Category: Events

Gantz movie 1: Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ball

6 Comments

Gantz is a franchise that has always had a mixed reputation. The manga is always known to have very extreme reputation with a good deal of gore, violence, sex, and a pitch black outlook. This has earned it a fair share of fans as well as detractors. It also know many complaints have been levied at it loosing its way in its long run. The anime has a similar reputation but has a quick fix ending by Studio Gonzo that almost always gets a poor reaction. But Gantz fans are almost always fans of its unrelenting nature. So while Narutaki and I have been interested in this series neither or us has started it. When animemiz mentioned the premiere in New York I figured that we might want to check it out if for nothing else the fact that it was a simultaneous debut in American and Japan.

This was my first real introduction to Gantz. I have heard small details about it, and I even own some of the anime thanks to a very good sale but haven’t actually explored the series till this live action film. And going to see this movie was pretty much a last-minute whim. So while I wasn’t excited going in, I became excited as we waited for the show to begin. Gantz entertained me, Kenichi Matsuyama contributed to that greatly, while also making me curious to bust out those DVDs I have.

Continue reading →

Genericon 2011: Now featuring us (plus some other people)!

13 Comments

Hear ye Hear ye. It has been declared that on the month of Februarius on the days of the solar calendar from the eleventh to the thirteenth in the year of our lord two thousand eleven that the royal bards known throughout the lands as the Reverse Thieves will be noted, learned scholars and orators at the festival of nerdy revelry that is Ye Olde Genericon XXIV.

Or in simpler terms we will be featured panelists, our first time as such, at Genericon 2011 which takes place at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY on February 11th to the 13th. We’re presenting three panels and barring schedule changes should be giving one panel on each day of the convention. We will be unveiling the newly revised version of our stalwart classic the Anime Recruitment panel or as Hisui likes to call it Anime Recruitment PTX-007-3C Weissritter edition. We will also be debuting our One Piece: A Portrait of Pirates and Investigating Detective Anime panels. We swear that the Detective Anime panel will be much more than just an hour about Detective Conan (although we could easily talk that long about Detective Conan). We will post information about our panels and our general schedule for the convention when everything is a bit more finalized.

Genericon will also have the deadliest married couple in all of anime and manga fandom, Erin and Noah from the Ninja Consultants, The Star of the Giants of the manga world Ed Chavez, rear-admiral of the Lohengramm Empire Walter Amos, plus Scott Fermeglia, Sushma Chandran, Daniel Condaxis, and Brendan Flaherty as featured panelists alongside us. On top of all that, Genericon will have For Tax Reasons of Ronin Dojo Community College DX fame, Uncle Yo the otaku comedian, voice actor Vic Mignogna, all three of the super star podcasters from Anime World Order, and web comic artist Jenny Blanchard of Enjuhneer as guests. A good friend of the blog Evan Minto will also be not only staff at Genericon but also he will be running several panels including a Satoshi Kon Tribute. And last but not least, the Japanese punk rockers Uzuhi are the featured band. It is all shaping up to be a fun weekend, if you are in the area we hope you can stop on by!

Investigating Detective Anime – Friday, 6:00PM
One Piece: A Portrait of Pirates – Saturday, 8:30PM
Anime Recruitment – Sunday, 12:00PM

Narutaki & Hisui VS. 2010

10 Comments

It is time for the most anticipated and respected anime awards show of the year! (De gustibus non est disputandum.) On the Speakeasy we looked back at the trends that defined anime and manga in 2010. This is an examination of the individual titles and characters that made the biggest impact on us this year. We discuss what made us laugh and cry (for the better and the worse.) Feel free to chime in with your picks as well. If you have a suggested category you would like us to use next year just leave us a comment and we will try to work it in next year.

I really enjoy doing this post. Yeah, everyone does one, but that is because they are fun! For good or ill I know what kind of year I’ve had when I do this post.

Best Anime of 2010 or the Junmai Daiginjo-shu of Anime

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn by Sunrise I know it seems impossible but Gundam Unicorn might actually be the one modern series that a majority of Gundam fans can get behind without their normal bickering. It incorporates the newest and flashiest technology while keeping true to the strength and spirit of the original Universal Century series. If you did not know better you would assume that Yoshiyuki Tomino played a part in the creation of this series for who seamlessly it works itself into the universe. The characters for the series harken back to the former archetypes set by its predecessors while not seeming like clones. Obviously a good deal of money and love was poured into this series because it consistently looks amazing. I look forward to learning the secrets of the Laplace Box and the RX-0.

Runner up: House of Five Leaves by Manglobe An absorbing and atmospheric character based historical drama. Based on seinen manga it is an adult work for both sexes that continues the tradition of great noitaminA anime.

Giant Killing by Studio DEEN When thinking this over, I had to ask myself what was I most anxious to watch each week? What did I want another season of (and thought it could sustain it)? I arrived at my answer pretty quickly. It was Giant Killing’s approach to characters that impressed me throughout the season. Never did the show bang you over the head with who these people were, instead we were shown through small actions, bits of conversations, and of course their approach to soccer. And best of all we got to see everyone involved when it comes to sports from the players to the fans, from the press to the managing staff. Everyone had a role but our main character was not a star or up and coming player, but rather the coach. Tatsumi makes this show and gives a new perspective for a sports anime. Perhaps Giant Killing isn’t the most thought-provoking showing of the year, but it did things just a little bit differently and it never faltered.

Runner up: Kuragehime by Brain’s Base (second mostly because I haven’t seen how it ends yet) This is a very absorbing comedy about a house full of girl geeks whose lives get turned upside down when cross-dressing Kurnosuke takes an interest in them. This is the most genuine depiction of geeky girls I’ve seen to date without being pandering. And it is also turning into a tender romance as well.

Continue reading →