So yeah its been a long time since I have posted and been a part of the community here at AAA. It was a busy few months with first aid training and subsequent calls. I was also recently on the scene of my first structure fire, first engine on location. Work has also been running me ragged. But I have come to atttempt a return as they say, whether it is of the king or the jedi I shall let you decide.
Speaking of kings I have been watching The King of Braves GAOGAIGAR and am loving it. If I had to describe this show in one word i would have to use a hyphenated one and that word is anime-crack. This show must have been an influence for a show all mecha fans know by now as Gurren Lagann. With their hot-bloodedness and guts they take their enemies head on. Im only a quarter way into the show and i have nothing but praise for this show its addicting and fun to watch. I find myself at work flipping burgers sing GA GA GA GA GA GA GA GAOGAIGAR!
With that I promise to update on the Series and continue posting as I can. But I’ll have to cut this short as today is my Mothers Birthday. So stay frosty kids and fight the power!
Episode Length/Run-time: 102 (however the 56 released in English were reviewed)
Summary:
Sana Kurata is a elementary school student who also happens to be a childhood actress. She lives in a large house with her award winning author mother and her manager Rei. The story follows Sana through her life and showcases the social and professional pressures she has to undertake, and the hits just keep on coming.
Review:
This is primarily a comedy and a drama in relatively equal portions. It would be a stretch to call this a slice of life despite the pacing and framework. The fourth wall in this show might as well be a screen door for all the shouting at me the show mascot did during this show. One thing I enjoyed, instead of the irritating episode preview footage slapped at the end, they actually left it as part of the episode. Example, one episode shows in the last 20 seconds, a person in a dark room developing pictures of our plucky protagonist and saying that he was going to show everyone “The Real Sana.” The next episode of course goes through this storyline. I found myself going through episodes far beyond my normal session count because I wanted to see the episode more than I ever would have with a crappy episode teaser. Another thing that really made this show interesting to me was the seamless transition between the comedy and the drama. The comedy itself is slapstick in the extreme and the art is very busy on screen. All in all, it’s an epileptic nightmare. The drama on the other hand is quite cutting and I often felt like I should go have a harsh talk with the writers for picking on this sweet girl so much. This is a show from the 90’s and I get the distinct impression this show is meant for a general audience. As harsh as the drama can be, the comedy offsets it to keep it just above bearable for those terrified of conflict. The art does look pretty dated but it’s still holds up for it’s time and there’s plenty of enjoyment that can be had for those who keep an open mind. The plot is pretty straight forward and most story arcs don’t go past two episodes. The drama for the most part falls into after school special territory with a few notable exceptions which could be chalked up to a culture clash thing. Some story lines that fall into this category are the fact that at the beginning of the show Sana refers to her twenties something manager as her boyfriend and shares a bed with him nightly. Did I mention she’s in the fifth grade? You also find out that the manager is a bum Sana literally picked up off the street. Another example is that the family at one point goes broke and the bank repossesses everything with no notice right before the family sits down to breakfast leaving them homeless immediately. This show is now available in a box set from Funimation for the first time since it’s first disc by disc release were it didn’t do very well. 51 episodes are available for purchase and in English dub out of the 102 that were made and released in Japan. The show itself is rather episodic and doesn’t leave on a cliffhanger if you are wondering. I give this show 4 rubber mallets out of 5. For those who are adventuresome and willing to keep an open mind you won’t be disappointed. If you are new to anime or prefer a particular genre, you might want to give this a pass or just take a look at the first couple episodes to see if it’s your cup of tea.
The Addicts are very excited to attend the Florida Anime Experience. Tom Croom from Wasabi Anime (the people who are running the convention) has kindly helped us out and gave us the convention hook-up.
So what can you expect from the AAAPodcast? Aside from seeing us about the con?
The big thing is Panels! We’re releasing two new panels and updating old favorites. The lineup currently looks like:
Cosplay Speed Dating
Three lucky girls and three lucky guys will compete in the traditional speed dating Q&A style for one lucky bachelor and one lucky bachelorette! But here’s the catch, they’ll all be in Cosplay! You don’t want to miss the questions, the responses, and the reactions this panel is going to bring out. Prizes for the winners! Sign-up for the bachelors/bachelorettes will be 30 minutes before the panel so don’t miss out if you want to participate.
Friday: Sign-up 3:30-4:00pm with the panel from 4:00 to 5:00pm
Otaku: More than a Word
Many American anime fans proudly say they’re an Otaku. But do you know where the word comes from? Does Japan have the same anime fandom pride surrounding the word as America does? An educational panel illustrating the history of the word Otaku in both Japan and America, focusing on both historical events and representations in anime.
Friday: 6:00pm-7:00pm
The Best Anime You’ve Never Seen, Or Heard Of!
So much good anime goes unwatched because it never makes it over to America. Or, even if it does make it to America, it’s unsung and found collecting dust in the back of the store. If you’re a new anime fan or an old veteran this panel is almost certain to expose you to at least one thing you’ve never seen, or even heard of! This panel is new and improved, so kick back, relax, and get a sampling of some great anime.
Saturday: 11:00am-12:00pm
Traveling to Japan
If you want to someday go to the land of the rising sun this is not a panel you want to miss! Hosted by someone who has not only traveled extensively through Japan on multiple occasions (most recently this year) but has lived there as an exchange student with a host family for 6 months. This panel offers a good rundown on everything from the culture, things to see, and how to make a budget. Get an insider’s look at Japan and get the insider scoop before planning your trip.
Saturday: 2:00pm-3:30pm
(Note: Dates/Times are subject to change)
If you’re coming to the convention let us know! Or just discuss the happenings on our forums.
Other things you can expect from the Florida Anime Experience include:
A viewing room hosted by Anime World Order Podcast
A star-studded line-up of guests including Steve Blum and Brett Weaver
AMV, Costume, Cosplay, and singing contests
Cheap Tickets! Pre-Order your weekend pass for only $32.77!
From April 21st to May 1st Chiaki and Mitusgi were traveling Japan. Taking in the sights, tasting the food, and experiencing all that the culture had to offer. There will be talk on their adventures on Episode 82 of the podcast. But we’ll share photos from their trip here.
Also, we uploaded a TON of videos on our YouTube Channel as well so check them out too!
Going to a new bar for something familiar is like watching a new anime. You’re unsure how’s it going to be, but are willing to give it enough of a chance to try it. But there’s the awkward phase of “where do I sit, which TV do I pick”, which is like “which character is cool, which one is annoying, do I feel for the antagonists” in anime. Sort of. If you’re crazy like me.
I tried a new bar on Saturday (not by my choice) to watch UFC. Circumstances came together to conspire for this: I had to work on that Saturday and the main events started at 6 instead of 7. The new start time is due to the east complaining that they’re too old to stay up so late to watch all the sporting events. The work is due to the fact it’s fiscal year end and now we need to count inventory. Oh joy.
Nate Diaz, Rory MacDonald, UFC 129. Go watch it!
Onto the bar! Well, it’s pretty new and shiny with multiple tv’s, cute looking waitresses, decent local-brewed beer and decent atmosphere. Which is like an anime that’s flashy, well animated, nice CGI (if there is any) great looking characters that are unique enough to tell apart from first glance and sweet OP/EDs. Until you realize that the service is a bit slow, minor things like a side of gravy forgotten, the toppings on the chicken burger are great, but the size of the chicken breast is small especially compared to the bun.
So pro: eye candy, beer. Con: slow service, decent food offset by the little things. To give reference to the service: 1.5 rounds (approximately 8-9 minutes) for a drink to arrive.
For comparison now: due to a quick trailer on ANN.net, I decided to give “Ga-Rei Zero” a shot. GRZ is a 12 episode series about different branches of demon hunters stationed in Japan.
“The Japanese Ministry of Defense has an anti-paranormal special forces group called the Paranormal Disaster Countermeasure Headquarters. They’re the ones responsible to protect Japanese soil and its people from supernatural and paranormal events. However, things didn’t go so well in one of their missions, which leads to intervention by the Ministry of Enviroment’s Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Division after the PDCH has sustained large numbers of casualties battling demons.” –ANN.net
Looking on ANN.net and Wikipedia, it appears this is a prequel to a manga. Which explains a few things, but disappoints me in other ways.
There will be spoilers from here on out, so ye be warned eh? Oh, and language is no longer PG-13.
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It starts off with a team from the Ministry of Defence, who work well together to defeat some high-class powerful demon spirits. Their chemistry is great, a romance is hinted at, one of them has a grudge against the bastard antagonist, their mobile ops is a converted motor home (or maybe a co-opted and modified large media van). I really like them after one episode.
Except they all FUCKING DIE! And it’s beautifully done. I care about them and am sad when that bitch Yomi appears out of nowhere to kill the team.
UN-FUCKING-FORGIVABLE!
And the next 11 episode deal with characters I care less about and a story that is alright. They leave questions about this girl Aoi who seems to have the Death Stone, likely given by the bastard child Kazuhiro. Kazuhiro is the driving force behind pretty much all of the events in Zero.
If you’re going to make a prequel anime to explain backstory about characters, don’t include a set of people who are far cooler and more awesome than a 12-year old girl could ever be.
I want to see an anime about the first crew from the Ministry of Defence.
So pros: Really cool beginning, decent the rest of the way. Good skill at making me care about some characters. Cons: The rest doesn’t keep up with the epicness of the beginning. Some loose threads that may not be answered by the manga. Killed off all the cool people.
And in the meantime, I’m going to read the manga in the vain and fucking retarded hope that they show up. But they won’t. I know it.
I recently had some maintenance done on my car. New tires, new brake pads, front rotors adjusted, power-steering and brake fluid flushed and replaced. It’s almost like I’m driving a new car again. But then there’s this thing after that amount of maintenance where it doesn’t feel quite right. There’s that initial period of getting to know my car again, which is sort of like staring in the mirror after a drastic haircut.
So I usually take the time to test my car, much like a first test drive. I measure it up to the old standards, see what’s changed. This time I haven’t had a chance to do so until Good Friday, and the short’n’sweet is that it handles nicely. The new tires are great, having grip is something that I’ve missed. As a whole it kept up with my demands so well that I was reminded – if only for an instant – of the test-drive I did with an STi years ago.
My car and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. The occupants, however, did not. I used to wonder why I never liked having things in my car and now I remember. The lid to my Timmy’s cup came almost completely off after some rugged bumps. The little coffee maker I take to retail whenever I have a shift there flopped around like a fish out of water. There were Gatorade bottles everywhere and I’m pretty sure my BJJ Gi unfolded itself out of my gym bag.
It’s too bad I’m always laden with luggage when I hit the mountain passes. That, or I’m in a cargo van. Maybe this year I’ll ship my luggage to my parent’s place and take the Coquihalla and Jasper passes burden-free. That would make for an enjoyable drive if I’m solo. And chances are, I’ll be solo. For better or for worse, I can handle a 1200-kilometer drive in a single day, pausing only for gas and maybe some food. But as adapted to the lonesome drive as I am, I do enjoy having company … talking to someone other than myself.
Now that you’ve sat through that, I’ll get onto the related bits.
So I’m over the halfway point to Fate/Stay Night now, and it’s gotten a bit more interesting. I’ll probably stick it out and watch the rest of the series, and then it’s back to VOTOMs.
I do enjoy the bits of mythology in the series, ranging from Hercules to King Arthur to Gilgamesh. Of course, I’ve always been a bit of a suck for ancient mythology, which is probably what helps keep this series interesting for me. It’s certainly not the fighting, so far it’s been lackluster.
Yeah, don’t have much of an opinion on it only halfway through.
In other news, I’ve gotten my podcast backlog down to single digits … with a bit of cheating. But when it reaches a certain point, it becomes daunting to try and listen to all of them. Never thought I’d be intimidated by simple numbers, but some of the podcasts I listen to go for over 2 hours, the longest being 4. Still, I do miss listening to them on a regular basis, and it’s like visiting an old friend when you start going through the backlog.
Furthermore, I am a lonely nerd who’s life is devoid of excitement. Another episode of 2G Radio aired, and it’s an odd one. Thanks to Kimiko of the AAA Podcast for helping with the disclaimer.
Right, sometimes I forget things. Sometimes I forget I have a tattoo on my hand, and people start staring. Sometimes I forget that I have a fresh cup of coffee, and only remember when it’s stone cold. Sometimes I forget that I’ve told someone a tidbit. Sometimes I forget that I’ve told someone a tidbit. Sometimes I forget that I enjoy anime.
Okay, so that last one seems weird. But as much as I enjoy most anime, it’s truly only mecha anime that do it for me. Action/adventure/fantasy is good, but if you’re not between the starts spewing hellfire and bullets aplenty, dodging, diving and weaving like you’re a gyroscope, then it’s not quite the same. So, if Star Wars fighter scenes were animated, I’d watch those as well. And anything in similar vein.
Forcing myself to watch something I’m not more than 75% interested in defeats the purpose of watching it. I decided last week that I should also give Fate/Stay Night a go, ’cause all the pictures looked cool. So far, it’s not quite doing it for me. The main certainly has a better attitude compared to most teenage male leads (Sousuke Sagara aside), but it’s not quite enough. I’ll give it to the halfway point before I decide whether or not to drop it.
This’d be a pretty short post if that’s all I talked about, so I’ma ramble for a bit, okay?
The other day, former Featherweight DREAM Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes stopped by my work to pick up some shin pads. Now, I’d met him twice before at tournaments in 2009 and 2010, and I figured he wouldn’t remember me, I’ve had a different hairstyle all three times he’s seen me. Plus, I didn’t do too well at either tournament. But when he and I started talking, he paused and said “you the one who fought with no training.” I swear I flushed bright red due to embarrassment, but I nodded. “That’s me,” I said. “You do pretty good,” he told me. So bad enough a world-known fighter remembered me, but even worse he remembered I was the crazy one who fought for the love of the sport. Next time will be different though, I have a gym to back me now, and a gym that I will put my pride on the line for.
Did I mention earlier that I was sick? And that my weight was fluctuating? Well, I was, and it still is. I went from 165 to 153 to 162 to 156. Not sure what I’m at now, but probably not high enough to be considered a Middleweight. Gonna have to work on that the old fashioned way.
I have a semi-ambitious project planned for this weekend, and is probably going to make my voice hurt.
I’m pretty sure I had more stuff I wanted to talk about, but … I forget.
I’ve been somewhat remiss lately. It is completely my fault, between training and getting sick, I’ve had very little time and energy to devote to anime. And that is most regrettable.
I started watching Armoured Troopers VOTOMs, and have completed just under a dozen episodes. It’s pretty good so far, mixing some tropes together (tropes that probably spawned in part from VOTOMs due to when it was created), and breaking others. Or perhaps someone took an educated guess on what would dominate anime later on and sought to be different from the very get-go. Who knows.
Here’s the summary for VOTOMs from ANN.net: The end of the 100 year war between the planets Bavalant and Melkia does not allow Melkian soldier Chirico Cuvie a moment of peace. His accidental involvement in a clandestine mission places him in danger, requiring him to escape and attempt to survive on what is left of his war-torn homeworld.
I realize that something as classic and well-known as Armoured Trooper VOTOMs has been reviewed and discussed to near-death already by a multitude of peoples and groups around the internet, but what can I say, I’m late to the party.
Let’s go over some of the basics: -Scope Dogs, mass produced mecha that can be brought down by concentrated small-arms fire. Quite unusual in the mecha genre. -Plot armour … so far it doesn’t really exist for Chirico. In one of his latest sorties he is nearly killed by police forces. -Corrupt Federation. Definitely a major product from the 80’s, but something that can still speak about today. Who knew corrupt officials would continue to exist? (Not a serious question) -Post apocalyptic setting due to war. Except the war is still ongoing. After 100 years of war, everyone on both sides have forgotten why the war is on and are just fighting for retaliation.
I can’t say too much more, partly because I don’t know any more. This is a series in progress for me, and I haven’t marked for major spoilers, so yeah … expect a post later on about more VOTOMs.
But VOTOMs isn’t the only thing I’m late to the party for. Next on the list is Akira. I actually watched the scene transformation scene back in 2003 without ever realizing what it was I was watching. I didn’t know it was Kaneda on the bike.
On the plus side, I was actually alive when Akira was first released, or at least very conscious of the fact that I was alive. (VOTOMs finished airing in Japan just over 6 months before I was born) I certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to watch Akira during when it was first released, I mean, my parents didn’t even let my brother and I watch Beetlejuice until we were both at least 13 years old.
“In the year 2019, thirty-one years have passed since the outbreak of World War III. In Neo-Tokyo, all authority is waging a never-ending struggle against the underground that virtually rules the shattered city. A top-secret child with amazing powers of the minds breaks free from custody and accidentally gets a motorcycle gang involved in the project. The incident triggers psychic powers within one of the members, Tetsuo, and he is taken by the army and experimented on. His mind has been warped and is now on the path of war, exacting revenge on the society that once called him weak.” (ANN.net)
I had to remind myself at times that this is 1988 animation, but with a budget that isn’t stretched over 13 or 26 episodes. It was dubbed twice, once in 1990 by Streamline and again 2001 by Pioneer/Geneon. A Western live-action adaptation has been unofficially (to my knowledge) announced/rumoured, and this doesn’t help anything. I found this on AZM.com, and here are some “highlights” that Jamie sifted through:
Kaneda and Tetsuo are now brothers.
They are in their 30s.
Kaneda is an underground doctor. Tetsuo is a washed out drug addict.
The rebels are fighting against an evil corporation known as The Foundation.
The Foundation supplies the general population with personal ID chips called SubQ ID and uses them to create a consumer’s paradise.
Akira is a creepy psychic kid who walks around with a stuffed bear and creepily whistles childhood songs while randomly murdering people with his mind.
Kei is now Ky and is mostly eye candy for Kaneda and the audience to ogle.
And yet, I’d probably still see it. I am nothing but a glutton for punishment it seems.
The end, words many anime fans hate to see but know they have to. Many-a-time I have shed tears at the end of an anime series and realize that I will never “see” them again. One such series is Samurai Champloo ,which holds a very big place in my heart, the final episode gave me the closure I wanted but hated at the same time. *As Fai, Jin, and Mugen parted ways (after some of the most pulse-pounding series of events in a hisorical anime) a little piece of myself also parted ways and thus my journey with those characters had to come to an end.* After all is said and done however, many fans often clamor for more, be it games, movies, OAVs or manga. I entirely understand the want to be with the characters you love but sometimes ending the series is all for the best.
Look at Bleach (sorry Bleach fans) that show is going onto its 200 and something episode, but when is enough enough? My friends and I personally feel that Bleach should have ended with the rescuing of Rukia from the Soul Society, simply because I felt I got the most closure from that story arc. Many of Bleach fans stand by the series and will fight tooth and nail to keep it on air, but is that really a good idea? To VIZ Media it is because it makes them millions of dollars but to anime fans perhaps not. Bleach staying on air means that other shows that are less appealing to the usual array of anime fans get sent directly to DVD and do not get any views or promotion.
I want to conclude this little rant with a quick quote “It’s weird…you know the end of something great is coming, but you want to hold on, just for one more second…just so it can hurt a little more.”-Unkown
Thanks,
GL0pez
Feel free to contact me on Twitter @GL0pez940 or on the Forums (GL0pez)!
I’ve started my part in going green for the Earth. Just switched my phone bill to electronic invoicing, seeing as how I check what I owe with my phone and then pay online. No trees harmed, just zeroes and ones and the energy required. And how was I rewarded? With a flu. Minus the vomiting. I never liked that part, it’s never seemed natural to me … goddamnit, I’m wandering off topic again.
UNORTHODOX! Me! I am!
To get a little more unorthodox, I somehow modified a shoulder triangle to become a frontal rear-naked choke in Jiu-Jitsu class. I switched from a Gable grip to a mechanical lock and somehow got the tap from it. Still not entirely sure how it happened, all I know is it can’t be done on someone with massive shoulders. So, I should be mostly safe for my weight class. Heck, my entire approach to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu up until now has been unorthodox.
UNORTHODOX ANIME! I watch! Me!
I suppose truly unorthodox anime would watch me, or maybe that’s just in Soviet Russia … My viewing of anime isn’t unorthodox, nor is my choice, so I guess I’m not really going anywhere with the whole Unorthodox schtick. Unless it’s unorthodox that I haven’t watched a new anime in a while. But that’s just more depressing than it is unorthodox, so yeah ….
About the closest animated thing I’ve watched that is new since Gundam UC episode 3 is the Red versus Blue season 9 trailer, featuring a lot of hard work from Monty Oum. I think I’ve finally nailed what it is about most game characters who are armoured and armed such as Spartans or Gears. It’s the swagger. They don’t really have one. Go load yourself up with 30 pounds of gear all over your body and then tell me you don’t have a swagger when you walk. Especially with knee pads. Go do it! This is something that I am aware of quite well. Even having a thigh holster and drop leg, I have more swagger than a Spartan does. It’s just something that can’t really be mo-capped since you’re in a skin-tight suit with balls everywhere. And it sort of disappoints me. But oh well, the trailer looks badass and awesome and I can’t wait to start the new season.
