I've been trying to post this since last Saturday (6/2/2012), but for some reason the www.blogger.com website has been acting up! So, here's what happend!
I woke up Saturday morning, expecting to be able to watch the third and final season of “Jem & the Holograms.” However, the first disc would not play (it was scratched), so I decided to watch some random anime. The lineup consisted of “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya,” “Rozen Maiden: Ouverture,” “The Fantastic Adventures of Unico,” “Lupin the 3rd Episode 0: First Contact,” “The Secret World of Arrietty,” and “My Neighbor Totoro.”
The theatrical feature "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya" (2010) reunites the characters (and crew and voice cast) of the popular series "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" in an extended and appropriately offbeat adventure. Ignoring the bitter cold, Haruhi charges ahead with plans for the SOS Brigade to hold a Christmas Eve party. But when perpetually put-upon Kyon wakes up on December 18, the tinsel he bought the night before is missing from his backpack. Before class begins at North High, the murderous Asakura takes Haruhi's seat. When Kyon objects, he discovers none of his classmates have any memory of Haruhi. Asahina doesn't know him; Koizumi has transferred to an elite prep school; and an uncharacteristically meek Nagato greets him in the literary club room--where the SOS Brigade met. Apparently a major alteration of the space-time continuum took place early on the 18th. But who commands the staggering power needed to cause it? And how can Kyon, who has no psi abilities, repair the damage before it's too late? The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is darker in tone than the often knock-about silly TV series. Directors Tatsuya Ishihara and Yasuhiro Takemoto build the suspense skillfully, playing on Kyon's (and the viewer's) uncertainties. As Haruhi and the rest of the cast are AWOL through most of the film, the story becomes an internal monologue for Kyon. Voice actor Crispin Freeman does an impressive job of holding the audience's attention and keeping his character sympathetic.
Clocking in at 185 minutes, "Disappearance" is at least 15 minutes too long and suffers from multiple endings. It's a good film that will please fans of the series, but if Ishihara and Takemoto had tightened the story and ended it more surely, it could have been a great one. The many extras include footage of location scouting in Tokyo, a recording session with the pianist who performs the Satie pieces for the soundtrack, and special screening events in Kyoto and Tokyo. I think the worst i can say about any of the characters is that they are spineless, and Haruhi is too bossy! But, then again, I guess that's what makes it interesting. It's not a complaint, just an observation!
Rozen Maiden: Ouverture Deserves Ovation
I fell in love with “Rozen Maiden” after seeing a picture of a cosplayer dressed as Shinku, the main character, while flipping through the book Everybody Cosplay by Jan Kurotaki. After watching both seasons of the anime—“Rozen Maiden” and “Rozen Maiden: Traumend”—on DVD, I was excited when the “Rozen Maiden: Ouverture” OVA came out on DVD last December!
Journey back to 19th century London and the birth of the Rozen Maidens to witness the cruel and tragic origin of Rozen's first doll, and how, even when left abandoned and unfinished , she still fought her own way to the Rosa Mystica and the Alice Game! But leave what you think you know behind, for this is Souseiseki's story, and what she has to say may surprise you! Prepare for an all new tale of Rozen Genesis in Rozen Maiden: Ouverture!
I know that based on what I’ve seen in the anime, that Hina Ichigo is annoying and that Shinku is bossy and spoiled. However, the Rozen Maiden series as a whole is quite enjoyable. I may have to go back and watch the entire series!
Unico: The Fantastic Adventures of Unico
I used to love "Unico" as a child, but usually had to wait until I was with my cousins before I could watch it...I didn't own the movie! Thanks to my wonderful Hubby, that changed recently! "The Fantastic Adventures of Unico" in English, and simply "Unico" in Japan, was released in Japan on March 14, 1981. This musical film, narrated by Iruka, directed by Toshio Hirata, written by Masaki Tsuji, and with animation by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, presents the back story of Unico's banishment and his subsequent travels, as well as his friendships with Beezle (to whom he grants his own horn) and Chao/Katy (to whom he grants the wish of becoming a human girl).
Beezle (known as "Akuma-kun," or "Little Devil," in the original version) initially rejects Unico's overtures of friendship, but comes around when he realizes how lonely he really is. After Beezle saves Unico from drowning, the two begin their friendship in earnest, but then the West Wind comes to take Unico away.
The next creature Unico encounters is Chao (Katy), a black-and-white cat who dreams of becoming a witch. Katy and Unico befriend a lonely old woman, whom Katy mistakenly believes is a witch and will teach her some magic as well as transform her into a human girl. When Unico changes Katy into a girl, Katy at first believes that the old woman did it, until Unico proves it was his doing by changing her back into a cat; but Unico, seeing how selfish Katy has become, refuses to change Katy back to a girl, until one day when Katy saves the old woman from drowning. Katy then becomes entranced by a man posing as a lord (Danshaku in Japanese, Baron de Ghost in English). He invites her to his castle, gets her drunk and attempts to seduce her. Unico follows, rescuing Katy (with help from Beezle) after transforming into a majestic white winged unicorn and destroying the monster that the "lord" had transformed into. Afterwards, West Wind comes to take Unico away again, and Katy moves in with the old woman.
This movie includes several songs, most of which were performed in the original Japanese version by the movie's narrator, singer/songwriter Iruka; however, Chao/Katy's recurring theme song, Chao no Kuroneko no Uta (The Song of Black Cat Chao), was sung by Chao's seiyū, Kazuko Sugiyama. The movie's other songs include Unico no Teemu (Unico's Theme), Hontou wa Subishikute (Beezle/Akuma-kun's image song), and Majo Neko Chao (Witch Cat Chao), all sung by Iruka. For the U.S. release, all of the songs were dubbed into English along with the spoken dialogue, except for the ending song over the closing credits, which is an instrumental in the English version. Unico was voiced by Barbara Goodson in the English dub.
Lupin the 3rd Episode 0: First Contact
Lupin is after mafia boss Galvez's single most precious treasure: a treasure within a treasure. Jigen is Galvez's hired gun who fails to kill cat-burglar Lupin in his first attempt on the treasure and seeks revenge. Fujiko is the girlfriend of Lupin's rival, Brad. Zenigata travels from Japan to America to find and arrest Fujiko. Goemon seeks the almighty sword that cuts steel, Zantetsuken. This sword is mysteriously connected to the treasure in Galvez's vault.... After a series of twists and turns, these complete strangers become acquainted in their "First Contact," an epic adventure! I’ve come to love the Lupin the 3rd movies, and this one is no different, aside from the fact that I had to watch it subtitled. The DVD offered no dub option! As for the characters: Galvez was a fat, horny SOB, but other than that, not detestable. For Lupin’s first movie, he was pretty cool. Fujiko was a sex kitten. (Big surprise!)I hope to collect more Lupin the III movies in the future. I've heard about a few via online sources that I'm not certain are available yet in the United States. (Green vs. Red & The Legend of the Gold of Babylon). Maybe I'll find them when I attend Otakon this summer! But anywho...On with the blogging! To finish up my marathon, I watched 2 movies I've previously blogged about: "The Secret World of Arrietty" and "My Neighbor Totoro." All in all, not a bad day! (But I still would have preferred to watch Season 3 of Jem!) I may be an "Anime-niac," but that doesn't mean I have no respect for the animated world in which I was brought up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
