Kamichu!, Let’s all go to Kami-con!

1 Comment

I was initially interested in Kamichu! because I heard people describing it as Spirited Away the TV series. That is some pretty high praise so it had a lot to live up to. When I went to Anime Expo I randomly saw the end of episode three and all of four while waiting for a panel to begin. While I really enjoyed it, I will admit to forgetting about it. When I saw it on a Geneon clearance sale later I picked it up. And then I promptly threw it on my unwatched anime pile. I dug it out when Narutaki and I agreed we should review something that was not a robot show. We were pleasantly rewarded for our efforts. This is a well done comedy for the whole family. It is just a warm series that has comedy, romance, and a dash of nostalgia with a fun supernatural twist.

I was initially interested in Kamichu! because Hisui came over and basically told me what she did in that first paragraph. Spirited Away is one of my favorite Studio Ghibli films (as I am sure it is many others’) so anything that even remotely resembles it, I’d need to check out. It also looked very cute. The show ended up being equal parts magical, funny, and charming. It has a lighter than air quality to it making Kamichu! easy to enjoy. While we stay earthbound (mostly) the show transports you to its setting and integrates you into its life. And it certainly has the ability to entertain the young as well as the old.

Continue reading →

Ongoing Investigations: Case #047

Leave a comment

At first it seemed like Cross Game was more of the same from Mitsuru Adachi. Its initial similarities to Touch are quite easy to notice. They are both about boys who start with little interest in baseball and have a change of heart after the death of a loved one. After reading seeing a good deal of Cross Game they are very different shows. Tatsuya and Minami from Touch have a very different dynamic than Ko and Aoba on top of being very different characters overall. Cross Game shows that Adachi has not lost any magic as a manga-ka who blends dramatic romance with sports manga action. His characters are fun and play off each other well and he knows how to stage a scene for dramatic impact. So far we have not really seen anyone play a full game of baseball. Adachi is setting up the characters so that we care about Ko and his team winning before they play their first game. I like how Ko has become the secondary teams secret weapon. It leads to a good mixture of comedy and suspense as they try to keep his amazing pitching skill a secret. So far Cross Game is still on track as a good show to keep your eye on especially if you like shonen romance.

Vertical had mentioned the Shinjuku Shark books a couple of times at conventions and piqued my interest. After all, a detective story is what we have an affinity for around here! So the self-titled first book finally got a look see by both of us. The Shinjuku Shark strikes fear in all that know him and in many that don’t. He is somewhat of a rogue cop who the brass can’t stand. He has no partner to speak of as he prowls the streets of Shinjuku with little fear of the Yakuza and other gang types. While Samejima (The Shark) certainly has a hard-boiled feel, he is humanized through his relationships and by him actually having moments of fear when going up against the villains in these stories. Also after learning a little of his past in the force as well as the reason he has been permanently relegated to the Shinjuku streets he quickly becomes a character you want to follow. Some other notable people are Yabu the weapons expert on staff and Samejima’s boss Momoi who is nicknamed The Cadaver because of his stellar personality. Both of these guys help Samejima out once and a while, so you know not everyone is against him. They make a great team and certainly made me want to see them appear more. One of the things that struck me was some of the coincidences in this book. We aren’t looking at a small pool of suspects, we are talking about an entire city, but it is relatively obvious who is behind things about half way through. Also the final intended victim was rather convenient. However, if I accept these things the story has some well-paced and suspenseful moments.

Continue reading →

Experiment: Building Master Grade, IKU!

1 Comment

Narutaki and I are currently on a Gundam kick. We recently watch original Mobile Suit Gundam, the original Gundam movies, the Seed Gundam movies, and Gundam 00. I watched Turn A Gundam and Gundam X. We both plan to watch the original Gundam OAVs, Zeta Gundam, and Char’s Counter Attack as well. So with all this Gundam in our systems it is only logical that we also indulge in the other great pastime of Gundam fans.

No, not arguing about the finer details of the Gundam time line, discussing mobile suit specs, or trying to be Char.

We decided to build Gundam models. Narutaki has built about a dozen or so High Grade models and I had only done one high grade kit before our current experiment. After watching Turn A Gundam I decided to throw caution and purchase a Master Grade Turn A Gundam. At the same time I picked up a Master Grade version of Char’s Zaku II for Narutaki. Neither of us had decided to take the plunge for master grade kits but our Gundam mania could only be satisfied with a true challenge.

This venture was made even more memorable by it being interrupted by a mighty flood. We started our kits one evening and left everything as it was for the next day of building. Then it happened. I awoke at 7AM to find the boiler room with a couple of inches of water in it. This of course seeped into my apartment. At that point I don’t remember the details just frantic moving of things all over the place. There was then a large gap of time between the beginning of this project and the end. Amazingly no parts were lost. Though some of my work was ripped apart and had to be redone. Still we prevailed!

Continue reading →