Girls Bravo Review

I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I enjoy jumping off the deep end. The spiraling descent into madness began with SiN the Movie (Click “***” to read), then journeyed to the unholy dimension of Mad Bull 34 (Click “***” to read), and recently I discovered the wonder/horror that was Arcade Gamer Fubuki (Click “***” to read). Today’s jump off the deep end is far more popular, and has a bit of a reputation. A show’s that overloaded with cuteness, fanservice, humor.....did I mention fanservice? Let’s not waste any more time, and let’s look a Girls Bravo.

The story of Girls Bravo begins with one Yukinari Sasaki. You see, Yukinari is a rather wussy fellow, but is kind and has a big heart (Sound familiar?). When he was young, he was picked on rather frequently by girls, enough to the point that he develops an actual allergy to girls later in life (Basically, when a girl touches him, he breaks out in a rash). After coming home and seeing the only girl that talks to him, Kirie Kojima, in a towel, about to take a dip in the tub. Kirie gives Yukinari a roundhouse kick to the face, and sends him flying into the tub. Somehow, this transports him to the world of Seiren, where most of the population is women. The first girl he meets is Miharu, and to his surprise finds that she’s the only girl that doesn’t cause his allergy. After getting back to Earth with Miharu in tow, Yukinari attempts to return to his normal life. This fails, as more girls arrive at his doorstep, and his life goes down the booby-covered tanker.

The story is Girls Bravo’s first positive. It’s not a very deep premise (More on this later), but it’s very easy to understand & comprehend. You meet the main male and one of the main females immediately, and shortly afterwards over the course of a couple episodes, you meet the other girls that show up at Yukinari’s house, as well as another male, Kazuharu Fukuyama. The story never tries to delve into deep philosophical areas: the show is just a lighthearted comedic romp, filled to the brim with fanservice. Speaking with fanservice......

That’s the next positive of the show. I can say that this is perhaps one of the dirtiest anime I’ve ever seen. There’s been a bunch of fanservice that I’ve watched over the years (Kekko Kamen, Rosario + Vampire: Seasons 1 & 2, and the Burn Up franchise are just a couple of the fanservice-oriented shows I’ve seen), but Girls Bravo just goes overboard. You have it all: panty shots & butt shots, exposed breasts (Big & small), yuri moments, and a massive host of other situations to see nude and semi-nude girls in. At the same time, however, the fanservice is something of a negative aspect as well, but that for later.

The third positive of Girls Bravo is the cast. This is a really likable group of characters, almost on par with the cast from Tenchi. Yukinari is an absolute wuss, but he’s quite kind, and if the situation demands it, can actually form a spine and buckle down. Kirie is strong & stoic, prone to violence towards Yukinari when he peeps in on her, but can be quite emotional & kind at certain times. Miharu is the essential magical girlfriend: cute, bubbly, innocent, very voluptuous, and takes up a fair amount of the screen time. These three characters have the most screen time in the show, but there are other main characters as well.

There’s Kazuharu Fukuyama, a very wealthy & very perverted male who follows Yukinari and the girls around, and has a similar allergy to Yukinari (Fukuyama is allergic to girls). Lisa is Kazuharu’s younger sister, a master of black magic, and has the serious hots for Yukinari. Koyomi was the second girl to come from Seiren, originally looking to bring Miharu back, but later staying on Earth to look for a husband for Miharu’s older sister, Maharu. Tomoka is a little girl that comes along with Koyomi when looking for Maharu’s future husband. She bratty, whiney, and a master of (flawed) magic. Finally, there’s Ebi, who like the pet/mascot/weapon (Don’t ask) of the show. There’s plenty of secondary characters as well, including Miharu’s sister, but I’ve dealt with the characters enough.

The animation is the show’s fourth positive. Everything has a nice, crisp, and clean look. A lot of bright colors are used all over the place, and the various characters look great (Not to mention cute & sexy......the ladies, that is). If I had only one complaint about the animation, it’s that the faces in the show look a little strange. The various males all have different faces, but girls in this show seem to have somewhat similar faces, with only slight touches to separate them. Even Tomoka, the youngest of the main characters, looks remarkably similar to most of the girls in the show. It’s just weird.

Girls Bravo also has some good voice acting. The voice actors really seem to put in an effort into their roles, and because of that, their voices fit the characters. Kazaharu sounds very snide, arrogant, and perverted, a big difference from Yukinari, who’s speaks with a kind, sensitive, yet slightly cowardly tone. Miharu sounds sweet, innocent, and incredibly naive. Kirie is a mix between aggressive, thoughtful, and a surprising amount of kindness. These are just a pinch of the voices with the show, and the rest of them sound equally well done.

The sixth positive of Girls Bravo is it’s length. Measuring in at 24 episodes, split among two seasons, the show lasts for a fair amount of time. With each episodes running at 22 to 24 minutes, it can take a little bit of time to watch the whole series, but I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing.

The last positives of Girls Bravo is it’s availability & pricing. Although finding the original Geneon release is somewhat hard to find, Funimation re-released the series in 2010, along with a S.A.V.E. edition (Super Amazing Value Edition) in 2012. Both are readily available on Amazon, but it’s going to come down to price. There aren’t enough used copies for sale, but new copies of the 2010 start at 25 to 30 dollars, but the 2012 S.A.V.E. edition starts at 16 to 24 dollars. I will say that if you’re looking to save some change, go for the 2012 edition, but if you have some extra money to spare, then go for the 2010 edition. Either way, it’s not a big punch to the wallet.

Despite being a fun series, Girls Bravo has two big chips on it’s shoulders, and the first is the fan service. It’s in your face all the time (No pun intended), or at the least in your face half the time. If you’re not a fan of fanservice, then you’re not going to like this show. Second, if you don’t like fanservice.....why are you watching the show!?

The next chip on Girls Bravo’s shoulder is how it tries to be serious at times. Although this happens throughout the series, it’s much more apparent towards the end of the second season (Quick note: both seasons of the show are on this collection). At various points throughout the series, the shows throws off it’s comedic aspects, and attempts to be more dramatic/serious. It’s not that the dramatic/serious moments don’t work, because they surprisingly do. It’s that they don’t quite belong in this show, mostly due to the comedic/fanservice content that composes most of the show. On top of that, despite the story of the show sounding epic & serious, it’s really used as a vehicle for the comedy & fanservice.

Girls Bravo gets a 7.5 to 8 out of 10. It’s an easy story, it’s filled to the brim with fanservice, the characters are fun, there’s some nice animation, the voice acting is great, it lasts for a while, and it’s readily available & not too expensive, but the fanservice is a detriment to anyone who doesn’t like the subject, and the seriousness of some moments doesn’t seem to fit properly.

See you all next week, when we’ll reunite with the 501th Fighter Wing. Until then, stay Otaku!

Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: Biomech Review

Hello everyone! I think it’s a safe bet to say that Canada is awesome!

Yeah, there’s a lot of jokes made about the country (The nice & goofy jokes are awesome, while the mean jokes), but a lot of cool stuff has come out of the Great White North. Poutine, maple syrup, and Colin Mocherie are just a pinchful of the things that Canada has given to the rest of the world. Canada has also given us a wide variety of musicians, ranging from good, to okay, to ungodly awful. Today’s review profiles one of Canada’s most popular musicians. One who has gained considerable worldwide fame, and has created some impressive & recognizable music. So, without further delay, here’s a review for Devin Townsend’s incredible 90s masterpiece, Ocean Machine: Biomech.

Background

While he’s highly popular now, back in the 90s, Devin Townsend was something of an unknown player in the world of progressive metal, which was also in and of itself a rather new genre. The world wasn’t very observant of him and his work, but sometimes it takes just one album to get attention. Ocean Machine: Biomech was that attention getter.

The story behind Ocean Machine is an interesting one. Material from this album has been around ever since Townsend was with Steve Vai during his Sex & Religion tour, and songs like Funeral, Regulator, and The Death of Music have been around since his days with Noisescapes. Devin recorded the songs for the album in December 1995, but it’s release was delayed until sometime in late 1996. However Devin decided to re-record the entire album before it was released, with the cited reason being that he didn’t like the recordings. Getting help from Marty Chapman and other musicians Townsend knew, the music was re-recorded at his home studio, and on July 21, 1997, the album was released.

Largely dismissed when it first came out, Devin wasn’t able to get a record label to pick it up, causing him to form his own independent label (HevyDevy Records), giving him an outlet for his solo material. In perhaps a more humorous twist, the original Japanese release was named Biomech, and the artist name was Ocean Machine. A later worldwide release would have a compound title under Devin’s name, and was distributed in Canada by HevyDevy, Europe & America by InsideOut, and by Sony in Japan.

Although it strayed far from his work in Strapping Young Lad, Ocean Machine: Biomech was given favorable reviews. British heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer said this about the album:

“A concept album akin to the sensuality and escapism of Pink Floyd, as Devin lyrically and musically explores real and not particularly uplifting topics such as death, isolation, and depression."

Noise Level Critical said:

“Anyone who heard the Steve Vai album Sex & Religion will know that Townsend's voice is top-notch, with the ability to go from aggressive bark, to high-pitched wail, to soft emotional whisper in the space of one song.”

Songs
Seventh Wave: We begin journeying through Ocean Machine with this song, and it starts with an appropriate poem from the classic poet Lord Alfred Tennyson. It goes something like this:

“O earth, what changes hast thou seen...there where the long street roars, hath been the stillness of the central sea. The hills are shadows, and they flow from form to form, and nothing stands; Like clouds they shape themselves and go.”

After the poem, the song beings. Right away, you’re greeted with guitar work that sounds like thunder, then drums come in like a volley of cannonballs. To top it off, Devin Townsend’s vocals sound like a furious siren, beckoning the listener to jump deeper into the song than they already are in. Seventh Wave is just one of those kind of songs that really has a lot of power behind it, and you can actually believe that you’d hear something like this when you’re out in the open ocean, and a destructive storm is just blasting around. Way to start an album!

Life: Encompassing both the good & bad things that makes our existence grand, Life is at once beautiful, yet somehow painful at the same time. Mixing elements of Ambient-stylings and Progressive Metal, Life feels like a song that’ll just pop into your head at crucial moments in your...life. The drum beats & guitar come down in a steady and fast stream, but it all sounds very organized, yet there’s some sort of ethereal quality to it that I can’t put my finger on.

Night: For a song named Night, you’d expect slow, almost sinister sounding music. To an extent, you’d be right, but for the most part you’re wrong. Night is a very fast-paced song (The drums & guitar come down as swiftly as a rainstorm, and Devin’s voice flies around like lightning), and one that fits very well in a soundtrack for car racing, or just driving during the evening, with the windows down and the cool breeze caressing you. The lyrics are also appropriate, and they deal with love, hate, the rain, and oddly enough, Japan & comic books (The last two are only briefly mentioned). It’s a strange combination, but it works.

Hide Nowhere: We return to the ocean with Hide Nowhere. Much like the first song, this one comes at you loud and fast and furious, yet it doesn’t feel destructive. This time, Hide Nowhere goes for the ethereal/mystical route, with sweeping guitars, powerful & gentle drumming, and Devin Townsend goes between soft vocals, loud (Not necessarily volume, mind you) emotional wavelengths, and what sounds like goofy rambling towards the middle and end. It’s a unique combination of elements that form a rather solid whole, and it just stays in your ears for quite a while.

Sister: Perhaps taking a page out of Type-O Negative’s World Coming Down (Ironic, give that World Coming Down came out in 1999, and Ocean Machine was released in 1997), Ocean Machine comes with 2 soundscape tracks, starting off with this one. Unlike the soundscapes off of World Coming Down, it’s actually hard to pin down how many noises were used in this song. What I can tell you is that I heard seagulls, radio static, thunder, and a host of other things I can’t pick out. Devin sings in this song, but all he says is “Sister”, and something else I can’t fully hear. A rather strange song if you ask me.

3 A.M.: Right after Sister, we get the second of the soundscape tracks. 3 A.M. feels very transcendental, as the instrumentation isn’t very loud, and feels quite mystical. Devin’s vocals are loud either, as he’s singing very softly, almost like he’s trying to be comforting to the listener. This time around, we’re given more consistent vocals. Like so:

“Time will be on my side
No looking back this time
All that I've known is gone
Time to be moving on...”

Just about as many noises are used in this as was used in Sister. But where I could pick out at least a pinch of those noises, I was able to get just about nothing, save for what sounded like people talking from a TV or radio. Again, a rather strange song.

Voices In The Fan: This is such a confusing song. It’s not because of the instrumentation, cause it’s great. It’s not because of Devin’s vocals, as he does a great job of going between what sounds like ranting, to more softer tones. No, it’s the lyrics that make Voices In The Fan sound confusing. The choices made for the lyrics seem to bounce between love & hate, as well as aggressive & mournful. While the lyrics are placed in a proper order, it’s when Devin is singing that for some reason it gets confusing.

Greetings: This is a song where the guitar takes center stage. There’s drums in the song, but they’re meant to support the guitar work, which is loud, fast, and furious. Despite coming in at almost 3 minutes, there’s not much in the way of lyrics (Almost like 3 A.M.). The lyrics are:

“From my world, I bring you greetings
From our world, I bring you greetings
It's so hard to tame them
...it will be so hard to prove them wrong
I believe, we'll lose our world for them...
I believe, we'd throw up arms before
Them...
...And bore them
So call it home”

Again, there’s not much in the way of lyrics as far as amount is concerned, but what the song loses in amount, it gains in lyrical power. Devin almost makes it look like the “greetings” are alive somehow, and that they mean a lot for some reason. Yet again, it’s a strange path to take.

Regulator: If Voices In The Fan was a confusing song, then Regulator is a strange song. For starters, the instrumentation (Thematically, at least) sounds like something robotic or mechanical. The guitar & drums are played at a steady pace, and electronic noises pop in from time to time. Devin shows off an impressive vocal range in this song, going from soft to loud at a moment’s notice. Sadly, this is another song that doesn’t have much in the way of lyrics, like so:

“I'm regulated
I'm regulated
...Odd times and all
Odd times and all

Regulator, no meantime at all

Time won't wait for me”

Ironically, while you can kinda sorta understand the lyrics within Greetings, I’m still scratching my head as to what the lyrics in this song mean.

Funeral: Perhaps out of all the sad songs on Ocean Machine, this one is perhaps the most mournful. Which is ironic, because the instrumentation doesn’t seem to match the general vibe. The guitars & drums seem to give more melancholic feelings than anything mournful, but the quality of the instruments is still top notch. The mournful tones from Devin’s singing is where the power from this song comes from, as the emotions you feel seem quite genuine, and the lyrical choices are appropriate as well.

Bastard: Long. That’s the best way to describe this song. In fact, Bastard is essentially two songs squished together to make one large song. The first part is called Not One of My Better Days, while the other part is called The Girl from Blue City. I should say that it’s actually quite hard to tell when one part ends, and the other begins. The instrumentation pretty much stays the same, adding more to the confusion. There’s a lot of sweeping guitar work, the drums go between loud & thunderous to a more mild but still heavy beat, and Devin’s singing seems to go the same way. Did I mention that the song was long? Yeah, it’s 10 minutes & 17 seconds long. Sadly, I don’t think it works in this case. I would have preferred that the two halves rather be their own songs instead of one large mass, but that’s not my call. Regardless, Bastard sounds good, and actually isn’t that bad of a song.  

The Death Of Music: If Bastard was long, then The Death Of Music is longer. 12 minutes & 15 second long, to be exact. Whereas the length for Bastard didn’t seem appropriate to me, in this song I think it’s quite alright. This song is a real test of Devin’s vocal range, as he starts the song in almost a whisper, and over the course of time, he slowly raises his voice until it reaches what almost sounds like hopeful yelling. The range of instrumentation is all over the place. You have guitars, drums, keyboard/electronics, and I think maracas are in there as well. The one thing that the instruments do is proceed along at a fast pace: everything is slow and sinister, almost as if death was stalking you.  

Thing Beyond Things: We conclude Ocean Machine with Thing Beyond Things, which is a very haunting song. There’s a lot in this song that deals with dreams, lost memories, and love. The instrumentation is never over the top or bombastic: the guitars tend to be played softly & slowly, and the drums are much the same. Devin’s vocals never stretch into the realm of wailing, but he does get loud when he needs to. The only time the instrumentation & vocals ever get loud is during the two chorus portions of the song, but even then it’s not overpoweringly so. All in all, Thing Beyond Things is a beautiful song to end a beautiful album.....I just wished there wasn’t that surprise scream at the end.

Overall Impression & Rating
Ocean Machine: Biomech is a truly remarkable album. Distancing itself from Strapping Young Lad’s style, Ocean Machine has a beauty, vision, and depth to it that most modern Progressive Metal bands can’t seem to get. It does take some extreme elements from SYL, but Ocean Machine just has more emotion, more range, and just...more. At times some of the shorter songs might be a little weak, but as a whole, this album is one for the ages!

Ocean Machine: Biomech gets a 8 to 9.5 out of 10.

See you all next week, when we’ll be giving some girls a hardy “Bravo!”. Until then, stay Otaku!




* Sorry for posting this one up a bit later than usual. Also, my apologies for not putting up a link for 3AM. I simply couldn't find one!

Demon Fighter Kocho

Hey everyone! Genericon 2013 was an absolute blast! I met a lot of great people, went to a lot of great panels, and I picked up a good amount of swag. I grabbed some free manga (And 1 purchased omnibus), Magic the Gathering cards, and some decent anime series....well, most of them anyway. The show in question for today’s review has to be one of the most blatant ripoffs I’ve ever seen, but does that make it bad? Well, let’s not delay it further, and look at a Demon Fighter Kocho.

Let’s start off with the story, taken straight off the back of the DVD cover:

“Heian University may not have much class work, but it does have the only Astrology program which offers hands-on experience! When a horde of angry spirits terrorize the school, a nubile young astrology student, Kocho Enoki, must use both her magical powers and her sexy curves to subdue the invaders. Along with her beautiful sister Koran, and the human demon-bait Kosaku, she fights to protect Heian University. But what will the hapless demon hunters do when a female spirit attacks, one who is immune to Kocho's feminine charms?”

As you can tell, it’s an easy story to get adjusted to and pay attention. It’s not complex, and is actually a lot of fun. However....

The story is similar to Devil Hunter Yohko. It’s not completely similar, but there’s plenty of things that seem familiar. You have the haunted school grounds, the sexy lead female, her equally sexy sister/partner, the dorky male friend that tags along for the ride, the insane teacher/sensei that’s not always useful, etc. Hell, even the lead character’s last names sound similar (Yohko/Kocho), and the titles of both shows are similar as well (Devil Hunter Yohko/Demon Fighter Kocho)! If you couldn’t tell, I’m doing the negatives first.

The next negative is the show’s length. Sadly, there’s only one episode of Demon Fighter Kocho. It’s a massive shame actually, cause I think that the universe Demon Fighter Kocho creates is kinda fun. Now while it has the standard running time of 30 minutes, for some reason I felt that the OVA went by rather quickly, thus ruining any staying chance it may have. Related to the short length, you really don’t know much about the world. You know next to nothing about the school the characters go to, and you know almost nothing about the characters. Again, this ruins any staying power the OVA has.

Negative number 3 is the DVD cover. The back of it shows off some scenes from the OVA, and displays the story I showed above, along with a couple other things. It’s organized nicely, but the front is another story. On the front, you have the name of the OVA, along with what looks like a wheel with Chinese lettering. If those two thing alone were on the front, it would look okay (Not the greatest thing on the planet, but alright). However, they placed Kocho and her sister on the front, and they don’t look the greatest. Her sister especially look horrid, almost to the point of looking like a older drawing of the character.

Lastly, Demon Fighter Kocho can be a bit tricky to find, given that it was released way back in 2000. As I said above, I bought the show (New) at Genericon 2013, where it costed me a simple 10 dollars. There’s a handful of DVDs over on Amazon, with used copies having a slight advantage over new copies. The pricing on the new copies isn’t terrible, as they range from 8 dollars to 25 dollars. Prices for the used copies are far less of a burden on the wallet, with prices ranging from about 3 dollars to about 5 dollars. My suggestion would be to go for one of the used copies, as the new copies aren’t as numerous, and the pricing might take a close stab at your wallet’s heart.

Now, with all that I mentioned above, you’d think that this would be a horrible OVA. Ironically, Demon Fighter Kocho is quite enjoyable! Sure, it’s got a host of problems, but there are a couple things that do manage to bring this little film above the septic depths of darkness, but only just.

For starters, the cast is loads of fun! Keeping it at just four characters, they each have their own distinct personalities that separate them from one another. Kocho, the lead female, is sweet, bubbly, and always seems to carry a can of whoop-ass with her. Koran, her sister, has a more sly & sexy attitude, not to mention that she seems to have slightly more common sense. Kosaku is the typical anime male from the 90s: goofy, perverted, but useful when needed. The professor (Who’s name escapes me for some reason) is intelligent & wise, but capable of unleashing a wild & goofy side at the right/wrong time.

Secondly, Demon Fighter Kocho has some surprisingly decent voice acting. Much like the characters, there’s a small group of voice actors that provide most of the voices within the show. Chief among them is Jessica Calvello, as her performance stands out the most when compared to the rest of the voices provided. She provides a innocent yet tough voice performance for Kocho, and seems to have enough fun doing it in the process (This is very evident in the extras, but more on that in a moment).

The third positive is the animation quality. Despite being made in the 90s (1997, to be specific), everything looks great. The use of color is nice, and it knows how to have a consistent feel between bright & dark. This is the one thing that Demon Fighter Kocho has over Devil Hunter Yohko: it has a very consistent look and feel to it, whereas the animation quality in Devil Hunter Yohko bounced all over the place (Whether it was good or bad is all dependent on how you look at it).

Fanservice is the fourth positive of this OVA. Much like Girls Bravo, there’s some wacky situations for boob shots, panty shot, groping, and other stuff. I don’t if it’s just me, but it seems that the fanservice in Demon Fighter Kocho seems to have a purpose behind it, if you can believe that. Whereas the purpose of the fanservice was just to make the viewer go goo-goo & ga-ga, in this OVA it seems to move things along in addition to being decent eye candy.

The last positive of Demon Fighter Kocho is the extras. On the DVD is some bloopers of the cast during their recordings. Much like the performances in the OVA, Jessica Calvello really brings in a lot of fun, not to mention some burping & swearing, and just having a great time doing her job. On top of the bloopers, there’s also a video of the viewing party of Demon Fighter Kocho, with quick questions asked to the actors & audience members, not to mention the reactions within the audience. Although there’s no other extras, the bloopers & viewing party make up about an hour, and can be viewed on their own without prior knowledge of the OVA.

Demon Fighter Kocho gets a 6.5 out of 10. It’s far too similar to Devil Hunter Yohko, it goes by way to quick & you know next to nothing about the OVA’s world, the DVD cover isn’t necessarily the greatest, and it can be a little hard to find, but the story is easy to get, the cast is fun, the voice acting sounds nice, it has great animation, there’s some fun fanservice, and the extras are a hoot to watch.

See you all next week, when we’ll turn on a machine in the ocean. Until then, stay Otaku!





*
If you’re interested in watching the OVA, click on the link below to watch.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk4p71_demon-fighter-kocho-english-dubbed_shortfilms#.UURz3Fd6_RY

Paul Bearer: R.I.P. (April 10, 1954 – March 5, 2013)

Hello everyone. I haven't forgotten the normal post for Monday, but right now I'm in a solemn mood. A couple months ago, you might recall my post about the heart attack that Jerry "The King" Lawler had live during a show. After a couple weeks, he came back to the WWE, and re-assumed his duties as commentator on Monday Night Raw, and doing a damn good job might I add. While he survived his ordeal, another WWE Legend was not so fortunate. Although this news is a week old (I just learned about this a little over an hour ago), I felt that it was appropriate to let you guys know.

On March 5th, 2013, William Alvin "Bill" Moody, better known by WWE fans as the Undertaker's manager, Paul Bearer, died. For many fans growing up during the 90s to sporadic appearances last decade & the beginning of this decade, he was a personality that very, very.....very few people would forget. Dour, sinister, creepy, and prone to wearing black clothing & white makeup to appear ghostly, Paul Bearer followed the Undertaker wherever he went (With the exception of his stint as Kane's manager in the late 90s to early 2000s), always carrying the iconic Golden Urn. He was a personality in a company full of personalities, and his legacy will not be forgotten.

It really is heartbreaking to see that Paul Bearer is no longer on this earth, but we can only hope that he's still continuing to be awesome in the heavens above! For a final look at him, here's an interview Michael Hayes, a very dear friend of Paul Bearer.

http://www.wwe.com/inside/michael-hayes-reflects-on-paul-bearers-passing-26096757

Paul Bearer, you will rest.....in.....peace! Sorry, that was too easy.

See you all later this week, when I'll put up the original post for today. Until then, stay Otaku!




* For a detailed look into his life (As well as how he died), click on the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bearer

My Top 10 Anime

Well everybody, here’s my second list, and off the heels of Genericon 2013 no less. The list below is my top 10 anime of all time, and this list is/was one of the more challenging lists to form. The main reason is that I’ve seen a lot of anime over the years, some of which were not all that popular. Some of them weren’t even released in the US, and thus making them even more obscure to American audiences. I’ll get my first post Genericon review either next week or the week after, but lets not waste anymore time, and take a look at my top 10 favorite anime!

10) Mad Bull 34

If you remember my review of this show, you’ll recall that I gave this show a brutal slap to the face. I basically said that it was the ugliest, racist, most sterotypical, and most sexist anime I’ve ever seen. Here’s the thing.....I like this show!!!

To me, this show is so batshit, apeshit, friggen insane, it’s actually hard to not like. Yes, the show is sexist, yes there’s some racism & stereotypes, and yes, the show looks god-awful and has some equally god-awful voice acting. For some odd reason, it’s these exact same flaws that endear me to the show. Every negative aspect associated with cops shows can be found within Mad Bull 34, and I let out small chuckles & smirks every time I watch an episode.

9) XXXHolic

XXXHolic is one of those series that Otaku either love or hate. The people that hate the show will probably state that it’s a little too artsy, doesn’t follow the manga, and all in all is just too weird to comprehend. At the same time, it’s these qualities that make XXXHolic a good show to watch.

For starters, XXXHolic is one of the most beautiful series that the all-female group CLAMP has ever created, standing along side series such as Cardcaptor Sakura, X (Nobody talks about X), and Tsubasa. It is indeed an artsy show, mixing the mysterious & unique with an interesting usage of color, creating some very vivid imagery. As for not following the manga, I’m actually okay with that. I find that by not connecting with Tsubasa (Anybody who’s read the XXXHolic manga, you’ll know what I’m talking about) you have a stronger main story instead of a weaker one. As for the weirdness...well, I can understand why anime fans who don’t like this show because of this factor. There are plenty of moments where you’ll go “huh!?”, but there’s also moments where you’ll go “what!?”, and there’s usually something that will make you understand what happened right around the corner.

8) Chobits

The best way I can describe Chobits is through the following phrase (That I just made up): The Thinking Man’s Cute.

Make no mistake, Chobits is cute. Ungodly cute. It’s the kind of cute that will more than likely cause you to have spasms if you aren’t prepared. It’s the kind of cute that’ll cause you to bash your head against a brick wall if you don’t like cute things (In which case, why are you watching Chobits in the first place?). At the same time however, Chobits has depth to it. It explores man’s fascinations with technology, and it also questions man’s increasing obsession with machinery, as well as our desire to become closer with technology. Although the manga does this a little better than the anime, the anime still holds onto this theme enough that it’s still fascinating & entertaining.

It also doesn’t help the fact that the main character, Chi, is adorable as all hell.....CHI!!!

7) Otaku No Video

When I reviewed this back in April last year, I said that my only complaint was that it only had subs, and said subs distracted the viewer from what was happening. Having said that, Otaku No Video was one of the highest rated shows that I watched last year. Not only was it entertaining, but offered some surprising, yet heavily altered insights into the history of one of the most iconic studios in anime history, it also had interviews with former & current Otaku (At the time anyway), and it also showed off events in history that pertained to anime & the world. If you can get past the fact that there isn’t a dub, Otaku No Video is a great find.

6) Medaka Box

Tragically, this series isn’t dubbed in the states yet. Luckily, seasons 1 & 2 are over on Crunchyroll with subs, so I’m not complaining.

Medaka Box is an example of a show that pleasantly surprised. There’s some rather heavy moments of fan service (At least on two occasions, the main lead stripes down to her bra & panties), but there’s a good story, the cast is some of the most energetic I’ve ever seen, and the animation quality is top notch. These elements continue into the second season, but I will say that things get very serious at times, and the humor & fan service aren’t as much in the spotlight.

I really hope that this series gets dubbed, because I think it would sell quite well.

5) Pokemon

First off, I’m not talking about the newer seasons. I despise the newer seasons, simply because the magic that made the original seasons is almost gone. It also doesn’t help the fact that the voice acting in the newer seasons is downright awful, but I will give it credit in one regard, and that’s the animation quality. The quality in the newer seasons look & move smoother, but I digress.

When I watched Pokemon back in the day, I had never seen anything like it. It was the cooliest thing I ever saw: a kid around my age (I think I was a year or two off from Ash’s age, but I’m not sure), wandering the world with friends, capturing a menagerie of creatures to fight other people who possibly had the same creatures. This was something my young mind thought about from time to time. I loved the original series so much, I worked my ass off to earn enough money to buy a game boy color & Pokemon: Red Edition. I still have the red edition, along with the blue, yellow, gold, and silver editions, not to mention a big collection of the trading cards & plushies, and I’ll never get rid of any of them!

4) My Neighbor Totoro

Now, I’ve seen a lot of Studio Ghibli films. From Grave of the Fireflies, to Porco Rosco, I’ve seen most of what they have to offer. Then, I came across My Neighbor Totoro, and I was pleasantly surprised.

What makes me put this film on the list is that it is considerably less serious than the other films. True, most of Studio Ghibli’s films have a happy vibe & ending (With the notable exception of Grave of the Fireflies and a few others), but My Neighbor Totoro has the distinction of having little in the way of serious elements. I won’t say what they are, so just wait until the impending review. What I will say is that is that this film is a happy-go-lucky, heart warming film that’ll leave you (And your family if they’re watching) with a big smile on your face.

3) Plastic Little

Back when I reviewed this in late 2011 (December 2011, to be specific), the first good thing I said about Plastic Little was that Satoshi Urushihara was behind the animation. He sincerely knows how to draw the female figure in such a way that the word beauty cannot describe them. They are so gorgeous, it hard to believe that this film was released back in 1994. Even the men (Well, some of the men) have a unearthly look & feel to them. The world itself is also unique, as it takes place on a island floating among the clouds, with ships flying all over the place.

Even if the show didn’t look great, Plastic Little is a fun sci-fi OVA. You got sci-fi (Obviously), comedy, action, drama, and elements of fantasy. They all come together in a 50-minute package that’s well worth your time...even if you’re just borrowing it from somebody.

2) Comic Party Revolution

Long before I began assembling my collection, I discovered the joys of the ADV Films website, long before it closed. Coincidentally, this was during the first few months I was in college (I went in the fall of 2005), but that’s somewhat not the point. One of the first trailers I saw on the website was for Comic Party Revolution, and as strange as this may sound, it was something I haven’t seen before. It was bright, colorful, and had what looked liked a good cast of characters. It was also goofy, silly, funny, and it was even a little bit dirty at times. Sadly, I didn’t buy any of the DVDs until January or February of 2008, when I bought the first volume. Immediately, I was hooked to the show, and I got the complete series on Christmas of that year. If I had a time capsule, and it could only hold five Anime DVDs, then the complete series would be immediately put in.

1) Kekko Kamen

Much like the number 2 spot, I first saw the trailer for this show when the ADV Films website was still up, What puts Kekko Kamen at this spot can be explained in two reasons:

1) I saw the trailer first (Click “***” to watch it)
2) What I saw in the trailer stuck in my mind more that Comic Party Revolution’s trailer

Even if I didn’t see the trailer, the DVD cover of the show would have drawn me in immediately. Much like Mad Bull 34, Kekko Kamen is politically incorrect. What separates this show from that one is the fact that Kekko Kamen is nowhere near as dark as Mad Bull, and the main bad guys get what coming to them sooner rather than later. It also doesn’t help the fact that Kekko Kamen is all kinds of weird & goofy, and for some reason it always brings a smile to my face.

See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!

The Top 5 Songs To Kill People To (Part 2)

Ladies & gentlemen, right now.....I’m pissed. I just recently read an article over on Destructoid about Diablo 3 for the PS3 & PS4, wherein it says that they’ll be offline mode for local multiplayer........AARRGG!!!!!!

I’m.....I’m......I’m at a level of angry that I haven’t felt in a long time! Yet again, this is another example of loyal PC fans being used as nothing more than guinea pigs so that consoles can get special bonuses.........AAARRRGGG!!!!!!!!!

So, for a surprise post to relieve some stress, here’s a sequel to my original post: The Top 5 Songs To Kill People To. I must apologize if this list seem a little more rushed, but given my mental state at the moment, I don’t think you’ll mind. I was originally gonna post this a month or two from now, but again....circumstances!

(Note: Nowhere at any time during this post do I actively encourage violence towards people. This post is just a dark joke, and is meant to make people who haven't been having a good day feel a little less stressed & happy.)

5) Lordi - Blood Red Sandman

If someone were to ask who Lordi was, I’d say that they’re the Finnish version of KISS.....minus the commercialism, and more on just pumping out some damn good metal. On top of that, take a look at the costume the lead singer uses!

As for Blood Red Sandman, I can say that this is something you’d hear in a good horror film, especially one from the 80s & 90s. It’s dark, brooding, and it’s just the kind of thing you’d hear during a massacre. The only reason why it’s at the number 5 spot is that the song occasionally sounds a little goofy. Not enough to ruin the song (The song shows off the essence of metal, and has a badass beat to it), but enough to make it sound slightly silly.

4) Type-O Negative - Xero Tolerance

Have I mention that I like Type-O Negative, because I have!

It’s really such a shame that they never really got the respect they deserve (With the exception of their last album, but that’s for a later review). Their skill with guitar, drums, and some surprising keyboard, not to mention Pete Steele’s unearthly voice, make for an incredible. Within this song, that’s very apparent.

The guitar & drums go from slow to fast, then fast to slow, in about the blink of an eye. The effects of the keyboard & other noises create a very eerie background, and one that will haunt your dreams. Then there’s Pete Steele’s singing: you can hear him yell, scream, howl, and froth at the mouth in this song. Couple with some of the most violent lyrics ever written for a song, and you have something that a mass-murdering psychopath would put on his I-Pod.

3) Echo & the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon

At first, I though this was another goofy sounding song. Coming from 1984, you expect such kind of music, right? However, my foot has been shoved straight into my mouth for expecting such!

Instead, we’re given quite a sinister song. Forgoing heavy guitars, Echo & the Bunnymen opted for a smart usage of string, and a soft but still loud set of drums. The lyrics themselves are just as sinister, and are actually open to interpretation for some. Is this song about the death of others, or is it about the death of the listener. The Killing Moon is so open on this, it’s kinda hard to tell, but perhaps that was intentional?

2) Amon Amarth - Bloodshed

There’s really not much to talk about in this song. All you need to know is that it involves the following:

- Vikings
- Mead
- Norse Mythology
- Bloodshed & carnage

Need I say more?

1) Suicide Commando - Hellraiser

When I wrote the original list, I placed this song at the number 2 spot. The only reason that Maxwell’s Silver Hammer passed it, was because it wasn’t what you’d expect for a violent song. Since that song is nowhere near to be found, I figured that it was time for Hellraiser to shine!

This is perhaps one of the most sinister, violent, and downright bloodiest songs I’ve ever listened to. Johan Van Roy, aka Suicide Commando, has always been know for making aggressive and dark music, but Hellraiser has to top that cake. The keyboard & electronics used paint a highly uncomfortable atmosphere, almost to the point where you might want to turn off the song. On top of that, he also selected a equally uncomfortable and bloody selection of words. If you don’t believe me, take a look below.

“You are condemned
I've put a spell on you
The smell of death
Has got all over you
Like a disease
I will control your mind
Get on your knees
You won't survive the night

Hellraiser
Hellraiser

You are possessed
I am your living pest
Put you to rest
Tonight, you'll be my guest
You are oppressed
Abused on my request
Get ready for
The final inquest

Hellraiser
Hellraiser”

He repeats some of the lyrics in the rest of the song, but make no mistake: Hellraiser is one of the most violence-inducing songs ever created!

See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!

* To see the original list, click on the link below:

http://simpleanimereviews.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-top-5-songs-to-kill-people-to.html

Arcade Gamer Fubuki Review

Once again, ladies & gentlemen, I’ve jumped off the deep end. I’ve watched something so batshit, apeshit, friggen insane, I can’t recover from it. Here’s the thing: this time around, I didn’t quite mind as much. Granted, this show has it’s problems, but at the same time, the positive aspects balance out the bad. So, let me bring back the free-flowing review style I created last year, and give you my review for Arcade Gamer Fubuki.

Let’s begin with the story, taken from the IMDB page:

“Fubuki Sakuragasaki is a Japanese Jr. High school student and an avid player of arcade games, known far and wide for her skills. However, during the Japanese BAG tournament finals, an evil organization rears its ugly head, and for some reason, it's targeted Fubuki as a threat! With the help of her friends, the stranger known only as Mr. Mystery, and special underwear that increases her gaming prowess, Fubuki takes on all challengers as she fights for gamers everywhere!”

Without getting into the details, this story, despite all it’s wackiness, is basic in it’s implementation. We have the underdog & her best friend, a rival that later becomes her friend, other gamers that become her friends, and the evil organization that constantly fails, and in the end obviously loses. This basic setup works quite well, but at the same time, it is exceedingly predictable. Hell, even the twist at the end I could see from a mile away, although to be fair, I didn’t completely see it coming.

Next up are the characters. Much like the story, the cast is predictable. Fubuki is the stereotypical shy, innocent, but happy & hopeful girl that just wants to enjoy gaming in piece. Her friend is nuts but means well. The stalker character is there just to get his ass kicked & produce fan service moments (more on this in a moment), and everybody else fits the standard niche that they’re assigned (Ditzy girl with big boobs, rival that becomes friend, etc). The good guys are likable (Except for one, but that’s in the fan service section), but things fail when the bad guys come around. I can say for certain that while they may be comical, they’re incredibly stupid (It’s never explained about how their plan to take the world will work), even when one of them has a glimmer of cleverness in a scene. The only bad guy I like is the leader of the organization, as I can kinda sympathize with him. I can’t reveal who the leader is, but many of you might see who it is a mile away.

Now we get onto an element of Arcade Gamer Fubuki that can get creepy at times, and that’s the fan service. Usually I like fan service (Girls Bravo corners the market on this), but most of the fan service either doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to work, or it doesn’t work at all. Case in point: there’s a scene in the 2nd episode where Fubuki is questioning herself, when Mr. Mystery (The one good guy that I don’t like) jumps right through the window of her house to try a bring hope back to her. I can’t describe how awkward & creepy this scene is, so take a look at it below (Apologies for the off-sounding audio):

“***”

As you can see, Mr. Mystery is one of the creepiest anime males ever (Even his clothing options are bizarre). Even if that scene wasn’t in there, the biggest aspect of the fan service in Arcade Gamer Fubuki that just makes me go “Huh!?” is the so-called “Passion Panties”. Right now, I believe I’ve heard all of your jaws collectively hit the floor, so let me explain. Basically, Fubuki wears this special pair of white panties, and when her skirt is blown around to reveal her underwear-covered bottom, somehow the energies of the world’s gamers travels to her, and she becomes a gaming god. Unfortunately (At first), Fubuki comes across a girl that wears an identical pair of black panties, and the battles these two have are absolutely bizarre. To reveal what goes on will ruin the experience.

Luckily, to balance out the WTF-ness, Arcade Gamer Fubuki has some of the nicest animation I’ve ever seen. Everything is bright & colorful, and nothing looks ugly. The faces seems strange sometimes, but in the end the people move around alright. The world also happens to be a place that I want to go to, especially since there doesn’t seem to be hate towards gamers & gaming. Kudos!

Voice acting is also a plus. With the exception of one character (The voice actor is trying too hard to replicate a southern accent), all of the primary & secondary characters sound like they’re done by people who want to be there. In fact, the voice actor for Fubuki was also the voice actor who voiced Amelia from the Slayers series, as the fun yet shy voice shines through on a frequent basis.

Lastly, depending on how you look at it, Arcade Gamer Fubuki is a cheap show to buy, but it can be a little difficult to find. Released by the US Manga Corps (Which closed in 2009) in 2004, Amazon is the only place that I’ve been able to buy the show, but as I said, the show is very inexpensive. New copies start at $3.44, and the used copies start a $3.17. If you decided to buy this show, your wallet won’t feel a thing. 

I’m giving Arcade Gamer Fubuki a 5.5 to 7 out of 10, but seeing all the hate towards this show, I’m assuming that some of you give it a far lower rating.

See you all next week. Until then, stay Otaku!


*
To see the original review that started this style, click “***” to read it.

**
In this show, BAG stands for “Best of Arcade Gamer”. Yet another aspect of the show that just makes you go “Huh!?”

***
Quick apologies to posting this up a day late. I simply lost track of time, and hopefully it won't happen again anytime soon!