Love Exposure

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I can’t even remember how Love Exposure made it onto my Lovefilm rental queue, then the discs sat on my desk for the best part of a fortnight. Before you read past the jump I should warn you that it’s a very long film (the commercial release is four hours; the director’s cut, which I haven’t seen, clocks in at six) and it’s not one for the easily offended.

The plot synopsis is hard to summarise but at its core Love Exposure is a coming-of-age romantic comedy. Its intertwining plot threads feature graphic gore and manga-style violence, domestic strife, panty shots, teen angst, sexual and religious taboos and numerous awkward boners. To reiterate: not for the easily offended. It’s still bloody genius though.

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Reading stats: 1078 words, 2 images; estimated reading time 4:19 mins

I-I-It’s not like I regularly read Colony Drop or anything

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I listened to the ANNCast with the editorial team of Colony Drop recently and found it to be an interesting listen. The interview used the site’s noteriety as a springboard for questions on a number of relevant issues from conventions to Danny Choo but it clarified a few things I’d been wanting to say about their approach to blogging and the fan community as a whole.

My personal opinion is coloured slightly by a personal run-in I had with them a while back but before saying anything else I need to point out that my opinion on the site is more complicated than simple approval or disapproval of what they do.

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Reading stats: 1488 words, 1 image; estimated reading time 5:57 mins

Kaiji makes me want to drink beer and gamble

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It’s been a long while since I last saw Kaiji’s ragged mullet grace our screens (since my old blog, in fact) and given the average lifespan of most anime blogs I’m not sure how many other fans of the first season are still around to enjoy this one. For the benefit of everyone else, I think watching the first season is helpful to know where this guy’s coming from but I don’t think it’s essential in understanding the premise and appreciating what this second one sets out to do.

HE HATES IT

The gritty and unconventional storytelling and aesthetic of Kaiji are refreshing and it’s therefore still a heady weekly dose of ugly, dirty, suspensful badass-ness and, well,  everything that the generic otaku fodder isn’t. The fact that there’s nothing quite like it around right now is as true now as it was way back in ’07…and it still kicks.

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Reading stats: 998 words, 2 images; estimated reading time 4:0 mins

The Next Continent: hard science and a warm heart

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I was planning to write a bit about Lord of the Sands of Time but as engaging and imaginative as it is, the whole affair is a bit short so I can’t really think of much to say about it. It’s an interesting take on the time travel and alternate history concepts and doesn’t take long to read either, so I recommend you read it. I suspected that it wasn’t the best showcase for Ogawa’s writing though; The Next Continent proved my suspicions right.

The upbeat vs. downbeat divide in SF is quite stark to me: many of the former are warnings that depict us as a species on a path to self-destruction. In our environmentally-conscious and cynical times I guess it’s not surprising that this is currently holding sway over the optimistic ‘inspirational’ type that speculates about how we could make our outlook brighter; I personally prefer a mix of both, but The Next Continent thrives on the latter.

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Reading stats: 1171 words, 1 image; estimated reading time 4:41 mins

K-On and the guitar geek

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K-on #27 turned out to be the perfect way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon – it’s amazing how entertainment value can come out of so little. The girls don’t get as far as going on holiday but even the inconvenience of applying for a passport somehow comes across as fun. *shrugs* Since there’s not enough going on to warrant a post in of itself I might as well use it as an opportunity to write about my own angle on the show as a whole.

AKGs and Fender combo HELL YEAH (1)

2DT did a good piece about the evolution of moe and how it relates to K-On and the early days of anime heroines such as those in old-school Ghibli movies, which led to me making some massive rambling comment about the characters. There’s a great discussion going on there if you’re interested but I wanted to make a proper job of elaborating on my comment to 2DT’s article…namely how it’s more to do with the fact that I’m a shameless tech nerd.

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Reading stats: 1264 words, 3 images; estimated reading time 5:03 mins

Praying for Japan and the Pacific

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It’s been a week spent following the news feeds and reflecting on how, so soon after hearing how family members in NZ are setting about rebuilding their lives in the wake of a natural disaster, another one has hit a place that’s so far away yet in this information age doesn’t seem far away at all. The few people I know in Japan are safe and well, for which I’m grateful; I found myself donating a bit to the Red Cross simply because I wanted to do *something* then prayed for the peace and safety of those affected. I’m feeling helpless and frustrated at my helplessness, as many around the world are.

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Reading stats: 224 words, 0 images; estimated reading time 54 secs

Madoka Magica: science is a verb now

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I didn’t find enough time to reply to the comments in my first Madoka Magica post and there’ve been so many plot twists and food for thought since then I feel I need to say more about it. The fan reaction to this show is staggering: it makes Twitter a very dangerous place at certain times of the week but I honestly can’t recall a new anime series that had everyone fired up like this.

Back when I started blogging it was all about Haruhi Suzumiya…and that was the first season before everyone got upset about Endless Eight. For Madoka though the opinions I’ve seen so far have been overwhelmingly positive; while in the NoitaminA slot Fractale has met a lukewarm reception and Hourou Musuko has been excellent in a more understated way, Shinbo’s latest offering has set the fandom on fire…consistently and repeatedly.

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Reading stats: 1124 words, 2 images; estimated reading time 4:30 mins

Rawr~! Godzilla is still the daddy

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It’s embarrassing to admit that I consider myself a fan of Japanese cinema yet have never seen, for example, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. It reminds me of the concept behind I’ve Never Seen Star Wars in that there are some glaring gaps in my knowledge and life experience that need to be filled. Another good example is that I had never sat down to watch the original 1954 movie of Godzilla. Until now.

It goes without saying that Godzilla is a cultural icon; the image of a giant lizard owning the streets of Tokyo is one of cinema’s most enduring images but out of the people who recognise the popular silhouette of this radioactive dinosaur, how many have seen its first silver screen outing? With the aid of my Lovefilm subscription I decided to conduct a little experiment in experiencing a piece of filmmaking that’s around the same age as my parents…and the results were surprising.

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Reading stats: 1095 words, 1 image; estimated reading time 4:23 mins

Mardock Scramble by Tow Ubukata: zawa-zawas, eggs and excellence

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I must admit that getting through a 700+ page novel in little more than a week is a rare thing, even when it’s something I really enjoy. This time I think it was because I’ve been impatiently waiting to read the English version of Tow Ubukata’s Mardock Scramble ever since the first part of the animated adaptation formed the high point of my recent Leeds Film Festival experience.

Another reason is that cyberpunk is a ‘comfort food’ genre for me in that every now and then I feel the need to come back to the William Gibson- and Blade Runner-style neo-noir futuristic thrillers. With a few little quirks and cultural peculiarities aside, this is one of the most intelligent and gripping examples of the genre I’ve had the pleasure to read.

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Reading stats: 1129 words, 1 image; estimated reading time 4:31 mins

Halfway through Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: holy crap, this is good

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An issue I see quite often in anime fandom is the cry of “it’s not a cartoon! It’s animation!” I’m as guilty of that as anyone, and even set out my own thoughts on the topic a while ago but quite frankly it’s a whole can of worms I can’t be bothered to deal with again. I will say though that Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica IS a cartoon. But what a cartoon it is.


“I am the bone of my sword…” and so on. Make of that parallel what you will

I have it on good authority that the magical girl genre isn’t always aimed solely at a young female audience and, if you look at how long ago the Cutie Honey franchise ran before Hideaki Anno did his live-action remake, it never was. In terms of premise and outward appearances Madoka is the sort of thing you’d expect to see kids tuning into on Saturday mornings but what makes it one of the first big pleasant surprises of 2011 is how much else is hidden up its frilly sleeve.

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Reading stats: 989 words, 3 images; estimated reading time 3:57 mins