Title: Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga Gakuen Love Come o Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru (aka Noucome)
Release Date: Oct. 9, 2013
Studio: Diomedea
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
Premise: Kanade Amakusa is just like any other high school-age boy, except for his ability (or is it a curse?) of Absolute Multiple Choice: periodically Kanade is presented with two equally absurd choices, and whichever he chooses will come to pass in the real world.
Verdict: I am pleasantly surprised. Usually romantic comedy anime cash in on gratuitous shots of bouncing boobies and underwear, but every once in a while there's a show that tips the scale more towards laughs than fan service. Noucome is just such a show. Good humor subverts the audience's expectations by introducing extraordinary elements to ordinary situations. And nothing is more extraordinary than Kanade's Absolute Multiple Choice.
Imagine having a completely innocuous conversation with a classmate and suddenly being forced to choose between 1) asking to touch her boobs and 2) asking her to touch yours. This is only the first of many difficult choices Kanade is forced to make throughout the day, and I'd really feel for the guy if I wasn't too busy laughing. Each Absolute Multiple Choice provides a one-two comedy punch of anticipation over which answer he'll choose and payoff watching his choices play out in reality. It's a unique gimmick that shouldn't get old for a while.
It's a bit early to comment on the anime's story since the catalyst for the romantic part of the show wasn't introduced until the end of the episode. After a day of dealing with particularly bizarre choices, Kanade is presented with the choice of either catching a beautiful girl who falls from the sky or catching his overweight neighbor; he elects the former and a new chapter of his life appears to begin. This girl from the sky claims she's here to rescue him, but it remains to be seen how she'll accomplish this. In the meantime, the shenanigans that are sure to follow should peak viewers' interest.
Title: Kyousogiga
Release Date: Oct. 10, 2013
Studio: Toei Animation
Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Action/Adventure
Premise: A monk whose drawings come to life and his anthropomorphic bunny wife create and inhabit a fictionalized version of Kyoto for several years before disappearing. Some time later the monk's son, who has taken his name, encounters a young girl - the first human to cross into the "other" Kyoto in several years.
Verdict: Every once in a while an anime comes along that is so original, so wildly creative and ambitiously different, that it demands to be seen. At the turn of the century, it was FLCL. In 2010, it was The Tatami Galaxy. And when industry powerhouse Toei Animation trotted out the first Kyousogiga ONA roughly two years ago, I had a feeling that another masterful experiment in animation had come along. After viewing the first episode of the series proper, that feeling is quickly crystallizing into certainty.
Serving as a prologue of sorts, the first episode sets up the origins of "Kyoto" (spelled using the characters for "Mirror Capitol" and pronounced "Kyoto"). We meet Kyoto's creator, Myoe, a monk whose enchanted drawings become real. Myoe's unique talents get him relocated to a remote village in Kyoto, where he is immediately shunned by the superstitious town folk. Lonely, he draws a bunny with black hair and red eyes for companionship.
The bunny, named Koto, begins to develop feelings for her creator, and her love is noticed by a bodhisattva residing in a nearby Buddha statue. The bodhisattva offers to give Koto a human form, so that she may express her feelings for Myoe more clearly, and she obliges. At first reluctant, Myoe gradually warms to his bunny wife, eventually starting a family with her: Yakushimaru, a human boy, Kurama, a boy born from Myoe's drawing, and Yase, a demonic girl with bouncy blonde curls. When disdain continues to pour in from the outside world, Myoe and his family decide to depart to a different Kyoto that has been created from his drawings.
In this separate dimension, the family lives out many happy days until Koto reveals the unfortunate truth about her human form. Although she was given a human form to express her love for Myoe, she was supposed to relinquish it the moment her feelings were returned; although Myoe has loved her back for quite some time, she has selfishly remained in her form, not wanting to return to the world outside. Touched by her devotion, Myoe agrees to leave Kyoto with her, leaving his son Yakushimaru with the title of Myoe and appointing him to watch over Kyoto in his absence.
The story then jumps forward several years, when a fully grown Yakushimaru, now going by the name "Myoe," notices a disturbance at the entrance to Kyoto. Thinking his father has returned, he rushes to the source...only to find a magical hammer-wielding teenager named Koto and her twin younger brothers.
What brings Koto to this dimension, her connection to Myoe, and the whereabouts of the original Myoe and Koto remain to be seen. All that I know is that I'll be along for the ride. Despite the heavy exposition, newcomer director and series creator Rie Matsumoto is able to string together beautiful image after beautiful image. The streets of Mirror Capitol Kyoto are colorful, bizarre and teeming with character; Matsumoto has created an interesting world for her characters to inhabit, and if Koto's sudden arrival is any indication, it might not be the only one out there. I will definitely be tuning in to find out.
Title: Galilei Donna
Release Date: Oct. 10, 2013
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi, Comedy
Premise: Three estranged sisters, who happen to be descended from Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, are thrown into an adventure when a secret organization attempts to abduct them one day.
Verdict: I'll admit this one slipped under my radar, but after watching the first episode I'm glad I gave it a chance. Add in the futuristic sci-fi setting, the involvement of studio A-1 Pictures and director Yasuomi Umetsu, of Kite and Mezzo Forte fame, and I'm surprised I made it this far without hearing about it.
When the episode begins, the shock of the abductions hits you as suddenly as it hits the three protagonists. Hazuki Ferrari, 20, Kazuki Ferrari, 17, and Hozuki Ferrari, 13, are all going about their lives with little regard for one another. Hazuki, a jaded law student who is failing out of her program, skips classes to go drinking with her friends. High schooler Kazuki is also skipping class (the lesson included a group exercise and she's a serious misanthrope) to lounge in the nurse's office and fawn over a picture of her crush. Hozuki avoids school altogether, tinkering in her garage and wandering the streets on her collapsible motorized scooter. The peace of their idyllic lives is shattered as men in sunglasses attack Hazuki and Kazuki, while a UAV drone swoops down and begins pursuing Hozuki through the streets.
All three sisters manage to beat back their would-be abductors - Hazuki with her words, Kazuki with her fists, and Hozuki with her invented gadgets - and show off their different personalities and talents in the process. Each has her shortcomings, but all three sisters are brilliant in some way. We are also introduced to a colorful cast of secondary characters, including the girls' dysfunctional divorced parents, overbearing Sylvia and easy-going academic Geshio, and a flashy sky pirate captain named Cicinho. It's never made clear what the mysterious kidnappers are after, but it's still early enough in the game to leave those answers for later.
There's already plenty to look forward to with this one. I'm eager to see how the girls' different skills, Hozuki's brains, Kazuki's brawn, and Hazuki's smart mouth, will work together. Not to mention sparks are already flying between Cicinho and the hot-headed Hazuki, whom he has affectionately nicknamed "Bambina." There are a lot interesting pieces at play already, and with A-1 Pictures' track record, this might be another home run original series.
Title: Gingitsune
Release Date: Oct. 6, 2013
Studio: Diomedea
Genre: Supernatural, Slice of Life
Premise: Shortly after the death of her mother, 4-year-old Makoto Saeki begins to see a silver fox spirit lounging on the roof of her family's shrine. Several years later, Makoto, now a high school student, has become something of a local favorite, working with Gin, the fox spirit, to tell people's fortunes and give them advice.
Verdict: A solid pilot from a simple premise. Studio Medea has primarily been known for its lighthearted harem fare, but their latest series seems to be going in a more serious, girl-oriented direction for them.
Makoto is your average high school girl, barring the fact that she and only she can see a gigantic talking fox with supernatural abilities. Gin, voiced by the incredible Shinichiro Miki, has served as the herald, or spirit messenger, for Makoto's shrine for 15 generations. Understandably, Gin approaches his responsibilities as herald with the jaded dutifulness of a veteran blue collar worker. It doesn't help matters that Makoto routinely uses his divining powers just to tell fortunes for her classmates. One such girl seeks Makoto out after a fight with her boyfriend. Makoto relates Gin's advice (apologize) but leaves out a key part (apologize humbly) and ends up making matters worse. Instead of owning her mistake she blames Gin, who subsequently departs the shrine in a huff. In his absence, things begin to fall apart for Makoto, and her client isn't the only one who's learned something by episode's end.
I could see this quickly turning into a series of after school specials, with each week bringing a problem that teaches a different moral, but I will stick around as long as the beautiful art keeps coming. The scene where Gin first summons his divining powers can only be described as majestic, and the shots of the shrines that the spirits call home are faithful depictions of classic Japanese architecture. You probably won't get any earth-shattering revelations out of a show like this, but the art direction is worth repeat viewings.
Title: Outbreak Company
Release Date: Oct. 3, 2013
Studio: Feel
Genre: Comedy, Harem, Supernatural, Ecchi
Premise: After acing an online pop culture quiz, bona fide otaku Kanou Shinichi is recruited by an undercover government agency to serve as an economic liaison between Japan and a newly discovered fantasy world in another dimension.
Verdict: Pretty funny for a harem. I tend to steer clear of anime that is too heavy on the fanservice, but so far OC has given some substance to a genre that is often nothing but ass n titties. As is customary for a typical harem character, Shinichi is a thoroughbred geek. He is fluent in all pop culture references and tropes, maintains a significant collection of figurines, games, and tankobon, and, most tellingly, has no love life to speak of, having long since been rejected (by his childhood friend, no less!) for his peculiar interests. Likewise, the female characters introduced so far all fit into particular moe tropes: the timid and clumsy petite maid, the busty and mature older sister, and the fussy, temperamental younger sister.
Where the show really gets its legs is the unique setting: the magical kingdom of Eldant. Shinichi wakes up in this fantasy world filled with dragons, elves and lizard men after coming to what he thought was a job interview for a tech company. His interviewer turns out to be a government big shot who has scouted Shinichi to manage mass media distribution for his company, Amutec's, newly formed Eldant branch, in charge of marketing anime, manga and video games to Eldant's population. The job's appeal is easy to see - I don't think there's an otaku alive who would pass up the chance to explain the merits of Street Fighter compared to Dead or Alive to a real live elf - and this should give the show some substance in between conveniently angled panty shots. All in all the pop culture references and celebration of geek culture make this one harem I can get behind. Give it a spin!
Title: Nagi no Asukara
Release Date: Oct 3, 2013
Studio: P.A. Works
Genre: Supernatural, School Life, Romance
Premise: Hikari Sakishima and his three friends, all children from a race of sea-dwelling humans, must attend school with humans on the surface after their underwater middle school closes its doors. Hikari must contend with the ridicule of his land-dwelling classmates, the ire of his fellow sea-dwellers, and a surface boy who has taken a special interest in his childhood friend, Manaka.
Verdict: I probably should have expected this since P.A. Works was involved, but this really registered with me on an emotional level. This will probably hold true for any viewer who has known young love, especially love of the unrequited variety. As Hikari opines in the opening scenes:
"What can I do? Without someone else, she just wouldn't get through life. I have to be with her."
By the time the end credits roll, however, it's apparent to everyone (except perhaps Hikari himself) that he may actually be the one who needs her. The surface boy, Tsumugu, throws many a wayward glance in Manaka's direction, and she doesn't seem to mind the attention. To make matters worse, Manaka's friend Chisaki carries a flame for Hikari; and there's a touching scene where she reveals she is torn between her feelings for Hikari and her friendship with Manaka. Experience says this unrequited love rectangle is sure to only get more complicated as time goes on.
To keep from telling another stale young love story, Nagi no Asukara also adds supernatural elements. Legend has it that all humanity is descended from the ancient sea god, originally living underwater. When a faction of mankind ditched their gills to live on land, the sea god became angry, leading to mankind's travails with droughts and fights over fresh drinking water. Mankind sent sacrificial maidens out to sea in boats to appease the sea god, and sea dwellers are supposedly the offspring of the sea god and said maidens.
Despite these shared origins, it is clear that tensions between the land and the sea are running high. Surface kids tell Hikari and his friends that they "stink of fish" and vandalize his older sister's workplace. The men of his underwater village gripe about fishermen who fish outside of their designated zones. Hikari, who is heir to the shrine where his father serves as high priest, must lend an ear to his fellow villagers' complaints and try to make sense of it all.
It makes for an interesting mix of elements. There looks to be a large ensemble of characters, and write Mari Okada (whose past credits include the excellent Wandering Son and tear-jerking Anohana) seems more than able to communicate everyone's frenzied jumble of emotions. Supporting characters like Lord Uroko (who is already my favorite) should flesh out Hikari and co.'s underwater world and provide some lighthearted moments between bouts of teenage angst. P.A. Works looks like they have another hit on their hands with this one.
Title: Kill la Kill
Release Date: Oct 3, 2013
Studio: Trigger
Genre: Action/Adventure, School Life
Premise: Wandering transfer student Ryuko Matoi has just arrived at Honnoji Academy in search of clues to the identity of her father's killer. Immediately clashing with domineering Student Council President Satsuki Kiryuin and her four elite underlings, Ryuko unwittingly kicks off a civil war for control of the school.
Verdict: The only acceptable reason not to be watching this show is because you are reading this blog entry about why you absofuckinglutely must watch this show. For those of you who don't know, I like director Hiroyuki Imaishi, like, A LOT. His previous effort as series director, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, is still on a lot of people's Top 10 lists, and all of those people (myself included) jumped for joy when it was announced that he was starting his own animation studio. And boy, Trigger's debut project sure doesn't disappoint.
The tone is set from the opening sequence, as Head of the Discipline Committee Gamagori exposes, confronts and lays the smackdown on an unruly student.
Pictured: The Mother of All Smackdowns
The poor chap ends up ass-naked and embedded in the outer wall surrounding the courtyard, and everything about Honnoji Academy, from the overbearing oppressive atmosphere to the clearly defined villainous role of Sastuki Kiryuin, is made abundantly clear. Honnoji Academy is made up of a strict caste system, and Satsuki, whose father runs the school's board of directors, is alone at the top; even the school's principal recognizes her authority. Social status is determined by the school's special Goku uniforms, which grant special powers to the wearer. The higher a person is ranked, the more stars their Goku uniform has, with general students designated as no-stars, exceptional students as one stars, and Satsuki's chosen elite getting uniforms with two or more stars.
All white? It must be a bitch keeping stains out.
Into this delicate balance comes Ryuko, wielding half of a pair of gigantic scissor blades. She is searching for the owner of the other half, claiming that this person is responsible for murdering her father. Her blatant disregard for school customs quickly sets her at odds with the school's elite, prompting the captain of the boxing club to put Ryuko in her place with his Goku uniform's ridiculously over-sized boxing gloves. A defeated Ryuko returns to what remains of her house and finds, of all things, a living, talking school outfit which imbues her with powers of her own...WHEW! Still with me? Good.
In the hands of nearly any other creator this would be gobbledy-gook, but with Imaishi's trademark over-the-top action-oriented style it feels fluid and, more importantly, fun. There may be some well-warranted gripes about the skimpiness of Ryuko's outfit, but I'm still glad to see a show with not one but two solid female leads playing off of one another. The 24-minute episode blazed past, and seasoned Imaishi veterans know it's only likely to get more crazy from here on out. If you pick one series to watch this season, this is the one show worth "trying on."
Title: Kyoukai no Kanata
Release Date: Oct 3, 2013
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Genre: Action/Adventure, Supernatural, Slice of Life, School Life, Comedy
Premise: Easy-going high school student Akihito Kanbara's peaceful life is interrupted when he thwarts the suicide attempt of Mirai Kuriyama. When Mirai rewards Akihito's bravado by stabbing him through the heart, he, an immortal half-human half-youma, and she, a Spirit World Warrior sworn to hunt youma, find their fates irreparably intertwined.
Verdict: A surprisingly pleasant first episode. This one initially swept under my radar because of the cliche setting ( high schoolers dealing with supernatural powers? again?), but the writers have created an interesting dynamic between the lead characters. After their initial encounter, Akihito does his best to avoid Mirai's constant after school ambushes. The last scion of a special clan of Spirit World Warriors with the ability to harden their blood and shape it into weapons, Mirai is something of a pariah in the Warrior community. She has yet to kill her first youma, and has resolved to use the immortal Akihito as target practice. Akihito's childhood friend (and fellow literary club member), Mitsuki Nase, also happens to be the daughter of the most prominent local family of Spirit World Warriors. She warns Akihito not to become further involved with Mirai, although it is not clear whether this is out of concern or flirtatious jealousy (since this is an anime, it's probably both).
Studio Kyoto Animation has a significant track record of "school life with a twist" series under its belt, having previously released such classics as Full Metal Panic and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and their experience is apparent here. Lighthearted segments of everyday high school life are peppered with dazzling bits of smoothly animated supernatural fighting action, and the transitions between the two feel very natural. Writer Jukki Hanada has done a good job of whetting my interest and setting up some intriguing questions to be answered in future episodes. This remains one to watch.
Title: Coppelion
Release Date: Oct 2, 2013
Studio: GoHands
Genre: Sci Fi, Suspense, Survival Horror
Premise: Following a catastrophic meltdown at a nuclear power plant in 2016, Tokyo became a radiated ghost town. Twenty years later, three teenage girls bioengineered to withstand the high radiation are dispatched to investigate the increasing number of SOS signals coming from the remains of the city.
Verdict: An interesting enough pilot. The skeleton of Tokyo, gutted by the nuclear fallout from the meltdown, is beautifully realized by GoHands' super-talented animation staff. Dust particles swirl and blades of grass bob in the wind on the deserted highways that have been reclaimed by nature. Entire buildings list to one side or the other, downed telephone poles and street signs littering the streets below. The production design alone makes I Am Legend look like Wonkaland.
The characters themselves are fairly distinct types as well. Ibara, the fearless maverick leader, leads the bespectacled animal-loving Taeko and the energetic (read: already annoying moe-blob) Aoi through the ruins with a refreshingly steely resolve that many anime heroines have been sorely lacking. Their mission is pretty straightforward (walk around investigating SOS signals, rescue people who aren't too crispy), but the pilot raises many more questions by its conclusion.
What happened to cause the meltdown in the first place? Are humans the only thing they need to worry about finding out here? Why is their handler from the Self Defense Force such a humorless dick? I am more than satisfied with GoHands' track record (if you haven't caught the Mardock Scramble trilogy, remedy your grievous mistake, immediately) to patiently wait for some more answers. Time will tell if the slow sizzle of this first episode will ever come to a boil, but I think this is one to keep your eye on.
Quick, name a list of the greatest X-Men. Who did you come up with? Beast, everyone's favorite blue, furry academic? Gambit, the ragin' Cajun with a penchant for sticky fingers and making things explode? Perhaps even Dazzler for some of you more flamboyant types? Whatever your choice, there is at least one name that should be on the lists of all people who consider themselves true X-Men fans. Here's a hint: he's short, he's Canadian, and he's the best there is at what he does (but what he does isn't very nice). I'm talking, of course, about Wolverine.
Pictured
He is one of Marvel's most ubiquitous faces (right up there with the Hulk and Spider-Man), appearing in almost every form of Marvel media, X-Men or otherwise, in existence since his 1974 introduction. He has long walked the halls of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, as both student and instructor. And although he is a loner, he has turned up on an awful lot of Marvel's other flagship teams, including Alpha Flight, X-Force, and the Avengers. He's even been carrying his own solo title since 1988, which is not something any other X-Man can say (even Cable needed Deadpool). It made sense, then, that in the wake of their X-Men film trilogy Marvel would give everyone's favorite hard-drinking, murderous Canuck his own movie spin-off; after all, how bad could it be?
In the wake of 20th Century Fox's cinematic abortion, their follow-up effort, The Wolverine, didn't have to do much to earn a stamp of approval. In fact, it seemed primed to delight.
In addition to featuring my favorite X-Man, it would be taking place in my favorite foreign country: Japan. The exotic setting was inspired by one of the character's most unique arcs, penned by comic book greats Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Director James Mangold had drawn previous critical acclaim for writing and directing the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, so depicting Logan's tortured soul should have been familiar territory. It couldn't possibly go wrong! Right?
Well, yes and no. At its best, The Wolverine is a dark, serious, character-driven work that follows a broken man on a journey of healing and self-discovery. At its worst, the sense of gravitas gets lost in ridiculous action sequences, boring, motive-less villains, and over-the-top CGI. The film can't decide which it wants to be, moody character piece or wacky actioner, and ends up slipping through the gaps instead.
And that dance number was completely unnecessary.
The Wolverine picks up after the events of X-Men: the Last Stand, when Logan was forced to kill a Dark Phoenix-possessed Jean Grey. Devastated by the death of the woman he loved, Logan has renounced the name of Wolverine and retreated into the Alaskan wilderness. Having settled at the summit of a nice, lonely mountain overlooking a small town, he passes his days in wary peace with his neighbor: a grizzly bear; he passes his nights in fitful bouts of sleep punctuated by nightmare visions of his murdered love.
After a violent confrontation with a few hunters at the small town bar, Logan is introduced to Yukio, an emissary of one of his old acquaintances from WWII. Yashida, a soldier whose life Logan saved during the bombing of Nagasaki, is now dying, and he wishes to see Logan and express his gratitude before passing. He offers the world-weary wanderer one last gift: to make Logan mortal once again, by taking his healing factor and transferring it to Yashida himself. Unfortunately, Yashida dies before Logan can call his bluff, and his funeral gets crashed by an army of yakuza. Around the same time, Logan's healing factor begins acting wonky, and he finds himself on the run with Yashida's daughter Mariko. It soon becomes apparent that more than one person is after both Logan and Mariko, and he makes it his mission to find out who and why.
All while removing his shirt as much as possible.
As previously mentioned, the film shines when it focuses on the character of Logan and his journey to forgive himself for Jean's death. This is largely due to the presence of Huge Jacked-Abs (aka Hugh Jackman), who shows off the experience that comes from playing Marvel's most popular mutant for over a decade. At this point the role fits him like a glove. He is to Wolverine what Sean Connery is to James Bond.
You really get a sense of Logan's endless grief over Jean's death, as he is repeatedly confronted with her image (played in a cameo role by Famke Janssen). But even at his most downtrodden, he is still Wolverine at heart. There are plenty of scenes, lines and moments that capture Wolverine's trademark bad boy vibe which launched a thousand copycat anti-heroes in the 80's. Whether he's slicing and dicing yakuza, throwing a man out of a window, or simply taking a bath, Hugh Jackman is completely believable as Wolverine.
In Huge Jacked-Abs We Trust
Unfortunately, that's where the praiseworthy aspects of the movie come to an end. In between the pretty moments of somber soul-searching are scattered several clunky, emotionally empty fight scenes that contribute little to the narrative. Even the much-touted bullet train fight sequence feels like a tacked-on gimmick that adds nothing to the story overall. The villain, a mutant named Viper, also feels underdeveloped. There is never much of a reason given as to why she has it out for Logan, and Svetlana Khodchenkova delivers her lines with an unintentionally hilarious wooden awkwardness. Another big bad is revealed in a third act plot twist so stupid it boggles the mind why they didn't stick closer to the plot in Claremont's source material.
It's Wolverine. Versus ninjas. How do you mess that up?!
I really wanted to give The Wolverine the rave review that a movie based on such an iconic character deserves, but instead I must settle for an "it could have been worse." Jackman turns in yet another inspired performance as comics' most famous fictional Canadian, but not even his adamantium claws can sharpen up this weak sauce plot and underwhelming CGI. The Wolverine has its moments, but not enough to warrant today's ticket prices.
Verdict: C-Rank
P.S. Stay after the credits for a special scene hinting at mutantkind's next film: the upcoming X-Men Days of Future Past. It turns out Magneto's powers have returned, Professor X is somehow back from the dead and there are several adverts for Trask Industries (i.e. the people behind the iconic Sentinels) are everywhere.
There were more big reveals than you could shake a stick at this Saturday, but here are some of my highlights:
Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes dropped in on the folks at MTV Geek to discuss their appearance in Plants Vs Zombies Vs Jay and Silent Bob. It looks like this:
Smith also updated MTV Geek on his latest creative projects. The title he formerly called his last directorial effort, a hockey comedy-drama dubbed "Hit Somebody," will now be produced as a miniseries. Instead, his last movie will be Clerks III, and the script has been submitted to The Weinstein Company for review. He also hinted at an idea for a bizarre horror movie that came up during one of his podcasts in which a man is held captive and turned into a walrus (smh only Kevin Smith).
Meanwhile, IGN was covering a talk by Microsoft Creative Director Ken Lobb on the new Xbox One console. Lobb announced that the next gen black box will allow players to record and share the last 30 seconds of gameplay with a simple voice command, and the camera can tell when players have switched controllers, automatically switching controller settings based on who is holding it.
While discussing his new Hulu series The Awesomes, Seth Meyers revealed that he'd always wanted to do a Blue Beetle/Booster Gold superhero movie (with himself as Blue Beetle). I was instantly reminded of the latest installment from Yale Stewart's fantastic webcomic:
Fun side story: Meyers once ran into professional comics penciller Kevin Maguire and asked to be drawn as Ted Kord's Blue Beetle. The resulting drawing is the thumbnail image for Meyers Twitter profile.
Attendees of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel were lucky enough to witness the entire pilot episode (word on the street is it's awesome).
But perhaps the biggest news of the day came from the DC cinematic universe, with the announcement of not one but three new working titles. The first, a follow-up to this year's Man of Steel, will be a Superman/Batman movie - pairing DC's two most recognizable names to take on the sequel to Marvel/Disney's highest-grossing film ever (good luck with that) in 2015. It's probably a safe bet to assume Henry Cavill will return as Supes, but there's no word on who will be buttoning up Bruce Wayne's tailored Armani suit this time around. Next up will be a film adaptation for The Flash in 2016, followed by DC's answer to Marvel's The Avengers, Justice League, in 2017. DC also revealed the logo for the first film in line:
I think the batarang looks a bit chubby.
That's it for Saturday. Check back in Sunday for the last helping of juicy nerd tidbits!
The feed will be up and running in a few minutes, and so will I! You can follow along here (and feel free to follow me!): https://twitter.com/BlackOtaku
Come back later for the round-up of my favorite bits of nerd news (here's yesterday's).
There was plenty of good nerdy news to choose from today, but these particular tidbits hit all the right buttons and stood out to me:
1. According to Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, DC Comics is wrapping up a crossover Justice League/JLA/Justice League Dark story arc called Trinity War. He also hinted that things will not end well for Earth's greatest heroes, particularly everyone's favorite Big Blue Boy Scout .
2. The good folks at Mondo revealed a line of limited edition posters and vinyl covers inspired by the cinematic works of Studio Ghibli.
Here's a sample...stop drooling.
3. Creators of that underrated critical darling of a show Orphan Black, Graeme Manson and John Fawcett announced that Season 1 DVDs of the series hit shelves this week.
4. And last but not least, Avatar creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko finally ante'd up and gave Legend of Korra fans the information they'd been waiting for - a September 2013 release - and almost 150 seconds of hysteria-inducing new footage. Enjoy:
Yep, you read that right. I'm going to be tapped into MTV.com's live stream for the next six hours, getting the skinny on all the latest from the world of nerd-dom. You can follow along with my tweets here (feel free to follow me!).
Check back later tonight, as I'll be posting a round-up of today's juiciest details.
I began this blog as a way to honor the fact that I am both black and nerdy. I usually find myself writing about the latter, but every once in a while I am compelled to write about what it means to be black. Tonight is one of those times. Tonight, it was announced that 29-year-old George Zimmerman, the overzealous neighborhood watch captain who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, had been found not guilty of second-degree murder and acquitted of manslaughter. A lot of people are not happy about it. I am one of those people.
I am not, however, surprised. The first red flag was raised a few days after the incident was initially reported, when I learned that Zimmerman had suffered injuries to his face and head.
I could tell that those injuries would have far-reaching ramifications. They meant more than just a bloody nose and a few stitches. They meant that Trayvon Martin hadn't just stood there and let Zimmerman shoot him. They meant he hadn't gone without a fight. And ultimately, they meant acquittal for Mr. Zimmerman. You see, black people don't exactly have a great track record when it comes to drumming up national sympathy. There are countless cases to choose from, but here are a couple of the most highly publicized:
In 1992, Rodney King (may he R.I.P.) didn't resist arrest before he was beat by five LAPD officers, four of whom were charged and subsequently acquitted of assault with a deadly weapon and excessive use of force.
In 1999, Amadou Diallo (may he R.I.P.) did nothing but reach for his wallet before four plainclothes NYPD officers shot and killed him. All four officers were later - surprise! - acquitted of all charges. Wyclef wrote a song about it.
Notice something? Neither of those young black men offered resistance of any kind, and the people who attacked them unprovoked got off scot-free. The defendants in both cases were given the benefit of the doubt because they were authority figures who believed they had probable cause to pull out their billy clubs and guns. Zimmerman did them one better; the evidence of his probable cause was all over the back of his head.
Right about then I began to have a bad feeling about the prosecution's chances. At this point, all Zimmerman's defense team had to do was convince the jury that he acted not because of race, but because he felt threatened. Here is where a lot of black people will call bullshit, but I believe he did feel threatened. By no means am I saying that he should, but I can see why he did and it has a lot to do with race.
For whatever reason, everyone seems to think that black people are tougher, stronger and more violent because of our unique role in America's history. This has been public opinion in Black America for a while, but for the scientific community it's a fascinating new phenomenon. The good people at Slate recently ran an article mentioning a new study where average people and medical personnel were asked to gauge a random subject's pain in a given situation. The results were surprisingly relevant to my current topic:
"In each experiment, the researchers found that white participants, black participants, and nurses and nursing students assumed that blacks felt less pain than whites...It turns out assumptions about what it means to be black—in terms of social status and hardship—may be behind the bias. In additional experiments, the researchers studied participants’ assumptions about adversity and privilege. The more privilege assumed of the target, the more pain the participants perceived. Conversely, the more hardship assumed, the less pain perceived. The researchers concluded that 'The present work finds that people assume that, relative to whites, blacks feel less pain because they have faced more hardship.'"
Here's the real kicker: the article that references this study was published as part of Slate's coverage of the Zimmerman trial. Trayvon Martin's skin told Zimmerman that he was a threat before his mouth ever could. Everyone believes that black people are somehow more resistant to life's various slings and arrows, whether it's trauma of a physical, emotional or mental nature. What's even sadder is that some black people believe it too (but that's a discussion for another time).
So in case you were (rightfully) bewildered as to how a husky Hispanic man, the jury that acquitted him and large swathes of the American public could perceive a 160-lb unarmed teenager as a threat instead of, I don't know, a scared kid fighting for his life with an oddly aggressive stranger...yeah, that's how. And here's how a mess like this can be prevented from happening again.
If You Find Yourself in George Zimmerman's Position
Back off and let the real police do their job. I know there had been a few robberies and home invasions in the last few weeks and "these assholes always get away," but that's no excuse to ignore a certified emergency dispatcher's orders to stay put. Ideally, they have more training than you do, they're more experienced and, most importantly, they'll have more restraint. When in doubt, defer to the paid professional law enforcers.
If you do decide to ignore certified professionals and be an impulsive cockbag (I believe that's the scientific term for it), approach the individual in question and IDENTIFY YOURSELF so that he or she knows that you aren't a mugger/rapist/killer yourself. If a person runs after you audibly identify yourself as neighborhood watch, feel free to brand them with whatever unflattering label you like, give chase and swing your dick around as impulsive cockbags are wont to do.
If You Find Yourself in Trayvon Martin's Position
Relax, I'm not going to spew some ridiculous shit about not being able to wear hoodies anymore (fuck you, Geraldo Rivera).
I will, however, admit that there was something Trayvon Martin could have done to prevent his own death: cooperate. If you are a minority who is in trouble with an authority figure, whether it is a mall cop or the goddamn Attorney General (I don't know what you'd do to piss him off), the worst thing you can do is put up a fight. I understand that Martin was being followed by a strange man in a strange neighborhood, but his best bet was still to simply confront Zimmerman and find out what he wanted.
"Oh, you want to mug me? I'm broke, but here's some Skittles and iced tea. Please don't hurt me. I'd like to grow up and go to college."
"Oh, you want to kill me? I'd better run away!"
"Oh, you're an overzealous neighborhood watch captain? Actually I'm staying with my step mother down the street. Here's her address. You should have said so sooner; I thought you going to kill me or something."
And before you jump down my throat, demanding to know if I practice what I preach, rest assured that I do. You will never meet a nicer more cordial Aaron than the one who has just been pulled over. When I was pulled over for speeding outside of Jacksonville (coincidentally enough, I was driving back to school from Sanford, FL, where Trayvon Martin was shot), I was extremely cooperative. I cooperated when he quizzed me on my driver's license information to make sure I was who I really was. I cooperated when he felt inside of my car's wheel wells, looking for drugs and illegal contraband. I laughed good-naturedly as he asked me if I was on drugs.
Was it embarrassing? Yes. Did I want to cuss him out, yell "I'm not a fucking drug dealer!" and snidely ask him whether he took this much care with all of his speeding stops? Yes. Did I use some choice vocabulary when I was back in the privacy of my own vehicle, with two tickets totaling almost $500? You bet your ass I did. But I held my tongue and kept my hands where he could see them, just in case he turned out to be like that one cop from Boyz n the Hood.
It may not be your proudest moment, but it will be your smartest. The whole not dying thing is pretty nice too. Just imagine if Trayvon had confronted Zimmerman with words instead of fists that night. In the worst case scenario, let's say Zimmerman doesn't buy that Trayvon is staying just down the road and collars him until the police arrive, sure, Trayvon gets brought in and might have to spend a night in the bookings until someone can clear his name, but at least he's still alive. Plus he's got Zimmerman by the balls, to use legal terminology, and can sue the pants off of him for causing undue stress or defamation of character. And the court gets to hear something that was sorely missing from the actual Zimmerman trial: Trayvon's side of the story.
I'll admit it shouldn't have to be that way. Hopefully, this deeply unsatisfying verdict has inspired a new generation of future black voters, lawyers and lawmakers to revamp the justice system, and one day we'll get to complain just as loudly as we want when faced with undue hostility from authority figures, self-appointed or otherwise. In the meantime, they expect us to get loud, ignorant and disrespectful when confronted by authority, so let's throw them off by being very polite, reasonable and well-spoken.
And if the unfairness of this verdict (and all those that came before it) gets to be too much, just watch this video before you take to the streets:
Title: Gin no Saji
Release Date: July 11, 2013
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Genre: School Life, Slice of Life, Comedy
Premise: When Yugo Hachiken fails to get into his intended high school, he enrolls at Oezo Agricultural High School instead, thinking that the easy classes will leave plenty of time to study for college entrance exams. What he doesn't know is that Oezo's curriculum also requires back-breaking amounts of hard labor. Shenanigans ensue.
Verdict: Conventional wisdom would tell you to leave this anime alone. The subject matter, farm life, is quite a departure anime's usual fare. The first episode, although energetically animated, is pretty forgettable. And finally, I can't see any otaku's Top Ten List including an anime about farming. Case closed, right?
Not quite. This particular anime about farm life happens to be based on a manga by Hiromu Arakawa.
In case that name doesn't ring a bell, she's the brilliant creative mind behind everyone's favorite anime about alchemy: Fullmetal Alchemist. As it turns out, after wrapping up production on one of the greatest anime/manga series of all time (let's just say it's on a lot of people's Top Ten Lists) in 2010, Arakawa-sensei began work on this puppy in 2011. The story hits a bit closer to home than her previous efforts, as it is inspired by her childhood growing up on a Hokkaido dairy farm.
'Nuff said, you had me at "Hiromu Arakawa." If anyone could pull off an anime about farming, it's her. Production studio A-1 Pictures seems to agree, as they've already greenlit and scheduled a second season which will premier next year. If it takes a few episodes for this one to get going, I completely understand. Based on the author's track record, your patience is sure to be rewarded.
As you may have guessed, I, like most of those who appreciate anime and science fiction, am familiar with giant robots. Anime's very foundation is built on the likes of Astro Boy and Gigantor, and Adult Swim fostered my own appreciation for the likes of Big O and Evangelion. I've read a BattleTech novel or two. And I enjoy the musical stylings of MC Frontalot from time to time. So when Legendary Pictures released this trailer a few months ago:
I rejoiced...or had heart palpitations, I'm not sure (whatever happened it ended with me foaming on the floor). I had avidly followed the development of the project from initial pitch to post-production. The inclusion of the visionary Guillermo del Toro and his glowing track record did much to put me further at ease. And yet my inner pessimist had convinced me to take it all with a grain of salt. I'd been burned by hype before, and no amount of flowery language was going to sway my heart without seeing it in action. And then two and a half minutes of video took away all worries, reservations and concerns; whether it was a visual triumph or a dud, I was all-in.
So now comes the (200) million-dollar question: does Pacific Rim deliver? Well, it depends on what you're looking for. If you came to see huge metal contraptions the size of skyscrapers punch it out with gargantuan reptilian beasts who come by land, air and sea, then Pacific Rim is sure to delight. If you were looking for a giant robot film that contemplates the complex moral nature of man and raises questions about what it really means to be a hero, then you're a glum individual who should dive back into those philosophy textbooks before attempting to over-analyze Evangelion again.
Pic unrelated.
The story of Pacific Rim is straightforward enough. For those who didn't click on the trailer above, the story takes place 12 years into the war with kaiju, mysterious creatures who emerge from an interdimensional rift in the the Pacific seabed. The common threat forces the nations of the world to put aside their differences and pool their resources to construct giant robots, called jaegers, to combat the beasts. The reluctant hero, Raleigh Becket, is a washed-up jaeger pilot who watched as the kaiju eventually turned the tides against mankind, losing his brother Yancy in the process. As the jaeger program suffers increased losses, the world governments lose faith, pull funding and begin building questionably effective coastal walls. All of this, which could easily have been a movie in itself, is summed up before the first title card. The narrative picks up here, as veteran jaeger commander Stacker Pentecost calls Becket out of retirement to mount one last desperate offensive and close the rift for good.
First the good: everything about the movie, the robots, the monsters, the musical score, the action (oh god, the action), looks and feels big. A film of this scale has rarely been attempted, and the ease with which del Toro executes these truly massive sequences is enough to fool anyone into thinking he's done nothing but make giant robot movies for his entire career. The jaegers really do come to life under his masterful eye, each with its own personality formed by unique weapons and abilities. The first time you see the three-armed Crimson Typhoon fight is a wonder to behold. And as impressive as the jaegers are, the kaiju are equally worthy of praise. Categorized by threat level, like hurricanes, the kaiju inspire a true sense of danger whenever they're on screen, and it is made abundantly clear that jaegers are the only thing capable of stopping the considerable havoc they wreak. This really is a movie that's meant to be seen on a big screen.
Paper beats Rock, huh? We'll see about that...
The bad is mostly a matter of opinion. Many of the negative reviews I read criticize the plot for its simplicity and dismiss the main players as one-dimensional stock characters. They are absolutely right. The story and the characters involved in it only work if they are straightforward and earnest. It's hard to be tortured and conflicted when literally everyone on the planet will die if you don't do your job. What more motivation do you need? That can-do attitude was exactly what del Toro wanted to portray. He, among others, is getting tired of these darker, edgier "heroes."
Pacific Rim is not entirely devoid of character, either. Raleigh and his co-pilot Mako are pretty cut-and-dry, but the supporting cast are able to inject some color into the proceedings. Idris Elba owns every scene he's in as Stacker Pentecost, a picture of undying will. Burn Gorman's Dr. Hermann Gottlieb is an annoyingly-written cane-walking caricature of a scientist - strait-laced, physically infirm and haughtily dismissive of his rival - but his fellow kaiju researcher Newt Geiszler, played amicably by Charlie Day, might just be my spirit animal (smart, tattooed, thinks of himself as a rock star? yes, please). And I'd die happy if I could achieve a tenth of the swag Hannibal Chau (portrayed with scene-stealing aplomb by Ron Perlman) has on display.
Seriously, what the fuck is that suit? The threads are spun from baby angel hair.
At the end of the day, Pacific Rim may not be a perfect film, but it does make for a perfect spectacle. The true characters of the movie, the jaegers and kaiju, are truly a technical achievement that will live on in the annals of pop culture history. Del Toro has given birth to a monster, and it is a big, fierce and beautiful reminder of why we go to the movies.
