Lookie here. Dark Wind has posted a review on Texhnolyze, and I did an advanced review for ADV Films’ March 7th release of UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie Vol. 1: Bedlam, Bathhouse & Beyond. RAYTHEGREAT! also did a review on the 1/35 Gasaraki Ishtar Mk-II model. Enjoy!
Synopsis
Despite his parents’ protests, Kazuto Tokino has taken it upon himself to run his late grandfather’s bathhouse. But with no previous management experience, Kazuto must rely on his sunny disposition to keep his new business afloat. And when the alien Princess Valkyrie destroys the bathhouse, mortally wounding Kazuto in the process, dark clouds seem poised to rain on his parade of optimism.
With a magical kiss, the princess saves Kazuto’s life, but at a grave cost to her own: transformed into an 8 year old, she is stranded on Earth, unable to fend for herself. Now, with an entire solar system out searching for her shrunken highness, Kazuto must defend the Tokino bathhouse, not only from hordes of alien invaders, but also from his new, hyper-adorable, sugary-sweet little houseguest!
Review
Cat girls galore, yay! Err… Umm… from the introduction you should have already figured out a part of the show, now here is the other. UFL Ultramaiden Valkyrie is a show featuring Kazuto Tokino and Princess Valkyrie (also known as Val). Her meeting with Kazuto was purely accidental. She crash landed into the hot springs that Kazuto runs, as a result killing him. Valkyrie then used her powers to revive him, and in the process she gave him a part of her soul at the expense of her physical appearance, which turned to that of a young little girl.
UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie is another one of those shows where there is a guy, a girl who is secretly in love with him and a girl that outright shows her love for the male character, Kazuto. While this formula is used and reused, it just does not feel right for this series. Maybe it was because of Princess Valkyrie’s ability to transform into child form… but that should not be the case as Tenjho Tenge’s Maya has that ability but that show still flowed nicely. UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie is more like, here is Val and when something is about to happen to Kazuto, here is Princess Valkyrie.
The characters are simple; there have not been any signs of complicated deep dark secrets or anything. The plot is a relatively straightforward deal. Seeing Val is kind of cute at times, but as with most children… they do tend to get annoying at certain periods. I am keeping a note that I have not seen much of this piece yet, for all that we know this could be a late bloomer. But as of now, UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie is nothing more than a mediocre attempt at creating a good humor title. Sure, Ms. Sanada and her craziness were nice, but other than that, there was nothing present that solidifies UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie as a title that is worth much of your time or money.
The Breakdown
Certainly I am looking forward to the future volumes, there is potential in this title and hopefully it does get better.
Synopsis
Ichise is an “entertainment fighter” in the underground city of Lukuss. However, when a gang punishes Ichise by cutting his arm and leg off, his will to live overcomes the odds and attracts the attention of the ruling Organo syndicate that controls both the city and the cybernetic Texhnolyze technology which is usually reserved for the elite. Meanwhile, an outsider has come down to the city and, along with a young psychic girl, the dominos are beginning to fall in the seething unrest of the city as their paths slowly intertwine with Ichise’s. What will come of these people and what will happen in this city of no hope?
Review
Ahhh….Texhnolyze. The new anime from the staff of Serial Experiments Lain. I would like to get out of the way right now a misconception many have about Texhnolyze, even other reviewers: yoshitoshi ABe (as he prefers it spelled), the creator of Lain, NieA_7, and Haibane Renmei, merely served as character designer and artist for Texhnolyze. He had little to do with the plot and story of the show. The trademarks that NieA_7 and Haibane Renmei share are non-existent here, and you can tell that the show was more in the hands of the other staff of Lain rather than ABe. But that’s no knock on Texhnolyze, which is one of the most brilliant (and overly serious) anime I’ve ever seen. I’ve noticed that little is talked about Texholyze in online circles. Many haven’t seen it and the few who have are turned off by the first few episodes, which throws you right into the show like throwing someone into freezing cold water.
But they don’t know what they are missing. The first two episodes are an extreme version of the style prevalent in the show, which is somewhat abstract and obtuse. But this “extreme” version dissipates as the show progresses (thankfully). The first episode has at most 12 lines of dialogue, and the main character rarely, if ever, speaks throughout the entire show. The creators of Lain were attempting to create something extremely different in Texhnolyze, and in that they succeeded. Each aspect of the show is a symbol, or a representation, of something that can be applied to our own world. Texhnolyze is trying to say something about us as humans and the way we perceive ourselves in the story it tells.
The story revolves around more than just the main character, Ichise. The first half of the show is intra-gang related warfare between three groups; the Organo, those who already control the underground city of Lukuss, the Salvation Union, who don’t believe in texhnolyzing lost limbs (or at all, for that matter), and the Rakan, a reckless group of young adults fed up with how things currently work. These groups battle it out, and the second half of the show is the aftermath and repurcussions of these battles and how it’ll relate to the “surface world” and the elite “Class” group of people who control Lukuss from behind the seat of power.
As you can tell, Texhnolyze is a hard show to pin down and explain. There are a lot of different factions and characters involved, and I became completely engrossed in the story. After a second viewing, the show castly improves, since now you know everything and so the first couple of episodes make A LOT more sense. And that’s the kind of replayablility I can appreciate. The characters are for the most part cold and calculating bastards. Ichise rarely speaks, and the leaders of the gangs generally don’t either. This is a far more visual anime than it is a dialogue heavy one. I don’t want to spoil too much of the show beforehand, but the mysteries surrounding the show are extremely intriguing, from where raffia (the material that the robots parts of limbs is made from) comes from to what the “surface world” is.
The show is dank and dark and depressing, because the entirety of the show takes place underground in an artificial city. When you finally do find out about the much-hyped surface world, you’re mind will be blown away by the sheer amount of things going on, both for the story and symbolically. I was shocked and in awe at the same time. The story slowly dolls out the details, leaving you on the edge of your seat every time to find out more. That’s exactly what I want from an anime like this.
The Breakdown
Texhnolyze is highly underrated, and unfairly maligned because of its experimental style, of which is most prevalent very early on. It goes away for the most part for those who don’t like it, and the show opens up to be extremely compelling and riveting in the end run. The animation is excellent, the music pretty good, and the story downright inspiring and depressing at the same time. The show will tug on your emotions, and the ending will leave you in tears, if not a sentimental smile on your face. The show is abstract and confusing and sometimes hard to put up with, but if you can get through these few problems a great show awaits.
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive manga and animation licensing and publishing companies, announces the further expansion of its successful SHOJO BEAT imprint with the launch of SHOJO BEAT Home Video, which will deliver a variety of compelling anime series aimed at female fans in North America. (more…)
ISHTAR Mk-II
Designer/Modeler: Ray
Finished: 02/17/2006
Scale: 1/35
Status: Finished
Review:
Skill Level: 7/10
Quality: 8/10
Design: 9/10
Background Information:
Appeared in the anime Gasaraki. Piloted by Miharu.
Specs:
Model: Metal Fake Experimental Model 02
Height: 4.6m
Weight: 3.0 tons
Total Weight: 5.6 tons
Max Speed: 68km/h
Max Operative Limit: 45min
Armament:
65mm Automatic Cannon
Guillotine
Colors:
Light Sand, Smoke Grey
Production Notes:
I’m finished with my Ishtar MK-II! I personally like this model, it looks cool and unique, while I was building the model it made me feel like I was building my tank model, maybe it was because of the color or maybe because it has tank like features. The rear of the model looks like a tank’s rear and the head even looks like a tank turret, which is very cool. The design also has realism in it, which is another plus! It’s something that’s different from the usual model I build. The front of the model also reminds me of the LEVs in Zone of the Enders. I just wish it came with fist hands too, I don’t really like the open palms, but I still recommend getting this model!
But even in all the coolness of this model, there were some flaws… I found problems in the design of the arms. Other then having limited mobility on the arms, the forearms of the models didn’t snap together well, so it left a gap. I easily solved the problem with putty. Another issue I had was with the biceps, because of the way the elbow join and shoulder joints were designed, the biceps would pop off all the time. So if you’re getting this model just use some glue on the forearms and biceps of the model.
- Me fixing up the model.
- Spray Painting.
- The cockpit
- I cut the control sticks off the figure’s hands and glue it on to the seat.
- Damn you Ray! I want my hands back!!!
- While I was waiting for other parts to dry, I started detailing the finished parts.
- Parts all dried and test fitting them.
- Model all finished and complete!
Time for the Studio Photos!
So here is the Animesou cameraman RAYTHEGREAT! finally coming through. The reason he’s with us? Well, just check out what he has to offer in his first article on modeling basics. I’ve seen his works and have some of my stuff done by him, so I know what he has in the gas tank. You will find out over time when he demonstrates as well as teaches you how to become an expert modeler like him.
http://www.samuraideeperkyo.us - U.S. Official Site
http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/ kyo/main_index.html - Japanese Official Site
You heard it too, didn’t you?
The voice of the wind.
During Tokugawa Ieyasu’s epic battle of Sekigahara, two samurai face off outside of history. In the heat of the duel between Kyoshiro and Demon Eyes Kyo, a shooting star slams into the plains, shattering the ground and engulfing both of them.
Four years later, the bounty hunter Yuya finds the good natured Kyoshiro, now a traveling medicine man. Hidden deep inside Kyoshiro is the soul of his old opponent, the merciless samurai Kyo. When Yuya and Kyoshiro are thrown into battle, the medicine man’s friendly personality will recede, and the whole world will learn why Kyo is called a demon!
Date Available - June 24, 2003
Running time - 125 Minutes contains episodes 1-5
Rating - 15+
Format - Hybrid
Media - DVD
Product Availability - Preorder - Not Yet Shipping
Publisher - MEDIA BLASTERS
Thoughts
Alpha: Let me start off this new Animesou feature, by explaining what it is. The watcher is a group discussion of what’s to come during the year if possible we will have a guest speaker from their respective companies to add their comments. This idea was sparked by something like this on IGN. Stikz just brought up this idea and it’s pretty cool. So without further ado my thoughts on this upcoming title from Media Blasters.
Rurouni Kenshin’s success in the states was probably a reason why Media Blasters acquired this new samurai hit. Samurai Deeper Kyo was created by Akimine Kamijo, aired in Japan on TV Tokyo starting from July 1, 2002 to December 23, 2002, consisting of twenty six episodes and animation done by Studio DEEN. What I like about this title is how it looks of course :P. The story is also pretty cool. Demon Eyes Kyo is hidden within Mibu Kyoshiro as a result of the meteor that hit the Earth and caused a mutation to those who were near the impact. Some people were given powers to transform into monsters known as “ken-you” or Sword Demon. At times we are given a character with two personalities. Kyoshiro who is kind and Kyo who became a legend after killing a thousand soldiers by himself. There is comedy to some extent and what about the ladies? Yuya Shiina is the main female character who is a bounty hunter and she isn’t afraid to use her body to get her victims to fall for her trap. According to my September 2002 issue of Newtype Japan Samurai Deeper Kyo received a rating of 1.8 on debut. Considering that it was broadcasted at 1:55AM and the rating was based solely on its debut, it is an average feedback from the Japanese viewers.
:Stikz
This kind of reminds me of Rurouni Kenshin, only cooler. Much like the Kenshin OVA’s (Samurai X). I rated the Samurai X OVA a perfect 10. So you can see how this title would interest me. Get ready for a real samurai showdown.
Sean Molyneaux (Media Blasters): Kyo is a series extremely wrapped up in Japanese history, even more so than Kenshin. In fact, the basic premise is that an unexpected event concerning the title character, Kyo, has caused history to diverge from its predestined course. Megeria, who knows the true future, is attempting to solve the problem. In the resulting chaos, major historical figures are killed off before their time, and the Sanada clan uses this as an opportunity to gain more power than they have historically. For those having taken basic Japanese history, it’s a lot of fun to try and stay one step ahead of the plot.
:Hornet
Heard some good things about it. I wonder how it will compare to Kenshin.
Alpha: So, Samurai Deeper Kyo is certainly going to be a surprise for the American anime fans. I’ve listened to both of the opening (Ao no Requiem - Blue Requiem) and ending theme (Love Deeper) sung by Tsubokura Yuiko, both of these themes are upbeat and simply awesome. I have to thank Sean of Media Blasters for taking time to reply to my email. Be prepared for another samurai adventure coming to you this summer! In the mean time drool over some of the screen caps.
Samura Deeper Kyo Screen Caps:
Welcome to model building 101!
Today we will learn the basics of model building.
Before we even start to learn how to build a model, we must have the proper
tools and work area.
Here is an example of a proper work area.
- I recommend working on a desk to prevent back pains and slouching back.
- But working on the floor is just as fine.
- It is not required to get a self-healing cutting mat, but it is required to have a neat desk.
- Building a model may look like a messy job, but it requires a clean work area and good organization.
- Now that we have a good work area, we need the tools.
- These are the most basic tools of model building.
- As long as you have these tools you can build any model.
Tool #1: A Nail Clipper
The Nail Clipper is an optional tool if you’re on the advance level, but if you don’t have a modeling knife around, using a Nail Clipper is just as great. They’re also very cheap compared to the model knife.
- With a nail clipper, you can use it to cut off parts that are left by the model tree.
Tool #2: Pliers
The Pliers are one of the must have tools, they’re good for holding tiny parts that require gluing and much more.
Tool #3: Modeler’s Cutter/Nippers
- The Modeler’s cutter looks like a special narrow wire cutter. It is very important to have this, you will need this to cut the
models off the tree. Never bend or twist the model parts off the tree! Doing so will risk damaging
the part! This is a highly recommended tool for all modelers!
- The comparison between a normal wire cutter and a modeler’s cutter. Because of the Modeler’s cutter design, it allows us to cut
off tiny and delicate model parts off the tree.
Tool #4: Box cutter
The box cutter is also a useful tool to have for various purposes. such as, stabbing someone messing with your models!
Tool #5: Modeler’s Knife
With this knife it makes you an official model builder! This is a highly recommended tool for all modelers! The modeling knife is not easy to use and takes time to master it. Using it improperly will result in cutting yourself. *ouch*
- A modeling knife can fit different types of blades for different purposes but it’s not required to have optional blades.
- Even a dull modeling blade still have it’s uses.
Tool #6: Model Glue, Super Glue
As models get more and more advanced the need to use model glue is required sometimes, but it’s always something good to have around.
- If you’re going to get model glue, I recommend getting the glue that comes with brushes.
- Now that we have all our tools, it’s time to move onto the Model!
- This is the box art of the model.
- And sometimes I just hate how the box art always glorify the model kit, at the end, the model looks nothing like the box art…
- But, that’s why I’m here! I’m going to teach how to make your models look just like the box art! unless it’s one of those really really old model kits…
- Like this model for example, it’s molded in one color! All white! That means… We’ll need to paint this model.
- But, today’s lesson is about building a model and not painting it. We’re still not at the stage to paint the model yet.
- This is called a model tree, everyone calls it differently, but I call it a tree.
- Before we even start building and cutting off parts from the model tree, we must look at the instructions!
- If you can’t follow instructions, then take the model and throw it in the trash can, because your chances of messing up are 90%.
- But Ray, the instructions are in Japanese! I can’t read Japanese, and I’ll say SHUT THE ^-^ UP! Can’t you see the pictures!? Everything is nicely illustrated for you like a picture book!
- Anyway, onto the model!
- Each part on the tree is labeled, if it asks for part 8, look for part 8.
- On advance models, sometimes the trees are labeled with letters, so if they ask for C8. look for the tree labeled C and find part 8.
- This is the proper way to remove the parts from the tree, bending them and twisting them off is the improper way!
- Use the modeler’s cutter!
- After cutting the part off the tree you will mostly be left with a little excess plastic. I call these stubs.
- Another example of a Stub, there are a few ways you can remove these.
- One way of doing this is with the model knife, but if you haven’t mastered it yet, you can try the alternative.
- Using the nail clipper is a good alternative.
- The Results with the model knife are perfect!
- And the results with a nail clipper. There’s still a bit of a stub left over, but it’s good enough for beginners.
- I also recommend cutting your stubs over a model box, this way the stub shavings won’t be all over the floor or table. It makes cleaning up a lot easier.
- With all your parts cut out, you can now follow the instructions to build the model!
- You are now one step closer to building a model like a pro!
We’ve got outlandishly good savings for you this week! Central Park Media’s got a great mix of new releases like Outlanders, classic favorites like Project A-ko, and plenty of adult-only titles under the Anime 18 label as well! (more…)
As most know, Bandai Entertainment’s release of the anime “Hoop Days” was indefinitely put on hold after Vol. 2 was released, which brought Bandai under a lot of criticism. Now, the single volume release has been officially discontinued and further volumes will not be made. Instead, Bandai is releasing a “complete boxset collection” for the entire show, with all 26 episodes. The set is due out in May and will cost $49.98. That’s extremely cheap for a 26-episode series on its first release in the US, so Hoop Days fans should be happy now.