Fate/Stay Night TV episodes will be reworked and released

Right, I heard it from my friend that the studio in conjunction with Unlimited Blade Works movie release will redo 12 episodes of Fate/Stay Night TV series. In an obvious ploy to milk more $$$ from fans, it will be released in the 2 Bluray compilation featuring new versions of song and new animation (I wonder if the awful CG dragon will be re-edited). Set to be released in January 2010.

I am more interested in the movie to be honest. Can't wait to see the sword spammage between Gilgamesh and Shirou.

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Go, the dancing robot

Awesome dancing robot from Japan.

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Wall Street Journal Discussion on State of Anime Industry now

Basically this article talks about poor state of animation industry workers and struggling economy as pointed earlier in this blog. Osamu Tezuka pioneering work in anime also brings in the concept of cheap pay for mass production of anime, this is recent result of his vision.

The more detailed link from WSJ.

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A real guy marries a girl from some game...WHAT?

Oh humanity! What kinda retarded shit is this?



And Japan was wondering why they are running out of kids now. Basically this dude goes by pseudo name of SAL 9000 marries this character from some game. The rest I leave it to the video to elaborate further.

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Next big series on horizon? Sugar Dark: Umerareta Yami to Shoujo / シュガーダーク

Shinichiro Inoue, the president and CEO of the Japanese publisher Kadokawa Shoten, predicted that Enji Arai's Sugar Dark: Umerareta Yami to Shoujo (Sugar Dark: The Buried Darkness and the Girl) light novel will get an anime adaptation.

Story is about a boy named Muoru who has been arrested on false pretext and sent to a cemetery as slave labour. He calls himself the "grave keeper" and meets a beauty named Meria (Maria?). Muoru becomes enchanted with her while he spends his days digging a hole containing the undead monster named "The Dark."



He made the comment at 14th Sneaker Awards Ceremony and it is noteworthy that the last light novel to be bestowed with such honour is wildly popular Suzumiya Haruhi back in 2003. (kyon kun notwithstanding) It is interesting to know that the award only give 4 times in 15 years of its existence.

Perhaps this will be next Kyoto Animation project after K-On! ? Who knows. Kadokawa certainly smelled money in this work and I wouldn't be surprised if the prediction comes true. Just a matter of how soon.

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Sacred Blacksmith / 聖剣の刀鍛冶 utter bullshit on katana superiority

I am quite irritated by this trope of Japanese sword is better than Western sword which many, many anime series love to perpetuate. Latest of this is the underwhelming fantasy anime series based on light novels by Isau Miura which is now animated by Mangalobe; Sacred Blacksmith. There is even a scene where the katana cuts thru an axe (!) where the heroine's heirloom longsword broke against it earlier.



Sacred Blacksmith, a new sucky anime series by Mangalobe (Samurai Champloo, Michiko no Hatchin) touting the virtues of katana sword over blunt, European styled longsword. Which is not true. Look below for why I said so:



See? The European longsword might need little more force but it cuts thru the tamesghiri (straw mats) just as effectively as the katana. So the whole fact of "katana is superior than Western longsword" is utter BS. What is more ironic that the katana is often a secondary weapon of real samurai during the civil wars, they prefer to use bow, spears or later on, arquebus to fight in battlefield.

Here is the CONCLUSIVE evidence of the fact, katana versus longsword side by side against the same target:



There? I rest my case now. Oh, Sacred Blacksmith manga is more entertaining than the anime to be honest.

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Spice and Wolf US Novel cover controversy

Planned US release which causes so much furore and anger amongst otakus.



The original cover.


Hahahahah, this is rich. I honestly don't know why fans were so angry about original cover for Spice and Wolf translated novel series which is soon to be released in mid-December 2009. To me, it is not important what is on the cover but what is inside. I hardly bothered by cover when I read the novel, I mean it is not manga or comic so pictures are secondary to me, FFS. It is not like Horo will be different when the cover of novel changed, right?

Anyway, I will still grab the novel, regardless of what cover they use.

The rather spirited discussion on this here

Zac Efron in US version of Death Note?

The current heart throb actor who is rumored to be in Full Metal Panic! live action movie (Mandalay Pictures) also in talks for Death Note live action. However he did not really confirm anything concrete on these 2, and he dismissed Full Metal Panic! role as "unlikely". So far there is not much news on Full Metal Panic! (most likely still in plan), however I do feel that Death Note has more possibility to be adapted for silver screen treatment. After all, it is already have 2 Japanese live action movies and it is highly popular in US too. Plus, it did not require a lot of special effects too unlike Full Metal Panic!.

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Titan Rain

Production I.G (man they are rocking hard ain't they?) announced new project in collaboration wth Singaporean company Storm Lion Productions (Yona Yona Penguin) titled Titan Rain, a CG movie. Apparently some interesting names attached to the project:

1. Atsushi Takeuchi (Clone Wars director of General Grevious Lair)
2. Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica music composer)
3. Tow Ubukata (Heroic Age, Chevalier d'Eon, Fafner of Azure = OMG emo time?)

Project will be completed around early 2012 for worldwide release. So far what I can tell is it looks like a sci fi movie but information is pretty sparse for now. As usual the male lead is brandishing armour and looks so muscular yet the chick is skimpy. Hehe.

Maritan: Mili-moe?

Man, I don't know what to comment. I was laughing out loud watching this and...and...I am speechless. It is even funnier if you watched Full Metal Jacket, most of the punchline came from the fact that these were lines used by a famous Marine, R.Lee Ermey. The Engrish just puts the finishing touch on it. On Youtube there is several short lessons available for watch if you want more Marine cussing moe Drill Instructor.

The blonde white shirt is US Navy, the bespectacled girl is Japanese Self Defense Force.The strip and 4-koma manga started by Yukio Hirai and apparently it is first appeared in 2005 (books and CD format) to teach Japanese on how speak colloquial English (!) using US Marines mascot. It is an innocuous image of squeaky high pitched Japanese Engrish swearing off like a hard bitten Devil Dog but hilarious if somewhat disjointed mental dissonance. Apparently real US Marines stationed in Japan fond of Maritan and contributed some phrases to be used in the publication.

Perhaps she is first strange combination character in mili-moe genre (military + moe). This character is more appealing to me than Strike Witches to be honest.

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MS Gundam Unicorn HQ Preview

Looks great, hopefully the story and execution can live up to it. Though, Super Saiyan Mode Gundam is kinda silly to me, to be honest.

Bungaku Shoujo / 文学少女

Production I.G work, it caught my interest few months ago. Now the trailer is out so expect the series out by April or May 2010. Looks interesting to me, though the main female lead tendency to eat books horrifies me since it is a sacrilege to destroy books. Yes, she eats pages of her books.

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Academy Award nominees: Ponyo of the Seas and Astroboy

For Academy Awards 2009 for animation movies category, 2 anime originated flicks were chosen for nominee candidates, namely Ponyo and Astroboy CG Movie. I haven't watch Astroboy yet but Ponyo to be honest, not really Miyazaki's best work. To me, Princess Mononoke is his magnum opus. Ponyo did not have the same amount of charm and magical moment like Spirited Away nor grittiness and honesty like Princess Mononoke.

But yeah, good luck to Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki sensei anyway.

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Independent work anime short

"Hiroyasu Ishida, a 21-year-old student who is aspiring to be an animator, has posted on Monday a 143-second "Fumiko no Kokuhaku" (Fumiko's Confession) anime short that he independently directed, animated, edited, and recorded. Ishida (a.k.a. "Tete") received some assistance on the backgrounds, 3D CG textures, in-between animation, and 3D modeling."

A student from KSU, this short showcase timing, detailed animation and uses a simple but right soundtrack (I hear this first time from Ebichu). The scene where the schoolgirl went down the stairs uncontrollably is direct homage to Spirit Away scene where Sen have similar situation, only shorter. This one turns it into one long, elaborate scene. And maybe, maybe I doing a wild guesswork here but the baseball obsessed male lead reminds me of Shinji from Evangelion series.

His personal website.

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun / とある科学の超電磁砲 character similarity?

LOL, this is interesting comparison of this one to Pokemon.

Church of Nerv? What?

I never thought of this. Honestly. They even have the logo from old series as their emblem?

I am amused by this....

Hmmmm,

Despite the predicted horrific sales prospect for Haruhi S2 DVD/BD sales because of much maligned Endless Eight arc, it did pretty well. The 2nd disc of Endless Eight arc sold close to 12,900 (benchmark is 3000) copies showing that Kyoto Animation magic still held true with massive support from loyal Haruhi fans. First volume of the arc sold about 14,000 copies, much to surprise of many people.Many pundits said that the other remaining volumes of the arc will breach the 10,000 mark each based on this example but it remains to be seen. Seriously, this did not make sense to me at all. The only thing I can think of is moe-tardism: The fans were so enraptured by the moe factor that they willing forgive almost everything, even with such massive trolling by the studio. I cannot imagine any other normal series can pull this off without incurring any wrath from fans. What I fear now that in future anime studios will churn out more craps because they believe the fans will lap it up despite angry reactions from the public. As long it have enough moe and nicely packaged to appeal to more baser instinct.

Like my friend said it once, market forces do not apply to otakus. By the way, the Haruhi movie is scheduled for 6th of Feb 2010, but it is subject to change.

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