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Annotated Anime: Winter 2010 Week 10
by Jon Snyder, 03/15/2010
Annotated Anime: Winter 2010 Week 10 photo

Not much to say this time around, except...

WE HAVE A FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD RECAP NOW! Thanks, Ben! Now all we need to do is add Naruto and Bleach recaps, and we'll be set for life!

Anyhoo, you know the drill. Anime recaps below the break, in-depth discussion in our forums, watch out for spoilers, so on and so forth. Enjoy!


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  6 comments Latest by Killteam
"BWAHAHA... HA HA HA HA HA! aaaaaand now i'm done... Still don't understand the 'greatness of DRRR', but i'll keep going with my Baka in hand... Miniami loved those pictures and the background ani..."...read more

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The Hypocrisy of Moe
by The Lost Horizon, 03/14/2010
The Hypocrisy of Moe photo

[Whoa! This Cblog has certainly ignited some passionate debate. Let's promote it to the front page and give all our readers a chance to weigh in on the issue of moe hypocrisy. If you'd like to start a debate of your own, head over to the Cblogs and start writing!]

I present to you the hypocrisy of moe. 

The case? Current Vocal Otaku Fanbase V. Moe

The plaintiff, the Vocal Otaku Fanbase. 

They are claiming that unchecked use of "moe" in the current anime market is destroying said anime market.

The defendant, moe. 

Claims that it has existed since a sentient being first thought that something was "cute" or "charming". 

For the sake of the case we will look at moe in the case of the last 30 years and then within the last decade.


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  38 comments Latest by Vampt Vo
"@EpcotServo: "[...] to say that people who enjoy these shows are Pedophiles [...]" Hey man, if you want to extrapolate on what I said and make assumptions about my opinions, go right ahead, but ..."...read more

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Does New Anime Suck? A clash of the generations
by Mandril, 03/14/2010
Does New Anime Suck? A clash of the generations photo

[Editors Note: This is a promoted Community Blog, written by one of our readers in response to March's Monthly Musing topic. If you would like to see your own Cblog on the front page, warm up your keyboard and write something awesome! ~Jon Snyder]



Hey Grandma! How's it hanging?

Have you seen the first episode of Gundam Unicorn? That shit's fucking amazing! Judging from the title, I thought this was going to be some sort of gay ballet show filled with rainbows, explosions of pink smoke and the like. Well, it turns out this show is pretty promising after all. At first I thought: Robots are great, but why does he have such a huge erect penis attached to his head? Doesn't that take the whole "Real Robot" genre a bit too far? But then in the end the unicorn horn turned into his eyebrows, and eyebrows are serious and manly. Also, it features a princess that is actually a capable and strong individual - they don't dwell on that "weak innocent princess that needs protection" shit.
Thanks to this episode I can now safely state that Gundam is totally sweet, without having seen any of the other old and rotten series in the franchise. I'm a big fan!



 


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  14 comments Latest by Mahina
"This was great writing, and a clever presentation style. You've used the internet to maximum advantage. It really adds to the humor. Although..."Someone who is constantly looking in the rear vie..."...read more



 Featured Fan Art: Banjoo
by Josh Tolentino, 03/14/2010
Featured Fan Art: Banjoo photo

Welcome to Featured Fan Art, the weekly spotlight that adds to your ever-growing repository of "Images to Reproportion for Wallpaper-size".

Today's featured fan artist is known as "Banjoo." Banjoo's body of work is not particularly large or hugely remarkable but for the fact that he (or she) is one of a relative minority of Pixiv illustrators making Halo fan art, with one incredible exception.

The true soul of Banjoo's illustrating career lies in a parody series titled Harusona 4. As you might infer from the title, it's probably a Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi and Persona 4 mashup, but it's more than that. The Haruhi cast's personae blend together voice-actor jokes, cosplay, mythological references, puns, and visual signs from all across anime culture. It's a challenge just to examine the images and try to dissect which bits refer to what series or meme, and may someday be a reasonably accurate barometer of just how much of an otaku one is.

Can you spot the in-jokes?

Oh, and there are some mecha drawings in there, too. 


  8 comments Latest by Yaku
"Ryoko's and Kyon's are my favourites! (meganekko Kyon FTW!)"...read more

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Masters of Japanese film: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
by Colette Bennett, 03/14/2010
Masters of Japanese film: Kiyoshi Kurosawa photo

Everyone's seen a Japanese film or two in their day that isn't animated, but as a fan of Japanese culture, you may not know where to begin. It can be a little overwhelming, after all -- do you start with American horror remakes and trace it back to the source film? Or do you rent every Akira Kurosawa film ever made and educate yourself on that?

I'd like an opportunity to introduce you to the Japanese films you should be watching, and Masters of Japanese Film will allow me to do just that. There are many directors making films that are not to be missed, and this will present you with a guide to who they are, what films you need to check out, and even the films to skip!

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is best known for his j-horror offerings, but if you kept watching after that time period, his work offers an even more riveting experience for the viewer. Hit the jump to learn a bit more about the man behind films such as Cure, Kairo and Tokyo Sonata.


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  3 comments Latest by Crobdan
"Oh jeez I love Kiyoshi Kurosawa so much. All of his stuff is just so wonderful. Best part is if you're really crazy you can connect most of his films together (due to SPOILER: world ending ending..."...read more

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College students, go on tour with TokyoPOP this summer
by Josh Tolentino, 03/14/2010
College students, go on tour with TokyoPOP this summer photo

If you're in college and don't have anything better to do this summer, why not shack up with TokyoPOP?

The company's holding a big ol' summer internship tour, and you might get the chance to go on the road with 'em.

Check out this page to learn more about the Digital Media Production and Marketing Internship, which will be taking place from May 28th to September 6th. If you get it, you'll be going on tour with TokyoPOP, planning, shooting, and editing video, hosting events and other such things.

Anyone thinking of applying? It could be a pretty great experience, and certainly would help if you're looking to join the industry.


  6 comments Latest by DGX Goggles
"I'll see if they take me. Could go towards a useful minor, I suppose."...read more



 NHK weather service predicts high chance of moe
by Karen Gellender, 03/14/2010
NHK weather service predicts high chance of moe photo

If I were to create anthropomorphic representations the seasons, I would absolutely make Spring the cutest, so NHK and I are on the same page here. Recently, they've started using cute anime-styled characters to represent seasonal weather during forecasts, and Haru-chan (or Spring-chan) is even more moe than Nia from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Winter looks a little scary, but to tell you the truth, based on the amount of snow I had to shovel this winter, he should be.

Oh, and keep in mind that they did not stop at the four seasons- no, even quasi-seasons like "early summer" got their own munchkins. Quite thorough.

I don't mind this sort of thing, but I'm afraid that this group of characters might become so popular that they'll get their own anime- which I will then have to recap for Annotated Anime, in all likelihood. Can you imagine? "This week, Spring-chan and Fall-chan got into a fight over which season was better for playing catch, but old man Winter-dono had other ideas!"....Oh my God, I think this is a prophecy. I think I have become psychic, and this is honestly going to happen. I'm scared. I apologize for every bad thing I ever said about Ladies vs. Butlers.

If you doubt the allure of the Weather-chans, you can go here and here for some lovely images and fanart. Perhaps ironically, whoever did that "NHK-ON!!" image was inspired.


  4 comments Latest by FhnuZoag
"I liked it better when every weather condition was the Laughing Man."...read more



 Does New Anime Suck? Well You See, It's Like Pie...
by EuricaeriS, 03/13/2010
Does New Anime Suck? Well You See, It's Like Pie... photo

[Editors Note: This is a promoted Community Blog, written by one of our readers in response to March's Monthly Musing topic. If you would like to see your own Cblog on the front page, warm up your keyboard and write something awesome! ~Jon Snyder]

We all know already that the answer to the question is going to be an opinion. The opinion of someone you have never met or the opinion of yourself. I took a step backwards, had a look at anime these days and had an epiphany. A conclusion to the ‘does new anime suck’ question can be achieved by grinding the shows down and simply asking yourself, how much do you like pie?

Anime these days is quite alike to a pastry laden with delicious goodness. The problem we face today is that not everyone likes the same things you do. I dislike chocolate ice cream, but that is not to say that everyone hates it. If you do not like a slice of pie, then not everyone dislikes that slice of pie. Unless it’s Akikan flavoured pie. That stuff is nasty. 

I digress. 

You can slice this anime pie into five glorious pieces. A word of warning to you pastry lovers out there: these slices are so potent that you may only have to take a few bites to be fully satisfied. Remember, it is dangerous to go alone. Pie is always enjoyed with your other, pie loving friends.


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  32 comments Latest by EpcotServo
"Wonderful Article. I love the diversity of Today's Anime Pies. And if sitting around talking about them is wrong, they heyIdon'twannaberight!"...read more

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Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer titled as such
by Josh Tolentino, 03/13/2010
Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer titled as such photo

Such is the name of the new Gundam 00 movie, scheduled to come out this September.

"Wakening" is apparently a real word, though I don't know why they decided to use "A Wakening" instead of "Awakening," since they mean the same thing. Then again, Gundam naming conventions rarely make sense. Oh, Sunrise!

The movie continues the storyline of Gundam 00's second season, and of course will feature new mobile suits. Those models won't sell themselves, after all. The highlight will be Setsuna's new Gundam 00 QAN[T]. I'm afraid of what the pronunciation for that last word will be.

In any case, from the looks of things the next 00 looks like the Exia, which is a good thing, because Exia was a pretty cool design. The second-season designs struck me as a little too plain. 

Check out a trailer below. 


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  5 comments Latest by Mr.Duck
"@Meonlyme: Meh anorexic gundams are a thing of the past, i like more metal on my chassis :3"...read more

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Vexing Videos: Coke Bathtub Edition
by Jon Snyder, 03/13/2010
Vexing Videos: Coke Bathtub Edition photo

Welcome to Vexing Vidoes, where I post stuff that will blast your sanity into oblivion.

I know, that's a bit different from my usual catchphrase, but this week's first video is one of the weirdest things I have ever seen in my admittedly short tenure as Vexing Videos Czar. Perhaps my inability to understand Japanese is what makes this video so confusingly awesome... or maybe it's the fact that it features someone TAKING A BATH IN FROTHING COCA-COLA. See the video for yourself below the break, if you think your feeble mind can handle it.

Also below, you'll find Hugh Jackman drinking beer, a Microsoft Excel Gundam, animal food stacking, and much more. Special thanks to Benjamin, Wyrmidon and Dustin for contributing to this post. As always, if you have a video you'd like to see featured in a future installment, send it to our tip line with the subject line "Vexing Videos".


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  13 comments Latest by Violet Gray
"Let's not forget, that coke vid took two people to shot. Can't you get bath bombs in Japan? wish someone would sub it :p Ah, how fading careers push people into Japanese advertising. Those dogs..."...read more






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