Otro más…

Series:

• Naruto Shippuuden – 135: y en este capítulo Itachi muere dos veces… XD En fin, un larguísimo recordatorio de la relación entre Itachi y Sasuke vemos al primero palmar un par de veces a manos de su hermano… Se puede ver, pero poco más.

  

• Bleach – 246: los shinigamis, por fin, descubren dónde se encuentra retenido el viejo jefazo y deciden entrar a buscarle… dividiéndose en grupos. Sigue siendo un coñazo… ojalá se terminase de una vez, pero… no me extraña que no lo haga. ¡Tite Kubo se está tomando demasiados descansos últimamente! ¿Para qué avanzar si total el autor no lo ha hecho todavía?

  

• Bones – 5×08: y el abuelo de Booth – que se parece sospechosamente al padre de Gibbs, por cierto – entra en escena y vaya vista tiene el cabroncete… y qué callado se lo tenía Brennan… Mola el personaje, la temática del capítulo… no tanto. Buen capítulo.

  

• The Mentalist – 2×08: Red John’s back! Y se carga al equipo de Bosco al completo para devolverle el caso al equipo de Lisbon… como Jane quería. Es un buen capítulo, pelín duro con Jane, pero un buen capítulo a fin de cuentas. ¿Y ese final? Si Red John es capaz de entrar en la sede del CBI sin problemas… lo más probable es que Jane le haya visto alguna vez. ¿A quién elegirán para interpretar a Red John?

  

• Flash Forward – 1×09: y como había pocos personajes en liza vamos a añadir además a la chica japonesa del “sueño” del compañero de trabajo de la chica del protagonista… Nahh, es mucho más sencillo de lo que parece. Claro, las visiones de los “sueños” son bastante engañosas… si no conoces las dos partes todavía más. No me ha desagradado el capítulo pero tampoco es una serie tan buena.

  

• Fringe – 2×08: cuántas cosas en este capítulo… uno de los “vigilantes” (aunque ellos les llamen “observadores”) – sí, hay más de uno – se enamora de una chica y la salva de la muerte lo que provoca que el resto de los Observadores le llamen al orden y envíen a un asesino especializado en arreglar sus… errores. Descubrimos más cosas sobre qué paso con Peter de pequeño y también que a Olivia o a su sobrina, que no lo veo yo muy claro, se le van a poner muy chungas las cosas a partir de ya… Buen capítulo.

  

• Sanctuary – 1×10: dos cosas que se muestran en este episodio: el padre de la “Rowling” y una corporación rival de Santuario… La Sext…, perdón, La Secta. Con ese nombre no creo que sean buenos, no… XD Además de eso, peleas ilegales entre mutados (no recuerdo cómo les llaman, sorry).

  

• Doctor Mateo – 2×12: pues… Mateo descubre que el padre de Adriana engaña a su mujer y no sabe qué hacer… Pedro recibe la ayuda, no solicitada, de su padre biológico, del policía enrrollado con su madre y del doctor que no sabe por qué se mete pero lo hace igualmente y, para finalizar, Metro y los Politanos dan su primer concierto después de sabe-Dios cuántos años y no sale del todo bien… La verdad es que es de los capítulos que más flojos me han parecido, pero bueno… habrá que esperar a ver qué tal sigue, no creo que falte mucho de esta temporada.

  

• Naruto Shippuuden – 136: Sasuke contra Itachi… después de otro capítulo lleno de flashbacks sobre la relación entre ambos hermanos, Sasuke pierde un ojo… o eso parece. Porque vamos… bueno, esta parte se hace un poco pesada, en realidad muy pesada… Qué lástima, pero reconozco que era complicado hacer un buen traslado del manga al anime. Puede mejorar.

  

• El Internado – 6×02: lo de esta serie con Perdidos es… si el tema aquel de la luz en el bosque ya recordaba (y como) al final de la primera temporada… ¿qué se puede decir del final de este capítulo? En fin, la parte de los niños cada vez es más aburrida – y no porque sean niños, si no porque es aburrida -, la de la chacha encerrada en un psiquiátrico sumamente absurda y… ¿alguien ha visto al que salió de Compañeros? Porque vamos… papelón tiene esta temporada, ehh. Van a tener que aligerar el exceso de personajes porque están pasando la mayoría prácticamente inadvertidos…

  

• Prison Break – 4×14: pues… si os digo que no me he enterado de nada… ¿os lo creeríais? Es que pasan muchas cosas pero casi ninguna de ellas interesante… lo más que “Jacob” ha muerto y que a Scofield le tiene pillado la Compañía para operarle… a cambio de los servicios de Lincoln. Aburrido, muy aburrido.

  

• 24 – 1×09: y a las 8 horas, 48 minutos y 28 segundos aproximadamente… ¡Jack Bauer casi se queda dormido! Y su mujer… mira que “engañarle” con el chiflado de Prison Break… si es que no puede ser. Entretenido.

  

• Los Soprano – 2×03: ¿Hasta lueguito, joder? Es un grandísimo título para un capítulo… Lo que está claro es que la hija de Tony Soprano está descontrolada… O quizás no tanto. Y ese nuevo personaje es un poco salvaje demás, es un contraste interesante.

  

• Monster – 1×05: Muy bien, dr. Tenma, muy bien. Los hermanos mellizos eran dos, un chico y una chica. Sólo le ha llevado darse cuenta de ello cuatro o cinco años… Por algo era considerado uno de los mejores cirujanos residentes en Alemania… XD El capítulo… así, así, Nina siempre me ha parecido algo sosa, así que… nada inesperado.

  

• House – 6×08: lástima, a pesar del puñetazo, la serie se va desinflando poco a poco… y tampoco podría decirse que el puñetazo mole tanto, pero claro… se ponen tan pesados con la no-relación entre House y Cuddy que acaban cansando. En fin, esperemos que después de esto recuperen el ritmo y sigan como empezaron la temporada.

  

• The Big Bang Theory – 3×09: bueno… podría ser que se avecinase un cambio importante a la serie… o quizás dos: la “boda” de Howard y la expulsión de Sheldon, Raj y Leonard de la universidad… o quizás ninguna de ellas. No sé, no me ha acabado de convencer aunque eso de que Howard tenga fantasías con Starbuck en la bañera… XD

  

• How I Meet Your Mother – 5×09: pues… la mirada asesina de Lily trae evidentes recuerdos de Buffy… El padre de Lily trae evidentes recuerdos de Búscate la vida… Y la torta trae recuerdos de esos momentazos que HIMYM tenía antes… y que ya no tiene. Qué lástima descubrirlo así. Es una serie correctita y tal, pero… nada más.

  

• Smallville – 9×09: ¿qué vio Lois mientras estaba en el futuro? Pues tenéis todo un capítulo para enteraros… incluso hay escena de sexo en Smallville… la segunda en nueve temporadas (más o menos). ¿Qué le voy a hacer? Me gusta esta serie.

  

• Lie To Me – 2×08: tres días antes de Navidad – sí, las series llevan su propio ritmo – Lightman es enviado a Kabul para ayudar en el rescate de dos marines retenidos por los talibanes… guardándole el secreto a su hija que no se lo toma especialmente bien…

  

• Heroes – 4×11: pues… un capítulo bastante divertido, tres cenas de Acción de Gracias con diversos resultados aunque todas ellas acaban como el rosario de la aurora… Los personajes añadidos a la trama Bennet son… una muestra de que la madre, finalmente sobra; la trama del circo comienza a ser muy cargante… aunque estoy deseando ver a T-Bag desatada; y la trama de los Petrelli… en fin, necesitan una mejora clara. Y no sé si lo de poner a todo el mundo en la carretera servirá de algo.

  

• The Vampire Diaries – 1×10: pues… como suponía Logan es un vampiro, pero en esta serie los vampiros recién convertidos… como que no duran demasiado. Elena y Stefan se lo montan, pero ella descubre que es calcadita a la vampiresa que le transformó y claro… no se lo toma demasiado bien y se pira… y atropella a un vampiro lo que produce un accidente de tráfico… Cosas veredes.

  

• Death Note – 01: pues… flojilla, ¿no? O sea… no me pegan las apariencias en movimiento de los personajes, el doblaje español no parece demasiado acertado y la selección de música para el opening, y ya que estamos el propio opening, son… directamente malos. Así que… ¿cómo se pudo alguien enganchar a esta serie viendo el anime?

  

• V(2009) – 1×04: y… los lagartos siguen con su plan para la humanidad con mucha paciencia, pero que mucha paciencia. Además descubrimos que Freddy no es quien yo pensaba al principio – o quizás sí, pero como no lo recuerdo ahora mismo supondré que no -… ¿o era Elizabeth a la que me refería? Bahh, lo que sea. Anna sigue tejiendo su red sobre el hijo de Juliet y sigo con la duda de si Supergirl será buena o mala… personalmente me gusta mucho la serie y el ritmo que le están imprimiendo… así que no, no entiendo las críticas que le están cayendo.

  

• Trigun – 01: esta, en cambio, me ha gustado bastante más. Se toma bastantes libertades pero lo que es el “espíritu” de Vash lo capta a la perfección desde el primer momento. Tampoco puedo decir que el doblaje sea especialmente bueno, pero… la serie parece entretenida. Es más de lo que se puede decir sobre Death Note (el anime, claro).

  

• Castle – 2×10: a ver… me gustan mucho los personajes de Beckett y de Alexis, pero… ¿no están forzando demasiado los guionistas la relación entre ambas? A fin de cuentas, Beckett no deja de ser una compañera de “trabajo” de su padre y se pueden haber visto en… ¿cuántas ocasiones? Da igual, parece evidente a dónde quieren llegar y a mí no me desagrada, así que… Lo del hombre con dos mujeres que resulta ser… pues me pareció un poco desaprovechado, pero bueno era lo menos importante del capítulo así que tampoco importa demasiado.

  

• Bleach – 247: estoy yo pensando que muchos de los problemas de Tite Kubo a la hora de continuar Bleach (además, obviamente, de la falta de posts de Laura en el QMMAM para saber hacia dónde continuar con la serie) es la “adaptación” al anime… Seguro que estaba viendo esto y el tío pensaba: “joer, ¿cómo voy a superar la idea de que Muramasa sea una zampatokou tenia? ¡Es insuperable!”. Y claro, el tío se ha bloqueado…

  

• NCIS – 7×09: otra con acción de gracias de fondo… Ducky prepara una cena y nadie puede ir por compromisos previos y se lían las cosas cuando tienen que investigar la muerte de un marine que vigila al grupo de niños que preparan las estrategias militares del ejército de los USA… es entretenido, pero… no deja de ser correctillo. Nada más.

  

• The Beast – 1×12: y en el penúltimo capítulo de la serie… Barker es acusado de asesinar a un sospechoso y la CIA va detrás de él, pero el novato descubre que es todo una trampa y… Barker se desata… Curiosamente, creo que es la primera vez que la rubia – personaje desaprovechado se mire como se mire – y Barker se encuentran en la serie… Me ha gustado bastante, la verdad.

  

• NCIS Los Angeles – 1×09: invitada especial en este capítulo… ¡Abby! Persiguiendo a un asesino llamado el Fantasma porque nunca deja huellas… pero claro, el asesino sabe que Abby está tras él y decide atraerla hasta Los Angeles para deshacerse de ella… Nuevamente el personaje de la “original” que aparece en esta serie está mejor aprovechado que en la suya propia… Los guionistas de la serie original deberían hacérselo mirar… Ahora mismo es más interesante esta que la otra.

  

• Naruto Shippuuden – 137: penúltimo paso en la batalla entre Sasuke e Itachi con el Amateratsu como protagonista principal de la misma… pero a Sasuke aún le quedan dos cartas que jugar… Bueno… no se puede decir que estén muy logrados, pero tampoco se puede decir nada malo de ellos, así que… bien. Una buena adaptación.

  

• PlanetES – 01: PlanetES es la historia de un grupo de basureros espaciales que se encargan de recoger… la basura espacial que se está acumulando alrededor de la Tierra y ha provocado accidentes espaciales. La llegada de una novata llena de sueños y que ve a los astronautas como caballeros hace que se remueva un poco la conciencia de los trabajadores curtidos o… ¿no les hacía falta?

  

• El Intrépido Batman – 1×01: nueva serie de animación con Batman como protagonista y la compañía de la plana mayor del Universo DC en esta serie que, a pesar de llamarse el Intrépido Batman en español, en su versión original recibía el nombre de The Brave and The Bold… En este episodio, acompañando a Batman, Green Arrow para enfrentarse al Rey Reloj y Blue Beetle, el nuevo, y una raza de alienígenas para luchar con Kanjar Ro… Es entretenido pero… pelín infantil. Lo cual está bien porque es para quien está dirigida la serie.

  

• Caprica – 1×00: pero… ¿esto no iba a ser una serie, más o menos, regular? Por eso no me había puesto a verla hasta el momento. Investigando un poco, Wikipedia ya sabéis, he descubierto que se espera su estreno para enero de 2010. En fin… la historia comienza 58 años antes de la historia contada en Galactica con un comandante Adama que es todavía un niño… Los cylon dando sus primeros pasos y la demostración de que cualquier cosa que se haga, aunque sea por una buena razón – y creo que el Dr. Greystone cree tenerla – puede acabar mal… pero que muy mal.

  

• Salem’s Lot: segunda adaptación de la novela de Stephen King que se pasa por el forro todo el espíritu de la misma y, sobre todo, lo que quería contar S.K. con ella… Tiene alguna cosa entretenida y tal, pero si digo que es bastante más floja que la original, siendo la original lo floja que es, pues… como que no es muy buena. No, no, no.

Películas:

• Infectados: el ser humano, así en general, es una persona bastante asquerosa… Y es que es realmente desagradable ver cómo se van comportando los protagonistas dejando a gente atrás e incluso te alegras cuando les pasan cosas malas a ellos… Qué desagradable. En otro orden de cosas, no está del todo mal, pero te deja una sensación muy mala.

• Harry Potter y el misterio del príncipe: aprovechando que ha salido en dvd, que la he comprado y que he tenido tiempo para verla, pues… ¿qué mejor momento para recuperarla? Pues eso. Me ha gustado más en esta segunda ocasión que la he visto y me lleva a pensar que, escena de Harry ligando con la camarera aparte, el mayor problema que tuve con ella la primera vez que la ví fue mi falta total y absoluta de memoria sobre el libro que, supuestamente, adaptan…

Inquietante, ¿verdad?

I know. It’s been a long time since I made a post. I was having difficulty finding manga I liked enough to write about. Well, I found one. It’s a manga about vikings. Yep. I know, a manga about vikings seems like it would be a disaster, but surprisingly, this one works. For some, Vinland Saga is old news, but there are a great many people who have not heard of this awesome series, and I’d like to introduce them to it.

Don’t make Thorfinn angry, mmkay?

Yes, those of you who know me are groaning, saying “Aren’t you just biased because you love Vikings?”

The answer is a resounding no.  Yes, I am incredibly interested in Vikings, and have a mild… borderline… raving obsession with them.  This makes me extremely critical of anything having to do with vikings, especially if it’s historically inaccurate.  I like Vinland Saga, though.  That should say enough about how good this manga is.  However, I have to write a review, so here we go…

Vinland Saga
By Makoto Yukimura (Yes, the guy who did Planetes)

Art: The art in Vinland Saga tends to be more realistic than in some other manga.  We get characters with well-proportioned bodies, which makes them seem stockier than many other manga characters. Yukimura uses lineweight and various drawing techniques in a way closer to western comics.   Backgrounds, when they’re drawn, tend to be reminiscent of engraving prints.

The facial expressions in this series are just lovely, and convey the emotions the characters feel very well.   The plentiful fight scenes are dynamic, gory, and well-drawn; they are fairly truthful depictions of medieval combat.

Oh, Canute, you sexy, pouting bastard.

Story: Wow.  I never thought I would see a Japanese manga depict medieval Europe, nonetheless Vikings, accurately.  However, Vinland Saga does this fairly well.  Yes, there are some minor errors, and instances of historical inaccuracy but none of them are so blaring and large that the average reader will find them distracting or frustrating. Usually, if an inaccuracy is noticed,  the event is along the lines of  “Wait, how can that guy understand them? Oh well, let’s see what happens next.”

Vinland Saga is composite of several historical events and focuses on Cnut the Great’s ascent to the Danish throne.  The story does not focus on Cnut (spelled Canute in the manga).  Instead, Vinland Saga follows the life of the protagonist Thorfinn, a young Jomsviking.  Thorfinn is on a quest for revenge, and follows the man he would kill through the artic seas and even  into war, only for the chance to challenge him to battle.

While one of the focuses of this manga is violence, the real center of the series is the driving emotion behind Thorfinn’s quest, and watching the characters of the manga grow as human beings throughout the story.  Humanity is very much the real centerpiece of the story.  Insidious plots, troubled pasts, noble deeds, acts of love, compassion and betrayal all abound in Vinland Saga.

Most recently, the story has taken a major turn from the previous chapters.  This new arc is so disparately different from the last in both mood and plot that the reader is initially jarred and uncomfortable with the change.  Yet, the story is just as enthralling as it previously was, perhaps even more so, because the reader longs for the return of… (read to find out!)

Characters: There are so many interesting characters in this series, but I’m only going to discuss a few.

Thorfinn: The story’s protagonist.  Thorfinn is a young viking in Askeladd’s band of men.  Thorfinn is a rash, quick-tempered lad, skilled in battle.  Surly and unfriendly, Thorfinn cares only for completing his quest for revenge.  Wiki reports that Thorfinn may be based on Thorfinn Karlsefni.  Even though Thorfinn is somewhat unbalanced, he is an engaging protagonist the reader will find him or herself rooting for.

Askeladd:  A gifted warrior who leads the small group of which Thorfinn is now a part.  The men are violent and unruly, and Akseladd is the only man strong and intelligent enough to keep them under his thumb.  Askeladd is funny and witty, and a character I genuinely like.

Askeladd’s all: “Yeah, I stole this crown, what you gonna do about it?”

Canute:  A Danish prince.  Initially, Canute is weak and timid.  Akeladd’s men mock him for being womanly.  Throughout the series, Canute’s character evolves.  Canute also has a slightly dark side.  While his intentions may seem noble (Canute is a Christian, if you remember your history), something about his motivation seems off… yet, Canute is a sympathetic character.

Thorkell :  One tough bastard.  Seriously, don’t mess with Thorkell.  Although Thorkell is a major badass, he is likable, too.  He has a personality as large as he is (maybe he’s based on Thorkell the Tall?).  Thorkell is a down-to-earth man who loves to fight.

Miscellaneous: Not sure what the licensing status is on Vinland Saga.  A few sources mention the series may have been picked up in a recent list for licensing requests, but I haven’t seen anything official just yet. I honestly would love to see this series licensed and distributed in English.  It’s an amazing work, and I’d like to own it in my native language.   I believe the manga is currently serialized in the Japanese publication Afternoon.  There’s at least one tankobon floating around out there, too.  So, there’s plenty to work with if it does get licensed.

The Bottom Line: Why haven’t you read Vinland Saga yet?  It’s awesome.

Fuck you Hachimaki, fuck you.

A lot of times, people think back to the “good old days” of any medium (film, TV, music, anime), and only remember the good stuff. They tend to forget about the huge mountain of shit that got produced every year. That’s why they can get tricked into thinking that the current stuff is terrible, but in the past “EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING ZOMG!!!1!!1!”

Anime is not free from this. While it does seem that, with the onslaught of moe shit, never-ending shows like Naruto, Bleach, and Inuyasha still on the airwaves, and the fact that studio Gonzo still exists, anime is on the decline. However, that isn’t the case at all. Anime companies in Japan have continuously produced giant, steaming turds every single year, just like Hollywood.

One of those turds is a series called Planetes, which, like so many shows, started out as a good idea but was spontaneously aborted by really shitty writing, and what was left was such a bloody mess that nothing of worth could be salvaged.

Planetes, while technically a very well made show (nice animation and great music), had such a disappointing story (notably the ending), that it completely prevented me from enjoying it.  I was actually able to sit through to the end, but that was a punishment in itself. Fortunately, I’m a masochist. Once I had managed to drag myself to the completion of the series, I could see why it did not perform well in ratings or DVD sales.

As I mentioned before, the biggest problem with this show is the horrible writing. The depiction of space was excellent and, for the most part, realistic, but the characters were so fucking annoying that it totally killed my interest. Plus, it deals with topics too heavy-handedly to be enjoyable in any way. If I wanted to watch failed relationships, death from cancer, terrorists, and people acting like assholes to one another, well, I already have real life. I don’t need to see it all again in anime form. Anime should really only be about one thing: tentacle rape. And there is no tentacle rape to be found in Planetes. Instead, it’s just a bunch of whiney teenage melodrama that would fit right in on MTV or the CW.

Hachimaki, the protagonist, is the one that annoyed me the most. He’s brash, an oaf, arrogant, self-centered, and all around a huge douchebag. The show could have been great if it had centered on ANY other character: Tanabe, Fee, Yuri, even Hakim would have been better. But instead they picked the least likable and least interesting one.

What I can’t understand are his motivations. He spent his whole life resenting/hating his father for always being away in space and never being there for him and his mother. And then, what does he do? He leaves his girlfriend, family, and friends behind so he can go on a selfish mission for 7 years. What? The? Fuck? He bitches and moans about being alone, but he’s constantly surrounded by people that love him and reassure him. He acts like a complete asswipe to Tanabe who, for some inexplicable reason, loves him regardless. It probably has something to do with how all women* love “bad boys,” and secretly want to be treated like shit.

In the end, after he get the girl and starts a family, he still goes away on the Jupiter mission. After all the emotional shit he went through, it turns out he learned nothing and still considers his own happiness and goals above everything else. Yeah that’s right, there was no character growth whatsoever. After 26 boring, annoying, so bad it’s suicide-inducing episodes, there was no payoff. What was the point of all that anyway? I can’t believe that Tanabe would actually be willing to wait for him for SEVEN FUCKING YEARS with their unborn child (whom he won’t see for first 7 years of its life) almost immediately after their marriage. Way to be there for your family, buddy.

Overall, the writing was just sloppy and lazy. The show began well, stalled a little during the early episodes, picked up steam around the middle, and then just fell apart in the end. Did we really need 10 episodes about Hachimaki doubting himself and acting like a brat to everyone? He’s a bigger whiner than Shinji from Evangelion. At least Shinji kicked some ass once in a while, but Hachimaki doesn’t ever do anything but mope around.

I get the sense that the writers had enough of a story for around 16 episodes or so, but needlessly stretched it out to 26 instead of cutting it down to 13. The fuckos at Anime News Network said: “Planetes is far and away the year’s best sci-fi series [of 2005].” Well, that would be true if they didn’t watch any other sci-fi series in 2005. However, in a year that also produced (at least in terms of U.S. DVD releases) Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Fullmetal Alchemist, Elfen Lied, Scrapped Princess, and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, there is no fucking way in hell that Planetes is the best sci-fi series of 2005. If by best they actually meant worst, then yeah, it’s the best.

If you want to watch an anime that has good production values, but does not have an interesting protagonist, has no character growth, and has a rage-aneurysm-inducing story, then check out Planetes. You are guaranteed to be disappointed.

Verdict: Shitty

*This does not apply to all women, only most of them.

One favorite Planetes plot thread of mine is Yuri’s search and eventual disposal of his dead wife’s keepsake, a compass that which she wore around her neck for good luck. It went missing along with his wife’s body, and night after night Yuri checks the debris catalogs of every other debris collector out there to hunt for it.

I look up to Yuri as a very mature man, though a bit too aloof in contrast to the loudmouths of Debris Section. He’s hardworking, uncomplaining and kind to animals (!), so I’d imagine that he could get any job that he wanted. And yet he’s working in Debris Section: underequipped, understaffed, underpaid.

Maybe it’s a burning curiosity to discover what his wife etched in the inside of that compass. Or coming to terms with how he survived the shuttle accident and how his wife did not.

At any rate, Yuri gets the compass. But in truth, he is none the happier. “Please save Yuri”, the inscription inside the compass’s lid says. It almost killed him, yet it did fulfill its purpose.

After that nearly-fatal mission, Hachi remarks that Yuri is distant to them, exactly because there are some things he doesn’t want his teammates to know. Because throughout those 6 years, Yuri became all but an empty shell, a spectre so consumed with the task of retrieving his wife’s compass that he signed up as a debris collector. I’d never have guessed.

Yuri wanted the compass back to remember, not to forget. He abandons a white carnation to space, which means “my love still endures” in the language of flowers. But as long as he carries the compass with him, he would be unable to fully let go.

After Fee wrecks Toy Box to foil a terrorist plot, Yuri goes on a vacation to Earth along with Tanabe and Hachi. An unprecedented event, according to Myers, as our good Russian astronaut slaved for so long, looking for his wife’s compass. And now, he’s found it!

He meets Hachi’s rocket otaku brother Kyutaro, who accidentally breaks his compass with one of his stray rockets. It was broken to start with, but now the inside is crumpled that you can’t read the inscription anymore. As the boy runs up to apologize, Yuri admits that he planned to quit his job after retrieving his wife’s keepsake, but he realizes that life isn’t made up of clear-cut borders like that.

Borders, again! But in this case, the border is a psychological one. We tend to give ourselves reasons for doing everything. And after those reasons expire, we experience a crisis–continue what we’ve been doing up until now, for its own sake? Or stop, since its rationale has already since become null and void?

In the end, Yuri finally lets go of the compass, choosing his profession over it. And what a way to dispose of it! He lets Kyutaro strap it into his latest rocket’s nose cone and launches it right up to the sky as Yuri leaves the Earth. He knows in his heart that he can’t quit that easily, despite having fulfilled his “mission”.

For all intents and purposes, Yuri could have stopped living right there and then, but instead he continues to haul debris. Because that, too, is his method of living. Because that, too, is how he copes up.

I love this subplot because it’s realistic. Finding the compass didn’t magically solve all of Yuri’s problems. He had to lose it once more to be free of the void his wife’s death left him, and even that didn’t turn him into a genki man. People–especially adults–have a kind of inertia to them that keeps them from changing too much. Yuri might still be the standoffish guy of Debris Section, but one whose future is clearer, even for a little bit.

In episode 11 of Planetes, Mr. Temara peddles his spacesuit proposal to Technora, where he is met with a string of failures. Nobody wants his ugly spacesuit, and the fact that he hails from the poor nation of El Tanika doesn’t help, either. But Hachi offers to test it for him.

It’s quickly discovered that this El Tanikan-made spacesuit is no slouch. It might be big and cumbersone, but it also has an array of neat features that aren’t even present in Hachi’s standard gear. It could have some useful applications, but Mr. Temara’s national identity works against him. Even in 2075, where mankind has already built colonies on the moon and Mars, the rich powers hold monopoly over space and its numerous resources.

During Mr. Temara’s talks with Claire (who is El Tanikan by birth but officially an American citizen), we learn about how hard it is to live in El Tanika. Both only learned how to read and write in another country, but Claire never even learned how to read and write in her birthplace’s language. Mr. Temara himself completed his diploma in China, and went straight back to El Tanika.

Eventually the testing goes into its final stages, when the OSA intervenes with some shocking news. INTO has invaded El Tanika, and all El Tanikans outside the country are to be put under protective custody. Hachi won’t have any of this, and escapes by feinting an accident in order to complete the tests.

The OSA pursues but decide to wait it out. As Hachi and the crew perform the final depressurization test, Mr. Temara recites the names of his fellow El Tanikans who worked on his spacesuit, as if praying. Then, he adds Claire’s name… and the test concludes with the spacesuit meeting international standards.

The test is a success, and Mr. Temara has no regrets handing himself over to the OSA, despite Claire’s attempt to protect him. However, he requests to be spared a few moments to look at the Earth. He looks for El Tanika, and finds it underneath a swath of clouds.

On the ground itself, the warehouse where he built his spacesuit is blown to smithereens by INTO forces.

But, high above in space, all he sees is the Earth, with no borders to speak of.

And that’s where I teared up.

Maybe if all of us were given a chance to look at the Earth from outer space, then we would never have to fight wars, or belittle the Mr. Temaras that come into our lives. Sadly, Planetes shows us that humans do not easily change, and the realization of a united humanity is still far, far off.

But still, I choose to hope.

Recommended Reading:

- For posts like these, The Once and Future King is always relevant. [->]

En France, 700 personnes ont posé nues pour sauver les vignes des changements climatiques
Ce samedi 3 octobre, 713 personnes ont participé dans le plus simple appareil à l’installation artistique et militante organisée par Greenpeace et Spencer Tunick à Fuissé, en Bourgogne. Sous un soleil magnifique et dans une ambiance excellente, l’artiste américain – spécialiste des photos de nus de masse - a mis en place quatre installations : deux avec tous les participants dans deux endroits différents, une uniquement avec les femmes et une autre seulement avec les hommes. Les participants et les équipes de Greenpeace mobilisées pour l’occasion étaient tous très heureux d’œuvrer à cet événement relayé par la plupart des télévisions françaises et de nombreuses agences internationales.
Cette immense sculpture vivante illustre la vulnérabilité de l’homme et de sa culture face aux dérèglements climatiques. Nos vignes, notre gastronomie et notre planète sont mises en danger par les changements climatiques et la passivité de la communauté internationale.
A deux mois du sommet de Copenhague sur les changements climatiques, Greenpeace rappelle l’urgence de trouver une solution et de réduire drastiquement nos émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Les politiques doivent réagir, car « la Nature est sur le point de rendre les armes face à la violente domination de l’Homme » résume Spencer Tunick.
Nous devons tous nous mobiliser pour sauver notre planète. Avec dix ONG, Greenpeace a lancé l’Ultimatum climatique. Cette pétition doit réunir un million de signatures pour faire pression sur le gouvernement français dans la perspective du sommet de Copenhague.
Source : Greenpeace

There’s invariably a rather tense moment in my house when unsuspecting friends come to visit. At some point during the day, they’ll peruse my bookshelf and pick out a slender paperback volume of something-or-other. “What’s this?” they’ll ask, holding it out – sometimes gingerly by one corner as if it’s something nasty the cat left under the bed. I’ll glance over and recognising the character drawn on the front say something nonchalant like, “Oh, that’s Azumanga Daioh. It’s very funny, you should read it.”

At this point, they’ll thumb through it, and then look up with a look of surprise on their faces. They’ll take in my greying hair (and, I’m sad to say, crows’ feet – although I’ve promised the SPCA to stop collecting them) and generally grown-up surroundings – ok, apart from the Sabre figurine on top of the TV – and say, “But it’s a comic!”

It’s around this point that the tension rises, as I struggle to fight both my inner otaku and the Fist of Death, whilst retaining a calm exterior. However, I can’t help but sound like a terrible snob when I reply, “It’s not a comic, it’s manga.” There’s always a standard reply to this – “What’s the difference?” and to be honest I’ve never really sat down and thought about what the differences are between “comics” and “manga”, normally preferring to crush a glass in my hand in frustration and silently wish a painful death upon the Philistine I invited into my home.  http://www.blogsurfer.us/

So, then I decided to sit down think about the differences between “comics” and “manga” and what makes one readable to somebody of my age and leaves the other strictly in the realm of kids. (And before everybody jumps on me – “graphic novels” are not “comics” ok? Sandman is still one of the greatest things ever drawn and written.)

After a bit of research, it came down to the fact that the Japanese have never had a problem with using manga as a valid form of entertainment for readers of all ages. It’s also been around for a very long time. Some say that the tobae of the 11^th century are the great-great-great-etc-grandfathers of modern-day manga, so they’ve had a lot of time to practise. They’ve also been able to operate without a great deal of regulation. Outside of the pornography law, which prevents the display of genitalia (often overcome by the tiniest of black stripes over the offending organ… er… so I’m told); they’ve been pretty much left alone. This has resulted in its own problems, especially amongst the doujinshi market, which is a hydra the authorities are going to have to tackle.

Now don’t get me wrong, there used to be some wonderful comics floating around. I still remember sitting in dusty swap-shops reading things like Tales from the Crypt and even Superman – who seriously kicked ass in those days, unlike the wimpy namby pamby we have today. So what went wrong? Well, here’s my take on it.

The Golden Age of comics was the early 1950s. Around that time there were around 100 million copies of various cartoons being printed every month. To put it into perspective, 12% of teachers admitted to reading comics – find me one that will admit to that today. There were over 650 various titles available. Things were good in Comic Publishing Land.

Then came the real advent of TV, which by the 50s had evolved to the extent that most households could now afford one. Suddenly people could watch their heroes on TV, instead of having to read about them, with the effect that sales plummeted. Within two years, the 650 titles had become 250 – and the publishers were getting nervous. So what did they do? Turned to what sells – sex. The comics were seriously sexed up and heroes like Captain America suddenly found themselves fighting evil alongside the curvaceous and nearly naked Atomic Lady.

However, at the time this was happening, along came Dr. Frederic Wertham, who clearly had a thing against comics – and probably against teenagers too. He published a book, called Seduction of the Innocents, in which he accused comics of “promoting violence, torture, criminality, drug-taking and *ahem* rampant masturbation” although one hopes – as Bill Bryson so wonderfully said – not all at once. Clearly sex was on his mind; as he went on to describe Batman and Robin as being the “wish dream of two homosexuals living together.” Then again, I’ve always been worried about superheroes running around in tights.

At the same time, you had a Senate Committee on Juvenile Delinquency (at which Wertham testified), as well as somebody called Robert Linder accusing teenagers of suffering from a “form of collective mental illness” thanks to Rock ‘n’ Roll. Clearly comics’ days were numbered and indeed it wasn’t long before the Comics Code was introduced in 1954 and by 1955 the publication and distribution of comics was being regulated by law in most US states. The sole purpose of this Bill was to suck the soul out of the comic industry. I’ll publish the points at the end, but just reading them gives you a pretty clear indication of why when you think “comic” you think Archie & Jughead, Richie Rich and Scrooge McDuck and when thinking “manga” you come across such gems such as the gentle melancholy of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, the human drama of Gunslinger Girl, the disturbing Bradherley’s Coach, the charming Azumanga Daioh etc, etc. – all of which are clearly aimed at an older market, which thanks to the Comics Code, barely exists outside Japan. There, for every gawky teen hanging around Akihabara, there’s a tired salaryman reading the latest chapter of his favourite manga, as his train rattles home.

Simply put, their creativity was not stifled at birth and they went on to create some of the most entertaining, thought provoking, intelligent visual media around. And strangely, people on both sides of the Pacific still engaged in violence, torture, drug-taking and – no doubt – rampant masturbation too.

Just looking at the list below, it’s clear why manga stands head and shoulders above comics. Criminals can be sympathetic creatures. Why shouldn’t they be? They’re people too… although in comics they’re more apt to look like Doc Octopus than the guy next door. Just another way to dehumanise the bad guy, I guess. Sometimes the good guys aren’t necessarily nice people either. Gunslinger Girl’s Social Welfare Agency is there to fight the bad guys, but the way they do it hardly qualifies them as innocents. Likewise, it’s very hard to feel sorry for Satou, the recluse shut-in from Welcome to the NHK, yet you do, especially when you realise that those around him are even more messed up.

Crime is sordid, and more often than not, is depicted as such in manga. After all, even if the world in which the manga story takes place isn’t real, it still takes place in “reality”. Actions have consequences; if the hero is going to blow up a building, people are going to die.

Likewise people have sex in manga, just like in real life. It could be graphic, without being pornographic (like Believers), funny (like Owari To Hajimari no Miles) or even delicately danced around (as in the wonderful Mysterious Girlfriend X).

Even social issues don’t escape attention – from the phenomenon of the shut-in in Welcome to the NHK, to a whole raft of Japanese social ills covered in Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei. Hell, even the girls’ names play around with things like stalkers, shut-ins, illegal immigrants, anime fangirls, etc, etc.

That’s what makes manga special – it operates in a world that people can relate to. No matter how great the hero of the tale, at the end of the day they’re people too, with their own flaws.

Even if it’s sci-fi, like Plantes (which is about trash collectors in space) or Moyashimon, the science is sound. In Planetes, space is silent – no rocket ships roaring off into the distance – and Newton’s laws work. Moyashimon will teach you everything you need to know about microbes and the art of fermentation (ok, and cross-dressing and loli-goths). Even the largely silent and gentle picturescapes of The Walking Man or Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou are there specifically to transport the tired salaryman away from the troubles of his working day and crowded subway into a world where he can stop and smell the sakura.

I’m by no means saying it’s all good. Believe me, for every Hidamari Sketch, or K-On!, there’s a dozen Narutos and Dragon Ball Z’s. After all, as somebody once said, 95% of everything is crap. It’s just that much of the 95% of crap manga still has far more to offer – both story and artwork-wise – than the top 5% of comics. And the top 5% of manga is, frankly, peerless.

1954 Comics Code (pinched from here)

• Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals.
• If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.
• Criminals shall not be presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position which creates a desire for emulation.
• In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.
• Scenes of excessive violence shall be prohibited. Scenes of brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gunplay, physical agony, gory and gruesome crime shall be eliminated.
• No comic magazine shall use the word horror or terror in its title.
• All scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism, masochism shall not be permitted.
• All lurid, unsavoury, gruesome illustrations shall be eliminated.
• Inclusion of stories dealing with evil shall be used or shall be published only where the intent is to illustrate a moral issue and in no case shall evil be presented alluringly, nor so as to injure the sensibilities of the reader.
• Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture, vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism, and werewolfism are prohibited.
• Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or symbols which have acquired undesirable meanings are forbidden.
• Nudity in any form is prohibited, as is indecent or undue exposure.
• Suggestive and salacious illustration or suggestive posture is unacceptable.
• Females shall be drawn realistically without exaggeration of any physical qualities.
• Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Violent love scenes as well as sexual abnormalities are unacceptable.
• Seduction and rape shall never be shown or suggested.
• Sex perversion or any inference to same is strictly forbidden.
• Nudity with meretricious purpose and salacious postures shall not be permitted in the advertising of any product; clothed figures shall never be presented in such a way as to be offensive or contrary to good taste or morals.

Planetes is definitely something. Episode 6 made me laugh as hard as any Fumoffu episode, but episode 7 touched me with its two contrasting subplots. I’ll talk about episode 7 in this post.

Hachi is surprisingly smooth, when Tanabe’s not around (I wish he would treat Tanabe better, but I’m positive it would happen eventually). He befriends a random stranger and becomes close to her in a matter of days. Perhaps because Nono is such a positive force to have around? She sure is. I am still awash in her glow, even though it has already been a full day since I watched her episode.

The thing about Nono is, she’s sick. Sick in a way that prevents her from leaving the hospital, rendering her all but a caged bird that looks longingly at the outside world. She wants to go to Earth and swim in its oceans of blue water, but even the circumstances of her birth have conspired to keep her from it.

12 years. She’s lived 12 years, the entirety of her life, inside a hospital. Saying that’s tough is a massive understatement.

Despite this, Nono remains cheerful. Never has she blamed her parents for bringing her into the world like this, and while she longs to visit the Earth, she sure wouldn’t want to live there–the moon is her home, after all, and the barren, pockmarked surface strewn with dust instead of water is her ocean.

I am humbled by this scene. Nono lives a cooped life and unable to do the things she wants, but is perfectly happy with it. Many a night I have spent thinking on how I could’ve been born differently, with the sort of life I’ve always yearned for (while I am not entirely sure about it, I firmly believe it has robots in it). Never mind the age gap, and the vast chasm between our experiences in life. Nono turns moon dust into salt water, and there is no greater alchemy than that.

Betelgeuse rétrécit à vue d’oeil

(Agence Science-Presse) – Betelgeuse, une des étoiles les plus brillantes visibles à l’oeil nu… rétrécit. Elle aurait perdu 15% de son diamètre depuis 1993.

Les astronomes n’ont aucune explication, au point où certains suggèrent même que leurs prédécesseurs auraient pu surestimer son diamètre réel, en raison de la couche de gaz qui l’entoure.

Si elle a vraiment rétréci, personne ne peut non plus dire si elle va bientôt regagner son ancien tour de taille. Betelgeuse est une géante rouge, c’est-à-dire une étoile si grosse que, si elle était mise à la place de notre Soleil, elle engloberait la Terre et Mars.

PUBLICITÉ

Poésie urbaine. Jours de Nuit. Roberto Mayer. 11,95$

Entre en mon univers, infiniment petit. Que se libère ta galaxie. Entre, là, tu es ton enfer, ton paradis. Ton repère y est enfoui. Entre, il ne manque que toi en ces mots. En ces vers dont j’aime me croire l’auteur.

Par téléphone: (514) 256-9000, en région: 1-877-256-9009
Par Internet: http://www.editionstnt.com/Livres.html

Par la poste: Reflet de Société 4233 Ste-Catherine Est Montréal, Qc. H1V 1X4

Yeap more reviews to post today – Planetes, Now & Then, Here & There, RahXephon, Paprika and Black Blood Brothers.…..Enjoy!!

Planetes: A well thought-out and original slice of life anime – 5/5

PLOT: Highly original premise centred on a small group of Space Debris Collectors (essentially space bin men) in the near future. Everything is kept extremely grounded and realistic so while it is sci-fi, its entirely believable sci-fi and this makes it all the more interesting, even to someone like me who loves high fantasy. As a show it starts out quite slice of life as it establishes the characters and the world setting. Gradually the plot builds until it becomes a gripping drama with a centralised plot line with Hachimaki as the focus. If Planetes is anything its character driven, there is a huge amount of consideration and development given to all characters introduced into this series. Even if the character is only in the show for a short amount of airtime, they are never superfluvious – practically everyone introduced has an essential role to play in furthering the plot and are given closure by the end of the series. It really is remarkable storytelling – I was completely sucked in for the duration and found the characters engaging, believable and likeable (for the most part). Planetes also tackles a number of interesting questions, its not a show you can watch with your brain switched off – subtle politics, economics, ethics, terrorism and philosophical questions are raised; although not all are answered and much is left to the viewer to draw their own conclusions. In short I felt the plot was well worked out, paced and had a very satisfying conclusion (I would have even liked a wee bit more ).

ANIMATION: The animation is solid and there is very little deviation in quality for the duration of the show. Everything has a very realistic feel – from the set & background designs to the character designs. There is some use of CGI, but its well integrated with the 2D animation. Character designs are plain but with a lot of variety – there is no two characters who look alike, even among the background cast – lots of different nationalities are depicted too.

MUSIC & VOICE ACTING: I quite liked the OP & ED even if they are a touch forgettable. The score was excellent though – great orchestral and choral pieces and excellent use of background silence when appropriate. Voice acting was also superb, all the seiyuu really brought their characters to life and all of them displayed quite a bit of depth and range over the course of the series.

Overall Planetes was a very well thought out and presented series – an excellent show and I really would urge anyone to watch it.

Now & Then, Here & There: A bleak, depressing but wonderfully crafted anime that leaves you with a jumble of emotions – 4.5/5.

PLOT: The plot is very a straightforward and simple boy meets girl and is transported to another world type scenario – but that’s fine, this is another anime that is all about the characters more than the plot. Its a slow starter as it introduces the world, major plot points and central characters, but the later half of the series is a roller coaster ride; both in terms of action and emotions. Mature topics are covered by this anime as it deals with war in a very realistic manner – light-hearted this is not, some scenes are quite shocking although nothing is overly explicit, but the stuff that’s implied is quite disturbing. The plot is quite tragic and we aren’t given an uplifting happy end either – it’s more a subdued ray of hope than anything else. The surviving characters will be forever changed by their experiences.

The characters themselves are excellent, and amazingly well developed for a 13-episode anime. I found Shuu and Lala Ru to be uninteresting though – I was much more interested in King Hamdo, Sara and Nabuca. Shuu is extremely generic (he actually reminded me massively of Naruto), and his tendency to rush in head first got very irritating. His reaction to being transported to this decimated world I found weird – he never actually expresses any shock or mentions missing home at all! Sara was much more believable in this respect and her story brought a lot of realism to the plot. Lala Ru was dull from beginning to end – but I’ve never really liked the emotionless girl archetype, and she remains mysterious to the end. King Hamdo on the other hand, was immensely fun to watch – he dominates every scene he’s in with his constantly fluctuating mood and fits of insanity. Nabuca’s story I also found extremely interesting and missed him when he wasn’t about for much of the later half of the series.
Overall I really enjoyed the plot, but found that everything was resolved at the end a bit too quickly and with not enough explanation.

ANIMATION: Great animation – gritty and with great use of colour. Even though this is an older series I found the animation to be fluid and the character designs were simple but nice. Interesting camera angles and good use of orange, yellow and red really made this show visually striking. Very nice indeed.

MUSIC & VOICE ACTING: The music isn’t really much to speak of – the OP is a plain instrumental and the ED is a forgettable ballad. BGM is minimal, instead there is a lot of silence to heighten dramatic tension – where there is music its well placed and melodic. Voice acting is truly excellent though – especially King Hamdo and Nabuca who express quite a large range over the course of the series.

All in all an excellent if depressing series. I’ve subtracted 0.5 due to the slightly rushed end and the fact I disliked the main characters. I also recommend watching something light and comedic after you finish this show!

RahXephon: A very impressive anime; wonderful animation and brilliant plot - 5/5

PLOT: On the surface you do immediately get Neon Genesis Evangelion vibes, but RahXephon quickly establishes itself as unique with fantastic character development and a highly original convoluted plot. The show is also much more balanced than EVA – carefully crafted plot progression and with a satisfying ending, it makes for wonderful viewing as each episode adds something to the rich tapestry of plot threads. The characters are extremely well developed and likable – there is a notable lack of the angst that permeates EVA as RahXephon instead focuses on romance. Indeed the main thread of the plot is a touching love story more than anything else – I found this extremely refreshing in a mecha show. Of course the show has numerous points that had me highly confused and I can not claim to understand exactly what happened at the end, but I got most of it in this 1st viewing – I’ll definitely be watching this show again at some stage though as I’m positive I’ve missed some subtle plot points. Do not watch this show unless you are willing to commit some of your brain cells to it, as the complexity of the plot requires you to be awake when watching this anime!

ANIMATION: Wonderful. Simply wonderful – it’s rare to get such consistently high quality animation in a 26-episode TV show, but BONES have delivered a stunning show. The backgrounds are detailed and vivid, the mecha designs highly original and organic, and the character designs are well thought out and pleasing to the eye. Lots and lots of symbolism is used throughout the series, a lot of it centred on the contrast between the red blood of the humans and the blue blood of the murians – the two opposing colours are the most dominant in the colour palate used. Overall a very well animated show – BONES have once again outdone themselves.

MUSIC: As much of the plot revolves around music and sound, the soundscape of RahXephon is nothing short of brilliant. Highly atmospheric and rich in tone, the score is like another character and supports the plot perfectly. Lots of operatic vocal work for the D1 Aria’s elevates the action scenes to another level as a cacophony of sound assails you. The background music is well composed and has a timeless classical air to it. I also loved the OP & ED and never skipped over them – shall be downloading both ballads shortly.

VOICE ACTING: A extremely talented group of seiyuu provide the voice work for this series, so many that’s its hard to pick out the best of them! However Hiro Shimono (Hiro Hirono – ef: A Tale of Memories, Tatsuma Hiyuu – Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho) as Ayato deserves praise as it would have been so easy to let Ayato become bogged down in Shinji-type angst, but he manages to hold back and keep Ayato’s character strong but sympathetic. It’s all the more remarkable, as this was Shimono’s debut role! The rest of the cast is equally strong.

So yeah, I really liked RahXephon and really highly recommend it to everyone – especially anyone who enjoyed Evangelion.

Paprika: A solid film, but I was expecting something more from Satoshi Kon – 4/5

PLOT: Extremely interesting plot – the concept of dreams has always fascinated me, so the plot of this film really did appeal to me. It’s a jumble of events as half the film takes place in the dream world where there are no rules. I found that I followed the plot quite well, but I think this is because of my love of CLAMPs dreamseerer plotlines in X/1999, TRC & xxxHOLiC! When dealing with peoples dreams its always going to be weird and convoluted, so its best just to go with the flow. I certainly did enjoy the ride, but now that I’m reflecting on the film I cant help but feel slightly unfulfilled. There is not nearly enough character development and no closure on what triggered the whole sequence of events. The characters are quirky and memorable, as you would expect, but they feel shallow and stereotyped – I find myself wishing I knew more about them and the reasons behind their avatars appearances in the dream world.  This is always a problem with movies since they are short on time, but with Paprika its particularly annoying as I felt too much time was wasted on looped scenes.

ANIMATION: As you would expect from a film animated by MADHOUSE, Paprika is visually fantastic. An absolute riot of colour, detail and action – every frame is jam-packed and the action sequences have a brilliant sense of movement and fluidity. A small criticism is the fact that there seems to be a lot of recycled animation – most notably of the parade, it seems to appear way too often in the same sort of way. Character designs are nice, if typical of a Satoshi Kon production.

MUSIC & VOICE ACTING: Music is good – very reminiscent of Paranoia Agent, especially the title theme and the credit theme. Similarly voice acting is also good, but nothing overly spectacular.

Overall Paprika is a very enjoyable anime film, but I have been spoiled by Satoshi Kon’s earlier work and Paprika just isn’t as good as Tokyo Godfathers, Perfect Blue or Paranoia Agent unfortunately.

Black Blood Brothers: Solidly entertaining but ultimately quite average – 3.5/5

PLOT: There’s a decent enough storyline but sometimes I was left feeling that I wasn’t getting the full picture. There is an awful lot going on – a myriad of side stories and back stories that are just not given enough time, it seems there would have easily been enough material to cover 25-6 episodes rather than the 12 on offer. As such we’re left with a short show with a lot of characters and not enough time is allowed for character development. The end result is a lot of generic-ness. Its a pity because there some really interesting characters here, notably the Old Blood vampires, and I would have loved to know a bit more about them – especially their roles during the Holy War. The primary antagonist Casa is never given a clear motive or back story either! So many hints and so little plot resolution = disappointment, but on the upside each episode is very entertaining in its own right. There’s plenty of action and I was never bored, its only on reflection when writing a review that I realised how unfinished the show was. Still a good vampire show to pass the time with.  There is an ending but you get the feeling there should be more – it’s more like the end of an arc rather than the end of a series.

ANIMATION: Its fine, does the job. Nice enough character designs (although I hated Jirou’s hat with a passion – its a crime against fashion!) all rather simple and clean. Vampire powers and fight scenes were well done too – overall its a fairly average looking show, not bad not brilliant.

MUSIC & VOICE ACTING: Music was passable – didn’t like the OP, quite liked the ED. Voice acting was good though. Takahiro Sakurai (Suzaku – Code Geass, Kanda - D.Gray-Man) in the main role was great – Jirou’s personality is quite hot and cold and Sakurai displayed a good range in his voice work.  Jun Fukuyama is in there too providing his ‘Lelouch’ voice as Zelman (woo!)

So all in all a good entertaining series, even if it feels a bit incomplete.

More tomorrow if I have time! :p

Estudi de tots el planetes del nostre sistema solar i els seus satèl.lits.

Le mystère des lunes de Jupiter

(Agence Science-Presse) – Jupiter mange ses lunes.

Au point où les quatre plus grandes lunes connues aujourd’hui seraient les survivantes d’au moins cinq générations de lunes, toutes dévorées les unes après les autres.

Selon l’astronome américain Robin Camp, une anomalie dans la masse de l’anneau de Jupiter (comme les anneaux de Saturne, mais en beaucoup plus mince) s’explique par une interaction entre cet anneau et la formation des lunes dans le passé.

PUBLICITÉ

Témoignage sur l’implication bénévole

La récompense – Regard sur des gens de cœur
Documentaire sur l’implication bénévole.
-Découvrir sa communauté, donner un sens à sa vie…
-Briser son isolement et celui d’autrui.
-Découvrir de nouveaux amis.
-Prendre part à la vie sociale et de quartier.
-Une source de contact et d’échange.
-L’acquisition de nouvelles connaissances.
-Une occasion d’expérimenter et mieux se connaître.
S’impliqer c’est trippant et ça mérite d’être vécu. 25$

Par téléphone: (514) 256-9000, en région: 1-877-256-9009
Par Internet: cafegraffiti.net
Par la poste: Reflet de Société 4233 Ste-Catherine Est Montréal, Qc. H1V 1X4

Actualité encore chargée en ce qui me concerne, cette semaine… Voici tout de même, pour commencer la semaine, une petite sélection de brosses pour Photoshop qui vous seront certainement très utiles dans une composition style “space-art”, par exemple…

AXELRAIDER70
Vu sur l’excellent Brushking, voici un pack intéressant pour des effets d’explosion…

FLOWGRAPHIC
Découvert sur QBrushes, cette brosse HD, pour un effet de supernova…

GSPOTSIMULANT
Un pack de brosses intéressantes pour simuler des effets d’explosion ou de fumée…

ENV1RO
Env1ro de deviantART vous propose ce pack de brushes, idéal pour simuler quelques radiations spatiales ou explosions bien senties…

TOUZOKU YAMATO
Toujours sur deviantART, Touzoku Yamato vous propose ce pack de “lunes”, à intégrer dans vos compositions…

RUBINA119
Deux packs de brosses pour Photoshop proposés par Rubina119, destinés à vous faciliter la création de comètes ou d’astéroïdes…

QBRUSHES
Quelques excellentes brosses vous attendent sur le non moins excellent QBrushes…

Et quelques autres, en vrac…

JAVIERZXH

JANEDOESTOCK

BRUSHEEZY

SCULLY7491

REDHEADSTOCK

B-A-S-H

SUNIRA

V-K-S

SAKURA222

NERONIN

FABRICATE STOCK

La vie existe-t-elle ailleurs que sur Terre ? Chercher des réponses à cette question semble bien ambitieux… Est-il si facile de donner une définition de la vie ? Sur Terre, déjà, ce n’est pas aussi simple qu’il y paraît ; mais en donner une définition universelle semble encore plus ardu. Peut être existe-t-il autant de définitions que de mondes!

Foi um grande FDs aqui, então temos outro posts de Releases!
Fechei parceiria com outro Scanlator chamada e2, ela tem Captain Tsubasa e uma exclusividade: Rave Master! ééé, não é mole não. Teremos muito trabalho pra upar tudo e deixar em dia esses mangás, então todos que vistam o site: INCREVAM-SE COMO UPLOADERS!!!! Plz, necessito de ajuda para deixar o site bem completo, é só ir na página trabalhe aqui, e ver como enviar o seu ‘curriculum’.
Vamos ao Mangás!

#e2
Rave Master 1 ao 7

#Chrono
Planetes do 1 ao 4 [Completo]
Akira do 1 ao 6 [Completo]

#Si~LÉNSCE
20th Century Boys 1 ao 10

Fuck you looking at?

I read this manga (all the chapters that are out at the moment) in a matter of a day.  It is that good. The main plot of Vinland Saga is a dramatization of the rise of King Canute in the 11th century, set in Dane-controlled England. History lessons aside, the real meat of the story deals with its fictional half, about a young boy named Thorfinn out for revenge on Askeladd, the murderer of his father.  The twist is, in order to accomplish the deed, Thorfinn joins Askeladd and his group of mercenaries in order to accomplish the deed.

One thing any reader will notice right away is Yukimura Makoto’s (the author’s) excruciating attention to accuracy.  His portrayal of 11th century vikings, even when they are out of the battlefield, is painstakingly authentic.  To top it off, the way he executes, paces and illustrates his story is truly remarkable.

The manga is over-the-top violent and shows no mercy to its readers, creating a sense of realism that some might find a tad-bit difficult to swallow.  Amongst all the bloodshed and drama, Yukimura is still able to squeeze in comic-relief into his scenes, a feat that is handled eloquently and carefully; such conflicting themes do not always mix well.  A must read for all those looking for a mature, epic story and can stomach its limbs-flying, eyeballs-exploding graphic portrayal of war.

One last thing, if there was an award for “most intense looking faces”, this manga would win it.  Don’t take my word for it.

Stopped in Revelstoke now.  Have been for a long time, actually.  It’s so late, and I’m so tired.  I walked around the town for so long… it’s so pretty here.  Really small town.  Really down to earth.  It’s like the city doesn’t even exist anymore.  I’m in a completely different world.

But there reason I’m writing this so late (not only because I promised, and you can stop worrying about my wellbeing) is because I have a story to tell.  It’s about distances and space.  I really wish I understood what I have to tell you better than I do, but I’m just going to get it all out here and come back to it later, when I’ve got food in my brain and sleep in my stomach.  I mean… the other way around.  Uh… yeah.

Anyway, I pulled over after a few hours of driving after my last post for a quick stretch.  There was a little patch of green to the side of the highway, and I decided that it would be a good place for a break.  It was pretty small… not much bigger than my house (or the property, anyway).  There was nothing built on it or anything, not even a fence to keep intruders off or a sign to tell me to go somewhere else.  Just a lonely spot of grass.

Well, not completely lonely, because there was a guy reading a book there.   Just sitting with his butt in the dirt and a book in both hands.

I guessed it was okay for me to be there.  I mean, I wasn’t going to stay for long, and if really was a crime for me to set foot on the little park, the guy would have probably said something.  Unless he wasn’t supposed to be there as well, in which case he wouldn’t warn me either.

I stretched out my arms and swung them around to loosen them up, I walked around the field to limber up my legs, and at some point I must have said hello to the stranger, because he put his book down and nodded at me.

I waved in response and began to bounce on one foot to the other.

“Where’re you headed?”  He asked, jerking his head towards my Vespa.

Now, I know I’m not supposed to talk to strange people, and I know I’m not supposed to reveal any of my accommodation plans while traveling (that Liam Neeson movie… hello?!), but when you’re posed with that exact question in real life, it’s the most difficult question to sidestep.  I mean, I had already said hello, and I didn’t want to be rude.  How is anyone supposed to react in a situation like that (really, tell me, because I would love to know)?

I guess the obvious answer would be “screw manner s and be rude!”  but it’s tough!!  Especially since I didn’t want to get on my bike just yet and what would follow that particular response to an innocent question is The Awkward Silence, something that can only be cured with the disembarking of one of the parties or the offering another trite conversation starter.

“Toronto.”  I replied finally.

His eyes widened.

“Toronto?  On that thing? No Way!”

I laughed and nodded my head.

“Good luck to you.”  I said.

I thanked him.

“Bet you’ll have some amazing stories to tell,” he said.

“That’s what I’m hoping for!”  I grinned.

The man turned onto his back and gazed up at the sky.  It wasn’t sunny today… there was a bit of an overcast, but there were flecks of blue peeking through the clouds.  A typical British Columbian day.

“You know, we have this amazing world.  Right here.  All around us.  There’re blue oceans, green trees… all the food, oxygen and company you could ask for.  There’s nothing more you could possible want in terms of variety and adventure.  When you get bored of one place, you just hop into a car, bus, boat, plane or Vespa and find somewhere new!  Somewhere where they put Dijon mustard on sandwiches instead of honey mustard.  Somewhere where the people speak a completely different language all together and you have to start from scratch in order to understand what they’re saying.  Somewhere where walking on your hands is the norm and not on your feet!”

I won’t lie.  I had no idea what he was talking about.

“And yet,” he continued.  “We want to travel into space.  We want to discover the final frontier.  There’s no food or oxygen up there.  You can’t feel the sand between your toes, or taste the mountain air between your teeth.  Why would anyone leave it all behind it and go into a barren void?  Leave friends and family and loved ones in order to satisfy a thirst for the unknown that could just as easily be quenched down here?”

He sighed.

“You know that there are still tribes in the Amazon that have never had contact with the outside world?  Imagine what that must be like.”

I nodded.

“The person you’re thinking of must be very brave.”

“Huh?  Why’s that?  Stupid is a better word, I think.”

“Leaving everything behind to chase a dream.  That’s not easy.  I would know… but I guess I’m different.  I’m just traveling across a country.”

“But why?  Why does space have to be so far away?  Why do you have to go to space in order to get a kick?  Feet and eyes to the ground kid.  That’s all I can say.  It’s safer.  For everyone.”

I thought.  I chewed my lip and thought really hard.  Then I opened my mouth and began to speak.

“You know how it is when you go without food for a long time?  Maybe you skipped lunch and had to work, so there was no time to eat.  It doesn’t seem like such a big deal at first, but pretty soon, you get hungry.  In fact, when you leave, you’re so hungry you could eat up a car, your shoes… anything.  When you finally arrive home, its dinner time, and you can smell the food from outside on the street.  It smells amazing.  Delicious.  Like the best meal you’ll ever eat in your life.  You rush into the house and plunk yourself down at the dinner table.  Your food is piping hot and waiting for you, so you just dig in.  You eat and eat and eat like you’ll never have food again.  You think that the food you are eating is the best kind of food in existence… that you’ve never eaten anything better than what is in your mouth right now and that nothing on earth could ever compare to the flavours that are erupting on your tongue.  But then you realize that what you are eating is no different from anything else that you’ve ever eaten.  If fact, you had this very meal just a week before.  Yet you cannot remember it tasting so amazing.  I think… I think this is how astronauts must feel when they return home.”

It was the man’s turn to look confused.  I studied his face for even the slightest indication that he understood what I was talking about, and all I got was complete confusion.

“Astronauts look back on the earth when they’re in space.  Look back at the blue oceans and brown dirt and white clouds and think, ‘I can’t remember any of this being quite so amazing’.  I mean, training for a life in zero gravity must be gruelling and exhausting.  It probably doesn’t provide much time to sit back and enjoy a sunrise.  No time to listen to the seagulls and no time to feel the touch of a friend’s hand on their own.  This is like standing outside and smelling dinner when you are ravenously hungry.  And then when an astronaut lands on earth and feels gravity trying to strip the very flesh off their bones, they realizes all that they’ve has missed and how beautiful it always was even before they left.  This is like eating.  I know it doesn’t make much sense… sorry.”

“So, basically… you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone?”

I nodded.  That explanation seemed so much simpler.

“Besides,” I smiled.  “Think of all the stories you could tell after one trip.  That’s a whole lifetime of curling up by the fireplace and listening to tales from infinity and beyond.”

That made him smile a little.  The corners of his mouth pulled up just a tiny bit.

“But it’s so far away…”  He mumbled.

I reached up my arms, hands up to the clouds, sun trying to break through.

“You won’t get anywhere with both feet on the ground.  You have to lift them up to walk.”

We stayed in that position for a little longer.  The man looking up to the sky and my hands pushing up towards it, as if trying to hold up the atmosphere.

“Are we,” I asked.  “Where the earth ends?  Or are we where the sky begins?”

“I don’t know.”  He replied honestly.

“Neither do I.  But either way, that makes space seem just a centimetre closer.”

The man rose to his feet and shielded his face from the glare with his hands.

“Silly girl always had her head in the clouds.  I just miss her.  She’s never home anymore.”

“If she can’t join you on earth, why don’t you join her in the air?”

“I miss her.”  He said again.

I wondered if he had even heard me.  If he had understood me.  Even to me, everything I was saying didn’t make much sense.  It was all a jumble of thoughts and words that spilled out of my mouth like clothes from a tumble dryer.

I left that guy there, in that little patch of green, looking up at the sky for what may have been the first time.  Really looking at it.  Really realizing just how close it really was.

I just got back onto my Vespa and rode away.

People who are grounded are sometimes too heavy to learn to fly.

Responsibility, money, reputation… those things tie us to the earth.  Burry our legs in the dirt.  They’re weights on our feet that often prevent us from even moving forward, let alone fly.

Responsibility, money, reputation… I put all of those on hold so I could trek to the east and chase my dreams.  But there are some things too important to me to completely leave behind.  My friends, for one.  Flying may be wonderful, but flying alone seems kind of lonely.

But that’s what it takes, I think.  To be completely free.

There are people out there who can let it all go to follow their hearts.  Leave it all behind and float up to the stars.  Join Cassiopeia and Orion in their celestial resting places.

Regardless of the sacrifice, however, I still believe that a journey is a journey.  An adventure is an adventure whether is takes place four or several hundred thousand meters above the ground.  Nothing changes that fact that you are looking back at your home and your life through different eyes.

I like the feeling of pebbles and dust under my tires as I roar past fences, houses and gates.  I the like the feeling of the wind in my hair as my Vespa takes me one more kilometre away from the life I know.

Canada’s a gigantic country.  Huge.  Enormous.

The world’s even bigger.

To any one of you reading this, my arms are reaching out to you.  Across cities, towns, fields, oceans and continents.

And the distance between us, if you reach back as well, will become that much smaller.

With love,

Tally.