Click here to view likely one of the most amazing and refreshing sites for web design. It’s a social bookmarking site that’s much like Digg, Furl, or Reddit. It’s focus however is on showing off websites or pages with unique and amazing coding or looks. Many feature Flash and others range from the simple to the complex. Straightline Bookmarks is fairly English friendly since it has English, images link to the site, and some of the linked to sites are also in English if not in mulitple langauges. There’s actually more to Straightline which can be seen on the homepage. Hopefully the site can get enough attention and users to become much larger and diverse.
Dosei Mansion is a so far four volume science fiction manga by Hisae Iwaoka. It is unlicensed, but there is or was a live action adaptation movie in the works. You can find the author’s site and illustration gallery here. The latest announcement there is for the cover art of Apple Light’s Pocket of Rain album. Apple Light is a group that a lot like The Pillows, but more tame.
The basic story idea is of a young boy named Mitsu who lives in the lower and poorer area of a huge flying ring structure where people live. Mitsu graduates middle school, but his father dies and leaves him with the job of cleaning the flying ring’s windows. Humanity now lives in such places because everyone decided to no longer be allowed to step foot on Earth. The story takes its time and the artwork is flawless (see link above). Maybe there can be enough buzz or people bugging publishers to get the manga into English.
On the website for CNN’s TIME magazine, 4chan.org’s owner moot is currently holding #3 as the world’s most influential people on the finalist list for 2009. Voting is still open and surely the army of 4chan isn’t going to take anything less than top. It would be an interesting turn of events to have moot on the front page of a magazine of readers who don’t know who he is. This will just add even more new people to visit the site as people who see the list wonder who he is. You can see the full list or vote here. Update: He’s now #1…at times… Also it’s up to the editors to decide who gets to be on the cover with a different list.
This series is more cute and dramatic if anything and not really a humor series which the back of the book claims. Thankfully the my lack of normal humor is delaying its “die laughing” side effect long enough to post this. Momo Tama is about a short boy named Kokonose Mutsu who’s out to reclaim his very special island, which has been turned into a base for training students to become ogre killing senkishi. Only problem is Kokonose is short, arrogant, and too cute to be taken very seriously. He has powers and is nearly fearless, so with that he sets out on his mission to retake the island. Won’t be easy since many of the instructors are powerful and Kokonose even comes across the descendant Momotaro himself, the one who banished his family. He’s a strong yaoi man with a military uniform and it should be noted that Momotaro was born from a peach and has three animals in the form of humans who fight with him.
Momo Tama is easy to get into, styled, and cute. Nobody really mentions Kokonose’s odd clothing or hair cut as he lands on the island and it’s amusing to watch his expressions change as his life is in danger. The art of this manga is sharp and smooth, but isn’t perfect on occasion like previous Chrono works. One or two panels are difficult to fully grasp and many of the non-main characters aren’t easy to remember or tell apart. An example would be not really knowing what Chairman Nagato Tougen (the 39th Momotaro) hit Kokonose with in chapter two – Allow Me to Speak. It may stem from the author’s older work which was very gritty and ruff, but in a good way (see ADV’s Peacemaker manga).
Tokyopop is the current license holder and volume two is due out in May 12th, 2009. There are two volumes mentioned on their site, but five volumes out in Japan with serialization in Mag Garden’s Comic Blade (that also brought Beyond the Beyond, Erementar Gerad, Gamerz Heaven, Tactics, Otogi Zoshi, and others). With that said I would actually recommend this if you like Erementar Gerad or the previously mentioned manga. They are all supernatural, styled, and dramatic fantasies. Of course you can look into Peacemaker and Vassalord which are also by Nanae Chrono and licensed. Have good expectations for this well spoken nine year old exorcist because he’ll be worth a lot money once he owns the island. I love the main character because he’s very reminiscent of Peacemaker’s Tetsunosuke, but with a wide mischievous smile like The Cheshire cat of Alice in Wonderland. Get this.
Number of times Kokonose showed a hint of fear: 3
Number of times Safari 4 crashed while writing this: 1
Number of pink manga covers for Momo Tama: …every volume is pink.
Yatterman is a new Japanese live action based on the 1970s anime which will be directed by Miike Takashi. Hopefully this movie won’t be passed up by too many. Last year there was a remake of the old series to make it modern and appeal to modern audiences. It went unlicensed and is already forgotten by Western viewers. Peronalities were altered and other changes happened, but that’s to be expected in a retelling of the story. With the Yatterman live action will be filled with action, but will remain fairly clean like the anime. It aired in theaters just yesterday.
Basic story of the Yatterman franchise is of heroes and villaians fighting for their wishes and for pieces of the Skull Stone. The Skull Stone is a special stone that was spread out across the world, which is believed to be able to lead one to gold. This live action will focus more on a love story where the various characters battle.
I don’t know, but there’s a big mecha dog and the logo for the movie reminds me underwear or panties.
Sword of the Stranger is movie that came out in 2007, but it’ll have a lasting effect on anyone who has watched it. The anime is one of the few that’s described as having a good story that actually makes sense. Clearly that’s enough to win some awards. That it did at the International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre for Best Animated Feature. The animation by BONES studios remains very high for nearly all of the slightly over one hundred minutes it lasts. Backgrounds actually move a little!
The story starts off with a boy named Kotaro who must run away from the monastery he was staying at. The place was attacked and Kotaro was left by himself. After looking for food he returns to the old shrine he was staying at, but found a lone nameless assassin resting inside. Kotaro employs the assassin with a glass piece that was suppose to be of much worth, as he needs his dog companion to be treated for poisoning after they were both attacked. Their trip to save the dog and helping the kid to the other Buddhist monastery is successful, however the head of that monastery had other plans with the boy. This is where the Kotaro is special part comes in because everyone is after him. He’s then kidnapped and taken to where a special ceremony is to take place. The already paid and cheated assassin grew to care about the boy and tries to come to his rescue before it’s too late. Only thing keeping him from killing everyone in his way is himself. This is because he fought in previous wars and decided to never draw his sword again and he even went as far at to tie it from being pulled from. Kinda sounds like Rurouni Kenshin doesn’t it?
The pair really go well together. One is a quiet mellow guy who’s experienced enough trauma and the other a brave strong and caring child. If the two were to live normal lives together, they’d surely do something special. Kotaro may seem like a brat to some, but he is too smart and driven to work for someone else. Having hims a boy was wise because it gives his friend someone easier to relate and innocent enough to help him get over his guilt. Both are shown to be very well spirited the good use of animation conveyed it well. This anime almost feels Dororo inspired.
There’s quite a bit of action and most of it is animated well enough to be some of the best sword fighting you’ve seen in an anime. Many parts are pretty graphic as well. People are cut up, there’s blood, and a part when one guys arm wasn’t even cut off all the way. Much of this even happens with the kid and dog nearby. Much fighting is between the Japanese and a band of warriors from China. Only difference is that in this anime, neither are shown less evil than the other.
DVDs are already in stores from Bandai. If you liked Dororo, Peacemaker Kurogane, or Rurouni Kenshin, then you’ll like this. Hopefully this review was easy to read and gave enough reason to watch. There are more screenshots under the cut. more…
