AMV of the Day: Demons of the Past (Black Lagoon: Roberta’s Blood Trail)

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Arleigh

Some turmoil of the personal kind of late, but that won’t stop me from sharing a new AMV that has caught my eye. The latest “AMV of the Day” comes courtesy of one TheLastSamurai2011 who seems to realy enjoy making a particular type of video.

This particular AMV creator loves the anime series Black Lagoon and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s an anime series that’s pretty much great not just because of all the crazy gunplay and hand-to-hand combat action, but for the fact that it’s most badass characters are pretty much all women. These ladies are not your typical cutesy “magical girl” types that’s popular with many anime fans. No, Black Lagoon has ladies that range from psychotic, sociopathic, unstoppable killing machines to just plain old badass.

This AMV focuses on the tragic backstory of one of the series’ most intriguing characters. Roberta could only be described as a lone wolf killer. Her violent past and the tragic loss of her original family was only tempered by being taken in by a soldier who molds her to become the protector of his son. Things happen as they’re wont to happen in violent tales. Roberta’s psychotic side soon becomes unleashed on those who has destroyed her adopted second family and she’ll carve of blood trail to find those responsible.

This video does a great job in telling part of her story.

Anime: Black Lagoon: Roberta’s Blood Trail

Song: “Releasing the Demons” by Godsmack

Creator: TheLastSumaria2011

Past AMVs of the Day

Horror AMV of the Day: Yurei

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Arleigh

We have another new AMV of the Day for the current horror month and this time around it’s a sort of mixtape of some of the more recent horror anime.

“Yurei” pretty much takes two of the most recent horror anime in Another and Mirai Nikki and combines it with one that’s more supernatural romance than horror in Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, but still shares the previous two titles’ dark fantasy roots. The song itself is one of the musical compositions created for another horror anime, Jigoku Shoujo aka Hell Girl, by Japanese composer Takanashi Yasuharu. So, this video is pretty much horror on horror and while it’s not the full on bloodbath (though one must watch both Another and Mirai Nikki to see just how off that statement truly is) one would associate with horror nowadays it’s still quite an appropriate video for this month’s theme.

Anime: Another, Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, Mirai Nikki

Song: “Jigoku Nagashi” by Takanashi Yasuharu

Creator: ThePooh

Past AMVs of the Day

Horror AMV of the Day: Bloody Ayase (Oreimo)

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Arleigh

Here we are once again with the wonderful month of October. This means the place gets an extra dosage of horror in everything we can think of. For my first horror-themed post I shall go with the latest “AMV of the Day” and this time it’s an aptly titled video: “Bloody Ayase”.

This particular AMV takes the cute, romantic comedy series, Oreimo, and subverts it by way of clever editing, song choice and some additions like blood splatters to turn it into an obsessed crush. This video actually does a great job in showing the anime personality type called yandere. It’s the obsessed and mentally unhinged lover or ex-lover who doesn’t want to let go and will kill anyone, even the target of their affection, if it means keeping them away from others.

The only thing this video doesn’t have is a pot of boiling water with a rabbit inside.

Anime: Oreimo

Song: “E.T.” by Katy Perry

Creator: Cheeseharry

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: Event (Nichijou)

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Arleigh

The past year or so I’ve been enamored and addicted to an anime series which came out in 2011. This anime is Nichijou and it’s one of the funniest, most confusing and irrelevant piece of entertainment I’ve ever seen. So, it’s only natural that the latest “AMV of the Day” comes from Nichijou.

The AMV is simply called “Event” and it goes a different route when it comes to the song used. It’s creator, JustRukia, doesn’t use techno, rock or pop songs as the foundation for the video, but instead goes for a more classical base. One wouldn’t think that Jacques Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld” aka the Can-Can song would fit in well with this irreverent anime, but it so does.

This is the third AMV I’ve posted that uses Nichijou and I don’t think it will be the last. The previous two were just as funny with “Safety Dance” being the first and “Affective Schoolgirls” the one before this one. This latest just continues the tradition of well-done and hilarious Nichijou AMV’s.

Anime: Nichijou

Song: “Orpheus in the Underworld (Can-Can)” by Jacques Offenback

Creator: JustRukia

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: Star x Crossed (Romeo x Juliet)

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Arleigh

The latest “AMV of the Day” is from an anime adaptation of one of the Bard’s most beloved work: Romeo and Juliet. There was an earlier chosen AMV from awhile back that also used this anime adaptation and one I consider a big favorite. Well, I found another well-made AMV using this same series and this time instead of taking the symphonic metal route for choice in music the video goes old-school 80’s rock ballad.

“Star x Crossed” combines both Romeo x Juliet and the classic Roxette rock ballad from the 80’s, “Listen To Your Heart”, to great effect. The song itself actually fits in perfectly with the anime which takes the star-crossed couple of the title in a fantasy setting. The series combines romance, drama and action in equal amounts. In fact, I would guess that the anime version of Juliet is less damsel-in-distress and lover-in-waiting and more an equal or surpasses Romeo in both character development and skill.

The video itself shows scenes of Juliet not just as the object of Romeo’s affection, but also someone who can hold her own in a fight. Plus, she’s a redhead which should make Lisa Marie happy as long as she doesn’t start trying to do sword-fighting like the character in the video.

The video’s creator is sinycatarina and it’s been an eye-opener finding her work in the AMV scene. This creator is very good and I’ve already marked another of her video’s for a future installment.

Anime: Romeo x Juliet

Song: “Listen To Your Heart” by Roxette

Creator: sinycatarina

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: Protectors of the Earth (Shingeki no Kyojin)

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Arleigh

The latest AMV of the Day has taken Japan and the rest of the anime-watching world by storm. I’m talking about the horror-action series Shingeki no Kyojin (“Attack On Titan”) that’s based on the manga of the same title by Hajime Isayama. This particular AMV uses the tried-and-true song “Protectors of the Earth” by Two Steps from Hell.

What is Shingeki no Kyojin?

It’s horror combined with dark fantasy, action and drama. It’s pretty much about whats left of humanity hiding behind massive walls that’s suppose to protect them from the giant humanoid-looking Titans who have no other goal but to devour every human they come across. It’s what would happen if you crossed the zombie apocalypse with giants instead of shambling corpses.

This video by LTTuall AMV does a great job of using the track from by Two Steps from Hell to create an action-packed anime trailer that shows some of the reasons why this anime series has become so popular so quickly.

Anime: Shingeki no Kyojin

Song: “Protector of the Earth” by Two Steps from Hell

Creator: LTTuall AMV

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: Let Them Eat Rei (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Arleigh

In honor of GLaDOS’s cameo in Pacific Rim as the A.I. voice of the American Jaeger, Gipsy Danger, I’ve chosen an oldie, but goodie AMV from 2008 as the next “AMV of the Day”.

This has to be the very first AMV I’ve ever seen and it was in the spring of 2008 when I attended my very first anime convention with Anime Boston 2008. The video had won Best In Show and Best Drama. It used scenes from the very popular mecha anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, but more important to the convention attendees was the song used for the video: Jonathan Coulton’s “Still Alive” featuring the voice of GLaDOS herself, Ellen McClain.

“Let Them Eat Rei” was the name of the video and it does a great job in combining some of the dark humor from both the song and the anime, but also it’s more darker dramatic aspects. When I think about it I’m not even sure if this video had won Best Drama or Best Comedy, it could’ve won either in addition to Best In Show.

Anime: Neon Genesis Evangelion (Death & Rebirth), Neon Genesis Evangelion (End of Evangelion)

Song: “Still Alive” by Jonathan Coulton feat. Ellen McClain

Creator: jbone

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: Sorry for being Hercule, Sincerely Mr. Satan (Dragonball Z)

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Arleigh

It’s been a slow week but there’s always room for some new AMV.

This latest “AMV of the Day” comes courtesy of 2012. It was a hit from pretty much the moment it hit the convention scene and beyond. It’s won so many AMV awards from 2012 that it’s probably been forced to retire from competition to give other videos a chance at winning. It’s the big comedy AMV of 2012 from l33tmeatwad and it dares to turn one of the greatest anime characters ever created into one of the sexiest ones by way of LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It”.

It’s one of the shorter AMV’s I’ve chosen, but what it lacks in length more than makes it up in awesome sexiness.

Anime: Dragonball Z

Song: “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO

Creator: l333tmeatwad

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: Fidelity (Wolf Children Ame and Yuki)

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Arleigh

I posted just recently a new anime that people should be watching. I mean watching like this very moment if they find a copy of it. The anime I speak of is Ookami Kodomo Ame to Yuki (or known to those of us who don’t speak Japanese as Wolf Children Ame and Yuki). It’s from this anime that the latest “AMV of the Day” comes from.

Over this past weekend was the annual anime and otaku gathering in the Northeast called Anime Boston. Site writer pantsukudasai56 attended the con and had himself a King of a time. As part of the yearly con ritual would be the viewings of AMV nominees and the announcement of which videos won which categories at the con’s closing ceremony. This year one particular AMV caught the attention of pretty much every attendee who saw the video. It won in the Best Drama and Editor’s Choice category. Just watching the video I can see why it won in these two categories and was surprised it didn’t win Best in Show as well.

“Fidelity” was created by AMV editor Xophilarus and pretty much does a great job of emphasizing the dramatic aspects of the anime. It’s not difficult to do so since this anime is quite the tearjerker. What really puts the video into great level is the song choice. “King” by Laura Aquilina is such a beautiful song and fits very well with this anime. I could describe in more detail why this song fits this anime perfectly, but it’s better to just watch it and try and keep the waterworks from leaking.

Anime: Wolf Children Ame and Yuki (Ookami Kodomo Ame to Yuki)

Song: “King” by Laura Aquilina

Creator: Xophilarus

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: Nothing to Lose (One Piece)

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Arleigh

Awhile back site editor pantsukudasai56 wrote that the term “epic” has been overused and lost all its meaning. Everything and everyone has been called epic when most do not truly deserved the label. He did say that if there was anything which truly deserved the label of being “epic” then it would be one of the longest running manga and anime series: Oda Eiichiro’s One Piece.

It’s from One Piece that the latest “AMV of the Day” comes from. To be even more specific it’s from one of the most epic story arcs in the series that the latest chosen AMV originates from: the Marineford Arc (aka Paramount War Arc). It’s a story arc that lasts as long as most anime series (30+ episodes) yet is just a fraction of the current total number of episodes already shown. No other piece of entertainment has had such a long-running success which it continues to this day.

Not much else to say other than watch why this series deserve the title of “epic”.