Monthly Archive for March, 2006Page 2 of 2

Spring Break (I Wish)

2 Comments |
March 13, 2006
| Otaku

I thought this long month in a motel would be fraught with boredom, but, in reality, I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Crazy. But, even though I’m behind on anime blogging - and watching, for that matter (I guess this hasn’t been such a big problem after all) - I have managed to make some progress on a music video I first began a couple months back.

It’s been almost two years to the day since I last released a “serious” music video - that is, excluding all Marimite videos set to old Journey songs - but the idea for this particular video has been bouncing around in my head for a painfully long time. So, it’s only natural that I finally make it happen. Then, I can rest in peace.

The working conditions here aren’t especially conducive to getting things done, however, so I doubt I’ll have the video finished any time soon. The new house is almost ready, though, so perhaps I can knock the sucker out in a week or so once I’m settled in. I work fast when comfortable (and when the creative juices are flowing).

As for the content of the video, I’ll leave that to speculation. Nothing special about the above image. Nope, nothing at all.

For Hazumu

11 Comments |
March 8, 2006
| Otaku, Television

For Hazumu
by Soro Asuta

Hazumu is a friend.
I know he’s been a good friend of mine.
But lately something’s changed
that ain’t hard to define.
Hazumu’s turned into a girl
and I want to make him mine.

The Right Time

7 Comments |
March 8, 2006
| Television

On snowy days like today, I always have the urge to watch Kanon. Unfortunately, my DVDs are in a box in a warehouse somewhere, so it’ll have to wait for another day.

Seasons are a big deal in Japan, so it should come as no surprise that they play an important role in the stories and settings of our favorite anime series. To this day, I find it difficult to watch certain shows “out of season”… Kanon is meant for Winter, Uta Kata for Summer, Ai Yori Aoshi for Spring… it doesn’t feel “right” to watch these shows any other time of year. Of course, some studios and networks in Japan take extra care to match new shows to their proper season, but with only so many time slots to go around, it’s not uncommon to find a “Natsuyasumi” show premiering in January, entrance ceremonies and cherry blossoms in October, or Christmas in July. It may seem weird, but such temporal disconnects have always bugged me.

One night in Tokyo, walking home from a late Summer baseball game, a Japanese friend asked me what I thought of the cacophony of crickets and cicadas, buzzing and chirping endlessly in the trees and bushes all around. “It’s beautiful,” I replied, much to her surprise.

“The sound means Autumn is almost here,” she said, and after a brief pause, remarked, “you must have a Japanese heart.”

Perhaps so.

New, From Parker Brothers…

6 Comments |
March 7, 2006
| Television

Jason offers his thoughts on sequels (and expectations thereof), taking special aim at Mai-Otome (and failure thereof). For the most part, I agree with his analysis, and since I can’t pass up an opportunity to pick apart the show…

The first thing about Mai-Otome that hooked me was the complexity of the story. Mai-HiME, all things considered, was pretty simple: a bunch of girls fighting to the finish for the sake of the ones they love. It made for some gripping character drama, what with all the torn allegiances, death and destruction, and dirty, manipulative tricks. Mai-Otome, on the other hand, added more “big picture” elements: politics, social distinction, history - all part of a fantastical world where nanomachines give people superpowers, giant sandworms lie in wait for unsuspecting princesses wandering the desert alone, and guys with names like Sergey Wong get all the girls.

I thought this was all peachy keen at first. A complex story? A spectacular setting? More girls?

Sign me up!

Unfortunately, this very complexity has become Mai-Otome’s downfall. Mai-HiME worked because, to the very end, it remained focused on the characters: their strengths, their weaknesses, their relationships, their lives… their deaths. Mai-Otome, however, wants it both ways. The show longs to replicate Mai-HiME’s character drama (see: Erstin, death of), yet that drama is constantly overshadowed by the complex world those very characters inhabit. After countless episodes of Arika and gang acting like schoolgirls, should we really care about Artai and its tiff with everyone else? Garderobe’s scandalous history? Aswald’s sob story? Hell, I can’t even remember the names of all the various factions, much less their motivations.

I do, however, care about the characters… characters who have been relegated to the status of mere roman numerals in Yoshino Hiroyuki’s animated game of RISK (Now With More Maids!).

So, with only a few episodes remaining, what’s to become of our abused and underused cast? Well, they’ll band together to save the day, no doubt… but how? At the moment, they’re about as helpless as Ataru lost on the grounds of Lillian School for Girls. For now, only one person seems to hold any sway and power over the future of the world… Nagi.

Nagi?

How fucked up is that?

Summer of Loli

13 Comments |
March 2, 2006
| Television

With this week’s license announcements for Ichigo Mashimaro and Kamichu, 2006 is shaping up to be a good DVD year. Why? Because short, 13 episode series (or thereabouts) are my favorite to purchase on DVD, owing to their low cost and high rewatch value. With Boys Be, Ichigo Mashimaro, Kamichu, and Kiminozo already set for release, and To Heart likely by the end of the year, I’m a happy camper.

In the case of Kamichu, I’m in for a bit of a surprise. While I managed to catch the first few episodes, the show failed to grab me in such a way that I felt compelled to continue. I realized the show was something special, but with a busy schedule at the time (I left for Japan shortly thereafter), the show got lost in the shuffle. The fact it languished in fansub limbo for awhile didn’t help matters at all.

Still, for me personally, Kamichu has some inherent appeal (no, not for the reason you’re thinking!), so I’m certainly interested in finishing. I suspect Geneon will give the show the royal treatment, and considering how gorgeous the animation is to begin with, I can’t wait to pop the first disc in the DVD player and gorge myself on the eye candy.

As for Ichigo Mashimaro? Oh, that’s a definite buy. With a cherry (strawberry?) on top.