TNT played the Matrix Trilogy in succession yesterday. While I'll admit to having a better appreciation for the storyline, despite its flaws, I am shocked that it also filled in a gap in my ability to describe my plot in an apt manner. I've always thought of my story arc as Dracula meets Snow White with some Biblical prophecy thrown in, but could never quite come up with that third title that truly enveloped what I mean by "Biblical prophecy." I thought about The Prophecy or The Omen or The Seventh Sign, but none of those quite fit, and I worried that using general religious terminology may make prospective agents or readers think it's a preachy story. Believe me, it's not. Many aspects of my story would most likely cause some controversry in mainstream Christianity. My goal isn't to preach at all. I'm simply telling a story and pulling from many faiths and religious texts as part of that story.
Hence, The Matrix, with its plethora of religious undertones and hidden meanings. On the surface, it's man versus machine in a futuristic war, but really, as many before this have deduced, it's good versus evil and symbolic of Christ versus the Anti-Christ. It's a story of a savior ending a war and bringing salvation to more than just the human race. It is the perfect fit for that third spot in my X + Y + Z = MY BOOK(s) equation and I love it.
Being told that my work is unlike anything out there makes it hard for me to describe it. Well how many books out there are Dracula meets Snow White meets The Matrix Trilogy? Maybe I'm giddy over nothing, but I'm rather happy about this.
I'm equally happy to report that I discovered a workable method to write (what I think is) a good synopsis. I started over (again), and this time kept my first manuscript open on one screen while writing my synopsis on another screen. Perfect! I'm down to the last chapter and a half, and then I can start redrafting and polishing. I have a lot of paring down to do, but I'm satisfied with my progress thus far.
As long as I'm moving forward, I'm not standing still. That's a good thing. ^_-
Monday, November 14, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The mightiness of my geekiness knows no bounds...
I took last Monday off to enjoy the day after my husband's birthday at home with him...which would have been nice if not for the day-long power outage that pretty much ruined his actual birthday. Being the techies we are...poor things...we suffered immeasurably without our televisions, consoles, or laptops, and the severity of my condition manifested as a festering need to cling to the one thing that could shed light and connect to a network: my cell phone. I should clarify that I normally could have used my laptop on its battery, but this was one of those rare moments where I hadn't charged it after its last use. Grrr @ me. So anyway, we went out for brunch. We came home. No power. We went shopping. We came home. The power came on! For five minutes. The power company said it would be twelve hours before it came back. We decided to go shopping again. We came home again.
The electricity did return much sooner than anticipated. Actually, it came back on just before we left the third time, but Best Buy was having a sale...and we are techies, after all. So let this little crisis be a testament to my reliability on the charge that runs all my gadgets and the first step toward demonstrating my geekiness.
Let's call that Exhibit A and this Exhibit B, since I used to work in Criminal Justice and am taking a step back there for just a moment. In that field, I created databases and I loved it. All the functions and queries and table-building, designing the forms and reports, and choosing the colors and pictures for the backgrounds - it was fantastic! It was the perfect blend of technical and creative that my brain drools over more than a zombie drools over a perfectly happy brain. But now - as much as I love my job (and I cannot stress that I LOVE my job enough) - any task I do on any given day is far more technical than it is creative. The most creative thing I do in a day is my makeup (anyone who has seen my Facebook page or knows me can attest) - hence the pink (or sometimes blue) hair, the crazy eyeshadow or themed makeup, and mismatched socks with plaid shoes. My body has become my canvas so that my mind can focus on the technical at work.
Time for a sidebar. My husband is an audiophile. Symptoms of his affliction include an extensive dvd/blu-ray collection. And since I'm an anime-niac, my anime collection certainly doesn't help matters. It's hard to keep track of - we can sit there, staring at it all, and not be able to pick out something to watch because there's just too much! In fact, we easily have a dozen discs that we've purchased and have yet to watch. Some are still in plastic wrap. I guarantee it.
Last monday night, I found myself wanting to watch a movie, but unable to choose. My solution? And yes, for whatever reason, with everything that I have to do, I was this bored: create a database so I (we) can look at a list or choose by genre to narrow it down. And that's what I did. Three hours later, I had the database completed, including a place to put in a cover picture for reference (fancy!), and even had all of our titles entered and the number of discs cataloged. OMG. Okay, I lied. I forgot to the put in The Karate Kid because it's here at work, so the database (PMDB) is missing one disc. Oh, and I have an anime shipping today, so I'll have to add it...well, suffice it to say that it's an ongoing project that'll never end. Just like my geekiness.
^_- Once a geek. Always a geek. For life!
P.S. I know, I know. I should have been working on my book or querying or something. But I want to do the queries in very small batches and wait them out before I start anew, and I've been reading sample synopses so I can strengthen mine. I'm only supposed to include the main plot lines, but my synopsis leaves out a major player in the "villain's" motivation that I feel I should work in. So...this weekend, hopefully, I'll start round numeral dos.
The electricity did return much sooner than anticipated. Actually, it came back on just before we left the third time, but Best Buy was having a sale...and we are techies, after all. So let this little crisis be a testament to my reliability on the charge that runs all my gadgets and the first step toward demonstrating my geekiness.
Let's call that Exhibit A and this Exhibit B, since I used to work in Criminal Justice and am taking a step back there for just a moment. In that field, I created databases and I loved it. All the functions and queries and table-building, designing the forms and reports, and choosing the colors and pictures for the backgrounds - it was fantastic! It was the perfect blend of technical and creative that my brain drools over more than a zombie drools over a perfectly happy brain. But now - as much as I love my job (and I cannot stress that I LOVE my job enough) - any task I do on any given day is far more technical than it is creative. The most creative thing I do in a day is my makeup (anyone who has seen my Facebook page or knows me can attest) - hence the pink (or sometimes blue) hair, the crazy eyeshadow or themed makeup, and mismatched socks with plaid shoes. My body has become my canvas so that my mind can focus on the technical at work.
Time for a sidebar. My husband is an audiophile. Symptoms of his affliction include an extensive dvd/blu-ray collection. And since I'm an anime-niac, my anime collection certainly doesn't help matters. It's hard to keep track of - we can sit there, staring at it all, and not be able to pick out something to watch because there's just too much! In fact, we easily have a dozen discs that we've purchased and have yet to watch. Some are still in plastic wrap. I guarantee it.
Last monday night, I found myself wanting to watch a movie, but unable to choose. My solution? And yes, for whatever reason, with everything that I have to do, I was this bored: create a database so I (we) can look at a list or choose by genre to narrow it down. And that's what I did. Three hours later, I had the database completed, including a place to put in a cover picture for reference (fancy!), and even had all of our titles entered and the number of discs cataloged. OMG. Okay, I lied. I forgot to the put in The Karate Kid because it's here at work, so the database (PMDB) is missing one disc. Oh, and I have an anime shipping today, so I'll have to add it...well, suffice it to say that it's an ongoing project that'll never end. Just like my geekiness.
^_- Once a geek. Always a geek. For life!
P.S. I know, I know. I should have been working on my book or querying or something. But I want to do the queries in very small batches and wait them out before I start anew, and I've been reading sample synopses so I can strengthen mine. I'm only supposed to include the main plot lines, but my synopsis leaves out a major player in the "villain's" motivation that I feel I should work in. So...this weekend, hopefully, I'll start round numeral dos.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Query Nerves
I've mentioned once or twice that my serious journey as a writer began in January 2007. Three months later, my manuscript was finished and I was eager to send it off to get published. Let me pause to laugh.
Okay, so truth be told, I did "polish" it for a few months before I sent my first queries. I put "polish" in quotes because I would not let anyone see those copies today. I hang my head in shame for giving a copy to my best friend and asking her to read it. (Sorry!! So sorry!!) Wow. And I actually sent pages from that out to agents and a publishing company.
Need I say rejections did follow? Did I really need a rhetorical question there? Should I answer that?
Rhetorical question - What is something you should never start your query letter off with for 800 dollars, Mr. Trebek? Correct. I got that part right. I did my homework when it came to writing a query letter. I just didn't know how to finish a manuscript.
And so, here I am, finally ready to call what was once nothing more than a barely edited rough draft a polished piece of work, and am ready to leap back into the agent hunt. Anyone who has ever been in my place can sympathize with the query letter jitters. My Facebook status this morning requested bug killer for the butterflies in my stomach.
I have read my manuscript hundreds of times over the years, editing, redrafting, editing, and redrafting some more. Friends and colleagues have read it and offered advice, some story-based and some grammatically/editorial-based, and all greatly appreciated. I've done tons of research on the subject matter within the story and the publishing industry alike. I'm as confident in my story and my abilities as a writer as I can be right now. I realize there's always room for growth, and I welcome that, but I can't procrastinate forever to keep on growing.
My problem rests within my query letter. I sent out six queries during that first (and only) naive round. My third was to Nathan Bransford, (my then dream agent) who requested a partial. Nathan Bransford requested a partial based on that query letter and I sent him 33 pages of what I consider to be an awful manuscript! O_O I received a very nice, personal rejection soon thereafter. He even said I was a talented writer. (Thank you very much!)
So...back to the rhetorical questions (although, since I could use an answer, I suppose this one isn't really rhetorical). Do I stick with my original query letter or do I use one of the new incarnations I've created since then?
Okay, so truth be told, I did "polish" it for a few months before I sent my first queries. I put "polish" in quotes because I would not let anyone see those copies today. I hang my head in shame for giving a copy to my best friend and asking her to read it. (Sorry!! So sorry!!) Wow. And I actually sent pages from that out to agents and a publishing company.
Need I say rejections did follow? Did I really need a rhetorical question there? Should I answer that?
Rhetorical question - What is something you should never start your query letter off with for 800 dollars, Mr. Trebek? Correct. I got that part right. I did my homework when it came to writing a query letter. I just didn't know how to finish a manuscript.
And so, here I am, finally ready to call what was once nothing more than a barely edited rough draft a polished piece of work, and am ready to leap back into the agent hunt. Anyone who has ever been in my place can sympathize with the query letter jitters. My Facebook status this morning requested bug killer for the butterflies in my stomach.
I have read my manuscript hundreds of times over the years, editing, redrafting, editing, and redrafting some more. Friends and colleagues have read it and offered advice, some story-based and some grammatically/editorial-based, and all greatly appreciated. I've done tons of research on the subject matter within the story and the publishing industry alike. I'm as confident in my story and my abilities as a writer as I can be right now. I realize there's always room for growth, and I welcome that, but I can't procrastinate forever to keep on growing.
My problem rests within my query letter. I sent out six queries during that first (and only) naive round. My third was to Nathan Bransford, (my then dream agent) who requested a partial. Nathan Bransford requested a partial based on that query letter and I sent him 33 pages of what I consider to be an awful manuscript! O_O I received a very nice, personal rejection soon thereafter. He even said I was a talented writer. (Thank you very much!)
So...back to the rhetorical questions (although, since I could use an answer, I suppose this one isn't really rhetorical). Do I stick with my original query letter or do I use one of the new incarnations I've created since then?
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Nerds Rule
Just a quickie post to give a shout out to my "bestie," NerdGirl. Whether I'm geeking out, freaking out, or spazzing out, she's always there to laugh at (with) me, offer advice, or just listen, and since I just spent a half hour spamming her blogs with random comments, I wanted to thank her properly in a public forum for a being a great friend. ^_^
PS - I still don't think I'm totally like Nerd Blossom, but I'm seeing more similarities...and I'm scared. I think I'd rather be Sheldor the Conqueror.
\m/-_-\m/ Peace!
PS - I still don't think I'm totally like Nerd Blossom, but I'm seeing more similarities...and I'm scared. I think I'd rather be Sheldor the Conqueror.
\m/-_-\m/ Peace!
Monday, May 2, 2011
FINALLY
I finished my "Anime (and Manga) in Review! (super long!)" entry (kind of). It published under the date of January 18th, 2011, though, so it's back a ways if you're interested. It can also be found under the label "Anime Reviews" and is only half of what I initially had planned. Soooo...another installment will follow! ^_- When it comes to anime, I can go on and on and on...
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Getting Back Up
I started a new job for the first time in a decade on December 1, 2010. As I went through the application process, made sure I had the perfect cover letter, and was subsequently as perfect as possible in the interview, I realized how daunting it really is to try for a new job. And when I found out the ratio of applicants to interviewees, I realized it was even more daunting than I had first thought. I was one of the lucky FEW who got an interview. And then I was the lucky ONE who got the job. (Now's my moment to yell out, "Go Me!")
And so I entered the wonderful field of I.T. And I love it. What I don't love; however, is that I am a right and left brained individual. I crave science just as much as I do creative arts. I'd love to stare at the stars and point out constellations, and I'd love to paint the dark silhouette of a White Ash tree against the brilliant backdrop of night. My previous job struck a balance. I was creative and I designed databases. Most of the time, I created creative databases. :)
But I also had more time. With the new job, I've lost any grip I had on time. Not that time is a tangible object or easy to control. I just...don't seem to have much anymore. And now that I've submerged myself in the scientific (with no time), my creative side has been, well, pushed aside. I mentioned in my previous post that I had stopped writing. I never said why or when.
I can't honestly say the job is at fault. I think it's a combination of things, really. It's a more physically intensive job taking it's toll on a body suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and the mental fatigue that follows. It's the fact that I am a person who works hard and pushes my limits until I've gone beyond them and am in orbit somewhere (probably around Jupiter). It's my fault. I don't know my limits, and now I work and I go home exhausted, and turn into a zombie - not a literal zombie, mind you. It's all figurative (although, I will contend that the zombie apocalypse could happen). However, over the last few months, I've begun getting into the routine and getting the feel of the pacing. I think...I might actually be getting some of my time back. In fact, I know I am.
So let me return to my writing. My childhood goal was to be a published author. The idea for my story came to me in a dream when I was about 13 years old. I've been writing and revising that tale every since then, and it has evolved into something amazing. BUT. When I sat down in January 2007 and began seriously writing it out, pounding away until three months later I had a 400 page manuscript, I didn't do it with the intention of getting published. I just wanted to write my story. I wanted it out of my head and onto paper where I could share it with others. And I am so thankful that I did.
I've gotten wonderful feedback on it. And I've started writing again - albeit in shorter increments of time. Most importantly, I've decided to begin the agent hunt. I've revamped the blog and am prepared to travel that difficult road to (hopefully) being published. (Please forgive the split infinitive. Dastardly things.)
Looking back at what it took to get this job, I know I can do it. I can weather the rejection letters. I possess the patience to wait it out. I have the will to do the research so I don't waste agents' time with something they'd never take on. I've spent four years working on this story. Revising, re-reading, rewriting, proofing, polishing. I have two and a half manuscripts done. I've read the first one hundreds of times. I've written over 350,000 words! And even though I've planned on at least three manuscripts to complete the story arc, each manuscript has a self-contained story. That way, if I am lucky enough to get published, but the story doesn't do as well as hoped, they can end it there. BUT! If it is received well, I have that second one in the redrafting stage and the third in progress with ideas for more.
I can do this. I just needed a break. After four years of going solid, six months is a short hiatus. I miss my characters. I miss their world. I have a passion to delve back into it and start writing again. But this time, I'm going to write when I can and devote my time to the agent hunt. It's time. And I may be scared to death, but I can't wait!
And so I entered the wonderful field of I.T. And I love it. What I don't love; however, is that I am a right and left brained individual. I crave science just as much as I do creative arts. I'd love to stare at the stars and point out constellations, and I'd love to paint the dark silhouette of a White Ash tree against the brilliant backdrop of night. My previous job struck a balance. I was creative and I designed databases. Most of the time, I created creative databases. :)
But I also had more time. With the new job, I've lost any grip I had on time. Not that time is a tangible object or easy to control. I just...don't seem to have much anymore. And now that I've submerged myself in the scientific (with no time), my creative side has been, well, pushed aside. I mentioned in my previous post that I had stopped writing. I never said why or when.
I can't honestly say the job is at fault. I think it's a combination of things, really. It's a more physically intensive job taking it's toll on a body suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and the mental fatigue that follows. It's the fact that I am a person who works hard and pushes my limits until I've gone beyond them and am in orbit somewhere (probably around Jupiter). It's my fault. I don't know my limits, and now I work and I go home exhausted, and turn into a zombie - not a literal zombie, mind you. It's all figurative (although, I will contend that the zombie apocalypse could happen). However, over the last few months, I've begun getting into the routine and getting the feel of the pacing. I think...I might actually be getting some of my time back. In fact, I know I am.
So let me return to my writing. My childhood goal was to be a published author. The idea for my story came to me in a dream when I was about 13 years old. I've been writing and revising that tale every since then, and it has evolved into something amazing. BUT. When I sat down in January 2007 and began seriously writing it out, pounding away until three months later I had a 400 page manuscript, I didn't do it with the intention of getting published. I just wanted to write my story. I wanted it out of my head and onto paper where I could share it with others. And I am so thankful that I did.
I've gotten wonderful feedback on it. And I've started writing again - albeit in shorter increments of time. Most importantly, I've decided to begin the agent hunt. I've revamped the blog and am prepared to travel that difficult road to (hopefully) being published. (Please forgive the split infinitive. Dastardly things.)
Looking back at what it took to get this job, I know I can do it. I can weather the rejection letters. I possess the patience to wait it out. I have the will to do the research so I don't waste agents' time with something they'd never take on. I've spent four years working on this story. Revising, re-reading, rewriting, proofing, polishing. I have two and a half manuscripts done. I've read the first one hundreds of times. I've written over 350,000 words! And even though I've planned on at least three manuscripts to complete the story arc, each manuscript has a self-contained story. That way, if I am lucky enough to get published, but the story doesn't do as well as hoped, they can end it there. BUT! If it is received well, I have that second one in the redrafting stage and the third in progress with ideas for more.
I can do this. I just needed a break. After four years of going solid, six months is a short hiatus. I miss my characters. I miss their world. I have a passion to delve back into it and start writing again. But this time, I'm going to write when I can and devote my time to the agent hunt. It's time. And I may be scared to death, but I can't wait!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Driving through the country...
It's been awhile since I stopped writing. It used to be that everything I looked at made me think of the characters and story within my manuscripts - like I lived in their world. Now, I only get a glimpse of that familiarity every once and again, and it makes me realize how much I miss it.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Japan
Obviously this isn't the promised "big anime in review" entry (which is in progress, despite the limited time I've devoted to finishing it...there are just too many great titles). With more pressing matters facing the world today, I wanted to be serious for a moment and reflect on the crisis in Japan.
My interest in Japan doesn't stop at anime's door. My house is decorated with Japanese items and other Asian-style decor, I proudly own a full kimono ensemble, I've taught middle school children about Japan's culture, geological background, history, and even the modern day products, like the cars their parents may drive or the game consoles they use or the cartoons they watch, and, of course, I'm addicted to manga, anime, and Pocky Sticks. I've even adopted some tenets of their culture, such as asking people to remove their shoes when they enter my home. I love Japan and admire how fast its economy rebounded after World War II. Their ability to get back on their feet after a disaster is remarkable, to say the least, having faced not only the WWII atomic bombs, but also bombings and earthquakes that leveled whole cities. Now, I'm not trying to open up a discussion about WWII and the controversy around the atomic bombs. It happened. It's part of history. Just as it's historical fact that Japan made a relatively swift economic recovery.
Japan is known for its polite society, self-reliant citizens, and hard-working force of dedicated employees. Many scenes on the news compare the looting and chaos following the Haitian earthquake to the civil order occurring in Japan today. Those pictures and videos provide a tangible form for people around the world to witness what they've heard about Japan almost firsthand. However, perhaps nothing brings the dedication home more than thinking about the 50 workers who stayed behind at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant to fight a losing battle after hundreds of their co-workers had been evacuated. Today, those workers are being hailed as heroes, and rightly so. More than likely, they have already made the ultimate sacrifice and will pay with their lives, but even if the conditions at the plant continue to deteriorate, the situation could have and would have been much, much worse had they not stayed to fight. Their fight was not in vain.
As I watched the news last night and heard that they had suspended operations and evacuated the building, I not only wondered what this meant - after all, the anchors and the expert were near speechless at the proclamation and couldn't fathom the disaster that could befall Japan with no one at the helm to even try to regain control - but it also got me thinking about the rich history of the country and the way of the samurai during the days of the shogunate.
Samurai warriors lived by a code of honor called bushido and would commit seppuku, a form of ritualized suicide, if they failed to uphold the tenets of their code. Perhaps it's a stretch on my behalf to hold the two in one thought, but thinking about those people, the only thread between full-on disaster and the hope of partial recovery from a disaster in progress, just made me think about the bravery of the warriors who fought for Feudal Japan so long ago and the bravery it had to take for those workers to stay at risk to their lives.
There are no words that can accurately convey the severity of the situation. To say that it's sad doesn't do it or the people affected any justice. Japan was a country extremely prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis. To throw the nuclear crisis on top just seems like a cruel twist of fate by karma's hand. Like so many others have said, my heart, thoughts, and prayers are with the people of Japan. And like the Emperor appealed today, they should not lose hope. It will take time. People will suffer and grieve, and the world will watch as the disaster worsens if the Fukushima situation cannot be contained. But, history and even the present day workforce of Japan has proven its people to be resilient. They won't give up and they will rebuild, and they will be stronger and better prepared than they were yesterday.
I don't often campaign for anything, even for MS Foundations although I suffer from MS and would benefit from medical breakthroughs, but I am asking for anyone reading this to make donations to charities helping during this crisis. I am asking that anyone reading this to appeal to your neighbors and community to reach out and help in any way possible. In my local community, if every person donated just a dollar, that's almost $92,000 that could be helping. Whether it's a dollar, five, ten, or more, it adds up and every bit helps.
This disaster is so unprecedented, it has experts scratching their heads. No one knows what is going to happen. But if Chernobyl, an admittedly different kind of nuclear disaster, can show us anything, it's that this crisis can affect the world. Look at Chernobyl, a site people still can't visit over twenty-five years after the explosion. That was one reactor. Fukushima has six and all six are in varying stages of distress. The possibility of what could happen has the experts speechless because it's too scary to even begin to fathom.
The Japanese people need help. Now.
My interest in Japan doesn't stop at anime's door. My house is decorated with Japanese items and other Asian-style decor, I proudly own a full kimono ensemble, I've taught middle school children about Japan's culture, geological background, history, and even the modern day products, like the cars their parents may drive or the game consoles they use or the cartoons they watch, and, of course, I'm addicted to manga, anime, and Pocky Sticks. I've even adopted some tenets of their culture, such as asking people to remove their shoes when they enter my home. I love Japan and admire how fast its economy rebounded after World War II. Their ability to get back on their feet after a disaster is remarkable, to say the least, having faced not only the WWII atomic bombs, but also bombings and earthquakes that leveled whole cities. Now, I'm not trying to open up a discussion about WWII and the controversy around the atomic bombs. It happened. It's part of history. Just as it's historical fact that Japan made a relatively swift economic recovery.
Japan is known for its polite society, self-reliant citizens, and hard-working force of dedicated employees. Many scenes on the news compare the looting and chaos following the Haitian earthquake to the civil order occurring in Japan today. Those pictures and videos provide a tangible form for people around the world to witness what they've heard about Japan almost firsthand. However, perhaps nothing brings the dedication home more than thinking about the 50 workers who stayed behind at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant to fight a losing battle after hundreds of their co-workers had been evacuated. Today, those workers are being hailed as heroes, and rightly so. More than likely, they have already made the ultimate sacrifice and will pay with their lives, but even if the conditions at the plant continue to deteriorate, the situation could have and would have been much, much worse had they not stayed to fight. Their fight was not in vain.
As I watched the news last night and heard that they had suspended operations and evacuated the building, I not only wondered what this meant - after all, the anchors and the expert were near speechless at the proclamation and couldn't fathom the disaster that could befall Japan with no one at the helm to even try to regain control - but it also got me thinking about the rich history of the country and the way of the samurai during the days of the shogunate.
Samurai warriors lived by a code of honor called bushido and would commit seppuku, a form of ritualized suicide, if they failed to uphold the tenets of their code. Perhaps it's a stretch on my behalf to hold the two in one thought, but thinking about those people, the only thread between full-on disaster and the hope of partial recovery from a disaster in progress, just made me think about the bravery of the warriors who fought for Feudal Japan so long ago and the bravery it had to take for those workers to stay at risk to their lives.
There are no words that can accurately convey the severity of the situation. To say that it's sad doesn't do it or the people affected any justice. Japan was a country extremely prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis. To throw the nuclear crisis on top just seems like a cruel twist of fate by karma's hand. Like so many others have said, my heart, thoughts, and prayers are with the people of Japan. And like the Emperor appealed today, they should not lose hope. It will take time. People will suffer and grieve, and the world will watch as the disaster worsens if the Fukushima situation cannot be contained. But, history and even the present day workforce of Japan has proven its people to be resilient. They won't give up and they will rebuild, and they will be stronger and better prepared than they were yesterday.
I don't often campaign for anything, even for MS Foundations although I suffer from MS and would benefit from medical breakthroughs, but I am asking for anyone reading this to make donations to charities helping during this crisis. I am asking that anyone reading this to appeal to your neighbors and community to reach out and help in any way possible. In my local community, if every person donated just a dollar, that's almost $92,000 that could be helping. Whether it's a dollar, five, ten, or more, it adds up and every bit helps.
This disaster is so unprecedented, it has experts scratching their heads. No one knows what is going to happen. But if Chernobyl, an admittedly different kind of nuclear disaster, can show us anything, it's that this crisis can affect the world. Look at Chernobyl, a site people still can't visit over twenty-five years after the explosion. That was one reactor. Fukushima has six and all six are in varying stages of distress. The possibility of what could happen has the experts speechless because it's too scary to even begin to fathom.
The Japanese people need help. Now.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Anime (and Manga) in Review! (super long!)
(Update: I started this months ago, so I'm posting as is, with some additions or updates. Please forgive any typos or just plain poorly done grammar! If you aren't an anime person, skip this entry, because that's all there is!!)
So, as I shove my last Pocky Stick into my mouth, a few more titles come to mind: Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars and Code Geass: LeLouch of the Rebellion. Whoopity doo. This post is going to be even longer. (Update: that's not a lie)
Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars. Old anime, hard to find, and never sold domestically. When Geneon allowed the rights to the Sailor Moon series expire, meaning, for the most past, no more domestic Sailor Moon purchasing outside of ebay, Sailor Moon fans everywhere knew Sailor Stars would never see US soil. To say it drove me nuts is like saying mud is brown. I scavenged the net looking for the most comprehensive, in depth episode summaries I could find. I then printed them out and read them like a book. At last! I couldn't see the final chapter, but I knew how it ended. Years passed. By chance, I found an English Sub for sale from a dealer in Hong Kong. Did I dare? I dared. And it was awesome. To be fair, there are parts where the subbing is off and some places where whole scenes aren't subbed at all. But that's ok. I finally got to see Sailor Stars, on US Soil, on MY tv, and I could see it and understand it. Yay! This isn't to say that Sailor Stars is the best of the series. It was enjoyable and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the series, but it wasn't as good as some of the previous seasons. The redundancy of the transformation and attack animations was worse, some beloved characters rarely showed up, and the plot in and of itself was sillier than most. But still. It's Sailor Moon. Love it. Moving on. (Update: Kodansha has acquired the rights to Sailor Moon and Sailor V and will be releasing manga/comics later this year!!!)
Code Geass: LeLouch of the Rebellion. This premiered on Adult Swim's Saturday night block and starred Johnny Yong Bosch as LeLouch. On a side note, many who know me know that Crispin Freeman is my favorite voice actor, one of few that I would recognize on the street - something that actually happened while vacationing in Salem, Mass several years ago. (Yay!) When I truly like an actor's work, I look into them a bit - for example: to see what other titles they've done that I'd like to check out - and often times, a photo and some biographical information are present. Johnny is another one of my favorites (ever since his stint as Vash in Trigun and even more as Ichigo in Bleach) and, like Crispin Freeman, is one that I will watch a series he's in just because he's in it. Hence the reason I stuck with Code Geass despite initial misgivings...and now we are back on topic. Code Geass has an awesome and very intriguing story that mixes deep emotion and drama with very silly antics. You have to give it it's silly moments - like the cat running off with Zero's mask or the kissing episode. And then there are the truly weird moments where you're kind of like, did I just see what I think I saw? On tv? Yes. You did. And yes, it's weird and random, but it works for that character in a weird and random way. This one's not for everyone, but it's got a bit of everything in it. Robots, the end of the world, fantasy, silliness, quirks, high school life, military battles, knights, royalty, cats, a giant pizza, etc. When I think of Code Geass, I think of Eureka 7 (yet another title that I forgot), the more recent Gundams, Ouran High School Host Club, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Bleach, and King Arthur and chess, which aren't anime, of course, but still applicable. Definitely an odd collection of sorts, but fitting for an odd anime. It's one that I liked and may add to my collection at some point, but it took a really weird leap between seasons that I had issues with, so it's low on the buy list. I'd still recommend a viewing, though, if it sounds interesting to you.
Just to touch on it, Eureka 7, which I watched only because Crispin Freeman was in it, also ran on the Saturday night block of Adult Swim. I really didn't care much for it. I hated the way they pronounced Eureka and there wasn't anything that drove me to care about the story. In fact, without looking, I couldn't tell you what it was about now. I remember air ships and battles and some weird world, but that's about it.
Another quick touch upon title: Rave Master (or Ravemaster, whatever). I'm not sure what the target audience is in its native Japan, but here it is targeted at kids and isn't something I'd normally watch. BUT. Crispin Freeman is in it and it was running on a freebie block, so I gave it a shot. Ug. I wish I could have shot my television. And yes, I do realize that it's not my tv's fault that what I was watching was crap. Sorry Mr. Freeman, but not even your voice can make me care what happens in Hip Hop City. I forced myself to watch three episodes and just couldn't do it anymore. It. Is. Awful.
Red Garden. I found this one on our cable company's freebie trial of the Anime Network (which they no longer offer, unfortunately). It's about a group of seemingly random girls who are killed, but then wake up to discover they are basically immortal. Not only that, but they are now part of a group of women who have been fighting with a clan of men that turn into beast-like creatures. It can be seen as a twist on the typical vampire vs. werewolf plot, except there is no blood drinking or howling at the moon. These girls must come to terms with what's happened to them and choose to accept their destiny or fight it, all while trying to live their normal lives at home and at school. I finished most of the episodes through Netflix and then pre-ordered the box set from Rightstuf because the last disc wasn't available yet. It is an awesome story packed with emotion, but not too deep that a casual viewer couldn't enjoy it for its surface value. You feel for the girls and their plight, and you can feel the main "villain's" pain and feel a sense of sorrow for the men. Awesome, awesome, awesome. And the music is fantastic. The theme song, Jolly Jolly, is sung by the Jill Decoy Association, and is catchy and fantastic. Of additional greatness, the final disc contains an OVA loosely based on the aftermath of the series. In some ways, you can't look at it strictly as a sequel, but it's darn close, and by itself is another awesome story.
Loveless. This one I happened to see at Best Buy and bought it because it looked interesting. The characters in this story are people with cat ears and cat tails, but it is implied that they lose these attributes when they lose their virginity. The story centers on a boy whose brother burnt to death while seated at the boy's desk at his previous school. His mother is crazy and abusive, and insists that he is not who he was before, so much so that the boy is in the middle of an identity crisis. He speaks with a therapist and tries to figure out who he is, all while keeping quiet about his mother's abuse because he thinks he is at fault. Then a man appears one day after school claiming to have been a friend of the boy's brother. What follows widens the boy's reclusive world to include finding friendship and developing trust in difficult situations while trying to accept the nature of his brother's friend. Suddenly magic is real and all is not as it appears. The boy and the stranger find themselves in battles where spells are cast and words alone can do lethal damage. I love Loveless. I loved it so much that I bought the manga and am eagerly awaiting the next release. I'd compare this anime to others like Pokemon or Yugi-oh, for the battle aspects alone, except that the undertones are much more adult and I wouldn't recommend it for children. Card Captor Sakura may be more apt, but still not quite the same and still far to innocent for a strict comparison. I read a review of Loveless at Wiki and saw someone note that it was like an introduction to yaoi - so be forewarned that this can be seen as a boys-love manga/anime, although it is not graphic in nature. But, it's something to note because it may not be for everyone. Still. I love it.
Hellsing. I love Hellsing, but I'm only going to quickly touch on it here solely because there was a two year (or more) delay in the last of the series being published. I bought the anime and the available manga volumes years ago, and loved the manga so much that I read fanslations online as the other volumes became available. Before there's an uproar - I did buy the books as soon as they were published domestically, so I did support my artist. I have yet to see Hellsing Ultimate, which supposedly follows the manga more closely than the original anime did, but given the issues with the production company, I've been putting it off until a box set is available. Love Hellsing. Vampires fighting Nazis. What's not to love?
Vampire Knight. Prepare thyself. I. Love. Vampire Knight!! I picked up the manga because it looked interesting at Barnes and Noble (I think I ordered it through Rightstuf, but still). It follows a girl named Yuki who was rescued from a vampire attack on one snowy night. She has no memory of how she got out into the snow or of anything prior to that moment. She is taken to a private school and raised by the headmaster, and becomes one of the school's guardians. The secret she guards? There are two classes: the day class and the night class. Her job is to keep the day class and the night class separate, or to supervise any interactions between the two. Unbeknownst to the day class, normal humans, the night class is made up entirely of vampires. The story delves into Yuki's past, present, and future, and her interactions with Zero, a boy the headmaster adopted shortly after Yuki was taken in, and Kaname, the boy/vampire who rescued her from the vicious vampire attack that snowy night. The story is well-paced and carefully thought out, and the artist's love for her characters shines throughout the story. I have some small issues with the anime, but they are all superficial. The anime follows the manga pretty closely. The first part is spread out over 3 discs, so it's short, but it continues in Vampire Knight: Guilty, which has yet to be released domestically. I cannot wait for the next manga installment or for Guilty to be released!!!! (update - I've received the first disc of Guilty and the next manga release and love it!! Still can't wait for the next!)
Captive Hearts. This is a manga spread over 5 books about the men of one family being cursed to be the servants of another family because of an ancestor who stole a sacred scroll for the family's ancestors. I bought it because it was an early series by the same artist doing Vampire Knight and I like her style. To be fair, I was expecting something a bit different. Something not quite so silly. Vampire Knight flows like reality, with real emotions, real attachments, and real reactions. Captive Hearts does not. However, since I've fallen in love with Ouran High School Host Club (covered later), I'm seeing Captive Hearts with different eyes. It deserves another read now. I think with my expectations cleared and enhanced due to Ouran, I can appreciate the artist's story instead of being disappointed because it wasn't what I wanted. It's a cute story and a little silly, but as you'll see, it's by and far tamer than Ouran. ^_^ Another recommended read!
Ouran High School Host Club. LOVE! Wow. I saw this anime for the first time at Best Buy and was curious. Did some looking into it and then saw that Rightstuf had a fantastic sale on it. So it joined my collection. It centers on a girl who gets into a prestigious private school on a scholarship of sorts. She looks boyish and wears baggy clothes, so she's mistaken as a boy. While looking for a quiet place to study (because rich kids don't care about studying and are noisy), she stumble upon music room 3 and the Ouran High School Host Club, a place where good looking rich boys with too much time on their hands entertain good looking rich girls with too much time on their hands. She accidentally breaks a vase worth 800 million yen and as payment joins the club to work off her debt. Eventually the club members figure out she's a girl, but she's a natural so she maintains the cover that she's a guy. They all fall for her in one way or another and keep her secret so that she can stay in the club. The story is one of the silliest I've ever seen, but the characters are so endearing that it's very fun to watch. It is just so perky and quirky and sweet...ah! Highly recommended! It possesses the qualities of Gravitation, Azamanga Daioh, Chobits, Cromartie High School, Loveless, etc. It's not boys-love, since the main character is a girl, but there are plenty of boys-love attributes, so again, be forewarned if that is an issue for you. I am presently waiting out Rightstuf for a sale so I can pick up the manga that's available domestically thus far. I can't wait. It is an instant fave. (Update: I have picked up the manga, up to volume 9, and love it because it's not exactly like the anime. The anime takes chapters of the anime and twists them around a bit, and then concludes, but as far as I know so far, the manga is on book 15 and doesn't include the anime's conclusion - I could be wrong, though. Still, I love Ouran and read it everyday.)
Texnolyze. Stop. Do a 180 from happy and silly. Watching this anime from beginning to end over a period of a few days left me in a depressed funk. Again, it was a spectacular deal from Rightstuf, so I bought the set. It's an apocalyptic-style anime that tells the story of the inhabitants of an underground city ruled by three rival gangs. In the opening episode, the main character's arm and leg are cut off. That pretty much sets the tone of the series. It's not gory to be gory and there's nothing gratuitous. Everything has a reason and an impact on the story, and the story is engrossing and touching, if not a bit confusing towards the end. This is definitely not for children and does contain some sexual material that may not be suitable for younger teens. This is all about anarchy and the human plight of suffering, and there's not much hope for anyone. I don't want to say much about the story because it unfolds at a deliberate pace and saying too much could ruin it. So, leave it at I liked it, I'm glad I bought it, but it's not one that I'll watch a whole lot. On the upside, the first disc came with the soundtrack, which is pretty good. Because I already owned the first disc and cd, I have a duplicate of each one. Yay for back up anime!
Bleach. Okay, okay, okay. Bleach isn't new and you probably already know that I think it's awesome. Bleach is awesome. Johnny Yong Bosch is awesome. Troy Baker is awesome. The whole freaking cast is awesome! And the creator, Tite Kubo is even more awesomer! I know that's not grammatically correct, but I don't care! I prefer the manga to the anime for the story only because of filler arcs that drag on and on and on...like the Bounts or the Captain Amagai arc (which is currently playing on Adult Swim (update, now we're back on the Arrancar - YES!)). Both have interesting stories, however, the Bount Arc in particular dragged on for way too long. Was it ever going to end? I like Troy Baker's voice, but come on...at least make it interesting. Half of that arc was full on boring. And now we're on Captain Amagai. Okay, so the story is moving at a quicker pace and is actually somewhat interesting, but the timing? Pardon my abbreviations, but WTF happened??? One minute Ichigo's embracing his hollowfication and fighting to rescue Orihime from the Arrancars, and then we go to reruns only to return to the Captain Amagai Arc, which has absolutely nothing to do with the main story. This is why I'm glad I've got the manga. I can still get ahead of the main story while this filler crap is on. The arc isn't bad, but the timing is awful. It doesn't fit in with the story at all. I've read others say that supposedly it can fit in prior to the Arrancar season starting, but that doesn't make sense either. Ichigo can hollowfy and can control it. Gah. Whatever. Bleach is awesome and I'm a nerd. We'll leave it at that. (Update: With the Amagai Arc over, the return to the Arrancars is fantastic. But...in typical form, some of the battles are taking too long. Come on Keni. Kick his butt already!!!)
Ergo Proxy. Ergo Proxy has held my interest for a while, but I'm only now getting to watch it. I'm only two discs into this apocolyptic/futuristic utopia/gothic anime, but I love it already. Apparently it's extremely difficult to find the boxed sets unless you are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to ebayers, which I'm not, so I have a set on backorder from Rightstuf right now and I've put a hold on receiving further discs from Netflix. So...I'm missing Ergo Proxy!! The soundtrack is fantastic and the title sequence and theme together form one of the most phenomenal openings I've ever seen. The opening alone packs a lot of emotional power and the story doesn't disappoint (at least so far). It makes me think of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Texnolyze (though far less depressing), Ghost in the Shell, Bubble Gum Crisis Tokyo 2040, and something else that just isn't coming to mind (Update: Witch Hunter Robin). It may not be exactly like any of those and definitely stands out on its own, but at least that gives you a frame of reference for the type of story. Highly recommended. (Update: My order got canceled, so I had to buy it on Ebay. Got a good deal, though. I LOVE ERGO PROXY. It will be one of my all time favorites. Ever.)
Boogie Pop Phantom. I think I watched this through Netflix, either by disc or by streaming. I'd been curious for a while and finally gave it a try. I must admit upfront that I'm very confused by what I saw. I liked it, but I couldn't explain it. Not much of a review, I'm afraid. I need to watch it again. It's on my buy list, but it's low priority, so unless there's a fantastic sale, it might be awhile. Still, there's nothing objectionable in the story and it's interesting. It makes you think, that's for sure, because half the time you're trying to figure out what on Earth is going on.
X:1999. This is the movie version of the tv series X (follows below). Meh...if you're going to give this a shot, I recommend going with the tv series first. I watched the tv series first and then the movie, and was very disappointed in the movie. The voice acting wasn't as good, the story not as fleshed out, the animation not as nicely done...meh...
X - the series. Yet another apocalyptic-type anime, only in this one the apocalypse hasn't happened yet. The Dragons of Heaven must battle the Dragons of Earth to determine mankind's fate. They are referred to as dragons, but seeing them as angles versus demons is more apt. The story centers on a boy and his childhood friend, each of which could be the one to lead the Dragons of Heaven, and the ensuing battle of good versus evil. It's very nicely done with talented voice actors, nice artwork, and an engrossing story. Again, nothing objectionable, and the story, though it may get predictable in some areas, is touching. I picked this one up from Rightstuf when the individual discs were on clearance...awesome deal! Highly recommended.
Requiem for Darkness. This one runs off and on again on SyFy's Animonday block (update - which is now on Thursdays it appears). It's pretty violent and has some rather objectionable material in it, so even though it's shown on tv, it's not for kids. I watched the whole series because I thought it was interesting, but I didn't like the artwork. It was reminiscent of Samurai Champloo, but not in a good way. I love Samurai Champloo, from the story to the artwork to the voice acting to the modern soundtrack. Requiem seemed like it wanted to be something more and was missing an added oomph to the story and character development. I always felt like I wanted something more from it. It's dark and explores the evils that lurk in humanity's heart, but it leaves a lot to the viewer to interpret on a deeper basis, and it doesn't come off as being intentionally done. Most of the violence that is there seems to be gratuitous and just there to have it there. It's all right, but you wouldn't be missing much if you skipped it.
Gundam 00 Season 2. First, let me say that I am a huge Gundam fan. My car is named Heavy Arms after the Gundam piloted by Trowa Barton (voiced by the excellent Kirby Morrow) in Gundam Wing, and I have Gundam models and action figures and collector books.... I like Gundam. I love Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz, and I liked Gundam Seed. I've seen some of the older Gundam universes, but I'm not versed enough to offer any sort of criticism. Gundam 00 is yet another installment in the Gundam universe, and while I may have missed the first season, it does not disappoint. Excellent soundtrack, crisp colors and spot on detail in the animation, and a touching, engrossing story make this Gundam better than Seed, although it doesn't topple Wing from its spot in my heart. It's the usual "save the world" Gundam story, but as any fan knows, the plot may stay the same, but the story is always different. It's running off and on on SyFy Animonday. Highly Recommended.
Gurren Lagan. Gurren Lagan. Wow. Where to start? I love it, first and foremost. It's funny, it's sad, it's unique...it's really in a league of its own. I can't really come up with another anime that remotely comes close. Maybe Eureka 7 on a few levels (the better ones, of course), but other than that, it's just what it is. I never expected to find myself laughing as hard as I did or even wanting to cry, or getting pulled into a story that seemed absurdly silly in the beginning (a little manly combining anyone? Simon grab your drill!). Crisp colors in and nice action sequences, along with a talented cast, create a truly fantastic story about a futuristic Earth with robots and monsters. To Simon and the crew, manly combining indeed! I'd fly the Lagan flag any day. ^_^ Highly recommended.
Descendents of Darkness. I started with the anime (SyFy, I think)....
UPDATE: And I'll will continue Descendents during another installment, because I want to get this post out there after months of sitting in my draft folder!! For the record, I love Descendents, and will cover these titles in the next installment: Blood+ anime and manga, Blood The Last Vampire - anime and live action, Kekkaishi, Vampire Hunter D, Trigun Maximum (and for comparison, Trigun), Appleseed, Inuyasha, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, Macross Plus, Darker Than Black anime and manga, Please Save My Earth, and Black Butler anime and manga. Maybe more. We'll see how my memory holds out. ^_^
So, as I shove my last Pocky Stick into my mouth, a few more titles come to mind: Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars and Code Geass: LeLouch of the Rebellion. Whoopity doo. This post is going to be even longer. (Update: that's not a lie)
Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars. Old anime, hard to find, and never sold domestically. When Geneon allowed the rights to the Sailor Moon series expire, meaning, for the most past, no more domestic Sailor Moon purchasing outside of ebay, Sailor Moon fans everywhere knew Sailor Stars would never see US soil. To say it drove me nuts is like saying mud is brown. I scavenged the net looking for the most comprehensive, in depth episode summaries I could find. I then printed them out and read them like a book. At last! I couldn't see the final chapter, but I knew how it ended. Years passed. By chance, I found an English Sub for sale from a dealer in Hong Kong. Did I dare? I dared. And it was awesome. To be fair, there are parts where the subbing is off and some places where whole scenes aren't subbed at all. But that's ok. I finally got to see Sailor Stars, on US Soil, on MY tv, and I could see it and understand it. Yay! This isn't to say that Sailor Stars is the best of the series. It was enjoyable and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the series, but it wasn't as good as some of the previous seasons. The redundancy of the transformation and attack animations was worse, some beloved characters rarely showed up, and the plot in and of itself was sillier than most. But still. It's Sailor Moon. Love it. Moving on. (Update: Kodansha has acquired the rights to Sailor Moon and Sailor V and will be releasing manga/comics later this year!!!)
Code Geass: LeLouch of the Rebellion. This premiered on Adult Swim's Saturday night block and starred Johnny Yong Bosch as LeLouch. On a side note, many who know me know that Crispin Freeman is my favorite voice actor, one of few that I would recognize on the street - something that actually happened while vacationing in Salem, Mass several years ago. (Yay!) When I truly like an actor's work, I look into them a bit - for example: to see what other titles they've done that I'd like to check out - and often times, a photo and some biographical information are present. Johnny is another one of my favorites (ever since his stint as Vash in Trigun and even more as Ichigo in Bleach) and, like Crispin Freeman, is one that I will watch a series he's in just because he's in it. Hence the reason I stuck with Code Geass despite initial misgivings...and now we are back on topic. Code Geass has an awesome and very intriguing story that mixes deep emotion and drama with very silly antics. You have to give it it's silly moments - like the cat running off with Zero's mask or the kissing episode. And then there are the truly weird moments where you're kind of like, did I just see what I think I saw? On tv? Yes. You did. And yes, it's weird and random, but it works for that character in a weird and random way. This one's not for everyone, but it's got a bit of everything in it. Robots, the end of the world, fantasy, silliness, quirks, high school life, military battles, knights, royalty, cats, a giant pizza, etc. When I think of Code Geass, I think of Eureka 7 (yet another title that I forgot), the more recent Gundams, Ouran High School Host Club, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Bleach, and King Arthur and chess, which aren't anime, of course, but still applicable. Definitely an odd collection of sorts, but fitting for an odd anime. It's one that I liked and may add to my collection at some point, but it took a really weird leap between seasons that I had issues with, so it's low on the buy list. I'd still recommend a viewing, though, if it sounds interesting to you.
Just to touch on it, Eureka 7, which I watched only because Crispin Freeman was in it, also ran on the Saturday night block of Adult Swim. I really didn't care much for it. I hated the way they pronounced Eureka and there wasn't anything that drove me to care about the story. In fact, without looking, I couldn't tell you what it was about now. I remember air ships and battles and some weird world, but that's about it.
Another quick touch upon title: Rave Master (or Ravemaster, whatever). I'm not sure what the target audience is in its native Japan, but here it is targeted at kids and isn't something I'd normally watch. BUT. Crispin Freeman is in it and it was running on a freebie block, so I gave it a shot. Ug. I wish I could have shot my television. And yes, I do realize that it's not my tv's fault that what I was watching was crap. Sorry Mr. Freeman, but not even your voice can make me care what happens in Hip Hop City. I forced myself to watch three episodes and just couldn't do it anymore. It. Is. Awful.
Red Garden. I found this one on our cable company's freebie trial of the Anime Network (which they no longer offer, unfortunately). It's about a group of seemingly random girls who are killed, but then wake up to discover they are basically immortal. Not only that, but they are now part of a group of women who have been fighting with a clan of men that turn into beast-like creatures. It can be seen as a twist on the typical vampire vs. werewolf plot, except there is no blood drinking or howling at the moon. These girls must come to terms with what's happened to them and choose to accept their destiny or fight it, all while trying to live their normal lives at home and at school. I finished most of the episodes through Netflix and then pre-ordered the box set from Rightstuf because the last disc wasn't available yet. It is an awesome story packed with emotion, but not too deep that a casual viewer couldn't enjoy it for its surface value. You feel for the girls and their plight, and you can feel the main "villain's" pain and feel a sense of sorrow for the men. Awesome, awesome, awesome. And the music is fantastic. The theme song, Jolly Jolly, is sung by the Jill Decoy Association, and is catchy and fantastic. Of additional greatness, the final disc contains an OVA loosely based on the aftermath of the series. In some ways, you can't look at it strictly as a sequel, but it's darn close, and by itself is another awesome story.
Loveless. This one I happened to see at Best Buy and bought it because it looked interesting. The characters in this story are people with cat ears and cat tails, but it is implied that they lose these attributes when they lose their virginity. The story centers on a boy whose brother burnt to death while seated at the boy's desk at his previous school. His mother is crazy and abusive, and insists that he is not who he was before, so much so that the boy is in the middle of an identity crisis. He speaks with a therapist and tries to figure out who he is, all while keeping quiet about his mother's abuse because he thinks he is at fault. Then a man appears one day after school claiming to have been a friend of the boy's brother. What follows widens the boy's reclusive world to include finding friendship and developing trust in difficult situations while trying to accept the nature of his brother's friend. Suddenly magic is real and all is not as it appears. The boy and the stranger find themselves in battles where spells are cast and words alone can do lethal damage. I love Loveless. I loved it so much that I bought the manga and am eagerly awaiting the next release. I'd compare this anime to others like Pokemon or Yugi-oh, for the battle aspects alone, except that the undertones are much more adult and I wouldn't recommend it for children. Card Captor Sakura may be more apt, but still not quite the same and still far to innocent for a strict comparison. I read a review of Loveless at Wiki and saw someone note that it was like an introduction to yaoi - so be forewarned that this can be seen as a boys-love manga/anime, although it is not graphic in nature. But, it's something to note because it may not be for everyone. Still. I love it.
Hellsing. I love Hellsing, but I'm only going to quickly touch on it here solely because there was a two year (or more) delay in the last of the series being published. I bought the anime and the available manga volumes years ago, and loved the manga so much that I read fanslations online as the other volumes became available. Before there's an uproar - I did buy the books as soon as they were published domestically, so I did support my artist. I have yet to see Hellsing Ultimate, which supposedly follows the manga more closely than the original anime did, but given the issues with the production company, I've been putting it off until a box set is available. Love Hellsing. Vampires fighting Nazis. What's not to love?
Vampire Knight. Prepare thyself. I. Love. Vampire Knight!! I picked up the manga because it looked interesting at Barnes and Noble (I think I ordered it through Rightstuf, but still). It follows a girl named Yuki who was rescued from a vampire attack on one snowy night. She has no memory of how she got out into the snow or of anything prior to that moment. She is taken to a private school and raised by the headmaster, and becomes one of the school's guardians. The secret she guards? There are two classes: the day class and the night class. Her job is to keep the day class and the night class separate, or to supervise any interactions between the two. Unbeknownst to the day class, normal humans, the night class is made up entirely of vampires. The story delves into Yuki's past, present, and future, and her interactions with Zero, a boy the headmaster adopted shortly after Yuki was taken in, and Kaname, the boy/vampire who rescued her from the vicious vampire attack that snowy night. The story is well-paced and carefully thought out, and the artist's love for her characters shines throughout the story. I have some small issues with the anime, but they are all superficial. The anime follows the manga pretty closely. The first part is spread out over 3 discs, so it's short, but it continues in Vampire Knight: Guilty, which has yet to be released domestically. I cannot wait for the next manga installment or for Guilty to be released!!!! (update - I've received the first disc of Guilty and the next manga release and love it!! Still can't wait for the next!)
Captive Hearts. This is a manga spread over 5 books about the men of one family being cursed to be the servants of another family because of an ancestor who stole a sacred scroll for the family's ancestors. I bought it because it was an early series by the same artist doing Vampire Knight and I like her style. To be fair, I was expecting something a bit different. Something not quite so silly. Vampire Knight flows like reality, with real emotions, real attachments, and real reactions. Captive Hearts does not. However, since I've fallen in love with Ouran High School Host Club (covered later), I'm seeing Captive Hearts with different eyes. It deserves another read now. I think with my expectations cleared and enhanced due to Ouran, I can appreciate the artist's story instead of being disappointed because it wasn't what I wanted. It's a cute story and a little silly, but as you'll see, it's by and far tamer than Ouran. ^_^ Another recommended read!
Ouran High School Host Club. LOVE! Wow. I saw this anime for the first time at Best Buy and was curious. Did some looking into it and then saw that Rightstuf had a fantastic sale on it. So it joined my collection. It centers on a girl who gets into a prestigious private school on a scholarship of sorts. She looks boyish and wears baggy clothes, so she's mistaken as a boy. While looking for a quiet place to study (because rich kids don't care about studying and are noisy), she stumble upon music room 3 and the Ouran High School Host Club, a place where good looking rich boys with too much time on their hands entertain good looking rich girls with too much time on their hands. She accidentally breaks a vase worth 800 million yen and as payment joins the club to work off her debt. Eventually the club members figure out she's a girl, but she's a natural so she maintains the cover that she's a guy. They all fall for her in one way or another and keep her secret so that she can stay in the club. The story is one of the silliest I've ever seen, but the characters are so endearing that it's very fun to watch. It is just so perky and quirky and sweet...ah! Highly recommended! It possesses the qualities of Gravitation, Azamanga Daioh, Chobits, Cromartie High School, Loveless, etc. It's not boys-love, since the main character is a girl, but there are plenty of boys-love attributes, so again, be forewarned if that is an issue for you. I am presently waiting out Rightstuf for a sale so I can pick up the manga that's available domestically thus far. I can't wait. It is an instant fave. (Update: I have picked up the manga, up to volume 9, and love it because it's not exactly like the anime. The anime takes chapters of the anime and twists them around a bit, and then concludes, but as far as I know so far, the manga is on book 15 and doesn't include the anime's conclusion - I could be wrong, though. Still, I love Ouran and read it everyday.)
Texnolyze. Stop. Do a 180 from happy and silly. Watching this anime from beginning to end over a period of a few days left me in a depressed funk. Again, it was a spectacular deal from Rightstuf, so I bought the set. It's an apocalyptic-style anime that tells the story of the inhabitants of an underground city ruled by three rival gangs. In the opening episode, the main character's arm and leg are cut off. That pretty much sets the tone of the series. It's not gory to be gory and there's nothing gratuitous. Everything has a reason and an impact on the story, and the story is engrossing and touching, if not a bit confusing towards the end. This is definitely not for children and does contain some sexual material that may not be suitable for younger teens. This is all about anarchy and the human plight of suffering, and there's not much hope for anyone. I don't want to say much about the story because it unfolds at a deliberate pace and saying too much could ruin it. So, leave it at I liked it, I'm glad I bought it, but it's not one that I'll watch a whole lot. On the upside, the first disc came with the soundtrack, which is pretty good. Because I already owned the first disc and cd, I have a duplicate of each one. Yay for back up anime!
Bleach. Okay, okay, okay. Bleach isn't new and you probably already know that I think it's awesome. Bleach is awesome. Johnny Yong Bosch is awesome. Troy Baker is awesome. The whole freaking cast is awesome! And the creator, Tite Kubo is even more awesomer! I know that's not grammatically correct, but I don't care! I prefer the manga to the anime for the story only because of filler arcs that drag on and on and on...like the Bounts or the Captain Amagai arc (which is currently playing on Adult Swim (update, now we're back on the Arrancar - YES!)). Both have interesting stories, however, the Bount Arc in particular dragged on for way too long. Was it ever going to end? I like Troy Baker's voice, but come on...at least make it interesting. Half of that arc was full on boring. And now we're on Captain Amagai. Okay, so the story is moving at a quicker pace and is actually somewhat interesting, but the timing? Pardon my abbreviations, but WTF happened??? One minute Ichigo's embracing his hollowfication and fighting to rescue Orihime from the Arrancars, and then we go to reruns only to return to the Captain Amagai Arc, which has absolutely nothing to do with the main story. This is why I'm glad I've got the manga. I can still get ahead of the main story while this filler crap is on. The arc isn't bad, but the timing is awful. It doesn't fit in with the story at all. I've read others say that supposedly it can fit in prior to the Arrancar season starting, but that doesn't make sense either. Ichigo can hollowfy and can control it. Gah. Whatever. Bleach is awesome and I'm a nerd. We'll leave it at that. (Update: With the Amagai Arc over, the return to the Arrancars is fantastic. But...in typical form, some of the battles are taking too long. Come on Keni. Kick his butt already!!!)
Ergo Proxy. Ergo Proxy has held my interest for a while, but I'm only now getting to watch it. I'm only two discs into this apocolyptic/futuristic utopia/gothic anime, but I love it already. Apparently it's extremely difficult to find the boxed sets unless you are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to ebayers, which I'm not, so I have a set on backorder from Rightstuf right now and I've put a hold on receiving further discs from Netflix. So...I'm missing Ergo Proxy!! The soundtrack is fantastic and the title sequence and theme together form one of the most phenomenal openings I've ever seen. The opening alone packs a lot of emotional power and the story doesn't disappoint (at least so far). It makes me think of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Texnolyze (though far less depressing), Ghost in the Shell, Bubble Gum Crisis Tokyo 2040, and something else that just isn't coming to mind (Update: Witch Hunter Robin). It may not be exactly like any of those and definitely stands out on its own, but at least that gives you a frame of reference for the type of story. Highly recommended. (Update: My order got canceled, so I had to buy it on Ebay. Got a good deal, though. I LOVE ERGO PROXY. It will be one of my all time favorites. Ever.)
Boogie Pop Phantom. I think I watched this through Netflix, either by disc or by streaming. I'd been curious for a while and finally gave it a try. I must admit upfront that I'm very confused by what I saw. I liked it, but I couldn't explain it. Not much of a review, I'm afraid. I need to watch it again. It's on my buy list, but it's low priority, so unless there's a fantastic sale, it might be awhile. Still, there's nothing objectionable in the story and it's interesting. It makes you think, that's for sure, because half the time you're trying to figure out what on Earth is going on.
X:1999. This is the movie version of the tv series X (follows below). Meh...if you're going to give this a shot, I recommend going with the tv series first. I watched the tv series first and then the movie, and was very disappointed in the movie. The voice acting wasn't as good, the story not as fleshed out, the animation not as nicely done...meh...
X - the series. Yet another apocalyptic-type anime, only in this one the apocalypse hasn't happened yet. The Dragons of Heaven must battle the Dragons of Earth to determine mankind's fate. They are referred to as dragons, but seeing them as angles versus demons is more apt. The story centers on a boy and his childhood friend, each of which could be the one to lead the Dragons of Heaven, and the ensuing battle of good versus evil. It's very nicely done with talented voice actors, nice artwork, and an engrossing story. Again, nothing objectionable, and the story, though it may get predictable in some areas, is touching. I picked this one up from Rightstuf when the individual discs were on clearance...awesome deal! Highly recommended.
Requiem for Darkness. This one runs off and on again on SyFy's Animonday block (update - which is now on Thursdays it appears). It's pretty violent and has some rather objectionable material in it, so even though it's shown on tv, it's not for kids. I watched the whole series because I thought it was interesting, but I didn't like the artwork. It was reminiscent of Samurai Champloo, but not in a good way. I love Samurai Champloo, from the story to the artwork to the voice acting to the modern soundtrack. Requiem seemed like it wanted to be something more and was missing an added oomph to the story and character development. I always felt like I wanted something more from it. It's dark and explores the evils that lurk in humanity's heart, but it leaves a lot to the viewer to interpret on a deeper basis, and it doesn't come off as being intentionally done. Most of the violence that is there seems to be gratuitous and just there to have it there. It's all right, but you wouldn't be missing much if you skipped it.
Gundam 00 Season 2. First, let me say that I am a huge Gundam fan. My car is named Heavy Arms after the Gundam piloted by Trowa Barton (voiced by the excellent Kirby Morrow) in Gundam Wing, and I have Gundam models and action figures and collector books...
Gurren Lagan. Gurren Lagan. Wow. Where to start? I love it, first and foremost. It's funny, it's sad, it's unique...it's really in a league of its own. I can't really come up with another anime that remotely comes close. Maybe Eureka 7 on a few levels (the better ones, of course), but other than that, it's just what it is. I never expected to find myself laughing as hard as I did or even wanting to cry, or getting pulled into a story that seemed absurdly silly in the beginning (a little manly combining anyone? Simon grab your drill!). Crisp colors in and nice action sequences, along with a talented cast, create a truly fantastic story about a futuristic Earth with robots and monsters. To Simon and the crew, manly combining indeed! I'd fly the Lagan flag any day. ^_^ Highly recommended.
Descendents of Darkness. I started with the anime (SyFy, I think)....
UPDATE: And I'll will continue Descendents during another installment, because I want to get this post out there after months of sitting in my draft folder!! For the record, I love Descendents, and will cover these titles in the next installment: Blood+ anime and manga, Blood The Last Vampire - anime and live action, Kekkaishi, Vampire Hunter D, Trigun Maximum (and for comparison, Trigun), Appleseed, Inuyasha, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, Macross Plus, Darker Than Black anime and manga, Please Save My Earth, and Black Butler anime and manga. Maybe more. We'll see how my memory holds out. ^_^
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Prelude to ... Anime (and Manga) in Review
New Year's brings about many "best of" or "worst of" lists, or even a plethora of "Year! In review!" posts. I couldn't bring myself to do something like that. Very few things withstanding, 2010 pretty much sucked all the way around the record player (and scratched the heck out of my record, I might add).
But...it was the year that I swam the depths of manga and anime, so I figured, what the hell. Hence, ANIME (and manga)IN REVIEW!! Or rather, a prelude to what will be ANIME (and manga)IN REVIEW!!
Titles will include, in no particular order:
Red Garden, Loveless, Hellsing, Vampire Knight, Captive Hearts, Ouran High School Host Club, Texnolyze, Bleach, Ergo Proxy, Boogie Pop Phantom, X:1999, X - the series, Requiem for Darkness, Gundam 00 Season 2, Gurren Lagan, Descendents of Darkness, Blood+, Blood The Last Vampire - anime & live action, Kekkaishi, Vampire Hunter D, Trigun Maximum (and for comparison, Trigun), Appleseed, Rave Master (cringe), Inuyasha, and Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. Maybe more. We'll see how my memory holds out.
I got my first manga sometime in 2008, I think. Maybe 2007. I'm not sure, obviously. I got it (and a set of series-related comics...of which I'm still missing 4 or 5 copies) more because I was collecting things pertinent to a specific series and less because it was manga. A little later on, I got a the three book Cowboy Bebop Shooting Stars set. Then...darkness fell upon the land...
Wait. What?
Okay...I never finished reading the Cowboy Bebop set. See, I have this *fear* of reading the last of something and then being done forever...so I put it off and it never gets done - so I can always go back to it see? It makes PERFECT sense!! I do the same thing with video games and anime series on occasion. Like Silent Hill 2...put it on the shelf probably 7 years ago and haven't touched it since. But it was scary. Or Gungrave, an excellent series that I didn't want to end...so I stopped watching just shy of the last disc, I believe. I need to finish watching it. I want to know what happens!! But...I digress.
So there was a slight lag between my first manga and finding true appreciation for the craft. It began blossoming near the end of 2009 when I got the first 21 volumes of Bleach in a boxed set (Bleach is awesome). Since then, I have found so many wonderful series - some new and some not. Some I eagerly await the next volume, some I bought in bulk, and others, one really, had me so intrigued that I used fanslations online to read the as yet unpublished volumes. I had to know what was going to happen! O_O (There was a massive delay in publishing...like years...but once they were available I bought them and read them again.) For my favorites, I even ran out and purchased the anime versions!! Or, I start with the anime and run out and buy the manga!! O_O!!
Soooo...this is just the prelude to what will probably be the super most longest ever blog post EVER. So, like, bye! (For now.) ^_-
But...it was the year that I swam the depths of manga and anime, so I figured, what the hell. Hence, ANIME (and manga)IN REVIEW!! Or rather, a prelude to what will be ANIME (and manga)IN REVIEW!!
Titles will include, in no particular order:
Red Garden, Loveless, Hellsing, Vampire Knight, Captive Hearts, Ouran High School Host Club, Texnolyze, Bleach, Ergo Proxy, Boogie Pop Phantom, X:1999, X - the series, Requiem for Darkness, Gundam 00 Season 2, Gurren Lagan, Descendents of Darkness, Blood+, Blood The Last Vampire - anime & live action, Kekkaishi, Vampire Hunter D, Trigun Maximum (and for comparison, Trigun), Appleseed, Rave Master (cringe), Inuyasha, and Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit. Maybe more. We'll see how my memory holds out.
I got my first manga sometime in 2008, I think. Maybe 2007. I'm not sure, obviously. I got it (and a set of series-related comics...of which I'm still missing 4 or 5 copies) more because I was collecting things pertinent to a specific series and less because it was manga. A little later on, I got a the three book Cowboy Bebop Shooting Stars set. Then...darkness fell upon the land...
Wait. What?
Okay...I never finished reading the Cowboy Bebop set.
So there was a slight lag between my first manga and finding true appreciation for the craft. It began blossoming near the end of 2009 when I got the first 21 volumes of Bleach in a boxed set (Bleach is awesome). Since then, I have found so many wonderful series - some new and some not. Some I eagerly await the next volume, some I bought in bulk, and others, one really, had me so intrigued that I used fanslations online to read the as yet unpublished volumes. I had to know what was going to happen! O_O (There was a massive delay in publishing...like years...but once they were available I bought them and read them again.) For my favorites, I even ran out and purchased the anime versions!! Or, I start with the anime and run out and buy the manga!! O_O!!
Soooo...this is just the prelude to what will probably be the super most longest ever blog post EVER. So, like, bye! (For now.) ^_-
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)