Not Dead!

Yo everyone (no one)! Just wanted to let you guys know that I'm not dead. I just kind of lost interest in this blog along with Level-one Start after taking care of the Dudebro site for so long. I planned on going back to LOS but not here. However, I just marathoned a great series by the name of Psyren and I realized I should have an outlet to talk about whatever my current obsession is in the world of anime and manga. Should have a post about it pretty soon :D

The Sadistic Harem Returns: Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou

While this season hasn't exactly been stellar, it's definitely an improvement over the last few. One notable title is Ichiban Ushiro no Daimou, a magical harem series. I know what you're thinking; the harem genre isn't exactly synonymous with quality. I'm not going to lie; this is no different. However, it is enjoyable due to the colorful cast and pure ridiculousness of the setting and how things play out.

The main character, Sai Akuto, wants to be a priest. He goes to some magical school in hopes of achieving this goal. Unfortunately, it is predicted by some weird parrot that is apparently never wrong that he will be a demon lord. This throws the school into a panic. After several antics and the main character's true persona appearing, it becomes more apparent that he may afterall become a demon lord.

If I were to compare this series to anything else, it would be Maburaho. Oddly enough, the target of everyone's affection is also the target of everyone's hatred. Despite being apparently hated by the masses, Sai still finds a way to have a harem of at least 5. Some just have the hots for a demon lord while some are typical "childhood friends". Either way, the use of magic and mild action sequences lend itself to Maburaho more than anything else.

I might have more when the series finishes. Being based on a Light Novel, that probably means it will be prematurely. Either way, check out the cool opening.

New Opening Season: Epic Has Arrived

With many series entering "war" arcs or just plain actiony ones, the recent batch of openings can only be described in one word; epic. Let's take a look at the big ones.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn



With the Millefiore arc nearing its end, the animation crew went all out to depict the insanity that would unfold. The Funeral Wreaths' fight against the Vongola family is definitely one of the more intense parts of the series.

Fairy Tail (flipped)



With the tower arc coming up, Fairy Tail's new opening encompasses several stories that I'm worried will be rushed. However, that doesn't stop it from looking damn good and exciting. If you want to get someone into Fairy Tail, show them this opening.

Bleach



Now THIS is what I call epic. So much is going on that it's amazing they were able to fit it into a minute and a half intro. The Fake Karakura Town arc is just heating up as the captains take the stage while Ichigo has one of the most epic fights in the series with current nemesis, Ulquiorra. Again, this might be the opening to show if you want to get your friends into Bleach.

Naruto Shippuden



With the Pain War arc starting, this is another epic opening with perfect timing. With multiple fights happening in one scene, things are sure to get crazy and I can't wait to see how the animation team handles this series changing event.

Time For Another Bastardization: Live Action Bleach Movie

Hollywood really is out of ideas. I thought Bleach of all things would be safe for at least another decade. Guess I was wrong. Not only that but it's being produced by the guy that did 50 First Dates. Quite an odd choice.

Well, this will at least be entertaining to follow. There's probably a good chance it will fall into development hell sooner or later but I'm definitely interested in how it'll turn out. I'm really just hoping for a breakout anime adaptation within the next decade like comic books had. Hopefully we won't have to wait until James Cameron gets off his ass and makes Battle Angel.

Samurai Champloo Composer Passes Away

Lot of big names in the industry have been dying recently. The most recent victim is Jun Seba, better known by his stage name, Nujabes. The hip-hop producer was involved in a car accident on February 26. Obviously I'm a bit late but my prayer still go out to the family. While he didn't bring the genre out of the niche it holds in Japan, he produced some fantastic tunes and may have helped broaden the horizons of anime music.

I'm Not Dead

I know I haven't been posting much. It's mainly been a combination of writer's block and nothing going on in the world of anime. I should have a few posts up soon and the return of the Hero of the Week segment.

Ever Hear of Incarnate? Well the Artist is Apparently Being Accused of Plagiarizing Bleach

Title says it all. Nick Simmons, son of rock legend Gene Simmons, has an OEL manga series known as Incarnate. I have not heard of it prior to these accusations. As you can see in this article from ANN, there are a few panels that almost seem copy and pasted from Tite Kubo's Bleach. Radical Publishing has halted the series so they can get to the bottom of this. Of course I imagine they're more afraid of a lawsuit from Shueisha than anything else. Kubo seems to be more concerned with the fact that Gene Simmons' son is a comic book artist than the actual plagiarism.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Premiers on Adult Swim

Back when anime wasn't restricted to Saturday nights on Adult Swim and was actually a prominent part of the block, Fullmetal Alchemist was one of their flagship shows. The true manga adaptation has started playing this past Saturday. Other than Al's voice being changed (previous VA is too old now) and a gimped OP/ED, I would actually consider it a pretty decent dub. I'm glad AS finally acquired another flagship series if it is part of the same franchise. Maybe this could lead to more frequent acquisitions in the future.

Regarding the "Hero of the Week" Segment

I apologize that I have missed last week and a few others at the beginning of the year. My original intent was to use characters from different series for an entire year. There were numerous occasions where I had to look through a list of anime/manga that I've watched/read just so I could be safe for another week. I had to refresh my memory on many of those series by re-reading parts or looking up summaries. It's hard to keep that up every week when I usually only follow 3-6 series at a time.

Well I have not given up on that segment. I still intend to have a post every week with a character from a series I haven't used until the 1 year anniversary in a few months. I am going to try my best to not miss a week from now on. Seeing as I'm reading/watching a few new series, I should have fresh character material by next week. You can look forward to it ;)

Spring 2010 Anime Season: Getting Better

Looks like the loli-fest of last season is not continuing into the warmer parts of the year. The spring season is shaping up to be much better in appealing to the non-pedophile crowd. Take a look.



There are a whopping 6 series I'm interested in on that list. I'm especially interested in how Iron Man and Heroman turned out. It isn't every season that we get an adaptation from an American comic book series or the involvement of a big western name in the graphic novel industry like Stan Lee. I'll keep you guys updated.