tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90969033379389790592024-02-20T07:19:03.090-08:00PlanetesAnimonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-10397358042703667952014-02-01T11:45:00.001-08:002014-02-01T11:45:27.824-08:00In Short: 5 Overlooked ShowsWITH THE SHEER AMOUNT OF ANIME OUT THERE, IT'S EASY TO MISS A FEW GEMS. I'VE PUT TOGETHER A SMALL LIST BELOW OF SOME SHOWS FROM THE PAST 10 YEARS THAT I FEEL HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED. SOME OF THESE ARE AN ACQUIRED TASTE AND NOT EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA BUT TRY GIVING THESE SHOWS A CHANCE, I THINK YOU WOULD BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.<br><br /><br><br />MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM MS IGLOO - THE HIDDEN ONE YEAR WAR - APOCALYPSE 0079 - THE GRAVITY FRONT: This is by far the most overlooked Gundam series to date, mainly due to its Bandai Museum exclusivity and extremely limited DVD release following. Unlike the other shows I'm covering in this article, I want to go into more detail in terms of MS IGLOO's story as this is not just any old Gundam side-story... MS IGLOO is a 3 part CG series set in the U.C. timeline during the One Year War. The first 2 OVAs, The Hidden One Year Warit plays heavily on Sengoku period history while at the same time being I guess you could call this a comedy but at the same time it packs some pretty heavy drama. After seeing countless adaptations of this period in history, I feel that Hyouge Mono has been the closest with its historical accuracy. That being said there are a few events which did differ from history as to steer the story towards the MC's favour...<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />To some people this show will seem very dull at first, which may be the reason it's so overlooked. But if you stick around you will be rewarded with I've experienced in anime and some of the in recent years. In Short, Hyouge Mono is a show aboutand . It may take a few serious turns here and there but it consistently returns to its comedy roots.<br><br /><br><br />PLANETES: This is yet another Sunrise show that is criminally overlooked. Set in the year 2075, Planetes follows the crew of the DS-12 Toy Box, a small ship part of a larger space station owned by the Technora Corporation who are tasked with collecting various space debris to prevent collisions and such around the station's heavy traffic. For the most part, Planetes plays out like a slice-of-life in space, it's not until well into its second half that things start to get serious. The themes they cover in this second half is something that is very likely to happen to mankind at some point or another once space colonization starts. It mainly explores the topic of abandoning earth in terms of social & economic issues and a terrorist organization who acts on this injustice, primarily targeting the Technora Corporation's space station and the Fusion powered ship set for the first Jupiter exploration mission.<br><br /><br><br />The DS-12 crew, who are looked down on as they're practically the garbage men of space, are quite an interesting bunch. A majority of them are quite reluctant to be in their current position and are aiming for bigger things, and throughout the series we learn bit-by-bit what these are, along with somethat provide several emotional sledgehammers to the face.<br><br /><br><br />Normally, when a show is set in space it's going to be relatively action packed. But in Planetes' case there is very little, which may be one of the reasons why this show is omitted when discussingI give Sunrise a lot of credit here as the manga and anime differ quite a bit and the original content Sunrise created for this show was seamless, unlike a majority of anime-original endings. I watched Planetes for the first time back when I was still watching dubbed anime and I will admit, it has a decent dub and not one character seemed to be miscast. It's one of the few dubs that gets a thumbs up from me.<br><br /><br><br />SENKOU NO NIGHT RAID: This was one of my favourite shows back in 2010 which unfortunately, during its airing went into subtitle limbo much like Hyouge Mono and we were left waiting months between episode releases. The wait was worth it however. Senkou no Night Raid oris quite a gem. Set in China, this 1 cour show follows the secret military spy organization called Sakurai and its 4 members who have various supernatural powers. These powers are quite run-of-the-mill but are used in some rather peculiar ways throughout the series which reflects the user's characteristics nicely.<br><br /><br><br />If I were to compare Senkou no Night Raid to anything, it would be Darker than Black set in the 1930s. It may not be as action packed but it contains some very accurate depictions of events in China during the years leading up to World War II. For people unfamiliar with these events, a majority of the story may be lost on you without supplementary material which is why this show is often overlooked. If you plan on watching this, I highly recommend checking out the extra OVA episodes. Episode 0, which acts as a prologue and episode 14, which is a much needed epilogue to the rather abrupt ending in episode 13.<br><br /><br><br />UP NEXT WILL BE MY FIRST VIDEO POST! AFTER RUNNING A QUICK TEST AND GETTING THE GO AHEAD FROM MY PEERS (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), I'VE DECIDED TO GIVE IT A TRY. SO IF YOU LIKE SMOKE RIDDLED IRISH ACCENTS AND ANIME BASED RETRO VIDEO GAMES, TUNE IN NEXT WEEK!<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoVyEEOgCAMBMAXlSLRi88RiSWAS2gjia83znHErO%2FMb%2BozR3FHxaUd5iIaB7%2Bs7APnm1QwjDbCk0YFSjr%2FmurEWv0APM4YTw%3D%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-11140570310278592812014-01-13T18:25:00.001-08:002014-01-13T18:25:31.282-08:00Sakura TrickI saw a post on the other day about the excessive yuri in Sakura Trick. It was a good post detailing that an anime like Sakura Trick doesn't necessarily have male only viewership, and that the show isn't necessarily objectifying women. On both points I would agree. On the first point I would say that funny is funny regardless of genre. Of course, I also agree doesn't necessarily objectify women, but that doesn't mean a lot coming from a man.<br><br /><br><br />That said, it very well could objectify women and I could just be blind as a bat. Then again, one could argue that anime, as a medium, objectifies women on a broad scale. How are we all supposed to react when Tanabe, from Planetes, is constantly worried about and pressured into finding a boyfriend to take care of her. Is that something an anime should preach (I realize she comes into her own later in the series, so save those arguments)? Or what about the disgusting objectification of classic Evangelion characters like Rei and Asuka. Is that OK because the series is a classic and not a part of a niche genre? Does Code Geass have some sort of carte blanche to put any and every girl in a revealing costume because its Code Geass?<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />I guess all I'm saying is that objectifying women, whether that is what we are doing or not, isn't necessarily restricted to the yuri genre. I mean I didn't even think it was an issue until a few people online brought it up as an issue because it has become so common in anime.<br><br /><br><br />Wait.<br><br /><br><br />Let's think about this for a second. What would someone not familiar with are little insular community think? God, let's hope this never airs on American websites or airwaves, less Michele Bachmann try and ruin the good thing we all have.<br><br /><br><br />Damn.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoVxkkOgDAIAMAXUVr15G9IJZF0kQDq941zmjNCd8RgGzKp05TB6b3sUGP3VK%2BBSy4b5oJlRad2G0GY1AbK5so15GEQB%2BNO%2F%2FED5%2BQd9A%3D%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-67044656896713423192014-01-13T11:33:00.001-08:002014-01-13T11:33:56.648-08:00Even more anime!!!<br><br /><br><br />Last Exile<br><a name='more'></a><br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/97/LastExile<br><br /><br><br />Love Hina<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/189/LoveHina<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/190/LoveHinaAgain<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/191/LoveHinaChristmasSpecial:SilentEve<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/192/LoveHinaSpringSpecial<br><br /><br><br />To-LOVE-Ru<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/3455/ToLOVE-Ru<br><br /><br><br />Madlax<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/252/Madlax<br><br /><br><br />Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/76/MahouShoujoLyricalNanoha<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/77/MahouShoujoLyricalNanohaAs<br><br /><br><br />Mahoromatic<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/276/Mahoromatic<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/277/Mahoromatic2<br><br /><br><br />Master of Martial Hearts<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/5020/ZettaiShougeki:PlatonicHeart<br><br /><br><br />Mezzo DSA (not Forte)<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/222/MezzoDSA<br><br /><br><br />Midori Days<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/330/MidorinoHibi<br><br /><br><br />Moon Phase<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/343/Tsukuyomi:MoonPhase<br><br /><br><br />My-Hime<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/98/Mai-HiME<br><br /><br><br />My Neighbour Totoro<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/523/TonarinoTotoro<br><br /><br><br />My-Otome<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/99/Mai-Otome<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/1609/Mai-OtomeZwei<br><br /><br><br />Naruto<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/20/Naruto<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/1735/Naruto:Shippuuden<br><br /><br><br />Nausicaa<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/572/KazenoTaninoNausicaa<br><br /><br><br />Negima<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/157/MahouSenseiNegima!<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/1619/MahouSenseiNegima!OVAHaru<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/1546/Negima!<br><br /><br><br />Neon Genesis Evangelion<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/30/NeonGenesisEvangelion<br><br /><br><br />Ninja Scroll<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/617/JuubeeNinpuuchou<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/618/JuubeeNinpuuchou:Ryuuhougyoku-hen<br><br /><br><br />Origin: Spirits of the Past<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/1140/GinironoKaminoAgito<br><br /><br><br />Paniponi Dash<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/490/PaniponiDash!<br><br /><br><br />Patlabor<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/1095/MobilePolicePatlabor:TheMovie<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/1096/MobilePolicePatlabor2:TheMovie<br><br /><br><br />Planetes<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/329/Planetes<br><br /><br><br />Ponyo<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/2890/GakenoUenoPonyo<br><br /><br><br />Pretear<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/100/ShinShirayuki-himeDensetsuPretear<br><br /><br><br />Princess Mononoke<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/164/MononokeHime<br><br /><br><br />Pumpkin Scissors<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/1538/PumpkinScissors<br><br /><br><br />Read or Die<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/208/R.O.DOVA<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/209/R.O.DtheTV<br><br /><br><br />Rideback<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/4618/RideBack<br><br /><br><br />Rozen Maiden<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/64/RozenMaiden<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/65/RozenMaiden:Tr%C3%A4umend<br><br /><br><br />Rune Soldier<br><br />http://myanimelist.net/anime/1164/MahouSenshiLouie<br><br /><br><br />Right last push tomorrow!!<br><br /><br><br />Nausicaa of the Valley of the Win<br><br />Read more at Nausicaof the Valley of the Wind<br><br />Read more at Nausicaof the Valley of the Wind<br><br />Read more at Nausicaof the Valley of the Wind<br><br />Read more at<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoNyNsKgCAMANAvmtPoqb9ZMVLYRXJI%2FX2%2BHU6N6Afi5aqfMFk6xe%2FRPdIq3HLZMRfkyQbqDwNZUwahEcBvk0WfDLUZQXiqofIDvAYdZQ%3D%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-28405738395752690012014-01-09T08:14:00.001-08:002014-01-09T08:14:18.495-08:00Samurai Flamenco Episode 12 "Document! These are The Flamengers!" Preview Images and SynopsisThe mighty new Samurai Base has been revealed! A new super team has stepped forward to defend humanity from the evils of "From Beyond!" They are The Flamengers! Except this super team has quirky conflicting personalities, so they have no teamwork as their sometimes less than heroic principles come together. Every day is another struggle against more of From Beyond's Mysterious Beings, and Matsuyoshi is questioning himself as the Flamenger's leader.<br><br /><br><br />All right, show. You want to be Super Choudenji Sentai: Combattler Ranger, that's your business. I'm just along to see how you attempt to tie all the shows elements together and whether or not it'll work on any level. Also, in the course of writing this, I just noticed that all the Flamengers are color coded by named. Blue is Soichi AOshima, Green is Hekiru MIDORIkawa, Black is Anji KUROki, and Pink is SAKURA MOMOi. Well, "Sakura" and "Momo" aren't really colors, but the theme is still present.<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />It's in your hands, crew. Screenwriter is Takahiro coming back from episode 8. Storyboarder is , a guy with quite the pedigree having been a storyboarder for Planetes, FMA: Brotherhood, Now and Then, Here and There, and a key animator on the BAOH OVA. Director is from less of one, . The only thing I'm familiar with from his work list is an episode of Rock Lee Gaiden. Once again, though, we're working with a whopping 5 animation directors. Three are returners: Shunryou Yamamura, Kumiko Takayanagi, and Masashiro Yamanaka. Then the two new guys: , AD on Magi, key on FMA: Brotherhood and Squid Girl Season 2, and , key on Space Battleship Yamato 2199 and Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture. Bringing the A game to this episode.<br><br /><br><br />(Images from . (c) Aniplex, Manglobe, Fuji TV, and Project Samumenco.)<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNotyksOwyAMRdEVuYao6qC7seA1oYoxwtDP7pNKnV1dnW2Mdme2ilY%2B2J9T2yWZ8hLilUPkcGMXnV0KPXZR1GR0UrcMigtlS%2FOcg8YGB0nHr%2F50RXdqHa%2BCNxWVFU5SM%2Fm3WvPifADbli1G' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-91150276774069848502014-01-01T09:54:00.001-08:002014-01-01T09:54:30.227-08:00Top 13 Shows Ending in 2013Well, the year is ending, and I've actually watched a large amount of shows ending this year (over 60), so here is my list of the top 13 shows which ended in 2013. The shows and their positions are factored by how much I enjoyed these shows and how good (artistically, thematically) I think the shows are. Only full shows had been considered, no OVAs or movies of any sort. The names link to the show's description and information on My Anime List (MAL).<br><br /><br><br />13. (FLOWERS OF EVIL)<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />This show is all about atmosphere. An oppressive atmosphere of self-inflicted fear, of being closed in, that one can't escape. Not much actually happens in the show, but the constant fear of what is about to happen, of what is going to strike our protagonist drives both him and us as we watch the show. It's hardly a "fun watch", with each episode weighing you down until you seek respite elsewhere. Its masterful control of psychological horror and how well it conveys Kasuga's life and the feeling of the town in which he lives make this show one that cannot be ignored, however.<br><br /><br><br />It seems that had there been a second season a lot more would actually occur, and all that happened in this season was merely a precursor, but due to exceedingly poor sales, that is unlikely to happen. The rotoscoping is interesting, but believe it or not, the show I believe is closest to Aku no Hana is K-On! due to its absolute reliance on atmosphere over plot or character development.<br><br /><br><br />12. (MAOYU, HERO AND DEMON KING)<br><br /><br><br />On the one hand, this appears to be a fantasy story, where each character is so much of archetype they don't even have names, but are called by their roles, but this is actually a science-fiction story, about someone from an advanced culture helping a less-advanced one. This show's premise had me from the get-go, where the hero meets the demon king who wishes to form an alliance rather than fight, and then I had my mind blown by them actually bringing up the concept that the rich wish for war to continue to remain in power and because the alternative is mass starvation.<br><br /><br><br />So yeah, the show has the ideas to get me involved and actually managed to surprise me, but it also had me liking the cast, liking the easy chemistry between the two mains, and it also had the - I think the show is worth it for the sake of that moment alone, but it'd have also been worthwhile without it.<br><br /><br><br />11.<br><br /><br><br />I was actually less sure about this show, but it ended up making it in, because I have a hard time justifying it not being included. This show is a cyberpunk sci-fi thriller, and that alone is worthy of some mention. A serious treatment of sci-fi in anime isn't something we get much of, and this show actually had a couple of concepts it dealt with in-depth, chief amongst them being the nature of human choice and its importance to human nature and society, while showing us a utopia/dystopia (many dystopias are presented as if they are utopias, after all) which is quite similar to the type you can see in Minority Report.<br><br /><br><br />The show brings up a variety of ideas, and ties them all together in a bundle of well-directed, well-acted, thriller with a veneer of sophistication and "mature, dark" scenes. I'm not sure what it needed to be "great", but it was very good, and that's good enough - its position on this list is actually less sure than that of the shows appearing before it on the list.<br><br /><br><br />10.<br><br /><br><br />This show ended in 2013, and I've watched it in its entirety in 2013, so I think it counts. I actually like shounens, and I like determinators, who always keep going forward no matter what happens. To me, Fairy Tail is the most mature and emotionally "complete" long-running shounen show, and aside from not having things drag along too much, we actually get to experience emotional moments on a regular basis that actually hit the mark for me. I actually appreciate the humor, I like the cast, and I find the action sequences to be well-made, with the show sporting one of the better OSTs, one good enough that I've listened to it for numerous hours on my portable player.<br><br /><br><br />Yes, this is definitely a show that I enjoy a lot, and if you've always been fond of shows such as Bleach or Naruto, and look to see them done "better" (less dark, singular hero of Bleach, less fillers of Naruto), then you might want to give Fairy Tail a whirl. It's been recently announced that the show will resume in April, in a new season, which will be filler-free!<br><br /><br><br />9. (A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC RAILGUN 2ND SEASON)<br><br /><br><br />This is the best season in the Index-verse thus far, which might not be saying much, considering it's a "popcorn"-show - light snack that makes you feel good but isn't with much substance, right? Well, Railgun had always been the better franchise, where the various characters all feel important, no matter how powerful they are compared to one another (reminds one of The Scooby Gang in Buffy). This season had shown us that viewing the same material but from a new perspective can be a fresh experience, while it had tied the show's themes together.<br><br /><br><br />Of course, that the show had some of the best fights and action sequences of this past year, and episodes which felt like outtakes from movies hadn't hurt either. This show has a likeable cast, emotional moments, a message that it stays true to, and solid acting. While it may be a "popcorn show", it can hold its head high as the best, and most enjoyable action show I've watched this past year.<br><br /><br><br />8. (KAMI NOMI ZO SHIRU SEKAI: MEGAMI-HEN)<br><br /><br><br />Watching the first two seasons of the show, I was genuinely surprised by how much fun I had, given the premise - boy has to make girls fall in love with him in order to drive evil ghosts away from them, but it was fun, and it was funny. The third season had really mixed things up, finally actions had consequences, and things weren't reset after a successful conquest. Keima had to face the fact that his actions hurt people, and that his actions hurt him, and no matter what he's going to do, someone will have to get hurt. It was still funny, it was still charming, but we've got a big bucket of drama and feels on top, enriching the show even further.<br><br /><br><br />Also, this show had me participating in "Best girl" wars, which shows you how involved I've been, which is a good sign.<br><br /><br><br />7. (THE ECCENTRIC FAMILY)<br><br /><br><br />A proper drama, of the sort that for some reason or another isn't too common in anime. A family-drama at that, with an interesting and quirky cast. It's a show that I suggest letting it wash over you, with the fairy-tale visuals and motifs that appear throughout the show. In the end, it's a small show revolving around a singular event, the disappearance of the father, and how his children who take after him deal with their world. And yes, they're shape-shifting raccoon living alongside humans and tengu who soar the skies. The world and characters feel real in the sense that they exist apart from us, and the show doesn't go out of its way to explain everything to us; in fact, there are a couple of events mentioned throughout the show that never receive further elaboration - we're just guests to this world.<br><br /><br><br />While the show is a very good and understated drama story, and will join my recommendation list along shows such as Planetes, and I could certainly relate to the characters, something stopped me from fully immersing myself in the show, which is why it's in 7th spot and no higher (though that's quite high already). Should you watch it? Sure, if you're looking for something without much action, but which is well-made, well-told, and showcases a deft directorial hand.<br><br /><br><br />6. (SILVER SPOON) 1ST SEASON<br><br /><br><br />I was surprised how much I liked this show, but I liked it a whole lot. A slice of life about a city-boy going to an agricultural school in rural Japan, what could be interesting, right? Well, the characters oozed charm, we had the cutest pig we've seen in media since 1995 s Babe. That's only a small part of it though, like all good slice of life shows, the characters and the issues they had dealt with felt real - who am I? Who am I trying for, whose dreams am I following? This was a charming show full of real characters, facing real issues and doubts that people of all ages face as they enter adulthood or flail in the adult world. We've seen a varied cast of characters, each with their own lives and dreams, who as a whole explore the issue from various angles.<br><br /><br><br />While the gags had me laughing, I can see not everyone appreciating them. The non-romance romance felt real, and my only two real issues with the show is that they cut some emotional moments too quickly to move to jokes, and that like it or not, it doesn't feel like a complete story - thankfully, we have the second season starting next week or so. And yet, it's not enough to keep this show from the lofty 6th spot.<br><br /><br><br />5.(OREIMO, MY LITTLE SISTER CAN'T BE THIS CUTE!) 2ND SEASON<br><br /><br><br />After a slightly rocky start, the show got into full-swing, and felt like the 1st season all over again. It's really quite simple, if you liked the first season, I think you'd have liked the second season, and vice versa. This show had me emotionally invested. I smiled at the characters' antics, at Kyousuke's wry thoughts, about the characters' easy manner with one another. I wanted Kuroneko to win and cheered for her, and felt both her sadness and my own when her "ship" went down in flames, and even felt somewhat disappointed in the show when it didn't work out for her.<br><br /><br><br />Every single week, when the episode ended, I was surprised that it was already over and felt like crying "Noooo! Where's my next episode?!" which going alongside me smiling, laughing, and crying, as a testament to the show's greatness - it made me care. If anything about this show made me sad, it's that looking through the LNs to see where we are in comparison, I realized the show had enough material for another season, which they simply cut out. I'd have loved another season with the cast.<br><br /><br><br />No real opinion about the finale, I've known it was coming, and it had great and bad moments, but it still was more time with the lovely cast.<br><br /><br><br />4.<br><br /><br><br />A slice of life which truly feels like a slice of life - nothing fake, nothing manufactured, but as if someone had truly curved off a piece of real people's daily lives and had shown it to us. Also a show not afraid to deal with people who are entering the worlds of adulthood and the fears and uncertainties they face. Also, a comedy that arises from the characters' personalities and interactions rather than merely relying on gags and references. Finally, and certainly not least, the best and most mature treatment of cross-dressing to ever appear in anime (that I've watched), which is fueled by the above two points - feels real, and everything feels true to the characters. I really feel like this is the show the anime-culture needed, but couldn't appreciate.<br><br /><br><br />3.<br><br /><br><br />I loved this show - I loved watching it for its boundless energy and vibrancy, in its pacing, in its characters' personalities, in its colours. I loved thinking about this show, and I loved discussing this show. This is the best theme-driven show I've watched in a long while, and it was certainly a brave show - it knew where it wanted to go, it knew what it wanted to say, and it didn't care about the nay-sayers, going as far as to make fun of them within the show. The main character was more of a plot-device, but considering this wasn't a character-driven show, it was refreshing for a show to embrace its character nature rather than try to obfuscate it, and rather used the character in order to topple genre-conventions, or espouse ideas on human worth, horizontal societies, the nature of online interactions, or trusting humans to be good left, right, and center. That went along with a great villain who also embraced his role as a villain, and wasn't only a villain, but acted as one within the conventions.<br><br /><br><br />This isn't a show about everything, but it's certainly a show about a lot, which yet handles most issues deftly. This is a show that could be watched on so many levels, that we're just getting started. It had more than earned the title of the third show on this list, and is likely to be one of the shows I return to fondly in future years.<br><br /><br><br />2. (FROM THE NEW WORLD)<br><br /><br><br />A mature sci-fi story, spanning over 30 years, it's really unsurprising that this show is based off of a novel. The scope of the story, and the world-building are vast. The world is the main focus of the show, and we get glimpses of it, of the past, and of the generational war for survival that the humans engage in. It's a post-apocalyptic tale, many years after the fact, and the small touches of horror do a lot to add to the atmosphere of the show. The show deals quite heavily with the nature of humanity, of concepts of utilitarianism and necessity, of sacrificing - races, children, emotions, or even feelings, for the sake of mere survival. Finally, if you let it, this show makes you think, which is the goal of science-fiction, and as such, it stands as a triumph.<br><br /><br><br />This show has issues, don't get me wrong, especially about how the lack of focus on the characters and their characterization always keep us at arm's length from them, and it's not a show you can truly relate to on an emotional level (though it had one of the most nuanced antagonists in an anime), for the most part, but the fact a show such as this even exists is a testament to what anime can do, and to what anime is sometimes even brave enough to carry out. I think in years to come, this might be one of the most oft-recommended or oft-mentioned shows for me, and it is probably in that regard the most important show to end in 2013, but the show that earned the first spot was just more relatable, more enjoyable.<br><br /><br><br />1. (CAPITAL CRAZE)<br><br /><br><br />Kyousougiga is something special, it is an experience. Kyousogiga weaves family drama, mythological overtones and undertones, and a stunningly powerful show structure together. We have worlds colliding, we have immortals, the creation of the world, the death of the universe, we tie in Greek Mythology, and we do all these things on a scale that isn't merely epic, but mythic. And yet, for all the grandness of the show, for all of its boundless energy, and bright colours, and world-bending hijinks (for all of whom Koto is the avatar of change), this is at its core a small, and very personal story, of one family, of a few siblings, who are left behind and are aching for their parents' return, and how the centuries of waiting transform them.<br><br /><br><br />The characters are all just so human, with sibling rivalry, parent envy, resentment. It's amazing how this show ties its format to its messages and themes. Family is a cycle you can never break out of, meeting your parents as an adult is something that always brings you back to your childhood, and often leads to disappointments where it doesn't. The way the story and direction handled revealing the present by showing us the past, or made us understand the past by showing us the present was nothing short of spectacular. I could understand and appreciate the characters, and the themes, and the conflicts. The scale was at the same time all-encompassing and not just personal, but private, as if something precious had been shared with me.<br><br /><br><br />Uchouten Kazoku with all of its antics is the more well-grounded, understated sibling of Kyousogiga, but this one just blew me away.Closing notes:<br><br /><br><br />Why shows ending in 2013? Because this is when I made the list, and on one hand shows that are still running might yet falter or pick up, and if we do this yearly as the year ends then shows straddling two years will never get a chance to get mentioned.<br><br /><br><br />Notable absentees: These are shows which might have made the list, but I hadn't watched them and thus hadn't listed them: Yamato 2199, Monogatari 2nd season (I am waiting for the BDs), White Album 2 (7 episodes in), JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (5 episodes in), and Zetsuen no Tempest. I only have so much time :<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoVylEKwCAIANATmbn2tessqYipaND1t8H7fH0tuxAb81QX9rTVqzlHpFsfPDKdmOm31IAKRNcdwFKHNBgC3yj4AlyWFvE%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-22080830073333036632013-12-31T01:18:00.001-08:002013-12-31T01:18:52.223-08:002013 in ReviewSo here's the final "in review" post for 2013 with the top 5 for the quarter, the year, and all time, plus some bonus commentary on best/worst of the year, and a few hints for 2014.<br><br /><br><br />4TH QUARTER<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />*(February 2013)<br><br />* (September 2013)<br><br />*(July 2012)<br><br />* (periodically updated)<br><br />*(December 2012)<br><br /><br><br />YEAR<br><br /><br><br />* Bodacious Space Pirates (2012): (hopefully not) Final Thoughts (July 2012)<br><br />* The Reality of Idol Culture in Japan (February 2013)<br><br />* A standard I'm not walking past, and the failure mode of clever. (September 2013)<br><br />* (October 2012)<br><br />* Say "I Love You" (2012): Final Thoughts with Spoilers (December 2012)<br><br /><br><br />ALL TIME<br><br /><br><br />* Bodacious Space Pirates (2012): (hopefully not) Final Thoughts (July 2012)<br><br />* The Reality of Idol Culture in Japan (February 2013)<br><br />* Bumper Sticker Feminism (September 2012)<br><br />*(March 2012)<br><br />* A standard I'm not walking past, and the failure mode of clever. (September 2013)<br><br /><br><br />COMMENTARY<br><br /><br><br />Pirates of the Burley Griffin is supposed to be an anime blog but you couldn't really tell that from the rankings which are dominated by my relatively rare social commentary posts.<br><br /><br><br />I wrote well over 100 posts, mostly anime reviews, this year but the only two 2013 posts to make the charts were A standard I'm not walking past, and the failure mode of clever and The Reality of Idol Culture in Japan. I am slightly disappointed that The Reality of Idol Culture in Japan overtook Bumper Sticker Feminism this year.<br><br /><br><br />A standard I'm not walking past, and the failure mode of clever was my first real internet dust-up. I stand by what I said both in the post and in the comments.<br><br /><br><br />Despite ending over a year ago the searches for a second (and occasionally third) season of Bodacious Space Pirates just keep on coming. That might die away in 2014 once the movie appears but I'm not going to make any bets on that.<br><br /><br><br />The Say "I Love You" posts were surprisingly popular, and this inspired me to take another look at it this year. All I have to add to my original comments is that the show stands up well to rewatching, although the final episode still sucks right up until the last few worthwhile seconds.<br><br /><br><br />I was also surprised by the persistent hits on the music post for Shin Sekai Yori. I really must go back and finish that show sometime.<br><br /><br><br />Overall hits were up about 40% on 2012, but November 2012 remains the record holder.<br><br /><br><br />BEST AND WORST ANIME OF THE YEAR<br><br /><br><br />I don't really go in for best and worst lists. Partly because I don't actually see all that much compared to many anibloggers, and partly because it isn't really my style.<br><br /><br><br />That said the question was asked as part of nomination so I'll take a stab at it again here.<br><br /><br><br />The best complete anime that I saw this year would have been and . The best incomplete are very much and .<br><br /><br><br />The worst anime of the year would still have to be Walkure Romanze, and once again if only because it provided fuel for two very entertaining rants: and .<br><br /><br><br />TWENTY DAYS OF X, THIRTY DAYS OF Y<br><br /><br><br />will be wrapped up shortly after I return to Canberra with , and I'm certainly planning on finishing in 2014 as well.<br><br /><br><br />I haven't decided yet if there'll be another episodic series review in 2014.<br><br /><br><br />To be considered a title has to be at least 10 years old given the spoilers involved, I have to love it enough to be willing to spend approximately 3 hours per episode, and there has to be enough substance for at least 4 meta posts around the episodic posts.<br><br /><br><br />This is a fairly high bar for a title to reach and nothing is springing to mind right now. Feel free to make suggestions in the comments.<br><br /><br><br />WRAPPING IT UP FOR THE YEAR<br><br /><br><br />On that note I think I'll wrap it up for 2013, wish my readers a safe New Year's Eve, and a happy 2014 ahead.[1] Partly due to work/life issues, and partly due to region/zone limits on streaming due to being in Australia.<br><br /><br><br />[2] Work/life issues happened to Thirty Days of Planetes and the inspiration never came back this year.<br><br /><br><br />[3] Or at least think so when I start. In retrospect was NOT one of my brighter ideas.<br><br /><br><br />[4] I usually rewatch the episode several times whilst writing the synopsis, and usually listen to the dub at the same time.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNrLKCkpsNLXL8gsSixJLc5PStcrzy9KKShKLS7WS87P1TcyMDTWNzTSNzYEM3Uz83SLUssyU8v1AVYSEw4%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-46099420235210350292013-12-22T01:22:00.001-08:002013-12-22T01:22:38.603-08:00Gravity ReviewPeace at last.<br><br /><br><br />Have you ever been curious what spinning weightless would feel like? Gravity is a film that explores momentum and distance with unusual veracity, brought to life by the same technical wizardry that made Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men stand out. You will spin, collide, and soundlessly eclipse your way through a screenplay tailored to showcase the problems and inefficiencies of being an oxygen gulping thermophile in a freezing vacuum. The technology on display will make you forget this is an attraction, at least until one of your tour guides opens their mouths. Gravity is foremost a geeky movie, engineered from a love of space.<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />But is that spacesuit impervious to Clooney's charm?<br><br /><br><br />The film wastes little time, establishing the dimensions and the rules at play with a cleverly edited long shot of a small crew repairing a satellite. This is the calm before the storm, the storm in this case being Kessler Syndrome. Unlike in the moody and character driven PLANETES, which dealt with similar issues, Gravity immediately slams into high alert following an accident that sends the crew into survival mode. Our characters are: a bodiless Houston ground control, the inexperienced astronaut played by Sandra Bullock, and the old hand stranded with her played by George Clooney. Both Bullock and Clooney are able to convey a surprising amount of character shading given the constraints.<br><br /><br><br />Constraints are what this film is all about. Fuel, oxygen, momentum, and orbit are all hastily decaying. Space is unforgiving, vast, and unmalleable. In one scene Bullock survives a harrowing crash but is sent spinning out into blackness. We watched from a fix point as her tiny white bubble of existence drifts away from us and away from Earth, into onyx eternity. Other scenes respect the exaggeration of inertia and momentum in space. Down here in oxygen-ville, gravity and friction tend to bring everything to a halt. In space, there is no common dampening force, so when you push on something it pushes back equally. Gravity captures the difficulty of several death defying leaps, often resulting in careening into orbiting satellites desperately searching for a handhold less you bounce off into emptiness. Gravity even explores space-unique ideas of timing and location. Did something orbit past you? Wait around long enough and you'll see it again. Now, it's certainly true that what happens in Gravity is probably unrealistic in an absolute physics sense, but it doesn't hurt immersion any more than disbelief that McClane could tape a gun to his sweaty back in Die Hard. Space and sci-fi do come under more intense skepticism than most genres, but after years of space explosions and computer lasers (and laser computers), Gravity stands out as a thoughtful exploration of physical realities in space.<br><br /><br><br />Pictured: Sandra Bullock operates a Russian calculator<br><br /><br><br />Watching Gravity, you will be compelled into comparison to that other thoughtful high water mark of the genre, 2001. Especially during a particular fetal positioned breather. Unlike most sci-fi, Cuaron's guidance has resulted in a movie that is slightly metaphysical. However, unlike 2001, the story is less important and more dramatic. While Bullock and Clooney are fine for their roles, the pathos they generate remains unconvincing. Clooney stays Western Saloon calm, and Bullock is all nervous breakdown from the word go. Additionally Cuaron wrote in Bullock's backstory in an attempt to make her struggle more personal, but the effect is instead off-putting. It's on-the-nose sentimental, making Bullock into a cypher of grief. That's not to say these scenes are inappropriate. The maudlin sentiments could have crippled the film, especially in the middle, but Cuaron has some clever tricks to keep things moving and the dialogue is very economical. It's just that Bullock's pathos feels perfunctory to the whole ordeal, a red blinking sign in an otherwise subtle and quiet movie. It also forces a type of conclusion that, while apt to the proceedings, is exceedingly difficult to make satisfying. It feels as though the geek space movie was conceived and then received a Cuaron Philosophy graft.<br><br /><br><br />The movie is primarily set in Tennessee.<br><br /><br><br />That's not to say that Cuaron should have left Socrates on the cutting room floor. I admire that Cuaron attempts to tackle a very large theme. It's just that most of the events in Gravity are paced like a sleek thriller, down to its cold open DNA, and is not quite able to support the grandeur. Space certainly is fascinating, and just looking at our long history and struggle to even be there naturally brings up Cuaron's questions about whether we even should be colonizing this violent and hostile nothingness, and what drives the people who do it. To the film's credit, Cuaron states these questions very clearly and also communicates his ideas about them in a visually interesting way, using his skill as a filmmaker to frame shots as claustrophobic, hazy, or as open as the situation requires. Mostly though, Gravity is a fun story through space that seems to actually follow the rules that sci-fi loves to ignore. It's a technical you-are-there feat that will have you flailing in your seat and planning the next jump for mankind.<br><br /><br><br />3/4<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoFwVEKgCAQBcAT6VP76zZiSwrVynNRvH0z1ayfwNifVbFWhFT6pbw6ZQxf9EUK8UBMiAE382y2HWU2We6R3PEDRKoX6w%3D%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-72913987954679230032013-12-18T20:08:00.001-08:002013-12-18T20:08:17.660-08:00On This Day in MathTh<br><br /><br><br />GOD MADE THE INTEGERS, ALL ELSE IS MAN'S WORK~Leopold Kronecker<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />The 341st day of the year; 341 is the sum of seven consecutive primes, and is the smallest of the pseudoprime disproving a Chinese math conjecture from around 500 BC. The conjecture was that p is prime IFF it divides 2p-2.<br><br />341 is also the smallest number with seven representations as a sum of three positive squares (collect the whole set!)<br><br /><br><br />EVENTS<br><br />IN 1869, the Thames Tunnel between Rotherhithe and Wapping in London, the world's first tunnel under a navigable river, was re-opened with the East London Railway line. Work had started on 2 Mar 1825. Excavation was engineered by Marc Brunel, for which he invented the tunneling shield to reduce the danger of collapse while digging through soft sediments. Beginning his own engineering career, his son Isambad Brunel assisted. They persevered through 18 years, including floods, human disasters, and delays caused by financing difficulties. Planned ramps for use by carts and freight traffic were never added due to cost, but it was opened for pedestrian use on 25 Mar 1843. It remains in use as the oldest part of the London Underground.*TIS<br><br /><br><br />IN 1872, the H.M.S. Challenger embarked from Portsmouth, England on the world's first scientific voyage around the world. Physicists, chemists, and biologists collaborated with expert navigators to map the sea. The Challenger was a corvette class ship, a military vessel that traveled under sail but had auxiliary steam power. The ship was fitted with a natural history laboratory where specimens were examined, identified, dissected and drawn; a chemistry laboratory; and scientific equipment. During the 4 year journey, ending on 24 May 1876, the voyage zig-zagged around the globe to visit every continent, sounded the ocean bottom to a depth of 26,850-ft, found many new species, and provided collections for scores of biologists.*TIS<br><br /><br><br />1873 Cantor wrote Dedekind that the "aggregate" of real numbers is uncountable. Five days earlier he wrote that he "had never seriously concerned himself with the problem, since it seemed to have no practical value." *VFR<br><br /><br><br />IN 1934, Wiley Post is credited with discovering the jet stream when he flew into the stratosphere over Bartlesville, Oklahoma. With the financial backing of Oklahoma oil pioneer Frank Phillips, Post planned flights to test the "thin air" in the stratosphere above 50,000 feet. The Winnie Mae, made of plywood, could not be pressurized so Post developed the pressurized flying suit, forerunner of the modern space suit. Made by B.F. Goodrich, it was of double ply rubberized parachute fabric, with pigskin gloves, rubber boots, and aluminium helmet, pressurized to 0.5 bar. In Mar 1935, Post flew from Burbank California to Cleveland Ohio in the stratosphere using the jet stream. At times, his ground speed exceeded 550 kph in a 290 kph aircraft.*TIS<br><br /><br><br />1948 Therst transistor is developed at Bell Labs. See 10 July 1973. *VFR<br><br /><br><br />1962 The Atlas computer was developed at Manchester, and the first production version of the machine ran on 7 December 1962. At the time of that switch-on, the Atlas was believed to be the most powerful machine in the world. *BBC NEWS<br><br /><br><br />1972 Apollo 17, the last manned moonight was launched. *VFR Flight Commander Eugene Cernan was the last man on the moon. With him on the voyage of the command module America and the lunar module Challenger were Ronald Evans (command module pilot) and Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt (lunar module pilot). In maneuvering Challenger to a landing at Taurus-Littrow, located on the southeast edge of Mare Serenitatis, Cernan and Schmitt activated a base of operations from which they completed three highly successful excursions to the nearby craters and the Taurus mountains, making the Moon their home for over three days. The mission returned on 19 Dec. *TIS (In 2004 President George Bush had made a pledge to return to the moon, and beyond, by 2020. But in September of 2009 the Augustine Commission, also known as the Human Space Flight committee, predicted a cost of an additional three-billion dollars a year, effectively killing the idea of manned flights beyond Earth orbit.)BIRTHS<br><br />903 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (December 7, 903 - May 25, 986) was a Persian astronomer also known as 'Abd ar-Rahman as-Sufi, or 'Abd al-Rahman Abu al-Husayn, 'Abdul Rahman Sufi, 'Abdurrahman Sufi and known in the west as Azophi; the lunar crater Azophi and the minor planet 12621 Alsufi are named after him. Al-Sufi published his famous Book of Fixed Stars in 964, describing much of his work, both in textual descriptions and pictures. He identified the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is visible from Yemen, though not from Isfahan; it was not seen by Europeans until Magellan's voyage in the 16th century. He also made the earliest recorded observation of the Andromeda Galaxy in 964 AD; describing it as a "small cloud".[3] These were the first galaxies other than the Milky Way to be observed from Earth.<br><br />He observed that the ecliptic plane is inclined with respect to the celestial equator and more accurately calculated the length of the tropical year. He observed and described the stars, their positions, their magnitudes and their colour, setting out his results constellation by constellation. For each constellation, he provided two drawings, one from the outside of a celestial globe, and the other from the inside (as seen from the earth).<br><br />Al-Sufi also wrote about the astrolabe, finding numerous additional uses for it : he described over 1000 different uses, in areas as diverse as astronomy, astrology, horoscopes, navigation, surveying, timekeeping, Qibla, Salah prayer, etc *Wik<br><br /><br><br />1637 WILLIAM NEILE (16 Dec 1637 in Bishopsthorpe (near York), England - 24 Aug 1670 in White Waltham, Berkshire, England) Neile entered Wadham College, Oxford, in 1652 (but did not matriculate until 1655) where he was taught mathematics by John Wilkins and Seth Ward. He was a gentleman-commoner, meaning that he paid the highest fees and was ranked near the top of the social order just below the nobles. Gentleman-commoners had many privileges enjoying fine suites of rooms in College, and sat with the College Fellows at meals and in the common rooms. Certainly Neile was fortunate in being part of a family that was in the forefront of scientific work for certainly while Neile was a student, his father was observing with Christopher Wren in the observatory he had constructed on the roof of his house, the 'Hill House', at White Waltham. Paul Neile was also building a telescope for Gresham College at this time. In 1657 William Neile became a pupil of law at the Middle Temple in London. He went on to become a member of the privy council of King Charles II.<br><br />In 1657, while still a student at Oxford, he became the first person to find the arc length of an algebraic curve when he rectified the semicubical parabola. He communicated his results to William Brouncker and Christopher Wren at the Gresham College Society, the Society based at Gresham College, London, which a few years later became the Royal Society. Neile's work on this appeared in John Wallis's De Cycloide in 1659. As well as his mathematical work Neile made astronomical observations using instruments on the roof of his father's house, the 'Hill House' at White Waltham in Berkshire. He died in this house at the age of 32 and was buried in the local parish church. *SAU (The evolute of the parabola is a particular case of the semicubical parabola also called Neile's parabola or the cuspidal cubic. The "semi" is because it is a three-halves power, hence semi-cubic)(The wording of the plaque honoring Neile and his grave stone below are contained in The antiquities of Berkshire, By Elias Ashmole, which is<br><br /><br><br />1823 LEOPOLD KRONECKEr (7 Dec 1823; 29 Dec 1891) German mathematician who worked to unify arithmetic, algebra and analysis, with a particular interest in elliptic functions, algebraic equations, theory of numbers, theory of determinants and theory of simple and multiple integrals. However the topics he studied were restricted by the fact that he believed in the reduction of all mathematics to arguments involving only the integers and a finite number of steps. He believed that mathematics should deal only with finite numbers and with a finite number of operations. He was the first to doubt the significance of non-constructive existence proofs, and believed that transcendental numbers did not exist. The Kronecker delta function is named in his honour.*TIS<br><br /><br><br />1647 GIOVANNI CEVA (7 Dec 1647 in Milan, Italy - 15 June 1734 in Mantua, Italy) For most of his life Giovanni Ceva worked on geometry. He discovered one of the most important results on the synthetic geometry of the triangle between Greek times and the 19th Century. The theorem states that lines from the vertices of a triangle to the opposite sides are concurrent precisely when the product of the ratio the sides are divided is 1. He published this in De lineis rectis (1678).<br><br />Ceva also rediscovered and published Menelaus's theorem. He also studied applications of mechanics and statics to geometric systems. Although he wrongly concluded that the periods of oscillation of two pendulums were in the same ratio as their lengths, he later corrected the error.<br><br />Ceva published Opuscula mathematica in 1682. In Geometria Motus (1692) he, to some extent, anticipated the infinitesimal calculus. De Re Nummeraria in 1711 is one of the first works in mathematical economics; it attempts to solve the conditions of equilibrium for the monetary system of a state like Mantua.<br><br />Ceva also did important work on hydraulics. On this topic he published Opus hydrostaticum (1728). He held official positions in Mantua and used his knowledge of hydraulics to argue successfully against a project which proposed to divert the river Reno into the river Po. *SAU ( is understandable to most high school math students and (imho) should be more commonly taught.)<br><br /><br><br />1830 (ANTONIO) LUIGI (GAUDENZIO GIUSEPPE) CREMONA (7 Dec 1830; 10 Jun 1903)<br><br />was an Italian mathematician who was an originator of graphical statics (the use of graphical methods to study forces in equilibrium) and work in projective geometry. Cremona's work in statics is of great importance and he gave, in a clearer form, some theorems due to Maxwell. In a paper of 1872 Cremona took an idea of Maxwell's on forces in frame structures that had appeared in an engineering journal in 1867 and interpreted Maxwell's notion of reciprocal figures as duality in projective 3-space. These reciprocal figures, for example, have three forces in equilibrium in one figure represented by a triangle while in the reciprocal figure they are represented by three concurrent lines.*TIS<br><br /><br><br />1905 GERARD PETER KUIPER (7 Dec 1905; 23 Dec 1973) Dutch-born American astronomer, who discovered Miranda, a moon of Uranus, and Nereid, a moon of Neptune. The Kuiper Belt is so-named after his original suggestion of its existence outside the orbit of Neptune before it was confirmed as a belt of small bodies. He measured the diameter of Pluto. In the Martian atmosphere Kuiper detected carbon dioxide, but the absence of oxygen (1947). In the 1960s, Kuiper pioneered airborne infrared observing using a Convair 990 aircraft and served as chief scientist for the Ranger spacecraft crash-landing probes of the moon. By analyzing Ranger photographs, he identified landing sites on the lunar surface most suitable for safe manned landings. *TIS<br><br /><br><br />1910 RICHARD BROOKE ROBERTS (7 Dec 1910; 4 Apr 1980) American biophysicist who contributed most to the discovery of "delayed neutrons" - that uranium fission does not release all the neutrons it produces at one time, but some come off at measurably later times. Some are emitted seconds to minutes later. This is crucial in the operation of a fission reactor. In uranium-235 fission in a thermal reactor, the proportion of delayed neutrons is about 0.65 percent. If the reactivity stays below the proportion of delayed neutrons, the reactor can be controlled. The delayed neutrons modify the rate of fission sufficiently to give time for the insertion of control rods. Without the margin of safety provided by the delayed neutrons, nuclear reactors might not be practical at all.*TIS<br><br /><br><br />1924 MARY ELLEN RUDIN (born December 7, 1924, Hillsboro, Texas) is an American mathematician.<br><br />Born Mary Ellen Estill, she attended the University of Texas, completing her B.A. in 1944 and her Ph.D. in 1949, under Robert Lee Moore. In 1953, she married the mathematician Walter Rudin. Following her mentor Moore, her research centers on point-set topology. She was appointed as Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin in 1971, and is currently a Professor Emerita there. She served as vice-president of the American Mathematical Society, 1980-1981. In 1984 she was selected to be a Noether Lecturer. She is an honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1995).<br><br />Rudin is best known in topology for her constructions of counterexamples to well-known conjectures. Most famously, she was the first to construct a Dowker space, thus disproving a conjecture of Dowker's that had stood, and helped drive topological research, for more than twenty years. She also proved the first Morita conjecture and a restricted version of the second. Her latest major result is a proof of Nikiel's conjecture. Rudin's Erd s number is 1.<br><br />"Reading the articles of Mary Ellen Rudin, studying them until there is no mystery takes hours and hours; but those hours are rewarded, the student obtains power to which few have access. They are not hard to read, they are just hard mathematics, that's all." (Steve Watson)<br><br />She resides in Madison, Wisconsin, in the Rudin House, a home designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.*SAU<br><br /><br><br />1928 NOAM CHOMSKY is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1955. Since then he has taught at MIT, where he now holds the Ferrari P. Ward Chair of Modern Languages and Linguistics. Chomsky's work on the syntax of natural languages influenced the early development of programming languages. He is most famous for his work on the hierarchy of grammar that bears his name. Chomsky has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of London and the University of Chicago. In 1988 he received the Kyoto Prize in Basic Science<br><br />Chomsky has always been interested in politics. Since 1965 he has become one of the leading critics of U.S. foreign policy and divided his efforts between linguistic studies and his social concerns.*CHM<br><br /><br><br />1936 OLEKSANDR MIKOLAIOVICH SHARKOVSKY (7 Dec 1936 in Kiev, Ukraine, )attended his local university of Kiev, graduating in 1958. In 1961 he was appointed to the Institute of Mathematics of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine in Kiev. He also taught at the University of Kiev from 1967.<br><br />Sharkovsky's main areas of interest are the theory of dynamical systems, the theory of stability and the theory of oscillations. He also works in the theory of functional and functional differential equations, and the study of difference equations and their application.<br><br />He is perhaps best known for an important theorem on continuous functions which he proved in 1964. Although the result did not attract a great deal of interest at the time of its publication, during the 1970s other surprising results were proved which turned out to be special cases of Sharkovsky's theorem. *SAUDEATHS<br><br />1912 SIR GEORGE HOWARD DARWIN (9 Jul 1845, 7 Dec 1912) the second son of the famous biologist Charles Darwin, was an English astronomer who championed a theory (no longer accepted) that the Moon was once part of the Earth, in what is now the Pacific Ocean. His was the first mathematical analysis of the evolution of Earth's Moon. He suggested that since the effect of the tides has been to slow the Earth's rotation and to cause the Moon to recede from the Earth, then by extrapolating back 4.5 billion years ago the Moon and the Earth would have been very close, with a day being less than five hours. Before this time the two bodies would actually have been one, until the Moon was torn away from the Earth by powerful solar tides that would have deformed the Earth every 2.5 hours*TIS<br><br /><br><br />1928 JAMES WHITBREAD LEE GLAISHER (5 November 1848 - 7 December 1928) son of James Glaisher, the meteorologist, was a prolific English mathematician.<br><br />He was educated at St Paul's School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was second wrangler in 1871.[1] Influential in his time on teaching at the University of Cambridge, he is now remembered mostly for work in number theory that anticipated later interest in the detailed properties of modular forms. He published widely over other fields of mathematics.<br><br />He was the editor-in-chief of Messenger of Mathematics. *Wik<br><br /><br><br />1943 ELIZABETH RUTH NAOMI BELVILLE (5 March 1854 - 7 December 1943), also known as the Greenwich Time Lady, was a businesswoman from London. She, her mother Maria Elizabeth, and her father John Henry, sold people the time. This was done by setting a watch to Greenwich Mean Time, as shown by the Greenwich clock, and then selling people the time by letting them look at the watch. *Wik A nice blog about time, and the time lady by Greg Ross at . and a book by David Rooney.<br><br /><br><br />1952 FOREST RAY MOULTON (29 Apr 1872, 7 Dec 1952) American astronomer (born in the tiny town of Leroy, Michigan, population 267 in the 2000 census) who collaborated with Thomas Chamberlin in advancing the planetesimal theory of the origin of the solar system (1904). They suggested filaments of matter were ejected when a star passed close to the Sun, which cooled into tiny solid fragments, "planetesimals". Over a very long period, grains collided and stuck together. Continued accretion created pebbles, boulders, and eventually larger bodies whose gravitational force of attraction accelerated the formation of protoplanets. (This formation by accretion is still accepted, but not the stellar origin of the planetesimals.) Moulton was first to suggest that the smaller satellites of Jupiter discovered by Nicholson and others in the early 20th century were captured asteroids - now widely accepted. *TIS The crater Moulton on the Moon, the Adams-Moulton methods for solving differential equations and the Moulton plane in geometry are named after him. In incidence geometry, the MOULTON PLANE is an example of an affine plane in which Desargues' theorem does not hold. *Wik<br><br /><br><br />1970 RUBE GOLDBERG (4 Jul 1883, 7 Dec 1970) American cartoonist who satirized the American preoccupation with technology. His name became synonymous with any simple process made outlandishly complicated because of his series of "Invention" cartoons which use a string of outlandish tools, people, plants and steps to accomplish everyday simple tasks in the most complicated way. Goldberg applied his training as a graduate engineer and used his engineering, story-telling, and drawing skills to make sure that the "Inventions" could work, even though dozens of arms, wheels, gears, handles, cups, and rods were put in motion by balls, canary cages, pails, boots, bathtubs, paddles, and even live animals for simple tasks like squeezing an orange for juice or closing a window in case it should start to rain. *TIS<br><br /><br><br />1979 CECILIA HELENA PAYNE-GAPOSCHKIN (10 May 1900, 7 Dec 1979) was an English-born American astronomer who was the first to apply laws of atomic physics to the study of the temperature and density of stellar bodies, and the first to conclude that hydrogen and helium are the two most common elements in the universe. During the 1920s, the accepted explanation of the Sun's composition was a calculation of around 65% iron and 35% hydrogen. At Harvard University, in her doctoral thesis (1925), Payne claimed that the sun's spectrum was consistent with another solution: 99% hydrogen with helium, and just 1% iron. She had difficulty persuading her superiors to take her work seriously. It was another 20 years before Payne's original claim was confirmed, by Fred Hoyle. *TIS<br><br /><br><br />2011 Tonny Albert Springer (February 13, 1926, The Hague - December 7, 2011, Zeist) was a mathematician at Utrecht university who worked on linear algebraic groups, Hecke algebras, complex reflection groups, and who introduced Springer representations and the Springer resolution.*WikCredits :<br><br />*CHM=Computer History Museum<br><br />*FFF=Kane, Famous First Facts<br><br />*NSEC= NASA Solar Eclipse Calendar<br><br />*RMAT= The Renaissance Mathematicus, Thony Christie<br><br />*SAU=St Andrews Univ. Math History<br><br />*TIA = Today in Astronomy<br><br />*TIS= Today in Science History<br><br />*VFR = V Frederick Rickey, USMA<br><br />*Wik = Wikipedia<br><br />*WM = Women of Mathematics, Grinstein & Campbell<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoFwW0KgCAMANATzaX9ELqNH6MJm5McRLfvPXZfF%2BKqRYTeUMXuvcxDM8V0xBNjQpvgPDb08sGYoMUZOjXSSg%2FkwK7yA3uoGK4%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-77833889701404149192013-11-26T09:56:00.001-08:002013-11-26T09:56:19.845-08:00New Image of Comet ISONESO - European Southern Observatory logo.<br><br /><br><br />Nov. 18, 2013<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />This new view of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) was taken with the TRAPPIST national telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory on the morning of Friday 15 November 2013. Comet ISON was first spotted in our skies in September 2012, and will make its closest approach to the Sun in late November 2013.<br><br /><br><br />TRAPPIST has been monitoring comet ISON since mid-October, using broad-band filters like those used in this image. It has also been using special narrow-band filters which isolate the emission of various gases, allowing astronomers to count how many molecules of each type are released by the comet.<br><br /><br><br />Comet ISON was fairly quiet until 1 November 2013, when a first outburst doubled the amount of gas emitted by the comet. On 13 November, just before this image was taken, a second giant outburst shook the comet, increasing its activity by a factor of ten. It is now bright enough to be seen with a good pair of binoculars from a dark site, in the morning skies towards the East. Over the past couple of nights, the comet has stabilised at its new level of activity.<br><br /><br><br />These outbursts were caused by the intense heat of the Sun reaching ice in the tiny nucleus of the comet as it zooms toward the Sun, causing the ice to sublimate and throwing large amounts of dust and gas into space. By the time ISON makes its closest approach to the Sun on 28 November (at only 1.2 million kilometres from its surface -- just a little less than the diameter of the Sun!), the heat will cause even more ice to sublimate. However, it could also break the whole nucleus down into small fragments, which would completely evaporate by the time the comet moves away from the Sun's intense heat. If ISON survives its passage near the Sun, it could then become spectacularly bright in the morning sky.<br><br /><br><br />The image is a composite of four different 30-second exposures through blue, green, red, and near-infrared filters. As the comet moved in front of the background stars, these appear as multiple coloured dots.<br><br /><br><br />TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) is devoted to the study of planetary systems through two approaches: the detection and characterisation of planets located outside the Solar System (exoplanets), and the study of comets orbiting around the Sun. The 60-cm national telescope is operated from a control room in Li ge, Belgium, 12 000 km away.TRAPPIST page at University of Li ge:<br><br /><br><br />Image, Text, Credits: ESO / TRAPPIST / E. Jehin.<br><br /><br><br />Cheers, Orbiter.ch<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoNycENwCAIAMCJkNr%2B3EYJVRMRIyRdv973mvtKiLpLd97UbGXiyZ%2BFMrTaUg%2BkgvcVH4wRz0CXXBn0hRPs0E1naC7jBxbZGyg%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-4955185956534914182013-11-26T01:40:00.001-08:002013-11-26T01:40:23.110-08:00So You Want to Watch Anime? Part 1People often ask me what they should watch if they want to get into anime or have watched only a couple of shows. Obviously, it pays to ask people what genres they like, as anime is just another sub-medium of television and TV, movie and book preferences are all valid. Some of the shows listed here are often noted to be aimed at people who are very knowledgeable about anime, but they are on the list because they stand on their own, and none of us are rookie media consumers.<br><br /><br><br />This list is designed in part to present you with a variety of genres, so you could watch these shows in order to have a better place to start from when looking for additional material - based on what you like and don't like. Future posts will cover movies, and some more shows based on genres and themes. All posts will be organized .<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />Note, unless noted otherwise, episode length is roughly 23-24 minutes, with 3-4 minutes per episode spent on opening song (OP), ending song (ED) and next episode's preview.<br><br /><br><br />1) NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (1995):<br><br /><br><br />One of the most influential shows of the last two decades on anime, referenced in many other shows, from small cameos to scene composition, to whole motifs being taken wholecloth, aside from the fact Shinji, Asuna and Rei are the archetypes on which countless other main characters had been modeled. That of course isn't sufficient, but it's a well told story about a group of teenagers who must risk their lives, relationships and psyche in order to defend humanity.<br><br /><br><br />The show begins slowly, but as you go, the emotional hits and the mysteries keep ramping up, until you find yourself with nary a time to take a breather in between. This show had been considered a reconstruction of the mecha genre when it aired, but the story stands well on its own, and with how influential it is I think holding off on watching this show can only be detrimental.<br><br /><br><br />The "twist to mystery" which also often includes references to the supernatural and real-world mythologies at times had truly been ever-present in longer shows after NGE. Its effect on the anime world can't be understated.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Action, mecha, psychological, teenagers, mystery. Give it at least until episode 8, where it truly shows you what it has to offer. Watch the main series and then watch End of Evangelion, an alternate ending to the last two episodes. Skip Death and Rebirth as it is entirely superfluous. "Rebuild of Evangelion"(Evangelion 1.11, 2.22, etc.) are an alternate retelling via movies, and aren't as highly recommended. I don't suggest this show under the age of 15 - blood, violence, psychological wounds, etc. Often referred to as "NGE" or "Evangelion".<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: 26 episodes. End of Evangelion is 90 minutes long.<br><br />BUY ON AMAZON: . End of Evangelion had unfortunately been out of print for about a decade now.<br><br /><br><br />2) TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGANN (2007):<br><br /><br><br />When this show came out it swept the anime watching crowds, with how over the top everything was, with how each time something occurred the protagonists would "power up" in order to overcome their enemies. The "Rule of cool" and the triumph of will are big draws to this show, which is quite unapologetic about how the campy and "Bro" nature it has, and elevates these elements to an art-form by cranking them up to 11. A fun romp at a neck-breaking pace, not for this show are multi-episode fights against the same enemies, but a show where the power levels and ridiculousness ramp up in an exponential manner, and it is fun - more than a little ridiculous, but not taking itself too seriously is a large part of the show's charm and greater-than-life aspect of the characters.<br><br /><br><br />This show is often referenced in other shows, and while it's filled to the brim with references to older mecha shows, you don't really need to watch them in order to follow this show. Note, first few episodes are a tad slower, but when it picks up it really picks up. Has some of the coolest characters and lines to ever appear in anime - if you ever read a "favourite lines" discussion about anime, lines from this show will be very prominent, and these lines and messages can fill you with energy, as you watch the show, and as you think back on them.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Action, endless action, mecha. There are a couple of weak episodes early, but then it doesn't let up. Often referred to as "Gurren Lagann".<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: 27 episodes.<br><br />BUY ON AMAZON: .<br><br /><br><br />3) MAHOU SHOUJO MADOKA MAGICA (2011):<br><br /><br><br />For a show from 2011, calling this influential or a classic seems like a rash decision, but this show is "important" in order to truly engage in discussions about anime in the west currently, and its importance can't be understated. This show is a "magical girl" show - where girls are given powers and don a shiny uniform as they battle the baddies - think Sailor Moon as the classic magical girl show. This show though is much darker and more mature by far than appearances would otherwise suggest. I can't tell you too much in fear of spoiling this great great show. Good story, great characters, tough decisions. This is a show about hope and despair.<br><br /><br><br />This show is a deconstruction of the magical girl genre, and many people say you need to watch other magical girl shows first - I say the story of this show stands tall on its own, and in the same manner as the two shows above it, you can watch it and appreciate it for what it is now, and come back to it later after watching more shows and appreciate it in a whole new light. This show can get more than a bit emotional towards its ending.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Magical Girl, psychological, deconstruction. Often referred to as "Madoka".<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: 12 Episodes. There are 3 movies, the first two are a retelling of the show, while the third continues the show. The third hadn't been released in the west yet and thus I can't comment on it.<br><br />BUY: No good deal for this show exists in the west currently.<br><br /><br><br />4) PLANETES (2003):<br><br /><br><br />This show is a drama, and is a very good introduction to anime by people who want "proper dramas" of the sort that western television is filled with but anime doesn't have as many of. A story following the tale of a new space janitor and the crew she works with. Wait, space janitor? Sure sounds like a silly comedy - except it deals with the very real issue of space debris - items left in space after voyages into space or from old satellites, which can cause accidents.<br><br /><br><br />We get to meet an assorted cast of characters, see how they interact with one another, see how they deal with weird situations and requests that come across their path, and get to see their "mundane" situations which seem very strange to our eyes through the eyes of the new recruit, who is the main protagonist. Also, a love story slowly unfolds.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Drama, romance, slice of life, space, science-fiction.<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: 26 episodes.<br><br />BUY ON AMAZON: - Non-Amazon sellers only.<br><br /><br><br />5) GENSHIKEN (2004):<br><br /><br><br />This show is a "proper comedy", with the comic moments arising from the characters' personalities, the characters' interactions, and the situations they find themselves in, without relying much on gag humor. The show covers a college club focused on geeky pursuits in Japan, including anime, building models, cosplaying (dressing up and acting as characters from anime, manga, etc.), manga-drawing, etc. The show is often funny, with the characters feeling like real and relatable people, for the most part, even though they are also quite ridiculous in their own way.<br><br /><br><br />The characters are young adults, who are also facing the future-fright one often faces before joining the "adult world" and the work-force, and the show handles all these things with aplomb. The first two seasons and the OVA (extra episodes) that connect them all tell one story. Just recently a new season, called Genshiken Nidaime (or the 2nd generation) had been released, which covers the new members of the club and a couple of the remaining seniors from the old club. The show is still very well done, and also includes one of the best treatments of cross-dressing in anime to date. The voice actors for Genshiken Nidaime did change, however.<br><br /><br><br />If you want to watch a comedy/drama that is closer to a SitCom, then this is the show for you. Many jokes make references to insider anime knowledge, but just like Seinfeld or other SitComs from the mid-90s, while you might miss these references, the strong is more than strong enough to enjoy without catching all of these notes.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Comedy, geeks (otaku), slice of life, college, real life, drama(?). Very geeky, to be honest, and walks a fine line between joking with and about the characters. You can watch Genshiken season 1 on its own, Genshiken Season 1, the OVA and season 2, and/or just watch Genshiken Nidaime. I strongly suggest watching all of it.<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: Two seasons of 12 episodes each, connected by a 3 episode OVA in between. Genshiken Nidaime is 13 episodes.<br><br />BUY ON AMAZON: , . Genshiken Nidaime only recently aired in Japan and hadn't been brought to the west yet.<br><br /><br><br />6) CODE GEASS: LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION (2006):<br><br /><br><br />The show begins with a boy-genius who decides to take over the world, basically. Early episodes have quite a few army-sized fights, but later we see an organization and media being constructed in order to wage war, and a psychological battle between our protagonist and his adversaries as they try to best one another. The "mecha" in this show are colour, and could've honestly been other weaponry, not making much difference to the show. The action never really stops, though after a while it's less oriented on fights and is more political, psychological, and "intrigue" based.<br><br /><br><br />Many people say the second season is considerably weaker, but I find it more emotional and an even better exploration of the main question of the show - how much are you willing to give up, to sacrifice, in order to achieve your goals? Fukuyama Jun, the main character's voice actor, delivers us a master-class performance in his portrayal of Lelouch, acting over the top in a manner fitting the role Lelouch himself portrays within the show's universe.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Action, mecha, intrigue, psychological, thriller, villain-as-hero. Note, there are more than a few moments of "fan-service" during the show, where girls are shown in suggestive poses, this is quite normal for anime. Also, there are a couple silly "high school" episodes, which pause the action at times. The art style is the distinct style of the manga-group CLAMP. Usually referred to simply as "Code Geass".<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: Two seasons, 25 episodes each.<br><br />BUY ON AMAZON: ,.<br><br /><br><br />7) STEINS;GATE (2011):<br><br /><br><br />A time-travel show, a mystery show. I also think of it as an "action" show but not for sequences of chases and fights, but for being a thriller. The show begins as a simple science-fiction story, about a group which realizes they have a time-travel machine, and the alterations they make to the time-stream, along with the way their relationships develop, but slowly they uncover and time-spanning conspiracy that threatens not just the world and its future, but targets them specifically.<br><br /><br><br />The second half deals with a race against time, within the time-streams, and the emotional toll of endlessly repeating a horrible event on a man's psyche. What had been done must be undone - the second half is quite a deal heavier in mood than the light-hearted feel of the first half. Also, there's a romantic sub-plot here which showcases one of the more enjoyable to watch couples on screen.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Thriller, suspense, science fiction, mystery, time-travel. I suggest this show for those who love a good suspense-thriller sci-fi story, of the sort you most usually get in films, these days.<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: 24 episodes.<br><br />BUY ON AMAZON: , .<br><br /><br><br />8) FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD (2009):<br><br /><br><br />This is a coming of-age story of two brothers, who after their mother had died had tried to return her from the dead, but the laws of alchemy (the setting's magic) require equal-trades (and in general has internally consistent rules), so one of them had to trade an arm and a leg, and the other traded his body and now animates a walking suit of armour. The brothers are state alchemists, and we follow their journey for the Philosopher's Stone, which will hopefully allow them to transmute their bodies back without having to trade more body-parts for the ones they are missing.<br><br /><br><br />The show has action, and the siblings uncover a mystery as they travel the length of the land. The cast of the show is large, and aside from actions the humor is solid at times as well. You might note how many episodes there are, but this show is enjoyable throughout, and is actuallya good example of a longer action show without running on for hundreds of shows as the more familiar "big shounen" shows do (Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, etc.). There's a reason this is one of the most popular "gateway" shows in recent years.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Action, fantasy, coming of age. Not to be confused with simply "Fullmetal Alchemist" - the show is based on a manga, where the original show aired before the manga's publication was done, and as such had to create their own story and ending from a certain point.<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: 64 episodes.<br><br />BUY ON AMAZON: , .<br><br /><br><br />9) BAKA TO TEST (2010):<br><br /><br><br />Comedy and humor are pretty personal things, but I think this show is a good nod to humor in this series of posts (aside from the SitCom-ish Genshiken and the moments of levity spread throughout many of the other shows) - this show covers a school-setting where the students' grades power up small fighting avatars, and the different classes fight, vying for better facilities. The show follows the lowest-ranked class, and their efforts to better their situation, and how they spend their time instead of studying - they aren't ranked last for nothing.<br><br /><br><br />This show has a lot of "anime conventions" and "cliched archetypes" - a pervert, a violent tomboy, a mild mannered bodacious girl, nosebleeds to signify someone is lecherous or aroused, and so on and so forth. I know this might sound a tad off-putting, but this show has undeniable charm that enables all these things to coalesce to an enjoyable whole - and that one can easily laugh throughout the entirety of the show certainly doesn't hurt. Comedy is deeply personal, but humor is always appreciated.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Comedy, gag-humor, fan-service, anime-humor, high-school. The title translates to "Baka and Test", where "Baka" means "Stupid" or "dumb", with some nuances - often used by a girl to say someone's dense for not realizing she likes him, in anime.<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: Two seasons, 13 episodes each.<br><br />BUY ON AMAZON: , .<br><br /><br><br />10) SHIGOFUMI (2008):<br><br /><br><br />Shigofumi, or Letters from the Departed follows the story of Fumika, who delivers "shigofumi", the last letter someone can send after dying. Most of the series doesn't revolve around Fumika, but is vignettes exploring the lives of characters - those who die and those who will receive the letters, the death and its effects on people, and then how they react to the letter they receive. The last few episodes deal more with Fumika's past, and the secrets surrounding her.<br><br /><br><br />This show is a master-class in showing you how you can be made to care for characters in less than 20 minutes from when you first get to meet them. While there's certainly an element of emotional manipulation going on here, it's just so well done, and the stories are all so poignant while being extremely bleak, that you can't help but fall in love with this show. It's one of my favourite shows of all times, but is relatively unknown.<br><br /><br><br />GENRES AND NOTES: Emotional, vignettes, drama, afterlife. Note, the show contains stories of bullying, abuse, sexual abuse, murder, suicide and more. It's definitely not a light show, so some discretion is advised.<br><br />EPISODE COUNT: 12 episodes. Make sure to watch the first two episodes together, they comprise one story.<br><br />BUY ON AMAZON: .<br><br /><br><br />NOTE ON OBTAINING THE SHOWS: I linked to Amazon as someone requested it. Do pay attention to regions, especially of Blu-Rays (BDs). When it comes to BDs, even Amazon.co.uk usually sells Region 1 (USA and Japan) discs and not Europe's region 2.<br><br />Here are the main anime-centric torrent sites, though I will not link to specific torrents or groups.<br><br />- the main western anime-related torrent.<br><br />- Has many of the same things as Nyaatorrent, but more manga and non-translated things appear. Also has issues remaining online.<br><br />- A collection of higher quality videos and often harder to find shows, but you're expected to keep a proper ratio.<br><br /><br><br />NOTE ON SHOWS MENTIONED AND THEIR ORDER IN THIS POST: The first three are the "influential" shows, listed in chronological order, I do think you should make sure to watch all three before delving deeper. 4-5 are shows which are more similar to western shows, as drama or comedy, to ease the transition. 6-8 are all "fun" action shows, thriller or fight oriented. 9-10 are good shows which round up what I'd often recommend, with 10 being a personal favourite, a true gem, showing you again what anime can do, emotionally.<br><br />Filed under: , Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoVydEKgCAMQNEvmtN6CPqbYSOjdLItpL%2Bvni6cW9z7irgzn6KNNQzRrSubhSwVp5hmTAnjgibwyA2DmoPLV88FqB2VoZM6JCDoF2X%2Br%2FlPVmQYvsSjIsU%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-87556534313309855412013-11-03T07:48:00.001-08:002013-11-03T07:48:32.938-08:00Almost everything you may need to be aware of concerning animeIf you are checking out the animecraving websites and downloading your favourite anime series, you arent by yourself. The fad for anime flicks, serials and comics is major time trend amid young children and youthful adults all around the world. In case you are new to phrases like animecraving, we must commence in the starting.Whats anime?The phrase "anime" implies an abbreviation on the phrase "animation" as you may well have guessed. But what makes special is the fact that, its occur to denote animation that originates from Japan. Whilst in Japan all types of animation are identified as anime, exterior this state, the phrase denotes animation that is definitely produced in Japan. The phrase is distinctive given that the animation generated below is distinctive from animation functions in the rest in the globe. There are numerous internet sites named all over animecraving to replicate the popularity of animes. What brings on anime craving?The feel and appear of the anime movies developed in Japan is unique not simply from the artwork but in addition in the special method of storytelling that is certainly assumed. The themes as well as the ideas in anime flicks are distinctive which brings on animecraving. Its got attained a global audience more than the final 4 decades. Because the animecraving comics and movies are attracting an incredible number of supporters from all over the globe, theyre being translated into a lot of languages and you will find generations of viewers from the West whore escalating up looking at such series.Where to seek out animecraving shows?For those who are an animecraving lover, you will undoubtedly desire to see a substantial range of decisions. Animecraving followers will find a lot of web pages in which this kind of exhibits, collection and perhaps flicks can be obtained for free download or streaming online. You can even get posters or wallpapers of their favorite shows and figures to obtain right here. Animecraving applications for telephones and tabs make it possible for followers to locate game titles determined by their beloved demonstrates.Attributes of anime demonstrates What will make anime so distinctive is the fact that it can be distinctive with the animation created during the Western environment. The American cartoons like Spider Guy or Batman are distinctly various types than what one will see in anime collection in animecraving web-sites. The several qualities of anime shows are talked over under:Artwork - the artwork types in are diverse. They are often outlandish, easy or direct and flamboyant. Even the demonstrates which happen to be based upon simple artwork are visually putting. Each individual form of artwork appears to be refreshing and new in anime.Storytelling variations - there are numerous animes which might be depending on epic storylines. These types of storylines operate for hundreds and in some cases thousands of episodes. The most effective animes are people which deliver emotional involvement from the viewers.Wide number of topics - the vast array of anime reveals in existence signifies that every viewer will see a sequence dependant on their curiosity. From science fiction which include in Planetes to crime combating like Ghost within the Shell, you will find diversifications on the vintage literary performs like Gankutsuou: The Rely of Monte Cristo or occasions of feminine empowerment like Nana.There is a lot of the country s tradition intertwined while in the anime series. Anime will not be a single genre but includes of quite a few genres using a distinct system and framework. The exhibits can also be made for varying audiences and age groups which heightens the animecraving phenomenon.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoVzEEOhCAQBMAXtdz3N4O2QiI9Gxwl%2FH7de6VKxPeT0hhjKS7O5q7VctVVdVicVfnuR2gRI9nZ%2FArwYZ9RXoDpN5pNiNwQjkzYsE74jvWd2PVnptqYfv0kKYk%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-21300684481718006602013-11-03T06:36:00.001-08:002013-11-03T06:36:49.216-08:00Every thing you will need to learn about animeWhen you are viewing the animecraving websites and downloading all your beloved anime collection, youre not alone. The trend for anime movies, serials and comics is huge time fad among young ones and young grown ups all over the world. For those who are new to terms like animecraving, we have to get started within the beginning.Exactly what is anime?The term "anime" suggests an abbreviation of the term "animation" while you might have guessed. But what would make unique is, it has arrive to indicate animation that originates from Japan. Although in Japan all kinds of animation are termed anime, outside the house this place, the phrase denotes animation thats developed in Japan. The term is unique since the animation developed below is unique from animation performs during the relaxation with the environment. There are various websites named all over animecraving to reflect the recognition of animes. What delivers on anime craving?The look and feel of the anime films manufactured in Japan is unique dont just during the artwork but in addition from the exclusive method of storytelling that is definitely assumed. The themes and also the ideas in anime movies are distinct which provides on animecraving. Its got acquired a global viewers around the last 4 a long time. As the animecraving comics and flicks are attracting an incredible number of lovers from everywhere in the environment, they are really staying translated into several languages and you will discover generations of viewers within the West who are growing up seeing these types of series.In which to seek out animecraving exhibits?When you are an animecraving lover, you might definitely desire to see a sizable number of decisions. Animecraving admirers will find lots of internet sites the place such demonstrates, sequence and even videos can be found for free download or streaming on the internet. One can even get posters or wallpapers in their favorite exhibits and people to obtain listed here. Animecraving apps for telephones and tabs allow lovers to seek out game titles determined by their preferred displays.Features of anime reveals What can make anime so special is that its different from your animation produced inside the Western planet. The American cartoons like Spider Male or Batman are distinctly distinctive styles than what a person will see in anime collection in animecraving websites. The various features of anime demonstrates are mentioned underneath:Artwork - the art designs in are different. They are often outlandish, very simple or immediate and flamboyant. Even the reveals that happen to be dependant on fundamental artwork are visually putting. Just about every type of artwork appears to be like refreshing and new in anime.Storytelling types - there are various animes that happen to be depending on epic storylines. These storylines run for hundreds and even 1000s of episodes. The most beneficial animes are those which produce psychological involvement inside the viewers.Wide variety of topics - the vast selection of anime exhibits on the market usually means that each viewer will discover a series based upon his or her desire. From science fiction such as in Planetes to criminal offense preventing like Ghost inside the Shell, you will discover adaptations from the basic literary performs like Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo or scenarios of female empowerment like Nana.You can find substantially from the country s culture intertwined while in the anime collection. Anime is just not a person style but comprises of numerous genres having a unique platform and framework. The shows will also be created for different audiences and age groups which heightens the animecraving phenomenon.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoNy0EOgCAMBMAXLdz9DeoqJNgSLDT8Xuc%2B2axtMbp7aJ0vxWaqg9ALSWQUW%2BHQJ3KyL1gucmPpgJdaIeQJU1SmLki7DvtTeRg%2FlMMghA%3D%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-44118987747669657322013-11-03T05:56:00.001-08:002013-11-03T05:56:29.143-08:00Anything you will need to understand about animeIf you are traveling to the animecraving websites and downloading all your beloved anime collection, you arent by itself. The trend for anime motion pictures, serials and comics is significant time trend among the youngsters and youthful grownups all over the globe. In case you are new to terms like animecraving, we have to start for the commencing.Whats anime?The term "anime" usually means an abbreviation of the word "animation" as you may have guessed. But what tends to make particular is, its got appear to indicate animation that originates from Japan. Although in Japan all types of animation are termed anime, outside this state, the word denotes animation thats made in Japan. The term is distinct given that the animation developed below is distinctive from animation performs while in the rest in the earth. There are various websites named around animecraving to reflect the recognition of animes. What provides on anime craving?The feel and appear from the anime movies developed in Japan is unique not just while in the artwork but in addition within the exclusive method of storytelling that is definitely assumed. The themes as well as the ideas in anime movies are unique which delivers on animecraving. Its got obtained an international viewers more than the final 4 a long time. Since the animecraving comics and flicks are attracting many fans from all over the earth, these are getting translated into many languages and you can find generations of viewers within the West who are rising up observing these kinds of sequence.Where by to seek out animecraving displays?In the event you are an animecraving fan, you may undoubtedly want to see a big range of alternatives. Animecraving supporters will see numerous sites the place such displays, sequence and in many cases motion pictures can be found at no cost down load or streaming online. You can even get posters or wallpapers in their most loved shows and people to down load in this article. Animecraving applications for phones and tabs let admirers to find online games based on their preferred displays.Attributes of anime demonstrates What can make anime so distinctive is that its distinct in the animation produced in the Western environment. The American cartoons like Spider Gentleman or Batman are distinctly unique types than what one particular will see in anime series in animecraving web pages. The different traits of anime demonstrates are reviewed down below:Artwork - the art types in are different. They may be outlandish, very simple or direct and flamboyant. Even the displays that are based on standard artwork are visually putting. Every form of artwork appears to be clean and new in anime.Storytelling models - there are numerous animes that happen to be according to epic storylines. These kinds of storylines run for hundreds and in some cases a huge number of episodes. The most effective animes are those people which crank out emotional involvement inside the viewers.Large array of topics - the broad variety of anime reveals out there suggests that every viewer will discover a collection based upon her or his fascination. From science fiction for example in Planetes to crime fighting like Ghost within the Shell, you will discover adaptations from the common literary is effective like Gankutsuou: The Depend of Monte Cristo or cases of feminine empowerment like Nana.Theres substantially of the country s tradition intertwined in the anime series. Anime just isnt one style but includes of various genres which has a distinct system and framework. The reveals can also be suitable for different audiences and age teams which heightens the animecraving phenomenon.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoFwdENwCAIBcCJXvnvNlRJIVEwimncvneaOW4ijS4wX0NKxsTixvNcJTqxn1TzFyc2PmsNLlKRge1V5kr2Cn5iJ9itC%2F0LnR8Y' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-22765572055334816182013-11-03T04:40:00.001-08:002013-11-03T04:40:43.789-08:00All the things you would like to understand regarding animeIn case you are browsing the animecraving internet sites and downloading your most loved anime sequence, you arent alone. The trend for anime motion pictures, serials and comics is huge time trend between kids and younger grownups everywhere in the earth. If you are new to terms like animecraving, we have to get started with the beginning.What exactly is anime?The word "anime" usually means an abbreviation in the term "animation" while you may possibly have guessed. But what makes particular is always that, it has appear to denote animation that originates from Japan. When in Japan all kinds of animation are referred to as anime, outside the house this country, the term denotes animation that is generated in Japan. The term is distinctive as being the animation created below is distinctive from animation works during the rest of your globe. There are several internet sites named all around animecraving to replicate the popularity of animes. What provides on anime craving?The feel and appear of the anime movies developed in Japan is unique not only within the artwork and also within the one of a kind method of storytelling thats assumed. The themes and also the concepts in anime films are distinct which provides on animecraving. Its obtained a global viewers around the final 4 a long time. Because the animecraving comics and films are attracting many supporters from all around the earth, they can be becoming translated into a lot of languages and you can find generations of viewers inside the West who will be growing up looking at these sequence.In which to find animecraving shows?In case you are an animecraving admirer, you can definitely choose to see a large selection of choices. Animecraving fans will discover quite a few sites where by such demonstrates, collection and perhaps videos are offered totally free obtain or streaming on the web. You can even get posters or wallpapers in their most loved demonstrates and characters to obtain here. Animecraving apps for phones and tabs enable lovers to search out video games determined by their beloved exhibits.Functions of anime shows What helps make anime so specific is that it truly is unique with the animation created during the Western globe. The American cartoons like Spider Guy or Batman are distinctly various kinds than what 1 will see in anime series in animecraving sites. The various attributes of anime reveals are talked over underneath:Artwork - the artwork models in are diverse. They can be outlandish, straightforward or direct and flamboyant. Even the exhibits which can be based on essential artwork are visually hanging. Just about every variety of artwork appears to be like fresh and new in anime.Storytelling kinds - there are many animes that are based upon epic storylines. This sort of storylines run for hundreds and perhaps thousands of episodes. The most beneficial animes are people which produce emotional involvement within the viewers.Vast selection of topics - the wide variety of anime displays available signifies that each viewer will find a series dependant on his / her desire. From science fiction which include in Planetes to crime battling like Ghost in the Shell, you can find variations from the classic literary will work like Gankutsuou: The Depend of Monte Cristo or occasions of female empowerment like Nana.There is a great deal of the country s society intertwined during the anime collection. Anime will not be one particular style but contains of quite a few genres by using a distinctive platform and framework. The demonstrates may also be created for varying audiences and age groups which heightens the animecraving phenomenon.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoNykEOgDAIAMEXYe%2F%2BhrS0JSIYoDH%2B3h72MtmZ%2BZylCHZOpQixismmUVG4myvjUe0uKAI5acc6Aj5b8NqSBsLXVoOljTwStYHTQG%2F7A1S%2BqfykdiZy' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-82876325161390417582013-11-03T03:55:00.001-08:002013-11-03T03:55:14.793-08:00Every thing you need to know concerning animeIn case you are going to the animecraving web-sites and downloading your preferred anime series, you arent by itself. The fad for anime videos, serials and comics is massive time craze among the little ones and younger adults everywhere in the earth. For those who are new to terms like animecraving, we must begin within the commencing.What is anime?The phrase "anime" means an abbreviation of the phrase "animation" while you may well have guessed. But what makes exclusive is usually that, its arrive to denote animation that originates from Japan. Though in Japan all sorts of animation are referred to as anime, exterior this state, the word denotes animation that is manufactured in Japan. The time period is unique as being the animation manufactured right here is distinctive from animation operates during the relaxation on the globe. There are various sites named around animecraving to reflect the recognition of animes. What delivers on anime craving?The appear and feel from the anime films developed in Japan is distinctive not merely while in the artwork but also from the exceptional process of storytelling thats assumed. The themes as well as the principles in anime movies are unique which brings on animecraving. Its gained a world audience over the last four many years. As the animecraving comics and movies are attracting countless lovers from all over the world, they are getting translated into several languages and youll find generations of viewers while in the West whore developing up observing such sequence.In which to discover animecraving displays?If you are an animecraving admirer, you may certainly need to see a considerable array of decisions. Animecraving fans will see quite a few websites the place these types of demonstrates, series and also films are available totally free obtain or streaming on the net. You can even get posters or wallpapers of their favourite displays and figures to down load listed here. Animecraving applications for phones and tabs make it possible for lovers to locate video games based upon their favourite displays.Characteristics of anime shows What will make anime so specific is it really is distinctive through the animation established in the Western planet. The American cartoons like Spider Guy or Batman are distinctly distinct styles than what one particular will see in anime collection in animecraving web sites. The several attributes of anime shows are talked over under:Artwork - the art variations in are various. They can be outlandish, simple or direct and flamboyant. Even the demonstrates that happen to be depending on basic artwork are visually placing. Just about every form of artwork seems to be contemporary and new in anime.Storytelling models - there are various animes that are dependant on epic storylines. These kinds of storylines operate for hundreds and perhaps a large number of episodes. The ideal animes are those which produce emotional involvement in the viewers.Wide choice of subjects - the extensive selection of anime shows in existence means that each viewer will discover a series based on his or her fascination. From science fiction like in Planetes to criminal offense combating like Ghost while in the Shell, you can find diversifications on the vintage literary functions like Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo or scenarios of feminine empowerment like Nana.There is certainly substantially with the country s culture intertwined within the anime series. Anime just isnt one style but comprises of many genres by using a distinctive system and framework. The demonstrates also are created for varying audiences and age groups which heightens the animecraving phenomenon.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoVyUEOgDAIBMAXrdz9Ta2kJbZgEDX83jjX6RHnSjSLizI2sWEtcZVRPJdqk%2FhhT0QXbUi7ocw7wnCovaimlV3%2FKyqT6QOmmx3G' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-8851343234002230122013-11-03T03:14:00.001-08:002013-11-03T03:14:03.673-08:00Almost everything you require to grasp concerning animeIf you are browsing the animecraving websites and downloading all your most loved anime sequence, you are not on your own. The trend for anime films, serials and comics is large time fad among youngsters and young older people all over the entire world. Should you are new to conditions like animecraving, we must get started for the starting.Precisely what is anime?The word "anime" signifies an abbreviation with the term "animation" as you could have guessed. But what can make unique is always that, its got arrive to denote animation that originates from Japan. Whilst in Japan a myriad of animation are named anime, outside this region, the term denotes animation that may be produced in Japan. The time period is unique as the animation created listed here is distinctive from animation will work within the rest of your earth. There are many web sites named all around animecraving to mirror the recognition of animes. What delivers on anime craving?The look and feel on the anime films created in Japan is unique not merely within the artwork but also within the special technique of storytelling that is certainly assumed. The themes and also the ideas in anime movies are distinct which brings on animecraving. It has attained an international audience around the last 4 decades. Because the animecraving comics and flicks are attracting an incredible number of supporters from everywhere in the earth, theyre being translated into several languages and youll find generations of viewers while in the West whore escalating up viewing these sequence.Where by to discover animecraving exhibits?In the event you are an animecraving admirer, you are going to surely choose to see a considerable selection of alternatives. Animecraving supporters will find numerous web pages where by these displays, sequence and also movies can be obtained totally free download or streaming on the web. You can even get posters or wallpapers of their preferred displays and people to obtain below. Animecraving apps for telephones and tabs permit fans to seek out games based on their preferred displays.Options of anime displays What helps make anime so particular is usually that its distinct from your animation made in the Western environment. The American cartoons like Spider Gentleman or Batman are distinctly different styles than what just one will see in anime series in animecraving web pages. The several traits of anime exhibits are discussed below:Artwork - the artwork types in are varied. They may be outlandish, uncomplicated or immediate and flamboyant. Even the shows that are according to basic artwork are visually striking. Each and every type of artwork appears refreshing and new in anime.Storytelling types - there are lots of animes that are determined by epic storylines. These kinds of storylines operate for hundreds and perhaps many episodes. The top animes are these which create emotional involvement inside the viewers.Broad variety of topics - the broad variety of anime exhibits out there usually means that each viewer will discover a series depending on his or her fascination. From science fiction including in Planetes to criminal offense combating like Ghost while in the Shell, you will discover adaptations in the vintage literary works like Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo or situations of woman empowerment like Nana.Theres much from the country s lifestyle intertwined during the anime sequence. Anime just isnt a single genre but comprises of several genres which has a distinctive system and framework. The shows will also be suitable for varying audiences and age groups which heightens the animecraving phenomenon.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoVy0EOgCAMBMAXVe7%2BhuAGm0irpdjwe%2FE8mdP93lOKiE1UDBdX1tEDx8FSCwxNZW4CT%2Flq2p3wwqafS2nqIMMz2ECuVC33m4rKavJ7Fm5IH6DvJrs%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-48649840889203709592013-11-03T02:28:00.001-08:002013-11-03T02:28:12.678-08:00Almost everything you may need to understand about animeWhen you are traveling to the animecraving websites and downloading all your favorite anime collection, you are not by yourself. The craze for anime flicks, serials and comics is big time fad between children and younger adults everywhere in the world. In the event you are new to terms like animecraving, we have to start out at the commencing.Precisely what is anime?The word "anime" suggests an abbreviation in the term "animation" as you may well have guessed. But what can make specific is usually that, its got come to indicate animation that originates from Japan. When in Japan all kinds of animation are termed anime, outside the house this nation, the phrase denotes animation that may be generated in Japan. The phrase is distinct since the animation produced below is distinct from animation works within the relaxation of the planet. There are plenty of sites named all-around animecraving to reflect the recognition of animes. What brings on anime craving?The look and feel from the anime films created in Japan is distinctive not merely in the artwork but additionally while in the exceptional strategy of storytelling that may be assumed. The themes and the concepts in anime videos are unique which delivers on animecraving. It has received an international audience over the final four many years. Given that the animecraving comics and movies are attracting numerous admirers from everywhere in the world, these are remaining translated into quite a few languages and you can find generations of viewers within the West that are expanding up looking at these kinds of collection.The place to find animecraving displays?In the event you are an animecraving lover, you can surely want to see a large selection of decisions. Animecraving followers will find quite a few sites wherever this sort of exhibits, series as well as movies can be found without spending a dime download or streaming on line. One can even get posters or wallpapers in their favourite exhibits and figures to download in this article. Animecraving apps for phones and tabs make it possible for supporters to search out game titles depending on their preferred reveals.Capabilities of anime shows What would make anime so exclusive is the fact it truly is different in the animation created from the Western entire world. The American cartoons like Spider Gentleman or Batman are distinctly diverse variations than what one particular will see in anime series in animecraving web pages. The different traits of anime demonstrates are discussed below:Artwork - the artwork styles in are various. They can be outlandish, basic or direct and flamboyant. Even the reveals which are depending on primary artwork are visually hanging. Each and every kind of artwork seems to be clean and new in anime.Storytelling designs - there are various animes that are based upon epic storylines. This kind of storylines operate for hundreds and even 1000s of episodes. The top animes are those people which make psychological involvement during the viewers.Broad array of subjects - the huge range of anime demonstrates around signifies that every viewer will see a collection depending on their interest. From science fiction for instance in Planetes to crime combating like Ghost from the Shell, youll find diversifications of the traditional literary functions like Gankutsuou: The Depend of Monte Cristo or situations of female empowerment like Nana.There may be much on the country s tradition intertwined in the anime sequence. Anime will not be one particular genre but comprises of a number of genres using a distinct platform and framework. The shows can also be suitable for various audiences and age teams which heightens the animecraving phenomenon.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoFwdENgCAMBcCJnhX9c5sijZJIS6RI2N67270eRGOMpdppag0nx6xtUXHa1rBTCLQG4qdYc8gn7%2FQ764VpHYUnVCTBDV2TvM1ZEzhad7DmIvQDsaMjMA%3D%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-70338404763681222142013-10-29T09:42:00.001-07:002013-10-29T09:42:32.742-07:00PlanetesGravity is garnering a lot of kudos as the most realistic space movie made to date, though the script still has our heroic pair violating several fundamental laws of physics to make the plot work. As real astronaut graciously concedes,<br><br /><br><br />The inaccuracies were done to help advance the plot or to add drama to the film which is exactly the artistic license we should be willing to grant the filmmakers. This is entertainment, not a documentary.<br><a name='more'></a><br><br />The same can be said about Planetes (2003), easily one of best "near-future" hard-SF anime series. It also involves space debris, in this case a crew of astronaut janitors responsible for cleaning up the dangerous junk zipping around in low Earth orbit.<br><br /><br><br />The first half of the series follows rookie Ai Tanabe as she joins Debris Section, under the tutelage of the young and brash "Hachi" Hoshino. These procedural episodes are some of the best, made all the better by interesting characters and attention to accuracy.<br><br /><br><br />In a way, , is scientifically honest enough to argue against the idealism of its own premise: showing a child raised in a low-gravity environment to frail to ever return to Earth, and the debilitating effects of long-term exposure to radiation.<br><br /><br><br />The series then gets taken over by Hachi's efforts to qualify for a 2001-style exploratory mission to Jupiter, and a bunch of economic terrorists determined to sabotage the project.<br><br /><br><br />The latter of these two storylines is the weakest. The litanies of zero-sum, socialist complaints about poverty quickly become tiresome, though in the same way that activists of this sort always wear out their rhetorical welcome. So maybe it's on purpose.<br><br /><br><br />In the end, the political arm of the movement sells out the militant arm in exchange for a legislative pat on the head. I did find that totally believable.<br><br /><br><br />The former storyline, about Hachi joining the crew of the Von Braun, is also punishing, except here the writers are taking seriously Kurt Vonnegut's advice for creating compelling dramatic fiction:<br><br /><br><br />Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them, in order that the reader may see what they are made of.<br><br />In the process, Hachi becomes a monomaniacal astronaut jerk, and inevitably ends up in a life-or-death struggle with a monomaniacal terrorist jerk. That these are realistic depictions of human nature doesn't make them any more pleasant to watch.<br><br /><br><br />But stick with it. In the final episodes, Hachi's and Ai's character arcs fully develop, intersect, and pay off big time, giving Planetes one of the most rewarding endings--while not losing anything in terms of authenticity--of any anime series.<br><br /><br><br />Hachi's eventual change of heart and reformed outlook on life is real and earned.<br><br /><br><br />In purely scientific terms, Planetes suffers from some of the same technical quibbles as Gravity: the orbital changes required to complete their missions would be impossible with the technology on hand. Orbiting a planet is not like flying a plane.<br><br /><br><br />The more glaring anachronisms include the chain-smoking Fee Carmichael (her nicotine addiction does make for funny comic relief). And a large lunar base would be completely buried to shield it against cosmic rays, solar flares, and micrometeoroids.<br><br /><br><br />But when it comes to science fiction on the big screen and small, making a good-faith effort to get things right counts for a lot. The producers of Planetes paid attention to their advisors. In that light, the science in this science fiction gets an "A" for effort.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoFwUEOgCAMBMAfdUFv%2Fka0gUNhGykx%2Ft6ZFuEHoKvq0Je8y3o%2BKcY6nSEXO7aUd%2BQEt3No6JQW3X5OvRRF' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-69068345185757167712013-10-22T13:21:00.001-07:002013-10-22T13:21:36.384-07:00So what do you call someone from Jupiter?Everyone knows that Martians come from Mars. That's straightforward enough. Beyond that, things get fiddly. Just what do you call someone from Jupiter, Venus or Pluto? What of the asteroid belt? Even in professional astronomy circles, people argue over the correct use of demonyms and adjectives for astronomical bodies. Much of the terminology used today originates from alchemical, astrological and classical works, and the growth of science fiction has only made it more confused. Of course, nowadays we know the likelihood of finding little green men on Mars or Mercury is slim to none, but the use of adjectival forms is necessary to describe features on the planets or their satellites. Plus, there's still fiction - everyone loves a good, old-fashioned Martian invasion.<br><br /><br><br />Firstly, we need to look at where the names of the planets come from. The eight major planets, barring the Earth, take their names from Roman gods, with which they were identified by early astronomers. The Roman gods are mostly equivalent to the Greek pantheon, the Romans being dab hands at assimilating the traditions of other cultures, so each planet has an equivalent Greek name, which, unsurprisingly, is how they are known in Greece. In classical astronomy, the sun and moon were considered to be planets, since the exact definition of a planet was a long way off (and still hasn't really been settled on). The Romans knew of five actual planets beyond the Earth: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, all of which are, under the right conditions, visible to the naked eye. Uranus was identified as a planet in 1781 by astronomer Sir William Herschel, having previously been misidentified as a star. Neptune was discovered in 1846 byUrbain le Verrier, although it may have been discovered independently by John Couch Adams three years earlier (in fact, Galileo had first seen the planet over two hundred years earlier, but again, had misidentified it as a star). Pluto, which is, of course, no longer considered a planet, wasn't discovered until 1930, by Clyde Tombaugh. Rather wonderfully, a portion of his ashes are currently en route to Pluto on the New Horizons spacecraft.<br><a name='more'></a><br><br />The upshot of this is that the adjectival forms of planets have to follow classical rules, which sometimes throws up some oddities. Also, the traditions of astrology - which, for centuries, was part of astronomy - and alchemy, have granted supposed properties to the planets. In alchemy, each classical planet had a symbol, and each of the spheres was thought to be related to a human attribute. The result is that the adjectival forms of planet names have meanings in themselves in modern English.<br><br />MERCURY<br><br />Mercury, the innermost and smallest planet of the solar system, is named for the fleet-footed messenger of the gods; the original, Roman version being Mercurius, which is sometimes used in astrology. His Greek equivalent is Hermes. The adjectival form of Mercury is mercurial, which can mean swift, quick-witted, volatile or changeable. Capitalised, Mercurial is used to describe objects and features related to the planet Mercury, although Mercurian is becoming more commonly used. An inhabitant of Mercury would be a Mercurian. An alternative demonym or adjective would be Hermean, from Hermes; a related term is hermetic, once used in alchemy, but now used to mean sealed away (as in 'hermetically sealed'). Mercury is, of course also the name of a metallic element; all the classical planets were alchemically linked to a particular metal, but only mercury has adopted the name of its planet (the traditional names being hydrargyrum or quicksilver). Mercurial can, therefore, also refer to compounds of the element mercury.<br><br />VENUS<br><br />Venus is where things start to get problematic. Named for the goddess of love and sex, Venus is the only major planet named after a female figure (although many minor planets are too). The adjectival form of Venus is venereal, which does not have a pleasant connotation. The Greek equivalent, Aphrodite, is rather pretty, but again produces an adjective with unfortunate connotations: aphrodisial or aphrodisiac. The correct term for an inhabitant of Venus would, therefore, be a Venerean, but the connotations of venereal disease means that this has, unsurprisingly, fallen out of favour. The most common word used today is Venusian (occasionally Venutian), but this is linguistically problematic, kind of like using 'Marsian' for something from Mars. My preferred term is Cytherian/Cytherean, a word originally related to the Greek island of Kytheros, which had traditional links to the goddess Aphrodite. It's a very attractive word, in my view. Sci-fi stories featuring inhabitants of Venus sometimes use both Venusian and Cytherian as names for separate cultures or species on the planet.<br><br />Venus is both the Morning and Evening Star, and in Latin, had separate names for both phases. It was Hesperus, or Vesper, in the evening, and Phosphorus or Eosphorus in the morning. A such, other terms you might like to use for Venusians are Hesperian and Phosphorian.<br><br /><br><br />Nobody likes being called a Venerean.<br><br /><br><br />EARTH<br><br />The Earth is, of course, named after that dusty stuff we stand on, rather than any mighty god or goddess. The Latin term for the earth was tellus. The goddess of the Earth was Tellus, or Terra, whose name lives on in romance languages as the term for the Earth (such as the Spanish Terra or French le terre). The Greek goddess was Gaia or Gaea, again, still in common use as an alternative name for the Earth, or its biosphere as an entity, in the so-called Gaia Hypothesis.<br><br />The correct adjective to apply to the Earth is terrestrial, used for both things of the earth, as in the land, and the Earth, as in the planet. From this we get the term extraterrestrial, for things beyond the Earth. Science fiction has never been happy with this term. Too mundane, I guess (mundane also meaning 'of the world,' as it happens, from the alternative Latin term mundus). Why not Terrestrian for an inhabitant of the Earth? Old-fashioned sci-fi popularised the terms Earthling and Earthman, which today are considered old hat and are usually used humorously. Futurama suggested Earthican. The most common term for inhabitants of Earth in sci-fi is Terran, which is very occasionally used scientifically; indeed, Terra is commonly used as an alternative name for the Earth in English language sci-fi. Confusingly, terra is also used for landmasses on other worlds in astronomy. An alternative term that I favour is Tellurian, from Tellus, which was used by E.E. 'Doc' Smith in his Lensman series, and by Robert Holmes in his Doctor Who work. Tellurium is a semi-metallic element sometimes called sylvanium; tellurian can also refer to compounds and ores of this element. Arthur C. Clarke, in 3001: The Final Oddyssey and other works, stuck with terrestrials for Earth-born humans, often with 'Terries' as a mildly pejorative nickname used by offworlders.<br><br /><br><br />MARS<br><br /><br><br />SOME MARTIANS, YESTERDAY.<br><br /><br><br />Mars, being nice and red and fiery looking, was named for the Roman god of war. As everyone knows, someone or something from Mars is Martian, from the same etymology as martial, meaning warlike or pertaining to soldiery (as in 'martial law'). Martial is still sometimes used in astronomy in the place of Martian. The Greek equivalent of Mars was Ares, which is unfortunately sometimes confused with Aries, the Ram in astrology. The alternative term for Martian is therefore Arean, although sci-fi works have sometimes chucked in the wonky term 'Aretian.'<br><br />JUPITER<br><br />By Jove! Jupiter, or Iupiter, the king of the gods, was also known as Jove, and hence the adjectival term for Jupiter is jovial, which of course means jolly, or good-spirited. The term used in astronomy today is Jovian, although some sci-fi writers will insist on using 'Jupiterian' or somesuch rubbish. Jovian is also used to refer to the gas giant planets as a group. The Greek name for Jupiter was Zeus, so one might argue for Zeutian as an equivalent.<br><br />SATURN<br><br /><br><br />Stone Men of Saturn<br><br /><br><br />Saturn, or Sarturnus, was an agricultural god of Rome, but was also identified with the powerful Greek figure Kronos (latinised as Cronus). Kronos was, understandably, conflated with Chronos, the god of time, and so Saturn became identified as such a deity as well. The great harvest festival of Saturnalia was a major Roman holiday, and we get the word Saturday from Saturn as well. The traditions of Saturn lived on in our image of Father Time, who traditionally carries a sickle or scythe - a conflation of the agricultural and temporal nature of the god.<br><br />The adjectival form can be saturnial, however saturnine is far more common. Saturnine is the opposite of jovial, meaning ill-tempered, sullen or melancholy (that's me then). It can also mean containing, or poisoned by, lead. Beings or objects from Saturn are Saturnian, although Saturnine can be used. The Greek equivalent, Kronos, also gives the possible alternative Kronian. The Doctor Who episode Vampires of Venice gave us aliens from a planet called Saturnyne, while Star Trek has pinched Kronos as the name for the Klingon homeworld (although any true Trekkie would spell it Q'onoS).<br><br />URANUS<br><br />The first of the 'new' planets, in the 'second zone,' Uranus was very nearly named Georgium Sidus, or 'George's Star,' after King George III. Unlike the other planets, Uranus is named for a Greek god, and is the latinised form of Ouranos (the Roman equivalent is in fact Caelus or Coelus). The term for things from Uranus is Uranian. We should be thankful it's not Uranal.<br><br />There's still plenty of arguing over how one should pronounce Uranus. The traditional pronunciation is 'Your anus,' responsible for generations of schoolboy giggling. The modern compromise, most popular in America, is 'Yura-nuss.' In Futurama, we learn that by the 31st century it shall be renamed 'Urectum,' thereby ending all that silliness once and for all. In my view, we should probably go back to calling it George.<br><br />NEPTUNE<br><br />Neptune, now the farthest planet from the sun, is named for the Roman god of earthquakes and the oceans, the equivalent of the Greek Poseidon. Neptune had previously been suggested for the planet that became Uranus. Other suggestions for the name of the new planet included Oceanus and Janus, the latter of which wold have fit rather nicely, since the two-faced god of doorways would suit a world on the edge of the planetary sphere. Neptunian is the correct term, although Neptunial is very occasionally used.<br><br /><br><br />The Sun and Moon, capitalised or not as to your taste, round off the seven classical planets, and are thus part of the same astrological and alchemical system as the true planets. Having numerous names in different languages and cultures, there are several different adjectivals and demonyms for each.<br><br /><br><br />The Latin for sun is sol, which survives as the term in several romance languages. The major Roman sun god was Sol Invictus; the Greek was Helios. The common adjectival term is, of course, solar, however an alternative term is heliacal (not to be confused with helical). An inhabitant of the Sun - as unlikely as this might seem - is often known as a Solarian, or sometimes a Helian, in sci-fi works.<br><br /><br><br />The Roman goddess of the Moon was Luna, the name being used as a proper noun for the Moon in science fiction, to distinguish it from the innumerable other moons of the solar system. The common adjective is lunar. The Greek equivalent of Luna was Selene, more rarely called Cynthia, and so alternative terms are Selenian and Cynthian. Demonyms for inhabitants of the Moon have include Lunarians, Cynthians and Selenians. H.G. Wells's The First Men in the Moon featured a race of insectoid Selenites, ruled by a Grand Lunar. Strax from Doctor Who prefers the term 'Moonites.'<br><br /><br><br />The Selenites abuse Professor Cavor<br><br /><br><br />OTHER MOONS<br><br /><br><br />Mars' two moons, Phobos and Deimos (fear and panic), give the demonyms and adjectives Phobian and Deimosian. Jupiter has, at present count, sixty-seven satellites, edging it past Saturn at sixty-two (but this is bound to change at some point, they do tend to fight over it). The four major moons of Jupiter, which might well be regarded as planets, or at least dwarf planets, if they orbited the Sun directly, are termed the Galilean satellites, after their discoverer, Galileo Galilei. They are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, named for lovers of Zeus/Jupiter. Their adjectivals are Ionian, Europan, Ganymedean and Callistoan, although Callistonian has been used as an alternative for the latter. Ionian, of course, already refers to a region of Europe and a sea, and Europan is very close to European - indeed Europe is named for Europa (or possibly vice versa). The moons of Jupiter are named for Zeus' lovers and daughters, except for seventeen recently discovered runts, which have yet to be named. My favourite is Megaclite (and yes, that would be Megaclitean).<br><br />Saturn's moons are traditionally named for Titans, the giant gods that preceded the Olympians in Greek myth, although the sheer number of them has led to other cultures' giants being used for names. Other than the sixty-two proper moons, there are over a hundred 'moonlets' embedded in Saturn's mighty rings, and the rings themselves are comprised of countless particles, so arguably Saturn has about a million moons. The largest, Titan, is world in itself, and the adjectival is Titanian. Some moons' names cause some anomalies. Pan leads to Pandean, not so bad there, but Celtic, American and Norse names leads to some weirderies: Tarqeq, named for the Inuit moon god, leads to Tarquipian (and an inhabitant of Tarqeq might be a Tarquip!)<br><br />The Uranian moons are named for characters from the works of Shakespeare (and Alexander Pope, although only two have come from this source, Belinda and Umbriel, although Ariel could come from either. The greatest of the Uranian moons are Oberon and Titania, the adjectivals for which are Oberonian and Titanian. Yes, this last one is spelled the same as those from Titan, but pronounced differently (like Dominican and Dominican). The adjectival of Puck is the lovely Puckian, although I quite fancy Puckese.Neptune also has a bunch of moons, named for water deities, the greatest of which is Triton, adjectival Tritonian.<br><br /><br><br />A Plutonian sky<br><br /><br><br />DWARF PLANETS, ASTEROIDS AND PLANETESSIMALS<br><br />I have decided not to get into what constitutes a planet here, in concern for this piece going completely off on a tangent. There are, currently, five official dwarf planets, with many more distant bodies that may get classified as such once more accurate measurements of size have been made. The most famous, of course, is Pluto, former planet and icy bastion of the 'third zone.' Pluto is named for the Roman god of the underworld, who was himself begat by a conflagration of the Greek underworld god Hades and the Roman god of wealth Pluton (from which we get such terms as plutocracy). The adjectival and demonym for Pluto is Plutonian, although Plutovian has cropped up in sci-fi. An alternative, from the Greek, is Hadean, which has a nice ring to it (unlike Pluto). Pluto's major moon, Charon, gives us Charonian, and we have the minor moons Nix, Hydra, Kerberos and Styx, giving us Nictian, Hydrian, Kerberian and Stygian.<br><br />The remaining dwarf planets are Ceres, Haumea, Makemake and Eris. Makemake stands out as obviously not Greco-Roman, named for a god of the Rapanui people of Easter Island. The adjectival is Makemakean. Haumea is also not Greco-Roman, but Hawaiian, but at least sounds like it fits in; naturally, the term is Haumean. Eris, the distant icy rock that caused the whole planet/dwarf planet debacle in the first place, was aptly named for the Greek goddess of strife and discord; her adjectival is Eridian.<br><br /><br><br />Ceres compared with the Earth and Moon.<br><br /><br><br />Ceres is the both the largest asteroid and the smallest dwarf planet, as yet. Named for the Roman goddess of the harvest, she was originally considered a planet, until further asteroid discoveries led to a rethink (so the Pluto/Eris debacle is nothing new). Being rooted in Latin means that the adjectival and demonym is Cererian, sometimes spelled Cererean. Sci-fi usually simplifies this to Cerean. Other large asteroids include Pallas, Juno and Vesta, giving us Palladian, Junonian and Vestian.<br><br />There are thousands of asteroid and minor planets in the solar system, with names as wonderful as Rhadamanthus and Agamemnon (Rhadamanthyan and Agamemnonian, naturally). Asteroids can have moons; Rhea has two satellites, Romulus and Remus, and so Romulan is a perfectly acceptable astronomical term. Once the names of gods started running dry, the asteroid belt became something of a free-for-all when it came to nomenclature. What you call something from 8353 Megryan is anyone's guess.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoNy1ESQDAMBcATpSn%2B3KYqtCb1OhJj3J793%2BLeZ%2BY1nVXUxazKFRbFbh0eMhqPcZh4iGygpySnFfTippxUydAEp9B2odFx9%2Br%2FLt70A2MOH6s%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-27923071494971178312013-10-16T18:33:00.001-07:002013-10-16T18:33:32.167-07:00Beginning Java Programming HelpHello, All. I'm a beginner with Java writing and would greatly appreciate a hand with the problem below:<br><br /><br><br />A student has decided to fly his remote controlled airplane. The airplane has about 12 minutes of flight without any extra weight. For every 1/2 of a pound added, the lifetime of the airplane is reduced by one minute. Additionally, the following moves drain the battery life accordingly:<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />Maneuver Battery Life Reduction (minutes)<br><br /><br><br />Take-off 0.2<br><br />Loop 0.3<br><br />Land 0.2<br><br />Fly 100 feet 0.3<br><br /><br><br />If the battery life reaches zero (or less than zero), the means the plane will crash. This means the student must land the airplane to recharge. Upon recharging, the battery is reset to the maximum lifetime (minus the weight).<br><br /><br><br />You are to write two classes. The first class, is called RCPLANE. In this class you must have the following:<br><br /><br><br />* A constructor which requires the user to input the weight of the load used. If the weight of the load is greater than 2 pounds, the plane will not take off. In this case, a message should indicate the weight is too heavy, and the program exits.<br><br />* A method called TakeOff, which "instructs" the plane to take off. If the plane is already in the air, then a message should indicate the plane is already in the air, and no changes to battery life is needed.<br><br />* A method called Land, which "instructs" the plane to land. If the plane is already on the ground, then a message should indicate the plane is already on the ground, and no changes to battery life is needed.<br><br />* A method called Loop, which "instructs" the plane to loop in the air. The plane can only do this if it is on the ground. In this case, a message should indicate the plane is on the ground, and no changes to battery life is needed.<br><br />* A method called Fly, which "instructs" the plane to fly. The user must input the distance to fly. The plane can only do this if it is in the air. If the plane is already in the air, then a message should indicate the plane is already in the air, and no changes to battery life is needed.<br><br />* A method called GetDistance, which returns the total distance travelled<br><br />* A method called GetBatteryLife, which returns the total battery life<br><br />* A method called Recharge, which recharges the battery and resets the distance travelled to zero<br><br /><br><br />The second class, which is a main class, is called RCPLANETESTER. In this class, you must construct the airplane, and give it the following sequential directions:<br><br /><br><br />* Take off<br><br />* Fly 200 feet<br><br />* Loop<br><br />* Take off<br><br />* Fly 300 feet<br><br />* Loop<br><br />* (Display Battery Life)<br><br />* Fly 300 feet<br><br />* Loop<br><br />* Fly 250 Feet<br><br />* Loop<br><br />* (Display Battery Life)<br><br />* (Display Total Distance)<br><br />* Recharge<br><br />* Land<br><br />* Fly 200 feet<br><br />* Loop<br><br />* Recharge<br><br />* Takeoff<br><br />* Fly 1000 feet<br><br />* (Display Battery Life)<br><br />* (Display Total Distance)<br><br />* Fly 10000 feet<br><br /><br><br />(Note that you may decide to write the methods in any order as you can handle them in the questions, but the orders suggested above are the best if you decide to follow those. Note however that all methods must be written in order to get the full points. Recall that partial credits are also obtainable for your best efforts)<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoVyVEKgCAMANAT6SAyotvMXGroFB3u%2BtHve0mkXwCqagNyVvL2bhVme0RxkAm0qLReiQVeXAiSBmGYsB%2FObSd4ipk5czT%2Fmj5aHFjrD4lK%2FwCgQSNK' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-28736495640211764902013-10-12T10:06:00.001-07:002013-10-12T10:06:10.766-07:00Vinland Saga, Vol. 1BY MAKOTO YUKIMURA. RELEASED IN JAPAN AS TWO SEPARATE VOLUMES BY KODANSHA, SERIALIZED IN THE MAGAZINES WEEKLY SHONEN MAGAZINE, THEN AFTERNOON. RELEASED IN NORTH AMERICA BY KODANSHA COMICS.<br><br /><br><br />At last, after years of fans begging for a license, we have one of the most anticipated titles of the year. Makoto Yukimura was released over here previously with his sci-fi garbage scow series Planetes, but that was another "critically acclaimed poor seller" that fans love and publishers hate. Nevertheless, the author's skill is demonstrable in that series, and his art and storytelling have only improved since then. This tale of Thorfinn, a reluctant Viking warrior/prisoner-of-war and his tragic backstory is absolutely riveting, and makes you yearn for the next book in the series to come out so you can read on. Honestly, if it weren't already in an omnibus (a handsome, hardcover one, by the way, looking very nice), I'd feel even more impatient.<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />We open with Thorfinn already a young adult, then flash back to tell his backstory. This helps to amp up the tragedy as we can see what a cold-blooded killer Thorfinn can beand how he pales in comparison to the captain who controls him, Askeladd. For all that this series may be Thorfinn's, Askeladd is the one who captures the reader's attention right off the bat, and I suspect he won any reader polls Japan had. Cheerful, clever, sly, and ruthless all in one, Askeladd makes a great anti-hero to contrast with Thorfinn's sullen warrior. He even has his own moral code, such as it is - one we see in the second half of the book, when we find out just how Thorfinn lost his father Thors and was captured.<br><br /><br><br />By the way, for those who love Berserk, you'll love this too. It's not QUITE as bleak and ultraviolent - at least not in this first volume - but there's a lot of the same feel, and the battle scenes are fantastic (despite the presence of one of the worst Star Wars jokes I've ever seen). The art isn't only good in the battle scenes either - the author has taken great care to be as historically accurate as possible in a fictional manga world, and I loved the attention to detail we see here.<br><br /><br><br />I was expecting this to be a totally male-dominated book - and honestly, it still may end up that way - but there are two very good female roles here. First of all, the book's only light relief is provided by Thorfinn's older sister Ylva, a tsundere trapped in 11th century Iceland, who has all the boys of the village falling at her feet but would much rather stomp around and be grumpy. As for Thorfinn's mother, she mostly exists on the sideline supporting her husbandtill we see a flashback to Ylva's birth, where Thors is prepared to simply nod and leave, and his wife looks like she'll leap out of the bed and throttle him unless he names their child. The manga is filled with little moments like this.<br><br /><br><br />This is not going to be a cheery romp - expect the majority of the cast to die - but it's gripping stuff, and incredibly hard to put down. I really enjoyed Planetes, but you can see how Yukimura has evolved further here. The story carries you along effortlessly, makes you care about these people even as it then hurts them horribly, and is simply filled with badass men being badass. It was worth the long wait to get this.<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoFwVsSgCAIAMATKWpfdhssXxNCo%2BT5222q7wmwvq6YKBeZOjPqyKx2IFdMIs9qmYq9ZEBw%2FgAXIUTYnQn5Ngsrmi1kPPxgXRs%2F' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-41030046127398443992013-10-10T00:50:00.001-07:002013-10-10T00:50:00.857-07:00[Comics] Vinland Saga Out In English This WeekYeah this is a gaming blog and all but I like to take time to bring attention to things I think are under the radar, on occasion they may be things not actually related to gaming. I don't think I've ever devoted any post here to comics, much less manga. I'm not a huge manga reader by any measure -- I only read a handful, and one of them is Vinland Saga, which just hit shelves in North America with the official English version this week.<br><br /><br><br />The first thing that caught me about this series is that it's about Vikings -- a historical setting that's surprisingly under-utilized in non-fantasy storytelling. The second thing was a shot from the very first chapter depicting a bunch of dudes carrying a longboat across land in order to access a river to flank their enemy.<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />From my perspective it seems like taking an actual historical look at the Viking Age (roughly between the ninth and 11th centuries AD in Northern Europe) has become slightly popular between that History Channel series, Brian Wood's (DMZ) Northlanders, and this manga. While Wood gave the setting a very gritty "HBO treatment," Vinland gains a heap of colorful attention to detail from Makoto Yukimura, they guy behind Planetes.<br><br /><br><br />If you haven't read Planetes or seen the anime, it's a true hard sci-fi series about late 21st century astronauts. Yukimura goes into deep detail about the structures behind how the astronauts work and the organizations they work under, and he does the same for early 11th century Northern Europe. The series crosses together the journeys of guys like Leif Ericsson and Cnut the Great with slightly fictionalized figures like Thorkell the Tall, starting with the backdrop of the 1013 Danish invasion of England.<br><br /><br><br />The first part of this series -- basically what this first book begins to cover, is pretty much devoted to showing readers how badass and absolutely vicious Vikings were. It's here we see Yukimura juxtapose fight scenes that look slightly shounen-style with varying shades of morality on the part of the protagonist and the people around him. A lot of the series is about examining Viking morality and how insane it seems to our eyes.<br><br /><br><br />In more recent chapters that probably won't hit North American shelves for a while, Vinland has transitioned to inter-family politics and slavery in Denmark but looks like it's starting to heat up again and enter some new territory. The name "Vinland Saga" refers to the actual Norse Vinland Sagas about how Vikings landed on North America (huh), so fans have speculated that's where they're going. I'm just happy to have found another serious historical manga after Blade of the Immortal ended. Maybe historical comics are a thing for me<br><br /><br><br />Anyway, if you want to read a comic that goes satisfyingly in-depth about a relatively unexplored setting with a good amount of action to boot, then Vinland Saga has been one of the more talked-about things in the manga world as of recent. It's also one of the things I think non-manga readers might like a lot.<br><br /><br><br />BULLETS:<br><br /><br><br />* GOG.com is doing a government shutdown promo.Furloughed workers can even get some free games.<br><br />* Man, Call of Duty system requirements are actually kinda demanding. That GPU costs around $600, and the game requires 50GB of hard drive space. I guess it really is next-gen.<br><br />* Crazy Buffet 2 - Taking a Stand by John Pading -<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoNx0ESgCAIAMAXIVan%2Bo1jpkwKjlB%2Bv%2Fa2xawfiCy9BrtkNDdlnH0kVRel4eqXDRePfse%2FFBVe4hr4BA05gDwGxJA4V9ICVkhhpnTjB3OsH1g%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-14504540222359426862013-10-03T00:56:00.001-07:002013-10-03T00:56:28.338-07:00My Top 50 AnimeWell it's been nearly two years since I last updated my Top 50 Anime list - a ridiculous amount of time to leave it untouched really.I decided to completely redo the list, it is remarkable how you can completely change your mind about a show after a while - some shows went up in my estimation, some went down and I had two years worth of new shows to cram in somewhere too!But I did it and now<br><br /><br><br />But I didn't want to lose some of the entries so here's what's out and what's in.<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />OUT<br><br /><br><br /> THE TWELVE KINGDOMS<br><br /><br><br />The Twelve Kingdoms is one of those series that just completely sucks you into its world. I'm a complete sucker for high fantasy, I love it when shows create an entire world that's familiar yet completely different and The Twelve Kingdoms does exactly that. It's a series that starts as the standard kind of 'stranger transported to another world' kind of story, but as the other arcs come in its much more about exploring the world of the 12 Kingdoms and learning about its inhabitants - it's got some brilliant character development as well as world-building. I think I managed to watch this entire series in a few days, and was so engrossed in the world that I went and bought the original novels the series is based on (pity there's only four available in English at the moment).<br><br /><br><br />BECK: MONGOLIA CHOP SQUAD<br><br /><br><br />BECK really impressed me when I watched it a few years back. The characters are so real it's almost like this series is a documentary of their lives! I was completely sucked into this show; I think I finished it within a few days because I couldn't tear myself away. I also really liked the soundtrack for the show and still listen to it pretty regularly. I watched the Japanese dub in all its engrish glory, but I hear that the English dub is pretty solid so may have to give that a whirl at some stage; BECK is a series I'd really love to rewatch soon.<br><br /><br><br />ARAKAWA UNDER THE BRIDGE / X BRIDGE<br><br /><br><br />Another SHAFT show, and it's just as weird and wacky as you'd expect from the studio. However Arakawa has a lot of heart and it's that aspect of the show that really made me fall in love with it. The characters are just so interesting, a stranger bunch of misfits you'd struggle to find anywhere else, but each of them has a lot of things to love about them. However for me it was the budding romance between Ninothat never happened with Planetes. I wanted to know all about the characters and was completely invested in their drama - the writing was just wonderful in this show; it was just so well paced and thought out!<br><br /><br><br />AOI BUNGAKU<br><br /><br><br />This was my top pick of 2009 simply because it was such an ambitious project and masterfully executed by Madhouse. Six pieces of critically acclaimed literature, six different high-profile directors and six different styles of animation - there really is something to please everyone in the stories of Aoi Bungaku. For me 'No Longer Human' closely followed by 'Run, Melos!' were the standout arcs, but none of the stories were lacking. If you haven't tried this series I'd highly recommend you give it a look - one of the arcs is bound to appeal to you.<br><br /><br><br />HIGURASHI NO NAKU KORO NI / KAI / REI<br><br /><br><br />I remember dismissing Higurashi originally because it looked like one of those moe harem things that I rarely enjoy, so I skipped it during its original airing. However I heard increasingly good things about the show so ended up marathoning it shortly before Kai started airing - Higurashi is a prime of example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The series became a fast favourite, I loved the repeating story arcs, tense atmosphere and the brutal violence; but I also like the slice of life comedy stuff too - the characters are actually very likeable and the series is well crafted. This is how you do VN adaptations.<br><br /><br><br />DETROIT METAL CITY<br><br /><br><br />DMC has to be one of the funniest shows in recent memory. It's shallow, crude and loaded with profanity; but it could reduce me to tears of laughter with alarming frequency! Negishi's dual personality, the mad fans and their rampant imaginations, the batshit insane manager and the whole depiction of the death metal music industry - it all adds up in a weird wonderful way and makes DMC fecking hilarious. Go to DMC!!<br><br /><br><br />IN<br><br /><br><br />44. AQUARION EVOL<br><br /><br><br />Aquarion EVOL is cheese, adolescent hormones and Fabulous~! condensed into anime form - nothing about this show is subtle, but it knows exactly what it's doing and plays up to that fact. The result is a series that is just pure entertainment. Sure the plot is a bit lacking, but who needs plot when you have such a fantastic assortment of colourful characters and a never ending parade of libido powered combining mecha entertainment!? Aquarion EVOL is delicious cheesy goodness wrapped up in a gorgeous colourful package and I loved it to pieces.<br><br /><br><br />43. SAILOR MOON<br><br /><br><br />Really notching up the magical girl shows here! Sailor Moon is a proper classic which combines the sentai, mahou-shoujo and action genres to create a show that everyone is familiar with. Sailor Moon was a gateway drug for me, I loved the show to bits because it was so much fun to watch. I really adored the character designs and the whole setup for the show - sure Usagi is an incurable idiot, but the other Sailor Scouts were awesome and she really improves over the course of the series. Plus the whole battle against the forces of evil is the kind of classical plot that never really ages. Sailor Moon is a show that all anime fans have to have seen at least a bit of at some point!<br><br /><br><br />37. PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA<br><br /><br><br />Another magical girl show with a twist - SHAFTs original series is notable for its creative use of different animation styles and for tackling the grim-dark side of being a magical girl - being Meguka is suffering. The series is stuffed full of wham moments designed to throw the viewer (and the girls in the show) for a loop - it's a show where nothing is as it first seems, scratch the surface of that gleaming near future city and you find a world filled with nightmare fuel. Beware of cute mascot characters offering to grant you your deepest desire - nothing comes without a price, things are too good to be true, and with great power comes great responsibility and suffering.<br><br /><br><br />24. INFINITE RYVIUS<br><br /><br><br />Infinite Ryvius is not an easy show to watch as it drags you to the darkest places humanity can go and you truly suffer along with the characters due to them being so well written. The main strength of Ryvius is its characterisation; the ship feels alive and populated with real people and not just caricatures (although given how huge the cast is, there are some characters that suffer from insufficient development). The series does have a lot of techobabble during its action scenes that I mostly ignored, but that only really adds to the sense of urgency & desperation that permeates the entire show - these kids are really thinking on their feet and making shit up as they go along. In general though Infinite Ryvius does practically everything right, and I would definitely recommend it.<br><br /><br><br />20. SAMURAI CHAMPLOO<br><br /><br><br />Samurai Champloo is one of those shows that are constantly hailed as classics that I had skipped over because I doubted it could be that good - but I finally got round to it, and yes, there is a good reason Samurai Champloo is considered a classic - it is damn good. A triumph of style with its hip-hop aesthetic, Champloo is probably Manglobe's best show as it is well written with highly memorable characters in addition to just looking amazing. It is pretty episodic, but each adventure Mugen, Jin & Fuu find themselves in is interesting and memorable in its own way. I should really know by now that the shows that people remember years down the road are usually the shows that are well worth remembering!<br><br /><br><br />19. ATTACK ON TITAN<br><br /><br><br />Thank god shows like this are being made - they're one of the main reasons I'm an anime fan. A massive blockbuster of a show, Attack on Titan is the kind of series that you cannot help but get swept up in - and I love that feeling. Sure it has pacing issues, and since the manga is ongoing we get a rather inconclusive ending, but all that is over-ruled by just how much fun Attack on Titan is to watch. The action is fantastically animated - that 3D Manoeuvre Gear makes for jaw dropping action scenes - but it is the constant twists and gut-wrenchingly brutal ends some of the characters meet that kept me gripped throughout the show. Series like this make me happy to be an anime fan and I am really delighted that Attack on Titan has proven to be such a massive hit both in Japan and in the Western fandom - I just hope they don't rush into a sequel, that would be disastrous and it would be so much better to wait for a few years to allow the mangaka to finish up the story.<br><br /><br><br />7. JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE<br><br /><br><br />I love shounen shows. I love hugely overblown shows. I love super stylised art. I love everything ridiculous that anime can fire at me. I love Jojo's Bizarre Adventure because it gave me all that and so much more - like an inspired dub-step soundtrack, cyborg Nazis, vampire squirrels and characters named after 80s bands. Jojo's oozes style - from the flamboyant Vogue poses the characters constantly contort themselves into, to the technicoloured rainbow colour palate employed it is an amazing show to look at - every frame is a work of art. Sure the character designs aren't exactly traditionally attractive, but that doesn't mean the show isn't visually appealing - and the characters larger than life actions and personalities are the real draw. I really can't praise Jojo's enough - it was just an amazing trip and I really want to go on another Bizarre Adventure soon - second season please!?<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoNykEKgDAMBMAXpZtWvPib0AYUrA1pRPy9znn2CNuAKi7XoWd6hjdznTPV0VE4L8gMLugvxTBamf7YlW5rEtqo4AMNoRYy' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-43039337862486275002013-09-30T18:31:00.001-07:002013-09-30T18:31:34.936-07:00Autumn 2013 Anime PreviewI'm back bitches~!I have been back in the warm embrace of my PC & wonderful internet connection for three weeks now - it's been a strange experience.For a start Ireland feels bloody tiny, but the crap public transport means that I am sorely missing not having a car.I am pretty much bankrupt thanks to my trip (which was loads of fun) so had a frantic first week home of job searching.Thankfully I got a temporary 2 month contract to tide me over for a while .which meant very little time being a NEET and catching up on things.<br><br /><br><br />Being the obsessive fan I am, I did manage to keep up with a choice selection of shows from the seasons I was AWOL, but still have a lengthy list of things I want to check out - will get round to them eventually.But anyhoo, you're here for the Autumn Preview, so lets get cracking! (Can't tell you how much I missed doing these things - exhausting, but satisfying~!)<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />EDIT: I've also made a guest appearance on - check it out if you want to hear me discussing some of the upcoming titles with JoeAnimated!<br><br /><br><br />SUPER SEISYUN BROTHERS<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: AIC Plus+ (Date A Live, Cat Planet Cuties)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 13th Sept 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Ganbare! Odenkun)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Kimi ni Todoke, Chi's Sweet Home)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Adaptation of Shin Shinmoto's manga series.<br><br /><br><br />The story involves two pairs of teenage elder sister and younger brother, Niimoto's who are a bit of narcissist and Saitou's who look a bit mysterious, and their everyday life in school and at home.<br><br /><br><br />This looks much more s'life & shoujo-y than I'm accustomed to seeing from AIC Plus+ and the team that brought us that timeless classic "Cat Planet Cuties".Information is slim on the ground considering it's airing pretty soon too, so I guess it is a wait and see what happens kind of thing.<br><br /><br><br />DIABOLIK LOVERS<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: ZEXCS (Aku no Hana, D.C. ~Da Capo~)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 16th Sept 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Character designer for D.C. ~Da Capo~, Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka?)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Futari wa Precure Splash, Mokke)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Adaptation of Rejet's vampire drama CD/PSP game.<br><br /><br><br />The story centres around the six sadistic Sakamaki vampire brothers. Yui Komori is a positive-thinking girl who nevertheless is troubled by seeing spirits and experiencing poltergeist phenomena. In her second year in high school, she transfers to a new school -- a night school for entertainers and celebrities -- due to her father's work. There are rumours that there are vampires among the student body, and Yui ends up living with the Sakamaki brothers.<br><br /><br><br />Oh here we go, the latest in rape-y bishie crap and Zexcs to boot!I'll probably watch this if I'm completely honest, even though it looks horrendous on nearly every level (great cast though), because there is just something oddly compelling about these multi-coloured, by-the-numbers bishie shows that I don't seem to get bored of.No doubt it will be awful, but hey at least I can laugh at it and enjoy the voice actors.I'm kind of amused that the director here is mainly a character designer - a sure sign that there is going to be loads of depth to these charactersat least it will look sort of pretty, in a our vampires shop at Hot Topic kind of way.<br><br /><br><br />MISS MONOCHROME -THE ANIMATION-<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Linden Films (Aiura, Genshiken 2nd Season) / Sanzigen (Black Rock Shooter, 009 Re:Cyborg)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 1st Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU:<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Love Hina, Zero no Tsukaima)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Ben-to, Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger)<br><br />PV: (Miss Monochrome in concert)<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: "Miss Monochrome" is an original character design from seiyuu Horie Yui. In March 2012, she first used the "Miss Monochrome" character as a 3D virtual singer to sing her songs at her concert "Horie Yui wo Meguru Bouken III ~Secret Mission Tour~". Later, the character appeared in a range of merchandise as well as in the social network game "Girlfriend (Beta)".<br><br />According to the setting, Miss Monochrome loves only the monochrome style, dislikes all kinds of colour, and always dreams about changing the world into her favourite monochrome colour.<br><br /><br><br />This has me slightly bemused as Miss Monochrome is basically a Hatsune Miku clone made up by Horie Yui.Apparently she has quite a sizeable fanbase in Japan, so I'd imagine this is being made to capitalise on that.It may turn out to be pretty amusing, but I won't hold my breath.<br><br /><br><br />OUTBREAK COMPANY<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: feel. (Kiss x Sis, Shikabane Hime: Kuro)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 3rd Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Minaki-ke: Okaeri)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Yosuga no Sora, Upotte!!)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Adaptation of 's light novel series.<br><br /><br><br />The story centres around Shinichi Kano, a "thoroughbred class" otaku with a light novelist father and an erotic game artist mother. He has no special talents except for his vast knowledge, opinions, and insight on moe.Despite this, the Japanese government assigns Shinichi as a "moe" evangelist to the Holy Eldant Empire, a parallel world with an entrance through a thick forest of trees in the Mount Fuji area. In this fantasy world where dragons soar the skies, Shinichi forms a deep friendship with the half-elf maid girl Myuseru and the beautiful young empress Petoraru. Even as he deals with the threats of war between different factions, he worries that he himself is an invader to this wondrous land.<br><br /><br><br />Hello magical girlfriend light novel series - and bye-bye, I shan't be bothering with you and your overdone concept.<br><br /><br><br />NAGI NO ASUKARA<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: P.A. Works (Tari Tari, True Tears)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 3rd Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Kuroshitsuji, Red Data Girl)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (AKB0048, Hanasaku no Iroha)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Original anime from P.A. Works.<br><br /><br><br />A story between the Sea and the Earth. Childhood friends Hikari and Manaka, who live in the sea, together with their friends Kaname and Chisaki, are forced to attend school on land after their own undersea school is closed. But due to a special encounter, their lives gain a new twist.<br><br /><br><br />There's those overly polished PA Works character designs again - I really wish they'd make their characters look a bit more interesting and less shiny.On the flip side the backgrounds look absolutely gorgeous - as I've come to expect from PA Works.This is an original story from Mari Okada who adores melodrama, so expecting a tonne of that from Nagi no Asukara.It sounds like a pretty run of the mill kind of show with beautiful visuals - so basically typical PA Works.Not overly excited by this.<br><br /><br><br />LOG HORIZON<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Satelight (Aquarion Evol, Fairy Tail)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 5th Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR:(Fairy Tail, Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Dog & Scissors, Inu x Boku SS)<br><br />MUSIC: (Fairy Tail, Shiki)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's fantasy light novel series.<br><br /><br><br />The story begins when 30,000 Japanese gamers are trapped in the fantasy online game world Elder Tale. What was once a "sword-and-sorcery world" is now the "real world." The main lead Shiroe attempts to survive with his old friend Naotsugu and the beautiful assassin Akatsuki.<br><br /><br><br />Once upon a time I'd have been interested in this concept, but then Sword Art Online happened and I don't want to go back there again.Looking at the staff Log Horizon will probably have some pretty action scenes and since it is slated for 26 episodes I'd imagine Satelight are putting a fair bit of money into the production values.That premise though - I just can't do another SAO.Maybe I'll grab the Takanashi soundtrack though.<br><br /><br><br />SEKAI DE ICHIBAN TSUYOKU NARITAI! (I WANNA BE THE STRONGEST IN THE WORLD!)<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Arms (Ikki Tousen, Queen's Blade)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 6th Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR:(Asu no Yoichi, Hagure Yusha no Aestetica)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Gundam AGE, Tactical Roar)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Adaptation of 's manga series.<br><br /><br><br />Hagiwara Sakura and Miyazawa Erena are the leading members of a popular idol group Sweet. One day, Erena is injured by the attack of a female pro-wrestler Kazama Rio during the recording of a TV program. Sakura gets mad at Rio and gives her a dropkick. To avenge Erena, Sakura enters the female pro-wrestling matches.<br><br /><br><br />Why don't Arms just go do some hentai instead of all this soft-core porn?Not a hope in hell of me watching this.<br><br /><br><br />GINGITSUNE<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Diomedea (Lotte no Omocha!, Ika Musume)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 6th Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Capeta, High School Mystery)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Rosario + Vampire, Comic Party)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's Shinto themed manga series.<br><br /><br><br />The story is set at a small Shinto harvest shrine dating back to the Edo period. Makoto Saeki lives with her father (the head priest of the shrine) and Gintar , a kitsune (fox spirit) who happens to be a messenger for the gods. Makoto also happens to be the only one who can see the shrine's kitsune. The series follows the everyday life of Makoto and Gintaras they act as the go-between for the gods and humans.<br><br /><br><br />This is something a bit different from Diomedea, but it still looks rather underwhelming on the whole.It all sounds pretty typical of the child sees spirits genre, so nothing to really get concerned/excited about.May be worth a look just to see how Diomedea deal with a show out of their comfort zone though.<br><br /><br><br />GUNDAM -BUILD FIGHTERS-<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Sunrise (Gintama, Valvrave)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 7th Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (No. 6)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Gundam 00, Infinite Ryvius)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: The story is set in the near future when GunPla Battles, competitions that pit Gundam plastic models against each other, have become popular worldwide in the "Second GunPla Boom." Sei Iori , a first-year middle-school student and the only son of a model shop owner, is talented at building GunPla, but inexperienced in the GunPla Battles. He encounters a mysterious boy named Reiji who happens to be an accomplished Gundam Fighter. Together, they strive for the GunPla Battle world championships. Sei's customized GunPla is the Build Strike Gundam.Other characters include Tatsuya Y ki, the model club president and resident campus "idol" at Sei's school. He is talented at both GunPla building and GunPla Battles, and he already placed in the last GunPla Battle world championships. His nickname is the "Crimson Comet," and his GunPla of choice is the Zaku Amazing.China K saka is a first-year school girl at Sei's academy and a member in both the class council and art club. Her family runs the K saka restaurant.<br><br /><br><br />Yay more Gundam!..oh wait, more GunPla.Sunrise clearly just want to sell toys with this show, and that's pretty okay with me so long as the show looks pretty and has lots of mecha action.It is kind of sad that the Gundam franchise has become such a blatant toy advertisement, but Sunrise have still put a solid staff on this show, so they aren't completely selling out .well they are, but at least they're putting some effort into it.I mean Gundam has always existed to sell toys, but at least we used to get all that fun Sunrise Politics and shipping built around it!I'll be checking this out though, because Gundam.<br><br /><br><br />YOWAMUSHI PEDAL<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: TMS Entertainment (Detective Conan, Kamisama Kiss)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 7th Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR:(D.Gray-Man, Zetman)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Bakuman, K-ON!)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's cycling manga series.<br><br /><br><br />The story centres around Sakamichi Onoda, a high school otaku who loves figures from anime and games so much that he would ride his bicycle to and from Tokyo's Akihabara shopping district in a 90-kilometer (about 60-mile) round trip over steep slopes. The series follows Onoda as he ends up joining the competitive sport of bicycle racing.<br><br /><br><br />First of the sizeable batch of sports anime coming out this season and I am pretty interested in this.I can't profess to be a massive fan of cycling, and the character designs don't really get me massively excited about seeing lots of men in spandex.However I usually end up pretty engrossed by sports anime once I give them a fair chance, so I'll be checking out Yowamushi too.<br><br /><br><br />GALILEI DONNA - STORIA DI TRE SORELLE A CACCIA DI UN MISTERO<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online, AnoHana)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU:<br><br />DIRECTOR & ORIGINAL CONCEPT:(Kite, Girl's High)<br><br />CHARACTER DESIGN: (Sword Art Online, Working!)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Original anime series airing in the noitaminA timeslot.<br><br /><br><br />The story is about "three moons" -- three of Italian astronomer Galileo's female descendants who are on international wanted lists.<br><br /><br><br />Looks like noitaminA is back in top form this season with not just one original series, but two!Galilei Donna is A-1 Pictures offering and has a trio of bishoujo, some pretty nice promo art and an unusual choice of director.Umetsu has been in the business quite a long time, but he's probably best known for gritty, violent and borderline pornographic OVAs, so I am very interested to see what kind of angle he'll be going for with Galilei Donna, especially with those very standard character designs.Definitely one to check out.<br><br /><br><br />SAMURAI FLAMENCO<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Manglobe (Karneval, Samurai Champloo)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />Seiyuu:<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Baccano!, Durarara!!, Jigoku Shoujo, Natsume Yuujinchou)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Kannagi, OreImo, Read or Die)<br><br />CHARACTER DESIGNER: (Uta no Prince-sama, Aquarion Evol)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Original anime series airing in the noitaminA timeslot for two cours.<br><br /><br><br />The anime's taglines read, "To those 'adults' who don't want to become adults " and "Hero will never give up, never hide, never be defeated, never accept evil."<br><br /><br><br />The other original show airing in noitaminA, and I am trying not to get overly excited about it ..with little luck, there is just too much here that I like the sound of.First off let's talk Manglobe - looks like they may be making a comeback after a run of abysmal, uninspired shows.Samurai Flamenco certainly looks like something that the Manglobe of old would turn out - the studio that gave us unrepentantly stylish shows like Samurai Champloo & Ergo Proxy.However the real reason I'm so excited about this is the director - Omori has worked on so many shows that ride high in my favourites, and I'm really excited to see a new show from him that isn't Natsume Yuujinchou (even if I adore that series).The pretty bishie character designs from the lady who gave us the UtaPri boys doesn't hurt my excitement any either.Can't wait to check Samurai Flamenco out.<br><br /><br><br />KILL LA KILL<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Trigger (Inferno Cop, Little Witch Academia)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Gurren-Lagann)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION & SCRIPT: (Gurren-Lagann, Nodame Cantabile: Finale)<br><br />CHARACTER DESIGNS & ANIMATION DIRECTOR:(Redline, One Piece)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Original series.<br><br /><br><br />The story is set in a high school that the student council president Satsuki Kiry in rules by force. Ry ko Matoi, a transfer student wielding a giant Basami scissors sword, brings about upheaval on the campus.<br><br /><br><br />Here we go.Studio Trigger's first foray into the world of tv anime after a testing the waters with low budget web ova's.Trigger are basically all the talented people from Gainax who left to form their own studio - so essentially all those who worked on shows like TTGL & Panty & Stocking led by Hiroyuki Imaishi.It will be interesting to see how Kill La Kill turns out - there is no way it can be anything other than superbly animated with jaw-dropping action scenes, but I am slightly concerned about how much actual depth there will be to the story.Beautifully animated action can only get a show so far, I need to care about the characters to really love a series.I'm still pretty damn excited to see what Trigger can do with a proper TV budget though considering I adored the dirt cheap Inferno Cop.<br><br /><br><br />TOKYO RAVENS<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: 8-bit Studios (Busou Shinki, Infinite Stratos)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Kore wa Zombie desu ka?, School Rumble S2)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION:(Kannagi, OreImo, Read or Die)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of K hei Azano's supernatural fantasy light novel series.<br><br /><br><br />The story centers around Harutora, a boy from a branch of the Tsuchimikado family of onmy d occult practitioners. However, he lacks the ability to see spirit energy, so he is now just an ordinary high school student. Natsume, a girl who was Harutora's childhood friend and the next head of the Tsuchimikado family, reunites with Harutora and changes his future.<br><br /><br><br />Let us do the check-list. Light novel, set in high school, supernatural elements, beautiful girl randomly attached to ordinary protagonist ..I wonder how many shows with exactly the same building blocks are out there?The only positive thing I have to say about this show is that they seem to be putting a lot of effort into the action, rather than focusing on the boobs/arse of the lead girl, even though the budget is clearly not stellar.The staff have worked on a mixture of good & bad stuff and Tokyo Ravens does have a pretty decent cast too.I'm still not excited about it, but it may turn out to be watchable.<br><br /><br><br />ACE OF DIAMOND<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Madhouse (Death Note, Chihayafuru) /Production I.G. (Blood-C, Eden of the East)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 6th Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR:(Polar Bear Caf , Kobato.)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Blood Lad, Toshokan Sensou<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's baseball manga series.<br><br /><br><br />The story follows Eijun Sawamura, a pitcher who joins an elite school with a brilliant catcher named Kazuya Miyuki. Together with the rest of the team, they strive for Japan's storied K shien championships through hard work and determination.<br><br /><br><br />Next sports series on the block.This one is yet another baseball series, but can boast that it has both Madhouse and Production IG working on it!There's no PV or anime promo art about though, so I can't judge how much of a budget this is getting.Other than that rather amazing animation studio collaboration, Ace of Diamond doesn't really stand out - it seems like your bog standard baseball series with a hot-blooded main character.I will of course look at the first episode, but think that the other sports series this season may have more potential.<br><br /><br><br />KYOUKAI NO KANATA<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Kyoto Animation (Free!, K-ON!)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR:(KyoAni episode director)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Level E, Steins;Gate)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's light novel series.<br><br /><br><br />The dark fantasy follows a high school sophomore named Akihito Kanbara. Although the boy appears human, he is half Y mu and invulnerable to wounds because he can heal quickly. One day, Akihito meets freshman Mirai Kuriyama when it seems she is about to jump from the school rooftop. Mirai is isolated because of her ability to manipulate blood, which is unique even among members of the underworld. Disturbing events begin to unfold after Akihito saves Mirai.<br><br /><br><br />You either like KyoAni stuff or you don't.The studio is exceptionally consistent with what they turn out - beautifully animated shows filled with cute girls, doing cute things.I like personally like KyoAni.Even if I detest K-ON! the studio still gave me Haruhi, Hyou-ka & Free!, so they're okay in my book.The setup for Kyoukai no Kanata seems rather familiar, and I definitely can't say it's the most original concept in the world.There are a tonne of these girl/boy with supernatural powers shows, most notable being the Monogatari series, which relies on its dialogue & crazy direction/animation to save it from being boring.Not sure how it will work out, but my god does the animation ever look spectacular, hope the writing is as good.I'm pleased that KyoAni are trying a new genre, even if they can't tear themselves away from highschoolers yet, so I'll definitely be watching this.<br><br /><br><br />STRIKE THE BLOOD<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Silver Link (BakaTest, Dusk Maiden of Amnesia) /Connect<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />CHIEF DIRECTOR:(Chitose Get You!) DIRECTOR:(Prince of Tennis II)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Accel World, Magi)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's (Dantalian no Shoka, Asura Cryin') vampire light novel series.<br><br /><br><br />The school action fantasy story of Strike the Blood revolves around KojAkatsuki, a boy deemed the world's most powerful vampire (once thought to only exist in legend and lore), and Yukina Hirameki, a girl entrusted with watching over the vampire and if needed, hunting him down.<br><br /><br><br />Oh hello typical light novel set-up, and Silver Link to boot!?Having watched the previous adaptations of this author's work, I can't say I'm too excited about Strike the Blood - generally his work is watchable, but pretty forgettable.There's too much else going on this season to bother with this.<br><br /><br><br />GOLDEN TIME<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: J.C. Staff (Hayate no Gotoku, Kimi to Boku)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Higurashi no naku koro ni, Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Clannad, Infinite Stratos)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's (Toradora) light novel series.<br><br /><br><br />The school romantic comedy of Golden Time revolves around Banri Tada, a college student who lost all of his memories before his high school graduation. The story follows Banri, K ko Kaga (a girl whose seemingly perfect looks belies her hidden regrets), K ko's significant other Mitsuo Yanagisawa, and other students at Banri's college in Tokyo.<br><br /><br><br />Oh look - college students! Not highschoolers - YAY!And the author of the pretty decent Toradora?I could get behind this.However the combo of JC Staff and Chiaki Kon puts a bit of a dampener on things.JC Staff haven't really turned out anything worthwhile in recent years, while Kon has been lost to the world of rape-y BL for a while now, so I'm not sure how she'll handle this show, which actually does have an interesting premise.A wait and see show I think, hopefully it will turn out decent.<br><br /><br><br />ARPEGGIO OF BLUE STEEL -ARS NOVA-<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Sanzigen (Black Rock Shooter, 009 Re:Cyborg)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Humanity Has Declined, Persona 4)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Danganronpa, Katanagatari)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's science-fiction naval manga series.<br><br /><br><br />In the story, humanity lost much of its developed land due to global warming in the first half of the 21st century. Then, a "Fleet of Fog" loaded with super weapons suddenly appears all over the world. Without the ability to withstand this fleet, humanity was defeated and could no longer travel the seas. 17 years after the devastating naval war, GunzChihaya and his friends somehow commandeer a "Fleet of Fog" submarine named I-401. Together with Iona (I-401 s "mental model"), they take on the "Fleet of Fog."<br><br /><br><br />The series features four ships with female Mental Models (physical incarnations in humanoid form).<br><br /><br><br />I was pretty interested in this until I saw Seiji Kishi is the director.Kishi is one of the most inconsistent directors out there and all his shows seem to have some sort of weird choppy feel to them where he can't decide what tone he wants to settle on. The PV seems to be mostly focusing on the action aspect, so that doesn't really raise my hopes for a meaty story either - but I'll be pretty okay with cute girls taking each other out with massive battleships.Will check it out.<br><br /><br><br />KIKOU SHOUJO WA KIZUTSUKANAI -UNBREAKABLE MACHINE DOLL-<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Lerche (Carnival Phantasm, Fate/Prototype)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR:(Genshiken 2, Queen's Blade)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Chihayafuru 2, Persona 4)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's light novel series.<br><br /><br><br />It is the early 20th century, and Raishin Akabane is a student puppeteer from Japan, who has come to the Walpurgis Royal Academy of Machine Arts in England to study the emerging field of Machinart: a combination of magic and technology with military applications. He is accompanied by a girl named Yaya, who is actually his Automaton: a living machine doll powered by magical circuits specialized in hand-to-hand combat. In the Academy, there is a combat tournament exclusive to the Top 100 students and their automata, to decide who shall be bestowed with the title of "Wiseman", the greatest puppeteer.<br><br /><br><br />I believe that there are quite a few fans of this light novel series, but in my experience that doesn't mean a show will be good - just look at Sword Art Online.Seems like a reasonable amount of effort has gone into this adaptation, which should make the fans happy.However I shall be avoiding as it is just screaming 'bog standard light novel' at me.<br><br /><br><br />COPPELION<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO:<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Autumn 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR:<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's sci-fi military action manga series.<br><br /><br><br />The story is set in 2036, after radioactive contamination from a nuclear accident has put Tokyo under a blockade. Three high school girls have been sent to this dead city. Thanks to genetic engineering, the three girls have been impervious to radioactivity since birth. They form a Special Forces unit, codenamed "Coppelion," in the 3rd Division of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force.<br><br /><br><br />Judging from the random filters and camera angles on display in the PV, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is obviously GoHands.Coppelion has an interesting history - it was originally supposed to be made a couple of years back, but its premise hit a little too close to home in the wake of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and was shelved.But now Coppelion is back, and it does look pretty amazing.Not entirely convinced by the genetically engineered school girls (why school girls?) but the action looks pretty cool & the promo art is gorgeously detailed.I will definitely be checking out Coppelion, hopefully it delivers.<br><br /><br><br />ORE NO NOUNAI SENTAKUSHI GA, GAKUEN LOVE COME O ZENRYOKU DE JAMA SHITE (NOUCOME)<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Diomedea (Lotte no Omocha!, Ika Musume)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Muv-Luv Alternative, Rosario + Vampire<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Jewelpet)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's light novel series. Translates as MY MENTAL MULTIPLE-CHOICE POWER IS COMPLETELY RUINING MY SCHOOL ROMANTIC COMEDY.<br><br /><br><br />The story centres around Kanade Amakusa, a boy cursed with the mental power of "absolute multiple-choice" -- a multiple-choice quiz will suddenly appear in his mind, and the choice he makes will become his reality. For example, he would have to choose between going nude from the waist up or the waist down in school. While in school, he is given another choice: 1) A beautiful girl will fall before him or 2) he will fall from the rooftop in female clothes. He chooses option 1, and a blonde girl named Chocolat falls before him.<br><br /><br><br />The girl in the PV has clearly been huffing helium.This show just seems like a collection of things that make me want to run for the hills.Light novel with ridiculously long name and stupid gimmick.Magical girlfriend falling into bland male leads lap. The director of Rosario+Vampire.Diomedea.All things that trigger my flight response.This is going to be terrible - avoid.<br><br /><br><br />MEGANE-BU!<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Studio Deen (Sankarea, Junjou Romantica)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (This Boy Can Fight Aliens!)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Arakawa Under the Bridge, Mysterious Girlfriend X)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime about an 'Eyeglasses Club' based on a drama CD.<br><br /><br><br />Akira S ma is the 17-year old club president and founder of the eyeglasses club. He categorizes all of humanity into three groups: "glasses," "those who don't wear glasses," and "the ladies." He scolds those who wears contacts, going around and calling them "weaklings!!" There are many times when he, the passionate boy that he is, would argue with his fellow club-mates about glasses. His favorite kind of glasses are ones with square frames, and both of his eyes have 0.03 vision (in the Japanese eyeglasses prescription notation).<br><br /><br><br />Hahahaha~! I am so watching this~!This has to be one of the most vapid premises ever, but it looks PRETTY!I enjoyed Soubi Yamamoto's two 'Kono Danshi' BL OVA's so I'm interested to see what she does with a full show.Of late Studio Deen have been putting a lot of effort into making their shows look really pretty (if kind of shallow) so I have no doubt Megane-bu will be more of the same.Still there is no getting around the fact this show has the depth of a puddle - it's based off a fecking drama CD. About boys who wear glasses.How does this even work!?Still I generally like the megane bishie of any show, so with that in mind (and my innate enjoyment of mindless bishie fluff) I'll be watching Megane-bu!<br><br /><br><br />NON NON BIYORI<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Silver Link (BakaTest, Dusk Maiden of Amnesia)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: 7th Oct 2013<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Kokoro Connect, .hack//Gift)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION & SCRIPT: (Bakuman, Tamako Market)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's schoolgirl manga series.<br><br /><br><br />The slice-of-life comedy is set in a countryside school with only five students total, including: first grader Renge Miyauchi, first-year middle school student Natsumi Koshigaya, and second-year middle school student Komari Koshigaya.The nearest bookstore is 20 minutes away by bicycle, a certain "Jup" magazine comes out on Wednesdays instead of Mondays, and the video rental store is 10 stations away.Fifth-grade schoolgirl Hotaru Ichijtransfers from Tokyo to this school and readjusts to the slow life in the country.<br><br /><br><br />This is from the same Silver Link team that put together Kokoro Connect, complete with the director who used to do a lot of Bee Train stuff.Kokoro Connect was pretty different to most other Silver Link shows, even if I did get frustrated with it by the end, but that was more to do with the story than the direction.Non Non Biyori looks like another different kind of show for the studio - it feels very quiet and s'life, but given my history with quiet, s'life shows, I don't think I'll enjoy it.Still this seems like it will be harmless and cute - if you like this kind of show.<br><br /><br><br />WALKURE ROMANZE<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: 8-bit Studio (Infinite Stratos, Encouragement of Climb)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Autumn<br><br />SEIYUU: , , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR:(B Gata H Kei, Welcome to the NHK)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION: (Ben-to, Tantei Opera Milky Holmes)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of 's eroge.<br><br /><br><br />The story centres around Takahiro Mizuno, a student training to be a begleiter (knight's assistant) at an academy where aspiring knights joust. He himself had come to this academy to train as a knight, after becoming the unrivaled junior champion in his own home country. However, an injury in a tournament's finals forced him to withdraw. Instead, he decides to be a begleiter to one of the academy's maiden knights and help her win.<br><br /><br><br />Why do these shows feel the need to ram in a school setting regardless of the subject matter?Anyway, this looks like your classic trashy eroge adaptation, complete with the usual set up of a bland male lead surrounded by vapid women scrambling for his cock. The setting for this is slightly unusual given the jousting angle, but those completely impractical armour designs are just stupid.The staff is noteworthy in that they can usually make the worst premise kinda fun, but I don't think they can work their magic on this rubbish.Avoiding<br><br /><br><br />BLAZBLUE -ALTER MEMORY-<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Team KG/Hoods Entertainment (Mysterious Girlfriend X)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Autumn<br><br />SEIYUU: , , ,<br><br />DIRECTOR:(Dragon Crisis!, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira~!)<br><br />SERIES COMPOSITION & SCRIPT: (Arakawa Under the Bridge, Asura Cryin')<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Anime adaptation of ' fighting game franchise.<br><br /><br><br />The story is set in December of 2199, when the streets are full of anticipation for the end of the year and the start of the new one. Amid the celebrations, word spreads that Ragna the Bloodedge, an SS-class rebel with the highest ever bounty on his head, has appeared in the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi. The apparent aim of Ragna or the "Grim Reaper" is the destruction of the system controlling the world. To collect the bounty, a motley array of unrivalled fighters converge on Kagutsuchi.<br><br /><br><br />This looks like your stereotypical anime game adaptation - just look at those character designs!Not being a gamer I don't really get these shows since the mechanics of anime are utterly different to a game, causing most adaptations to feel clunky and awkward.I don't really have much faith in the staff on board here either - Hoods turn out the trashiest shows and the director has produced some garbage too.I suppose if you just focus on the action and ignore everything else BlazBlue may work, but I can't see much hope for this adaptation no matter how entertaining the source game franchise may be.<br><br /><br><br />NEPPU KAIRIKU BUSHI ROAD<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Kinema Citrus (Bottom Biting Bug, Yuyushiki)<br><br />JAPANESE AIRDATE: Autumn<br><br />SEIYUU:<br><br />DIRECTOR: (Princess Resurrection, Needless)<br><br />SCREENPLAY: (Nitroplus writer)<br><br />PV:<br><br /><br><br />SUMMARY: Collaboration between Bushiroad, video distributor , software company , and anime studio . Will be part of a new card game and involves mecha somehow.<br><br /><br><br />The character Ame is a princess miko formerly of the country Ise, YagySuis a cursed human weapon and Kazusa Shin is a young leader of the mighty country T rai.<br><br /><br><br />Apparently this is a reboot of this project after everyone originally working on it bailed.Originally it was a collab between Broccoli, Gainax & Nitroplus, but that has changed to Bandai, Kinema Citrus & Nitroplus.There is no actual word on if this will actually happen this season, and details about the plot/cast are non-existent at this stage.It kind of feels like a glorious mess & I'm actually pretty interested in seeing what comes out of this strange mixture.Will be looking out for more information.<br><br /><br><br />PUPA<br><br /><br><br />ANIMATION STUDIO: Stud<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoVykEOgCAMBMAXwRY96W8abCKJBVJAvi9eJ3P3Xk8gsnFO8vhZ7KomrflYFBuFHXSAAnj0odn94lZVcau9SSY%2BDk8Wig%3D%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9096903337938979059.post-83829703587979316592013-09-30T13:16:00.001-07:002013-09-30T13:16:41.878-07:00Top Five TV Series For Getting Into AnimeAnime. It seems interesting to many folks, but then they get turned off by its reputation for creepy juvenile fantasy. And that's really too bad, because the genre has a lot to offer if you know where to look. Like many folks, my first introduction to the anime genre was via popular films by(, , etc.) and then later with lesser films such as or film adaptations of TV series. But when I first tried to expand my awareness of the anime genre into the realm of television, I was immediately struck by how many of the highly-recommended shows seemed to be rather childish and really struggled to compete with live-action sci-fi/fantasy for my interest. Was anime simply not for me? I didn't want to write off an entire genre of film, and so I continued sorting through the dross until I was able to identify the sort of anime series that I actually liked. This list is intended for casual viewers who find themselves in a similar position.<br><br /><br><br />The difficulty with coming up with Top 5 lists is that they are often so subjective. Elements that can make a show a favorite can also be deal-breakers for other viewers. Since I came at this list from the perspective of a sci-fi fan rather than an anime-lover per se, I'm quite sure that some of my reasons for excluding veteran shows will be anathema for some. For example, this list is mostly composed of newer shows since I don't feel that the animation and characterization of many older anime has aged well (like /). Cue vitriol.<br><a name='more'></a><br><br /><br><br />That said, I made my picks based on the following criteria: Good animation and sound production, well-written characters with a minimum of teenage angst (the otherwise excellent , for example, is clearly intended for kids), and considered plot development are a must. And while a degree of awkward romance, misogynistic fan-service and simplistic deus ex machina is to be expected from the genre, they're not elements that I particularly admire. I also looked for general accessibility - shows with lots of exaggerated Japanese archetypes or sprawling epic narratives like are difficult for a casual viewer to get into. The same can be said for niche works like the artsy and ethereal , whose beautiful storytelling needs a certain amount of cultural familiarity to be understood. And finally I tried to pick out shows that have those elusive qualities of style and creative design that catalyze a decent show into a great one that is worth watching independent of the genre.<br><br /><br><br />TOP FIVE TV INTRO ANIME SERIES<br><br /><br><br />1.<br><br /><br><br />'s 1998 classic regularly tops these sorts of lists, and for good reason. Its compelling combination of strong characterization, aware writing, and imaginative setting makes for a fantastic watch. Fantastic sound design by and consistent themes of Blues and film noir adds a layer of cultural sophistication to the show and helps define each episode. Widely-considered a "gateway show" to the anime genre, Cowboy Bebop tells the story of a small group of space-faring bounty hunters on a constant hunt for their next meal-ticket. Fans of 's series will find the concept eerily familiar. Featuring an accessible episodic structure that can feel slow-paced to some, it's recommended that viewers start with the fifth and sixth episodes (which introduce the over-arching narrative) before returning to the pilot episodes (which focus on assembling the cast).<br><br /><br><br />Note: Cowboy Bebop can be .<br><br /><br><br />2.<br><br /><br><br />Watanabe followed up his acclaimed Cowboy Bebop in 2004 by leaving the sci-fi genre in favor of a medieval Japan chock-full of samurais with a hip-hop attitude. Gorgeously-detailed animation and a distinctly modern tone clearly differentiates Samurai Champloo from his previous show, though astute viewers will see plenty of similarities in the construction of the two works (from prominent sound design to a reliance on hunger to advance the plot). With constant references to art, music, history and culture, the story follows a pair of odd couple sword-fighters who journey all over Japan while helping a feisty girl find the mysterious "Samurai who smells of sunflowers". While many anime series have been set in the Edo Period and featured questing samurai, Champloo does so with such style and aplomb that it quickly outpaces the rest. As 's interjected youthful vitality into its franchise, Samurai Champloo takes a tired formula and reboots it with all the confidence of a MTV music video.<br><br /><br><br />Note: Samurai Champloo can be streaming.<br><br /><br><br />3.<br><br /><br><br />Coming from the cyberpunk tradition of classic anime likeand 1980's sci-fi like 's , the Ghost in the Shell series has some serious street cred that the others in this list lack. This is reflected in its placement on the list, since it's precisely the kind of unique quality that catalyzes a mere TV show into a cultural phenomenon. GITS abounds with the mixture of techno-futurism and meta-philosophizing that characterizes great science fiction, and its ability to seamlessly move between the two marks it as a series well-worth watching. Set in a dystopian near-future, a group of tough urban cops battle corporate overreach and cyber-terrorism as the show explores the conflict between society and technology (in particular cybernetics). If it sounds too much like a clich , it's only because so many others have emulated the concepts that it pioneered (thedirectly pitched as a live-action version of GITS) . There's several versions of Ghost in the Shell available, but start with the 2002 release of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.<br><br /><br><br />Note: Ghost in the Shell: SAC can be .<br><br /><br><br />4.<br><br /><br><br />Sharing a similar setting and urban flavor with Samurai Champloo, it would be easy to conflate the two, but this show has a sharper edge. If the former is the flashy MTV music video of samurai anime, then Afro Samurai is the bloody take on the same concept - complete with voicing a vengeful samurai character that is straight out of . Set in a brutally feudal future Japan, a handful of fighters engage in a constant battle for the ownership of the Number 1 Headband that would declare them to be the best warrior. The story is told from the perspective of Jackson's Afro Samurai character as he travels to confront the current Number 1, reflecting on his life's journey that led up to that point. With only a handful of episodes and a focus on action and mood, the 2007 release of Afro Samurai has a straightforward plot and limited character development compared to other shows in this list, but it does a great job of drawing the viewer into its world - a task fueled by the excellent hip hop soundtrack composed by Wu-Tang Clan's .<br><br /><br><br />Note: Afro Samurai can be streaming.<br><br /><br><br />5.<br><br /><br><br />Some may have noticed at this point that there's a few gaping holes in this list in terms of the types of anime. Most of these series have featured small casts, episodic production, and plots that trend toward the interpersonal rather than epic. And this is mostly because the shows about giant robot wars and magic high-school harems are typically so, so bad.But it's about time that I throw those folks a bone and bring in at least one excellent space opera in the form of Space Battleship Yamato: 2199. It is the latest in a long line of shows that goes all the way back to the original 1974 , which started the so-called "golden age of anime" (along with ). Rebooted in 2012, Yamato represents a living history of the military anime sub-genre. And this means that Yamato inherits both good and bad elements: ambitious story-telling and imaginative sci-fi, as well as catsuits and convenient super-weapons. Fortunately this latest edition does a comparatively decent job of keeping those tendencies in check, while also leaving behind the campy animation of its predecessors, which allows the show to blossom into an excellent piece of contemporary sci-fi. Often compared to , the show mixes politics, character drama and space battles as it follows the crew of the Yamato as they journey on a mission to save humanity.<br><br /><br><br />Note: Space Battleship Yamato: 2199 can be .<br><br /><br><br />Runner-up:<br><br /><br><br />This contender doesn't have the chops to push its way into the Top 5, but its slow-burning character development and believable depiction of astronauts in the near future make it an excellent watch. Unlike its laser-blasting and warp jumping brethren in mainstream sci-fi, Planetes is in the highly realistic category of "hard science fiction" (as is the acclaimed ). With its adherence to things like null gravity, delayed communications, and conservation of energy, Planetes showcases the difficulties of learning how to live in space. In a similarly limited vein, the story features a small crew of technicians living aboard a corporate space station, who are tasked with the thankless yet necessary job of orbital debris collection. If you like your science fiction with a second helping of space suits and vector navigation, then this is definitely worth a watch.<br><br /><br><br />Honorable Mention:<br><br /><br><br />Not to be confused with the with 's blue-skinned blockbuster, nor the terrible live-action adaption, Avatar: The Last Airbender is the flagship of 's latest award-winning franchise. Developed by an American company and constructed on a multi-cultural framework, the show is technically is not an anime (which took it out of the running for this list) but its Asian-themed world and characters certainly makes it feel like one. The show tells the story of a young monk who must travel the world in order to master the four elements of magic (air, water, earth and fire) and confront the evil emperor. It's not , but with consistently likable characters, good episodic writing, solid voice-acting and an engaging world, Avatar is emblematic of a kids anime done right. Even as an adult, it's very easy to get sucked into the humorous adventures of Aang and his magic-wielding friends. Its rampant popularity means that there's a very good chance that any kids you know have already watched this show and picked out what their own element would be, so you better catch up!<br /><a href='http://blogfog.aws.af.cm/ad/site.php?u=eNoFwdENgCAMBcCJSlG%2FdBxJgSZACX0hju9dBebDLF8Sd5s61EZ4mxWfhpCs8xmPi%2BPNsElZtxA2uSwVp2yLigA6CumAhYreftccHfc%3D' target='details'>Full Post</a><br />Animonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09205122367223626862noreply@blogger.com0