The Essentials Name: Kashimashi Genre: Comedy, Romance Tankoubon: 5 Serialized In: Comic Dengeki Daioh Released: May 21, 2004 - March 21, 2007 Story: Satoru Akahori Art: Yukimaru Katsura Published By (Japan): MediaWorks Published By (US): Seven Seas Scores Story: 9/10 (x 3 = 27 pts) Art: 8/10 (x 3 = 24 pts) Gut Score: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts) Total: 83/100 (83%) Review Kashimashi is about Hazumu, a boy who [...]
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Now that there is a fansub for this show, perhaps it will begin to get the attention it deserves.Hoshi no Umi no Amuri 星の海のアムリ is a three-episode OVA done almost entirely in 3DCG, including the characters. I would call it a moe science-fiction fantasy: it's real moe, and real science fiction.What hooks me about this show are the unusual characters, the moe voice acting and character design, the real science-fiction setting and plot (fantastic as they are), the overall production values, and the general weirdness.There are some great scenes, including brilliant explosions and light-show battles in space; and unique visual settings, such as the bizarre landforms of a satellite constructed from garbage. The 3DCG is excellent. The music works beautifully. The sound effects are particularly well done. And the direction is fascinating, with interesting angles and motion and timing. (click images to enlarge, mouseover for captions) There is plenty of comedy in the show, but some serious undertones, as well. It is set in a near future in which the Earth and its inhabitants have been changed by a period of strong solar radiation. Many people have died from skin cancer, and many babies have been born with special physical characteristics that make them stronger than normal humans.These new humans are called Adapters, because they can adapt to almost any condition, including being able to live for a time in the vacuum of outer space. A new global government has arisen, called Region Free, to deal with the crisis. The director/writer/storyboarder is Yonetani Yoshitomo 米たにヨシトモ. His previous directing jobs were Betterman and Brave King Gaogaigar, but he did storyboards for Gundam Seed Destiny, Planetes, Banner of Stars, Shakugan no Shana, and even numerous Doraemon shows. This, however, is entirely his show: he even voices a character (the leader of the rescue squad) and sings an insert song (credited as "※-mai-") . The character design and modelling are by MA@YA, who worked on the LoveDeath and Shining Force EXA games, as well as the new 3D Custom Shoujo game. The science fiction advisor was Morita Shigeru, who was involved in the early stages of several Gundam shows, as well as Code Geass and Toward the Terra. The animation studio is Studio Hibari, which did Moonlight Mile, Kashimashi, and Sumomomo Momomo, as well as helping on Ghibli productions.The excellent sound effects are by Noguchi Toru, also a Ghibli veteran, who did sound effects not only for Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, but also for both the original Evangelion series and the new movie. Music is by Kubota Mina, who did music for Kaleidostar and Kannazuki no Miko, and wrote OPs for various ARIA shows. Sound director Nagano Toru has done many shows, including KareKano, Glass Mask, and FLCL. the storyOur heroine, Kakkyoin Amuri, is a 13-year-old Adapter who has lived a hard life on Earth. She has the strange "allergy" of rejecting all outside stimuli. Whenever she touches anything, she or it bounces away in a shower of light, due to her "repulsion allergy." It's like a full-body sneeze. Her condition killed her mother when she was born. She was never able to touch the grandmother who brought her up. Her clothing had to be made from fabric derived from her own cells. She had no friends. Everyone laughed at her. We meet her when she is just just arriving at a space station to begin life in space, working with Region Free (at least I think that's why she's there). As she arrives, the shuttle and the space station are attacked and destroyed and she is hurled out into space.This is the first of many wtf moments in the show: how can anyone survive unprotected in space? Adapters can, however, and Amuri bounces around the detritus until she bounces into a spherical life-support capsule, like a big organic cell, which is called "Uterus." Inside it are a girl with an eyepatch, sitting in a chair, and a robot avatar that looks like a stuffed bunny. Are you with me so far, lol? There are some amazing scenes in the capsule, which is filled with a fluid that allows people in it to breathe. Things like jellyfish float around -- and through -- the two girls in the cell-like capsule. More wtf moments. But I like wtf moments, and these are just beautifully done, in image and music.The capsule is picked up by automated magnetic garbage collection machines and transported to a big satellite called Galapagos, which is like a small planet made from garbage. The capsule is unceremoniously dumped into the garbage landscape, which includes forests made of trees of scrap metal, and fields covered with cake-slices made from garbage, each cake topped with a red bomb like a strawberry. Memorable images. A huge machine prowls up to the capsule and tries to sweep it up in its bucket, but the bucket just passes through the capsule and its inhabitants, somehow. The metal arms passing through Amuri are an amazing scene.Meanwhile, on a command ship called Pearl Shell, the commander is an Adapter called Pulmo Allen (voice: Kaneda Tomoko), who looks like a five-year-old child, and is always held in the arms of a woman dressed as a nurse (voice: Noto Mamiko). The amazing images just keep coming. Commander Pulmo sends out a tokusatsu-like squadron to rescue the survivors from the destroyed space station (which was called Pink Coral). They go out in a blaze of song and confidence, launched by being shot, spinning, out of big guns. wtf. They manage to drive off the garbage collecting machine, but hordes of new machines show up and the poor heroes are smashed and scattered. As a magnetic drill is about to destroy the capsule, Amuri finds a button that she can actually touch without repelling and discovers the true strength of her ability to repel things: she transforms into a mahou shoujo-like creature, dressed in ribbons that make her like a huge avenging butterfly/sunflower in space. Her sunflower clothing is also made from her own cells. By repelling all attacks back on the attackers, she lays waste a large swath of Galapagos.But the episode ends with the news that the capsule has run out of oxygen. The preview for episode 2 says that Amuri and friends will "invade" the garbage satellite in search of air. On the AnimeSuki forum, there was some criticism of underage fanservice in this show. I guess there is some -- distant pantsu in the ED, a mahou shoujo transformation that implies nudity before the ribbons of the new garment cover it. But this is really at the level of Nanoha, and not unusual for a moe anime. Some people may not like the voices, but that is a matter of taste. These are high moe voices. It took me a while to get used to Makino Yui's squeaks of pain as Amuri bounced among detritus in space. But the voice ended up working for me. Saitou Momoko uses a deeper, soft voice as the girl in the chair (Perrier). She has a couple of beautifully delivered lines. And even 15-year-old Aizawa Michiru, who was the harsh-voiced Furoe in Simoun, and enters the capsule as a third inhabitant (called Suzu), seems to have a somewhat softer voice this time.There is a slight hint of yuri, as Amuri drifts into the other two girls lip-to-lip when they each first meet, and comments on how cute the blushing Perrier is.Anyway, have a look at the show. This is one of those shows that some people will just dismiss out of hand, but that a few of us will love. Or maybe it's just me, lol. I had been looking forward to this show, but even I was pretty non-plussed at first. Having a sub makes things easier to understand.If you want an idea of where the weirdness comes from, just take a look at the director, Yonetani Yoshitomo, right.As a countermeasure to that, here are photos of the main cast (l-r) Makino Yui (Amuri), Saitou Momoko (Perrier), Aizawa Michiru (Suzu): This first episode came out in Japan in May. Episode 2 is due July 25, with episode 3 to follow on September 26.
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For me, the best way to guess how good a coming anime will be, is by looking at its staff: the director and writers and animation director and sound director, and so on. People who have made good shows before tend to make good shows again.I sometimes start watching a show for its voice actors, but I can't keep watching unless the staff builds a good show around them. Even genre or story outline or character design do not predict as well as staff.The following previews give highlights of staff and cast for 30 upcoming summer shows, as well as story outlines, pictures, and links to preview videos, where available.Here are the shows, in the order of their first broadcasts. Times are given in Japanese TV listing style: "26:00 Thursday" means Friday morning at 2 a.m. Titles in red are shows I myself find particularly interesting:Ikkitousen - Great Guardians.一騎当千 Great Guardians.A new series of ecchi Ikkitousen. If you don’t like seeing pantsu and breasts, don't watch this one. The story revolves around three schools that fight each other and is loosely based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.A great cast includes Asano Masumi, Kaida Yuko, Horie Yui, Nabatame Hitomi, Inoue Kikuko, and Hino Satoshi.This show has basically the same staff as the first series, but with a new writer, Akaboshi Masanao (Sadamitsu the Destroyer; Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry).Broadcasts have already started. anim: Arms. subs: Arthemis, Chihiro, Nightshade-yesy. forum. preview. 09:30 wed11jun.Telepathy Girl Ranテレパシー少女 蘭.What draws me to this show is Katou Emiri (Kagami in Lucky Star, Sakuya in Candy Boy, Blair in Soul Eater) in her first real starring role. Alongside Seki Tomokazu, no less, and supported by Ueda Kana. Maybe that seiyuu award actually meant something. At least it may have got Emirin more good roles."Telepathy Shoujo Ran is a story of personal growth and friendship. Isozaki Ran is an energetic junior high school student who happens to have ESP but doesn't realize it until she meets Naha Midori. Strange events start happening after she learns of her new powers, so she decides to investigate them together with Midori and her childhood friend Ayase Roi." (from Toua, on AnimeSuki) From a series of children's novels.The director is so unknown that I can’t even find the pronunciation of his name. 大宙征基 could be Takahiro Seiki or Hiromichi Seiki. He appears to be a storyboard specialist, having storyboarded episodes of Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Pani Poni Dash. But this appears to be his first directing job. anim: Tom's Entertainment. subs: Nocturnal/DFC. 18:25 sat21jun.Ultraviolet: Code 044ウルトラヴァイオレットコード044Paku Romi stars in a series directed by famous old-time director Dezaki Osamu, who directed Ashita no Joe, Ace wo Nerae, Rose of Versailles, the AIR and Clannad movies, a number of Lupin III shows and the great yuri melodrama Oniisama-e.The main character '044' is a female warrior who is genetically engineered with high combat skills and ordered by the government to annihilate a vampire army. (from anidb)With production from Sony Pictures, I expect high production values. And I expect Paku Romi to be in her element, aided by Tomokazu Seki and Koyama Rikiya. Madhouse. 12eps. subs: Moetaku? Ureshii? forum. preview. 22:00 tue01jul.Slayers RevolutionスレイヤーズREVOLUTIONThe fourth series in the Slayers franchise, which began in the early 1990s.The big deal here for me is the return of Hayashibara Megumi in the starring role of Lina Inverse, the same starring role she has played in all the other Slayers shows. And as usual, she also sings the OP and ED. Ishida Akira and Midorikawa Hikaru also return, and Kobayashi Yumiko joins the cast.Director Watanabe Takeshi is now even better known for the Shakugan no Shana series than for Slayers. anim: JC Staff. 26?eps. subs: Mishicorp, Toki. forum. preview (OP). 25:20 wed02jul.Mahō Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora魔法遣いに大切なこと ���夏のソラ���One of my picks to click this summer, a new series of the delightful Someday's Dreamers. The story follows a new young mage in training, in a Tokyo where magic is an official public service.The new anime comes with a new director, a new studio, and a new cast, but the same writer: Yamada Norie, who wrote the original manga and anime. That gives me comfort, and the rest of the staff and cast make me optimistic, too.Someday's Dreamers was from JC Staff, this new anime is from Hal Film Maker. It is directed by Kobayashi Osamu, who did BECK and Paradise Kiss, two very good shows, but very different in tone from the original Someday's Dreamers.The new anime stars the wonderful Hanazawa Kana (Sora in Sketchbook), who is in the running for moe-est voice in anime. With her is Maeno Tomoaki, who is very good as Doujou in Library Wars. Inoue Marina, Koyama Rikiya, Namikawa Daisuke, and Takahashi Mikako are also on board. Music by Hakata Takefumi (Someday's Dreamers, Vampire Knight). anim: HAL Film Maker. subs: White Light, Mellow? Formula? forum. preview. 26:40 wed02jul.Strike WitchesストライクウィッチーズI sure hope this show is okay, since it has an outstanding cast: starring the so-far somewhat ordinary Fukuen Misato, but extremely well supported by Chiba Saeko, Nazuka Kaori, Sawashiro Miyuki, Tanaka Rie, Saitou Chiwa, Koshimizu Ami, and Kadowaki Maii. Whew, what a list.On the surface, it looks like a rerun of the 2006 OVA and of Sky Girls: girls flying light mecha in battle. But the staff is completely different, except for the character designer, and this show is by Gonzo rather than JC Staff. I liked Sky Girls, but my hopes for this show are not high.Director Takamura Kazuhiro is new, but did character design and animation for Mahoromatic and This Ugly Yet Beautiful World. Writer Tamai Tsuyoshi did Inukami. Humiane Shimada is the original creator and did character design for both this and Sky Girls. anim: Gonzo. subs: Live-eviL, Moetaku? forum. preview (2006 OVA). thu03jul.Antique Bakery西洋骨董洋菓子店 ���アンティーク���Keiichirou quits his job on a whim and starts a traditional Western-style patisserie. His father hires an expert patissier who turns out to be a gay acquaintance of Keiichirou's from high school.Director Okumura Yoshiaki has nothing more to recommend him than Bakkyuu HIT! Crash Bedaman, but writer Takahashi Natsuko did the adaptations of Moyashimon and Blue Drop.Miyano Mamoru, Miki Shinichirou, and Fujiwara Keiji make a great main cast.The story is from a novel, was a successful TV drama in 2001, and has been made into a film in Korea this year. It's the Noitamina show this season. anim: Nippon Animation, Shirogumi. 12?eps. subs: Yoroshiku. 24:45 thu03jul.Hidamari Sketch x 365ひだまりスケッチ×365Season two of the excellent slice-of-life art-school comedy from Shinbou Akiyuki and Shaft.Kugimiya Rie, Fukuen Misato, and Sawashiro Miyuki are added to the cast, which already included Asumi Kana, Mizuhashi Kaori, Gotou Yuuko, Shintani Ryouko, and Matsuki Miyu. anim: Shaft. subs: SpoonSubs. forum. 25:25 thu03jul.Birdy the Mighty - Decode鉄腕バーディー　DECODEA new take on gender-bending, as a hapless shounen is accidentally killed but survives by becoming merged with a glamorous interplanetary agent. Remake of the 1996 OVA.Chiba Saeko proves there is seiyuu work after marriage with the starring role of Birdy the agent. And we get to hear Itou Kanae in her first role since helping make Shugo Chara a hit. Irino Miyu and Fujiwara Keiji round out an attractive main cast.Directed by Akane Kazuki, director of Noein and Escaflowne. Written by Ohnogi Hiroshi, who did Noein and Aquarion. Music by Kanno Yuugo, who did Toshokan Sensou and Hataraki Man. Top sound director Aketagawa Jin (Ichigo Mashimaro, KimiKiss, Genshiken) rounds out a solid staff.I have high hopes for this one. anim: A-1 Pictures (Ookiku Furikabutte, Persona). 13eps. subs: Orange-Side, Infinite-Zero, Moetaku? forum. preview. 25:00 fri04julRyoko's Case File薬師寺涼子の怪奇事件簿Another promising show. Based on a series of light novels written by Tanaka Yoshiki and illustrated by Kakinouchi Narumi. The story revolves around Ryouko Yakushiji, brilliant and madly energetic multilingual investigator with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Ryoko not only has to deal with supernatural beings, but also with her rival Yukiko, another talented and beautiful police investigator. (from anidb)Director Iwasaki Tarou is new, but he has done episodes and storyboards for shows like Fullmetal Alchemist, Ookiku Furikabutte, and Ghost Hound. Writer Kawasaki Hiroyuki is an old hand who wrote The Irresponsible Captain Tylor and Sakura Wars. The original novel is by Tanaka Yoshigi, who wrote Legend of the Galactic Heroes. We have some interesting names writing this show.The cast is also interesting, with Nabatame Hitomi in the lead role, backed up by Kuwashima Houko, Fukuen Misato, Kiuchi Hidenobu, and Nojima Kenji.Japanese title: Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo. anim: Dogakobo. 13eps. subs: Hitode-AnimeSS, Infinite-Zero? forum. preview. 24:30 sat05jul.SekireiセキレイPromising fanservice anime (this is not an oxymoron) about a loser on whom one day a busty miko drops from the sky. She moves in with him, in the midst of constant fighting with other similarly well-endowed creatures, all of whom are "sekirei" fighters.Extremely attractive cast stars brilliant 17-year-old Hayami Saori, along with other outstanding young voices such as Inoue Marina, Hanazawa Kana, and Endou Aya. Directed by Kusukawa Keizou, who directed Inukami and the two most recent Nanoha series. Anime adaptation by Yoshioka Takao (DearS, Elfen Lied, Yoshinaga's Gargoyle, Sky Girls).I'll be watching this for Hayamin, who sounds t0 me in the preview as if she has taken another step forward. She and her fellow seiyuu -- all of whom are good singers -- do the OP and ED. Sound director Aketagawa Jin (Genshiken, Ichigo Mashimaro, Honey & Clover, etc.) will make sure we get the best from the cast. anim: Seven Arcs (Nanoha series, Inukami). subs: Moetaku? Tsundere Built My Hotrod. forum. preview. 25:35 sat05jul.Zero no Tsukaima - Princess Rondoゼロの使い魔 ���三美姫の輪舞���ZnT never did much for me, but it did enough for a lot of people that it is now getting its third season.Kou Yuu, who directed the second series, is back again. This time, Hasegawa Nahoko, who adapted Hidamari Sketch, is the lead writer.And we have a similar cast back, featuring Kugimiya Rie and Hino Satoshi as the leads, with Horie Yui as everyone's favorite maid, Siesta. Noto Mamiko joins the main cast, too, as Tiffania Westwood. anim: J.C. Staff. 13eps. subs: Toki. forum. 24:30 sun06jul.Neo Angelique Abyss: Second Ageネオ アンジェリーク Abyss -Second Age-The best Angelique series ever gets an immediate second season. The infusion of new production blood, especially from the staff of Corda D'Oro, gave this series a new lease on life.Endou Aya helped, too, continuing a remarkable year that has also given her starring roles in the new Mai-Otome Sifr OVA and in Macross Frontier. And she will be ably supported here by a bevy of top male seiyuu, likely continuing to include Takahashi Hiroki, Ohkawa Toru, Nakamura Yuuichi, Ono Daisuke, et al. anim: Yumeta. subs: Strawberry-Mint. 26:00 sun06jul.Natsume Yuujin Chou夏目友人帳Natsume Takashi keeps secret his ability to see spirits. However, once he inherits a strange book that belonged to his deceased grandmother, he discovers the reason why spirits surround him: a binding contract was formed between the spirits and the owner of the book. Now Natsume is determined to free the spirits and dissolve the contracts. With the help of a spirit cat, his days are filled trying to return the names to these spirits. The show is apparently based on good research into folk mythology.This is one of the most attractive shows of the summer: the director of Koi Kaze, Jigoku Shoujo, and Baccano; the writer of Ai Yori Aoshi, Jigoku Shoujo, and Zetsubou Sensei.The cast of actors includes Kamiya Hiroshi in the lead, with Kobayashi Sanae, Sawashiro Miyuki, Fujimura Ayumi, and Itou Miki. Inoue Kazuhiko (Gorou in Moonlight Mile) is the cat. anim: Brains Base. subs: Nocturnal/Black Lotus, ainex?. forum. preview. 25:00 mon07julMission-EMission-EA sequel to the charming but awkward and forgettable Code-E. Five years after Code-E, Chinami is in an organization aiming to integrate people with her powers into society.Director Kato Toshiyuki did Full Moon wo Sagashite, as well as Code-E.Voices include Hashimoto Mai, Nazuka Kaori, Mizuno Risa, Momoi Halko, and Kamiya Hiroshi. anim: Studio Deen. subs: Subbers Anonymous. forum. preview. 25:05 mon07julWorld Destruction: Sekai Bokumetsu no Rokuninワールド・デストラクション ���世界撲滅の六人���I've gone off Production IG. Their shows tend to be beautiful but boring. But this show is still one of the most intriguing of the season. A great cast stars Sakamoto Maaya and Miyano Mamoru, with Ono Daisuke and Kobayashi Yu in supporting roles.Director Tada Shunsuke did Prince of Tennis National Tournament and Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations. Writer Yokotani Masahiro did Reideen.Based on a DS RPG by SEGA. The game centers on a youth who secretly possesses the power to destroy the world. He is forced to join a party that aims not to save the world, but to eradicate it and start anew.On a desert planet, a fateful meeting between a good-hearted wandering boy and a positive, determined girl. Then they and a "hard-boiled" mini-bear alien set off to destroy the world, for its own good. anim: Production IG. 13eps. subs: Orange-Side, Nocturnal, Yoroshiku, Toki. forum. preview. 25:30 mon07jul.Koihime†Musou恋姫†無双Get ready for an all-moe retelling of the Romance of the three Kingdoms. It gives me pause that it is written by Go Zappa (Chokotto Sister, Myself;Yourself). And that the chief animator and character designer is Oshima Miwa (Cosmopolitan Prayers, Love Love). But it is directed by Nakanishi Nobuaki (Kasimasi, Sumomo mo Momo mo)The seiyuu are neither young nor well-known, but are experienced game seiyuu. This worked for ef, perhaps it will work here.Not very promising, but anything based on the Three Kingdoms is worth a look. anim: Dogakobou (Myself;Yourself). 12eps. subs: Serin, DFC, Hitode? forum. 26:00 thu08jul.Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu乃木坂春香の秘密Yuko discovers that school princess, Nogizaka Haruka, is actually an otaku. He keeps her secret and they become friends. Based on a series of light novels.Wonderful cast stars Noto Mamiko, with Satou Rina, Shimizu Kaori, Ueda Kana, Matsuki Miyu, Nabatame Hitomi, and Takagi Reiko.Should be funny…and ecchi. Director Nawa Munenori did Otome wa Boku ni Koi wo Shiteru. The writer who adapted the novels (Tsuyoshi Tamai) did the same for Inukami. anim: Studio Barcelona (Kodomo no Jikan). subs: Moetaku. forum. 26:00 thu10julBlade of the Immortal無限の住人"To end his eternal suffering, he must slay one thousand foes!" Manji, a ronin warrior of feudal Japan, has been cursed with immortality. To rid himself of this curse and end his life of misery, he must slay one thousand evil men. His quest begins when a young girl seeks his help in taking revenge on her parents' killers…. Based on a seinen manga by Samura Hiroaki, serialised in Afternoon." (anidb)Bee Train and Mashimo Kouichi (.hack shows, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle) are back with a high-concept samurai show from what appears to be a very strong (and bloody) manga.Seki Tomokazu and Satou Rina will be great as the leads, ably supported by such names as Konishi Katsuyuki, Noto Mamiko, Toyoguchi Megumi, Miki Shinichirou, and Sakamoto Maaya. anim: Bee Train. subs: Live-eviL. forum. preview. 24:00 sun13julMahou Sensei Negima! ~Shiroki Tsubasa Ala Alba~魔法先生ネギま������白き翼 ALA ALBA���Three episodes of summer holidays with Negi and the girls. Directed by the man himself, Shinbou Akiyuki. But this time, for the first time, the lead writer for the anime is Akamatsu Ken, the original mangaka. So I look forward to seeing what differences in tone and story might appear this time.The same cast return, including Satou Rina as Negi and all the rest, but with the addition of Ono Daisuke and Inoue Marina.I'm not perfectly certain of the date this will appear. MoonPhase says July 17, but the official site says ep1 will be 12aug, ep2 17nov, and ep3 17feb of next year. anim: Shaft. OVA, 1of3eps. forum. preview (via Moetron). thu17jul.School Rumble Sangakkiスクールランブル三学期Hirano Aya joins the established cast, which already includes Horie Yui, Noto Mamiko, Koshimizu Ami, and Takahashi Hiroki, among others. Since Ami and Aya are two of my favorite seiyuu, I look forard to hearing them together.Director Takamatsu Shinji has already demonstrated that he is more than a one-hit wonder, with Gintama and Ginban Kaleidoscope.anim: Studio Comet. OVA, 1of2eps. Second ep 17sept. forum. thu17jul.Ponyo on a Cliff崖の上のポニョThis time Miyazaki will tell a story drawn freely in watercolors and pastels about a 5 year old boy Sosuke and the princess goldfish Ponyo who wants to become human.... An extra interesting thing is that the Goro Miyazaki (Hayao's son) of when he was 5 years old has been chosen as the model for the main character Sosuke. This is interesting because in the summer of 2007 Goro Miyazaki made his director’s debut with Studio Ghibli’s Gedo Senki and Miyazaki senior was very critical of it. (from Ghibliworld via anidb)My favorite Ghibli, Whispers of the Heart, was not directed by Hayao Miyazaki. And the old man's most recent work, Howl, was just okay for me. So I'm not as excited about this movie as some people are. anim: Ghibli. movie. forum. sat19jul.Akiba-chanアキバちゃんCG/stop motion animation. Slice of life show following five otaku girls who live in the "Maison de Akiba" apartments. Shimizu Ai, Ishizuka Sayori (Sango in ToHeart2), Fujita Saki (whose voice samples are the basis of Hatsune Miku's voice), and Yuzuki Ryouka. Five ten-minute episodes. anim: Buildup Entertainment. 10x5min eps. preview. 24:00 thu24jul.Amuri in Star Ocean星の海のアムリWeird but enjoyable 3DCG science fiction involving genetically altered lolis in space and lots of beautiful explosions and effects.With Makino Yui, Saitou Momoko and Aizawa Michiru (Furoe in Simoun) in the lead roles, supported by Mamiko Noto, Kaneda Tomoko, and Hirano Aya (after ep1).anim: Studio Hibari. OVA, 2of3eps. ep3 26sept. forum. preview. fri25jul.Lupin III: Sweet Lost Night ~Mahō no Lamp wa Akumu no Yokan~ルパン三世 sweet lost night���魔法のランプは悪夢の予感���Few details are available so far about this new Lupin special. anim: Tokyo Movie. TV special. subs: Froth-Bite. fri25jul.The Sky Crawlersスカイ・クロラLove story with a military science fiction background. Director Oshii Mamoru did the Ghost in the Shell movies.He uses film actors as his stars: Kikuchi Rinko was nominated for an Oscar for her work in Babel. Kase Ryou was Mayama in the Honey & Clover movie.Music by Kenji Kawai (Windy Tales, Death Note, Higurashi). Animation/chara-des by Nishio Tetsuya. Written by dorama writer Itou Chihiro (e.g., Sekai no Chushin de, Ai wo Sakebu).Oshii is a friend and competitor of Miyazaki and did GITS: Innocence. anim: Production IG. movie. forum. preview. sat02aug.Naruto Shippuuden: Kizuna劇場版NARUTO-ナルト- 疾風伝 絆The next Naruto movie. "A mysterious group of ninjas makes a surprise attack on the Konohagakure, which takes great damage. The nightmare of another Shinobi World War could become a reality. Sasuke, who was still a missing nin from Konoha trying to kill his brother, Itachi, appears for the second time in front of Naruto at an unknown location to prevent it from happening." (ANN)Director Kamegaki Hajime did Fushigi Yuugi, Ayashi no Ceres, and Air Gear. Writer Takegami Junki did Gunslinger Girl and Hayate no Gotoku. anim: Pierrot. movie. sat02aug.Detroit Metal Cityデトロイト・メタル・シティSouichi Negishi is a shy young man who comes from the country to Tokyo for college, wanting to become a kindergarten teacher. However, for some reason he becomes the singer and songwriter of a metal band named 'Detroit Metal City.' When he puts on the heavy makeup, Negishi becomes a completely different person, shouting profanities. As the popularity of DMC increases, Negishi starts worrying that his double personality could have negative effects on his (romantic) life off stage. (from ANN)This one is flying a bit under the radar, but it comes from Studio 4°C, and the director did Mushishi, so there is some quality behind it. Character design and animation by Shimamura Hidekazu (Honey & Clover). anim: Studio 4°C. OVA. preview. fri08augKaitou Tenshi Twin Angel快盗天使ツインエンジェルThe twins live an exciting but normal school life, then after school, they become the Thieving Angels.Stars Tamura Yukari and Noto Mamiko.DirectorNagai Tatsuyuki did Honey & Clover II and Idolmaster Xenoglossia. Writer Kurata Hideyuki did Now and Then, Here and There. Animation director Koga Makoto did ARIA and sola.anim: Nomad. OVA. 1of2eps. ep2of2 in sept. fri08augLucky Star OVAらき☆すた OVALucky Star is back for a one-shot OVA. Interesting to see what happens now that fired original director Yamamoto Yutaka is long gone and this is entirely Takemoto Yasuhiro's baby.The seiyuu cast is having a great year, with awards for Hirano Aya (best lead female) and Katou Emiri (best new female seiyuu), and good new roles for both them (Chiko and Kaoru for Aaya; Sakuya and Blair for Emirin) and Endou Aya (Angelique, Sheryl).The release date for this was recently changed from the end of August to the end of September. Speculation is rife that it had to do with changing the plot to remove scenes of violence in Akihabara, after the recent knife incident. Or that the script is late. But this kind of date shift is common, and it may be due to some commercial consideration or other.anim: Kyoto Animation. OVA. 1of1eps. forum. fri26sept.NOTES:-- "forum" is the AnimeSuki forum for each show-- English titles link to the Anime News Network encyclopedia page, when there is one-- Japanese titles link to the Japanese official site.-- "subs" means sub groups who plan to sub particular shows, based mainly on the current Who Subs What wiki that many sub groups post to before a season starts.-- other information is from ANN, AnimeSuki, anidb, Moonphase, and official sites.
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Me and Seven Seas have had a rocky relationship over the past year. Starting back in October/November last year I ran into difficulties getting the Kashimashi volumes. After months of messing around SSE said it was due to them moving distributors to Tor. This would have been fine, things like this happen from time to [...]
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[Posted @ 9:22 PM]Yeah, I still can make purchases even though I'm in Brisbane by using my trusty card here *pats* heh.Anyways finally got me yummy books from Seven Sea's Strawberry Line along with a few others. As you can see, my family have kindly webcam-ed me the packages while I drooled and whined in front of lappy. They told me that it's really light, 9 books and it's around 2.2kg as stated in my invoice ... light!? Anyways here's what I got;Family Complex #1 [Complete], Strawberry Panic! Manga #1, Strawberry Panic! Manga #2, Strawberry Panic! Light Novel #1, Voiceful #1, First Love Sisters aka Hatsu Koi Shimai #1, Kashimashi ~Girl meets Girl~ #4, Kashimashi ~Girl meets Girl~ #5 [End] and Venus Versus Virus #3. Yep.I didn't want them to open the packages ... even though I had reluctantly uttered that they could lol ... I think they didn't. Oh to explain the two packages, Amazon had shipped the Strawberry Panic! Light Novel first before the other eight books in another shipment and I have totally no idea why they did that ... probably they thought they couldn't get the other titles. I ordered them on 19th April and the packages came in I think 6th May, I'm not sure lol, I was too busy with my assignments and presentation to blog about it at that time. Until now, I'm still busy but ... I've just gotta share my goodies around!!! LOL. The total order's US$85.04, I'm forgot what the conversion rate was, well to play safe, I'll just assume it to be US1 = S$1.40. So it's S$119.056 and the shipping charges was S$34.31 so the total amount's S$153.366. Basically on average each volume costed me, divided by 9 = S$17.04 ... Whoa that was slightly cheaper than I expected haha. I wonder how much Kinokuniya sells Strawberry Panic! in Singapore or did they even imported them in the first place!? LoL ... anyone knows? Hm, now I can use my nuffnang earnings to pay those mangas [Enough to only pay for the mangas lol] XD, I'm still eyeing for the Kannazuki no Miko Manga by TokyoPop. I know #1 was released but I'm thinking of purchasing #2 together and probably some other releases by Seven Seas in a few months time. Hopefully I get to earn more money in the next few months and buy more in the future ...So ... get clicking on the ads around if you have not ... haha, help me earn the moolah!!! XD, sounds so ... despo here but ... a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get her fix of manga lol. Anyways, I'm really happy ... heh heh heh I can't wait to ... go home and read them!!! I'll probably just spend my summer holidays in Singapore, reading manga and being an useless unemployed slacker haha. I think I would had earned that right ... the courses I've signed up for the next semester is going to be hell, all Level 3 courses o_o. Sigh, I've still got a research proposal and a group report to go ... then it's exams in June, o_o I'm kinda nervous because it's been a while since I sat for an exam lol. It's a pretty good semester, I've made some friends, broaden my horizons in a small way and the courses were fun ... even though some of them made me want to pull my hair out, bash the walls and scream ... I reckon what I've learnt will be useful to be in the future. Or else. Haha.I would like to end this with a foody mood;The pasta I made a while ago ... and the dinner I had tonight. [Signing @ 10:51 PM]
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Yup, sad but true. Seven months ago I went out to buy Kashimashi by Seven Seas only to encounter difficulties. Initially I had no response from Seven Seas on what was going on. Then came the ‘we’re moving distributors’ which for some insane reason took over FOUR months to do. Now, they say the move [...]
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Here is the opening song that ended up winning my anime theme thing. Also, I think I’m going to start using veoh whenever I can for these videos. They seem to be a lot better. My only issues with them is that they’re still relatively unknown, so there isn’t a lot on [...]
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Two years. TWO YEARS I’ve been doing this. From my first post waxing lyrical about Monster, through the gender-bending Kashimashi, my stubborn refusal to fanboy about Haruhi and my stubborn refusal to not fanboy about Mushishi, right up to the move to Wordpress, the ABC dorama and beyond, it’s been fun. I cautiously dipped my [...]
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Many thanks to IdleWorship who sent me the link to the 101 anime Wallpapers.Some of the anime wallpaper included are Black Lagoon, Ai Yori Aoshi, Aquarian Age, Chobits, Clover, Grenadier, High School Girls,Kasimasi Girl Meets Girl , Kiddy Grade, Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, King of Fighters, Maria Sama ga Miteru, Pia Carrot,,Ragnarok Online, Shuffle, Tenjou Tenge, Zero no Tsukihime, Vandread.I downloaded the bit torrent file and upload the images so that you can see what’s included and also so the wallpapers can be downloaded individually. To download individual wallpaper just click on it to get the larger image, then right click Save Picture As… I’m posting the bit torrent link also for anyone who wants all 101 wallpapers. If you do download the bit torrent file, do be careful because there is an .exe file in the rar file with the wallpaper that claims to be a wallpaper toolbar, I did a virus scan and the file is virus free but that doesn’t mean that it’s not spyware of some sort. I’ll never install anything like that on my machine but the wallpapers themselves are fine. Download the bit torrent file here. Find more wallpaper to download here.These five are 800 X 600Almost All 1600 x 1200
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[Posted @ 3:00PM]Because I have nothing to do and felt like doing so, I've decided to list, explain and disclose discuss where all my anime/manga you see floating in my blog come from. Even though I've not patronized half of the sites listed, I might be a potential customer in the near future if anything catches my eye =). Be warn, lots of harmeless bitching of shopping experience! [I'm only stating stuff and conditions applicable to me or an Anime & Manga Fan]1. Amazon.com - Categories are Anime/Manga, Online Shopping- Payment Modes accepted are American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Amazon.com gift certificates, etc. - Unfortunately, amazon doesn't accept Paypal and International Wire Transfers.My shopping experience;I was rather skeptical of purchasing from amazon at first because I heard around that the prices were on the 'premium' side but then I just had to start somewhere, so I ordered two manga, Sister Red #1 [By the way it was out-of-stock in Takashimaya's Kinokuniya when I purchased #2.] and Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ #3 and Kannazuki no Miko DVD Box Set for the time being. After calculating the costs, shipping costs via vPOST and comparing to my local Kinokuniya's pricing, I realized it was darn expensive LOL. The total order rang in at US$72.73, free shipping charges cos shipping address's at vPOST USA address, so the goods were about S$108 [Taking US$1 = S$1.48]. vPOST charged me S$26.98 for the shipping fees, so it's like S$108+S$27 = $135. That means the Kannazuki no Miko DVD Box Set was S$90 and Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~ #3, Sister Red #1 were S$22.50 each!!! Anyways, I forgotten EVERYTHING about the price when I got the parcel in 3 weeks ... so it doesn't matter now, I'm happy with my KnM DVDs XD. Recently, if you've been following my ramblings, I've purchased Bakuretsu Tenshi [Burst Angel] DVD Box Set, Loveless DVD Box Set and Medal of Honor Airborne PC Game. I was like totally excited when I saw that Bakuretsu Tenshi DVD Box Set was at half price and so I grabbed the chance and clicked the buy button. The total was US$115.97 which means it's about S$172 [Taking US$1 = S$1.48]. My shipping cost was about $$36.14 but I was given an 8% discount so it's around S$33. S$172+S$33=S$205, so the average costs between the three items were S$69. Which I thought to be quite a catch, not bad la, considering ODEX's price and quality for Bakuretsu Tenshi Volume Sets. 2. Play-asia.com- Categories are Anime/Manga/Games/Figurines/Jpop Music, Online Shopping- Payment Modes accepted are Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, Western Union, Moneybookers, Bank Transfers. - Unfortunately, Play-asia doesn't accept check payments, money orders, cash or cash on delivery. My shopping experience;Play-asia.com is my first shopping experience online, likewise, I heard around that Play-asia.com's pricings were on the 'premium' side and even though they had stated that delivery to Singapore was free, I believe the shipping costs were included in the item itself. Hey, nothing is free in this world you know lol. At that time, I didn't have a credit card yet, so I used Moneybookers, first I had to transfer funds via eNETs with a small fee to the account before I can start using it. It was pretty fast, the transaction was done in 15 minutes. The goodies I got were Strawberry Panic! OP1/OP2/ED1/ED2/OST singles and 3 Drama CDs, Kannazuki no Miko OP1/ED1/Drama CD singles and Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru OP1+DVD single. All I can say that the total was around S$380 for the loot mentioned above with the shipping charges included, so it's like around S$380/12=S$32. Considering some of the stuff I ordered where really backdated, it's a wonder that I could still get my paws on them lol even though I had to wait for some time [3 weeks] for some of the items to arrive it was okay cos I wasn't charged for shipping [Which ironically was included in the first place lol]. However, after I got my credit card, I pretty much 'closed' the Moneybookers account lol and ordered Meilin's 'Candy☆Boy' + DVD single with the credit card XD. 3. Comics Connection - Categories are Anime/Manga/Games/Figurines/Magazines/Trading Cards/VCDs/DVDs etc, Brick and Mortar- Payment Modes accepted are NETS, Cash, Credit Cards [Probably for Payments above S$30? Not sure but there's a cap.] at distributing outlets.My shopping experience;Before Comics Connection, I used to buy my manga at Popular Bookstore, but then Popular used to be REALLY REALLY slow in their arrival of the latest manga issues that I had to turn to Comics Connection. I think Popular ain't so bad in their releases now, but it's too late, they lost me lol. Basically I'm a regular customer at Comics Connection, usually Northpoint, purchasing the latest English manga by ChuangYi Publishing every twice a month or more. It'll depend how many volumes I'm getting for the week, if it's only 1 for that particular week, I'll wait till the next week and get the 'old' and 'new' at the same time. Anyways, I heard or dreamt? that ChuangYi Publishing's opening a retail outlet of their own, so ... I guess probably I'll jump to them in the future? Lol. 4. The Celestial Zone Studio - Categories are TCZ Volumes/Merchandises, Online Shopping, Brick and Mortar- Payment Modes accepted are Credit Cards for Online Shopping and Cheque on Subscription Basis. Cash and NETS for distributing outlets. My shopping experience;I started collecting TCZ when I was around 14 and was pretty active in the forums back then lol, but now I'm quite busy with my life. I used to pop over Popular Bookstore to get my fix, now I'm only contented to receive latest issues monthly via post. However, I'm religiously collecting the TCZ merchandises during the Singapore Book Fair every year. I was so crazy once that I almost wanted to purchase the Chi Xue's Blood Red Sword sword for S$200 LOL and there's only 3 in this world. I'm still supporting TCZ because it's a Singapore-based Manga series and will continue to do so =). 5. Kinokuniya Singapore - Categories are Anime/Manga/Magazines/VCDs/DVDs etc, Online Shopping, Brick and Mortar- Payment Modes accepted are Cash on Delivery, Cheque for Online Shopping. Credit Cards, Kinokuniya Vouchers, Cash, NETS for distributing outlets. My shopping experience;Well I haven't tried the online shopping yet, maybe when I want more than S$50 worth of manga just to get that S$5 delivery charge waived lol. I think the payment modes are pretty good, good old cash and cheque =). Even though many people think/said that Kinokuniya's pricing were expensive, you'll have to see what you're purchasing I reckon. Unless you're purchasing alot alot of books online, just to save that little on the shipping charges, I recommend you just get it from Kinokuniya to save the troubles and time wasted. Ultimately the decision lies in you. 6. ADV Films - Categories are Anime/Manga/Merchandises/DVDs/Legal Video Downloads, Online Shopping, Brick and Mortar- Payment Modes accepted are MasterCard, Visa for Online Shopping. ?? for distributing outlets. [Never been to their store/HQ] My shopping experience;I'm always on the look out for their sales and got my chance on September 2007, I purchased 'Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu - Complete Collection', 'Azumanga Daioh - Class Album', 'Chrono Crusade - Complete Collection' and 'Full Metal Panic! - Complete Collection'. The total cost for the four box sets was S$283 + shipping charges of $33 [13% discount] = S$316. So it's like barely S$80 on average for each box set. Taking into consideration that 'Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu' is a 13 episodes box set, let's take it as S$50, so S$30 will be averaged out to the other three 20+ episodes box sets to make it S$90 each. Besides, I got a free OVA which is usually worth like S$19.90 so ... it's like S$85 each, which I personally think is quite reasonable. On the down side, not that I mind, I found out that ADV Films had poked a hole through the barcode [Probably for some sales/security reasons or something] in the Box Sets. If you're a person who can't take this kind of 'suffering', I suggest you don't buy stuff during sales period lol. As for the rest - Online Shopping;7. CDJapan 8. Anime Nation 9. Deep Discount 10. Yes Asia 11. Anime Castle 12. Right Stuf15. vPOSTAs I mentioned, these are the sites whereby I've not purchased anything from, so I can't really comment anything but I believe from the comments of other anime fans, that these are quite reliable sites to do your online shopping. As of the moment, I think I'll try shopping via CDJapan soon heh.As for the rest - Online Shopping, Outlets in Singapore;14. Andomacha by M.A.G.E15. Kareshi Kanojyo no Mise16. ChuangYi PublishingI've not bought any anime/manga merchandises yet from these outlets but I guess I'm interested. Ok, I think that rounds up the this long post, I'm tired lol. Any comments, suggestions and tips on where/how to shop online, purchase any related to anime/manga and where you get your anime/manga fix, please post it in the blogger comment instead of the tagboard. Thanks!!![Signing off @ 5:51 PM]
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