How to get ready to work in less than 5 minutes

LOLworthy clip on how to get ready to work in less than 5 minutes as shown in this clip. I confessed that I watch this clip like 12 times already. It is that good.

Cheers.

OP for Phantom ~Requiem for Phantom~ by KOKIA

I hated this anime but the OP is wonderful. KOKIA has sang another great song for horrible anime of Gunslinger Girl: Il Treatino last year. She sounds like her songs, tragic but beautiful since she sing awesome songs for 2 terrible animes. Sounds strangely fitting for some reason, like celebrating the death of series.

Few more of her works solidify perhaps undeserved reputation since her voice is beautiful are Brain Powerd (the one where Gundam creator erred big time) and Agito: Spirit of the Past (the movie is not that good).

Cheers.

Her website.

SEGA in trouble.

Usually the word restructuring means you in bad shape and need to lose bloat in order to make money again instead of losing it. SEGA, despite successes like Valkyria game which now adapted as anime currently has announced restructuring few days ago. The boss of SEGA (Takayuki Kawagoe) apparently lamenting despite high ratings for SEGA gamesby critics, it did not translate immediately into sales. He also speak of diversifying, SEGA now eagerly parceling out its work to be adapted as anime which something they rarely do in the past.

Apparently they combining assets from east and west to work in synergy for SEGA's vision (cut cost and less layers of decision making). In February they reported 119 m USD losses and already axed 110 arcade centers it its wake. This is not the end though, SEGA expecting 235 m USD loss by March, a very grim number.

It is no wonder that Tales of Abyss enjoyed such qualitative animation due to generous funding but Valkyria anime feel shortchanged in animation department. It is such a stark difference. In 2008, SEGA was reporting 170 m USD profit.

The grim reaper of economy recession has yet to finish.

Source

Anime industry need to adapt a recession mode

This lady speak very wise words, I agreed with her that simulcast streaming, faster publishing and low cost DVD boxset is what industry needs in order to weather this recession that looming all over the world despite some positive spurts.

She nails exactly why it is a waste of effort and money to issue Cease and Desist letters to amorphous fansubbers, these resources can be channeled into getting the shows as fast as possible and cheaper offers to entice customers to buy original or marketing as the situation did not look good for the economy now.

Either industry adapt or they will die horrible, slow death like we see ADV USA (fans favourite one off comment on ADV is "Where is my Gunslinger Girl?!) now or GONZO (which recently received a very big blow as they were dropped from making of Strike Witches Season 2).

Source

K-On! / けいおん！ guitar craze

I have to confess that I totally miss this in my prediction but apparently anime fans in Japan are running amuck with guitar buying as reported here. This is fine example on how passion can help revive economy, but question is once the series is over: what is going to happen to those guitars? I doubt all can play it with any degree of skill. Be prepared to see a lot of second hand guitars on sale post K-On!.

One day though, more and more enterprising business will seize on this and promote their products using anime. We seen it in Ghost in the Shell State Solid Society with Nissan cars, Pizza Hut in Code Geass and Nissin cup noodle in Freedom OVA. The guitar company should seize this and use these girls as their spearhead in marketing.

Anime fans surely have scary motivation to reverse laws of demand and supply.

More details on EVA 2.0 new girl

Okay, this is what I know:

1. Maaya Sakamoto (Kara no Kyokai insane knife user Ryogi Shiki) will be voicing her.
2. She designed as "fan service" female character. Means naked scenes of her?
3. She will be center of "new shocking stories" that never seen before. More moe?
4. She is a glasses wearing trope of anime stereotype for appeal to meganekko crowd (spectacles fetish).
5. She did not have a name that based on any Imperial Japan's warship convention.
6. Her name will be Mari Makinami.
7. She is a brunette.

As for Asuka's new name, I don't know what is the significance. Perhaps an EVA fan can tell me more about this. To be honest, I am not too comfortable of where is the direction of remake of EVA is going. Ah well, it remains to be seen. My suspicion of Mari is somewhat a pastiche of Mana Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi, side characters from non canonical Girlfriend of Steel and 2nd Impression games. However what role will she play is entirely unknown, GAINAX have kept a tight lip on that.

Trailer here.