This past Tuesday, the “Otaku” murderer, Tsutomu Miyazaki, was executed for his serial killing spree of children in the late 1980s. What made his case significant is that it brought the term “otaku” into being a familiar term in Japanese culture. As one can imagine, it also associated a stigma to the term that it’s only recently been able to overcome.
When I first started reading about this case, my heart went out to the families of the victims. In fact I’m a bit miffed that the fact the case’s connection to a pop culture term was headlined over the case itself. This guy was a monster and I’m glad he’s gone.
But as always, I do find a sliver of humor in any tragedy… I noticed that the bastard had a collection of nearly 6,000 graphic porn anime videos. I had to ask myself, “There exists 6,000 porn anime videos…? Even in the late 1980s?” Then I remembered. Oh yeah, this is Japan.
I went out to see The Incredible Hulk last night…it was so-so. I liked this movie about as much as the last…and I was pretty “meh” about that one as well. I can’t even say that one could spoil anything about the movie, since the plot is pretty straight forward: The military is after Bruce Banner, Hulk smash, the military makes their own monster, monster gets out of control, Hulk smash. Hints for sequels. The end.
Tony Stark’s appearance isn’t even as impressive as it should be, since they put his scene into recent commercials. The one thing that might be a spoiler (and I don’t think I’m ruining it for anyone, really) is that there is a lot of setup for both upcoming Captain America and The Avengers films. In fact, the vibe of this “Hulk” movie seemed to be, “Okay, let’s get this movie out of the way so we can move toward The Avengers.” Supposedly, there was a scene filmed with Captain America (or perhaps his alter ego, Steve Rogers) for The Incredible Hulk, but they’re saving it for the DVD release. I’m hoping that someone leaks that into the internet soon because I’m genuinely curious to see who they’ve cast for that role.
I also keep reading about the next movie to be produced as an Avengers precursor being Thor. I dunno… Thor hasn’t been a relevant character in 25 years, let’s face it. And since his story is based so heavily in the fantasy realm of Norse mythology, it would be incredibly difficult to fit him in with the rest of the established characters. I would skip Thor and either choose another character to dedicate an entire feature or invest that money into making a truly extraordinary Captain America film.
The thing is, I’d even go as far to say that they’re ready to make an Avengers movie now. What I would do is kick off an Avengers movie where we see the familiar faces of Iron Man and Hulk, give Captain America an explosive introduction in the opening scene, then casually introduce one or two other supporting characters (like Hawkeye, who is great in The Avengers, but also doesn’t deserve his own feature) during the course of the movie to complete the team. Not hard to do and could save a lot of money for the studio so they can afford to make it as awesome as it deserves to be.
I do have to commend Marvel for being ambitious enough to take on the challenge of putting together an Avengers movie. I had my share of reservations back when they were working on the first X-Men flick since it had a complicated ensemble cast, but I was surprisingly satisfied. That’s the one thing that’s rocketed them to success beyond DC Comics… DC Comics has been flirting with the idea of a Justice League movie for decades, but they have enough trouble producing decent solo films for their characters, though I mostly blame their parent company of Warner Bros. for botching up that process. Meanwhile, Marvel’s been able to knock out at least two films a year. Now they’re showing that they’re bold enough to step up to the plate on The Avengers. “A team movie? Yeah, let’s do this! Make it happen.”
Now that I think about it, if they wanted to make a team movie, they’re already totally set up for The New Fantastic Four. Many don’t remember (and those who do, please find a girlfriend), but there was a brief moment in Marvel history where the original Fantastic Four members had been incapacitated, so a “new” team was formed to replace them, consisting of Spider-man, Wolverine, Ghost Rider, and Hulk. All of those characters have had their own films recently; some with sequels by now. I’m just sayin’…
But tangents aside, back to The Incredible Hulk. The scenes of Hulk fighting were fun to watch. The funny thing is that while the character of Bruce Banner’s story is usually interesting, it’s not as entertaining as “Hulk Smash!” Ironically, if the movie were 90 minutes of beginning-to-end “Hulk Smash!”, I would have paid twice the ticket price and pre-ordered the DVD that day.
If you’re looking for fan service, this movie delivers. Stan Lee has his due cameo, with a line. There are quite a few nods to the 1970s TV show. Bill Bixby makes a subtle appearance. Lou Farrigno not only gets a cameo, but also a couple lines, as well as providing the voice of Hulk throughout the film. It took me a second to notice, but some of the soundtrack is clearly derived from some of the TV show’s background music.
This was a long review (of sorts), so here’s the bottom line: Wait for it to hit the dollar theaters. Maybe wait to rent it on DVD in case the rumor of the added Captain America scene holds any truth to it.
Immortality goes against just about every law of nature that we’ve come to understand, yet humans still dream to acheive it. Philosophers often scrutinize the value (or rather the detriment) of living forever, with many a layman in agreement that such an existance would grow boring.
Now there’s a video game that let’s you explore this idea, simply titled “Immortality“. The concept: Your character has two possible goals floating overhead, with a timer counting down until your death. Climbing to one goal will kill you instantly. Climbing to the other will disable the timer, granting you “immortality”. With no timer to threaten your life, there’s no longer anything to stop you. Inside an environment where there’s nothing to do but shuffle around blocks, the game illustrates how living forever would become very boring, very quickly. To which your only escape of this nightmare is to pursue the black square of Death.
I on the other hand, am a loyal advocate of immortality. I can see where I may get bored for long periods of time, but the universe is constantly changing. Witnessing human culture grow and evolve would be fascinating for at least a few millennia (I hope). It’s no different from when I’m bored in my mortal lifespan. People also like to argue that it would be so depressing having those you care about grow old and die all around you. Again, we deal with that already, losing friends and relatives to the grim reaper. All the while, however, accumulating new acquaintences to keep us company along our path.
The game is interesting, I’ll grant it that. Alas, its throught-provoking theme cannot hide the fact that it is a simple puzzle game, nor shake loose my ideology. The game is free and certainly worth a try.
Hokuto no Ken (aka Fist of the North Star): Those who know it and hate it still appreciate it for what it is. That being one of the most action-packed classic anime series of all time, still imitated and parodied to this day. When I was first introduced to the franchise in high school via the 1986 animated movie, I honestly didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until someone recently put the TV series in my hands that I now understand its level of awesome.
For those unfamiliar with the series, it takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, where most of the planet has been transformed into a giant desert. Humanity is struggling to survive and of course there are those who prey upon the weak to amass resources and power. However, there is one man–Kenshiro, the lone successor of the Hokuto Shinken school of martial arts–that is out to bring an end to such tyranny.
What makes Fist of the North Star so great isn’t the animation or even the plot…it’s the ridiculous violence. Mind you, this isn’t gratuitous violence (bloodshed for the sake of bloodshed), but rather there is a kind of imaginative style in how the violent scenes are constructed. You see, Kenshiro doesn’t just beat you to death, he activates certain pressure points in your body that cause it to destroy itself. Often, he’ll simply cause you to explode. However, in special cases, he may cause your spine to twist in half, make you hug another man to death, or walk backward off a cliff. Once Kenshiro has performed the lethal blow, the opponent may still protest, only to heed Ken’s trademark warning, “You are already dead.”
May God help you if ever you strike a woman, child, or puppy in proximity of Kenshiro. Because then it is on. Ken does not take kindly to that nonsense…not on his watch. He does not put up with that. Any act of cruelty will earn you a fate that usually ends with an NBA shot clock counting down the seconds until some part of you goes “boom”.
After watching a few episodes, one may find it difficult to determine whether Hokuto no Ken is either the manliest show ever or the gayest show. It’s visuals and storytelling style are quite reminiscent of something an adolescent male would doodle in his junior high math class, yet there’s an undeniable homoerotic accent to the show. On the one hand, you have beefy, super-powered dudes punching, avenging the women they love, and nunchucks. At the same time, you have these same beefy dudes who are also dressed in tight jeans, leather straps, and express shared deep, spiritual connections with each other.
Most often before a major villain dies, the audience will be given a ten-minute monologue that reveals how despite their evil ways, they posses a heart of gold. The Nanto Star, Souther, was a cruel, maleficent overlord who ordered a pyramid to be built in his honor, constructed entirely by hundreds of enslaved starving children. After Kenshiro beat the hell out of him, Souther uses his dying breaths to explain that the reason why he was such a monster is because when he was a child, he was forced to kill his master as the final test of his martial arts training. He loved his master so much that he’d vowed that he’d never allow himself to experience love again, for fear of the pain that may come from it. It’s not bad to give that little extra depth to the villain to lift some of the demonization, however those moments tend to execute as too warm & fuzzy. Fist of the North Star is ripe with fodder for “slash” fan fiction authors.
My own favorite Fist of the North Star moment was early in the series, when one foe dared pose the question, “Can your Hokuto Shinken stop a tank??” The answer: Yes…yes it can. The villain approaches Kenshiro in his tank, but Ken attacks head-on. He then pummels the front of the tank with a barrage of punches and kicks until the tank finally halts. The villain errs in sticking his head out of the tank’s hatch in frustration, leaving him open to Kenshiro touching his vital pressure points. He then collapses back into the tank where we assume he dies. But, no! Ken walks away from the wreckage, toward the camera, with just enough dramatic pause before the tank itself explodes behind him…for no reason. We can only assume that tanks also have vital pressure points which can cause it to explode, much like a human’s skull.
The series as a whole, I find deliciously campy. While some may quick to simply label the show as stupid, I prefer to deem it under what I affectionately call “the theater of the absurd”. It’s so ridiculous, that alone makes it entertaining.
A representative of Capcom recently disclosed how the company gauges which of their past titles are still hot enough to market through online services like Xbox Live Arcade. After sifting through the usual suspects, Capcom will turn to the various online communities to see what games are being most discussed. What’s drawn the most attention toward the the interview is that he also acknowledged that Capcom will scope out eBay listings to see what gamers are willing to pay to play past titles. Most significant (naturally) is the fan-favorite, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, of which either Dreamcast or PlayStation2 versions can easily be sold for hundreds of dollars.
I am so completely in favor of this practice! If those words read as though dipped in sarcasm, I assure you they are not. I’ve often complained in the past about how video game companies seek council with its fanbase, but that was in the context of culling ideas for new titles. Most gamers tend to be unimaginative and have always asked for more of the same, except to make it bigger, faster, and flashier. Not necessarily “better”. That being the case, using their input to determine what titles of olde to revive into ports on next generation platforms is perfect.
I encourage more game publishers to do this. It’s the same argument that finally brought Final Fantasy Tactics back from the grave…first by receiving a second print run through PlayStation’s “Greatest Hits” line, then earning a complete remake on the PSP. Not to mention Konami’s masterpiece, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which gamers can once again enjoy either through XBLA or as an unlockable feature in Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles.
Alas, some titles that involve outside properties like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 may be forever lost in the legal ether. Chances are it would be far too expensive to acquire the licenses required to publish them. Since Marvel is a hot brand right now (thanks mostly to their line of successful films), the price to use their characters is guaranteed to be steep. Capcom has shown an impressive amount of loyalty to its community in recent years, but they’ve never been fool-hearty enough to wager that much coin on a title that would only appeal to a limited, niche audience.
Now if only Square-Enix and crew would consider similar auctions to finally give us that new port of Chrono Trigger that fans have been demanding…
Official reports reveal that the upcoming Street Fighter film centered around Chinese protagonist, Chun Li will suffer an absence of Street Fighter front men, Ryu and Ken. Producers of the film claim that since the Street Fighter franchise is chalk full of characters, there would be many that wouldn’t make the cut. Everyone’s favorite shoto’s losing this round, but possibly will make it into sequel’s, pending this film’s success.
Uh…you can’t have Street Fighter without Ken or Ryu. It’s the rule. When it was originally announced that the central character of the movie would be Chun Li, it was an unexpected call, but acceptable. As bad as the first Street Fighter movie was on the whole, it was easy to understand that Guile was the star, since he was the American character. But cutting Ryu and Ken completely from any Street Fighter title? That’s like having Disneyland without Micky Mouse–it’s not the same.
What’s comical is that they try to support their decision by comparing this movie to the X-Men movie trilogy. They note that “major characters” like Pyro and Nightcrawler (who’ve rarely appeared in the X-Men comics in the past 15 years) didn’t get screen time until the sequels, so we shouldn’t fret if Ken and Ryu don’t show up until future movies. They also mention that fan-favorite X-Man, Gambit, never appeared in any of the movies. Yeah, and fans have complained about that since the first film. And doesn’t that imply the possibility that Ken and Ryu may never be included in future Street Fighter movies?
Disappointments continue as they have also decided that most characters that were included in the cast will not sport costumes that even resemble their video game counterparts, deemed too “silly” for a feature film. They did offer fans the consolation that Chun Li will, however, be true to form in that she will appear with her trademark hair buns.
Gee, thanks… We’ll make the few characters that we did include into the story completely unrecognizable, but we promise to get Chun Li’s hair right. This film keeps sounding weirder and weirder, the deeper into production it gets. With all that we do know, I’d be surprised if this film makes it to theaters (the DOA movie straight-to-DVD outcome sounding more likely), let alone being eligible for sequels.
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