The latest AMV of the Day is actually one I just stumbled onto on youtube while looking for something that wasn’t even related to AMV’s. I know I would take a hit by admitting that I like the song this video ended up using but dagnabbit it’s a catchy and sweet song.
“The Way You Are” is the title of the AMV by editor xwiz89 who takes scenes from two anime series, Bakemonogatari and Nyan Koi!, and ends up with an anime music video that does a great job highlighting the two relationships which occur in both series. While the video makes the coupling sweeter than how they really appear in the series the way xwi89 edits the video makes that sweetness feel natural.
The title itself was taken from the title of the song by Bruno Mars, “Just The Way You Are”, and while it’s a song that has had it’s legion of detractors it’s still one that I ended up liking when first hearing and I’m going to assume that the AMV’s editor felt the same way. The song just fits the video and, if any, it helps sell both anime series to those who might not have heard about it and still not sure whether to give it a look see.
I was going to pick something lighthearted for the next “AMV of the Day” but decided to save Mr. Satan for a later date when I return to posting more Anime Expo 2012 stuff. So, I chose an AMV that I would categorize as the opposite of lighthearted and could be considered as very dark, indeed.
“Means to an Endgame” is the latest from AMV producer extraordinaire tehninjarox. He picks one of my favorite Florence + The Machine songs in “Seven Devils” and uses it to musically score and highlight just how much of a devil the main protagonist of the anime series really turns out to be. This is not to say that Lelouch is a bad guy. He’s just very focused on taking down his enemies to make the world a better place for his crippled sister. How he goes about this includes committing what he calls evil actions for the greater good.
The video itself does a great job in matching up with the song that one would almost think that Lelouch (the man in the black armor and cape) was the villain of this piece. While I’m not like fellow anime contributor pantsukudasai in that mecha doesn’t do it for him, I myself don’t mind mecha anime and it was mecha that first brought me back to the artform during the mid-80’s. This video just shows just how far mecha anime has gone from just being about pilots in giant fighting robots fighting it out. Code Geass has it’s share of mech fighting but it also has a strong, dramatic narrative that blurs the distinction of who the good guys and bad guys are.
Just like another great AMV producer in Chiikaboom, one tehninjarox has become a favorite of mine with each new video he releases. This one definitely make’s my favorite list.
Slowly, but surely I’ll be posting more and more of my experiences over at this past Anime Expo 2012 and the latest “Song of the Day” was a song that began one of the highlights of the Expo.
The song is “The Battle Is To The Strong” by Japanese composer Yuki Kajiura for the anime series Fate/Zero. It’s one thing to listen to this song when it plays during the series and even when listening to it as part of the official soundtrack, but to hear it live in an auditorium was a different experience altogether. The song is a mixture of choral symphony with modern rock. Kajiura’s vocal quartet that she chose for her solo work with FictionJunction provided the vocals in the song with longtime band member Koichi Korenaga handling the electric guitar work throughout the piece. His guitar solo which begins around the 1:46 mark got a huge response from the audience.
What made this song stand out is Yuki Kajiura’s work as it’s composer. Unlike ome of her contemporary who have done soundtrack and score work for anime and video game she’s quite eclectic in her stylistic choices. This song is a perfect example of how she’s able to combine both classical styles and hard rock influences and make them work well together. She’s quite similar to one of the masters of the Japanese music scene in Nobuo Uematsu who also defies being pegged as just a composer who sticks to one or two styles.
The only thing that would’ve made this song sound even better and the experience infinitely more memorable was if the concert had been held at the larger and more acoustically sound concert venue in the Nokia Theater, but the X-Games had taken over the area (another reason why the X-Games was the bane of most of the Anime Expo attendees).
With the recent announcement, it’s fitting that the anime being recommended today is of the best known magical girl series in the US, and possibly the world, Sailor Moon.
Sailor Moon is one of those rare anime that can be considered legendary. Years from now, people will likely have forgotten the latest fanservice filled fluff show (not that there’s anything wrong with them) but consider that it’s been nearly 10 years since Sailor Moon has had any exposure on television, and it’s still one of the most beloved franchises ever. Sailor Moon, along with Dragon Ball Z, and Gundam Wing, can be credited with really kick starting the anime boom of the late 90’s, early 00’s here in the US. This was all thanks to Cartoon Network putting them on what was then a prime cartoon block, Toonami. Unlike the current version of Toonami, which airs in the wee hours and only on Saturday, this block was shown Monday – Friday and during the after school afternoon hours. Millions would rush home to tune in and watch these crazy “new” cartoons from Japan. But Sailor Moon had already gotten a foothold in the US. It wasn’t nearly as successful, but a full 3 years prior to its appearance on Toonami, it had arrived on syndicated broadcast. Sadly, due in large part to poor time slots, the show didn’t have the success that was hoped. But that all changed when Turner broadcasting picked up the rights and eventually put it on the Toonami block. The rest is history.
The show itself wasn’t particularly unique. The magical girl genre had existed before Sailor Moon, and unfortunately, it didn’t see a major boost after Sailor Moon. One might think that Sailor Moon was just the right show at the right time, but such a thought would be a great disservice to the story that was crafted by Naoko Takeuchi. Her story of a young girl growing up from a crybaby to a strong young lady is one that is still enjoyable to this day. It emphasizes the importance of friendship and teamwork, and the cast of characters is largely so likeable that you can’t help but root for them. Even some of the villains turn out to be sympathetic characters from certain viewpoints. The fact that the show got 5 seasons, 200 episodes plus 3 movies a handful of specials and OAVs, a live action show, and 25 musicals, is a testament to its popularity.
Why you should watch:
This is overall just a thrilling series to watch. Deep down you know that good is going to triumph, that Sailor Moon will come out on top, but when you’re in the moment, sometimes you just don’t know! A prime example is in the first season. Normally I try to avoid spoilers in my posts, but this is a 20 year old franchise. Still, spoilers ahead. Ready? I warned you. Ok, in the climactic battle in the first season, all the Sailor Soldiers except for Sailor Moon herself die. Don’t worry! They get better. Even though the butchered English dub version goes to great lengths to edit their deaths out, somehow you just know that they died. In the original version, you clearly see their heroic deaths, and it leaves such an impact that it’s a shame it was edited out. While character deaths aren’t uncommon in anime being broadcast in Japan, it was almost unheard of for a children’s show to have that kind of content here in the US. That kind of uncertainty leaves you on the edge of your seat. The battles between the Sailor Soldiers and the villains are just that compelling, and neither side comes across as being much more overpowered than the other. The cast of characters is large enough to where you can find someone that you want to root for, and someone you can’t help but hate (I’m looking at you, Chibi Usa!). It runs the whole gamut of emotions, from happiness to sadness and everything in between. When a show can make you feel something for the characters, especially an animated show, then you know it’s been done right.
Why you shouldn’t watch:
Playing Devils Advocate is difficult for me, because if I say you should watch it, then frankly I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to. However, this is first and foremost an anime for girls. And it’s made for younger girls than I’d wager a good amount of our readership is. The show, especially in the early episodes, spends a decent amount of time with some of our heroines having stars in their eyes, dreaming about boys. It’s very pink, and it’s very sparkly, and I certainly wouldn’t judge any guys who just can’t stand that much girly stuff. (wimps) Also, it is 200 episodes long, so this isn’t nearly as tightly written as the manga. There are a lot of episodes featuring a “monster of the week”, basically a one shot monster that is an underling to the main villians which is there just to be dispatched by our heroines. The show could easily have been condensed down to 1/3 or so of the episodes and still told the same story. So the original should only be tackled by those that have a lot of spare time. 200 episodes isn’t something you can tackle in just one sitting.
With the announcement of a new Sailor Moon project, while there’s only speculation at this point, the prevailing thought is a more accurate to the source material version with much of the filler cut out will be in the works. Much like what Dragon Ball Z did with Dragon Ball Z Kai. Along with Kodansha releasing the Sailor Moon manga here, this is looking to be a new golden age for Sailor Moon. Whether or not the new anime will be able to recapture the magic from the first is unknown, but you owe it to yourself to familiarize yourself with the original, and find out just why it was so responsible for a generation of girls and boys becoming anime fans. And I’ll end this now with a word from our main heroine:
News that should make fans of Sailor Moon fans everywhere happy has been reported by Anime News Network that the storied mahou shoujo franchise will make a return with a new tv anime series. The announcement was made by idol group Momoiro Clover Z, the series’ publisher Kodansha and it’s creator Naoko Takeuchi and that the new anime adaptation of Takeuchi’s work will return in the summer of 2013.
This news has been greeted very positively by those who remember fondly the original set of anime series which aired over in Japan and around the world from 1992 thru 1997. Even now the series continues to make constant reruns on syndicated tv worldwide with the iconic Sailor Scout characters still some of the more popular anime characters cosplayed by both male and female.
There’s no word on whether the original voice actors of the earlier seasons will return to reprise their role, but for now fans of Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon are just ecstatic that a brand-new series will be making it’s way back onto the tv airwaves in a year’s time.
Honestly, I try to keep this column a surprise to Arleigh. I hate when the owner of this site knows exactly what I’m going to post. However, with the recent announcement from Aniplex USA that they will be releasing this title on BluRay, I can’t very well ignore this awesome title any longer.
The problem with this title is, it’s very hard to talk about without spoiling things. Every girl here has a very important story to tell. The overarching story here is how our protagonist, Koyomi Araragi, interacts with the various girls in the series. The thing is, every girl has her own problem that he must solve. Since I hate spoilers as much as the next guy or girl I’ll refrain from going too in depth to what everyone has to overcome. The best parts would have to be Mayoi Hachikuji and Suruga Kanbaru. Luckily for all, the BluRay of this series will be available later on this year from Aniplex America. Really, nothing else could do this series justice than a BluRay release, so I cannot help but be thrilled for this. What I can say about this is that you need to be prepared to do a lot of reading. People say that this is a very wordy title, and while I don’t necessarily agree with them in the fact that they think the dialog comes fast and furious, I do agree that the dialog is the most important aspect of the show. There is a lot of Japanese puns and wordplay involved, and this title is not for the newly initiated to the anime scene. Those that are used to reading subtitles won’t have too much trouble keeping up, but this is certainly not a title one can passively watch and expect to fully understand.
The thing to keep in mind is that if this show seems strange, by anime standards, it probably has a lot to do with the director. It’s directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, who also directed the very unconventional Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and his influence is easily seen in both. There’s not a lot of action in Bakemonogatari but the visual imagery is classic Shinbo. He makes full use of a lot of surreal backgrounds during long conversations, so instead of letting things get stale with long stretches of just the characters standing around talking, which as I said before they do a lot, he’ll at least have the background flashing by and changing often during those times. On one hand, it’s certainly a cost saving measure since they didn’t have to animate the characters, but more importantly it makes it seem like something is actually happening, even when it’s really not. In a visual medium like anime, nothing bores people more than just staring at the same thing for long periods of time, so this helps keep any feelings of boredom from setting in. For a show without a lot of action, to be able to keep it from feeling dull is where you need a talented director, and Shinbo truly shines in this case.
So what worked with this anime? Well, it has attractive and interesting characters. Each story draws you in and makes you want to see what happens next. While you assume that each girl will have her problem solved, this is a Shinbo show, so there are no guarantees that the problem will be solved, or even if it is that it won’t create further problems. And that’s part of the fun of this series, expecting the unexpected.
What didn’t work? Well, if you want lots of action and explosions in your anime, you’ll find little to none of that here. This is a very character driven show, so if you find you dislike or don’t care about some or even all of the characters, then you won’t find much here of value.
All in all this was a pleasant surprise to me when I watched it. The light novels it was based on have been very popular, but since I don’t follow the light novel scene very closely, this was unexpectedly good. If you want an anime that draws you in and keeps you hooked with a compelling story, then look no further than Bakemonogatari.
To say that 2010’s Highschool of the Dead was the hit anime series for that season would be an understatement. It’s a series that about a bunch of Japanese highschool students trying to survive the sudden onset of the zombie apocalypse. You’d think that would be enough to pull in the audience, but no the Japanese anime studios needed to really hook the audience and they did so by turning it into an ecchi-fest that’s just a couple steps lower from turning into hentai.
What better way to mark the latest “AMV of the Day” that makes perfect use of LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It” song than using an anime that’s got an overabundance of sexy in your face. There’s nothing else to say other than just sit back and enjoy the finished work of Mystic Shaek.
The latest “AMV of the Day” is another in a long line of videos using one of the more popular anime series of the past couple years. Toradora! is one of those romantic/comedy slice-of-life anime that always tugs at the heart strings. It’s no different with this anime as we see with the series’ two main characters in the tiny Aisaka Taiga and Takasu Ryuuji.
This time around it’s a straight up ballad of a video from the point of view of Taiga as she contemplates her true feelings for Ryuuji during the holidays. AMV creator HiddenFlowerDesi picked a very appropriate song to convey Taiga’s feelings with the song “Everytime We Touch” by the German Eurodance group Cascada. Instead of using the more upbeat version of the song the Yanou’s Candlelight mix of the song was used to better use the slower tempo to fit the video and also to put the focus on group singer Natalie Horler’s evocative singing.
Time for a new “AMV of the Day” entry and this time I found one that combines one of my favorite songs of the last couple years with an anime series that I’ve grown to like very much.
“War” is the title of the song and the AMV created by saberslayer. I grew to love this song after I first heard it play during my play-through of Remedy’s Alan Wakepsychological-horror game. As for the anime series Valkyria Chronicles this was something that I wasn’t sold on when I first found out it was based on the PSP strategy rpg of the same name. Not being a major fan of anything Sony gaming-related I just dismissed the series as just another attempt by Sony to push the PSP since it wasn’t selling as well as it’s rival the Nintendo DS. Well, to my surprise I tried the series and ended up really liking it.
The video really captures the feeling of the song with the backdrop of a world that’s a mix of World War II Europe with anime-style techno-magic. Saberslayer does a great job in keeping much of the hyper-editing cuts that many amv creators have fallen in love with. While the video still uses some graphical flourishes like making certain scenes play out in sepia-like tones the rest of the video is pretty straightforward in terms of editing and it allows for the song’s tempo to match the video’s pacing. Saberslayer could easily have sped things up but to the detriment of the song and the video’s overall emotional impact.
This is one AMV creator I shall keep my eyes open for whenever they release a new video.
For the latest pick for “AMV of the Day” I went into moe-overload. The latest amv chosen is “Disco Heaven”.
I am not what you would call a fan of Lady Gaga. The fact that I actually picked this particular has less to do with Lady Gaga’s song “Disco Heaven” being used but more on the anime the creator used to make his video out of. JudgeHolden does a great job in picking the right scenes from so many different anime titles. Even the choreography from each chosen scene matched almost in-synch with the song’s tempo and beat.
Interesting how a song I would never catch myself listening to actually ends up being catchy when married with so many moe-related anime scenes.
Anime: Amazing Nuts! (OAV), Angel Beats (TV), Baccano! (TV), Birdy the Mighty Decode (TV), Excel Saga, K-ON! (TV), Lucky Star (OVA), Lucky Star (TV), Macross Frontier (TV), The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV), Mnemosyne – Mnemosyne no Musume-tachi (OAV), My HiME, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (TV), Princess Resurrection (TV), Rosario + Vampire Capu2 (TV), Sekirei (TV), Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Parallel Works (MVs), xxxholic
Through the Shattered Lens 