Posted by Guest Author on Dec 21, 2007 in Animation
Our Top Ten Anime and Manga Series to Watch For in 2008: It’s easy to find out about a Bleach or a Naruto once it’s being aired on Cartoon Network, but it can take years for an anime to be licensed, dubbed, and put on TV. So here’s our sneak peek at one of the ten manga or anime series that we feel are likely to hit it big in America in 2008:
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (anime) Status: Partially aired; Licensed by Bandai Entertainment
The studio that creates the Gundam franchise, Sunrise, developed this political soap opera in the guise of a mech show. It features character designs by the world-famous manga group CLAMP, stellar animation, excellent voice acting, and tons of drama. And best of all, it’s also getting a second season, currently undated.
Is Maywa Denki a company making electrical products? Are they a band? Sculpture? Performance art? Multimedia? Well probably all of the above.
Maywa Denki was a company run by Sakaichi Tosa making electrical components for a decade starting in 1969. About a decade later changes in the economy likely due to the energy crisis at the time bankrupt the company. In 1993 his by then adult sons Nobumichi and Masamichi revived the company introducing some peculiar, whimsical and sometimes even somewhat disturbing inventions:
Posted by Guest Author on Dec 20, 2007 in Comic Books
Our Top Ten Anime and Manga Series to Watch For in 2008: It’s easy to find out about a Bleach or a Naruto once it’s being aired on Cartoon Network, but it can take years for an anime to be licensed, dubbed, and put on TV. So here’s our sneak peek at one of the ten manga or anime series that we feel are likely to hit it big in America in 2008:
Gakuen Alice (manga) Status: Still running in Japan; Licensed by TOKYOPOP
Okay, technically TOKYOPOP is releasing the first volume of Gakuen Alice on December 26th, 2007, but that should be close enough, right? Since their hit shoujo (girls’) series Fruits Basket– which peaked at #15 on USA Today’s booklist, an amazing feat for a manga -has now ended, the company has been seeking a replacement. Given that they’re advertising it as the hottest shoujo “Since Fruits Basket,” it seems like they’ve nominated the super-cute Gakuen Alice to take that top spot.
Many bands and their graphic designer friends dream of doing something special when designing the packaging their new album release only to be told “no” by their labels that the cost would be too prohibitive. A popular win-win style strategy in Japan is to press up just one run of special, more deluxe packaging to coincide with an album’s release and then revert to standard packaging for the rest of the album’s run. This is usually referred to as “Limited Initial Packaging”. Sometimes it can mean a larger picture booklet, different case or maybe a DVD single. Sometimes it’s something more unusual like Cornelius including a pair of album cover color matching ear buds with the first copies of his “Fantasma” album.
Posted by Guest Author on Dec 19, 2007 in Animation
Our Top Ten Anime and Manga Series to Watch For in 2008: It’s easy to find out about a Bleach or a Naruto once it’s being aired on Cartoon Network, but it can take years for an anime to be licensed, dubbed, and put on TV. So here’s our sneak peek at one of the ten manga or anime series that we feel are likely to hit it big in America in 2008:
Gundam 00 (anime) Status: Currently airing in Japan; Unlicensed
Okay, it’s got Gundam in the name, so I hardly need to tell you that the show looks amazing and involves both mechs and politics. But if the sheer volume of Gundam Universal Century shows scares you, don’t worry: Gundam 00 is, like predecessor Gundam Wing, a completely independent series from the rest of the franchise. Its first season is currently airing in Japan, with a second season scheduled for October of 2008.
“For the first time ever, the characters from Quentin Tarantino”s Pulp Fiction come to life as 3-D collectibles! This series features four unique figure sets, each packaged in window boxes. The figures stand approximately 3″ tall, come with their own movie accessories, and feature many points of articulation. This set includes Butch, The Gimp, Zed, and Marsellus.”
“After publicly feuding for more than a year, “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have reached agreement to make J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” a planned two-film prequel to the blockbuster trilogy.
Jackson, who directed “Rings,” will serve as executive producer for two “Hobbit” pictures. They will tell the story of how the young hobbit Bilbo Baggins originally came to possess the nefarious One Ring that Frodo, his adopted heir, needed three films to dispose of.
Posted by Guest Author on Dec 18, 2007 in Animation
Our Top Ten Anime and Manga Series to Watch For in 2008: It’s easy to find out about a Bleach or a Naruto once it’s being aired on Cartoon Network, but it can take years for an anime to be licensed, dubbed, and put on TV. So here’s our sneak peek at one of the ten manga or anime series that we feel are likely to hit it big in America in 2008:
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 2 (anime) Status: Not yet aired
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya– which was released in North America by Bandai Entertainment throughout the second half of 2007 is getting a sequel! Seeing as the first 14-episode series covered only a fraction of the so-far-10-volume novel series, it’s unsurprising that a season 2 was announced. Given the international buzz the first season received, it seems likely you’ll hear about the new season, so here’s a quick rundown.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 18, 2007 in Animation
Shown above is Usavich which is a animated series created by Kanaban Graphics for MTV Japan. The series started out in 2006 and so far 23 episodes have been produced which feature a couple of rabbits who are trapped in an Russian prison. Looking at this I wish MTV in the United States was doing animation again…
“A powerful jet of particles from a “supermassive” black hole has been seen blasting a nearby galaxy, according to findings from the US space agency. Galaxies have been seen colliding before, but it is the first time this form of galactic violence has been witnessed by astronomers. This could have a profound effect on any planets in the jet’s path and could also trigger a burst of star formation.”
Posted by Guest Author on Dec 17, 2007 in Animation
Our Top Ten Anime and Manga Series to Watch For in 2008: It’s easy to find out about a Bleach or a Naruto once it’s being aired on Cartoon Network, but it can take years for an anime to be licensed, dubbed, and put on TV. So here’s our sneak peek at one of the ten manga or anime series that we feel are likely to hit it big in America in 2008:
Lucky Star (anime) Status: Aired in Japan; Licensed by Bandai Entertainment
While it may at first appear to be geared exclusively towards hardcore anime fans, Lucky Star can be hilarious to anyone who’s ever been or known a high school-age female. Mixing a random sense of humor reminiscent of the popular slice-of-life Azumanga Daioh with a lot of otaku in-jokes, Kyoto Animation- the studio responsible for the hit series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya -has made a hit that fans and non-fans alike have been enjoying.
Konata is your average short, blue-haired, uber-anime geek high school female. She plays hentai games, collects figures, and reads manga instead of doing her homework. In stark contrast, Kagami is a somewhat bossy, hard-working all-A student. Throw in Kagami’s slightly ditzy twin Tsukasa and the walking encyclopedia Miyuki and you get some of the funniest conversations ever aired on TV, such as a lengthy discussion of how to eat various pastries. No, really.
These four are later joined by a younger set, including Konata’s sweet younger cousin Yutaka, the quiet Minami, and even an American exchange student (and anime fan) named Patty. Oh, and did I mention the “Lucky Channel” yet? The meta segment ostensibly exists to discuss the making of the series, but is actually a vehicle for two other characters: “newbie” voice actor Minoru Shiraishi and his senior, the jaded and faded starlet Akira Kogami. Yeah, Lucky Star seriously packs on the funny.
Gia Manry is a Portland, OR-based professional writer specializing in pop culture/entertainment writing. Read up on more of her work at giapet.net or hire her at GiaManry.com.
The other day I visited Namjatown. It’s run by Namco, the video game company. It’s a food theme park fit into two mid sized department store floors inside Ikebukuro’s slightly euphemistically named Sunshine City Mall (well it’s indoors and near the former site of a notorious prison). One of it’s three food themed zones is ice cream city.
After passing on a curry flavored frozen dessert I went for the Gelato Nero which I believe was being promoted as the most popular flavor. It’s very black and scooped into a black cone. I was hoping it would be something more original than say chocolate or fudge and I was rewarded. It was very tasty black sesame. It did require a but more clean up with a wet napkin given the dark color.
Nick Kent is a New York based artist who works with electronic media and is an occasional pop culture pundit.
Posted by Guest Author on Dec 16, 2007 in Animation
Our Top Ten Anime and Manga Series to Watch For in 2008: It’s easy to find out about a Bleach or a Naruto once it’s being aired on Cartoon Network, but it can take years for an anime to be licensed, dubbed, and put on TV. So here’s our sneak peek at one of the ten manga or anime series that we feel are likely to hit it big in America in 2008:
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (anime) Status: Aired in Japan; Licensed by ADV
Giant mechs, cute girls, and not one but two badass heroes- it would have been tough for Gainax to go wrong on this one, but they didn’t slack off. Instead they created a genuinely fun, visually stunning series with more heart and soul than any other that aired in Japan in 2007. ADV has licensed the series and fast-tracked it, setting a release date of February 2008 for the first volume.
“Have you ever wondered when we will be able to travel to distant stars as easily as in science fiction stories? NASA Glenn’s Marc Millis, who has taken a break from Project Management for NASA’s Breakthrough Propulsion Physics (BPP) Project to return to conducting research, offers this assessment of the prospects for achieving the propulsion breakthroughs that would enable such far-future visions of interstellar travel.”
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 15, 2007 in Videogames
Shown above is page 482 from a Montgomery Wards Christmas catalog from the early 80s (click on the image to see it at full size). This catalog page features the following retro-gamer goodies:
What’s interesting to me about these games is that they’re all handheld devices in a pre-Game Boy era. If you account for inflation at $40 to $80 the toys are on the higher end of the scale of what tween or teen might expect to get for Christmas in 1981 (which is my guess when the page was published). One thing that caught my eye is that the backgammon game seems to be more aimed at young professional adults (known as yuppies in that era) rather than kids. From a fanboy point of view it’s interesting to note that for $17.77 you could get a Star Trek cartridge for the Microvision! Although looking at the crude game play of the device (there’s no video) I’m somewhat pleased that was never under my Christmas tree. Ah the good olde days, I’m so happy they’re gone…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 14, 2007 in Science
There’s a great article at Popular Science on the global race to create scramjet engines which could revolutionize the field of aviation:
The Hypersonic Age is Near Recent breakthroughs in scramjet engines could mean two-hour flights from New York to Tokyo. They could also mean missiles capable of striking any continent in a moment’s notice. No wonder the race to develop them is as fierce as ever.
“The X-1 scramjet engine, which will eventually power the X-51A aircraft, is the most advanced scramjet engine ever built. To put things in context, the world’s fastest jet, the Air Force’s SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, set a speed record of Mach 3.3 in 1990 when it flew from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in just over an hour. That’s about the limit for jet engines; the fastest fighter planes barely crack Mach 1.6. Scramjets, on the other hand, can theoretically fly as fast as Mach 15—nearly 10,000 mph.
This could mean two-hour flights from New York to Sydney. It could also mean missiles capable of hitting targets on another continent at a moment’s notice, and when you put it that way, it’s not surprising that militaries around the world—the U.S., Australia, China and perhaps others—are trying to build them. After decades on the drawing board, it seems scramjet technology is finally about to arrive.”
Posted by Guest Author on Dec 14, 2007 in Comic Books
Our Top Indie Cartoonists to Watch For in 2008: Keeping true to our “Anti-Superheroes in Tights” mood at fanboy, we took a look back at the comic books and graphic novels that caught our eye:
The Fart Party, by Julia Wertz
If you’re reading this theres a good chance youre an eight year old boy who googled fart for a laugh and are about to be sorely disappointed. Because Julia Wertz’s Fart Party is actually pretty short on gross-out humor (OK, there are some instances of eye gouging with a pencil and defecating down some annoying hipsters decapitated neck). Still, it manages to deliver lots of humorous autobio vignettes about life in San Francisco with a bicycle, a boyfriend, and eventually a breakup, all the while with plenty of beer. The four Bs, right? Julias comics are seen online at fartparty.org and in her minicomics, but the collected book put out by Atomic Books this year has made her one of the breakout indie cartoonists of 2007.
Not one to lose momentum, Julia is in the process of assembling an anthology based on the Missed Connections section of Craigslist. Aptly titled I Saw You: Missed Connections Comics, the book boasts an impressive list of contributors including such luminaries as Peter Bagge (he wrote the intro for the Fart Party Book too, BTW) , Keight Knight, and Sam Henderson, and is due out from Three Rivers/Random House in 2008.
Jenny Gonzalez is a New York City cartoonist and punk rock singer. You can see her stuff at jennydevildoll.com.
Over the last couple of decades there have been a bunch of Stephen King’s works translated to film, and a lot of them have met with everything from mild interest to outright disgust. Carrie, Maximum Overdrive (based on the short ‘Trucks’ and directed by King), Cat’s Eye (three of King’s shorts tied into a rather bizarre story featuring a young Drew Berrymore), Firestarter, and the list goes on and on…
