Random Musing(s) #4:

Some random reflections as 2007 comes to an end:

- It's bizarre to think that a year ago, I didn't know who the Blue Hearts were.

- I never really said much about this, but attending part of the Cool Japan lectures at Harvard and learning not only that what I was expecting Afro Samurai to be was way off (in a good way) but getting to hear the Okazaki's thoughts was special. Do yourself a favor and go grab this one. With only five episodes, it's easy to grab and watch in one sitting. (And watching a bonus feature that opens with Sam Jackson saying "Nothing is as exciting as manga and anime" just makes my day)

- Gundam Battle Chronicle made me glad that PSP games are region free and made commutes on the T much more tolerable.

- Best Anime Movie/Film not viewed until 2007: Royal Space Force Wings of Honneamise
Honorable Mention(s): Paprika, and Arcadia of My Youth

- Best Anime TV series not viewed until 2007: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (This really shouldn't be any surprise to anyone by now)
Honorable Mention(s): Paranoia Agent

- Most Anticipated Releases for 2008: The rest of Gundam 00, Macross Frontier, and the next installment of Rebuild of Evangelion

- Goals for 2008: Tracking down and reading the final volume of the Akira manga, watching Voices of a Distant Star, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, and at least one more work by Matsumoto Leiji, as well as adding to my list of Kurosawa films I own.

"I don't really even know what's going to happen tomorrow."

Every once in a while there is a film that catches you off guard. They might posses a moment that makes us glad that there’s a rewind button so we can re-watch a particular scene. They might leave us stepping back for a moment as the credits roll, processing what we just saw in either confusion. And then there are those that just leave us thinking; thinking about the experience that the film just put us through. Shinkai Matoko’s 5 Centimeters per Second is one of those films in that last category for me.

It’s with a slight amount of shame I admit that until sitting down to 5 Centimeters this week, I had yet to see anything by Shinkai. The viewing of Voices of a Distant Star is one of the few times I missed an MCLA Anime Club meeting. (If memory serves, it was due to still being exhausted after staffing for an anime convention for the first time in my life and the meeting was the following Monday) Yet I’d always heard that the work of Shinkai was something worth seeing. 5 Centimeters did not disappoint.

Taking its title from the speed that cherry blossom petals are said to fall at, the film is broken into three sections of a boy’s (and eventually a young man’s) life. The first follows his life as he goes into middle school, and is separated from a friend who, like him, moves very often due to the nature of her parents’ work. The boy, Takaki, makes a journey by several trains to visit his friend, Akari. With the snow continually falling, his journey becomes more and more delayed on his way to see her. From Akari’s letters read through a voice over and Takaki’s own narration throughout this section we learn the origins of their friendship, and their struggle to preserve it despite growing distances. Hours later than intended, the two are reunited for what will most likely be the last time.

In the film’s second section, Takaki is now in his high school days, and there is another girl Kanae, who is infatuated and intrigued by him. Taken in by his kind nature, she finds herself struggling with trying to confess her feelings for him. Yet Takaki seems to constantly be just out of reach, as if there is something else holding part of his focus. Kanae struggles to come to terms with this.

In the final sequence, all three characters have gone their own ways, and are living their own lives, separate from one another. Akari is engaged to be married with an unnamed man, Takaki is working as a computer programmer, and Kanae is going about her own life as well. Yet despite all being in their own lives, the three cannot help but reflect on the past that seems to be nothing more than a dream now. As Yamazaki Masayoshi’s “One More Time, One More Chance” begins to play in the foreground of the films soundtrack, various scenes of the three characters lives are shown, both past and present.

First impressions of 5 Centimeters per Second are very tricky, at first appearing to try and send a message that all early love is doomed to be fleeting. And while there is a hint of truth to this sentiment, it’s far from the real essence of the film. Each character represents a different state of being. Takaki only looks at things as they once were; Akari as they will become; and Kanae as they are currently.

So what is the final essence of Shinkai’s film? It’s that chance encounters slowly shape people in ways one can sometimes not fathom when they occur. The past is gone, but it still has importance as it is what brings one to where they are now. The present will be gone sooner than one might expect, and the future is always approaching. Happiness lies in enjoying the present, and understanding its importance. Like the cherry blossoms and snow, everything has a familiar point of origin, but where the wind takes it remains to be seen.

I'd forgotten about this, and after being reminded of it I still must ask. Why does Hollywood hate us?

Just call me a PAC-Man

Well folks, sorry about the lack of posts lately, I've just been kept busy between work and stuff with the New England Anime Society. I make the distinction of saying NEAS and not just Anime Boston because recently I was offered, and I accepted the position of Director of Memberships for the Providence Anime Conference. I'm really excited to be a part of this. It's a new angle/concept for anime conventions that differs from what many people have come to expect out of the events. Aiming something for a more mature (and possibly more professional and/or academic as well) will definitely be a bit of a challenge, yet at the same time I think there's enough of a demand in the community that PAC can be successful.
I'll be sure to post more thoughts on things as they develop. I might have been part of the Anime Boston staff since 2004, (and a volunteer in 2003) but this position with PAC is my first executive position with a convention. It's a lot more work, even with PAC's memberships staying at only 2000, but I think I'm up to the challenge, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not enjoying getting to know people in all aspects NEAS better as time goes on.

Japan, Ink: Inside the Manga Industrial Complex

Wired recently published a really good article about the status of Manga in Japan.
It can be found here.

Pierce The Heavens With Your Review!

As promised, here's my review of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. This is my second review for Anime-Source too. (Even if I didn't have this series as an assignment, I'd want to comment on it)

Seven Amazing Character Deaths in Anime and Manga

Death is something that one must come to terms with at some point. Eventually one will experience the end of the life of someone dear to them. They will also face their own mortality as well. In storytelling deaths are often a useful tool for bringing about the end. In many ways it is. Yet sometimes it is more than that. It can be only the end to a chapter in a much longer tale. For me personally, this one of my core points for why I often enjoy the storytelling in anime and manga. Characters are far less safe, thus making the stories feel more real. It is impossible to say whether the death of a character makes a better conclusion or turning point as when executed correctly, both add something to the story something that wasn't there before, interestingly enough, by taking something away.


-Standard Spoiler Warning applies to this post. Read at your own risk-

#1 Ikari Gendo, The End of Evangelion
Why it's on the list: Through the entire series of Evangelion the audience can feel nothing but contempt for Gendo. He abandons his son, breaks the hearts of two women, time and again is shown to be hiding the truth, working in shady underhanded dealings that directly effect those around him, and at least one person is killed by his own actions. Even as the story begins to reach its climax, instead of working for what could be the good of all humanity, all he seems to care about is reuniting himself with his dead wife. We are not supposed to like him. Yet despite this, in his final moments, we see a man who truly regrets his misdeeds, admitting his faults and heavily cloaked shame. Painfully he admits that despite the facade he's worn for so long, he truly does care for his son, Shinji, perhaps because he is the only link he still has to Yui. Confessing that without Yui by his side, all he ever does is hurt Shinji. It's a profound moment and an amazing turnaround. It's somewhat surprising that one character made so detestable is able to be redeemed with just this one final scene.

#2 Master Asia, G Gundam
Why it's on the list: Not the final villain of the series, but definitely the rival of the main character, Domon. Early on in the series it is revealed that the man that taught Domon everything he knew (and continues to teach him) is working on the side of the evil force poised to devour the planet. His mentor, best friend, and second father now on the other side of a conflict, Domon struggles time and again with the notion that his master isn't the man he thought he knew. Domon sincerely wants to hate Master Asia, but cannot accept it. It's is this internal conflict that makes part of the story of G Gundam so gripping.
In one of the best battles seen in an anime, Domon and Master Asia finally square off in the final round of the Gundam Fight, shouting back and fourth at one another, revealing that ultimately they both believe in saving the Earth, but choose to support a different means to do so.
Even with the hints of Master Asia dying spread throughout the series, when he finally succumbs to both his illness and Domon's strength, his death still hits hard. Opening his shirt, he shows that he never once fell victim to the outside influence of DG cells, but rather chose to join the opposing side by his own will revealing that he was not a good soul corrupted, but instead, nothing more than a foolish old man. "Look! The East is burning red!"

(Note: It seems to be a twist of irony that I write this comment in wake of the news of the passing of Osaka Hiroshi, whose credits include the character designs for G Gundam)

#3 Akemi, Saishu Heiki Kanojo (Saikano)
Why it's on the list: I've seen this scene in both the manga and anime versions of this title, and it's difficult to say which one I prefer, both have their merits for different reasons. On one hand, the manga forced me to take a moment to pause and process it when I read it, on the other, even well done onomatopoeia can't complete with hearing the actual sound of Akemi sticking to her bedsheets because of all the blood she's lost. Her final confession to Shuji reveals so much. Many subtle hints are brought together in one of the best bittersweet moments. Shuji can do nothing to comfort his childhood friend as she dies in his arms, all he can do is accept her confession of unrequited love, hold her, and tell her that despite mortal wounds from an earthquake she is beautiful. It is one of the pivotal examples of Shuji's struggle throughout Saikano to try and be the rock of support that so many people view him as, despite ultimately being powerless.

#4 Kamina, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Why it's on the list: It's hard not to like Kamina. He's comic relief, a role model to the main character Simon, holds a fierce sense of honor, persistant, and has some insane levels of dumb luck. When Kamina's death finally comes, it's a hard, fast, gripping end to a character that quickly became a favorite. Yet it's the aftermath of his death that becomes the core for the story later on. His words and the significance of his personality echo throughout the rest of the series. (See #14 in the Insert songs entry for more)

#5 Setsuko, Grave of the Fireflies
Why it's on the list: If you've seen the film, you can probably already guess why this one made the list. As mentioned before, the deaths of characters can often make a story feel more real, and the death of Setsuko, a mere child, through no fault of her own is one of the times that the reality of death really hits home. Seita finds himself unable to go after Setsuko's death, asking the very same question the audience is; "What good comes from war?" Perhaps what makes the ending of the Grave of the Fireflies so much more pointed is that it goes against the rules. Yet breaking the rule that children are usually safe in storytelling, just drives the point home even further.

#6 Four Murasame, Zeta Gundam
Why it's on the list: Losing your soulmate is never an easy thing to go through, but losing them twice, that pain has to be uncanny. That is the case for Kamille in Zeta Gundam. In a story that seems to do nothing but punish him, there are two noticeable breaks. The first comes in the story arch in Hong Kong where Kamille first encounters Four. The two find a kindred spirit in one another, and love more in only a few days than some do in a lifetime. Yet Four's creeping madness and alliance to the Titans create rifts. Yet still Four winds up protecting Kamillie on several occasions. The two finally seem to find someone that makes sense to them in the crazy world they have been plunged into.
The second time Kamille finds Four he is dumbstruck to find her alive, yet troubled that she has trouble remembering him. History seems to repeat itself (and not just for the two young lovers) as their happiness together is again made fleeting and only through Four's desperate actions does Kamille live to see another day. Kamille sought to be the one to rescue Four, to keep her safe and in the end she is the one who protects him, using the Psyco Gundam to block an oncoming blast. With her dying for certain in his arms this time, the cold snows of Kilimanjaro seem of no consequence to Kamille, all he knows now are a heightened bitterness for the world that he has to fight in. In many ways, there is no turning back for Kamille after Four's death, any remaining glimmers of hope for finding happiness were lost in the snow.
This entire section of the Zeta Gundam story was omitted from the movie version of the story. Without a doubt, these events are the ones I missed the most when viewing them.

#7 Tokiha Takumi, Mai-HiME
Why it's on the list: Takumi's death stands out a bit different from many of the other entries on this list because it's not so much the actual death of the character that is the key to it, but rather what is set in motion after it. In the moments following Takumi's death, Natsuki says it best. "She's lost it". Takumi's well being was very much Mai's source of happiness. So many of her choices in life were directly made in order to sacrifice something in order to take care of her brother. To suddenly and abruptly take that away from her unfairly and make all her efforts and sacrifices for naught, it's no wonder that Mai snaps as a result. To make matters worse, Takumi's death is brought upon by the actions of someone she had trusted and cared for as well. Shots of her screaming in furious rage and biting her lip so hard she draws blood, Mai's pain is very real in this scene. What seemed to be a rather gentle happy story suddenly takes a turn.

Gurren Lagann Finale

I could never watch another anime title ever again, and I think after this, I'd be ok with it.

(Full review coming soon)

Abe leaves the PM office

In a move that many of us can probably claim to have seen coming from several miles away, Japan's current Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo, has announced his plans to resign from office. Copious amounts of scandal in his cabinet, an approval rating that could be described as dismal at best, and let's not forget about Agriculture Minister Matsuoka. It's been far from a successful year for Abe.
I won't try to feign being extremely versed in Japanese politics outside of the activities of the PM's office, but from what I have seen, Abe just has lacked a certain amount of gumption needed for the position.
For a few years now, I've been getting the English version of the weekly e-mail magazine from the PM office, and comparitively, I always felt as if there was a lack of a connection in the topics discussed in Abe's comments when compared to those of his predecessor, Koizumi. Whereas Koizumi tended to discuss matters that seemed closer to the hearts and minds of the populace, Abe's seemed to have much broader strokes, looking at the nation as a solid group, and avoided showing an interest in what different members of the nation were doing in different areas. Still one of the more prominent memories I have of TV advertisements from my semester in Japan was during the September 2005 snap election is of Koizumi coming on and reminding people the importance of going out to vote.
With Abe stepping out, it will be interesting to watch and see who comes in next and what sort of leadership they will bring.

Random Musing(s) #3

Last weekend I took a trip to Porter Square for a bowl of real ramen from Sapporo Ramen in the Porter Exchange mall. It'd been far too long since I'd set foot in there, and my love and understanding of things Japanese was a still in its infancy. (It's still in early adolescence at best) That being said, it was a nice return and to see how my view had changed since my last visit.

Lunch from Sapporo was definitely a treat, and while visiting the small shop just off Newbury St. is a good place to grab a hearty bowl of real ramen, something about the setting made the visit all the better. Porter Exchange feels like a small piece of Japan transplanted into Cambridge. The biggest little discovery during my last visit had to be after taking a step into the small Japanese grocery store, Kotobukiya Market. I've already mentioned my fondness for Suntory Boss coffee, but there was another reunion that was even greater for me.



Anyone who's spoken to me after my return from my semester in Japan knows that I can speak for ages about a love for curry that was discovered during my time there. Among the many forms that I became fond of the flavor in was the Cup Noodles brand instant ramen. While the brand is somewhat readily available in the states, the curry flavor is one of the varieties I've only seen in Japan. I bought myself a cup of the stuff without a moments hesitation and last Monday's lunch was a piece of heaven sent nostalgia. I might not be sure when my next journey to Japan will be, but at least there's a little something that was always a favorite of mine that takes me back a little while. Olfaction is said to be the sense most strongly tied to memory, and having the scent nearby, I can't help but remember some very good times.

Ikki Tousen

It's been awhile since I've had time to sit down and write out another review. Between Otakon and other stuff going on in my life, I just hadn't had a good opportunity. The humidity that's been coming around rather often as of late doesn't make for a good writing environment either, regardless of any excuses I might have; the hiatus is over. It's time to do get back to work here.

It's finally time to talk about an anime title that I haven't liked. I decided to give myself one doozy of a title to tackle; the fanservice riddled fighting anime Ikki Tousen. (Literally To put it briefly, it was thirteen episodes of me asking myself "What am I watching and furthermore, why am I watching it?" I've become something of a curmudgeon with anime titles, and if something is completely available (and isn't drastically long) I will do my best to see the series in its entirety. It feels simply weird to leave something unfinished. Perhaps in the cases where I'm not fully enjoying myself, it's a hope to see if things will get better. Ikki Tousen was not a straight instance of hoping for it to get better, but in some bizarre masochistic sense, I wanted to see just how bad things could get.

When one first hears the premise of Ikki Tousen it sounds like it has a great deal of potential. Taking Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the classic Chinese story, and turning it into a modern-day setting fighting anime with rival schools battling for supremacy and lots of fanservice thrown in. Unfortunately like a Wile E. Coyote plan to catch the Roadrunner, it sounds like a relatively good concept, but fails in its actual execution.

Perhaps the hardest part about picking apart Ikki Tousen is deciding where to begin. This was the problem I had. But as a certain teacher in high school told me, the best and only cure for writer’s block is to start writing. Instead of going into detail with each flaw, I am going to just briefly expand on my notes that I took while watching.

-The Setting and Plot are not well formed or believable. The high school setting might work well for many anime, and indeed, a good deal of the target audience for anime titles are middle and high school aged students, but yet the context here does not work. All the fighters are fiercely loyal to their schools (which are supposed to represent different factions from the Three Kingdoms) but we’re never given much of an explanation as to where this loyalty comes from or why it exists. Attempts to be more dramatic are abrupt and far too forced. Characters are never fully explained, and we’re never sure who we should care about, and who’s important as the majority of them move in and out the spotlight and in and out of different roles way too quickly. Even when the man behind the curtain is finally revealed and defeated, instead of punishment that should be due for all the suffering that has been caused, he is quickly forgiven. Wait….what?

-What’s in a name? An early inclination while watching Ikki Tousen was that the character names were strange, that they said “so-and-so did such-and-such in the three kingdoms era” and never said whose soul they were the reincarnation of. Further research led to a discovery that in fact we were being told the names, just straight Japanese versions of the Chinese names, using no imagination. (It should be noted that for those of you not well versed in Japanese language that Chinese characters, are often used in names and other words.)

-Sex sells, but also nauseates, and even bores Who doesn’t enjoy a good amount of fanservice? The problem with Ikki Tousen is that it loses all meaning. I’m a young, single man, comfortable in his heterosexuality, and I still found myself sick of the levels of fanservice in this series. It got boring because it became the norm. True fanservice is something that comes only every so often, and needs to be kept as the exception, not the rule. In fact sex in Ikki Tousen is taken from being something that is risqué, tempting, or even in the cases of rape, horrifying, and made to be something that is tossed around with no meaning in it, leaving it empty.

-On another “note” For a newer series, you’d think we’d get a score that sounds a bit better than old Super Nintendo RPG. (Not that those aren’t priceless in their proper settings)

-Destined for failure For a final thought, one theme in stories that can be extremely effective when done correctly is wrestling with the idea of destiny. Characters decide whether or not it is something that is only fabricated by legend, struggle to accept its inevitably, or find the path that merely says they will reach a certain point at a certain time and how one gets there is his or her own choice. Yet Ikki Tousen tries to hard to convey all these different possibilities for destiny, and in the process convolutes them. The definition of destiny in this context is never decided upon and it changes several times. If a boundary such as rules for destiny exists for one character, they must be the same boundaries for others as well.

That's all I've got, I'm going back to something I like for my next review. This one was rather painful.

Reprint the Final Volumes of Dunbine Petition

A rather important issue to me. No one should have to pay $100 - $400 dollars for a single DVD. The details can all be found on the petition site. Who knows if it'll work, but it can't hurt to try.

Reprint the Final Volumes of Dunbine Petition

Evangelion Rebuild Trailer

Now that the trailer is out in a form that isn't just someone with a camera in the theater, I have this to say: Holy high quality Batman!



I'll be most curious to see what the fourth of the three movies will be like as it is reported to be an "all new ending"

Random Musing(s) #2

Friend: Didn't you say you were going to talk about more than just anime with that blog of yours?
Nigoki: Indeed I did.
Friend: Well then, why haven't you? Maybe you could show something that you miss from being in Japan or something.
Nigoki: Ok

And that is how I arrived to where I am now. Indeed, there are things that after spending my Fall 2005 semester in Saitama, I can say I miss from Japan.

One thing that comes to mind is Vending Machines. - While their presence makes resisting temptation harder (I'm especially glad that I'm not a smoker, nor had any inclination to become while in Japan) they are particularly helpful on those humid days when you need something cool off with. On a walk that was only about 6-8minutes from the train station to my host parents' place, I would pass no less than 3 pairs of drink machines. (This doesn't include the machines on the train platform mind you) I became especially fond of many of the machines that offered cans of coffee. Available in warmed or cooled cans, and more varieties than one would ever think (Seriously it's insane) it makes getting caffeine fix, or just something to warm up/cool down with oh so much easier. The hardest part is resisting the urge at times. Most vending machines take 10 to 500 yen coins(the largest coin). Many of us Americans find it easy to forget the value in the coins with the largest coins we usually carry being a quarter, so only spending a few out of pocket doesn't feel like it's as much. Harder still is most machines take the smallest bill in Japanese currency too. You figure the American $1 bill is disposable. What about 1000 yen? At current rates that's about $8.18
But sometimes, it's worth giving into temptation. As for my favorite variety of canned coffee I'd have to agree with Suntory Boss's motto. It's the boss of them all.

Paranoia Agent

Wow.

Kon Satoshi's series Paranoia Agent is just as amazing as I hoped. I went in not knowing what to expect, and got exactly that; something that I couldn't have expected. One of the hardest things for me to do has been to get into a new anime title while it's aired on Adult Swim, I'd constantly miss episodes, or come in at mid-story and not be able to catch what's going on or gather who the characters were Paranoia Agent is one of these cases.

The series feels like a lot like a movie in the terms of how the plot moved along. It's clear that Kon is a movie maker first and foremost and that Paranoia Agent evolved out of ideas that could not be fit into films he was creating. The series might have sprouted from discarded ideas, but the work is far from trash.

As I said in my recent review of Kon's Paprika one his talents is blurring the line between the actual reality and the reality that is manifested only in someone's mind. This is very true in Paranoia Agent, in many different ways. There were times where I felt reminded of my when I first saw The Devil's Rejects, and I wasn't sure if I should be laughing hysterically or mortified at the scenes unfolding. The whole experience is a beautifully twisted tale that slowly branches out, seems to move into a disjointed set of stories, only to slowly bring it all back together at the end.

Again, Kon Satoshi knows how to leave an audience confused, bewildered, and totally lost, but at the same time, waiting anxiously to see where things will go.



Rating: 9.5/10

Favorite episodes: (A VERY close tie)
"Happy Family Planning"
"ETC"

Anime Music (Part 2: Opening Themes/sequences)

For the second part of my series of posts on different types of music in anime, I will be going through some of my favorite opening themes from anime series and films. I will try and give a little bit more background on some of my choices for this list.
Rules for Opening theme definition.
1-If it music from a series, it must be used more than once as the opening music for it to count as an opening them. (ie, titles that do not have title sequences, but jump right into things without using the same music do not have an Opening theme)
2-The theme does not need to have lyrics.

On to the opening themes!

1)
Sailor Moon - "Moonlight Densetsu" (Dali performance)
Why I like it: Sailor Moon is what I consider to be my gateway into anime. I might have seen other titles before then, but stumbling on to Sailor Moon on TV some 12 or so years ago, I became interested. The story had more depth than I expected. While Dic made an English lyrics version of the song for the American release, the theme got me hooked, and when I finally heard the proper Japanese version, it was like hearing it for the first time all over again. This title sequence in particular catches my interest as it mixes the reality and the fantasy, and most importantly, shows one of the things I like most about the Sailor Moon story, the conflict between Usagi's destiny, and her desire to live a normal life.

2)
Captain Herlock The Endless Odyssey: Outside Legend - "The Endless Odyssey"
Why I like it: Another great vision of the Matsumoto Leiji character, Captain Herlock. This intro gives just the right feel for the epic seriousness of the titular character. It commands a respect and shows his motivation, but doesn't neglect his somewhat enigmatic nature as well.


3)
Otaku no Video - "Fight! Otaking!"
Why I like it: It's often said that we laugh the hardest when we laugh at ourselves. Gainax's two episode anime/mockumentary is a great example of this and it's opening theme is just the beginning of the hilarity.

4)
Cowboy Bebop the Movie (Knockin' on Heaven's door) - "Ask DNA"
Why I like it: It's a strangely addicting song, that gets stuck in your head unexpectedly. The sequence itself gives an interesting "passer by" perspective, bringing everything into perspective, that the characters are just a few people in a larger world.

5)
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade - "Jin-Roh Main Theme (opening version)"
[No clip available]

6)
Re: Cutie Honey - "Cutie Honey"
Why I like it: One of the best examples of not forgetting a title's roots has to be in all incarnations of Cutie Honey anime. Every new form gets a new version of the original theme performed by Maekawa Yoko (which can be found here) Kumi Koda's latest version keeps an upbeat feel to the song, and the art style really hearkens back to a the feeling of the original Nagai artwork. Even more so, it's clear that the new opening sequence is meant to be reminiscent of the original, but at the same time, give a fresh feel.

8)
Getter Robo - "Getter Robo"
Why I like it: More Nagai, it's just wonderfully classic.

9)
Gasaraki - "Message # 9"
Why I like it: Gasaraki is a series that has sort of faded and stayed rather obscure, but it's not that bad all in all if you don't mind the sometimes heavy handed cultural feel that comes up from time to time. "Message # 9" is really good choice for the opening theme as it has the right amount of haunting feel to it that matches the tone of the series. One of the more enjoyable aspects is watching the visuals change slightly for each title sequence. (An interestig simultaneous set of 16 can be found here)


10)
Naruto - "Haruka Kanata"
Why I like it: Love it, loathe it, or just not care about it, Naruto has become one of the bigger names in anime. I can't consider myself a fan, but I don't detest alot of what I've seen. One of the reasons this opening is a favorite of mine is because I was introduced to this song (as well as other music by the artist) at least a month before I found it in Anime. Asian Kung Fu Generation makes me think of Karaoke in Ikebukuro after going to see some Sumo bouts first and anime second. That's not to discount the quality of the animation sequence for the song. Just through what is shown, a great amount of detail for relationships between characters of the show gets displayed, and some of the shots are downright amazing to look at. (The spinning around the different trios is one in particular that always stands out to me)

This is just a sample, there's tons of anime titles out there, therefore, a ton of opening themes, however, these are just a few that stand out to me.

[Anime-Source] Black Lagoon Vol. 1

I was recently offered a staff writing position for Anime-Source.com through a friend who helps run things on the site.

My debut article, a review of the limited edition release of the first volume of Black Lagoon can be found here.

Random Musing(s) # 1

(These will be the places where I toss in thoughts that aren't really connected to any other pieces, but I feel are worth sharing)

A thought occurred to me today.
The English adaptation of Sailor Moon is what I consider to be my introduction to anime. I know I watched other things when I was younger, but Sailor Moon was the first time that I was watching anime, and realized that there was something more. A different art style, a deeper story. Something hooked me and I wanted to see more.

When it began airing on Boston's WLVI 56 (that's before it was even an affiliate of the WB) as part of its run in syndication, it was the summer of 1995. I was twelve. It's now 2007 and this August will mark twelve years since I started seeing anime being what one could consider a fan. I've been a fan of anime for almost half my life now. That's something deep right there.

It helped me get through the most difficult eight months of my life when my mother was ill with a brain tumor. (Although some credit must also be given to the Barenaked Ladies album, Stunt) It gave me something to hold on to when I was re-learning who I was in the months after she passed away. My love of it helped me make some of the best friends of my life, whether they're ones that have since gone separate paths from me, or hung around for the long haul. Even simpler, it's given me fun interesting conversations with people I've never seen prior or since. It got me interested in a culture that I didn't know much about, and put me on a plane to go immerse myself in it for three and a half months.

I can no longer say that anime is my only reason for my interest in Japanese culture, but for certain, it was my strongest push into things. I'd peered into it before, like a diver just before jumping off a board, I'd glanced into waters and taken a glimpse at what was visible right away, and had a few hints about what might be below the surface. But anime was what pushed me off and helped me take the plunge. And soon, I will be able to say with smile, that I've spent over half my life, watching, reading, learning about, and experiencing a medium that I found value in.

Anime Music (Part 1: Insert Songs)

I'm once again cheating in my inspiration for content and borrowing an idea from Andew's Cinevistaramascope. (Linked on the right) He compiled a list of 100 pop music moments in films. I wish I'd seen even half of the films on that list.

Everyone has their own tastes in music, and indeed, I am no exception. A good soundtrack will further my enjoyment of something in the film medium (regular film, television, animation) and of course, my love of anime is one of the largest examples of this.

There's alot of music in anime that I like, so I've decided to break this piece up into several sections. To begin with, I'm going with insert songs moments. I decided to add some ground rules to help better define the sources for songs.
1) If the song is used as an opening theme, and at some points gets used in the middle of the show, it does not count as it was an opener first.
2)If it is either the usual ending theme, or an ending theme for the credits in a series finale, it counts as an ending theme, not an insert, but special ending themes in the middle of a title can count.
3)Insert songs must include lyrics. If there are no lyrics, it's part of the score.
4) And classical music, such as "Ode to Joy" which has lyrics, does not count as it is well known and not relatively unique for the series.

THIS IS A SPOILER HEAVY POST. WATCH CLIPS AT YOUR OWN RISK!
These are in no ranking order, but merely what came to mind as I thought about things. I apologize for some poor video/audio quality in these clips, as they were the best/only I could locate.
1)
Cowboy Bebop - "Call me Call me"

2)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - "God Knows"

3)
Gundam SEED - "Akatsuki no Kuruma"
(Note: I realize this version is the ending to the second of three special edition installments of the series. Rest assured, the orginal episode version was not used for credits, I'm not breaking my own rules)

4)
Gundam SEED Destiny - "Fields of Hope"

5)
Cowboy Bebop - "See You Space Cowboy"

6)
*FLCL - "Blues Drive Monster"

7)
Macross Do You Remember Love - "Do You Remember Love"

8)
Sailor Moon R: The Movie - "Moon Revenge"

9)
Dragonball Z - "Day of Destiny Spirit vs Spirit"

10)
Mai - HiME "It's Only the Fairy Tale"

11)
*FLCL - "Crazy Sunshine" (no decent/full clip available)

12)
Mobile Suit Gundam - "Beginning"

13)
The End of Evangelion - "Komm, Susser Tod" (Note: Subtitles get off track for a little bit)

14)
Gurren Lagann - "Happily Ever After" (SEVERE SPOILER WARNING FOR NEW/CURRENTLY AIRING SERIES)

*FLCL is FULL of insert music, it's part of what makes the series so amazing. These two moments happen to be my personal favorites.

The Vision of Escaflowne (Part 1: The TV Series)

The last time I'd seen The Vision of Escaflowne, I was still a freshman in college. My only exposure to it before then had been the painful re-cut that Fox had done when they tried to make it a suitable for a Saturday morning cartoon. (With vital plot points removed, and chronology scattered, it's no wonder it got canned rather quickly) Over last weekend, I finished rewatching the TV series as my first step in moving through my list of things to rewatch before the end of 2007.

This time around, I enjoyed the series alot more than I thought I would. What really caught my attention was how rapidly the story moves. Of course part of this is due to the fact that in initial planning stages, the series was going to be 39 episodes, but was altered to 26. Nothing important was kept out of the story by this change, but it would be interesting to see how things were portrayed had the full 39 episode concept had been executed. Yet despite a pace the seldom gives the audience a chance to rest, Escaflowne does not make it impossible to keep up.


Perhaps though what makes Escaflowne truly shine is it mixes two genres that one would not expect to meld easily; mecha and shoujo romance/drama. This gives the series so much more of its appeal to a larger audience. One can enjoy the intense battles of seeing the Guymelefs fighting, and the growing war, but still be drawn in by the love triangles that appear.


The similarities between two characters in particular caught my attention this time around is probably what stood out the most to me. Van and Allen's differences are clearly visible as soon as they are introduced. Allen is the calm, collected, knight who thinks through, and builds a strategy, and woos women left and right with his smooth chivalry, whereas Van is the hot-headed young king who seeks revenge for the destruction of his kingdom and the murder of those important to him, oblivious, ignorant of, and unaccustomed to love (in the romantic sense). Yet despite an initial appearance of being completely different men, they harbor more similarities than one might suspect. They are both fiercely tied to their own sense of honor and justice. Both are struggling with entering adulthood in the absence of their families. The list goes on. It's interesting to see how many fans try to make a choice of who they like better, going for who they see as a better character, missing out on these commonalities.

Still, the weakest part of Escaflowne for me is the story's epilogue. Closure is given, and everything that was brought up is tied together just Hitomi's choice at the end seems to go against expectations, and even her own words and actions.

But despite this one troubling part at the end of the story, The Vision of Escaflowne is an incredibly well made, well paced, and intriguing anime title. The mecha designs of the guymelefs and other devices are a superb mix of medieval and steampunk, the story is anything but boring, the relationships between characters are solid and believeable, and Kanno Yoko's score, along with Sakamoto Maya's vocals on certain pieces add just the right mood. (Dance of the Curse is probably one of the best pieces from any anime score, and is rightfully considered a classic.) If I had to describe the series, succinctly, it would be that The Vision of Escaflowne is one of the best examples of how many elements come together to make an amazing whole in the anime medium, and it is a title that can be enjoyed by many different types of viewers.

Rating 9/10
Favorite Episode: 13 "Red Destiny"

Paprika

Simply put, Kon Satoshi has a knack for blurring the line between the real world and the world in someone's mind in a way that can only really come out in the anime medium. I first encountered it when I watched Perfect Blue, but that was little preparation for the bombardment I received when I went to go see his latest film, Paprika this past Saturday with a group of friends from the Anime Boston staff.
The plot focuses on a group of neuro researchers who are trying to figure out how and why someone has stolen prototypes of a new invention known as the DC Mini, a device enabling people to participate in the dreams of others. Chiba Atsuko is one of the lead scientists in the group, who dons an alternate persona, Paprika, in the dreams of others, attempting to help others unravel the meanings of their dreams, as well as entering the space where dreams of many people have merged to be brought under the control of a yet unknown villain.
Paprika takes Kon's mystery mixes in some incredibly clever humor, and even a slight amount of romance creating a story that leaves the audience, curious, tantalized, and not wanting to the momentum to display any signs of slowing. From the hypnotic main theme, "Meditational Field", to the quick tongue-in-cheek reminder of who's film we're watching, the background elements of the film fill in any tiny gaps that the immediate portions of the film don't cover with their overwhelming magnitude of what I can only call "wow factors"
While there are most definitely exceptions to the generalization made in by the New York Times' Manohla Dargis, (such as Genndy Tartakovsky) his description of Paprika that is used in the American trailer holds a high amount of truth. Dargis refers to Kon's film as "evidence that Japanese animators are reaching for the moon, while most of their American counterparts remain stuck in the kiddie sandbox" I'd have a hard time disagreeing with him due to the existence of films like Paprika.

High Quality Trailer

"I'm definitely sober because I can tell that I'm drunk!"

The Thinking Blogger Award

I can't claim to be much of a writer, but I began Nihon Musings to give myself an outlet for anime and other Japan-related thoughts that stir in my mind at a frequency that to some might be considered unhealthy. Yet today Andrew decided to mention my small section of the internet in a post in his contribution of a meme that is going around. That being said, here are the rules of this meme.

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

I don't follow many blogs at all, but there are a few that I try and read when I can.

1) Cinevistaramascope
Andrew's film comments and thoughts. From short thoughts in "The Trim Bin" to longer essasy with a lot of thought put into them all the way posts that are simply interesting title card from various films, the blog is a great chronicle of film. Seeing Andrew's work here is what got me interested in creating my own blog, so I owe him a lot of inspiration credit. One of the things that truly makes visiting Cinevistaramascope enjoyable is that even if I don't know nearly as much about the films being discussed, I'm not lost while going through the content. Perhaps what makes the blog even more interesting to read is that Andrew enjoys adding his own personal experiences to the contents as well, making it less robotic, and giving a small reminder that it's not a textbook or random article from a periodical, but rather a real person who just likes talking about film. Andrew and his wife Jess recently brought their daughter Luna into this world. I envy Luna a lot, she's going to be raised in a home that will bombard her with amazing films. Being able to grow up immersed is going to be an amazing childhood.

2) Gunota Headlines
Taking its title from the horrible Hong Kong bootleg version of "Gundam", Gunota Headlines is one of the best sources for new Gundam information as it comes out. RGZ and Neo-Era do an impressive job of covering not only Japanese, and American Gundam news, but plenty of other countries too, including stuff from other Asian nations. They welcome others to pass along stories to them as well (Yours truly was credited with informing them about Imagawa Yasuhiro's accepetence as a guest for Anime Boston 2007). I probably would have only learned about the Zeta Gundam films' coming to the Chicago International Film Festival along with Tomino Yoshiyuki as an after thought if not for Gunota. From DVD releases, to new model kits, Gunota's been a great source for just seeing where things are going for an anime title that is quickly approaching its 30th year.

3) BoingBoing
A self proclaimed "Directory of Wonderful things", BoingBoing gets a great amount of just random neat links of fun things to check out online. Sometimes BB will toss out some political thoughts, sometimes it's just "Hey check out this neat sculpture someone made, it's a steampunk computer monitor!"

4) Con Chowder
No, that's not a typo. That's Anime Boston's new (for 2007) blog that posted various updates, and summaries during the convention and following it. I've gotten to know the head contributer and organizer, Rick Healey, through my time at AB, and he's just a fun guy, he takes his fun personality and puts it into the blog entries, not making things too seriously, but yet at the same time, he gets the right details mentioned, and writes things in way that gives you the right feeling for what it's like to be immearesed in an anime convention.

5) Sorry, I don't have a fifth one, so I'm just going to plug Cinevistaramascope again because frankly, it really is the blog I read that gets me thinking the most. This past weekend I went to go see Paprika (more on the film later) and saw copies of El Topo for sale. Right away, my mind went to Andrew's blog. I kicked myself later for not grabbing a copy on my way out. I have yet to experience a time where I've regretted watching something suggested by Andrew. He taught me more about what to look for when I want to declare a film "good" than any film professor at MCLA ever could.

What I need to rewatch before '08

Aside from this latest set, I haven't been doing these Nihon Musings articles as often as I'd hoped, but to those of you who take the time to read them when I do get the chance to jot down some thoughts, thanks.
With 2007 nearly half over, I've gotten some great viewing in already. (It's amazing how not having homework anymore frees up one's schedule to get more viewing time done) But with the year moving as fast as it has, I've only really had a chance to focus on new additions to the ever growing list of titles I've watched. That being the case, I've decided to make a list of titles that I feel I should set aside some time to review for myself. It's a decent if I do say so myself. I might not get through everything, but I'd like to think I'll get at least 2/3 of the list taken care of before the date rolls over into '08. Let's see what the list looks so far, I would not be surprised if there's more additions made before the year is done.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (including movies)
In 2006 a committed an act of negligence that could only be classified as a sin by in action. Since discovering it in the fall of 1999, I've watched that which I've considered my favorite anime series a minimum of once a year. In 2006, primarily due to just buckling down and getting to work with the remainder of my time at college and readying for the move into real person status, I never got around to watch Eva. While Gainax's latest mecha creation, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, has potential to take Eva's title away (a comment I do not make lightly), Eva has been a favorite for so long and after finishing it, I always feel a sense of refreshment, an affirmation if you will, that it's because of stuff like Eva that I enjoy anime so much.

X (TV series)
Thanks to recent lucky finds the goal of having all of the X DVDs from the first R1 release with their limited edition slip cases is within reach. I think I owe it to myself to affirm that the hunt was worthwhile by watching everything. It's also been a few years since I finished my first time through the series, and I know I'm more than a little rusty on the names, relationships and events.

Fushigi Yuugi
FY was my introduction into the Watase Yuu's amazing stories, it's been over four years since I watched this series, and after remembering how much Watase is able to wow me, I think FY would be good for a reviewing. This past fall I managed to get the entire series thanks to the massive Geneon titles sale by The Right Stuf, but the DVDs still sit in my rack, unwatched. I purchase anime to watch it, not let it simply look pretty on a shelf.

Gundam Wing, Gundam SEED, or Turn A Gundam.
I've recently given Zeta Gundam a great deal of attention, but all three of these titles are good for different reasons, I could stand for a refresher on any one of them. Right now I'm leaning most heavily towards Wing, especially since I see the trailers for it on another set of DVDs on a series on this list…

The Vision of Escaflowne (TV series and movie)
Mecha and shoujo seldom mixed so well. It's another title that I finally filled the missing gaps in my collection of, and once again, I'm a bit rusty. I'm also trying to track down all of Aura Battler Dunbine, which is an older mix of mecha and fantasy. If I can manage it, seeing both close together would create some interesting means for comparison. Escaflowne is the series that has kicked off my work on this list. Already I'm remembering just how quickly the story gets intense.

FLCL
Six episodes of pure awesome. In that short time frame an amazing amount of stuff is packed in. I never regret sitting down and going through this series in an afternoon or evening.

Saikano (Anime and/or Manga)
For even fuller details, see my entry on this title, suffice to say both times I went through this title, (once in anime, once in manga) it just grabbed me. It's a such a potent story and should not just be set aside and forgotten.

Mai - HiME
I've been considering writing a musings piece on this series since I first decided to start writing down the musings. I know I've forgotten a lot, so I want a refresher before I sit down to discuss things. The story is rather solid too. With the final Region 1 volume recently released, I have little excuse to not go forth and remember just how crazy the plot gets. Nothing I like more than a story that really knows how to break its characters.

Wings of Honneamise

The other night I took some time to sit down and watch Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise, a classic that I'd wanted to get a hold of for some time, and finally did. The works of the anime studio, Gainax, never seem to disappoint me, and this film is no exception.
Wings of Honneamise, creates a fictional Earth that is not too far from our own. The social, political, and technological feel for the setting create an era similar to that of the early twentieth century, near the start of the First World War, the only major difference being the beginnings of a space program, which the central focus of the plot revolves around.
We are introduced to Shirotsugh Lhadatt, a young man who is looking for his calling in life, a reason to make his days feel less than lackluster. Through his own meanderings, he has found himself in the Royal Space Force, a group of men that is closer to being a pack of bored has-beens (or perhaps even never-weres) than the beginnings of a new branch of their nation's military. All seem content with their do-nothing days of obscurity, but with the recent death of a member due to an accident in testing, Shirotsugh finds himself trying to find worth in an existence that has become meaningless.
A chance encounter with a girl, Riquinni Nonderaikom spouting religious guidance to uninterested masses brings Shirotsugh to start thinking about his role in everything around him.
The story of Wings of Honneamise unfolds at a rate that changes time and again throughout the course of the film. Sometimes events move at blinding pace, other moments seem to get drawn out, giving the audience a chance to drink things in a bit more.
The film is an incredible work and as one of Gainax's earliest creations as a studio, it shows that the group working to create it really had a grasp on what makes a good film. It is part of human nature to every so often try and remember what goal is driving us, telling us to move forward, and Honneamise captures this need for motivation in a way that is totally unique. The film's climax and ending close things in just the right manner, and leave the audience reflecting on everything that they watched transpire over the course of those two hours.
It is something of a shame that the Region 1 release of Wings of Honneamise is something that has all but vanished from existence. While the video quality compared to the Region 2 Japanese release is tough to swallow (a comparison can be seen here), the release did have dual language, and even commentary by the creators available as an audio and subtitle track. Personally, I'd like to think that Manga Entertainment realized how great the film was, and went to bring it out as soon as they could, but it was just at the beginning of the boom for Anime in America, so it fell under the radar. While their license of the film has apparently expired, I'd like to hope that another company tries to pick it up and get a more worthwhile Region 1 release. Bandai Visual, the company who is also known as Honeamise, I'm looking at you!

Edit: I guess we're moving in the right direction after all, but I'd still like to see a regular DVD release too. HD and Blu-Ray are nice, but I don't see the average anime fan being close to owning one yet. This could very well be the same problem that hurt the film the first time it got released here, it came too soon.

Gundam Double O...HELL.... YEAH!

(From Gunota Headlines)
A very short promo appeared after today's episode of TBS/MBS' "Toward The Terra" announcing a new Gundam series. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (Double Oh) is set to air at 6pm on Oct 2007. The official site is up providing a streaming promo.

Known details are:Setting - 2307 AD ("seireki", Japanese for "anno domini")Characters - 4 Gundam Meisters, who pilot the mobile weapons.Factions - Solestal Beings (not real sure on the English name right now), a private militia group whose purpose is to eradicate wars.

...

Rumors about the series have been going around Japanese message boards for some time, especially after Sunrise registered several Gundam00 domains. The proclamation that the setting would neither be in the Universal Century of the original nor the Cosmic Era of Gundam SEED, as stated by Sunrise's Yasuo Miyakawa, seems to have been followed through with. Staff members are yet to be confirmed although the most persistent rumor is that the series will be directed by Fullmetal Alchemist's Seiji Mizushima.

This is of course, awesome news. It's interesting to see the first Gundam series actually set in AD, and not a fictional era. The classic Universal Century, while generally good, has been tapped into alot, and the Cosmic Era timeline seemed to fall apart as Gundam SEED Destiny fell further and further into favoring easy to write old characters instead of building up really good new characters, and just too much fell apart. The further Fukuda is from the Gundam name, the better, it needs time to heal and become the "real" feeling show that was what originally intended.

I regret that I've yet to watch all but two full episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist, but the prospect of Mizushina Seiji has me hopeful. If something like FMA can be as successful as it was under his direction, I will be optimistic about what he can do for the Gundam franchise.

The brief views of new mecha designs seem eye catching enough, and seem to have a hint of the Turn A Gundam's design, which looks neat. It's always neat to see something that looks so little like a Gundam, but is instantly recognizable as one. Perhaps the most notable difference is the absence of two vents in the "mouth" areas of the new designs. It's a subtle change, but adds just the right amount of difference. Perhaps the strangest thing about the new Gundams, is that there are four. I would have expected 1 or 5, as has become the norm over the years. (Aside from G, but that's a special case, and even then the Shuffle Alliance were the 5 "main" Gundams)

Finally, the character designs look good too. The Cosmic Era seemed to lack much difference in faces aside from different skin tones and hair color/style. Everyone seems to look different enough. What's the drawback about all this though? It's another thing Japan related to make me want the Fall to arrive sooner. Here's hoping for another great show.

"Rebirth begins through destruction"

Remembering the Episodic

It's amazing how when one dives into the depths of serious amounts of anime and manga, how their perceptions of stories change. Many anime titles are contained to around 13, 26, or 50 episodes, with some exceptions. As fans dive deeper, they often can find themselves estranged to the typical western storytelling in television shows, losing interest because the overlaying story is nearly non-existent, or irrelevant. One of the popular reasons to cite for anime and manga's superiority over conventional western film, TV, and comics, is ability of their stories to actually end.
Sometimes there are exceptions, such as Dragonball Z, Inuyasha, Naruto, and Bleach*, where the plot continues at a snail's pace, or even more disheartening, filler material is produced for the anime while the manga work it is based on has a chance to buildup more story material for the anime to work off of. Yet, there are exceptions. Some of the greatest anime titles are ones in which the story has nowhere to go. Takahashi Rumiko's more recent Inuyasha may be at fault for having an overlaying story that takes forever and a day to tell because it is constantly sidetracked, yet her earlier classic, Ranma ½ is almost entirely episodic in its stories, and it does not suffer at all. A romantic sitcom, with stories only lasting a few episodes here and there, the overall plot in Ranma is pretty simple to grasp. So long as one knows the core characters, they can jump into any of the small story arcs and not be lost.
This weekend I took to watching two of the Lupin III movies, Farewell to Nostradamus, and Dead or Alive. Lupin is considered a classic manga and anime title, with over 30 years behind it. Perhaps what makes it so successful is its ability to stay strictly episodic. As long as one knows Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, and Zenigata, the story can be picked up rather quickly. To further bolster the episode-by-episode nature of the exploits of these characters, the relationships between these characters and their personalities are easy to pick up on rather quickly as well.
While it is important to know how to make a story go somewhere, the complaint of stories that go nowhere is sometimes misused. Titles like Ranma ½, Lupin III, and Keroro Gunso are effective because they are virtually independent entities. What's my point? Knowing how to end a story and prevent it from dragging on is extremely important, but at the same time, we must not forget that sometimes all that is needed to tell a story is a single episode.
* Do not get me wrong, I think these shows are with their merits, but their plots do tend to take longer to tell.
Last Tuesday I was able to attend a short seminar, Japanese Anime and the Global Imagination, with both Ian Condry and Susan Napier discussing things. It was a very interesting panel, and I hope to have a write up on this coming soon.

Arcadia of My Youth

In my experience, one of the indicators of good storytelling is a well done portrayal of true friends. When executed correctly, friendship in stories is creates a feeling of empathy that no other feeling comes close to matching. Perhaps it is this is due to the fact that friendship can bring out both the best and the worst attitudes in us. A true friendship will not only have the good times, but the more irritating ones as well. While they might make us laugh and glad to be where we are with them, they also can irritate us like no one else. There are countless examples in manga and anime, some of my personal favorites include Lupin, Goemon, and Jigen from the Lupin III stories, Spike and Jet from Cowboy Bebop (perhaps one of the best points in the entire series come from their final scene together) and most recently, Eikichi and Ryuji from Shonan Junai Gumi.
It is during the quest to understand and find one's own sense of self that he or she inevitably finds their true friends along the way, admiring in others what is sought for in their own self. At the core of Matsumoto Leiji's classic film Arcadia of My Youth, are these two universal themes, the bonds of friendship, and the search for one's own identity.
The film opens with the distant ancestor of Captain Harlock narrating his memoirs which depicting his attempt to fly past the most dangerous pass on earth in a small plane. Inititally admitting defeat, Phantom F. Harlock decides to attempt the deed, by greatly increasing the risk after dumping his surplus fuel, but also granting him a possibility to greatly increase the reward.
Flash forward to centuries in the future, a battered and defeated battleship, captained by the enigmatic man Harlock returns to Earth, and is forced to submit to the new rule of conquering forces. But this is merely the beginning. Harlock who has seemingly lost all that he once fought for, begins a rebirth, or perhaps his true self emerges. The film moves to show the events that move Harlock from a defeated man, to an identity of true resolve. His resolve is most prominent in his sense of honor, which manifests itself in both fierce loyalty to those he calls friends, and intense wrath anyone who would do him or his friends wrong.
This sense of honor is further brought forward later, when a leader of the power controlling Earth, the Illumidas Empire, seeks to challenge Harlock to a duel, not as members of opposing forces, but as two men. A subordinate of the leader questions this choice, and takes aim at Harlock. Upon seeking agreement from him the leader simply responds to the subordinate, "You're the one who aimed your gun. You finish this" leaving him to take responsibility for his own actions.
If there are things that particularly stand out in Arcadia of My Youth which is already an amazing film on the whole it would be the following two things. After their initial encounter, it is revealed that ancestors of Harlock and Tochiro were friends at the end of World War II, making it seem as if the two were destined to become friends, a concept that works well to show the nature of friendship. Many of us have those friends who not longer after meeting, seem to be simply feel like they were meant to be our friends.
The second would be the Matsumoto's meaning for the use of Skull and Crossbones as a symbol by which Harlock lives. It is not meant to induce fear. Rather it is a symbol of living by one's own ideals, and not simply adhering to the conventional or enforced norm. Harlock is a pirate because he chooses his own path and fights for what he feels to be just and worth contesting.

Overall Rating: 10/10

"At the end of their lives, all men look back and think that their youth was arcadia."
-Goethe

Ayashi no Ceres [Anime]

Watase Yuu's greatest talent in her method of storytelling is knowing how to make the proverbial shit hit the fan for her characters. Yet, the twists and turns are done in such a way that it's not simply sending the plot into melodrama, or such that we come to expect everything to go bad. The stories keep moving along.
My first exposure to Watase's work was Fusghigi Yugi, almost four full years ago. I found myself enthralled with the fantasy of the story and attached to the characters in the plot pretty quickly. I think my record was 10 straight episodes of the series in one day. Since then however, I'd only heard the names of a few of Watase's works, never actually watching them. I am glad to say that recently I fixed this error.
Thanks to a loan from a fellow Anime Boston staff member, this past week I went through Ayashi no Ceres, [Ceres, Celestial Legend]. Not long after starting the series, one question came to mind, "Why didn't anyone who knows this series insist I watch this?" Watase's mix of lighthearted comedy, shoujo romance, and intense action make Ceres a story that grabs a hold of you quickly, and doesn't let go until the very end.
The story starts off in what just seems to be some typical days of in the lives of a brother and sister pair of twins, Aya and Aki Mikage, as they reach their sixteenth birthday. Aya and Aki seem to be just normal kids, living a happy existence. All that comes to a screeching halt as Aya seems to miraculously escape a near-death experience and the pair is instructed to come to their grandfather's mansion on the day of their birthday. Things go from strange to downright mysterious as the two note all the adult relatives in their extended family are also gathering at the house as well.
Before they understand what is happening, mysterious powers awaken in Aya, and the family moves to protect Aki, and shuns Aya, even going as far to try and kill her; and that's just the beginning of the intense plot of Ceres. Past lives, searches for love, amazingly intense action, and all sorts of events continue to move the plot of the Ceres along. Little can be taken for granted in this twenty-four episode anime. All that can be expected are incredible twists and turns that showcase Watase's ability to really make her characters ordeals both vividly imaginative as well as believable. If one thing in the entire story of Ayashi no Ceres that shows Watase's storytelling talent better than her amazing twists and turns; it's her ability to bring all these twists back around at the end, giving her story proper closure.

"When the sixteen stars and moons come around, you will know where your fate would lead you. When I foresee are blood, anger, and tragedy..."

G Gundam

When I first learned the concept of G Gundam I was skeptical to say the least. Yet since I first learned of it, my interest grew, thanks in no small part to the wonders of the internet's ability to spread knowledge like wildfire and giving a means for people to shout out opinions. I was swayed enough to give G a chance. Finally, I got around to watching the whole series and not only had my expectations met, they were exceeded.

There are many scenes within G Gundam that have so much emotion behind them. Following the story from start to finish, the characters are very easy to get attached to. (And if you don't think Wong is an asshole by the end of things, something is seriously wrong with you) I don't want to spoil things, but the episodes that deal with the Battle Royale at the end of the tournament are particularly moving.

While I must admit, G is not without some flaws. Aside from main characters and a few others, Okawara Kunio's mechanical designs are basically playing cultural dress-up with the same basic Gundam design. Perhaps the worst sin against G is its English language release. In a time where I personally thought drastically altering names/context was nearing a true decline in America, the incredibly high amount of changes made was a tough pill to swallow. Bandai's only saving grace is that the subtitles for the Japanese audio on the region one DVDs are made to follow the Japanese names. I try and avoid telling people to whether or not to choose English dub or Japanese subtitle tracks as it is a matter of preference, however, because of all the name changes, I cannot help but want to tell more people to watch G subtitled.

G certainly has some glaring shortcomings, and avenues that make it different from so many other Gundam titles, that's all it is; different. I think people are too prone to overlooking the fact that G Gundam is the first time an alternate universe storyline had been made for Gundam. What made me like G was the very thing that makes many others detest its very existence, the fact that it is very different from what people have grown to define as "Gundam". Without a doubt, the genre shift from more of a war story into a fighting tale is tough to accept. Yet the shift is not so great that one should declassify G as a Gundam title. At its core, the story comes down to what every Gundam story does well, demonstarting that it's not the machines, but the people inside them that are the most important thing. G Gundam doesn't forget its roots, (as can be seen by many split-second cameos of Gundams from other more "classic" Gundam titles, and even one from the then yet-to-be-released Gundam Wing), it simply moves away from what was the norm until then. A prodigal son of Gundam.

Rating (8.5/10)

"This hand of mine is burning red! Its loud roar tells me to grasp victory!"

Linda Linda Linda

As I decided when I began this blog, I'd try to write about more than simply anime and manga. That being the case, I now have a new film that I just came back from seeing not too long ago. One of the stops on the very limited run of the film Linda Linda Linda is the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Sq. On a whim I learned about the screening, but very quickly did my homework by reading the synopsis on the Brattle's homepage, as well as the English site for the film. Within a matter of moments I resigned myself to taking a trip down the Red Line to go see it. I was not disappointed at all.

Linda Linda Linda opens up with a shot of a random Japanese school girl filming a small documentary about the high school festival. She declares that these students will never grow up, and they will never forget themselves at this time. It's an opening that puts the rest of the film into perspective. For those of us who have lived through high school and moved past it, we already know how easily so much of it is left behind us, we want to tell the girl the harsh truth, but at the same time, know that we will either not believed, or will only crush spirits.

The film follows four high school girls who want to play a few songs in the rock festival portion of their high school's annual festival. With the loss of two members, Kyoko, Kei, and Nozomi are forced to re-organize their plans for performance and end up asking a Korean exchange student, Son, to join them as their vocalist. Hilarity ensues as the four attempt to learn to perform three songs by the group, The Blue Hearts, a group sometimes referred to as "the Japanese Ramones". (One of the best tongue-in-cheek moments of the film is a quick shot of the Ramones themselves.) Among the songs chosen is the song "Linda Linda" from which the film gets its name. Take it from me, it's a song that gets stuck in your head very easily, but you're quite glad it's there.

Some of the most amusing moments come from Son's interaction with people as she struggles to communicate. As a person who's spent time in Japan with little Japanese language ability, these scenes are particularly amusing. Son's dealing with one boy, Macky, as he struggles to profess love for her in Korean as she tries to politely decline in Japanese is one of best scenes of the film. The awkwardness of the spontaneous and somewhat inappropriate situation is made even more comical by the language barriers.

For only three days of plot, the story of Linda Linda Linda unfolds incredibly well. The pace is neither rushed, not stagnant. In some way, the declaration that these students will never grow up is true. The life ahead of them barely matters (if at all) , what is important is the right-now and the festival.

I cannot help but amused to some extent by this film in a different way. The 12th episode of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya heavily parodies, the plot from Linda Linda Linda. Seeing the source now, I have a greater appreciation for both. I need to sit down and re-watch the episode now.
For those of you in the Boston area, do yourself a favor. If you can fit it into your schedule; sometime between now and its last show at the Brattle on Jan. 18th, go see Linda Linda Linda and give yourself a good laugh.

Saikano

In my anime fandom, I try and avoid the absolute of labeling a title as one that everyone should see. (The one exception to this rule is probably Grave of the Fireflies, which posses the most uncanny type of story in that it grabs people in a way that no other movie/series I've seen prior or since can even remotely attempt to emulate.) While I work to avoid the absolute, I do have a list that I will highly recommend to others that have caught me in a very strong way. Yet it's sometimes tough to see a title that one so strongly enjoyed, get a less than impressed reaction from someone else. There is perhaps no better example of this in my experience of watching anime over the years than Saikano.

Having known of the existence of the anime since the summer of 2003, I hadn't watched a single episode, or read a single page of the manga until a spring 2006, when I finally borrowed the anime from someone. Very quickly I found out why so many people used Saikano as their trump card for sad titles. Yet the sadness never became a chore, the lives of Chise and Shuji, as well as the others that fill in the events of Saikano's story draw us closer. We want to know what happens next, we want to know how things will turn out. And even as the world is ending, we want to think of some last glimmer of hope to shine through.

Yet even if it is not glorious, radiant hope shining down, but pure unadulterated despair that comes through, Takahashi Shin makes a story that grabs us. Without trying to spoil too much, the final scene with Akemi is one of the most bittersweet I've ever seen in an anime title. It's still funny to think that something this potent started off as a dating sim.

After finishing the Saikano anime, I found myself seeking out the first volume of manga as soon as I had the cash to spare. Come Anime Boston 2006 in May, I was grabbing three volumes to keep going. The following weekend I was rushing to the mall to grab the final volumes. I consider myself relatively well exposed to a lot of different anime and manga titles, but I still remember reading Akemi's final scene in the manga, and for the first time I can remember, I had to stop reading a volume of manga, sit back, and simply say "whoa".

It is practically a cliché to declare "Oh, the manga was so much better than the anime" yet Saikano falls into this category well. Perhaps what makes things so well is Takahashi's knowledge of how to use text. There are pages vacant of any words, leaving us with nothing but a landscape or an intimate scene to take in, as well as pages that are covered with almost nothing but conversation and narration. Takahashi balances these two extremes so well, and each has its proper moment.

Saikano's tag line is "The Last Love Song on This Little Planet". Its fantastic plot make take the audience or reader away from a normal realm by adding an unusual Sci-fi element, and its core, the story is a love story about two people, barely out of their childhood, finding and understanding what true love is, even as the world around them is slowly falling to pieces.

As I said when I began this entry that I cannot say Saikano is something that everyone should read or watch. That being said, it does get my highest suggestion. The manga gets top billing, followed by the anime. (But shy away from the live action movie)