Filed under: Anime, Video games | Tags: detective conan, flock, fma, full metal alchemist, mushishi
This will be quick otherwise i could write quite a considerable chunk of text here. Firstly i would like to apologise about Flock. I wanted to play all of the demo for a large amount of time to allow for a better un-educated view of the game. Instead i played the first 2 levels and decided not to waste my time anymore. In the first level you simply fly to one end of the level and the fly back while herding the sheep up. Amazing. On the second level i was told now i have a tractor beam to lift up things. Using the tractor beam i moved gates out of the way and used others for bridges between points to gather more sheep. After one sheep fell off on his own accord, i thought i would try and pick up a sheep with the beam. Doesn’t work. Sorry but i thought i was an alien ship with awesome technology, but obviously aliens don’t know how to herd or pick up sheep, just everything else ( not everything as only certain fences, etc can be moved). I know the idea of the game is to herd the sheep properly but i just found it boring. the game looks and sounds nice, but it plays slowly. Just my opinion, but it it really doesn’t seem to be worth £12.
Onto better things. I re-acquired Mushishi, in which i completely forgot about how good the intro song is, so i’m on a mission to find the OST of the anime. I was going to buy the dvd of the live action movie, which i’ve heard many good things about, but i’m leaving it for the minute. Next i watched the second live action Detective Conan J-Drama. The cast for each character is well thought out, though i wish they would of used Conan more than Shinichi.
And lastly i watched the first episode of the new Full Metal Alchemist. I was hoping this didn’t turn out the same way as Dragonball KAI, which i thought was going to be sweet. Instead i was treated to a very nice looking intro and outro, while the actual episode was just the original Dragonball/Z material. Needless to say not impressed. Thankfully it didn’t. The whole episode was quality from start to finish, with the animation on the transmutations looking awfully nice. One thing which i’ll leave for now is i don’t understand what is going on, mainly as i found it last night and haven’t heard anything about it before then. I haven’t read up on it still so i’m still up in the air as to what i was watching. But as far as i remember, Hughes was dead, so were some of the homunculus, and King Bradley wasn’t really King Bradley, but to be honest i haven’t watched the whole thing for about 3 or so years.
It doesn’t matter as it was good to watch familiar faces again. For the next post, i feel another game needs to be talked about.
Filed under: Anime | Tags: gurren figure, gurren lagann tcg, kamina figure, lagann figure, tengen toppa gurren lagann
After waiting for seemed like years ( although it was only about 11 days or so) my new box of Gurren Lagann figures came in the post. After getting 1 of each of the figures in the last box, i was hoping my luck would continue on with these 2 boxes. All i can say is i either have awesome luck ( thanks to my shirt and shorts combo which adds +14 to my luck stat) or that each box contains 1 of each figure and an extra one. As much as i like to think it is the first one, it’s prolly the latter. Here are the shots of my newly displayed figures.
Here’s what they look like at the moment, but i’ll probably redo how they are set out and such. And here are the new figures.
Well now with these done, i’m thinking of buying a box of the second part of the second chapter of figures ( contains Yoko 2, Gurren Lagann with spikes, etc) but i don’t raelly want many of the figures out of it ( it has Kittan’s sisters as the rest which i’m not to bothered about). In the mean time i’m looking for model kits, i’ve found some but funds are low at the moment so we’ll see after i get paid tonight and what i have left after the weekend. I also have now a spare Kittan, Leeron and Kamina with sword figure. If my girlfriend doesn’t want them, they might be open for trade, but i’ll see. Leave me any comments on these figures and where i got them ( and if you want more pictures, i’m scanning all the cards in as well but there’s quite a lot of them) if you want to know.
Filed under: Anime | Tags: air gear, Anime, beck, bleach, card captor sakura, naruto, one piece
If there is one thing that’ll keep me watching an anime, it’ll be the intro. While it may only last just over a minute in most cases, first impressions count, and many a time have i read a review of an anime, only to watch the intro and first 5 minutes and gone ‘done’ and walked off. This is usually a rarity among subbed anime, but with dubbed anime, the intros can be better than the whole dub because of the ridiculous songs they seem to use instead of the originals ( whether it is because of the rights to the songs or not i guess). Here i present, in my opinion, the very best and worst intros to animes i’ve watched.
Firstly, i liked to start with a good intro, just so we know what we’re looking for.
The Air Gear intro is a good place to start. The song is good ( as is the rest of the Air Gear soundtrack if you can get it) and you get a feel of what the anime is about roughly. Even though the anime has ended ( hopefully a second season will appear but i hear the ratings in Japan were not that great) then manga continues, and is well worth the reading after you’ve finished watching all the episodes. A good solid opening.
Now let me show you the opposite end of the scale.
I wouldn’t consider this to be the worst, but it could easily take 2nd place without a second thought. It’s a shame as the series never really did that well stateside or over here. Like most people, i can’t help but laugh when i hear the song actually start. At what point did the creative team decide this would be the best option for an intro to one of the longest running anime series ever. Clever, clever people.
Here is what i think is the best intro i’ve seen to an anime.
Now i could have easily of put the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann intro in there as it qualifies for the same reasons this intro belongs at number 1. But for a series i still need to finish ( i’ve started watching it about 6 or 7 times and get about 3/4 the way through) this always makes me want to watch it. An intro i do not mind watching over and over again is a good intro. If you start get annoyed of tired of i, it’s not that it’s bad, but some i just want to get past it and get straight on to the action. This doesn’t happen with Beck.
So with the best there must be a worst.
You just gotta be s*****g me. Really? I mean really? No i’m not just picking on a bad anime ( sorry but i can’t do the whole magical school girl thing, actually the whole Clamp thing, apart form Tsubasa Chronicles and Code Geass for some reason) but c’mon. Really? It’s wrong i tell you. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
Other anime intros to look for that are actually worth watching ( although in my opinion the rest of the anime after the intro isn’t but that’s another story that i may continue with later) include the 1st and 2nd intros for Bleach, Naruto’s 2nd, 5th and at a push Shippuudens 1st, Tengen Toppa Gurren Laganns intros ( doesn’t matter which one), the 1st Initial D intro, and some others that if you really wanna know then leave a comment and i’ll elaborate further.
With the final bits underway to finishing my Kamina glasses, that being that i found an old pair of glasses that i can use to attach them onto my nose, i’m still waiting for the arrival of my TCG figures to come in the post ( maybe tomorrow, maybe Friday, hopefully this week). While watching some more Gurren Lagann and tidying my room ( sort of), i came upon a excellent idea. I have a set of mini LED spot lights that switch on and off by pressing the middle in. With them being round, and the circuit board being small, i’ve come to the conclusion i can make a pair of Simon’s goggles/glasses with them. Unlike the Kamina glasses I made which was simply just a sheet of plastic cut to shape, these will be more of a challenge. With any luck i’ll be able to use the spot light just the same as before, but it’ll be embedded into the goggles/glasses. But with nothing else to do all day, i figure it’s a good way to keep myself busy. Hopefully by tomorrow i’ll have all the bits I need, minus the red fabric I think i’m gonna line it all with. Rest assured pictures will be taken once i’m done.
Filed under: Anime | Tags: adv, Anime, dub, gurren lagann, kamina, samurai pizza cats, tcg, tengen toppa gurren lagann
hmmm. before i get going on this, let me clarify a few things. I watch all my anime with subs, except when i can’t get hold of an episode with the original voices and then consider watching a dubbed version. This doesn’t happen very often, as there are only two series i can think of that i’ve watched in dub more than sub ( Gundam Wing and Inuyasha). Dubbed versions of anime generally sound bad to me, just my opinion. My reasons for this can be best shown with Naruto. I started watching that years ago, and waited each week for a new episode to be subbed. After hearing of a dubbed version, i had to check it out, and decided there and then that i would never ever listen to it again. I know it probably sounds pretentious and elitist, but have you actually heard it? Bleach ( another series i used to wait for, but much like how Naruot has gone i care not for either no more) wasn’t so bad when i checked that out, at least Ichigo sounds ok. I could go on about many other series that have been screwed by dubbing them, and honestly i think it’s a shame. Many peoples first impressions of anime may be dubbed versions of great animes, and some are ok ( Full Metal Alchemist is the only one that comes to mind), but along with the dubbing there is also the censoring, and that i just can’t stand for.
To actually get back onto the subject (which this post is about) with the imminent release by everyones favourite (sarcasm?) dubbing company ADV, i’m stumped. Normally i don’t think about buying a dubbed version of an anime series i have all the episodes for, especially because of the lack of episodes per disc as well as the high price. But because it is what it is, i’m slightly considering it. what i don’t get from the trailer is what any of the characters sound like, maybe a clever move by ADV to lure customers into buying the dvds hoping it’ll be alright. Instead we’re treated to an announcer who sounds like the guy off Samurai Pizza Cats ( need to find my dvd with the episodes of that, graet childhood memories). And when he says Gurren Lagann it doesn’t sound anything like what i’s meant to sound like. In the sped up part at the end it sounds right, but i just hope this guy is for the trailer and has nothing else to do with the series.
Well it is meant to come out on the 26th, and i don’t know if that includes a UK region disc ( prolly not) but as the ADV website has taken down a load of animes from their website who knows what is going on anymore. Oh well at least i can still watch some Samurai Pizza Cats til then…
You watch that and tell me it’s not the same guy.
Filed under: Anime | Tags: boredom, gurren lagann, kamina, tcg, tengen toppa gurren lagann
as my Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann TCG booster boxes won’t be posted til Monday. To be fair, last time they turned up within a few days, something i have never had happen when ordering from overseas, but even so, it still means i have to wait. Normally i would be fine, but oh am i bored outta my mind. After watching the latest UFC ( SPOILER : really wanted Lesner to win, didn’t like him too much in WWE but wanted him to do well in the octagon) and now waiting for the Superbowl to start ( GO PATS!), i fear i will have nothing to do over the next couple of days. Apart from working in the evenings, i ain’t really got anything to do now that my plastic came on the weekend. Could play some games, but everything i play i either get bored of quickly at the moment or spend ages not doing anything particular in the game than mucking around. I’m blame the weather, it’s been raining for days, can’t go outside to do any photography, can’t drive anywhere as my car is dead ( RIP Astra, you’ll be missed sorely), and the lack of those two leads to boring days after days. Well at least when these turn up, i’ll have something to do. Meanwhile, i’m still trying to set up some sort of diorama for these things, as with these two boxes will be another 12 figures ( albeit only 5 are needed per set, so 10 figures with 2 spare hopefully) and them plus the 7 i already own would look pretty sweet on some sort of stage.
Filed under: Anime | Tags: air gear, Anime, deathnote, hunter x hunter, jing, list, manga, top 5
Over the years i have bought many a manga, most in English, some in Japanese, and even a few in French and German that i have later found in in English but being too broke to re-buy them again. Like my anime, my manga range of series and genres is pretty wide spread, from shounen to 1 or 2 shojo ( that i haven’t finished due to me coming to my senses about what they were about and likely to lead into). Here are my 5 favourite manga’s ( to date) that i’ve read.
1. Deathnote
Great picture isn’t it. I started reading this series about 1 or 2 months after the first scanlations were done, and continued reading right til the end ( which i have no problem with, i think it’s a fine ending). To start with i was hooked on the whole battle between L and Kira, but after the first story arc, i was completely engulfed by the series. The drawings are quality throughout the whole series, and the story is one i’ve yet to find comparable to any other manga i’ve read after it. I’m getting this one out of the way now as by now if you like anime or manga then you’ve prolly read or watched the anime, or films, which i recommend.
2. Dectecive Conan
Not Cased Closed. Yes all the manga i have says Case Closed, but no. Just no. Apart from the changing of names which i just don’t get why when every other manga manages to keep the right ones ( apart from Initial D as well, go Tokyopop) and the only reason i can see it being that the anime when dubbed had the names changed as well, this manga is awesome. After watching 200+ episodes of the anime, i was quite happy to finally get my hands on the English version of the manga. Obviously i knew the cases already, but that never stopped me buying all of Dragonball or Deathnote. What kept me buying was how much i enjoy the cases regardless if i know how to solve them. The drawings can be very graphic in places, much like the anime in segments, and the stories range from excellent to ok. If you’re looking for a manga that will leave you trying to figure out how Mr A. killed Mrs B. before you’re told, i’d check here first.
3. Jing : King of Bandits
Great art. Great story. Great Characters. For such a short series ( not unless you count Twilight Tales) this kept me entertained for ages. I simply love the style of drawing and the weird, twisted images and environments that this all takes place in. The main character Jing is a cocky thief, known as the King of Bandits, but cocky for a very good reason. What ever the odds, he seems to pull out of it with [insert stolen item here] every time. Along with the anime and the ova, this is another manga that i would recommend, mainly as i don’t think it has had as much press or spotlight as i think it deserves.
4. Air Gear
Air Treks. C’mon, you know you want a pair. I know that the only thing i want more in the world than actually being told Europe would be getting Smash Bros Brawl in the near future AND the date wouldnt’ change AND i’d get it for free cuz it’s been too damn long would be a working pair of air treks and anime like healing. I’d even swap getting a Civic Type-R to have a pair. The anime was one of the best i watched in a long time, so i was very happy to see the manga get translated so soon. Keeping all the humour, fights and skating that the anime derives from, it’s simply a brilliant manga. Clean drawings with a fast paced story leaves me wanting more and more of it.
5. Hunter X Hunter
A-maz-ing! Like most of the manga’s i’ve read, i’ve either watched the anime first then got the manga and vice versa. With this, i watched the whole series of Hunter X Hunter from start to end, Greed Island included, in a matter of weeks, with many days watching 3 or 4 episodes then doing some work for university. Apart from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (refer to a here as to what i’m going on about) this series is awesome. But, as i am sure a lot of people have found, the ending of the anime left me with so many questions. This is when i started to read the manga, which thankfully goes past Greed Island and continues the story. Without giving anything away, i’m still deeply happy with the progress of the story and characters. Gon is still a legend of a character, much like he has been along with Killua, and keeping up with the Ryodan is pretty cool. There have been a lot of complaints about the quality and releases of the work, with the manga being on and off for a few years or so now, and it is to my understanding the artist is ill. What ever the reason, i’m not bothered. While the drawings have gotten sketchy, i’m still engrossed by the story too much to care. Watch, read, and look up Hunter X hunter, as it is a definite winner.
Notable manga’s not on the list include Dragonball (c’mon, it is actually good when you read it), Initial D ( would be on the list but Tokyopop has ruined Initial D in English for me), Eyeshield 21, Trigun, Sgt Frog, and everyones favourite long running manga One Piece.
Filed under: Anime | Tags: Anime, glasses, gurren, kamina, tengen toppa gurren lagann
Well i wasn’t expecting my plastic to turn up today (and another package as well from ebay, but thank you Mr Postman for once again not ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door leaving me to wait til Monday to get that one back), and once i had woken up enough i started to make my glasses. After cleaning up some of the tools i had acquired recently, i quickly realized i wasn’t awake at all and sawed a 1 inch cut onto my left index finger using a tabletop cutting saw. After fixing my finger, the rest of the process was easy, far easier than i had thought before and wished i had ordered the plastic sooner. The glasses themselves are ok to wear, not exactly the most comfortable piece of eye-wear i own , but definitely the biggest and stylish ( to each his own…).
Next project – some sort of diorama for my figures. And some more photography. At some point.
Filed under: Anime | Tags: Anime, gurren, lagann, mech, mecha, tcg, tengen toppa gurren lagann
Well here are the shots of my first set of figures. I was very lucky in that each part of a series ( of which there are 2 at the moment, don’t know when/if there is a new one to come, would hope so) has 5 figures to collect, with 9 cards. Out of the one box i bought of figure booster boxes, it comes with six boxes. Having no idea what the ratio and likely-hood of obtaining each figure would be, whether some were rarer than others and such, i opened each box to be greeted by one of each figure, and a spare Kitan. Now i’ve ordered the other part of this series ( i ordered part 2 of series 1 first as i wanted Viral and Yoko) and part 1 of series 2 so i can ‘hopefully’ get Enki, Kittan’s ganmen, Lord Genome, Gurren, Lagann, Simon and Kamina ( i got both of them as i bought the starter set which they come with, but in the boosters Simon has his drill bit and Kamina his sword.). Anyways, until they turn up here are some pictures of the figures i already have.
Now if only i could get my hands on those model kits.
Filed under: Anime | Tags: Anime, gundam, gurren, lagann, mech, mecha, tengen toppa gurren lagann, trigun
After a slow start to the year, i’ve finally decided to start watching some new anime. But i have one major problem.
And it’s name is Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. I had heard of the anime when it first came out, and being a mech fan i was going to watch it, but university and some other series i was finishing took over. It wasn’t until just a little over 2 months ago, prolly mid November, that i watched it all. And now i don’t think anything can beat it. Past animes that have won me over include Full Metal Alchemist, Hunter X Hunter, Prince of Tennis ( i have my reasons), Initial D, Trigun, Gundam, and The Law of Ueki, which all still i consider to be great. I just don’t think anything will be able to go as balls out as Gurren Lagann has. If you’ve watched it you know what i mean. If you haven’t, i couldn’t recommend this enough. Not only have i bought 3 boxes of the TCG figures (pictures will follow sooner or later), but my sheet of plastic should arrive soon to make my Kamina glasses. I know, that’s sad, but the closest any other anime has gotten me to do anything that drastic was Prince of Tennis, and that was a shirt.
So now i’m left with the decision of what to watch. I’ve heard of a few series that have taken my fancy, Moyashimon ranks the highest on my interest list, but it’s so different that i can’t stop craving more action. Think i’ll just swap between episodes of Gurren Lagann and Gundam 00 til i think of something.
