With the first release of the Strike Witches DVD in Japan, there's only one way to properly advertise this show: with as many panty shots as you can fit onto a cardboard advertisement. Each panel has a bit of information about the character, a chibi drawing of them, and then the all-necessary panty shot. The chartranks all the characters according to some recent popularity contests.
Some of the descriptions include lines like this:
Black tights are a work of art. Aah, I wanted to tear them... Black tights -- they are a microcosm. Nothing in the whole world compares to the holy treasure of the black tights. They're strange beauty is enough to qualify them as a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
Japan, I don't know if I love you or hate you for this.
We have beaten the drums of anime, and did the dance of manga, and the gods of our hobby have answered our prayers by supplying us with lots and lots of goodies this week. Both anime and manga, for once, are both bursting with titles, begging you to sell your little brother for another hit of Japanese entertainment. Ergo Proxy box set, Elemental Gelade box set, Jyu-Oh-Sei box set, My-HiME box set—how much money does the anime industry think we have? Manga is just as bad, and perhaps even worse. This week you can buy the entire set of Death Note manga as some kind of a box set, or some hardcover DBZ manga. Hey Listen! Buy the first volume of the Ocarina of Time manga. Take a peek at all the releases after the jump.
Confessing to the one you love is an important first step. It can either kick off a relationship of mutual love or shut your one-sided love down, telling you to move on. And what better forum to confess your love than in front of the whole J-blogocube. And, if you think about it, going about it this way, my sad love letter may some day make it back to my loved one. I mean, hell, Kanye West reads this blog. Why not other celebs?
Misaki Ito, I love you.
You're a tall, graceful, and beautiful Japanese actress and model. Some would say that you're out of my league, but I know you'll see things my way after you see what we have in common!
You rule my television, Misaki-chan. It wasn't by choice, though. Sure, you're the Asahi beer girl from back in the day, but you're more than that to me. I've always been watching Japanese television, but it wasn't until your appearance in the 2002 drama Gokusen that I... well, I fell in love. I've been watching you ever since. No, not that kind of sicko watching -- not like a stalker. Just viewing... well, that sounded wrong, too. You're on TV and you're pretty!
No offense to Train Man, but you could do so much better, Misaki-chan. You were great in Densha Otoko; it's just that you were just with the wrong otoko. I'd fight for you any day. Hell, I'd even fight people that weren't harassing you -- like innocent bystanders. Command me and I'll brawl! And I already dress better than him.
I'm watching Edison no Haha now. The show is silly, but you're beautiful in it. And Yama Onna Kabe Onna? Yama Onna had nothing on you, Misaki.
Due to circumstances entirely under my control, this week's Japanator Radio is coming to you a few hours early, Sunday night instead of the usual Monday morning. At least where I'm at. Whatever. All that matters is free show is early! Win/win.
If you're reading Japanator, then I figure you have some level of interest in going to Japan. Well, the Kinki Nippon Tourist Company will be starting a podcast in January aimed right at you -- foreigners who are planning to go sightseeing in Japan. The podcast will contain information about local places to eat and stay, sightseeing options, and whatnot. They're even planning to include maps and guides as a .pdf file on their website.
The podcasts would be produced in Canada, and then sent over to Japan where they would be translated into the appropriate languages: right now, English, Korean, and Cantonese are the named languages that they're planning on offering, but will have "many more." The company is trying to pass out the info about the podcast to local governments, travel agencies, and others. They're hoping to be able to provide themselves as a free guide service, and hopefully ease up any language barrier tensions between travelers and local businesses, by telling them what to do ahead of time.
While it's not as sexy as Dale's travel guide, this certainly is an interesting idea. I know a lot of people who could have used this podcast to try and figure out just what was going on when they went to certain places or events. Of course, when you run into something new or unexpected, the podcast isn't going to give you any clues to what is going on. If you're looking to travel on a dime, then the podcast will likely be a great boon for you. But, if you want to look all over the place, see if any of your connections knows someone in the area, and is willing to show you around.
The wait for the next Neon Genesis movie is killing me; it’s almost as bad as waiting for the The Return of the King after The Two Towers was over. The official website for the new Neon Genesis Evangelion movies has just been updated with news about the second film. Its name is Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, and will be released in theaters early summer of 2009 (which means early fall for us lads and lasses of the buccaneering type.)
That’s not all, the website also makes bold promises of Asuka’s appearance, along with new Evangelions, items, and a new story. Now this is what they really need to do: make Asuka an extremely gar man, and make him best friends with Kamina. Then have the two series come together, and have them both fight against an angry God at the end; resulting in an epic battle of preposterous proportions. Everybody is a winner!
This past few months has been great for Spice and Wolf fans. First, Kadokawa Pictures USA announced at Otakon that they're shopping around the Spice and Wolf anime license to U.S. distributors. Then, at New York Anime Fest, Yen Press announced that they're translating the Spice and Wolf light novels. Now, Moonphase tells us that a second season of Spice and Wolf has been decided!
The show's director, Takeo Takahashi, and the screenwriter, Naruhisa Arakawa, will be helming the project once again, but the animation studio will be changing -- this time, Brain's Base (Baccano!, Kure-nai) will be doing the show instead of IMAGIN. Likewise, the animation director will be changed to Toshimitsu Kobayashi, who has previously worked on Fate/stay night and Blood+.
Melancholy
of Suzumiya Haruhi
