Quest and Dead Pixel Live, leaving podcast hosts in her wake.
And whether she's ultra-serious, as she is on the Ultimate Quest podcast, or her usual profane self, as she is on Dead Pixel Live, we think you'll be highly entertained by it all.
May the Monday morning new podcast episode of victory be with you... and also with you, but not that guy behind you. He's kinda creeping me out.
In this episode the sistahs talk about the driving forces behind anime franchises with a focus on the Gundam series, specifically Mobile Suit Gundam 00. We also talk a bit about the eastern animation style influence moving west and the New Xbox Experince interface. [NXE in the heezy fo sheezy]
Want an idea of how this episode turned out? Check out the titles we didn't use:
It's a Nerds, Nerds, Nerds, Nerds World
We Don't Know How Green the Gundams Are, But Their Suits Are Shiny
Pick One: The Thermos or the Hello Kitty Vibrator
No One Makes Pases at Ninjas With Glasses
The New Xbox Avatars Look Like They Come From Stepford
Diversity Mech Misers: Now With More Germans!
How Green Was Your Mecha?
and finally
Celestial Beings, Not To Be Confused With Celestial Teas
Ninjasistah expresses her delight about the anime series Solty Rei. Any anime that introduces a female heroine by letting her fall from the sky naked can't be all bad.
Pandalicious expresses unconditional love toward the narrator of the Nostalgia Critic video cast and his expert choices of favorite cartoon themes of the 1980s and '90s. Ninjasistah might have a few quibbles, but they both thoroughly enjoy his selections.
Here are the titles that were rejected for this week's episode:
The Sistahs Profess Their Love for Each Other While Calling Each Other a Punk
Things Look Dark -- Must Be Night
Suddenly a Naked Chick Fell Out of the Sky
Don't Ask Panda About Her Buffer Underrun
Walt Disney Owned My Childhood
Spoiler Alert: We Give Away the Ending to Old Yeller
Like a terrorist from Hell comes the metal comedy "Detroit Metal City."
OP Theme - SATSUGAI (Murder)
Negishi leaves his farm home to live in Tokyo, with a dream to become a famous pop singer. Unfortunately he winds up becoming Krauser II, the lead singer and guitarist of Detroit Metal City; a death metal band that sings about death, murder, rape, sex, and other vulgar acts. DMC winds up becoming a huge band, but Negishi’s pop star dreams still flourish. Will he be able to shed off the death metal shtick, or will Krauser II overpower Negishi, making him become a true death metal god?
We have found our next Spinal Tap! To see the band members out of character, and then see them onstage is like watching two completely different characters for each person. Plus, the secondary characters are a riot, as well. The real star is the Death Records Manager, who spits f-bombs and c-words like free $100 bills and tortures the entire band to make them more death metal-ish. The sweetie in the show is Yuri, an old friend of Negishi who he still loves. He has a chance to show his true feelings, but every time he's interrupted by his Krauser alter-ego. What happens is too funny for words, but what he does I can’t say here. Your going to have to watch it yourself. Negishi and his Krauser character is something like a cross between "Metalocalypse" characters Nathan Explosion and Toki: a soft, scrawny man with an intimidating double. Anyone who loves that [adult swim] show will love “Detroit Metal City.” Plus with the live-action movie out now in Japan -- and with many offers to bring this film to America -- this anime series will greatly prepare you for what looks like the comedy event of the year.
“Detroit Metal City” gets an A. This is Japan’s wonderful answer to “Metalocalypse”: great metal, hilarious characters, and fun for college students everywhere to watch. Let’s hope the live-action movie is just as good.
Actual Video for "SATSUGAI" for DMC Movie
This is King Baby Duck: "Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win! I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!"
It’s that time of the year again: new fall anime. Today we look at the romantic comedy “Toradora!” which means “Tiger (Tora) Dragon (Dora).”
Toradora! OP Theme
Based on the light novels by Yuyuko Takemiya, the story follows Ryuji, a second-year high school student who’s nice, but due to having the eyes of a cold-hearted murderer everyone except his friend Yuusaku thinks he's a bully. On the first day of classes, he literally walks into Taiga; a woman who can only be described as the female reincarnation of, well, let’s say Satan. When he goes back to class, Ryuji sees the desks all messed up; and Taiga rolling out of a locker. He goes to grab his bag, only to have Taiga attack him. At home, he finds an envelope in his bag addressed to Yuusaku from Taiga. Out of nowhere Taiga appears in Ryuji’s house, attacking him for knowing the existence of the envelope. When it’s revealed that the envelope is empty -- and Taiga looking all-so embarrassed for trying out the love letter cliché -- Ryuji shows her a box of stuff he wants to give to the woman he loves; but doesn’t have the balks to confess to. Taiga quickly finds out that Ryuji’s in love with Minori, one of her best friends. In order to keep Ryuji’s secret love from being revealed, he decides to help out Taiga with not just Yuusaku, but also with everything else she needs.
“Toradora!” is a series that, so far, has a good balance of humor and sweetness. Even though Taiga is going to be the type of girl who won’t let her soft side be seen until near the end of the show, it should be interesting to watch as she slowly progresses to being an open person. Ryuji (whose first syllable “Ryu” means “dragon”) is one of the rare leading male characters who looks evil, but is kindhearted in every sense of the word. The comedic action sequences are well-animated, but there are a couple of sketchy corners here and there that the animators could’ve cleaned up with before going to broadcast. Finally, the storyline is well thought-out. Instead of the usual “boy-meets-girl and become lovers,” we have “guy meets cynic and is blackmailed in order to keep his love interest a secret.” It might’ve been done before in past anime, but it’s not that often that we get this sort of treat.
The first episode of “Toradora!” gets an A-. It looks like we’re going to be in for another good romantic comedy this year. Let’s just hope that the writing staff won’t run out of things to come up with; as some other series have in years past.
Toradora! End Theme
This is King Baby Duck: "Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win! I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin."
This week, I promise not to bring up Pandalicious' little escapade in recorded audio incident on the new episode of the podcast.
Ooops, I already did. My bad Panda, my bad.
On the podcast this week, NinJaSistah and Pandalicious attempt to go all anime on your ass. From Panda's Code E/Mission E two'fer to NinJa sharing some of her first impressions of Mushi-Shi and Michico E Hatchin and Personal 4.
The girls talk a bit about a bunch of things in this episode. No love toilet talk, but they do go on a few tangents. Check out some of the titles that came up, but weren't chosen as the winner:
Anime or May Not
I Failed the Flying Test in High School
Pandalicious Portrays Herself in "A Night in Panda"
Finally -- Some Anime Characters That Aren't the Other White Meat
The Kids Have Been Around the Block a Few Times Now
It's a Fresh of Breath Air
You Could Make a Live Action Version of Mononoke... BUT DON'T
Leave the Actors Where They Are, Just Move the Scenery
I Never Made It Past the Part where They Brought In the Munchkin Asian Chick
Today's Anime Calamity looks at the motion picture "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time." And like time, this review waits for no one.
Makoto is having the worst day of her life. She loses her pudding to her sister, falls asleep during a surprise test, almost burns down the school kitchen during Home EC, and is crushed by a student that lands on top of her. While bringing her fellow students’ notebooks up to the lab, she hears a noise coming from the back room. Makoto looks inside, but sees nothing. A sudden noise causes her to trip and fall on top of an acorn-looking object, sending her and her brain through a series of trippy visuals. After she returns to the real world, Makoto heads home. Unfortunately, she learns that her bicycle brakes have been shot; and she is sent flying into an oncoming train. When she is just about to die, Makoto is sent back just a moment’s time before she hits the train. In a state of shock, she runs to her aunt; who tells her of the concept of “time-leaping,” where a person literally leaps from the present, and lands in a past moment.
After learning this new trick of hers, Makoto uses the power of time-leaping to her advantage; such as grabbing the pudding before her sister gets it, singing in a never-ending session of karaoke, acing the surprise test, and avoiding adverse incidents involving her friend Chiaki, who starts thinking of Makoto in another way. Eventually Makoto finds that this new power of hers is limited, so she starts to use it to make things right with everyone, like helping her friend Kousuke to notice a girl that likes him. However, an incident occurs where Kousuke steals Makoto’s broken bike; and is about to be killed with his new girlfriend in the same accident that would’ve killed Makoto. Just as it is about to happen time stops again, and Makoto goes face-to-face with someone who is very familiar to her. Who is it, and how is it related to time-leaping?
To call this film a prime example of animation at its best is an understatement. The characters and the settings are as bright and beautiful as many top-notched Disney flicks. The storyline is whimsical, and it teaches a valuable lesson on how one can spend time correctly (as it is commonly reminded that “Time waits for no one.”) The voice actors and actresses -- like Riisa Naka’s Motoko and Takuya Ishida’s Chiyaki -- are played so well that it even outshines a lot of the real-life teenage stars. The music, composed by Kiyoshi Yoshida, is written so beautifully that if Claude Debussy were alive today he would have tears of joy running down his face. Finally, the movie was told so astoundingly that anyone, from the youngest child to the eldest person, could follow it without confusion.
However, what makes me upset about this film is the fact that it was not given a chance here in America. There should’ve been no reason why “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” couldn’t have been picked up by a major film studio, or even a small independent one like Focus Features or Fox Searchlight. How a movie like this was easily brushed away -- and movies like “Disaster Movie” and “Mamma Mia” are given inexcusable amounts of promotion and screen time -- is beyond my comprehension. Granted it’s an anime from Japan, but this is the first time I’ve ever watched an anime that could easily draw anyone’s attention in. Kids, teenagers, college kids, adults, and senior citizens will leave a movie like this with a lighter heart and a thoughtful outlook on life. In laymen’s terms, this movie was made to make anyone feel good; and it does the job perfectly.
“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is a five-star movie, hands-down one of the most amazing animated flicks I’ve ever seen. The real tragedy of this flick, as I’ve said, was that it didn’t get the wide release it most definitely deserved. If it comes to your town, I heavily urge you to go see it with your friends and family. If not, look for it on DVD sometime this year from Bandai Entertainment; who should be given a medal for bringing a gem like this to our shores.
This is King Baby Duck: Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win! I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!
The Royal Quackster is here, days before he and Pandalicious go off on their final semester at The College That Must Not Be Named. Today's Anime Calamity takes a look at the series "Library War" (Toshokan Sensō). In 1989, the Japanese government passed the Media Betterment Act to protect the youth from being influenced by negative materials in the media. To counter this, the country established the "Library Defense Forces" to prevent the Media Betterment Act agents from infringing on people's right to access media deemed as banned material. One day Iku Kasahara had been accosted by an MBA agent after finding out that she had a banned book in her possession in a local bookstore. After being saved by an LDF agent, Kasahara decides to join in the Library Defense Force. Gradually, her passion and exceeding athletic capability leads her to become a member of the elite unit, the Library Task Force. Through her battles against the MBA and her own teammates Iku does her best to be the best in the Library Task Force.
After sitting through this series, I came to the conclusion that there is absolutely nothing special about "Library War." Granted there are some good action sequences and humorous moments, but there seems to be nothing attention-grabbing in this show. The animation is pretty good, but sometimes it looks kind of shoddy. The characters are okay, but they seem too run-of-the-mill. The show gets repetitious, even when Iku’s parents show up almost unexpectedly. That would’ve given the writers a chance to spice things up on the show, but instead they took the easy way out and made the parents one-shot characters. The only thing that deserves praise for “Library War” is its plotline. It’s reminiscent of the old book burning incidents, and the series could be a seemingly wake-up call to those wishing to keep their favorite novels still in print and uncensored. However, a show too mediocre like this will not be an easy eye-catcher for the average viewer, anime fan or not; and it is possible that it’ll fall through the cracks of obscurity by the end of the year.
"Library War" gets a C-average. The idea of the series is good. Everything else is just lacking the magic needed to make a stand-out series.
This is King Baby Duck: Ain't born to lose, baby, I'm born to win! I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!
In this episode of the podcast the girls talk about the anime series "SpeedGrapher," mis-steps and corrections that SCEA can make with the PS3 to recapture the bulk of the gamer market, things that make Panda want to punch babies in the face, EA games, PAX, PAX preparations, the fact that Pandalicious is not going to PAX but NinJa is, "Watchmen" the movie versus the graphic novel, and more. Don't believe me, check out the titles we didn't use for the show.
Holes First, Person Second
I'm Anything But Cheap
A Hot Bed of Gamer Geek Sausage
Belching With Joy
Did They Put Pudding In Your Bowling Ball Again?
Suck It Up, Build It In (That Sounds So Dirty)
NinJa Rags On Sony Again
If Sony Was Bachelor No.2, It Would Lose Again
Someone Shot My Smilie Face
Geometry Wars Doesn't Suck Asteroids
It Makes Me Want To Punch Babies
If You Think There Was A Lot of Breaststroking At The Olympics, You Should See SpeedGrapher
Monday is here again, and so is a new episode of the ESH podcast. The girl team is complete on this one so expect randomness galore this hour and change.
The episode kicks off with Pandalicious and MagicMystic discussing how they came to love and specialize on the topics they, well, are experts on here at camp ESH. [In case you are new to the game, Panda shows anime some love while Magic takes us down the dark and [every once and a while] psychotic path of manga. While the girls chat about their passions and influences toward them, Ninja tries to keep up by hanging back in the corner.
When the dust settles, NinJaSistah jumps into the conversation to talk about the resurgence of the Science Fiction genre in mainstream entertainment and the pros and cons of it's new found popularity. It's another weird and wacky episode guys, check out the titles we didn't use for this one:
Off-Topic's the Best Place to Be
if I Had Known, I Would Have Worn Pants @ M4M Night
if It's Good For Your Heart, It's Crap
Fluff Is Not a Milk Substitute
My Blank Is Different From Her Blank
Tales From The Kids Table
This Tiara makes Me Completely Unrecognizable
Your Mom Should Never Ask What That Tentacle Is Doing
Panda's Guide to the Four Stages of Sex
The Pickle Distracted MagicMystic
This Isn't A Filler Episode - Everything Is Meaningful
That's Very Smexy
I Want to Punt Small Children
What Magic Is Tasting is The Combination Blue dye No.1 and Yellow Dye No. 5
The Flintstones Is Not Completely Historically Accurate Either
There's a new trend in overseas. Not only are colored contacts popular, but it seems that anime eyes are the big thing now in Japan. Anime eyes are usually characterized as large cartoonish eyes that are common in Japanese art and animation or "anime" as it's known in the states.
Japanese men seem to have a liking for large eyes on their women, but there's no cosmetic surgery that I know of that can make the eyes bigger. Some girls have turned to extra-wide contact lenses. They're not only tinted, but tinted prominently in the extra-wide outer ring. The result is the appearance of a bigger, wider iris.
The lenses are made by a variety of companies including Geo and Dueba, and cost in the $30-$50 per pair range. The contacts are not only cosmetic. If you send your prescription to them, the lenses will be made to order.
If you ever sit and ponder on the idea of people of a young-ish age drinking, let this new episode of the ESH podcast be the proof you need to "just say nay!"
This week, MagicMystic returns and brings with her balance to the force while Panda and Ninja enjoy some adult juice before, during, and probably after the episode.
This episode starts with Ninja talking about the new XBLive Arcade title Go! Go! Break Steady that she keep calling "Go! Go! Beat Street" reports on some of the feelings around the industry about E3, and the hopefully triumphant return of the fighting genre on the back of Soul Calibur IV. Magic chimes in with her new found XBox-y goodness and general discovery of "the new" as she shares first impressions of her new XBox 360 Elite as well as latent desires for an XBLive account, and then Panda brings up the rear and talks about the anime and manga series, Full Metal Panic. The gals are back to normal and completely off topic as usual.
Here are some of the random things said during the show that could have been used as titles, but weren't:
Wallmart, Baby Come Back!
The Big "E" Is Big
MagicMystic Is Back, And Out Of The Closet
Jobless Wonder To The Rescue-ish
It's Not The Size of Your GamerScore, But How You Use It
King Baby Duck here, making his first post as an official brother of the Electric Sista Hood (meaning my Blogger account is now linked with the site)! This week's Anime Calamity is not a TV show, but rather a movie that caught my eye. It's called "Kappa no Coo to Natsuyasumi," or "Summer Days with Coo." A young kappa (a Japanese mythological water creature) witnesses his father murdered by a samurai, and then falls down a hole made by an earthquake. Almost three hundred years later a young elementary school student named Koichi finds the kappa fossilized in a stone. After bringing it home and washing it, the kappa comes back to life. Koichi gives the kappa the name Coo, which is one of the first things the little creature says. Coo adjusts to the lifestyle of Koichi and his family, and quickly becomes a member. However, the changed outside world makes Coo worried about his other kappa comrades. Koichi and Coo set out for the countryside to find more kappas, but to no avail. However, when Coo’s existence becomes apparent to the public, he comes face-to-face with the challenges of the outside world; which leads to Coo meeting with an ancestor of his father’s murderer. What the ancestor has in his possession freaks Coo out, and his actions lead the outside world to think that he is a danger. Will there be a happily-ever-after with Coo, or will he have to face the fact that he will never be accepted into today’s society? And what of his kappa comrades? Are they still alive, or have they disappeared with much of the nature?
The first thing I thought of after watching this film was how wonderful the storytelling is. The tale flows gracefully, even at its almost 2 ½ hour timeframe. Although a fantasy (despite many incidents of kappa being seen in Japan) the anime has a real feel to it. It has a lot of emotion, and it also teaches a lesson about not just fitting into society, but also about how nature must be preserved. Plus the humor in the film is top-notched, especially when it deals with Koichi’s little sister. She is the most realistic of the characters, with the jealous brat thing down to patch. One scene that pops into mind is when the sister brings home pet snails, which Coo eats; thinking they are food. This freaks the little girl out; especially when she discovers that some people eat snails, too, leading her to inspect every morsel of food on her plate to make sure she’s not eating little escargots. The soundtrack to the film, composed by Kei Wakakusa, almost sounds like a score written by top American country artists. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing depends on your taste in country music. Finally, the animation is also really good, almost up there with the quality of Miyazaki films. Its director, Keiichi Hara, who also directed some of the “Doraemon” and “Crayon Shin-chan” movies, knows how to appeal to both kids and adults of all ages, and this film will surely entertain anyone; even with its long running time.
Now speaking for the kids, in Japan this is considered a family film; but because our standards here are a lot more strict than Japan’s it wouldn’t be for younger children. There’s a lot of blood in the first couple minutes of the film, and the scenes dealing with death might be too traumatic for children. Plus, you see Coo’s yarbles throughout the entire film; which, in a country where the mindset is “nudity is bad!!!” might leave parents uneasy. However if parents can look past the violence and kappa nudity, kids will be able to learn a valuable message from this film. I’d say this film should be PG here; but if your younger kids (who are, like, four or five) are okay with a little blood then I’d say they can watch it, too.
Since this is a movie review, I’m going to give it a star grade: 5 stars. It’s a wonderful tale that the folks at Disney should really look at to see how to properly do a family movie that is for anyone in the family, and not just the young tykes.
This is King Baby Duck: Ain't born to lose, baby! I'm born to win! I'm so Goddamn slick, baby, it's a sin!
Ladies and gents, I am happy to report that two of the best animated comedies of all time are coming to the US on DVD! One comes from the great nation of Japan, the other from the great nation of America.
I'll first talk about the Japanese one. This year's Anime Expo in Long Beach, California had many great surprises for everyone; but no surprise was greater for me than this announcement on Anime News Network:
The North American distributor Bandai Entertainment has announced at its Anime Expo panel on Friday that it has acquired the Hayate the Combat Butler! [anime].
So some of you are probably asking, "What the hell is 'Hayate the Combat Butler?!'" Well King Baby Duck is here to tell you.
"Hayate the Combat Butler" (or "Hayate no Gotoku!" as it's known in Japan) follows the story of Hayate Ayasaki, a poor boy whose parents sold off to some "very nice men" (AKA the yakuza) to pay off their debt. After running away from the nice men, Hayate meets Nagi Sanzenin, a rich 13 year-old hikikomoroi. Hayate comes up with a plan to kidnap her, but miswords the plan to Nagi; who takes it as a love connection. After rescuing Nagi from really bad kidnappers, Nagi hires Hayate on the spot as her new butler. What follows are some of the most funniest moments in recent anime history.
I have watched all 52 episodes in this series (and will definitely tune in when Season 2 airs sometime in the next few months), and I can say with confidence that everyone will be in for a big treat. "Hayate the Combat Butler" is filled to the brim with humor, from the pop culture parodies (like when Hayate sneaks into Nagi's school in Solid Snake's trademark box) to the surprise guests (anime director and self-proclaimed "sex god" Nabeshin appears in episode 32). Now some of the humor might go over the heads of some new to the anime world, but even so you'll be laughing your ass off. Expect "Hayate the Combat Butler" to be released sometime early 2009. Until then, I present you with Part 1 of Episode 1 (and yes, children, Santa Claus is a bastard in real life!):
Now for the American cartoon. In the 1990s, Steven Spielberg was not just a big film director, but also a producer of some of the best cartoons in American history: "Tiny Toon Adventures," "Animaniacs," "Pinky & the Brain," and "Toonsylvania" to name a few. On July 29, his most brilliant of them all will finally be seen on DVD: "Freakazoid!"
Dexter Douglas was working on his computer, when all of a sudden the high schooler is zapped into his computer; giving him powers of the Freakazoid. With these powers Freakazoid makes the villains' lives a living Hell, thanks in part to his lunacy.
Like "Hayate," "Freakazoid!" has a chunkload of pop culture references. One of the funniest ones I will share with you now (which features Ed Asner as Cosgrove and Late-Night TV's Craig Ferguson [AKA the one that's Scottish] as Roddy MacStew):
I've watched that clip hundreds of times, and I still fall off my seat laughing!
What shocked me the most about "Freakazoid!" was the fact that, despite being the funniest of the Spielberg-produced cartoons, its length was the shortest of the cartoons (lasting only two seasons before being cancelled); but perhaps if DVD sales are good enough, maybe the folks at Warner Bros. will revisit this hilarious superhero. That will make at least one little duckie a happy bastard!
Here's one of the more clever episodes for you all to enjoy (featuring the great Ben Stein): "Relax-o-vision."
This is King Baby Duck saying, "THAT'S A GUY IN A SUIT!!!!"
It's hard to explain the title until you listen to the episode, but trust me this new episode of the ESH podcast is quite the piece of work.
In this episode of the podcast, the sistah's run the video game, entertainment and anime gauntlet from the audience choice re-review of the anime series Angel Sanctuary to new games on the E3 horizon. Would it be an ESH podcast if we didn't talk about incest, angst, mentioning Bioshock or complaining about videogames/comic titles being turning into feature length films? I don't think so. To give you a better idea of how the episode turned out, here are the titles we didn't choose:
Sucked Into a Portal of Happiness
God Knows, Even In His Sleep
Again With the Incest
I Love Her, So I Need to Kill Her
The Sex Scenes Are Pretty Cool, Just Pretend They're Not Related
Just Say "No" to Will Smith
Want to Beat Darth Vader? Smack James Earl Jones in the Face
It's Big. It's Black. and It Makes No Noise
My Only Real Complaint Is that It's Short
I Finally Took Out Ghandhi - I'm Not Proud to Say That
King Baby Duck here, working very hard (but not hardly working) on a few projects and J-POP CD reviews. Until the CD reviews are ready to be seen by the public, I've got another Anime Calamity for you all to read up on. This time we will be looking at "Kyōran Kazoku Nikki," or "The Diary of a Frenzy Family."
Based off of the light novel series by Akira, “Kyōran Kazoku Nikki” follows Oka: your average guy working as the head of the operations department of Supernatural Phenomenon Treatment Bureau. One day he runs into a cat girl named Kyoka, who used to be queen of Shangri-la. Upon capturing her, the Bureau makes Oka part of the Cozy Family Operation. Through this operation the Bureau must find the child of Enka; who swore that when he or she will be born, the destruction of the Earth will begin. As a result Oka is forced to marry Kyoka.
After their marriage the two set out to find the other members of the Cozy Family Operation. The other family members consist of Ginka, the eldest son who suffers from Gender Identity Disorder; Yuuka, the second-eldest daughter who is gentle despite her abusive past; Teika, the second-eldest son who is really a talking lion; Hyouka, the youngest son who is really a robot bent on destruction; Gekka, the youngest daughter who is really a jellyfish; and Chika, the eldest-daughter and biological sister of Yuuka. Together the family goes out on wacky misadventures, and learns the concept of love while Kyoka changes the rules at every corner and makes Oka’s life both pleasing and a living Hell.
OPENING THEME
Has this concept lost you? Well it sounds wild and crazy, and it definitely is. In fact if you look up the word “bonkers” in the dictionary you’ll probably find Akira's face. However, there are a lot of great qualities, and some good morals to learn in this crazy series. Kyoka can be annoying at times, but by episode’s end you’ll see she has a reason for everything. Oka, though, doesn’t seem to be evolving as well as the other characters; which could be blamed on the scriptwriters who make Kyoka change her tune and personality traits at every turn. The other characters, though, evolve gracefully. Hyouka the robot boy learns about peace and how everything can’t be solved with things going boom; the relationship between Yuuka and Chika become stronger after harsh times; and Ginka is able to tap in to both his masculine and feminine personalities whenever needed be. In short, behind this off-the-wall series is a tale of overcoming one’s defects and learning to come together as a family to defeat any odds thrown at them.
“Kyoran Kazoku Nikki” gets a B+. The show is a good time-killer and lesson-learner, and by the end of each episode you’ll feel like you have a sugar rush that’ll last long enough for the next episode to come around. That is, if the series doesn’t leave you in a diabetic coma first.
This is King Baby Duck saying, "If it ain't made in Japan, it's usually crap!"
In this episode of the podcast the girls talk a bit about nearly every entertainment medium. We gots a bit of manga, a bit of anime, some feature film stuff all topped off with video game shizzole.
Pandalicious kicks off the show talking about the anime series Hell Girl based off of the manga of the same name. She and Magic go back and forth a bit exploring what works and what doesn't in the series. MagicMystic then shares her impressions of the new Hulk movie and NinJaSistah closes out the show talking about E3.
To give you an idea of the kind of show we had, here are the titles we rejected:
NinJa Can't Fly, But She Can Jump to Conclusions
No..Un..com..piled Da-ta EVER!!!
It's The Season For Creepy Flowers
The Cat In The Hat Was Not In The Prestige
Panda Makes A Fight Club Reference Nobody Else Understands
Hulk Smash! Movie Not!
Panda's Comic Book Cred Just Plummeted
Levitating Trumps Hovering
Attention Game Makers: Panda's Up For Payola
Exclusive: NinJa's Guide To Carnal Solicitation
The Love-Hate Relationship With E3 Has Turned Back To Hate
LAUNCH The podcast kicked off in 2006 with the first episode being released on May 3rd, and we have been cranking them out ever since. Over 100 total released shows [We have done a bunch of My Top Fives people] ESH has really grown into something unexpected, but ultimately an insane amount of fun to do. In this episode of the podcast we talk about how we got to be two years old.
CHANGE I launched the site in April of 06 as SplendidBlunder.com. Originally, the idea was to have a space on the web to create, post, mix, and remix other people’s GarageBand projects. It was going to be a playground for Panda and I, and while we were having all of our conversations about the setup, we kept wasting time talking about Video games and anime.
GROWTH We realized quickly that we wouldn’t be able to do just the site or the podcast alone, and began recruiting our more than geeky friends to join the family. The first recruit was MagicMystic, then came Evermore, MonkeyDoo, Douceswild, GeekWoman, madameRoslin, theAdmiral, colonelPanic, and most recently KingBabyDuck. We started out small, with only 1000 people on average hitting the site, and now, we do quite a bit better. I figure it has to be the crazy that keeps them coming back, because there is definitely nothing out there like us.
We will be making autographed DVD’s featuring all of the podcast episodes over the last two years available on the ESH site shortly.
King Baby Duck here, back after a bit of turmoil relocating my kingdom. Some J-POP reviews will be coming your way in the next few weeks. Until then, the leader of the Quack Pack's got another anime series to chat about.
Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to steal panties off of a dozen women without them realizing that they aren’t wearing them anymore! Wait, what the hell was that last one? Anyways, it’s “Kamen no Maid Guy!”
Fumiwara Naeka is the granddaughter of a billionaire; and the heir to his massive fortune. She is pursued by those who desire her inheritance, including those who wish to kill her for it. In order to protect her from them, an agent named Kogarashi with sharp claws and teeth is dispatched in the form of Maid Guy. During his stay, Maid Guy -- along with Fubuki, the cute maid who beats the living bejesus out of Maid Guy whenever he does something out of line with a nail-filled baseball bat -- gives his best effort to serve Naeka. His noisy and pushy services make her daily life exciting to the 10th degree; filled with weird potions, boob-grabbing karate fighters, panty-stealing thieves, and a crazed lesbian who wants to do nasty things to Fumiwara.
This is a show that’s made to make you laugh your ass off! From start to finish each episode is filled to the brim with stuff that’ll have you falling off your seat. To describe the feeling one may get from watching an episode, think of how it feels to be tickled nonstop; up to the point of when it hurts. This is what you feel when watching a show like “Kamen no Maid Guy.” In fact sometimes the zaniness of this anime may be too much for some people. In fact, if you have asthma you might die laughing. However, there seems to not be much of a giant storyline, so if you’re looking for a show with a strong plotline then look elsewhere. If you want a good chuckle, though, then I highly recommend “Kamen no Maid Guy.”
My grade for this series is an A-. It’s the wackiest anime in recent memory, but it might be too wacky for some to handle.
This is King Baby Duck saying, "If it ain't made in Japan, it's usually crap!"
When television isn't enough..youtube makes it all better!
Pandalicious in the hizzie fo rizzie! Have you ever been on your couch flipping through channels wishing the most random things would come on? [You aren't the only one let me tell you] Well I am aiming to remedy this desire for randomness. Over the next few weeks I will be searching the infinite series of tubes to bring forth the most random [BUT INTERESTING] Youtube videos. They will be very random, and will not always fall under the realms of my geek chic forte of anime and manga. I thought to start this whole thing off with a little trip down memory lane. The wonder lane of Anime Boston 2K8
The first one is the best in show of this years convention. Sadly it wasn't the one I voted for personally. If there is anything people love it's CG and then KH so apparently CG+KH= Best in Show. Enjoy!
Next comes another CG favorite. It got best concept if my memory doesn't fail me. [after seeing it I could definately see why!]
Now here is one of my personal favorites, it was a finalist but it did not take home one of the spots of the "Bests"
This Video got Best Editing. [FOR GOOD REASON] It's so bubbly..and makes me wanna bounce, all day long...
This one was my choice for best comedy....did it win? You tell me?
The last one I think I'll share will be for the ladies...It is too cute to pass up!
At the end of all of this, I can only say that the talents that have been showcased here are uncanny. I only wish I had a fourth of it. I can only imagine how good next years AMVS will be.
So? Did you like these videos? Have a favorite you wanna share with me? Send it to me here at the site! If its UBERLY SHIBBY who knows I might link it and give you props. [Oh Of course I'll give you props... I ain't no thief Geebuz]
In this episode, Pandalicious discusses the anime Paprika, MagicMysticGrl talks about the manga MeruPuri: Marchen Prince and NinjaSistah brings up the latest videogame news.
The rejected titles for the episode? Right here:
ESH Myths Revealed: Ninja Has Three Boobs
Last Week's New Word Was V'jayhole, This Week It's Omnimpotent
The Sistahs discuss both the unpronounceable and the unspeakable in this week's podcast, and it's a guaranteed hoot and a half.
First up is MagicMystic's telling of an anime called Mnemosyne. While you won't lose your head over this tale, you might lose a hand.
Next, Ninjasistah and Pandalicious discuss their love for the gangsters, ho's and bitches in Grand Theft Auto IV. Sure, the game's violent and profane, but also loveable in its own twisted way.
Along the way, Panda even coins a new word: V'jayhole. You'll have to hear it to believe it.
Anyway, you've seen the title of this week's podcast. Here are the ones the Sistahs rejected:
You've just been Panderized!
We'll Chase Magic Down and Poke Her With a Stick
Kitten Snot Might Make You Laugh -- Might Not
Leaving the Land of Noisy Colors
Cat Girl Chasing Towel Girl? Cool!
Finding Rare Stamps Might Sound Boring, But You Won't Lose a Hand Over It
The Best Anime Ever About a Human Shish-Kebab
Don't Chain My, Uh, Heart
Radio's Dying -- Except On Grand Theft Auto
A Very Special ESH: The Girls Discuss Lap Dances
I Wouldn't Be Surprised to See Myself On World's Stupidest Drunk Drivers
You say you want a revolution, well, you know... we aren't here to change the world. Monday still equals new podcast episode day, and I don't see that changing anytime too soon.
In this episode of the podcast, the girls cover the popular creative peoples website, "Deviant Art" as well as the anime series "Vampire Knight" and examine the possible effect GTA IV may have on the national release of the "Iron Man" film. We are chock full of something on this episode people, and I think it just may possibly be caffeine. Don't quote me on that one though, just check out the titles we didn't use for this episode and draw your own conclusions:
OC BC Does Not Equal AC/DC
Everyone Is Social On Da InterWebs
He Wasn't Worth Remembering
I Heart Vampiress (And They Heart, Hearts
We Have Angst With A Little More Angst On The Side
A T-Rex Mobster? ow Does He Tie A Windsor Knot?
I'm More Isolated Than Ever ON The InterWebs
Don't Trust Mean People...That's What They WANT You To Do!
and
It's Hay Fever Season, But YOu Shouldn't Sneeze Sparkles
Yeah, we go up and down the spectrum this week, trying our best to remind you that time is running out to try and win that custom GTA IV Xbox 360 Elite and bring you some fun insights on the realms of geek, game, and anime... so sit back and enjoy podcast episode number 95: Batman Doesn't Eat Babies.
I am just about ready to give another J-VOLUTION in the next week or so. Until then, here's another Anime Calamity for you all to read. This week we look at GONZO's "Rosario + Vampire."
Tsukune is your average student. He’s so average that there is nothing special about him. After failing to get into any private schools due to poor grades Tsukune just about gives up; until he finds an acceptance letter to Youkai Academy, which he’s never heard of. Without hesitation Tsukune goes to his new high school, only to find that he has entered a high school for monsters (youkai meaning monster). Tsukune has to keep his humanity a secret, for if a human finds out about the school he/she must automatically be executed.
At Youkai, Tsukune meets Moka, a sweet high school girl with a very short skirt. She is a vampire who prefers the taste of Tsukune’s blood, but is always kind and gentle. Almost immediately Tsukune falls in love with her. Around Moka’s neck is a rosary, which if taken off reveals Moka’s true vampire nature; one of coldness and arrogance. Also at the school is Kurumu the succubus, who always tries to seduce Tsukune into making him her slave, and Yukari, the 11-year old witch prodigy. A love-square for Tsukune’s love becomes imminent.
There are a few humorous moments and such; but it feels like the same jokes are repeated over and over again (and not in a good way like “Umisho” did it). The fan-service gets tiresome, as well. You cannot go ten seconds without seeing Moka’s or Kurumu’s panties; and when a straight guy like me says it’s getting tedious then it’s seriously getting dull. The characters are very uninteresting, and when the "heroes" are in danger I just wished they would be killed off so I wouldn't have to watch another episode of this crap! In fact the only good character in this show is Nazo, the narrating bat. He is quite funny as he is adorable; going around school covering naughty pictures and giving the exact time of the previous battle with his charm and cuteness. However watching “Rosario + Vampire” just for an animal character is kind of pointless (like watching the loli-con anime “Moetan” just for Ah-kun the Duck). The action scenes -- well-animated as they were -- were too quick for their own good; and it feels that Gonzo and the writers did this so they can satisfy the need to add more and more panty-shots without seeing these dimwitted female monsters and stupid human being in so much peril.
The only reason why I kept watching this show was because there was nothing good on American TV; and now I regret wasting my time watching this series. In fact I’d rather watch a marathon of really bad tentacle-filled hentai than this drivel! And here's the worst part: another season is now in the works. Make another "Afro Samurai" series instead of this sore excuse for fan-service, humor, and action!
This series gets a D-average. It wears out its welcome by episode 4; and although it ends a little bit better, "Rosario + Vampire" should be ignored by even the biggest fan-service lovers.
Usually this is where I'd say, "This is King Baby Duck saying, 'If it ain't made in Japan, it's usually crap!'" However, since this was quite the awful show I am going to leave my quote this week as this: "Even Japan produces a stinker or two once in awhile!"
Before you begin, I must let you know that I've only seen the first episode. Usually I wait until I see at least two episodes before I review a series, but this show needs to get its word out.
“Soul Eater,” based off the manga by Atsushi Okubo, takes place at a Shinigami technical school for weapon Meisters in a “Nightmare Before Christmas”-like world. The two main characters, Maka the Meister and Soul Eater, are near to getting their 100th spirit (an evil witch one), making Soul Eater a “Death Scythe.” Yes, boys and girls, Soul Eater is Maka’s weapon that can transform into a human when not in use. They meet Blair, who Maka and Soul Eater see as a witch; and proceed to defeat and eat her soul. As it turns out Blair is just a powerful magical catgirl with nine lives (which means Blair comes back after being eaten by Soul Eater). Because of this mistake Maka and Soul Eater have to start from scratch, and their journey for Soul Eater to become a Death Scythe begins anew.
Now that I’ve gone over the synopsis of the first episode, my thoughts: it’s got action, it’s got comedy, and it’s got excellent characters. Maka and Soul Eater are the best partner team since Edward and Alphonse Elric in “Fullmetal Alchemist,” and it should come as no surprise that Bones Studio made both these series. There’s also Maka’s father Spirit, who is a total crybaby and can’t even go pick up a couple of cabaret girls without hearing someone talking about his pending divorce from his wife. He reminds me a bit of Tamaki from “Ouran High School Host Club,” what with his style of fatherly instincts. Finally there is the grim reaper himself: Shinigami-sama. He’s like Grim from “Billy & Mandy,” Ryuk from “Death Note,” and Tingle from Zelda all rolled into one being. Plus his finishing move, the Direct Noggin Shinigami Chop, is so damn funny! One whack over the head and you’re out like a light; and he tends to do that a lot to Spirit.
The action sequences are to drool for, and seeing Soul Eater transform into Maka’s weapon is probably one of the coolest visual effects I’ve ever seen. And the animation is simply marvelous. It’s like a blend of Tim Burton, Gorillaz (Soul Eater looks like the bastard child of 2D and Murdoc), and Takeshi Murakami. Plus, as mentioned, the jokes are great. Soul Eater always talks about being cool, but he’s just a giant womanizing idiot looking for a good pair of melons. There are also awesome music-inspired tributes. One of Blair’s fighting moves is called “Smashing Pumpkins,” and there’s an upcoming zombie character named Sid Barrett (named for the former Pink Floyd guitarist).
Now you must be thinking, “Well if you’ve only seen the first episode of this series how can you make a good judge of a show?” Well normally if I watch the first episode of a series, and then see if it’s worth following. I’ve done it with everything I watch, and have actually stopped watching a couple after the first episode (such as “Blue Gender” and “Reign: The Conqueror”) because it was so terrible. However this is the first time, probably not since watching “Furi Kuri,” that a series has grabbed my attention so wonderfully. I do not see “Soul Eater” becoming a dull show anytime soon. It’s fresh, wild, imaginative, and will probably pave way towards a new genre of anime. It’s already the first series to air in two versions: one for kids Monday evenings and one for adults late on Thursday nights. By doing this TV Tokyo has made the smart initiative to market a series for both the young and old to enjoy. There is no way in Hell that an American company isn’t going to license this show. It’s too damn good for the Japanese audience to keep to themselves! (Also, early reports say the second episode of "Soul Eater" is actually better!)
After saying that, I’ve already made my prediction: “Soul Eater” will be the anime series of 2008. It’s got everything that I, personally, look for in an anime: great fights, hilarious gags, and characters that are easy to fall in love for. Oh yeah, and its end theme is by STANCE PUNKS: the greatest punk band this day and age; and it’s the first time since I was a kid that I actually started singing along to a cartoon theme song. My grade: A+.
This is King Baby Duck saying, "If it ain't made in Japan, it's usually crap!"
Today, Pandalicious takes you through the anime series Bus Gamer based on the short series manga of the same name while NinJaSistah [slow on the update, admittedly] talks about her new Portal/OrangeBox experience. Even though MagicMystic was MIA for this recording, the girls were still able to find a way to off on some interesting tangents.
Don't believe me? Here are the rejected episode titles:
Sitting In The Ooze, Waiting To Respawn
The Office Was Empty, But It Wasn't The Weekend
My Companion Cube Was Alone On Valentines Day
Nobody Ate Anybody In Staying Alive Either
Somebody Ought To Put That Morality Chip Into Dick Chaney
That Dude In Portal? He's A Chick
Dat Cube Gotta Go!
Hot Man Candy Has A Gooey Center
Walk Softly and Carry A Big Lead Pipe
Muppets Singin About Killing Me Scares Me
I'm Not Comfortable With A Man Having A Baby
It's An Animated World, And I'm An Animated Girl
The World Wildlife Fund Has Nothing On Them
and
I'd Tell You About The Third Episode, But I've Slept Since Then
As I am currently scrounging for some J-POP I can review, I would like to tell all my little duckies and kawaii kitties out there about an anime series that's got me going quackers! (Okay, I think I should stop with the duck puns before the Sistas beat me senseless!) The name of the anime is called "Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho," or "Umisho" for short. When Kaname was a small boy he almost drowned when he was pulled down by what appeared to be a mermaid. Since then he has never been able to swim. That hasn’t stopped him from being the swim team manager at Umisho, which is short for a high school with an extremely long name that I’m not even going to try to write. Unfortunately the swim team sucks, having won no tournaments since its inception three years before. One day a girl on a houseboat appears on the shores. Her name is Amuro, and boy can she swim. Without hesitation Kaname and vice-captain Momoko ask her to join the swim team. In no time at all the swim team gets better and better, while a seemingly lovely relationship between Kaname and Amuro begins to blossom; even though Kaname is always quick to deny it.
This is a show where the characters shine as bright as the sun. Amuro is probably one of the funniest, optimistic leading ladies in recent anime memory; and the chemistry between her and the other members of the swim team is truly memorable. The show-stealer, though, has to be the team captain Ikamasa. Not a single moment goes by where he isn’t bringing in the biggest laughs on the show. Plus with all the fan-service that goes into a show involving swimming you can bet on plenty of boob and butt jokes, as well as some below-the-belt humor that any high school and college kid can enjoy. What’s great about the series is that these usually-tiresome jokes do not wear out their welcome. It’s got that sort of Benny Hill lucky charm. It can be the same joke a thousand times, but it’s still just as funny as before.
“Umisho” aired in Japan last July, and its manga is currently still running. However neither has been licensed, so it could be a year or two before it comes to these shores. But be patient: for it’ll be worth the wait when “Umisho” gets released here. Funny, heartfelt, and wonderful plotlines that will have you screaming for more. “Umisho” gets an A- in my book.
This is King Baby Duck saying "If it ain't made in Japan, it's usually crap!"
The one thing that was brought to our attention at this year's Anime Boston 2K8 was that talent has reached OVER 9000! [But no seriously] Not only were the costumes insane and the energy is off the hook but animation took place but that is not all. Music has been written and that is not all...They were put together and this is what it made...Enjoy [As a disclaimer this awesomeness isn't something that I myself made. [[I WISH I HAD HALF THIS TALENT]] However I figured all facets of the geekdom would love this! Brought from the interwebs of cyberspace....from the hot new band...L33tStr33t Boys!! "YURI THE ONLY ONE FOR ME!"
Monday rears it's ugly face area again and so the ESH Crew gives you a new episode of the podcast to hide behind.
In this episode of the podcast, the regular trio is back at it to talk about the anime series Paranoia Agent the manga Dazzle and the disconnect with animes optioned from manga with a smattering of Fushigi Yugi and a few other things.
To give you an idea of the places we go, here are the titles we didn't use for this episode:
Dance Moves To Die For
Then Anime Boston Turned Into The Shining
No One Told Me About the NinJa Rape
It's Like The Lion King, Without The Lions
The Old Lady Pulled a Geraldo
It's Not Like We've Ever Shied Away From Spoilers Before
Twisted, Dark and Perverse - That's Entertainment!
They Don't Sell Kool-Aid At Suicide.com
We Haven't Talk About Incest In a Long Time
They Should Have Called Him HeckBoy
Bitch! Listen To Bruce Willis!
Coming Next Week: Whatever NinJa Wanted to Talk About
From the creators of As the school bus turns and The Real World Outland comes....
For all those who are new to the convention world I have one piece of advice for you. MAKE LOTS OF MONEY! I do not say this because you need money for food and your hotel room and your registration. I say this with one place in mind, and that [ladies and gentlemen] is the dealers room.
This room is LARGE and IN CHARGE. It is glittered in rows of merchants selling anime, manga, memorabilia, collectables and things that may relate to the japanese culture but not exactly on anime tip [if you know what I mean] However as excited as Pandalicious was to throw herself into the massive human ocean that was the Dealers Room, she was overcome with confusion and fear. Why? you might ask yourself would our beloved Panda would be confused about and for once... Panda sought out order.
This year the Dealers' room had no real structure to it. Anime DvDs were being sold next to some Catgirl Loli costume table that was paralell to a hentai table. In all honesty [not that i'm never honest about all things anime related] DvD sellers should be with DvD sellers, Manga sellers w/ Manga sellers...Costumes with Costumes and etc [you get the idea] This uncontrolled room made me feel as a buyer that I would walk out with barely anything. [I did buy a cat tail, ears, bell collar and the anime Paranoia Agent [which i will review in the next coming show!]
Maybe next time Anime Boston will better organize the room that avid anime loves through away money on product. We shall see.
Yeah, you know you love the new podcast day here at ESH, and so do we!
In this episode of the ESH podcast NinJaSistah and Pandalicious touch on the issue of race in animation and games starting with the catalyst The Boondocks then floating over to the topic of the forth coming PS2 title Persona 4 from Atlus. It's one of them there, what the kids call "thought provoking" episodes that we are known to do from time to time.
If you need a little convincing to download this episode, here are the titles we didn't use:
Fred Flintson Drinks Yabba-Dabba-Dew
Panda's Coined a New Word: Aggerize
The Cosby Kids Don't Live In the Boondocks
It's Not Bad Being The Only Chocolate Chip In The Cookie
and
If You LIke DBZ Eyebrows, You're Gonna Love This!
Yeap, it's a great episode, so curl up with a fresh cuppa joe and Episode 91: Panda's Never Put A Beat-Down On A Ho
We got a question in over our phone line from J.Smith and I'd like to take this opportunity to answer it just in case Pandalicious hasn't.
The reason you haven't been able to find that anime series Panda talked about in episode 10 of the podcast is because the full title of the series is "Serial Experiments Lain." I hope this is helpful to you. Lain is a great series, and if you like it, you may also want to check into another series called Ergo Proxy
Pandalicious shares some musings about viral video treasure trove YouTube, FUNimation channel getting itself out of the rerun doldrums, and self buttering popcorn. [you'll just have to listen to find out more about that one] Then NinJaSistah jumps in to add the sprinklings of gaming news including some first impressions on Legendary, and MagicMystic rounds out the show with another review of an edgy manga title. This title is hard to describe so I'll just give you the name...Deadman Wonderland.
If you want some help deciding to watch this episode, just check out the rejected title list:
Air Causes Cancer-Didn't You Know?
Popcorn's Coming! And That's Just Sick
Popcorn: Now It Makes It's Own Gravy
Point Me To The Nearest Ghost
Retards Are Special, Too
Crinklebread Must Make Great Toast
Magic's Not A Stuntwoman, But She Plays One In A Videogame
Take magic To Vegas, I'll Knit A Sweater
Kitty Birds Just Don't Look Menacing Enough
101 Things To Do With Your Yang
Blood As A Weapon? The Red Cross Can't Keep Up Now!
An Eye for A What?!
Deadman Wonderland, Great Entertainment For Bulimics
It’s always been a dream of mine to have a place where gamers and like-minded individuals as myself could hang out share thoughts and opinions. Well that dream has come true!!
Myspace has dominated the online social community for a long time. Although, it’s a good place to hang out, meet people, and share life experiences, it has always been hard for me to find a group that I fit into there. Even with the few gaming, anime, and technology groups that exist on Myspace, I’m very limited to what I can do once I join.
Well there’s a place for you and me now at GAX. GAX is a social community for gamers, movie enthusiasts, anime-lovers, etc. The site is named after the late Gary Gygax (July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008), the author of the well-known fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). GAX allows members to created and decorated their own page, invite friends, create and join member-created groups of various topics, create blogs, and much more! There’s also an active and live chat running on every page.
Sign up. It’s free! Who knows? Your blog may be featured on the main page of GAX!
In this episode, Pandalicious and NinJaSistah hold down the show chit chattin' about the anime [based off of a harem video game] They Are My Noble Masters and the influence of eastern culture on western culture and back again through the video medium. We get a little deep on the discussion end, and them come back to being the normal chaotic prattle that we usually give you.
If you need more encouragement, here are the titles we didn't use:
Captain Save-a-hoe Sez: No WoW For You
It's Gigantaramous- Without The Ramos
Turner Movie Classics Is Trying To Kill Me
Welcome to The Real World: ESHLand
They Don't Bleed, But There's Still A Discharge
Helen Mirren's Next Role: the Metropolitan New York Yello Pages
How Do You Watch Samurai Champloo? Lather-Rinse-Repeat
I Could Watch Maids and Butlers For The Remains of the Day
In this episode of the podcast Pandalicious brings up the demise of the NewType magazine and notes the decline in printed review media focusing on anime or manga here in the US. Then MagicMystic chimes in with her thoughts on the very, very sugary anime series Shugo Chara by TV Tokyo. Not to be left out, NinJaSistah chimes in with some gaming news updates and continues on the sugary sweet anime series Sorcerer Hunters.
It's a fun episode, but don't take my word for it. Let these rejected episode titles tell reveal the fun-ness of it all...
Don't Choke On Microsoft's Wad
This Is A Pimpless Podcast
Twelve F-Words Makes It Extra Explicit
NewType Has Contracted Magazine Cancer
MagicMystic Fives The Ultimate Spoiler
Panda Puts Out For Published Writers
Harry Potter Jumped The Shark At Book Four
Sporty Spice Is A Version of Me? Egg-zactly!
Yeah, But Can She Transform Into A Camaro?
Just Another Manic Chara
A Black Egg With An "X" On It? The EAster Bunny's Not Gonna Like That
When The Keymaster Met The Gatekeeper
You Gotta Be Sick To Watch Sorcerer Hunters
These Suspenders Defy All Laws of Physics
This Series Puts The "Con" in Necronomicon
You'll Be Like That's What Panda Was Talking About
Katsucon has come an gone and let me tell you, it was quite an experience. It happened to be my first Con, and that made everything even crazier. I'll get into more details later, for now I'll give you the short summary of the drunken escapades.
When I was on the way there, I really didn't have any idea what to expect. My first impression was in no way disappointing, skimpy women in cosplay outfits! It was like a dream come true. >.> There was just a little problem, mainly the prison sentence involved. Fear not though dear readers, I found hentai based on all of it when I got home. =D
Most of the first night wa just like hanging out with friends, friends that you only know about half of what they are saying. I did manage to get the biggest Chipotle burrito though. It exploded like a pimple, oozing its guacamole upon the world. then came the drinking! Too be honest the first night was kind of hazy. I played a board game with a bunch of people and it involved cars. It was called Top gear, based off of the show I have never heard of before. Can anyone tell me if it is any good?
The next day was a blast! I got to meet webcomic artists like the Applegeeks guys,the OotS dude and even my favorite artist (Jamie from Angry Zen Master and Erfworld.) I also got to play drunken patty cake. Strangely, I am a lot better at it drunk, I didn't even have to look. I got to see a panel called The Iron Artist (which I will talk about later) and then we went to the cosplay (which will have more talking about too). From here it gets kinda jumbled.... I went to the rave, in my drunken stupor I wandered out into the hotel. I ended up with a group of swingers and we went and saw some hentai. Hentai is actually really funny when you are drunk and in a group of 150 people.
But enough about my experiences there, stay tuned Space Cowboy for more on the con itself! If you wanna share con experiences or even plan something fun at the next area con (I wanna go to them all!) send an e-mail to monkeydoo@electricsistahood.com or catch me on aim at Monkeydooinc.
In this episode, the gals get together to talk about, well, a little bit of everything. From Pandalicious sharing some of her thoughts on the anime Paradise Kiss, then on to MagicMystic exposing us to the Persona: Trinity Soul anime, and then NinJaSistah talking about sex in video games, Devil May Cry 4 and the passing of actor Heath Ledger.
It is a rollercoaster ride of an episode this week; lots of highs and lows, lots of tangents. If you don't believe me, just take a look at the titles we rejected:
It's What ESH Mom Wants Everyone To Know
Anime Dude Looks Like A Lady
There's Angst Everywhere
The Writers Laughed In My Face-They Can Stay On Strike
Franz Ferdinand? Didn't He Pay For Columbus' Boat Trip?
Plan B's Not That Shabby
The Jeopardy Answer: You Can Unscrew A Light bulb
It's Never Good To Shoot Yourself In the Head
There's No Racism In Reverse World, Everybody's Pink
That Crack/Mother's Back Thing Just Ain't True
Personas Can Leap Tall Buildings In A Single Bound
In which a Ruffled vigilante, diabetes immune doll and pacifist berserker run a clothing store and fight demons.
One day, a young girl named Sumire accidentally pricks her finger on a strange broach and is suddenly able to see demons, called Viruses. Of course, she immediately gets attacked by one. Coming to her aid, a young woman dressed in Goth-loli with an eyepatch dispatches the demon. The frilly pirate, Lucia, runs a clothing store/detective agency, Venus Vanguard, and she recruits Sumire to help her rid the world of Viruses. Lucia uses special anti-virus bullets and during a mission she accidentally shoots Sumire who goes berserk and kills the virus with her bare hands. Enter some badguys pulling all the strings from the wings, a soulless doll that won't stop eating chocolate and Lucia's tragic backstory and you've got a glimpse into the world of Venus Versus Virus.
This is a pattern anime through and through. Nothing in it was new or revolutionary, and 99% of it was easy to predict. None of the 'twists' surprised me, but that doesn't mean that I was disappointed. Sometimes it's nice to sit down and watch something that doesn't require you to think. Knowing in advance what's going to happen isn't always a bad thing either, anticipation is half the fun. This anime had me getting all exited when I knew shit was gonna go down and then turning to the empty air beside me to say "See! I TOLD you that was gonna happen." There's something very satisfying about lording it over the void sitting next to you. Like hearing an old familiar fairy tale. I mean, people are never going to stop remaking favorites like Cinderella, and I will always be right there waiting to read/see it again. This anime was like that. It's a story I've seen many times before and it was nice to see it again without actually having to watch the same title.
I love berserkers. For example, I hate both Ichigo and Naruto but squeal like a fangirl on crack laced with helium whenever they go Kyuubi-ish or Vizard. There's just something really awesome about a character that'll rip up their best friends like tissue paper. So, despite her over naivete and sickeningly sweet personality, I have a bit of a soft spot for Sumire. Another reason I really like her is that she has to frikkin shoot herself to use her power. Some of you may not remember, but a few months ago I talked about Persona 3 in the podcast and I raved about the same thing there. The main characters all had to shoot themselves to release their powers. I think that it's an awesome concept and I find it utterly hilarious to watch them shoot themselves.
I'd give Venus Versus Virus a 3.5 since it's the same ol' same old, but still worth a look. It's 12 episodes long and is currently being released in the US by ADV Films. Some pink for being cutsy, some teal for being just a tiny bit cool, some red for violence and an itsy bit of black cuz technically demons are scary.
Just before NinjaSistah flew out to Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronic Show this weekend, she and Pandalicious recorded a new podcast.
Pandalicious talks about a creepy new anime called "Ghost Hound." It doesn't contain ghosts (at least, not Casper-style ghosts) and it doesn't have any hounds, either, but Panda insists it's worth watching.
NinjaSistah discusses several topics, including last week's Xbox Live outage, some free Rock Band tracks (but Playstation players are out of luck), God of War 3 and the HD movie format wars.
And, as usual, there are plenty of rejected titles for this episode:
Three Guys, a Girl and Their Suicidal Thoughts
Anime's Psychic Friends Network
Alien Butt Babies Make You Make an Ass of Yourself
It's that time of the week again, it's new podcast time... and believe me, it's a good one.
In this week's episode Pandalicious talks about the anime series Lucky Star and mowei anime in general while NinJaSistah shares her top disappointing games of 2007 and her highest hopes for 2008. It's a fun filled hour once again in the land of ESH and if you don't believe me, here's the titles we didn't use for this episode:
Two Words: Santa NinJa
Mowei! Mowei! Mowei! How Do You Like It? How Do You Like It?
In this weeks episode, Pandalicious make her return to the show to talk about the hermit syndrome becoming ever more popular in mainstream anime while NinJaSistah puts her focus on Soul Calibur: Legends on the Wii and new Ninja Gaiden II and Devil May Cry 4 trailers.
Oh yeah, the girls share some RockBand tips as well. For a better idea how the show runs over the hour, here are the rejected episode titles:
Anime Hermits Don't Cause Anal Leakage
Gingerbread Parties Rock
Rape is Not the Type of Thing We Should Be Pushing This Season
Looking For Hair Pie in Devil May Cry
Everyone's Losing Their Drawers These Days
and
Dante's Getting Fitted for His Tuxedo
The sistah's are back, and both are on XBlive now! Kick back and enjoy episode #80: Worst Tangent Ever
I hope you folks have gotten all of the commercial crap done and over with so you can now sit back, and enjoy the rest of the holiday season. But on the off chance you haven't, here's a quick tip for you. If you still have some gamer folks, technophiles, or anime fans left on you list you still have time to get them something they'll love.
For the anime fan, you can gift them a copy of the anime Trinity Blood either via iTunes as a digital download or from your local Best Buy on the way to their house in the morning. Trinity has some deep moments, some light ones, characters that you genuinely come to care for, and a sexy vampire Vatican priest. What more do you need? If that may not get your otaku friends' attention, try handing them a copy of Death Note or Le Chevalier D'eon.
Now, that tricky technophile, and technophiles are damned tricky people... make no mistake. Now you could go the iPhone route, or get them something that they will worship you for, the Slingbox Solo. With this gift, they can watch TV [HD or SD] anywhere in the world from their computer or cell phone. Compatible with both the Windows and Apple platforms, you nearly can't go wrong. [Especially since it'll only set you back $180 buck]
And that gamer? Simple. Give them a $200 buck gift card to Game Stop. Why $200? Why Game Stop? Well, Game Stop works best because they sell used games for consoles as well as games for the Windows platform and DVD's. A gift card for this store will pretty much cover any video gamer you may have yet to buy for. They also sell some of the more popular trading card game card packs so you may even be a hero to that non-digital gamer friend you have. Why $200 bucks? Simple. A brand new game on the XB360 system or PS3 will run you between $60-$80 plus tax. You can't guarantee that your particular giftee will only purchase used titles. By giving them a couple of bones to play around with you give them the option to shop the new stuff and walk out with a couple of titles or dive deep into the previously played and take home a treasure trove of gaming, video goodness. Either way, you end up the person they brag about to all their other friends. Plus 10 awesome exp for you.
It's Monday people, so it's time once again for a new episode of the ESH podcast. This week the sistah drop on you N00b Sauce, That's On Aisle 42.
In this week's episode the sistah's talk about the anime series Colorful, the Sci-Fi channels take on the Wizard of OZ mini-series Tin Man, and the newly released Geometry Wars: Galaxies from Vivendi Games. Yes, this episode [like all others] is chock full of tangents, rants, raves, asides, and all the other stuff we cram into an hour. If you need more convincing, here are the titles we didn't use to describe this week's episode:
How do I compete With Koktitz
We Need More Estrogen In This Biznatch
ESH To CES: We Knock Things Up!
It's So Wrong, It's Badong
Colorful Steals Your IQ, But At Least It's Short
Don't Tell Mom Panda's Tri-Sexual
It Couldn't Give a Dog a Bone
You're Never Too Tired to Turn Off The Disney Channel
Mila Jovovich's Next Blockbuster: BrainAge: The Movie
Anime takes center stage in this week's ElectricSistaHood podcast as Pandalicious discusses Pumpkin Scissors and NinjaSistah talks about Venus Vs. Virus.
What Pandalicious doesn't mention about Pumpkin Scissors is that you can get some exclusive wallpapers right here on the ESH website. Go take a look for yourself.
In addition, NinjaSistah talks about the Tinman mini-series on SciFi Network, which reimagines L. Frank Baum's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." She also discusses the Bladestorm game and the upcoming CES show in Las Vegas. Finally, Pandalicious goes on a little tirade about a certain Kid Nation participant.
Here are the titles that we tossed out:
Don't Drink and Podcast
Partying Pandas Have a Lot In Common With Tara Reid
Blondes Have More Nobility
Randle Doesn't Need a Tank To Fulfill Him
Some Characters In Pumpkin Scissors Do It Doggie-Style
It's time to give thanks to the Sistahs for their annual advice on what videogames, anime and manga to give for the coming holiday season as they present their gift guide on this week's podcast.
Not only do they tell you what to give, they also tell you what not to give as well. We don't want to give it all away, but surprisingly enough, the PS3 is not on either list this year.
In this episode of the podcast, NinJaSistah finishes up her thoughts on Guitar Hero 3 with Pandalicious adding a thought or two, followed by her account of the PS3 title Folklore. Then the subject changes to the anime series When They Cry and the tragic sadness that then follows Panda around for the rest of her days. Yes, it's a fun filled hour and some change! So grab your morning cup-a-joe and enjoy Episode 74: Watering Taco Equals Dangerous!
Oh yeah, here are the titles we didn't pick to describe this episode.
The Midgets That Fly In Vegas, Stay In Vegas
Folklore? More Like FolkBORE!
Even Prescription Drugs Wouldn't Help These Guys
Don't Insert Folklore In Mouth, Or Anus
When Cicadas Cry Is NOT a Prince Song
Why Is Every Guy In Anime Named Keichi
If Bloody Intestines Aren't Creepy Enough, Just Wait!
There are Some Animes You Just Don't Watch With Mom
In The Alternate Universe, Everyone's Alive Again
I Can Watch The Version With Tacos
Santa, Panda Has Been A...Girl This Year.
Don't forget about the ESH Legendary Giveway! Some lucky bastid is going to win a copy of Halo3:Legendary Edition. Will YOU be that bastid?
Now why didn't anyone think of that before? A female James Bond! That's what you've got going in the anime series called 009-1.
All sexed up and everywhere to go, this thing promises to bring out the man in you, all right. Need a wallpaper for your computer? Just click on any of the images to find anything you need.
Here's the official synopsis of the story: In a world where the Cold War never ended, East and West continue to battle for technological and political supremacy. Mylene Hoffman, field commander of the elite Zero Zero Organization, exists in this world with her eyes open and her body always ready to do battle. She puts the intelligence into "intelligence agent" and her body into "body of evidence."
Liberating benevolent scientists, tagging along with would-be monster-slayers, meeting her match in the world's most hard-boiled assassin and navigating a deadly labyrinth of horrors are all in a day's work for Mylene. There's no problem she can't solve with the proper application of high explosives, fast-talk, deceptive jewelry, make-up and the right moves behind closed doors.
In a world of spy mystery and intrigue, discover who she kisses one minute and kills the next.
The Sistahs talked about it in Episode 67 -- Nerima Daikon Brothers -- the anime that asks the musical question, "Is that an elongated radish in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?"
We're presenting some exclusive wallpapers for your viewing pleasure. Just click any of the images on this page to find the giant wallpaper version.
Personally, I can't stand the exaggerated Southern drawl on Mako, and her love for Dom Perignon is mentioned so often, you'd swear the company was doing product placement on purpose. And don't even ask me about Ichiro's show of affection for the, uh, panda bear.
Here's the official synopsis of the story:
What's a band to do with no fame, and especially no sold-out arena to perform in? How can they grab the cash they need to build the Concert Dome of their dreams? Well, they can't. But the Nerima Daikon Brothers sure as hell are going to try! Watch as Hideki, Ichiro, and Mako (yeah, one of them's a chick!) farm daikon by day, and battle slimy record producers, pachinko-mad hags, monstrous nurses, flatulent hospital administrators, and hot police babes, by night. Listen as the band AND the evil villains sing hilarious songs, all along the bumpy, daikon-studded road! What's daikon anyway? Is it a vegetable? Is it a fruit? A weapon? A girl's best friend? All of the above?
Last December, I wrote a short review on an anime titled Basilisk ~Ninpo Cho~ that told the tale of two lovers from feuding ninja clans that were pitted in a war against each other. It was more of a ninja spin on Romeo and Juliette.
I was thinking of re-watching Basilisk again when I received a tip about a live adaptation of the Basilisk anime titled Shinobi: Heart Under Blade. After some internet tracking, I was able to find and watch the movie and I've got to say that its pretty good. The plot is the same as the anime although a lot of things have been omitted in the movie. The fight sequences are amazing as each Shinobi uses their powers to defend their leader.
Check out the trailer and let me know what you think.
Oh yeah! It's the beginning of the week, so you know we have to hit you with 
No joking here folks, the heavens themselves moved in order to get Milk-chan from Ultimate Quest on 
The ladies aren't playing around in 
It's Monday once again so that means it's time for a new episode of the ESH podcast, and this episode the gals talk both anime and game as well as recap some previous podcast episode stuff.
From perception issues with being black, female, and down with the technology stuff to how to best take advantage of when the StayPuft Marshmallow Man finally comes to claim his puffy vengeance. Normally at this time I would hit you with the list of titles we didn't use, but what is most important is getting down to the good stuff. 
It's been a while since the Sistahs talked about anime, but that's taken care of in 
The Sistahs discuss both the unpronounceable and the unspeakable 
Katsucon has come an gone and let me tell you, it was quite an experience. It happened to be my first Con, and that made everything even crazier. I'll get into more details later, for now I'll give you the short summary of the drunken escapades.
In which a Ruffled vigilante, diabetes immune doll and pacifist berserker run a clothing store and fight demons.
