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Synopsis:
After a century of relative peace, the people within the walls are growing restless. A young man named Eren and his friends Armin and Mikasa venture to the wall’s edge with the hopes of seeing what’s on the other side. But before they can get there, the unthinkable happens; a Titan larger and more fierce than any that have been seen before breaches the wall, kicking a large hole through the base of it. Now, a once isolated world is flooded with seemingly indestructible Titans, and the only way to beat them is to fight back. But the military forces Eren joins to protect humanity appear to be protecting some secrets of their own. The future looks bleak, but there’s more to Eren than meets the eye: he may be humanity’s last hope against extinction.

Review:
Attack on Titan has been a global phenomenon since the manga was adapted to anime. Packs of cosplayers can be spotted at every convention event dressing up as their Titan character or just slapped on the uniform and join the ranks of the survey team. With every hugely popular and successful anime comes the infatuation of “what if this was live action?” I have seen quite a few live action adaptations of anime, and most of them had been a miss more than a hit. While I have read some comments from the internet that the movies were bad, I kept an opened mind and experienced it for myself. Here are my thoughts.

From the beginning, the movie introduces the three characters any fan would recognize, Erin, Mikasa and Armin. Maybe not Armin, because he is not a blonde anymore. But anyways, they go about their daily routine while everyone else goes about their’s. When Erin decided to try and go out because he does not want to be trapped in the walls anymore. The grounds suddenly began to shake. A giant titan appears and destroys part of the wall to make way for the rest of the titans to march in and feast on the humans.

If you have watched the anime or read the manga, this part of the movie does not change. The little details do however, just to make it flow better for the live action. At least, that’s what the director Shinji Higuchi hoped. I did not think the story played out as well. There were a lot of those moments where scenes felt sped up and skipped over to meet the constraints of a movie runtime. Erin’s character was annoying in the anime, but he is even more so as a live character. From beginning to up to Erin turning into a titan, the show felt it was on auto pilot mode. There were pieces of action here and miniscule points of interest there. When Erin finally turned, that was when I felt the movie finally showed off the ability of a “live” action. But the fun ends almost as fast as it began. The humans carved Erin out of his titan body and we must wait for part two. There is something significant about the end of part one though. We are introduced to the idea that the titans were once humans, whom became infused with the titan shell, as the power overwhelmed their humanity.

So what are my thoughts on this live action? Nothing much, to be honest. The plot was a mess, the titans looked dumber than the drawings, and the movie’s representation of the characters of the series was annoying. If the final scene of part one did not occur, I cannot imagine myself donating my time to watch this live action any longer. At this point, it is more about finishing what I started and not about finishing it because the movie was super entertaining….

I delayed publishing this review, due to time constraints. I wanted to watch part two, End of the World, and give this show a chance to redeem itself, before I put it in the garbage pile. After finally freeing up time to sit down and complete this live action movie. I must say, I regret ever finishing this movie. Ending Attack on Titan Live Action with part one was fine. It would have been a failed attempt at hopping on the bandwagon of the success of the anime and manga, but at least it was not an atrocity. After watching Attack on Titan part two, I was seriously disgusted. The story was horrendous and it turns out that this guy is a titan, that guy is a titan, everybody is a titan. Comon. What the heck happened? It was like the whole film crew just collectively had a brain fart. Was it the expectations that caused the negative views? I doubt it. The movie as a whole was a huge disappointment, with part two killing any redeeming qualities this movie had (which was minimal to begin with). People should be asking for refunds.

The Breakdown:
Remember, while watching a live action, keep an opened mind, you probably won’t like everything or anything for that matter. The anime or manga has likely set a certain standard in your mind, the movie is not going to be a view changer. Just try to enjoy it. If it fails to meet your expectations, it would not be the first or the last. The Attack on Titan live action has its moments, but I felt a lot of those moments were dull moments. The majority of it felt like a formality. A note to any studios planning to release multi-part films. Please make sure that both parts are at least worth the admissions. No one has time or money to spend on crappy multi-part films.

Synopsis

“…this thrilling, multi layered series will take the audience back to the formative years of the iconic characters, Ryu and Ken, as they live a traditional warrior’s life in secluded Japan. The boys are, unknowingly, the last practitioners of the ancient fighting style known as ‘Ansatsuken’ (Assassin’s Fist). The series follows them as they learn about the mysterious past of their Master, Goken, and the tragic and dark legacy of the Ansatsuken style. Can their destiny be changed…or will history repeat itself?” - from the official Press Release (http://www.streetfighteraf.com/)

Review

The web series is a prequel taking place prior to the video game Street Fighter 1. Heck it’s before even Street Fighter Alpha with scenes of childhood Ryu and Ken. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of training, discipline, and katas (forms) put in to the show to highlight martial arts. The story matches tradition against the thirst for power as the characters search to unlock the secrets of the hado. Goken reminds me of Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid. My favorite quote is Goken quoting Gen: “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same.”

Overall

Released on May 23, 2014, I didn’t know about it until June 6 when I was doing a random search on Youtube for Street Fighter. I wish there was more advertising for Assassin’s Fist. Perhaps I’ve been away from the industry for too long. It just seems to be one of those gems that you hear by word of mouth or that will spread like wildfire on Facebook.

Chun-Li, played by Kristin Kreuk, rising star from Smallville, who you can totally tell was faking being able to play the piano as evidenced by the close up shot of just the fingers blah blah blah…Ok, scroll down for the gist of it.

Review

It’s funny how when I go into a movie with low expectations like Transformers (I absolutely believed that was gonna fail), they come out better than previously thought. The opposite is true. When I go in with high expectations like for Ghost Rider, it performed far worse than anticipated. So when all the initial reviewers said this was going to be a terrible movie, I had my doubts walking in. But not anymore. It’s good. I enjoyed it. Finally a review that will do the movie justice.

I was bummed that the movie only showed at one theater nearby out of three and it was late at night only (sorry for ya Wauks that they canceled your showing). It cost me $11, expensive yes. That’s like the cost of a Ragnarok Online one month subscription here. There were 27 people in the theater so it wasn’t vacant. Much more than the sparse numbers reviewers paraded during opening week.

Overall

Chris Metzen promised that the World of Warcraft movie by Legendary Pictures will be everything that video games movies are not - Epic. Not that this movie was any bad. Before I forget you got to check out Street Fighter: The Later Years, a 9 part mini-series spoof. http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1774305 Episode 4 introducing Chun-Li. She should have played the role of Chun-Li in the actual movie!@ She’s part asian.

Synopsis
Based on the bestselling comic by Aya Nakahara, Love*Com The Movie is a high-school romantic comedy centering on two students. Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in class, and the last thing she wants is the humiliation of standing next to Atsushi Otani, the shortest guy. Fate and the whole school have other ideas, and the two find themselves casts as the unwilling stars of a bizarre romantic comedy duo. But as their friendship develops, so do Risa’s feelings toward Otani. Can she be honest with herself and get over her lovely complex?!

Review
There has always been an age old misconception in the world of relationships. Somehow out of all of the things that should determine whether individuals become couples, height, is an attribute that should matter least. But that is not the case in this love comedy, ‘Love*Com.’

If you are saying to yourself that the title sounds somewhat familiar to an anime, you are correct. Love*Com is the live adaptation of Aya Nakahara’s manga and anime series, Lovely Complex. The story revolves around Risa Koizumi and Atsushi Otani and the development of what is to be a complex love situation. Risa has always looked at Otani as a friend and nothing more. Likewise can be said of Otani as well, even though they share many things in common and their friends all believe that they would be a perfect pair, nothing more came out of it. That is until that one faithful day on Christmas.

After various circumstances Otani and Risa agreed to attend an ‘Umibozu’ concert on Christmas, prior to Otani’s ex-girlfriend’s request to attend a party with her. When Christmas came, Risa ended up going to the concert alone. As she made her trip to the concert, she was constantly being reminded of the fact that she was alone by the laughing couples around her. Upon reaching the lowest point of her day, she hears a familiar voice shouting out her name, this voice was from no one other than Otani’s. It was on that faithful day that Risa fell in love with the shorty, Otani.

The show continues on with the interactions with the two main characters and before you realize it, it comes to an end. Love*Com was funny but it felt like it was rushing. Scenes that could have had a bit more development in them were passed over, such as, the history behind Otani and his ex-girlfriend. I mean, just watching the weird mood between the two when they see each other screams drama all over. It was hinted that she left him for another guy, but why? Was there a misunderstanding? Because judging from her looks, she did not seem like that type of girl (*shrug*). I would personally want to know as it pertains to the effect it may have had on the personality of a character.

Love*Com’s goofing off scenes are pretty hilarious, such as, their homeroom teacher’s denial over his wigs and the close up break downs of a particular situation. The way that the movie made it zoom in, and took a 360 degrees angle view of a scene, and the freeze frame of how a character is saying their dialogue along with commentary was amusing. It was definitely a glowing point of the show.

The actors and actresses did a great job with their roles. And the music was excellent. Umibozu’s ‘Is This All Right’ was so ridiculous that it was good. The music video of the song made my day. While I really cannot say that Love*Com is for everyone, those who want to see the live adaptation of the manga/anime should be able to enjoy it. The viewers that are looking for more bang for the buck and time would probably want to stay away, as the movie just does not provide anything out of the extraordinary that warrants a cannot miss status.

Breakdown
Love*Com is an enjoyable movie. The comedy associated with the show definitely earned a few laughs from me here and there. It was especially entertaining when I saw how Risa became flustered over how dense Otani was. The story was straight forward and did just enough to get through. The re-watch value is not really high. Personally I would pop the DVD in just to see the Umibozu music video extra as that was just too… Wow.

Synopsis
Space vixens and manic mannequins. Animation and claymation. J-pop music videos and violently desperate housewives. Sexy assassins and biker babes. You’ve never seen or experienced anything like this rainbow-acid-hued, mind-tripped, sonic and sensual assault. Tokyo pop (and Tokyo pop art) has made Vermilion Pleasure Night an international sensation. From the Tate Modern to MoMa, from college capuses to home computers, this sexy kaleidoscope has captured everyone’s attention. And now you can get off on it. Get ready for pleasure, Vermilion Pleasure.

Review
From the director of The Fuccons, come Vermilion Pleasure Night, a show that is borderline crazy and at points make you question the reason why you got yourself involved with it in the first place. Like what The Fuccons was meant to do, ADV Films is trying to deliver a new flavor for this otherwise pretty general audience. What I mean by this is that, most of the people who watch anime, believe that anime is all that Japan has to offer, other than porn. Err… yeah, anyways; Vermilion Pleasure Night is a show that tries to show you things so wild that you would wonder if Excel Saga just turned real life. For those who understood the Excel analogy, good for you, but for those who did not, what I meant was that it seems like this show here is a compilation of random wackiness. It is like, Vermilion Pleasure Night does not have to make sense at all, but at the same time there would be followers of the show, just like Excel Saga did, due to the fact that it is random and crazy.

It is very difficult to compare an animation with a live action, for the most part. And after watching Vermilion, I am still trying to collect my thoughts to put together something that makes sense to my mind. But nope, I still got no picture. Maybe that is what the goal of this show is all about. While obviously there is no story, there is a plot. What that plot is, is to try the hardest to entertain the viewers. I honestly felt that at times the show was trying too hard to be funny or ridiculous, and because of that, it had an opposite effect for some sequences.

A title such as Vermilion Pleasure Night is a hit or miss title; it either falls into your outstretched arms or face first onto the concrete pavement. If you liked The Fuccons, then you would definitely like how this piece plays out. The replay value to my surprise exists. Why? Well, after finishing up the screener, there is this feeling inside me that wanted to re-watch it again. Maybe out of curiosity or trying to make sense of the show, but to put it simply, I felt that I had to see it again to make certain that what I saw happened really happened. Yeah, I was in disbelief at some parts of the show.

The Breakdown
Whether you liked The Fuccons or not, if you are a fan of pure random, crazy and wacky entertainment that features a cast that consists only of Japanese females (… well, males were in the cast as well, but they were only there vocally, not physically, except maybe that lovesick alien heh), then Vermilion Pleasure Night is a perfect fit for you. It satisfies a lot of people’s guilty pleasures, while bringing you some laughter. That is not a bad combo in my book.

Synopsis
Momoko yearns to live in 18th century Versailles, rather than in her back-country hometown of Shimotsuma. To escape, she loses herself in the dreamy, doll-like fasions of the “Lolita” scene. Her idol is Akinori Isobe, chief designer of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright - her favorite design house - and she frequently travels all the way to Tokyo to shop at the store.

One languid summer, to help fund her expensive hobby, Momoko runs a classified ad offering brand-name knock-off clothes for sale. She encounters a buyer named Ichigo, who happens to live in her neighborbood.

Super-rebel Ichigo is a “Yanki”-style member of the Ponytails motorbike gang, one of Ibaraki’s Wild Speed Tribes, whose teeth-rattling customized bikes are decked out with fiberglass shields and bannered backrests.

Somewhat against Momoko’s will, she and Ichigo slowly develop a strong friendship as they share their feelings on the odd going-ons around them.

Review
Talk about pairing an odd couple together. Kamikaze Girls (Shimotsuma Monogari) is a hilarious movie about two high school girls with two way different personalities. Momoko Ryugasaki (Kyoko Fukada) is a rococo obsessed teen who dresses in the odd but cute Lolita style. Ichigo Shirayuri (Anna Tsuchiya) is a ‘yanki,’ a female biker gang member. As the show begins and Momoko narrates through her life, you are given laugh after laugh after laugh. I just cannot believe how this show just puts a smile on my face from the beginning to the end.

Kamikaze Girls finds a way to humor the viewer, whether it is some quick hitter dialogues, or the action on the screen. It is, simply put, a total entertainment package. The acting was great, and the jokes work. Momoko’s range or attires throughout was pretty. I think it is illegal to be that cute. On the other hand we have Ichigo, who has a lame Jusco (a large department store in Japan) influenced attire. While it was funny how the show portrayed Jusco, it is still a nice place to shop at!

The plot of Kamikaze Girls at first revolves around Momoko and how she isolates herself from other people. Then comes Ichiko (notice I said, ‘Ichiko’) who pays Momoko a visit after seeing her advertisement on the bootleg Versach (notice I spelled Versach and not otherwise) leftovers that her father had put away because of an incident that happened earlier which lead them to move from the city to Shimotsuma. After their first encounter, Ichiko becomes a frequent guest of Momoko’s house and that is how their friendship begins.

As the story progresses in a steady yet jaw dropping, stomach turning, laugh out loud inducing pace, we learn the background histories of both of our heroines: Momoko, who has always been mature for her age and Ichigo, who began as a goodie goodie nerd to a rude, saliva spiting punk. Their personalities certainly are not the most compatible, but the movie relies on their constant clashing of different views and beliefs. It is a show that focuses on friendships, and how even if people are brought up in separate worlds or are complete polar opposites of one another, a special bond could be found where nobody thought could be at first, as a long as a point of interest exists between each other.

The Breakdown
Kamikaze Girls is an instant classic. The fun that accompanies this show is superb. You would find yourself enjoying this no matter how many times you replay it… except unless maybe if you re-watch it twenty-four, seven; then it is not the movie that is the problem, somebody needs some help. ^_^.

Synopsis
Explore the world of otaku, the devoted fans of Japanese animation. Since the introduction of Speed Racer to the U.S., these men, women and children have built a community based on their common love for this uniquely imaginative medium. Through conventions, fan clubs, online forums, and more, they have expanded otaku fandom into a highly popular cultural phenomenon.
Otaku Unite! is the first documentary to follow the evolution of this phenomenon from its humble beginnings to its current state as a major influence of pop culture today.

Review
What is an Otaku? The term otaku in my terms represents a person who is a complete zealot of anime and manga. They would travel around the world just to attend an anime convention or in an even extremer case, make it a habit to spend hours boiling DVDs or comics. In a sense, if you are reading this, you have a bit of otaku you in. I have some in me. And even though the Japanese do not interpret the term otaku as something one should take pride in, we as Americans have evolved the word to our likings. And this documentary here, is just the right show for your curiosity if you have ever wondered to yourself how Japanese animation got so big in a country where Superman, Batman and Spiderman ruled the land.

Otaku Unite, other than a pretty self-explanatory title, digs into anime and how it has changed so much in a decade. I do not know about you… I am not old, but even I still remember the days of anime on copied VHS tapes and the means of distribution was through friends. I liked how this documentary went into this fact. It brought me some fond memories of those days begging to borrow an anime video, and those urges for more. Anime is like crack in a way, but worst. Why would I say that? Well, think of it this way. Crack addicts can go through rehab and all, but where do anime addicts go? Once you are in this community, you are a member for life. Best example I can give is myself. I was an anime fan since I was born. Then there was a time in my life where I have not watched any anime at all for at least a good seven to eight years. Talk about cold turkey. Anyways, somehow this form of art, crept back into my life and ever since I do not feel like what had happened earlier in my life would ever repeat itself again.

This DVD is truly great. It features interviews from various guests that have taken some part or another in the growth of this hobby. For an example, the creator of the infamous anime web links directories webpage, Anipike.com; if you do not know what that website is, take that otaku tag off and go home please. This documentary ventures into the beginning, the days of Robotech and Speed Racer. The information this title delivers is great. For those who just got into this hobby, you are now able to learn a part of why anime has taken such a big leap from small fry to big man on campus all on one DVD.

The Breakdown
Otaku Unite is a fun filled documentary from coverage in Kaiju wrestling to following an anime otaku around to various conventions. I do not know if it was on purpose, but finding an absolute nerd like guy to follow around in anime conventions was a bit… umm… stereotypical. I mean, that guy represents almost every single anime extremist stereotype there is, if he did not fill a certain stereotype, another fan who was interviewed did. I really do not see this as a negative, but in the end, this documentary refreshed me, and it gave me a new perspective to view anime in general. There is more to it than just buying DVDs. Anime is life. It changes on a constant pace. To look back at this hobby and reminisce its growth overtime is astonishing and I thank Central Park Media for bringing us Otaku Unite! Yay!

Synopsis
Tanabata, the Star Festival, July 7th, commemorates the day when, according to legend, two lovers Princess Orihime and Hikoboshi who are normally separated from each other by the milky way are able to meet at long last. On the eve of Tanabata, a man and woman worlds apart make a similar wish for love. On their way home, fate finds them both on the same subway car. When an old drunkard causes a ruckus and starts harassing Aoyama-san, Yamada is the only person to gather up enough courage to confront him. This simple act of bravery becomes the foundation of a relationship between Yamada and Aoyama-san.

Review
In the synopsis I meant ‘worlds apart’ in a figurative sense. Aoyama Saori belongs to a rich family and can easily pass off as a supermodel. Yamada Tsuyoshi is middle class and doesn’t have much of a social life other than playing video games, surfing the internet, and watching anime. He is the typical Japanese otaku with a geeky exterior. When he gets home that night, Yamada posts the highlights of the subway incident at a message board. From that day forth, his online buddies give him the nick ‘Densha Otoko’ which translates to ‘The Train Man.’ Densha Otoko is based on a true story of a message thread at the infamous 2chan and was made into a manga, a summer movie, and now a popular daytime drama series.

The official Japanese site can be found at http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/denshaotoko/index.html.

The Breakdown
The story that can be generalized to encompass the millions of Anime Otakus around the world whose dream it is to find true love.

Synopsis
Wada, a Japanese salary man, is sent by his company to investigate claims of a priceless vein of jade in a small chinese village. On his arrival, Ujjie, a yakuza who is owed by Wada’s company, accosts him and intends to take the debt out of the jade.

Guided by an old Chinese explorer, Shen, who forgets where the village actually is, they set off on an overwhelming adventure that will change their lives forever.

Review
From the superb directing skills of Takashi Miike comes “The Bird People of China,” a true masterpiece. This movie contains a mixture of elements that are essential for any show to be extraordinarily successful and special. Humor, drama, action, mixed with a bit of imagination on both parts (viewer and creator) and an attractive story. As a matter of fact the story pulls you in right from the start as Mr. Wada says one of the most interesting lines I have ever heard. “I’ve slept more than 10,000 times, but I’ve never dreamt of flying like a bird.” I know this line means something, but I just cannot break it down to parts in which I can comprehend. Maybe I am thinking too much of it, but there has got to be a legitimate reason for Miike to input the line in the movie.

For those who are not familiar with Takashi Miike. He directed other works, such as, Audition, and Ichi the Killer. Both are sick, sadistic and gruesome, but The Bird People of China has none of that goriness. This was a side of Miike that was brand new to me. I was conditioned to expect something violent, but instead was given a delightful piece to enjoy.

They moral of the story? I believe it is the fact that you have to attempt to try something, before deeming it an impossible task to do. In the end, dreaming is everything you would want and would like to do in reality. Therefore you cannot dream of flying like a bird, as flying like a bird symbolizes freedom. You as a human being is always locked up by laws and the rules of society. This could be defined by a quote from Jean Jacque Rousseau that goes, “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” Hence flying like a bird is the lowest in your priorities. Oh wow, I just broke down the phrase I could not a paragraph or so ago :P.

The Breakdown
The Bird People In China is the best ArtsMagicDVD release so far, keep them coming bud!