Angel Beats

Set in the afterlife in a school dedicated to helping the dead pass on to heaven, Angel Beats is about a group of students that attempt to rebel against God and his angels. One of the characters, Yurippe, has some similarities to Haruhi from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, but you can be assured that the plot will not be the same. The story for Angel Beats was written by Jun Maeda, who also worked on the stories for Kanon, AIR, Clannad, and Little Busters, all of which were very successful visual novels/anime. If you’ve seen/read/played any of those titles, then you will know how hard it’d be not to get emotional over it. Angel Beats is expected to have a story that’s just as good as any of those titles and is probably the most anticipated anime of the season.

Black Rock Shooter

With a character design that seems to be based off of the virtual idol Miku Hatsune, Black Rock Shooter (BRS) will finally be getting its first anime episode this season. The anime is about a girl that tries to stop her sister from destroying the world, but the main selling point isn’t the plot. What many people are looking forward to in BRS are the action scenes as there are sure to be many, and the unique character designs by the artist Huke. You can see a sample of the animation on youtube.

K-ON Season 2

Yes, the second season of K-ON will begin airing this spring. The second season will be a continuation of the first, with the light music club carrying on with their usual antics. I don’t think there’s a need to explain the anime since everyone knows what it is. There are rumors that there will be a new character, but as of now no one has confirmed or denied this.

The setting of the anime is mainly in a family restaurant called Wagnaria and revolves around the staff that work there. Normally, you’d think that watching a bunch of people working in a restaurant would be pretty boring, but the characters’ personalities and the conversations they have make it quite entertaining. One of the main characters is Poplar Taneshima, a 17 year old girl that looks like a 12 year old. In the first episode, she recruits a 16 year old boy named Sota Takanashi to work for Wagnaria. Under normal circumstances, most people probably wouldn’t take a job if they were offered one by what seems like a 12 year old girl, but Sota Takanashi isn’t like most people. As you might be able to guess, he’s a lolicon (someone that likes lolitas) and takes the job just because he would be able to work with Poplar. One of the entertaining things about this episode was seeing Sota trying to explain to the staff at Wagnaria that he isn’t a lolicon and just likes small things when it’s painfully obvious that he’s a lolicon.

Some of the other characters are Kyoko Shirafuji, the apathetic but violent store manager; Jun Sato and Hiroomi Soma, two chefs that seem a bit scary at times; Yashiyo Todoroki, a cheerful girl that carries around an intimidating samurai sword; and Mahiru Inami, a girl that’s afraid of men and will kill them if they get too close. With this quirky cast of characters, Working!! may turn out to be a decent anime with plenty of comedic scenes despite not appearing to have any sort of plot (recall Lucky Star). It may even become one of the more popular anime of the season considering there aren’t many big hits expected this April.

If you’ve found yourself searching the net for something amusing to read lately, you might want to check out something called “The Otaku Elimination Game” here. The main purpose of the OEG is to weed out bloggers from the anime blogging community who use the term “otaku” incorrectly. As explained on their site, the original definition of an otaku was someone with an unhealthy obsession towards something (usually anime). Nowadays, however, it seems like anyone with a remote interest in anything related to anime is calling themselves an otaku. At some point the creators of OEG felt that enough was enough and started their campaign to separate the true otaku from the average fan.

Unlike elimination games that you find on TV, the OEG does not involve contestants running through obstacle courses for a chance to win some cash. Instead, they search the internet for any and all anime-related blogs that they can find and add it to their list of competitors. Every so often, they will then pick out 4 or more blogs from the list and put them on the chopping board. The team at OEG evaluates each blog by searching through it and determining whether or not it misuses the term otaku. Blogs that throw the word around everywhere are given the axe, while blogs with no mention of the word get to move on to Phase 2 of the game.

What makes the OEG site interesting to read though, is that unlike most people in the anime blogosphere, the team at OEG isn’t afraid to criticize your blog by dragging it through the mud. They look at everything, including content, writing style, site layout, colour scheme, photography skills, and even who’s on your blogroll. These guys tell it like it is, if they see a horribly layout, don’t be surprised if they compare it to something that comes out the rear end of your dog. Think of them like Simon Cowell from American Idol and The X Factor, but for anime bloggers instead of performers. So if you’re looking for something to kill some time and you enjoy seeing (or in this case reading) peoples’ reactions to harsh criticisms, then give the OEG a shot. You might also find an interesting blog to follow in the OEG’s list of approved sites.

First of all, the obvious advantage to using real places for anime backgrounds is that the animators don’t have to bother coming up with something that looks nice and has a realistic feel to it. All the small nit-picky things have already been decided for them. That pretty much guarantees the anime will have at least a certain level of detail and a somewhat realistic feel to it. It’s certainly a lot better than coming up with backgrounds like this one:

Using real places for anime also has the added side-effect of bringing more tourists to the area. A popular example of this is the Washinomiya shrine, whose popularity has skyrocketed after crazed Lucky Star fans discovered that it was used as the basis for the Hiiragi shrine in the anime. The actual shrine has even taken this opportunity to rake in more money by selling Lucky Star merchandise. Of course, featuring real places in anime can also have a negative effect of increasing anime tourists where they’re not welcome.

Although copying actual locations in anime does give it a certain level of quality, it also restricts the creativity of the animators. Having a detailed and realistic looking background is nice, but considering that you can draw anything in anime, it seems a waste not to create a background that helps set the mood or emphasize the severity of a certain situation. An example of a good fictional backdrop is this park from the anime ef – A Tale of Memories:

The sidewalk seems to extend on forever, probably emphasizing the fact that the relationship between the two characters doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. It’s animation like this that can help turn an average anime into a good one.

In the end though, what really matters is whether or not the audience cares enough about the animation that it affects their impression of the anime, and if the animators are up to the task of coming up with their own backdrops.

10. Mickey Mouse

In tenth place is someone who everyone is familiar with: Mickey Mouse. Just recently unveiled at the Winter Wonder Festival 2010, Mickey is the 100th addition to the nendoroid series. Anyone who grew up with a tv will know who Mickey is, and I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a kid who doesn’t like him, which is why he made it onto my list of the 10 coolest nendoroids.

9. Saber Lion

At number nine is Saber Lion from Fate/Stay Night. There’s just something about a warrior in a lion costume holding a huge piece of meat that just borders on silly and neat at the same time.

8. Rider

Eighth is Rider, also from FSN. This nendoroid comes with a bicycle that it can sit on. Rider riding a bike, get it?

7. Melissa Seraphy Devil Queen Version

Number seven is the devil version of Melissa Seraphy from the game Wagamama Capriccio. This nendoroid was an exclusive at the 2008 Wonder Festival, meaning if you want one, it’s too late. What I like about this nendoroid is the fact that she’s wearing a pumpkin and comes with a fancy cape and crown, all of which are optional.

6. Miku Hatsune Race Queen Version

Race Queen Miku comes in at sixth place. Probably one of the most expensive nendoroids out there, Miku is also an exclusive item that was sold only at certain Japanese stores. She comes with a “leek” umbrella and her own car that she actually fits in. Did I mention that you can also customize the decals on the car.

5. Kemeko

Next up is Kemeko from Kemeko DX. Not only does it have a huge gatling gun, there are also two different heads for when the Kemeko suit is open or closed. What’s unique about this nendoroid though, is that it actually combines with a 1/8 scale MM figure from Max Factory to make it look like MM is climbing out of the Kemeko suit.

4. Drossel von Flugel

At number 4 is Drossel, the robot princess from Disney’s Fireball. I’ve already covered all the things that make this nendoroid special in a previous post which you can read here.

3. Reindeer L

Anyone who’s watched or read Death Note will know that L would do anything to reveal Kira’s identity, so it’s not too hard to imagine him dressing up as a reindeer. Although it’s not likely to happen, it’s still hilarious to see him dressed like that.

2. Nozomu Itoshiki

In second place is Nozomu Itoshiki, aka “Mr. Despair” from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. I think it’s very fitting to display a figure of the suicidal high school teacher by hanging him around the neck with a noose. I’m sure many people got this nendoroid just so they could do that.

1. Snow Miku

At the top of the list is the cool looking Snow Miku. She’s basically the same as the original Miku Hatsune nendoroid except for the fact that she’s winter-themed. Her hair and clothes are now a bluish ice colour and her leek looks like a crystal. There are also snowflakes printed into her hair and tie to give more of a winter feel.

After watching the first episode of Katanagatari, many people appear to be impressed with the bright colours and smooth animation. While I do admit that the animation flowed very well, I found the characters to be a bit too simplistic. Usually, when an animation company is trying to impress people, they add in as many lines and shades of colours as possible. That’s certainly not the case with White Fox, the company producing Katanagatari.

As you can see from the picture above, most pieces of clothing are a single solid colour. Even the girl’s hair only looks to have 2 or 3 colours in it. That’s not very much when you consider that some anime characters have 5 or 6 different shades of a colour in their hair. What I think makes the characters stand out though is the fact that they use outrageously coloured clothing. Who would really wear black boots with purple socks and a torn pink skirt?

The next major difference between the animation in Katanagatari and other anime is in the eyes. In this picture, the top pair of eyes is from Katanagatari, while the bottom pair are from AIR. There’s obviously very few details in the Katanagatari eyes; the lower eyelashes aren’t even drawn in. Personally, I think that the eyes in Katanagatari resemble those of characters in western cartoons rather than anime.

Here we have a comparison of hairstyles from K-ON (left) and Katanagatari (right). While Katanagatari once again has used some outrageous colours, what I wanted to point out is the detail put into the hair. On the left you can see that the hair is split into bangs and a few small strands. On the right, the hair is basically a big lump of green above the face with some pink spots in it (what is that anyways?).

My main point is that it seems like White Fox is trying to impress Katanagatari fans by showing them bright, colourful anime characters that don’t really have much detail to them. It certainly gives anime fans a break from all the long, wavy strands of hair and deep eyes that almost define Kyoani’s work, as well as the current bombardment of moe-blob anime. Whether or not people will still be impressed with just bright colours further into the series remains to be seen.

Some of the products that caught a lot of peoples’ attention were new Black Rock Shooter (BRS) figures manufactured by Good Smile Company. For those of you not familiar with BRS, it started out with some artwork by a person called Huke with a character closely resembling Miku Hatsune, but with a darker aura, a sword, a rocket launcher, and a blue flame coming out from one eye. Eventually, a story developed and more characters like Dead Master were created. As with many people, the unique character designs were what drew me to BRS, and the Wonfes figures reproduced those designs perfectly.

I was rather impressed with the detail that went into the BRS nendoroid. My only concern with it is how they’re going to keep the final product balanced with such a big rocket launcher attached to the arm.

The Dead Master figures look really nice too. It’s too bad the prototype for that first one hasn’t been painted yet.

If you’d like to see more of BRS, there are videos on youtube with music by Miku Hatsune. There’s also an anime coming out this spring based on BRS. The promo can also be found on youtube, and if it’s any indication, the animation quality will be superb.

Images from HobbyStock

First off, lets start with an anime fan. Like I said before, most people already know what an anime fan is so I won’t get into much detail. Anyone who watches and likes an anime can be considered an anime fan. This can be any type of anime from simple children’s anime like Pokemon to more complex ones like Evangelion. Anime fans may also buy a few anime-related trinkets like key chains and cell phone straps, but simply said, if you’ve watched an anime and liked it, then you’re a fan.

An otaku is a step up from an anime fan. The term otaku actually has a negative connotation in Japan, usually being applied to people who are so obsessed with anime/manga/video games that they barely have any real social interaction. Outside of Japan, however, otaku is usually used to describe people who like more than just 1 or 2 anime. They are usually also interested in manga, Japanese video games, and Japan in general. Otaku may buy or collect items related to their favourite anime, attend anime conventions, and try drawing their favourite characters, but if you spoke to an otaku, you would not know they were one unless you asked about their interests.

Weeaboos are basically otakus taken to the extreme; they are what the Japanese are usually referring to when they call someone an otaku. While an otaku (not the Japanese kind) would probably not stand out on the street, weeaboos can easily be identified. While many otaku may have cosplayed before at anime conventions, weeaboos will dress up as their favourite characters in public or wear something that can only be related to anime. They also try to learn Japanese and use it every chance they get. While I applaud the courage and commitment it takes to wearing an anime costume in public and learning a new language, sometimes people go a bit too far. I’ve seen a guy wearing a maid outfit and others ordering coffee in Japanese when it’s obvious no one else knows the language.

So there you have it, the three main classifications of anime watchers. I know that these terms overlap with each other, but generally speaking, obsession increases as you go from anime fan to otaku to weeaboo. If you feel I’ve left something important out or disagree with my classification, then you’re welcome to leave comments with your thoughts.

Higurashi started off with a young boy (Keiichi) moving to a new town before the start of a local festival which sees someone get murdered or go missing every year. Likewise, Ookami Kakushi also starts off with a young boy (Hiroshi) moving to a new town just before the start of a local festival, but the difference here is that there doesn’t seem to be any widespread knowledge of any suspicious events around the festival, but we do see a character get killed at night.

There’s also the harem factor in both Higurashi and Ookami Kakushi, but then again, there are tons of anime with harems so it’s not exactly something new. What I found similar though were the sister and brother: Isuzu and Issei. These two characters reminded me of Satoko and Satoshi from Higurashi. Both pairs of siblings seem to have a very close relationship with each other, and they’re both blond. Isuzu’s personality is also very much like Rena’s (always looking happy but troubled inside), with the exception that instead of obsessing over cute things, she obsesses over Hiroshi instead.

Isuzu and Issei are on the left, Satoko and Satoshi on the right.

Besides the scenario and the characters, what really caught my attention was the sound of cicadas in the background. It’s something you don’t really notice when watching anime, but background sounds really do help set the mood/atmosphere. In Higurashi no Naku Koro ni you could hear cicadas in almost every episode when things were calm (higurashi = cicada, after all), and it looks like Ookami Kakushi might be doing the same thing.

The similarities between these two anime shouldn’t be too surprising though considering that they were both written by Ryukishi07, but whether or not Ookami Kakushi will be successful is still up in the air. There’s not many people who would argue against how good Higurashi no Naku Koro ni was, but in my opinion, Ryukishi07’s later work Umineko no Naku Koro ni was a disappointment. Hopefully by going back to his most successful story with Ookami Kakushi, Ryukishi07 will be able to make another masterpiece. After all, when you’ve got a good formula, why mess with it?

I bet examining the video further will reveal the clue that will solve this mystery!

Yep, it’s Vegeta alright! Lol! Aside from him, there are other characters from other anime/cartoons, found on the video as well, such as Shinji Akira of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Santa’s Little Helper from The Simpsons, and even Haruhi Suzumiya from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

I found the video to be really impressive, especially the editing and the recreation of the in-game menus and subtitles. Being a fan of the in-game music in the Phoenix Wright games, I really loved the track that was used on the video. It kinda makes me want to dust off my Nintendo DS and play the game again.

The video was created by CastorTroy. He’s the coordinator for Video Game AMV Projects, which is a group of enthusiasts who create videos from remixes of video game music. The video is just one of the many videos the group has produced. To watch their other videos, you could go check out their site!

You think that only kids collect dolls? Think again. BJD collecting has a very big but niche market and is most popular mainly with Otakus. There’s just something very anime-ish with most BJDs. Big eyes, skinny bodies, colorful hair. You get the drift.

Anyway, these miniature acrylic Apple gadgets are perfect for BJD collectors who are obsessed with Apple products (simply put, Apple Fan girls and boys!)

I’m actually considering collecting BJD but I think they’re a very expensive hobby. Yah, I’m not a BJD collector but I definitely can’t help but admire and

Anyway, you can buy these over at Lilushop’s Etsy page.

Visit: Lilushop

[ Image courtesy of Lilushop ]

In the video, Horo performs some stretches which you can follow along with (if you happen to be a wolf deity in human form). The first exercise she goes through is a neck stretch.

Next, Horo shows you how to stretch your arms. Maybe I should follow these exercises considering I’m as stiff as a log.

After that, it’s on to some shoulder/side stretches. These stretches are looking like they’d be good for someone who sits at a desk all day.

Spice and Wolf wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of comedy. Here we have Horo showing you how to stretch your ears, though it only applies to wolf ears.

Now I know a lot of people will have trouble with this stretch. I got nowhere near being able to reach my foot, not to mention spreading my legs like that. I guess wolf deities are just more flexible.

The next two stretches are a little more manageable. One is to stretch your groin and the second looks like it stretches your legs and back.

This last stretch will be impossible for any normal human, but it’s cute to watch: stretching your tail!

Those are all the exercises that the wise wolf Horo goes through. Hard to imagine that it took her less than 4 minutes to do them all.

I thought this video was a really cute addition to the Blu-Ray release. Although it was a blatant copy of Training with Hinako, I liked how it didn’t just go through the same exercise over and over. It’s certainly worth taking a look for some laughs if you’re a Spice and Wolf fan.

As the year is coming to a close, I thought it’d be a good idea to take a look at some of the best anime that have come and gone in 2009. Just to make it clear though, when I talk about anime in 2009, I’m referring to series that have aired on Japanese tv, not manga, movies, OVA’s, or OAD’s. Before I go through what I think were the best anime of the year, I should mention that I have not seen every series that aired, but I have given most of them a chance by watching the first 1 or 2 episodes. I am also writing this from the point of view of a guy in his 20’s, so although anime like Pokemon and Naruto are hugely popular among younger viewers, they did not make it onto my list of the best anime. So now that I’ve clarified things a bit, here are my top 5 picks of the year:

5. K-ON

Just barely making it onto my list is light-music club anime, K-ON. Anyone who watches anime will have been exposed to the moe-blob wave that has swept through anime communities online. With irresistibly cute characters and catchy new music, K-ON quickly gained a massive fan base. Those fans spawned dozens of MAD videos and what seems like thousands of pieces of K-ON art shortly after it first aired. If how good an anime is was measured by how much money’s made through related merchandise, then K-ON would probably take the cake for 2009. It’s not hard to believe that K-ON hit otaku wallets harder than other anime when you consider that people with no musical experience went out to buy guitars just because Mio and Yui had them, or that some K-ON merchandise sells out within minutes of going on sale. K-ON has also introduced the phrase “moe moe kyun” into the world of anime, something I think we’ll be seeing for quite a while.

4. Seitokai no Ichizon

In my eyes, Seitokai no Ichizon is an anime that has been overlooked too many times this year. What might have turned people away from this gem of an anime is that it looks like a harem anime when in fact it’s a parody harem anime. Being a parody harem anime, Seitokai no Ichizon is like a combination of the best of all worlds. Not only does it have a lot of bishoujo characters and fall-on-the-floor funny scenes, it also has a mix of action, horror, mystery, drama, and we can’t forget about the boys love (BL) moments for the ladies. Seitokai no Ichizon is also what I would call a “feel good” anime because it really makes you appreciate the friends you have and the time you spend with them. Although I was a bit disappointed to see the series end with only 12 episodes, I can now say that Seitokai no Ichizon is one of the few anime I’ve ever watched where I thoroughly every episode.

3. Bakemonogatari

I don’t think there are many people who can say that Bakemonogatari doesn’t deserve to be one of the top anime of the year after watching it. There are several things that make it stand out over other anime. First off, the characters aren’t your typical anime stereotypes, there’s an added twist to each of them. For example, the “tsundere” character, Hitagi Senjougahara, is also a deadly stapler-wielding maniac who isn’t afraid to start a fight. The animation and music are something that I really enjoyed with Bakemonogatari. It’s not often that you’ll find an anime where realistic animations has been given up for backgrounds that seem to stretch forever, and colours that don’t really match what they should be, but that really sets the atmosphere for the anime. Like K-ON, the music is pretty catchy and is worth listening to unless you despise anime music.

2. Toradora

Although Toradora actually started airing in 2008, it still ran on into the first 3 months of 2009. Starting out as a light-hearted comedy about a nice guy with scary-looking eyes, the anime quickly moves to become a rather serious drama. With seemingly almost every character trying to act as a matchmaker, it was only a matter of time before the love triangles showed up and friendships began to crumble. The amount of character development and growth made it clear that someone had spent a lot of time making a deep story that really draws you in. Any anime that brings tears to your eyes is definitely worth the watch.

1. Eden of the East

My number one pick for the best anime of 2009 is Eden of the East. There is no mixing and regurgitation of old anime here, so you won’t find the typical squeaky-voiced bishoujo characters or cute and catchy Japanese songs you’d expect in an anime. What you will find is a massive puzzle where answers often just lead to new questions, and a very blurred line between good and evil. With the viewers left wondering what is going on behind the scenes and what each of the characters will do to achieve their goals, it’s hard to not look forward to each episode. One of my favourite parts about this anime was how all the mysteries at the beginning of the series start to come together at the end to paint an almost complete picture. I’m certainly looking forward to the movies which will be coming out next year as they will wrap up the entire story.

So those are my picks for the best anime of 2009. I know there are a few other series that others would put on the list. If you think there’s an anime that really stood out this year, feel free to leave a comment explaining what you liked about it.

 The student council president, Kurimu Sakurano, is basically a little kid in all aspects: she’s short, she likes treats, and she reads picture books. The secretary, Chizuru Akaba, is the cool and calm character of the show. Being tall and rather well-endowed, Chizuru also doubles as the anime’s “babe” and is ranked by Ken as the hardest character to achieve to get his harem ending. Vice president, Minatsu Shiina, is a normal girl on the outside, but a tomboy on the inside. Throughout the anime she makes references to many action anime. The last member of the student council is the treasurer, Mafuyu Shiina. Mafuyu is by far my favourite character, she not only plays video games, she packs a PS3, XBOX 360, and Wii when she travels and speaks in Yu-Gi-Oh terms.

The diverse physical traits and personalities of the student council members not only make for some very funny conversations, but allow the anime to parody a great deal of other anime and games as well. Here are just some of the parodies from Seitokai no Ichizon that you can see on youtube:

Death Note:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKm6yTZ6Ay0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3DYQEwCai4

Jigoku Shoujo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESlZwMTNGvk

Final Fantasy/JRPGs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQRmKtlw6Nc

K-ON:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlwnx85PRyg

Dragonball:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6WeFCD6KIE

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGD2AxSL8dc

There are a ton of other anime that are parodied like FMA and Haruhi, but if you want to see them all, then I recommend watching the series. Of course, Seitokai no Ichizon isn’t all about parodies, it has its own moments too. My favourite would have to be when Chizuru becomes a sheep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbXQV5UB86w

In my opinion, Seitokai no Ichizon should be more popular than it is considering every episode has made me laugh and brought a smile to my face. The only reasons I can think of that are deterring people from watching it are:

1. It looks like a regular harem anime.

2. Non-regular anime viewers might not understand all of the references.

If you are an anime fan and follow new anime as it comes out, then you should give Seitokai no Ichizon a shot. I guarantee that it’ll at least make you laugh.

With the Inuyasha anime in its final season, it seems unlikely that any more new characters will be introduced to the story. This is probably a good thing because with over 170 episodes already and around 30 major and minor  characters to keep track of, it’s hard to remember them all and the stories behind them.

Of course, anyone who’s been dedicated enough to follow Inuyasha for the past decade or so (either the manga or anime) has got to have a list of their favourite characters, I know I certainly do. Many of you probably will have different opinions, but here are my 3 favourite characters from Inuyasha:

3. Sesshoumaru

Sesshoumaru is my 3rd favourite character in the series. At first I didn’t think much of him, but after a while I grew to like his character. Throughout Inuyasha we see scenes of Sesshoumaru just wandering around and beating the crap out of anyone that stands in his path, but every once in a while he’ll show some compassion and help somebody. He reminds me of one of those cartoon heroes that aren’t looking to save the world or anything, but will do what they can if given the chance. If Inuyasha were a high school romantic comedy, he’d be the cool and mysterious guy that all the chicks dig.

2. Kanna

Kanna is the most adorable character in Inuyasha, which is why she’s my number 2 favourite. I don’t know what else to say about Kanna. Her all-white clothing and hair, along with her quiet nature just makes her seem like a really adorable doll. I’m sure if you like cute things, you’ll understand what I mean.

1. Kikyo

My number 1 favourite character in Inuyasha would have to be Kikyo. Now, I know a lot of girls out there despise Kikyo for being a back-stabbing boyfriend stealer, but I’m a guy. Going back to the high school analogy, she’s like the hot ex-girlfriend that the main guy still likes, and we all know that the ex is more often than not hotter than the other girl. Besides Kikyo herself, I also really liked her death scenes (yes, that’s plural), not because she dies, but because they always brought a tear to my eye. A lot of characters die in Inuyasha, but Kikyo’s scenes were so much more dramatic, it makes the episodes worth watching again.

Well, those are my favourite characters of Inuyasha. There are more that I like such as Miroku (the old perv) and Sango (the hottie), but they aren’t in my top 3. Girls would probably list Koga (the badboy) and Shippo (the cue kid) as their favourites too. So for anyone else that follows Inuyasha, who are your favourite characters?

The 0 Raiser and 00 Gundam are fully articulate (including fingers) and the hefty price tag adds several other doodads that will definitely surprise the meticulous hobbyist — the eyes light up using internal LED lights and internal wiring. Apart from this, the twin GN Drives are shown and spin up as well using coin batteries which also come stock in box. Sounds like a good deal.

The Raiser / Mobile Suit Gundam was highly regarded in the series for its weapons loadout. The box includes the following:

• GN Sword II
• GN Sword III
• GN Rifle II
• GN Rifle III
• Raiser sword
• GN Beam Saber
• GN Shield
• GN Missile A/S
• Particle Dispersion Missile
• GN condenser
• Hand Missile Unit

And for your enjoyment, the epic Trans-Am Burst that defined the whole series. And now, you can finally own it in your living room, and who knows, once you start spinning the twin drives, you can start to generate and stabilize those GN Particles mmm ok? ;)

On another note, you can also view a video review of the actual Perfect Grade scale model.

The scale model is available for 25,000 Yen or roughly $271.35 USD / €184.87 Euros. The full dimensions of 1/60 Raiser is 59.8 x 39.6 x 24.2 cm and weights 4,370 grams.

Summer Wars was produced by the animation studio Madhouse and distributed by Warner Bros. The story revolves around a high school boy named Kenji. He is asked by an upperclassman, Natsuki, to go with her to her grandmother’s home and pretend to be her boyfriend to make her grandmother happy. While there, however, Kenji finds out that he has been accused of hacking into OZ, a virtual world that is connected to infrastructure networks around the world. Determined to prove his innocence and stop the hacker from disrupting systems worldwide, Kenji and some members of Natsuki’s family log into OZ and challenge the hacker to a virtual battle to save OZ.

The first thing I thought when I started watching Summer Wars was that the animation was very vibrant and detailed. Considering the quality of anime tv shows these days, it’s a welcome change. The character designs are also noticeably different from anime that you would find on tv. I don’t want to call it old-fashioned, but it more closely resembles character designs of the early 90’s with normal hairstyles and relatively proportional eyes (as opposed to wild pink hair and eyes that cover half the face). The amount of detail that was put into the animation is immediately evident at the beginning of the film as Kenji and Natsuki travel to meet with Natsuki’s family. Animators that take the time to draw individual leaves on trees certainly deserve some credit.

What I liked about the characters in Summer Wars was that they were actually believable. For example, the rebel that actually wants to make his family proud but screws up in the end, or the uncle that just won’t stop talking about the family history. You won’t find shallow characters like a house full of pretty women falling for a useless guy in this anime.

Personally, I thought the first half of the film was a bit dull, but after experiencing a death in Natsuki’ family, the plot really start to pick up. Every family has its issues, and with the hacking of OZ indirectly causing a death in Natsuki’s family, more conflicts begin to arise as everyone has different thoughts as to what to do. Of course, considering this is a film directed more towards families, it wouldn’t be right unless everyone made up. After realizing how their family was involved with the hacking of OZ, everyone joins together to defeat the hacker (something you would expect in a children’s show, but was still tear-jerking at some points).

Although I know Summer Wars was written with a wider audience in mind, I would have preferred if they had explained how beating up the avatar of a hacker would solve anything. Other than that, I thought Summer Wars was a good family film. It’s certainly something that I think both children and adults can enjoy. On the other hand, someone expecting more of a sci-fi film (that’s what it’s classified as) may be disappointed in the lack of technical jargon and how hacking into a network is portrayed. If you ignore that stuff though, the film is pretty good, definitely worth watching if you have the chance.

In the anime, Hitagi has been seen either carrying or using items like pens, pencils, protractors, rulers, box cutters, scissors, and of course her favourite weapon: the stapler. That’s pretty much everything you would expect a student to use in school, but there is one very common item that Hitagi never uses: the eraser.

The reason why Hitagi never uses the eraser has, however, been answered in the comic below. Note thatsince this is Japanese, the panels are read from top right to bottom left.

The girl is Hitagi Senjougahara, and the guy is Koyomi Arargi.

Translation (via AnimeSuki Forums):

First frame
Hitagi: Araragi-kun. What might that thing you are holding be?

Second frame
Koyomi: This? It’s a Kadokeshi (brand of eraser)…

Third frame
Hitagi: I see, that’s what it is… this is the first time I’ve seen one being used in real life.
Koyomi: Really? I didn’t think Kadokeshi were rare or anything. For that matter, this is rather unexpected.
Hitagi: What is?

Fourth frame
Koyomi: My impression of you was that if it had to do with stationery you’d know everything. I thought you’d be just as familiar with erasers.
Hitagi: I’m afraid that I have no interest in erasers.

Fifth frame
Hitagi: After all, erasers don’t have any killing or wounding potential at all.
Koyomi: Senjougahara… you’re not supposed to select stationery based on their wounding potential.

Only in anime/manga would you find characters that choose what stationary she uses regularly based on wounding potential, but I would have to disagree that an eraser doesn’t have any. I’m sure that if you had very good aim, you could poke someone’s eye out with one.

With nothing really standing out from the rest, viewers might have to turn to what I call “recycled anime” or in other words, anime that has been done before but has been rewritten with some different characters and maybe something else thrown in. Take for example Sora no Wo to, a group of 5 girls join together to make some music (sound familiar to anyone?), and they’re thrown into a war just to make it different.

Then there’s the anime that just makes you wonder what the writers were smoking when they came up with this stuff. If you read the description for Qwaser of Stigmata, it sounds pretty normal at first, then you get to breast milk. Really now, what kind of person gets special powers from breast milk!? The writers for Chu-Bra must’ve been high on something too, I just don’t see a story about a girl obsessed with underwear becoming successful.

Then again, I guess considering what kind of anime have been successful recently (like Queen’s Blade), it’s not surprising that anime is moving down this path.

1. No Coherent Plot

Every story needs to have a coherent plot to be interesting, otherwise it’s just a bunch of random events that don’t lead up to anything. Ever heard of the anime Akikan? It’s about a boy that drinks a pop can which then turns into a girl. I have no clue where you can go with that, and from what I’ve heard, the writers didn’t have a clue either.

2. Sex Sells

That’s probably what the producers of anime like Princess Lover were thinking when they were coming up with the storyboard. Really now, a single average guy surrounded by beautiful 2D girls that somehow always end up flashing their panties may have worked for the first few anime of this type (ie: Love Hina), but people aren’t going to watch the same thing over and over. It’s only a matter of time before you’ve seen a guy “accidentally” walk in on a girl changing before you can predict when it’s going to happen.

Then again, there are anime that have been really successful despite having no plot or having lots of pretty girls as its main selling point. One just has to take a look at K-ON to see how something with absolutely no story could gather so many fans. If you are looking for something with a good plot, then I would have to point you towards older titles like Evangelion or Nadesico. Otherwise, it looks like anime fans will have to settle for “cute” or “sexy” for now.

The whole anime had a really dark tone except for one part in the series where Zwei spends some time with a little girl and gets a taste of what life was like before he became an assassin. There’s certainly no lack of drama as many characters will do whatever it takes to get to the top and others appear to be mentally unstable, making them and the story unpredictable. The game that the anime was based on had several paths that the story could take so even if you have the game, it’s worth watching the anime because you won’t know what will happen.

Naturally, a story about assassins is sure to have lots of action, and Phantom certainly doesn’t disappoint. From knife fights to gun battles to sniping and large explosions, Phantom has as much action as you can fit into an anime while still having a good plot. Some of my favourite scenes were the knife fight between Ein and Zwei at the beginning of the series, and the sniping operation in episode 15. If you like seeing people run out into the open and kill like a dozen guys without being hit (as unbelievale as that sounds), there’s some of that too.

Besides all the action and backstabbing, there is a bit of romance in the series. Personally, I didn’t think the lovey-dovey stuff going on between Ein and Zwei was all that great. There was one episode where the two of them go on a pretend date to scope out the site of their next assassination, which  thought was a bit overboard. Did they really have to spend so much time making Zwei blush by showcasing Ein in swimsuits and other clothing? I guess it’s really up to the preferences of the viewer.

The music and animation for Phantom were both done really well. Most of the scenes were drawn with quite a bit of detail, and there were some parts which were done in 3D which was a nice touch. The opening and ending sequences were done in a dark, artsy kind of way which I thought fit perfectly with the story.  The music also fit in perfectly with what was happening. My favourite track would be the pimpin’ music at the beginning of episode 12 when Zwei turns all cool and strts assassinating people with style (ie: walking on stage at a play and sniping a guy in the audience with a huge gun).

With lots of action, drama, and a touch of romance, Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ is certainly worth a look if you’re trying to find a good anime to watch.

Personally, I think the biggest anime of the upcoming season would have to be Inuyasha: The Final Act. Anyone who has been following the Inuyasha anime will remember how the series ended without any real conclusion. Well, now that the manga is complete (at an impressive 56 volumes over more than 10 years), the anime will finally be given a real ending. This is certainly appreciated for people like me who just don’t have the time to go get the manga and read through it (I’m a slow reader).

Another noteworthy anime this season is A Certain Scientific Railgun, the spin-off series of A Certain Magical Index. This series will star Mikoto Misaka, the popular tsundere character from Index, and I think will be just as popular as the original series.

If you’re looking for something more serious though, a good anime might be Romance of the Three Kingdoms (assuming you don’t already know the story), but if a bunch of old men fighting for their country doesn’t appeal to you, there’s always the romantic animes White Album and Winter Sonata.

Ecchi lovers will also have something to look forward to this season. The controversial anime *cough* hentai *cough* Queen’s Blade will be airing its second season this fall along with ecchi anime Shin Koihimi Musou. There also seems to be a couple of harem anime: Seitokai no Ichizon, and Heaven’s Lost Property.

I myself will be watching Inuyasha, A Certain Magical Railgun, 11eyes, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and possible Fairy Tail. Of course, some of the other anime which I haven’t mentioned may turn out to be very good, but we won’t know until it comes out.

Cencoroll is a science fiction film about a white monster-like thing, a boy named Testsu (who apparently looks after one of the white monster things), a girl named Yuki, and their battle against other white monster-like things and the Japanese Self Defense Forces. Unlike most anime nowadays that seem to focus on the “moe” factor, Cencoroll is in a different class which includes famous titles like Spirited Away, Hoshi no Koe, and Pale Cocoon. It’s also cool how the white monster things can transform into whatever they want.

What’s really impressive about this film was that most of it was done entirely by one man, Atsuya Uki. He was the one that wrote, directed, and did the animation for the whole film. Just about the only thing that wasn’t done by Uki were the voices and music. The film stars Kana Hanazawa, Hiro Shimono, Ryōhei Kimura, and Satomi Moriya; and the music is done by the group Supercell. The ending song “Love and Roll” is especilly catchy and is worth a listen to.

Cencoroll was previously shown in Canada on July 28, 2009 at the Fantasia International Film Festival, and made its Japanese debut a month later on August 22. If you missed seeing it in Canada and Japan, New York will be your last chance to see it before having to wait for the DVDs to come out this October.

The trailers for Cencoroll can be found on youtube:

Trailer 1

Trailer 2

OK, so Fireball might not sound that great (especially since there’s no plot), but considering how short each episode is, it isn’t that bad. Some bits are pretty entertaining, like Drossel’s new hairdo and finding out all these little features that she comes installed with. Fireball is at least worth a look during lunch time if there’s nothing better to do, just search up “Disney’s Fireball” on youtube.

So some of you might be wondering what is so special about the Anime House Project, isn’t it just some people copying music and trying to sell it as their own? Well, maybe it is, but the people involved in the project are well known amongst some otaku for their works. Most of the work for this compilation was done by IOSYS, a group which has quickly risen to fame due to the popularity of their Touhou music remixes and flash videos (which I think everyone should check out).

Anyways, if you like the sample music on their main site, there’s a link where you can buy the CD for only 2,000 yen, or you could just loop the sample clips. Of course, for anyone interested, the second volume will be released on November 25.

Late this year, Wave will be releasing the first PVC figure of Seira. It will be 1/7 scale (according to Seira’s fictional size, not the figure) so it stands approximately 15cm high, and it’s partially cast-off-able. The retail price for this figure is 7,429 yen which is about 80USD; a bit expensive, but I’m sure that wouldn’t deter any collectors of pink-haired girls, or figures of figures.

Those of you who have been following this year’s International Saimoe League (ISML) will know that we are now entering the final week of the regular season. If you aren’t familiar with the ISML, it’s an annual competition where people from around the world can vote on which anime girl they think it the most “moe” (pronounced mo-e). The word “moe” is defined on Anime News Network as follows:

Moe is a Japanese term used in connection with manga or anime to describe something precious, usually (but not always) the ideal of youthful and innocent femininity. Written with the kanji for “to bud or sprout” (萌), the concept covers a range of ideal behaviour for youthful female characters in manga or anime. To be moe, a character can be eager or perky, not overly independent, and call forth a desire in the viewer to protect them and nurture them. The term is also used to describe any preciously cute item; there is an animal mascot character store in Tokyo called Moe.

Each year the ISML has 64 contestants battle it out in a number of voting rounds. Each contestant will have the chance to go up against the other 63, and the top 16 go on to the post season where the Saimoe champion is determined. A number of contestants have already been eliminated, but there is still a chance for some characters to make it into the top 16. Currently, Saber from Fate Stay Night sits at 16th place with 126 pts, but Holo from Spice and Wolf at 17th place also has 126 pts, not to mention Furude Rika (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni), Izumi Konata (Lucky Star), Furukawa Nagisa (Clannad), and Ichinose Kotomi (Clannad) who are all possibly 1 win away from making it into the post season.

Personally, I’m rooting for Kotomi, but there’s going to be stiff competition from the like of Shana (1 loss), Sakagami Tomoyo (3 losses), and Suzumiya Haruhi (3 losses) if she makes it into the post season. There’s still time to vote for your favourite moe anime girl on Aug. 24, 26, and 28 before the regular season ends so head on over to the ISML website now.

Here’s a sampling of kick ass wallpapers that will do Osamu Tezuka proud. Of course, they’re in lieu of the Astro Boy CG movie that’s coming in October. The wallpapers are a product of the Tokyo Denki University.

Download Astro Boy wallpapers from the lower right thumbnails. You have an awesome eight to choose from.

The anime clothing and merchandise company, Cospa, didn’t disappoint with the announcement of a lunch set which includes Mio’s striped bowl to be released later this year. However, a few lucky fans did manage to get their hands on this item a couple months early at Comiket 76. Unfortunately, Comiket 76 ended on August 16, so anyone still wanting to get thier hands on this special bowl early will likely have to turn to some Japanese auction sites as there probably won’t be any more available until the actual release date.

Image via Akiba Hobby

Yep, you read right, this card game uses cute adorable anime characters to battle with opponents. What’s even better is that although most of the anime decks that Weiβ Schwarz has made are only in Japanese, they’re already being translated into English. Of course, you could always just collect the cards for the artwork rather than to play with.

There’s also an anime out called Weiβ Survive which explains the rules and gameplay, definitely helpful for someone learning how to play.

Although Nyantype seems to be coming out every quarter instead of monthly like Megami Magazine, it’s still a good alternative for someone looking for some variety in their pin-up posters. Unfortunately, as with the first volume of Nyantype, it does not seem like they include any extras (such as B2 size posters or calendars) like Megami Magazine. To make up for the lack of extras, there is something in this volume that will definitely make Strike Witches fans happy:

In case you can’t tell what that is, it’s a neck pillow with a very close resemblance to one of the characters, Miyafuji Yoshika. This special pillow is only offered through Nyantype, and for a little extra yen it could be yours in a matter of weeks. Personally though, I would rather have a free poster.

One of the new anime airing this season is called “Bakemonogatari”, which can be translated as “Ghostory” since bakemono = ghost/monster, and monogatari = story. The anime has different characters that it focuses on for a couple of episodes, and each of those characters has something to do with the supernatural. There is, however, a main character named Koyomi Araragi who is a former vampire and appears to try to help the other characters.

In the first two episodes, the anime focuses on a girl named Hitagi Senjogahara who has had her weight taken away by a crab. Most people have probably never heard of this kind of myth/legend, but it is anime so it’s only natural the stories would include Japanese beliefs rather than western ones. Anyways, although Hitagi looks like a normal girl, she only weighs about 5kg due to the crab. She also carries around a ton (I literally mean a ton) of stationary that she uses as weapons, even going as far as stapling Koyomi’s mouth. Thinking that ordinary items that you’d find at school could be used as weapons in such a way certainly adds to the creepiness factor.

Despite being attacked by Hitagi, Koyomi still approaches her to try to solve her problem by introducing Hitagi to a specialist in the area of the supernatural. I won’t tell you how Hitagi fixes her weight (for those who still haven’t seen it), but all of the wordplay when they were explaining what happened to Hitagi really impressed me.

What I also liked about this anime was the animation style. Instead of the regular black lines you would see in other anime, this one has red ones to outline the characters. The colours are also generally either really bright or dark to put more contrast to things, and there’s also none of that “moe” stuff you’d find in anime like K-ON (no offence to moe lovers).

Bakemonogatari is definitely an anime worth checking out if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, or if you’re really into ghost stories.

For all of you Haruhi fans out there, you’ll be happy to know that the single for the season 2 opening song “Super Driver” by Aya Hirano will be released on July 22. You’ll be even happier to know that the full song has made its way to youtube early for everyone to enjoy.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD3mZlJrsxE

Personally, I liked the songs from the first season better, but Super Driver does have its charms. If you like the song or if you’re just a Haruhi or Aya fan, the single can probably be preordered on amazon, cdjapan, or other sites that sell Japanese goods.

Anime MAD videos are becoming increasingly popular these days and seemingly pop up less than a day after the airing of a new series. Here’s a nice find from youtube (originally posted on nicovideo) of the adorable Maria Ushiromiya from the anime “Umineko no Naku Koro Ni” which just aired in Japan several days ago.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsS0u7rB6Ps

For those of you not in the know, Umineko no Naku Koro Ni is a spin-off series of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, so you can expect a lot of mysterious deaths and paranoia to go around. Maria Ushiromiya is a 9 year old girl with a seemingly abusive mother. She is voiced by the seiyuu Yui Horie, which explains her really high-pitched voice and adorable “uuu~” sounds ^.^

So lets say you were a die-hard Lucky Star fan and you went to Saitama to see the sights. You visit the shrine where Tsukasa and Kagami work in the anime and buy some merchandise, but you feel that something is missing. What is it you ask? The Lucky Star girls of course. This problem may soon be solved as the prefecture may change their school uniforms to match those in the anime. No doubt this would bring in another influx of anime fans and boost tourism in the area once again. One has to wonder if the girls that actually have to wear the uniforms will have any objections to crazed otaku around every corner asking them for a picture. This just goes to show that you never know what the Japanese will make their schoolgirls do for some easy money. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll see an entire school perform the Lucky Star dance.

Besides the obvious Lucky Star spots, the “Anime Land” Engrish website also lists other attractions in the area that may be of interest to anime fans (especially those of Crayon Shin-chan and My Neighbour Totoro).

Source: ANN