Indeed.
Because I've abandoned all hopes of writing professionally.
But I'm not through writing...not completely.
Details soon.
Cheers.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Thoughts about Dead Space, Prince of Persia, Mirror's Edge, and the End of an Era
The reference to Dead Space is indeed about the video game. Not to be confused with how some refer to this blog sometimes.
From first glances (screenshots, trailer, etc) the game looks good. The lack of HUD and the use of over-the-shoulder 3rd POV--the POV that everyone is using nowadays--gives the player a real appreciation of the nature of the monsters and the close-quarters crisis playing out on the screen in front of you. The soundtrack and use of sound overall is really styled in the vein of all of the sci-fi horror/thrillers that I gush over; and this close to All Hallows' Eve, all it makes me want to do is sit at home and play through my old fav horror games once my flatscreen arrives at my residence. Parasite Eve...Silent Hill 2...RE: Code Veronica...even Halo to some extent (the Flood Level, of course). It even has me, as I type, putting Silent Hill tracks on my Deezer page.
As for Dead Space, all of the reviewers that I respect are screaming at me to buy it. But that means I'll have to bite the Bullet.
Speaking of POV, I know I'm going out of order...but I don't give a crap. Mirror's Edge is getting a lot of buzz now. As it should--it's the first real 3D 1st-POV platformer. Which is enough to get me absolutely stoked to play it. The trailer for this newest EA eyecandy is found rather effortlessly on YouTube, and the parkour-inspired gameplay looks good. But the washed-out effects of the DICE lighting made my eyes water a bit. Better play this with the lights on. You know, like the epilepsy warning always admonishes you to do. But this time listen.
Prince of Persia 4. PRINCE. OF. PERSIA. F O U R. If you have not seen the trailer (featuring a song from one of my new favorite artists right now, Sia), here it is. The use of Assassin's Creed fighting engine adds yet another reason to invest in Ubisoft. Some of the uniform complaints are there about the game (voiceovers, Westernized appearance of main protagonists) but nonetheless it looks beautiful and I can't wait to wall-run and beat the crap out of some pesky monsters, sans the useful but very elusive/annoying Sand of Time. Damn that accursed Bullet.
Well, the Hour is upon us. Hellsing has officially ended in Young King Jump. #10 will be a somber moment for me. And while I wait with baited breath for Hirano's next outing, I can't help but think that one issue isn't enough to wrap up a story like this without making it feel rushed. The last issue really moved Integra to the background as it were, and Hirano can use this next and final entry to bring her character back strong. I must express, though, my nagging suspicion that it won't be a resolution at all--rather, it could be a lead-in to a spin-off that I think would be in bad taste (considering Hellsing: The Dawn...and the fact that Hellsing Ultimate is unfinished).
Story may be his strong suit, but let's face facts. The bulk of Hirano's experience lies in porn. Yes, I know how great storylines in Japanese adult manga can be, but that's neither here nor there. This is the first serious work from him and I would hate to see it cheapened by a souless desire for Hellsing to become a true 'franchise'.
That's all for now. Except the Bullet.
I have to buy a next-gen.
*embarrassed cough*
From first glances (screenshots, trailer, etc) the game looks good. The lack of HUD and the use of over-the-shoulder 3rd POV--the POV that everyone is using nowadays--gives the player a real appreciation of the nature of the monsters and the close-quarters crisis playing out on the screen in front of you. The soundtrack and use of sound overall is really styled in the vein of all of the sci-fi horror/thrillers that I gush over; and this close to All Hallows' Eve, all it makes me want to do is sit at home and play through my old fav horror games once my flatscreen arrives at my residence. Parasite Eve...Silent Hill 2...RE: Code Veronica...even Halo to some extent (the Flood Level, of course). It even has me, as I type, putting Silent Hill tracks on my Deezer page.
As for Dead Space, all of the reviewers that I respect are screaming at me to buy it. But that means I'll have to bite the Bullet.
Speaking of POV, I know I'm going out of order...but I don't give a crap. Mirror's Edge is getting a lot of buzz now. As it should--it's the first real 3D 1st-POV platformer. Which is enough to get me absolutely stoked to play it. The trailer for this newest EA eyecandy is found rather effortlessly on YouTube, and the parkour-inspired gameplay looks good. But the washed-out effects of the DICE lighting made my eyes water a bit. Better play this with the lights on. You know, like the epilepsy warning always admonishes you to do. But this time listen.
Prince of Persia 4. PRINCE. OF. PERSIA. F O U R. If you have not seen the trailer (featuring a song from one of my new favorite artists right now, Sia), here it is. The use of Assassin's Creed fighting engine adds yet another reason to invest in Ubisoft. Some of the uniform complaints are there about the game (voiceovers, Westernized appearance of main protagonists) but nonetheless it looks beautiful and I can't wait to wall-run and beat the crap out of some pesky monsters, sans the useful but very elusive/annoying Sand of Time. Damn that accursed Bullet.
Well, the Hour is upon us. Hellsing has officially ended in Young King Jump. #10 will be a somber moment for me. And while I wait with baited breath for Hirano's next outing, I can't help but think that one issue isn't enough to wrap up a story like this without making it feel rushed. The last issue really moved Integra to the background as it were, and Hirano can use this next and final entry to bring her character back strong. I must express, though, my nagging suspicion that it won't be a resolution at all--rather, it could be a lead-in to a spin-off that I think would be in bad taste (considering Hellsing: The Dawn...and the fact that Hellsing Ultimate is unfinished).
Story may be his strong suit, but let's face facts. The bulk of Hirano's experience lies in porn. Yes, I know how great storylines in Japanese adult manga can be, but that's neither here nor there. This is the first serious work from him and I would hate to see it cheapened by a souless desire for Hellsing to become a true 'franchise'.
That's all for now. Except the Bullet.
I have to buy a next-gen.
*embarrassed cough*
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Updates
No, this blog is not 'dead'. Just been a little busy.
In the meantime, get caught up with some of my favorite blogs/sites:
Kotaku
- The Downfall of Sony, and interesting news regarding Episode II of the Penny Arcade video game.
Apartment Therapy
- Stuff for living well, cheap, and responsibly.
Spill
- I don't feel sorry for Terrance Howard.
In the meantime, get caught up with some of my favorite blogs/sites:
Kotaku
- The Downfall of Sony, and interesting news regarding Episode II of the Penny Arcade video game.
Apartment Therapy
- Stuff for living well, cheap, and responsibly.
Spill
- I don't feel sorry for Terrance Howard.
Monday, August 18, 2008
YA at NYAF, Clone Wars, and...SP?
New York Anime Festival, the biggest gig in town for otaku (besides the "obvious") , is swiftly approaching; and for the life of me, I can't seem to bring myself to buy any tickets.
I'm not the biggest fan of RT (my voice acting tastes run in the quiet and slightly psychotic...think AH). Nor have I ever been intrigued by Baby's clothes. No, not even when I was a full-time correspondent for Japan-Fashion. HK and (especially) YA here in New York should get my blood running.
Should. Keyword there. (I'll explain later.)
But no... I don't think I'll be attending this year. Unless something changes. They've gotta bring me more than what they have up on the site. Maybe some decent panels will change my mind.
The panel for Gurren Lagann featuring TO (fangirl squeal!) and SB (even LOUDER squeal!) has the fan populace here drooling. The show is dubbed and up on SciFi, and according to reviews on IMDB it has all the makings of an animation in the upper echelon of the entire genre. Talk about HYPE MACHINE. Add the obvious comparisons, and all I see for this panel is a three-way circle-jerk for GAINAX, Bang Zoom!, and Bandai. There is nothing about the show being furthered here. Will there be a screening for a movie trailer? Something?? Anything!?!
I suppose I should give it a chance. After all, OK worked on this, and he worked on Beck and Kimagure Orange Road. That's gotta mean something. His reputation speaks for itself.
But seriously... MediumAtLarge.net calls it "the biggest show of the year"?? My black ass. YA (along with brother in anime lore HK) will be in the building, talking about everyone's favorite Dunpeal. Many fans are calling for a revisit to Bloodlust, and to take it even further a film adaptation of one of the recent novels. I have read at least one ("Tale of the Dead Town"), and after comparing it to an excerpt of the original Japanese text I gotta hand it to their translator, KL. I think I have met him before but I can't recall. Well, I would not mind it myself seeing "Dead Town" being made into an animated movie.
But you guys wanna talk REEEEEAL excitement? Check this out: Studio 4C (the wonderful, superb, uber-awesome creative minds they are) are coming out with an action animation set in WWII Russia with the main characters as(wait for it, waaaait for it)...super-powered Nazi youth. YES. Super. Powered. Nazi. Youth.
The name of the project is First Squad, and the website (in English, Japanese, and Russian) can be seen here, along with teh awsum trailurr.
These are the same cats that brought us Genius Party, Tekkon Kinkreet, and the new Batman: Gotham Legend DVD. Anything else coming out that I see pales in comparison to this. Kick-ass action, crisp fight sequences, seamless live-action rendered into 3D cels. Gurren Lagann? Puh-lease.
THIS IS HOW WE MUTHAF#$KIN' DO IT!!!!!!
...But NYAF? Besides the chances to go to an MC Chris show and be on Anime Match Game, NYAF has to ante up. We're in a recession, people.
The Spill.com Star Wars: Clone Wars review was posted last week or so, and the boys said it clearly: It ain't Star Wars anymore. Like I didn't see this coming.
"Hey GL? If you want to make a good Clone Wars film, why don'tcha just call GT to come back and work on it? To just do a retelling of the mini-series? I'm sure that whatever amount of money you throw at him, he'll do it! And between Samurai Jack and Dexter's Lab, the guy practically shits primetime Emmys!!!"
GL: "............Naaaaaah."
KC, the artist formerly known as Mr. Nunya, was right. Just a ploy to sell action figures and crap-ass collectibles that will be obsolete the year GL decides to eradicate the entire pre-Tatooine story arc. Spill was feeling generous, hypnotized by all the pretty lights(abers).
But Cyrus gave it "Some Ol' Bullshit". That's right, C-man. Keep it gangsta'!! *fist-bump*
I would be remiss if I didn't have something to say about the political profundity that has transpired since last week. Namely SP. I'll be short and sweet. The woman claims to be the closest stones-throw to HC we have left in the dogfight but couldn't be more different from her in almost every way. Drilling in Alaskan refuge. Taking polar bears off the endangered list so the oil companies can do so. Despite the fact that polar bears are predicted to be extinct in less than a decade's time as it is. Anti-contraception... need I say more? She will (she is doing so already) divide this nation at the seams of blue collar/white collar. Exacerbating the status quo, making liberals look back in the mirror of ugliness and self-loathing for not "understanding" the harsh living of the folks that SP represents. For not attempting to understand. The elitist mantra is back. I don't think JM planned this--it's just a happy accident for him, he doesn't have that much cleverness.
It's also a happy accident that the entire state of Alaska has about 1/12 of the population of Chicago.
And I wonder who they will be voting for.
K
RT - Rie Tanaka
AH - Aya Hisakawa
YA - Yoshitaka Amano
HK - Hideyuki Kikuchi
TO - Tony Oliver (squeal)
SB - Steven Blum (S Q U E A L !)
OK - Osamu Kobayashi
KL - Kevin Leahy
GL - This guy, unfortunately.
GT - Gennedy Tartakovsky
KC - You know who.
SP - Sarah Palin
JM - McSame
I'm not the biggest fan of RT (my voice acting tastes run in the quiet and slightly psychotic...think AH). Nor have I ever been intrigued by Baby's clothes. No, not even when I was a full-time correspondent for Japan-Fashion. HK and (especially) YA here in New York should get my blood running.
Should. Keyword there. (I'll explain later.)
But no... I don't think I'll be attending this year. Unless something changes. They've gotta bring me more than what they have up on the site. Maybe some decent panels will change my mind.
The panel for Gurren Lagann featuring TO (fangirl squeal!) and SB (even LOUDER squeal!) has the fan populace here drooling. The show is dubbed and up on SciFi, and according to reviews on IMDB it has all the makings of an animation in the upper echelon of the entire genre. Talk about HYPE MACHINE. Add the obvious comparisons, and all I see for this panel is a three-way circle-jerk for GAINAX, Bang Zoom!, and Bandai. There is nothing about the show being furthered here. Will there be a screening for a movie trailer? Something?? Anything!?!
I suppose I should give it a chance. After all, OK worked on this, and he worked on Beck and Kimagure Orange Road. That's gotta mean something. His reputation speaks for itself.
But seriously... MediumAtLarge.net calls it "the biggest show of the year"?? My black ass. YA (along with brother in anime lore HK) will be in the building, talking about everyone's favorite Dunpeal. Many fans are calling for a revisit to Bloodlust, and to take it even further a film adaptation of one of the recent novels. I have read at least one ("Tale of the Dead Town"), and after comparing it to an excerpt of the original Japanese text I gotta hand it to their translator, KL. I think I have met him before but I can't recall. Well, I would not mind it myself seeing "Dead Town" being made into an animated movie.
But you guys wanna talk REEEEEAL excitement? Check this out: Studio 4C (the wonderful, superb, uber-awesome creative minds they are) are coming out with an action animation set in WWII Russia with the main characters as(wait for it, waaaait for it)...super-powered Nazi youth. YES. Super. Powered. Nazi. Youth.
The name of the project is First Squad, and the website (in English, Japanese, and Russian) can be seen here, along with teh awsum trailurr.
These are the same cats that brought us Genius Party, Tekkon Kinkreet, and the new Batman: Gotham Legend DVD. Anything else coming out that I see pales in comparison to this. Kick-ass action, crisp fight sequences, seamless live-action rendered into 3D cels. Gurren Lagann? Puh-lease.
THIS IS HOW WE MUTHAF#$KIN' DO IT!!!!!!
...But NYAF? Besides the chances to go to an MC Chris show and be on Anime Match Game, NYAF has to ante up. We're in a recession, people.
The Spill.com Star Wars: Clone Wars review was posted last week or so, and the boys said it clearly: It ain't Star Wars anymore. Like I didn't see this coming.
"Hey GL? If you want to make a good Clone Wars film, why don'tcha just call GT to come back and work on it? To just do a retelling of the mini-series? I'm sure that whatever amount of money you throw at him, he'll do it! And between Samurai Jack and Dexter's Lab, the guy practically shits primetime Emmys!!!"
GL: "............Naaaaaah."
KC, the artist formerly known as Mr. Nunya, was right. Just a ploy to sell action figures and crap-ass collectibles that will be obsolete the year GL decides to eradicate the entire pre-Tatooine story arc. Spill was feeling generous, hypnotized by all the pretty lights(abers).
But Cyrus gave it "Some Ol' Bullshit". That's right, C-man. Keep it gangsta'!! *fist-bump*
I would be remiss if I didn't have something to say about the political profundity that has transpired since last week. Namely SP. I'll be short and sweet. The woman claims to be the closest stones-throw to HC we have left in the dogfight but couldn't be more different from her in almost every way. Drilling in Alaskan refuge. Taking polar bears off the endangered list so the oil companies can do so. Despite the fact that polar bears are predicted to be extinct in less than a decade's time as it is. Anti-contraception... need I say more? She will (she is doing so already) divide this nation at the seams of blue collar/white collar. Exacerbating the status quo, making liberals look back in the mirror of ugliness and self-loathing for not "understanding" the harsh living of the folks that SP represents. For not attempting to understand. The elitist mantra is back. I don't think JM planned this--it's just a happy accident for him, he doesn't have that much cleverness.
It's also a happy accident that the entire state of Alaska has about 1/12 of the population of Chicago.
And I wonder who they will be voting for.
K
RT - Rie Tanaka
AH - Aya Hisakawa
YA - Yoshitaka Amano
HK - Hideyuki Kikuchi
TO - Tony Oliver (squeal)
SB - Steven Blum (S Q U E A L !)
OK - Osamu Kobayashi
KL - Kevin Leahy
GL - This guy, unfortunately.
GT - Gennedy Tartakovsky
KC - You know who.
SP - Sarah Palin
JM - McSame
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Bayou on Zuda Comics...Anime New and Old
UL is, admittedly, not an author that I have truly read. I have barely perused her books, and what little I know of the fictional worlds she creates is what I hear from friends. Yes...I have friends.
However, she earns the respect of this writer by simply being her. That is to say, a fantasy writer unafraid to make her characters look the extreme opposite of what many people consider 'the norm'. She isn't the first, no, but she is very likely the first major author of her fortitude. Enough fortitude to stick it to the fools at Sci-fi and even (gasp!) Studio Ghibli for getting her books wrong.
Anyway, I'm happy to see someone else is following suit.
Zuda Comics is a place where anyone can post up their own comic creations in dreams of becoming the next Avi Arad...or Will Eisner...or John Romita...or whatevs. Upon discovering and giving the site a virtual thumbing, I found this absolutely LOVELY original comic called "Bayou". If the first volume does nothing but offend you or rile you up, good. It gets you ready for the page-turning grittiness and lush, at times whimsical illustrations of the next part in the saga. A little Black girl lost in a realm of monsters, demons, and magic. Imagine that. Give it a whirl.
http://www.zudacomics.com/bayou
...And someone, anyone, get PJ and UL in a room together so we can get a REAL adaptation of Earthsea. That way I'll be forced to read the novels.
I have wanted to do this for a very long time, but only in comic form (Man, I've got comics on the mind...) so I have waited this long to introduce something I would like to call:
Anime Off The Beaten Path
This week's entry: 3X3 Eyes
The story of 3x3 Eyes revolves around a young boy, Yakumo (what a name, honestly...), and a mysterious young girl he meets named Pai who claims to be the last of a dying race of demons in China. Apparently Yakumo's old man (assumed dead) met Pai, and upon his falling ill sent her to Japan to find his son. Pai wishes to become human, for reasons unknown; and needs a special three-sided, nine-eyed (thus the name of the anime) sculpture to do so. The story takes off from Yakumo becoming the very unwilling protector of Pai, who in times of battle becomes more than meets the eye (no pun intended, really).
Of course I couldn't say anything about this anime without first noting the performance of MH as Pai. She definitely shows her range in this one, if nothing else. You can tell by the cliffhanger in the first season that the fan following at the time wasn't too great. I guess because of the faithful manga fans it made a comeback. The second season features much improved production values, therefore the action sequences take a turn for the better. The story is predictable, yet the characters become endearing to you as they traverse the world for the Statue of Humanity. Yes, fans of both Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho will enjoy this pseudo-epic tale. And even I was surprised by the intense violence--Yakumo literally dies every episode.
Nonetheless, it is a delightful foray into seedy demon skirmishes, awkward romance, and early 90s animated adventure. You can catch this classic every now and then on the Action Channel (if you have DirecTV).
PJ - Peter Jackson
MH - Megumi Hayashibara
However, she earns the respect of this writer by simply being her. That is to say, a fantasy writer unafraid to make her characters look the extreme opposite of what many people consider 'the norm'. She isn't the first, no, but she is very likely the first major author of her fortitude. Enough fortitude to stick it to the fools at Sci-fi and even (gasp!) Studio Ghibli for getting her books wrong.
Anyway, I'm happy to see someone else is following suit.
Zuda Comics is a place where anyone can post up their own comic creations in dreams of becoming the next Avi Arad...or Will Eisner...or John Romita...or whatevs. Upon discovering and giving the site a virtual thumbing, I found this absolutely LOVELY original comic called "Bayou". If the first volume does nothing but offend you or rile you up, good. It gets you ready for the page-turning grittiness and lush, at times whimsical illustrations of the next part in the saga. A little Black girl lost in a realm of monsters, demons, and magic. Imagine that. Give it a whirl.
http://www.zudacomics.com/bayou
...And someone, anyone, get PJ and UL in a room together so we can get a REAL adaptation of Earthsea. That way I'll be forced to read the novels.
I have wanted to do this for a very long time, but only in comic form (Man, I've got comics on the mind...) so I have waited this long to introduce something I would like to call:
Anime Off The Beaten Path
This week's entry: 3X3 Eyes
The story of 3x3 Eyes revolves around a young boy, Yakumo (what a name, honestly...), and a mysterious young girl he meets named Pai who claims to be the last of a dying race of demons in China. Apparently Yakumo's old man (assumed dead) met Pai, and upon his falling ill sent her to Japan to find his son. Pai wishes to become human, for reasons unknown; and needs a special three-sided, nine-eyed (thus the name of the anime) sculpture to do so. The story takes off from Yakumo becoming the very unwilling protector of Pai, who in times of battle becomes more than meets the eye (no pun intended, really).
Of course I couldn't say anything about this anime without first noting the performance of MH as Pai. She definitely shows her range in this one, if nothing else. You can tell by the cliffhanger in the first season that the fan following at the time wasn't too great. I guess because of the faithful manga fans it made a comeback. The second season features much improved production values, therefore the action sequences take a turn for the better. The story is predictable, yet the characters become endearing to you as they traverse the world for the Statue of Humanity. Yes, fans of both Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho will enjoy this pseudo-epic tale. And even I was surprised by the intense violence--Yakumo literally dies every episode.
Nonetheless, it is a delightful foray into seedy demon skirmishes, awkward romance, and early 90s animated adventure. You can catch this classic every now and then on the Action Channel (if you have DirecTV).
From the Old to the New, sort of.
Here is the official trailer of Genius Party II: Genius Party Beyond. Fans of true cel-shading substance, REJOICE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPYnzVdY2Q0
Truly looking forward to this, as well as The Sky Crawlers. There has been no announcement, however, about either of the Genius Parties or Sky Crawlers being screened in the states, much less in NYC. (Everyone, say a prayer for the NYAF or Comic Con.) At least I was fortunate to see ONE of them in a theater. Almost enough to make me hop a plane again.
Almost.
UL - Ursula LeGuin
PJ - Peter Jackson
MH - Megumi Hayashibara
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
My recent work.
For those of you who are sticking with this blog, here is a sampling of the article I've been working on--Something I'm starting to call "Appeal 2.0".
Part One:
http://thisisby.us/index.php/content/the_moral_transgression_of_beyonce_knowles
And Part Two:
http://thisisby.us/index.php/content/the_moral_trangression_of_beyonce_knowles_pt_2
I plan to post more in the days to come, in the way of cartoons, vlogs, and more. Stay tuned.
Part One:
http://thisisby.us/index.php/content/the_moral_transgression_of_beyonce_knowles
And Part Two:
http://thisisby.us/index.php/content/the_moral_trangression_of_beyonce_knowles_pt_2
I plan to post more in the days to come, in the way of cartoons, vlogs, and more. Stay tuned.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Reflections on Online dramas, Animation et. al., thisisby.us, and of course The Watchmen
I want to go in reverse order, just because I'm so siced about this.
If you haven't seen the trailer yet, here it is.
To me, a person that has admittedly yet to make it through the entire serial version of the work, I feel that at least my fave character from the onset of the saga is spot on from what little we see of him. Good on ZS for deciding to put in some *limited* monologue, but it's hard to infer from that lovely glib at the end of the trailer whether or not the cast assembled will have what it takes to support what I KNOW will be a very well-written script.
But man, wasn't that a BC track as the trailer music? Talk about perfect. Fatalism and nihilism hand-in-hand.
All right, let's talk Internet politik.
If you are reading this (who read this anyway?) I am going to go out on a limb and assume you know about Dr. Horrible, and caught the three installments before they were taken down. I could use this blog to talk about how great it was, but instead the culminative efforts of:
One (1) writing genius;
One (1) C-List Quarter-life Superstar;
One (1) TV actor-turned-Sci-fi hunk;
and the coolest chick on the Web
left a bad taste in my mouth in a way. And I'll tell you why.
JW said on the site that his desire was simply to make something circumventing the Strike's rules all the while keeping boredom at bay--and to sweeten the pot, produce something feasibly marketable with a highly original concept. No one here is arguing. Okay, maybe the "feasibly marketable" thing. It's true that the man, at this point of his career, may be able to get stuff made by basically putting his name on a piece of paper ala Picasso, but there are bounties of articles online that say 'nay' to the masses who think they can do the same. I can't shake the feeling that JW is trying to relate to us on that wavelength--that creation is free and even if there is a financial obstacle it can be overcome by plain old ingenuity. And fans can regale me with hundreds of tales, ranging from early RR to the innovatives over at Kate Modern. When else would FD, as grand and talented as she is, have a chance to share a stage with the most awesome Doctor ever? (I guess this role means he has TWO PhDs. One in 'horribleness', the other in the cheezy yet enthralling 90s Primetime.) Shouldn't I be thrilled, even proud of this pattern of progression...from low-budget, Internet Fame to Mass Media Miracle?
Of course not. It's like the Space Program. It's not exciting until it actually gets somewhere.
Much respect to all the hands behind Horrible (they deserve to get paid for entertaining myself and so many others), but paint me cynical.
Looking at the state of the Anime industry, though, I'm thankful that at least someone on our shores is even trying. I perused through some (note, not legal) sites and got an eyeful of at least one full episode of Macross: Frontier. The fact that SK took the keys back on this one had me excited, but so far I'm not chomping at the bit to get more of Frontier. Granted, I still haven't seen the Macross-Patented "Obligatory Black Female Side Character". I guess HA's words rang with more truth than I thought. However, I saw the full trailer for "The Sky Crawlers". This is MO's new work, and it doesn't disappoint me in visuals. The casting as well--I spotted nearly Oscar-nabbing RK as well as everyone's favorite mace wielder CK in the credits. The story looks promising, and it's adapted from a widely acclaimed Japanese novel. Although, the script was done by the same dude that did Spring Snow. Meh. Decide for yourself.
The reason why I've been neglecting this blog for a lot longer than I anticipated can be chalked up to a lot of things. Switching jobs. New friends. New hobbies. All-around sexual deviancy. Okay, scratch the last one off, but I've been busy needless to say. Most of my time writing has been spent on TIBU--thisisby.us. If you don't find anything on here to your fancy, I invite even the casual blog reader to check out my entries there. Username: KimGillus
Haven't played through MGS:4, but got the ending spoiled for me. It's fine. You never really say "goodbye" to anyone, these days.
K
ZS - Zack Snyder
BC - Billy Corgan
JW - Joss Whedon
RR - Robert Rodriguez
FD - Felicia Day
SK - Shoji Kawamori
HA - Hideaki Anno
MO - Mamoru Oshii
RK - Rinko Kikuchi
CK - Chiaki Kuriyama
If you haven't seen the trailer yet, here it is.
To me, a person that has admittedly yet to make it through the entire serial version of the work, I feel that at least my fave character from the onset of the saga is spot on from what little we see of him. Good on ZS for deciding to put in some *limited* monologue, but it's hard to infer from that lovely glib at the end of the trailer whether or not the cast assembled will have what it takes to support what I KNOW will be a very well-written script.
But man, wasn't that a BC track as the trailer music? Talk about perfect. Fatalism and nihilism hand-in-hand.
All right, let's talk Internet politik.
If you are reading this (who read this anyway?) I am going to go out on a limb and assume you know about Dr. Horrible, and caught the three installments before they were taken down. I could use this blog to talk about how great it was, but instead the culminative efforts of:
One (1) writing genius;
One (1) C-List Quarter-life Superstar;
One (1) TV actor-turned-Sci-fi hunk;
and the coolest chick on the Web
left a bad taste in my mouth in a way. And I'll tell you why.
JW said on the site that his desire was simply to make something circumventing the Strike's rules all the while keeping boredom at bay--and to sweeten the pot, produce something feasibly marketable with a highly original concept. No one here is arguing. Okay, maybe the "feasibly marketable" thing. It's true that the man, at this point of his career, may be able to get stuff made by basically putting his name on a piece of paper ala Picasso, but there are bounties of articles online that say 'nay' to the masses who think they can do the same. I can't shake the feeling that JW is trying to relate to us on that wavelength--that creation is free and even if there is a financial obstacle it can be overcome by plain old ingenuity. And fans can regale me with hundreds of tales, ranging from early RR to the innovatives over at Kate Modern. When else would FD, as grand and talented as she is, have a chance to share a stage with the most awesome Doctor ever? (I guess this role means he has TWO PhDs. One in 'horribleness', the other in the cheezy yet enthralling 90s Primetime.) Shouldn't I be thrilled, even proud of this pattern of progression...from low-budget, Internet Fame to Mass Media Miracle?
Of course not. It's like the Space Program. It's not exciting until it actually gets somewhere.
Much respect to all the hands behind Horrible (they deserve to get paid for entertaining myself and so many others), but paint me cynical.
Looking at the state of the Anime industry, though, I'm thankful that at least someone on our shores is even trying. I perused through some (note, not legal) sites and got an eyeful of at least one full episode of Macross: Frontier. The fact that SK took the keys back on this one had me excited, but so far I'm not chomping at the bit to get more of Frontier. Granted, I still haven't seen the Macross-Patented "Obligatory Black Female Side Character". I guess HA's words rang with more truth than I thought. However, I saw the full trailer for "The Sky Crawlers". This is MO's new work, and it doesn't disappoint me in visuals. The casting as well--I spotted nearly Oscar-nabbing RK as well as everyone's favorite mace wielder CK in the credits. The story looks promising, and it's adapted from a widely acclaimed Japanese novel. Although, the script was done by the same dude that did Spring Snow. Meh. Decide for yourself.
The reason why I've been neglecting this blog for a lot longer than I anticipated can be chalked up to a lot of things. Switching jobs. New friends. New hobbies. All-around sexual deviancy. Okay, scratch the last one off, but I've been busy needless to say. Most of my time writing has been spent on TIBU--thisisby.us. If you don't find anything on here to your fancy, I invite even the casual blog reader to check out my entries there. Username: KimGillus
Haven't played through MGS:4, but got the ending spoiled for me. It's fine. You never really say "goodbye" to anyone, these days.
K
ZS - Zack Snyder
BC - Billy Corgan
JW - Joss Whedon
RR - Robert Rodriguez
FD - Felicia Day
SK - Shoji Kawamori
HA - Hideaki Anno
MO - Mamoru Oshii
RK - Rinko Kikuchi
CK - Chiaki Kuriyama
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