Category: Events

Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu – Kate’s Kryptonite

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hisui_icon_4040 It is easy to assume Kate and I have near identical tastes when it comes to anime. If you look at our My Anime List profiles you would see that Kate and I have remarkably similar lists. While there is clearly a bit more Type-Moon stuff on my list and a bit more shoujo romance on Kate’s list I don’t have anything close to the same compatibility with anyone else on my friend’s list. The fact that we don’t really bicker about shows in reviews like Siskel and Ebert only reinforces that idea. But if you have been coming here long enough you will notice that we each have our own distinct taste that can really show how differently we view things. A title like Kizumonogatari demonstrates that brilliantly. I can’t think of an anime movie that I would casually watch that Kate would dislike more.

In many ways Kizumonogatari is probably a near perfect checklist of things that Kate hates in one package. A series about vampires and controlling women directed by Akiyuki Shinbou based on a book by Nisio Isin that has nothing but bad puns. The fact that the series has incest and lolicon themes in its harem antics only seals the deal. It would take dog murder and blatant misogyny for her to hate this series more. She might rage over something like The Rising of the Shield Hero or No Game No Life more for how deeply they commits to the elements that Kate hates but there is absolutely no element of Kizumonogatari to bring Kate anything close to feeling of enjoyment. It seems more like a phony title you would make up centering around the worst thing for Kate to watch.

I on the other hand am hardly the biggest fan of the Monogatari series but considering I have watched 77 episodes of this series I guess I am in it to win it at this point. (I have not watched any Koyomimonogatari at this point it time. I assume it will eventually get licensed so I can watch it streaming somewhere.) So if you’re wondering why Kate is not reviewing this now you have your answer.

All that is left is for me to give my impression of the movie. 

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The Anthem of the Heart: The Egg and I

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hisui_icon_4040 I think I have officially proved that I am an anime fan. I could point to 8 and half years of running a blog, 6 years of podcasting, or dozen of panels run at conventions as some sort of poof of dedication to the hobby. I think they all pale in comparison to braving a blizzard that dumped over 2 feet of snow on NYC just to see The Anthem of the Heart. That alone should allow me pass by any gatekeepers without a second thought.

(Truth be told gatekeepers almost always have their opinion formed before they talk to you but I like to believe beautiful lies.)

I do mention that in advance that if you are a strong proponent of the theory of effort justification and its effect on a viewer’s experience that it might be a factor in this review. My journey was not flying to Japan to see a movie premiere but it was a fairly long hike over quite a bit of snow through a very stressed transit system. I don’t think it prejudiced it me in favor of the film but it was quite a trial to see the movie and an equal undertaking to get home. When you have to climb over walls of ice that are as tall as you are, dig out trapped taxis, and stand in subway stops with snowdrifts in them you are going place some weight to the work you placed into your odyssey. Keep that in mind as you read this.

A good question might be what sort of movie would motivate me to do my best Robert Edwin Peary impersonation? The Anthem of the Heart has a fairly strong pedigree. Much of the staff of the movie including Tatsuyuki Nagai, Jin Aketagawa, Masayoshi Tanaka, Kazuko Nakajima, and Mari Okada also worked on AnoHana. While hardly a perfect work (as evidenced by its vocal detractors) I thought that AnoHana was extremely entertaining and rather touching anime so I was looking forward to seeing what this team could do with the tighter storytelling space of a movie.

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New York Comic Con 2015: Anime and Manga

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hisui_icon_4040 The saddest parts of Japanese guests in America is when a skilled director, animator, or artist sits in front of a half filled room of mostly press, podcasters, and bloggers despite the fact that their extensive resumes that would wow most of the attendees if they were aware of who they could be listening to. That is no longer an absolute given as some conventions like AnimeNEXT have figured out how to sell certain high-profile guests in a way that can fill a medium and even larger sized panel room. But all of that paled in comparison to the crowd that showed up to see Masashi Kishimoto.

The mere fact that Mr. Kishimoto was able to fill a hall that seats about 3,000 people is proof positive that he is one of the handful of guests who could draw such a crowd. It showed two things very clearly. The first is that Naruto is still really popular in America. The second is that New York Comic Con is the sort of event that can draw a manga guest that prominent despite not being an anime convention.

But the anime and manga content did not end with just Mr. Kishimoto. There was actually a good deal things to do related to Japanese entertainment all weekend.

narutaki_icon_4040 A few years ago, it seemed like anime and manga being part of New York Comic Con was slowly evaporating. But now, it has its own place both on the guest roster and the show floor.

The amazing talent that VIZ is consistently bringing over to interact with English-speaking fans is beyond impressive at this point. It is anybody’s guess what they’ll do next! Continue reading →