The Golden Wolf

The Golden Wolf

She was in a prison surrounded by knowledge

Books are the escape to a set of winding stairs

 A forgotten tower, a garden where sunlight finds its way through

Marked a grey wolf in the skin of a golden fairy

The words chattered and accused were also the silence she lived through

Created to be forgotten, never freed from being remembered

Life with the veil lifted she ponders in isolation

Until a voice never heard before asks the question that has always been on her lips

What exactly is wrong with her? Offered hands and devoted protection

Not a single person should be alone in the world she hears over the falling veil, winters are nightmares threating more than idle exile

But she is more than the snow could cover, more than the grey fur placed around her, a golden light brighter than she’d ever seen

A light seen by someone else

Cherry Blossoms

                                             Cherry Blossoms

 

They fell like this when men screamed and died

Blood rose as they fell, it became hard to tell

The difference between beauty and horror, heaven and hell

Things at the moment no one believed

 

Only whispers that claim to have been there

However they are what was found when the snow thawed

Even in the spring that stirs these memories

Can it look any different or has it become the same since

But a cherry tree is just a tree not a man we try to tell ourselves

Though he wonders what sort of man am I

What sort of man will I become?

Binge Sessions

The Binge Sessions

 

Time to sit down for more otaku time after all that couch can’t sit on itself. The question is on what or better yet the question is which one first. The Binge Sessions are lists sometimes themed, sometimes not, they’re when you want more than a single show like in our Take A Pick Tuesday spotlight, mixtures of news shows, old shows, those that are ongoing and ones you’ve just always wanted to get to. Instead of randomly choosing a show (it works sometimes) how about we dip into a few different things to get the blood pumping!

 

 

Detective Conan/Case Closed- Sure I throw this on many lists, probably for the reason that it fits everything! Seriously though this is the perfect anime to start a new year watching, it has something for anyone you might be surprised will sit next to you and it’s a great show to find yourself obsessed over, prepared to dive into its high episode count. Which is well worth it by the way.

 

       The show follows Shinichi Kudo or Jimmy Kudo in the American version, a teenage modern day Sherlock Holmes that has gained quite the reputation and has been aiding the police in some of their biggest investigations, his friend and love interest Ran Mori/ Rachel Moore reminds him of a promise that he made to take her to theme park. The perfect place to confess feelings for each other perhaps?

     Unfortunately the chance slips by as a murder happens in the theme park, soon after that Shinichi follows the trail of two suspicious characters in black and finds them making a deal with someone. Unbeknownst to him he’s spotted, attacked from behind and fed an experimental drug that was supposed to kill him. Instead it turns him into a child again. Now this genius trapped in a child’s body has to make up a new identity, Conan Edogawa, in order to keep those closest to him from suspecting who he is. As well as keeping them from being involved in something that he soon discovers is increasingly dangerous and larger than anything he’s ever encountered before.

     His newfound identity comes in handy real quick. Soon Shinchi or should we now say Conan finds himself living with Ran and her father Kogoro Mori/ Richard Moore a private detective in the hopes that the cases will lead to these mysterious men in black and give him the chance to return his body to normal. However as the show spotlights when everyone is scratching their head but a kid who may have the answer, whose going to listen to him, however Conan realizes this could also work in his favor.

        With the help of his neighbor Doctor Agasa, he uses the tools created for him to help solve the cases even if he’s using other people unconscious and their voices to do so. Boosting their reputations in the process. The series has everything, a long overwrapping storyline to keep you pulled in, unique mysteries each episode, constant growing characters that share similarities to famous detectives in fiction and popular TV from around the world, great character development in the large cast, meaningful romance humor and the thought process of people, what drives them to crime and sometimes what drives them to do the right thing.

 

       It’s a great show for anyone who might sit with you or just a fantastic show to enjoy by yourself. Some of the cases are pretty complex, it takes a genius like Conan to crack it. In the middle of the binge watching, you can also enjoy the movies that have been released every April for just about twenty years. This is also the 20^th anniversary of the series with lots of surprises coming to fans this year.  What are you waiting for!

 

Dragonball- Once in a while you wonder how far you’ve come. I’m writing about Dragonball, a little surreal, anyways, before there were battles of galactic proportions there were big hearted adventure stories called Dragonball.  Daughter of a famous scientist Bulma Briefs (quite the brain herself) is looking for the fabled Dragon Balls, seven mystical orbs that are said to grant any wish. While journeying she meets Goku, a strange boy with a monkey tail, and unusual strength with an even stranger living situation, one that hides the beginning of his most unique origins. Together along with travel companions they meet along the way they search for the dragon balls, encountering all sorts of strange things that eventually lead smack dab into Goku’s destiny.

    The first series had the sort of wonder we would find in series such as One Piece. Which isn’t too surprising considering Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda are friends. The perfect starting point for a franchise you really have to go out of your way to ignore, you’ll find something to love here, there’s plenty of adventure and action but there’s also humor in a way completely different from the other series.

 

Great Teacher Onizuka- Great Teacher Onizuka follows Eikichi Onizuka former gang leader who wants to be the greatest teacher in Japan. To do so though he’ll have to fight every step of the way, even to get into the school to teach, to be assigned the trouble students, to be constantly on the receiving end of all these things that seem to come before his actual teaching, Onizuka employs his unique style of higher learning to actually help the people around him and changing their lives and his forever.

 

      Who would have thought, for a struggling virgin ex delinquent who is always struggling to make ends meet he’d have a heart of gold. Well it’s the sort of point of the series, everyone has a hidden side to them, not in an evil sinister way, just in a way that needs to be reach out toward, no one more so than students and you get it all in the series, the bullies, the bullied, the children ignored, the love, among the students and the teachers, the sledge hammers, the constant destroying of a certain character’s car, the bleeding out after being shot test taking. I told you this show has everything.

 

Beautiful Bones (Sakuarao’s Investigation)- What would be a list without some fairly recent anime and this one in particular having just concluded. Like the title suggests Beautiful Bones follows Shotoro who  is assistant to the knowledgable Sakuarao. When they are with each other they always seem to stumble upon bodies, which always seems to please Sakuarao because this young beautiful girl has a deep love for bones as well. Sakuarao’s vast knowledge of bones in living things helps her deduce what happened to the body and how it’s related to certain people in distress. People in their own lives are not immune to this and what happens is a showing of a very personal connection between these individuals and the victims. On the surface it seems like Sakuarao is a cold calculated indivivual but many things say otherwise and soon there are episodes that say the same thing. Leaving for some heartfelt or heartbreaking episodes, a grandma’s pudding, a previously owned pet and the darker story of friendship once had and the truth that had destroyed it.

     What are we, only bones that are left behind after we’re gone or do the story of bones tell us some thing different? Beautiful Bones explores this in a profound way to show that even the genius Sakuarao who seems happiest when finding a body or getting a new deceased animal is not unaffected by death. Shotaro is her personal connection to some of the personal aspects of her heart and sometimes offers a window to what means the most in her life, even if it’s obvious that he is definitely one of them. This also allows a certain theme that runs with the bodies they found and a possible dueling truth that lies underneath. Someone to connect them all and a possible past the two share. The unique quality of Beautiful Bones is all on its own and without trying surprises you in an episode when you least expect it, you find yourself heavily investing in characters even if you only saw them in a single episode.  While it’s a short and sweet one, we’ll keep out hope for a second season in the long run.

 

 

Gundam: Iron Blooded Oprhans – Many people have a hard time figuring out where to start on large franchises, often one of them is Mobile Suit Gundam. Understandable, it can be intimidating for the nearly 40 years of shows and with it’s massive film base and the scope it has is unbelievable. Yet that might be all the reasons you need to start, one of the newest of the Gundam series, Iron Blooded Orphans is set 300 years after a war between Earth and it’s colonies. Mars has now become a place for humans to live and though some of the colonies have won their freedom from Earth, they’re also dependent on it for its resources.

      The story picks up when a princess of one of the colonies is supposed to be escorted to Earth in the hopes to gain it’s freedom from Earth and is attacked by an Earth military section Gjallarhorn, those left to defend are sort of abandoned to fend for themselves, deciding to rebel from those that ditched them they still find themselves to be outnumbered and outgunned until Mikazuki Agus enters the fray, turning the tide with a Gundam that was in the midst of being repaired.

      The appealing thing about this series that maybe someone who isn’t familiar with the Gundam series, are the melding of common themes from the majority of the series and its sole unique flair. It deals with every political topic from slavery to war but triumphs to make it very personal, a thing that make the franchise stand out but in Orphans its characters are quite different from any other series and with the collaboration of director Tatsuyuki Naguri (Toradora, Anthem of The Heart) and writer Mari Okada (Toradora, Anthem of The Heart, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Gosick) it makes Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans a very unique experience.

 

 

 

Space Brothers: A different sort of space story but one of the most heartwarming, heroic and inspiring series you could recommend to another person, Space Brothers is truly a show where to achieve your dreams, you have to reach for the stars. This is a must if you haven’t seen any of it or simply have heard about it. Now’s the time. Space Brothers gives a detailed look in the hopes of being an astronaut.

 

     The story is about two brothers who as children promise to reach Space. As adults though their lives taking very different paths. He isn’t sure when but at some point, older brother Mutta Namba, had found the dream to be an impossible one. Instead he had become quite the successful car designer, that is until Mutta head-butts his boss for laughing at a newspaper article about his brother Hibito. Ironically his brother Hibito never gave up being an astronaut and is set to be the first Japanese man on the moon. Completely blacklisted, Mutta reexamines his life, what it had meant to go to space and why hadn’t he ever tried.

 

      When Hibto catches wind of what happened, he and their mother submit an application to JAXA for Mutta to take the astronaut exam. When he gets accepted it gives a second chance for Mutta to follow his dreams and perhaps much like their idols be two brothers that reach space. The show paints Mutta as an awkward, very human person, who wonders things most people do and faces the dilemmas most do, the difficulty of following a path toward your dreams. It shows his talents that would make him completely qualified as he goes through the rigorous examinations along with other characters who have similar dreams, coming with different reasons from all sorts of places.

 

       The show is passionate as it is humorous and yes it shows the relationship between the brothers. At a 99 episode count it’s something you can enjoy for quite a while, fleshing out so many characters and so many storylines it has the power to really pull on the heart strings. This is an awakening I think for some, to see the power of storytelling, setting you down a truly fun path this year in anime. And yes I hope they make more too.

 

Yu Yu Hakusho – One of my all-time favorite series Yu Yu Hakusho transcended in so many ways its genre and the expectation of its storytelling. Instead it’s a phenomenal series that looks deep into the desires that drives people and the choices they make when recognizing or not recognizing them. Good and Evil are shattered lines and that is only the beginning, as they constantly are shifting to help add depth to the wonderful characters in the series. Matched with jaw dropping, emotionally, purposeful action Yu Yu Hakusho proves why it’s been a mainstay anime even decades after its release.

 

      We follow Yusuke Urameshi who is written off as delinquent and outsider, poorly misunderstood he does something that most won’t believe except those closest to him (some he was unaware were close at all) and risks his life to save a boy from a speeding car. His unexpected deed leaves him a ghost but one which Spirit World will give a second chance to return to his body. The catch, Yusuke’s nature allows him to be a spirit detective for them, to investigate issues between the human, demon and spirit world and sometimes hunt down demons that go astray. While this leads him into situations he shouldn’t be able to handle it also allows him to undergo a change inside and how he sees the world. Giving Yusuke the answer to what those around him mean to him.

Take A Pick: Samurai X Reflection

Take A Pick: Samurai X Reflection

 

Looking back it’s almost strange to really consider Samurai X: Reflection simply an OVA, it accomplishes much like Trust & Betrayal something truly astounding in anime and also touches on an already established mythos, filling in the things we always wondered about but maybe were too afraid to actually see. Not only does it gives us this, it gives us so much more as it is the definitive answer in both Kenshin Himura’s life and those around him.

 

     In the same vein as Trust & Betrayal, its crisp animation and serious tone set it apart from the TV show but never so that it feels like a completely different series, these are mere chapters in Kenshin’s life, to see them this way is to understand different moments have different feelings attached to them.  Having learned the bloody past of Kenshin that has molded our favorite tortured wanderer, we now look to his future and the majority of it is through the eyes of his wife Karou. Who must cope with his absence and the many times he’s had to leave and it asks the bold question who suffers the most, the sufferer or the witness to the sufferer.

 

      Karou is a weakened form of her old self as she waits and the OVA/Film, goes back and forth into her reflections of their life years before and the present, it also dives into other characters and what has happened to them since such as their son Kenji and the familiar characters Sonouske and Yahiko. Through her eyes we see a wanderer who is repeatedly haunted by his past, through figures that will not allow him to live in the present forcing him to find something in the now to stave off his past. Even so, the lengths he must go seem to be destroying him and the repeated visits keeps his mind far away, how can Karou’s offered hand hope to keep him here. It also ties into her thoughts of her father, the parallel paths he and Kenshin have walked and the yearnings she had as a child mirroring the yearnings as an adult.

 

     Interestingly enough there is no resentment or bitterness toward Kenshin not being able to fully be present as her husband, while there is sadness, there is also hope and through it even understanding. Something that Kenshin needs. This OVA is focused on relationships and the journey the characters will make more than how they cut up their enemies but it revisits certain battles in the TV series, given another glimpse in their mind during it and what it leaves them with. They are wonderfully done, flexing the amazing animator’s muscles to show these briefly as they do with the subtly of other scenes and the scenery and how it plays into character’s feelings. Because a cherry tree is just a cherry tree not a man. Something along those lines. Just one of the many things that Kenshin says to try and keep his feet parked in the present and not the past. Something that if you think about it has even greater significance later on.

    The music just like in Trust and Betrayal is extremely powerful, it has the might of any film score you might see and seems physical as it moves around the characters and the animation, understanding every moment of the film. It simply stands out as great music period, something I’ve heard many people say time and again. As hard as the first half of the reflection is, the second is rougher as we see reflections that mark even deeper into the scar of what has made Kenshin who he is and the return to the present as others that he has moved and changed now make an effort to finally bring him home, truly. There’s no denying the organic romance of it and never does it feel like something Kenshin would not say or do, it always feels like we are seeing the inside of his soul and the connections to all the ones around him. So many people need Kenshin as we see, you find you need him too, his philosophy and struggle to understand life that though he may never have asked it, we are so glad of those that reach out that he needs and the strength of Karou who he might have needed more than anything.

 

 Powerful as a statement, powerful in its closing of a beloved franchise, Reflection is a must for those that love Rurouni Kenshin, it is yet another piece to a whole of what has moved us for so long now and is a great encouragement for those that have not seen the series to watch it in order to reach this point. As sad as it is this isn’t something that can be ignored as is the hope that just will not remain defeated throughout the OVA, making it all the more important.

Take A Pick:New Year's Edition: Love Live! School Idol Project

           Take A Pick: New Year's Edition: Love Live! School Idol Project

 

Some people have problems with the idol genre for various reasons, what they are I can’t say I haven’t paid much attention to the reasons. Though I will say one thing, there needs to be a respect for every subgenre in anime to understand that different stories come from them and if you know that, then you can prepare yourself for enjoyment. After all imagination grows from many things and of the most potent ways is through enjoyment. That said I don’t have a problem with the genre though I haven’t seen nearly as much as others. Love Live was a choice the way I choose many shows, it looked good and called to me. It’s a rewarding experience that allows you to root for a group of girls that are bound by friendship and their differences only strengthen what they find to become a singular goal.  Music made together.

 

       The beginnings of what it will become is from a humble and hopeful effort to save a school they love. Due to low attending students for the last consecutive years it seems that Otonokiza High school will be endanger of closing soon. Honoka Kosaka and her friends Minami Kotari and Sonada Umi or broken by the news even so Honoka is determined to keep it from being shut down and together they may find the answer in an unexpected place. What Honoka finds is schools with their own pop idols and she realizes something like that to represent the school might bring it enough attention to get more  middle school students to sign up to go there next semester thus saving the school.

 

      However the path to being a pop idol is not easy, though with her mind set and her friends enlisted she uses their skill sets to start composing songs, creating costumes and start the first of the momentum wave with their own school. They begin to practice their hearts out and what  helps it along is Honoka’s excitement and optimism, even with certain obstacles like Elle the school president who seems against the idol group at first. Eventually they choose the name U’s which is pronounced Muse like the nine sirens of Greek myth and yes this is important to the future storyline and the future members that will join. No matter how many members join however, no one can seem to convince Honoka to wear pants or any of them for that matter when in the second season it’s winter. Even when they are fighting a blizzard to get to the concert to perform, I’m wondering why don’t they wear pants over that, isn’t it hard enough to fight a blizzard as it is. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

 

      With all the effort they put on their first concert which they perform in an auditorium, something really unexpected happens and you start to see that things won’t be so simple for these good hearted girls, what it does though is trigger notice to other girls who would end up joining u’s all contributing something special to the group. Some were assisting from afar, others were against it, while it revitalizes a dream for some, it weaves an interesting story and the bond that this group has had on their lives as individuals which is something they begin to touch in as they join and dive deeper in the second season. This foreshadows the obstacles of what should really be simplistic but isn’t truly and that isn’t performing.  

 

 

One of the other interesting turns is that the goal to save the school is accomplished halfway through the first season as a group, so the love of what they’re doing and Love Live which is the competition of pop idols throughout the schools becomes the main focus and adds more weight to what they’re trying to accomplish ironically. Even if some of them like Minami Kotari has juice but doesn’t use it, I mean her mom is the princpal of the school but that doesn’t seem to make a difference in their challenges regardless. Like I said they don’t make this music business easy. This means that the seemingly innocent show has some hard knocks in store for them because what they want will be the most challenging thing they’ve ever faced in their life.

       What this leads to are two large storylines, one is what they struggling for and the other a an issues that’s building in the background and among it they understand the leadership in the group, the focus on why they do it, the trust and friendship and the wisdom they can offer each other sometimes. They learn these things the hard way, it at times causes them to question why continue at all and by the end of the first seasons you’re saying, you’re kidding me as well as cheering them on. Especially when you realize the essence of the show, it’s something they have to learn too whether composing the songs are being comfortable in what makes them stand out as individuals, even if that means trading personalities  for a bit or understanding what makes them so special to their fans.

 

 Everyone gets an arc in the story or an episode but that’s not enough as it’s revisited and enforced, why are they here, what does it mean to them and the question no one wants to ask but might be the most obvious? How long can this last? Is being an idol a time stamped thing or is it something deeper. Some had to deal with confidence issues, the fear of failure, memories of being alone or the way people perceived them, they were in many ways separate from each other before U's.  Everything from their personal futures and their grade differences play a factor as they look toward Love Live, A-Rise and the other idols and understand the real meaning in being an idol and what about it makes them happy.

 

      Then there are the concerts which an extra helping of 3-D you see them utilized all their practice and sometimes (dieting) in order to put on these shows. It’s funny even from the beginning of the series they could be nervous before they get on and then they’re performing perfectly. Even if sometimes they push themselves too hard. They click as a group certainly and at least in the show, they seem like naturals. I mean A-rise performed their thing but even the first time I saw it I thought, man U’s has got this thing won. There’s always seemed a little more creative, perhaps that’s me being bias though.

 

    You can call it a lot of things but it’s a story of friendship and passion toward something which you can’t knock, these girls are determined and it’s hard not to root for them at some point. They face the problems of being a teenager in school but not in the sense of who are you in love with. There is no strong presence at all in male interest, there really aren’t boys at all except maybe background shots when they’re out in the city. Even Honoko’s father is a cut off face that doesn’t speak though it’s hilarious to catch him in certain scenes.  It helps that they have in their school dedicated friends  that push them along, you see this quite often and it shows how many people and how much hope goes into these things, it isn’t pushing aside future aspirations for something temporary on the contrary it much more than that.

      The anime has done something right. U’s were on the list for 8th highest selling act in Japan this year, even albums with single characters. The movie having been released not all that long ago and one member has claimed the coming concerts aren’t the end of u’s just the end of them touring alone, which means there is no stopping the pop idol act. It’s impressive that with the voice actors being the idol group in real life, it manages to penetrate on all fronts, a massive undertaking for several companies to work on this joint production. I’m sure it’s easy to see it all as one big promotion campaign but it’s also easy to see it simply as a show. Going into it I knew what Love Live! was and had been to Japan seeing it everywhere but hadn’t realized how much was going on with the show, that wasn’t what sold me, it was them, the underdog story which to some might be an old story but at times it’s one of the only sort of stories that endure, we’re always fighting odds for the things that mean the most in our lives. Not a bad message at all

 

 As said before  this genre is another way of telling stories, the idea of the idol has long been implanted in shows even some of an entire other genre such as Macross and spread out in various anime and various genders. This is nothing new, so whether you’re a fan of the sort are want to take a chance, School Idol Project Love Live is the way to go, here’s hoping you get something out of it,  I know that I did.

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Yoshitaka Amano:The Man and The Artist

Yoshitaka Amano: Things to Know

 

One of the first  announcements which came  sooner than expected was that Yoshitaka Amano would be one of the guests at next year’s Anime Expo If you don’t know Anime Expo is the largest anime convention in North America. In the recent years it’s grown to exponential levels while being based in Downtown Los Angles. It’s current location has been the best thing for the convention as attendance has sky rocketed, often getting a piece on the news, Anime Expo holds concerts with guest from Japan even sometimes performing with a few surprises.

      A couple of years ago Hatsune Miku performed, last year it was Kiss and Momoiro Clover Z. It’s been visited by politicians and now has even earned a holiday in Los Angeles, people come from all over the world to attend including Japan and has become a four day massive meeting place for old fans and new fans alike. Even so the announcement of Yoshitaka Amano is huge and while many know who the legendary artist is, you might be surprised at some of the things you didn’t know.  Everything you know and some things you might not, for example novelist and actor along with so many other titles, these are but a few you may like to know.

 

Things You Probably Know

 

Final Fantasy: It’s not surprising as the mythical art, a distinctive Japanese style or should I say a distinctive Amano style has become synonymous with the series, always capturing the essence of the characters and the feel of the story that lies underneath. There theme runs through because beyond the title design, Amano has also had his hand in the character design, crushing the usual spiky hair association that the series is often given, with his smooth flowing art format.

 

     So when people complain about some of the designs in the games they’re overlooking some of the promotional art that they use for the series, art that comes from Amano. For everyone else it seems destined that he could capture the large scope of the series adding a heavier fantasy tone while also giving them appearances that in some strange way I feel makes them appear alive. Also his style is always fresh and eye popping, unique, versatile, all things that each Final Fantasy is. One thing Final Fantasy isn’t is repetitive as each number game is its own world and feel, making Square Enix storytellers above all else and seemed destined to have Amano San’s art bonded with the franchise.

 

Vampire Hunter D – The story of a vamphir hunter that kills vampires and all matters of demons in a post-apocalyptic world, once in pieces, than held by vampires and now at a sort of stage of rebirth that flirts at times with ancient, future technology, a story that maintains the story of a stranger coming to a village, modern day myths, and a level of grit told quite beautifully driving down real honest human stories and the capacity of ambition and the nature of human hearts that still exist even at this stage of the world is a sort of epic scope all on its own.

      The anime films and the fantastic novels that inspired them are iconic and of course Amano’s art is an integral part to (      )’s novel series. It was perfect for Amano-San who would do so much in the illustration business for fantasy novels and is one of the first things that Amano is associated with in certain parts of the world.  If you’ve never read the novels that inspired the classic anime films or that will be inspiring the new anime in the works than this is the best time to do so.

 

Things You Might Not

 

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman- One of the greatest comic series of all time which has been praised for its contributions to the comic book and storytelling community has a connection to Amano. If you know nothing of Sandman it incorporates characters called the endless that are truly something that intersects with the very human stories told, even to those that do not seem human, philosophical, captivating and deserving of all its praise. Following Dream or Morpheus, it’s unlike anything you’ve read but has done so much for the stories that you will.  Sandman is the comic that opens all your senses to the greatest things you’ll ever read and when you move on, it will leave a thin unseen layer of dust upon it, only to be wiped off and read again.

    So who better to contribute to this than someone who seems to be weaved from the mind of Morpheus, who paints his thoughts or all the thoughts of the fantastic and the dream like, no one I say is better suited to that than Yoshitaka Amano.  In a volume entitled the Dream Hunters, his art goes along a story that is focused more so in the myths of Japan while still having the series main character Morpheus but doing what the series did best, tell stories and by telling stories tell something real, yes in all of it, because you keep it with you and carry with you afterwards.

  American Comics- This wouldn’t be the only contribution Mr. Amano would have to American comics, he would also team up with Greg Rucka on Elektra & Wolverine: The Redeemer which once again his unique Japanese art that flirts with the woodblock techniques hones to its own vivid style works well with two characters that are far more than familiar with Japanese culture (read their comics and see).  It isn’t strange to have seen him doing art for American comics as they had an earlier influence in him along with American artist.

 

       He would continue to later work on various projects working with names or people incorporated in the work, everyone from David Bowie to Quentin Tarantino.  This wouldn’t be very surprising as his involvement with art galleries alongside other people would prove him to be time and time again a renowned international artist.

 

 

Animation: What shouldn’t be surprising is one of the earliest acts in Amano’s career and that is in animation.  Anyone who digs credits can find how some directors of anime get their start or artist of any sort and like any other genre of film, it’s in the many of the key positions in Anime. In Yoshitaka Amano’s case it was on a now classic anime, one that like the ones before it would show North America the first light of animation in Japan. For Speed Racer his first gig, it would be foreshadowing into a series of classic anime, everything from Gatchman to Time Bokon, where his contributions would first be felt greatly.

Often his role was character designer which of course would be essential considering some of the projects he’s been attached to. Even when he began to focus his powers on being a fantasy illustrator, it would be something he would return to. Which now credits him with a long list of projects which of course would lead into his own productions Studio Devoloka.

 

Art : Above it all Yoshitaka Amano is an artist and has released countless art books, full with mind blowing drawing with color that leaps off of every page. It’s hard to turn the page because you’re still staring at the previous one and as solely an artist Amano is well respected. Galleries and exhibitions are no stranger to Amano who travels to several countries to present his work.  So if you are an art enthusiast but have never dabbled in anime, games, comics, Japanese novels than you may still find something that can make you excited with his North American experience next year.  With his wide range of talents and the influence of the works he’s done, it promises to continue the growth of the Anime Expo and has people eagerly anticipating next year’s convention.

A Podcast Companion

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*Need more otaku time, well for more ideas why not hop on to the newly minted podcast Rats On A Plague Ship. A podcast that speaks on all matters of geekdom with yours truly and my fellow co-host Sal Almaraz. The true cure to when the hours feel like they drag!

 

Holiday Binge Watching Lists Part 2

Holiday Binge Watching Lists Part 2

For this one we're going to recommend shows not only to binge but also because they have holiday episodes in them, of course someone who isn't an anime watcher may not think it but there are quite the amount of shows with episodes you can incorporate in your holiday couch watching. Some of these are New Year holidays as well!





Chrono Crusade - This one is adorable really as everyone experiences there first holiday in some form and some way but how many miss there entire childhood before experiencing one. Well one of the characters in the series Azamaria had, until she was taken in by the order and taught what the holiday means. Which means we get to see her experience Christmas shopping, the exchange, and the time shared with the new family she gained. It's also a chance to see Chrono and Rosette exchange presents, reflecting on the good and the bad just before things take a drastic turn. If that's not enough for you this series has a limited edition cover to it's box set which is Christmas theme. How much more holiday can you get then that?




Toradora- Another pivotal anime for Christmas is Toradora. The show is fantastic and normally will rip your heart out, throw it in a blender and set it to devastate (that's from a cartoon) but this is a bug turning point in the series. The show is about two unlikely outsiders who are in love with each others friends, both feared in school, one through temper, the other by appearance, they become friends and since they are neighbors Ryuji Takasu the male, who almost seems to have OCD, cleans Taiga Aisaka's home, invites her for dinners while they both try to get hooked up with the one they like. However they hold a strong bond and whose connected to who becomes clearer in these set of episodes.

        It starts simple enough with Ryuji trying to invite Taiga's best friend Minori Kushieda to the Christmas party in school, though she seems reluctant and Taiga herself distancing herself from him so he can get this chance. When he realizes this means she'll be all alone he comes to her house dressed as a giant Santa teddy bear. It warms the heart, that's when she urges him to go back to the party after feeling better and everything takes it's big twist, all things are clear and the heart is somehow pulsing on the floor. Just the right show to binge watch and just the right show to watch around this time of year.



Spiral- Some might be scratching their heads with this one, some might not even know what this series is, so first I'll explain the synopsis of the anime. Spiral
follows Ayumu Narumi a prodigy who finds himself wrapped up in the mystery of the Blade Children, mysterious individuals that are claimed to be cursed, it’s also the same mysery that his brother said he was seeking to investigate and had disappeared since. Being framed for attempted murder at school, he solves it as the spiral of destiny begins to unfold, his partner in this mystery is the energetic Hiyono Iwasaki, reporter for the school newspaper who has some surprising talents that could aid the solemn Ayumu.

 

       The teen detective lives with his sister in law who is a detective on the police force who begins to suspect that he’s involved in the same mystery that had swallowed up his brother. When the Blade Children begin to appear his life is soon in danger and somehow he’ll have to fight through the shadow of his brother, someone who was gifted at everything from the piano to mysteries and praised for it in order to understand what exactly these Blade Children are involved in. The holiday comes in when it starts humorous enough, Hiyono is interested in getting a present and drags Ayumu along with her,  he tries to help her get a stuffed animal in a claw game and nearly has it a dozen times but super hyper behavior shows through as she smacks the machine and keeps causing the animal to drop.


       Later it takes a serious but well done turn as Ayumu exchanges gifts with Madoka who is intoxicated, his gift is a CD of classical music done by one of the Blade Children, awkward yes. He leaves to get something at the grocery store and briefly has a stare down with that very same person and returns to hear Madoka in tears from the loneliness and grief of her missing husband/his brothers. The song playing was one of his brother Kiyotaka’s favorite songs. The show is very good and explores above everything hope that lies in the darkness of destiny and fate, it’s important to understand that more so than the Blade Children which incorporate this theme as well. Of course the underated manga gives all these answers and all going well beyond the show but check out the anime first, a perfect moody choice for the holiday.


School Idol Project Love Live - This one kind of wraps in New Years more than anything. Soon to be one of our focuses on Take A Pick Tuesday it's an idol show about a group of students that form a school idol group to at first save their school and then to compete in the Love Live competition while deepening their bonds as friends and becoming understood, some for the first time. For this holiday episode which is towards the end of the second season, they all gather after some sad realized twists preparing their selves for their upcoming performance. Making their wishes at the temple all nine meet in separate groups of each other, seemingly fated to be together no matter what which is an important underling factor.

      While making their wishes though you come to find that many of the people that went to the temple had wished for their success at Love Live, it adds to what they're supposed to mean as a group and as friends. All these moments and more make Love Live something you can keep watching even beyond Christmas into the New Year.



My Love Story- In a lot of ways this anime details the important occasions that would come for a couple in a relationship, though of course it's really what it could mean for two people to date. The anime distances itself from others by it's main protagonist being a big muscular man who most woman would seem afraid of and his small caring girlfriend. Takao has a very caring nature however and is also very honorable so the two have difficulties in taking any sort of steps that may be in a relationship without outside help.

      In the Christmas episode the focus steers away from them for a while and focuses on another possible couple they're hoping to match make. It's also the first time the series shows that not every two individuals are meant to be together and not every relationship works out the same as another. The two being their friends. Especially with his friends' thoughtless remarks and actions making her friend uncertain and even angry, in the midst of karaoke with the rest of their friends. What it culminates to I'll leave to your imagination but of course there's the rest of the aspects of Christmas that may make the series just as important. Especially when it climaxes to Takao's friend trying to reach the top of the Christmas Tree. That's all I'm gonna say, go watch it!


Fruits Basket - The major shojo giant Fruits Basket is a familiar title for many who watch anime. It also has a fantastic New Years holiday tribute which of course in the show would allow character introductions in the future and repercussions for the main characters in the series. Fruit Basket follows Tohru Honda who is found by the Prince of the school Yuki Sohma, apparently unknown to her closest friends she'd been living in the forest. This is following the death of her mother and seeing the ordeals she's been going through she's invite to stay with him and his Uncle Shigure.

      It's then that she stumbles upon the the Sohma secret, a curse where when hug by the opposite sex some of the members of the family turn into the 12 animals of the zodiac including the cat. The cat being Kyo, a temper filled boy determined to defeat his rival Yuki, soon he too stays in the house.  Promising to keep their secret, her kindness and understanding begins to change their life, as does their understanding of her pain and the weight she places on her shoulders begins to change hers. For the New Year's episode it is required that all of the Sohma family gather at the estate, a special banquet is held for the zodiac animals, which would mean leaving Tohru alone for the evening. Already reluctant Yuki and Kyo realize that Tohru would be forced to spend the first New Years without her mother alone. Running back to the house they spend it with her on the roof knowing that the only thing they really wanted to do for New Year's Eve was spend it with her.



School Rumble- Another episode where it actually plays into the series is School Rumble. This show takes the wacky Love Triangle and turns it into A Love Octagon. The show has delinquent outsider but truly misunderstood Harima who is in love with air headed energetic Tenma, whose actually in love with Karasuma who seems to only be in loved with curry but who can really tell what's going on in his head. It features a growing cast of who likes who and all the ways they clash though not necessarily in fighting, it's sort of there but really in all manners of hijinks that have honest moments with the characters as well.

     Poor Harima can't seem to catch a break and while I won't give away what led to this episode, I will say that Harima had turned to manga for reasons involving Tenma, in this episode he's struggling to finish the final chapter of his manga manuscript. This involves confliction to show it to Tenma or give it to a publisher, the use of a giant curry dish that was meant to be a present and a whole lot og grief for Harima all while he's dressed as Santa Claus. It's really funny but heartbreaking in a way. The series is fantastic, so why not give it a try.

I know I know what about Sword Art Online and Love Hina which has an entire Christmas special. Yes there are plenty of series with memorable episodes, which would be great to watch just as it is the rest of the shows, many will be incorporated when we cover more New Years episodes so stay tuned.

A Podcast Companion

https://soundcloud.com/rats-on-a-plague-podcast

*Need more otaku time, well for more ideas why not hop on to the newly minted podcast Rats On A Plague Ship. A podcast that speaks on all matters of geekdom with yours truly and my fellow co-host Sal Almaraz. The true cure to when the hours feel like they drag!