Miyazaki's Masterpieces

After being unable to immerse myself in "Girls Bravo," I decided to pay tribute to Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest and most well-known directors within the anime community.    Miyazaki celebrated his 71st birthday on January 5, 2012.  In his honor, I decided to watch his films in chronological order.   I watched the frst 6 movies yesterday, and spent most of today watching the last 3 with Anaiya, my 9-year-old niece and  Cameron, my 5-year-old nephew.
 1. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, 2. Castle in the Sky, 3. My Neighbor Totoro, 4. Kiki's Delivery Service, 5. Porco Rosso, 6. Princess Mononoke, 7. Spirited Away, 8. Howl's Moving Castle, and 9.Ponyo!
 I love all of them, but when I asked  my niece, Anaiya,  she said that her favorite was "Princess Mononoke."  I guess that will be the next one I buy for her!  I've already given her "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro."  I hope that she will one day want to attend an anime convention with me and my Hubby Chris!  In the meantime, I can't wait to see Miyazaki's latest release, "The Secret World of Arrietty"!  The film is scheduled to be released on February 17, 2012 in North America by Walt Disney Pictures.  Maybe my niece will want to watch it with me!!!!!!!!!!  I am definitely getting it when it is released on DVD!!!!!!!!!  I'm expecting it to be as good as his previous releases.   I can't think of a better gift to give the man who continues to bring so much joy to me and many others within the anime community than another successful film under his belt!!!!!!!!!!!!  HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, MR. MIYAZAKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!  MAY YOU CONTINUE TO RULE OVER THE ANIME COMMUNITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dead Wrong about "High School Of The Dead?"

I spent a portion of New Year's Eve watching High School Of The Dead with Hubby Christopher Wanamaker.
I decided to watch it again today just for the "hell" of it!  LOL!!!!
The broadcast series High School of the Dead (2010) opens on an ordinary day at Fujima Academy in Tokyo--until hordes of zombies begin attacking people. Anyone who's bitten by them is either devoured or turned into a zombie. Sophomore Takashi Komuro, four of his friends, and Ms. Shizuka, the overendowed school nurse, fight their way out of the school and struggle to survive in a world gone mad. Using swords, baseball bats, and an arsenal of high-tech weapons and vehicles, the teenagers beat, blast, and flatten their grisly foes. The cause of the zombie plague is just one of the many important plot points that's never explained, but director Tetsuro Araki isn't really interested in presenting a coherent story. He keeps the camera looking up the girls' skirts, down their blouses, or at blank walls that get splattered with blood. In one shot certain to go down in fan-service history, he follows a projectile over one girl's breasts and under another's skirt--in slow motion. Hormonal adolescent boys who enjoy the juxtaposition of jiggle shots and blood baths are the obvious audience for High School of the Dead; other viewers should approach it with caution.   Needless to say, this is one anime that is definitely NOT FOR CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!
Honestly, it reminded me of the 1968 film classic, Night Of The Living Dead. However, unlike its classic counterpart, High School Of The Dead  does not blame the zombie attacks on nuclear radiation waking the dead.   As I stated before, no obvious explanation was offered for the events that unfolded during the anime. Though,  self-proclaimed genius Saya Takagi suggested that the cause might be a pandemic!   Of course, there were some characters worth mentioning.  The school nurse, Shizuka Marikawa,  was an idiot, and Saya Takagi  is bossy and conceited!  At least, in my opinion!  On the upside, Monica Rial, my fave voice actress, had a  role in this particular anime--that of  Shizuka Marikawa.  Also, Jessica Boone, whom I loved as Misaki Suzuhara in Angelic Layer, voiced Rei Miyamoto in High School of the Dead! (Incidentally, Monica Rial also provided the voice of Tamayo Kizaki in Angelic Layer!)   Aside from no logical explanation for the events that unfolded throughout the course of the anime, the ending was inconclusive.  Does this mean that a second season looms on the horizon?    If it does, I'll probably get it just to see how the story ends!!!!!!!!! 

Nana, Nana! Nana, Nana! Hey! Hey! Good-bye! (Again!)

I spent most of the last 12 hours watching the 3rd and 4th box sets of  the "Nana" anime.  All in all, not a bad series, though the last episode left the series with an incomplete ending (at least, in my opinion!)  

Synopsis of Box Set 3
Nana K. is happily involved with Takumi from Trapnest, though she doesn't fully trust him.  Nana O. graciously stays away from the apartmen for a while, and both Nanas feel the loneliness of their separation.  Then in the midst of BLAST preparing to sign their first record deal, Nobu makes a surprise confession to Nana K.  Now she must make a difficult choice, and someone's heart is bound to be borken.

Synopsis of Box Set 4
As if BLAST's debut wasn't causing enough stress, Takumi and Nana K.'s announcemnt sends everyone reeling, but none more than Nona O. and Reira.  While Reira turns to Shin for comfort, Nana O. is drawn to Yasu and his calm understanding, leaving her questioning her relationship with Ren.  Nana K. meanwhile is happily nesting in her new home, but her continued estrangement from Nana O. weighs heavily on her heart.

After all is said and done, this was truly an interesting anime with one of the highest ratings in my book!  I'm gonna miss it!  Undoubtedly, I will pull out the entire series to watch again sometime in the future!  But for  now, I'll quote the song:  "Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Shinjuku" Superb!

I just finished watching "Demon City Shinjuku," one of the anime DVDs my Hubby bought for me at Anime USA 2 weekends ago!  I decided to get it after Amazon recommended it based on the fact that I liked "Wicked City." 
From the director of Ninja Scroll!: The near future. The glittering skyline of Tokyo now lies broken and crumbling under the weight of an oppressive evil: The tyrannical Rebi Rah. Desperate to rescue her father, who was taken captive by Rah and his monstrous minions, the beautiful Sayaka Rama enlists the help of Kyoya, a streetwise Tokyo teenager. The two must bravely venture into the Demon City, where even the army fears to tread.

The movie begins with a battle between fates, the evil Rebi Ra (also pronounced Levi Ra or even Devi Da) versus the short-lived hero Genichirou. Rebi Ra has allowed himself to be possessed in order to gain the incredible powers of evil and plans to summon demons to conquer the world. Defeating Genichirou and destroying Shinjuku, a part of Tokyo, with a devastating earthquake, the area becomes a demon-haunted wilderness.

Ten years later, the World President, put in place to uphold world peace, is attacked by Rebi Ra indirectly to keep his old master, Aguni Lai (Aguni Rai), as the protector of the president, occupied. However, Rebi Ra did not know that Genichirou had a son who inherited his powers and more. After an emotional plea from the president's daughter, Sayaka Rama, the unlikely hero Kyoya Izayoi follows her deep into the heart of the evil city, finding new allies and terrifying enemies along the way.

This is definitely a dark anime, and while it is similar in some ways to Wicked City,  and while I do consider the animation quality and storyline to be superb,   there weren't nearly as many sexual situation and comic relief characters to put it as high on my ratings list as Wicked City!  All  in all, it was an interesting anime that I wouldn't mind checking out again sometime.  (Maybe Hubby  will be with me instead of working the next time I watch it!)

Anime USA 2011: The Last Hurrah!

I just spent the greatest weekend ever at Anime USA (probably the last anime convention I'll attend until Katsucon in February 2012.)  I, along with my Hubby (Christopher Wanamaker), cosplayed all 3 days!  We cosplayed as Wonder Woman & Wolverine from the comic book world, Jem & Rio from the popular 1980s animated series, and Mario and Toad from the "Super Mario Bros." video game franchise.  I also managed to get some great DVDs (Thanks, Hubby!  I love you!), including the last 2 box sets of "Nana," "Demon City Shinjuku," and "High School Of The Dead," but the highlight of my  weekend was meeting AND getting to take a picture with Monica Rial, one of my fave voice actresses in the anime world!!!  She also autographed my "Angelic Layer" manga!!!!!!!!!!  I wasn't impressed with the Cosplay Masquerade this year.  Only one of the skits impressed me, the one involving "The Cat Returns" featuring con attendees Jay & Lee (I don't know who they are, I just liked their skit)!  LOL!  That being said, maybe I'll try to do better and put my money where my mouth is and perform a skit at Katsucon 18 (February 17-19, 2012)!!!!

"Brilliant Blue" Is A Brilliant Anime!

I just finished watching the entire series of "Daphne In The Brilliant Blue."  What a great anime!!!!!  In spite of the massive amount of fan service, I find that the series deserves to be rated high up on the scale.  In fact, it  may become one of my Top 10 Favorite Series! 
Daphne in the Brilliant Blue (光と水のダフネ, Hikari to Mizu no Dafune^?) is a 2004 anime series animated by the studio J.C.Staff and produced by GENCO. It was licensed by Geneon USA in 2004. However, Geneon USA had ceased operations in September 2007 and lost all their titles. In 2009, Sentai Filmworks had picked up the license and re-released the series in two complete collection sets.
In the future, water has covered much of the Earth due to the effects of global warming, leaving the human race to live on neighboring floating cities. The orphaned Maia Mizuki, 15, just graduated from middle school and has already applied for employment in the elite Ocean Agency, part of the futuristic world government. Only the best, most intelligent, and physically fit students are eligible for admission. Maia, the series' protagonist, is set to become one of the few.

But her ideal life quickly falls apart. To her disappointment, Maia unexpectedly fails her entrance exams despite her high grades. Making matters worse, she promptly gets evicted from her house, pick pocketed, taken hostage, then shot. She is "saved" by two women (Rena and Shizuka) that are part of an unorthodox help-for-hire organization called Nereids (inspired by the Greek mythological Nereids). With nowhere to go, Maia joins up with Nereids, taking jobs from capturing wanted criminals to chasing stray cats, often with unexpected results. Gloria and Yu later join up with Nereids.

"Daphne", Greek for "Laurel tree", in the title refers to Maia's grandfather last words. "Brilliant Blue" refers to the fact that this is a world covered by water with almost no land. The world consists of vast oceans, a few islands, and floating cities. This subplot that starts midway into the series concerns Maia's journey to retrieve a time capsule of her past buried under a laurel tree in Elpida, an undersea city lost over a century ago.
In almost every episode, there is a recitation of a verse that Maia's grandfather taught her. She and others say it whenever her life is difficult or in danger - "A tree that is planted by water will produce fruit in due season, its leaves will never whither...". It is never identified as Psalm 1:3, "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (NIV)

I did find one annoying character, Yukari Hanaoka, the daughter of the Branch Manager, who is Maia's Branch Manager at the Nereids Kamchatka branch.  In spite of the annoying character and the large quantity of "panty shots," the storyline kept me interested, and the ending (which was a complete surprise!)  renders this "Brilliant" anime to be worth a second look sometime in the future!!!!!!

Ponyo: The Little Fish With The Round Tummy

I can't believe that, as many times as I've watched "Ponyo" since I started this blog, I have never voiced my opinion on it!!!!!!!!!!  But after watching "Moonphase," an anime with a major focus on vampires, I felt I needed something a little more lighthearted!!!!! 
"Ponyo" is an animated adventure centered on a 5-year-old boy (Sosuke) and his relationship with a goldfish princess (Ponyo) who longs to become human. Ponyo confirms Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki's reputation as one of the most imaginative filmmakers working today. Loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid," Ponyo is a magical celebration of innocent love and the fragile beauty of the natural world. The daughter of the sea goddess Gran Mamare (voiced by Cate Blanchett) and the alchemist Fujimoto (Liam Neeson), Ponyo (Noah Cyrus) begins life as an adventurous little goldfish. Chafing at her father's restrictions, she goes in search of adventure and meets Sosuke (Frankie Jonas), a good-natured 5-year-old who lives by the sea. Sosuke adopts Ponyo and quickly wins her heart. Fujimoto uses magic to bring her back, but Ponyo's love for Sosuke proves stronger than his elixirs. She transforms herself into a human girl and returns to him during a spectacular storm at sea, but her metamorphosis upsets the balance of nature, precipitating a crisis only Gran Mamare can resolve.
I may be prejudiced by my love for almost anything Miyazaki, but "Ponyo" definitely gets the highest rating in my book!!!!!!!!!!