Monthly Archives: July 2007

Josh’s Anime Blog Podcast Episode #33

Saturday, July 14, 2007 – 10:50 pm

Josh’s Anime Blog Podcast Episode 33Josh’s Anime Blog Podcast Episode #33 is now online! In this podcast, I re-review the movie that changed everything, Akira.

This week’s Podcast Stats:
Time: 21:13
Download Size: 14.5 MB

This week’s opening theme:
“Makka na Chikai” by Yoshiki Fukuyama
Opening theme to Busou Renkin

This week’s ending theme:
“Kaneda” by Geinoh Yamashiro-gumi
Ending theme to Akira

You can listen to my podcasts in the following ways:

Flash Player:

Directly: http://www.joshsanimeblog.com/podcast/JABPEpisode33.mp3

You can also download or add my podcast-only RSS feed to your favorite reader or add my podcast using iTunes.

Enjoy!

By Josh | Posted in Podcasts | Tagged | Comments (0)

School Days - Episode 01

Thursday, July 12, 2007 – 8:02 pm

Welcome to School Days! This is the first episode of a series based off, both a famous and infamous dating sim game. It’s famous because it is the first dating sim that included actual animated scenes within the game. However, it is also infamous due to some of the “bad” endings in the game, which included things such as murder and suicide. The creators of the anime have to know that this is partly what the game is famous for, so we’ll see how or whether they’ll include any of those story lines in this show. School Days is supposed to run for 13 episodes, so it’s a half season.

Also, starting with this series, if you want to see larger versions of the large images, just click on the images and you’ll get a full size shot. In any case, enjoy!

Let the games begin
Kotonoha Katsura Don't stalkers do this?

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By Josh | Posted in School Days | Comments (0)

First Thoughts: Sky Girls and Kenko Zenra Kei Suiei Bu Umisho

Tuesday, July 10, 2007 – 2:36 pm

Again, here are a pair of series that I’m not blogging episode-by-episode but that I ended up deciding to watch (despite my blog post about what summer shows I’d watch. Part of this is due to the people who are subbing the spring shows being way behind).

Sky GirlsThe first show up is Sky Girls. I wasn’t expecting much of this show since it basically looked like a lolis-with-mechas series. However, the first episode really surprised me. Getting past all the major characters basically being super-lolis, I actually liked this episode and the overall feeling of the series.

Now, I do have concerns with this series. Having this many lolis in one place definitely suggests that they are going to play to the loli-fanbase more than just having them in the show, and if we start having needless loli-pandering, then the show will turn into a downward spiral and crash and burn I think. However, if they keep the feeling it had in the first episode for the rest of the series, then I think this could be a pretty good show.

UmishoThe second show is Zenra Kei Suiei Bu Umisho, or just Umisho for short. This looks to basically be a show for guys who want to see an anime with lots of boobs. First off, you have the swim team - so you have swimsuits, and a lot of them. You have girls outnumbering guys on the swim team over 2 to 1. So you have a lot of girls. Finally you have a new girl who transfers to the school and joins the swim team whose favorite swimsuit is…to swim naked.

She’s also very good, and at least one other member of the swim team is willing to try anything the new girl does to be as good as her - including, you guessed it, swimming naked.

On top of this, the manager of the swim team can’t swim. There is a story here where the manager and the new girl have met somewhere in the past before (though neither can really pin it down), but clearly the point of the show appears to be to show breasts, and to show as many of them as often as possible.

I suppose this may be entertaining for some, and I’ll probably watch this show just to watch it, but I’m not expecting much.

By Josh | Posted in 2007 Anime | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Anime DVD and Manga releases for July 10 - July 16

Tuesday, July 10, 2007 – 1:49 pm

Anime DVDs

Desert Punk Box SetJuly 10, 2007
Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy - Volume 2
Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales - Volume 2
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad - Volume 1
Desert Punk - Box Set
Fate/Stay Night - Volume 4
Galaxy Angel Rune - Volume 1 (sub)
Godannar - Box Set
Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor - Volume 5
Kyo Kara Maoh! - Season 2 Volume 5
Peach Girl - Volume 3
Princess Princess - Volume 2 (sub)
Shonen Onmyoji - Volume 1
Solty Rei - Volume 5
Wings of Rean - Volume 2 (sub)

Manga

Inu Yasha manga volume 30July 10, 2007
Bastard!! - Volume 14
B’tX - Volume 13
Cheeky Angel - Volume 18
Dragon Head - Volume 7
Firefighter!: Daigo of Fire Company M - Volume 19
Gatcha Gacha - Volume 5
Inu Yasha - Volume 30
Lupin III: World’s Most Wanted - Volume 9
Mobile Suit Gundam: Ecole du Ciel - Volume 6
Never Give Up - Volume 5
Red River - Volume 18
Rozen Maiden - Volume 5
Satisfaction Guaranteed - Volume 4
Strawberry Marshmallow - Volume 4
Ultra Cute - Volume 7
Yakitate!! Japan - Volume 6

July 11, 2007
Black Magic
E’S - Volume 3
Flower of Life - Volume 3

By Josh | Posted in Anime & Manga Releases | Comments (0)

Anime Review - Akane Maniax: 59.4%

Monday, July 9, 2007 – 1:21 pm

The Essentials

Akane ManiaxName: Akane Maniax
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Mecha
Episodes: 3 OVA Episodes
Released: November 25, 2004 - August 26, 2005
Based On: Spin-off of Rumbling Hearts anime & Akane Maniax PC game
Director: Tetsuya Watanabe
Produced By: Media Factory, Bandai Visual
US Distribution By: N/A

Major Japanese Cast

Jouji Gouda: Tomokazu Seki
Akane Suzumiya: Kaori Mizuhashi
Chizuru Sakaki: Kaho Takayanagi
Yūko Kōduki: Takako Inaba
Marimo Jinguuji: Ayaka Minami

Major English Cast

N/A

Scores

Animation: 7/10 (x 4 = 28 pts)
Story: 5/10 (x 4 = 20 pts)
Music: 7/10 (x 4 = 28 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: N/A
English Dubs: N/A
Gut Score: 5/10 (x 5 = 25 pts)

Total: 101/170 (59.4%)

Review

Even though Akane Maniax is a spin-off of Rumbling Hearts, there is very little similar between the two series. Akane Maniax is mostly a comedy series focusing around Jouji’s infatuation with Akane and her inability to get over Takayuki, whom she fell in love with in Rumbling Hearts.

Jouji is a character that means well, but doesn’t exactly think things through and has a wild imagination. He arrives to the high school Akane attends, ready to take their baseball team to the high school national championships. The only problem is that he never realized that he is a senior and that his final high school baseball season just ended.

His imagination also creates a running allegory throughout the series representing his view of his relationship with Akane, and which often includes a giant Mecha (and which also typically includes an extremely warped view of the status of their relationship). Not only this, but he’ll often take action based on whatever his imagination comes up with rather than reality.

I found it hard to figure out what the creators of this series were thinking. People who liked Rumbling Hearts may not like this series because it’s nothing like Rumbling Hearts, sans Akane, and a few cameos by other characters. On the other hand, Jouji acts with such ridiculousness that it passes the funny stage and leaps directly into the “stupid” realm.

While there is a serious side to the series - Akane getting over her feelings for Takayuki - fans of the anime (and anyone else for that matter) may not really see how Jouji’s antics would actually help her in that regard. The only real fans may be those who can’t get enough of the KimiNozo franchise and/or who are familiar with all the games that have been created within the franchise.

Even though it’s an OVA, the animation takes a little hit from Rumbling Hearts and the music is only about average. Overall, this is easily a series that can be skipped, even by fans of the Rumbling Hearts anime series.

First Watched: March 2006
Do I Own: No
Do I Recommend: No

By Josh | Posted in Anime Reviews | Tagged | Comments (0)

Nagasarete Airantou - Episode 13

Sunday, July 8, 2007 – 9:00 pm

Well, I guess out of all the major characters, the only one who really hasn’t had an episode focusing on them yet is Tonkatsu. However, he gets his turn in Episode 13. This episode also marks the halfway point of the series so it’s, er, all downhill from here (whether a pun was intended will be determined by the end of the series).

Tofu
Suzu freaks out Pig vs. Chicken

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By Josh | Posted in Nagasarete Airantou | Comments (1)

Kyoto Animation: Big Teases

Saturday, July 7, 2007 – 4:51 pm

While the announcement in NewType Japan still seems to be pretty definitive about a second season, what popped up on the official Haruhi website (and has apparently come back down) wasn’t an official announcement, but a live-action video about an event in the 3rd volume of the Haruhi light novels (I think I know what it is, but I won’t look because I don’t want to spoil it if I am wrong).

Sooo…we’re still waiting for any actual news like an official official announcement or when it might air, or even how long it is.

I also posted this in an update to the post below, but I mentioned a debate in the podcast about the show possibly being “2 seasons long” or something like that. Since I can’t read Japanese, I can’t say whether this was mentioned for sure in the NewType scans, but I just thought that it may be possibly a misinterpretation of the “season 2″ announcement (ie, reading 2nd haruhi season as 2 seasons long or something). In any case, like I said, we’re still waiting. The 10th - really the 9th our time, will probably be the next time we might learn something new.

By Josh | Posted in 2006 Anime | Tagged | Comments (0)

Josh’s Anime Blog Podcast Episode #32

Saturday, July 7, 2007 – 3:54 pm

Josh’s Anime Blog Podcast Episode 32Josh’s Anime Blog Podcast Episode #32 is now online! In this podcast, I re-review both seasons of the anime series Pretear.

This week’s Podcast Stats:
Time: 26:04
Download Size: 17.9 MB

This week’s opening theme:
“Last Regrets” by Ayana
Opening theme to Kanon (2006)

This week’s ending theme:
“Lucky Star” by Sayuri Yoshida
Ending theme to Pretear

You can listen to my podcasts in the following ways:

Flash Player:

Directly: http://www.joshsanimeblog.com/podcast/JABPEpisode32.mp3

You can also download or add my podcast-only RSS feed to your favorite reader or add my podcast using iTunes.

Enjoy!

By Josh | Posted in Podcasts | Tagged | Comments (0)

It’s Official (maybe)

Thursday, July 5, 2007 – 1:32 pm

The Melancholy of Haruhi SuzumiyaThe Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is getting a 2nd season, presumably to air after Clannad is finished (whenever it airs, so depending on how long Clannad is supposed to be, we’re probably looking at summer or fall of 2008).

Actually, It’s supposed to be officially “official” when the official website announces it on July 7, 2007 (or 7/7/07 - why am I not surprised?) and when the announcement is made in the August issue of NewType, which hits stores July 10th.

In any case, all Haruiists rejoice!

Addition (7/7/07):
Well, the 7th came and went and nothing showed up on the official Haruhi Japanese website. Newtype Japan in still coming out on the 10th, so that should give us the definite answer. If the person who translated some of the text is correct, it seems to be pretty sure, though. Also, the report of it being “two seasons long” may just be a misinterpretation of the text saying that it’s the 2nd season.

By Josh | Posted in 2006 Anime | Tagged | Comments (0)

First Thoughts: Nanatsuiro Drops

Thursday, July 5, 2007 – 9:25 am

Nanatsuiro DropsI’m not going to be blogging this series episode-to-episode, but I thought I’d give my thoughts on the first episode of Nanatsuiro Drops.

Basically I thought this was a not-so-well-made attempt to be like Cardcaptor Sakura. Basically you have a magical girl with a grumpy talking stuffed animal as a sidekick who has to go around collecting things. That fairly describes both series. However, that’s about where the similarities end.

In Nanatsuiro Drops, the main focus, at least in the first episode, is on a boy named Tsuwabuki who, after getting a drink mixed up with a magical guy that he runs into, turns into a stuffed animal. For him to be able to return, he must enlist the aid of a magical girl (who doesn’t know she’s a magical girl) to collect 7 “Star Drops.”

So why didn’t I like this? Well, I tend to not like comparing one series to another so closely, but how much they are trying to mimic series like CCS makes such a comparison almost necessary. First off, the boy, who is called Yuki after he turns into a stuffed animal, has about the same temperament (if not worse) than Kero in CCS, hardly making him a character that the viewer has an interest in caring about. Yes, I know the series will probably be partly about his growth as a, er, person-in-stuffed animal form, but I, at least, frankly don’t give a squat over what happens to him.

The only person I might be able to feel that way about is the girl, Sumomo, yet, at least as of the first episode, she’s just kind of doing what she’s told and is more of a semi-minor character (though that’ll probably change, but we’ll see how).

Also, her collecting of the Star Drops are, shall we say, hardly challenging to me. She has a ring which tells her exactly where they are, and once she finds them, she basically has to say a magical phrase and volla, she’s collected them. It appears that the challenge in the series will be fighting off a rival rather than the challenge of finding the Star Drops (unlike CSS where there really isn’t any “enemy” so to speak - Sakura has to beat the very cards she has to collect, making it far more interesting, at least to me).

Of course, it’s impossible to completely judge a series based on one episode, but I’d have to say that Nanatsuiro Drops doesn’t exactly look like it’s headed in a good direction based on the initial show.

By Josh | Posted in 2007 Anime | Tagged | Comments (0)