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    King Baby Duck's Anime Calamity: Hetalia: Axis Powers

    posted @ 2/15/2009 02:36:00 PM by King Baby Duck
    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."

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    King Baby Duck's Anime Calamity: Special A

    posted @ 11/26/2008 12:11:00 AM by King Baby Duck

    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!"

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    Speed Grapher: Chock Full Of Taboo

    posted @ 7/25/2007 10:00:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    A picture is worth a thousand kills.

    Keeping on the "manly anime" tip, I bring you an accounting of Funimation and Gonzo/TAP's series "Speed Grapher."

    The hero of our tale is Tetsumi Saiga. Saiga is the stereotypical burnout photojournalist turned tabloid photographer. Trapped in a society where the rich get richer while the poor get fucked [sometimes literally] Saiga has become jaded and cold. He has a fuck buddy Hibari Ginza that is as smoking hot as she is full of shit. Ginza can only get excited [you know, in the pants...] while she's holding a gun to Saiga's body. I don't want to say the girl has some serious control issues, but um, well, she does.

    In the opening episode we learn that Saiga actually earned a reputation as a famed photographer while photographing a war. Through a flashback, we learn that Saiga has his own eccentricity... photographing images of violence through his camera tends to get him, well, happy in the pants area. As you watch more and more episodes, it becomes clearer that it's the envy of the power of human type destruction that gets to Saiga. If he's honest with himself, he wishes that he could inflict that kind damage through his lens. This concept eventually becomes one of the driving forces of the plot for the series.

    Speed Grapher is one of those series that tries to emulate an ensemble cast TV show lineup by exploring the past, present, and future of several characters over its two arcs. As you progress through the 24 episodes of the series, you explore the lives of the hero and heroine Saiga and Kagura Tennozu as the main thread that binds together the stories of Kagura's mother Shinsen Tennozu and Shinsen's left hand man Suitengo. I don't want to give too much away, but saying that the way each of the main characters pasts' entwine with the other characters' past or even present is interesting enough to more than hold your attention. I think that aspect of the series alone makes it worth watching, the strong sexual content wasn't even needed and at time can detract from the fact that a compelling story is trying to unfold before you. I don't need to see a room full of middle aged men riding younger women wearing a saddle and harness to get the point across that they are fat-cat bastards.

    What I find interesting about the series, and the reason why I find it to fit in that "manly anime" category is because Saiga ultimately is a man's man. He's tough, he's gruff, he takes what he wants and he's unapologetic about it... almost to the point that he's happy about where he is in life and how he got there. A tiny tip about a super secret club for the rich and powerful of the city called the Roppongi Club is the key to his undoing in a way. Saiga decides to infiltrate the club in order to do an exclusive report on them and expose the club and all of it's depraived patrons to the public. Roaming through the club reveals more debotchery, fetishism, and corruption than even Saiga had imagined...it's only a chance encounter with "the goddess" that is the catalyst for his changing. [In more ways than one.]

    A young innocent struggles to be free. A reluctant hero stuggles with himself and the environment to give a damn about more than just his personal desire. A middle age woman stuggles with aging, being surpassed in beauty by a daughter that serves as a constant reminder of a lost love. Then there is the sinister character that seems to focus only on feeding the evil and greed that has control of the city.

    Speed Grapher is not a series for the faint of heart. It is in no way a shojo anime. It is definitely a series striving for maturity, and I give it credit for that. My only complaint is its ending...it's quite lame in my opinion. When you get to the end you will understand what I mean. With all of the other taboos that the series address and even places prominence on, Speed Grapher should have ended in a much different way.

    The ending is the only thing that isn't manly about the series. I'll give it a 4 out of 5.

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