Tora Dora HQ Preview

Here you go. Looks good, will follow this one with interest.

Earlier entry

Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae/ 地獄少女 三鼎

I am waiting for this popular series, wondering if they can repeat the magic established in Season 1 and 2.

Trailer looks interesting so far.

Metal Gear Rex cosplay

This is cool and hilarious at the same time. Bravo!

Chaos;Head/ カオスヘッド

This anime caught my attention. The story is about brutal murders of young people. Takumi is a recluse shut in who somehow have detailed information from a mysterious poster on Internet about the murders. Soon to be aired in autumn.

Based on game by Nitroplus and 5pb. Madhouse will be responsible for the anime.



Anime trailer

Taken from Wikipedia:

"During the month of March 2008, one month before Chaos;Head's release on April 25, 2008, Chaos;Head ranked fourth in national PC game pre-orders in Japan. Chaos;Head came out in third place in sales ranking for the month of April 2008. Chaos;Head became the 16th bestselling visual novel in Japan during the first half of 2008"

More details here

Spirituality in Anime for Consumption

This paper attempts to account for the cross-cultural phenomenon of the popularity of anime, Japanese animation, among the younger generation in the U.S. It focuses on the religious aspects of the ¡°cultural difference¡± accounts of the phenomenon considering audiences cultural consumption of the media as the process of integration of cultural resources into their everyday (religious) lives. This study argues that anime's cultural manifestations of ¡°integrative spirituality¡± of Japanese culture well correspond with the young spiritual seekers who are characterized by the subjective, autonomous, reflexive construction of religious identity from a variety of sources instead of a religious tradition. Their cultural consumption of anime, which is based on their dismissive attitude toward both organized religions and American popular culture, contributes to the construction of their alternative religious identity.

A paper that is exploring religious connection and influencing agents between USA and Japan using anime as medium. Pretty insightful discussion, moreso considering how different the main religion of the said two nations. I do distinctly remember some outcry amongst Christian fundamentalist when Princess Mononoke was aired; citing it is pagan heresy that is unsuitable for pious, God fearing kids in America.

Looking at this angle, the writer to bridge these 2 but it is very open subject, not easy to be pigeonholed at all.

Spirituality in Anime Full article

Shikabane Hime / 屍姫

I will watch this despite the apparent cliche for 2 things. ANGELA for her beautiful singing voice and GAINAX for their whacked out animation.

The story about some supposedly dead school girl (what else?) have to do some voodoo stuff to kill 108 corpses. Cliche as hell.

Hopefully it will be good.