Cyber Team in Akihabara opens with Hibari Hanakoganei, a rambunctious little girl that just graduated from elementary school. To celebrate her graduation Hibari tells her parents that she wants a Pata-Pi, a tamagotchi-like toy. After being denied her precious mascot, Hibari is told by a perverted old man that her “sweet prince” from her dreams is just over a nearby hill. Hibari runs to the hill to greet her prince, only to find nothing at all. Suddenly, a little Pata-Pi falls from the sky and lands right in the arms of Hibari.
Archive for November, 2004
Neon Genesis Evangelion Death & Rebirth
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004The long awaited Neon Genesis Evangelion had finally arrived! After ordering the DVD from Anime Nation, I was anxious to see what Hideki Anno had in store for me. I rip the package open and pop the disc into my computer. Anticipation can hardly be contained as the first scene begins to play. And what a great scene it is! Manga Entertainment did a superb job of localizing Death and Rebirth. No fewer than three voices are translated in the opening dialogue, and all are being spoken at the same time. Emotions run wild as an angel of light graces the screen and detonates Second Impact. What a great start to the movie.
Grave Of The Fireflies
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004Originally released in Japan in 1988, Grave of the Fireflies tells the story of two siblings orphaned after an air raid on their village. Seita, the proud brother, and Setsuko, the innocent little sister, are forced to find shelter with relatives. The opening scene is a realistic presentation of just how dire their situation is. Throughout the movie, air raids continue nonstop. No matter what Seita and Setsuko are doing, an air raid is never far behind. Both siblings are helpless and trapped, unable to find other relatives or forms of shelter.
Cowboy Bebop Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004The latest creation from Bebop creator Hajime Yadate. His goal was to create one last adventure with the entire Bebop clan before they go their separate ways. The movie takes place between episodes 22 and 23, just before the aforementioned takes place. The development team remains the same, with the exception of Junichi Higashi being replaced with Atsushi Morikawa, and set designer Hiroshi Takeuchi taking over for Isamu Imakake. Although Heaven’s Door take place on the always-popular planet of Mars, the visuals look different from anything seen in the series. Two new staff members, along with a trip to Morocco are the cause for this surprisingly new take on Bebop.
Blood: The Last Vampire
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004When production for Blood The Last Vampire started, its team had one goal on their mind: Create a new standard and style of animation for all future projects. Through the use of Photoshop and other current technology, the production team hoped to raise the bar on Japanese animation. Instead have having smoothly drawn lines, as is tradition in anime, the team had the artists draw rough, sketch-like lines. When the project was nearing completion, the team had to scrap everything. Artists were smoothing their lines, and the team felt it was too traditional. Work on Blood started all over again. When Blood The Last Vampire was finally released, it won the prestigious “Best Theatrical Feature Film” at the 2001 World Animation Celebration.
Akira
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004Katsuhiro Otomo brings his graphic novel to life in his 1988 landmark animated film, Akira. Akira tells the story of two friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda. After a military helicopter kidnaps Tetsuo, Kaneda must fight through the lies and false facets in order to find and save his friend. Akira set the standard for Japanese animation and some current films are still below it. A warning: Akira is not for the timid; it features hidden symbolism, a bizarre storyline, and graphic situations.
Metropolis
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004Metropolis was meant to be an epic, a great project blending breathtaking animation with a masterful tale on the future of humanity. Unfortunately it faltered.
Adieu Galaxy Express 999
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004Yes, this is yet another movie set in the universe of the amazingly popular 1970’s classic anime series: “Captain Harlock”. Further more it’s the sequel to the original Galaxy Express 999 (just in case any of you are wondering, “Adieu” is a French word meaning more or less “so long”).
Those Who Hunt Elves Vol 2
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004We meet up once again with Airi, Junpei, Ritsuko and Celcia for the conclusion of their wild adventures. The last six episodes of Those Who Hunt Elves are just about the same as the first six. In fact, I was a little afraid that the whole thing would eventually get so repetitive and predictable that I would be forced to abandon the series. Fortunately a few choice episodes secured my attention while making sure the fun levels stay up.
Those Who Hunt Elves Vol 1
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004I had read quite a few reviews of Those Who Hunt Elves when I finally decided to get the DVD. Thank god for that or I wouldn’t have understood anything through the whole first episode, in fact I made sure three times that it was indeed the first episode and not the sixth. It was and it really does start right in the middle of the story.
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