AM2 Convention: My Day with the Ani.me Guys

Hey there.  So I was fortunate enough to spend last Saturday at the AM2 Convention in Anaheim and got a chance to hang out with the guys running Ani.me!  How freakin' awesome is that?  I got to stand behind the booth and set up their photo booth and helped out with their much inquired scavenger hunt.  Mike, Chris, and Evan are an awesome group of guys and I definitely wouldn't mind working with them again.

AM2Con is This Weekend, July 1st - July 3rd

Hey there.  The Anime, Music, and Manga Convention is being hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend!  3 full days of nothing but put pre awesomeness.  If you guys are in the Los Angeles area this weekend, you should consider making the trip to Anaheim to check this out.  The convention is free to everyone but there are certain activities and shows that you will have to pay for.  Many of the exhibits, workshops, and events are free so there really isn't a reason why you wouldn't want to stop by.

Dragon Ball

Guest post written by Jeramy Sparks
 
One of the best animated cartoon series that I have ever seen is Dragon Ball. It's really cool. I caught it on satellite TV from DirectTV and have seen every episode ever. The fight scenes are the best. They build it up slowly with lots of drama to the point that you are all tensed up for the actual fight. The actual fighting action is totally sweet too. It's a coming of age tale about an orphan boy named Goku. He meets a girl named Bulma who is tracking the dragon balls, 7 mystical balls that when all gathered together grant a single wish to the gatherer. Goku happens to own one of these balls, which was given to him by his grandfather as a keepsake after his death. Bulma, witnessing Goku's incredible strength, convinces him to join her in her quest for the magic balls and her wish to get a boyfriend. Meanwhile, other evil forces are also interested in the Dragon Balls. This includes the evil emperor, Pilaf, the Red Ribbon Army and both the evil alien Piccolo Daimao and his offspring Piccolo Junior. Goku and Bulma meet many new friends along the way. Goku meets many martial arts masters and undergoes rigorous training to master his special moves. He gets stronger and stronger and eventually he fights in he World Martial Arts Tournament to compete to be the best martial artist in the world.

Cowboy Bebop Movie

Written by my friend Teodoro Martin

My favorite animated movie is Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door. I love watching this movie on satellite TV from http://www.directstartv.com/compare_directv/directv_cut_cable.html, as the quality is amazing and seems to just draw me into the flick even more! Though the movie is only about two hours long, the movie is an outstanding piece of work.

Cowboy Bebop, first of all, is set in the year 2071. The series follows the bounty hunters of Spike, Jet, Faye, and Edward as they try to make a living hunting bounties in outer space. The movie is set around Halloween in the year 2071, and crew is after a 300 million bounty (largest ever) who has released a deadly virus into a city on Mars. The bounty, Vincent, is not as simple as many would like to believe. As Spike hunts down this mastermind, he has to face others who are willing to kill anyone to destroy Vincent.

Like the series, the movie is fast-paced and with plenty of action scenes. The music is legendary among anime fans, and at times shines brighter than the film itself! I'd recommend anyone to check this movie out if they see on satellite TV, this film will not disappoint!

RIP Satoshi Kon

Hey there.  Satoshi Kon has moved on.  The great director of Perfect Blue and Paprika fame has passed away at the tender age of 47.  I've been a movie fan all my life but I've recently turned to foreign and anime films to get my fix.  While I've watched some awesome horror films (recently watched Audition, Tale of Two Sisters), I've always had a soft spot for the foreign anime films (Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, Spirited Away).  Now, Miyazaki has always been a favorite of mine, but Satoshi is right up there with him.  Perfect Blue and Paprika are right up my alley as psychological thrillers of the animated kind and Satoshi directed animated classics. 

I did a review of Perfect Blue a year or so ago.  You can check that out here, but be warned since I pretty much kill the whole movie.  If you don't plan on watching it (which you should!) then read it afterwards.  If not, check it out.  I don't think I did one of Paprika, but if you've seen the recently released film Inception, then you'll enjoy Paprika.  From what I'm told of Inception, it has to do with the idea of entering your dreams, something that the Paprika (the novel) did well over a decade ago.  Either way, Paprika and Perfect Blue are must see movies for anime and thriller fans.

Rest in peace, my friend.  Later!

Samuel L. Jackson is... Afro Samurai

Hey there. I love me some Samuel L. Jackson. I think he's one of the best mother f*ing actors out there. Think about it for a second. The man has done it all. He's is a comic book villain (unbreakable), racist cop (Lakeview Terrace), cracked up junkie (Jungle Fever), jedi master (Star Wars flicks), Jules (if you don't know who Jules is, you're not a fan) I mean... the man has been in dozens of movies and he plays the characters well. AND HE'S NOT FULL OF HIMSELF. He's more than willing to take a role where he's a role player in the movie. I think that's what draws me to his movies. He knows he's a star but he doesn't act like a diva. He takes his fame in stride and isn't afraid to try out new roles. He's not an action man, or comedic actor, or a drama king, he is purely a jack of all trades and has shown that he can play any part that he wants to try out. The man is a chameleon. It's only fitting that the next step in his career is animation.

The man has skills as an actor, he's known for his voice (I go back to Jules) but his facial and body expression aid his performances. Voice acting is one dimensional. The animators will provide you with the facial expressions and body language but you need to bring that artwork to life. The voice needs to breathe life into the character or you just don't believe the story and the man does a fine job in Afro Samurai.

He's credited for the voice of Afro and Ninja Ninja, thought Ninja Ninja is the one that does most of the talking. Afro, a more stoic and stone cold persona, doesn't have much to say during the series but kicks some serious ass. Afro Samurai has been around since 2007 but this year marks the release of Afro Samurai: Resurrection. The first season was simply bad ass. I'm a sucker for a good story and Afro Samurai provided a great story in a much too short 5 episode season. Afro Samurai: Resurrection is a film that carries on Afro's story.

In a nutshell, the greatest samurai battle each other for numbered headbands. The #1 head band being the top dog. Afro's dad held the #1 head band until he was defeated by Justice. A young Afro witnesses this and lives a life fueled by revenge. After he obtains the #2 band as an adolescent, he earns the right to go after #1, all the while, others attack Afro for the #2 band. Enter Afro Samurai: Resurrection here. I haven't looked into it yet since I don't want to spoil it for myself. lol I missed the first airing of the movie on Spike. They are now showing the movie in a four 30 minute episodes. I caught the first one last Friday, episode 2 is going to show this Friday. You guys gotta catch this show!!! Later!

Gunslinger Girl

Hey there. I'm loving the IFC channel more and more. They bring you some pretty insane and weird stuff. The documentary, Darkon, was one that I thought was enjoyable. Just insane the way people live out their characters and battles. There was this one movie, that I can't think of the name at this moment, of a blind Japanese sculptor that captures this woman and explores the depths of love and masochism. It's not what it seems and it's crazy the way it makes you think of the psychological side of love. IFC also introduced me to Witchblade, which I absolutely loved. A touching story of a mother and daughter... where the mother, cursed by the witchblade, must fight for a survival that she knows she'll soon lose.

Now, it brings me Gunslinger Girl. I'll admit, that I've only watched one episode but it has already captivated me. The plot in itself is extremely intriguing. Young girls, given a second chance at life, as assassins. How can you not love that? Now I don't know the complete details or story but I love the way the episode played out. Cool, somber color scheme, blended in perfectly with the characters and dialogue, a serious yet playful mood (singing Beethoven at the end of the episode), the characters are not shallow, and the word gun is in the title so you know they'll be some death. Once I get a chance to really check it out, I'll provide more in depth insights, but until then, Later.

My Sword and a Lactating Bitch

Hey there. I need to get a wall mount for this. I took this pic with my phone when I got home with my shiny, new sword. I think it would look better hanging on my wall looking all bad ass. I think I want another one now. We were watching Kill Bill not too long ago and my wife was like, "You should get one of those for your swords". She was talking about the racks that Hanzo had. I quickly thought, alright she's cool with the idea of me having more. lol I'd feel pretty stupid getting a rack like that and only have one sword on display. Maybe when I get more, I'll look into getting one.


As for this pic, I was at PetCo the other day and I was browsing through the dog medicine (my dog has this rash on his back, but the PetCo employee told me that he has a "hot spot" and he's constantly scratching it so I should get something to make him stop). I picked up this box and thought it was hilarious. I could imagine the makers of this sitting around and discussing their image and description for the box and some guy out there just throwing out the, "lactating bitches" as a joke and it ended up on the box. lol Good stuffs. Later

Perfect Blue

Hey there. I just caught this flick and I can say that I enjoyed this psychological thriller. It's a story of Mima, the lead singer in the pop star group, Cham. Mima has spent years on her perfecting her voice, but her agent and agency feel that she make "big bucks" as an actress. Mima announces to her fans during her last performance of her decision to become an actress. Not many fans are thrilled and Cham is now a duo instead of a trio.


After her last performance, as Mima is walking home, a fan hands her a note. As Mima enters her apartment, she opens the note and it contains a website. Since Mima is computer illeterate, she did not understand the note and figured it to be threatening. At that moment, she receives a fax with the word "traitor" written all over it. Shortly after, Mima says goodbuy to Cham and starts to pack her Cham memoribilia, including a huge Cham poster on her wall.


Mima gets a small role in a straight to video movie called, Double Bind. She only has a single line and she says it over and over so that she would not forget it. As she is called for her part, the director and screen writer pass by to talk to Mima's agents to deliver her letter of fan mail. The agents state that Mima is no longer a pop star so that she is readily available to take on a bigger role. As the director and screen writer walk away, they speak briefly, contemplating on using her more, since the script is not finished.

While Mima is getting ready for her shoot, her agent opens her fan letter. It explodes, injuring his hand.

While at home, Mima confides to her agent, and friend, Rumi, about the note and she explains that it's a website and she later sets up a computer in Mima's apartment so that Mima can be more computer literate. While exploring the internet, she finds a site called, "Mima's Room" which details her every day life in extreme detail. Mima laughs it off, thinking that people out there really know her well. She makes it a habit to check this site on a regular basis.

While visiting her agency, the remaining members of Cham come in to celebrate them breaking the top 100 with their new single. They mention that they never reached that high with Mima in the group. Mima is guinenly happy for them, but you can see that she is second guessing her decision to leave music. The director of the movie then walks in offering Mima a lead role in the movie. Mima has to play a rape victim in the movie. Rumi is quick to say no, believing that that kind of exposure will ruin Mima's reputation as a pop star but Mima accepts, saying that she'll have to take it head on if she's ever to be considered a true actress.

Mima is traumatized while shooting the rape scene. Since she was reluctant to accept, she feels that she has to do it if she is to become a serious actress. Soon after, she begins to have discussions with her "pop star Mima". Pop star Mima is a hallucination that calls Mima a naughty girl for doing rape scenes in movies. Mima slowly starts to unravel since she's forcing herself to continue her acting.

In order to gain publicity, the directors insist that Mima do a spread for a magazine to promote the movie. The photographer sweet talks Mima to take it all off for the interview and snap several provacative pictures. Soon after, Pop star Mima puts Mima down by calling her a slut and that pop stars don't do things like that.


Suddenly, people associated with the movie are being killed. One is killed in an elevator and another was stabbed to death, very similar to way that Mima killed people in the movie. Mima finds herself waking up in her apartment, not being able to account for what she did the night before and starts to find evidence to imply that she may have had something to do with the murders.


Mima soon starts to have frequent visits from her hallucination and threatens to take Mima out if she decides to continue to act, since in Mima's heart, she should be singing. After checking Mima's Room, she finds that the author is "Me-Mania" and the author is posting some very personal details that only Mima would know. She becomes freaked out and a little on the paranoid side. Especially since there have been killings.


After the movie shoot, everyone congratulates each other on such an awesome job. Mima is given props for her role, since it was such a demanding role for a first timer. Mima and Rumi are invited to an after party and Mima runs off to get dressed after receiving some advise from Rumi. Mima runs in "Me-Mania" who is a disfigured man who is uber-obsessed with Mima. He claims that he knows the imtimate details of Mima because the "real" Mima Emials him on a daily basis. He then confesses to killing the others and plans on killing Mima. As he beats her and strips off her clothes, Mima reaches out for a hammer and strikes him in the head. Me-Mania falls on a platform and Mima stumbles out of the room, running into Rumi.

Rumi then takes her to Mima's Room. As Mima awakens, she notices that there is a Cham poster on the wall. The room looks just like Mima's but she confirms that it's not hers when she looks out the window and does not see her normal view. As she turns, Rumi walks out and talks in the Mima personal, claiming that she is the "real" Mima and that she needs to take the imposter out. As Rumi chases Mima, Mima catches glimpses of pop star Mima in Remi. I thought that the way the differentiated the two during this sequence was great. As pop star Mima is gliding through the air, you see her reflection showing a huskier Rumi frantically funning. I thought that was great.


Anyways, Rumi manages to stab Mima twice and as she has the upper hand, Mima yells that she's not going to take it anymore and rips Rumi's wig off. This causes her to go into a panic and dives for the wig. She ends up stabbing herself in the stomach and is profusely bleeding. She stumbles into the street where a big rig was about to smash but Mima rushes out and saves her from death.

Rumi ends up in a psych ward where the warden tells Mima that she sometimes comes out of the Mima persona but she mostly believes that she is Mima. Mima then walks away and a couple of nurses comment that she looks like Mima, but don't believe that it is her since, Mima is a big star and would not be alone. As Mima dirves off, she states, "No, I'm the real thing."

I thought this movie was great. It was made in 1997 so you can say that it forshadowed what many of us, and celebrities fear today. We just don't seem to have any provacy in this day and age and almost anyone can find out some personal information on anyone. There's millions of celebrity blogs out there that basically detail the daily lives of many popular celebrities. This film shows how one obsessed fan can easily be manipulated. Even though it's animation, the theme is a very real and present one that many of us face today.

Live your life and always be the real you. Until then, later.

The Amazing Nurse Nanako

Hey there. I tried to watch this series but found it pretty difficult to even get through the first episode. After reading reviews, I figured that I would enjoy a "comedic" series about the second coming of Christ. It started off with a pretty serious tone but I found Nanako to be too whiny and little on the unbearable side. I hoping that they'll develop her character a little more. I understand that she's supposed to be a little on the ditzy side but this is taking it well over the top. I also found myself fast forwarding the episode just to find out what happens at the end. I know that the majority of the stories start off slow and then pick up speed. I hope that is the case with this one. I'll try watching it again tomorrow. Later.

Anime Series

Hey there. I think I need a new series to watch. These past couple of months I quenched my anime fix with a couple of good series and a few movies. Now, I am at a loss as too what I should watch next.



I recently saw the movie, "I Love my Younger Sister". After checking out some reviews, I thought that it would be a good story. I was wrong. Visually, the movie was good, but the story just seemed a little blah to me. It's exactly what the title states. A bro discovers that he has feelings for his sister. And yes, friends, it's THOSE kinds of feelings. The story did have a few plot twists but nothing that wasn't expected. Overall, I give this one a 2 out of 5.

The thing that is intriguing about this flick is that it's about a taboo subject. You don't see much media in regards to the subject of incest so it's interesting that there is a whole movie out there on the subject. Guess my curiosity got the best of me on this one.



I also caught the Witchblade series. From what I hear, there are significant changes from the manga and anime. I thought the anime was great. Again, I'm a sucker for a good story and even though this anime is geared at attract attention with the eyes, there is definitely a good story behind the visuals.

I guess cause I'm a parent but the fact that a mother would do anything for thier child, really caught my attention early on in the series. Especially since the story starts with Masane and Riko running from the law. lol But only because they wanna be together and "the man" is trying to tear them apart.

Inbetween the many ass kicking battles with excons, a love triangle developes within Masane, Takayama, and Tozawa. Tozawa, the freelance photographer, has it for Masane even though the bastard wont admit it but because Masane spends so much time with Takayama (her boss) whom she ultimately falls for, he acts the cool guy and does not reveal his true feelings.

During all this, there's the story of Riko (Masane's daughter) and Masane. They have a strong bond and even though Riko acts more of a mother than Masane, Masane tries to have Riko's best interest at heart. She makes a difficult dicision when it turns out that Reina, Riko's real mother, comes into the picture and asks for her daughter.

As a parent, nothing would hurt more than to sit and tell your child that you're going to die. That's exactly what Masane tells Riko. Sitting in a grassy field, holding your daughter, telling her that she won't ever be alone, no matter what happened to her. Very touching.

Leaving out many details friends. This is just an overview. Go and watch the series. good stuff.

Oh and then I discovered these bad ass figurines from the series. Maybe I'll get one or two. Check em out. It's my understanding these are just the first few figures. There will be more to come to cover the other characters. Until then, later.

Thoughts On... Elfen Lied

Hey there. What a series! This has to be one of the top short anime series ever. Despite it being some 13 episodes long, it was extremely entertaining and I didn't want to stop watching the series. Lucy was/is one bad mo'fo. For those of you who have not seen, I suggest you do so now before you continue reading. lol I thought the intro to the show was intriguing. I caught myself humming the tune on several occassions and the fact that it's sung in latin adds a mystique to it that suits real well. The opening 7 minutes just grabs you and does not let go. I could go without the nakedness but it difinitely made me go whoa... There are some spoilers below.  If you plan on watching it, go do that first and then come back!  Now, my thoughts on... Elfen Lied.

Grave of the Fireflies

"Why do fireflies have to die so young?"

I watched Grave of the Fireflies last night and man, was that one sad flick. I've heard for many years that it was a great movie but never had the chance to experience the film first hand. Finally had that chance during dinner last night.



War is never a pleasurable experience, but when innocence is caught in the middle of all the mayhem, it just shows how much more ruthless and senseless it can be. I feel like a I have a loss for words to describe this masterpiece, it was that moving.