Category: Editorials

Make the Reverse Thieves Anime a Reality: Aniblog Tourney

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VISIT THE BLOGS AND VOTE!

Hello Everyone! Hisui and Narutaki here. We finally made it to the 4th round of the Aniblog Tourney! As promised, at every level of the tournament we will reveal something amazing. Now that we made it this far, we can unveil the secret project we have been working on behind the scenes for quite a while. It has been over a year of negations to get this all in place but we are now starting a most unusual Kickstarter with the latest bracket of the competition. The question is what are we raising money for?

The Reverse Thieves anime! That’s right. The dream of an anime based on the blog is finally close to a reality.

VISIT THE KICKSTARTER PAGE!

Conventional wisdom says that you can’t just call up Japan and get them to make an anime for you. While this is usually true, it is not necessarily a hard and fast rule if you have the right connections. Thankfully after working on the blog for almost five years we were able to make a deal to get the story of the Reverse Thieves made into an anime by studio Madhouse.

Through various contacts at Otakon, we were able to pitch our origin story (which we presented to you all in the last round of the Aniblog Tourney) to Masao Maruyama. And he loved it. Since then we have been in correspondence about the project. All the details are not set in stone but we finally have the authorization to talk about some of the things planned for the project.

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The Speakeasy #030: Preferred Lies, The Codependent Relationship of Fans and the Industry

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Drink #030: Preferred Lies,
The Codependent Relationship of Fans
and the Industry

For a long time now, a seemingly unusual relationship has existed between the anime and manga fans and the industry that brings anime and manga to us. Fans just as often foster a healthy relationship with these companies as they go out of their way to maliciously hurt them. The anime and manga industry have the same beautiful but painful courtship with their fanbase. In this episode, we muse on how both sides treat each other. Phillip from the Eeeper’s Choice Podcast came on the help us talk about this complicated issue. Can the industry and fans be friends? Should they be?

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

Preferred Lies

*2 oz. Earl Grey-infused bourbon (see below)
*1/2 oz. apple cider vinegar
*1/4 oz. simple syrup (1:1)
*1/4 oz. Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
*1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
*Ice cubes
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: Old Fashioned
Garnish: brandied cherry

Combine all ingredients with ice and shake. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass and garnish.

For the Earl Grey-infused bourbon, combine 2 ounces of loose Earl Grey tea leaves in 750 ml. of bourbon. Let steep for 24 hours and strain into a clean glass bottle.

A Season of Friendship

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I don’t know if I can pin down other season of anime as having a theme. And it probably isn’t intentional, but nevertheless this season has a lot of shows that seems to fit together in a special way. This season celebrates friendship in so many different ways that it heightened my awareness to it in each show. From new friendship (Tsuritama) to teammates (Kuroko’s Basketball), from unexpected connections (Kids on the Slope) to brothers (Space Brothers).

The Internet keeps telling me that friendship is magic and so it seems that this season of anime is here to reenforce that notion. It is not as if anime is unfamiliar with the power of friendship. Most of  modern Japanese society is almost obsessed with the harmony of the group and working together so shows emphasizing solidarity among peers is not unheard of. But I think Narutaki was inspired by this season because even the common place can seem extraordinary if done correctly. This seasons shows have been very good and the bonds of comradery have been shown superbly as well. This article will look at relationships beyond the standard shonen “I beat you up so now we are blood brothers” but at people who form real bonds.

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