Magic Pad

Although most of the time I don't care for most non-comedy AMVs I love this one. Truly beautiful and haunting. The better your monitor the better this vid will be for you.

EP.34 Ronery Again :(

Well we have no guest hosts this time. I swear it's all part of a complex plan and totally not laziness on my part. We throw out another contest idea, talk about news and review Cramarti High School. Enjoy! ~Neokage

Direct download: EP.34_Ronery_Again.mp3

Black Rock Shooter: The Online Shitstorm

Okay guys it finally came out, if you can't tell by the forums blowing up all over the place. All five of you who follow the shows I'm into may know that I was excited about this one. However, if you listen to what I say about it in past discussions you may notice I choose my words wisely. In every instance I've said: "I'm excited about this one because I'm a hopeless Miku Hatsune fanboy."

Whenever there's an anime that's already based on something with a rabid fanbase the outcome is always going to be bad. It totally makes sense too. The fanboys have already put the subject of the show on such a piller that no writer will ever really live up to it in their mind. Not that it really matters. All the online bitching in the world doesn't really matter when we know damn well that the fans will buy it. The last three Star Wars were trash but we know damn well that the fans who were bitching about episode one were in line a week early for the last one.

Even then I'm comparing apples and oranges. The writer of Star wars was always George Lucus. He just waited too long to make the sequels and got old and lame sitting around waiting. Black Rock Shooter was based on a music video. In said video two plot points were established. Miku is no longer Miku, but a hero known as Black Rock Shooter who flies all over a checkered, gothy, chain and tombstone ridden world wielding an impossibly large arm-cannon, and she fights a scythe wielding horned girl with two floaty skull as minions. With only that they had to flush out a 50 minute story.

For those who haven't seen the OVA yet. Think K-on! meets Bleach with a dash of "Hot Topic". Essentially, Junior high school girl, Matou Kuroi meets a girl named Yomi. The two grow close despite Yomi's fear of getting close to people. (Her family moved around a lot making long term friendships impossible.) All's well until the two are landed in different classes the following year. This causes them to become distant. All the while, the scenes flash between this story and Black Rock Shooter (apparently Matou's other dimensional alter ego) in an alternative dimension wandering silently closer to a church. When the the two start getting distant in the "real" world. BRS runs into the "Yomi" in that world. However in this world she's an evil demonic version. While Matou struggles to bridge the gap between her and her friend a battle ensues between BRS and "Dead Master Yomi".

As for personal thoughts, I enjoyed it well enough. Can I die happy with this? Probably not. The stories kind of seem tacked together, and the "junior high school" story is like 80 percent of the film. With all due respect to the writers, the we tuned in for Black Rock Shooter, not another school drama. If we wanted that we'd tune into just about every other anime ever made. In any case though I'll be sure to see the next one. Oh yes! There's more coming and I'll be waiting, and mock my words most of those guys complaining in the forums will be watching right along with me. ~Neokage

EP.33 Questions, Hosts and Sluts Whee!

Continuing from where we last left off we still have Animucast on as well as the the Gay Nerd!

In this episode we answer questions and talk about a show that's all about the sex...but totally cops out cause there's no sex...enjoy! ~Neokage

Direct download: EP.33_Questions_Hosts_and_Sluts_Whee.mp3

Cracking the Code of Ookamisan

I'm thoroughly enjoying Ookamisan to Shichinin no Nakamatachi. However, there was one thing kind of bugging.
Now, I'm obviously a big fan of anime otherwise I wouldn't be spending all my time on it, like most fans of one nerdy genre or another I tend to dig deep to get the details of stories. With anime, one thing I see often is the clinging to other stories or themes to base the plot upon and then branch off with a story of they're own. They could be basic themes that the anime creators know work such as "high school, catgirls, and aliens". The ones I find interesting however is when they take just basic key elements from another story and stick it in a completely unrelated show. I often see in shoujo manga using tons of "Alice in Wonderland" references.
Ookamisan is apparently based "Little Red Riding Hood" which was a bit of a surprise considering aside from how one of the characters dresses you would never be able to tell. For those who haven't been following, Ryoko Okami is a vicious looking high school girl. She is a member of a "fixer" club so called Otogi High School Bank. She fixes the school's problems with her partner Ringo Akai. She's confessed to by a scopaphobic (fear of being seen) boy from her class, Ryoshi who joins the club and uses his hunting and sniping skills to aid Ryoko.
Ringo is a small loli who looks and dresses like the famous "Riding Hood" but has a devilish side to her. Ryoko with her aggressive behavior and canine teeth is the "Big Bad Wolf". Finally, Ryoshi's skills obviously make him the hunters' representative.
All this is fine and great but I'm three episodes in now and I'm seeing throwbacks to other fairy tales including "Cinderella", and "The Tortoise and the Hare". Also, the club has a ton of other characters. I hope by the time this ends they draw connections between them and other fairy tale characters. I have no issues with referencing cultural icons, but once you start, finish what you began.

EP.32 The Episode That Almost Wasn't!

First of all, I have to thank Roundpeg from the 2Lazy2Botaku Podcast. We had some technacal problems that threatened the release of this and the next episode and he solved them.

In this show we have the Gay Nerd from the Girl Nerd podcast on again and we invite Shoki and King from the (new to the network) Animucast! Together we combine our powers to summon Captain Planet to cover the news and review Air Gear! ~Neokage

Direct download: EP.32_The_Episode_That_Almost_Wasnt.mp3

Summer Season 2010 Pt. 2

Here are some more shows I've watched so far. Just a reminder these are total snap judgments based only on the first episode.

Nurarihyon No Mago:
The story revolves around Rikuo, a kid who looks like a slightly older Negi. He is the grandson of the "Demon King" and next in line for the throne, which he doesn't want. Him and his friends from school go looking around a haunted house which is apparently is crawling with demons and tries to hide them from his human buddies.

What I expected: Bishi Time
What I Got: Monster slapstick
The Good: I could easily see this coming to cartoon network.
The Bad: The comedy is pretty meh.
The Ugly: When he's in "bishi-mode" his long hair sticks straight back, but when he's leaning against something it goes left or right to avoid smushing against the wall.
Will I Keep Watching: If I have time.


Seitokai Yakuindomo:
Takatoshi starts in a high school that has just gone from being an all-girl school to coed. He immediately is inducted into the student council for no other reason than they need a male opinion in meetings. The rest of the show is "slice of life" slapstick and dirty jokes.

What I expected: random harem
What I Got: Seriously dirty, funny jokes
The Good: It tries to be funny and outrageous and it succeeds.
The Bad: The characters aren't particularly memorable.
The Ugly: If you don't like sex jokes stay away.
Will I Keep Watching: Yep.

Ookamisan to Shichinin no Nakamatachi:
At a fantasy high school in a fantasy world there is a club that will take on any job in return for a "favor" in the future. The story is mainly about Taiga...er...Ryouko, who looks and acts like a grown up Taiga from Toradora. She fights baddies with boxing gloves that look like cats called, "Neko Neko Knuckles" and is stalked by some super shy guy who is in love with her.

What I expected: Didn't care, I just wanted Taiga back
What I Got: Maybe the back action/comedy of the season.
The Good: Fun to watch, well rounded.
The Bad: The show doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense.
The Ugly: Can someone shut the "granny narrator" up?!
Will I Keep Watching: You Betcha!

Mitsudomoe:
The story of three sisters in class who drive their teacher insane. Dirty jokes and slapstick ensue.
'Nuff said.

What I expected: Minami-Ke with lolis
What I Got: Dirty jokes and lolis
The Good: It's kind of funny sometimes
The Bad: could end up being a slippery slope to a lolicon show real quick.
The Ugly:The character design reminds me of "The Chipettes" from "Alvin and the Chipmunks".
Will I Keep Watching: I'll give a couple more episodes.

Acid Star

Just a new AMV I think people should check out. especially if you like funny/ creepy stuff like yours truly. Just spreading otaku diseases as usual:)

Summer Season 2010 Pt. 1

Nothing gets me quite as excited as awaiting the onslaught of anime in the beginning of a new season. Every season surprises me in one way or another. I look at the previews and make snap judgments just to be taken by surprise by half the shows released. The show that looked awesome is lame and the show that looked stupid is the best show of the season. Is this season the exception? Let's find out. I've watched the first episode of each of these shows and set up a little rating system that I like to use in my head to figure out how I'm going to tackle that particular series for the season. Hopefully this helps you folks in choosing your poison this season.





High School of the Dead:
Zombie Apocalypse kicks off in japan. By the time the characters in this school find out it's too late. How will they survive! Dunn dunn DUUUNNN!!

What I expected: Zombies, Tits, And Guns
What I Got: Zombies, Tits, Guns, and forced Drama
The Good: Zombies, Tits, And Guns. Nuff Said
The Bad: Don't expect a SO DEEP anime out of this one
The Ugly: Rei's character design reminds me of a coach roach.
Will I Keep Watching: Hell yes.



Seikimatsu Occult Academy :
Maya is a girl whose father created a school based on the study of the occult resulting in him ignoring her for childhood and giving her "daddy issues". After his death, she enters the school with plans to bring it down as revenge. At the end of the episode a naked guy floats down from the sky in front of her.

What I expected: A somewhat serious horror/mystery series
What I Got: A funny, surprisingly engaging Hogwarts based show
The Good: zombie decapitation in the first episode. Good stuff.
The Bad: Nothing much to complain about yet.
The Ugly: Look for the penis shadow at the end of the first episode. Also the fat goth guy is unsettling.
Will I Keep Watching: Yes, has tons of potential





Shi Ki:
Megumi, a school girl wanders around her backwoods town for the whole first episode bitching and moaning about how she hates living there. She decides to check out the new neighbors who erected a castle on the outskirts of the town in hopes they will have a hot son who'll fall in love with her a take her far away from the town. She disappears for a couple days then is found in the woods weak and pale. She dies at the end of the episode.

What I expected: A Higurashi-esque, creepy mystery
What I Got: A somewhat boring show with an annoying main character
The Good: Not much so far. Still has a chance to come around though.
The Bad: Annoying characters, Predictable (Huur Durr the new neighbors are vampires. I get it!)
The Ugly: Character design ranges from unattractive to stupid. Look at some of the hair styles the male characters are sporting.
Will I Keep Watching: Begrudgingly yes.


Shukufuku No Campanella:
In a fantasy world, Leinchester (AKA: Hef) Spends the whole first episode corralling his harem together including his mom (sad but true). They have a picnic during a harvest festival and a shooting star hits the tower of a a castle. He follows it and finds a loli laying in a bed who awakens and calls him "daddy".

What I expected: A crappy, sugary harem
What I Got: A crappier, sugary harem
The Good: If you're brain dead and moe starved you'll love it.
The Bad: Boring. boring. boring.
The Ugly: This reminds me of the days when the industry pumped out the same damned moe clone after another.
Will I Keep Watching: I don't think I physically can. I can't stay awake.

EP.31 Q& A with the Girl and Gay...Nerds that is

Last episode of the Otaku Momentum! Hideyoshi came on the show with a bomb demanding six more sequels to Baka To Test! We also had the Girl and Gay Nerds fro the Girl Nerd Podcast on as guests. One of them is an evil robot but which one? Which One!? Also we do Q & A with our forum members and review Durarara!! Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion!! ~Neokage

Direct download: EP.31_Q_and_A_with_the_girl_and_gay_nerds_that_is.mp3

Hello again! This show, Hideyoshi sits in for reasons I still can't understand, and we have the Girl Nerd and Gay Nerd as special guests as we go over some news. After we are probably the last anime podcast out there to review Chobits. Enjoy! ~Neokage

Direct download: EP_30_The_Nerds_and_the_Persocoms.mp3