Hello everyone. Let’s talk about music remixes.
Since the rise of the music industry, various musicians and bands have done remixes of various songs. Sometimes it’s to show a different side of themselves, other times it’s too show that they have range, and on certain occasions they do it to shove some dirt into a rival’s face. A lot of remixes (Especially modern ones) are either okay or bad, but there’s also an equal amount of good remixes as well. Every once in a while, however, there are some remixes that manage to eclipse their source material and become even more popular than the original.
So, after a little deliberation, I thought I’d share with you what remixes I consider to be superior than the original. Without further adieu, here are the top 5 remixes that are better than the original. Hope I don’t step on any toes!
5) Ozzy Osbourne - Mississippi Queen (Original: “***”/Remix: “***”)
My number 5 choice is a bit on the razor’s edge, considering that I didn’t really like the original version of this song. Ozzy’s version plays things up a little different: in his edition, he plays the song a little slower, adds a dash of heavy metal to the southern rock formula, and produces an interesting remix. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is one of Ozzy’s great songs, but if it’s on the radio, I won’t switch stations.
4) Korn - Love My Way (Original: “***”/Remix: “***”)
Unlike the number 5 spot, I enjoy the original song, which is ironic given I’m not much of a fan of 80s pop music. Having said that, I really liked it’s upbeat sounds, and the singer’s voice was alright. With Korn’s version of the song, we’re given a rather different experience: it harder, heavier, and the rap-like elements give an altogether different feeling than what the original song gave.
3) Apocalyptica - Helden (“Heroes”)(Original: “***”/Remix: “***”)
I’ll start by saying no disrespect to David Bowie. He is perhaps one of the most influential artists to have ever graced the world of music. He songs are absolutely timeless (Even his 90s stuff), and he’s putting out a new album after 10 years. With that said, his song “Heros” is a little flawed. With a name like that, you’d expect a uplifting & hopeful song. While you still have moments like that in the song, the whole experience feels more somber than it should.
With Apocalyptica edition, it’s more of the other way around. There are somber moments, but the overall song feels more uplifting & hopeful. Apocalyptica does a fantastic job with their cello work, creating new sounds while somehow keeping some of the feelings of the original song. It also doesn’t help the fact that Till Lindemann of Rammstein kicks ass at the vocals.
2) Ministry - Under My Thumb (Original: “***”/Remix: “***”)
Truth be told, when I first heard this song, I thought it was a prank. I’m not necessarily the biggest Rolling Stones fan, but even I dropped my jaw when I first heard this edition. However, I decided to give it a 2nd/3rd chance, and I picked up the song (Later that same year, I got a CD for Christmas that had the same song on it). I was quite humbled.
Ministry seemed to go for a more sensual route with this remix. Everything seems faster, more aggressive, and perhaps a little more kinky. Hell, there’s even more xylophone used in this edition. It still sound goofy, but for some reason it still fits.
1) Type-O Negative - Paranoid (Original: “***”/Remix: “***”)
Type-O Negative was gonna show up at some point people!
Much like David Bowie, I mean no disrespect to Black Sabbath. Without them, Heavy Metal as we know would sound much more different than it does now. Paranoid, a now iconic song, is one of the many bricks that has created the foundation on which Heavy Metal rests. As much as I enjoy Paranoid, I don’t quite get that paranoid feeling, if you know what I mean. It’s far to frantic, far to fast, and feels more like schizophrenia than paranoia.
With Type-O Negative’s rendition (At least for me), we’re given that feeling of paranoia. The song is slow, sinister, and is positively downright friggen creepy. Topping this gothic sundae is Pete Steele’s voice, which is just perfect in this song. It’s methodical, it’s dark, and he has just the right tone for it!
Well, that concludes my 2nd-year anniversary of my blog being up. I hope you’ve enjoyed everything I posted. See you all next month, when I’ll begin my four-month long series of reviews. Until then, stay Otaku!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Gunsmith Cats (Revised) Review
Hey everybody. Well, I don’t want to hold the surprise from you any more, so her it is.....my new format for reviewing anime! What better way to show off this new method than with a revised review of the first anime I ever posted on this blog. Here for you is a revised review for Kenichi Sonada’s classic, Gunsmith Cats!
Story/Setup
If you are a fan of the Gunsmith Cats manga and you’re watching this for the first time, you’re going to be in for some disappointment, as this OVA isn’t connected to the comic very much. There are some small references to the manga from time to time, but nothing really significant. With that said, you don’t need to read the manga before you watch Gunsmith Cats (Although if you’re new to the GC universe, you might want to at least look up some info on the manga), and the story they made for the show is quite good on it’s own.
Fem fatale Rally Vincent, and her adorable but explosive-obsessed friend Minnie “May” Hopkins, run a small gun store (Named Gunsmith Cats, hence the show’s name) in Chicago. One day, an ATF agent by the name of William “Bill” Collins walks into the store, and gives her an offer she might not want to refuse. At first not buying his offer because Rally thinks it’s a line of shit, she reluctantly accepts it later after gun thieves break into her house, and doesn’t have much of a choice. From there, she’s pulled into a job filled with more deception, more intrigue, and more double-crossing than the Watergate scandal.
Despite the overall seriousness of the story, Gunsmith Cats has plenty of opportunities for more relaxed moments. There’s plenty of times when comedy, fan-service (Not much, but it’s there), and character development (Albeit minor) come into play to develop the story and move it further.
Setting
There’s been plenty of unique settings in the history of anime, but not many of them have taken place in the United States, least of which Chicago, one of the most famous Midwestern cities. Kenichi Sonada and his crew did some damn good research while they were in the city, taking numerous pictures of average places & historical landmarks, with only a little bit of alteration within the show itself. The result is a surprisingly accurate, and highly realistic vision of Chicago. It practically looks like the city, and little details like steam vents just add to the realism. To anyone living in Chicago that looks at this post, you should nominate Mr. Sonada for sainthood!
Characters
Characters in Gunsmith Cats are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the custom story for the show allows for little chance of characters from the manga appearing. Despite that, Rally & May take center stage, along with their friend Becky, and a one-time appearance of Rally’s cop friend Roy. Other than that, the cast within this show is completely new.
Now for the characters themselves. Rally is a cool, collected, and sexy individual. She knows how to handle herself in a gunfight, knows how to work with said guns, but also knows when to be funny and laugh. Her friend May is a different character: she’s younger (Rally is 19, while May is 17), more chaotic and innocent, and is a master of explosives that borderlines on obsessive (Mr. Torgue from Borderlands 2 would be proud).Their friend Becky is a very street-smart kind of girl, and her geeky appearance gives her a more humble appearance, despite her cheeky attitude. Roy is given only a few moments at the beginning of episode 3, but what little we’re given shows that Roy is a serious, no nonsense individual that hardly puts up with bullshit. These four characters (With a greater emphasis on Rally, May, and Becky) each have unique personalities that separate them from one another, yet somehow brings them all together to form strong friendships. With this strength of personality, it’s hard not to like them and feel concern for them when they’re in danger.
These four characters aren’t the only ones in Gunsmith Cats that have screen time. There’s William “Bill” Collins, and ATF agent that acts like a total sleeze but ultimately has good intentions. Jonathan Washington is a gruff, small-time gun runner that ultimately ends up six-feet under. There’s also Natasha Radinov, a former member of the KGB and Spetznaz with a heart of ice so cold, it makes the 9th circle of Hell look like an ideal vacation spot. Rounding out this motley crew of characters are George Black and Edward Haints: two men that are more than they appear. While not getting as much screen as the character above, these individuals have flavorful personalities as well. Not quite as deep, but personalities regardless.
Animation
This is a Kenichi Sonada anime, and as such looks pretty damn good. The setting and background look and feel believable (Especially in this show), and the various characters, whether men or women, have their own defined look and feel as well. Mr. Sonada has always been known for putting in a lot of realism into the characters, and it shows: they don’t quite look as exaggerated as other characters of the time, and they look like people you’d meet in the street. It also doesn’t help that Mr. Sonada is known for drawing some of the best looking women in anime, as proven by Rally, May, and Becky (Natasha looks a little too butch if you ask me). Overall, Gunsmith Cats is a show that has aged remarkably well since it’s release.
Voice Acting
Voice acting in Gunsmith Cats is surprisingly good. Though a small number of the cast just have okay voices, everybody else sounds great! Amanda Winn Lee voices Rally, and brings a sense of fun and sexiness to the character, while Kimberly Yates brings a sincere innocence to the role of May. Tiffany Grant gives Becky’s character a voice that’s appropriate to the role: sly & clever.
There’s other voice actors the provide some talent to GC as well. Rob Mungle provides a voice that is quite suited for “Bill”: scummy & sleazy, but ultimately a good guy. The Russian Natasha Radinov is voiced by Marcy Rae, who in my opinion tries a little too hard to sound Russian (She succeeds, but it sounds way too hammy & cheesy). Rounding out the voice cast is Aaron Krohn, Brett Weaver, and Rick Peeples, who voice Edward Haints, Jonathon Washington, and George Black respectively. They provide some alright voices: nothing special, but nothing that sounds terrible.
Episodes & Episode Length
Coming in at just 3 episodes, Gunsmith Cats is a rather short series, Adding to this shortness is the fact that each episode only lasts 30 minutes. On one hand, this shortness makes for a fast viewing experience (You can watch this series in just a hour-and-a-half sitting). On the other hand, however, the given story fits relatively well within the allotted time. If I had one other gripe, it would be that while an enjoyable experience, it feels like a lot was left out. Sure enough, there were supposed to be more episodes for Gunsmith Cats, but due to issues at the time, and the rise of shows with a similar story & feel, the series was done with just three episodes.
Availability & Pricing
Gunsmith Cats is a bitch to find! I bought my copy on Amazon back in early 2011, in which it was used, and rather expensive (I believe the price for my used copy was around 35 dollars). Things have changed a little since then. Now, there’s a couple more copies in both the new & used sections (Spread out among the 2001 & 2004 releases), but not that much: New copies are relatively expensive, starting at 59 dollars for the 2001 edition, and 65 dollars for the 2004 edition. Prices for the used copies are much more forgiving: used 2001 DVDs start at 19 dollars, and the 2004 version starts at 28 dollars. My suggestion is to go for the used copies, as the new ones are few and far between, and are incredibly expensive.
Extras/Other
There’s quite a few extras on this DVD. You have the standard previews for other shows (In this case, Dirty Pair Flash, Blue Seed, Blood Reign, Gasaraki, Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, and Samurai X are the shows previewed. BTW, most of these shows are hard to look for), and the typical credit free opening animation. The extras that are a little atypical, however, are the trailers for the individual episodes, and the Making of Gunsmith Cats. It’s really cool to see Kenichi Sonada at his artist table, and drawing up the characters and setting of the show. Not only do you see him draw up characters & scenes, but you see the whole process of making the show, including going to Chicago and taking numerous pictures of the city, not to mention going to a gun store to get the look & feel, and meeting up with the Chicago PD to get an understanding of how crime & law enforcement work in the city. Many more series should have this kind of extra on disc.
I should quickly mention before I end this review the music in Gunsmith Cats. Kenichi Sonada and his team did some damn good research, and managed to faithfully create music that sounded authentically American, or to be more precise, music that sounded like authentic American songs from the early-to-mid 90s. It’s all very jazzy, hip-hoppy, and all things considered it really gets your blood pumping.
General Impression & Rating
Gunsmith Cats is one of those shows that was cut tragically short before it had a chance to blossom. With that said, the three episodes we’re given offer a nice amount of fun to them. The characters, despite not having many, are funny and easily likable. The animation, despite not aging perfectly, is still nice to look at, and the voice acting isn’t painful to the ears.
Gunsmith Cats gets a 7 to 8 out of 10
See you all next time, when I’ll begin my four month long series of reviews, and see you after those when I’ll put up a revised review for the first ever show I bought at a con. Until then, stay Otaku!
* If you would like to look at my original review of Gunsmith Cats, as well as my first review ever on this blog, click on the link below:
http://simpleanimereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/gunsmith-cats-bulletproof-review.html
Story/Setup
If you are a fan of the Gunsmith Cats manga and you’re watching this for the first time, you’re going to be in for some disappointment, as this OVA isn’t connected to the comic very much. There are some small references to the manga from time to time, but nothing really significant. With that said, you don’t need to read the manga before you watch Gunsmith Cats (Although if you’re new to the GC universe, you might want to at least look up some info on the manga), and the story they made for the show is quite good on it’s own.
Fem fatale Rally Vincent, and her adorable but explosive-obsessed friend Minnie “May” Hopkins, run a small gun store (Named Gunsmith Cats, hence the show’s name) in Chicago. One day, an ATF agent by the name of William “Bill” Collins walks into the store, and gives her an offer she might not want to refuse. At first not buying his offer because Rally thinks it’s a line of shit, she reluctantly accepts it later after gun thieves break into her house, and doesn’t have much of a choice. From there, she’s pulled into a job filled with more deception, more intrigue, and more double-crossing than the Watergate scandal.
Despite the overall seriousness of the story, Gunsmith Cats has plenty of opportunities for more relaxed moments. There’s plenty of times when comedy, fan-service (Not much, but it’s there), and character development (Albeit minor) come into play to develop the story and move it further.
Setting
There’s been plenty of unique settings in the history of anime, but not many of them have taken place in the United States, least of which Chicago, one of the most famous Midwestern cities. Kenichi Sonada and his crew did some damn good research while they were in the city, taking numerous pictures of average places & historical landmarks, with only a little bit of alteration within the show itself. The result is a surprisingly accurate, and highly realistic vision of Chicago. It practically looks like the city, and little details like steam vents just add to the realism. To anyone living in Chicago that looks at this post, you should nominate Mr. Sonada for sainthood!
Characters
Characters in Gunsmith Cats are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the custom story for the show allows for little chance of characters from the manga appearing. Despite that, Rally & May take center stage, along with their friend Becky, and a one-time appearance of Rally’s cop friend Roy. Other than that, the cast within this show is completely new.
Now for the characters themselves. Rally is a cool, collected, and sexy individual. She knows how to handle herself in a gunfight, knows how to work with said guns, but also knows when to be funny and laugh. Her friend May is a different character: she’s younger (Rally is 19, while May is 17), more chaotic and innocent, and is a master of explosives that borderlines on obsessive (Mr. Torgue from Borderlands 2 would be proud).Their friend Becky is a very street-smart kind of girl, and her geeky appearance gives her a more humble appearance, despite her cheeky attitude. Roy is given only a few moments at the beginning of episode 3, but what little we’re given shows that Roy is a serious, no nonsense individual that hardly puts up with bullshit. These four characters (With a greater emphasis on Rally, May, and Becky) each have unique personalities that separate them from one another, yet somehow brings them all together to form strong friendships. With this strength of personality, it’s hard not to like them and feel concern for them when they’re in danger.
These four characters aren’t the only ones in Gunsmith Cats that have screen time. There’s William “Bill” Collins, and ATF agent that acts like a total sleeze but ultimately has good intentions. Jonathan Washington is a gruff, small-time gun runner that ultimately ends up six-feet under. There’s also Natasha Radinov, a former member of the KGB and Spetznaz with a heart of ice so cold, it makes the 9th circle of Hell look like an ideal vacation spot. Rounding out this motley crew of characters are George Black and Edward Haints: two men that are more than they appear. While not getting as much screen as the character above, these individuals have flavorful personalities as well. Not quite as deep, but personalities regardless.
Animation
This is a Kenichi Sonada anime, and as such looks pretty damn good. The setting and background look and feel believable (Especially in this show), and the various characters, whether men or women, have their own defined look and feel as well. Mr. Sonada has always been known for putting in a lot of realism into the characters, and it shows: they don’t quite look as exaggerated as other characters of the time, and they look like people you’d meet in the street. It also doesn’t help that Mr. Sonada is known for drawing some of the best looking women in anime, as proven by Rally, May, and Becky (Natasha looks a little too butch if you ask me). Overall, Gunsmith Cats is a show that has aged remarkably well since it’s release.
Voice Acting
Voice acting in Gunsmith Cats is surprisingly good. Though a small number of the cast just have okay voices, everybody else sounds great! Amanda Winn Lee voices Rally, and brings a sense of fun and sexiness to the character, while Kimberly Yates brings a sincere innocence to the role of May. Tiffany Grant gives Becky’s character a voice that’s appropriate to the role: sly & clever.
There’s other voice actors the provide some talent to GC as well. Rob Mungle provides a voice that is quite suited for “Bill”: scummy & sleazy, but ultimately a good guy. The Russian Natasha Radinov is voiced by Marcy Rae, who in my opinion tries a little too hard to sound Russian (She succeeds, but it sounds way too hammy & cheesy). Rounding out the voice cast is Aaron Krohn, Brett Weaver, and Rick Peeples, who voice Edward Haints, Jonathon Washington, and George Black respectively. They provide some alright voices: nothing special, but nothing that sounds terrible.
Episodes & Episode Length
Coming in at just 3 episodes, Gunsmith Cats is a rather short series, Adding to this shortness is the fact that each episode only lasts 30 minutes. On one hand, this shortness makes for a fast viewing experience (You can watch this series in just a hour-and-a-half sitting). On the other hand, however, the given story fits relatively well within the allotted time. If I had one other gripe, it would be that while an enjoyable experience, it feels like a lot was left out. Sure enough, there were supposed to be more episodes for Gunsmith Cats, but due to issues at the time, and the rise of shows with a similar story & feel, the series was done with just three episodes.
Availability & Pricing
Gunsmith Cats is a bitch to find! I bought my copy on Amazon back in early 2011, in which it was used, and rather expensive (I believe the price for my used copy was around 35 dollars). Things have changed a little since then. Now, there’s a couple more copies in both the new & used sections (Spread out among the 2001 & 2004 releases), but not that much: New copies are relatively expensive, starting at 59 dollars for the 2001 edition, and 65 dollars for the 2004 edition. Prices for the used copies are much more forgiving: used 2001 DVDs start at 19 dollars, and the 2004 version starts at 28 dollars. My suggestion is to go for the used copies, as the new ones are few and far between, and are incredibly expensive.
Extras/Other
There’s quite a few extras on this DVD. You have the standard previews for other shows (In this case, Dirty Pair Flash, Blue Seed, Blood Reign, Gasaraki, Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, and Samurai X are the shows previewed. BTW, most of these shows are hard to look for), and the typical credit free opening animation. The extras that are a little atypical, however, are the trailers for the individual episodes, and the Making of Gunsmith Cats. It’s really cool to see Kenichi Sonada at his artist table, and drawing up the characters and setting of the show. Not only do you see him draw up characters & scenes, but you see the whole process of making the show, including going to Chicago and taking numerous pictures of the city, not to mention going to a gun store to get the look & feel, and meeting up with the Chicago PD to get an understanding of how crime & law enforcement work in the city. Many more series should have this kind of extra on disc.
I should quickly mention before I end this review the music in Gunsmith Cats. Kenichi Sonada and his team did some damn good research, and managed to faithfully create music that sounded authentically American, or to be more precise, music that sounded like authentic American songs from the early-to-mid 90s. It’s all very jazzy, hip-hoppy, and all things considered it really gets your blood pumping.
General Impression & Rating
Gunsmith Cats is one of those shows that was cut tragically short before it had a chance to blossom. With that said, the three episodes we’re given offer a nice amount of fun to them. The characters, despite not having many, are funny and easily likable. The animation, despite not aging perfectly, is still nice to look at, and the voice acting isn’t painful to the ears.
Gunsmith Cats gets a 7 to 8 out of 10
See you all next time, when I’ll begin my four month long series of reviews, and see you after those when I’ll put up a revised review for the first ever show I bought at a con. Until then, stay Otaku!
* If you would like to look at my original review of Gunsmith Cats, as well as my first review ever on this blog, click on the link below:
http://simpleanimereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/gunsmith-cats-bulletproof-review.html
Monday, May 27, 2013
Seeds of Geekdom: Myself (2)
Well ladies & gentlemen, I’ve told you another story about my Dad, and revealed some insight about my Mom. With their posts done, it’s only natural that the circle would come back to me, so here’s another geeky story about myself. Enjoy!
Let’s step into my time machine, and take a quick trip back to the late spring of 2011. At that point, I went to Connecticon twice, but the coming convention was particularly special for me, because Jon St. John, the badass who voiced Duke Nukem in the iconic game series, would be coming to the convention for the first time ever. It was also exciting for me because my Father would be turning 50 a couple weeks after the con, and it was a perfect opportunity to get his original copy of Duke Nukem 3d signed as a gift. Giddy with excitement, I packed my stuff, and zoomed right down.
On Saturday of that weekend, the awesomeness exploded all over the place! He hosted a panel around the afternoon, and it was a packed house (Click “***” to watch that panel. Around 20 to 22 minutes, he answered my rather goofy question). After that hour of badassery, it was off to the autograph table, where he and I traded a few words, and he signed my dad’s game CD. I gave it to my Dad on his birthday, and he was absolutely shocked. While that experience was awesome, it would be a more recent one that eclipsed this one, but only just.
Flash forward to 2012, and Jon St. John came to Connecticon once again. This time around, I had the honor/privilege to have lunch with the man, along with two acquaintances that I met some minutes before. It was quite an interesting experience, because I saw a different side of him. He was still kind & badass, but he seemed more critical of pop culture aspect, and said that he was pro gun control. Quite surprising!
On top of that, he hosted his panel once again on Saturday of that weekend, and not only did he answer one of my questions, he answered another one. In hindsight, however, the second question was rather stupid, but I won’t get into it.
Those two experiences are some of my most cherished geek memories, and now, I’ve shared them with you. Hope you liked them!
See you all next time. Until then, stay Otaku!
* If you would like to look at my original post about myself, click on the link below:
http://simpleanimereviews.blogspot.com/2012/05/seeds-of-geekdom-myself.html
Let’s step into my time machine, and take a quick trip back to the late spring of 2011. At that point, I went to Connecticon twice, but the coming convention was particularly special for me, because Jon St. John, the badass who voiced Duke Nukem in the iconic game series, would be coming to the convention for the first time ever. It was also exciting for me because my Father would be turning 50 a couple weeks after the con, and it was a perfect opportunity to get his original copy of Duke Nukem 3d signed as a gift. Giddy with excitement, I packed my stuff, and zoomed right down.
On Saturday of that weekend, the awesomeness exploded all over the place! He hosted a panel around the afternoon, and it was a packed house (Click “***” to watch that panel. Around 20 to 22 minutes, he answered my rather goofy question). After that hour of badassery, it was off to the autograph table, where he and I traded a few words, and he signed my dad’s game CD. I gave it to my Dad on his birthday, and he was absolutely shocked. While that experience was awesome, it would be a more recent one that eclipsed this one, but only just.
Flash forward to 2012, and Jon St. John came to Connecticon once again. This time around, I had the honor/privilege to have lunch with the man, along with two acquaintances that I met some minutes before. It was quite an interesting experience, because I saw a different side of him. He was still kind & badass, but he seemed more critical of pop culture aspect, and said that he was pro gun control. Quite surprising!
On top of that, he hosted his panel once again on Saturday of that weekend, and not only did he answer one of my questions, he answered another one. In hindsight, however, the second question was rather stupid, but I won’t get into it.
Those two experiences are some of my most cherished geek memories, and now, I’ve shared them with you. Hope you liked them!
See you all next time. Until then, stay Otaku!
* If you would like to look at my original post about myself, click on the link below:
http://simpleanimereviews.blogspot.com/2012/05/seeds-of-geekdom-myself.html
Friday, May 24, 2013
Seeds of Geekdom: My Mother (2)
Hey everybody, with another story about me and my geeky Dad out of the way, it’s time for another story about my Mom. Originally I had intended for this to deal with me, but in a twist, I figured to instead focus this post on mom. Enjoy!
Now, for a good chunk of my life, my Father was the primary source of geek knowledge & trivia. He would infuse me with his knowhow whenever he could, but my Mother was a different story. It’s not that she wasn’t a geek, because she was. It’s not that she didn’t raise me in a geeky manner, because she did. The difference was that she was a little more reserved about it, and would dispense her geek wisdom at a more even pace. When it came time to buckle down and get school work done (Much more during high school, less so during college), she became quite the serious-minded individual, but when it was time to relax and have fun, she knew how to cut loose.
Fast forward to know, and holy shit could she fit in at a convention. She’s a fan of Doctor Who, plays a bunch of video games (Borderlands 2, Warcraft 3, and Plants vs Zombies are just a couple of the games she plays), loves Firefly, and a bunch of other geek-related things. Did I mention that she likes Rob Zombie & Ozzy Osbourne.....because she does!!
Basically, the message I’m trying to get across is that look can be deceiving. On the outside, she looks like any ordinary housewife (For the most part at least), but when she doesn’t have to get any work done, or when she’s with the right crowd, she unleashes her full-blown geek side. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover!
See you all next time. Until then, stay Otaku!
* If you would like to look at my original post about my Mom, click on the link below:
http://simpleanimereviews.blogspot.com/2012/05/seeds-of-geekdom-my-mother.html
Now, for a good chunk of my life, my Father was the primary source of geek knowledge & trivia. He would infuse me with his knowhow whenever he could, but my Mother was a different story. It’s not that she wasn’t a geek, because she was. It’s not that she didn’t raise me in a geeky manner, because she did. The difference was that she was a little more reserved about it, and would dispense her geek wisdom at a more even pace. When it came time to buckle down and get school work done (Much more during high school, less so during college), she became quite the serious-minded individual, but when it was time to relax and have fun, she knew how to cut loose.
Fast forward to know, and holy shit could she fit in at a convention. She’s a fan of Doctor Who, plays a bunch of video games (Borderlands 2, Warcraft 3, and Plants vs Zombies are just a couple of the games she plays), loves Firefly, and a bunch of other geek-related things. Did I mention that she likes Rob Zombie & Ozzy Osbourne.....because she does!!
Basically, the message I’m trying to get across is that look can be deceiving. On the outside, she looks like any ordinary housewife (For the most part at least), but when she doesn’t have to get any work done, or when she’s with the right crowd, she unleashes her full-blown geek side. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover!
See you all next time. Until then, stay Otaku!
* If you would like to look at my original post about my Mom, click on the link below:
http://simpleanimereviews.blogspot.com/2012/05/seeds-of-geekdom-my-mother.html
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Kirameki Project Review
Hi everybody! I totally forgot about this review, as I typed it up ahead of time back in February to put up then. Ironically, I just simply forgot about it, and just a couple minutes I found it again. So, for a bonus/surprise review, here’s a look at the wacky yet sweet Kirameki Project.
Let’s begin with the story, taken from the back of the box:
“On the Mediterranean Sea, there lies the beautiful kingdom of Genes. It is ruled by three lovely, mostly innocent princesses and the power of technology. The surrounding kingdoms all fall one by one to a mysterious Giant Robot. Worse yet, the Robot is under the control of several decidedly unattractive Old Guys. When they set their sights on Genes, the Fate of the World, rests on the maid-outfit clad shoulders of Kana, the second princess. Born with a special knack for robot technology, Kana and her android companion Rincle are the last line of defense for Genes.”
Though the story seems a little serious at first, after watching the first couples minutes of the first episode, it’s very apparent that it decides to take the humorous approach to the mecha genre. There’s nothing in the way of truly serious moments, as the whole series is nothing but one giant parody. Speaking of parody...
This goes into the second positive of the show. Unlike some parody shows, where the jabs they take can sometimes seem cruel, there’s nothing meanspirited within Kiremeki Project. When the show takes a stab at the mecha genre, turning it into a goofy farce where the villains (Most of them, anyway) are average & less threatening, almost to the point where you can actually sympathize & like them, and the heros are princesses. Yeah, the princess hero is a bit overdone sometimes, but the show doesn’t really bring out the princess trait (Though one of them is a bit full of herself). One of the princesses, in fact, is rather shy & vulnerable, but over the course of the show, she manages to come out of her shell and becomes more sociable. The magical girl genre is also parodied at times, with one of the princesses sometimes becoming a magical girl/superhero hybrid.
This leads into the third positive of Kiremeki Project. The cast within this show is unique in that I liked everybody, and I mean everybody. The good guys brings something to the table, and the bad guys drop something off as well. Each of the princesses fit a particular niche & role within the movie. They are:
Nene (12 years old, but I call BS on this. Just watch an episode, and you’ll see why): The fan service provider of the show, Nene tends to whine & complain a fair amount of the time, but ultimately has good intentions. I say she provides the fan service, because when she transforms into her superhero outfit, there’s a good view of her cleavage, and her panty-covered bottom is very much in your face a lot of the time.
Kana (14 years old): The princess that has the most screen time in the show. It’s ironic that she’s a princess, because she doesn’t act like one. She rather shy, not very good when interacting with people (Save for her sisters, servants, and robot friend Rincle), and is only happy when she’s in her robot workshop. As the show goes on, she slowly becomes more active among other people, and when it reaches the last episode, she’s no longer the shy girl that she once was.
Krone (18 years old): The princess that has the least screentime. Unlike Nene or Kana, Krone doesn’t fight, but instead commands the military of Genes. She also happens to be the most mature of the three, which is ironic because her top men are four bishounen aides slash servants that act like goofballs.
There’s other good guys as well. Chief among them are Rincle, and her younger but larger (Height-wise) sister Junerin. Rincle is the perfect example of a hyperactive friend: hyper (Obviously), silly, spastic, annoying, etc. She’s one of the few individuals that Kana can feel normal & safe around, and can also turn into various vehicles & tools when needed. Junerin is a bit different. She’s about as tall as a skyscraper, permanently has a smile on her face (More on this later), and she doesn’t speak. Instead, she communicates to Kana through e-mails to her cellphone, and in turn Kana communicates commands & such through the same device.
The bad guys are an interesting bunch as well, in that they really aren’t that threatening. Instead, they’re just a group of average joe-schmoes who think they’re doing something right, but their goals are being twisted behind the scenes by their boss. There’s Honda (Engineer and primary designer of Big Mighty, the robot they pilot), Ohya (Commander), Nakajima (Pilot), and Matsushita (electronics). Again, these guys aren’t intimidating. In fact, they’re all quite likable, especially Ohya. He’s very much a little guy, but has a big heart. The rest of the crew follow him, simply because of his passion, spirit, and loyalty to his comrades. Ohya is also a component for a rather major plot point, but I’ll get to that later.
Kirameki Project’s fourth positive is it’s animation. For starters, the color scheme is nice & colorful. Everything feels warm & pleasing, and there isn’t a dark shade of black to be found, save for the few nighttime scenes towards the end of the show (Though these scenes don’t feel sinister). As for the animation itself, I didn’t mind it. There’s a moment or two where the character look a little rough around the edges, but the characters more around alright without problems. There’s also some CG effects used during the robot fight scenes, but I’ll get to that in a bit.
The last positive of Kirameki project is it’s availability & pricing. I bought a used collection at FYE for about $12 dollars, which wasn’t that bad. Over on amazon, the complete collection is relatively available, as well as the two DVDs containing the episodes. New copies of the individual DVDs range from a mere 25 cents to $4 dollars, while used copies range from $2 dollars to 4$ dollars. New copies of the complete collection start at $11.35 in pricing, while the used copies start at the slightly less expensive $11.00. This is another show that won’t make your wallet bleed.***
Sadly, Kirameki Project has some baggage, some of which is heavier than others. For starters, there are only 5 episodes, each ranging at about 30 minutes. Because of the short length, the show had a bit of a rushed feeling to it. In fact, I took out 2 ½ hours of a day to watch the entire show. While that amount of time might look long to some people, the show went by at a very fast pace. I really felt that Kirameki Project should have been longer, perhaps having 6 to 8 episodes instead of 5, and still keeping the episodes to 30 minutes.
The next positive of Kirameki Project is the lack of a dub track. This is the third show I’ve reviewed so far that doesn’t have a dub track, the first was Step Up Love Story in February of last year (Click on “***” to read the review), and the second was Otaku no Video in April of last year (Click on “***” to read the review). The same problem in those reviews crops up here: the subs make it difficult to read & watch what’s going on at the same time. Even if a included dub was bad, I’d take a bad dub & subs, over subs only any day of the week.
The third negative of the show was it’s use of CG. Now, I will say that the show keeps the CG to the robot fight scenes. Okay, fair enough. This is something I can live with. However, the CG feels weird when it’s put up against the normal animation of the show. It’s almost as if two different studios worked on the show, and put both pieces together in a rough manner. I should also point out the CG effect used for Junerin. Simply put, she was perhaps one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen in a non-horror anime. She’s basically a small skyscrapper-sized robot, designed to look like a maid that wears pink clothing & carries a pink purse, and has locks of blonde metallic hair. To add to this creepfest, she’s has the most striking blue eyes, and has a permanent smile on her face. This mass of CG terror will haunt me for the rest of the year, unless I dive into a bottle of Jagermeister. If you don't believe me that Junerin is nightmare fuel, then here's a picture for you:
The last negative of Kirameki Project is this one plot point that’s not really followed through. At one point about halfway/three-fourts through the show, Ohya discovers a key-like object at his apartment with the seal of Genes on it. Later when he’s in Kana’s room, he discovers another key-like object on one of the book shelves that has the exact same seal. It was revealed earlier that Kana’s father was Japanese, and she never knew her father. There’s almost a point where Kana asks if Ohya is her father, but instead begins asking him a string of questions about robots. Though this plot point is silently resolved at the end, I really wished that they just showed the resolution to this plot point, even if it’s just for a couple seconds.
Kirameki Project gets a 6 to 6.5 out of 10. The story is simple, the parodies are nice & harmless, the cast was fun to watch, the animation is easy on the eyes, and it’s easy to find & buy, but it’s short, there’s no dub, the CG doesn’t feel right, and the unsolved plot point is rather annoying.
See you all later this week. Until then, stay Otaku!
*** Since the time of the February writing, this information will more than likely have changed.
Let’s begin with the story, taken from the back of the box:
“On the Mediterranean Sea, there lies the beautiful kingdom of Genes. It is ruled by three lovely, mostly innocent princesses and the power of technology. The surrounding kingdoms all fall one by one to a mysterious Giant Robot. Worse yet, the Robot is under the control of several decidedly unattractive Old Guys. When they set their sights on Genes, the Fate of the World, rests on the maid-outfit clad shoulders of Kana, the second princess. Born with a special knack for robot technology, Kana and her android companion Rincle are the last line of defense for Genes.”
Though the story seems a little serious at first, after watching the first couples minutes of the first episode, it’s very apparent that it decides to take the humorous approach to the mecha genre. There’s nothing in the way of truly serious moments, as the whole series is nothing but one giant parody. Speaking of parody...
This goes into the second positive of the show. Unlike some parody shows, where the jabs they take can sometimes seem cruel, there’s nothing meanspirited within Kiremeki Project. When the show takes a stab at the mecha genre, turning it into a goofy farce where the villains (Most of them, anyway) are average & less threatening, almost to the point where you can actually sympathize & like them, and the heros are princesses. Yeah, the princess hero is a bit overdone sometimes, but the show doesn’t really bring out the princess trait (Though one of them is a bit full of herself). One of the princesses, in fact, is rather shy & vulnerable, but over the course of the show, she manages to come out of her shell and becomes more sociable. The magical girl genre is also parodied at times, with one of the princesses sometimes becoming a magical girl/superhero hybrid.
This leads into the third positive of Kiremeki Project. The cast within this show is unique in that I liked everybody, and I mean everybody. The good guys brings something to the table, and the bad guys drop something off as well. Each of the princesses fit a particular niche & role within the movie. They are:
Nene (12 years old, but I call BS on this. Just watch an episode, and you’ll see why): The fan service provider of the show, Nene tends to whine & complain a fair amount of the time, but ultimately has good intentions. I say she provides the fan service, because when she transforms into her superhero outfit, there’s a good view of her cleavage, and her panty-covered bottom is very much in your face a lot of the time.
Kana (14 years old): The princess that has the most screen time in the show. It’s ironic that she’s a princess, because she doesn’t act like one. She rather shy, not very good when interacting with people (Save for her sisters, servants, and robot friend Rincle), and is only happy when she’s in her robot workshop. As the show goes on, she slowly becomes more active among other people, and when it reaches the last episode, she’s no longer the shy girl that she once was.
Krone (18 years old): The princess that has the least screentime. Unlike Nene or Kana, Krone doesn’t fight, but instead commands the military of Genes. She also happens to be the most mature of the three, which is ironic because her top men are four bishounen aides slash servants that act like goofballs.
There’s other good guys as well. Chief among them are Rincle, and her younger but larger (Height-wise) sister Junerin. Rincle is the perfect example of a hyperactive friend: hyper (Obviously), silly, spastic, annoying, etc. She’s one of the few individuals that Kana can feel normal & safe around, and can also turn into various vehicles & tools when needed. Junerin is a bit different. She’s about as tall as a skyscraper, permanently has a smile on her face (More on this later), and she doesn’t speak. Instead, she communicates to Kana through e-mails to her cellphone, and in turn Kana communicates commands & such through the same device.
The bad guys are an interesting bunch as well, in that they really aren’t that threatening. Instead, they’re just a group of average joe-schmoes who think they’re doing something right, but their goals are being twisted behind the scenes by their boss. There’s Honda (Engineer and primary designer of Big Mighty, the robot they pilot), Ohya (Commander), Nakajima (Pilot), and Matsushita (electronics). Again, these guys aren’t intimidating. In fact, they’re all quite likable, especially Ohya. He’s very much a little guy, but has a big heart. The rest of the crew follow him, simply because of his passion, spirit, and loyalty to his comrades. Ohya is also a component for a rather major plot point, but I’ll get to that later.
Kirameki Project’s fourth positive is it’s animation. For starters, the color scheme is nice & colorful. Everything feels warm & pleasing, and there isn’t a dark shade of black to be found, save for the few nighttime scenes towards the end of the show (Though these scenes don’t feel sinister). As for the animation itself, I didn’t mind it. There’s a moment or two where the character look a little rough around the edges, but the characters more around alright without problems. There’s also some CG effects used during the robot fight scenes, but I’ll get to that in a bit.
The last positive of Kirameki project is it’s availability & pricing. I bought a used collection at FYE for about $12 dollars, which wasn’t that bad. Over on amazon, the complete collection is relatively available, as well as the two DVDs containing the episodes. New copies of the individual DVDs range from a mere 25 cents to $4 dollars, while used copies range from $2 dollars to 4$ dollars. New copies of the complete collection start at $11.35 in pricing, while the used copies start at the slightly less expensive $11.00. This is another show that won’t make your wallet bleed.***
Sadly, Kirameki Project has some baggage, some of which is heavier than others. For starters, there are only 5 episodes, each ranging at about 30 minutes. Because of the short length, the show had a bit of a rushed feeling to it. In fact, I took out 2 ½ hours of a day to watch the entire show. While that amount of time might look long to some people, the show went by at a very fast pace. I really felt that Kirameki Project should have been longer, perhaps having 6 to 8 episodes instead of 5, and still keeping the episodes to 30 minutes.
The next positive of Kirameki Project is the lack of a dub track. This is the third show I’ve reviewed so far that doesn’t have a dub track, the first was Step Up Love Story in February of last year (Click on “***” to read the review), and the second was Otaku no Video in April of last year (Click on “***” to read the review). The same problem in those reviews crops up here: the subs make it difficult to read & watch what’s going on at the same time. Even if a included dub was bad, I’d take a bad dub & subs, over subs only any day of the week.
The third negative of the show was it’s use of CG. Now, I will say that the show keeps the CG to the robot fight scenes. Okay, fair enough. This is something I can live with. However, the CG feels weird when it’s put up against the normal animation of the show. It’s almost as if two different studios worked on the show, and put both pieces together in a rough manner. I should also point out the CG effect used for Junerin. Simply put, she was perhaps one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen in a non-horror anime. She’s basically a small skyscrapper-sized robot, designed to look like a maid that wears pink clothing & carries a pink purse, and has locks of blonde metallic hair. To add to this creepfest, she’s has the most striking blue eyes, and has a permanent smile on her face. This mass of CG terror will haunt me for the rest of the year, unless I dive into a bottle of Jagermeister. If you don't believe me that Junerin is nightmare fuel, then here's a picture for you:
The last negative of Kirameki Project is this one plot point that’s not really followed through. At one point about halfway/three-fourts through the show, Ohya discovers a key-like object at his apartment with the seal of Genes on it. Later when he’s in Kana’s room, he discovers another key-like object on one of the book shelves that has the exact same seal. It was revealed earlier that Kana’s father was Japanese, and she never knew her father. There’s almost a point where Kana asks if Ohya is her father, but instead begins asking him a string of questions about robots. Though this plot point is silently resolved at the end, I really wished that they just showed the resolution to this plot point, even if it’s just for a couple seconds.
Kirameki Project gets a 6 to 6.5 out of 10. The story is simple, the parodies are nice & harmless, the cast was fun to watch, the animation is easy on the eyes, and it’s easy to find & buy, but it’s short, there’s no dub, the CG doesn’t feel right, and the unsolved plot point is rather annoying.
See you all later this week. Until then, stay Otaku!
*** Since the time of the February writing, this information will more than likely have changed.
Seeds of Geekdom - My Father (2)
Hi everyone! Last year when I celebrate the 1st-year anniversary of my blog’s existence, I did some posts on how my parents helped me become a geek, along with my own experiences. This time around, I’m doing things a little differently, and instead I’ll be talking about some moments with them that have become permanent memories of geekdom. Since I started with my father the last time, it’s only natural that my first post revolves around him.
Let’s take a trip through time, right back to the late-summer of 2004. Doom 3 came out in early August, and was applauded for looking incredible (Still looks good, if you ask me), being down right scary & atmospheric, and was just a fun game to play. One of the big selling points of the game (And still is a selling point) was it’s compatibility with surround-sound systems. Everytime I sat with him, he had a group of small speakers setup around the room, and holy hell did it sound better on those than headphones/standard speakers, but I digress slightly.
Anyways, we happened to have been playing on a particularly dark night (I should note that we had the lights off), and my Mom was already in bed. I’m forgetting what level we were at, but there was a long corridor we were walking down, and all of a sudden there was a massing bang-like noise, and a desk sign from one of my Dad’s old jobs fell right onto the keyboard. Now, because I’m a wuss (Which is normal for me...most of the time), I jumped, but I was quite surprised when my Dad sorta freaked out, and almost fell out of the chair he was in. Guess it goes to prove that even the bigger man of the house gets scared from time to time. I haven’t let go of that incident since.
See you all next time. Until then, stay Otaku!
* If you would like to look at my original post about my Dad, click on the link below:
“***”
Let’s take a trip through time, right back to the late-summer of 2004. Doom 3 came out in early August, and was applauded for looking incredible (Still looks good, if you ask me), being down right scary & atmospheric, and was just a fun game to play. One of the big selling points of the game (And still is a selling point) was it’s compatibility with surround-sound systems. Everytime I sat with him, he had a group of small speakers setup around the room, and holy hell did it sound better on those than headphones/standard speakers, but I digress slightly.
Anyways, we happened to have been playing on a particularly dark night (I should note that we had the lights off), and my Mom was already in bed. I’m forgetting what level we were at, but there was a long corridor we were walking down, and all of a sudden there was a massing bang-like noise, and a desk sign from one of my Dad’s old jobs fell right onto the keyboard. Now, because I’m a wuss (Which is normal for me...most of the time), I jumped, but I was quite surprised when my Dad sorta freaked out, and almost fell out of the chair he was in. Guess it goes to prove that even the bigger man of the house gets scared from time to time. I haven’t let go of that incident since.
See you all next time. Until then, stay Otaku!
* If you would like to look at my original post about my Dad, click on the link below:
“***”
Monday, May 20, 2013
La Blue Girl Review
I’m quite surprised it’s taken me this long to review a show from this genre. Given the amount of time I’ve had in the past two years, it’s strange that I finally sat myself down, and watched a hentai show. That’s right people, I’m finally reviewing a hentai! What hentai are you review, you’re asking me. Well, why not one of the most infamous hentai to have ever been released! So, for your (Perverted) pleasure, here’s my review for La Blue Girl. Not the 2001 release, nor the 1994 release. This.....ladies & gentlemen.....is a review for the iconic/infamous 1992 release. Now let’s begin.
For starters, here’s the story. Enter Miko Mido: an average girl from high school, trained in the ancient arts of sexual ninjutsu. In ancient times, Miko’s family gain a control/partnership with a group of demonic entities known as the Shikima, who are sex-hungry monsters constantly craving the carnal delights that only Japanese schoolgirls can provide. Unfortunately, in an attack a rival ninja group called the Suzuka kill Miko’s grandmother, and manage to steal the special seal that keeps Miko’s family’s control over the Shikima in check. From there, it’s a humorous, violent, and sex-filled adventure to not only get back the seal, but to also find a magical sword, protect her friends & family (BTW, you meet Miko’s mom in the 2nd episode, and discover that her father is the king of the Shikima, and is advertently a half-demon), and defeat some rivals that appear to take Miko out.
Ironically enough, the story is the first positive! Despite being a hentai from the early 90s, La Blue Girl has a surprisingly interesting story to it, filled with a bunch of genres to boot. There’s plenty of action, drama, horror, suspense, comedy, and of course sex, for things to be interesting. It’s interesting in how the Shikima interact with the normal world (It’s rather basic, yet it’s still interesting in a way), and the politics about the whole thing add a equally surprising amount of depth to it.
Characters are another surprising positive. Although there are plenty of secondary characters, they’re pretty much interchangeable. The bread & butter of this show is with it’s main cast, and despite not having many main characters, the main characters we do have are great. Miko herself is a hoot: imagine a innocent schoolgirl (Hee hee), and then imagine said innocent schoolgirl trained in sexual-flavored ninjutsu, yet being surprisingly hesitant to engage in sexual acts (This, btw, is where at least 50% of the comedy comes from.....at least). Her sister Miyu is very prim and proper, as well as being somewhat bitchy, but underneath all that lies an individual that hungers for being actively sexual (This is rather evident at the beginning of the 2nd episode). Nin Nin, Miko’s friend & assistant, is psychotically perverted, but is ultimately a good guy, despite moments of cowardice. These characters take up a fair amount of screen time, but there are some more that deserve some attention.
There’s Miko’s mother, a highly mysterious woman that seems to know more that what she shows, and Miko’s demonic father, who’s the leader of the Shikima. We also have Yaku, another ninja from Miko’s bloodline, who comes in to help out & act as a momentary lesbian lover, Fubuki Kai, a jealous rival ninja that appears in the last two episodes to defeat Miko and take her place, and finally Kamiri & Kugutsumen, two more rival ninjas that come in and just raise all kinds of hell. These characters don’t quite have as much screen time as those previously mention, but they still bring something to the story’s table. Speaking of variety.....
The variety of sex acts within La Blue Girl are impressive. You have the standard sex acts (Blowjobs, masturbation, and tentacle sex are just a pinch of standard sexual routines you see), but there are some other things that are.....odd, both in a good & bad way. There’s hermaphroditic sex, both in the tradition and non-traditional sense (Trivia: Miko has a technique called “Nyoninboh”, which allows her to swell her clitoris to the size of a man’s penis......I’ll leave the rest of it to your imagination), orgies with humans & monsters (Sometimes both at the same time), public humiliation, loss of virginity, an air dildo (Imagination people!!), and swordplay with Miko’s vagina (It’s not guro, so don’t worry. Again, I’m leaving it to your imagination!). You have all sorts of sexual acts coming at your face, it’ll surprise you with how much they were able to fit into 6 episodes. Speaking of episodes.....
This leads into our next positive. Regardless of the year released, most hentai tend to come in at 1 to 4 episodes, and typically last anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. With La Blue Girl we get 6 sex/action packed episodes that last anywhere from 40 to 45 minutes. Watching them back to back may be a bit of a sensual overload (If you’re new to hentai, trust me on this), so I suggest pacing them out. Either watch all 6 episodes over the course of a day (Leaving the last day devoted to mental recovery), or take three days to watch them all (2 Episodes per day).
With the positives out of the way, let’s get into some neutral points. Fortunately, there’s only two of them, but unfortunately they’re kinda big. For starters, we have the voice acting. I think it’s safe to say that dubbed hentai, at least for the majority of the time, sounds god awful (I’m looking at you Bible Black!). Very rarely are there any hentai series that have a decent dub, or at the very least an okay dub (Koihime comes to mind for it’s surprisingly good dub). With La Blue Girl, it literarily balances on the razor’s edge of hentai dubbing. There are some characters who sound like they’re overacting and sound incredibly goofy, or characters that underact and sound meek, or at the most extreme, ear-piercingly horrible. On top of that, the dub script has to be one of the most hammiest, goofiest, and downright silliest thing I’ve ever heard. I honestly found the dub to be relatively entertaining, partially because it’s downright hilarious, but mostly because I can’t stand listening to La Blue Girl in Japanese (Trust me when I say that the dubbing in this is worth at least one listen through).
The next neutral point of La Blue Girl is it’s animation quality. Hentai in the 90s was still done mostly with old-school pencil and paper, probably coupled with some computer work to clean things up so it looks better. This series is not the greatest looking thing to comes from the early 90s, but it isn’t necessarily the ugliest thing I’ve seen. At the very least, there are some interesting visuals throughout the show (The Shikima realm feels like a combination of the Circle of Gluttony from the Dante’s Inferno game with elements of science fiction & medieval architecture), and the sex is generally pleasing to the eye (Emphasis on the word generally).
Now we get to the negatives, and holy hell are they big! For starters, La Blue Girl is downright hard as all ungodly get-out to find! I last saw it in stores (FYE I believe it was) a couple years ago, where I think the dvds cost anywhere from 15 to 20 dollars. The only place I know of now where you can still find them is Amazon, where there are only a handful/pinchful of copies remain along the new & used spectrum. Pricing is sticking (currently) around the low 10 dollar range across the new & used spectrum, so things look okay on that front.
Next up is the sex. As much as I enjoyed the variety of sexual acts, there are certain moments & elements that are a bit on the disturbing side, and two of them come to mind for me. Towards the end of the 1st episode, Miyu gets raped by a giant Shikima, and has tentacles going into most of her orifices. That isn’t necessarily bad, as tentacle rape is a relatively common subgenre of hentai. In this circumstance, however, there’s a point where you can actually see one of the tentacles causing her skin, from her vagina to her stomach, bulge because of it’s girth. Granted, it’s only for a few seconds, but it borderlines on disgusting. Then there’s the mangled vagina scene. In the beginning moments, Kamiri has her vagina brutalized with a thorny phallic object, leaving it bloodied & scarred. Seething with revenge because of this act, she goes on a rampage, doing the same thing to many girls. Hell, there’s a scene where you see a group of female bodies on the ground dead, due to massive blood loss from having their vagina torn up more that burnt rubber on the street!
La Blue Girl gets a 5.5 to 6.9 out of 10. The story is unique for a hentai, the main cast is colorful & entertaining, there’s a great variety of sexual acts, and has a decent length. The voice acting and the visuals are okay, but finding a copy of this show is hard, and some of the sex scenes can be rather uncomfortable.
See you all this Wednesday, when I’ll post up some cleaner material. Until then, stay Otaku!
For starters, here’s the story. Enter Miko Mido: an average girl from high school, trained in the ancient arts of sexual ninjutsu. In ancient times, Miko’s family gain a control/partnership with a group of demonic entities known as the Shikima, who are sex-hungry monsters constantly craving the carnal delights that only Japanese schoolgirls can provide. Unfortunately, in an attack a rival ninja group called the Suzuka kill Miko’s grandmother, and manage to steal the special seal that keeps Miko’s family’s control over the Shikima in check. From there, it’s a humorous, violent, and sex-filled adventure to not only get back the seal, but to also find a magical sword, protect her friends & family (BTW, you meet Miko’s mom in the 2nd episode, and discover that her father is the king of the Shikima, and is advertently a half-demon), and defeat some rivals that appear to take Miko out.
Ironically enough, the story is the first positive! Despite being a hentai from the early 90s, La Blue Girl has a surprisingly interesting story to it, filled with a bunch of genres to boot. There’s plenty of action, drama, horror, suspense, comedy, and of course sex, for things to be interesting. It’s interesting in how the Shikima interact with the normal world (It’s rather basic, yet it’s still interesting in a way), and the politics about the whole thing add a equally surprising amount of depth to it.
Characters are another surprising positive. Although there are plenty of secondary characters, they’re pretty much interchangeable. The bread & butter of this show is with it’s main cast, and despite not having many main characters, the main characters we do have are great. Miko herself is a hoot: imagine a innocent schoolgirl (Hee hee), and then imagine said innocent schoolgirl trained in sexual-flavored ninjutsu, yet being surprisingly hesitant to engage in sexual acts (This, btw, is where at least 50% of the comedy comes from.....at least). Her sister Miyu is very prim and proper, as well as being somewhat bitchy, but underneath all that lies an individual that hungers for being actively sexual (This is rather evident at the beginning of the 2nd episode). Nin Nin, Miko’s friend & assistant, is psychotically perverted, but is ultimately a good guy, despite moments of cowardice. These characters take up a fair amount of screen time, but there are some more that deserve some attention.
There’s Miko’s mother, a highly mysterious woman that seems to know more that what she shows, and Miko’s demonic father, who’s the leader of the Shikima. We also have Yaku, another ninja from Miko’s bloodline, who comes in to help out & act as a momentary lesbian lover, Fubuki Kai, a jealous rival ninja that appears in the last two episodes to defeat Miko and take her place, and finally Kamiri & Kugutsumen, two more rival ninjas that come in and just raise all kinds of hell. These characters don’t quite have as much screen time as those previously mention, but they still bring something to the story’s table. Speaking of variety.....
The variety of sex acts within La Blue Girl are impressive. You have the standard sex acts (Blowjobs, masturbation, and tentacle sex are just a pinch of standard sexual routines you see), but there are some other things that are.....odd, both in a good & bad way. There’s hermaphroditic sex, both in the tradition and non-traditional sense (Trivia: Miko has a technique called “Nyoninboh”, which allows her to swell her clitoris to the size of a man’s penis......I’ll leave the rest of it to your imagination), orgies with humans & monsters (Sometimes both at the same time), public humiliation, loss of virginity, an air dildo (Imagination people!!), and swordplay with Miko’s vagina (It’s not guro, so don’t worry. Again, I’m leaving it to your imagination!). You have all sorts of sexual acts coming at your face, it’ll surprise you with how much they were able to fit into 6 episodes. Speaking of episodes.....
This leads into our next positive. Regardless of the year released, most hentai tend to come in at 1 to 4 episodes, and typically last anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. With La Blue Girl we get 6 sex/action packed episodes that last anywhere from 40 to 45 minutes. Watching them back to back may be a bit of a sensual overload (If you’re new to hentai, trust me on this), so I suggest pacing them out. Either watch all 6 episodes over the course of a day (Leaving the last day devoted to mental recovery), or take three days to watch them all (2 Episodes per day).
With the positives out of the way, let’s get into some neutral points. Fortunately, there’s only two of them, but unfortunately they’re kinda big. For starters, we have the voice acting. I think it’s safe to say that dubbed hentai, at least for the majority of the time, sounds god awful (I’m looking at you Bible Black!). Very rarely are there any hentai series that have a decent dub, or at the very least an okay dub (Koihime comes to mind for it’s surprisingly good dub). With La Blue Girl, it literarily balances on the razor’s edge of hentai dubbing. There are some characters who sound like they’re overacting and sound incredibly goofy, or characters that underact and sound meek, or at the most extreme, ear-piercingly horrible. On top of that, the dub script has to be one of the most hammiest, goofiest, and downright silliest thing I’ve ever heard. I honestly found the dub to be relatively entertaining, partially because it’s downright hilarious, but mostly because I can’t stand listening to La Blue Girl in Japanese (Trust me when I say that the dubbing in this is worth at least one listen through).
The next neutral point of La Blue Girl is it’s animation quality. Hentai in the 90s was still done mostly with old-school pencil and paper, probably coupled with some computer work to clean things up so it looks better. This series is not the greatest looking thing to comes from the early 90s, but it isn’t necessarily the ugliest thing I’ve seen. At the very least, there are some interesting visuals throughout the show (The Shikima realm feels like a combination of the Circle of Gluttony from the Dante’s Inferno game with elements of science fiction & medieval architecture), and the sex is generally pleasing to the eye (Emphasis on the word generally).
Now we get to the negatives, and holy hell are they big! For starters, La Blue Girl is downright hard as all ungodly get-out to find! I last saw it in stores (FYE I believe it was) a couple years ago, where I think the dvds cost anywhere from 15 to 20 dollars. The only place I know of now where you can still find them is Amazon, where there are only a handful/pinchful of copies remain along the new & used spectrum. Pricing is sticking (currently) around the low 10 dollar range across the new & used spectrum, so things look okay on that front.
Next up is the sex. As much as I enjoyed the variety of sexual acts, there are certain moments & elements that are a bit on the disturbing side, and two of them come to mind for me. Towards the end of the 1st episode, Miyu gets raped by a giant Shikima, and has tentacles going into most of her orifices. That isn’t necessarily bad, as tentacle rape is a relatively common subgenre of hentai. In this circumstance, however, there’s a point where you can actually see one of the tentacles causing her skin, from her vagina to her stomach, bulge because of it’s girth. Granted, it’s only for a few seconds, but it borderlines on disgusting. Then there’s the mangled vagina scene. In the beginning moments, Kamiri has her vagina brutalized with a thorny phallic object, leaving it bloodied & scarred. Seething with revenge because of this act, she goes on a rampage, doing the same thing to many girls. Hell, there’s a scene where you see a group of female bodies on the ground dead, due to massive blood loss from having their vagina torn up more that burnt rubber on the street!
La Blue Girl gets a 5.5 to 6.9 out of 10. The story is unique for a hentai, the main cast is colorful & entertaining, there’s a great variety of sexual acts, and has a decent length. The voice acting and the visuals are okay, but finding a copy of this show is hard, and some of the sex scenes can be rather uncomfortable.
See you all this Wednesday, when I’ll post up some cleaner material. Until then, stay Otaku!
Friday, May 17, 2013
The Top 5 Nice Guys In Anime
With the girls out of the way, let’s spend some time with the boys! Here for you are what I consider to be the top 5 nice guys in anime. Enjoy!
5) Ash Ketchum from Pokemon
Much like Misty from my Top 5 Cutest Anime Girls, Ash is a classic character from a classic show. While the Pokemon series nowadays isn’t the greatest thing on the planet, the one good thing (Depending on how you look at it) that hasn’t changed is the character that is Ash, apart from perhaps being a little more mature. He’s still very honest, hard-working, friendly to every pokemon & person, and still has moments of absolute goofiness. He’s as kind as he is ageless (Both literarily & figuratively), and has long-ago earned his seat among the pantheon of iconic males.
4) Tenchi Masaki from Tench Muyo
I originally was going to place Tenchi at the number 5 spot, simply due to the fact that at times he can be a wimp (He’s definitely not spineless, but his legs can turn to jelly under certain circumstances), and he isn’t always a useful character. However, if you put those weaknesses aside, you’ll find quite a nice guy. He doesn’t put up with any bullshit, but is a very hard worker, highly positive on his outlook of life, and all in all is just a nice guy, regardless of the series (With a possible exception of Tenchi in Tokyo, but we’ll get to that when the time comes).
3) Gene Starwind from Outlaw Star
Gene Starwind is a 50/50 kind of character to me. On the one hand, he’s a bit of a horndog, trying to hit on any good-looking girl he can spot. He’s also a bit scummy, but not necessarily a bad kind of scummy. On the other hand, he’s quite brave (Except when it comes to space, but he eventually gets over it), dependable, strong, sensitive under the right on the circumstance, and can be funny & goofy if given the correct situation. Hell, Gene can put up a good fight as well, much like Tenchi!
2) Keitaro from Goldenboy
When I did my review for Goldenboy over a year ago (Click on “***” to read), the biggest plus of that show was it’s lead male, Kitaro. His only weakness is his libido: it can either help him (Depending on your definition of the word “Help”), or catastrophically kick his ass. Besides his weakness, if you were to look at him, you wouldn’t see a highly intelligent individual that can be quite profound as well. Even his voice doesn’t help him, as he sounds like a goofy virgin. Beyond his horniness and silly voice, Kitaro is a dependable individual that you can count on to do the right thing, and be very honest when it’s needed. Just make sure he’s not around a bunch of girls, cause something stupid is probably gonna occur.
1) Hideki from Chobits
A half-inch. That’s how far away these two are, simply because of how similar they are. They’re both goofy, they’re both smart, and they’re both pervs (Keitaro far more so. Hideki simply has a wild imagination). Hell, the both of them can even get physical as well if the situation is dire. What ultimately set these two apart are two aspect of Hideki himself. First off, Hideki’s strength lies in his emotions. He knows when to laugh, he knows when to cry, and he knows when to get angry (For the most part, anyways). On top of that, his heart always seems to be in the right place, and almost always knows what to do. The other thing is that Hideki is more of a humble figure. With Keitaro, he can act humble, but most of the time he feels larger than life, and perhaps a little full of himself. For Hideki, he knows when to pipe in if he knows something, and to stand back when he doesn’t (His friends come in to help out if he can’t work on it himself). A good guy all around.
See you all next time, when I’ll review a show from a genre that’s a bit......risque, and no it’s not yaoi or yuri. Until then, stay Otaku!
5) Ash Ketchum from Pokemon
Much like Misty from my Top 5 Cutest Anime Girls, Ash is a classic character from a classic show. While the Pokemon series nowadays isn’t the greatest thing on the planet, the one good thing (Depending on how you look at it) that hasn’t changed is the character that is Ash, apart from perhaps being a little more mature. He’s still very honest, hard-working, friendly to every pokemon & person, and still has moments of absolute goofiness. He’s as kind as he is ageless (Both literarily & figuratively), and has long-ago earned his seat among the pantheon of iconic males.
4) Tenchi Masaki from Tench Muyo
I originally was going to place Tenchi at the number 5 spot, simply due to the fact that at times he can be a wimp (He’s definitely not spineless, but his legs can turn to jelly under certain circumstances), and he isn’t always a useful character. However, if you put those weaknesses aside, you’ll find quite a nice guy. He doesn’t put up with any bullshit, but is a very hard worker, highly positive on his outlook of life, and all in all is just a nice guy, regardless of the series (With a possible exception of Tenchi in Tokyo, but we’ll get to that when the time comes).
3) Gene Starwind from Outlaw Star
Gene Starwind is a 50/50 kind of character to me. On the one hand, he’s a bit of a horndog, trying to hit on any good-looking girl he can spot. He’s also a bit scummy, but not necessarily a bad kind of scummy. On the other hand, he’s quite brave (Except when it comes to space, but he eventually gets over it), dependable, strong, sensitive under the right on the circumstance, and can be funny & goofy if given the correct situation. Hell, Gene can put up a good fight as well, much like Tenchi!
2) Keitaro from Goldenboy
When I did my review for Goldenboy over a year ago (Click on “***” to read), the biggest plus of that show was it’s lead male, Kitaro. His only weakness is his libido: it can either help him (Depending on your definition of the word “Help”), or catastrophically kick his ass. Besides his weakness, if you were to look at him, you wouldn’t see a highly intelligent individual that can be quite profound as well. Even his voice doesn’t help him, as he sounds like a goofy virgin. Beyond his horniness and silly voice, Kitaro is a dependable individual that you can count on to do the right thing, and be very honest when it’s needed. Just make sure he’s not around a bunch of girls, cause something stupid is probably gonna occur.
1) Hideki from Chobits
A half-inch. That’s how far away these two are, simply because of how similar they are. They’re both goofy, they’re both smart, and they’re both pervs (Keitaro far more so. Hideki simply has a wild imagination). Hell, the both of them can even get physical as well if the situation is dire. What ultimately set these two apart are two aspect of Hideki himself. First off, Hideki’s strength lies in his emotions. He knows when to laugh, he knows when to cry, and he knows when to get angry (For the most part, anyways). On top of that, his heart always seems to be in the right place, and almost always knows what to do. The other thing is that Hideki is more of a humble figure. With Keitaro, he can act humble, but most of the time he feels larger than life, and perhaps a little full of himself. For Hideki, he knows when to pipe in if he knows something, and to stand back when he doesn’t (His friends come in to help out if he can’t work on it himself). A good guy all around.
See you all next time, when I’ll review a show from a genre that’s a bit......risque, and no it’s not yaoi or yuri. Until then, stay Otaku!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Top 5 Sexiest Anime Girls That Kick Ass
Hi everybody! This past Monday, I posted the top 5 cutest anime girls. This time, I’m walking a different path. So, without delay, here are what I consider to be the top 5 sexiest anime girls, who also know how to kick a little ass! Enjoy.
5) Rangiku & Yoruichi from Bleach
It’s really kind of tough to pick between these two. Physically, they’re both incredibly attractive: Yoruichi has a perfect balance between brains & body (Her breasts & butt are proportioned quite evenly, and has a lot of smarts to her credit), while Rangiku is the right kind of girl if you have a thing for big/revealing breasts, yet there are moments where she’s incredibly kind and caring, and can be surprisingly sly when needed . The one area where they are equal is in fighting, as both can kick loads of ass. I couldn’t keep these two separate on the list, as they’re both quite sexy.
4) Moka (Inner Personality) from Rosario + Vampire
Note: I am using the inner version of Moka in this list. The outer version of Moka is far too innocent, and perhaps dizty, to be placed here. The Inner version of Moka is a stronger character compared to her outer personality. She’s beautiful, strong (Outer Moka is also strong, but more so in the emotional department that the physical department), and carries an aura of mystery around her. You don’t know if she’ll jump on you in bed, kick your ass, or bite your neck and suck you off (Not like that.....perverts!!!!!).
3) Medaka from Medaka Box
Taken from one of my favorite anime all time (Click “***” to read that post), Medaka has the distinction of being a girl that not only has brains and the ability to fight like Jean-Claude Van Damme from back in the day, but looks good.....damn good. I drop my jaw every time I see a scene with her, simply because of, and I quote, finely-toned body. Her build is especially shocking when you consider her age (Watch the show, cause I’m not telling you!), and on top of that she’s also strong emotionally. She knows how to gird her emotions against a foe, yet she opens up frequently when in the company of her friends & allies. Good qualities to have, whether in anime or real life.
2) Aisha Clan-Clan from Outlaw Star
True story: I didn’t watch much Toonami during it’s original run. In the process, I missed out on hordes of classic shows, one of which was Outlaw Star, a classic among classics. A couple weeks ago, I managed to snag a copy of the complete series, and have absolutely enjoyed it so far! I’ll get to the review probably in the late summer, but suffice it to say it’s a damn good show. While there’s hordes of characters I enjoy watching, perhaps the one I enjoy the most is everyone’s favorite catgirl, Aisha Clan-Clan.
Yes, one of the reason’s Aisha is on the list is because she’s a catgirl. No surprise there. But what makes her such a sexy character is that not only can she be cute under circumstances, but she’s built like a damn tank (Watch episode 5 to see the kind of muscles she has). I’m usually not a fan of muscular girls/women (Real life or not), but every once in a while someone will come along, and for whatever it clicks for me.
1) Ryoko Habuki from Tenchi Muyo
Much like Outlaw Star, Tenchi Muyo was a show that I missed back in the day. A couple months ago, I received a free copy of the Blu-Ray/DVD combo of the original show. Unlike Outlaw Star, however, I was able to remember the few times I watched Tenchi Muyo much better that OS, the main reason being Ryoko. Hot damn, Ryoko has to be one of, if the most, sexiest anime female ever.....ever.....ever made!
What makes her sexy are two things. The first is Petrea Burchard’s voice acting for the role. She infuses the character with sexiness, lust, anger, humor, and just enough vibes of anti-hero to create a surprisingly unique character. The second reason why Ryoko is the sexiest is her design. Her hair is wild yet somehow tame, a face that’s both sexy & kind, and a body that’s just perfectly portioned. She’s got some curves, her butt is nice but not gigantic, has some of the most finely shaped breasts you could ever see, and her fighting skills are top notch. Her choices of clothing also add to the sexiness, but I’m not an expert on this.
See you all sometime this weekend. Until then, stay Otaku!
5) Rangiku & Yoruichi from Bleach
It’s really kind of tough to pick between these two. Physically, they’re both incredibly attractive: Yoruichi has a perfect balance between brains & body (Her breasts & butt are proportioned quite evenly, and has a lot of smarts to her credit), while Rangiku is the right kind of girl if you have a thing for big/revealing breasts, yet there are moments where she’s incredibly kind and caring, and can be surprisingly sly when needed . The one area where they are equal is in fighting, as both can kick loads of ass. I couldn’t keep these two separate on the list, as they’re both quite sexy.
4) Moka (Inner Personality) from Rosario + Vampire
Note: I am using the inner version of Moka in this list. The outer version of Moka is far too innocent, and perhaps dizty, to be placed here. The Inner version of Moka is a stronger character compared to her outer personality. She’s beautiful, strong (Outer Moka is also strong, but more so in the emotional department that the physical department), and carries an aura of mystery around her. You don’t know if she’ll jump on you in bed, kick your ass, or bite your neck and suck you off (Not like that.....perverts!!!!!).
3) Medaka from Medaka Box
Taken from one of my favorite anime all time (Click “***” to read that post), Medaka has the distinction of being a girl that not only has brains and the ability to fight like Jean-Claude Van Damme from back in the day, but looks good.....damn good. I drop my jaw every time I see a scene with her, simply because of, and I quote, finely-toned body. Her build is especially shocking when you consider her age (Watch the show, cause I’m not telling you!), and on top of that she’s also strong emotionally. She knows how to gird her emotions against a foe, yet she opens up frequently when in the company of her friends & allies. Good qualities to have, whether in anime or real life.
2) Aisha Clan-Clan from Outlaw Star
True story: I didn’t watch much Toonami during it’s original run. In the process, I missed out on hordes of classic shows, one of which was Outlaw Star, a classic among classics. A couple weeks ago, I managed to snag a copy of the complete series, and have absolutely enjoyed it so far! I’ll get to the review probably in the late summer, but suffice it to say it’s a damn good show. While there’s hordes of characters I enjoy watching, perhaps the one I enjoy the most is everyone’s favorite catgirl, Aisha Clan-Clan.
Yes, one of the reason’s Aisha is on the list is because she’s a catgirl. No surprise there. But what makes her such a sexy character is that not only can she be cute under circumstances, but she’s built like a damn tank (Watch episode 5 to see the kind of muscles she has). I’m usually not a fan of muscular girls/women (Real life or not), but every once in a while someone will come along, and for whatever it clicks for me.
1) Ryoko Habuki from Tenchi Muyo
Much like Outlaw Star, Tenchi Muyo was a show that I missed back in the day. A couple months ago, I received a free copy of the Blu-Ray/DVD combo of the original show. Unlike Outlaw Star, however, I was able to remember the few times I watched Tenchi Muyo much better that OS, the main reason being Ryoko. Hot damn, Ryoko has to be one of, if the most, sexiest anime female ever.....ever.....ever made!
What makes her sexy are two things. The first is Petrea Burchard’s voice acting for the role. She infuses the character with sexiness, lust, anger, humor, and just enough vibes of anti-hero to create a surprisingly unique character. The second reason why Ryoko is the sexiest is her design. Her hair is wild yet somehow tame, a face that’s both sexy & kind, and a body that’s just perfectly portioned. She’s got some curves, her butt is nice but not gigantic, has some of the most finely shaped breasts you could ever see, and her fighting skills are top notch. Her choices of clothing also add to the sexiness, but I’m not an expert on this.
See you all sometime this weekend. Until then, stay Otaku!
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Top 5 Cutest Anime Girls
Hello there! With my 2nd-year anniversary underway, let’s get some more anime into our veins. I think it’s safe to say that some of our favorite characters are the ladies. Old-school, new-school, it doesn’t matter: anime girls are damn popular. Over the course of this week, I’ll be posting up some articles just for the ladies, with a nice nod towards the end of the week for the guys. To get things started, here’s a post for the top 5 cutest girls in anime.
5) Misty from Pokemon
Let’s begin this list with a classic. I think it’s safe to say that most fans of anime in the 90s at least gave Pokemon glancing looks, and one of those characters that they probably saw was Misty, the water trainer. She was bratty, and could come across as a snot at times, but there were plenty of moments where she could come across as cute & innocent. I think we can all agree that some of these cute/innocent moments came up whenever there was a bug on screen, her shrikes of fear were just hilarious, but the moments where she was kind & caring were surprisingly touching.
4) Ed from Cowboy Bebop
Another classic cutie, Ed is just one of those characters that you can’t help but smile at. She might not have sex appeal like Misty, but she makes up for that by being massively hyperactive, and just acting very child-like. There’s a kind of innocence to her that you can’t quite describe, but somehow is understandable. Her view of the world is filled with both the positive and the negative, and somehow she manages to come out on top.....and creates an explosion or two in the process.
3) Miharu from Girls Bravo
Now, this character is on the list for two reasons. The first is her figure: Miharu has perhaps one of the best bodies. She’s curvy, but not too curvy. Her chest is well-sized, but not to the point of being massive (That last point is ironic, given how big some of the girls are in the shows). Overall, Miharu’s body is just perfect.
The other reason for Miharu being on this list is her outlook on life. Miharu is a highly innocent person, on top of being an incredibly naive person, but not the bad kind of naive. She simply doesn’t know how things on Japan/Earth work, and these lead to hordes of comical moments...and plenty of fan-service to boot!
2) Sasami from Tenchi Muyo
I will say right here and now.....I love this character to death! He has to be, hands down, one of the cutest anime girls every created for the medium. The voice actor, Sherry Lynn, really creates a very, very innocent voice for the character. It’s very kind, sweet, and comforting in all the right ways. Even if Sherry Lynn didn’t provide the voice, Sasami is still damn cute. She’s very thoughtful, a hard worker, sensitive, adorable, and actually can be more intelligent than the adults in the show when given the right situation.
Now, before we get to number one, I would just like to say that originally I was going to have Miharu at the number two spot on this list. What ultimately caused me two switch between the two was to have some variety from number 3 to number 1. With that being said, let’s look at our number one.
1) Chi From Chobits
Now, Chi took the number one spot from Sasami.....but only just. Much like when I did my first Top 5 Songs To Kill people (Click “***” to read that post), the number 2 & number 1 spot are just inches away from each other. Whereas the number 2 & number 1 spots in that post were separated because of being unexpected & surprised, the number 2 & number 1 in this post are separated by sheer innocence. Chi has to be one of the most innocent girls in anime, more so than the rest of the girls on this list, and perhaps the medium as a whole. Her body isn’t anything impressive (But it is lovely), but she goes though life in such a way that can only be compared to that of a child. It’s sweet and adorable, but there are moments where Chi can be incredibly profound, and understand the pain of people, despite being a machine.
See you all this Wednesday/Thursday, when we’ll look at some of the sexiest anime girls. Until then, stay Otaku!
5) Misty from Pokemon
Let’s begin this list with a classic. I think it’s safe to say that most fans of anime in the 90s at least gave Pokemon glancing looks, and one of those characters that they probably saw was Misty, the water trainer. She was bratty, and could come across as a snot at times, but there were plenty of moments where she could come across as cute & innocent. I think we can all agree that some of these cute/innocent moments came up whenever there was a bug on screen, her shrikes of fear were just hilarious, but the moments where she was kind & caring were surprisingly touching.
4) Ed from Cowboy Bebop
Another classic cutie, Ed is just one of those characters that you can’t help but smile at. She might not have sex appeal like Misty, but she makes up for that by being massively hyperactive, and just acting very child-like. There’s a kind of innocence to her that you can’t quite describe, but somehow is understandable. Her view of the world is filled with both the positive and the negative, and somehow she manages to come out on top.....and creates an explosion or two in the process.
3) Miharu from Girls Bravo
Now, this character is on the list for two reasons. The first is her figure: Miharu has perhaps one of the best bodies. She’s curvy, but not too curvy. Her chest is well-sized, but not to the point of being massive (That last point is ironic, given how big some of the girls are in the shows). Overall, Miharu’s body is just perfect.
The other reason for Miharu being on this list is her outlook on life. Miharu is a highly innocent person, on top of being an incredibly naive person, but not the bad kind of naive. She simply doesn’t know how things on Japan/Earth work, and these lead to hordes of comical moments...and plenty of fan-service to boot!
2) Sasami from Tenchi Muyo
I will say right here and now.....I love this character to death! He has to be, hands down, one of the cutest anime girls every created for the medium. The voice actor, Sherry Lynn, really creates a very, very innocent voice for the character. It’s very kind, sweet, and comforting in all the right ways. Even if Sherry Lynn didn’t provide the voice, Sasami is still damn cute. She’s very thoughtful, a hard worker, sensitive, adorable, and actually can be more intelligent than the adults in the show when given the right situation.
Now, before we get to number one, I would just like to say that originally I was going to have Miharu at the number two spot on this list. What ultimately caused me two switch between the two was to have some variety from number 3 to number 1. With that being said, let’s look at our number one.
1) Chi From Chobits
Now, Chi took the number one spot from Sasami.....but only just. Much like when I did my first Top 5 Songs To Kill people (Click “***” to read that post), the number 2 & number 1 spot are just inches away from each other. Whereas the number 2 & number 1 spots in that post were separated because of being unexpected & surprised, the number 2 & number 1 in this post are separated by sheer innocence. Chi has to be one of the most innocent girls in anime, more so than the rest of the girls on this list, and perhaps the medium as a whole. Her body isn’t anything impressive (But it is lovely), but she goes though life in such a way that can only be compared to that of a child. It’s sweet and adorable, but there are moments where Chi can be incredibly profound, and understand the pain of people, despite being a machine.
See you all this Wednesday/Thursday, when we’ll look at some of the sexiest anime girls. Until then, stay Otaku!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Bragging Rites (4)
Hi there! It's been a couple weeks since my last post showing off some Borderlands 2 loot. In the time since last, I've acquired a couple legendary weapons and shields, some seraph items, and just recently some legendary grenade mods. Today item, however, is one of the brand new pearlescent weapons from the 3rd difficulty. Enjoy:
See you all next time. Until then, stay Otaku!
See you all next time. Until then, stay Otaku!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project Review
Hi guys. Well, I promised up a proper review today, so I figured some more Duke Nukem would be just the thing. So, as I promised, here’s a review for the underrated side-scroller, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project.
Story
Taken from the game booklet:
“Duke has a new nemesis, and this time it’s not scumbag aliens! It may be even worse...”
“Mech Morphix has perfected GLOPP (Gluon Liquid Omega Phased Plasma), a slimy, radioactive substance that mutates living things on contact. After using his own henchman as guinea pigs, turning them into grotesque beasts, he unleashed the ooze on the city of New York. With an elaborate pipeline to manufacture and ship the powerful plasma to a secret lab, Morphix plans to use it to take over the world. (Of Course.)”
“Rats, roaches, and alligators can’t get enough of the stuff, and wherever there’s a puddle of GLOPP, you can bet you’ll see some sort of creature sucking it down and mutating into a nightmarish beast in the service of Morphix.”
“But as powerful as GLOPP is, it’s also versatile. Duke will find special weapons along the way that can harness the slime’s power, and wreck havoc on the mutant freaks affected by it. With these weapons Duke can vaporize enemies of de-mutate them back into their original form where they can be easily crushed under his mighty boot.”
“Morphix thinks GLOPP will help him rule the planet, but Duke’s GLOPP powered weapons just might turn the tables on Morphix’s plan!”
Yet another goofy, silly, and basic Duke story that I can get behind. I should mention that the original villain of this game was supposed to be Dr. Proton, the original bad guy of the duke universe. However, Duke Nukem Forever was still in development at the time, and fearing that the game would use that villain, the main baddie of Manhattan Project was switched to Morphix to avoid any possible trouble. Smart move!
Setting
New York has been interpreted many times throughout video games, and DN: MP is no different. Whereas previous games attempted have more gritty depictions (Most notably Max Payne from 2001), this game attempts to go for a more light hearted look. You start out in the highlights of New York, traverse through Chinatown, proceed through the subway system (Both new & old systems), mow down enemies in a factory, fight through the docks & a tanker, jump around on a oil rig, and finally have an out-of-this-world experience in space. Each of these areas are a experience onto themselves, as they have their own unique feel to them.
If there was one episode that I didn’t like, it would have been the 5th one (Titled “Fearsome Factory”). The first four episodes are respectable in terms of navigation, but this one takes it to almost maze-like proportions. It can be relatively easy to get lost, and there are enough traps to make you paranoid. The 8th episode is like this also, but not quite as frustrating.
Characters
Just like DN3d, the main character is Duke, voiced once again by Jon St. John. He’s still just as macho & crude as he was in DN3d, but I don’t know if it’s just me, but he seems to be a little more.....tame. He still comes across as rude, but his swearing is almost non-existant, and his lines seem far more goofy than in previous games (Go figure!).
About the only other individuals that could be considered “characters” are Morphix and the babes attached to the GLOPP bombs. Morphix feels like a lame sci-fi/action villain from the 80s or early 90s (You only encounter him 3 times: he’s the 1st boss & 8th boss, and you momentarily see him after the first battle with him), and the babes attached to the GLOPP bombs, while varied in terms of ethnicity, all have the same voice actor & lines, making them all the same. Other than them, that’s all the characters you’ll see in this game.
Gameplay
In a throwback to Duke Nukem 1 & 2, Manhattan Project uses classic side-scroller mechanics to create a nostalgic experience. Taking place over the course of 8 episodes (Made of 3 levels each), Our hero Duke stomps, explodes, and de-evolves a horde of mutants & robots using an array of weapons. Unlike Duke Nukem 3d, Manhattan Project attempts to have more of a mix with your implements of destruction, and the following list details what you use:
Mighty Boot (Classic!)
Golden Eagle Pistol*
Shotgun*
Assault Rifle*
Pipebomb
GLOPP Ray (Turns mutants into their original form)
Pneumatic Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher (PRPG. Shares pipebomb ammo)
Pulse Cannon (Shares ammo with the GLOPP Ray)
X-3000 (Secret weapon. Has unlimited ammo, and kills everything on screen. While it’s held, you can hear thunder in the distance)
* These guns all use bullets
As you can see, this list of weapons isn’t a complete rehash of DN3d’s arsenal. There’s enough older weapons that things feel familiar, but new enough to ease people into the game.
You also have temporary powerups that can be found throughout the game (You have no inventory, save for keycards). There’s a double damage pickup (Duke says “It´s clobberin' time!” every time you pick it up. It gets annoying rather quickly), an invulnerability pickup, and the jetpack (The only thing to return from Duke Nukem 3d). They always show up at a time when you need them, like finding a jetpact to traverse a wide space, or double damage to mow through a horde of enemies.
Unfortunately, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project’s biggest weakness is the gameplay. Despite what I said above, the game comes down to the following:
1) Kill Enemies
2) Find Weapons/Ammo
3) Find Key
4) Find GLOPP Bomb & disable it (There’s 1 bomb in each level with a babe attached to it.)
5) Fight mini-boss/boss
Doing this in the first 2 episodes isn’t so bad, but by the time you get towards the end, it gets incredibly repetitive and boring. I didn’t have a problem with this as much as other people did, but I can definitely see where they’re coming from.
Unlike DN3d, Manhattan Project uses a checkpoint system when saving. Unlike a lot of other games that do this, the checkpoints are plentiful, and really help when you’re tackling a difficult level.
One final aspect of the gameplay is the nukes. Scattered through each of the levels in a set of ten, collecting all of a level’s nukes slightly increases your health (Called EGO) and ammo capacity. Collecting all of the nukes gains you a permanent bonus, depending on the difficulty you selected at the start of the game. The bonuses are:
- Double the strength of the Mighty Boot (Easy difficulty)
- Damage the player receives is halved, and turns Duke's shirt blue (except for in the end-of-level cutscenes) (Normal Difficulty)
- Player gains the X-3000 (Hard difficulty)
All you have to do to activate these bonuses is simply restart a game, and they’re automatically there.
Graphics & Sound
When Manhattan Project came out back in 2002, it was alright looking (It’s wasn’t ugly, but it wasn’t anything magnificent). Time has not been kind to this game: models look rather blocky & jagged (For Duke, the Babes, and Enemies), textures and backgrounds seemed matted, and overall is just plain ugly. Luckily, the game does know how to use color, and there’s various environment, so that balances things out...for the most part.
Luckily, the sound quality has managed to withstand the passage of time better than the graphics. Jon St. John’s reprisal of Duke still sounds great, and doesn’t feel like he’s clenching his teeth when he speaking his lines. You have the standard grunts, squeeks, and screams of the mutants & robots.....and then there’s the music. Unlike DN3d, where there was a different song, there were only a small handful of level tunes, adding more to the repetition of the game as a whole.
Overall & Rating
It’s easy to see why Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project got swept under the rug. With highly repetitive gameplay, it gets boring rather quickly. Having said that, I had a lot of fun playing this game. It’s cheesy Duke goodness, and despite the repetitive side-scroller game mechanics, they were surprisingly refreshing back in 2002, and somehow seem more refreshing today. It also helps that Jon St. John voiced Duke (As he’s always done in the past & present), and that this game somehow seems goofier than Duke Nukem 3d.
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project gets a 7.5 out of 10.
See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!
*
Oh, one last thing. When the game first came out, it was packaged with a metal keychain in the shape of a coin (On one side there was the Duke symbol & Statue of Liberty, and on the other side was a NYC subway token imprint). Unfortunately, later releases of the game didn’t contain the keychain. This caused two editions of the game to come out: one with a sticker that said “All New Duke: Special Edition Keychain Inside!”, and another that simply said “All New Duke”. A later release of the game had no sticker on it at all.
Story
Taken from the game booklet:
“Duke has a new nemesis, and this time it’s not scumbag aliens! It may be even worse...”
“Mech Morphix has perfected GLOPP (Gluon Liquid Omega Phased Plasma), a slimy, radioactive substance that mutates living things on contact. After using his own henchman as guinea pigs, turning them into grotesque beasts, he unleashed the ooze on the city of New York. With an elaborate pipeline to manufacture and ship the powerful plasma to a secret lab, Morphix plans to use it to take over the world. (Of Course.)”
“Rats, roaches, and alligators can’t get enough of the stuff, and wherever there’s a puddle of GLOPP, you can bet you’ll see some sort of creature sucking it down and mutating into a nightmarish beast in the service of Morphix.”
“But as powerful as GLOPP is, it’s also versatile. Duke will find special weapons along the way that can harness the slime’s power, and wreck havoc on the mutant freaks affected by it. With these weapons Duke can vaporize enemies of de-mutate them back into their original form where they can be easily crushed under his mighty boot.”
“Morphix thinks GLOPP will help him rule the planet, but Duke’s GLOPP powered weapons just might turn the tables on Morphix’s plan!”
Yet another goofy, silly, and basic Duke story that I can get behind. I should mention that the original villain of this game was supposed to be Dr. Proton, the original bad guy of the duke universe. However, Duke Nukem Forever was still in development at the time, and fearing that the game would use that villain, the main baddie of Manhattan Project was switched to Morphix to avoid any possible trouble. Smart move!
Setting
New York has been interpreted many times throughout video games, and DN: MP is no different. Whereas previous games attempted have more gritty depictions (Most notably Max Payne from 2001), this game attempts to go for a more light hearted look. You start out in the highlights of New York, traverse through Chinatown, proceed through the subway system (Both new & old systems), mow down enemies in a factory, fight through the docks & a tanker, jump around on a oil rig, and finally have an out-of-this-world experience in space. Each of these areas are a experience onto themselves, as they have their own unique feel to them.
If there was one episode that I didn’t like, it would have been the 5th one (Titled “Fearsome Factory”). The first four episodes are respectable in terms of navigation, but this one takes it to almost maze-like proportions. It can be relatively easy to get lost, and there are enough traps to make you paranoid. The 8th episode is like this also, but not quite as frustrating.
Characters
Just like DN3d, the main character is Duke, voiced once again by Jon St. John. He’s still just as macho & crude as he was in DN3d, but I don’t know if it’s just me, but he seems to be a little more.....tame. He still comes across as rude, but his swearing is almost non-existant, and his lines seem far more goofy than in previous games (Go figure!).
About the only other individuals that could be considered “characters” are Morphix and the babes attached to the GLOPP bombs. Morphix feels like a lame sci-fi/action villain from the 80s or early 90s (You only encounter him 3 times: he’s the 1st boss & 8th boss, and you momentarily see him after the first battle with him), and the babes attached to the GLOPP bombs, while varied in terms of ethnicity, all have the same voice actor & lines, making them all the same. Other than them, that’s all the characters you’ll see in this game.
Gameplay
In a throwback to Duke Nukem 1 & 2, Manhattan Project uses classic side-scroller mechanics to create a nostalgic experience. Taking place over the course of 8 episodes (Made of 3 levels each), Our hero Duke stomps, explodes, and de-evolves a horde of mutants & robots using an array of weapons. Unlike Duke Nukem 3d, Manhattan Project attempts to have more of a mix with your implements of destruction, and the following list details what you use:
Mighty Boot (Classic!)
Golden Eagle Pistol*
Shotgun*
Assault Rifle*
Pipebomb
GLOPP Ray (Turns mutants into their original form)
Pneumatic Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher (PRPG. Shares pipebomb ammo)
Pulse Cannon (Shares ammo with the GLOPP Ray)
X-3000 (Secret weapon. Has unlimited ammo, and kills everything on screen. While it’s held, you can hear thunder in the distance)
* These guns all use bullets
As you can see, this list of weapons isn’t a complete rehash of DN3d’s arsenal. There’s enough older weapons that things feel familiar, but new enough to ease people into the game.
You also have temporary powerups that can be found throughout the game (You have no inventory, save for keycards). There’s a double damage pickup (Duke says “It´s clobberin' time!” every time you pick it up. It gets annoying rather quickly), an invulnerability pickup, and the jetpack (The only thing to return from Duke Nukem 3d). They always show up at a time when you need them, like finding a jetpact to traverse a wide space, or double damage to mow through a horde of enemies.
Unfortunately, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project’s biggest weakness is the gameplay. Despite what I said above, the game comes down to the following:
1) Kill Enemies
2) Find Weapons/Ammo
3) Find Key
4) Find GLOPP Bomb & disable it (There’s 1 bomb in each level with a babe attached to it.)
5) Fight mini-boss/boss
Doing this in the first 2 episodes isn’t so bad, but by the time you get towards the end, it gets incredibly repetitive and boring. I didn’t have a problem with this as much as other people did, but I can definitely see where they’re coming from.
Unlike DN3d, Manhattan Project uses a checkpoint system when saving. Unlike a lot of other games that do this, the checkpoints are plentiful, and really help when you’re tackling a difficult level.
One final aspect of the gameplay is the nukes. Scattered through each of the levels in a set of ten, collecting all of a level’s nukes slightly increases your health (Called EGO) and ammo capacity. Collecting all of the nukes gains you a permanent bonus, depending on the difficulty you selected at the start of the game. The bonuses are:
- Double the strength of the Mighty Boot (Easy difficulty)
- Damage the player receives is halved, and turns Duke's shirt blue (except for in the end-of-level cutscenes) (Normal Difficulty)
- Player gains the X-3000 (Hard difficulty)
All you have to do to activate these bonuses is simply restart a game, and they’re automatically there.
Graphics & Sound
When Manhattan Project came out back in 2002, it was alright looking (It’s wasn’t ugly, but it wasn’t anything magnificent). Time has not been kind to this game: models look rather blocky & jagged (For Duke, the Babes, and Enemies), textures and backgrounds seemed matted, and overall is just plain ugly. Luckily, the game does know how to use color, and there’s various environment, so that balances things out...for the most part.
Luckily, the sound quality has managed to withstand the passage of time better than the graphics. Jon St. John’s reprisal of Duke still sounds great, and doesn’t feel like he’s clenching his teeth when he speaking his lines. You have the standard grunts, squeeks, and screams of the mutants & robots.....and then there’s the music. Unlike DN3d, where there was a different song, there were only a small handful of level tunes, adding more to the repetition of the game as a whole.
Overall & Rating
It’s easy to see why Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project got swept under the rug. With highly repetitive gameplay, it gets boring rather quickly. Having said that, I had a lot of fun playing this game. It’s cheesy Duke goodness, and despite the repetitive side-scroller game mechanics, they were surprisingly refreshing back in 2002, and somehow seem more refreshing today. It also helps that Jon St. John voiced Duke (As he’s always done in the past & present), and that this game somehow seems goofier than Duke Nukem 3d.
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project gets a 7.5 out of 10.
See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!
*
Oh, one last thing. When the game first came out, it was packaged with a metal keychain in the shape of a coin (On one side there was the Duke symbol & Statue of Liberty, and on the other side was a NYC subway token imprint). Unfortunately, later releases of the game didn’t contain the keychain. This caused two editions of the game to come out: one with a sticker that said “All New Duke: Special Edition Keychain Inside!”, and another that simply said “All New Duke”. A later release of the game had no sticker on it at all.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Late Post & Apology
Hi everyone. I'm terribly sorry about not getting a review up for Wednesday. I was busy over at a friend's house, and helping another friend move. I don't really have much right now, but I figured these Chuck Norris jokes might be a good substitute (Emphasis on the might). Enjoy:
When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn’t push himself up...he pushes the earth down.
There are no steroids in baseball. Only players Chuck Norris has breathed on.
Rather than being birthed like a normal child, Chuck Norris decided to punch his way out of his mother’s womb.
Chuck Norris once shot down a German fighter plane with his finger by yelling “Bang!”
Chuck Norris doesn’t churn butter. He roundhouse kicks the cows and the butter comes straight out.
When Chuck Norris sends in his taxes, he sends blank forms and includes a picture of himself...crouched and ready to attack. Chuck Norris has not had to pay taxes. EVER!
In fine print on the last page of The Guinness Book of World Records, it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.
When the boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming “Law & Order” are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
Chuck Norris’ tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. EVER!
Chuck Norris counted to infinity...twice.
Jesus Christ only rose from the dead after God asked Chuck Norris for permission.
Chuck Norris' hand is the only one that can beat a royal flush.
Chuck? Norris doesn’t wear a condom, because there is no protection from Chuck Norris.
We all know Jesus could walk on water, but did you know the Chuck Norris can swim through land?
Chuck Norris doesnt watch porn, porn is watching Chuck Norris.
Jesus can walk on water, but Chuck Norris walks on Jesus.
Chuck Norris doesn't mow his lawn. He stares at it and dares the grass to grow.
Chuck Norris finished the song that never ends.
Chuck Norris found a dead deer by the side of the road. He touched it, brought it back to life, roundhouse kicked it, and killed it again. Proving that the good Chuck giveth and the good Chuck taketh away.
Chuck Norris doesn’t swim in the ocean. The ocean moves out of the way for Chuck Norris.
See you all tomorrow, when I'll more than likely have a proper review up for you. Until then, stay Otaku!
When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he doesn’t push himself up...he pushes the earth down.
There are no steroids in baseball. Only players Chuck Norris has breathed on.
Rather than being birthed like a normal child, Chuck Norris decided to punch his way out of his mother’s womb.
Chuck Norris once shot down a German fighter plane with his finger by yelling “Bang!”
Chuck Norris doesn’t churn butter. He roundhouse kicks the cows and the butter comes straight out.
When Chuck Norris sends in his taxes, he sends blank forms and includes a picture of himself...crouched and ready to attack. Chuck Norris has not had to pay taxes. EVER!
In fine print on the last page of The Guinness Book of World Records, it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.
When the boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming “Law & Order” are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
Chuck Norris’ tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. EVER!
Chuck Norris counted to infinity...twice.
Jesus Christ only rose from the dead after God asked Chuck Norris for permission.
Chuck Norris' hand is the only one that can beat a royal flush.
Chuck? Norris doesn’t wear a condom, because there is no protection from Chuck Norris.
We all know Jesus could walk on water, but did you know the Chuck Norris can swim through land?
Chuck Norris doesnt watch porn, porn is watching Chuck Norris.
Jesus can walk on water, but Chuck Norris walks on Jesus.
Chuck Norris doesn't mow his lawn. He stares at it and dares the grass to grow.
Chuck Norris finished the song that never ends.
Chuck Norris found a dead deer by the side of the road. He touched it, brought it back to life, roundhouse kicked it, and killed it again. Proving that the good Chuck giveth and the good Chuck taketh away.
Chuck Norris doesn’t swim in the ocean. The ocean moves out of the way for Chuck Norris.
See you all tomorrow, when I'll more than likely have a proper review up for you. Until then, stay Otaku!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Katatonia - Jhva Elohim Meth Review
Hi everybody! Even though it’s springtime, there’s still a bit of a chill in the air. Whether it the remnants of this past winter, or because of the spirits of deceased metal heads, I’m not quite sure. What I do know is that today’s album review carries plenty frost & frigid air within it’s songs. You might remember me mentioning this during my review of Katatonia’s Dance of December Souls back at the beginning of December last year, but let’s not delay any further. Here’s my review for Jhva Elohim Meth/Jhva Elohim Meth...The Revivial.
Background
Very little is known about this first release from Katatonia. Below are the facts that are known about this EP (Extended Play).
Named by using a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche’s book, The Gay Science, Jhva Elohim Meth translated means God is Dead. Released from July 3rd to the 5th of 1992, there were only 500 copies ever made. 300 of them were blue-colored, 100 were transparent, and the last 100 were red-colored. The first 30 that were released came with photos and lyrics of the songs, creating an ever rarer release within an already rare release. Released just two days after the 5th of July was Jhva Elohim Meth...The Revivial, an EP edition that was released with more frequency than the original.
Songs
Prologue: Midwinter Gates: Like Dance of December Souls, Jhva Elohim Meth starts out with a soundscape. Coming in at 45 seconds, this opening is a very simple one: all there is for instrumentation is some soft & beautiful guitar, accompanied by some keyboard effects that give the feeling of a mystical winter. Put these two elements together, and you have something that sounds like the middle of winter (See, sometimes the names of songs mean something!).
Without God: No, you’re not seeing things. In fact, this is where the song came from in the first place, not Dance of December Souls. There really isn’t that much of a difference between the two versions. About the only things that are different from that version is some slight changes to the instrumentation & keyboard sounds, and the tone of the singing was altered just a hare. Other than those two things, the two songs are exactly the same.
Palace of Frost: Of the pinch of songs on this EP, Palace of Frost is my absolute favorite. It actually kinda of tragic that this song wasn’t placed on Dance of December Souls, because it really fits with that album’s overall tone & feeling. The instrumentation comes at you in a brutal & steady manner, the singing sounds like the howling winds of a winter storm, and the whole thing just sounds bleak and oppressive. Again, I love this song!
The Northern Silence: If Palace of Frost was a very oppressive song in terms of tone, then this song is the exact opposite. Going back in forth in terms of speed, The Northern Silence sounds like something you’d hear during the worst of winter’s fury. The guitars go from steady to fast in a matter of seconds, and the singing basically does the same thing. There are some moments when things sound peaceful, but then the song picks up again, and those moments are covered with a heavy blanket of snow & ice.
Epilogue: Crimson Tears: Just like Dance of December Souls, this release is concluded with a soundscape. Lasting much longer than Midwinter Gates (It plays for 1 minute & 57 seconds), Crimson Tears forgoes the guitar that the first song brought to the table, and instead decides to rely completely on the keyboard to convey it’s message. The noise that is most prevalent within this song is dripping water. It starts out slow, but it increases in intensity overtime. At times you also hear moaning wind, which will more than likely cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand up because it sounds so chilling.
Overall Impression & Rating
Jhva Elohim Meth sounds about the same as Dance of December Souls, but the overall feeling seems to be different. Maybe it’s because there’s only 5 songs, but there possibly seems to be a wider range of emotions, sense, and feelings. It’s really hard to tell, but I have a feeling that between this and Dance of December Souls, Katatonia had a shift in musical capabilities, causing them to change somehow. I don’t know, but maybe it’s me.
Jhva Elohim Meth gets a 7 to 7.5 out of 10.
See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!
*
For more about the band itself, please click on “***” to read my review of Dance of December Souls
Background
Very little is known about this first release from Katatonia. Below are the facts that are known about this EP (Extended Play).
Named by using a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche’s book, The Gay Science, Jhva Elohim Meth translated means God is Dead. Released from July 3rd to the 5th of 1992, there were only 500 copies ever made. 300 of them were blue-colored, 100 were transparent, and the last 100 were red-colored. The first 30 that were released came with photos and lyrics of the songs, creating an ever rarer release within an already rare release. Released just two days after the 5th of July was Jhva Elohim Meth...The Revivial, an EP edition that was released with more frequency than the original.
Songs
Prologue: Midwinter Gates: Like Dance of December Souls, Jhva Elohim Meth starts out with a soundscape. Coming in at 45 seconds, this opening is a very simple one: all there is for instrumentation is some soft & beautiful guitar, accompanied by some keyboard effects that give the feeling of a mystical winter. Put these two elements together, and you have something that sounds like the middle of winter (See, sometimes the names of songs mean something!).
Without God: No, you’re not seeing things. In fact, this is where the song came from in the first place, not Dance of December Souls. There really isn’t that much of a difference between the two versions. About the only things that are different from that version is some slight changes to the instrumentation & keyboard sounds, and the tone of the singing was altered just a hare. Other than those two things, the two songs are exactly the same.
Palace of Frost: Of the pinch of songs on this EP, Palace of Frost is my absolute favorite. It actually kinda of tragic that this song wasn’t placed on Dance of December Souls, because it really fits with that album’s overall tone & feeling. The instrumentation comes at you in a brutal & steady manner, the singing sounds like the howling winds of a winter storm, and the whole thing just sounds bleak and oppressive. Again, I love this song!
The Northern Silence: If Palace of Frost was a very oppressive song in terms of tone, then this song is the exact opposite. Going back in forth in terms of speed, The Northern Silence sounds like something you’d hear during the worst of winter’s fury. The guitars go from steady to fast in a matter of seconds, and the singing basically does the same thing. There are some moments when things sound peaceful, but then the song picks up again, and those moments are covered with a heavy blanket of snow & ice.
Epilogue: Crimson Tears: Just like Dance of December Souls, this release is concluded with a soundscape. Lasting much longer than Midwinter Gates (It plays for 1 minute & 57 seconds), Crimson Tears forgoes the guitar that the first song brought to the table, and instead decides to rely completely on the keyboard to convey it’s message. The noise that is most prevalent within this song is dripping water. It starts out slow, but it increases in intensity overtime. At times you also hear moaning wind, which will more than likely cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand up because it sounds so chilling.
Overall Impression & Rating
Jhva Elohim Meth sounds about the same as Dance of December Souls, but the overall feeling seems to be different. Maybe it’s because there’s only 5 songs, but there possibly seems to be a wider range of emotions, sense, and feelings. It’s really hard to tell, but I have a feeling that between this and Dance of December Souls, Katatonia had a shift in musical capabilities, causing them to change somehow. I don’t know, but maybe it’s me.
Jhva Elohim Meth gets a 7 to 7.5 out of 10.
See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!
*
For more about the band itself, please click on “***” to read my review of Dance of December Souls
Saturday, May 4, 2013
My Top 5 Most Viewed Posts
Hi everybody! In my time since my first blog post, I’ve posted up a lot of things. Reviews, musings, updates on things in my life or in pop culture, or just things I’ve found interesting on the internet. Although nobody hasn’t left comments on my posts, just about everyone of them has at least a couple views. So I looked at the stats of my posts, and decided to show you all the top 5 most viewed blog posts. I think you’ll be quite surprised!
5) Desert Punk Review (Currently at 87 views)
I like to think of Desert Punk as copy of Cowboy Bebop, only with more humor and fanservice. Like I said in that review, the one thing that I especially disliked was the ending. If I ever do a revised review of the show, I may go more into that. Having said that, I thought I did alright with that review. At times I felt like I did a good job with the review, but looking at it know, it feels a little rushed. Perhaps that revised review will show up sooner than I thought.
4) Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki Review (Currently at 88 views)
It’s a safe bet to say that the Tenchi Muyo franchise is popular. With the original shows & movies getting re-released late last year, it’s popularity has been brought back, and increased tenfold. Ironically, this series got released by Funimation before the re-releases, long after Geneon/Pioneer stopped with their releases. Much like the original show, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is a lot of fun to watch, and actually brings more to the table, infusing more character into an already interesting universe.
3) Rammstein: Reise Reise (Japanese Edition) (Revised) Review (Currently at 98 views)
Originally I was going to use my original review for this spot, but due to it being of lesser quality, I felt that it wasn’t right. Like I said in both reviews, the music on it is basically the same as the American & European releases, apart from the two remixes. I guess the reason why there’s as many views on this post is because of it’s background. It’s morbidly fascinating, and actually is something that has everybody should look up, even if it’s just for the sake of curiosity.
2) Uncle Yo! Fluffy Delicious DVD of Unbridled Entertainment Review (Currently at 103 views)
Give how popular Uncle Yo is, it’s no surprise that this post got views. What is surprising is two things: the first is that I managed to get two people to +1 this. They might have been people that Uncle Yo knew (I sent the review to him, and he replied back about it, saying thank you), and if that was the case...nice!
The other thing that has surprised me was that it has nowhere near as many views as I thought it would, given the popularity of Uncle Yo. I’m not complaining about the amount of views the post had (Even if a post had just 1 or 2 views, I’m happy), I’m just surprised that it isn’t as big as my number one spot on this list. Speaking of number one...
1) Type-O Negative: The Origin of the Feces Review (Currently at 505 views)
Off all the posts on my blog, I’m incredibly, no...massively surprised that this one has as many views as it has right now. Compared to the other albums in Type-O Negative’s library, this one is really more of a sleeper hit when compared to the rest. If you haven’t read the review, essentially the second album is nothing more than a modified/revised version of their first album, with revised song names, and the whole of the album was made to sound like it was done at a live concert. Now, making a album sound like it was at a concert when it actually wasn’t is kinda clever, and they manage to pull it off. The remixes of Hey Joe & Paranoid were good as well, and were some of my favorite tracks. The big problem was that it’s basically the first album all over again, minus a song or two from Slow, Deep and Hard. Again, I’m surprised that it got as many views as it did, but at the same time I’m happy.
See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!
5) Desert Punk Review (Currently at 87 views)
I like to think of Desert Punk as copy of Cowboy Bebop, only with more humor and fanservice. Like I said in that review, the one thing that I especially disliked was the ending. If I ever do a revised review of the show, I may go more into that. Having said that, I thought I did alright with that review. At times I felt like I did a good job with the review, but looking at it know, it feels a little rushed. Perhaps that revised review will show up sooner than I thought.
4) Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki Review (Currently at 88 views)
It’s a safe bet to say that the Tenchi Muyo franchise is popular. With the original shows & movies getting re-released late last year, it’s popularity has been brought back, and increased tenfold. Ironically, this series got released by Funimation before the re-releases, long after Geneon/Pioneer stopped with their releases. Much like the original show, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki is a lot of fun to watch, and actually brings more to the table, infusing more character into an already interesting universe.
3) Rammstein: Reise Reise (Japanese Edition) (Revised) Review (Currently at 98 views)
Originally I was going to use my original review for this spot, but due to it being of lesser quality, I felt that it wasn’t right. Like I said in both reviews, the music on it is basically the same as the American & European releases, apart from the two remixes. I guess the reason why there’s as many views on this post is because of it’s background. It’s morbidly fascinating, and actually is something that has everybody should look up, even if it’s just for the sake of curiosity.
2) Uncle Yo! Fluffy Delicious DVD of Unbridled Entertainment Review (Currently at 103 views)
Give how popular Uncle Yo is, it’s no surprise that this post got views. What is surprising is two things: the first is that I managed to get two people to +1 this. They might have been people that Uncle Yo knew (I sent the review to him, and he replied back about it, saying thank you), and if that was the case...nice!
The other thing that has surprised me was that it has nowhere near as many views as I thought it would, given the popularity of Uncle Yo. I’m not complaining about the amount of views the post had (Even if a post had just 1 or 2 views, I’m happy), I’m just surprised that it isn’t as big as my number one spot on this list. Speaking of number one...
1) Type-O Negative: The Origin of the Feces Review (Currently at 505 views)
Off all the posts on my blog, I’m incredibly, no...massively surprised that this one has as many views as it has right now. Compared to the other albums in Type-O Negative’s library, this one is really more of a sleeper hit when compared to the rest. If you haven’t read the review, essentially the second album is nothing more than a modified/revised version of their first album, with revised song names, and the whole of the album was made to sound like it was done at a live concert. Now, making a album sound like it was at a concert when it actually wasn’t is kinda clever, and they manage to pull it off. The remixes of Hey Joe & Paranoid were good as well, and were some of my favorite tracks. The big problem was that it’s basically the first album all over again, minus a song or two from Slow, Deep and Hard. Again, I’m surprised that it got as many views as it did, but at the same time I’m happy.
See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
My Top 10 Singers & Bands
We’re nearing the end friends. Today, here are my top 10 favorite singers & bands to listen to. I think you’ll find this to be a.....interesting selection.
10) AC/DC (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Guys, I have a confession. For the longest time, I didn’t like this band. Both of my parents would play the hell out of their songs when they showed up on the radio, and when they would put in Back in Black, they would crank up the volume enough to the point where you’d swear to god that your ear drums would shatter. There were a couple songs that I enjoyed regardless, but it wasn’t until 2008 when my parents bought the anticipated Black Ice album back in 2008, and my attitude towards the band began to soften a bit.
I’m still not a big fan of AC/DC, but I can say that when they show up on the radio, I’m less likely to pitch a fit. As for their newest album, I can safely say that I like a good chunk of the songs in questions. There’s an energy within them that I can’t describe, and it sounds like they have lots of fun when they play. It also doesn’t help the fact that there’s a school boy in the band, and he plays the guitar quite well.
9) Faith No More (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
If I could describe Faith No More, I would describe them as a modern-day Led Zeppelin.
All throughout the band’s career (Past & present), they always experimented with various genres and instruments, and have created some memorable songs. True, many of their songs sound similar when put next to each other, but there’s enough of a difference between them for some uniqueness to appear. From the bombastic guitarwork of Epic, to the rhythmic blues-like vibes of Midlife Crisis, to the solemn, almost gothic like tone of Ashes to Ashes, Faith No More created some memorable songs that are just perfect for about any kind of situation.
8) Weird Al Yankovic (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Are you guys surprised by this choice?
I’m 26 years old, but somehow, Weird Al still makes me laugh and smile. From his antics during his live concerts, to the oddball choices for covers & music videos, or just his general mood & attitude during interviews, Weird Al is a musician that has something for just about anyone. His classic songs like Eat It & I’m Fat still have some oomph to them, while newer tunes like Perform this Way bring in new fans who might be interested in his work, and old fans who want to come back into the fold.
So, pop culture, you may want to tread lightly. Otherwise, a curly-haired man with an accordion might just take the chance, and jump on you!
7) Paradise Lost (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Gothic Metal is a genre that requires a band to walk a thin rope. If you’re too heavy, or you’re too dark, you’ll fail off the rope. It’s because of this of these tight restrictions that make the genre a unique, yet difficult one to use when making music. Most bands who claim to do Gothic Metal are either unpopular, or don’t get the credit they deserve. Paradise Lost somehow manages to be neither, despite a short period in the mid/late 90s.
If you remember my review of Draconian Times (Click “***” to read), I said that Paradise Lost deserve the title of Gothic Metal Master. Their music has always been on the dark side, yet their music is never too dark (With some exceptions). They’re heavy, but they don’t get too heavy so you don’t feel the emotions that the song provides. Despite not being as popular in the United States when compared to the band below, Paradise Lost still has an army of fans in the country, who prefer the band’s more serious take on Gothic Metal. Creating a legacy since the late 80s, Paradise Lost is a band that should be at least observed by metal fans in the U.S., simply due to the band’s history.
6) Type-O Negative (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
If Paradise Lost takes on the more serious side of Gothic Metal, then our number 6 spot takes on the serious side mixed with occasional humor form of Gothic Metal.
Due to the tragic death of lead singer Pete Steele in April of 2010, Type-O Negative is no longer together, but the music they left behind have formed a powerful legacy. Despite their legacy, Type-O Negative was a band that didn’t quite get the credit they deserved, except from fans and media outlets that were willing to give them a chance. It’s tragic in all honesty, because the music the band created is very well done. From Pete Steele’s booming & somewhat erotic voice, to Kenny Hickey’s work on the guitar, Type-O Negative is a band that has more that earned the respect it deserves.
5) Ozzy Osbourne (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Like AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne was someone that I didn’t like for a long time, but ironically enough, I grew to like Ozzy sooner than AC/DC. It was my 15th birthday, and I had gotten the Ozzman Cometh compilation from my parents. I did have access to a song or two prior to this CD, but it wasn’t until I got the CD that I opened myself to, and I quote, “Rock and Roll’s bigger brother.”
What made the CD so great was that it contained a wide range of his carrer. From his earliest days in Black Sabbath, to his solo career in the 80s, and his time up to the mid 90s, I got an interesting range of songs. Slow, fast, light, and dark: there wasn’t anything on the CD that I didn’t like. Since then, I’ve bought his Black Rain album in 2007, and got his Scream album in 2010 as a Christmas gift. It will be a tragic day when the Prince of Darkness dies, and I’ll probably be weeping the entire time.
4) Devin Townsend (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
It’s really hard to classify what style of music Devin Townsend does, since he bounces all over the spectrum. Thrash metal, grindcore, progressive rock, and ambient are just a couple of the styles he’s done since the 90s. After becoming sober in 2009, his mental state has become far more clear than it’s ever been, yet he still manages to tap into that bipolar mind of his when he needs some warped inspiration.
I guess that’s why I like him. My mind is a lot like his: it bounces all over the place, is very hyperactive & imaginative, and is possibly a little deranged. There’s times where his songs are wacky, like Lucky Animals, but there are times where his music is highly serene, as in Watch You. In this circumstance, the rainbows of music in Devin Townsend’s mind is the reason why I’m attracted to his work in the first place.
3) Rammstein (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Funny story about the number 3 spot. I didn’t even know about these guys, until I accidentally came across their song Ich Will over my walkman radio. After my dad downloaded the song, I tracked down a copy of Mutter. I was immediately hooked, and I haven’t looked back since.
Interestingly enough, I preferred the instrumentation when I first listened to Rammstein. As time went by, I became more interested in the German language, and as of now, I have a healthy interest in both. If I had one complaint about the band, it’s that all of the albums (With perhaps the exception Herzelied. Yet again, I’ll review this when the time is right) have a sameness to them. Many of the individual songs do sound different, but when an albumful of them are compared to one another, they just feel too similar. A good band regardless.
2) Eisbrecher (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”) **
Now, on a instrumental level, Eisbrecher & Rammstein are equal (They perform the same genre, after all). On a vocal level, Eisbrecher & Rammstein are equal (Although the lead singer of Eisbrecher seems to have a slightly expanded vocal range, but that’s just me). With that being said, you’re probably wondering why Eisbrecher has taken the number 2 spot on this list? Well, it's because of a couple of reasons actually!
For starters, Eisbrecher has been around nowhere near as long as Rammstein (Eisbrecher first formed in 2003, while Rammstein first appeared in 1993 or 1994), and they feel newer because of being a more recent band. Secondly, Eisbrecher has been putting out music more consistently than Rammstein (They've put out an Album on 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012, while Rammstein's releases have been all over the 90s & last decade), thus making them predictable in terms of releases. Third, Eisbrecher isn't quite as popular in the states as Rammstein (Eisbrecher on numerous occasions has states they would like to come to the United States, and host some concerts to get some American fans). Finally, the reasons that Eisbrecher is number 2 on this list and Rammstein isn't is because of their attitude towards the industry, and perhaps their attitude towards the world. Eisbrecher shows no signs of slowing down, and they look at things with a more youthful vigor. Rammstein also doesn't necessarily show signs of slowing down, but they have a more bitter/cynical view on the music industry, and they don't necessarily have nice views towards the United States.
1) Ministry (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Although their latest album has left fans divided, Ministry has managed to stand the test of time. Starting in the early 80s as a pop band, they quickly moved over to metal, and from the rest of the 80s to now, they’ve become icons in the Industrial Metal scene. Although the singing and instrumentation are good (I especially like Al Jorgenson’s voice, which has a surprising range to it), they aren’t the reason why they are my number one band.
Let’s take a personal trip through time. It’s August 27th, 2006, a day before my Fall 2006 semester at college. I wake up and come down stairs as usual, and I see my day hastily putting some clothes in a travel bag. When I ask why, I was told that my uncle (Which I saw a week prior at a family reunion) had died in a plane crash. I was in a state of shock. I couldn’t even cry because I was so shocked by what I was told. I didn’t even go through the day normal, but sometimes fate moves you in the weirdest of directions.
I think a couple weeks prior to his death, I was surfing through the TV, when I came across MTV (When they still kinda sorta played videos). On the screen was Ministry’s latest music video, Lies Lies Lies. I liked it, but I didn’t think much of it. About a week or two after, I was with my girlfriend at the time, and I managed to find a copy of the album the song came from. When my uncle died, I listened to the whole album, and somehow I was healed.....for the most part. Due to that act, Ministry will be my number 1 band for all time.
See you all later this week. Until then, stay Otaku!
**
(Update on 6/13/2013 at 11:57 A.M. Eastern Standard Time)
10) AC/DC (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Guys, I have a confession. For the longest time, I didn’t like this band. Both of my parents would play the hell out of their songs when they showed up on the radio, and when they would put in Back in Black, they would crank up the volume enough to the point where you’d swear to god that your ear drums would shatter. There were a couple songs that I enjoyed regardless, but it wasn’t until 2008 when my parents bought the anticipated Black Ice album back in 2008, and my attitude towards the band began to soften a bit.
I’m still not a big fan of AC/DC, but I can say that when they show up on the radio, I’m less likely to pitch a fit. As for their newest album, I can safely say that I like a good chunk of the songs in questions. There’s an energy within them that I can’t describe, and it sounds like they have lots of fun when they play. It also doesn’t help the fact that there’s a school boy in the band, and he plays the guitar quite well.
9) Faith No More (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
If I could describe Faith No More, I would describe them as a modern-day Led Zeppelin.
All throughout the band’s career (Past & present), they always experimented with various genres and instruments, and have created some memorable songs. True, many of their songs sound similar when put next to each other, but there’s enough of a difference between them for some uniqueness to appear. From the bombastic guitarwork of Epic, to the rhythmic blues-like vibes of Midlife Crisis, to the solemn, almost gothic like tone of Ashes to Ashes, Faith No More created some memorable songs that are just perfect for about any kind of situation.
8) Weird Al Yankovic (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Are you guys surprised by this choice?
I’m 26 years old, but somehow, Weird Al still makes me laugh and smile. From his antics during his live concerts, to the oddball choices for covers & music videos, or just his general mood & attitude during interviews, Weird Al is a musician that has something for just about anyone. His classic songs like Eat It & I’m Fat still have some oomph to them, while newer tunes like Perform this Way bring in new fans who might be interested in his work, and old fans who want to come back into the fold.
So, pop culture, you may want to tread lightly. Otherwise, a curly-haired man with an accordion might just take the chance, and jump on you!
7) Paradise Lost (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Gothic Metal is a genre that requires a band to walk a thin rope. If you’re too heavy, or you’re too dark, you’ll fail off the rope. It’s because of this of these tight restrictions that make the genre a unique, yet difficult one to use when making music. Most bands who claim to do Gothic Metal are either unpopular, or don’t get the credit they deserve. Paradise Lost somehow manages to be neither, despite a short period in the mid/late 90s.
If you remember my review of Draconian Times (Click “***” to read), I said that Paradise Lost deserve the title of Gothic Metal Master. Their music has always been on the dark side, yet their music is never too dark (With some exceptions). They’re heavy, but they don’t get too heavy so you don’t feel the emotions that the song provides. Despite not being as popular in the United States when compared to the band below, Paradise Lost still has an army of fans in the country, who prefer the band’s more serious take on Gothic Metal. Creating a legacy since the late 80s, Paradise Lost is a band that should be at least observed by metal fans in the U.S., simply due to the band’s history.
6) Type-O Negative (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
If Paradise Lost takes on the more serious side of Gothic Metal, then our number 6 spot takes on the serious side mixed with occasional humor form of Gothic Metal.
Due to the tragic death of lead singer Pete Steele in April of 2010, Type-O Negative is no longer together, but the music they left behind have formed a powerful legacy. Despite their legacy, Type-O Negative was a band that didn’t quite get the credit they deserved, except from fans and media outlets that were willing to give them a chance. It’s tragic in all honesty, because the music the band created is very well done. From Pete Steele’s booming & somewhat erotic voice, to Kenny Hickey’s work on the guitar, Type-O Negative is a band that has more that earned the respect it deserves.
5) Ozzy Osbourne (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Like AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne was someone that I didn’t like for a long time, but ironically enough, I grew to like Ozzy sooner than AC/DC. It was my 15th birthday, and I had gotten the Ozzman Cometh compilation from my parents. I did have access to a song or two prior to this CD, but it wasn’t until I got the CD that I opened myself to, and I quote, “Rock and Roll’s bigger brother.”
What made the CD so great was that it contained a wide range of his carrer. From his earliest days in Black Sabbath, to his solo career in the 80s, and his time up to the mid 90s, I got an interesting range of songs. Slow, fast, light, and dark: there wasn’t anything on the CD that I didn’t like. Since then, I’ve bought his Black Rain album in 2007, and got his Scream album in 2010 as a Christmas gift. It will be a tragic day when the Prince of Darkness dies, and I’ll probably be weeping the entire time.
4) Devin Townsend (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
It’s really hard to classify what style of music Devin Townsend does, since he bounces all over the spectrum. Thrash metal, grindcore, progressive rock, and ambient are just a couple of the styles he’s done since the 90s. After becoming sober in 2009, his mental state has become far more clear than it’s ever been, yet he still manages to tap into that bipolar mind of his when he needs some warped inspiration.
I guess that’s why I like him. My mind is a lot like his: it bounces all over the place, is very hyperactive & imaginative, and is possibly a little deranged. There’s times where his songs are wacky, like Lucky Animals, but there are times where his music is highly serene, as in Watch You. In this circumstance, the rainbows of music in Devin Townsend’s mind is the reason why I’m attracted to his work in the first place.
3) Rammstein (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Funny story about the number 3 spot. I didn’t even know about these guys, until I accidentally came across their song Ich Will over my walkman radio. After my dad downloaded the song, I tracked down a copy of Mutter. I was immediately hooked, and I haven’t looked back since.
Interestingly enough, I preferred the instrumentation when I first listened to Rammstein. As time went by, I became more interested in the German language, and as of now, I have a healthy interest in both. If I had one complaint about the band, it’s that all of the albums (With perhaps the exception Herzelied. Yet again, I’ll review this when the time is right) have a sameness to them. Many of the individual songs do sound different, but when an albumful of them are compared to one another, they just feel too similar. A good band regardless.
2) Eisbrecher (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”) **
Now, on a instrumental level, Eisbrecher & Rammstein are equal (They perform the same genre, after all). On a vocal level, Eisbrecher & Rammstein are equal (Although the lead singer of Eisbrecher seems to have a slightly expanded vocal range, but that’s just me). With that being said, you’re probably wondering why Eisbrecher has taken the number 2 spot on this list? Well, it's because of a couple of reasons actually!
For starters, Eisbrecher has been around nowhere near as long as Rammstein (Eisbrecher first formed in 2003, while Rammstein first appeared in 1993 or 1994), and they feel newer because of being a more recent band. Secondly, Eisbrecher has been putting out music more consistently than Rammstein (They've put out an Album on 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012, while Rammstein's releases have been all over the 90s & last decade), thus making them predictable in terms of releases. Third, Eisbrecher isn't quite as popular in the states as Rammstein (Eisbrecher on numerous occasions has states they would like to come to the United States, and host some concerts to get some American fans). Finally, the reasons that Eisbrecher is number 2 on this list and Rammstein isn't is because of their attitude towards the industry, and perhaps their attitude towards the world. Eisbrecher shows no signs of slowing down, and they look at things with a more youthful vigor. Rammstein also doesn't necessarily show signs of slowing down, but they have a more bitter/cynical view on the music industry, and they don't necessarily have nice views towards the United States.
1) Ministry (Sample Tracks: “***” & “***”)
Although their latest album has left fans divided, Ministry has managed to stand the test of time. Starting in the early 80s as a pop band, they quickly moved over to metal, and from the rest of the 80s to now, they’ve become icons in the Industrial Metal scene. Although the singing and instrumentation are good (I especially like Al Jorgenson’s voice, which has a surprising range to it), they aren’t the reason why they are my number one band.
Let’s take a personal trip through time. It’s August 27th, 2006, a day before my Fall 2006 semester at college. I wake up and come down stairs as usual, and I see my day hastily putting some clothes in a travel bag. When I ask why, I was told that my uncle (Which I saw a week prior at a family reunion) had died in a plane crash. I was in a state of shock. I couldn’t even cry because I was so shocked by what I was told. I didn’t even go through the day normal, but sometimes fate moves you in the weirdest of directions.
I think a couple weeks prior to his death, I was surfing through the TV, when I came across MTV (When they still kinda sorta played videos). On the screen was Ministry’s latest music video, Lies Lies Lies. I liked it, but I didn’t think much of it. About a week or two after, I was with my girlfriend at the time, and I managed to find a copy of the album the song came from. When my uncle died, I listened to the whole album, and somehow I was healed.....for the most part. Due to that act, Ministry will be my number 1 band for all time.
See you all later this week. Until then, stay Otaku!
**
(Update on 6/13/2013 at 11:57 A.M. Eastern Standard Time)
2-Year Anniversary
Can’t believe it’s been two years since I started this blog! Truth be told, I didn’t think that I would make it to this point, but I’m glad that I’ve been proved wrong. I’m still glad that you guys come and explore my little corner of the internet, and even though you don’t leave comments, just having you look at my posts means the world to me.
To celebrate my 2-year anniversary, I’ll release two or three posts a week (This will be dependent on how I’m feeling on that particular week). They’ll be a mix of things: reviews, insights into my geeky life, and other things I’ll surprise you with. I’ll also bring my “Seeds of Geekdom” mini-series that I put out last year, and tell more stories about how my Mother & Father helped me become a geek, along with some more of my personal stories in the realms of geekdom.
In addition to these posts, I’ll be going though my entire collection of posts and clearing out anything that’s needlessly taking up space. On top of that, I will be going through each and every single one of my posts, checking & correcting any spelling errors, posting up pictures in any review that doesn’t have any, and fixing any broken/missing links. Perhaps the biggest thing I”ll be doing this month is posting up a special anime review towards the end of the month. I won’t tell you why it’s going to be special, but I will say that if you’ve looked at any of my video game/album review, you might get a clue or two. What I will reveal is that if that later post is successful, then I will be using that format for future anime reviews.
Well, that pretty much sums up how I’m feeling about this 2nd-year anniversary. See you all later today, when I'll show you my top 10 bands. Until then, stay Otaku!
To celebrate my 2-year anniversary, I’ll release two or three posts a week (This will be dependent on how I’m feeling on that particular week). They’ll be a mix of things: reviews, insights into my geeky life, and other things I’ll surprise you with. I’ll also bring my “Seeds of Geekdom” mini-series that I put out last year, and tell more stories about how my Mother & Father helped me become a geek, along with some more of my personal stories in the realms of geekdom.
In addition to these posts, I’ll be going though my entire collection of posts and clearing out anything that’s needlessly taking up space. On top of that, I will be going through each and every single one of my posts, checking & correcting any spelling errors, posting up pictures in any review that doesn’t have any, and fixing any broken/missing links. Perhaps the biggest thing I”ll be doing this month is posting up a special anime review towards the end of the month. I won’t tell you why it’s going to be special, but I will say that if you’ve looked at any of my video game/album review, you might get a clue or two. What I will reveal is that if that later post is successful, then I will be using that format for future anime reviews.
Well, that pretty much sums up how I’m feeling about this 2nd-year anniversary. See you all later today, when I'll show you my top 10 bands. Until then, stay Otaku!
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