Seirei no Moribito - Review

Let me begin by saying this: Whatever I say, whatever my opinion, there's really no way I'll be able to make justice to this masterpiece with this review. It's just that good. And it may overall be the best anime to come out this year. You owe yourself a favour to see it.

Seirei no Moribito, or Guardian of the sacred spirit; Is a book franchise now turned series about the mystical world of Nayug and the earthly world of sagu. Two worlds endlessly entwined in peaceful coexistence.

Balsa is a female spearwielder from a far away land, and a traveler in a voyage of redemption. Early in her life, lives were sacrificed for her sake; And to atone for her sins she will save lives of equal number to ease her concience. Even if this feat pits her against the royal court.

With only one life left to satisfy her debt, she's charged to protect the youngest heir to the royal throne. She's to guard him from his own father.

Inside him lays the seed of a demon that will bring drought and poverty to the kingdom if left to grow. But the pain of a mother and a duty of honor are all it takes to defy destiny and begin a journey that will shake the foundations of a nation to it's core.



What I love about this series is the human factor. Really, all characters act human, and all have good qualities. All of them are honor-bound, all exhibit maturity or growth and all of them are well developed withouth the need of silly quirks or gimmicks. Seirei no Moribito is based on a book, and it shows. There's nothing over the top, nothing excessive and certainly, nothing lacking here.

Hell, The series even doesn't go to the lenghts of "we're saving the world". Not at all; this is the life story of a woman of character and the boy she's been charged to protect. A tale of responsibility and growing up, a tale of faith and virtue. The world "epic" gets thrown here and there wherever there's strife shown in fiction, but I can tell you this: The word is well worth it's four letters to describe Seirei no Moribito.

And oh boy! The characters are great. Balsa herself is the hottest warrior character ever. She's got more balls than all wannabee spiky haired anime heroes together. Yet they managed to write her feminine and down-to-earth without taking away the fact that she's strong as nails. She is in short, a true woman of character; Something you rarely see in anime.

And you're in luck. Scholastic has a contract to publish the books in english. I myself will start saving for them. Give yourself the treat of the year and get Seirei No Moribito. It's an excellent product that will leave you wanting for more, yet satisfied with a well rounded series that is to be remembered.

And the production was handled by Production I.G. So you know you're getting quality.

Seirei No moribito gets 5 out of 5 stars of Seriously hot spearwielders.


You get a trailer:

And an opening with a funny engrish song:

Baccano! Review

I'm a sucker for stories that take place during the prohibition era. Don't know why, But I love the historical period. Heck, I would have loved to live during that age of turmoil and well-dressed people. And that's why Baccano! was one of my most anticipated series of 2007.

I could say Baccano is about 2 retard lovers that cause unsuspecting troubles everywhere they go. I could say it's about a dominance war between the most influential mafia families of New york. I could say it's a murder story set during a train hijacking. I could say it's the unfortunate story of a no-good man and his compassionate sister. Or that it's about Immortal alchemists and a ragtag band of thieves led by a crybaby.

Guess what? Baccano is about ALL of those last topics. Like a tropical smoothie, the mix actually manages to blend so many genres into one hell of a story that deserves a second go to be understood fully (as the narrative is presented in a non-linear way that is bound to confuse many).

Ok. And since there's not really a way for me to present a good story synopsys without spoiling the hell out of it, I'm going to tell you that you should get your rear in gear and download/torrent/import (whatever floats your boat) this 13 episode rollercoaster. You won't regret it.

Those that don't care about spoilers, Proceed.

------SPOILERS AHEAD ------

The story really begins a long time ago. A group of Alchemists and scientists, looking for eternal life, Summon the devil to grant their wish aboard a ship in the middle of the sea. And their wish is granted, albeit with certain rules.

1-When you wish to die, allow one of your immortal companions to "eat" you. And give him your knowledge.
2-You will not use false names in front of your brethen.
3-One of you will remain with the knowledge to create more of the eternal life drink.

But looks like life unending is unfit for humans. After treason, murder and strife storm the once peaceful ship, a covenant between immortals is achieved. They are to separate trough the world to ensure their survival.

And During the prohibition era in the United States, Immortals converge, Immortals die and Immortals are born. All in a series of entwined stories that have only one thing in common: Survival.



One last warning about this series; It's bloody. And we're not talking about "wow! That's a lot of red paint" bloody. No, We're talking about gibs, headshots, brains, torture, masochism, sadism, bloodbaths, gore, and a million ways to die while riding a train.

If you can look beyond the gory bits, this series is a definite favorite for anyone seeking an interesting anime. The amount of characters is staggering, yet all of them get good development and screen time. And even if some of them start as bothersome (like the two retards and the crybaby), they all end up having a good place in the story.

Baccano! gets 5 out of 5 stars of bloody immortal cammorristas.

And you get a spiffy opening:

Witch hunter Robin - Review

One of the first full series I watched when introduced to anime was Witch Hunter Robin. And since you never can have enough of the good things in life, and the fact that I'm prone to nostalgia... Here's another review of a good series.

WHR is goodness all around. From the mysterious stories to the supreme characterizations, the series distills originality and entertainment. The story goes something like this:

In the near future there exists a secret international organization called "Solomon". It's purpose is to track the Witch gene. A genetic/paranormal strain that will give dangerous powers to the one being awakened by it. Solomon tracks, finds and terminates witches, protecting society from magic and supernatural threats.



STN-J, a branch of Solomon is welcoming today a new member. Robin Sena is the one to fill the vacancy left by a former hunter killed in action. A special kind of hunter, she's master in the witchcraft art of the "Craft". And as the saying goes: Fight fire with fire.

Amon, a prodigious hunter now partnered with the newcomer Robin hunt witches and solve cases together while we get to know all the members of the strange and secretive STN-J brand. In contrast to the main branch, STN-J does not kill the witches they hunt. Instead, they neutralize their powers with strange vial/crucifixes filled with a substance named "Orbo". A strange liquid Robin takes a disliking to.

Work is hard. Work is good. For 13 good episodes we are treated to a sort of "X-files format" paranormal thriller of hunters and the hunted, getting to know the cast and their quirks. Like Robin's strange firestarter powers, and her disliking of much needed spectacles. And her growing (if a bit cold) attraction towards Amon. But soon, things go wrong. Very wrong.

Soon, things take a turn to the worse and a game of cat and mouse sends Robin into a quest for truth into a world where not even oneself is what it seems. And before long, Robin will begin to discover anew her powers, her destiny, her legacy and her faith.

WHR is a wild ride of thrillers and mysteries into a world of paranormal deceit and those that fight for or against the supernatural. It's a wonderful ride filled to the brim with questions and answers and characters that may not look what they are, but are nevertheless a riddle and deceit. For Robin's world is a world of deceit against faith. Of good against evil, and the proverbial gray shades between them.

Really, if you're into supernatural/religious thrillers or just want one hell of a good, quality series to watch. Witch Hunter Robin might just be the thing for you. Enjoy the first calm episodes, wait, and be surprised.

Witch Hunter robin receives 5 Inquisitorial star out of five.

And you get the magic of Youtube:

Secret of the Cerulean Sand - Review

When I first started liking Japanese animation (Like a year and a half after I finished High school) I had the good fortune to be treated to unusual/mostly obscure series and movies. So, instead of the usual shit like Evangelion or the sort that first gets shoved into an anime newbie, I ended up seeing some others like Macross plus, Miyazaki's movies and others.

This was by no means one of the first I saw, but came shortly afterwards. I have fond memories of it, and would hate this series to be forgotten. I've always been a fan of Steampunk and Jules Verne inspired works, I myself am trying to get that adventury-feeling for the Videogame I'm producing. Secret of the Cerulean Sand manages to nail it and keep to it while pumping sweet doses of awesome adventure antics.

The story is as follows: Jane, a young lady of the buxton family is a jolly lassie whose biggest dream is to build a machine to fly trough the sky (as most steampunk characters). She's got a great family, lives in comfort and makes a haven out of his blissful existence.

But not for long. The arrival of a terrible letter informs her that George, her eldest and most beloved brother was executed for high treason to the crown. His stepbrother William leaves the family in anger and her father is charged for embezzling. The family suddenly is wrecked and left to wither.

But one day, Jane receives an envelope sent anonymously with a tiny piece of cerulean stone inside, that shows very mysterious proprieties.

Convinced that his brother might be alive, Jane embarks on a quest to find his missing brothers. A quest that will lead her to the far ends of the earth and the dark places below it.

The whole series is inspired by two of Jules Verne´s stories: "Facing the flag" and "City in the Sahara". The style is reminiscent of old series like Future boy conan and the character designs have the exact and healty combination of traditional anime and american flavour.

And It's a great series, it takes off slowly but the tiny details from the beginning (like the tempestous relationship between brothers and the strange complexes William exhibits) add to the outcome of an epic series that spans travels around a mythical 19th century world.

I really recommend this series. The old styled drawings and clumsy 3d might turn some away. The lack of distribution (both electronic and on DVD) will turn away most. But the series is a truly heartwarming epic that'll always stay in my heart. It's an endearing story for everyone.

Secret of the Cerulean Sand gets 4 out of 5 stars of adventuring girls with disobedience issues.

And you get the youtube previews:
Intro:

Ending:

Coraline

An upcoming Stop-Motion film based in the novella by Neil Gaiman.

Coraline is a young, bored girl who discovers that a bricked-up wall behind a door in her flat leads to another world, with another mother, and another father. When she tries to go back, she realizes that her other mother has kidknapped her real parents and she must fight to get them back.

The whole production of this movie sounds quite interesting. It's being shot stereoscopically in 3d for digital exhibition, and many new tools are being created for it.

Too bad we're gonna have to wait till January 2009 for it.

Avatar Season Three

Hey there boys and girls! Avatar: The last airbender is back! Season three: Book of fire will wrap up all events that have lead to the final confrontation with the fire nation. I'm really hoping to be blown outta my socks.

It's really the best modern american epic animation series, so for 20 more episodes there's no reason to miss the conclusion.-

Anime Season Fall 2007

This season's series can be described in one simple word:

Shit.

Not only does everything look about the same, there's nothing really outstanding about the whole season. Really, We've had some great stuff lately! Chevalier D'eon, Claymore (good action at least), Dennou Coil and many others that were either great or had one special quirk that saved them from being called crap.

Really, the only things that look fairly interesting are Moonlight mile and that one about the mahjong players (at least the style is original). But Moonlight Mile is not a new series, it's a SECOND SEASON. After a truly wonderful animated year (so far) I'm truly dissapointed.

I do have a flint of hope for Ghost hound. Still, I guess the only ones that are happy for this shitload of crap are anime junkies, pervs, moe fans and lolicon freaks.

Karas, the revelation - Trailer

The action filled conclusion to the epic series of direct-to-video animation series created to celebrate studio Tatsunoko's anniversary is finally coming:

Horton Hears a Who! - Trailer

From the imagination of Dr.Seuss, a new, 3d animation movie by Blue Sky studios. I'm actually looking forward to it.

Avatar season three: Book of fire

It's been a long wait. But the final season of "Avatar: The last airbender" will wrap up the story in another 20 chapters or so. I'm really excited about how this one will end.

Season Three starts September 21 2007

Heavenly Sword - Animation Prelude

A very stylish animated preview to the Heavenly Sword PS3 upcoming videogame. PLEASE try to see it in full-screen, it's totally worth it!

And it's not Youtube!

Cybersix

Cybersix was an argentinan comic that got made into animated series. I'd love to see it.

Beowulf - Trailer

The CGI Beowulf Trailer has been finally released. Believe it or not, it's all 3d animation(altough the actors look like their 3d counterparts).

Red Garden OVA: Dead girls - Preview

There's a time honored saying that goes: "If it's right, don't fix it." Gonzo animation never heard of it.

And that's why they're releasing Red Garden: Dead girls in OVA format. Because they can't just let a nice story age gracefully. Damn them to heck. I mean, look at the cover! they even added a bit of cartoon smut on there!

And I'm so sad because I am going to see it. Just for laughs, or maybe it IS actually good, but the original Red Garden was all kinds of awesome and I don't think I'll be able to swallow this thing whole. Still, coming 8/08/2007.

Youtube:

Re/Visioned Tomb raider

They'll be releasing them during the month of august. Here's some trailers and snippets to get you excited in the meantime. I hope they release this on dvd or something.

The Big O - Review

He wears black, has lots of gadgets, a butler, an awesome car, is rich...

AND HE IS NOT BATMAN!!!

Nope. He's Roger Smith, negotiator. A much needed job in the amnesiac city of Paradigm. And when negotiation turns to brawn, he commands the behemoth known as the Big O.

The story goes like this: 40 years ago, all mankind lost its memories. On that very day, civilization collapsed. In the domed city of Paradigm, standing below a grim sky; disaster is brewing as the forces of the ancient world are revealed little by little in the mysterious form of memories.

Inspired by retro shows such as batman, thunderbirds, starsky & hutch and 70's spy flicks, The Big O features a very unique (for an anime) aesthetic that combines the modern mayhem of giant robots with the sweet and elegant style of art deco. The series itself also plays like a noir/detective drama with the main character's monologues and existential angst present in every nook and cranny of the dark city of paradigm.

Retro-references run amok in this anime. Even the first season intro song is a homage to Queen's Flash Gordon song. The Big O is also very unique in the sense it was funded by an American company. The first season was left in a cliffhanger, and it looked like a second season was not going to be made. But Cartoon Network gave the money to finish it. Thumbs up for Cartoon Network.

Japanese animation is known for it's lack of respect for genres. The big O combines the art style of American shows like Batman (Many of the Japanese people that worked on the old Batman cartoon worked on The Big O) and Art Deco with the cheesy antics of giant robot anime. Add film noir to the mix, spice it up with mystery and a sprinkle of obscure biblical references, mix, stir and enjoy.

And talk about cryptic! The series really gets confusing and difficult to understand by the end. But it's not all about hard-to-understand psychological mumbo-jumbo. Heck no, The Big O has something for everyone. From the retro style to the loveable characters. From the brooding mystery to the non-stop action. The Big O is a series I recommend Thoroughly. It's one of my all-time favourites.

The Big O gets 5 out of 5 stars of retro goodness.

The usual Youtube:

Psalms of the planets Eureka Seven - Review

I guess the conception for this series was decided in a drunk-stoned frenzy. Else they wouldn't have come up with an idea so totally whacky and outrageous. I mean, it had to be thought about in some sort of booze-party, this is not just the kind of concept you have an epyphany about.

They had to be stoned, yet they actually made the Idea work.

The strangely named "Psalms of the planets Eureka seven" is a media franchise created by studio Bones. It encompasses (so far) a manga series, an anime, 3 videogames and all sorts of paraphernalia. The long-running (+50 episodes) animation series features very high quality animation, nice character designs and funky 70's references everywhere.

And the story goes something like this:

In the future, on a newly colonized planet: Renton Thurston, son of the legendary war hero, Adroick Thurston; Despairs and whines about his simple and meaningless life in a small town. Baffled with boredom and with a yearning for freedom, his future looks really grim.

That is, until Eureka drops from the sky one night. And things go helter-skelter.

Turns out Eureka is the rouge pilot of the legendary Nirvash Type-0, a sort of alien lifeform encased in a robotic body. A piece of equipment that is very valuable to the goverment forces.

And it also turns out Eureka is part of a rebellious anti-goverment terrorist group called "Gekkostate" which Renton idolizes. Also turns out Eureka is a bit weird, also turns out Renton's grandfather has a very important piece that the Nirvash needs, also turns out the leader of the rebels had a relationship with his sister, and also turns out Renton is madly in love with Eureka.

Boy, is he up for a wild ride.

But that really doesn't cover anything about the story. Not by a long shot. Heck, it's not even a proper summary, since the premise and direction changes so much during the series duration, it's one of those series that has to be seen to understand the underlying charm that runs trough every sweet piece of 20 minute cel drawn frenzy.

Now, I can't really say I'm a fan of Gigant robot anime. I mean, I do like the robots and the rampage, but there's gotta be more on it for me to appreciate this kind of anime. I'm very sensitive against cliches. And even trough Eureka Seven can be catalogued in the "Gigant robot controlled by young pilot with severe mental trauma" genre... Eureka Seven manages to spell a fresh and fruity cliche-free smell.

Heck, there's angst and personal sacrifice there as this kind of anime requires, though it's not so over-the-top that it ends up feeling cheesy. The revelations and underlying story are top-notch and the series does get very cryptic and grim near the end. (There's a bit of gore every now and then, so the faint of heart might suffer a slight distaste in watching some episodes).

Eureka Seven is a good example that with enough originality and style, you can take concepts that have been done again and again, and re-paint them again for a new generation, turning cliche into awe inspiring coolness and style.

It's like when they grind stale bread in supermarkets to make that icky-looking sweet-tastin' delicious bread. You don't remind yourself about the ingredients, you just eat it.

By no means Eureka seven is a classic. I wouldn't even say it's artistic (even trough the character designs are very pretty) But it's one hell of a series. Definitely recommended.

Eureka Seven gets 5 out of five stars of teen angst.

And you get sweet youtube love:





Oh... Did I mention the robots surf? No I didn't.

Baccano!

It is out!

Ghost Hound: Preview

Studio I.G. commemorates it's 20th anniversary with Ghost hound. Masamune Shirow and Chiaki Konaka are on the writing along with Ryutaro Nakamura (Serial experiments Lain) as director. Be prepared for a big messes-with-my-mind-story. I still don't like the character designs tough.

The Five Killers

Eric Calderon, producer of Afro Samurai has just published on his web the pilot for "The five killers" To be produced by Gonzo. 12 episodes + 1 extra 1 hour special.



"When the game is death... Kill to live" Sounds real promising.

Denno Coil: Coil a circle of children.

It's kind of like watching Miyazaki/ghibli films + Ghost in the shell. Or something akin.

Baccano! Preview

In the crossroads of the newly renewed american trains during the great prohibition, the lives of many become entwined in one single story.

I'm really excited about it!



Coming July 26

Preview - Joe is Japanese

The true adventures of Joe. Half Japanese, half Irish.

Looks slick. I already want to see it.

Summer 2007 anime series preview

New season, new plethora of anime series. And as it always happens... Most of them are cute/moe animecrap. Yet, there's ALWAYS some cool things to see. My selection is above (Add Kite liberator too).

-TV Premieres/New Seasons-
June:
* Tetsuko no Tabi - [06/24]
July:
* Nanatsuiro★Drops - [07/02]
* BUZZER BEATER - [07/03]
* CODE-E - [07/03]
* Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho - [07/03]
* School Days - [07/03]
* Doujin Work - [07/03]
* ZOMBIE-LOAN - [07/03]
* Mushi-Uta - [07/05]
* Sky Girls TV - [07/05]
* Potemayo - [07/06]
* Happy Happy Clover - [07/06]
* Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai - [07/06]
* Fight Tension☆School - [07/07]
* Moetan - [07/08]
* Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei - [07/08]
* Mononoke - [07/12]
* Zero no Tsukaima ~Futatsuki no Kishi~ - [07/13]
* Shigurui - [07/19]
* Baccano! - [07/26]
* Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho (Season 2 - The Martial Fist Chapters) - [07/27]
* Armored Trooper Votoms: Pailsen Files - [07/2007]
August:
* POCOYO (Season 3) - [08/01]
* Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan 2- [08/11]
* Miyori no Mori- [08/24]
Other:
* Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion (STAGE 24 & 25) - [Summer ‘07]
-Theatrical/Feature Films-
June:
* Kiddy Grade -Maelstrom- - [06/23]
July:
* Genius Party - [07/07]
* Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl: Dialga vs. Palkia vs. Darkrai - [07/14]
* Piano no Mori - [07/21]
* Kappa no Coo to Natsuyasumi - [07/28]
August:
* Naruto: Shippuuden (Movie) - [08/2007]
Other:
* Vexille - [Summer ‘07]

see it with links here:
http://graffit.blogspot.com/2007/06/estrenos-anime-verano-2007.html


*EDIT*

I take it back!!! Devil may cry was a Crapfest of animated feces.

Kite Liberator - Preview

Based on the homonimal controversial 1998 animation film (which is by itself a darker version of la femme nikita) is getting a brand new animated series. Kite liberator is a direct sequel and will probably will be as controversial as the original animation.

To be released sometime this year.

Polo Polo Animated

A Mexican favourite comedian hits the animation scene thanks to re-nowed artist "Bachan".

Master Kush - Preview

"Retired samurai and world-renowned martial arts superstar, Master Kush, is the planet's only hope for survival when the "ICU," IllumiNazi Central Union, planted a diabolical seed to turn over the earth's water supply to an amphibious Alien species at the turn of the new millennium, New Years Eve 1999."

Looks funky and silly yet I want to see it completed.

Tomb Raider RE\Visioned: Keys to the kingdom

Our favourite Tomb raider since Indiana Jones jumps into the animated screen this month in her own cartoon series designed and directed by Peter chung (Animatrix, Aeon flux, Dark fury, Alexander).

Speed Racer - Preview

Speed racer is being adapted into a movie, directed by the Brothers Wachowsky. Due to be released on May 9 2008. They say it's going to be more "kid-friendly" compared to their earlier releases. And yes, there is a monkey included.

Doctor Strange - Preview

Continuing the now-tradition of creating animated direct-to-dvd movies, Marvel comics brings us the Dr. Strange movie.

It's got magic? Hell yeah.

It's got superheroes? You bet.

Pure animated Bliss. Sample the goodness:

Coming next August.

New CG Gatchaman movie for 2008

Oh, classic cartoons. So cheessy, so cool.

If any of you remember Gatchaman (also named "Battle of the planets" and G-force) you'll be glad that it's getting a big re-haul and a new movie (Which I hope it's better than the last animated re-make) by IMAGI (Gave us TMNT and Highlander vengeance).

Concept art has been released:





Taken from:

Studio 4°C - Studio Overview

Japanese animation is a great industry. Humongous to say the very least. But all great established industries have two problems: The first one is that the bar is always being raised in quality terms. The second, is that it produces many derivative products that have nothing to add to the genre, artform or at very least provide decent entertainment.

And that's precisely why Studio 4ºC is such a landmark of Japanese animation. Going beyond all Aesthetic barriers and animation conventions, inventive and creative yet successful in a saturated industry.

It was founded by legendary animators Koji Morimoto, Eiko Tanaka and Yoshiharu Sato in 1986. They have become known for pairing the free spirit of independent festival animation with the mainstream anime aesthetics. They advocate the superflat style and manifesto, mostly supported by Koji Morimoto.

Studio 4º C has produced the following: (list taken from wikipedia)

Feature Films

* Memories (1995)
* Spriggan (1998)
* Princess Arete (2001)
* Mind Game (2004)
* Tekkonkinkreet (2006 - December 23)
* Genius Party (2007 - July 7)
* Sachiko (2007 - Announced)

TV Series

* Urarochi Diamond (2000)
* Piroppo (2001)
* Tweeny Witches (2004)
* Kimagure Robot (2004)

Original Video Animation

* Noiseman Sound Insect (1997)
* Eternal Family (1997)
* The Animatrix (2003)
* Hijikata Toshizo: Shiru no Kiseki (2004)

Music videos

* Ken Ishii - "Extra" (1996)
* The Bluetones - "Four Day Weekend" (1998)
* Glay - "Survival" (1999)
* Ayumi Hamasaki - "Connected" (2002)
* Ligalize - "Pervyi Otryad" ("First Squad") (2005)
* Utada Hikaru - "Passion" (2006)

Destino - Salvador Dali

It was begun back on 1940, and was released this past 2003. A collaboration between Disney and Dali; Destino.

Enjoy:

A Gentlemen's duel

A cause worth fighting for!

The old man and the sea - Classic Short

The Old man and the sea was created back on 1999 by Aleksandr Petrov. It's of course, based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway. An award winning film made with a Painstakingly complex technique called paint-on-glass-animation. Basically, they painted an oil painting on a glass situated below the camera and moved the paint (considering that Oil paint takes a long time to dry) to create the animation.

Part1:

Part2:

Oban Star Racers - Series Review

Oban star racers was first born as a short animation that would Skyrocket "Sav-The-world" production studio to embark on a small journey of financing and promotion to bring molly to the small screen in her own 26 episodes animation series.

Oban Star Racers is a france/Japan co-production created by Savin Yeatman-Eiffel and animated by Sav the World! productions(France) and Hal film Maker(Japan) with the 3d Cg handled by Pumpkin 3d.

Yeatman-Eiffel took his sweet time to create the series. That's because he wanted to strike a deal that would still allow him to have control as the creator, all to shape Oban into the series of his dreams. And in a very nice industry case of dreams do come true, the series started airing after nine years of work.

Plot:

In the near future, an intergallactic war between the first sentient species discovered by man; The krogg and the earth forces erupts. Years after the terrible war, it seemed like the earth defense forces managed to attain victory against all odds, repelling the Krogg from earth Orbit.

Enter Eva. A feisty orphan planning a daring escape to find his father: Don wei, owner of Wei racing corp. After finally escaping and infiltrating his father's company: She finds that his father does not remembers her at all and takes up on the alias of Molly and enrolls as a mechanic. Soon, things go Helter-Skelter as goverment forces require the aid of the Wei racing team to compete in an intergalactic race organized by a misterious god-like beign known as the "Avatar".

Of course, things never are what they look quite like and never end as expected, and Molly/Eva embarks on a journey to discover the secrets behind the invasion, her mother's tragic accident, the identity of the avatar and many other revelations that encompass the entire universe.

It's a very heartwarming series with a very cool ending. True, it's a racing-themed series; but the characters are so well thought and the story is so tightly woven that it manages to be one of the most fun series I've ever seen. Besides, the designs are very cute and original.

Oban Star racers gets 5 out of 5 stars of Racing Wayward Orphans.

Youtube Opening:

Corto Maltese

I would review it but I saw it a long time ago on HBO. And never saw it again. It's very hard to get the dvd too, and no one seems to be torrenting the thing.

I've always liked the comic books created by Hugo Pratt.

Les Triplettes de Belleville - Review

From the 1930's style cartoon parody of the opening sequence to the closing credits, this movie is an impressive tour-de-force to the eyes and a pleasure to see. I never get tired of watching it again and again.

Written and directed by Sylvain Chomet, it is an award winning 2003 animated film (also released in the UK as Belleville Rendez-vous). The majority of the film is told trough songs and pantomime. It was produced in France, Canada and Belgium.

The story is about a boy, his fascination with bikes and his ever-loving and supporting grandmother. When he is kidnapped by two strange men in black during the tour de france and swept away to the high-rise city of belleville; Grandma embarks on a quest to find his beloved champion, aided by the singing trio of the triplets from Belleville. It is a beautiful movie that manages to be fun, beautiful and unique. It's just one of those movies everyone should see.

Les Triplettes de Belleville gets 5 out of 5 stars of cyclist kidnapping Mafiosos.

Musical video by M

Asterix and the Vikings - Review

Asterix and the vikings is a high quality feature film produced in France and Denmar, Directed by Stefan Fjeldmark and Jesper Møller. And it's an adaptation of Asterix and the Normans (written by the legendary pair of Goscinny and Uderzo) with some major changes to the storyline.

I have a saying that goes like this: "French animation is always good news" and good news this movie is indeed. Masterfully realized, fun, true to the Asterix comic's spirit and nicely paced. The animation is awesome, the script is funny, the action is well done and the movie is a truly worthy successor of the classic Asterix animation films. Heck, I liked this movie even more than the classic Asterix toons.

Oh, and please Stay for the credits. There's a lot of in-movie jokes and interesting illustrations on them.

Asterix and the Vikings gets 5 stars of roman bashing and viking ship sunking.

Obligatory Youtube Trailer:

Lucky Luke - Preview

This December the 5th, an old franco-belgian comic legend hits the big screen again. The cowboy that shoots faster than his shadow is reborn into animation form once more. I recall having seen the animated series as a kid sometime.

Anyway, French animation is ALWAYS good news.

Azur et Asmar - Preview

Michel Ocelot is better remembered by his work on the animation clasic Kirikou and the Sorceress. And Azur et Asmar is his latest animated masterpiece.

A movie description from Wikipedia:

Once upon a time there were two children nursed by same woman. Azur, a blonde, blue-eyed son of a noblewoman and Asmar, the dark skinned and dark-eyed child of the nurse. The nurse tells them the story of the Djinn-fairy waiting to be released from her chamber by a good and heroic prince. Brought up together they are as close as brothers until the day Azur's father cruelly separates them, banishing the nurse and Asmar from his home and sending Azur away to boarding school. Years later, Azur is haunted by memories of the legendary Djinn-fairy, and takes it upon himself to journey all the way to Asmar's homeland to seek it out. Now reunited, he finds that she has since become a successful merchant, while Asmar is now a member of the royal guard. However, Asmar also longs to find the Djinn-fairy, and only one of the two youths can be successful in their quest.

The movie is actually now available on DVD and has been shown with english subtitles in some animation festivals.

Tales from Earthsea - Gedo Senki

Released in Japan on July 26 2006, this movie is the directing debut of Goro Miyazaki, the son of the infamous animator Hayao Miyazaki. It's based on the Earthsea cycle of novels by Ursula K. LeGuin.

You have to thank the Sci Fi channel and it's Crappy adaptation retaining the rights for everything Earthsea for this movie not appearing on american (american continent) teathers anytime soon. The UK will get a nifty DVD release this coming august 3.

Meanwhile, we can always Youtube.

La Reine Soleil - Preview

La reine Soleil was released this past april in France and It's based on the book "La reine Soleil" by Christian Jacq (1988)

Interesting enough, it's digitally made using the Anime studio suite. I can't wait to see it.

Much Obliged Youtube post:

Persepolis - Preview

Persepolis is the upcoming animated film based on the graphic novel of the same name. It was actually writen and directed by the author (Marjane Satrapi) and a man named Vincent Paronnaud. It's the story of a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

It will be released on June 27. Check out the trailer! both my girlfriend and I are excited about this piece of work.

And you get a trailer:

Highlander Vengeance - Review

• Boobage: Check
• Ultra Violence: Check
• Swordfights: Check
• Hunky guys: Check

Yes. This movie definitely has the "touch" of director Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Who also did ninja scroll and the ever-amazing Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Written by David Abramowitz and produced by the near legendary studio Madhouse.

I actually approached this movie with little expectations but loads of curiosity. But what I saw was one of the coolest anime films of the year. I really expected the story to suck, but the story actually does it's part and ends up leaving a very nice feeling of "Wholeness" in you. And it goes something like this:

Colin Mcloud has been searching for Marcus Octavius along the ghost-druid Amergan, in a never ending quest for the revenge of the murder of his lover centuries ago on the celtic plains.

Colin's fight is one that has been waged in the background of every great war of humankind. From the destruction of Rome to the bitter future of a post-apocalyptic New York city... The wars of man have been entwined with the struggle of revenge waged between Colin and Marcus. Marcus wants to create Rome again and again, and Colin is bound to destroy his ambitions, not ever quite achieving his revenge.

The battle reaches it's climax in a distaster-struck New york city-state where Marcus threatens to rule out the remaining rebel fighters that oppose his iron grip by releasing a killer virus. With Colin as a trump card, will the Rebels be able to stand and win the fight or will Colin run blindly towards revenge, abandoning those that trust him blindly?

Technically, Highlander is all you would expect from Madhouse studio. Incredible backgrounds, well achieved CG, Awesome character designs and fluid animation. It's a feast to the eyes and the story is good enough to keep you glued to the screen. I really expected this movie to be cheesy and B-grade, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it actually is a very fun action movie I'm not bothered to watch again.

The movie itself is distributed by Manga entertainment and was originally produced in english. The dub is really nice too.

Highlander Vengeance gets 4 our of 5 stars of immortality and beheading.

Trailer: