I’m definitely back for 2014

I rarely make New Year’s Resolutions but this time, I’m going to be serious. Asides from the RL stuff, I’m definitely going back into blogging. Though, I might not do the usual anime episodic blogging, I could post some movie and anime reviews that I’ve seen for the past months.

Anyway,Winter 2014……looks a bit meh…..but I made some choices:

• Space Dandy- The dandiest man in space made by the creator of Cowboy Bebop. It probably looks like some slapstick show following the (mis)adventures of Dandy (that’s his name). I know there’s a 10 minute sneak peak but I rather see the full episode first.
• Hoozuki no Reitetsu- I don’t know what’s this all about. The synopsis is about some demon dude who solves problems or something. Idk. Someone in tumblr keep reblogging this. So, I might check it out.
• Gin no Saji S2- I’ve watched the first season which looks good. And with the second season coming, there might be more interesting stuff for our main protagonist, Hachiken.

I’ll probably watched Nobunaga the Fool and Strange+ if the first impressions are good. I’ll continue watching Kill la Kill, Samurai Flamenco and Phi Brain 3

The Wolverine (2013) review

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movie, review, wolverine

I’m back after a four month hiatus. So now, I’ll start my comeback with a movie review of The Wolverine. I’ve reviewed the anime back in 2011 which is part of the Marvel anime project created by Madhouse. So, to be fair, I’ve decided to review the movie as well. The anime’s and the movie’s plot is based from the 4 part comic mini series written by Chris Claremont where Wolverine goes to Japan and meets Mariko. While the anime is decent, the movie really made it more entertaining as it connects the story with the X-Men 3: The Last Stand. Oh, and this movie seemed to throw out anything related to X-Men: Origins as if it never happened XD. Note: This movie is NOT an X-Men movie. Sure, Wolverine is a member of the X-Men but remember, he appeared before the debut of the X-Men.

Currently on a break

If anyone wonder why I’m not updating the blog despite the new shows this year, it’s because I’m slowly losing interest in watching the latest anime. Sure, there are great shows like Attack on Titan and the others. But ever since the Oscar season, I put most of the Winter 2013 animes on hold and only watched Psycho-pass since it’s the only show which I’m only interested and that I’ve blogged it since October. And looking at the currently watched shows, I haven’t got around to continue them.

And now, I’m spending more time in tumblr, watching movies and checking out the latest movie news which is not the celebrity gossip crap since  they’re shitty stuff that the American media makes up just to make money and feed on the average person’s stupidity.

So, why is this happening to me? Well, we all know it’s because the industry keeps feeding on the moe and ecchi crap to its target audience which is why some anime fans began to lose interest on the current shows and that casual and foreign fans no longer find the current shows appealing anymore. Sure, there are some shows which don’t fall on these trends but it’s hard enough that the fanservice-y shows got more attention. Yeah, we could get used to it but now, it’s very tiring actually.

I understand why the industry kept doing and I’m not against since I’ve watched some shows which have those trends and yet, have good storylines. But now, I’m getting tired of it. I guess my interests and tastes changed as I grow up. Instead of the youth-oriented shows which most teenagers are watching today, I’m more interested in those which has adults as main characters. Except they’re outnumbered.

Try asking any anime fan who is not currently watching any show this year (or the last few years), they would say, “Is there an anime like Cowboy Bebop etc.?” or “Is there an anime where there’s no boob flashing, moeblob or any fanservice type?” Well, you couldn’t give a straight answer right away. Sure, there are some but it depends on how storyline appeals to them.

However, I’m still reading manga which explains my updated manga list. So, yeah, I’m on a break in watching anime (except for the anime movies). Don’t worry, this is just a phrase and I might come back if there is something interesting. I’ll only blog if I have something to say.

My twitter is still open though I tend to tweet a lot of rant these days. And you find me in my tumblr.

Blood-C: The Last Dark Impressions

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blood-c the last dark, movie, rant, review

Finally, after 9 months of waiting, I finally watched Blood-C: The Last Dark. This movie received a Fantasia award and reached No # 10 in the Japanese box office. However, it got some mixed reviews from critics. But that doesn’t stop me from waiting it for long. And in the end, my high expectations on this movie went down the drain……. Warning: before you think this is some sort of rant post, just so you know, I am excited about this movie and you’ve seen how much I made a lot of posts about this movie.

Will Spring pull my interest back on anime?

Here’s what I’m going to watch for Spring 2013:

• Anime Mirai 2013– all of them most especially Death Billiards and Ryo
• Yondemasu-yo, Azazel-san 2nd season– I love the first season! And I’m glad we get to see more of the cast!
• Shingeki no Kyojin– If you have seen the trailer, you know it’s going to be a wild one! I hope the director brings this one into an epic level after the Guilty Crown fiasco.

I might watch Suisei no Gargantia (since, you know, it’s Urobuchi) and Kakumeiki Valvrave (another mecha which might be the next Code Geass or something.) Sadly, the 2nd Code Geass: Akito of the Exiled will be on Summer. So, yeah, we might wait for it probably next year for the DVD.

You noticed that I haven’t been watching anime and reading manga for the past weeks. Again, you might think this is due to real life. Yes, it’s true since I’m about to finish my graduate studies this year. But the real reason is that I’ve been caught up with the “Oscar fever” and been watching Hollywood movies ranging from Les Miserables to Silver Linings Playbook.  Probably, after the Oscars, I might get back into watching anime. I guess this is a phase since earlier in January, my interest in anime is dwindling due to the recent anime trends (Obviously, you know what are those). So, will these new Spring animes bring me back into anime? Maybe.

Les Miserables 2012 Impressions

Finally, I got a chance to watch the movie version of the Les Miserables musical. It is directed by Oscar-winning director, Tom Hooper, and stars Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe. The story tells about an ex-convict named Jean Valjean, who broke his parole so he can go back to the good side. But he is now pursued by Inspector Javert, who still believes that he’s a bad guy. While on the run, Valjean made a promise to Fantine that he will take care of her child, Cosette, when she dies. Few years later, Valjean fulfills his promise and Cosette grows up into a beautiful lady. However, their lives got entangled in an uprising led by French Republicans.

Blood-C English Dub Impressions

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Anime, blood-c, review, seiyuu

In case you didn’t notice, the English dub of Blood-C is out on the webs. I’ll not tell you where I found it (Google is your friend, guys) and no, I didn’t watch this in Fumination because I’m not in North America. And to save myself of seeing the agony of watching the whole series, I only watched a few selected episodes.

source: pixiv

If you guys are asking about the singing, it’s in dub too! Alexis Tipston really did a remarkable job as the moe!Saya. But as for the stoic!Saya….it’s a bit problematic. I was wondering what she sounds like in the movie most especially when she screams Fumito’s name.

Robert McCollum is as brilliant as fuck. This guy is really talented. Guess they should hire him for more creepy villain roles. I mean, the last part of episode 12 is really awesome where he’s like flipping the middle finger on Saya!

Wow, Martha Harms is awesome here too! She’s like a “what the fuck is wrong here?” and then she became her usual and domineering self.

Lindsay Seindel did a good job here with the twin factor just like Misato Fukuen.

Chris Burnett sounds like an everyday guy instead of what Atsushi Abe envisioned: “the strong high-school rep” and Scott Freeman is okay as Tokizane as well as Lydia Mackay when she played as Kanako.

But Bill Jenkins……uhm, he sounds like a typical English man and IMO, him playing as Tadayoshi really doesn’t fit.

And Todd Haberkorn is still awesome as WataInu.

Overall, the English dub is quite good with some exceptions.

Anyway, reviews on the BD/DVD are up.  There’s still no word on the movie cast since we still need to wait for its BD/DVD release on February.

Zettai Karen Children–The UNLIMITED #1: Kouji Yusa Galore!!

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Anime, introduction, zettai karen children the unlimited

All right, I didn’t planned to blog this initially. But after seeing the first episode and with my bias for the main character’s voice actor, I decided to blog this series. BTW, I didn’t watch or read the original series, so yeah, I might get lost with the terms used in this anime. But the mangaka suggested that you can still watch it without looking into the original series.

Fall 2012 Final Impressions

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code breaker, final impressions, k, rant, review

Well, Fall 2012 has wrapped up its last airing before New Year while its two-cour shows (Psycho-pass, Shin Sekai Yori and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure) went on a break. So, yes, I’ll only give my final impressions of K and Code:Breaker.

• K– Now this one really bugged me. I asked myself why I’m not so much attached to this show unlike my friends in the aarinfantasy forums and tumblr. Yeah, sure, the story is all over the place but I do like it. However, some of the background of the characters are covered in the manga and novels which I’ve never read. Idk if this is some sort of technique for the producers to say “buy this so you can understand the story”. I mean, come on! I do like the Star Wars movies even though I didn’t read the expanded universe. But why is it that this anime failed to grab my attention? It’s because of the characters. I mean, I’ll be really honest: there seem to be a lack of progress and development with these characters. I think the only characters who have reached this level is Kuroh. And I like how his views to Shiro changed. The others are just stagnant.

• Code:Breaker– I’m very angry at this. Despite what some sakuga fans say that the director did an amazing job on the animation(well, they’re more in the visual aspect not the content :P), this anime left a lot of questions and ruined the characterization. Sakura is super annoying and they ruined Ogami’s characterization. Honestly, Hitomi isn’t really an interesting villain and has only one minor importance to the main plot in the manga. Yeah, there might be a second season where “the one being sought”/Code:Seeker arc is introduced which is my favorite arc. But the damage is done because they introduced Rui and Yuki too early. Biggest offense here is putting Yukihina who is not supposed to appear in the Hitomi arc. It’s ashamed that this is directed by the guy who wonderfully did FMA:Brotherhood. Plus, they should have made  25 episodes since there’s a lot of material. I’m not looking forward for the second season if there is and even though they might do my favorite arc. Oh, about the OVAs, they’re just omakes and slice-of-life stuff from the manga. If I were you, read the manga.

Anyway, I hope 2013 is a good year for some more anime with potential. Spring 2013 seemed to have a lot of action-packed animes but I haven’t made any plans on what to watch yet. I’m still looking forward for the BD releases of Blood-C:The Last Dark and Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning. Also, I’m excited for the new games that would be released this year.

Til then.

Mass Effect: Paragon Lost Impressions

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Anime, mass effect, mass effect: paragon lost, movie, review

Merry Christmas everyone! Well, even though the Blood-C movie didn’t came out by the end of this year, at least, I got another movie which occupies that spot. And despite my qualms for the animation, the story is decent.