Inu-Yasha
- Down the Well (Vol. 1)
This series succeeds on so many levels where all other anime fall
flat. It sometimes feels like a cross between Ranma and Blue
Seed, but Rumiko
Takahashi (Urusei
Yatsura) once again blends interesting characters, the supernatural,
comedy, adventure and romance into a winning story line that is entirely
her own. The series is the rare kind of anime that appeals to many
different types of people.
Of course, it seems to take the first half of the series to even
assemble all the characters, but once they are all together, watch
out! Combined with an amazing soundtrack ("My Will" being
the most beautiful closing theme we've heard in a long time), Inu
Yasha is yet another winner of a series from one of the greatest
talents in Japan today.
Zone
of the Enders - Idolo (OAV)
Konami released the game "Zone of the Enders" for the Playstation2,
which gained a cult following, especially among anime fans who felt
the game expressed the experience of piloting a giant robot better
than any game before it.
Video game fanatics who love game-based properties would definitely
want to look into this movie as well as the
series, and anime fans in general should also give this movie
a shot. The story plays out at a steady pace, and character interaction
is performed wonderfully without being melodramatic or unnecessarily
tedious. And when the series wants to look good, such as during explosive
mecha battles, it can take your breath away.
It's
the far future, and planet Earth is being threatened by your standard-issue
alien menace. The bad news is that mankind's last hope for survival
is the hastily slapped-together (and they should be *slapped* together)
crew of the Nadesico. The captain of this excuse for White
Base used to be Lynn
Minmay in another life (and sounds like sister Quinn from
Daria). No other mecha pilot has ever *not wanted* to pilot a mecha
this much (he wants to be the cook). The crew, in general, has all
the spirit and camaraderie of an American family -- The
Simpsons. This series has been put together by people who obviously
know way too much about the anime they're spoofing.
Their love for their subject matter allows the show to transcend
mere satire to become a serious addition to the genre.
The
AniMATRIX
Take Americas most popular cyberpunk
movie and combine it with nine short computer films by top Japanese
and American anime directors, elaborating on THE MATRIX's themes
and subplots, and you've got the makings of a winner of a DVD. The
Animatrix is about as cool as it can get, essentially Ghost
in the Shell meets Robot Carnival.
Featuring segments directed by such greats as Peter Chung (Aeon Flux, Reign),
Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy
Bebop, Macross
Plus) and Takeshi Koike (Ninja
Scroll), The Animatrix promises to be an action Tour-De-Force,
while also providing background into the world of The Matrix. Four
of the ANIMATRIX stories are penned by the Wachowski
Brothers, with the remaining five written by the anime directors
themselves.
Hello
Kitty 13" Color Television
Yowza! Just when we thought we'd seen it all, along comes this adorable
pink TV made by Emerson. Armed with "Hello
Kitty" volume and channel changing on-screen animations,
this 13" Hello Kitty color TV comes with a programmable on/off
sleep timer that lets little viewers fall asleep without keeping
the TV on all night.
Easy-to-follow directions and self-demo mode make setup a breeze.
Other features include 181-channel frequency synthesized tuner; on-screen
display (channel, color, tint, brightness, contrast, volume, sleep,
sharpness, mute); front and rear A/V jacks; UHF/VHF telescopic antenna
and UHF/VHF 75 Ohm coaxial antenna jack. TV comes with pink remote
control that requires 2 AA batteries (included). Just try to tell
us that there's a better way than this to watch anime like Tororo!
So
Crazy Japanese Toys!
This ecclectic book showcases a cast of totally cool, totally
sugoi creatures culled from the most popular Japanese children's
TV shows. From early and obscure Japanese shows to programs
that have gained mass popularity around the world including Ultraman,
Space Giants, and the classic Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot.
So Crazy Japanese Toys! will delight both casual fans and hardcore
aficionados. Readers will encounter rubber-clad superheroes
galore, kawaii 'n' cuddly characters, high-revving
motor heroes, and of course rockin' chicks of both the
friend and foe varieties. This book is a must-have for anyone
attracted to anime and manga.
This book is beautifully put together by Jimbo Matison (with
a forward by NYC's own Rodney Greenblat) and follows the format
of many of the Japanese toy collector books, i.e. each page
consists of a single photograph of a toy placed in a fantasy
setting with a "key" at the back of the book that
gives the name of the toy, date of production, manufacturer
information, etc.
Visual
Storytelling
Lavishly illustrated with plenty of real-world examples highlight
this amazing book from Watson-Guptil
Press. What you'll learn from this book will astound you
-- not just by teaching the concepts in using the correct lighting
and angle to "pop" the action in the story you're
trying to tell, but also how effectively you can communicate
without a scrap of dialog! Whether you're a professional artist,
animator, story-boarder, comic-book illustrator, or even a talented
fan, there's something for you in this book.
Writing
for Animation
While some screenwriting
books may devote a chapter to writing for animation, only
this informative tome devotes every single page towards creating
scripts for animated TV shows. Scott, a three-time emmy winner,
who's work includes TMNT, Dragon
Tales, Muppet Babies and the feature Starchaser - The Legend
of Orin, is a veteran of the field and knows all the tricks
of the trade.
Discovery
[Daft Punk]
If you've seen the videos for "One More Time", "Aerodynamic", "Digital
Love" and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" because
they were directed by legendary anime guru Leiji
Matsumoto (Star
Blazers, HarlockQueen
Emeraldus), then you've already had a taste of Thomas Bangalter
and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo, the French two-some behind
the mysterious Daft Punk.
Sounding like an electronica fusion of '70s rock icons Boston and Electric
Light Orchestra, this album blows through a head-spinning
array of styles and samples, creating a pop-culture stew of
funky loops and dance-floor
anthems. Not only do they have the hippest music videos
on the planet, their music is sheer delight as well. You'll
want to play this album "One More Time", every time!
Japanese
Ice Cream
Welcome to the wacky world of Japanese ice cream where you
can see photos of both fish and ox tounge ice cream! There
are also less exotic flavors like Nagoya Noodle...
