AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Lately I’ve had Oda Kazumasa’s “Sono Mama no Kimi ga Suki” on heavy rotation. Some of you may recognize this as the theme song from Toei’s 1992 anime film Hashire Melos!.

American readers are, by now, familiar with manga and, naturally, familiar with the personal essay. But a combination of the two is something unusual and unfamiliar. New York and Japan based One Peace Books hopes to change that situation by introducing American readers to the popular contemporary Japanese “manga format essay” with Shiho Torii’s book So I Need to Lose 15 Pounds. The “manga essay” format that’s gaining popularity in Japan isn’t strictly educational manga like Shotaro Ishinomori’s Japan, Inc.: Introduction to Japanese Economics that first saw release in America in 1988. Nor is it exactly like the conventional narrative manga that American readers are most used to. The difference, however, is subtle.

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When I read discussions comparing voice acting in anime I occasionally encounter a statement to the effect, “The English voice sounds better than the Japanese voice.” I’d like to make a clarification about that perspective. Or, more specifically, a statement about a certain interpretation of that expression because the observation itself is a bit vague in its phrasing. It’s fine and reasonable to critique a voice acting performance, but the voice actor selection for the original language dialogue is less subject to second guessing.

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Lately I just can’t get enough of Stereopony’s new single, “Tsukiakari no Michishirube,” the opening theme for the current Darker Than Black: Ryusei no Gemini TV anime.

During my years as an anime fan certain titles and images have stuck in my head – many of them from my earliest days as an anime fan. I’ve been curious about these shows seemingly forever, possibly because they looked interesting, or just because their titles sounded cool. Over the years, a combination of luck, perseverance, and sometimes simple cold cash have enabled me to selectively satisfy my curiosity. I’m grateful to have been able to cross anime including Fan Fan Pharmacy, Takamaru, Tetsujin 28 FX, Hiatari Ryoko, Yadamon, Fighbird, Appfleland Monogatari, Warau Salesman, Watt Poe to Bokura no Ohanashi, Wonder Beat Scramble, Hidari no O’Clock!!, and Rayca off my list. There are a small handful of other anime that I’ve long been curious about which I do have access to, but haven’t gotten around to watching yet, including Jura Tripper, Eien no Filena, Dokushin Apartment Dokudami So, and Yagami-kun no Katei no Jijou. Then there are a handful of obscure anime that I’ve wanted to watch for many years but never had access to. I have no idea if these shows are good, nor whether I’ll like them. In fact, I expect at least one of them to be pretty bad. But I’d still love to see these particular anime first hand, just to satiate my curiosity. They include:

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Lately I just can’t seem to get enough of the Masami Okui & May’n song “Miracle Upper WL.” It’s the opening theme for the web anime series Ontama and, in my opinion, the best anime theme song Masami Okui has performed since the late 90s.

Have to wonder why it took so long. Available in December.

Having watched the first five episodes of Fight Ippatsu! Jyuden-chan, I understand that it’s a lighthearted comedy, but I can’t escape the feeling that there are ironic and, more importantly, worrying issues beneath its surface humor; issue which also relate to the show’s public distribution. While all of the series’ episodes are infused with the same fundimental themes and imagery, episode 3 is especially troubling. Episode 3 clearly extols young man Sentou Oumi as an admirable role model character. But the same episode also reveals Sentou as a man who seemingly enjoys beating women into unconsciousness with a baseball bat. If the ennobling of an abusive male wasn’t disturbing enough by itself, the episode furthermore illustrates young woman Arresta with a personality similar to that of a battered spouse. She develops a perverted fondness for being physically abused by Sentou, and consciously chooses to not report his abusive behavior to appropriate authorities. Arresta is depicted as attracted to and protective of the man who routinely beats her.

The fact that the Jyuden-chan anime lionizes a man who habitually abuses women, and presents female victimization as comedy is, by itself, ethically troubling. The situation becomes even more surreal when taken in conjunction with Crunchyroll’s July 2009 public statement that the website wished to, “allow all audiences to watch and enjoy Charger Girl Ju-den Chan.” Setting aside the show’s prevalent and very adult oriented sexual innuendo, itself arguably not intended for nor suitable for “all audiences,” I can’t refrain from questioning the moral responsibility – or lack thereof – of the show’s efforts to idolize a male character who enjoys beating women, and the efforts of the show’s American distributor to promote this reprehensible imagery to young, impressionable viewers. I do comprehend that the Jyuden-chan anime is supposed to be perceived as a satirical comedy. But at the same time I can’t avoid thinking that it’s just morally wrong to depict women being beaten unconscious by a man as a laughing matter. And it seems morally wrong to advocate a man who abuses women as an admirable role model.

I may be a little late in learning about fan modifications to the PC version of Street Fighter IV, but I’m probably not alone. And seeing Ghandi versus Majin Buu is amusing regardless. The Japanese Hachimaki blog hosts a variety of example screenshots and YouTube videos.

Japan’s Good Smile Company has announced a November release for a Nendoroid figure version of Princess Drössel (19th Lord of Uranos’ Kingdom’s Tempest Domain, Drössel Juno Vierzehntens Heizregister Fürstin von Flügel) from Disney & Toei’s cult hit 2008 anime TV series Fireball. She’ll include alternate heads, spring-loaded action, and even battery powered light-up eyes!

The Figure Maker Good Smile Company Employee Mika-tan Blog hosts a selection of additional images and video clips of the upcoming fig.

Can’t wait for this one!

I don’t have a clear recollection of where I first heard mention of the OVA Down Load, but I know that it was some time in 1992, as I recall seeing it mentioned in a list of upcoming anime productions in Japan. Then I never heard nor saw anything else about it for over 15 years, until I recently stumbled upon a copy. Now that I’ve watched it, I’m even more puzzled over why this gem remains buried and forgotten.

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Anyone that knows me remotely well knows of my undying love for the original Highlander movie from 1986. I’m still eternally grateful to my father for indulging my petulant demands and taking me to a theater to see the picture during its original release. I’m not an especially big fan of its various sequels and television series. Now comes an advance script review of the remake. Oh Lord, the changes within are abominable! They’re so bad that I want my money back, and they haven’t even made the film yet!

Actually, on second thought, the proposed changes all seem like they’d be perfectly appropriate in a parody of the original Highlander, but I don’t suspect that the re-boot is intended to be one big self-referential joke.

Readers that have watched the Sky Crawlers movie may be mildly curious about my response to the film’s thematic significance. Readers that haven’t watched the film are advised to stop here.

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