Hisui’s picks:

• A Woeful Tale of a Middle Child
  Everyone loved the Macross Saga in Robotech but the other two arcs are definitely considered to be weaker. The VEEF argues that Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross was a far better show than its Macross iteration would have you believe. Note: This is not a series about Shin from Fist of the North Star in a mecha.
• All Your American Anime Fandom Shame in One Video
  As anime fans we have all seen that fellow fan who seems utterly clueless when it comes to the culture the profess to be an expert on. Well here is the essence of that feeling in one skit. This will surely be used by anime fans who hate anime fans for years to come.
• Phatbhuda, Mecha Faux, and Sasuraiger vs. 105,000 Unwashed Comic Fans
  My roundup of people who braved the crowds at the NYCC:
• Dave only gives you the highlights and the low points of NYCC. You are too busy for the rest!
• Many Mecha Pics (and some puny humans) at NYCC
• Phatbhuda’s Multi Stage Behind the Scenes Access at NYCC: PICTURES! TRION WORLDS! FELICIA DAY! SHOOT MANY ROBOTS!
• Podlabor Look at a Most Metal Anime
  The manly men talk about a manly Patz from Insert Disc is joined by Dave from Colony Drop and Astro Toy and Basil from the OSMCast to talk about Mazinkaiser SKL. The discussion could mainly be summed up like this.
• A Silk Road Love Story
  Eeeper looks at the newest work from Emma’s Kaoru Mori. She does another wonderful historical piece with a gorgeous release from Yen Press. Eeeper explores the unique setting and the simple charm of the story. Kaoru Mori is always satisfying.

Narutaki’s picks:

• Last Unicorn in Theaters Again
  Yaaay!!! I am really enjoying this string of rereleasing animated classics on the big screen. And not only is it being digitally remastered, they couldn’t resist also releasing it in 3D. Hopefully I will be able to find a 2D screening.
• Professor Layton Getting an iOS Game
  Or should I say his “intuitive son” will be staring in the first non-DS Layton puzzle game. I hope to get an iPad in the near future, so I’ll definitely want this game!
• French Animated Short “WindMills”
  A mostly dialogue-free story about a father and daughter building a machine that runs on special winds. Beautiful textures and background mixed with moving, crisp character animation.
• L’Arc-en-Ciel to Play Madison Square Garden
  This is big, BIG! Ticket prices have been insane lately, so I’m not sure if I’ll get a chance to go but it is a very cool.
• A Scathing Editorial About Marvel’s Behind-the-Scenes Business
  This article comes at an interesting time after NYCC where many new projects are on deck and people are excited. But while ideas and talent are all there, The Beat talks about the stifling outlook Marvel’s business practices have.
• Stitch! Anime Finally Comes to the U.S.
  Starting Monday the series will be on Disney XD. This seemed like a long shot and for whatever reason finding fan-subs of it has proven difficult. Still better late than never! This series doesn’t actually take place in Hawaii nor is there Lilo and her family, instead focusing on the wacky alien aspect. There are two sequels so if it does well I’m sure we can expect to see those, too. I don’t actually have cable, but hopefully this will make it to DVD.

Two great tastes that go great together:

I would like to proudly announce that recently I finished off two video games in one day. Although I started them on different days  coincidence made it so I finished Galaxy Angel and Radiant Historia at the same time. Finishing both games back to back made me realize one thing. I would easily recommend both games so the next statement comes from someone who was thoroughly satisfied with his gaming experience (although if the last mission of Galaxy Angel were not an escort mission I would be happier.) Both games are sort of thin when it comes to their characters. They were enjoyable but in realized that had these character been from an anime or manga I would have considered them much weaker.  We simply accept a smaller amount of characterization in video games than we do from any other medium of entertainment.

We all know that video games have changed and evolved quite a bit over the years, but its been in many different directions. Even excluding the change in graphics capability and the potential length of games, plenty of growth in how people perceive games and how the creators make them has happened. They are a new and special type of storytelling, they are art to some and entertainment to many, and by any standard they have become integrated into the fabric of people’s lives on some level. But let’s go back to the storytelling element, certainly there have always been goals and structures for games, but we’ve seen epic stories come to life, too. And things just seem to grow more complex, with bigger ideas, and greater casts. But how characters develop in the story and through the player is still another idea all together.

Even as a huge Galaxy Angel fan I am the first to admit that the girls from Galaxy Angel seem like they come from a cynical boardroom meeting of Broccoli executives trying to cast their net as wide as possible. It that sense they are very reliant on their archetypal personalities. But when you interact with them in the game they come more alive despite being somewhat defined by simple personality quirks. When you put those same characters in the Galaxy Angel manga it is much more obvious what simple characters they are. I have to wonder if that is why so many anime and video game adaptions are so reviled. When they are adapted you see exactly how much the narrative and characters relied on interactivity to fill in the gaps. I many of the same ways Radiant Historia has a very intriguing plot involving time travel and politics but the characters equally broad stereotypes. Many of the characters personalities and back stories are only really learned through hunting down optional quests and what could be argued as the main romance in the game can be missed entirely. It can be argued that even with those little details that you can hunt down there are still only half as fleshed out as rich as even a shallowly explored anime or manga character. Since you have to hunt down these side missions and little asides it gives them a more rewarding feel. You attach more significance to finding out this information when you find it on your own.

My own experience with video games stems mainly from RPGs through the 90′s (okay, and Professor Layton of late) so those are really my core for talking about character. One of my (and many other’s) best-loved characters, Link from the Legend of Zelda is someone I love because of the adventures I go on as him; in the beginning he was your vessel and you got out of him whatever you put in. But as the game’s started to expand, so did the character. He has friends, motivations, and a past depending on what game you’re playing. Despite A Link to the Past being my favorite iteration, it is impossible to say that Link was all that fleshed out as a character. What he is thinking or feeling that is still up to how you interpret him and what you want out of his actions (or your actions). I would say Link has the most personality in The Wind Waker; I’d describe him as rather jaunty in that title, and subsequent ones in that world. But if you recall The Wind Waker had a ton of backlash initially because it didn’t look as serious as people had hoped when riding on the coat-tails of Ocarina. Who we had come to believe Link was being reinterpreted.

The greatest example of how much the interactive experience fills in gaps is any game with a silent protagonist. While this is very prevalent in RPGs it can also bee seen in almost every genre of game. This character is almost always a tabula rasa with a majority of the dialog provided supporting characters, a few characters reacting to unsaid lines, or the protagonist’s minimal dialog. One one hand this allow almost complete self insertion or visualization. The player is either able to imagine themselves as the main character or  make a personality for the character out of whole cloth. This explains the popularity of characters like Master Chief and Link despite the fact that they are hardly verbose. Many RPGs so far as to have you name the character so that you truly can make the character your own. In and anime or manga a silent protagonist is almost utterly unforgivable. Even some of the most closemouthed heroes have their moments to shine with memorable lines and stories.

All forms of story that I enjoy, I want to be engrossed in, feel connected to it, be apart of. And that is the key, in a video game you are connected immediately because you are playing, you are in control. If you lose that inactivity, you’ve lost everything. But I don’t think that means you must refrain from creating fleshed out characters apart from the player. A title like Tales of Symphonia comes to mind for its little conversations that happen while traveling the world map giving everyone their own quirks. It isn’t really about uniqueness as much as the game telling you a bit of who they are. The danger zone seems to occur when a pre-existing character becomes too fleshed out at the expense of the experience, the reactions to the latest Metroid game for example. In any case, it is a balancing act. Do I want to know more, yes, but do I need to know more to think a game is excellent, probably not.

As much as I might seem to be very critical of video games I must point out that I often play and enjoy the stories and characters of many a video game. Every medium has its strengths and weakness as well as narrative techniques. The way that a book, graphic novel, movie, or game attach us to someone vary on how we interact with it. The level to which things are given to us and how much we have to fill in for ourselves changes our expectations and reactions to each medium. Even silent blank slate characters can connect deeply to an audience. Crono and Gordon Freeman are beloved characters making many a top ten list. Fighting game characters and the entire cast of the Touhou Project games are iconic despite the fact that we only learn a sliver of information about the cast in their games. Games like Mass Effect and the Ultima series are famous for their stories and characters. This is less a condemnation and more of an examination of the medium.

When I think about video game’s many fanbases, two passionate ones came to mind in regards to character development: Touhou fandom and the general fighting game community. Besides being very vocal and large groups, both of these territories have games where much of the story, lore, and characters are filled out by the fans themselves based on hints, small details, and of course character design provided by the actual games. Many times supplemental material is created later (or never), to varying degrees of success, but in the meantime plenty of discussions and fan-fiction go on. Of course these communities originated out of playing and enjoying the games, but have since grown to include vast other topics. It’s that interactivity that seems to allow characters to function at a different level in video games. The blanks don’t feel blank when you are playing.

I have happily been engrossed in the latest Professor Layton game the Unwound Future for the last week. The plot is the most fun and lively yet and we even get to learn a bit about Layton’s past and relationships plus see a (gasp) top hat-less Layton! This is also the most personal and emotional installment yet, which makes sense since it is the end of trilogy. Still I was pleased to see myself tearing up at the ending of the events. The puzzles were about the same difficulty level as the second game, which means that overall they are tricky but not overly hard. I still admit to missing the really challenging puzzles that appeared at the end of the first game. In this case even the end puzzles, worth a lot of picarts, were mostly harder versions of puzzles you had already conquered earlier in the game. But my true reason for playing the game is plot, plot, plot so I was indubitably pleased with how it came together. My only complaint is the constant hand holding that started with the second game and only seems to have escalated in the third. There is a journal that I can read if I forget anything, there is a mystery section that I can review, and when I turn on my continued game it reminds me of where I left off. Those things are all fine, what I don’t need is the game to prevent me from wandering and a plot recap every couple of chapters. These things don’t make the game less fun it just takes a bit of mystery solving out of it.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is a delightful capping off of the 1st Professor Layton trilogy. As with most the previous games we start with an odd event that spirals into a larger adventure with Layton discovering the grand conspiracy behind everything as he solves puzzles. I did notice some recycling of older puzzles beyond using some of the work horse types of puzzles that are in all three games. But they change them enough that they don’t feel like you are replaying an older game with a new story. I am never usually one to comment on voice acting but the new woman who does Flora is quite awful especially considering how good everyone else has been. I don’t know what circumstances prevented them from using the original Flora but they need to get rid of this lady and fast. The ending of the game was bombastic where is need to be and in contrast heartfelt, touching, and a bit melancholy where it needed to be as well. I will say the giant robot at the end of the Eternal Diva is much more inline with the series now that I played this game. I look forward to the adaption of the prequel trilogy as well as the Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney game.  With all the new material taking place before this trilogy one wonders when they will get to that letter and the end of this game.

I picked up Twin Spica vol. 3 at New York Comic Con but just recently got around to reading it. I speed through these books with their engaging characters and little mysteries. This time around we see Asumi sort of reeling from a realization in the last volume about her father. I was surprised how quickly it was dealt with although she still hasn’t actually confronted him about it yet. There is more training ahead in this book as well as some hard truths about how many of them will actually make it to space upon graduation. In the last chapter, we finally get to learn a bit about Ukita and her cold exterior. Each time the past is revealed in Twin Spica things become clearer but also harsher. Even the bonus chapter is a tear-jerker. It continues to be a poignant piece about dreams.

It seems that Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Songstress is the equivalent of Macross: Do You Remember Love? for Macross Frontier. It is a retelling of the TV series that has the same themes and many of the major events of the TV series while trimming other story elements. There are some changes that play with your expectations if you watched the TV series. I won’t go into details but among other things they pull a pineapple cake moment. They tried to make Alto, Sheryl, and Ranka more likable but I wonder if it succeeded in winning over anyone who disliked them in the TV series. I will say that they made Sheryl more enjoyable in my eyes by softening her a bit and making her less manipulative but it also took away much of her bite as well. While we get more screen time with the main trio that means to movie either cuts out characters completely like Nanase, minimized them to an extreme like Cathy and Luca, or use them for the minimum necessary like Michael and Ozma. Overall it was a fun but flawed movie. While it recycled animation from the TV series there was quite a bit of new an exciting fight scenes and concert scenes. We also get to see more of Ranka’s rise to stardom. In a way the movie emphasized both the merits and the flaws of the TV series into a bite sized package. I am curious to see how it all plays out in the 2nd movie considering the changes they made in the first half. It does beg the super nerd question: What is the canon storyline now?

Star Driver was a handful from day one and it hasn’t stopped being a weird robot highschool with kinda creepy students with a lot of mysteries. It is rare that I just plain don’t have any idea what is going to happen in a show, and that’s what makes this so fun. I know there will be a robot fight and some weird motivations going on, but the overall plot and where it is going? Nope, not a clue. But despite that the series has done a great job of getting me to wonder about it all rather than making me give up. The characters have great funny moments throughout but can just as quickly turn around and do something strange. I’m enjoying the dynamics in the drama club and for no real reason that I can fathom I love the president. Oh I love Vice President, too, but that should be obvious. I’m loving the robot designs and fights as well. KIRABOSHI!

Macross Ultimate Frontier knows what the magic of the Macross series is. It is the music. So while being a mission based action game that lets you play mecha and characters from all the various Macross series it also gives you all the music from all iterations of the series as well. As a sequel to the original Macross Ace Frontier is adds in a few of the mecha and characters from other Macross  video games like Macross Digital Mission VF-X2 and Macross M3 as well as the previously disowned Macross II. If nothing else I think it is another sign that while it will never be canon they have at least softened on how heretical Macross II is. The game is fun and it encourages you to switch modes on your Valkyrie often which should be the goal of all Macross games. On the plus side there are tons of mecha and characters from all over the Macross universe. If anything considering how much there is to unlock and level up the game might be a bit overwhelming and only the hardcore are going to max out the game. It also makes a great way to play all your Macross music in a portable format since they are extremely generous in letting you unlocking music.

Can’t resist putting more Layton art!

I would bet money that while playing the Professor Layton games a majority of people had the same thought pop into their heads. “This game is fun but boy I wish this was an anime.” And so OLM, Inc. and Level-5 used their special machine to break into dreams (and more specifically Narutaki’s dreams) and make this movie. The question is can a game with a few (albeit very well done) short animated cut scenes be strong enough to stand on its own as a full length movie.

The movie begins at the end of a case with Professor Layton foiling another dastardly caper. As Luke and Layton settle in after a hard days work they are reminded of an old case they worked on that started with a letter from a student of the professor named Jenis Quatlane. Jenis’ friend who died recently has come back to life as a small child. She believes that her friend’s resurrection and several other odd incidents in the area are all related to a mysterious theater. While Luke and Layton are attending an opera at the theater everyone in the audience in locked in a series of life of death trials to determine which one of them will receive the gift of immortality. Layton must discover how all these mysteries tie into the greater puzzle of the quest for eternity.

A major concern of mine going into this movie was not wanting to have plot points spoiled from further games that haven’t been released in the U.S. yet. I was doubly worried as I saw the film’s opening sequence with a short narration about the franchise and then the case we are thrown into took place very much in the present, though it was joyous to once again see Don Paolo. However, things take a turn when Layton and Luke listen to an old record as they are reminded of the famous young woman who sang it and a mysterious case involving her many years prior.

While the Professor Latyon games are fun puzzle games they also have strong characters that draw people into the series.  The movie understands this and builds about these core characters. Layton and Luke have the same chemistry that they do in the game and felt spot on throughout the movie. I know that Remi Altava is from the 4th game which has not been localized so I can’t say how faithful her role here is to her character in the games. Remi was capable detective and martial artist which was  good incentive for me to get the 4th game when it comes out. Jenis seems like a standard beautiful damsel in distress but I thought she had a great deal of depth when we get her full story. Inspector Grosky plays a good Zenigata style detective which is always comedy gold. The main villain was a bit more sinister than I was used to from a Professor Layton game but this is not a bad thing. The rest of the cast is colorful if not extremely memorable much like the NPCs from the game. They mainly exist for Layton and Luke to play off of as they solve puzzles.

We get a little introduction to who our main characters are, narrated by Luke as things start to get underway but it is thankfully not a long or boring exposition trying to catch you up. Professor Layton is a gentleman’s gentleman with an easy charm, this is immediately apparent in the games so thankfully it was transferred flawlessly into cinema. He is candid but quite tactful and obviously very intelligent and observant. Young Luke wants to be just like him, but he also adds his own intuition and thoughtful organization to the cases as well as his way with animals. The atmosphere brought about by the rest of the cast is similar but slightly different from the games. In the past, the character have had their quirks and oddities but in The Eternal Diva the people surrounding the events have a sense of desperation. The atmosphere can be more sinister as each person seeking eternal life has a every man for himself attitude.

There are two major questions when looking a movie like this. How good is it as an adaptation of the games and how good is it as a movie in general? Overall it is a faithful an adaptation of the Professor Layton games as an anime can get while still being entertaining. The heart of the series is Luke and Layton dynamic as they solve puzzles and mysteries. They integrate the puzzles into the story fairly well although unlike in the games I am not sure the audience as has as much ability to solve some of the puzzles. I was pleased that the puzzles never broke the flow of story which was vital to the movie. The overall mystery is solid and feels like something from a Professor Layton game. The movie itself entertained me just as an animated movie. It moved along nicely and it had a good mixture of comedy and suspense. The story makes a few unexpected twists and turns which was satisfying. The climax was slightly over the top but it involved elements that were relevant to my interests so I was fine with it. I very much enjoyed the movie and look forward to seeing the next movie in the series which has already been announced.

Unsurprisingly there were not hundreds of puzzles to be solved for Layton and Luke to get all the information they needed. The puzzles we are included in, besides the main mystery of course, vary in difficulty and interest. For example, the first two puzzles which take place on the ship are fairly simple and straightforward (at least I thought they were as I solved them) but they get a bit harder as things continue on. The overarching plot is populated with unexpected revelations and of course some much-needed drama. The secrets and history that are revealed are engaging and like the Professor Layton games a little bit haunting. This feeling comes across quite well in the film, it isn’t scary per se but it has an ominous feeling that develops quite early on. And finally, as I’ve come to expect with the Detective Conan movies, so too do we have a big splashy ending! As a random note, it was interesting to see how they integrated CG into the film for the buildings and ships, it isn’t quite jarring but it is quite noticeable.

This series has yet to be licensed in the U.S. but we are getting a copy of the region 2 release from our good friend from the land of saints and scholars, Philip from Eeeper’s Choice Podcast. I am super curious to see what the special features are. I am sure we will give you a little update in Ongoing Investigations when we receive that. Until then I hope that someone picks up this movie for U.S. release as well. This is  a delightful family friendly movie, a wonderful adaptation of a charming video game series, and a franchise of movies that has potential for some legs in the U.S.

While it was clear from the get go that Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva was made for an all ages audience, they don’t allow that to steer the movie down an obvious or easy path. It very much had the feeling that I’ve come to expect from the series and gleaned a huge amount of enjoyment from the film. I would love to know if there were any special downloadable puzzles before the movie in Japan, I think that would have been a great way to spend the few minutes waiting for the movie to start.

I went to see the Japanese horror movie House (also known as Hausu) during Halloween. I say horror movie but what I really mean is 1970′s b-movie hilariously badly wonderful horror movie. Oh, did I mention the director let his 11-year-old daughter write the story? As you can imagine, things for the most part aren’t very scary at all. The basic premise is about 7 high school girls (are you ready for these names? Gorgeous, Fantasy, Melody, Sweet, Mac, Professor, and Kung-Fu) who visit a house in the country, but the house is evil! And one by one the house eats them up. There is also an evil cat(s?), a crazy aunt who is only randomly disabled, and a most spectacular array of bad special effects. As a person who doesn’t like horror movies, I highly recommend this one. It will leave you laughing!

And owning a PSP logically means that I would go out and get all the Type-Moon games I could. I got Fate/Tiger Colosseum in Japanese mostly because it’s a simple game to play even if you don’t understand Japanese. The game is mostly a simple Power Stone style fighting game. The main draw is the bizarrely humorous story mode where the characters run around being silly each in their own special way like with Saber beating people up because her food tasted bad and Rin and Rider involved in a story of cursed glasses. I oddly enough enjoy trying to figure out what the stories are despite the fact that I know a handful of Japanese words. I am pretty sure Soichiro Kuzuki story mode is the standard “We stole your woman! You must now fight through my minions to get her back” played totally straight for maximum comedic value. I also think that Archer’s story is about him beating the snot out of people to teach them not to solve their problems with violence. I can’t see how that would not be hysterical. Plus the game made me realize once again that Bazett is unfairly looked over despite her inherent sexiness. It also makes me want someone to translate Fate/Hollow Ataraxia as soon as possible.

Kimi ni Todoke was the show I practically named best show of the season in the fall review and having watched up through 5 has not altered my opinion one bit. It continues to bestow upon the viewers little treasures in each episode. Sawako is shy but in a way that isn’t tedious or annoying that some people feel towards such characters. Equally endearing is Kazehaya’s emotions that seem right on the surface but are continually misinterpreted. The focus has been more of Sawako’s overall emergence into friendships at school rather than being solely on the slow romance. Though truly I want to see that move along soon. The plot also has the uncanny ability to lull you into a sense of familiarity and then breaking it, then doing it all over again. Kimi ni Todoke is a grand ole time.

I also experimented with downloadable games when I got Fate/Unlimited Codes. Fate/Unlimited Codes is the much anticipated Fate/Stay Night fighting game. It has a good roster of characters and the game play seems solid. I did notice that some characters were notably absent but I am sure they left them to throw into sequels. The moves are easy enough to pull off but there is an obvious bit of complexity to the overall fighting system. Then again I have never played the arcade version and I am hardly any sort of expert of fighting games. I am mostly a button masher that admires fighting games from a distance. It has not and never will be released in stores but you can get a translated U.S. version of Fate/Unlimited Codes by downloading it to your memory card. Apparently this is the direction of purchase Sony is aiming for especially with the release of the PSPgo. I found it convenient but I much prefer the option of being able to buy disks as well as download games. The downloadable game is a great release option for niche titles but I think a dual release would be better for big name titles.

I finished up Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box the annoyances I mentioned in my previous post about it still hold true, and in fact were practically driving me nuts by the end. The first game doesn’t overestimate your intelligence, but the second one seems content to lead you by the hand from place to place. Also, upon completion I can safely say the puzzles were easier than the first game’s offerings and the final solutions to the game are far and way some of the most obvious riddles in the entire game making it a bit of a let down. The story itself wraps up in a most curious manner and I am still undecided on how much I like the truths behind the box and all the happenings. However, I still love Layton and Luke and the teaser picture for the next game had me excited so I can say without a doubt I can’t wait to pick up the third installment. Whenever that is.

It is the the all powerful master and and ever studious student of the Tiger Dojo:

Deka Kyoshi is a manga Kindergarten Cop with a twist of the supernatural. Toyama Narita is a gentle giant of an undercover cop sent in as a new homeroom teacher. The teacher he is replacing committed suicide and the police feel that it is linked to something more sinister happening at the school. On Toyama’s first day he finds that one of his student named Makoto is being bullied. It seems that Makoto can see demons that make people do bad things has become labeled as a liar and a weirdo. Toyama helps Makoto and comes to believe that Makoto has an odd form of synethesia that lets him see emotions as physical forms. So Makoto starts to help Toyama with his investigation but is there a simple scientific explanation or can Makoto see actual demons? The formula for manga seems to be that someone in the class will be emotionally distressed with a after school special problem. Makoto will see the demon that is haunting them and Toyama and Makoto work together to help the student who is in trouble. There also seems to be a sinister boy who is promoting the growth of said demons and is most probably tied in with all the problems at the school. The art feels like a 80s Shonen Jump series despite the fact that it came out in 2006 in Flex Comix. I don’t mind it but I know that is a turn off for some people. The stories themselves are cute and entertaining thanks to Toyama and Makoto being a good team. Toyama comes off as bad-ass when he needs to be and we are slowly seeing Makoto grow as he works with Toyama. The series is not a must read but it is an excellent choice if you want a light supernatural mystery.

I tested out Winter Sonata episode one even after feeling very disappointed by the 0 special. The special, minus the first moments at the airport which were very nice, came off as a bunch of fairly pointless scenes that one could only care about if you already knew the characters, perhaps that is what they are banking on. Also I found that sometimes things seemed stuck together back to back without any real follow through or sense of timing. That being said, the first episode is much better so much so that I suggest not watching the special (and wishing I hadn’t because it gave me a bias). We start in the present and then go back to when our leads meet in highschool. There is an air of mystery as Joon Sang looks for his real father and how each of the people he encounters fits into that. The friendships start budding rather naturally, as if Joon Sang is powerless to stop it. And of course there is a sense of melancholy since it is being told in a “if we had only known” fashion. As far as recent romance shows goes, this seems to be on a more mature level and will probably have a bittersweet ending to it all.

Winter Sonata is based on a insanely popular Koren drama that is one of the shows that spawned the Korean Wave. Joon Sang Kang leaves Korea for America leaving behind Yujin Jung. Yujin Jung then goes to Paris as both of them spend time thinking of each other and being sad. The animation is brilliant. The live action drama was a smash hit all over Asia so this is obviously a high budget production. To capture the feel of the original drama the dialog is in Korean with Japanese subtitles. Despite all the care that was put into this goodness this was just plain boring. I am not someone to casually throw that term around but nothing interesting happened. If this is what we are going to get if we get more mainstream anime then I will take my horrible niche stuff. If they had connected me to either of the characters I might have cared more but they really told us nothing of importance about these two people. It conveyed a melancholy mood well but with no human connection it was exciting as watching the snow fall on a barren field.

We didn’t have a chance to review the first episode of Blue Literature in the Fall Review, but here it is not too much later. We are thrown into a story about a young man who really has no purpose in life based on the best-selling novel, No Longer Human. While spending the night with a working girl we learn some of his past trauma. It was quite apparent that the character designs were by Takeshi Obata (of Death Note fame) but what was more was the actual animation direction took queues from the Death Note anime. I can honestly say it was the most creepy and depressing piece I have watched in a long time. That being said, it was well-crafted. Though I have no intention of watching anymore in this series, it certainly is another unique piece to add to the anime library.

Blue Literature is an intriguing series. It is the adaption of 4 classic books of Japanese literature done with character designs by famous manga-ka. The first is No Longer Human, if the title sounds familiar it is because Nozomu Itoshiki from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei is based on the main character from it. Yozo Oba is a lost young man who is floundering about as an art student and a revolutionary but not really being committed to anything due to trauma in his childhood.  While on the run from the police a he starts a relationship with an equally broken hostess. Well if nothing else this is proof that Japan loves tragic stories of depression and suicide in its fine literature. This is obviously a prestige release because they have sunk a good deal of money into the animation and gathered together some huge names for the project. A good pick if you want to a have glimpse into the Japanese literary tradition or want more high brow anime watching.

More Professor Layton goodness:

I am very curious to see what my friends that started Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 at the same time I did have to say about the series as a whole. It was an excellent show with a unique premise. By taking such a tremendous but mundane event as a major earthquake you get all the power and excitement of a fantastical plot but with all the weight of story feeling of reality. The major divide in people’s feelings will come with the fact that each third of the series has a different feel. The last third will either make some viewers claim it as one of their favorite series of the year or it will make them walk away feeling very disappointed or even betrayed. It is an ending that has to be experienced fresh for maximum impact. Therefore I suggest you avoid spoilers for this show until you finish it and then let the actuality wash over you. No matter how you feel about the ending you can not deny that it made you feel something.

I finished up the story of Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I didn’t finish all the puzzles because that is not really my priority in games. I had part of the mystery figured out though not all of it. My big problem was there was not much in the way of solving the mystery, rather you were just along as Luke and Layton uncovered it. I wanted to call out the impostor! I wanted to prove how I knew! Yet, there I was with all the evidence as Layton just lays it on the table without me lifting a finger. This was a bit disappointing. However, I still really felt the game was solid with both humor and mystery. Also the cinemas were just wonderful and got better as the game continued. I am looking forward to picking up the second game soon.

Canaan will never go on my list for favorite show, it does not even win my affection for favorite show of the season, but it did entertain me every episode. The plot was entertaining if slightly wonky at times. But it was wonky in the the favor of fun which is what you want out of a girls with guns show. I could easily see how Maria Osawa and Yunyun could get on people’s nerves. Maria is the typical damsel is distress that wants to be stronger and Yunyun is an odd comic relief character. But I found them both to be enjoyable and sympathetic when they needed to be. Liang Qi was a distinctly over the top villain but I enjoyed her hammy scenes. I thought that Canaan was darn cool but I am generally prejudiced towards characters like her. I thought her synesthesia was a good gimmick power that made her stylish but never made her seem overpowered. I am sure people will watch the show for the yuri undertones because the show has them in spades. I would be interested to play 428: Fusasareta Shibuya de to see how this was all set up but I am hardly going to hold me breath until they license it for the U.S. I will hold out hope that someone licenses the anime and will probably buy a Canaan figure.

I finally watched the rest of Rocket Girls (9-12) and really I have no reason I didn’t, I just didn’t till now. I guess you can attribute that to the pace not being break-neck action but still the show has it’s quiet moments of suspense. These last episodes not only solidify the bonds between the three girls but also makes them (and us) realize their desire and resolve to become astronauts. I do find them being on par with NASA a little unimaginable, though the series is certainly not grounded in reality, but it served its purpose of proving the girls are serious in their endeavor. I had mentioned previously liking the opening, also of note is the insert song in episode 11 which I couldn’t find the name of, it adds a nice pace to the girls and NASA’s meeting. The ending was well executed with just a moment of worry but ultimately a positive future outlook. Rocket Girls was a fine series with a combo of space, fun, and heart which was certainly worth sitting down with for 12 episodes. 

Shin Mazinger Shogeki! Z-Hen is raw giant robot fun distilled into its purest form. As I predicted, the first episode is an overture of the series as a whole. It gives you a look at everything you are going to get and then lets you see the series unfold normally from the second episode. Shin Mazinger is one of those odd shows that lots of bloggers are talking about but I am sure that 90% of average anime fans could care less about it. Which is a shame because it is just a well put together show from Yasuhiro Imagawa. As per Yasuhiro Imagawa’s Modus operandi he takes all of a good deal of Go Nagai’s characters and throws them into a shared Mazinger universe. Shin Mazinger’s plot is excellently put together with a good amount of twists and turns for what is essentially a monster of the week show. The characters often get as much if not more screen time and thought than the robot fights but when the robot fights come around they are superb. I do have to mention two things. The first is obviously Imagawa could not come to AWA because he was behind schedule as seen in episode 25′a utterly atrocious animation. Even with a good amount of recycled footage!. The plot and the directing is still solid it’s just the images are not able to equal the story they are trying to tell. And the second thing is the series ends on a major cliffhanger. Hopefully the rumors are true and we will get a sequel.

In honor of my Professor Layton related achievement, this is the pic of the week:

The Walking Man by Jiro Tanaguchi is a simple, short piece about a man exploring his new town which emphasizes the beauty of noticing the little things in the world and taking a minute to appreciate them. It also seems like a great excuse to draw incredible backgrounds and environments. In fact this is one of the few times where those take precedence over our character so much so that he doesn’t even have a name. The dialogue is sparse with some chapters having none at all. It doesn’t even come across as slice-of-life but just these very brief, serene moments in time.

So Ed Chavez of Vertical recommended I try reading Go! Tenba Cheerleaders. When someone that powerful in the Force makes a recommendation you follow it. Maki Kazuki is the last member of the male rooting club. Despite going on an intense recruiting drive the cannot dig up anyone to get to the minimum number of members to keep the club alive. But then and angel appears. Saki Sonoda is so moved by his passion that she all but demands that he join the cheerleading squad. before he realizes what is going on Maki is a remember of the cheerleading squad with all the hi-jinks that implies. He must use this manly strength and manly guts to lead the cheerleader to the top. Let me get this right out of the way because it is unavoidable. This series is chock full of fan service. I literally think the manga does not go for two pages with some panty shots, cleavage shot, or just plain nudity. Considering the majority of the cast is always either in cheerleading uniforms or short skirts this is not very hard. But beyond that Go! Tenba Cheerleaders is a pretty funny comedy. Maki is a likable guy with his fiery passion. I do find it slightly odd that despite the large female cast about 80% of the fan service comes from Saki. The manga-ka almost seems reluctant at times to give us a service shot of anyone else. I’m not exactly sure what to make of that. So you either come in wanting the service or your are going to need a pretty high fan service acceptance threshold. It does have a bizarre combination of old school mans path honor with eechi comedy. But if you can tolerate/enjoy the service there is a bunch to enjoy in this manga.

I started readying a manga called +C Sword and Cornett on a whim when I was randomly looking up fantasy manga. Belca is a bastard prince living in the castle but desperate to leave those who look at him coldly (i.e. almost everyone except his half brothers) and almost gets his chance when his brother Hector returns home. However, Hector comes home with not only the intent to help elevate the race of Amontel to equal level as the humans but also to take one as his bride. Though before anything can really be set in motion, Hector is killed, which in turn sets a whole series of other things in motion. Belca and his other brother Orcelito uncover a dubious plot which sends Belca on the run and Orcelito into a dangerous game. While fleeing, Belca runs into a carefree bard named Eco who intends to follow him because he can sense a good story! So far in the first book we have run into some royalty, some murderous plots, and some amusing antics. The covers a very beautiful and the interior art is pretty decent for the most part. Its been a good ride so far and am happy to have found a bit more fantasy manga to enjoy.

Kidou Senshi Gundam-san is a strange but amusing series of 4-koma comics based on the original Mobile Suit Gundam. I bought one book in Japanese awhile back becuase it had Sayla on the cover. The manga mostly contains either gags based on events in the series, little vignettes with the characters, or war stories with anthropomorphic version of mobile suits. All the characters are slightly different for the sake of comedy although some are changed more than others. Amuro is still Amuro with all his quirks turned up to 11 while Char goes from devilishly charming schemer to a loud goofy slacker. The author does go out of his way to show how the original characters and the 4-koma characters are different in the sections between chapters. They oddly play the parts with the anthropomorphic mobile suits rather straight with the main joke being they are MOBILE SUITS playing the otherwise dramatic parts. It’s a pretty funny manga although some of the jokes are over my head given my limited Gundam knowledge. One odder than normal note is the manga seems obsessed with the Acguy mobile suit for some reason I am clearly unaware of and may never understand.

I finally started playing the Professor Layton and the Curious Village, my only excuse is that there is just so much good stuff in the world I just have to get to them one at a time! Now that the second game has come out, and the ads on the subway have been taunting me, I am now enjoying it fully. So far the puzzles have mostly been challenging enough to give me pause but not so frustrating that I can’t figure them out. I love the art style which really lends itself to this sleepy village full of colorful characters (who are always carrying around puzzles for you). Layton is awesome with this cool top hat and gentlemanly demeanor where Luke is a bit feisty. The dub of this actually seems to work really well to considering the setting. And the European feel is just wonderful! This also makes me doubly excited for the upcoming movie.

In “honor”of Kidou Senshi Gundam-san’s obsession with the Acguy it’s a picture of Mineva Lao Zabi with a plush Acguy.

Watched the first four episodes of Toward the Terra. I loved the manga now I get to love the anime! It has this nice combination of old school and modern, the art is this nice meld of the two. The opening song is really great! It is done by UVERworld who I have been sort of neutral about, but this song made me have a little more hope for the upcoming Gundam 00 opening which I have heard only a snippet of. So far the show has been beautiful animated and the story spot on. Soldier Blue you’re the best! There is a nice bonus of an interview with Keiko Takemiya in which she speaks in depth. Makes me want her to be a guest at a convention.

Got around playing Final Fantasy A2. I think I am enjoying it more than Narutaki but mostly because I never played Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced so I don’t know what I’m missing story-wise. I’m mostly here for the real-time strategy which is extremely well done and I am blissfully ignoring the rather generic plot. I am totally playing just to level up jobs and see new missions. I am slightly annoyed that I sometime break the laws when my characters are charmed or confused. It’s a slight gripe but very annoying after following a pain in the butt rule for several rounds of combat just to have the rule broken at the end by a single status effect.

Picked up the first volume of Nightmare Inspector. Hiruko goes into your nightmares to help you dispel them, his payment is the eating of the nightmare. So far every story has had a little twist and isn’t as straight forward as it seems. It is a nice series of vignettes but that isn’t really my favorite thing without an over arching plot to jump at once and a while. However, the last story in the volume is continued in the next and in the preview they mention possibly learning about Hiruko’s past so I am atleast curious. Also had a funny litte extra at the end about the cane he carries.

I tried some Mugen no Frontier: Super Robot Wars OG Saga. It’s simple enough that I can play without knowing any Japanese. It’s a turn-based RPG with some action elements to break up the monotony. I was enjoying this game up until I got up to one boss in this playing card themed dungeon. I can’t get pass this little witch and I don’t feel like grinding enough to blast past her with sheer brute force. I wonder if I am missing something because I can’t read Japanese or if the game just kicked the difficulty level up quite a bit rather unexpectedly.

Started watching Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. I know everyone will be shocked, but I’ve never watched this show all the way through. I have seen an episode here and there but what can I say? I just take my own sweet time getting to shows. I liked what I’ve seen so far, the cop drama kind of feel it is great but with cooler weapons. The Laughing Man comes into the story right at the end of the first DVD and I sort of knew what that was. It certainly keeps the world elements of the original but we get a closer focus on character relationships and a fleshing out of personalities. Really don’t like the opening, but the song itself is really a wonderful, haunting melody. Motoko’s normal outfit cracks me up a bit, I know it is fan service but it just seems so out of place. I think they could have used her full body suit outfit which she wears in the second or third episode instead. Oh and I love the Tachicomas. Forever.

Having watched the Laughing Man arc quite a while ago it was fun to go back and see some of it again. I always liked the third episode with the Jeri androids that were malfunctioning. For some reason I feel that who ever wrote that episode totally wrote it for themselves and anyone else that happened to be a big film buff. Knowing enough about what a horrible pervert Masamune Shirow is I have to wonder if he insisted that Motoko’s outfit be horribly fan servicey outfit or is it just an accepted part of the franchise. Oh and I have always been tempted to buy on of those really nice Tachicoma statues but I have never been able to convince myself to splurge on one. Yet.

Was lucky enough to attend the New York Comic-Con ConFab. It was like a focus group type deal and they bought us lunch, plus we get a free weekend pass for the convention in 2009. They have some great ideas coming up, stuff that I feel no other con has done before. That makes it really exciting. They also had tons of questions for us, a lot about lines and tickets and then general what was bad. They were really enthusiastic about our ideas and it felt like someone was really listening. Looking forward to the coming convention.

I started playing some Touch Detective 2 ½ and it seems just a quirky as the last one. I really miss the point and click puzzle games back in their heyday on PC. I am glad to see someone picking up the torch again. I like the bizarrely dry humor and the unique character designs. It is clearly not a game that will win over new fans. It’s essentially more of the same without even an attempt to innovate or add new features. I don’t mind though because I just wanted more Mackenzie.

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