Category Archives: Anime

Anime

Studio Ghibli Fest 2018

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Hey guys! I know it’s been a while, my apologies, but I thought you all should know about this!

Fathom Events has been putting this Studio Ghibli Fest on and it is GREAT. I went to it over the summer and then a few months ago they brought it back! They play one every month, towards the end usually. They’ve even expanded the number of participating theatres. (I’ll provide a link for this fathom event at the bottom). You can still catch some of the titles like Princess Mononoke which is this weekend 7/22 (Dub), 7/23 (Sub), and 7/25(Dub). Sunday’s showings are dubbed, Monday’s are subbed, and Wednesday’s are dubbed. There is a difference narrative wise between dub and sub, I took my mother to see dubbed Proco Rosso and my friend to see the sub version and it changed the story quite a bit. Either is great but I suggest seeing both if you can!

Ponyo, The Cat Returns, Porco Rosso, and Pom Poko have already passed but you can still make Princess Mononoke (July), Grave of the Fireflies (August), My Neighbor Totoro 30th Anniversary (September/October), Spirited Away (October), Castle in the Sky (November).

If you can’t make these showings, or the one you wanted to see has already passed, don’t worry. I’m sure they will keep doing these showings because the last round had Totoro, Spirited Away, and Castle in the Sky as well. So, they all cycle back through I think.

Tickets are $12.50 across the board for all ages (with whatever convenience fee if you purchase tickets online. Tip: If you have like an AMC card it will wave your online ticketing fee). For the big name ones like Spirited Away, Totoro, Castle in the Sky I would buy your tickets ahead of time. When I went and saw those three and Howl’s Moving Castle last summer we purchased tickets online and had to change locations once because the other theatres were sold out.

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I’ve been taking my mother to all of these ever since last summer and it’s become a great mother/daughter thing we do every month. She’s never seen Studio Ghibli or anime before until I started taking her to these so she’s gotten to know my world more and it’s been a lot of fun for the both of us!

So grab a friend or family member, or hey, go by yourself if you’d be more comfortable and go check out this amazing event!

You can find all the showings here at Fathom Events GKids page. Have a great day guys!

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Anime, music

Anime Soundtracks

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If you watch anime, then you know that it can have some of the best music. Especially they’re intro and outro music. In this post, I’ll share five of some of my favorite anime music with you (and perhaps persuade you to watch some of them).

  • One Piece – We Are

This was one of the first animes I had ever seen when I was a kid and this song is still one of my favorites. It’s upbeat, fun, and charming. The song perfectly reflects the core of the show and its characters. Pirates, superpower like abilities, and adventure. What more could you want? Honestly, if you haven’t seen One Piece you should go watch it.

  • Inuyasha – Change The World

Inuyasha was another one of my first animes and welcomes you into the world of fantasy with this bright and gung-ho song. It’s a hopeful little song that is just bursting with energy and feel (bit like the show itself). It’s sure to cheer you right up and brighten your day.

  • Blue Exorcist – all openings

Okay slightly cheating on this one, cos this video has all three openings themes but they are all just SO GOOD and I couldn’t pick one. These all have this sort of this breaking free vibe. They’ve got this nice catchy beat that just makes you want to dance (and we have, trust me). These ones are also incredibly fun to sing along to.

  • Mushishi – Shiver

Mushisi is one of the most beautiful animes that I have ever seen and it’s opening themes reflect that, but this one is my favorite one. It’s just so relaxing and inviting. You feel like you can just sink into the music and let it engulf your senses and transport you somewhere else. If you’re looking for something calm and relaxing then this is the way to go.

  • Bleach – D-tecnoLife

It was incredibly hard to pick just one because ALL the music from this show is just amazing. It was between this one and the first and fourth intro. (AKA go check them out) Again, just so many feels from this! It just gets you pumped up and gives you that I can take on the world type of feeling. It’s one of those that keeps you coming back to it.

 

Okay, so that’s all for today. I really enjoyed this one so if you guys like it I’ll do some more anime music ones and explore some more intros and maybe some outros and in-show themes as well. These are some really great animes so I highly suggest you go check them out. Have a great day guys!

Anime

Viral Video: (One Piece AMV) Centuries

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So, today is viral video day. And the viral video we’re looking at is a One Piece AMV. This one is called (One Piece AMV) ♪Centuries♪ by animejumper on YouTube. This video was published September 25, 2014. In October it dramatically spiked until December then it took another spike in February 2015. This videos continues to climb in views everyday. Currently there are 3,355,046 views, 23,789 likes, and only 344 dislikes. (But honestly I don’t see how you can dislike this video.)

The clips used in this video are from: the One Piece TV series, Strong World movie, One Piece movie Z, One Piece special Tears of a Navigator and Episode of Luffy adventure on hand island. The song is Centuries by Fall Out Boy. This YouTuber did a phenomenal job editing these clips together to fit the music. Like, I give major props to the creator of this.

Animejumper joined YouTube February 25, 2007 but didn’t start posting videos until two years ago and has published 24 videos since. All but 2 are amv’s, which we’ve previously said is called an Anime Music Video. Most of them consist of One Piece videos but there are some Attack on Titan and a few other anime ones on there. Animejumper has 8,067 subscribers
3,813,768 views to date.

One Piece, as I’ve previously stated, I love One Piece and when I found this I couldn’t stop watching. I kept hitting the replay button over and over again. I still watch at least twice a week. I love the song and I love the way that they edited it to go with the music. Honestly, if you’re a fan of One Piece then I highly recommend that you watch this video. And, you should check out some of the other things that Animejumper has made.

Enjoy the video!

(info from YouTube and Google Trends)

Anime

One Piece! (Our Journey Thus Far)

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“Wealth, fame, power. Gol D. Roger, King of the Pirates obtained this and everything else the world had to offer. And his dying words drove countless souls to the sea, “You want my treasure? You can have it, I left everything I gathered together in one place. Now you just have to find it.” These words lured men to the Grand Line in pursuit of dreams greater than they’ve ever dared to imagine. This is the time known as the Great Pirate Era.”

“One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since July 19, 1997; the individual chapters are being published in tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997, and the 76th volume released as of December 2014. One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a young man whose body gains the properties of rubber after unintentionally eating a Devil Fruit, and his diverse crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy explores the ocean in search of the world’s ultimate treasure known as “One Piece” in order to become the next Pirate King.

The chapters have been adapted into an original video animation (OVA) produced by Production I.G in 1998, and an anime series produced by Toei Animation, which began broadcasting in Japan in 1999.

Additionally, Toei has developed thirteen animated feature films, two OVA’s, and five television specials. Several companies have developed various types of merchandising such as a trading card game, and a large number of video games. The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media, in the United Kingdom by Gollancz Manga, and in Australia by Madman Entertainment. The entire anime series was first licensed by 4Kids, which due to poor reception, shifted in 2007 to Funimation for an English-language release in North America.

One Piece has received widespread critical acclaim, primarily for its art, characterization, humor and story. Several volumes of the manga have broken publishing records, including highest initial print run of any book in Japan and the first book to sell over three million copies in Oricon history. As of 2013, the series had over 345 million volumes in circulation worldwide, making it the best-selling manga series in history.” (Wiki)

One Piece is an anime that Kaitlyn and I (Kendall) have started watching. I had first been introduced to it back when I was in middle school and had watched it regularly, but as I got older and had more responsibilities I had forgotten about it. That is, I had until last semester when I started watching it again. I then proceeded to introduce Kaitlyn to the world of anime (the poor dear). Now, this wasn’t the first anime we had seen but this is the biggest one we’ve tackled yet. This is an anime that is still running, and to date there are  683 episodes.

Since we started from the beginning we have made it through the first 47 episodes. We’re almost finished with the East Blue Saga and only have Loguetown Arc and Warship Island left to get through before moving on to the Alabasta Saga. Probably should have stated this before but anime episodes are a half an hour long each, so 47 episodes is 23.5 hours.

This is one of my favorite anime’s among Inuyasha and Blue Exorcist. One of the things that got me hooked on this show, and later hooked Kaitlyn, was the family aspect that Luffy and the others have. We love these guys. Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji. (Yes I know others join later but for now we’re sticking with these guys). They’re loyal and dedicated to one another. They each have their own dreams but are united by Luffy, this lovable, loyal to a fault, and sometimes naive kid.

Now, I don’t want to spoil it or give anything away but honestly if you haven’t seen it yet I highly suggest you check it out. Both English Sub (subtitled) and English Dub (dubbed) are provided. Personally my favorite crew member is Zoro. Now, overall I can’t pick just one favorite. Currently I have three favorites: Zoro, Shanks, Mihawk, and Whitebeard (he comes later in the show). On that note I think we’ll end this here, but let us know what you think about this show. If you have seen it before then tell us who’s your favorite character?

Anime

Studio Ghibli: The Beauty of Miyazaki’s World

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Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation film studio based in Koganei, Tokyo, Japan. The studio is best known for its anime feature films, and has also produced several short films, television commercials, and one television film. It was founded in June 1985 after the success of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), with funding by Tokuma Shoten. (Wiki)

Studio Ghibli films are beyond words, phenomenal can’t even compare to how amazing these films are. First off, these films are gorgeous to look at. Their animation style is one of my favorites and the use of colors and lightening is amazing; they create such magical and wonderful looking places. Secondly, the music is so beautiful. The music alone can move you to tears. Then there’s all the fantastical looking creatures, ships, buildings, and what not. They’re all so marvelous looking and leave you in awe. And lastly, the characters and the story. The characters in these films touch you and the stories break your heart. Miyazaki doesn’t pull punches. He lets you have it and isn’t afraid to crush your feels.But because these films have such a rich variety of characters, stories, and meanings it’s hard not to get sucked into them.

While there are others that work in Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki is, in this groups opinion, the best. He’s brilliant and we adore his films the most. We do love some of the non-Miyazaki films though, such as The Cat Returns. Also, we’re not completely through the list of Studio Ghibli films. The only Studio Ghibli films we’ve seen so far are Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns, Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Castle in the Sky. We plan on seeing them all, but this all the further we are.

The main characters of these films aren’t perfect, their flawed, and even some of their “villains” are redeemable. Now, Studio Ghibli’s villains are not as black and white as most children’s film villains. Actually, Miyazaki stated in the documentary The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness that not neccessarily all of the films were intended for children. Miyazaki tells whatever story he wants to tell though he is pushed towards the children’s genre. I can tell you as a 20 year old that Spirited Away (the first Studio Ghibli film I ever saw) means something totally different to me now then when I first saw it at the age of 9.

If you need numbers or facts before believing that Studio Ghibli is a place of genius then here’s some facts that you can take to the bank. Eight of Studio Ghibli’s films are among the 15 highest-grossing anime films made in Japan, with Spirited Away (2001) being the highest, grossing over $274 million worldwide. Many of their works have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award, and four have won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year. Four of Studio Ghibli’s films received Academy Award nominations in the United States. Spirited Away won a Golden Bear in 2002 and an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film in 2003. (Wiki) There’s also a Studio Ghibli museum located in Inokashira Park in Mitaka, a western city of Tokyo, Japan. (But I’ll save that for another post.)

Sadly on August 3, 2014, Studio Ghibli announced it was temporarily halting production following the retirement of director Hayao Miyazaki. (Wiki) However, this type of thing has happen three times before. Miyazaki loves to create these films but he hates working with all the politics of film. Apparently, he’ll go on retirement for a while and then he’ll miss it so much that he goes back to it. Hopefully he’ll make more because the world needs more films like Miyazaki’s.

Below you can find a list of all of Studio Ghibli’s films. If you really just want to jump head first into the world of Ghibli I highly suggest starting with Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. I started with Spirited Away as I previously mentioned, but for those of you who have watched Studio Ghibli films: What was your first Studio Ghibli film?

  • Castle in the Sky
  • Grave of the Fireflies
  • My Neighbor Totoro
  • Kiki’s Delivery Service
  • Only Yesterday
  • Porco Rosso
  • Pom Poko
  • Whispers of the Heart
  • Princess Mononoke
  • My Neighbors the Yamadas
  • Spirited Away
  • The Cat Returns
  • Howl’s Moving Castle
  • Tales from Earthsea
  • Ponyo
  • The Secret World of Arrietty
  • From Up on Poppy Hill
  • The Wind Rises
  • The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
  • When Marine was There
  • Ocean Waves (Television Film)
Anime

Blue Exorcist (Ao no Ekusoshisuto): Give us more!

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“Blue Exorcist/Ao no Ekusoshisuto is a manga written and illustrated by Kazue Katō. The manga has been serialized in Jump Square magazine by Shueisha since April 2009, with individual chapters collected into thirteen tankōbon volumes as of July 4, 2014.

The story revolves around Rin Okumura, a teenager who discovers he is the son of Satan born from a human woman and is the inheritor of Satan’s powers. When Satan kills Rin’s guardian, Rin decides to become an exorcist in order to defeat his father.

The series was adapted into an anime television series by A-1 Pictures during 2011 and adapted into an anime film (Ao no Exorcist Gekijouban) in December 2012. Viz Media has licensed the manga for North American production, with the first volume released in April 5, 2011. Aniplex of America also released the anime’s DVDs in English regions.” (Wikipedia)

Now, before you start condemning and calling for a priest let me stop you and tell you why it’s actually a really great show. It’s got a phenomenal story line, wonderful and lovable characters, and visually looks gorgeous.

Yes the main character is the son of Satan and they fight demons with ill intent who try coming into the human realm. But this isn’t necessarily a new concept. First there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then the spin off Angel, and then along came Supernatural. All of these are about fighting demons, things that go bump in the night, and whatever unsightly things that crawl out from the pits of hell.

Blue Exorcist is an anime if you haven’t gotten that already, and it’s main character isn’t some hardened and worn out tough guy. Rin is actually a sweetheart and easy going. Sure he’s short tempered and if he loses his cool he bursts into blue flames and he grows some fangs and a tail, but that’s beside the point. This show really focuses on team work and creating a family out of a group of people.That’s the beauty of anime and manga I think. With all the anime’s I’ve seen so far they take a group of different characters, all of which come from different backgrounds and have different personalities, and bring them together through trials and pain to create a family. Plus there’s the beautiful looking intro’s and outro’s and those addictive, catchy songs.

Right off the bat this show hits you in the feels and it keeps kicking at them throughout the series. Rin is constantly being looked down on for being the son of Satan, but he didn’t ask to be. He never asked for the power that was given to him. After a life changing event, he vehemently goes after Satan with the intent of killing him. He constantly reminds us, and those around him, that he doesn’t want to see anyone else get hurt or die because of what he is. Friendships are formed, the bond of brothers is tested, and faith and hope are tried.

Currently there are fourteen volumes of the manga, the anime series has two seasons, Blue Exorcist: The Movie (Ao no Ekusoshisuto: Gekijouban), several small 2-3 minute shorts that you can find online, A stage play based on the series titled Live Act Ao no Exorcist ~Mashin no Rakuin~  ran for nine performances at the Nippon Seinenkan hall in Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward from May 11 to 17 during 2012. *Note this is on YouTube but it is not in English, it is also really cheesy but good for a laugh if you want. If you were expecting for it to be epic and amazing looking then I’m sorry but you’ll be sorely disappointed.*  A light novel titled Ao no Exorcist: Weekend Hero was written by Aya Yajima and illustrated by Kato. It was released by Shueisha on September 2, 2011.A visual novel for PlayStation Portable, Ao no Exorcist: Genkoku no Labyrinth was released on April 26, 2012 by Bandai Namco Games. (Wikipedia)

All in all it’s a wonderful show that we really loved and enjoyed. We desperately wanted more anime but alas that is not the case. I mean come on, reading the manga’s is great but there’s nothing like actually getting to see your characters come to life and be given a voice. So check it out and tell us what you think about it! We promise that you won’t regret it.