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!

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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!

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If the title alone doesn't clue you in that it's new podcast episode Monday, I don't know what will.

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
• and finally
• If You Snap It, You'll Go Blind

Yep, it's another random, fun podcast for you guys, so sit back and enjoy podcast episode 111: The Sistahs' Are Shooting Blanks

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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
• Green M&M's and Communist Plots
• And Something Raunchy This Way Comes
• and
• Alan Rickman Is So Hard

So hunker down, grab a cup of joe and enjoy ESH Podcast Episode 110: And Now Girls On Trampolines!

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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.

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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
• You Don't Wanna Waste Your Bombs
• Don't Pay The Toll When 5-0's On Your Ass
• This Podcast Is Abridged
• and finally
• FUSION DANCE OF PAIN!

Hope you have a hot cup of coffee on hand, because you want to stay awake for this one folks. I give you, ESH podcast episode 107: Friends Don't Let Friends Drink & Podcast!

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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!

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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!!!!"

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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
• and
• FYI: Incest Sends Your Soul to Hell

So grab your morning or evening cup of joe and enjoy ESH Podcast Episode 105: This Is Fan Service...WITHOUT My Crotch

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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!"

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Monday yet again people, and here we go with a fresh new episode of the ESH podcast for you.

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
• and
• I'm Pre-Retractable

It's a completely rounded out episode folks, so sit back and enjoy episode 101: Not To Spoil It For You, But This Episode Ends In Goodbye.

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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.

We thank you for your attention, and toast to another hundred. Enjoy podcast episode number 100: Go Team Venture!

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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!"

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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]

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Videogames, manga, anime -- we've got it all in this week's episode.

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

Whatever Shall I Do With All This Sexiness?

You Don't Bathe Other People's Children

It's Cute to Be Stupid When You're Young

You Had Me At Sorceress

Magic Has a Nero Complex

I Asked for Toilet Paper and They Gave Me Nectar

In Your Pants -- It's Where Panda Always Goes

A Horse Dissected Cannot Stand

So enjoy this week's new podcast Episode 98: This Episode Is Ribbed for Your Pleasure.

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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

Go ahead and take a listen to Episode 97: Cops Don't Like It When You Shoot Them.

Finish What You Start...

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.

Finish What You Start...

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!"

Finish What You Start...

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!"

Finish What You Start...

Another Monday bears forth another new episode of the ESH podcast, and this one is as entertaining as all the rest.

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 Ali