SPOILERS FOR GUNDAM AGE EPS. 1-15

Gundam AGE takes a lot of steps to try to combine the old image of Gundam with a more appealing aesthetic to children. While trying to bring kids into the Gundam fold isn’t a totally new approach for the franchise, attempting to grab both young and old audiences at the same time in the same main show can be hard to serve up. This is most difficult because of its ardent fans and long history, as opposed to working on something completely new. Gundam AGE makes great efforts of this balancing act in the first arc of its multi-generational story.

I think it is very important to note that Gundam AGE was originally supposed to be a Gundam video game by Level-5 until Bandai decided to green light the story to be a full anime series. Everything was originally written out to be for a younger video game audience with the pacing, characters, and story structure of said players in mind. I think the main disconnect between the traditional Gundam fan base and the anime is that they kept much of that same scenario in mind when they created Gundam AGE. With a younger audience turning more toward video games for their entertainment it makes sense on a certain level to try to court that audience with the same vibe of storytelling they seem to prefer. How well this is going to work has yet to be seen but there is a method to the madness. It all comes down to how well they adapt this game into an anime now that they have chosen that as their medium.

There is still quite a bit about AGE that feels like a video game. The AGE System is clearly how you were supposed to level-up your suit in the original game. The nature of the upgrades and even the method in which they are implemented seem relatively untouched from original blueprint. The enemy suits even have classes they are beaten with certain upgrades Flit unlocks by fighting enough of a certain type of enemy. A very classic video game structure of progression. Also the whole story on Fardain seems more like a video game plot than an anime plot. Flit befriending Iwark Briar and his daughter and how the crew of the Diva gets involved with the conflict between the Zalam and Euba have the pacing and story mechanics more suited for an RPG. Most people I have talked to seem to think that part of the story drags the most. I think if you were fighting while leveling up none of the section would have been as slow and unwieldy. But as a passive observer the your notice the chinks in the armor of the plot a bit more.

Something basic like the design of the characters immediately makes Gundam AGE feel younger. But as the story proceeds, those aesthetics seem to work as a grounding contrast to the story. Almost as if by creating these colorful characters they can present children with a darker story. The tropes of Gundam, like the price of war on civilians is still there but there is a bit more kiddie wish fulfilment in the earlier parts especially in terms or alliances as well. Flit acts as a an intermediary for people with long-standing feuds and inspires all those he meets. Emily even seems to forget she is a young girl or perhaps it is because of her youthful spirit that she confronts Grodek, on her own, about what she believes to be nefarious plot. The enemies that Grodek and soon all our leads are trying to defeat remain faceless, aliens for a long while which gives emotional distance but as a viewer you can read the writing on the wall. Decil is a very single-note villain who is pure evil vs. Flit the savior; black and white. Decil even cuts down his comrade Yurin without a second or remorseful thought (instead of say, having Flit accidentally do it which we be so Gundam of them). This comes off simplistic without the rest of the story being looked at. That anger that Flit has been fighting against since the beginning boils to the surface. Flit’s reaction pushes him to do attempt something he might have regretted, but he’ll never know since Grodek takes on the burden instead.

There are some parts of the first Gundam AGE that are more like the Gundam we are familiar with. It seemed to me that when Don Boyage died it was major turning point in which the story really started to put away a lot of its childish story telling. There has been deaths among both military personnel and civilians including Hendrick Bruzar but Don Boyage’s death seem to raise the stakes. The deaths seem more personal and more constant. Most importantly Grodek gets absolutely nothing for being totally right and not only discovering the truth behind the Unknown Enemy and dealing them a decisive blow that set back their plans for years. Nothing else sealed the corrupt nature of the Earth Federation Forces like sacrificing a hero for the sake of dirty politics while taking credit for his success. Also Grodek executes Yark Dole with no remorse. When we first meet Grodek he merely knocks out the some Federation officers with a stun gun. But at Ambat he murders Yark Dole so that Flit does not become a murderer.

The story grows, the consequences of war become a vital issue, and the grayness of fighting people each with a point of view and grudge is central. Bringing children in and then aging the characters up as the arcs continue might be a brilliant plan to get them interested in mature characters. One will just have to see how things play out. Onward to more Gundam AGE!

It is a hard line to toe in between appealing to old fans while trying to court new fans. Hardcore fans tend to resist change no matter how much they ask for it and nothing says changes will actually increase your audience. Gundam AGE has been an interesting experiment so far. I can’t say that it has fully succeed. The Gundam fan base just seems angry. But that is their default state. The anime fandom outside of Gundam otaku has not seemed to embrace the show as well. But the show so far has matured. I think they are moving in the right direction with slowly upping the ante and the maturity of the story. The story has a good deal of potential to keep this new-found maturity while making sure they don’t alienate their younger viewers. I wonder if this is a show that will have an audience that slowly warms to its methods or will it only be appreciated for what it is doing years from now like many of the other more experimental Gundam iterations?

Hisui’s picks:

• Just Accept that You Will Never be Ed Chavez
  The Eeeper’s choice podcast is back from its recent hiatus. Philip teams up with Ed Sizemore to look at Kingyo Used Books after shooting the breeze about the manga industry in general.
  
• Random Fact: My Brother Keeps a Raise Dead and a Swamp in His Wallet at all Times
  Chaos Theater talk about the most famous collectable card game of them all, Magic: The Gathering. So many memories, so many booster packs. What colors did you play back in the day? Heck, do you still play it today?
• If you Kickstart Me Up I’ll Never Stop
  The Manga Out Loud podcast looks at the use of Kickstarter to fund manga publishing and the community’s reaction to the Barbara project. I don’t agree with a lot that is said in the podcast but it is an interesting discussion. Ed also did an overview of the big events in manga during 2011 just before that.
• We Might not Get a U.S. Release of Turn A But We Can Take Solace in This
  If you were ever curious what Kunio Okawara designed Turn A Gundam would look like you don’t have to wonder anymore.
• This Says so Much about Gundam Fandom
  A diagram of the “winners” and “losers” involved in the romantic relationships of the various Gundam series.
• Type-Moon News Roundup
  • A well made Fate/EXTRA and EF – A Tale of Melodies mash up video
  • Some Fate/Zero Cafe exclusives 
  • Even more cafe news
  • Luna Haruna chosen to sing the ending of the 2nd season of Fate/Zero

Narutaki’s picks:

• Animation’s Annie Awards Streaming on February 4th
  This is considered Oscar night for animation!
• A Reasoned Opinion of Piracy’s Place in Comics
  Illegal downloading has come back around to be a topic again what with SOPA/PIPA on people’s minds it is no surprise. This time its American comic fans talking about the industry. David’s response takes on the accusation that piracy is the main reason comics, particularly superhero comics, have taken a dive in profits.
• ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Album Coming Out in the U.S.
  Their first ever stateside release will be a greatest hits album. They’ve contributed to plenty of anime series so expect those songs and more.
• Self-Publishing Comics Through Amazon
  Apparently it is working, and working big for one 16-year-old. Her comic was even out-selling major titles at the holidays. I haven’t gotten to read any comics yet, but her website shows of her artwork better than the interview article.
  
• Re-branding Logos for Video Game Characters
  This is actually a double re-branding since he took already established logos but used them in a creative way for a myriad of characters.
• Megaupload Closes, Toonzaki Sees Online Views Rise 20%
  There isn’t a true way to equate these two occurrences but 4kids has made the connection.

Another look at something special from Turn A Gundam:

We received a copy of Nozomi’s re-release of Gasaraki. The story follows a war between the Americans backed by the Japanese and the fictional nation of Belgistan. Both sides have bi-pedal robots with main pilots possessing odd connections and powers. It is worth noting that I have tried to watch Gasaraki before, many moons ago and didn’t make it very far. I wanted to give it another chance but this time around I was only able to get one episode further. Despite people’s assertions that this show is a realistic depiction of mecha, I just can’t find it anything but slow and uninteresting. Also my thoughts on what is realistic must be different because this show has Noh dancing magic. . . . In any case, a good portions of episodes revolve around people talking, typing, or staring at screens. Talking heads and computer screens can be made interesting (just ask Evangelion) but Gasaraki fails to put passion or facial expressions into its scenes. This also makes the dub doubly painful since at least the Japanese put some inflection in their voices. The battles are compelling in moments but they are too short or interrupted by looking at screens. The show didn’t capture me in any way.

If I have nothing else kindly to say about Gasaraki I will say that it tried to do certain things that most mecha shows don’t often attempt. Ryousuke Takahashi tried for a more realistic version of modern mecha combat and politics while mixing in some magical elements to spice things up. The fact that there are only two types of mecha in the whole show and the commentary on the Gulf War make the show stand out. The only problem is the show is so amazingly and mind numbingly boring. It takes the tedious parts of part of war and magical conspiracy and focuses on the most mundane aspects of each to the to the point where only the most hardcore fans of realism will find the show interesting. Ryousuke Takahashi showed that you can do a more realistic mecha show like Armored Trooper Votoms and make it compelling. But this swings so far toward the nitty-gritty details as so suck away any enjoyment. They even focus on the boring aspects of the shadowy magical conspiracy behind the mecha action in excruciating detail. When the plans of the magical cabal feel like a run down of someone’s tax audit you know something has gone horribly wrong. I will say that this show has a reputation for a completely magical ending that comes out of nowhere but as far as I can tell the freeky deeky occult aspect of the show is apparent from the first episode. I admit that the few actions scenes are the only parts of the anime that are easy to stay awake so that makes them the most memorable pieces but there is unmistakable and unnerving mystical element present in the show from the beginning. Like Narutaki I watched this show years ago and I wondered if I could come back to the show as a more mature fan and gain a greater appreciation for a show I had disliked in my early fandom. But this show still deserves the infamous reputation it gained with me and other fans so many years ago.

Against my saner judgement I started the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. This sprawling fantasy has the well-known features of epic fantasy, a wide and far reaching story, multiple character perspectives, a complex world setting, and much more. But in the first volume the quick pacing really stood out to me and I found out the earlier books in the series have a complete story in one volume. So in this story we’re following a few groups of people as the Empire attempts to bring the city of Darujhistan under its control. The Gods of this world also play in the lives of humans which reminded me of Greek mythology in certain ways which I enjoyed. While the character feel familiar at first, they expand in ways that surprised me, and I would say the same of the story.

I will admit that I have been keeping up with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The reason this come up is because Narutaki asked about the show now that it is fairly far into its second season. She was curious now that it had gained such a visible older male fan base and Lauren Faust had left the show how had the series changed. I think the show has changed. Not obviously. Thankfully the show is still primarily a funny little show for girls that is there to teach them the value of friendship, the power of being yourself, and beauty of having big dreams. But the writers are obviously throwing out more and more obvious nudges and winks to their older fans. The simplest example  is merely that they had John de Lancie playing a character that was unmistakably like Q in the first 2 part episode of the new season. It is not as if the show has become completely for the bronies but there has been a shift toward actively catering to them as opposed to inadvertently appealing to them.  Also since Lauren Faust has left it has lost a certain je ne sais quoi. I can’t say exactly what it is but there is a reason the woman has the reputation she does. She adds a certain magic to anything she works on. It is still an enjoyable show with an earnest vibe to it despite the subtle shifts in the storytelling.

Read Demon Knights issues 2-3 which continues perfectly in the vein of the first. There is a lot of action in these episodes building and building to big and crazier deeds. What I’ve liked so far has been a lot of females taking lead roles in what’s going on both on the hero and villain sides.

I was able to get my hands on the first chapter of the Eureka Seven Ao manga. I decided I would read it to give myself a sneak peek at highly anticipated TV series. Overall it reinforces my opinion that I am looking forward to the TV series with a natural bit of healthy cynicism. Nothing about the first chapter stands out to guarantee this will be amazing but everything points to them nicely building on the first series with the potential to be just as good as the original. A few quick comments. There seems to be the modern nations we know today like the US and Japan despite the fact that it is very clearly set in the world after the ending of the Eureka Seven TV series. I don’t need a super detailed explanation of the revival of the modern nation states but I hope they give some reasonable explanation of how this came about. The second it so far it seems that the main boy, Ao is the only pilot and Naru is just going to be mystical side kick girl. I really enjoyed that Renton and Eureka with both pilots of equal measure in the TV series with Eurkea having more military experience. I hope they don’t sideline Naru to a complete support character as the more equitable protagonist dynamics of the first show was a distinctly appealing part of the show’s composition. Speaking of Eureka they try so hard to pretend that Eurkea is not Ao’s mother and that it could be anyone at all. His mom is so clearly the turquoise haired Coralian. In fact I would be amazed and maybe a little pleased if this is all a red herring but I highly doubt that is the case. There seems to be giant monster one of which Ao fights at the end of the chapter in a robot that looks much like the Nirvash. Also the new mecha seems to be more based around conventional surfing on the water than the air but there are flying cars so who knows how much Trapar waves and lifting is still around. Still there is a good deal of potential in the series so I am curious how many of my first impression are correct. This show has just as much potential to grow as it does to fail at this point so I and eager to see where it goes. April should be fun.

It has been a long journey so see the conclusion of Umineko no Naku Koro ni. The story started in 2007 and finally concluded with 8 visual novels being released over the course of 4 years with over a dozen extra side stories being release up until the last Comic Market in December. It was a fun journey along the way that allowed me to try and figure out what was real, what was fantasy, and where the truth lied on Rokkenjima in October of 1986. When I finished Requiem of the Golden Witch I was filled with a mixture of hope and dread. The penultimate game was amazingly powerful so that I was hopeful that the end of the series would be just a great but at the same time I was worried that it could not live up to the expectations it had set.

So when Twilight of the Golden Witch came out to some rather negative reviews it was hard to tell if this was part of the normal cycle of Umineko reactions or if it was a horrible ending. The problem was when a new Umineko game came out there was always a flood of spoilers. When everything was sorted out due to fake spoilers and mistranslations there was invariably a negative reaction that the story had gone down the drain. But usually when the translation patch came out most everyone saw the story in whole new light when they actual read the story. But this time that negative feeling did not seem to go away. Many people (including myself) seemed rather frustrated with the ending as provided by the spoilers for a lack of answers. But now that I have finally played the game and seen the ending through I am going to give my spoiler filled thoughts on the ending and the series as a whole. This is a mixture of catharsis and celebration for a pretty wild ride. If you were curious for a simple spoiler free review then it is simply that I do not regret playing this series.

Even if you utterly despise the vagueness of vital parts of the ending you have to admit there are some great moments in Twilight of the Golden Witch. Anything involving Lambdadelta is just a wonderful mixture of thrilling and charming. She earns her 3rd place in the final chapter popularity poll with this chapter. Bernkastel and Erika Furudo prove themselves to be the unrepentant villains of the story and do their job well. There is also a good deal of meta commentary on mysteries and mystery fans. It has always been present in the series (and in Ryukishi07′s writing in general) but it is full display in this chapter. The goats attacking the island is hardly a subtle meta commentary on the fandom. Your mileage will vary on how much you think it is a clever jab at the reader and how much it is a bitter rant. Perhaps it is yet another case of, “Without love, the truth cannot be seen.”

It is also a powerful send off to the Ushiromiya family. They were all a mixture of horrible traits that had a human core at their center. It reminds me of that deleted scene from High Fidelity about the Top 5 Worst things you have done. Taken out of context the top 5 worst things anyone has ever done makes them seem like a monster. And in a way this final chapter reminds us that we have seen everyone involved with Rokkenjima at their worst as well as their best. But in the end while they have some major sins on their hands they were all just human. OK. Some of them came off a bit worse than others. It is hard to really find fault with too much that Hideyoshi or Jessica did in contrast Kinzo commits some unforgivable sins even compared to the rest of the family. Their crimes cannot be excused but perhaps they can be forgiven.

The most controversial part is the ending itself and what few things it does address and what it keeps a mystery. To say we get no answers is clearly a lie. On the other hand there are some major questions that go unanswered. As for the little mysteries we are given all the tools to solve them. To figure out who killed whom in the first 6 chapters we are given five important pieces of information. The most obvious pieces are the red text. While it is often deliberately misleading it is the first place to start looking. The second is that Beatrice, Shannon, and Kanon are all the same person but can be “killed” when their personality is killed. The fact that they are all the same person playing different roles makes many of the mysteries disappear. The third is Willard H. Wright black sword fight with Bernkastel. There are plenty of hints on how all the tricks were done through that. The fourth is Bernkastel’s purple truth puzzle game. It gives clear rules on how to use the fantasy and mystery sections to figure out what is going on. How the things we see in mystery scenes are the truth we need to examine when solving mysteries and how to figure out when characters are lying. The final clue is the Our Confession booklet from Umineko no Naku Koro ni Hane. It is pretty much a walk through of a mystery so you can see how they are done if the other clues were not clear enough.

The problem is there is no answer sheet. At no point does Ryukishi07 give the reader a simple breakdown of how everything was done in case you get stuck. This lets people write countless FAQs that use the rules to figure out how things were done but unless the author gives his definitive word you will always have people arguing the details back and forth. While this replicates some of the experience of the Witch Hunters in the game it will possibly always be a point of contention just the same. As Ryukishi07 himself said in Higurashi When They Cry Kai there is always something vaguely annoying about puzzle books that don’t give you the answers. I am not exactly sure why he broke his own rule in this case.

The biggest point of contention will always be that we never really know what happened on October 5th of 1986. We know that the only survivors were Battler and Eva. But how everyone else exactly died is a mystery. Thematically that is part of the story. It ends with Rokkenjima being a sealed mystery. If we consider Ange the true protagonist of the series than the whole story is about her learning both how to move on and let things go. Therefore sealing the mystery away is a vital step for her. While this makes thematic sense for her it does not make the blow of never truly know what happened to the player any less harsh. I know many a player just feels like there never was an answer and the conclusion and what we got was to cover up to this fact. Ambiguous answers are inherently controversial.

In the end this article was actually therapeutic. It has helped me work through a good deal of my conflicted emotions on the series. I went into Umineko with a good deal of anticipation due to my love of Higurashi. Each episode played only ramped up the expectations. So the bitterness I initially felt with the conclusion was equally harsh. It was almost like a betrayal. But after actually playing the conclusion and sorting out my feelings in this post I feel better about the whole experience. As I stated before my enjoyment of the first seven games could never be taken away by the eighth. They were just too much fun. But Twilight of the Golden Witch determined my overall feelings for the series as a whole. In the end while I did not agree with how Ryukishi07 played everything out I am glad that I experienced this story. In reflection many of the pieces of the ending were telegraphed from the start but part of me did not want to believe them. But perhaps the way things ended were for the best. We were never going to get a super happy Higurashi ending. I could have done with some more conclusive answers but that is the mystery of Rokkenjima. If nothing else the positive feelings outweighed my reservations about the conclusion and the bittersweet ending. If it can do that than it did its job. I close the lid on this cat box for now and hope that one day I may open it again get the same enjoyment and perhaps some new insights in the future.

Carnival Phantasm has come to an end. The grand Type-Moon cross over even ended with some little cameos by the cast of Fate/Zero, Kara no Kyoukai, the Mobile Site, and some rather minor Type Moon characters. The they even gave some love to Notes with V/V. But at the very end after the credit a mysterious woman picks up the phone to introduce the bonus movie. This woman is Sajyou Ayaka who is the original protagonist of an early draft of Fate/Stay Night. To celebrate the end of Carnival Phantasm the extra goes back to the origin of the Type-Moon universe with Fate/Prototype. This video is an animated version of some of the notes to the original unfinished story that would be used to make Fate/Stay Night.

There are some major changes that this prototype story went through before it became the game known as Fate/Stay Night. The most famous change is that originally Saber was a man and the young witch known as Ayaka Sajyou was his master. Takeuchi Takashi felt that visual novel fans would not like to play as a female protagonist to the genders were swapped. Ayaka Sajyou seems like a mix of Rin and Shiro with a bit of Enjou Tomoe thrown in for good measure. She is much more powerful and knowledgeable than Shiro but she has his softhearted nature while having the gloomy edge of Enjou. Also the religious theme around the Holy Grail War are much more pronounced. All the Masters have a different choir of angel they are connected to and the Grail itself has far more of a twisted Christian connotation. In fact the final secret Avenger style Servant is the Beast itself. Rider is certainty a new man and his master is equally different (as much as we might have wanted Shinji to be bed ridden.) Phahn Sancraid is definitely a creepy priest like Kotomine but he looks and feels creepy in his own unique way. Also while Saber was involved in a former Grail War this time his Master was Ayaka’s sister and she was not a very nice person.

On the other hand you also see many of the seeds that would go on to make Fate/Stay Night what it is. The basic framework is unmistakable. The structure and cyclic nature of the war is the same. The hidden tainted nature of the grail is still in the background. Ayaka and Saber’s relationship clearly went on to inspire Rin and Archer’s relationship. Also taking Ayaka and combining her with Misaya Reiroukan gets us the Rin we know in Fate/Stay Night. Saber’s tragic participation in a previous iteration of the war with his new’s Master’s family is also the same. Gilgamesh is still the same Gilgamesh. Also Saber’s battle with Gilgamesh was giving me vibes from the Saber and Rider’s battle from the Fate route.  Gilgamesh looks a bit more primitive but he is still spamming swords and wearing golden armor. He is still an arrogant king of nonconsensual relationships only this time he wants Ayaka instead. Lancer also looks different but he is still Cu Chulainn. I am sure being Lancer is still suffering. He even hunts down Saber’s master impaling them through the heart as the catalyst for summoning her servant. That results in a first meeting of Master and Servant that would be reproduced in Fate/Stay Night. And as the Type Moon wiki points out Manaka Sajyou looks like evil baby Arturia Pendragon.

It is fascinating to see how Fate/Stay Night morphed to become the visual novel we see today. While the basic structure might be the same you can see the initial concept went through many changes when it was adapted to another form of media. In the end I am somewhat divided. Part of me would love to see this expanded into its own series. Seeing how everything would have originally played out if it had stayed as a linear novel would be a great insight into how Nasu has changed as an author. There seem to be some very interesting concepts here that never made it into the final product. At the same time I wonder if these changes were not made for very good reasons. It is easy to forget the value of editing that takes a messy raw concept and refines it into a more complete product when done correctly. Maybe many of the ideas and plot that were changed were changed with good reason. Without the adaption we would not have the sexy sex machine that is Rider. Then again that scene of Ayaka getting out her witches’ broom seemed pretty cool as well. Overall while I would buy a full length Fate/Prototype series it would not break my heart if it were never made. This is a good enough sample for now.

Drink #025: The Flying Penguin,
A Revolutionary Girl Utena & Mawaru Penguindrum Discussion

Kunihiko Ikuhara is undoubtedly one of our favorite directors so it seemed only fitting for us to devote a podcast to two of his most recognizable masterworks. For each show we brought on a guest to talk with us a bit about the selected show. We started with Clarissa from the Anime World Order podcast to chat about Revolutionary Girl Utena. As she recently did a paper for grad school on the show she seemed the only logical choice for a guest to talk about pink-haired crossdressers. After that we talk with Patz from Insert-Disc about Ikuhara’s recently concluded work, Mawaru Penguindrum. With both titles we do an in-depth analysis of characters and themes and don’t hold anything back on the spoiler side of things. If you have not finished either series be warned that we give away pretty much anything that could possibly be. If you want a review just know that both shows are 100% recommended so you can just watch them and then come back and listen to the podcast.

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And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drink:

The Flying Penguin

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
  
• 1 1/2 oz white rum
  
• 1 1/2 oz gin
  
• 1 splash Angostura® bitters
• 5 oz pink grapefruit juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1 1/2 oz sugar syrup

Preparation:

Pour 1.5 ounces each of Vodka, White Rum and Gin into a highball glass over two ice cubes. Add a good spash (approx .25 ounces) of angora bitters and swirl with a metal stirring rod. Add 5 ounces of Pink Grapefruit Juice. Add 1.5 ounces of sugar syrup. Slice a fresh lime into a slice approximately 1/2 of an inch wide. Cut in half, squeezing one half directly into the drink (then drop the squeezed lime half in). Make a small nick 2/3rds of the way up the second halfof lime and use to rim the glass then as a garnish. Include a metal stirring rod.

Narutaki’s picks:

• The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki Trailer
  Mamoru Hosoda’s new film due out in July now has a trailer. It looks like another thoughtful exploration of family and people’s hearts. If there is any director’s films I am always excited about, it is Hosoda’s.
• Adult Swim Art Gallery
  Wish I was in the L.A. area to see this exhibit! It takes all of the humor to the a new level, immortalizing it further.
• Where’s the Beef?
  In superhero comics that is. This is a really fascinating Op-Ed on the non-sexualization of male superheroes in comic book form. I haven’t pinned down my own feelings yet, but it is something worth crewing on.
• NO ROBOTS!
  In a world we’ve seen in much science-fiction, robots have become so advanced that they then become the target of hatred. Lovely student film with a sentimental touch.
• Prince-sama Plushies Coming Soon
  I’m really glad this series is turning into a popular franchise. Now hopefully we’ll see some Syo merchandise on the horizon!

Hisui’s picks:

• A Hundred Billion Teas; A Hundred Billion Crêpes
  Since it seems that little theme cafes are the new way of marketing the launch of popular otaku titles it is only fitting that the most powerful Japanese space opera gets its own cafe as well. In order to promote the new stage show in April Legend of the Galactic Heroes gets its own little theme restaurant. The only real question is if Yang’s tea will have the necessary extra kick to really make it Yang’s tea. Thanks to Jrnemanich for this link.
• The Spiritual Successor to Space Thunder Kids
  Space Thunder Kids is yesterday’s news. The dated animation and story telling of Space Thunder Kids is clearly relic of a bygone area of mecha animation. XiYouJi clearly taps into the Gundam Seed and Evangelion fandom in a unique manner never seen before. It is the past, present, and future of giant robot animation. Check it out!
• Adventures in the Alpha Quadrant
  Chaos Theater did a complete overview of all the TV season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Everything from the lows of the first season, to the high of the middle seasons, and the amazing finale that tied it all together. It was a good trip down memory lane to remember some of the best and worst parts of the series. Can’t wait for them to do a similar episode all about Deep Space Nine.
• A Closed Casket Funeral For Someone Who is Still Alive
  The AWO crew, Mike Toole ,and Neil Nadelman discuss the recent news that Bandai Entertainment is not releasing any new titles. They look at the what lead up to this decision, what ramification is will have to US releases, and what it means about the industry in general.
• Kamen Riders Must Sing Just Like They Must Fight For Justice
  There is a Kamen Rider musical. It must be talked about.

Prince-sama comin’ at ya!

Filed under: All Points Bulletin, Editorials Tagged: Kamen Rider, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Star Trek: The Next Generation ]]> http://reversethieves.com/2012/01/22/all-points-bulletin-027/feed/ 1 reversethieves narutaki hisuicon sep-pic narutaki http://reversethieves.com/2012/01/20/ongoing-investigations-case-153/ http://reversethieves.com/2012/01/20/ongoing-investigations-case-153/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:30:28 +0000 reversethieves http://reversethieves.com/?p=18279 ]]>

I continue my morbid curiosity with the Akiyuki Shinbo and Nisio Isin duo by watching the first two episodes of Nisemonogatari because there is no way Narutaki was going to watch this with me. I know some people have been commenting that for better or for worse Nisemonogatari has a different feel than Bakemonogatari. I think the difference between the two seasons is minor but important. I did not use the word subtle because the difference is the pacing of the fan service in the new arc. Bakemonogatari definitely had fan service in it. Each arc in the original series introduced a girl, her supernatural problem, and the fetish she embodied. And so each arc played up that girl’s brand of fan service to all but the most fan service desensitized.  But this current arc is ostensibly about Koyomi’s two sisters but unlike the previous arcs this one really had the other girls getting a good amount of screen time in another girl’s arc as opposed to their cameos early in the story. This means that they now have to cram in a full cycle of story, reference humor, and fanservice that is particular to that girl in a much shorter amount of time making all three components more obvious. So anyone watching for the titillation will probably not notice the difference or only be delighted to be so nicely catered to. But anyone else will either consciously or unconsciously notice the change in the rhythm of the story. The art is still rather gorgeous and the dialog still has a snappy pace. I am just pointing out the big difference that will determine if you want to continue to delve into Koyomi’s supernatural adventures.

D.Gray Man Volume 17 starts off by throwing us into the middle of a virus outbreak that has occurred while the Black Order is also trying to move to their new location. The first few chapters are really out of control and crazy (and ridiculous overall), especially because everyone has  turned into zombies. As the zombies are infecting everyone, Allen tries to figure out the cause and how to cure it. After that insanity, we then get to actually focus on the Black Order group’s move. Allen and Lenalee go first, allegedly to open portals, but there are ulterior motives. The best part though is the reappearance of Cross Marian, who probably has the most shocking story in the volume. There are some major problems for both Allen and Cross, and so even though it initially seems like a jokey volume, it’s actually quite an important one.

And speaking of shows that Narutaki will never watch I also saw the first episode of Ano Natsu de Matteru because my roommate was curious to see what it was like. Since he was a fan of Yosuke Kuroda’s Please Teacher! back in his early fandom. With both soon agree that this feel like Please Teacher! only this time the main heroine is a upper clansmen rather than a teacher. Both heroines are somewhat quirky and ditzy busty red headed aliens with an unusual bond to the protagonist. Kaito Kirishima has a rag tag bunch of friends with similar romantic entanglements as well. The shows are not carbon copies but the similarities between the shows is strikingly obvious. The show itself is inoffensive shonen romance. While there is some fan service I hardly noticed anything majorly objectionable. Just the normal amount of bounce and occasional shower scene you expect in male focused romance. Nothing like constant crotch shot camera harems of late. If you want a somewhat sweet show you will probably enjoy it but it does have a bit of a cookie cutter feel. So if you want something that pops a little more like Toradora! you might want to avoid burnout by passing this over.

I read the small preview of Little Miss Holmes that came in Otaku USA. It seems fun and she has a GIANT DOG that’s really funny, but the preview wasn’t long enough to get a good impression of it, and it doesn’t showcase her deduction skills or overall abilities as a detective. I’m still looking forward to it, but I don’t think this preview would convince anyone who’s on the fence.

I also decided to check out the first chapter of the new Macross: The First manga. Like Gundam: The Origin it retells the story of the first iteration of a popular mecha franchise with a little twist. This is a retelling of the Super Dimension Fortress Macross by Haruhiko Mikimoto who was the character designer of the original TV series. Right off the bat the biggest change is the immediate focus on Minmay. While is is undeniably prominent in the original TV series they hit the ground running to play her up in this retelling. It is 22 (of 91) pages before we even see the first shot of Hikaru, the main character. After he is introduced the story focuses on him but the covers of later book distinctly have a Minmay focused theme. To be fair we also get a bit more Misa as well but they have undoubtedly realized the popularity of the singer in any Macross iteration and are playing that up. Other than that the story plays out roughly the same with the money shot of a Valkyrie transforming into gerwalk mode being the conclusion of this first chapter. It was a nice way to revisit a classic of anime with a new twist. As I understand they make some major twists to the plot much like Gundam: The Origin that don’t radically alter the story but do give you a new experience. I hope to read more of it if for nothing else we are not getting any more Mobile Suit Gundam École du Ciel anytime soon.

I watched episodes 2 and 3 of Record and Randsell. Episode 2 focuses on the little (actually big) sister and that’s unfortunate because her situations aren’t as funny except when her brother is involved. The scene with the bunny who wouldn’t give him candy was especially good for showing this. Episode 3 has a similar problem (focusing on the sister), but at least her friend has a hilarious daydream about her brother riding on a horse. This show remains funny and good, but I hope they get back to the brother soon

Since I talked a big game about how much I would love someone to license GTO Shonan 14 Days when I made it the manga of the month back in May it is only right that I put my money where my mouth is when it goes on sale at the Right Stuf this week. Vertical not only fulfilled my request to get the newest work by Tohru Fujisawa they also went back and picked up the remaining unpublished volumes of Shonan Junai Gumi (aka GTO: The Early Years) that Tokyopop was never able to release before they went under. Since they are on sale it is everyone’s duty to preorder these wonderful manga if they love comedy, action, drama, and/or yankees. Eikichi Onizuka is an iconic character of anime and manga that is always energetic in any iteration of his story. GTO: The Early Years is a delightful mixture of raunchy comedy and manly action that shows the origin of the greatest teacher in Japan. Shonan 14 Days is Tohru Fujisawa being on the top of his game continuing right back where he left off from GTO. Someone might tell you to pick up Tezuka or the Lychee Light Club. Those are all fine manga worth picking up but they are not the manly bible that is teachings of the Oni-Baku.

And if you need something to offset all that testosterone that you can pick up Twin Spica because that series does not get enough love.

Go to the Head of the Class

I have finally completed my final play through of Fate/Extra. Having completed it with Caster I feel like I have closed out the game. While I did not go through every scenario possible in the game I think I saw the optimal amount of possibilities. I would be interested in a few tiny details like using Saber with a female protagonist or taking Archer through Rani’s route but those little details are what YouTube is for. In this final post on Fate/Extra I just wanted to give my thoughts on playing as Caster. I mean how could I not play the game as the cute little fox goddess even if that is dangerously close to furry country.

I will admit I tore through this play through whereas I savored the other two. The third time around I had to put in cheat codes because there was no way I was legitimately grinding through the game a third time. I love Type-Moon but I am not crazy. It was sort of fun playing through the game as a level 99 god. You can actually win several battles are supposed to either come to a draw or have you be outright slaughtered. Winning them never changes to plot but it does get you some bonus dialog as a pat on the back for your accomplishments. That said it was still quite obvious that Caster is the hard mode. That is not to say that she is worthless because at times she is a wrecking crew. The problem is she is really slow to power up and definitely a glass cannon. When you start the game she is definitely the weakest character you can pick. She does not deal much physical damage, she has paper-thin defense, and it takes awhile for her to get the spells she needs to rip things apart. When you have her full complement of spells she is a monster but no matter how high level you get her she is always fragile and cannot absorb too much damage. But her basic spells are a nasty one two punch as they do their standard damage and can stun the opponent if you choose wisely. If you set things up correctly she can tear into even the toughest opponents. I took out Saver in 1 round with a level 99 Caster and Ryougi Shiki without breaking a sweat. She is challenging but rewarding to play.

Caster is a cutie-pie little vixen with a deceptive appearance. She seems like an airhead but she is someone who will just as easily deceive, set up, and then assassinate everyone around her in a way that would make the Count of Monte Cristo slightly uneasy. She is definitely designed to have a mixture of Yamato Nadeshiko loyalty, ditzy charm, and vengeful possessiveness. It does give her an amusing appeal if a bit on the moe wish-fulfillment side of feminine appeal. She is definitely the most openly affectionate and playful Servant as well as the most sexually aggressive.  A bonny boom boom body does not hurt with features on the safe side of anthropometric. She was a refreshing sorbet after the sarcastic Archer. The most surprising part of her past was her connection to Twice H. Pieceman. It was set up in advance but like everything involving Pieceman I wish they had investigated it more. I also wish Caster was in other mediums as well. Her careful Machiavellian plotting combined with her harmless demeanor would make her an interesting character in a title outside of a tournament RPG.

That is it for Fate/Extra. I definitely got my money’s worth in the 3 play throughs I did. I admit that I certainly used the skip dialog button quite a bit in my third time through but Caster’s charm made it worth my time. I now have three max affection Servants to import into Fate/Extra CCC if that ever comes out. I hope that the game did well enough that Aksys Games considers picking up the sequel. I can’t wait to see how your characters transfer over and what rewards you get for playing the previous game. I can never get enough of the Fate universe.

That is all the time we have for this week. Send in your questions for either Grail-kun or Love Detective Hisui and they will answer them as soon as possible.

Runaways

Marvel’s attempt to draw in manga readers may have failed, but that didn’t prevent Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona from writing a winner. This story of a group of kids who realize their parents are all part of a criminal ring, has great characters and their relationships to one another resonate. The dynamics of these people who form an unconventional family while making their way in the world as heroes and a safe place for other kids are wonderfully vivid. Also there is a dinosaur. I would want the story to end with the initial arc which Vaughan finished since all the stories there after are quite variable in quality.

The Chronicles of Amber

The Chronicles of Amber is an epic fantasy series by Roger Zelazny. Shifting through dimensions and fantastical monsters can now be done with modern CG but would look fantastic if animated correctly. The plot starts as a simple story of revenge to reclaim a stolen throne and escalates into a multidimensional conflict. But overall there is a good deal of talking between big action scenes which is the narrative style that anime loves the most. Plus all the princes and princes of Amber are amazingly hot, incredibly competent, and scheming against each other. The series consists of two series of 5 book cycles. Most people consider the first pentalogy far superior to the later so you could stop with The Courts of Chaos but you would have room to adapt the Merlin Cycle if there was enough demand.

Yoko Tsuno

This is a well-known Franco-Beligian comic I’ve talked about before. Think of Yoko trained as an engineer but really a jack-of-all-trades fabulous mix between Nancy Drew and Jonny Quest. Her adventures and mysteries take her all over the world as well as into space and SCIENCE often plays a role in the stories. Even though she is on the move, she has a regular cast of characters so construction an overarching storyline could easily fit in.

Isaac Asimov’s Robot Series

A classic of the science fiction genre and far more accessible and personable than Asimov’s Foundation series. The first three books are mystery novels at their core but at the same time are some of the foundations of all robot literature as well. The human Elijah Baley and his robot partner R. Daneel Olivaw have a unique partnership over the course of the series and one of the few times Isaac Asimov makes engaging characters. It has a decent cross cultural to anime fans as Americans love sci-fi anime, the Japanese love mystery anime, and the Robot series is well-respected everywhere. There is also robot sexy time and incest later on so you know it would do OK with otaku.

A Wrinkle in Time

The classic children’s novel involving space and time filled with fantastic worlds, the struggle between good and evil, and saving a universe. It features strong, brainy Meg as the lead as well as her piercingly intelligent little brother Charles who must defeat the disembodied brain with powerful telepathic abilities known as IT. Love, conformity, and truth all playing big roles throughout the story. Science-fiction always finds a good home in anime where the vastness and oddness of the universe can be on full display.

Blake’s 7

While the Robot series is a well-respected classic Blake’s 7 has always been a fervent cult following. Set in a dystopian future which seems to be all the rage now it lends itself to appealing to a western audience. While some of the titles I picked have a slightly dark or cynical feeling this title is downright morose in its worldview.  The original series had an infamously cheap BBC budget so some high quality and imaginative animation could bring the exotic planets and settings of the universe to life. The crew of the Liberator was fairly diverse and had crew members that ranged from the more traditionally heroic Cally, to the grey hero in Blake, to the almost villainous Avon. It is a series that has demanded a remake for some time so a new medium might give it a new life.

Incarceron

This is a British novel about a future, artificially living prison run by Incarceron a brutal AI. The prison is its own world with forests and villages while Incarceron is an all-seeing being which kills the human inmates but also births half-lings from the fiber-optics of its walls. To me, this setting already feels perfect for an anime which could visually bring it to life.

Exalted

Exalted was a table top role-playing game system that was created  around mixing traditional high fantasy with manga to give rise to a hybrid that mixes the two while creating its own mythology and feel. The anime and manga influences on the setting are unmistakable therefore making it easy to adapt. There is an already established set of signature characters that could be used for a story or the animation team could create their own charters if so desired. The Exalted universe is set in a time of chaos with invaders from outside and infernal strife within the world making it a grand setting for epic adventures as well as personal quests. There are leagues of untamed wildness filled with fantastic monsters, ancient and terrible gods, forgotten secrets, stolen destinies, outcast heroes, savage and magical barbarians, majestic cities filled with corrupt nobles, lost technology, and a planet wide empire on the verge of civil war.  You could set a whole TV series in the Ankh-Morpork styled hive of scum and villainy known as Nexus and never leave the city walls.

The Legend of Zelda

Mostly importantly because there deserves to be an animated version where the most famous line is not “Well, excuuuuse me, Princess!” Though I do agree in order for this series to work the creators must give Link a strong voice, personality, and point of view. I am undecided on whether or not I would want them to take one of the existing games and make it into an anime or whether I want them to create a new story in the continuey, but I’m leaning towards new giving more freedom and less expectation. Plus this also gives them a reason to be creating an anime in the first place. I know most video game adaptions go in the poorly done category, but this list is in a perfect world remember.

Pirates of Dark Water

The Pirates of Dark Water was an old Hanna-Barbera cartoon that had a distinctly anime vibe. It had an ongoing plot with a slightly older feel to its writing. The sort of show that would appeal to the lucrative shonen demographic. Sadly the show was canceled before Ren and his crew could complete their quest. It would be remarkable to see a reboot of the series like they recently did with Thundercats. You could redo the original episodes with a more modern sensibility while finally giving the show the conclusion it deserved. I think the airwaves are big enough for two pirate anime series especially since this would probably be a co-production.

Hisui’s picks:

• Less Than Zero
  Andrew proves himself to be to be a true die hard Macross fan as he defends the often infamous Macross Zero. That is hardly the popular opinion in the Macross fandom. Will we ever see a podcast trying to defend Macross II? Only time will tell. Also on the comedy front.
  
• Hayate Update!
  Kenjirou Hata recently mentioned that his hiatus is not due to illness or exhaustion. I was a bit worried about him so I am glad to see he is doing well. Hata also recently mentioned that Hayate the Combat Butler is about 60% complete. It is always a mixture of happiness and sadness when something you love is over. You are sad to see the title end but you look forward to seeing what they do next.
• Like a Zombie Wizard Who Also Knows Kung-fu They are Back!
  After a long hiatus the Ani-Gamers are back. They have a review of the Lychee Light Club and look at the Floating Ink panel and Anime Next 2011. Glad to see those guys back in the game and producing content.
• I Was Made in England
  Another resurrection comes in the form on a revival of the UK Anime Network podcast. At first they discuss what they have been watching and what is new on the site. Then they discuss the fall of Bandai Entertainment and Beez Entertainment.
• Enter the Rave Master
  The Fast Karate Gentlemen look at the Lensman anime. They of course bring the standard Fast Karate random train of though to the review. But that is always what makes it so wonderful. 
• What People Say They Want, What People Think They Want, and What They Actually Want
  The common cry amount anime fans is that they should make more anime with a mass market appeal. But the question is does anyone really know what that is and would they really want it. Carl tries to warn people that they should be careful what they wish for.

Narutaki’s picks:

• Just How Big IS One Piece?
  This info-graphic puts it in simple terms.
  
• Long-lost Animated Version of The Hobbit
  We all love the animated version of The Hobbit from the 1970′s (and if you don’t, I don’t care about you). But an insane story emerged just recently about the first ever version that was made in 1966 but was never public. It was done in just one month and was pretty much a shady cash grab. If you’ve watched TV cartoons from the 60′s, the style should look immediately familiar to you.
• Kickstarter Campaign Reaches Goal in Just 2 Days for Tezuka’s Barbara
  DMP’s fundraising to re-release Swallowing the Earth worked so well they are trying it again with another Tezuka work, Barbara. In just two days the $6500 goal was reached, that is an incredible turn around! Perhaps this will be the future of niche manga releases in the U.S.
  
• DC Comics Getting a New Logo?
  This logo makes me sad, it is really nothing special or iconic in any way.
  

The one true pairing involving Hinagiku:

The premise of these reviews is simple: watch the first episode of a series and then immediately sit down to record a review mini-podcast. The reviews are five- to ten-minutes long and entirely off the cuff. As always we only review new shows (so no sequels or continuations) and try to avoid anything that just looks outright awful. These are the next three of the new season:

RSS Feed     -     iTunes Feed

Listen – Episode 1 of Inu x Boku SS from David Production with the opening “Nirvana” by MUCC and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Thermae Romae from DLE Inc. with the ending ”Thermae Roman” by Chatmonchy.

Listen – Episode 1 of Deka Kurokawa Suzuki from NTV and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

I thought it appropriate to make Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence (movie 15) my first anime of 2012 and it set the year off right! In this case Conan takes on a bomber looking to destroy a dam but there is a lot more to this mystery in the small snowy town Kitanosawa whose residents have many secrets. The film starts off with a flashback many years in the past of a young boy being chased and falling down the mountain side. We then move to present day where Conan must first stop a threat to the Governor of Tokyo and a train bomb that leads them to Niigata Prefecture. We learn that the town of Kitanosawa was relocated five years prior when the dam building took place and it was not popular with many of the residents. The setting plays a major role in the film as it is small and fairly isolated and we have the added attraction of snow and all the dangers that come with it. We meet a group of childhood friends with a lot of complications between them and that boy on the mountain top, don’t count him out yet. Since there are multiple mysteries going on it keeps you guessing in good form. There isn’t too much romance in this film which is a nice break and I really enjoyed the friendship that The Detective Boys kindred with the injured boy from the mountain. This movie loves to push the limits of Conan’s skateboard from having him go upside down in a tunnel to its transformation into a snowboard which he uses to create an avalanche in the final tense climax. This in a very enjoyable addition to the franchise making me feel as if they are on a roll with the Conan movies!

I finally got to reading Twin Spica six through ten when I borrowed them from Narutaki. As I stated when I made this the manga of the month the story mixes the best of science fictions hopeful dreams of progress with the draw of excellent human drama. And it has not dropped off in the least. Although it is a story about space the main focus is the characters, their interactions, and their growth. We learn that everyone has at least one major secret that they are keeping from everyone. Some are huge, some are bizarre, some are very personal, and one is all three. But no matter how wacky anyone’s secret is Kou Yaginuma makes sure that it has an appropriate emotional gravitas. And so powerful moments are still effective. Marika Ukita’s angry loneliness,  Shu Suzuki’s carefree facade, Kei Oumi’s blitzkrieging energy, and even Asumi Kamogawa’s melancholy earnestness will always carefully play with your heart and mind without ever feeling manipulative. There is at least one story in each book that will make your earnestly well up with emotion while still having a light mood that prevents you from feeling emotionally blogged down. I am glad to see everyone is still growing. Marika Ukita clearly has had the most obvious arc of growth but everyone is moving forward at their own pace. I will say that chapter 10 ended rather unexpectedly for me. I thought something like that might happen but not at that point in the story. With only two books left to go this is a great time to start the series if you have not picked it up.

Seems that since they didn’t throw Heiji into the 15th movie, they decided to have him play prominently in Detective Conan Magic File 5. Sadly this short is rather dull. It concerns a mix-up of souvenirs that Sonoko and the kids brought back from their trip. It pretty much consists of Heiji sitting on the couch and speculating on how it occurred. The end is at least rather amusing as Heiji plays a prank on Conan.

As always I keep reading Zettai Karen Children for while is partially a reprehensible manga it makes up for it by being amazingly entertaining. The latest arc has brought a previously only periphery villain to the forefront and has the death of a major character. While I don’t they are fully dead it explains why they never appear in any flash forwards. Zettai Karen Children has always been moving along but this really feels like a major plot point has occurred even more than the time skip oddly enough. But the worst part is I think I have become a horrible, evil, and somewhat detestable Zettai Karen Children shipper. I have unknowingly begun to ship Shiho Sannomiya and Shuji Sakaki. There is something slightly wrong with the age gap involved but I don’t care. They just work so well together and play off each other in a most entertaining manner. They will probably just end up throwing Shiho together with Tim Toy but I have my dreams as they stand now. (Goodness I feel dirty.)

I happily finished up Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000% (eps. 8-13) and truly the second half is spectacular. Since Haruka essential turns the guys into a boy band with her as the song writer things just get more crazy. The headmaster had a few more challenges in store, but don’t worry they literally rock his world with their songs. Haruka has an identity crisis, she works it out in the end, but not before the guys show up on the hillside near her grandmother’s to sing to her. A few things stood out to me after finishing the show. First, there is very little physical intimacy in the series, seriously it ends with everyone giving high-fives to Haruka. On a similar note, despite being filled with pretty boys there isn’t much fan-service/shirts off/etc. even when they going to an island. Finally, it may be one of the only times I’ve seen a cold, stoic guy actually apologize for his behavior and change. This series need a sequel ASAP!

The problem with being caught up with Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is I now have to wait a month for the next chapter of JojoLion. That is far too long. I love Hirohiko Araki’s work. His story and characters are amazing but that man cannot draw a cute girl to save his life. I know that Daiya Higashikata is supposed to be a cutie. Her bear hoodie is very cute. She is a progressive rock fan (specifically Yes) so you know she is super cool. She is blind so she even has moe points but seems very capable to be a bit anti-moe. But when you look at her character design all you can think is, “I know you are trying so hard but just like Yasuho Hirose you just can’t make your heroines physically attractive can you?” Oh well. Shine on your crazy manga-ka. By the way I wrote this while listening to Heart of the Sunrise as was appropriate.

I have been occasionally playing the little treasure that have come from Comic Market 81 including the two anime fighting games I cared the most about, those being Melty Blood Actress Again Current Code and Ougon Musou Kyoku Cross. Far be it from me to even pretend to be a serious Type-Moon critic but I must complain about Melty Blood. Playing both games back to back makes me realize that Melty Blood SERIOUSLY needs to upgrade their sprites. If you compare the crisp HD sprites of Ougon Musou Kyoku to Melty Blood’s wonderful but outdated character graphics the difference is so noticeable. I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy playing the new Melty Blood. Adding the new selectable fighting styles and added characters is very much appreciated. But I would rather the next addition of the game make minimal additions to any game play (which is already quite good) and instead work on the graphics. It would take a great game and modernize it into a spectacular game.

I realize that this is partially a selfish and very complicated request. Upgrading sprites is a major undertaking and fighting games are loathed to change the artwork on sprites that already work unless they have no other choice. The infamous example was the use of the outdated Morrigan spite until Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. I also know that French Bread would probably wish to spend more time and effort on the graphics for the artwork of their own original property game, Under Night In-Birth. It might be a somewhat selfish request but it is one I make anyhow. I know it is a serious investment but it is one that I think would result in an equal amount of returns.

The premise of these reviews is simple: watch the first episode of a series and then immediately sit down to record a review mini-podcast. The reviews are five- to ten-minutes long and entirely off the cuff. As always we only review new shows (so no sequels or continuations) and try to avoid anything that just looks outright awful. These are the next four of the new season:

RSS Feed     -     iTunes Feed

Listen – Episode 1 of Rinne no Lagrange from XEBEC with the opening “TRY UNITE!” by Megumi Nakajima and is streaming on Hulu.

Listen – Episode 1 of Another from P.A. Works with the opening ”Nightmare Contagion” by ALI PROJECT and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of The Daily Lives of High School Boys from Sunrise with the ending ”Ohisama” by Amesaki Annainin.

Listen – Episode 1 of Brave 10 from Studio Sakimakura with the opening ”Shōryō Hirai” by Daisuke Ono and Tetsuya Kakihara and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

While this is slightly delayed I have finally got through my second play through of Fate/Extra this time with Archer, a female protagonist, and taking the Rin route. Essentially I changed everything you could change to see how much it actually effected the story and how the game played out. If you are looking for a proper review of the game you just check out my first article about my Saber playthrough. That has more analysis of the game proper. This is just a supplemental look at the viability of a replay and what bits of nuance I got out of using Archer. This review took about a month longer than it should have as I swear the universe did everything up to including making it so my PSP would no longer read UMDs to prevent this review. Le sigh. But here it is.

First of all while it is a nice option to play as a female protagonist in Fate/Extra as far as I can tell it is the one choice that has the smallest effect on the game. I am glad to see that you are going to make the protagonist be so much of an avatar you might as well let both sexes have a chance to be represented. But sadly unlike say Persona 3 Portable changing your gender does not change the way the game plays. You don’t get any different plot choices and most of the dialog goes completely unchanged. It also makes all the servants and a few other characters in the game strongly bisexual as they will develop romantic feelings for you regardless of your gender. I do find that a bit amusing. I am sure that pleases the yuri fans but the yaoi fans can get a little for themselves as well.

I will state this plainly. There is no way you can mistake Archer from Fate/Extra being anyone BUT Archer from Fate/Stay Night. He makes references to fighting in another Holy Grail War in a school setting, he recognizes Shinji and Rin but mentions her knew much different versions of them, makes a an off-handed reference to the traditional Saber we all know and love, and even has the same appearance, powers, and back story as the traditional Archer. If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands. I am not sure why some people seem to insist that this Archer is not necessarily the Archer from Fate/Stay Night. While I am not sure the story of how he become a Counter Guardian counts as canon outside if this iteration of the franchise it is clear who he is supposed to be. If nothing else this means that Archer is the servant to play as if you are a fan of the original story. No one else will even come as close to the number of in jokes and references as picking EMIYA as your servant.

Playing as Archer at times feels like a whole new experience and other times feels exactly the same as playing as Saber. The big difference is the dialog. Any time the your servant speaks there is always a very distinct tone in their dialog. If you picked any line as just read it off with no other context you could tell who the line is from. Where as every statement from Saber is grandiose but affectionate all of Archers conversation is filled with sarcasm and ruggedness. Also Saber is without a doubt easy mode. Anything that Saber does with ease takes Archer a good deal more work to do. Archer’s real ace in the hole is Seven Rings of Heaven as it can just ignore one attack. But other than that he is just harder to play.

The same thing thing is true with the alternate servants when you do Rin’s path. While the dialog is different with other opponents the mechanics of what you have to do are exactly the same. How you transverse the levels, gather matrix information, and even get help from your female companion is identical. Lil’ Ronnie and her Lancer are even crazier and far creepier than Monji Gatoh but I miss the True Ancestor. I was a bit more conflicted when fighting Rin in Rani’s path but I enjoyed your little romance/friendship with Rani more. The servants on Rin’s path were far easier as a breezed through those battles despite the fact that Archer was not anywhere as powerful as Saber. But if you pick Archer as your servant you MUST take the Rin path. His reactions to Rin in-person and when you are alone are priceless. The amount he purposefully does NOT say is just as hysterical as what he does say. I am curious what he says in those moments if you take the Rani path but they can’t be as wonderful as his dialog for Rin. Also he has the One-True-Mana-Exchange-Scene™ in this route.

The biggest thing that is added to a second play through is you can fight Shiki Ryougi as a secret boss. As is the tradition with all secret bosses she is far harder than anyone else in the game. After my level 55 Archer died against her the 4th time I just cheesed her by rushing to get out Unlimited Blade Works so I could spam her with Fake Spiral Swords and used a bunch of elixirs so I could do that for 3 rounds. You get a useful little item from beating her= that lets you cancel your opponents next move but it mostly only useful if you are going for a 3rd playthrough. Shiki is a nice Easter egg that explains the presence of Touko in the game but all in all she is mostly just an Easter egg.

So the real question is if it is worth playing the game a second time. My answer is yes and no. There is a good deal of new dialog and story if you play a second time. The game makes sure to reward you for playing  with new elements and things to discover. Even the servants who were the same react differently to the companion you choose to fight at your side. But other than that the game itself plays exactly the same. Everything is mechanically unchanged. Also the grinding is far more annoying the second time around. I enjoyed the fact that you kept the learned patterns from the last game but it did not make the time killing the same monsters again and again any more interesting. They really should have just let you keep your levels from them last playthrough so you could focus on the story. I could tolerate as the hardcore Type-Moon fan but I see most people getting sort of frustrated. But you have to grind like that if you want to take out  Shiki at the end. I would say the second play though is worth it but I would play something else in between play playthroughs as it might help take the edge off doing the same thing twice in a row and let you just enough the changes with a little distance. I will do a hopefully shorter little follow-up article about Caster. I am sure I will have a lot less to say but I feel I should mention how she plays and what I think of her character.

The premise of these reviews is simple: watch the first episode of a series and then immediately sit down to record a review mini-podcast. The reviews are five- to ten-minutes long and entirely off the cuff. As always we only review new shows (so no sequels or continuations) and try to avoid anything that just looks outright awful. These are the first four of the new season:

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Listen – Episode 1 of Bodacious Space Pirates from Satelight with the opening ”Extreme Space Symphony’s Movement VII ‘Infinite Love‘” by Momoiro Clover Z and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Recorder and Randsell from Seven with the opening “Glitter” by Aoi Tada feat. Sister 773 and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Knight in the Area from Shin-Ei with the opening “Higher Ground” by SRS and is streaming on Crunchyroll.

Listen – Episode 1 of Senki Zessho Symphogear from Satelight with the opening “Synchrogazer” by Nana Mizuki.

Narutaki’s picks:

• Samurai Pizza Cats Figure Appears!
  Possibly the most unexpected figure announcement I can imagine.
• Darth Vader and Yoda Burgers
  I am rather surprised this burger promotion is only at the European-based fast food chain Quick. I am perplexed about the Darth Vader bun but also what is on top of the Yoda burger, marshmallows?
• How We Should Be Living Today According to Ladies Home Journal of 1900
  What an amazing article full of clear parallels to the future as well as dual ideas of wild fantasy or constrained imagination. Some of my favorites include: Most of Central America joining the U.S.; people who can’t walk 10 miles will be considered weaklings; and people that expose food to human contact or if the food is stale will be arrested.
• The Magic Tree House Anime Movie
  Despite being based on the extremely popular U.S. children’s book series, The Magic Tree movie will probably only see a Japanese release. Author Mary Pope Osborne talks about how the project came to life in this article. Honestly I hope minds are changed so it can have a winder release; it looks very fun and faithful.
• The U.S. Government Debates Whether the X-Men Are Human
  In real open court! The discussion came about because of different taxes on toys vs. dolls. The ironic thing about this is if you know anything about the X-Men then you know the series often deals with discrimination, but in the trial Marvel argues they aren’t humans, they are mutants, for greater tax breaks.
• Trailer for Tintin in 2D
  This remade trailer uses the audio from the new film with clips from the 90′s animated series. Nicely done!

Hisui’s picks:

• Type-Moon News Round Up
  • Gen Urobuchi is Writing the Fate/Zero Drama CD
  • The Type-Moon New Year’s Greeting
• Japanese Justice League
  An amusing little collection a fictional Japanese Justice League drawn by Cliff Chiang. A great little pastiche for American comics fans as well as old school anime fans. The visual kei Joker is amazing.
• This Link is Mostly to Make My Roommate Happy
  Atlus just put out a new Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 trailer. It is Megami Tensei and a strategy RPG mixed into one. It is sure to be popular just like the first game in the Devil Survivor Megami Tensei spinoff series. There is also a new trailer for the Vita version of Persona 4 that is coming out in Japan as well.
  
• Otaku queue better than John de Lancie.
  Bad puns aside there are some amazing time-lapse photographs of the line into Comiket 81. Nothing gives you a better impression of how many people attend until you see that line move. And it moves insanely orderly. I am sure once you get inside that order breaks down instantly but that is a different matter.
• Modern Retro Gaming
  Artists in a Swedish gaming magazine cook up their versions of screenshots from 2-d version of modern games complete with an era appropriate feel. They have everything from a Full Throttle styled Brütal Legend to Bayonetta as a shoot ‘em up.

It has been way too long since I thought about Samurai Pizza Cats.

Filed under: All Points Bulletin, Editorials Tagged: Fate/Zero, Justice League, Persona, Samurai Pizza Cats, Star Wars, The Magic Tree House, Tintin, Type-Moon, X-Men ]]> http://reversethieves.com/2012/01/08/all-points-bulletin-25/feed/ 2 reversethieves narutaki hisuicon sep-pic narutaki http://reversethieves.com/2012/01/06/ongoing-investigations-case-151/ http://reversethieves.com/2012/01/06/ongoing-investigations-case-151/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:30:26 +0000 reversethieves http://reversethieves.com/?p=18009 ]]>

I am making my way through Twilight of the Golden Witch, the final chapter of Umineko no Naku Koro ni. As I am still not done I will save my final review for the chapter and the series as a whole for a later date but I do think there is one major fact about the game worth mentioning. When this game was first released the reaction was divisive to say the least. Going mostly on spoilers it seems that there was a very vocal community of people who felt that Ryukishi07 shot the pooch with the ending. I may or not be related but it has taken quite awhile for the English patch of the game to come out. Purposefully or not this might be for the best. It has given people (including myself) sometime to distance themselves from that initial reaction and judge the ending on its own merits outside of the initial hype for the ending and then the backlash when the ending was finally revealed. So far I am enjoying it with some time to divorce myself from the initial reactions. A prime example is the Professor Layton style puzzle section is nowhere near as horrible as it first sounded. It has some of the most powerful scenes if you get the puzzles right. It gives a little insight into how everyone in the family was still a human despite the many horrible things they had done. That is thematically important given how I think they are building up this ending. It does not shy away from the terrible things they have done but if you think anyone there is a complete monster than it makes the ending somewhat disingenuous. I look forward to reading the ending and weighing on the series as a whole now. I think I would have been far more brutal if I did not have some time away from the series. This really shows the benefit of some time away from the gut reaction of a community.

After talking about Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000% in my year in review, I decided I’d better watch some more! I watched up through episode 7 which is a good half way point before everyone goes to idol summer camp (oh yes!) and decides on their partners for their final exams. Each episode has focused on one of the guys who through Haruka’s positive attitude helps each feel more confident/find his voice/etc. Of course she isn’t able to melt the frozen heart of Tokiya upon first try but we do learn quite a bit about him and a few secrets are revealed. He gets a lot more attention for the obvious reason that he is the “true path” more than likely in the original game. It continues to be a far-fetched fantasy that knows it. Also the headmaster may appear infrequent but remains entertaining as Norio Wakamoto lends his voice to the bizarre antics. I’m hoping that perhaps they will focus on Haruka’s roommate in an episode but that may be unlikely in a show like this.

I enough people praising Chihayafuru has gotten me to go back and try to catch up with this series. It seems like one of those shows that has a small but vocal fanbase. I watched the first 8 episodes in which we finally get back to the present and watch Chihaya build a karuta team at her school. I have to wonder how much of the extremely Japanese nature of Karuta is responsible for this show’s reputation. It is so steeped in a Japanese game that all but the most dedicated anime fan will avoid the show but everyone else will eat it up. It also has to be well done to earn that fanbase but if it is competent it will get a highly devoted following. Plus since it is about such an obscure sport it can use many sports show story tropes without raising so many flags that it is using such techniques. But overall the show lives and dies on Chihaya’s manic energy. The show only shines if you are drawn into her vibrant personality but fortunately for the show she is a hard character to hate.

Twin Spica vol. 10 has a very sobering effect on a story that is full of youthful exuberance despite its melancholy reflections. As the kids reach another summer break and return to Yuigahama, we as well as them are starting to wonder, to question, who will really see this dream of space through to the very end. The realization that only a few can actually make it into the space program has long hung over the entire series, but this is more the internal conflict, doubts, and truths that all of them must face.

After a long hiatus Liar Game recently started up again. It seems to me that the current arc (chs. 139-144) that is starting up seems like filler to me. No new elements added. Mostly just a new game to show how Nao has grown but also needs to keep growing. It is early enough that I might be wrong but I do have to wonder if the series has just gotten popular enough that Shinobu Kaitani need to pad out what was initially planned to be a shorter series. I don’t really mind. As long as the game are exciting and logical then I will stay along for the ride. The break was also helpful because you do not want these games to be made up on the fly. The only way this series works is with a good deal of plotting out of the games in advance. This all does make me wonder one thing. Is the fact that VIZ never licensed Liar Game’s a great folly or a brilliant move. Was not releasing it just after Death  Note ended foolish because everyone would have picked this up when they were hungry for more Death Note? Did they let that audience slip away? Or would everyone have just unfairly compared it to Death Note never letting it gain its own legs. At this point Death Note will probably always come up whenever Liar Game is discussed but at least enough time has passed that it is a casual talking point and not the focus of all discussions about the manga. At this point what is done is done but it is an interesting thought experiment.

I watched the first four episodes of High Score which is based on an energetic shojo 4-koma. It centers around a bunch of strange individuals, many in relationships, at a high school. The main characters are two cruel narcissists who are also in love with each other which causes endless hilarity. They are surrounded by bizarre friends, enemies, and total nonsense. The jokes and incidents fly by in the 3-minute length which I realize may be the way to get to me enjoy 4-koma anime.

The Umineko fighting game, Ougon Musou Kyoku has been steadily adding characters to its roster with in upgrades and patches. Even the recently added Ougon Musou Kyoku Cross added three characters upon its release and promises three more sometime this year. Despite the fact that we have the most important addition on the way in the form of Lambdadelta there are still a few characters that are sorely missing.

5. Eva Ushiromiya: She is a trained martial artist. She could not be that hard to throw into the game. You need more traditional Kung Fu fighters anyway.
4. Juza Amakusa: A mercenary makes for another good addition to the roster.  His sniper rile is clearly his big finisher. Plus you have to get some more testosterone up in the selection.
3. Maria Ushiromiya: While normal Maria would just be a gag character her witch persona would clearly make a valuable addition. He many ways of killing her mother is a whole move set in itself.
2. Gaap: A busty blond in a skimpy red outfit screams to be added on visual aesthetics alone.  Plus she too knows martial arts and can teleport. The only problem maybe keeping a degree of modesty with her flipping around in that outfit.
1. Kinzo Ushiromiya/Goldsmith : Another magical character just begging to be added. Plus he looks like Sean Connery. I would not put it past Kinzo to show up in the game.
0. As a bonus choice I am also throwing out anyone from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: While they are technically not from Umienko they are in the same universe and I don’t think anyone would mind them showing up. Rena and her cleaver or Keiichi and his bat would easily make fans happy.

I was recently on the Otaku in Review podcast to discuss the best anime of 2011. Scott Spaziani from the Otaku in Review blog and Michael from the Otaku Gamer, who are the hosts of the podcast, were joined by Dustin Christianson from Bakacast, Kristina Pino from Japanator and Tomopop, and myself. We each discussed out top three anime of the years, the worst title 0f the year, as well as the titles that disappointed us the most. I of course picked three titles as my top three that no one else did. If that makes me have a broader watching palate or just a philistine is up for you to decide. Although Bunny Drop was the hand down winner on the podcast the picture is Penguindrum because I think it is the show Narutaki and I can both agree in our opinion was one of the best of the year.

Episode 97: The Best Anime of 2011

With Carnival Phantasm just wrapping up I decided I might as well spotlight it’s origin. Take Moon was a little comedy anthology that Eri Takenashi of Kannagi fame wrote while she was still at Type-Moon (not that she fully left as she is doing the character designs for Girl’s Work.) It took the mostly serious characters from Tsukihime and Fate/Stay Night and puts them in utterly comedic situations to play out their personalities in as exaggerated manner as possible. So Arcueid goes from eccentric vampire to am undead blonde airhead while Saber is portrayed less as a hungry young swordswoman and more as a bottomless pit. But it is all done in a loving manner. It has the lighthearted feel and spirit of fandom present in an amateur doujinshi with the polish of a professional manga. The first book is all Tsukihime characters where as the second book add in skits from Fate/Stay Night. You can tell that Eri Takenashi has a bit off a soft spot for Arcueid and Ciel but almost everyone gets a turn in the spotlight. Even Hanei Misawa and Bazett Fraga McRemitz get some screen time.

I will warn readers that the manga has two major barriers. The first is it assumes that you know the Nasuverse characters inside and out. No real effort is made to introduce the characters or their worlds. Eri Takenashi not only assumes you have played all the Type-Moon games but that you also know the fandom in-jokes surrounding the games. You don’t just have to know who Kohaku is but know her mad scientist persona that she has gained outside of the main games. The second barrier is the fact there is no official English release and the second volume has never been fan scanned. I think it would be neat if someone picked it Take Moon considering the increased interest due to Carnival Phantasm and its short length but I am not holding my breath.

Speaking of Carnival Phantasm the instant question is, “If I watched Carnival Phantasm is there any reason for me to read Take Moon?” The answer is of course. While some of the stories are pretty much a direct interpretation most of the stories have been modified. The anime adds in characters that were introduced after Take Moon was written like Riesbyfe Stridberg or Red Saber but throws some characters like Arihiko Inui and Zouken Matou from main character roles to minor cameos. Heck the whole Phantasmoon skits from the anime are based on one page of a longer and very different Phantasmoon story in the original manga. Both have stories unique to their iteration as well. I mean if nothing else you don’t want to miss out on the Mystic Eyes of Breast Enlargement. It is a delightful little piece of fun for fans of Type-Moon and Eri Takenashi alike.

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Our first editorial of the year is unfortunately a bit of a downer. As we all got into our Monday, Bandai announced they will cease releasing new DVD/BDs and manga which means any licenses that haven’t seen a pre-order are off the table. More than that personal loss for all of us, we are losing a big name and competitor in the U.S. industry. Bandai will continue to promote titles to other companies, after all they are still a Japanese company with big series on the other side of the ocean. Which makes it all the more sad that they couldn’t make it work here any longer.

Way back in May of 2010 there was a major warning sign that this day would come to pass on the ANNCast. Eric Sherman, the CEO of Bang Zoom! Entertainment stated that Bandai Entertainment was not doing that well and was banking on the success of their upcoming sales on Haruhi and a secret title to stay in business. I assume that other title was K-ON! as I doubt Bandai’s great white hope was The Girl Who Leapt Through Space. It seemed like despite that dire prediction and some delayed release schedules Bandai was holding on in America. But today we learned that dire prediction sadly came to its grisly conclusion. I know that will lead some people to say that the we should not be shocked because the handwriting was on the wall for a good time now. But when you have a sick relative who suddenly passes away it does not making their passing any easier. A part of you always hopes that they will get better even when you know their conditional is terminal. We might have know in our hearts that Bandai might not be with us for much longer but we wanted to believe that they would pull through. When ever a loved one passes on it is a good moment for reflection on what they left behind.

I always thought of Bandai as a dual niche company picking very otaku shows like Lucky Star and K-ON! but also fueling mecha fans desires on the other end. These days there isn’t a whole ton of mecha anime being made and an even a smaller portion of that sees a U.S. release. Bandai was the biggest distributor of robot shows from Gundam to Star Driver. And while other companies have picked up titles here and there (Evangelion, TTGL movies, Broken Blade), Bandai produces many of people’s favorites in Japan making the leap to stateside that much easier. It goes without saying that any older mecha titles have a .05% of ever being released not that Bandai was doing much of that themselves. Still, the fate of Gundam especially weighs heavy on all our minds.

The biggest hole left with Bandai leaving the market is the lack of a dedicated Gundam licensor. The conventional wisdom was that Bandai would release any iteration of Gundam they could at some point. It was never a matter of if more than when. Now that they are gone all bets are off. Gundam Unicorn will probably finish out its run in the US as the Japanese side of Bandai seems to have too much invested in it to stop now. And even Unicorn are somewhat in question. But everything else is not looking so good. Turn A Gundam was officially canceled and I doubt there is anyone rushing out to pick it up. Victory, Double Zeta, and Gundam X theoretically could be picked up by someone else but they generally seem like untouchable titles due to their age alone. Gundam AGE is in a weird place. On one hand it is the latest and greatest title and it has a connection to the popular Level-5 studio. On the other hand mecha is never super popular outside of a handful of titles and the current fandom seems to dismiss the show as Baby Gundam for Babies. One wonders if Funimation or Section23 Films would even want to touch such a title with a ten foot pole. This is really painful to me because Trun A Gundam is my favorite Gundam series and it seemed to gave gotten so close to being released only to vanish at the last second. There is an especially salty taste to the news because of that. I also assume that the second subtitled box set of Gundam 0079 is close enough to completion to still come out but it quickly might become a collectors item.

With Bandai taking a backseat to anime in America, I don’t know who is the best hope we have for mecha titles now. With one less company in the mix, taking risks seem like a bad move for the moment. And funnily enough, despite some thoroughly odd licenses for NISA and Sentai Filmworks, they still aren’t licensing robot series with the exception of Broken Blade. This is kind of frightening, as though the assumption is mecha sells worse than anything besides sports shows. Then again these companies might have felt Bandai was filling that role but now with their departure they can take on more robot series. Perhaps good sales of BB (fingers crossed!) will help lift that possibility as well. I’m not sure if this will cause more or less opportunities on the digital front. This creates a less likely scenario for certain shows to have physical releases which may prompt them to try for internet distribution.  Maybe the writing was on the wall when VIZ started simulcasting Tiger & Bunny. Which is still not licensed for physical release.

I am also rather saddened because this means that my precious Hayate DVDs are probably nothing more than a pipe dream now. I never bought the first round of DVDs as they were rather expensive singles. I had always assumed they would put out in a more affordable box set. Now that is pretty much impossible. That also means that no one is likely to pick up season 2, 3, or the movie. Hayate is just far too long a niche comedy while not having nearly enough fan-service to be picked up by anyone else. This along with the manga slowdown seems to prove the series in just cursed in the U.S. Also all of their manga has been canceled. While the manga division has mostly just been a very fancy extras division for their anime line they did have some great titles. I liked their release of Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens and will be sad to see that disappear so alongside some other decent manga titles.

They clearly thought they could make a go of it, announcing shows this summer at Otakon, but they have been staying under the radar for a while now. Plus without a real online presence, they are easy to overlook. Still, Bandai was a large part in the industry for a very long time making it hard to see them go. Major questions remain about other shows that are only half done, etc. and those answers will probably only come slowly. Perhaps they don’t even know the answers themselves yet. But less competition in the market place is never good for fans.

There are still several questions we will not know for a minimum of several months. What titles will be rescued from their catalog? I am sure someone will shell out for Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex down the line but everything else is far less likely to get picked up by anyone else. Also since Bandai is still releasing what they have for awhile I am sure those titles will take years to be freed up at minimum. Maybe someone close go after Gosick but that seems even less likely. If I had any money I would get Gundam 0079 on DVD and Star Driver on BluRay right now while they are still in stock. They are the two titles I would want the most and have the greatest chance of going out of print and therefore being insanely expensive down the line. In fact I realy can’t see any big positives to this whole affair. While they were never the quickest company to release a series and they made their share of mistakes over the years but I  enjoyed their products. I will be sad to see them go. I can’t see anyone filling their shoes in the near future.

Hisui’s picks:

• Type Moon News Roundup
  • Comic Market 81 Roundup: All the loveliness you can buy at the Type-Moon table at Comic Market 81.
  • And the secret movie with the limited edition 3rd Season of Carnival Phantasm is Fate/Prototype. There is also the latest version of Melty Blood in there as well.
  • And if you are chilly you can get a Fate/Zero Assassin Hoodie.
  • Mahou Tsukai no Yoru gets some delicious screenshots as well.
• The Toys of Comic Market
  • Wonderful Nendoroids: Sakura Shinguji from Sakura Taisen and the Princess of the Crystal from Penguindrum are getting little plastic versions of themselves soon. The article implied there might be more Sakura Taisen figures on the way. I hope we can get a Gemini Sunrise Nendoroid as well.
  • Figmas as well: Irisviel von Einzbern from Fate/Zero and Princess of the Crystal get some bigger figures as well.
• Speaking of Comic Market
  Crunchyroll News has an interesting article with scans from a Comic Market catalog from 1986. At the same time that was going on I suppose the Ushiromiya family was having a bit of a hard time at the annual family conference.
• Enter the Chaos of the King of the Cave
  Chaos Theater looks at the Gonzo classic (yes that Studio Gonzo) Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. They also look at the sacred cows of adapting materials from one medium to another. And so it is not a total sausage fest they also have Kristina Pino from Tomopop. Oh and for Patz I will also mention their review of the Uncharted series.
• Out With the Old and in With the New
  The mecha men of Gundam celebrate the old year and look forward to the new year when it comes to animated robots from Japan.
• Welcome to Rock and Roll Night! Welcome to Rock and Fight!
  Why has no one licensed Penguindrum? Until that fateful day you can get the Triple H CD. Also for all the fans of classic rock I have the original Rock Over Japan By ARB.

Narutaki’s picks:

• Read an Excerpt from The Winds of Winter (Next Book in A Song of Ice and Fire)
  I think it goes without saying that this chapter is certainly a spoiler for anyone who hasn’t finished A Dance With Dragons. That being the case, I’m not going to say anything beyond I’m excited for the next book. Another excerpt is supposed to be released with the paperback version of A Dance With Dragons.  This also makes me feel good about the schedule of the book.
• New Project from Time of Eve Creator
  As a big fan of Time of Eve this was a great Christmas present. The new work, that doesn’t have many details yet, will be called Sakasama no Patema and see release sometime in 2012. We do know it is a boy-meets-girl story but creator Yoshiura also describes it as very strange. The promo art looks very nice!
• Codename: Kids Next Door One Piece Tribute
  A fun, little unexpected surprise comes with the new digital U.S. version of Weekly Shonen Jump.
• Tintin Technology and the Future of Cinema
  This is a really fascniating article, mainly for learning about how this movie was filmed. Beyond motion capture they created a “virtual studio” which allowed Spielberg to pick and choose props/etc. while also decided on filming angles without the usual restrictions of animation.
• NIS Licenses All Four Seasons of Natsume Yuujinchou
  I’m really starting to love this company.

The red string of fate connects us all:

Drink #002: Heart of Fire,
Go Nagai VS. Gurren Lagann

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This is THE match-up of manly madness made for men who marvel at mechanical monsters. The battle for the hearts and minds for those who love robot designs. A grudge match started in the land of the rising sun but ends in the home of the stars and stripes. In the red corner we have the dreamer from Wajima and the father of the Super robot, Go Nagai and Mazinger Z. In the white corner we have and the kings of boob bounce that are ready to pounce, Gainax and Gurren Lagann.

Actually this is an examination of why  Gurren Lagann is so popular with anime fans in the U.S. and Shin Mazinger only really has a fandom among Go Nagai fans despite seeming like shows that have almost identical appeal. What are the key factors that earn one show such a broad audience but keep people out of the other even though both show are awesome.

(Listen) (Show Notes)

And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drin

Heart of Fire
* 1 to 2 measures Whiskey
* Tabasco sauce to taste 

Serve whiskey of choice in a shot glass, add a few drops of Tabasco sauce, and down in one swallow. Speedy intoxication may be the intended result for this fiery cocktail, but go easy with it, as not only the whiskey but also the capsaicin in the peppers in the Tabasco sauce can have adverse side effects if taken to excess.

UN-GO is one of the few shows of the season I have finished up. It is a very odd mystery show kind of in the vein of Demon Detective Neuro where the answers come from both deduction and supernatural means making them rather impossible beyond just guessing. It also has a bizarre sense of humor, too. The cases keep getting stranger as the show goes on bringing future technology like AIs into the mix as well further complicating any and all cases. The detective team of Shinjuro and Inga and later Kazamori combine with the tag along Rie make for an eclectic mix of talents and personalities. Shinjuro is a good lead detective that I came to really like, he has the observation skills but does use Inga a bit too much though the reasoning for that is more obvious later on. I like the last two cases a lot but truly they are more about experiencing the atmosphere. In fact, I am incredibly interested in the world surrounding these things like the seemingly militaristic Japan, there is a lot of world to explore but sadly there isn’t much time to do so before the end. Sadly there probably won’t be anymore either with the exception of the 0 episode (which I think will give us Shinjiro’s backstory) since only incredibly popular Noitamina shows get sequels. UN-GO is based on a novel but again sadly I won’t be able to read it either.

I finished UN-GO and I still don’t have a firm grasp on if I liked it or not. I will say that I do not regret watching it. It was unusual enough that it made the experience worthwhile. Sort of like the latest BBC Sherlock the series takes the post WWII mysteries of Ango Sakaguchi and puts them in a future setting. This odd juxtaposition gives the show a unique vibe of old and new. At the same time as I mentioned in my last look at the show it is also a clear example of why Knox wrote his rules of mysteries in the first place. Inga’s powers always make the mysteries feel unusual and sometimes the solutions feel unearned. The episode with the movie set was undoubtedly the most surreal episodes of the series. At times the show felt a bit strange but these episodes take that feeling to an entirely new level. The last three episodes distinctly feel like the end of a season but not the end of a story. There is the movie I have yet to see but that is just a prequel. I have to wonder if they hoped that this would do well enough to get a second season or did they just not want to put a cap on Ango Sakaguchi’s stories even if it is a heavily modified version of those stories. I can’t say everyone will like this show. It can be a very easy show to dislike. But it is worth checking out just to see if you like it as there is little else out there like UN-GO.

I went to see Ocean Waves at the Ghibli Retrospective here in NYC. Seeing these films on the big screen is something special, but this had the added bonus of being one of the lesser seen movies and one of the few I’ve never seen myself. It is more in line with the slow character stories of Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday than the adventurous fare we are more used to seeing from Ghibli. We follow the fairly easygoing Taku who gets wrapped up in the life of new transfer student Rikako after lending her some money. Rikako is self-centered and reeling from family from drama pushing Taku to exasperation at her flippant attitude with him and others. Believe me you’ll want to give her a good smack at some point, but luckily even that gets taken care of. What is best about the path of these characters is that it doesn’t really follow a romanticized ideal or go in any set direction realizing the wide possibilities and mistakes of youth. While it does have a neat ending, you still feel like acceptance is the big part as opposed to changing a person.

The fact that I easily finished Shinryaku!? Ika Musume this season is a testament to how easy it is to watch. Due to me marathoning Mass Effect and been busy with work and other projects I fell behind on several shows I had been watching. But I watched Squid Girl every week because it is so light and charming that I could effortlessly watch an episode a week without breaking a sweat. It is much the same as the first season. The jokes don’t change too much. This means that Squid Girl, Eiko, and Chizuru dynamic stays strong but that Sanae sort of remains a one trick pony that can be somewhat bland. I never found her super annoying but I easily could see how you could find her grating after a while. Unlike the last season they don’t really try to go out with a finale. The last episode is more of the same for better or for worse. If they made a third season I would watch it as the episodes as they go down smoothly but if it ends here I would hardly feel cheated. I would like to know the story of the Octopus Girl but I am hardly dying to know what her deal is.

I started back up on watching Ashita no Nadja with episodes 5-6. I am now not so sure that the phantom thief and the noble knight are the same person! We learn quite a bit more about Nadja’s mother in these episodes as she leaves England and heads of France. The diary talks of an artist in Paris so she beings looking for him in hopes of more answers. I was a little annoyed that somehow Nadja hadn’t asked any of the troupe if the could read the entries until this episode, but it is worth overlooking. It continues to be a fun fantasy adventure.

Today I got a horrible bit of news. Apparently starting next year the manga of Hayate the Combat Butler is going on a two month break. I look forward to a new chapter of Hayate every week so this is a depressing bit of news. But considering the life of a weekly manga-ka an occasional rest from time to time is surely a much-needed balm to an otherwise overworked soul. I am sure it is one of the few ways a manga author is able to travel and just relax when they are not in-between series. I look forward to seeing what Kenjiro Hata does when he comes back hopefully a bit rested and renewed.

I have made another guest appearance on The Digital Bug’s Visual Novel news podcast, the Eroge Bus. This time I go on to talk about the one subject that seems to be the most natural choice for me: Type-Moon. It is more an overview than a dissertation so I mostly touch a little on the history of the company and their more famous titles. If you were hoping for a lecture on Akasha, the Throne of Heroes, and Tohsaka Nagato you will have to request I come back for a more in-depth episode. Greg and I also chat about the latest news in the visual novel industry. Greg is the expert. I mostly make silly commentary. But it is a great podcast to see what is going on in the US and Japan when it comes to eroge.

Eroge Bus Episode 6

Best Anime of 2011
(Can Anything Top Utena?)

Fate/Zero by ufotable I don’t think anyone who has been to the site more than twice is super surprised this is here. It has Saber in a suit. It won automatically. Everything else unnecessary but appreciated. I know some people can’t stand the show because it can often have characters explains their motivation, plans, and magical systems in loving detail but that I love about the series. But at the same time when the fights go down they are pretty amazing. Even just that short confrontation between Berserker and Archer will put some hair on your chest. The animation can look OVA quality at points and is usually a visual feast even when it is simple conversation. I know I am pretty prejudiced towards loving the show but Fate/Zero expertly crafted and deserving of the position.

Runner up: Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai by A-1 Pictures There was just something about AnoHana that was gripping. Once I found out that Menma was a ghost I was compelled to discover what had happened that drove these seemingly inseparable friends apart. This could be seen as the anime version of the Big Chill. It was a great mix of comedy and drama that always focused on the characters more than the supernatural conceit.  The ending had some minor flaws but I think it came to an excellent emotional climax.

 Mawaru Penguindrum by Brain’s Base Ikuhara directs anime so infrequently, that alone is reason enough to celebrate. But he has gone further by creating another intriguing, mysterious, and surreal show in tune with his masterpiece Revolutionary Girl Utena. As we explore fate, life and death, sacrifice, society, and human connections it is all done with streamlined style and brilliant design. Penguindrum is a visual treat as much as it is mind-bending. The show never feels concrete and as you go on you feel less and less sure what to believe, it makes for one heck of a journey. The way Ikuhara has constructed the story of Penguindrum makes paying attention to the details key in watching; each episode is intimately connected to everything that has come before it. This also makes the prospects of a marathon rewatch very enticing.

Runner up: Tiger & Bunny by Bandai This was a close second for creating an anime about superheroes that Japan and the rest of us embraced happily. The combination of reality television, down on his luck hero Wild Tiger, and a lively cast and relationships gave it an extra kick while it played its hero tropes to the hilt.

Anime Man of the Year
(Can Anyone be Cooler then Spike Spiegel?)

Kotetsu T. Kaburagi from Tiger & Bunny As Narutaki mentioned Tiger and Bunny was one of the most entertaining shows of the season. At the same time it was the main character that really sold so many people on what otherwise seems like a very silly sounding anime. Wild Tiger is an anomaly in the often youth oriented medium by virtue of being an older character who has a daughter. He is a wonderful mixture of serious and lighthearted. Kotetsu is the classic white knight superhero while at the same time he is also a complete goofball. But when the chips are down he is always reliable and it does not feel like the writers are cheating to let him win. He is just a fun character that is easy to root for.

Daikichi from Bunny Drop Daikichi distinguishes himself in the very first episode, this is a guy you feel for and root for because he has a good heart even if he doesn’t always know what he is doing. As he quickly find himself over his head he is honest about it but also truly find in himself the desire to help give Rin the best life he can. His situations as surrogate father are very simple and normal but his relationship with Rin is what is inspiring thanks to plenty of humor. I realize now writing this that both Hisui and I picked single dads who are good intentioned idiots.

Anime Woman of the Year
(The Part where Hisui Picks Someone other than Saber so it is Slightly Interesting)

Chiharu Harukaze from Hayate no Gotoku! Chiharu Harukaze might seem like an unusual choice but I think she wonderful character. At first she seems a rather bland character. Aika Kasumi and her appear a few times in the first season of Hayate anime but they don’t get many speaking roles.  She seems like a straight-laced almost boring glasses girl. As the series goes on we learn that she moonlights as a maid and is actually a rather hardcore otaku. She is not as extreme as Nagi but she easily keeps up with her friend. I like her friendship Nagi as they play off each other well. If nothing else she is a great female otaku character that I think actual female anime fans can relate to. She has really grown on me as a character as she brings a nice feeling to the series.

 Survival Strategy (aka Princess of the Crystal) from Mawaru Penguindrum From her jaunty cap, to her catchphrase “survival strategy,” to her transformation sequence, to her theme song, to her telling everyone they will amount to nothing this lady is on a mission though she is as cryptic as they come. If nothing else, she makes one heck of a first impression. I, like most others I think, started calling her Survival Strategy since her name remained elusive. She drives the major portions of the plot including finding that mysterious object the “Penguindrum” and she has an even more important place as things unfold. A mascot of the show as much as the penguins, Survival Strategy is utterly unforgettable.

Best Retro Manga Release
(Everything Old is New Again)

Princess Knight by Osamu Tezuka I might have some problems with Tezuka’s storytelling in Princess Knight but overall it a triumph for this manga to be released in English. While it was not the first shojo manga its impact on shaping the genre in undeniable. It has long been this often referenced but hardly seen piece of manga history. It’s influence on The Rose of Versailles and Revolutionary Girl Utena is invariably brought up when those shows are discussed. It also made cross dressing and gender politic an inseparable part of girls comics in Japan. It is great to see this series in an easily accessible format for an English audience. It is a boon to scholars and historians of manga as well as anyone just interested in the origins of manga.

Sailor Moon / Codename: Sailor V by Naoko Takeuchi Sailor Moon was my first experience with manga, having started watching anime the couple years prior. Those TokyoPop editions still sit pretty in my collection, but there isn’t a fan around that hasn’t hoped with all their being for a new translation and release to see the light of day. Even though it was a long time coming, Kondansha picked a good time to bring it back out for English readers following the new editions in Japanese with new art and color pages. If that wasn’t exciting enough, along side came the much coveted Sailor V for the first time in English. These are beautiful books with plenty of nostalgia that makes you excited for more releases from Kodansha.  

Worst Thing I Watched
(Can Anything be Worse than Akikan!?)

Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere by Sunirse By the fact that I have Type-Moon and Toaru Majutsu no Index shows winning awards on this list shows that I have a fairly high tolerance for long stretches of exposition in my entertainment. But Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere actually broke me of all people. The confusing back story of this universe is vomited up constantly by the narrator but none of it sticks. It does not help that none of the back story  makes any sense. The fact that the characters range from goofy, to loathsome, to just plain racist adds insult to injury. The main character is Ataru Moroboshi with everything removed that makes Ataru fun. Even the guy with the Dig-dug hat could not save this series. There were a few painfully boring series this year but Horizon takes the cake by making a fantastical premise completely banal.

Yuruyuri by Dogakobo There are always a few shows that end up on our new season watch list that we are more than likely going to hate, but we give them a chance. So that explains why I even watched this show in the first place, it was a bad plan. Not only is it a boring premise of girls in a club that does nothing, but there is the added editions of horrible personalities, loli fan-service, sibling obsession, and that was just the first episode.

Favorite Opening
(The Best Way to Start an Episode)

Mawaru-Penguindrum Opening 2: “Boys, Come Back to Me” Mawaru Penguindrum is visually stunning series an its opening is no exception. It is just a gorgeously designed opening that is simple but memorable. Both openings are filled with spoilers but they are represented in a way that only makes sense after the series is over. That alone is a testament to the planning that went into the show. At the same time it works as his lively superflat opening that introduces the show and gets you ready for the unique Penguindrum experience. I mostly picked the second opening as the song as it seemed a bit peppier to me. The second opening also builds on the symbology of the first opening which is a nice touch.

Gosick Opening 1: “Destin Histoire” This juxtaposition of a modern song with Mucha-inspired illustration is a straight up winner. The way the animation moves makes it look as if a storybook has come alive. On top of that the flatness of the art gives it a theatrical feel. The opening as hints at things to come so it is fun to look back on it and pick out all the little things.

Favorite Ending
(The Perfect Ending to an Episode)

AnoHana Ending 1: “Secret Base ~The Thing you Gave Me~ (10 years after Ver.)” Endings tend to be the lesser sibling to their big budget older sibling, the opening. The animation is invariably cheaper and sometimes you can almost feel the lack of effort. But the ending of AnoHana perfectly captures the mood of series in a way that few endings do. The song has a mixture of melancholy and joy just like the show and the visuals perfectly accompany this mood while remaining sweet and vibrant. The song’s catchy nature tops off everything perfectly.

Bunny Drop Ending 1: “High High High” Childhood drawings and imagination come to life with this soft pop song. Bright and colorful, naive renderings of dreamscapes and rabbits engulf Rin as she explores. The melody is perfect after an episode full of sweet and melancholy lessons and realizations.

Thing I Wish People Would Stop Talking About
(The Topic that Makes You Instantly Close Twitter)

Ben-to by David Production Ben-to is a small horse that does one maneuver competently but nothing else (aka known as a one trick pony). The problem is I don’t even think it does that one trick is done all that well. But for some reason it seemed to be a show that even some rather cynical anime fans looked forward to each week. I know that certain people can be starved for original ideas in their anime but you must have some meat on that idea for me to be interested. The odd little cult around his show really perplexes me. So when people would tear down other shows to build this one up it was just bizarre and sort of insulting to the shows I liked.

How much everyone would change Gundam AGE Few series get as much flack as anything in this long running franchise. Not only that, everyone also has to play backseat director/producer/writer/etc. on every little thing. But God forbid they stop watching the show, no that would just be stupid.

Series I Unexpectedly Liked
(Cheddar Cheese and Apple Pie)

Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth by Satelight Moe is such a strange animal. While I do not instinctually hate anything with moe in it I have grown wary whenever I see a show with moe character designs. Yune’s small frame and hyper cute design did make me arch my eyebrow at this show. The slice of life feel of the story did not help. Thankfully Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth rises about your first impressions. It is a delightful historical piece that has a relaxed feeling while still having enough story and character growth to feel rewarding. It is a mellow show that is vibrant enough to hold my attention. It also avoid being creepy which also could have easily tainted the whole experience. An extremely pleasant surprise.

Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 1000% by A-1 Pictures This title seemed like a doomed prospect before I watched it, in fact checking out the first episode was just supposed to be a lark and yet it was ridiculously entertaining. Heavy emphasis on ridiculous. Norio Wakamoto voices the headmaster of the idol training school and even sings a little in the first episode, yeah that’s what kind of ridiculous I’m talking about. The romances all center around a girl with the creepiest eyes ever and each one plays out like over the top soap opera storylines. Who knew a reverse harem dating sim could be this much fun.

Best Manga News
(Not the Licensing of Yankee-kun to Megane-chan but Still Pretty Good)

Vertical Saves Shonan Junai-gumi and Picks Up GTO: Shonan 14 Days Who does not love GTO? Only demons and fools. Sadly while Shonan Junai-gumi is filled with hot-blooded yankee action it never got the love in the U.S. that its sequel did. So when Tokyopop went out of business it seemed like we would never see the end of the tale of Onizuka and Danma. Thankfully Vertical swooped in and saved the series. On top of that they also picked up the latest adventures of GTO as well. If the series does well enough they has hinted that they might go back and license rescue anything else TokyoPop translated of Tohru Fujisawa’s works dealing with the great teacher. That would even be more remarkable so you should go out there and buy all the Onizuka you can from Vertical.

Manga Companies Jump Into the Digital Distribution There had been toes dipped in the water previous to 2011, but this year saw a boom of activity that will hopefully set a great pace for what’s to come. This advance is necessary and as titles start to speed up the prospect of coming closer and closer to the release of Japanese books becomes not so impossible a dream.

Best Anime News
(Not the Licensing of Legend of the Galactic Heroes but Still Pretty Good)

A Certain Magical Index Film Green-Lit I know that the U.S. fandom seems to at best have a love/hate relationship with A Certain Magical Index (as in they love to hate it) but I genuinely like the series. If there was any sort of light novel market in the U.S. I would just follow this series via the original books. But unless you are a mega popular franchise like Naruto or Fullmetal Alchemist it seems like you can’t give away most light novels in English. So the only way for me to continue in the strange world of magic and science in Academy City is when they adapt Touma’s adventures in an anime. I am glad to see that they are continuing to adapt the series and hope that the film can help create a third season. I want to see that World War III Arc.

Redline Getting Theatrical U.S. Release Maybe this doesn’t quite make up for waiting for this film since 2009, but it certainly softens the blow. If you’ve seen this movie, and loved it, you know it will look amazing on the big screen; a total immersive experience. It also gives the opportunity that other random people who aren’t anime fans will see Redline and realize its fantastic-ness. And since it is getting a theatrical release, Oscar nomination would be a possibility in 2012.

Funniest Series
(Funny in a Good Way, not a M.D. Geist Way)

Carnival Phantasm by Lerche I will fully admit that Carnival Phantasm is hardly for everyone. It demands a near encyclopedia knowledge of the Type-Moon universe but at the same time the good nature to see the characters involved made out to be very silly. As a fan of Type-Moon and Eri Takenashi this series was a match made in heaven. Some of the jokes are a bit over done but they move quickly enough from joke to joke that I never minded too much. When Taiga makes a reference to the Japanese opening of the 90′s X-men cartoon I knew no other series could go in this spot.

Fireball Charming by Disney This is the prequel to just plain ole Fireball with the same humor but a little less sleek character design for Drossel. She still sports expressive hair and never fully understands the things she learns. Despite being a wierdsville fest of puns and misunderstandings, you can see parts of the story proving it takes place before.