Archive for Anime

Anime Doesn’t Suck (Okay, It Kinda Sucks)

January 20, 2011 Anime, Rants 15 comments

“Anime sucks.” At least, that’s what I hear. “Anime is dead.” I’m not yet convinced.

In my world, every experience is comparable to food; anime included. Shows centered on fan service are easily associated with fast food. That stuff is cheap, abundant, and can be appear to taste even good, but making it a staple in your diet will destroy your body and soul over time.

Substantial anime, on the other hand, is your home-cooked meal. Often times, yes, the recipe may not work or the finished dish may turn out a bit “off” or maybe the cook didn’t cater to your particular tastes… But at least someone cared enough to get in the god damned kitchen.

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Rant: Digital Distribution and Censorship

November 25, 2010 Anime, Games, Rants 3 comments




Run Time: 13min 37sec
[ DOWNLOAD MP3 ]
[podcast]http://thegreyghost.net/podcast-episodes/dlc-censorship-rant-podcast-01.mp3[/podcast]

Here’s an extra holiday bonus… This is a rant that I put together on some topics that have been a popcorn kernel, long wedged in the gum of my molar.

For months, I’d outline rough articles on the harbingers of digital distribution and the abuse of Godwin’s Law against chimerical censorship. Mid-draft, some new report would spring up from the media, putting the SEAN SMASH! on yet another helpless keyboard and leaving the written article in wait.

The pen is mightier than the sword, yet impotent to the power of the microphone.


Fan Service: The Lost Art

July 22, 2010 Anime, Rants 16 comments

A topic that’s a frequent fly in our podcast ointment is fan service. It is a poison to Japan’s entertainment industry; transforming those otaku who ingest large, regular doses into ghoulish misshapes of humanity. Exposure to the One Ring is less toxic and more likely get you laid.

But it didn’t used to be that way.

Fan service, literally, was a way that creators used to give appreciation to fans of their shows. These often took the forms of Easter Eggs within other shows. A brief cameo or in-joke would spark delicious glee with those watching “in the know”.

On occasion, full productions were put together as an entire entrée of fan service. A perfect example is Scramble Wars. This early 1990s OVA is regarded as the anime counterpart to Wacky Races (though a more accurate comparison would be to Laff-A-Lympics). Only instead of Yogi Bear, Jabber Jaw, Speed Buggy, and (of course) Dick Dastardly & Muttley, the celebrity contestants hail from Bubblegum Crisis, Gall Force, and Genesis Survivor Giarth.

Then something strange happened. Someone, somewhere had the bright idea, “Hey, I know a real treat to give the fans! Let’s take their favorite female characters and put them in bikinis! Maybe even…naked? Tanaka, you know what naked boobs look like, right? No? Well…can you draw them? Yeah, I knew you had that shit down, dawg.”

At first, this was a treat, but little did we know just how far it would escalate. It’s like when your mom starts out encouraging you to eat healthy snacks like fruit or granola. But as you get older, her resolve weakens as she more often offers you cheaper, pre-packaged cookies and candy for goodies. By the time you’re in college, you’re stuffing football helmets filled with Oreo brownies covered in Snickers ice cream and chocolate chip cookie dough…for lunch.

Over the past decade or so, fan service shifted into a sexually potent feature. “Fan service” became the Trojan Horse for [s]exploitation. Exploitative shows had already existed for decades (mostly thanks to Go Nagai), but what was once niche was quickly becoming the standard. Every series got its token beach episode or bathhouse scene. Costume designs for anime and video games became more provocative. And for a fandom that’s dominantly male, this proved to be a commercially successful move.

Once production companies hopped on this gravy train, they knew that if they were each going to compete in the industry, they needed to continue pushing the envelope. Enter the invasion of lolicon, moé, incest and any imaginable fetish into our cartoons. Titillation used to be the icing to the fandom; now we’re served solid slabs of fan service fondant. Seemingly sweet, but sure to turn your stomach.

Now here we are: In a dark age for anime, where what’s essentially soft-core porn is now the lifeblood of the industry. Where fan service once rewarded faithful fans, it’s now a device for drawing attention from new viewers.

As I’ve said, I’m prepared to ride this through because I have faith that it is temporary. As long as I draw breath, I will continue to endorse anime and video games that are fun without resorting to spank material. I want to be there when we as otaku ring in the new era where “fan service” returns to its roots.

Fan service… We’re taking it back.


The Humanoid – Anime Review

June 20, 2010 Anime 3 comments

Watching The Humanoid is like pulling out a iconic curio from a time capsule from the 1980s. Its lead character, Antoinette, is based off of Hajime Sorayama‘s popular gynoid art designs. If ever you’ve seen a Trapper Keeper or Aerosmith album cover, you’ve probably seen his work.

Unfortunately, the plot of this 1986 OVA doesn’t contain much substance beyond the exploits of the robot’s familiar design. A long time from now, in a planet far far away, the royal refugees of a war-torn planet have made a new home for themselves on a lush, primitive planet.

However, some villainous douchebag within the empire seeks to exploit powerful ancient secrets left behind by a lost native civilization to–bum bum BUM–seize the throne and rule the new world.

Wouldn’t you know it: At the same time, our heroes’ cargo ship crash lands on the planet and unravel this sinister plot. Our heroes include such deep, three-dimensional characters as Eric (“the dude”), Dr. Watson (“the scientist”), Sheri (“the daughter”), Alan (“the black guy” or possibly “Lando”), and of course his newest creation: Antoinette (“the robot chick from the video cover, which is why you bought it, possibly mistaking it for SilverHawks“).

As this crew of clichés searches around for means to repair their ship, the robot Antoinette learns about what it means to be human, including our most mystical of emotions, love. The target of her growing affection is Eric, whose engagement with the scientist’s daughter, Sheri she covets; thankfully without murderous ambition. Had this anime drawn farther than a one-shot OVA, it could have easily become just another “Homeboy Gon’ Fuck The Robot”.

It’s no spoiler that Antoinette is not only the key to unraveling the villain’s dastardly scheme, but also is his undoing. The strength of both her robotic body combined with her suddenly-developed womanly heart allow her to bear the deadly energies unleashed by the ancient power, thus saving her love Eric, the Empire, and the world.

There are few redeeming qualities to this anime that would make it worth watching. If you were born after 1985, this anime will likely mean nothing to you. The animation is poor. The plot is hackneyed. And there isn’t even any fanservice for otaku in search of some fembot wank fuel.


Animazement 2010 Report

June 2, 2010 Anime 15 comments

To say that I wish that Animazement would never end would be much like saying, “I wish everyday were Christmas”. The body and the will can only sustain for so long before you surrender to exhaustion. It is as they say about having too much of a good thing.

It would be more accurate to say that I wish that the feelings I experience during the convention were everlasting. No doubt Kevin and I will offer our convention commentary in a future podcast, but I would like to unload a bit here while it’s still fresh in my mind…

Animazement is the highlight of my summer…sometimes my entire year. Of my peers, I am in the minority with this. Most of my friends have become disillusioned by the con; annoyed by the increasing teenage population and left wanting for substantial events. The sad truth is that our generation is no longer at the core of the fandom. Anime conventions (as well as the industry) are geared to entertain the new kids. And these kids are loud and won’t get off our lawn.

Thankfully, many of us continue to attend these conventions. While the kids come to be entertained and raid the dealers room, I approach the event as a true convention: A place where fans of all ages from all places can convene. I love meeting fellow fans to discuss favorite shows that we share, as well as discovering ones I’d yet to be exposed. While not as many, there are still features where I have the opportunity to learn about some of the history and craft of the fandom. Unlike anything you’d find in the dealers room, the Artists Alley is a hotbed of raw talent and valuable treasures. And yes, I do admit that I’ll join in some of the silly fun that the kids take part in just so I too can feel that young, if not for a moment.

So until Kevin and I can get together again in front of the mics, here’s a brief rundown of my Animazement weekend:

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FLCL and Piracy

December 3, 2009 Anime, Games, Rants 2 comments
flcl-01

I was doing some online window shopping with a craving for FLCL. I enjoyed watching the show when it was on Cartoon Network, but never got around to buying the series on DVD. This is mostly due to the series being split into three $30 volumes, with two episodes per volume. Surely by now the box set will be available at a discounted price, as with most other anime.

Alas, no. FLCL‘s been out of print for a few years now; its box set (new or used) selling for upward to $150. Maybe I should have bought it when I had the chance… And a few extra copies to profit from later!

flcl-02After some research, I’ve learned that the company that holds the FLCL distribution license in the USA has pulled out of American distribution. This leaves the possibility of future releases of FLCL in limbo.

So here’s my plea: Could someone please get on that? It’s perfectly obvious that the previous print runs of FLCL were insufficient in meeting demand since there is a large enough market willing to throw down a C-note or more to get a hold of one of the remaining copies. FLCL is a valuable property and would be well worth some other distributor’s effort to acquire its license.

The key, of course, is that once an American distributor possesses its license, they mustn’t sell the complete series set for more than $20. $60-75 for a 6-episode series ain’t gonna fly. But selling a highly acclaimed product for $15-20 a piece and it will sell through the roof.

Square-Enix figured this out with Final Fantasy Tactics and Chrono Trigger. Capcom figured this out with Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.

If this can’t be sorted out, it only encourages anime piracy. Publishers can’t honestly cry foul on piracy for costing them DVD sales when they refuse to produce DVDs to sell.

I make similar arguments for downloading old video games. I’ll illustrate using Red Earth (aka Warzard) as an example:

red-earth-poster-01
Me: Hey, Capcom… I want to legitimately play Red Earth. Let me buy an arcade cabinet from you. I could buy a used one, but you might still moan about not making money from that.

Capcom: We can’t. We don’t make them anymore.

Me: Fair enough… Well, how about you produce a port of the game that I can play on a modern console? I would gladly pay the standard retail price for it. Or a cheaper, download-only version will do. I know a large community that would join me.

Capcom: Nah, we’d rather not bother with the expense of producing it. Sorry.

Me: Okay, now who is really keeping you from selling this game? Me or you?


I always discourage piracy of existing products. I like for people to profit from a good product with the hopes they invest that toward more good products in the future. But if a company refuses to sell a product then I call abusing previous releases to be fair game.

Otherwise it would be like your neighbor charging you with theft for pulling an old bicycle out of their dumpster. He wasn’t doing anything with it (in fact he pretty much abandoned it!), so you’d might as well use it. But if he wants to sell the bike and you ride off with it, then it’s stealing and preventing a sale.


Toradora!: Diggin’ the Palmtop Tiger

November 11, 2009 Anime No comments
toradora-01

I’ve been watching Toradora! for the past few weeks, with great surprise that I actually like it. I didn’t expect as much going in, but the show’s quickly grown on me.

The show’s about a group of high school kids and their touching, yet lighthearted daily drama. The front runner is a girl named Taiga Aisaka; a girl who, despite her unripened stature, is a complete firecracker. There are love triangles, devious schemes, and the usual wacky hijinks.

There’s one thing that’s missing from this show: Stupid moé lolicon bullshit. This may be the reason why I’ve come to enjoy it so much. By not giving in to the ridiculous epidemic of gratuitous fan service, the show has to rely on its substance to stay afloat. The humor is genuinely funny and it does evoke the nostalgia of when I was a teenager; a time when the world was still filled with discovery and aside from petty melodrama, I didn’t have any real problems to stress over. Ah, good times…

The best way I could describe Toradora! is that this is the type of cartoon that I would look forward to watching in the afternoon after just getting home from school (or work). It’s that refreshing first breath of escapism after I walk through my front door, now sheltered from the grueling world outside.

The opening theme song is pretty catchy, too.


Basquash!

July 1, 2009 Anime, NSFW, Rants 2 comments

Recently, my local anime club began watching a new anime series called Basquash! The premise of this show radiates beauty through its simplicity; that being giant robots playing basketball. Oh, hells yeah!


Even by the opening credits, the show rings of awesome and win. But not so fast! As we watched the first 10 minutes, I was totally drinking the kool-aid for some giant robot basketball action…but then boobs happened.


No, that’s not trick editing; that shot really does last a full 12 seconds. At first, it was cute. A little eye roll here and there in between action scenes. But then boobs kept on happening!


Leave it to Japan to be the ones to come up with such a sweet idea, but also be the ones to thoroughly ruin it. Look, I’m a man who appreciates boobs and boob humor, but I signed on to this show for some giant robot basketball. I can get boobs from 1,000 other shows, but this is the only one that offers the robot/basketball combination. I’d like to have more than 10% of the show actually involve that. I guess the studio wasn’t confident that giant robot basketball wasn’t a strong enough sell for the show, so they padded it up with fanservice.

The guys at Fast Karate for the Gentleman said it best about fanservice: Fanservice is poop. You put poop on cake, you have ruined the cake. No matter how good the cake is, the cake doesn’t improve upon the poop. Poop just makes it into poop cake, which is all bad. Worse than if it were only poop, since we now have to mourn the loss of perfectly good cake.

I hate you, Japan… I hate you so much!


Macross Plus: Game Edition Review

April 3, 2009 Anime, Games 2 comments

mac-plus-psx-011Macross Plus is possibly the most underrated series in the entire Macross franchise. The OVA was a hit when it was first released in 1994, but its flippant cousin, Macross 7, quickly stole its thunder, just months later.

Nevertheless, Macross Plus has gathered a faithful cult following and was remastered into a theatrically released feature film. While its run time was condensed to 90 minutes, audiences were treated to new scenes and songs not found in the OVA. For those who only know the show by its movie version, I encourage your to go out and watch the OVA. Take my word for it; it’s much better.

But this isn’t about the anime.

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Introducing Robot Punch!

February 2, 2009 Anime, Games No comments

I almost forgot to mention that my new column over at GotGame.com is up! It’s called Robot Punch! and will update every Friday afternoon.This column will cover console gaming, kung fu lasers, and just about any other kind of geeky otaku topics not covered on the main site.

There are already a couple articles in there, with an exciting interview scheduled to publish next week.


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