Download Bonertown and I go on for an hour on how useless Code Geass season 2 was. Lots of spoilers abound, as usual, so listen with that in mind. This one isn’t just filled with spoilers for Code Geass, though– it has Death Note and Gundam 00 spoilers, as well. There’s also a BIG Cowboy Bebop [...]
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Umm…here’s a quick Friday update: There’s a new ‘HYPERTRAILER’ for Death Note II: The Last Name. This is the first time I’ve ever heard the words ‘hyper‘ and ‘trailer‘ together, but I guess it’s a new social media word. I wasn’t sure what to expect out of a ‘HYPERTRAILER’, but here’s the official statement about [...]
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As usual, our worst fears have not been realized. Some people expected a second-rate season this fall, but there are lots of entertaining new anime in various genres.I enjoyed many of the first episodes I've seen, but the two that rocked my soul were Kannagi and ef - a tale of melodies.In ef - a tale of melodies, Oonuma Shin once again weaves his magical visual rhythms into the musical rhythms of a wonderful score by Tenmon and Yanagi Eiichirou. Every frame a masterpiece. This is real art, visual, musical, and dramatic.Stories begin to develop, featuring deep characters with dark pasts and potentially romantic futures. The addition of Itou Shizuka and Gotou Mai brings some recognizable names to the cast of no-name game seiyuus.In Kannagi, the story may seem cliched on the surface -- a goddess moves in with an ordinary teenage boy -- but the animation, direction, and voice-acting are world-class, and elevate this show into something special. This is Tomatsu Haruka's breakthrough role. The nimble twists and turns of her voice are virtuosity with artistic meaning. She's hilarious and real.Kannagi marks the return of director Yamamoto Yutaka, whom Kyoto Animation fired as director of Lucky Star after four episodes. He was an important aesthetic force behind both that show and Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, and he demonstrates the same comic genius here. The episode flows like a stream, moving us smoothly through the story, bubbling up humorous and touching moments just when it should.Those are just the two shows I liked best in a season that looks as if it will give us many good shows.Hyakko is a daft comedy whose protagonists spend the entire first episode lost in their own school. An unusual group of seiyuus all take unusual approaches to their roles: Orikasa Fumiko, Neya Michiko, Hirano Aya, and Ochiai Yurika. But this show is on a knife-edge. It is so bizarre and delicate that it could either rise to sublimity or collapse into meaninglessness at any time. I'll be watching to see which way it goes.Kurozuka through one episode is a beautiful and bloody tale of immortal love, originating in medieval Japan and running up to the present day. Paku Romi, in particular, but Miyano Mamoru with her, are absolutely brilliant. This is a less brutish, but no less brutal, spiritual successor to Claymore, directed by the director of Death Note.Clannad - After Story gives us a large helping of the same melancholy magic moe that delighted fans of the first series, myself included.Vampire Knight - Guilty picks up where the first series left off, in a dark romance soaked with blood and desire. I loved the manga, liked the first series, and liked episode one as well. I've read the manga past the beginning of this series and I'm eager to see animated what I know is coming.Skip Beat! is one of my favorite mangas, and the anime seems faithful to the original. I was not thrilled with episode one, but I was not thrilled with chapter one of the manga, either, so I expect to be borne along on the shoujo tide as we go forward. This is a delightful combination of idol-making with romance and revenge, and its protagonist is fascinating and mutifaceted. I only hope Inoue Marina can bring the character alive.Mouryou no Hako seems like another winner. A mysterious story in which the blood is just little enough for every drop to make an impact. And a touch of yuri never goes amiss. Good voice work from Takahashi Mikako and Tomatsu Haruka, with more Kiuchi Hidenobu (Hei in Darker Than Black, Ren in NANA) to come.I thought Iguchi Yuka was just da bomb in To Aru Majutsu no Index, playing a moe but mature little magical nun. And the male lead was not a mere cipher.Kemeko Deluxe and Macademi Wasshoi! are both deeply bizarre comedies with hilarious animation. And both look to me as if they could be one-episode wonders, with the humor not sustaining in the long run. But their first episodes had me exploding with laughter.Hakushaku to Yousei doesn't seem great, but the lead characters and the story -- Regency romance crossed with shoujo adventure -- somehow captivated me.Toradora is a well-made harem comedy featuring Kugimiya Rie as an even more tsuntsun tsundere than in any of her previous tsundere roles. In Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka, she is a gentler tsundere -- except for that kick. Too bad she is becoming so type-cast. And too bad Akasaka gave me hints of the director's low bluntness and sensationalism. He directed Amenaideyo and School Days.I found some other shows enjoyable to watch: Kuroshitsuji, Shikabane Hime Aka, Yozakura Quartet, Today in Class 5-2. I haven't yet seen Jigoku Shoujo 3 , One Outs, or Bihada Ichizoku.On Thursday, the potentially epic space-opera Tytania begins, as does the new season of Nodame Cantabile. I'm looking forward to both.I think I'm judging these shows at least partly on actual quality, but it's certain that my own particular tastes come into play, so be warned. I loathe monsters and really have a lot of trouble with many shounen memes.This season, many people like Tales of the Abyss, which I found boring and childish. Few people seem to like the highly anticipated Kurogane no Linebarrels, which seemed a train-wreck to me, too. Ga-rei Zero had some well-planned action, but the only thing that really pleased me was the surprise ending.Casshern, however, is extremely stylish, and had some moving and mysterious moments, amidst the meaningless killing and artsy self-importance. I can imagine someone who likes shounen reversing my feelings about ef melodies and this show: one a masterpiece, the other pretentious with redeeming qualities.In any case, these are only first episodes. A lot can happen, for better and for worse, from here on out.
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Here are today's "really cool products" that I've picked out for you, out of the 30+ new items we've added to the J-List and JBOX.com sites today. Note that some products may be "not safe for work" but that all links will allow you to redirect yourself either to the J-List or JBOX.com websites. To see all the J-List products, check out J-List or the JBOX.com updated products link. Hatsune Miku Mixing Box. A super box of cool stuff for the Miku Hatsune lover, including fan book, pencil board, DVD-ROM, and a PVC figure. Stock is limited so get yours soon. Lala Satalin Deviluke 1/8 Figure by Goodsmile Company ~ To LOVE-Ru. To LOVE-ru is a popular anime right now, whose title can be "To Love" with the verb ending -ru at the end, or the word "trouble." It's the story of a princess from space who comes to Earth to marry a normal Japanese boy, although he's got a childhood friend that isn't too keen on the idea. This figure is positively gorgeous, with hair and appendages going everywhere. Death Note Nendoroid. We've gotten in the popular Nendoroid figures of Misa Amane and L from Death Note, one of the most amazing anime series ever. These highly configurable toys can be put into many different poses -- you can do anything with them! Melissa Seraphy Nendoroid Figure. Also, this awesome Nendoroid figure of Melissa Seraphy from the game Wagamama Capricco has come in and is ready for you immediate order. Good timing, it being close to Halloween and all! Dengeki Daioh Oct 2008. Great new issue of Dengeki Daioh ("Great King"), the 800+ page monthly manga that contains some of the most popular comics from Japan, like Yotsuba&, Shakugan no Shana, Toradora, and one of my favorites, ef, a Tale of Memories. Manga has hiragana written beside kanji to make them easier to read, if you're studying the language, too. KIE - Kateigaho International Edition 2008 Summer. I'll say it again -- KIE is the magazine that every serious aficionado of Japan should totally be reading. A fantastic seasonal magazine published with a perfect bound back that touches on all aspects of Japan's traditional culture and history, this book is awesome because it's all in English. I especially liked the article on how geta sandals are made in this issue. Of course, subscriptions are available if you want to make sure you never miss a gorgeous issue. GENJI MONOGATARI Memorial Stamp Set. A rare treat from the Japanese post office, this is a sheet of 80 yen stamps capturing the beautiful artwork from the Heian Period when the Tale of Genji was written, made to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the work. Hex Bug -- Black. This is really nice item: a robotic bug toy from Bandai called Hex Bug, with six spidery legs. Able to walk forward and sense his surroundings using his antenna, he also has a sensor that can follow sound. The black one has been added to the site. Delicious New Japanese Snacks. As chocolate is back on the J-List website, you can enjoy some great treats, including the delicious layered Sasha Chocolate from Lotte and Van Houten's awesomely named "Dear Cacao." Also, taste Baby Star "wide" ramen noodles with demiglace sauce on them. MOTTAINAI ~ Natural Leaf ECO Style Bento Set. The word mottainai (mo-TAI-NAI) means "what a waste" in Japanese, and the word has been turned into the title of this very green bento box series. We've posted a nice complete bento box set that comes with internal chopsticks and bento bag, as well as a separate deluxe chopstick holder w/case. Happy Bird DECO Mini Sauce Bottle. How cool is this? A pair of bottles for carrying things like soy sauce or that delicious tonkatsu sauce in your bento. They come with stickers so you can give your bird-shaped sauce bottles their own style. Black Light Pen -- Pinky. This is darned cool: a pen that writes in invisible ink that can be read with an included black light. Plus it's kawaii. Mononofu Shinsen-Gumi Swords Collection vol.2 ~ Complete Set (Set of 7, Includes Rare Item). Excellent line of samurai swords from the Mononofu people. These are the actual swords used by the famous Shinsengumi samurai! Very limited stock of several sets for you. More Study Items. J-List is always happy to help people around the world learn more about Japan the best way possible, by learning its language. The Genki series, published by the Japan Times, is the leading Japanese textbook in the world, and we've restocked several of the books including the textbooks, workbooks and answer key. 2009 Anime Calendars. Remember that J-List is fairly swimming in anime calendars right now, with more than 200 anime, cute Japanese idol, traditional photo and other calendars in stock. We especially recommend our calendar lineup to anyone trying to find special gifts to plugged-in young people this Christmas, since we've got so many calendars that aren't available outside of Japan. Hello Kitty Vibrating Shoulder Massagers. These are, ahem, among the most interesting products we've carried in our history. The last stock of these powerful massagers are in stock in San Diego, and we've dropped our prices on them for you. Highly recommended item. Studio Ghibli Plush Toys. J-List has carried plush toys and other items for fans of Hayao Miyazaki since we started our humble little company back in 1996. Enjoy the "Smiling" Totoro Plush, the Totoro Plush Tree and more. Japanese Calligraphy T-shirt - "Sake-bito" (I Love Alcohol). Of course our wacky Japanese T-shirts are always nice to consider as a gift (whether for someone else or yourself). This is one of my favorite designs, SAKE-BITO, a remix of the Okinawan shirts that changes "island-person" to "alcohol-person" (for those who really love to throw some back). Easy Microwave Rice Cooker and Steamer. Eating rice is delicious, but electric rice cookers are expensive and difficult to store. This great alternative lets you prepare rice in a microwave oven. This popular item has been restocked today. Revoltech SFO Ryu Action Figure *Preorder*. The Revoltech action figure series is cool because the bodies can be put in almost any pose you can imagine. The upcoming figure of Ryu from Street Fighter II is simply incredible, the perfect recreation of the character in three dimensions. Pit Girls 07 ~ Super GT 2007. Ah, Race Queens, they are so lovely. And this magazine + DVD is outstanding, showing you all the best stars and racing teams. Queen's Blade Tome of the Ancient Princess ~ Menace (with CD). A great companion to the Queen's Blade "ero" combat RPG / art book series, this is the story of Menace, which comes with great images of her story along with a CD to enjoy listening to. The hot Egyptian queen is one of my favorites! Girlfriend Knee Pillow -- Black. (San Diego) You already know that J-List specializes in what we've come to call "Wacky Things from Japan," items you just can't believe you're looking at sometimes. Today we're posting the last stock of the Girlfriend Knee Pillow, which gives you a place to lay your head after a hard day's work even if you don't have a girlfriend. In stock in San Diego for your ordering convenience. Shunga Ukiyoe Sake Shot Glasses -- Set of 5 ~ Ukiyoe. What could be cooler than little cups for drinking sake? Little cups with shunga ("spring pictures") on them, the famous ero artwork of the Edo Period. (Er, Ero Jidai?) Anyway, enjoy! Yin-Yang! X-Change Alternative. Want to play a really outstanding PC dating-sim game? We recommend Yin-Yang! X-Change Alternative, the wacky new remix of the original X-Change series from Crowd, the story of a young man who is changed into a girl through a bizarre twist of fate. It's the "Game of the Month" right now, so you can snap it up for a great deal!
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[See post to watch QuickTime movie] VIZ just handed me this trailer for the upcoming theatrical release of Death Note II: The Last Name. Don’t forget the film is only running on October 15th and 16th– you can get the full details and tickets here (or you can get your ticket for free at participating Hot [...]
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The winners of the Death Note II: The Last Name Contest have been chosen using a random number generator, and they are: Winner #1: Alicia R. Thomas Though in the beginning my favorite was L, before I knew it, my favorite character became none other than the lead character, Light Yagami/Kira.  He’s my favorite because in [...]
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Don’t foget to enter to win tickets to see Death Note II: The Last Name at a theater near you! The contest ends today at 12:00pm CST!
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We’ve sure come a long way since the beginning, haven’t we? Through the American history, through the Death Note-esque foreshadowing, and through the complexity surrounding the power of Geass - at the end of it all, the conclusion awaits. Was it good? Bad? Did it even make sense? At the moment, mixed opinions are likely [...]
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The Japanese are masters of influencing emotions using voice, and I'm often amazed at the eerie beauty of the voices that enter my ear here. If you watch anime in Japanese, of course, you know how talented the Japanese voice actresses are, and their ability to bring to life a character that would otherwise be (literally) two-dimensional and inert is one of the major attractions of the genre. One of the most popular voice actresses in Japan today is Aya Hirano, who provides the voices for Haruhi Suzumiya, Konata from Lucky Star and Misa from Death Note, and she can do the most amazing things with a character. But the strangely compelling beauty of Japanese voices isn't limited to anime: you can find females who are specially trained to speak in a uniquely soft way in various professions, too, such as female bus guides, who entertain passengers on long sightseeing trips; ground hostesses, those airport employees who call out your flight number in the most delightful sing-song tones; and Japan's legendary elevator girls, the uniformed women who stand in the elevator and announce each floor for you (although they've almost completely disappeared). It's hard to describe the quality of these sweet voices, which are made possible by weeks or months of vocal training -- there's something about the way they dip down and back up again at the end of a sentence that casts a spell over me. But speaking in a cute voice isn't just for a few professions with high customer visibility. I'll never forget the time I called NTT, Japan's sprawling telephone and Internet provider, to get help with some computer hardware I was having problems with. The voice on the other end belonged to an extremely kawaii-sounding female NTT employee, and bastard that I am, I actually expected her to take down my information and then transfer me to some male technician who would tell me how to fix my problem. I was quite surprised when the cute voice quickly proceeded to help me debug my router and fix the TCP/IP problem I'd been having, solving it in no time. I had to hang my head in shame for a while after that.
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Well, so it’s finally time for me to review this thing. Since I didn’t get the chance to review the first season, this review is about both seasons together. Code Geass is your typical Sunrise Mecha Trainwreck. It can be compared to the bastard child of Death Note and Gundam 00 gone horribly wrong, and [...]
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