Most love stories have a boy and girl meeting under rather normal conditions, either at an event, during their daily activities, or at school/work. Anime, on the other hand, has some pretty wacky ways in which a boy and girl meet, especially when the boy is single and living alone. Here are just some of the wacky ways in which anime couples have met.

1. Trash-picking

Most people probably wouldn’t go out with someone that rummaged through the trash. What’s even more awkward is finding a girl in the trash. Hideki met the girl of his dreams when he spotted her in the trash and brought her back home. In the world of Chobits, personal computers are in the shape of young girls and can do everything a person can do and more. Chii was an abandoned computer that Hideko grows attached to.

2. Dialing the Wrong Number

While I have heard of couples getting together after one of them dialed the wrong number, it was nothing like in Ah! My Goddess. After failing to get through to a take-out place, Keiichi accidently calls the Goddess Helpline, prompting a goddess named Belldandy to pop out of his mirror and offering him one wish. Thinking that this was a prank, Keiichi wishes for her to be with him forever and the rest is history.

3. Mail Order

We’ve all heard of the term “mail-order bride”, but how often does a girl actually get mailed to a lonely guy (by his father, no less)? In anime, this is actually quite common. In series such as Mamotte Shugogetten and C3 a pretty girl was mailed to a boy living by himself. A body wasn’t actually stuffed into a box though, the girls were magically sealed into their respective magical items.

4. Falling from the Sky

People get struck by lightning all of the time, but I can’t say I’ve ever heard of anyone being struck by a girl falling from the sky. That’s not to say that anime won’t make it happen. In Princess Rouge: Legend of the Last Labyrinth, Yusuke is riding his bike through a storm when he is suddenly struck by a girl falling from the sky. More recent examples include Bakemonogatari and Ano Natsu de Matteru.

5. Have my Body, Literally

Generally when a boy meets a girl, he would hope that she doesn’t blast him to bits. Unfortunately for Tsutomu, that’s exactly what happens to him. In Birdy the Mighty, inspector Birdy is hunting down an intergalactic criminal and in the process accidently obliterates Tsutomu, who happens to get caught in the crossfire. In order to save his life, she transfers his consciousness into her own body. Two people, one body; it gives a whole new meaning to bonding.

6. Daddy, er… Honey

The Bunny Drop anime did not cover the entire story, but it does go through how Rin and Daikichi meet. When Daikichi goes to his grandfather’s funeral, he discovers that his grandfather has a 6-year-old daughter that now has no one to look after her. Feeling sorry for Rin, Daikichi decides to adopt her. While the anime ends with Rin still a child, the manga continues on until Rin has grown up and developed feelings for Daikichi. This is perhaps one of the stranger relationships out there.

7. Slash and Kiss

Elimination games typically focus on strategy and desperation. With everyone out to kill each other, you would not think it would be common to be thinking of love. Once again anime goes against what most people would consider normal and pairs up Yukiteru with a crazy yandere named Yuno in Mirai Nikki. Technically they should be trying to kill each other, but Yuno is deeply in love with Yukiteru and as time goes on, Yukiteru starts falling for this mass murderer and becomes one himself.

8. Let’s Get Married, It’s the Law

One of the problems that Japan is facing is declining birth rates. One anime’s solution to this problem is simple, forced marriage. In Final Approach Ryo is forced by the government to marry a girl named Shizuka, who he meets when she breaks into his home surrounded by government agents. While Shizuka is ecstatic about getting married, Ryo wants nothing to do with it.

Anime has many wacky situations under which a boy and girl can meet. If you know of others that haven’t been mentioned here, feel free to share in the comments.

“Canon,” in case you’re not familiar with the term, refers to the farthest extreme on the spectrum of how official or accepted a piece of fiction is. Fanfic would be considered extremely unofficial, while Star Wars: A New Hope is 100% canon. It is accepted by the author or creator as an authentic part of his or her story or universe. The Expanded Universe, aka the EU, lands somewhere in the middle of that spectrum.

George Lucas’ own definition has long been that the films are canon, TV shows and movies and a few video games are semi-canon, and all other media (books, comics, etc.) are apocryphal. They might be accepted in “broad strokes,” but the film series is not beholden to apocryphal creations, and is free to contradict the books and comics and whatever else anytime (which creates all sorts of continuity issues for the EU).

For purposes of this article, I’m choosing to accept both the films and The Clone Wars TV series as canon, because both were made with Lucas’ direct involvement. There are other sources that could questionably be counted as canon, if we accept this rule universally, like those godawful Ewok TV films. But not everything with Lucas’ fingerprints on it is accepted as canon, nor should it be. Star Wars Holiday Special: enough said?

1. Coruscant

The first time the Republic/Empire capitol was seen or mentioned on film or TV was in 1999′s The Phantom Menace. But this wasn’t what George Lucas ever intended for the galactic capitol to be called. As far back as early drafts of Return of the Jedi, Lucas wanted to call it “Had Abbadon.” But Timothy Zahn’s bestselling Thrawn Trilogy books named the galaxy’s capitol Coruscant, and described it as a city the size of an entire planet, completely covered by layer after layer of technologically-advanced levels. Lucas abandoned his plans for Had Abbadon and decided to use Zahn’s Coruscant idea instead — perhaps due to the popularity of the novels, or maybe he just thought it was a better idea. Who knows.

A few details have emerged about Had Abbadon over the years, and we know now that it would have had some similarities to Coruscant, but ultimately was very different. It was an ancient, volatile world steeped in history and mythology. One legend even claims that the Jedi Order was born on Had Abbadon. (A few of these elements got recycled in recent years when a world called Had Abbadon appeared in a comic book series set one hundred years after the Original Trilogy.)

Lucas’ plan for Had Abbadon included not one but two Death Stars orbiting over it, along with a natural moon. This lush, green moon was called Jus-Endor, but later shortened. That’s right, the “forest moon” Endor was originally meant to orbit the capitol planet. The Emperor’s throne room was way down at the bottom levels of the planet, where it would have been surrounded by a massive lava lake. Luke Skywalker was going to engage in his final duel against his father, Darth Vader, on the shores of this lake. Although these details were changed to make Return of the Jedi more cost-effective, Lucas recycled his lava locale as Mustafar, the setting for Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s fateful duel in Revenge of the Sith.

2. Aurebesh

Never heard of Aurebesh? I hadn’t either, until now. Many Star Wars fans know that the common language spoken across that galaxy far, far away is called Basic. Aurebesh is Basic’s written form. It consists of 34 letters and several punctuation marks. Letters are written backwards to make them capitalized.

The Original Trilogy rarely showed written words, but when it did — such as words appearing on a computer screen — it was a series of random shapes that held no real meaning or translation to English. Aurebesh traces its EU origins to a 1987 guide book for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. West End Games’, the book’s publisher, took the shapes seen on screens in the Original Trilogy and gave them a proper format and assigned English letters and sounds to them.

While this did nothing to make the writings seen in the Original Trilogy films into actual words, Aurebesh became canon when Lucas employed it first in the Prequel Trilogy, and then in the DVD Special Editions of the Original Trilogy. It’s been seen countless times in the The Clone Wars, video games, and comic books, too.

3. The 501st Legion

Quite possibly the world’s biggest fan organization, the 501st Legion is a group of Star Wars fans who enjoy cosplaying as bad guys from the Star Wars universe, most notably Stormtroopers. They appear frequently at Star Wars-themed public events, conventions, and charities. Charity work is one of their most important functions, as they help out numerous childrens’ charity organizations year round.

The 501st was founded by a man named Albin Johnson in 1997. Seven years later, Timothy Zahn honored them in his Star Wars novel, Survivor’s Quest. They also played a lead role in the bestselling video game, Star Wars: Battlefront II. But their true canonization came in 2004′s Revenge of the Sith. Their battalion name was never spoken in the film, but all marketing materials, credits, toys, etc. referred to the troop of Clone Troopers that assisted Anakin Skywalker in his raid on the Jedi Temple as the 501st.

Since then, the 501st has appeared in comics, video games, and The Clone Wars TV series.

4. Quinlan Vos

The EU has this tendency to take every teeny, tiny element from the films — be it a planet, a weapon, a vehicle, or as in this case, a character — and create elaborate stories out them that explain who or what they are. Sometimes this leads to some insanely dumb stuff, but sometimes it works out better.

In the case of Quinlan Vos, the latter seems to be the case. Vos’ very first appearance was actually in The Phantom Menace, though he was nothing but an outdoor extra in Tattooine’s Mos Espa — an extra that most viewers probably didn’t even notice. A year later, writer John Ostrander and artist Jan Duursema debuted Vos in their Star Wars: Republic comic book series. Having scoured The Phantom Menace for a background character they could use, they sought Lucas’ approval to use an extra from the film with dark dreadlocks and a yellow stripe running across his eyes and face, and they got it.

They christened him Quinlan Vos and created his entire character, debuting him in issue #19 of their comic book series. He had quite the tumultuous start, too: he awoke with no memory of who he was. Ostrander and Duursema made him a Jedi Knight (though his presence on Tattooine at the same time as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn has never been explained), albeit one who occasionally dabbles in the Dark Side.

After the character gained popularity among fans, appearing in numerous comic books beyond his lengthy run in Republic, George Lucas took a shine to the character and canonized him by writing him into Revenge of the Sith, though his scene was cut in rewrites. But his name, “Master Vos,” is still mentioned by Obi-Wan in the film’s dialogue.

Vos later appeared on screen in 2010, in a Season 3 episode of The Clone Wars, fighting alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi during a manhunt for the abysmal Ziro the Hutt.

5. The Nightsisters of Dathomir

The Nightsisters are a coven of witches who tap into the Dark Side of the Force to power their magic, and they come from a world named Dathomir. Both Dathomir and the Nightsisters debuted in Dave Wolverton’s 1994 novel, The Courtship of Princess Leia, though at the time, the Nightsisters were known only as the Witches of Dathomir.

The Nightsisters went on to appear in numerous comic books and novels, though their primary canonical appearance comes from multiple episodes of The Clone Wars, where it was revealed that Dark Side assassin Asajj Ventress was born into their order, though her life took some unfortunate detours after a series of tragedies.

Their home world Dathomir eventually went on to take on added significance when The Clone Wars revealed that Darth Maul was born on Dathomir as a “Nightbrother,” a group of male Zabrak warrior slaves bred and kept by the Nightsisters.

6. Level 1313

This waaaaay deep-below-the-surface level of Coruscant traces its influences all the way back to Star Wars: Underworld, the live-action TV series George Lucas has wanted to produce for years (but hasn’t been able to due to its expectedly hefty budget). We have no idea if 1313 itself was included in that series pitch by name; I think it’s most likely it wasn’t.

But after years of the series never getting off the ground (or above it, har-har), Lucasarts co-opted the “criminal underworld of Coruscant” idea into a video game they called Star Wars: 1313. This was the first time Level 1313 was mentioned by name, and it was designated as the center of Star Wars‘ various criminal empires. The game got pretty far along in development — even appearing at last year’s E3 to tantalize us with some killer graphics and gameplay — but Lucasarts was sold to Disney as part of the Lucasfilm sale late last year, and Star Wars: 1313 was canceled. But the story doesn’t end here.

Thanks to a little inter-office synergy, Level 1313 was canonized long before the game was ever intended to arrive. The final story arc of the last season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars featured Jedi Ahsoka Tano falsely accused of bombing the Jedi Temple and on the run as a fugitive. During one episode of this story arc, Ahsoka escaped to the underbelly of Coruscant while trying to evade the authorities and prove her innocence. Level 1313 was one of the parts of Coruscant she visited — and its design on the show was based on the work done on the game — making this long in-the-works setting a very real part of the Star Wars universe.

7. Aayla Secura

Like Quinlan Vos (see above), Aayla Secura is another EU character later integrated into Lucasfilm canon. Also like Vos, she was created by Star Wars: Republic scribe John Ostrander and artist Jan Duursema. She made her mysterious debut just two issues prior to Vos, and was later explained to be his Padawan.

George Lucas is said to have liked the painting of her seen here, by Jon Foster, and he decided to include her in the Geonosis battle sequence in Attack of the Clones. She went on to appear in Revenge of the Sith, where she met her untimely demise on Felucia when Order 66 was given. She has appeared in comic books, video games, and The Clone Wars TV series.

8. Force Speed and Force Grip

Force Speed debuted in West End Games’ Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, but it made its real debut in Star Wars continuity as part of the 1997 video game Star Wars: Dark Forces II – Jedi Knight. Likewise, Jedi Knight also birthed the Force Grip power, where victims are not only choked but also suspended from the ground.

George Lucas canonized Force Speed by having Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn use it in an early scene in The Phantom Menace, enabling them to escape from Destroyer Droids. Force Grip first appeared in the Star Wars universe proper when Count Dooku used it to lift Obi-Wan Kenobi into the air and choke him in Revenge of the Sith.

9. Rishi

Timothy Zahn’s second Thrawn novel, Dark Force Rising, introduced the planet Rishi as a new base of operations for smuggler Talon Karrde and his second-in-command, Mara Jade.

Attack of the Clones canonized Rishi by setting the oceanic world Kamino near an area of space called the “Rishi Maze.” Though the movie never explained what the Rishi Maze is, we know now that it’s a small, satellite galaxy orbiting the primary Star Wars galaxy, and that several inhabited worlds exist there, including Rishi itself, the planet for which it is named.

If nothing else, all this proves that George Lucas isn’t opposed to borrowing from the EU for the storyline of the upcoming Episode VII.

There is, however, something to be said about this “thing” the Internet has had for cats for so long. Some I get. Some I don’t care about. Whichever camp you belong to, there is a good chance that you will want to take a look at this (relatively) new range of apparel. Dubbed Captain Feline, it’s pretty obvious what they’re about.

Who/what is Captain Feline?

Straight from the founders themselves:

“Captain Feline basically blends pop culture with cats.

The inspiration for each illustration simply comes from our love of both cats and pop culture. Any cat owner is aware of the human traits cats display…or maybe we display cat traits….? Whatever – the point is, the anthropomorphism is something we find amusing, and hopefully other people do too.

Our debut range is movie-inspired, featuring classic and cult movie characters. The hardest thing was creating the right expression on each cat head that would reflect the human character. As we grow and expand, we’ll increase the range to feature other pop culture icons.”

Captain Feline debut range

Here comes the eye candy!

And guess what? We are giving away one of these tees to a lucky ForeverGeek reader. You can choose from any of the tees above, and you can be located anywhere – Captain Feline ships worldwide!

Send those entries

We’re running the giveaway from today till Wednesday, June 19. So send your entries in now!
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Warning: this post contains spoilers.

Valvrave the Liberator is the latest mecha anime from Sunrise, but unlike its other anime, it adds a lot of plot twists you would not expect from a mecha series. Perhaps taking a cue from successful anime that have combined different genres, like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Valvrave seems to have taken the mecha genre and infused it with the supernatural and school life drama. The result is a lot of plot twists that some consider ridiculous while others consider entertaining.

One of the first surprising moments in Valvrave was when it was revealed that the main character, Haruto, had turned into some sort of vampire after becoming a pilot. While it might sound silly at first, you have to admit that it solves some problems associated with the traditional teenage pilot, particularly how they also seem to be invincible when not in their mechas. Having a vampire-like pilot also makes for some unique problems you wouldn’t find in mecha anime, such as the urge to bite people and how to have a relationship when one person will outlive the other.

In mecha series, the mecha typically takes refuge in a “neutral” country or is serviced by highly trained military personnel aboard a special ship. In Valvrave the Liberator, the Valvraves are serviced by high school students in a country that they have declared for themselves. It’s later revealed that the school was actually set up by the military in order to hide the development of top secret weapons. This was a unique way for Valvrave the Liberator to incorporate school life aspects into the series. It allows for things you normally find in school anime like popularity contests and group rivalry in a series that normally doesn’t have that. At times it may seem out of place though, after all, who would actually be concerned with classes when a superpower is sending their strongest fleets to destroy your school?

Perhaps the most shocking plot twist recently was the rape of Saki by Haruto. Practically everyone who is following the series is talking about episode what happened in episode 10; it was sudden and unexpected. At this point one could argue that the writers of Valvrave the Liberator are taking the series into a darker direction but also that they are simply sensationalizing the series now.

Regardless of what their intent was, it’s clear that Valvrave the Liberator is going to have a lot more plot twists in the future. It may be great for people who like to see anime experimenting with different combinations of genres, but it can also seem silly and turn out to be one big mess that doesn’t make any sense. I think it creates some interesting situations, but at this moment I just don’t see how a lot of it ties together to create anything solid.

It’s one of the most recognizable logos in the world, but the Superman S-shield has gone through a lot more changes than you may think!

A note before proceeding: I adore comic books, but for the purposes of this list, I chose to focus only on Superman’s appearances on film or television.

Max Fleischer’s Superman (1941-1943)

Superman’s first animated outing came from the incomparable Max Fleischer, across 17 short films that were released over two years. The first time the son of Krypton was seen on film, he had a drastically different S-shield with a black background and gold outline. The shape is also very different, looking very nearly triangular. Superman would not be seen in animated form again until 1966′s The New Adventures of Superman.

Superman (1948) & Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)

There may have been another to don the Superman tights and cape before him, but Kirk Alyn was the first actor to portray Superman on film. Alyn — and his remarkably buff physique for the 40s and 50s — starred in two black & white serials, sporting this rather cartoony S-shield. (The rest of the costume was surprisingly good for the time.)

The Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)

George Reeves’ television show — the first small-screen outing to star the man of steel — marked the first time the S-shield took on the familiar shape and typeface we’re most familiar with today. This logo would go on to be used in countless live-action and animated films and TV shows.

It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman! (1975)

A 70s stage musical of the same name was turned into a TV special, and this was the result. Costume-wise, it was not Superman’s finest hour.

Superman: The Movie (1978)

Christopher Reeve is still the Superman for many a fan. He sported what is probably the most iconic version of the S-shield ever, a large, diamond shape that covered the entire chest.

The Adventures of Superboy (1988-1992)

This small screen Superboy — which starred two different actors in the title role across its four seasons — aired in syndication, and used a costume (and S-shield) that was nearly a carbon copy of the Christpher Reeve film version.

Lois and Clark (1993-1997)

Dean Cain’s costume for this ABC romantic dramedy was another low point for the character. The show had its charms, but Cain’s embroidery S-shield looked like an overgrown Boy Scout patch. I like that it’s nice and big, because darn it, it should be big! But it doesn’t feel like it’s part of the blue unitard suit. Also not cool: the S looks like it’s being squeezed into place.

Batman Beyond (1999-2001)

Batman’s next-generation protege met up with the man of steel in a few episodes of this animated TV series. Apparently, Supes wears a dramatically different suit in the future, featuring a black & white design and a shield that frankly, I’m not even sure has an S in it.

Smallville (2001-2011)

Tom Welling insisted on never wearing tights during his run as not-yet-Superman Clark Kent, in Smallville. So the costume department got creative and put him in this red leather jacket with the iconic S-shield pressed into it.

Justice League: “A Better World, Pts. 1 & 2″ (2003)

A two-part episode of this animated series introduced the “Justice Lords,” an alternate Earth’s version of the Justice League. But this team’s version of Superman was nothing like ours; they were a band of harsh overlords who ruled over their planet, enforcing order with an iron fist.

Legion of Superheroes (2006-2008)

When a teenage Superman traveled to the future to join up with the Legion of Superheroes (temporarily), the art direction of this series called for a very stylized look to his duds — including this rather severe, angular S-shield.

Superman Returns (2006)

Bryan Singer’s reboot of the big-screen film series treated the Christopher Reeve films as holy scripture — to the detriment of Singer’s movie. But one area of departure was the costume worn by star Brandon Routh. I’ve complained about it before, so I’ll just focus on the S-shield here. Put simply: if it were any smaller, it’d be invisible.

Superman/Doomsday (2007)

This animated movie was the first in a series of comics-to-animated-DVDs films put out by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. It took the familiar plot of the “Death of Superman” storyline and overhauled it in a big way. One element of the comic it kept, however, was this black “Solar Suit” that absorbs sunlight, helping to faster restore Superman’s powers after his death-defying battle against Doomsday.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008-2011)

There’s something kind of boxy about this less-curvy S-shield, from the Batman-and-a-friend-of-the-week TV show.

Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)

This retro tribute to the 1966 shorts was used in another of the DC animated films.

All-Star Superman (2011)

If you’ve been wondering why I haven’t included every single animated version of Superman on this list, here’s why: unless they’re mentioned elsewhere in this article, every animated version of Superman has looked pretty much identical to this one, from the animated film All-Star Superman. Why did I pick this one and not another? Because I like this image and it’s my article, darn it.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Pts. 1 & 2 (2012 & 2013)

Another DC animated movie, this one set in the future. The costume is familiar, but the S-shield looks a little different than ones we’ve seen before, such as that final curl on the bottom end of the S.

DC Nation Shorts: “Superman of Tokyo” (2012)

In 2012, Cartoon Network started airing a series of “DC Nation Shorts,” one of which was about a baby in Japan who was given superpowers when he wore Superman’s cape as a diaper. Not kidding.

Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013)

Superman’s most recent appearance in a video game was a real departure from his typical look. (Every other video game I’ve seen him in uses an S-shield that looks just like All-Star Superman or the Christopher Reeve version.) I rather like this one, especially how the cape comes out of the top corners of the shield.

Man of Steel (2013)

And finally, we come to today. Henry Cavill’s supersuit got some early criticism from fans for ditching the red briefs and adding in lots of extra details, but the strong buzz over how good Man of Steel is, in the weeks leading up to its release, seems to have quieted all of that. The texture on the shield (and the suit) looks a little odd up close, but on film it looks really cool. More “real world” real, somehow. The font is also a major change from past iterations, going from ultra thin to really thick, but it’s still recognizable as Superman’s logo.

Newsarama have posted a wonderful dissection of Comichron’s report of comics sales figures for May 2013, and highlighted how comics sales in issues are up a whole 22% on a decade ago, and double the dollar value for the same period, way out-stripping the rate of inflation!

Recession? What recession?

While altogether heartening to note, it is interesting to see the figures suggest that comics sales have already peaked, down 1% in issue quantity on a year ago, and 5% on five years ago. But then, these are purely physical comics sales, not factoring in the digital market that has been surging ahead in leaps and bounds.

It would be interesting to see how these figures break down further, especially in regard to the trade paperback/graphic novels. How many of these are coming through the local comic stores, ordinary bookstores or chains and then internet sources like Amazon.

Still, it’s all basically good news, which leads me to wonder what we will call this age of comics? As a reader, I rather feel spoilt for choice, and was perusing that we had entered a second Golden Age, reinforced with the relaunch of many public domain original Golden Age. Still, the name leaves a little something to be desired.

Maybe the Digital Age? Then again, the period that I am thinking of encompasses the entire decade, and the digital market had barely begun.

How about the Event Age? Still, now that we have the large events, it is doubtful that they will fall from fashion. Also that would us back into the Bronze Age of Comics, as one could consider the dawn of the Event Age to be 1985 and the Crisis On Infinite Earths.

My recommendation from this week’s shipping has to be Jason Aaron’s Thor, God of Thunder #9 as we approach the culmination of the Thunder God’s three-faced battle with Gorr the God Slayer.

If you have not been following this title, Thor the Avenger has inevitably teams up with a younger self, and a failed All-Father Thor from a distant future against a being that gains his power from the myriad pantheons of gods he has destroyed, and his work is not yet done.

Through the standard tools of battle and scant moments of introspection, Aaron has presented an illuminating journey into Thor’s psyche, studying how the Asgardian views his place in the universe. Far from the distant godly figure we all know and love, we can now empathise with a character that has rarely revealed his more emotional side. With magnificent, seemingly painted art by Esad Ribic and colored by Ive Scorcina, this entire series is reminiscent of glorious retelling of myths and legends that we all received in our Christmas stockings.

What if the Fortress of Solitude were for real? (Now, I am not saying we’re all pretending that these things exist in our head, but…) What if there were a Fortress of Solitude somewhere on Earth? How much would you have to save to get your hands on it?

The real estate guys, Movoto, have done it again, and this time, they made sure to get this infographic out in time for the hype about the Man of Steel. In some parts of the world, countless fans and critics have been bombarding the Internet with their sentiments about Henry Cavill the movie. For those of us who have not seen it yet, there is no need to worry about spoilers in this post. It’s all about the Fortress of Solitude.

So, how much cash should you set aside for Superman’s digs? How does $813,888,400,000,000 sound? (In case there are too many zeroes in there, think 813 trillion dollars – not counting the stuff inside!) Take a look at the infographic to find out the details.

Lead image via Deryck Hodge

E3 2013 is underway in Los Angeles, and now that the console makers and big-name software publishers have held their big events, we still have a few questions about this whole “next-generation” business.

1. Will Microsoft blink?

Sony swung for the fences with its big PlayStation 4 press conference, one-upping the Xbox One with a $100-cheaper-than-thou price tag, no restrictions on used games, and no always-on Internet connection required to play. With Nintendo once again refusing to go toe-to-toe with the other two in the “next-gen console” competition, we’ve got a familiar two-horse race once again between Xbox and PlayStation. Only this time it’s turned into a game of chicken, and the ball is in Microsoft’s court.

Sony scored points with its sexy new machine while Microsoft has created a big, boring, black brick. Sony is loosening the knots on its insular ecosystem while Microsoft is tightening its grip. But the biggest problem now facing Redmond is the price difference. With both companies closely watching every move made by the other, Microsoft has to know that it’s facing an uphill battle against the PlayStation 4′s more attractive price.

Ironically, last generation, their roles were reversed; Xbox 360 was very affordable while PlayStation 3 was considered far too expensive at launch. Both companies clearly took notes during that battle eight years ago, but Microsoft seems to have written down all the wrong cues.

Will Microsoft step up to the plate and lower the Xbox One’s price, even if it means taking a loss (as Sony will no doubt be doing)?

2. Does Nintendo still matter?

I know I’ve beaten this dead horse before, so go right ahead and sharpen those flaying knives, Nintendo fans. But I just don’t get the appeal of the Wii U. I didn’t understand what was so great about it when it was first announced, and Nintendo’s showing at E3 hasn’t changed my mind. Their hardware is about to be made obsolete when Microsoft’s and Sony’s new powerhouses arrive later this year.

Neither EA nor Ubisoft — who held the other two big press events on Monday — made a single mention of games made for the Wii U in their presentations. The Wii U’s only worthwhile titles so far are from Nintendo’s (very) old franchises or re-releases of third-party games from Xbox 360′s and PS4′s back catalog (like Mass Effect 3, Batman: Arkham City, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, et. al.). Nintendo looks like it’s standing still compared to its two biggest rivals, and without the gimmicky fun of the Wii motion controller to propel them foreword this time, there’s just nothing going on at Nintendo worth buzzing about.

3. Where were the E3 surprises?

Aside from some great-looking indie games and a couple of new IPs from Ubisoft, this has been a surprise-free E3 so far. Where are all the great surprises from yesteryear that set the convention floor (and fans at home) abuzz and made big headlines?

I remember when Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo would round out their big shows with jaw-dropping announcements of titles that no one had the slightest inkling was in the works. Granted, it’s harder than ever to keep spoilers from leaking, but I miss those shocking, grin-inducing “wow” moments. Heck, even the cheesy celebrity appearances gave the proceedings some flair.

4. Why do I need a new Xbox?

Sony made a strong case for upgrading to the PS4 thanks to welcome features for power users, some fantastic-looking games, and a decent price. But where Sony focused on gaming, Microsoft has recast the Xbox as the central media hub for your home, and it feels like games are just one bullet point on the long laundry list of things the Xbox One can do.

Don’t get me wrong. Some of the new games look good. Really good. But are better graphics and bigger game worlds enough to justify upgrading to a new console? I’ve been an Xbox fan since the first one, but Microsoft’s press conference this week did nothing to convince me that I need to let go of my Xbox 360 — and the $500 price makes it a luxury, not a necessity.

5. Why were there so many tech glitches at the console events?

I know we don’t live in a perfect world. And technology is one of the least-perfect inventions of man. Tech is complicated, moody, and can always be counted on to malfunction at the most inopportune moment.

But come on.

This is Microsoft and Sony we’re talking about, for crying out loud. They’re two of the biggest and most respected tech companies in the world. If anybody can bring to the table enough hardware to ensure that a big, multimillion dollar media extravaganza goes off without a hitch, it’s these guys. And yet both companies’ events suffered from multiple instances of frozen hardware, absent audio, and more. What the heck, people?

6. Is the new Halo game for Xbox One Halo 5?

And if so, why didn’t they just call it that? When Halo 4 came out last year, 343 Industries made a lot of noise about it being the first in a new trilogy. So why all the mystery now? It’s all but guaranteed that this new game is Halo 5. Unless they’re going to drop the numbers and go with a new naming convention, like subtitles. Regardless, it’s obvious this is the next chapter in Master Chief’s story. I can’t wait to find out how he finds himself in this striking desert setting, in damaged armor.

7. What the heck is The Order: 1886, and how soon can I get it!?

This PS4 exclusive was teased at Sony’s press briefing with a killer trailer (it looked pre-rendered, but Sony swears it was all in-game) that introduced us to a steampunk Victorian London and a band of secret heroes who might just be King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table, still alive after all these years.

If that’s the case, they’ve seriously upgraded their armory from the Medieval days. The trailer shows off all sorts of gloriously retro-advanced technology when our heroes are attacked by barely-glimpsed monstrosities. Sony says the game is set in an alternate history, “nearly forty years after the Industrial Revolution.” And then the trailer was over as fast as it began.

The visuals and the story were enough to hook me, and the gameplay looked incredible. I want more details, and I need to know how soon Sony can shut up and take my money.

8. Why does the PS4′s controller have a touchpad?

Dozens of games were shown during Sony’s media briefing on Monday, but not a single one made use of that teeny tiny touchpad on the PlayStation 4′s DualShock controller. I’m sure someone out there will find a use for it, but so far it’s kind of like the tilt motion on the PS3′s controller — kinda cool for a handful of games, but ultimately pointless.

9. What is Media Molecule working on and why aren’t they at E3?

It’s been two long years since Media Molecule put out LittleBigPlanet 2. MM showed up to the PS4 reveal event a few months back with an impressive tech demo that involved sculpting virtual stuff in midair using the Move controller. But they’ve been tight-lipped ever since, refusing to say if that demo was part of an upcoming title or just a tech demonstration. Fans hoping that E3 might shed more light on what Media Molecule is up to will be disappointed, because they weren’t even mentioned at Sony’s presser.

10. What is Quantic Dream up to with The Dark Sorcerer?

Is it just another tech demo like Kara, or a new IP being bread-crumbed out to us a bit at a time? The demo shown this week, with its peeling-back-the-curtain twist at the end, raised a lot of eyebrows (in a good way). But what was the point? We need details, QD.

April 18th, 2013 marked the 75th birthday of DC Comic’s mightiest hero. Superman, The Man of Steel, The Last Son of Krypton, seems to be only getting better with age. My favorite superhero of all time has really turned around and looks to have a very bright future ahead of him. Starting with DC’s revamped “New 52” series, Superman appears in 3 major comic book titles. The re-launched Action Comics, Superman, and Justice League has breathed new life into the most recognized superhero in the world.

For the longest time, I have listened to critics and haters bark that Superman was too good; he was too powerful for the comic book universe. With an incredible list of powers and God-like feats of strength, it is easy to say that he outgrew the genre. Writers themselves complained at the difficulty of creating a challenging situation or worthy villain that Superman couldn’t easily overcome. My response to all this is EVERYONE HATES THE CHAMPION!

That’s what Superman is; he is the champion of DC Comics and possibly the greatest superhero of all time! He may not have the dark past of Batman or the quick wits of the Flash, but he was the first comic book superhero and set the pace for 75 years. After all these years, after defeating countless villains and even returning from death, what’s next for Superman?

Unless you have been living under a rock or perhaps visiting another planet, you know Man of Steel hits theaters this month and the wait has been unbearable. With an amazing cast, a wide collection of trailers and TV spots, Man of Steel is building up to be the biggest movie of the year. See the trailers here.

Fans of the character, fans of comic books, and fans of action movies are all buzzing about the newest DC remake. After the epic success of Christoper Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Superman was destined for a cutting edge, fast paced, visually stunning movie. With all the hype and excitement, critics and loyal fans are also hesitating as rumors continue to fly around the film. While they may not be true spoilers, I have been reading and hearing plot twists and story changes that will only be confirmed when the movie is on the big screen. If you wish to be completely surprised by the film then by all means stop reading, but if you are as invested as I am let’s have some fun.

Man of Steel will be revamping the entire Superman story, starting with his birth on the planet Krypton. Being born on a distant planet is common knowledge to the people of the world but this is also source of this movie’s biggest rumor and the topic I want to focus on. There is a chance that Krypton survives! That’s right super boys and girls; Kal-el may not be the last son of Krypton.

In the original story line, Jor-el (now played by Russell Crowe) sends his only son away from a dying planet. As the rocket carrying baby Kal-el races farther and farther from its point of origin, the entire world is destroyed in a cataclysmic explosion. Fragments of the destroyed planet eventually land on Earth and form Kryptonite, the green rock that can weaken – and even kill – Superman. Jumping back to Man of Steel knowing the rumor that Krypton lives, what does that mean for Clark Kent’s true identity?

As seen in several clips, General Zod (played by the great Michael Shannon) travels to Earth with an army of Kryptonians to bring Kal-El (played by Henry Cavill) back to his home planet for the good of Krypton. That means there is an army of supermen invading Earth, all possessing the powers the yellow sun of Earth grants to Kryptonians.

HOW DOES SUPERMAN BEAT THAT??

Why wouldn’t more citizens of Krypton travel to our Solar System and become god-like? If this rumor is true, it could spawn a whole series of events that could change the story of DC’s champion superhero. It also spawns the debate: is General Zod truly evil or is he just a man pushed to the limit for the greater good of his people? Is it possible that viewers will sympathize with or even route for one of the great villains of the DC Universe?

Talking it over with friends at my local comic book shop, two ideas came up that could be the logical answer to how Superman will defeat General Zod and his loyal followers. The first idea is that since Kal-El has been on Earth for so long, he has absorbed years and years of empowering Yellow Sunlight. This could give him a powerful edge against overwhelming numbers and possibly tip the scales in his favor.

The other thought discussed is connected to another rumored plot point that all citizens of Krypton are born into distinct social classes. New borns are bred to become either scientists or soldiers, but Kal-El is naturally born outside that system. Defying the social standard, Jor-El must protect his only son by sending him away. General Zod’s response is to find the missing child and return him to Krypton no matter the cost. Being outside the norm, this could mean that Kal-El possesses the overall benefits from both social castes. The enlightened intellect of a scientist with the physical power of a soldier could make him the most powerful Kryptonian.

The movie is only a few days away and I honestly can’t wait much longer. I do believe it will be the film of the year and the catalyst for DC’s explosion of films. There is already talk that if this movie is successful, a Justice League movie will follow closely. No matter if the rumors are true, if the story line has been changed, Superman definitely needs a homerun in theaters and I have faith Man of Steel will deliver what so many fans have dreamed about.

What’s your take?

This post was written by Dan, who is part athlete, part new media specialist, all super geek.  Dan is a video editor/producer, has created his own video blog, and is currently trying his hand at writing a fantasy novel.   Avid video and table top gamer, collector of comics and die hard Star Wars Fan, Dan fills his days with dragons, superheroes and space marines. While new to writing blogs, Dan plans to let his incredible imagination run wild in hopes of sparking great discussions across the Internet. Follow him on Twitter.

Images via HenryCavillandtheCavillry, Gunna

The Garden of Words is the latest film by Makoto Shinkai (Voices of a Distant Star, 5 Centimeters per Second). Produced by CoMix Wave, this 45 minute film tells the story of love between 15-year-old boy named Takao Akizuki and 27-year-old woman named Yukari Yukino. In order to find some escape from their mundane lives, they independently decide to spend one rainy morning in a garden within a park in Shibuya, which is how they meet. After that, they begin meeting in the garden every time it rains. Takao is transfixed by the mystery of an older woman that he knows nothing about while Yukari is reminded of simpler and happier times when she was a teenager. Unfortunately, the encounters between Takao and Yukari soon end with the end of the rainy season and when Takao discovers that Yukari is a teacher at his school it plunges their relationship into doubt.

Shinkai is well-known for creating bitter-sweet romances and The Garden of Words is another example of this. From the beginning there was doubt that the relationship between Takao and Yukari could ever work, but what Shinkai focuses on is the fact that the two do fall in love despite their age difference and positions. The main point of the film isn’t to find out whether Takao and Yukari are able to stay together, but to experience the love, support, and affection that they have for each other.

Despite being titled “The Garden of Words”, there was actually not much dialogue in the film. Don’t let that put you off though as every line carries with it a deeper meaning that reveals each character’s fears and uncertainties as well as their feelings for each other. Even more subtle was the way different events seemingly parallel Takao and Yukari’s relationship, such as the coming, disappearance and sudden reappearance of the rain. Metaphors are used throughout the film, which may make it difficult for some to follow, but when you start to see them it’s hard not to appreciate what they mean. The story is beautifully intricate with deeper meanings found in almost every line and action; truly a work of art in itself.

Speaking of art, the animation in The Garden of Words was simply stunning. When the lush greenery of the garden is contrasted with the dull city in the background, it almost seems as if it were alive. The constant rain makes every scene seem almost magical with the way light is affected by it. The music composed by Daisuke Kashiwa for the film also played into the magic of the rain. A single piano takes the lead in terms of music, with a soft melody that sounds much like the falling of rain. You can check out the animation and music for yourself in the trailer below.

The Garden of Words is a beautiful film in terms of story and production. I honestly do not think there is much to complain about unless you dislike sad romances. There may be different interpretations of the film depending on how you perceive the metaphors and symbolism packed into it, but I think that just shows how masterfully crafted it is. I definitely recommend The Garden of Words to anyone looking for something beautiful.

The email we got from the creators of this video started with that line, and of course, they got our attention. Not that we’re normally into things gangsta, but this one happened at the birthday party of a 10-year-old – complete with characters and rap battles. The weird thing here is the the lyrics are not exactly suitable for kids, but you’ll survive. Unlike many of the characters you see in the video. ;)

If The Rains of Castamere a capella didn’t do you good, Gangsta Game of Thrones just might.

Or not.

For many viewers, there is just no solace to be found after seeing The Red Wedding on TV. No matter how some book readers have been saying that the TV version is not good enough, I am sure that if you had no idea what was going to happen, you were still as shell-shocked as book readers the first time they read that part.

In any case, we’ve seen all sorts of reactions to The Red Wedding, and the Internet is chockfull of articles showing anything from the stars reacting to the scene to GRRM watching the reactions.

I may come off as a bit blasé about the whole thing, but I have had years to mourn, rant, mourn, and rant again. Dear fellow Game of Thrones fans, the pain and shock will wear away at some point. It may not seem like that now, but it will. Just remember, one of the best things about GRRM’s writing is that his world of high fantasy is very much a reflection of real life on many levels. It may be a little cruder, rawer, and more violent than the average person’s life, but the series shows people at their worst and at their best – often with good and bad blended together.

So, after that attempt to soothe your Red Wedding-ravaged soul, how about some music?

The Rains of Castamere has been played several times in the series. It even has a nice melody to it. On a normal day – before watching the last Game of Thrones episode – this bit of music will certainly be welcome; but as the harbinger of the butchering of the “good” people in the series, The Rains of Castamere has taken on a totally different meaning for viewers.

Image credit

Still, one can’t deny its appeal. Especially if you lean towards the Lannisters (whether you’ve declared it publicly or are still hiding in the closet).

The Rains of Castamere is all about one thing: what happens to people who cross the Lannisters. Of course, crossing the Lannisters does not always mean you did a bad thing, but perspective is everything, and when the head of your family shits gold, it’s easy enough to deal with enemies the way the Lannisters dealt with House Reyne of Castamere.

As I nurse a migraine on Sunday morning with all the interesting things going on in my head – GRRM’s world included – I thought I’d share this a capella version of The Rains of Castamere with you.

Done by singer-songwriter-producer Peter Hollens, the already haunting song takes on even more…plaintive is the word.

So did that soothe you or not?

If that didn’t work out well, try listening to 10 Game of Thrones theme song covers. Works every time for me.

Image via OpenForumRadio

With a digital camera and a whole lot of patience, anyone can remake their favorite movie trailer in LEGO. But only a few have the talent to make LEGO movie trailers that are this good.

You know these trailers; they’re all from recent movies. You’ve probably seen every one of them. But have you seen them in LEGO form?

It can take days, weeks, even months to make a great LEGO stop-motion film. Creating one that mimics a big-budget blockbuster film’s theatrical trailer, with high production values and a genuine sense of scale and cinematography… These are incredibly hard to recreate with plastic toys. But here are ten fan-made LEGO movie trailers that manage to pull off some genuine movie magic.

The Amazing Spider-Man

The Avengers

Cars 2

The Dark Knight Rises (Teaser)

The Dark Knight Rises (Final Trailer)

The Dark Knight Ultimate Trilogy Trailer

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The Hunger Games

Inception

Iron Man 3

There were some big announcements this week, with DC announcing the launch of DC Squared, a new digital initiative that apparently opens up whole new avenues of exploration for the DCU in DC Multiverse, and turns your digital comics into something analogous to a motion comic and a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ style novel all in one.

Of course this a revolutionary announcement, as it reveals DC catching up with technology and style that Marvel has already utilised in its ‘Infinite’ comics, and pioneered by many indie creators, such as Reilly Brown, or in John Roger’s Arcanum (found at Thrillbent 2.0). As welcome as it is, and I hope leading to an immense amount of new content, DC have rather shown themselves to be a little behind the curve. One can’t help but think that this announcement will not be as welcome at the local comic store as it will be be the fans. Is this the latest precursor of the potential demise of analogue comics retail? I don’t see them selling comics with speakers.

What has really inspired me this week, is not the latest (and somewhat predictable) issue of Age of Ultron, but the latest instalment of Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers, #13 written with Nick Spencer. With beautifully flowing art from Mike Deodato, the latest issue has established a character that has never really had such a firm foundation.

The very first Hyperion we met, was a villain created by the Grand Master as part of his Squadron Sinister. A jerk by very definition. These villains were revealed to be ersatz copies of members of Squadron Supreme, themselves analogues of the Justice League of America. The villain temporarily masqueraded as the original heroic version on this alternate Earth, before being slain by the native Hyperion. (Also proving that the heroic version was a jerk.)

The Squadron Sinister gained a new Hyperion who this time was native to an Earth-616 Microverse (like the Squadron’s Hyperion). Meanwhile, the readership’s attention turned to the Squadron Supreme of Earth-31916 in the Mature Readers series Supreme Power, where Mark Milton was free to really be a jerk.

Let’s not forget the suicidal Hyperion of Paradise X, nor the psychopathic King Hyperion encountered by the Exiles who met his end on Earth-616 at the hands of another soon to be returning character, Adam the Blue Marvel. So many dark paths for an injured psyche to wander down.

This week however, we see a tender side to the new Hyperion’s nature, as he reveals new motives for standing alongside the Avengers and remaining in the role of hero and protector, against the backdrop of the High Evolutionary acting in the best manner in line with his purported motivations as I have ever seen. Finally, the High Evolutionary is who he claims on the, er, can, and this gives this Hyperion the chance to be likeable and more than a simple Superman clone.

If you were to find a real life Stormwind Keep, you will need…just check out this nifty infographic real estate guys Movoto have created. These guys really do try to approach their niche in a different way, and they are getting the attention of people who like to immerse themselves in a world other than what we see when we look outside the window. If you haven’t seen it yet, their calculations on how much a TARDIS would cost you is mindblowing.

So, back to WoW and Stormwind Keep…the creators of the graphic decided to figure out how much the iconic castle would cost in real life. To do this, they took the following in consideration:

• The size of Stormwind Castle
• Where it would be located in the real world
• The cost per square foot for similar real estate in that location

You really ought to read the entire process at their blog. I wouldn’t be surprised if you come up with some ideas of your own. In any case, if you want to buy WoW’s Stormwind Keep – in whatever universe – here is the infographic. You’ll at least have some minutes of enjoyment. Or critical analysis, if that’s your thing.

Lead image via juanpol

The airing of the first summer 2013 anime is only a month away and that means that it’s time to look at some new series. Since people generally don’t start watching an anime part-way through, I will not be covering sequels in this post. Instead, the focus here will be on new series that have a lot of potential.

Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi

What happens when God abandons the world one Sunday? People can no longer die or reproduce, but one deranged man by the name of Hampnie Hambart travels around killing others in this godless world. A young girl named Ai witnesses Hampnie kill everyone in her village and believing him to be her father, decides to follow him.

Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi (The Sunday without God) is an adaptation of a light novel series by the same name written by Kimihito Irie. The novel won the 21st Fantasia Novel Award, which is a good indication of how good it is. The anime is being produced by Madhouse Studios and directed by Yuuji Kumazawa. Aki Toyosaki will be playing the role of Ai while Daisuke Namikawa will be playing the role of Hampnie. It’s no understatement to say that this is one of the most anticipated series of the summer.

Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou -Il sole penetra le illusioni-

One of two original works airing this season, Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou is being produced by AIC and directed by Keizou Kusakawa. That name will no doubt be familiar to fans of the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series as he directed A’s, StrikerS, and the movies. People might also be ecstatic to hear that Gennei wo Kakeru Taiyou will be a magical girl series so plenty of action of the scale of Nanoha may be expected. LiSA is slated to sing the opening theme song while a new singer by the name of Natsumi Okamoto will perform the ending. The series also has popular voice actresses Eri Kitamura, Mai Kadokawa, and Nao Touyama.

Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui

You would think that a girl that has dated over 100 boys in the span of 50 years would be able to get any man she wants. Well, that might not be true if those 100 boys and 50 years were in dating sims. Tomoko Kuroki has spent so much of her time playing dating sims that she has just realized that in real life she is far less popular than she thought. Being a shut-in, having a gloomy look, being shy, and being bad at communication only compounds her problems. Watashi ga Motenai no wa dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui (It’s Not My Fault that I’m Not Popular) is about Tomoko’s struggles to make not just friends, but a boyfriend as well.

The series is being produced by Square Enix and is an adaptation of the manga by Nico Tanigawa.

Fantasista Doll

The brainchild of Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass), Fantasista Doll is the other original series airing this season. It is about 5 girls that use special cards to call up cute dolls to fight. The series is being produced by Hoods Entertainment and director by Hisashi Saitou. Sounding like a cross between Angelic Layer and Rozen Maiden with a card aspect thrown in, Fantasista Doll may appeal to a number of viewers, especially with Goro Taniguchi leading the way.

Blood Lad

When Fuyumi accidently wanders into the demon realm, she is attacked and killed by a demon, turning her into a ghost. Staz the vampire is one of the most powerful district bosses in the demon realm, but he has a secret obsession with the human world, particularly with Japanese otaku culture. When he finds out about what happens to Fuyumi, he decides to help her regain her body and return to a normal life in order to go visit the human world himself.

Blood Lad is based on the manga by Yuuki Kodama. It will be produced by Brains Base and directed by Shigeyuki Miya. Of note to music fans, Yuuka from FictionJunction Yuuka and May’n will be performing the ending and opening themes repsectively.

Free!

Some of you may recall some hype online about a possible swimming anime from Kyoto Animation over the past year. The animation studio finally unveiled their newest anime project at the end of April, an adaptation of an unpublished novel by Koji Oji. The anime will be about five boys in the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club who compete to be the best swimmer. Unlike many of Kyoto Animation’s recent offerings, the series will be sports-centric, with the bonds between the club members being one of the highlights of the series. Free! will be directed by first-time lead director Hiroko Utsumi.

Kimi no Iru Machi

Based on the manga by Kouji Seo, Kimi ni Iru Machi (A Town Where You Live) begins when a girl named Yuzuki moves in with a boy named Haruto as he is about to start his last year of high school. As they are the same age, misunderstandings arise and threaten to ruin Haruto’s chances with Nanami, the girl that he has a crush on. The anime will be produced by Gonzo and directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi.

Reactions to the manga were positive at first, but have since dropped due to the dragging on of the series. Depending on what Gonzo has planned for the anime, it may focus on the good parts or end up along the same path as the manga.

Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou

Gonzo will be busy this season with a second anime called Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou (Dog and Scissors). One day a boy named Kazuhito is shot by a robber in a café in the process of saving the life of his favourite novelist, Kirihime Natsuno. When Kazuhito wakes up, he discovers that he has died and been reincarnated as a dog. In a strange twist, Kirihime ends up taking him in, but he soon discovers that his favourite novelist has a crazy interest in scissors.

Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou is a wacky comedy with some strange characters. The original light novel that the anime will be based on was written by Shunsuke Sarai and the anime will be directed by Yukio Takahashi.

Dangan Ronpa: The Animation

Nowadays it’s hard to have an anime season without at least one elimination game. Dangan Ronpa pits 15 elite high school students against each other by locking them in a school and forcing them to “graduate” in order to escape. In order to graduate, one must commit a murder without having the other students figuring out who the culprit is. If the other students can’t identify the murderer by vote, then the murderer graduates while the rest of the class is sentenced to death. If the other students correctly identify the murderer, they all graduate except for the murderer.

Dangan Ronpa is based on a PSP game by Spike Chunsoft that was released in 2010. The anime will be produced by Lerche and directed by Seiji Kishi.

Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist

When William returns to his family home in search of valuables to sell after the failure of his uncle’s business, he finds a hidden room with a magical seal. In the room, William inadvertently summons the devil Dantalion, who tells him that he must choose the next ruler of the demon world. This leads to all of the demons vying for the position to appear before William. The anime is an adaptation of the manga by Madoka Takadono. It will be produced by Dogakobo and directed by Chiaki Kon.

Choujigen Game Neptune: The Animation

Based loosely on the Hyperdimension Neptunia game, Choujigen Game Neptune (Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory) takes place in the world of Gamindustri where four Goddesses rule over the countries of Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee, and Leanbox. After many years of fighting, the four of them signed a treaty allowing them to have friendlier relations with one another. The animation production is being handled by David Production while Masahiro Mukai will be directing the series.

With this line-up of summer 2013 anime as well as many others, next season is going to be one to look forward to!

It’s hard to believe that it’s been three long years since Matt Smith took over as the Doctor on Doctor Who. Now that his run is officially ending (boo!), let’s look back at his ten best episodes.

It was almost painful narrowing down the last three seasons to just 10 episodes, because there have been so many great ones. Even when the show wasn’t at its best, Smith was always on, ever the entertainer. There were so many great ones that they couldn’t all fit onto a top 10 list.

1. “The Doctor’s Wife”

Season 6 | Episode 4
Arguably the best episode of Matt Smith’s run is also his finest hour as the main character. Neil Gaiman scripted this instant classic which brought to life the Doctor’s fondest wish: interacting with the TARDIS in human form. The Doctor has had many loves over the years — Sarah Jane Smith, Joan Redfern, Madame de Pompadour, Rose Tyler, River Song — but no one will ever be able to touch the place in his heart he holds for his beloved TARDIS. When the TARDIS core is downloaded into a human woman, Smith’s Doctor can’t contain his unbridled glee. Their interaction led to some of the show’s best lines ever, including her assertion that she chose him and not the other way around, his “Sexy” name for the TARDIS, and probably my favorite Amy/Doctor moment ever. When the Doctor introduces Amy to the human TARDIS, he giddily proclaims, “She’s the TARDIS! She’s a woman, and she’s the TARDIS!!” To which Amy quips, “Did you wish really, really hard?”

2. “The Eleventh Hour”

Season 5 | Episode 1
Following David Tennant must’ve been intimidating, but if Smith was nervous about it, it didn’t show. His quirky, confident portrayal of the Time Lord made an instant and unforgettable impression in his first full episode. Smith faced a major trial-by-fire, as writer Steven Moffat threw him into a scenario that gave him just 20 minutes to save the world. Along the way, he had to meet new companion Amy Pond (first as a child, then as an adult), finish his regeneration cycle, find his new fashion sense, convince Earth’s leaders to send a single message simultaneously, and assure Whovians that their beloved show was still in good hands. And he had to do it all without his trusty sonic screwdriver or his TARDIS. With a snap of his fingers to open the TARDIS doors, Amy was ready to set off on the journey of a lifetime — and so were we.

3. “A Good Man Goes to War”

Season 6 | Episode 7
We’ve never seen the Doctor assemble an army before. But then, no one ever fooled him and kidnapped his best friend (while she was pregnant!) the way Madame Kovarian did. The furious Time Lord unleashed the full might of his incredible intellect, taking down Demon’s Run space station with brutal efficiency. The Doctor’s anger-fueled victory was deeply satisfying because Smith made us feel just as outraged by this personal attack as he did. But when River Song appeared at the end of the episode to finally reveal her astonishing true identity, she also delivered a somber warning about the Doctor’s legend growing too big — the most dangerous consequence of which was the lengths to which his enemies would go to become powerful enough to take him down.

4. “The Impossible Astronaut”/”Day of the Moon”

Season 6 | Episode 1 & 2
Kicking off the beginning of “the year of River Song” — though we didn’t quite know how at the time — this two-part season 6 premiere shook up the status quo in some very big ways. Matt Smith got to play a Doctor two hundred years older than the one we know, have a lot of fun at Richard Nixon’s expense, face formidable new foes the Silence, enjoy his first kiss with River Song, and even his own death scene! And that doesn’t even include the madcap first act, where the Doctor kept turning up throughout history in all sorts of crazy predicaments. Matt Smith also got to relish unveiling one of the Doctor’s best master plans of all time: his deliciously brilliant turn-of-the-tables on the Silence. It’s a wicked dense two-parter — a regenerating little girl! Mark Sheppard ticks another genre show off his to-do list! that Stetson! Amy’s pregnant! (Or is she?) River kicks butt! — but I’d watch it again just to see more of Matt Smith and Alex Kingston flirting.

5. “The Rebel Flesh”/”The Almost People”

Season 6 | Episode 5 & 6
Yeah, yeah, so this is the story that led into the big twist surrounding Amy Pond this season. But the reason it’s so good is because Matt Smith gets to play two Doctors interacting with each other. His Doctor has always been rather flamboyant and full of himself, but the Doctor’s ego has never drawn more laughs than when Smith starts riffing with himself. I’ll admit that when the final scene of the first episode ended, revealing that a Flesh replica had grown of the Doctor, I was wary. How many times have we seen cheesy scifi stories featuring doppelgängers? It’s been done to death. But having two versions of Smith’s Doctor turned out rather inspired.

6. “The Angels Take Manhattan”

Season 7 | Episode 5
Amy and Rory’s farewell would have made for a spectacular episode even without their last-minute exits. Even though it was crafted as a showcase for the two of them, the Doctor was, as always, the one left behind to pick up the pieces and carry on. He’s said goodbye to countless companions before, but this one wasn’t business as usual. The Doctor truly loved Rory and Amy like family, and their absence leaves him broken. That aside, Smith got some great, emotional moments with new wife River, fought the Weeping Angels again (including one that was the Statue of Liberty!), and got to run around New York City. That’s good stuff.

7. “Let’s Kill Hitler”

Season 6 | Episode 8
Even the Doctor was surprised when Mels, the Ponds’ lifelong friend, regenerated into the person they know as River Song. But this wasn’t really the River they knew — not yet. She had to be guided to that destiny by the Doctor, and only something truly drastic would do. Something like the death of the Doctor. Yep, once again, we got to witness the Doctor’s death, and this time, it was a truly heroic one. Determined to help River despite the poison she’d put in his body, Smith brought humanity and grace to one of the few times in his life that the Doctor has ever been afraid. His solo scene in the TARDIS, seeing images of the most recent companions he’d lost — Rose, Martha, and Donna — helped make his pain all the more real.

8. “Nightmare in Silver”

Season 7 | Episode 12
The most recent entry on this list, Neil Gaiman’s second episode was advertised as one thing (the return of the Cybermen) but turned out to really be about something else: the Doctor fighting the darkest side of his own nature. Smith gave a true tour-de-force performance in this episode where the Cybermen — having had their memories of the Doctor erased — discover the existence of this extraordinary man and his incredible knowledge of the universe and time travel, and try to assimilate him. Word has it that Smith jokingly cursed Gaiman on the set for the insane amount of dialogue he had to memorize, but there aren’t many actors who could pull off this kind of double duty and make it believable.

9. “Asylum of the Daleks”

Season 7 | Episode 1
The Doctor tried to leave Rory and Amy alone to live their lives after faking his death, but the trio get reunited for another adventure anyway, pulled together by the Daleks, who need their help in dealing with a problem at the Dalek asylum. The Doctor also had to repair Amy and Rory’s broken marriage, and help with the escape of some girl named Clara Oswald. Smith was in fine form, reminding us all why we fell in love with his Doctor while making it look easy.

10. “Journey to the Center of the TARDIS”

Season 7 | Episode 10
Season 7 of the show finally gave fans an episode the likes of which we’d been begging for, for years. At long last, we got to venture deep into the bowels of the TARDIS and find out what’s down there. We got to see long-spoken-of areas (like the Doctor’s library) that had never been seen before, and Clara became the first companion to actually learn the Doctor’s real name. Matt Smith left zero doubt as to who the TARDIS belongs to and why.

Just the other day, I read an article saying something about Superman being boring. While I am sure there are some people who would agree with that (not me, though), I am also pretty sure that you guys are all geared up to see the upcoming Superman movie: Man of Steel. Who isn’t? We’ve already given you some Man of Steel eye candy and music, and we’re sure to give you some more in the coming days.

Today, we announce our latest giveaway: the Summer of Action giveaway. As can be expected, the guys at Fandango are excited about all the movies are due to come out in the next months, Man of Steel being one of them. In line with this much anticipated movie, Fandango has very generously offered to host this giveaway.

What’s up for grabs?

• $30 Fandango Movie Tickets
• T-shirt
• Funko Pop Toy

I don’t know about you, but the tickets themselves are worth it, but add the tee and the Funko Pop toy, and I’m more than sold on this Man of Steel giveaway! The pack is worth $58 each, but you don’t really need to know the price, do you?

We’re giving away TWO SETS of this Summer of Action swag, but you have to be in the US to qualify.

Don’t miss any of the summer’s most explosive action movies. Start your movie mission now – find Man of Steel, World War Z plus more action movie trailers, showtimes, tickets and offers on Fandango!

Visit Fandango’s Summer of Action website, like them on Facebook, or follow @Fandango on Twitter #Fandango. Don’t forget to check out the June Releases: Man of Steel (June 14), World War Z (June 21), and White House Down (June 28).

Now here’s how you join. The Man of Steel giveaway will run until Friday, and we’ll choose TWO WINNERS on Monday, June 10. Remember, you can tweet once every day – all the others can be done once in the week – and you have to be in the US to qualify.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Geeks and Game of Thrones? Definitely.

This post is for all the geeks (and non-geeks, even) out there following the hit TV series on HBO, adapted from George R. R. Martin’s book, ‘A Song of Ice & Fire’. There are certain things that you can learn from this TV series based on the times when fighting for your throne was your right, and bloodshed was just a minor side effect of it. (Literally, mind you.)

If you’ve been wondering if there’s anything for you to take away fore real life applications, here are 10 things geeks can learn from the Game of Thrones:

1. Never trust anyone
This is the most important thing you have to keep in mind, especially if you’re the King of the Seven Kingdoms. There are many others like Robb Stark, Stannis Baratheon, and Daenerys Targaryen waiting to take your place. So avoid risks, and keep your dirtiest, darkest, geeky deeds to yourself.

Geek takeaway: Keep your secrets (about girls, gadgets, and other stuff) to yourself.

2. Steer clear of blondes… or rather ginger heads

Many of you may be annoyed by Sansa Stark and her stupidity. Those of you who aren’t and find her attractive should think again. Not only was she a spoiled brat who dreamt about marrying the evil Joffrey, but she sure complains a lot (Uh, the last thing you’re going to want). No geek would want her around. Not convinced? Read through the similarities between Sansa and Taylor Swift.

Geek takeaway: Get attached to someone who likes what you stand for.

3. It’s not a good idea to try to run
Arya Stark might be courageous and bold, but when surrounded by danger, it’s not a good idea to run away. Arya attempted to escape the hands of the Brotherhood and found herself in even deeper trouble with the man who was responsible for carrying out the instructions of beheading her father. Now that’s harsh. (Now if you’ve read the books, you know how this is going to turn out in the end…)

Geek takeaway: Don’t run away from your gadgets if they backfire on you, but try to get them fixed. (Long shot, but it works sometimes.)

4. Don’t be a spoiled brat
It’s not good to act like King Joffrey. He might have the Seven Kingdoms, but he forgets (or does not want to even consider) that he is not the rightful king. Chopping off someone’s head after blaming them for treachery and publically disrespecting your family is nothing to be proud of. Joffrey might have all the power, but nobody really likes him. Don’t be that person. It would be better to be a drunk and hands off King like Robert Baratheon, than be Joffrey any day of the week.

Geek takeaway: Don’t take credit for something that’s not yours.

5. Never mess with the Mother of Dragons

With her army steadily increasing by the day, Daenerys is a force to be reckoned with. A girl who was forcefully wed off to the leader of the Dothraki tribe is now the leader of an army of 80,000 men. That is quite an achievement, especially with her three dragons that will set fire to anything that tries to harm her. The incident at Qarth should be enough for you to realize her strength.

Geek takeaway: Grow your geeky powers gradually by collecting posters, merchandise, gadgets, and everything that will empower you.

6. Magic is evil
The evil red headed right hand man/woman of Stannis Baratheon should be enough to make you realize that whether you’re a part of the realm or not, magic is never a good thing. The spells cast by her under the name of her gods are just horrendous and have killed so many people. They could even kill the rightful heir to the throne, i.e. Robert Baratheon’s own blood.

Geek away: Stay clear of magicians, or anyone who pretends to be one.

7. Stay true to your Oath

This is for the member of the Night’s Watch who went astray his oath and made love to a particular red headed girl. Yes, it’s Jon Snow. Those of you who just prefer keeping quiet and are really shy need to realize the importance of commitments.

Geek takeaway: Whenever you make commitments, make sure to fulfill them despite all odds (don’t back down even when the winter comes).

8. Marriage is like a game
Marriage is a deal between two parties: The Targaryen brother giving up his sister to Kahl Drogo for the throne or Walter Frey giving his army in exchange for Robb Stark marrying his daughter. Marriage is just a step closer towards getting the Iron Throne.

Geek takeaway: Whenever you give up any of your priced possession, make sure you’re getting something equally or perhaps even more valuable in return.

9. Owning a brothel won’t help much
Remember Little Finger? He is the member of the King’s Council who trapped Eddard Stark and made a fool out of him. He not-so-secretly lusts for power and wants to sit on the Iron Throne. Well, it’s kind of obvious that simply owning a brothel won’t get him too far. He might be sly, but is nowhere close to the race of the Iron Throne.

Geek takeaway: You can’t sit down with an action figure thinking Iron Man will come to give you his armor suit: aim higher.

10. It’s all about the Throne

Nothing is more important than the Throne. Blood has been shed over it, relationships have ended, and crimes have been committed. As episodes pass by, the series is coming closer to revealing the winner of the Throne.

Geek takeaway: The older you grow, the closer you get to reality (your life’s aim).

All these lessons are valuable and are going to help you in your geeky future. If you learned something else as well, feel free to share in the comments section below.

Images via whatculture, fanpop, digital art gallery,

Unless you have been living under a rock or have been without internet access for the past two months, you will no doubt have heard of Attack on Titan, the hottest anime currently airing. The story is set in a fictional world reminiscent of early Renaissance Europe. Giants called Titans appeared on the planet several hundred years ago and while they show no signs of higher intelligence, they do indulge in eating humans. Their massive strength and near-invulnerability combined with their desire to consume humans has led humanity to the brink of extinction. Humanity’s last survivors now live within three concentric walls that tower above their towns and villages. After living in peace for a hundred years, the humans became comfortable living within the walls until one day when the Titans break through the outer-most wall, threatening humanity with extinction once again.

One of the organizations prominently featured in the series is the Scouting Legion, also known as the Recon Corps. Before the fall of the outermost wall, they were tasked with exploration into outside territories for human expansion. After the breach, their main objective became the laying down of supply lines to the outer wall in order to seal it and retake lost territory. Due to the nature of the Scouting Legion’s duties, they encounter the giants more than any other group and suffer the highest casualties. The members who do survive the Scouting Legion’s expeditions are humanity’s most prized soldiers and are regarded as heroes and saviors. Now you can dress up like one of those soldiers.

Cospa, a major anime merchandise manufacturer, has come out with a line of Scouting Legion Jackets for preorder. These jackets are designed to look just like the ones seen in the Attack on Titan anime and have the Scouting Legion’s crest on the back and left breast. For those wanting a jacket that doesn’t stand out as much in public, there is also a modified version that extends down to your waist.

The jackets are made out of 100% cotton and come in large, medium, or small at a price of 14800 JPY (15540 JPY with tax) or roughly 150 USD. They will be released at the end of June so if you want one you will need to place an order with Cospa soon. The jacket can be ordered at http://www.cospa.com/detail/id/00000050115.

Man of Steel is about to reboot the legend of Superman, and the incredible visuals in the trailers has already inspired some amazing fan art. Check out these fake Man of Steel movie posters that look as good as the real thing.

Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill as Superman, arrives in theaters on June 14, 2013, and anticipation is reaching a fever pitch. Early word on the movie is that it really is as good as it looks, but we’ll reserve judgment until seeing it ourselves. Which of course we’ll be doing opening weekend!

Click on any image to see higher-res versions, and follow the source links to see even more of these artists’ amazing artwork.

[Poster by AncoraDesign]

[Poster by Andrewss7]

There are several minimalist interpretations represented on this page. This is the first. [Poster by deathrs5]

[Poster by Diamond Design HD]

[Poster by Haydenyale]

[Poster by inertianationxd]

[Poster by jbryant1126]

[Poster by JMattisson]

[Poster by JSWoodhams]

[Poster by JustHunt]

[Poster by le0arts]

[Poster by Medusone]

This one’s my favorite. Want a copy? It’s available to buy as a print. [Poster by Paul Shipper]

This one was made as a tribute to the work of the great Drew Struzan, who painted the posters for all of the Indiana Jones movies and several Star Wars films. [Poster by Sahinduezguen]

I mostly avoided nods to the Christopher Reeves films for this collection, but this one — which has a little wink in the tagline — is too well done to ignore. [Poster by shokxonestudios]

[Poster by SkinnyGlasses]

[Poster by stesmith]

You have to zoom in on this one to see just how great the texturing work is. [Poster by Tom Langley]

[Poster by Visuasys]

[Poster by Visuasys]

Which one is your favorite?

This week, IDW’s ongoing Godzilla title reaches a year in age, and like all of its licensed properties, has been taken to new heights without once betraying the origins of the character.

To risk acknowledging that my geekdom is incomplete, I must confess it is only a few years ago that I first learnt of the term Kaiju, said to mean ‘giant monster’ but strictly translating as ‘strange beast’. A word that is about to enter mass consciousness as the name of the aggressors in the upcoming Pacific Rim movie, once again we can be smug in knowing we were ahead of the curve.

Very much a product of their era, resplendent with rubber monster suits that would put Doctor Who to shame and a stunning lack of special effects (at least by today’s standards), Toho studios were bringing us giant monsters long before the Power Rangers were even a glimmer in some Saban executive’s mind. The films were cheesy even then, somewhat formulaic and over-acted, but with a certain charm and an early attempt at releasing an environmentally-themed message.

Many a night in childhood was spent entranced by the black and white repeats of the Godzilla movies on TV, and being what they are, they lose nothing with the passage of time. Free from the Hollywood mentality (and somewhat guided by the smaller budgets), the films contain their own narrative, granting us that wonderful gift of continuity.

Godzilla, Space-Godzilla and MechaGodzilla. Mothra and her Twin Priestesses. Kumonga the giant spider, Rodan and Titanosaurus. Creatures that return again and again, each with a purpose, each with a commentary on mankind. This is the spirit that shines through every issue that IDW has produced.

Tumbler Batmobile

In general, modern cars are quite “good”. People say there’s no such thing as a bad car any more, and they could be right – every model now provides adequate comfort, safety and performance.

But the side effect of all this adequacy is that the market is quite dull. There are innovations, yes, but they’re all in relatively boring areas like fuel efficiency and tyre treads. Where is all the excitement?

We’ve seen the 20 geekiest cars in movies and we’ve seen geeky vehicles that you can drive in real life. Let’s feed the motorhead inside of us and take a look at 10 unusual cars. 

This is a list of the ten most unusual cars (and notable, too) – unusual because they break at least one boundary and notable because they do it in a way which is impressive rather than merely wacky.

They’re in no particular order, but the flying one is obviously the best.

Rinspeed Splash

Rinseed Splash

There needed to be an amphibious car on this list, and here it is. The Rinspeed Splash does what the others have consistently failed to do – both jobs satisfactorily. This sporty but strange vehicle uses hydrofoil technology to attain a top speed of 45 knots in the water, while back on dry land it can reach a respectable 124mph.

Self-driving Google car

Google Car

This is just a boring old Lexus with a natty roof rack, but the implications this car will have on the automotive industry will be huge. Google’s self-driving car project is exactly what it sounds like – an attempt to make a vehicle drive itself on public roads. With twelve of these machines out on the streets in the USA at any one time, you’d expect to have heard of some accidents – but in fact, their only accidents have been at the hands of human drivers.

Grinall Scorpion III

Grinall Scorpion III

This is one of several three-wheelers on the list. Cars with any number of wheels other than four are unusual in their own right, but this one is particularly fun. Built in ‘reverse trike’ formation (two wheels at the front, one at the back), the Scorpion reaches 60mph in around 6 seconds. The vehicle can be sold as a complete kit rather than as a built car and starts at under ten grand.

Terrafugia

Terrafugia

The Terrafugia Transition is a joyous flying machine. It’s probably the most genuinely progressive vehicle on this list, combining surprisingly fuel-efficient (35mpg) motoring with cross-country flight. Strong interest from investors means that this car might actually progress from prototype stage.

Not yet in production, the Transition is expected to retail at around £180,000. When that day comes – after the next prototype – our skies might start to look very different indeed. And so will our bank accounts.

Peugeot EX1

Peugot EX1

Although it joins a queue of concept cars that will probably never materialise, this design shows what otherwise-sensible manufacturers can do when they put their mind to it. The EX1 has two electric motors – one for each axis – with a combined power output of 340HP. That is impressive!

 ‘Tumbler’ Batmobile

Tumbler Batmobile

As well as being the coolest Batmobile, the Tumbler is one of the most impressive working movie vehicles. It is the brainchild of Christopher Nolan and Chris Corbould, the latter being a British special effects guru with a string of James Bond films to his name.

The Tumbler weighs 2.5 tonnes and has a 5.7 litre V8, which results in a phenomenal soundtrack.

Aixam Coupe S

Aixam Coupe S

The Aixam Coupe S is a very compact machine, but that’s not why it’s unusual. Officially a ‘light quadricycle’, this tiny car can be driven on British roads by 16-year-olds.

The top speed of 28mph makes it considerably slower than the Corsas and Fiestas that share its £10,000 price tag, but as unusual cars go, this will be of particular interest to anybody reading this article instead of revising for their GCSEs.

Ariel Atom

Ariel Atom

The Ariel Atom is a strange, exoskeletal performance car that was immortalised in this Top Gear clip. A kerb weight of 612kg enables the Atom to reach 60mph in 2.89 seconds.

The tiny firm manufactures fewer than 100 Atoms each year at their Somerset facility. They’re road legal and even crop up on eBay from time to time.

The Top Gear Reliant Robin Space Shuttle

Reliant Robin Space Shuttle

Ah, the Reliant Robin… It almost deserves a mention here in its own right, being the most snigger-inducing machine to have rolled down an English street. This one (or rather, the one this is a replica of) was different.

The Top Gear boys set out to replicate NASA’s Space Shuttle in what would be the largest non-commercial rocket launch in Europe. Culminating in a fireball, the project was one of the most gratuitous uses of the BBC2 budget ever.

Morgan Three-wheeler

Morgan Three-wheeler

Morgan is known for tasteful two- and four-seater vintage roadsters. Often found in small groups outside pubs on sunny afternoons, the four-wheeled variety is a rare enough breed in itself.

Rarer still, then, is the three-wheeler. The firm started out producing vehicles like this in the early 20^th Century, founder H.F.S. Morgan having first produced a single-seater in 1909. In 2011, the modern Morgan Three-wheeler was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, sporting a 1983cc S&S engine and a 5-speed manual gearbox. The Gulf edition is particularly fun.

Have you ever driven one of these unusual cars? Maybe you even own one? Or perhaps you can rival them with an even rarer model? Share your favourites with us in the comments below!

This article was written by Alex, a freelance writer and motoring enthusiast based in Oxford, writing on behalf of MORE TH>N motor insurance. Please note that MORE TH>N – or any other insurer! – may not be able to insure you on these cars (if you’re lucky enough to get hold of one, that is!).

Image credits

• Lead image from popculturegeek
• Image of Rinspeed Splash from Wikimedia Commons
• Image of Google’s Lexus from Wikimedia Commons
• Image of Grinall Scorpion III from Flickr
• Image of Terrafugia Transition from Wikimedia Commons
• Image of Peugeot EX1 from Wikimedia Commons
• Image of Tumbler Batmobile from Wikimedia Commons
• Image of Aixam Coupe S from Wikimedia Commons
• Image of Ariel Atom from Wikimedia Commons
• Image of Reliant Robin Rocket by Oast House Archive
• Image of Morgan Threewheeler from Flickr

From scifi classics to more recent blockbusters, here are a dozen free movies online that you can geek out to by watching right now. Did I mention they’re 100% free?

Click on a movie title to watch.

The Arrival

1996 | 1 hr. 55 min. |
Before Charlie Sheen turned into a crazy person, he starred in this little scifi gem from writer/director David Twohy. You know Twohy has the writer/director of the Pitch Black/Riddick movies, and the screenwriter of such movies as The Fugitive and G.I. Jane. The Arrival is a scifi thriller about a radio telescope operator who believes that signals he’s picking up from outer space are the precursor to an alien invasion. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers. [via Crackle]

The Blair Witch Project

1999 | 1 hr. 27 min. |
The horror flick that kicked off the “found footage” genre, Blair Witch is noteworthy for many things. It was an incredible novelty at the time that ignored all the rules of Hollywood blockbusters. It was filmed on a teeny budget but generated huge returns. Warning signs were placed on movie theaters around the world warning that it was causing extreme motion sickness among viewers. Moviegoers piled into theaters to see it just to see what everyone was talking about, making it probably one of the first “viral” hits to owe much of its success to the Internet. [via Crackle]

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

2006 | 1 hr. 40 min. |
This one’s something of an anomaly. When was the last time you heard of a movie made as a sequel to a video game? The Final Fantasy franchise is practically sacred among its legions of fans, though outsiders still have no idea what all the fuss is about. I’ve never quite understood the FF franchise or its popularity, but who cares about the plot when an animated flick features this much tasty CGI eye candy. [via Crackle]

Flatliners

1990 | 1 hr. 54 min. |
A classic that marked the finale of the “brat pack” era, Flatliners is built on a provocative premise: med students try to find out what happens after death by “flatlining” themselves and then use defibrillators to shock themselves back to life. Kiefer Sutherland starred alongside Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt, and a young, not-yet-a-movie-star Julia Roberts. Even though the thrills and chills of the plot are replaced with warm fuzzies by the end, Flatliners is a classic for good reason. [via Crackle]

Gattaca

1997 | 1 hr. 46 min. |
Director Andrew Niccol made his big screen debut with this starkly beautiful scifi thriller about a near-future, genetically inferior man who dares to infiltrate a genetically-engineered society in order to realize his dream of space flight. It also boasts one of the most unusual combinations of talent ever assembled for a serious film. Aside from the main cast that includes Ethan Hawking, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law, also appearing in the film are Tony Shalhoub, Alan Arkin, Ernest Borgnine, Blair Underwood, and Gore Vidal. Danny DeVito of all people is listed as a producer. [via Crackle]

Last Action Hero

1993 | 2 hr. 11 min. |
Okay, so Ahnuld’s most self-aware blockbuster doesn’t exactly have legions of fans. But at least it has heart. Last Action Hero tries hard to say some meaningful things about reality vs. fiction, despite basically being a meta examination of the Governator’s career. Director John Die Hard McTiernan gives it his all, and the script comes from the mind of Iron Man 3 director and Lethal Weapon creator Shane Black. Even if the finished product falters, never quite adding up to the sum of its parts, it has its moments. [via Crackle]

Metropolis

1927 | 1 hr. 55 min. |
You can’t call yourself a real science fiction fan unless you’ve seen Metropolis at least once. Seriously, it’s in the bylaws. Fritz Lang’s classic is the first feature-length scifi film ever made. Its stunning art deco designs are complemented by an intelligent story about star-crossed lovers that touches on classism, worker’s rights, and the dangers of technology and industry. Metropolis is one of the few classics that stands the test of time, and it influenced everything from Star Wars to BioShock. [via Hulu]

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

2003 | 1 hr. 37 min. |
One-man-movie-studio Robert Rodriguez concluded his “Mexico Trilogy” about gunslinging character El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) with this blood-soaked epic. Rodriguez wore nearly every hat in the production (aside from actor) including scriptwriter, producer, editor, cinematographer, musical score creator, and director. He also populated the movie with a who’s who of some of his favorite actors, including Banderas, Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek, Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, and more. [via Crackle]

Primer

2003 | 1 hr. 20 min. |
Shane Carruth’s feature film debut wowed audiences with its in-depth real-life science, making you absolutely believe that time travel is possible inside a cardboard box. But it’s not until science takes a backseat to human power and greed that Primer digs its quantum claws into you. A great example of making a fantastic movie on an almost nonexistent budget, Primer is a modern classic. [via Hulu]

Run Lola Run

1998 | 1 hr. 21 min. |
Daring and experimental, Run Lola Run is not what you expect. Tom Tykwer’s plot is nothing special: Lola has 20 minutes to acquire a huge sum of money to save the life of her boyfriend who owes the money to a crime boss. (It also features lots of running. Lots of running. Star Franka Potente spends most of the movie sprinting along the sidewalks of Berlin.) What makes the film compelling is that it resets to tell its story in three different ways, with different outcomes each time. There’s some “butterfly effect” at work too, as we get to see glimpses of how Lola’s interactions with pedestrians has profound effects on them in the future. Perhaps most fascinating is how Lola seems to retain some subconscious memory of things she did or learned in previous “runs.” Are they alternate realities? The “many worlds” theory of Quantum Physics? Does destiny control us, or do we have free will? If you’re up for a trippy, mind-expanding theatrical experience, Run Lola Run should do the trick. [via Crackle]

Starship Troopers

1997 | 2 hr. 9 min. |
Robert Heinlein’s novel is adapted by Paul RoboCop Verhoeven, who puts a satirical spin on Heinlein’s overly celebratory exploration of a militaristic society. Starship Troopers featured a cast that wasn’t allowed much in the way of character development, but that was by design. Verhoeven wanted to create a big war spectacle set on alien worlds, but the way the story (and the characters) glorify war was an irony-soaked commentary on the horrors of war. If you don’t understand it, it comes across as a cheesy CGI fest, but looked at in the proper light it becomes a biting observation on romanticizing war. [via Crackle]

Time Bandits

1981 | 1 hr. 50 min. |
Terry Gilliam’s third film, now considered a classic, has something or other to do with a group of time traveling dwarves who befriend a young boy and bring him along on their adventures. They meet lots of historical figures along the way, as they seek to recover a map of time travel, which was stolen from them. In typical Gilliam style, the movie is filled with whimsical visuals and dark humor. Time Bandits is one of those movies that other geeks will look down on you for never having seen. [via Hulu]

Girls und Panzer is a popular anime that began airing in the fall of 2012 and has gained a cult following of anime and tank fans. The anime is about a girl named Miho Nizhizumi and her friends at the Oarai high school that form a martial arts team called Anko Team. They don’t practice any old martial art though; in the world of Girls und Panzer, girls traditionally practice tank fighting using actual tanks. Yes, the type with heavy armour and big guns. Their goal is to win the national Sensha-do championships and become the best high school tank operators in the country.

While many people may not have heard of Oarai, the town in which Girls und Panzer is set, it is an actual place in Japan. In fact, the anime has taken steps to include many Oarai landmarks in the series in order to capture the feel of the town. Some of the more noticeable places in Oarai that are shown in the anime can be seen in the comparison pictures below.

Here we have Oarai’s famous marine tower, which is one of the town’s biggest tourist attractions.

Visitors to Oarai will no doubt also catch a glimpse of the dolphin statue right outside of Oarai station.

Another hotspot for visitors is the Resort Outlets mall, which has more than enough places to shop for residents of Oarai.

Along with all of these well-known places, the anime goes down to the little details and captures the less notable areas in order to make viewers feel like they’re actually seeing Oarai.

One of the more prominent of these lesser-known places is a restaurant called Cook Fan, which supposedly has some delicious pork cutlets.

This sword fish shop was also spotted in the background of one Girls und Panzer scene.

The anime even includes small shops like this one with its green and orange awnings.

Thanks to Girls und Panzer’s impeccable portrayal of Oarai, the actual town has actually seen an increase in tourists who have watched the anime. Taking note of this, they have capitalized on the market much like how Saitama capitalized on other popular anime. Visitors to the town can see various Girls und Panzer ads and buy Girls und Panzer memorabilia. There are also cutouts of the characters scattered throughout the town, turning it into a mecca for the anime’s fans. Just to give you a glimpse into how far they’ve gone, here is a video showing what can be seen at the Oarai station:

If you’re a die-hard Girls und Panzer fan, definitely consider visiting Oarai before all of this goes away.