I was cruising the interwebs when I stumbled across this Kickstarter project from the eclectically talented anime director Masaaki Yuasa. It pretty much combines all of my favorite things (anime, crowdsourcing, the power of the Internet) and people (Maasaki Yuasa AND Mamoru Oshii of Ghost in the Shell fame?! Are you kidding me?!) so I had to share it really quick.
So, my loyal readers (all five of you): please click on the link below and find out more about "Kick Heart."
Masaaki Yuasa's "Kick-Heart" by Production I.G — Kickstarter:
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Monday, October 1, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
It's Baaaaack...Fall 2012 Premier Week (Part 1)
Yes, the long hiatus is over. Due to extenuating circumstances (read: a demanding internship, soul-searching, and some laziness), I have been AFK for quite some time. But never fear! I am back for a brand new season of brand new anime launching this Fall. First up we have:
Title: Shinsekai Yori (From the New World) Studio: A-1 Pictures Genre: Sci-Fi Release: Sept. 29
Premise: Based on the popular 2008 novel by Yusuke Kishi. 1000 years in the future, a group of children with psychic abilities lives in relative tranquility in a remote village. However, they are soon set on a path of mystery and intrigue that will lead to the discovery of a terrible secret about their seemingly peaceful world.
Initial Thoughts: Seems like a no-brainer. The trailers that I have been watching for months have shown a rich, lovingly animated world that I find myself eager to explore. The studio, A-1 Pictures, is known to deliver, having worked on everything from sports anime like Big Windup! to dramas like Anohana and this summer's excellent sci-fi actioner Sword Art Online. Practically without fail, I care about their characters, savor their fluid animation, and suffer weekly as I wait for each episode to air. But the cherry on top has to be the talented (and beautiful) seiyuu Kana Hanazawa, who has voiced a character in at least one of my favorite animes each year for the last 3 years or so. Let's hope all parties involved can continue their excellence...
Post-Credits Verdict: Wow - doesn't seem like A-1 has lost any of their magic yet. They kick the episode off with a little prologue that grabs your attention - in present-day Japan, random people begin displaying Akira-like abilities and popping people around them like water balloons. Fast-forward a thousand years, and the world of tomorrow seems to have regressed to an almost feudal state. The physical environment and manner of dress are both quite old-fashioned (think Edo Period or earlier), and the prevalence of shrines and traditional rituals is quite pronounced.
The protagonist, Saki Watanabe, is part of a circle of preteen friends who have developed psychic abilities (referred to as "the spirit of adulthood" in the show). When these abilities emerge, they graduate from "Wakien," a school for children, and gain entrance into "Zenji," a sort of special prep academy for these gifted individuals. Saki's own powers have only recently awakened, allowing her to join the rest of her friends at Zenji. But unsettling occurrences, like her parents excessive relief at her powers developing and rumors of children "disappearing" before they could graduate from Wakien, have Saki feeling a bit on edge.
By episode's end it is clear that there's something sinister going on here, but for now director Masashi Ishihama seems content to let us squirm and speculate until next week. I for one will be certain to tune in.
Title: Shinsekai Yori (From the New World) Studio: A-1 Pictures Genre: Sci-Fi Release: Sept. 29
Premise: Based on the popular 2008 novel by Yusuke Kishi. 1000 years in the future, a group of children with psychic abilities lives in relative tranquility in a remote village. However, they are soon set on a path of mystery and intrigue that will lead to the discovery of a terrible secret about their seemingly peaceful world.
Initial Thoughts: Seems like a no-brainer. The trailers that I have been watching for months have shown a rich, lovingly animated world that I find myself eager to explore. The studio, A-1 Pictures, is known to deliver, having worked on everything from sports anime like Big Windup! to dramas like Anohana and this summer's excellent sci-fi actioner Sword Art Online. Practically without fail, I care about their characters, savor their fluid animation, and suffer weekly as I wait for each episode to air. But the cherry on top has to be the talented (and beautiful) seiyuu Kana Hanazawa, who has voiced a character in at least one of my favorite animes each year for the last 3 years or so. Let's hope all parties involved can continue their excellence...
Post-Credits Verdict: Wow - doesn't seem like A-1 has lost any of their magic yet. They kick the episode off with a little prologue that grabs your attention - in present-day Japan, random people begin displaying Akira-like abilities and popping people around them like water balloons. Fast-forward a thousand years, and the world of tomorrow seems to have regressed to an almost feudal state. The physical environment and manner of dress are both quite old-fashioned (think Edo Period or earlier), and the prevalence of shrines and traditional rituals is quite pronounced.
The protagonist, Saki Watanabe, is part of a circle of preteen friends who have developed psychic abilities (referred to as "the spirit of adulthood" in the show). When these abilities emerge, they graduate from "Wakien," a school for children, and gain entrance into "Zenji," a sort of special prep academy for these gifted individuals. Saki's own powers have only recently awakened, allowing her to join the rest of her friends at Zenji. But unsettling occurrences, like her parents excessive relief at her powers developing and rumors of children "disappearing" before they could graduate from Wakien, have Saki feeling a bit on edge.
By episode's end it is clear that there's something sinister going on here, but for now director Masashi Ishihama seems content to let us squirm and speculate until next week. I for one will be certain to tune in.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Trayvon Martin Case News - 911 Call, 'Stand Your Ground' Law - HuffPost Black Voices
Trayvon Martin Case News - 911 Call, 'Stand Your Ground' Law - HuffPost Black Voices:
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I wouldn't be much of a writer if I neglected writing about this any longer. As soon as I finish that 1,000-word term paper for Romantic Period Literature, I will record my thoughts on this national headline. Until then, feel free to use the above link to read up on all the perspectives and opinions compiled by the good folks at the Huffington Post.
'via Blog this'
I wouldn't be much of a writer if I neglected writing about this any longer. As soon as I finish that 1,000-word term paper for Romantic Period Literature, I will record my thoughts on this national headline. Until then, feel free to use the above link to read up on all the perspectives and opinions compiled by the good folks at the Huffington Post.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Once Again, I am Not Dead
I just realized it's been a while since I actually, y'know wrote something. Well, that's not exactly true either; the thought occurred to me before, I just wasn't doing anything about it. There were several advantages to having two loving, doting parents and attending so many years of private school (I could probably write an entirely different post about that), but one of the drawbacks is how hard I can be on myself. After so many years of being pampered and encouraged by such wonderful, driven people, I got used to holding myself to pretty ridiculous standards.
I'm not complaining, though; the aforementioned standards are what's gotten me to where I am today. But God help me if I find myself putting something off, or not doing something I said I'd do, or not leaving every stone unturned. That one assignment I forgot to turn in or friend I haven't kept in touch with can turn my self-confidence into self-loathing at the drop of a hat.
My friend Cam finds this hilarious. He prefers to think about things logically and sees emotions, particularly negative ones, as being silly and useless. I usually prefer to disagree with him, but in these instances he's right. My sense of self-worth shouldn't go out the window because of one missed opportunity. I should remember all the times I did get my work in on time instead of stressing over missing this deadline. I should recall the morning workouts that I did survive instead of lamenting the one I just slept through. And, ultimately, I should realize that I'm already exceptional because there are people all around me who can't even fathom doing these things. Normally Cam reminds me of this, but I decided to go home for Spring Break (woohoo, my parent's house is so...fun -_-) and he's still with my other roommates down in Tallahassee.
So why am I writing my first article in nearly a month? Why am I not still lamenting the fact there are other, better bloggers out there internetting harder and more effectively than I can? Well, one of them wrote an interesting piece today. I usually find his work inspirational, but today's article was oddly fitting for my current state of mind. I'm going to include a link to it here; maybe it'll help whoever reads these get out of whatever rut they're in at the moment.
And don't worry about me; there's still plenty of things I want to say, and I can't think of a better place to say them.
I'm not complaining, though; the aforementioned standards are what's gotten me to where I am today. But God help me if I find myself putting something off, or not doing something I said I'd do, or not leaving every stone unturned. That one assignment I forgot to turn in or friend I haven't kept in touch with can turn my self-confidence into self-loathing at the drop of a hat.
My friend Cam finds this hilarious. He prefers to think about things logically and sees emotions, particularly negative ones, as being silly and useless. I usually prefer to disagree with him, but in these instances he's right. My sense of self-worth shouldn't go out the window because of one missed opportunity. I should remember all the times I did get my work in on time instead of stressing over missing this deadline. I should recall the morning workouts that I did survive instead of lamenting the one I just slept through. And, ultimately, I should realize that I'm already exceptional because there are people all around me who can't even fathom doing these things. Normally Cam reminds me of this, but I decided to go home for Spring Break (woohoo, my parent's house is so...fun -_-) and he's still with my other roommates down in Tallahassee.
So why am I writing my first article in nearly a month? Why am I not still lamenting the fact there are other, better bloggers out there internetting harder and more effectively than I can? Well, one of them wrote an interesting piece today. I usually find his work inspirational, but today's article was oddly fitting for my current state of mind. I'm going to include a link to it here; maybe it'll help whoever reads these get out of whatever rut they're in at the moment.
And don't worry about me; there's still plenty of things I want to say, and I can't think of a better place to say them.
Kyle Lambert | Gallery | Toy Shining - iPad Paintings
Just a little something I found through one of my favorite places on the web, Collider.com.
Kyle Lambert | Gallery | Toy Shining - iPad Paintings:
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Kyle Lambert | Gallery | Toy Shining - iPad Paintings:
'via Blog this'
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