It hasn’t been officially announced by FUNi themselves, but their parent company (Navarre) has said that FUNimation has licensed the anime TV series and is aiming for an expected late-2007 release.
On the front page of http://www.gamefaqs.com this Friday/Saturday, Animesou will be on the daily Top 10 feature. The subject, the most memorable cheats in gaming history. Also check out my review on Megaman X: The Day of Sigma!
VIZ Media, LLC. (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive manga and animation licensing and publishing companies, has announced the debut of five new dedicated manga titles and one new fiction novel to be released in the First Quarter of 2006 under the company’s recently launched SHOJO BEAT imprint. (more…)
Synopsis
‘X’ is the first of a new generation of robots which contain an innovative feature - the ability to think, feel and make their own decisions. However this ability could be very dangerous. If ‘X’ were to break the first rule of robotics, ‘A robot must never harm a human being’, the results would be disastrous and I fear that no force on earth could stop him.
Approximately 30 years will be required before we can safely confirm his reliability. Unfortunately I will not live to see that day, nor do I have anyone to carry on my work. Therefore, I have decided to seal him in this capsule, which will test his internal systems until his reliability has been confirmed. Please do not disturb the capsule until that time.
‘X’ possesses great risks as well as great possibilities. I can only hope for the best.
September 18, 20XX
T. Light
Review
The Japanese title for the PSP game is Irregular Hunter X and was released on December 15th, 2005. The US title is Maverick Hunter X released January 31st, 2006. The Day of Sigma OVA is a short unlockable movie that you have access to after beating X mode once. It’s similar to how the .hack game series for the PS2 was bundled with the four part anime .hack//Liminality. The OVA takes place before the events in Megaman X. Sigma had already been infected with Dr. Wily’s virus (ever since his encounter and fight with a berserk Zero, revealed in a flashback in Megaman X4). The OVA marks the turning point when Sigma finally declares his reploid war.
The Japanese Capcom website devoted to the game is located at http://www3.capcom.co.jp/psp_x/ with sound. Along the top are menu buttons. Click and you’ll find a basic storyline overview, 3 movie trailers, screenshots from The Day of Sigma in addition to an interview with the Japanese cast, a boss list, a description of Vava/Vile mode, and plenty of in game footage.
The pitiful excuse for a US website is located at http://www.capcom.com/xpml/game.xpml?gameid=850038 where you’ll be lucky to find in game screenshots of only X. This goes to show how much they care. The US game manual is even in black and white (cheap skates).
The Breakdown
If you are a diehard Megaman fan and by now have invested in a $300 PSP, then chances are you will buy the game. The anime is a more than satisfying bonus.
Synopsis
There is an old legend that speaks of a hidden paradise on Earth - a paradise only wolves can find. And while thought to have been extinct for hundreds of years, wolves still walk the Earth…hidden among mankind. Now, a group of outcast wolves set out to find Paradise: Kiba, Hige, Toboe, and Tsume. Each wolf is driven by their own personality and desires, but together they are pursued by humans seeking to quench their own thirst for power. A difficult and long journey lies ahead, with Paradise waiting to be found.
Review
You can tell from my synopsis that Wolf’s Rain is very vague in its premise. It’s most definitely unique, and in that alone I commend it, as anime these days rarely try to break the boundaries of their genre, be it a giant robot or magical girl or tournament fighting anime. I also have a bias towards loving wolves, who I find to be fascinating creatures, and to see them done in anime like this is a treat unto itself. A further plus was the fact that a majority of the Cowboy Bebop staff worked on Wolf’s Rain, chief among them scriptwriters Keiko Nobumoto and Dai Sato and musical composer Yoko Kanno. Yoko Kanno alone is reason enough to watch any anime, the fact that animation studio BONES (RahXephon, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie) is behind the animation is just icing on the cake. I’ll also add that Wolf’s Rain (and previously Cowboy Bebop) character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto is a favorite among anime character designers for me; his penchant for adult-looking, realistically-proportioned people is a rarity, and I’m glad that he’s on board.
As you can clearly see, Wolf’s Rain has a lot going for it and a high pedigree that shows a lot of potential. And with this mix we have one of my favorite anime of all-time. It currently sits in my top 15, which is saying a lot considering the amount of anime I’ve seen. And every time I rewatch it I enjoy it more. The idea that wolves will lead the world to paradise is an interesting premise, the fact that they hide themselves among mankind by casting a spell on people is doubly intriguing (to explain: the wolf characters in the show have human forms…sort of. If you look at their footprints in the snow and their shadows on walls, they appear to be wolves. They are merely casting a spell when they want to make people perceive them as humans. This is because they are being hunted by humans because the humans fear that having the wolves bring paradise will end their current world, so killing all the wolves will stop this and save their world).
It should be noted that Wolf’s Rain is more drama and plot than action. When action does appear, it kicks copious amounts of ass, because the wolves are given superhuman abilities of jumping and speed. When they use these abilities in their human form, it looks awesome. The animation certainly helps matters: it’s crisp, fluid, and detailed, just what is expected from BONES. Yoko Kanno’s music is far removed from anything she’s done before, she defines it as “brazilian with flamenco sensibilities” and you can tell with the peppered bits of spanish instruments strewn about the various musical tracks. I personally loved the music so much I went out and bought the soundtrack, and I think this is one of her best works ever, only being surpassed by Cowboy Bebop and maybe Escaflowne: The Movie.
The story itself is a road trip show in a sense, as the four main wolves are constantly on the move from one place to the next while the search for paradise. The secondary characters (which receive excellent backgrounds in their own right) are also constantly moving, either one step ahead or behind the wolves. Since the story is heavy on religion and mysticism and tribal/pack aspects, the plot tends to be vague for the most part. You either have to buy into what they are telling you or not. You can’t make sense of it because it isn’t meant to, and this will probably be the biggest hurdle for you to get over. There is no rational explanation why wolves are the ones that lead the world to paradise, they just are. There’s no reason why wolves have the abilities they do, like casting a spell on all humans or having the abilities they do….they just do. If one can get past these things, you will be enveloped into one of the most engrossing anime I’ve ever seen.
The Breakdown
Wolf’s Rain is easily one of the best things I’ve seen, anime or not. It’s mature, takes itself moderately seriously, enjoys what its telling us, and has a couple of important things to say about the state of man in accordance with nature. It’s one hell of a ride with an extremely bittersweet ending, and the production values are off the charts. If people can attain a certain suspension of disbelief, then there is no reason, I think, that you wouldn’t enjoy this anime. Give at least the first volume a shot to see if its your thing (it has five episodes on it, which is just enough to judge whether this is for you or not).
Happy Valentines’ Day to all the couples out there. If you do not have a special someone, do not feel discouraged. You will find yours in due time. Anyways, Dark Wind has posted a review on Ninja Scroll and Wolf’s Rain, while I have posted a review on ADV Films’ Diamond Daydreams Vol. 1: Atsuko / Karin. Enjoy.
Synopsis
The bitter-cold winter of Hokkaido meets the warmth of the human heart, as six women suffer through their own tragic love stories before fate brings them all together.
We begin with Atsuko, whose arranged marriage collapses in the face of a love triangle. Then there’s Karin, a sickly schoolgirl who develops a crush on her doctor only to have it blow up in her face. These are just two of the women chasing their own Diamond Daydreams.
Review
Diamond Daydreams is a pretty unique acquisition by ADV Films. The show is compiled of the love stories of six young ladies. There is about a story for each situation you can come up with for a woman today. Love triangles, forbidden love, arranged marriages, sick but in love, being a mistress… the list goes on. Right about now you probably would not have any interest in a show that details love relationships, and like some of you who are feeling skeptical, I felt the same. But there is some sort of freshness in this anime.
Maybe it is the name, Diamond Daydreams or Diamond Dust Drops; it caught my attention. After viewing it, it was definitely a different experience from the shoujo series that I have seen thus far. The story is all based in Hokkaido (a place I have to visit!). There is a saying that goes, when a person sees diamond dust, they will be granted happiness.
In the first story, we have Atsuko Akanegi, twenty years old. She had the potential to have a great future, but due to her father’s death, she was not able to go on with her education, and now must help out with her mother with their fish store. Even though Atsuko wanted to be like her friends, going off to college, hanging out with guys and having fun; she realizes that it is nothing but a dream. There was no way she can make enough to pay the tuition of a college when they were barely keeping the fish store open.
In comes Mr. Kurata, a musician who strives to make it in the United States. He had left his wife and daughter in the pursuit of his dream. Mr. Kurata has become a frequent customer of Atsuko’s fish store, and her interest in jazz music also created a friendship between the two of them. As the story progresses, we meet Minoru Jinguji, the arranged fiancĆ© of Atsuko. And finally story one begins to go.
In story two, we have Karin Shiraishi, whom is sick with a condition that was passed down from birth. So right from the start we see how each story will be different. Karin spends most of her two years in the hospital, writing her stories on a weblog and have in turn gathered up a fanbase who awaits her next story.
As she goes through her daily routine, a new doctor by the name of Amakasu arrives and right from the start he rubs her the wrong way. It was after this meeting that Karin began to receive emails from one of her fans. As they are exchanging emails, we learn more about Karin and the fan’s true identity.
The Breakdown
Diamond Daydreams is unusual, it is a show that revolves around drama. The story surpasses everything else. If you want a shoujo show, you cannot go wrong with this one from ADV Films.
Leading anime distributor Central Park Media Corporation (CPM), in cooperation with the government of Tokyo, Japan, is proud to announce CPM’s assistance in promoting the Tokyo International Anime Fair New York events held in New York City this week. (more…)
Square Enix’s CG movie based on Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children, finally has a release date. After a long delay and a promise that it would be out “sometime in 2006″, 1up.com has let us know that the DVD and UMD will ship in the U.S. on April 25, 2006. The article also contains info about the official voice cast and some of the special features.
Synopsis
Feudal Japan - A time of danger, intrigue and deception. Jubei Kibagami is a masterless samurai who travels the land alone, hiring his services for any amount of money he can get. His fearsome abilities have served him well, but a hideous plot to overthrow the current government threatens to end his wandering ways and possibly his life. When a small village succumbs to a possible plague, a team of ninjas are sent to investigate, and realize that all is not as it seems. Ambushed, they are wiped out by a fearsome man-monster with incredible powers, leaving only one alive - Kagero, a beautiful female ninja, whose very touch can bring instant death. Jubei saves her from a fate worse than death, and unwittingly becomes drawn into the web of treachery. He is soon faced with his greatest challenge, an enemy for whom death holds no fear, with the power to destroy Jubei’s world.
Review
Ninja Scroll is an anime classic in the sense that brainless live-action movies like The Rock are classics. The story is simple and straightforward and the backstory doesn’t make much sense, but so long as the blood is pumping and the next action sequence isn’t far off, we are glued to the screen. Ninja Scroll should seem familiar to some; it was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who has a very distinctive flair (he was also responsible for Wicked City, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and the “Program” short from The Animatrix). If you’ve seen any of these, you know Kawajiri can direct incredibly riveting action sequences, and Ninja Scroll is no exception. The action is fluid and always on-screen, and we are never confused as to what’s going on. This is helped by the animation, which looks very good for its age and clearly had a big budget so everything could be animated.
While the action is sweet and the animation nice to look at, the same can’t be said of the characters. They are archetypes through and through, and never break their cliched personalities. This means no surprises and no twists. Fortunately, Jubei is an easy-going, laid-back samurai, and is instantly likeable and fun to watch. The Eight Devils of Kimon, the main villains of the film, are easy to hate, and are clearly made to look evil and despicable, but nothing more. The most interesting character (which isn’t saying much) is the old goverment spy Dakuan, whose motives are unknown and whose character gets the most dialogue. There’s also Kagero, the beautiful female ninja. Her main purpose is to be the sex object; who is raped by two different villains in the show and is mainly there to show off some gratuitous nudity.
But, that’s what Ninja Scroll is all about. This was THE film that defined the cliched anime action genre (at least in the US, from what I understand Ninja Scroll went unnoticed in Japan for the most part). It has all the gratuitous sex and nudity, excellent action and battle scenes, throwaway plot, and pointless blood and gore that make this genre what it is today. It inspired a million imitators, but this is still the best. I think if you’re a heterosexual male with a strong stomach, that you should definitely give this a try. Its badass and tough and manly and bloody and everything else that plays to that carnal male instinct.
The Breakdown
Give the film a shot. You’ll probably enjoy it, but the movie certainly doesn’t have any artistic merits beyond the action sequences. The film just last year received the deluxe treatment from Manga Entertainment, who put out a 10th Anniversary Edition DVD of the film commemorating its original US release. I recommend renting that, if not outright buying it. You’ll have a lot of fun.