Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Listen up comic book fans! For those who aren't already in the know about this, there is an awesome series by Canadian Bryan Lee O'Malley about a slacker hero wanna-be rockstar named Scott Pilgrim. The series is five books so far and incredibly hilarious with gags revolving around video game/anime/comic references. In order to date a girl who's using his head to deliver packages (Ramona Flowers) Scott must fight and defeat her seven Evil Ex-Boyfriends (they have a league!). Filled with punchy art and wacky humor, this slice of life-cum-heroic epic is a must read.

Also, they're making a movie of it with Michael Cera in the lead. Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) is directing. They have a weekly blog that updates (two are already up) and it looks awesome. I'm saying this as a skeptical fan, too. Very cool! Please check it out! It's called Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

*fangirl squeal*

Here's Akira and Saki from Eden of the East (Higashi no Eden). Akira is taking a picture of the two of them on his mysterious cell phone (that has 8 billion yen on it). This is near the end of the second episode. I just wanted you to see how adorable the couple was (and how well drawn/colored/etc. everything was). First three episodes are subbed on Veoh Video Network under "Eden of the East". It airs on Wednesdays in Japan, subs are up by Friday. ^_^

Teh Animooz

I forgot the "other" tidbits in the last post! How dare I?

This is about anime! Yay, new anime to talk about! Spring season in Japan means new shows to air. And apparently about 90% of them are utter crap (just like on our television!). One is a major stand out, though.

Leave it to Production I.G. to make the stand out show. It's called Eden of the East (Higashi no Eden for those who need to know the Japanese titles) and it's directed by the one and only Kamiyama Kenji (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex season 1&2, Guardian of the Sacred Spirit). It's brilliant. Kamiyama's previous works are incredible and well executed, but they always seemed to lack a certain heart. Not so with this one.

The premise owes a lot to The Bourne Identity in that the male lead (Takizawa Akira) has no memory of who he is nor why he is naked and holding a gun and cell phone (and turns out later to have a lot of guns and passports with different names). He then sees the female lead (Morimi Saki) being harassed by D.C. cops for trying to throw a quarter into the White House fountains from the gate (she views the White House as the center of the world). Akira stops the cops by being naked and waving a hand gun, and as thanks after ditching the cops Saki gives him her coat...with her passport and wallet inside. Saki chases Akira to his apartment (he found the location on his mysterious cell phone) where he finds the previously mentioned guns/passports. He goes to Japan with her. All the while there is a beautifully recreated Washington D.C. with English lines spoken in ACTUAL ENGLISH BY ENGLISH ACTORS. Take a moment to digest that.

It sounds goofy, but the chemistry created by the leads is undeniable, and while the plot is full of gloomy conspiracy (Japan was bombed last year (2010) with no deaths and is again at the end of the first episode (2011)) and dreaded secret plots, it's done so in a surprisingly light-hearted manner. Akira doesn't seem too concerned about his apparent self-brain washing or what he was beforehand. He and Saki seem to really like and get along with each other, and while all this crazy stuff is going on they're very down-to-earth about it. It's addictive, and strangely reminds me of Miyazaki, to be honest. Couple all this rambling with an intro song by Oasis and the ending theme to stop-motion paper explosions and cut-outs, and this series is full of awesomeness and lots of promise. I'll be tuning in every chance I get.

I also started watching a well-established show: Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei (So Long, Mr. Despair). It's like if Azumanga Daioh and Excel Saga had a baby together. There are so many cynical jokes on Japanese culture (and anime) and just a twisted sense of humor. It's great. This depressed, oft-suicidal teacher who dresses in kimono and hakama has a class full of insane kids. Their names all tell what their personalities are (or are jokes about them). One is hyper-cheerful, one has excessive OCD who has to have everything acceptable, one is mute and speaks in abusive text messages, one is obssessed with yaoi, one has a split personality, etc. The opening starts with the teacher trying to hang himself under a cherry tree and the hyper cheerful one (named after Franz Kafka, of all people) Kafuka saves him by almost killing him. She thought he was trying to make himself taller.

Seriously, check it out if you like Azumanga Daioh or Genshiken or anything about Japan and Japanese high school/culture. My favorite episodes so far has to be where the abusive text message girl is introduced, with the runner up being the cultural festival (minimum of culture acceptable!). It's hilarious and beautifully animated. Check it out.

Wow, long time no post. Sorry. RE5 and a few other tidbits.

So, sorry I've neglected this (and many other things) lately. It's just been hell in my real life, so I've not posted much...anywhere.

So, Resident Evil 5. Everyone else has already commented on it, so my two cents will make a nice clinking noise in the fountain of commentary.

I liked RE5. A lot, really. Sure, it's goofy and doesn't really offer much new in the way of gameplay since number four, but by God are the in-game graphics pretty. In game cutscenes used the gameplay engine! And just the amount of detail and textures...mmmmmmm, it was nice. Targeting system was good, enemies were Capcom enemies (annoying and cheap) with good A.I., inventory is ridiculous, puzzles are retarded, ancient African lazer beams!?, and of course, your companion Sheva.

I had no problem with Sheva. Of course, Tony read on-line to not give her the pistol to work with, so that cut down on a lot of the A.I. idiocy that others experienced. She hardly made stupid mistakes after that and was fun eye candy. I also like the voice acting she had. Other than that though she didn't really stand out much as a character. She was just kinda there. *shrug* I have a theory that people didn't like because you didn't have to protect her like you did with Ashley, and therefore felt somewhat emasculated when she didn't rely on you for help 24/7. Men like feeling big and powerful and needing to help the widdle girlys from the big bad men. Or something.

*SPOILER ALERT* I hated that they made Jill blonde. I mean, really? Long hair, sure. Blonde? Blonde!? Love the chemistry between her and Chris, though. Nothing comes from it, of course, but I still love it. And Chris was sexy, though in that dumb jock way. Still, he had a good voice actor which I enjoyed.

Overall I thought Resident Evil 5 was great and worth the wait. Now the series no longer makes any damn sense, though. And they're re-vamping it. Or something. *shrug* Whatever. The only thing missing was more Leon. He's a hottie. ^_^