Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "Yes, Banana Fish slips into the manga bad habit of having the side characters remind us how cool the main character he is. OTOH, Akimi Yoshida gets a free pass because Ash really is that cool."
Connie C on Pretty Face: It turns out Rina has a long-lost twin sister named Yuna! And Rina is so happy to have Yuna back! And Rando can’t possibly explain what’s happened, and doesn’t have anyplace to go, so he feins amnesia and just goes along with it, living in the same house as his crush and pretending to be her twin sister. He eventually finds a photo of himself, but when he realizes how crushed Rina would be to lose Yuna again, he decides to play along until he finds the real Yuna. This is somehow simultaneously as creepy as it sounds and not nearly as creepy as it could be.. . . its ribaldry can be simultaneously entertaining as well as creepy.
Ash and Michelle Smith on Attack on Titan:
ASH: If Attack on Titan has one thing going for it, it’s the series’ intensity. And tragic deaths.
MICHELLE: I feel very wrong that “tragic deaths” has seriously made me consider Attack on Titan.
ANNA: I feel the same way. What is the ratio of tragic deaths to non-tragic deaths per volume?
MELINDA: I also would like to see some statistics on this. Yes.
Sean Gaffney on Are You Alice?: "Are You Alice? has a 2nd volume that may potentially have something comprehensible happen, which Vol. 1 lacked, in my opinion."
Movie Review: 'When the replicants learn the role they've been designed for, they do not rebel; they submit. This ostensible passivity may perplex some U.S. audiences even more than the humanoid plot twist. "It's not a very American theme, is it?" says Ishiguro. "It's antithetical to the American creed of how you should face setbacks — that if you fight back, love conquers all." No, it's more a Japanese creed, that accepting one's fate is a form of heroism.'
Shaenon K. Garrity on Phoenix: "Tezuka is getting into his groove here. All life on Earth is destroyed halfway through the story, and it just keeps going."
Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Quotes of December 2013, Part 3
Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "When Ash has to kill people, he does: no Disney Villain Deaths here. ("What do you think I am? I'm a murderer, okay? I kill people!")
Melinda Beasi on Black Bird: 'I want to say “good riddance,” but… what will I have left to hate now? I feel bereft.'
Joseph Luster on Hare+Guu: "If the face of every moe character was merely a veil draped over a gaping, apocalyptic maw tunneling toward the infinite beyond, we'd all be living in Guu's surreal jungle, and we'd probably love every minute of it."
Sean Gaffney on Strobe Edge: "After the previous couple of volumes of Strobe Edge tried to hit maximum angstosity, this one seems to be more of a breather."
Jessi Silver: "[R]ealizing that bad anime exists and not every series is Cowboy Bebop-tier entertainment is just a part of being an anime fan past the honeymoon phase."
Jason Thompson on To Terra: 'The English edition's back cover copy reads "In space, no one can hear you cry," but don't worry; To Terra… has spaceships and rayguns, not just emo. In space, no one can hear you explode either.'
Melinda Beasi on Black Bird: 'I want to say “good riddance,” but… what will I have left to hate now? I feel bereft.'
Joseph Luster on Hare+Guu: "If the face of every moe character was merely a veil draped over a gaping, apocalyptic maw tunneling toward the infinite beyond, we'd all be living in Guu's surreal jungle, and we'd probably love every minute of it."
Sean Gaffney on Strobe Edge: "After the previous couple of volumes of Strobe Edge tried to hit maximum angstosity, this one seems to be more of a breather."
Jessi Silver: "[R]ealizing that bad anime exists and not every series is Cowboy Bebop-tier entertainment is just a part of being an anime fan past the honeymoon phase."
Jason Thompson on To Terra: 'The English edition's back cover copy reads "In space, no one can hear you cry," but don't worry; To Terra… has spaceships and rayguns, not just emo. In space, no one can hear you explode either.'
Quotes of December 2013, Part 2
Anna N on Red River:"Yuri and Kail are a sympathetic couple, even if some of their issues would be solved if they were only able to sit down and have an honest conversation about their feelings. Fending off witchy evil stepmothers, dodging kidnappings, and dealing with bronze age military tactics do take up quite a bit of time."
Joseph Luster on Hakkaider movie: "Now that sounds like a fun, roaring rampage of bloody revenge for the whole family, right?"
Melinda Beasi while discussing Banana Fish: 'Also, just in terms of the value of “innocence”… I think there’s an aspect of innocence that is overrated. I think we all have to do some wrong in the world in order to truly understand what’s *wrong* about it, if that makes sense. For instance, I don’t think it’s possible to understand the the consequences of hurting someone unless we’ve actually experienced it for ourselves. I think perfect innocence also requires a level of ignorance that isn’t ultimately a good thing in the world. I know that nobody here is suggesting otherwise, but I think that’s important when we’re thinking about Eiji as a real person and not just as a symbol for something.'
Jason Thompson on To Terra: "Keiko Takemiya's To Terra… (1977-1980) is one of the classic shojo manga, except that it isn't shojo. It was published in Asahi Sonorama's Manga Shonen, which must have been a hell of a magazine, since it published both this and Takemiya's Andromeda Stories (1980-1982)."
Carl Kimlinger on Hyperdimensional Neptunia: "You can make a positive statement about literally anything if you throw in enough qualifiers. So it doesn't really mean anything when I say that Hyperdimension Neptunia is pretty good for a video game adaptation that has no decent characters and a surplus of molesting slime-dogs and lolicon tongue-monsters. But I really do mean it. Neptunia may be about the least promising series to ever be barfed out by the anime-gaming complex, but once it gets its legs under it, it's a surprisingly engaging little adventure. Pointless and unimaginative, sure, and probably artificially elevated by our septic expectations, but engaging nonetheless. Damn. There I go with the qualifiers again."
Joseph Luster on Hakkaider movie: "Now that sounds like a fun, roaring rampage of bloody revenge for the whole family, right?"
Melinda Beasi while discussing Banana Fish: 'Also, just in terms of the value of “innocence”… I think there’s an aspect of innocence that is overrated. I think we all have to do some wrong in the world in order to truly understand what’s *wrong* about it, if that makes sense. For instance, I don’t think it’s possible to understand the the consequences of hurting someone unless we’ve actually experienced it for ourselves. I think perfect innocence also requires a level of ignorance that isn’t ultimately a good thing in the world. I know that nobody here is suggesting otherwise, but I think that’s important when we’re thinking about Eiji as a real person and not just as a symbol for something.'
Jason Thompson on To Terra: "Keiko Takemiya's To Terra… (1977-1980) is one of the classic shojo manga, except that it isn't shojo. It was published in Asahi Sonorama's Manga Shonen, which must have been a hell of a magazine, since it published both this and Takemiya's Andromeda Stories (1980-1982)."
Carl Kimlinger on Hyperdimensional Neptunia: "You can make a positive statement about literally anything if you throw in enough qualifiers. So it doesn't really mean anything when I say that Hyperdimension Neptunia is pretty good for a video game adaptation that has no decent characters and a surplus of molesting slime-dogs and lolicon tongue-monsters. But I really do mean it. Neptunia may be about the least promising series to ever be barfed out by the anime-gaming complex, but once it gets its legs under it, it's a surprisingly engaging little adventure. Pointless and unimaginative, sure, and probably artificially elevated by our septic expectations, but engaging nonetheless. Damn. There I go with the qualifiers again."
Monday, December 2, 2013
Quotes of December 2013, Part 1
Anna N on Red River: "While Yuri seems to have an unfortunate habit of getting kidnapped fairly often, she’s also extremely level-headed and pragmatic. Kail rescues her, but she also uses some quick thinking to rescue him a number of times."
Joseph Luster on Inazuman: "There's just as much imagination required of the viewer as there is exhibited, which is part of the fun. With the type of special effects employed for television, many managing to be both crude and ingenious, suspension of disbelief doesn't even begin to describe the experience. That should be a given, though, especially in situations where, for example, Goro outs a Neo-Human in disguise because he "has no shadow," when he clearly does. That's the beauty of it all, and everything is played out so matter-of-fact that you can't help but buy into the timeless fun on screen. "
Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "But of course, concept is 5% and execution is 95%. Banana Fish has got the execution, and execution-style killings, too. "
Sean Gaffney on Vinland Saga: "This is not going to be a cheery romp – expect the majority of the cast to die – but it’s gripping stuff, and incredibly hard to put down. I really enjoyed Planetes, but you can see how Yukimura has evolved further here. The story carries you along effortlessly, makes you care about these people even as it then hurts them horribly, and is simply filled with badass men being badass. It was worth the long wait to get this."
Rebecca Silverman on the Daily Lives of High School Boys: "This theme continues successfully throughout the show, playing with the contradictions inherent in adolescence – the moments of maturity followed by the desire to do something truly stupid."
Carl Kimlinger: "GUNxSWORD ends well, seeding its final episodes with moments of honest excellence, plenty of Van screaming and chopping things up (it is what he does best)," . . . "Mind you, this unusually satisfying climax isn't the result of careful planning or the product of narrative focus and purpose. Rather, it's the result of very talented storytellers sifting instances of transcendental power from the detritus of a highly entertaining, but lethally uneven show . . ."
Joseph Luster on Inazuman: "There's just as much imagination required of the viewer as there is exhibited, which is part of the fun. With the type of special effects employed for television, many managing to be both crude and ingenious, suspension of disbelief doesn't even begin to describe the experience. That should be a given, though, especially in situations where, for example, Goro outs a Neo-Human in disguise because he "has no shadow," when he clearly does. That's the beauty of it all, and everything is played out so matter-of-fact that you can't help but buy into the timeless fun on screen. "
Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "But of course, concept is 5% and execution is 95%. Banana Fish has got the execution, and execution-style killings, too. "
Sean Gaffney on Vinland Saga: "This is not going to be a cheery romp – expect the majority of the cast to die – but it’s gripping stuff, and incredibly hard to put down. I really enjoyed Planetes, but you can see how Yukimura has evolved further here. The story carries you along effortlessly, makes you care about these people even as it then hurts them horribly, and is simply filled with badass men being badass. It was worth the long wait to get this."
Rebecca Silverman on the Daily Lives of High School Boys: "This theme continues successfully throughout the show, playing with the contradictions inherent in adolescence – the moments of maturity followed by the desire to do something truly stupid."
Carl Kimlinger: "GUNxSWORD ends well, seeding its final episodes with moments of honest excellence, plenty of Van screaming and chopping things up (it is what he does best)," . . . "Mind you, this unusually satisfying climax isn't the result of careful planning or the product of narrative focus and purpose. Rather, it's the result of very talented storytellers sifting instances of transcendental power from the detritus of a highly entertaining, but lethally uneven show . . ."
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Quotes of November 2013, Part 9
Anna N on Red River: "The girl who is about to get stabbed on the cover of Red River is Yuri, a cheerful high school student who had just received her first kiss from her classmate Satoshi."
Lynzee Lamb on butlers: "Vanilla Ice (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) Were the previous entries too pretty for you? The long-haired, muscular Vanilla serves Dio without question, even going so far as decapitating himself to prove his loyalty. He doesn't stay dead very long. Dio resurrects his faithful manservant as a unitard-wearing vampire. I never thought I'd be talking about merits of Vanilla Ice's good looks, but the character doesn't resemble his namesake."
Joseph Luster on Inazuman: "As Goro Watari, Kikaida star Ban Daisuke proves himself a simultaneously endearing and ass-kicking protagonist once again."
Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "Picture Cipher crossed with Grand Theft Auto. Speedlines and sexual tension and angry bishonen, back before this sort of thing became overdone and jumped the shark, before Fake and Yellow and Togainu no Chi."
Theron Martin on Sunday Without God: "One thing that does not make it special is the deeply moe nature of its central heroine Ai. Her moe appeal is so cynically calculated – small, delicate body; tiny hands grasping a cute shovel; a cute, cosplayable outfit improbable for the setting in which she is raised – that it almost ends up being a detriment instead, as the cutesiness is so completely at odds with the vastly more serious nature of the setting. That this could certainly drive away those averse to moe content on an initial impression is a shame, as the series has so much potential to offer that it does not need to resort to such base appeals."
[This is also how I feel about Sora no Woto.]
Justin Sevakis: "Hi there! Thank you for writing into Answerman. Please read on as I crush your dreams!"
Lynzee Lamb on butlers: "Vanilla Ice (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) Were the previous entries too pretty for you? The long-haired, muscular Vanilla serves Dio without question, even going so far as decapitating himself to prove his loyalty. He doesn't stay dead very long. Dio resurrects his faithful manservant as a unitard-wearing vampire. I never thought I'd be talking about merits of Vanilla Ice's good looks, but the character doesn't resemble his namesake."
Joseph Luster on Inazuman: "As Goro Watari, Kikaida star Ban Daisuke proves himself a simultaneously endearing and ass-kicking protagonist once again."
Jason Thompson on Banana Fish: "Picture Cipher crossed with Grand Theft Auto. Speedlines and sexual tension and angry bishonen, back before this sort of thing became overdone and jumped the shark, before Fake and Yellow and Togainu no Chi."
Theron Martin on Sunday Without God: "One thing that does not make it special is the deeply moe nature of its central heroine Ai. Her moe appeal is so cynically calculated – small, delicate body; tiny hands grasping a cute shovel; a cute, cosplayable outfit improbable for the setting in which she is raised – that it almost ends up being a detriment instead, as the cutesiness is so completely at odds with the vastly more serious nature of the setting. That this could certainly drive away those averse to moe content on an initial impression is a shame, as the series has so much potential to offer that it does not need to resort to such base appeals."
[This is also how I feel about Sora no Woto.]
Justin Sevakis: "Hi there! Thank you for writing into Answerman. Please read on as I crush your dreams!"
Quotes of November 2013, part 8
Sara K on The Celestial Zone: "In a world where gender justice was the default, it would not be remarkable if a fighting/action oriented comic book featured many female characters and consistently gave them as much substance as the male characters, where they feel like they are there for their own sake, not to accompany the male characters. We do not live in a world where gender justice is the default. Therefore it is remarkable that The Celestial Zone is a fighting/action oriented comic book with many female characters who feel like they are there for their own sake and not to accompany the male characters."
Bamboo Dong on Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars: "Everyone else does a reasonable job, though, and if you can turn off the little voice in your head that keep chiming in with, “Haha! Thanks Goofy!” you'll likely like the dub just fine."
Carl Kimlinger on Eastern Star: "After years of oddball licensing decisions and an increasingly ambitious spate of oddball anime releases they've become the go-to guys for old, forgotten, or plain weird and under-the-radar series. And bless them for it. Not because it's a kind thing to do for fans, especially the older ones—though it is—but because it has made this box set possible. Even if Discotek did nothing else, even if the rest of its catalog was garbage, even if it was run by Nazis, its existence would still be justified by the fact that it gave us Lovely Complex."
Jason Thompson on Kaoru Mori: "Kaoru Mori is such a good artist that I like to imagine that she'd drawn other historical-setting manga: how much better, say, Red River would be if it didn't look like each page had been whipped out in 15 minutes."
Carlo Santos: "After unearthing so many hidden treasures in the out-of-print/license-lapsed category, it's only right that I bring up certain things that deserve to stay out of print."
Lynzee Lamb on Black Butler: "Sebastian is the most handsome servant on the list, in my humble opinion, but his level of devotion is questionable since he's bound by a Faustian contract. In short, a demon butler can do almost anything a master wants but he's also after their immortal soul, which is sort of a downer."
Bamboo Dong on Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars: "Everyone else does a reasonable job, though, and if you can turn off the little voice in your head that keep chiming in with, “Haha! Thanks Goofy!” you'll likely like the dub just fine."
Carl Kimlinger on Eastern Star: "After years of oddball licensing decisions and an increasingly ambitious spate of oddball anime releases they've become the go-to guys for old, forgotten, or plain weird and under-the-radar series. And bless them for it. Not because it's a kind thing to do for fans, especially the older ones—though it is—but because it has made this box set possible. Even if Discotek did nothing else, even if the rest of its catalog was garbage, even if it was run by Nazis, its existence would still be justified by the fact that it gave us Lovely Complex."
Jason Thompson on Kaoru Mori: "Kaoru Mori is such a good artist that I like to imagine that she'd drawn other historical-setting manga: how much better, say, Red River would be if it didn't look like each page had been whipped out in 15 minutes."
Carlo Santos: "After unearthing so many hidden treasures in the out-of-print/license-lapsed category, it's only right that I bring up certain things that deserve to stay out of print."
Lynzee Lamb on Black Butler: "Sebastian is the most handsome servant on the list, in my humble opinion, but his level of devotion is questionable since he's bound by a Faustian contract. In short, a demon butler can do almost anything a master wants but he's also after their immortal soul, which is sort of a downer."
Quotes of November 2013, Part 7
Luffy1545 in an Answerman column:
"
If I may throw out an outline for EVERY SINGLE EPISODE....
Pan yet another post-apocalyptic desert city. Pan slowly to Casshern. VERY slowly.
Casshern: I found a new city. Gosh, I wish I could remember who I am. That, and I hope that someone kills me once I find out. Oh wait, I'm immortal and can't die anyway. How tragic am I.
Random citizen-bots: Ruin ruin ruin ruin ruin.... we're all going to die, no hope left, blah blah blah. Isn't hope just grand? Citizens continue to mope for the next 20 minutes.
Bad robots: Look, you guys! It's Casshern! Apparently, if we eat him we can avoid ruin! Let's eat him!
Casshern: If that means you are going to kill me, then dig in, boys!
Robots attack Casshern. After a couple of punches to the face, his eyes glow some color, a mask appears and he mercilessly slaughters all the robots in question in a ten-second-long action sequence. If we are lucky. Casshern: Well, phooey. I guess I ruined all the robots who were trying to avoid ruin by ruining me.
Casshern turns and faces camera dead-on. Casshern: See kids? IRONY! BEAUTIFUL, TRAGIC IRONY!!!
Only a lot less-exciting.
"
Sean Gaffney: "These titles are classic modern CLAMP, being entertaining, filled with great art, and highly frustrating on a very personal level. "
Rebecca Silverman on Uta no Prince Sama 2: "Simply put it is just another reverse harem show which contrives to get one normal girl in a living situation with as many hot guys as possible so that at least one of them can fall in love with her. The gimmick here is that they are all aspiring idol singers, so each episode contains at least one song with mildly embarrassing lyrics."
"UtaPri 2 retains its manically bright color scheme where everyone looks as if a sugared-up toddler chose their coloring. Most baffling remains Haruka's terrifying eyes – Mountain Dew yellow with a laser green pupil. What the designer was thinking when this was chosen is anybody's guess, but it is a definite sour note, even among the deranged choices for other characters' hair, eyes, and clothes."
"The plot is lacking, the color scheme is insane, and there's enough cheese here to make nachos for a hundred, but despite all of that it is still an awful lot of fun."
Derek in an Answerman column: 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice I've been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like revisiting anime,” he told me “just remember that you used to be young and dumb.”'
"
If I may throw out an outline for EVERY SINGLE EPISODE....
Pan yet another post-apocalyptic desert city. Pan slowly to Casshern. VERY slowly.
Casshern: I found a new city. Gosh, I wish I could remember who I am. That, and I hope that someone kills me once I find out. Oh wait, I'm immortal and can't die anyway. How tragic am I.
Random citizen-bots: Ruin ruin ruin ruin ruin.... we're all going to die, no hope left, blah blah blah. Isn't hope just grand? Citizens continue to mope for the next 20 minutes.
Bad robots: Look, you guys! It's Casshern! Apparently, if we eat him we can avoid ruin! Let's eat him!
Casshern: If that means you are going to kill me, then dig in, boys!
Robots attack Casshern. After a couple of punches to the face, his eyes glow some color, a mask appears and he mercilessly slaughters all the robots in question in a ten-second-long action sequence. If we are lucky. Casshern: Well, phooey. I guess I ruined all the robots who were trying to avoid ruin by ruining me.
Casshern turns and faces camera dead-on. Casshern: See kids? IRONY! BEAUTIFUL, TRAGIC IRONY!!!
Only a lot less-exciting.
"
Sean Gaffney: "These titles are classic modern CLAMP, being entertaining, filled with great art, and highly frustrating on a very personal level. "
Rebecca Silverman on Uta no Prince Sama 2: "Simply put it is just another reverse harem show which contrives to get one normal girl in a living situation with as many hot guys as possible so that at least one of them can fall in love with her. The gimmick here is that they are all aspiring idol singers, so each episode contains at least one song with mildly embarrassing lyrics."
"UtaPri 2 retains its manically bright color scheme where everyone looks as if a sugared-up toddler chose their coloring. Most baffling remains Haruka's terrifying eyes – Mountain Dew yellow with a laser green pupil. What the designer was thinking when this was chosen is anybody's guess, but it is a definite sour note, even among the deranged choices for other characters' hair, eyes, and clothes."
"The plot is lacking, the color scheme is insane, and there's enough cheese here to make nachos for a hundred, but despite all of that it is still an awful lot of fun."
Derek in an Answerman column: 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice I've been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like revisiting anime,” he told me “just remember that you used to be young and dumb.”'
Quotes of November 2013, part 6
Sara K on The Lady Hermit: "I do not like being told that romantic relationships are so special that it’s only natural that any other relationships – no matter how deep – can be dumped for romance – regardless of how shallow the romance is. If individual people want to only value romantic relationships, that’s their business (though I think they should inform their friends, families, and colleagues that they do not value non-romantic relationships). But to see such a wonderful teacher-student relationship disrupted over such an empty romance is heartbreaking."
Bamboo Dong on Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars: "As far as alien fights go, Shingu has some of the dullest. Watching Nayuta-as-Shingu fight monsters is like watching Sock 'Em Boppers in slow motion, and if what you're looking for is crazy, intense fight scenes, this show is not for you."
Melinda Beasi on Loveless: "Whether deliberately or not, physical abuse of all kinds is often romanticized in manga—especially BL manga and other genres for girls—and for that reason, I’m generally leery of it as a plot point. Yun Kouga, however, manages to portray this abuse and even give us a taste of the mother’s own internal conflict over it, without romanticizing Ritsuka’s suffering or sympathizing with his abuser."
"We are witness to his mother’s turmoil and her declining mental condition, but we’re not asked to excuse her or to identify with her own suffering. Instead, the focus is on Ritsuka’s desperate refusal to blame her and his determination to maintain her love, through the eyes of Soubi, who finds it all pretty horrifying." [And like he has room to talk . . .]
"Of course, Soubi has his own issues, and Kouga doesn’t let him off the hook for them, even here, betraying his secret desire to see Ritsuka cry in the midst of it all."
SEAN: Oh Dear Lord. Look at the cover for Hide & Seek. Have you seen two people you want to punch in the face more than these two? :) This is by the author of Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love, which if I recall also had ridiculous covers. Recommended for those who enjoy large yaoi hands.
Brian Hanson: "Let's just say that Company A licenses Show B, but only the first season, and you REALLY LOVE Show B and want to support it so the second season can come stateside. In that case, buy the hell out of that first print run of Show B and love it and cherish it and sing it sweet songs at night, because the only good that waiting will do in that case is to show Company A how unenthusiastic the fans for Show B are.
"And if you multiply Show B by the cosine of Company A, and the sun is directly facing due East and it's 6:00 on a Tuesday, what will the temperature be in Prague? Show your work."
Bamboo Dong on Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars: "As far as alien fights go, Shingu has some of the dullest. Watching Nayuta-as-Shingu fight monsters is like watching Sock 'Em Boppers in slow motion, and if what you're looking for is crazy, intense fight scenes, this show is not for you."
Melinda Beasi on Loveless: "Whether deliberately or not, physical abuse of all kinds is often romanticized in manga—especially BL manga and other genres for girls—and for that reason, I’m generally leery of it as a plot point. Yun Kouga, however, manages to portray this abuse and even give us a taste of the mother’s own internal conflict over it, without romanticizing Ritsuka’s suffering or sympathizing with his abuser."
"We are witness to his mother’s turmoil and her declining mental condition, but we’re not asked to excuse her or to identify with her own suffering. Instead, the focus is on Ritsuka’s desperate refusal to blame her and his determination to maintain her love, through the eyes of Soubi, who finds it all pretty horrifying." [And like he has room to talk . . .]
"Of course, Soubi has his own issues, and Kouga doesn’t let him off the hook for them, even here, betraying his secret desire to see Ritsuka cry in the midst of it all."
SEAN: Oh Dear Lord. Look at the cover for Hide & Seek. Have you seen two people you want to punch in the face more than these two? :) This is by the author of Bond of Dreams, Bond of Love, which if I recall also had ridiculous covers. Recommended for those who enjoy large yaoi hands.
Brian Hanson: "Let's just say that Company A licenses Show B, but only the first season, and you REALLY LOVE Show B and want to support it so the second season can come stateside. In that case, buy the hell out of that first print run of Show B and love it and cherish it and sing it sweet songs at night, because the only good that waiting will do in that case is to show Company A how unenthusiastic the fans for Show B are.
"And if you multiply Show B by the cosine of Company A, and the sun is directly facing due East and it's 6:00 on a Tuesday, what will the temperature be in Prague? Show your work."
Quotes of November 2013, Part 5
Sara K on The Lady Hermit: "I will admit that, as an aromantic, I am particularly sensistive to this sort of thing . . .. I have nothing against romance – I even like well-written fictional romances – but to me, full-blown romance is like sisterhood – very common, frequently interesting, but something I will probably never personally experience. That’s okay, because sibling relationships and romantic relationships are not the only kinds of relationships which can be psychologically fulfilling."
Paul Thomas Chapman on Orochi The Eight-Headed Dragon: "After a brief invocation involving a double-decker UFO, the movie opens with a sinister minister tossing a baby off of a cliff. Born under inauspicious circumstances, Prince Ousu, the youngest brother among a set of twins born to the Emperor of Yamato, has been sentenced to execution. Luckily for young Prince Ousu, Amaterasu Omikami, the goddess of the sun, intervenes to save his life. Saving plummeting babies in this case requires the deployment of a robot phoenix. Prince Ousu is raised by his aunt, a priestess of Amaterasu. He grows to manhood and discovers his heroic destiny, which allows him to shoot green lasers from his eyes. Prince Ousu takes the name of Yamato Takeru and performs great deeds such as thwarting the evil plans of Tsukiyomi, the god of the moon, and slaying the titular eight-headed dragon. I haven’t even mentioned the giant robot yet."
Bamboo Dong on Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars: "The series is set in 2070, but you wouldn't be able to tell from just looking at it. People still drive cars, people still can't teleport, and we still don't have computers implanted in our brains. Maybe in that respect, it's the most truthfully mundane vision of the future ever envisioned; if I had to put hard cash on it, I bet 2070 isn't that different from 2013 after all."
Lynzee Lamb on the villains in GaoGaiGer: "Their goal is to absorb all of humanity and are led by four (menacing?) leaders named after Italian food and dancing."
Melinda Beasi on Loveless: "Yun Kouga’s greatest strength as a storyteller, in my opinion, is her ability to delve deep into her characters’ weakest, messiest personality traits and present them honestly and without apology. As I discussed at length in episode six of My Week in Manga, it’s clear that she not only loves her characters despite their flaws, but often because of them, and since I also tend to find people’s flaws to be as beautiful or even more beautiful than their strengths (both in fiction and in real life), this is an approach that works especially well for me."
Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith on Tokyo Babylon:
"SEAN: I didn’t buy this one, so will forever imagine it ends with a big picnic, and possibly puppies and unicorns. :)
MICHELLE: I will allow you to have your dreams.
MELINDA: I’m sure everyone can guess how eagerly I’ve been anticipating this release. I was over the moon for Dark Horse’s first omnibus, and since I actually like to be beaten into a sobbing pulp by my fiction, I’m willing to move forward without those puppies and unicorns.
Paul Thomas Chapman on Orochi The Eight-Headed Dragon: "After a brief invocation involving a double-decker UFO, the movie opens with a sinister minister tossing a baby off of a cliff. Born under inauspicious circumstances, Prince Ousu, the youngest brother among a set of twins born to the Emperor of Yamato, has been sentenced to execution. Luckily for young Prince Ousu, Amaterasu Omikami, the goddess of the sun, intervenes to save his life. Saving plummeting babies in this case requires the deployment of a robot phoenix. Prince Ousu is raised by his aunt, a priestess of Amaterasu. He grows to manhood and discovers his heroic destiny, which allows him to shoot green lasers from his eyes. Prince Ousu takes the name of Yamato Takeru and performs great deeds such as thwarting the evil plans of Tsukiyomi, the god of the moon, and slaying the titular eight-headed dragon. I haven’t even mentioned the giant robot yet."
Bamboo Dong on Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars: "The series is set in 2070, but you wouldn't be able to tell from just looking at it. People still drive cars, people still can't teleport, and we still don't have computers implanted in our brains. Maybe in that respect, it's the most truthfully mundane vision of the future ever envisioned; if I had to put hard cash on it, I bet 2070 isn't that different from 2013 after all."
Lynzee Lamb on the villains in GaoGaiGer: "Their goal is to absorb all of humanity and are led by four (menacing?) leaders named after Italian food and dancing."
Melinda Beasi on Loveless: "Yun Kouga’s greatest strength as a storyteller, in my opinion, is her ability to delve deep into her characters’ weakest, messiest personality traits and present them honestly and without apology. As I discussed at length in episode six of My Week in Manga, it’s clear that she not only loves her characters despite their flaws, but often because of them, and since I also tend to find people’s flaws to be as beautiful or even more beautiful than their strengths (both in fiction and in real life), this is an approach that works especially well for me."
Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith on Tokyo Babylon:
"SEAN: I didn’t buy this one, so will forever imagine it ends with a big picnic, and possibly puppies and unicorns. :)
MICHELLE: I will allow you to have your dreams.
MELINDA: I’m sure everyone can guess how eagerly I’ve been anticipating this release. I was over the moon for Dark Horse’s first omnibus, and since I actually like to be beaten into a sobbing pulp by my fiction, I’m willing to move forward without those puppies and unicorns.
Quotes of November, Part 4
Sara K on The Lady Hermit: "First of all, I don’t understand why the female characters are so attracted to him. There is nothing in the script which explains this, so the only explanation I can think of is that he is physically handsome, in which case they should have cast a better-looking actor."
Sean Gaffney on Attack on Titan: "Its popularity is very much on the rise, helped by the release of the anime, but also by its compelling plot and fantastic characterization, which has been helped by greatly improved facial art. The art is still the weak point, but it’s not enough to make this any less gripping."
Lissa Pattillo on Dawn of the Arcana: "The volume doesn’t spend much time with him, which really works to its advantage. I hated Caesar when he was a jerky, abusive prick but it did make him a lot more interesting."
Kate O'Neil on Loveless: "These are the two volumes where I feel the series has finally found it’s footing and it’s purpose, and where I finally understood that everyone is broken."
Michelle On Gundam: The Origin: "The artwork really sells it for me, and I was especially impressed that the space battles are drawn with such clarity. True, I did weary of the space battles by the end, but at least they weren’t incomprehensible, as could easily have been the case."
Ash on Wandering Son: "Friendships are tested and strained as the characters begin to try to figure out just who means what to whom. It's heartbreaking to see those friendships, which are so incredibly important to them, falling apart as jealousy and sheer awkwardness put them in jeopardy."
Sean Gaffney on Attack on Titan: "Its popularity is very much on the rise, helped by the release of the anime, but also by its compelling plot and fantastic characterization, which has been helped by greatly improved facial art. The art is still the weak point, but it’s not enough to make this any less gripping."
Lissa Pattillo on Dawn of the Arcana: "The volume doesn’t spend much time with him, which really works to its advantage. I hated Caesar when he was a jerky, abusive prick but it did make him a lot more interesting."
Kate O'Neil on Loveless: "These are the two volumes where I feel the series has finally found it’s footing and it’s purpose, and where I finally understood that everyone is broken."
Michelle On Gundam: The Origin: "The artwork really sells it for me, and I was especially impressed that the space battles are drawn with such clarity. True, I did weary of the space battles by the end, but at least they weren’t incomprehensible, as could easily have been the case."
Ash on Wandering Son: "Friendships are tested and strained as the characters begin to try to figure out just who means what to whom. It's heartbreaking to see those friendships, which are so incredibly important to them, falling apart as jealousy and sheer awkwardness put them in jeopardy."
Quotes of November 2013, part 3
Erin Finnegan on Strike Witches: "Let's pretend for a moment that the Strike Witches wore pants and didn't grow animal ears. Without those elements, this is almost a decent show."
Sean Gaffney on No 6 manga: "(By the way, Safu will be dying at some point in this series, sacrificing her life for Shion. I don’t know any spoilers, but bank on this happening anyway, because DUR HEY.)"
Melinda Beasi on New Moon #1: "Though Bella’s obsession with her controlling undead boyfriend is no less disturbing than it ever was (and New Moon, in particular, suffers from one of the most trying cases of Guy #2 in YA fiction history), without Meyer’s cringe-worthy prose dragging them down, these books are vastly more palatable than I ever dreamed they could be. Young Kim’s TV-pretty artwork continues to suit the story’s tone, and though some of the italic text in this volume is questionably readable, it’s possible we’re better off missing some of Bella’s internal narrative. If you’re looking for great girls’ comics, there are far better series available. But if you’re determined to read Twilight, this is absolutely the way to go."
Sara K. on The Lady Hermit: "Checkov’s Bridge: If there is a suspension bridge in an action scene, it will collapse while our protagonist is on it."
Q: Has anything in your life changed since the series has become the focus of so much attention?
Hajime Isayama: I got a weird phone call from my bank. They were wondering about the sudden increase of funds in my savings, so they probably thought I was running some bank transfer scam. (LOL)
alversob on Story of Saiunkoku: "This seems like a formidable challenge, but the sweetness of a shoujo heroine is a force beyond all others, and soon the emperor is not only eating out of Shurei's hand, he is sleeping with his head in her lap."
Sean Gaffney on No 6 manga: "(By the way, Safu will be dying at some point in this series, sacrificing her life for Shion. I don’t know any spoilers, but bank on this happening anyway, because DUR HEY.)"
Melinda Beasi on New Moon #1: "Though Bella’s obsession with her controlling undead boyfriend is no less disturbing than it ever was (and New Moon, in particular, suffers from one of the most trying cases of Guy #2 in YA fiction history), without Meyer’s cringe-worthy prose dragging them down, these books are vastly more palatable than I ever dreamed they could be. Young Kim’s TV-pretty artwork continues to suit the story’s tone, and though some of the italic text in this volume is questionably readable, it’s possible we’re better off missing some of Bella’s internal narrative. If you’re looking for great girls’ comics, there are far better series available. But if you’re determined to read Twilight, this is absolutely the way to go."
Sara K. on The Lady Hermit: "Checkov’s Bridge: If there is a suspension bridge in an action scene, it will collapse while our protagonist is on it."
Q: Has anything in your life changed since the series has become the focus of so much attention?
Hajime Isayama: I got a weird phone call from my bank. They were wondering about the sudden increase of funds in my savings, so they probably thought I was running some bank transfer scam. (LOL)
alversob on Story of Saiunkoku: "This seems like a formidable challenge, but the sweetness of a shoujo heroine is a force beyond all others, and soon the emperor is not only eating out of Shurei's hand, he is sleeping with his head in her lap."
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Quotes of November 2013, 2
Erin Finnegan: "Maybe I could still deal with Strike Witches, but in one of the later episodes it's revealed that witches start to lose their magic around age 20, just like Morning Musume."
Melinda Beasi: "Let Dai is ridiculously melodramatic, unrelentingly violent, borderline misogynistic, deeply implausible, and an incredibly compelling read."
AstroNerdBoy: "Let us assume for a moment that you are a completely law abiding citizen who'd never do anything to violate copyright laws. Is it OK for them to look at everything else you are doing in the name of looking for a crime you aren't committing? With them looking at your personal habits and the like, what then happens to the data that is mined? What happens if this data is captured by hackers? There are all kinds of evil and unscrupulous people in the world, and as it is right now, too much information is gathered about us each an every day by governments and private organizations."
Anna N about Knights of Sidonia: "Also, for those of you reading this manga solely for talking bear appearances, there is some talking bear in this volume!"
MICHELLE: I just can’t make myself read Higurashi. It’s like you said in your recent Umineko review, Sean. We’re not supposed to like these people or care what happens to them personally; we’re just supposed to care about the mystery. But I guess I can’t simply stick around for that if I don’t like the protagonists at least a little.
Sean Gaffney on Atomcat: "This is a very 1980s manga – leaving aside Charles and Di the space aliens, we also have the school bully being named Gaddafi."
Melinda Beasi: "Let Dai is ridiculously melodramatic, unrelentingly violent, borderline misogynistic, deeply implausible, and an incredibly compelling read."
AstroNerdBoy: "Let us assume for a moment that you are a completely law abiding citizen who'd never do anything to violate copyright laws. Is it OK for them to look at everything else you are doing in the name of looking for a crime you aren't committing? With them looking at your personal habits and the like, what then happens to the data that is mined? What happens if this data is captured by hackers? There are all kinds of evil and unscrupulous people in the world, and as it is right now, too much information is gathered about us each an every day by governments and private organizations."
Anna N about Knights of Sidonia: "Also, for those of you reading this manga solely for talking bear appearances, there is some talking bear in this volume!"
MICHELLE: I just can’t make myself read Higurashi. It’s like you said in your recent Umineko review, Sean. We’re not supposed to like these people or care what happens to them personally; we’re just supposed to care about the mystery. But I guess I can’t simply stick around for that if I don’t like the protagonists at least a little.
Sean Gaffney on Atomcat: "This is a very 1980s manga – leaving aside Charles and Di the space aliens, we also have the school bully being named Gaddafi."
Quotes of Awesome, November, Part I
John Scalzi: "Many people believe geekdom is defined by a love of a thing, but I think — and my experience of geekdom bears on this thinking — that the true sign of a geek is a delight in sharing a thing. It’s the major difference between a geek and a hipster, you know: When a hipster sees someone else grooving on the thing they love, their reaction is to say “Oh, crap, now the wrong people like the thing I love.” When a geek sees someone else grooving on the thing they love, their reaction is to say “ZOMG YOU LOVE WHAT I LOVE COME WITH ME AND LET US LOVE IT TOGETHER.”
Daniella Orihuela-Gruber: "But somehow it’s okay because the victim also had feelings for the guy? Hell no. This is not real life, and were I the creator of manga like this, I wouldn’t write stories where unhealthy relationships are acceptable because I’d be too afraid that one of my readers would be dumb enough to believe it."
Erin Finnegan on Strike Witches: "A little less groping and the war would be over a lot sooner."
comment 4: "when we have delusions that are that important to us, we will remake our world, rather than admit we are deluded."
"Reading a Yoshinaga manga is like watching a stage play--you're there for the interplay of characters, not the lavish settings."
Greg McElhatton on Moyasimon: "Who knew drawings of alcohol fermentation could be so entrancing?"
Daniella Orihuela-Gruber: "But somehow it’s okay because the victim also had feelings for the guy? Hell no. This is not real life, and were I the creator of manga like this, I wouldn’t write stories where unhealthy relationships are acceptable because I’d be too afraid that one of my readers would be dumb enough to believe it."
Erin Finnegan on Strike Witches: "A little less groping and the war would be over a lot sooner."
comment 4: "when we have delusions that are that important to us, we will remake our world, rather than admit we are deluded."
"Reading a Yoshinaga manga is like watching a stage play--you're there for the interplay of characters, not the lavish settings."
Greg McElhatton on Moyasimon: "Who knew drawings of alcohol fermentation could be so entrancing?"
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Quotes of awesome July 2013, Part 3
Connie: "I know I said I liked Keiko Kinoshita a lot, and I do. But my love for Kinoshita is nothing like my reverence for Yugi Yamada, which burns with the brightness of a thousand suns."
Daniella Orihuela-Gruber: "And this, folks, is why I really hate rape in yaoi. Even if the lines are fuzzy, even if it actually moves the story forward, rape is a crutch in this genre. It is rarely treated in a way that is respectful to the victims.. . . It is used in lieu of learning how to properly write up the beginnings of a healthy, but passionate relationship."
Erin Finnegan: "(If you happen to hate the tyranny of pants, be sure to check out Daphne in the Brilliant Blue or Reign: The Conqueror.)"
Kate D'Acey in comment 11: "No one would go to concerts with me for years because I couldn’t stop talking about what I was hearing: the oboe was out of tune, the balance was wrong for a Mozart symphony (90 strings? c’mon!), the brass section was lagging. I have a feeling I’d be the world’s crankiest music critic, so it’s probably best for me to stick to a field where my desire to have fun outstrips my theoretical knowledge."
Connie on Skip Beat: "Of course, Kyoko takes every challenge and defeats it as hard as she possibly can."
Brad Swaile about the dangers of cosplay: “You can imagine what [the medical staff] are thinking happened, and I had to explain it was a freak sewing injury,” he said.
Daniella Orihuela-Gruber: "And this, folks, is why I really hate rape in yaoi. Even if the lines are fuzzy, even if it actually moves the story forward, rape is a crutch in this genre. It is rarely treated in a way that is respectful to the victims.. . . It is used in lieu of learning how to properly write up the beginnings of a healthy, but passionate relationship."
Erin Finnegan: "(If you happen to hate the tyranny of pants, be sure to check out Daphne in the Brilliant Blue or Reign: The Conqueror.)"
Kate D'Acey in comment 11: "No one would go to concerts with me for years because I couldn’t stop talking about what I was hearing: the oboe was out of tune, the balance was wrong for a Mozart symphony (90 strings? c’mon!), the brass section was lagging. I have a feeling I’d be the world’s crankiest music critic, so it’s probably best for me to stick to a field where my desire to have fun outstrips my theoretical knowledge."
Connie on Skip Beat: "Of course, Kyoko takes every challenge and defeats it as hard as she possibly can."
Brad Swaile about the dangers of cosplay: “You can imagine what [the medical staff] are thinking happened, and I had to explain it was a freak sewing injury,” he said.
Quotes of awesome July 2013, Part 2
Bamboo Dong on Waiting in the Summer: "So the last few episodes are a tornado of ridiculousness, in which spaceships and alien drones careen around the countryside, shooting lasers at people and tearing up the streets."
Anna on Stars Falling from the Sky: "Anna: The bathroom stuff was a bit excessive, but I will say as a parent to young children it is alarming how much you end up having to deal with bathroom stuff."
Phillip Anthony on Strobe Edge: "I don’t know if I have the fortitude to root for a character who is that emotionally stunted."
Connie on Strobe Edge: "When shoujo mangaka write interesting notes, they are always worth your time."
Daniella Orihuela-Gruber on The Man I Picked Up: "This brings us to the next four chapters… Oh lord."
Brian Hanson: 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice I've been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like revisiting anime,” he told me “just remember that you used to be young and dumb.”'
Anna on Stars Falling from the Sky: "Anna: The bathroom stuff was a bit excessive, but I will say as a parent to young children it is alarming how much you end up having to deal with bathroom stuff."
Phillip Anthony on Strobe Edge: "I don’t know if I have the fortitude to root for a character who is that emotionally stunted."
Connie on Strobe Edge: "When shoujo mangaka write interesting notes, they are always worth your time."
Daniella Orihuela-Gruber on The Man I Picked Up: "This brings us to the next four chapters… Oh lord."
Brian Hanson: 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice I've been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like revisiting anime,” he told me “just remember that you used to be young and dumb.”'
Quotes of awesome July 2013, Part 1
Sean Gaffney on A Devil and Her Love Song: "It’s a rare shoujo series where I want to see the villain redeemed as much as the heroine, but that’s where I’ve ended up with this one, where I find myself really hating what Anna is doing while desperately wanting someone to break through to her. And that’s not even getting into the giant mess that Maria’s life is. Combine that with a wicked sense of humor at times, and it’s almost enough to get past the fact that their horrible teacher is STILL THERE."
Best short, spoiler-filled commentary/summary of Tokyo Babylon: "Seishirou: *cheerfully breaking bones* Yeah, about that, turns out Hokuto-chan was right. I am the Sakurazakumori, you are my destined archnemesis, we are star-crossed lovers, and despite my disturbing penchant for wearing really dorky cardigans, I still somehow manage to be a psychopathic government-employed assassin who pretty much kills people for shits and giggles."
Justin Sevakis on Harbor Light Story: "What happens next is a spoiler. I have to talk about it, because it's just too stupid. If that really bothers you, skip the next paragraph."
Bamboo Dong on Steins;Gate: "As a scientist, what makes Steins;Gate appeal to me is its lack of science. It's refreshingly open-ended and vague, only rarely dropping in chunks of technobabble."
Kate O’Neil on The Betrayal Knows My Name: "Pacing? Uruboku laughs in the face of your mortal pacing."
Darius Washington on Crying Freeman: "The original manga by Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf & Cub) is written fairly similarly to this anime and pretty much vanishes into its reasons to get naked and have sex scenes, so much so that I wound up calling this series "Flying Semen" at one point."
Best short, spoiler-filled commentary/summary of Tokyo Babylon: "Seishirou: *cheerfully breaking bones* Yeah, about that, turns out Hokuto-chan was right. I am the Sakurazakumori, you are my destined archnemesis, we are star-crossed lovers, and despite my disturbing penchant for wearing really dorky cardigans, I still somehow manage to be a psychopathic government-employed assassin who pretty much kills people for shits and giggles."
Justin Sevakis on Harbor Light Story: "What happens next is a spoiler. I have to talk about it, because it's just too stupid. If that really bothers you, skip the next paragraph."
Bamboo Dong on Steins;Gate: "As a scientist, what makes Steins;Gate appeal to me is its lack of science. It's refreshingly open-ended and vague, only rarely dropping in chunks of technobabble."
Kate O’Neil on The Betrayal Knows My Name: "Pacing? Uruboku laughs in the face of your mortal pacing."
Darius Washington on Crying Freeman: "The original manga by Kazuo Koike (Lone Wolf & Cub) is written fairly similarly to this anime and pretty much vanishes into its reasons to get naked and have sex scenes, so much so that I wound up calling this series "Flying Semen" at one point."
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Quotes of March , part 5 of 4 . . .
Bamboo Dong on Battle Girls - Time Paradox: "I know that I can't expect a series like Battle Girls – Time Paradox to be a beacon of intelligence and thoughtful storytelling, but one always hopes to find a few gems hidden under the layers of predictable shlock. Sadly, there is none of that in this series. It is 99.9% fluff and nonsense."
Justin Sevakis on Harbor Lights: "But anyway, Kit is really really mad, and his only recourse, clearly, is to have his motorcycle gang infiltrate the dance contest and BLOW UP THE FREAKING BUILDING IT'S IN."
Bamboo Dong on Penguindrum: "Seldom is there a series that not only captivates my interest, but also the magpie center of my brain that responds to bright colors and pretty visuals, and makes me want to sit down and seriously mull over what I've just consumed."
Michelle Smith on Red River: "Though it starts off rated for older teens, I have a distinct memory of the later volumes being shrinkwrapped, so presumably sexy times will eventually ensue."
Kate O’Neil on The Betrayal Knows My Name: "The complexities of their many past lives have left the Zweilt at odds with their sexuality, and their duties to their clan have lead to very strange relationships. I wish the author had explored this stuff sooner, as it actually gives the cast a reason to be so touchy-feely with each other without it coming off as unnatural or just fan service."
Anna N on Knights of Sidonia: "Most importantly for fans of Biomega, there is a talking bear in Knights of Sidonia. She doesn’t have a machine gun yet, but she does have an artificial arm. Seriously, a talking bear in outer space with an artificial arm is reason enough to buy this manga, and all the great mecha/alien battle scenes and Nagate’s journey are really just a bonus."
Justin Sevakis on Harbor Lights: "But anyway, Kit is really really mad, and his only recourse, clearly, is to have his motorcycle gang infiltrate the dance contest and BLOW UP THE FREAKING BUILDING IT'S IN."
Bamboo Dong on Penguindrum: "Seldom is there a series that not only captivates my interest, but also the magpie center of my brain that responds to bright colors and pretty visuals, and makes me want to sit down and seriously mull over what I've just consumed."
Michelle Smith on Red River: "Though it starts off rated for older teens, I have a distinct memory of the later volumes being shrinkwrapped, so presumably sexy times will eventually ensue."
Kate O’Neil on The Betrayal Knows My Name: "The complexities of their many past lives have left the Zweilt at odds with their sexuality, and their duties to their clan have lead to very strange relationships. I wish the author had explored this stuff sooner, as it actually gives the cast a reason to be so touchy-feely with each other without it coming off as unnatural or just fan service."
Anna N on Knights of Sidonia: "Most importantly for fans of Biomega, there is a talking bear in Knights of Sidonia. She doesn’t have a machine gun yet, but she does have an artificial arm. Seriously, a talking bear in outer space with an artificial arm is reason enough to buy this manga, and all the great mecha/alien battle scenes and Nagate’s journey are really just a bonus."
Quotes of March, Part 4
Bamboo Dong on Shangri-La: "What I don't appreciate is that towards the end, it increasingly felt like the story was just frantically waving its hands, trying to distract from the fact that it was slowly derailing."
Paul Thomas Chapman on Spriggan: "Into this heady mix of Indiana Jones by way of Ghost in the Shell, we throw our cocky protagonist, Yu Ominae, a seventeen-year-old high school student who moonlights as a Spriggan, one of ARCAM’s elite secret agents. Yu has fabulous hair, very little personality, and a Tragic Past™, so naturally he’s the hero of this tale . . ."
Melinda Beasi on Red River: "I greet you this morning, dizzy with the particular brand of glee that can only be brought on by epic shoujo fantasy."
Kate O’Neil on The Betrayal Knows My Name: "Let this be a lesson to everyone, if you’re group of close friends is involved in terrible business and you take a group photo, your dooming yourselves. Just ask the cast of Pandora Hearts, they know."
Ash on Ai Yazawa: "Her characters come complete with flaws and are much more interesting because of it."
Justin Sevakis on Harbor Lights: "It's hard to believe now, but in the early- to mid-80s, being a dancer was pretty much the coolest thing on the planet."
"Little girls dreamed of being a famous dancer, even though basically no dancers ever became a household name. And in Japan, at a little company called Studio Pierrot, decided to make a one-shot OVA to cater to those little girls. It would have a little bit of everything those girls would like, from Cinderella to Footloose... to Die Hard."
Paul Thomas Chapman on Spriggan: "Into this heady mix of Indiana Jones by way of Ghost in the Shell, we throw our cocky protagonist, Yu Ominae, a seventeen-year-old high school student who moonlights as a Spriggan, one of ARCAM’s elite secret agents. Yu has fabulous hair, very little personality, and a Tragic Past™, so naturally he’s the hero of this tale . . ."
Melinda Beasi on Red River: "I greet you this morning, dizzy with the particular brand of glee that can only be brought on by epic shoujo fantasy."
Kate O’Neil on The Betrayal Knows My Name: "Let this be a lesson to everyone, if you’re group of close friends is involved in terrible business and you take a group photo, your dooming yourselves. Just ask the cast of Pandora Hearts, they know."
Ash on Ai Yazawa: "Her characters come complete with flaws and are much more interesting because of it."
Justin Sevakis on Harbor Lights: "It's hard to believe now, but in the early- to mid-80s, being a dancer was pretty much the coolest thing on the planet."
"Little girls dreamed of being a famous dancer, even though basically no dancers ever became a household name. And in Japan, at a little company called Studio Pierrot, decided to make a one-shot OVA to cater to those little girls. It would have a little bit of everything those girls would like, from Cinderella to Footloose... to Die Hard."
Quotes March 2013, part 3
Melinda and Michelle on Raiders:
MELINDA: You know, I’d become a little jaded about zombie comics, but I think I have to give this one a look, finally.
MICHELLE: Yeah, it’s less about humans having to fend off zombie hordes than it is about zombies being bummed out about their unlives.
MELINDA: Something we can all relate to. Heh.
MICHELLE: Yeah, though I thankfully haven’t had the experience of my leg failing to reattach itself on account of being sliced by the special sword wielded by an albino vampire.
MELINDA: You haven’t? Geez, Michelle, you’re so sheltered.
MICHELLE: I should get out more.
MELINDA: Indeed.
Jason Thompson: ". . . Taniguchi's, Boilet & Peeters' approach: to pay attention to story and character, but to craft stories around particular locations in such a way that they couldn't take place anywhere else. Isn't it more interesting reading about stories set in Tottori or Urbicand rather than Anytown, USA, or Random Tokyo Screentone Background, Japan? For that reason I'm going to submit the proposal that one of the best travelogue manga of all time is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, where detailed descriptions of Egypt, Italy and America are the setting for MAJOR SHONEN ASS-KICKING. No, I am not biased in the slightest."
Sean Gaffney on A Devil and Her Love Song: "It’s a rare shoujo series where I want to see the villain redeemed as much as the heroine, but that’s where I’ve ended up with this one, where I find myself really hating what Anna is doing while desperately wanting someone to break through to her. And that’s not even getting into the giant mess that Maria’s life is. Combine that with a wicked sense of humor at times, and it’s almost enough to get past the fact that their horrible teacher is STILL THERE."
Bamboo Dong on Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom: "In fact, there's not much levity in this series, save for a few immature chuckles here and there when cleavage springs into action, but they're likely not intentional."
Melinda Beasi: "The message of Tokyo Babylon is that sometimes people are just horrible, goodness does not always win, and our weaknesses may very well be exploited without any chance at all for us to learn from them. It’s a bleak, bleak message that I never expected to find in a shoujo manga series, and it left me absolutely wrecked as I finished it.
Of course, this was also kind of awesome."
Paul Thomas Chapman on Spriggan: "But as surely as the market for physical media continues to contract and streaming media continues to erode the old ways of doing things, and as surely as enthusiasts of my generation must feel like they are caught between the Charybdis that is damaged physical media and the Scylla that is spotty Internet connections and vanishing content, so it was that when I saw a DVD of the film during a spur of the moment trip to a brick-and-mortar store, I knew the time had come to make my peace with Spriggan.
This anime is ridiculous:"
MELINDA: You know, I’d become a little jaded about zombie comics, but I think I have to give this one a look, finally.
MICHELLE: Yeah, it’s less about humans having to fend off zombie hordes than it is about zombies being bummed out about their unlives.
MELINDA: Something we can all relate to. Heh.
MICHELLE: Yeah, though I thankfully haven’t had the experience of my leg failing to reattach itself on account of being sliced by the special sword wielded by an albino vampire.
MELINDA: You haven’t? Geez, Michelle, you’re so sheltered.
MICHELLE: I should get out more.
MELINDA: Indeed.
Jason Thompson: ". . . Taniguchi's, Boilet & Peeters' approach: to pay attention to story and character, but to craft stories around particular locations in such a way that they couldn't take place anywhere else. Isn't it more interesting reading about stories set in Tottori or Urbicand rather than Anytown, USA, or Random Tokyo Screentone Background, Japan? For that reason I'm going to submit the proposal that one of the best travelogue manga of all time is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, where detailed descriptions of Egypt, Italy and America are the setting for MAJOR SHONEN ASS-KICKING. No, I am not biased in the slightest."
Sean Gaffney on A Devil and Her Love Song: "It’s a rare shoujo series where I want to see the villain redeemed as much as the heroine, but that’s where I’ve ended up with this one, where I find myself really hating what Anna is doing while desperately wanting someone to break through to her. And that’s not even getting into the giant mess that Maria’s life is. Combine that with a wicked sense of humor at times, and it’s almost enough to get past the fact that their horrible teacher is STILL THERE."
Bamboo Dong on Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom: "In fact, there's not much levity in this series, save for a few immature chuckles here and there when cleavage springs into action, but they're likely not intentional."
Melinda Beasi: "The message of Tokyo Babylon is that sometimes people are just horrible, goodness does not always win, and our weaknesses may very well be exploited without any chance at all for us to learn from them. It’s a bleak, bleak message that I never expected to find in a shoujo manga series, and it left me absolutely wrecked as I finished it.
Of course, this was also kind of awesome."
Paul Thomas Chapman on Spriggan: "But as surely as the market for physical media continues to contract and streaming media continues to erode the old ways of doing things, and as surely as enthusiasts of my generation must feel like they are caught between the Charybdis that is damaged physical media and the Scylla that is spotty Internet connections and vanishing content, so it was that when I saw a DVD of the film during a spur of the moment trip to a brick-and-mortar store, I knew the time had come to make my peace with Spriggan.
This anime is ridiculous:"
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Quotes of March 2013, Part 2
Jason Thompson on Japan as viewed by 17 creators: "It's part self-aggrandizement and part self-parody, and since these were works made for the Japanese market, obviously it entertains Japanese people too: perhaps, since he knows people will just see him as some yellow-fever weeaboo no matter what he does, he embraces it, brother."
Sean Gaffney: "Stepping on Roses has come to a close with Vol. 9. One day I will get an awesome shoujo manga series about a girl who is forced to chose between two men and shogi, and chooses shogi. This is not that day."
Lynzee Lamb on Metatron in Demonbane: "In a world of Cthulu mythos, one Jewish archangel rises up as a magical girl-nun trying to stop an evil organization from summoning The Ancient Ones."
Melinda Beasi: "I was relatively new to reading manga at the time, and I’d read a lot of shounen manga and a lot of fairly uplifting shoujo, and one of the things that nearly always happens in those series, is that characters we initially perceive as villains will turn around and become very sympathetic characters, by way of backstory or some other kind of revelation later on. The message driven home by that trope is that understanding is the key to learning to love someone, or perhaps that anyone can be granted salvation (of a sort) by way of understanding. These series are careful to always give us something to latch on to—to help us understand even the most seemingly depraved characters before the end."
Paul Thomas Chapman: "The used anime section is a cultural wasteland."
Bamboo Dong: "If one were to make a histogram of all the repeated ideas in anime every season, People with Superpowers would be somewhere in the top five, nestled between Stories about Oda Nobunaga and Girls Who Like Their Brother."
Sean Gaffney: "Stepping on Roses has come to a close with Vol. 9. One day I will get an awesome shoujo manga series about a girl who is forced to chose between two men and shogi, and chooses shogi. This is not that day."
Lynzee Lamb on Metatron in Demonbane: "In a world of Cthulu mythos, one Jewish archangel rises up as a magical girl-nun trying to stop an evil organization from summoning The Ancient Ones."
Melinda Beasi: "I was relatively new to reading manga at the time, and I’d read a lot of shounen manga and a lot of fairly uplifting shoujo, and one of the things that nearly always happens in those series, is that characters we initially perceive as villains will turn around and become very sympathetic characters, by way of backstory or some other kind of revelation later on. The message driven home by that trope is that understanding is the key to learning to love someone, or perhaps that anyone can be granted salvation (of a sort) by way of understanding. These series are careful to always give us something to latch on to—to help us understand even the most seemingly depraved characters before the end."
Paul Thomas Chapman: "The used anime section is a cultural wasteland."
Bamboo Dong: "If one were to make a histogram of all the repeated ideas in anime every season, People with Superpowers would be somewhere in the top five, nestled between Stories about Oda Nobunaga and Girls Who Like Their Brother."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
