アニ・ノート

He keeps posting, but all I can say, the lead screencap is prettier this time than in the previous instances (e.g. rebar in the face). Can’t say anything else, his posts on PreCure are opaque for anyone who’s not watching it too. Maybe it’s Sailor Moon where Venus bashes everyone with a piece of rebar, maybe not. I’m a bit intrigued, but probably not enough to check it out. My old database entry says “Illustrations on Neorosi site. But low ratings? ANN @4.” I don’t think I’ll find again what Neorosi’s work about PreCure impressed me at his site. It was years.

For those who’re into that kind of thing, Beta Waffle has a post up that takes a more palatable view on failures of Tokyopop and how ViZ applies its lessons. I didn’t even read what Omo wrote, his title was too clever and my eyes glazed over trying to parse its numerous “is-es”. Anyway, I’m not very interested. I poke at light novels, manga, VNs and other good stuff from time to time, but always return to anime (or returned before Nanoha). But other people like DiGiKerot do it. And then there are gamers.

Japanophile Isle reports on another Cease-and-Desist for an unlicensed show (Canaan) sent by BayTSP’s robots. BayTSP is well known for this kind of thing. In fact it’s even known outside of anime (for DoSing, too).

The BayTSP case brings to light the problem outlined in the paper “Large Recording Companies v. The Defenseless: Some Common Sense Solutions to the Challenges of the RIAA Litigations” by Ray Beckerman, published in The Judges’ Journal, Volume 47, Number 3, Summer 2008. As long as this behaviour continues, the people have the moral authority to download anything they want if they can get away with it. The answer from the media companies seems to put the screws to their own customers. Well, if that’s how you want it… Meanwhile the sales of DVDs continue to trend down and Hulu sucks as usual.

Jinx (ephasis mine):

Umineko started reminding me of the Moomin episodes with the Hobgoblin, except that at least the Hobgoblin’s pretty badass with his flying panther and shit.

I only read the books and the only character in them with a flying panther was the Magician/Wizard. He was pretty badass, but try as I might, I cannot tell what he’s saying about Umineko.

Somehow I didn’t end up liking the characters of Tokyo Magnitude enough to actually care if they die or not which isn’t that good when watching a survival series.

Ouch.

CANAAN is just Madlax all over again, which in turn was effectively a rerun of Noir. So just watch Noir, at least the heroines in it are less annoying.

I knew it.

GA Art Design Class is actually pretty damn good but subbed by slow and anything but steady Ayako.

Well, duh.

No mention of Juuden-chan, Yoku Wakaru Gendai Mahou and Taishou Yakyuu Musume. How comes?

UPDATE: Omo writes: “Comparing [Canaan] to Noir is just plain misinformation that should be corrected.”

I received my True Tears from RACS, 10 days ahead of the revised street date, and a few weeks after the originally promised release date. Oh well, at least it’s here. I remember the announcement, and how a number of people (especially among inhabitants of #animeondvd) loudly proclaimed that Bandai would not last long enough to release True Tears. Hope the crow they are eating now is not very tasty, for pedagogical purposes.

Now that it’s here, I’m hesitant to watch it. It was an impulse purchase, and those usually end poorly. Back in the day bloggers generally were positive, but that guarantees nothing. Bloggers were positive about Nanoha too.

Instead I got into watching Honey and Clover at Hulu (a twit by Otou alerted me). It seems ok. However, Hulu is not ok. In particular, taking screencaps for blogging is difficult, since Hulu throws an alpha-blended “Play” button into the middle of a paused video. Bah, humbug.

Back when Owen blasted so-called “poseurs”, I expressed significant doubts that many people were dumb enough to try learning Japanese from anime. I certainly never had enough success with it; it was fun, but the rate of adoption was such that my natural death were certain to interrupt the curve before any meaningful results. But as I was preparing to pay my $699 for the Fall 2009 Japanese 411 at UNM, DarkMirage coincidentially proclaimed:

After all, I did learn Japanese (JLPT 1 certified) by watching anime — totally true story.

Take it however you will. I still think Owen was trolling.

In the post titled “GA is pretty much the best show this season isn’t it?”, Kuro exhalts:

A slice-of-life show that is original, funny, entertaining and informative without being boring. That’s what my impression of GA Geijutsuka Art Design has been like. It’s pretty much the best show, comedy and entertainment-wise so far from the crop of summer anime, and I already am impressed by quite a number of other shows this season.

So far so good, and I’m inclined to join him, but then:

Best part about the show is how informative it can be, and from the first two episodes I’ve already learned some interesting bits of trivia just from seeing the characters talk about their lessons. []

This is the primer on the usual “I know it’s good but cannot explain why” (I saw a V.decent teatrise on the phenomena at Kaedrin, but cannot find it anymore). I’m quite sure Kuro does not watch a comedy show because it’s informative, but it’s what he can blog about it.

What really seems to happen is a humorous take on various elements of arts education. The creators jump off things which may be somewhat exotic, like the spectrum of pencils, or may be mundane, like the orange’s skin, and then either develop them or mash them into the gag. GA works a lot more with it than either Hidamari or Sketchbook did, at the expense of iyashikey content (that is basically absent in GA). The necessary exposition then creates the “informative” aspect onto which Kuro grabbed. But it is far from being the best part of the show, merely the basis for the best part of the show.

Who knew that post-apocalyptic wasteland was so cool. But jokes aside, it was a nice little anime with half-length episodes. Even when it turned to action/emo/conspiracy plot, it stayed the course.

The two disposable playbots were adorable. Cartoony, true, but no more so than everyone else in the show.

Liked: Yes
Rewatch: Hardly

Notes (spoiling, but Kurocomm deserves it):

01 Spike breathes (heavily) despite being a robot with inorganic body.

01 Cleric speaks in shortcut repeating animation. So quaint.

02 Also, quaint standards of fanservice and modesty.

03 Robots drink tea? uh ok.

03 They have a running water and sewer.

04 Haruka’s stupidity is getting annoying. How old is she anyway?

05 Reeves sounds exactly like Leeron.

07,08 Beach Episode in post-apocalyptic wasteland.

14 emo robots

15 Plenty of editing damage at the scene change, anime was kept on celluloid film.

16 Rambo action and batshit crazy Kanato

19 Uncanny resemblance for GiTS (1995, so earlier than Kurocomm)

21 I knew Alice & Lilith were disposable. Also, sound like Allison & Lillia.

24 A&L are revived. I’m all conflicted. Love little buggers, but what about the significance of it?

24 And a little epilogue. Only one child though, that’s kinda weak.

Continuing World:

[WAH] makes some valid points, but delivers it in typical wah fashion, which polarizes most bloggers to lash out instead of actually listening.

WAH’s insolence and arrogance built a legend, I commend Schneider for finding words to describe its effect without placing epithets. And I have to admit, I was tempted to re-post the picture of Arashi holding the apple for the great irony. BTW, WAH did post the link to the inspiration album cover, eventually.

UPDATE: Ryan mentioned image blogs.

Omohide:

I watched the first two episodes. This series has the best score (background music) I have heard this year, even better than Cross Game. It uses a primarily orchestral palette of sounds, but often with pentatonic melodies (naturally evocative of traditional Japanese music). Very fitting as a backdrop to this show. I’m always happy when I come across an anime which doesn’t just copy and paste the same old stock music.

Cool.