Spirited
Away (DVD) At long last history is made this year as an anime film wins
the Oscar for 'Best Animated Picture' at the Academy Awards. Japanese
animation master Hayao
Miyazaki's stunningly imaginative supernatural adventure about
a plucky little girl in a world of ghosts bested four much higher-profile
American opponents, proving quality counts.
Using
his unique trademark
style, along with some very subtle computer animation, Miyazaki
has weaved a lush spirit world, while Jo
Hisashi breathes life into the film with yet another beautiful
score. This is a film no anime fan should miss because it's perfect
in every detail. Children and parents alike will find it fascinating.
Patlabor
Movie 1 (DVD) Mamoru
Oshii's (Ghost
in the Shell, Beautiful
Dreamer) landmark
series spawned 2
movies - darker and more politically complex than you'd expect.
Keep your brain turned on for these films, you need to hear every
word of dialog to understand what's happening, but that's what
makes the Patlabor films so damn enjoyable - they are true social-economic
dramas with giant
robots as the backdrop of a story about how good technology
can be perverted by evil men.
These
films carry a powerful message and you should listen. And no expense
was spared to make the film(s) gorgeous, carrying the Oshii trademark
style of kick-ass anime that is avante-garde
film-making on every level, while also being a good
detective storyas well. Patlabor, in every incarnation, carries
the essential elements that make anime the great genre it is -
scifi plot, intelligent script, wonderful characters, and action
worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster at a fraction of the price.
Wicked
City (DVD)
Absolutely one of the most excellent anime films of all time, Wicked
City was the progenitor of all gothic-inspired
horror/action films that came after (including the recent Blood
the Last Vampire). The art is spectacular and unusual because
most of the colors are very dark and muted: lots of blues, purples
and blacks, which contribute in no small way to the many creepy moments
in the film.
Highly
stylized, slickly drawn and tremendously animated, "Wicked City" revolves
around two agents, one Human and one Black World Warrior and their
assignment - to bodyguard a bigwig coming to sign a 500-year treaty
between the two worlds. Protecting him draws the two agents into
a series of exceedingly violent encounters with demon "radicals" who
oppose the treaty. But the real way of binding the two worlds together
in peace lies with something other than a contract.
Warning - absolutely not for kids as blood and gore fly amid scenes
of rape, torture, shootings, slashings, and exploding bodies. It's
one of our favorites!
GoShogun:
The Time Etranger (DVD)
A lost anime classic! If we had to choose the top
ten anime films we'd want to be stranded on a desert island with,
this one would be near the top of that list. You'll never get tired
of it. Director Kunihiko Yuyama and scriptwriter Takeshi Shudo clearly
had a special love for the Goshogun team, as they are imbued with
a depth of character and love for each other rarely seen in any kind
of media. The story splits between three points of the main character's
life, as she fights her way through a dream while in a coma.
This
film deals with many big issues, from the death of an old friend
to the tragedies of just getting old. That you never see the face
of the "old" Remy is one of the unspoken critical points
of this skillfully directed film, as her friends gather around her
bedside to remember the glory days. And the film single-handedly
makes up for every
bit of sexism -ever- in anime, by presenting one of the most
fully-realized, strong-willed, independent
women characters ever created in any film.
Don't miss this one! After the first viewing, you'll be confused,
by the second you'll be amazed, and by the third, you'll be ripping
the DVD out of the tray and showing it to your friends screaming "You
gotta see this!". This film is a real treasure - from the opening
music to the closing "See You Again".
Kurosawa
has built some of the finest movies ever made. Seven Samurai, one
of the most powerful films of all time, voted in the 1979 Kinema
Jumpo critics' poll as the Best Japanese Film ever, has Kurosawa's
unbeaten blend of swords, spears, arrows, men, horse, rain, wind,
mud, blazing tracking shots, giant close-ups, chiaroscuro lighting,
telephoto lenses that put us underfoot as horses clash amid struggling
men, and more, that bring life and three-dimensionality to the
characters as the saga unfolds.
Kurosawa is often
copied but never topped. These four films cover the Kurosawa/Mifune
collaborations at their best. Don't even talk about film or Japanese
Cinema without knowing, in detail, every frame of these magnificent
classics.
LEGO
MINDSTORMS:
Robotics Invention System 2.0
Lego is for everybody, but this particular Lego is for those that
want to start building their own real-life Gundam / giant
robots, or at least get started in the wonderful world of robotics
in general (personally we'd start crafting Olga from Phoenix 2772
- Ooh la la!). The enormous 718-piece LEGO Mindstorms Robotic Invention
System lets you construct a variety of moving robot vehicles and
then program them from your Windows 98 or compatible computer.
What's
so freakin' cool about this set is that it's very versatile -- like
most Lego you're only limited by how far you can take your imagination,
but at the same time, guess what, you're getting to learn mechanics,
the basics of programming and a lot of other complex subjects the
easy, fun and Lego way! Like the Media Lab's old Lego/LOGO project,
this is something any 9-year old can tackle and 40-year olds will
still think it's fun!
As anime is made
in Japan, it's often filled with cultural
influences that might not make sense to the average American.
This book seeks to redress this problem by presenting everything
that you need to know about Japanese
culture to understand what's going on in anime (like those
funky nosebleeds!)....
With more that 500 glossary-style entries, this book is a complete
guide to anime's distinctive visual style. Included are illustrations,
film citations, and numerous references to the related art
of manga (Japanese comics), plus the opinionated author's rants
on fandom, food, anime
babes, large
eyes, and everything
hentai.
Anime
Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know
If you're new to Japanese animation, you're beginning to understand
that it's a lot more than Sailor Moon and Pokemon: there's
drama and comedy, gender-bending and culture-tweaking, complex
characters and giant robots -- sometimes all in the same movie!
What
makes anime
so cool? How did it all start? What's the deal with fanzines?
Where can I find the stuff I want right now? Answering just
about every question a fan (or curious parent) has, Anime Essentials
is an easy-to-read and fun-to-look-at overview of the pop
culture phenomenon sweeping America. It discusses the
major players, where to get your anime fix, otaku etiquette,
how to run an anime
club (and get pre-release screenings!), how to "talk" anime
to outsiders, the pleasures and pitfalls of buying toys, cards,
garage kits & more, plus lots of other salient info of
interest both to veterans and newcomers.
Smile
Paradise
(Limited Edition) [IMPORT]
This CD is for all of those seeking the ultimate
in j-pop should look no further! With really smooth vocals
and charming melodies, these pop divas produce a sensational
sound unmatched in the field of idol goddess goodness. The
music can actually be described as "yummy".
This
is actually Smile.dk's third album, but don't be disappointed,
as all of the songs are kicky, bouncy, and bright. The music
is highly 'danceable' and outrageously fun. If you loved the
music in the videogame Dance Dance Revolution, then you already
know this group contributed tracks to the game. Rock on!
animeFM
Anime and J-Pop website which features streaming music and
breaking news.
