Blog by Ben

Moetan

admin — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:17:18 +0000

Moetan (もえたん) is a series of English language study aid published by SansaiBooks in Japan. Targeted at otaku, it attempted to teach English words using examples drawn from computer games and anime.
In the reprint of the first Moetan book and the bath towel sold during Comic Market 69, “MOETAN” stands for ‘Methodology Of English, The Academic Necessity’. The acronym may have been chosen as a play on combining the words moe and -tan, both terms of cuteness used in relation to girl characters in anime, to create a portmanteauic double meaning.
Each chapter consists of a short story, written in pure Japanese, concerning the adventures of “Nao-kun” (a high school student) and “Ink-chan” (a mysterious magical girl who arrives to help him with his studying), followed by a set of word examples.

Unfortunately, many of the English examples in the book are bizarre, unnatural, or downright incorrect. As such, the book has become a popular import for native English otaku or others who are amused by Engrish phenomena.
The book kicks off with an apparent spelling and grammar mistake on the cover (”She is the moeest of lovely English teacher in the world”). The attached wrapper invites customers to “Buy now, falling love with Ink-chan, and GET IN to college!!”

Tales of Vesperia :PS3,XBox

admin — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 02:09:53 +0000

Tales of Vesperia (テイルズオブヴェスペリア Teiruzu obu Vesuperia) is the tenth main title in the Tales series. It was developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. The title was announced on December 22, 2007 at Jump Festa, and was released on August 7, 2008 in Asia, and on August 26, 2008 in North America. On June 26, 2009 Tales of Vesperia was released in Europe making it the fifth game in the Tales series to be released there. Tales of Vesperia’s characteristic genre name is RPG to Enforce “Justice” (「正義」を貫き通すRPG “Seigi” o tsuranukitōsu RPG). The game’s character designer is Kōsuke Fujishima, the chief director and producer is Yoshito Higuchi (who previously worked on both Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss), and the animated movies were done by Production I.G. The game’s theme song is “Ring a Bell” (鐘を鳴らして Kane o Narashite) by Bonnie Pink. A special limited edition was released in North America, including a metal case with unique cover art and a 22-track soundtrack. In April 2009 it was announced that those who purchased the special edition would be mailed a second 10th anniversary soundtrack CD. A prequel to the game in the form of an animated film called Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike was released on October 3, 2009. A PlayStation 3 port was released including material not present in the original Xbox 360 version, such as a new playable character, named Patty Fleur, on September 17, 2009.

When the aque blastia core is stolen from Zaphias’ lower quarter, denying water to the lower class that lives there, Yuri attempts to chase down the thief, but is arrested and jailed in the castle. During his escape, he meets a young girl named Estelle who is searching for Yuri’s close friend and rival Flynn. Along with Yuri’s faithful dog Repede, the three leave the safety of Zaphias’ barrier to chase after both Flynn and the thief. On their way they encounter Karol, a young boy who joins them to catch up with his guild, the Hunting Blades, and Rita, an eccentric blastia researcher who takes great interest in Estelle’s healing magic. On their journey, Yuri learns about the state of the world and the philosophy of the guilds, who gave up their citizenship in order to live free from the rule of the Empire.
Along with Raven, a high-ranking guild member, and Judith, a mysterious Krityan woman who is hunting and destroying blastia, the group stop the machinations of an evil guild leader named Barbos and recover the aque blastia core. Yuri turns the core over to Flynn and announces his intention to form a guild with Karol, later christened Brave Vesperia. More in Wikipedia

Shiki

admin — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 02:09:24 +0000

Shiki (屍鬼 Shiki, lit. Corpse Demon) is a horror novel by Japanese novelist Fuyumi Ono, originally published in two parts by Shinchosha in 1998, which is later reprinted in five parts in 2002. A manga series adapting the story is drawn by Ryu Fujisaki and currently serialized in Japanese monthly magazine Jump SQ. from December 2007 onwards. An anime adaptation by Daume began broadcasting on July 8, 2010 on Fuji Television. North American anime distributor Funimation Entertainment will simulcast the series on their online video portal.

The story takes place in a particularly hot summer in the nineties, in a small quiet village called Sotoba. A series of mysterious deaths begin to spread in the village, at the same time when a strange family moves into the long abandoned Kanemasa mansion. Toshio Ozaki, dean of the only hospital in Sotoba, initially suspects an epidemic. But as investigations continue and the deaths begin to pile up, he becomes convinced that they are the work of the undead plaguing the village. A young man named Natsuno Yuuki, who hates living in the village, begins to be pursued and surrounded by death.
An anime adaptation of the manga version of Shiki was first announced in Japan on December 2009, with the official website unveiled. Although Aniplex was listed as handling production for the anime, the website stated that the company will be in charge of distribution duties while Daume is responsible for the animation production. Gackt makes his first regular cast debut on Shiki, as revealed during Noitamina’s late-night timeslot lineup.

Galaxy Express 999

admin — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 05:40:19 +0000

Galaxy Express 999 (銀河鉄道999 Ginga Tetsudō Surī Nain?) is a manga written and drawn by Leiji Matsumoto, as well as various anime films and TV series based on it. It is set in a space-faring, high-tech future in which humans have learned how to transfer their minds (but not their emotions) into mechanical bodies, thus achieving practical immortality. The manga won the Shogakukan Manga Award for seinen in 1978. The anime series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1981. The number, “999″, in the title is pronounced “Three-Nine”, as opposed to “Nine-Nine-Nine” or “Nine hundred ninety nine”.

A twelve year-old street urchin named Tetsuro Hoshino desperately wants an indestructible machine body, giving him the ability to live forever and have the freedom that the unmechanized don’t have. While machine bodies are impossibly expensive, they are supposedly given away for free in the Andromeda galaxy, the end of the line for the Galaxy Express 999, a space train that only comes to Earth once a year.
The series begins with Tetsuro and his mother making their way to Megalopolis where they hope to get jobs to pay for passes for the 999. Along the way however, Count Mecha and a gang of “human hunters” kill Tetsuro’s mother. Before she dies, she tells him to continue the journey they started, and to get a machine body to live the eternal life she couldn’t.
Intent on killing Count Mecha to avenge his mother, Tetsuro meets up with a beautiful woman, Maetel, who is the spitting image of his dead mother. Maetel offers him an unlimited use pass for the 999 if he will be her travelling companion to which Tetsuro agrees. Along the way, Tetsuro has many adventures on many different and exotic planets and meets many kinds of people, both human and alien, living and machine. Increasingly, Tetsuro realizes that a machine body won’t fix all of his problems. In fact, most of the machine people he meets regret the decision to give up their humanity.
Eventually, Tetsuro and Maetel reach the Planet Prometheum, the final stop for the 999, but Tetsuro learns that it is ruled by the Queen of the Mechanization Empire, also named Prometheum. She is Maetel’s mother, and controls the planet by entirely mechanized human components. Maetel’s mission was to bring young humans for that purpose. Queen Prometheum plans on transferring Tetsuro’s consciousness to a bolt for the heart of the planet.
Tetsuro doesn’t understand why he has been betrayed by Maetel, but Maetel has plans of her own, and seeks to destroy the mechanized civilization. With the help of her father, Dr. Ban (who was only named in the movie), whose consciousness resides in a pendant she carries over her neck, Maetel destroys her mother and the planet. Afterwards, Maetel and Tetsuro return to the Planet of Bats where Tetsuro tells Maetel his intention to return to Earth and lead it toward a new future. Maetel, proud of Tetsuro for his decision tells him she has something to take care of and should board first. However, Tetsuro finds a letter from Maetel telling him that it was time for them to part ways. Maetel had secretly boarded the 777 (three-seven), a nearby train, with the intention of “leading another boy to his future”. However, it is unclear as to whether or not this means that the Mechanization Empire still exists elsewhere, or if Maetel will lead the boy to some other “future”. The series ends as the trains both depart the Bat Planet.

Devil May Cry

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 05:20:00 +0000

Devil May Cry (デビルメイクライ) is a series of five hack and slash video games set in the modern day. The series was developed by Capcom and created by Hideki Kamiya. Originally intended to be a sequel in Capcom’s Resident Evil series, Devil May Cry was such a radical departure from the series’ style that it was developed into a new property entirely. The series centers on main character Dante’s goal of avenging his mother’s murder by exterminating demons. The gameplay consists of heavy combat scenes in which the player must attempt to extend long chains of attacks while avoiding damage in order to exhibit stylized combat; this element along with time and amount of items collected and used are taken under consideration when grading the player’s performance.
The series has been a success with the first three games selling multiple million copies and being awarded the “Platinum Title” award by Capcom. The success of the video game series has led to the creation of comic books, novelizations, an anime series, guides, collectibles, publications, and a variety of action figures.
During the 2010 edition of the Tokyo Game Show Capcom revealed a new game named DmC Devil May Cry. The new game is developed by Ninja Theory and centers on a younger version of Dante.

In the Devil May Cry anime series, Dante is hired as the bodyguard of a young girl named Patty. While initially skeptical of his personality. Patty winds up growing attached to Dante and spends most of her time at his shop, often cleaning it or decorating it in girly fashion, much to Dante’s dismay. While Dante’s main job during the series is to protect Patty, he spends most of his time doing odd jobs he receives at his shop (which has been renamed back to “Devil May Cry” sometime after the events of Devil May Cry) which often end in him killing demons that harass the city. Lady makes a return, working as a Devil Hunter herself, to hire Dante in order to pay off a huge debt Dante owes. Trish soon shows up as well, and it’s revealed that she has been working away from Dante for some time in order to try and establish a solo career as a Devil Hunter. Lady and Trish meet for the first time and do not get along right away. Despite this, the three wind up working together to take on certain difficult jobs. Near the end of the series it is revealed that Patty’s mother is the descendant of a human sorcerer, who once sealed away the power of an ancient devil lord, Abigail. Eventually the demon Sid comes out as the villain of the series and reveals his evil plot involving the sealed away power of Abigail. While Lady and Trish fight off demons summoned by Sid, Dante fights and kills Sid himself. Sometime later, Dante, Trish, and Lady all get hired on the same job and take bets on who will win. Patty comes into Dante’s shop to clean, showing that the two continue to have a somewhat father-daughter type of relationship.

Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi

admin — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 12:46:15 +0000

The Ōkami-san (オオカミさん) series is a collection of Japanese light novels by Masashi Okita, with illustrations by Unaji. The series started with the release of the first volume on August 10, 2006 entitled Okamisan and her Seven Companions (オオカミさんと七人の仲間たち Ōkami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi), and as of January 10, 2010, ten volumes have been published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation by Kurumi Suzushiro started serialization in the shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh on February 27, 2010. A 12-episode TV anime adaptation aired in Japan between July 1, 2010 and September 16, 2010, and has been licensed by Funimation Entertainment.

A romance comedy parodying fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Ant and the Grasshopper etc. Ryōko Ōkami (the eponymous Ōkami-san) is a tomboyish high school girl. She is a member of a “trading” club so called Otogi High School Bank. She and the other members of the club (such as her partner Akai Ringo aka Little Red Riding Hood) fixes student’s (or “client”) problems, at any lengths, in exchange for the student helping them out later. At some point of the anime storyline, some episodes also make parodies of other anime.

The anime series by J.C. Staff, titled Okami-san and her Seven Companions (オオカミさんと七人の仲間たち Ōkami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi?), began airing on July 2, 2010. The opening theme is “Ready Go!” by May’n while the ending theme is “Akazukin-chan Goyoujin” (赤頭巾ちゃん御用心 Careful Akazukin-chan) by OToGi8. At Otakon 2010, North American distributor Funimation Entertainment announced that they have aqcuired the right to the anime and will stream the ongoing series on their video portal and will then release the series on home video in 2011.

Steamboy

admin — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 12:40:30 +0000

Steamboy (スチームボーイ Suchīmubōi) is a 2004 anime film, produced by Sunrise, and directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release, following Akira. The film was released in Japan on July 17, 2004. With an initial production cost of US$26,000,000, Steamboy is the most expensive full length Japanese animated movie made to date. Additionally, the film was in production for ten years and utilized more than 180,000 drawings and 440 CG cuts.
In 1863, scientist Lloyd Steam and his son Edward have succeeded, after a lengthy expedition, in discovering a pure mineral water. They believe the water can be harnessed as an ultimate power source using steam engines (the main industrial engine of the time). When an experiment in Russian Alaska goes terribly wrong, resulting in Edward being engulfed in freezing gas, a strange ball-like apparatus is seen “born” from the destruction.

In 1866, back in England, Edward’s own son, Ray Steam, is an avid young inventor who works at a textile mill in Manchester as a maintenance boy, often working on a personal steam-powered monowheel at home. While he usually lives alone with his mother, his friend Emma and her brother Thomas have recently been sent over to stay until their mother returns from a business trip. Ray’s life is suddenly disrupted by the arrival of a package from his grandfather, Lloyd; the metallic ball seen earlier, along with its schematics and a letter instructing him to guard it. Then, Alfred and Jason, two members from a company called “The O’Hara Foundation” arrive and attempt to steal the ball, but Lloyd appears just in time to distract them, allowing Ray to escape with the package. With Emma’s help, he manages to activate his monowheel as more agents, operating a large steam automotive, give chase, succeeding in thwarting it on a railroad track by putting it in the way of an incoming train. By coincidence, Robert Stephenson, who was the intended recipient of the Steam Ball, was on his way to Manchester to meet with the elder Dr. Steam, and happens to be on the train. However, as the train approaches the station, a zeppelin carrying Alfred descends over their compartment and kidnaps Ray, taking the ball with them.
Arriving in London, sometime prior to the 1866 Great Exhibition, during a small dining session Ray meets Scarlett O’Hara, the spoiled granddaughter of the Foundation’s head chairman; Archibald Simon, an administrator of the company; and finally his father Edward, who has been partially mechanized for his severe injuries from the Alaskan experiment. He promptly takes Ray (and an insistent Scarlett) on a tour of the “Steam Castle”; an elaborate facility run by an army of engineers, and entirely powered by the compressed gas in three “Steam Balls”, one of which was the one sent to Ray. He is enamored both by the castle, and his father’s vision of using it to enlighten mankind. Ray is then quickly recruited to help complete the castle, and begins developing a love/hate friendship with Scarlett, who has become attracted to him.

Eden of The East

admin — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 12:30:26 +0000

Eden of the East (東のエデン Higashi no Eden) is a Japanese anime television series, which premiered on Fuji TV’s noitaminA timeslot on April 9, 2009. Created, directed and written by Kenji Kamiyama, it features character designs by Chika Umino and animation production by Production I.G. Based on an original story by Kamiyama, it is the first original noitaminA series.
A compilation of the TV series, Eden of The East Compilation: Air Communication, had a limited theatrical release on September 26, 2009. Two other theatrical films have also been released. Eden of the East Movie I: The King of Eden was released in Japan on November 28, 2009 and the second movie, Eden of the East the Movie II: Paradise Lost, was released on March 13, 2010. The TV series and all three films have been licensed for release in North America by Funimation Entertainment.

On November 22, 2010, ten missiles strike against uninhabited areas of Japan, claiming no victims. This apparent terrorist act is referred to as “Careless Monday” and disregarded by most people. The series begins three months later, with a young Japanese woman named Saki Morimi visiting Washington D.C. as part of her graduation trip. When she gets into trouble, a mysterious Japanese man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, helps her through it. The man appears to have no memory and is completely naked, carrying only a gun and a cell phone charged with ¥8.2 billion in digital money.[1] While they are coming back to Japan, they learn that a new missile has hit their country.
Akira discovers that his phone is part of a game and that he himself is one of the participants. The game consists of twelve individuals, dubbed Seleção (Portuguese: “selection”), who are given ¥10 billion to save Japan. The Seleção are able to use the phone operator, Juiz, to fulfill any kind of order for a price. However if the money is used up completely or for selfish purposes, the individual will be eliminated. As the series progresses, Akira discovers that one of the Seleção was the one who ordered missiles to be fired in Japan and the reason he erased his own memories was linked to Careless Monday. The same Seleção member decides to launch missiles towards Japan again but is intercepted by Akira who orders missiles to intercept the incoming missiles. Akira decides that the only way to save Japan is to lead it and uses his money to crown himself as the King of Japan and erase his own memory.

The World God Only Knows

admin — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 04:00:16 +0000

The World God Only Knows (神のみぞ知るセカイ?, Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai), abbreviated as Kaminomi (神のみ?), is a manga series written and illustrated by Tamiki Wakaki. The manga has been serialized in the Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine by Shogakukan since April 9, 2008, with individual chapters collected in ten tankōbon volumes as of September, 2010. The prototype version of the story was first featured as a one-shot on Weekly Shōnen Sunday on its 2007 Issue 32 release, and was titled “Koishite!? Kami-sama!!” (恋して!? 神様?). The 2010 Issue #19 of Weekly Shonen Sunday announced an anime adaptation had been green-lit, which premiered on October 6th, 2010.

Keima Katsuragi, a second-year high school student, is an avid bishōjo game player. He is known on the Internet as “The Capturing God (落とし神 Otoshi-gami?)” for his legendary skills to be able to “capture” any 2D girl in games. However, in his actual school life, Keima is known as otamegane (オタメガネ), a derogatory portmanteau of the two words otaku (オタク) and megane (メガネ-”glasses”) and is considered nothing but a gloomy geek with thick glasses.
At the start of the series, Keima receives an e-mail offering him a contract to “capture” girls. When he accepts it, thinking it is an invitation to a game, a demon from Hell named Elsie appears! She asks for his cooperation to help her in catching runaway spirits. These spirits hide themselves inside the hearts of girls’, and Elsie suggests that the only method to force the spirits out is by “capturing” the girls hearts—making them fall in love with him and filling up the gaps which the runaway spirits hide in. Interested only in 2D girls, however, Keima is appalled by the idea and refuses the assignment as he has no romantic real life experiences whatsoever. Nevertheless, with the contract already agreed, Keima has no choice but to help Elsie no matter what as they will be beheaded if they fail.
While the series focuses on Keima and Elsie adventures on capturing spirits, the series also makes fun and parodying common and popular cliches about dating sims, anime character stereotypes and pop culture.

Mitsudomoe

admin — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:34:58 +0000

Mitsudomoe (みつどもえ) is a gag manga series by manga creator Norio Sakurai about the adventures of the Marui triplets in sixth grade and their newly hired teacher Satoshi Yabe as he falls in love with the school nurse. It’s serialized in Akita Shoten Shōnen magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion since 2006 and the serial chapters collected into ten tankōbon. In 2010, the manga was adapted into an anime series.
Satoshi Yabe is just starting his new life as an elementary school teacher. Little does he know that in his assigned 6th year class, the law is made by the troublesome Marui triplets, Mitsuba, Futaba and Hitoha. The series showcases the everyday life of these sisters, their classmates and their unfortunate teacher.

In November 2009 an anime adaptation of the manga by the studio Bridge was announced, to be directed by Masahiko Ohta The first season aired on Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting between July 2, 2010 and September 26, 2010. Others broadcast networks are BS11 Digital, AT-X, MBS and Tokyo MX. New episodes are currently being subtitled by MX International and simulcast on Crunchyroll.
They will be releasing the first set of episodes on Blu-Ray and DVD August 25, 2010. An additional episode will be included with the seventh volume released on February 23, 2011.
A second season of the anime has been greenlit, as announced with the 10th volume of the manga.