Hero of the Week: Onigiri

This week brings us another high potential character that no one takes seriously. It's the pig of Kogarasumaru. I'm of course talking about the most perverted character in Air Gear, Onigiri.



















He's rude, stupid, perverted, and rides on one air trek on his head upside down so he can look up girl's skirts. If that isn't commitment, I don't know what is. He takes pride in his perverted ways, not letting anyone out-pervert him. Considering how perverted the whole series is, that's saying something.

Of course Onigiri's perverted nature is just one aspect of this surprisingly versatile character. Yes, it may be a big part of his fighting and riding style, but he has shown that he is a great rider on his own. He is shown on a few separate occasions he has what it takes to fight on par with a road king. Whether his motivation lie in the sight of panties or in his own imagination is irrelevant if he can get the job done. No matter how unconventional his fighting style and use of sweat is, his battles are always entertaining albeit not really serious.

I hope to see more of Onigiri's wacky battle tactics soon, and being right in the middle of an Air match, I see that happening within the next few chapters. Let's hope he wins!

Marvel Anime (AKA Bishonen Wolverine)

I've always had a weird relationship with western comics. The metaverse approach with thousands of stories going on at once was always incredibly intimidating to me. In a way, east vs. west for comics is the same as it is for video games; linear vs non-linear. It seems my alignment in gaming carried over to my interest in comic books.

Fortunately, us manga/anime fans with little interest in American made super heroes can enjoy a story stylized in our medium of choice. At Comic-con earlier in the week, two of the upcoming Marvel anime series were shown off in teaser form. Check out the Iron Man one.



I think it looks pretty good. I've always enjoyed the concept of Iron Man and I feel like this is a good way to really get into his world.

The Wolverine teaser also looks pretty cool...at least the action does. Unfortunately, long time fans of the century+ old Canadian anti-hero won't like the total bastardization of his design. Take a look.



Since these are only animation tests, long time fans won't have to worry just yet. Supposedly Wolverine will be based off an 80's iteration. Despite the completely inaccurate setting, the animation in both teasers looks fantastic and would be pretty damn impressive if it was that consistent. I'll have more on this closer to release next year.

Anime Related Stuff on Conan? +1 for Mainstream Acceptance

Last Night on Conan, there was a segment about how he and Andy visited an anime studio. While they do poke fun at the medium a little bit, it isn't anything horrible and is definitely giving the medium more exposure. And like most stuff Conan-related, it's downright hilarious. Check it out.

Hero of the Week: Lambo

This week's character is the young mafioso from the Bovino family. I'm of course talking about the lightning wielding bull, Lambo.





















Lambo is an interesting character. He's actually 3 in 1. With the aid of the 10 year bazooka, he can summon his future self from 10 years in the future or 20 years in the future with a second use.

Lambo's youngest form does have much of a role in the battles. Despite his trigger happy attitude and endless supply of grenades, he is nothing more than adorable comic relief. Yeah, he may be the weakest member of the Vongola family (this could change with his box weapon) but he definitely knows how to lighten the mood. Hyperactive and annoying like all kids, 5 year old Lambo is the epitome of hilarious and cute.

After using the bazooka once, 15 year old Lambo shows up. Despite his increased power and intelligence, he still serves little more than comic relief. He may have adapted a "cooler" demeanor, but he's still the same crybaby from 10 years prior. His run-ins with Bianchi (mistaking him for her ex-boyfriend) make for some hilarious scenes that usually end up with the poor Bovino getting hurt.

Using the bazooka twice gets us the incredibly badass and arguably the most powerful character seen so far, 25 year old Lambo. The comic relief is thrown out the window as the lightning imbued hero adapts a "takes no shit" personality. Just take a look at his first and only fight so far (badassery starts around 0:58)



Powering up significantly and gaining red lightning, it's amazing to think this character was once a crybaby that complains every other minute in a normal episode/chapter.

Unfortunately, Lambo has been neglected for quite a while now. Now that he has what is possibly one of the stronger box weapons, we should see him get a bit more screen time but we have no idea what happened to the bazooka or even if the 15 and 25 year old versions will show up. I'm hopeful we'll see the badass 25 year old Lambo again.

Afro Samurai Ressurection Up for Emmy

Few days late on this one but it's pretty cool. Afro Samurai: Resurrection has been nominated for an Emmy. I know this isn't the first anime movie that has been graced with such an honor, but it's still a pretty big deal. Anime being in the spotlight will only help its mainstream appeal. Let's hope it wins.

Lot of Anime Continuations Lately: Black Lagoon getting 3rd Animated Project

I never finished Black Lagoon, but I will say it was one of the most stylish and badass series I've seen. It just...wasn't really going anywhere. Well, with the announcement of a new OVA, maybe I should pick it up again to see if anything really happened. If I do, I'll probably have impressions for you guys.

Let's Dive Back Into the World of the Sacred Jewels: New Inuyasha Series Greenlit

Inuyasha has an interesting history. What started out as a decent time travelling adventure quickly became one of the later pioneers of western exposure to anime. Unfortunately, the stale pattern of "Inuyasha finds shard ->fight Naraku->fight Naraku's minions->fight upgraded Naraku" made it clear the series wasn't going anywhere. Combine that with the constant filler and it's easy to see why Inuyasha pretty much dropped off the map. The anime was eventually given an incomplete ending.

Fortunately (for some), a new anime will pick up where the last one left off to complete the manga's story. I for one am looking forward to it just for closure. Back when I watched pretty much anything that sounded mildly interesting to me, I had no problem watching every episode of Inuyasha, but I never read the manga. Now that the manga's over, maybe the pacing won't be so bad and we can rush through the filler that existed in the manga without detracting from the story. I'll keep you guys updated when it airs.

Hero of the Week: Eikichi Onizuka

With GTO: Shonan 14 Days starting to get good, I think it would be appropriate for this week's hero to be the greastest teacher mankind has ever known. I could only be talking about Eikichi Onizuka.
















On the surface, Onizuka is an unintelligent delinquent only good for beating people up and looking up girls' skirts. In reality, he is a strong and determined individual with superhuman strength and will power. When he sets his mind to something, you can bet your ass he's going to do it.

His desire to be a teacher is not to be underestimated. Despite his natural lack of book smarts, he gets assigned to a class. Multiple incidents happen that almost cost Onizuka his job, but he always comes out on top. Having to take the same standardized tests as the students is one of the many close calls throughout the series. Even after suffering multiple gun shot wounds, he still ends up taking a test, completes it early, and gets a perfect score all while blood drips down his body. If that kind of willpower doesn't amaze you, then you better be recreating Noah's ark while getting whipped and watching people eat delicious ice cream in triple digit degree weather.

Of course we can't deny his amazing ability to open the hearts of all his students no matter how messed up they are. Saving not 1 but 2 students by jumping off a building and catching them proves he is committed to keeping everyone in check. Whether it be by crazy antics or simply being nice, Onizuka will open your heart.

His compatibility with mostly everyone and his off the wall actions make Onizuka very hard to dislike. Send an army after him and he'll somehow come out of it unscathed, then he'll try to win you over. It's impossible to explain how he does it, but as long as he keeps doing what he does, the world won't be as dark as it seems.

Good Opening Weekend for Blood

Blood the Last Vampire took in $103,000 over the weekend. While that doesn't sound like a lot, the very limited release actually makes it pretty impressive. While it would've been nice if the movie had a wider release, a niche movie like that would get destroyed by the likes of Bruno and other big movies. Hopefully some day we'll have an anime adaptation have a huge opening weekend in most local theaters. Maybe Cowboy Bebop will be able to do that (if it's any good of course).

FMA Brotherhood OP 2: Great Opening or the Greatest Opening?

Like my AMV posts, stuff like this is usually filler, but this opening is way too good to not show off. Take a look.



An excellent blend of action and foreshadowing makes this one of the best openings I have ever seen. If this is a sign on what's to come, I think we can safely say Brotherhood will end up a lot more memorable than the first series.

Edit: Aniplex took down the high quality opening, so I put one up that isn't quite as good but still watchable.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni

Being a fan of the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry) series, Umineko no Naku Koro ni (When the Seagulls Cry) was probably my most anticipated anime of ths summer. As it was made by the same people, I was expecting the same dark themes to be brought up and I have not been dissapointed. The mystery, horror, gore, and insanity is all there, something the trailer alone confirms.



Unlike Higurashi, the story is somewhat dark right from the beginning. With the head of the Ushiromiya family dying, several family members gather on the island of Rokkenjima to discuss his assets and inheritance. Once the legendary witch, Beatrice, is brought up as the one responsible for the Ushiromiya's wealth, the family members quickly dismiss it as nothing more than a legend. Just as a typhoon passes, people on the island are found in the shed with their faces ripped off.

This gruesome tale revolves around Battler Ushiromiya, one of the grandchildren of the head of the family, Kinzo. As only 2 episodes have been released and I am not familiar with the games, I can only guess how his role will be played out but there have been hints that he will be a key player in uncovering the mystery of Beatrice and her gold.

Like Higurashi, the themes of insanity are particularly chilling. The eyes of one of the children often resemble those of someone about to go on a killing spree. A little girl with eyes like that is always creepy no matter how overused it is.

I'm already getting into the mystery, thinking about who the killer could be. Considering the direction Higurashi went in, I don't want to rule out any supernatural occurrences and twists throwing the viewer off the trail. I'll let you know how the series plays out when we get a little further in. If this is even half as good as Higurashi, it'll be one of the best new series all year.

Hero of the Week: Lin Yao

Before I start praising who is arguably the best character in Fullmetal Alchemist, you should know there will be MAJOR spoilers in this post, so don't read it if you are watching the new anime without having read the manga. With that said, this week's hero is the badass prince of Xing. I could only be talking about the immortality seeking Lin Yao.





















Being a laid back cheapskate lacking the refinement of a prince, Lin may seem like a shallow character at first when he is in fact one of the more developed ones. Despite his somewhat cliche ambition, the safety of his servants far outweighs his quest for immortality. Even though he eventually does relinquish his humanity to Greed in exchange for immortality, he never stops caring about Fu and Lan Fan.

In a way, Lin is actually two characters. After becoming a Greed separate from the one introduced earlier in the series, he adopts a new personality. Those caught up with the manga know that Greed-Lin eventually joins up with the Elric's for the final showdown with Father and the remaining homunculi. Let's hope his role doesn't end with him dying.

Seeing Lin animated should be great. He will bring a whole new level of freshness to the series. Check out the episode next week to see his debut.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: Season 1 Report

Episode 14 marks the end of the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's first season. With that, I think everyone's fears that this new anime would not follow the manga can be put to rest.

While a few things have been changed here and there as not to repeat rules established in the first anime, there hasn't been anything significant that will affect what will happen from this point on. While I was a little bit upset by the omission of Yorki's introduction, the event still happened and has even been mentioned. That's really the only point that could've altered the plot, but it seems like Bones wants this to be an accurate adaptation.

Knowing that the anime will not deviate from the manga, we can focus on the series itself. Since we've seen pretty much everything up to this point in the previous anime, let's talk about the fights. They are AMAZING! The choreography is fantastic. With no filler, the fights flow a lot better than the first series. Going from the first anime to this, you'd think FMA became more action-oriented when this is really how it is. I'd even go so far as to say the fights have been more epic than those in the manga.

I'm stoked for next week. We'll meet my favorite character in the whole series; LIN! From that point on, things get a lot crazier. I can't wait to see some of the recent chapters animated. I'll have another season report half-way through the series.

Needless

I already mentioned it in my last post as one of the few possibly good new series of the summer, but now that the first episode has been subbed, I think I can make a better judgment.

Like most series, the first episode keeps things simple. World War III has come and gone, leaving some people with super powers. There seems to be some kind of resistance that isn't fully explained. The main protagonist seems to lack a super power but the opening implies he might become a pyrokinetic at some point. The other two protagonists seem to be incredibly adept at using their powers, one being a doppelganger and the other being able to memorize other powers.

A pretty cool fight broke out near the end of the episode. A villain using what seemed to be super sharp strings fought against the power copier. In a display of pure badassery and manliness, our hero had no trouble taking down the string guy. Just like the opening suggests, there is no shortage of action.

Only time will tell if this series will be good in the long run, but it's off to a very good start. While the sharp contrast in opening and ending might be a little worrisome, I think this might end up coming out on top as the best new series of the summer. I'll leave you with the hot blooded OP and...interesting ED.

The Anime of Summer 2009

A new season brings a new set of anime. As is the case with video games, the summer months are noticeably barren for anime with only a few series that will appeal to more than just the "moé" crowd. Let's take a look at some of the promos.



Like every season, there are a few series that general anime fans should look into. Umineko no Naku Koro ni is from the same people that did Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Because of that, it might end up being one of my favorite new series of 2009. There's also Needless which looks pretty cool. I'll give Element Hunters a shot but I'm not going in with high expectations.

At least we know for a fact fall will be better ;)

Hero of the Week: Jack Rakan

"Manliness" is a concept almost completely absent from the magical world of Negima. Fortunately, there is one person who's manliness makes up for the sea of bishonen and middle school girls. I'm talking of course about Jack Rakan.






















Perverted, stupid, and strong enough to take down a magical warship. Rakan is the typical idiot teacher, an archetype that seems somewhat out of place in the Negima universe. In contrast to the mostly straight-edge Negi, Rakan's perverse antics keep the series fresh without compromising the other characters' personalities.

While the series itself is very close to crossing the line on a weekly basis, Rakan jumps over that line and keeps running. Even if that line-crossing is usually the result of a well thought out strategy, stealing the panties of underage girls definitely pushes the boundaries of what is and isn't allowed in Shonen.

When we forget about all the fan service and comedic battles, we can look at Rakan's real battles. This is where we see the standard "insanely strong guy" common in shonen. His battle against Negi is by far the most epic part of the entire series. Even though the match ended in a draw, Rakan never stumbled even for a moment. He is clearly more skilled than Negi and quite possibly the strongest character in the series. If he was only a bit smarter, he'd be unstoppable.

With Negima entering it's 7th year, Rakan's role is bigger than ever. The battles are becoming pretty ridiculous so I expect Rakan to be a big player very soon.