Monday, July 25, 2011

My Balls in Your Court- Softenni

   I would have to say I am not exactly a fan of sports anime. A sports movie is okay, but when you make a TV show about sports, it becomes very easy for it to get stale and sports anime is no different. And so, my first review of an anime fresh from Japan is a tennis anime called Softenni.
   Softenni is basically a sports clone of K-on, except this time around the show is about a group of girls starting a Tennis team  rather than starting a rock band. There's Asuna; a pink haired cutie who mistakes certain comments made by her fellow teammates as sexual innuendos and has a somewhat perverse imagination. Therei s also Chitose, a busty girl who loves to eat and has a unhealthy fascination with a Giant Japanese Salamander, seemingly almost to the point of bestiality. There's also a girl who often shows up in mascot uniforms, a girl from England who has a crush on her teacher (ew.) and a headstrong girl who sometimes takes Soft Tennis a bit too seriously and also has a crush on her teacher (double ew).
   However, it is mostly the show's humor and the character's interactions with each other that manages to keep it fresh. The show's humor is mostly based on random humor which tends to be quite bizarre at times. Oh, and this is also a fan service anime so you K-on fans might want to some blood bags ready because you're gonna need a transfusion after all the nosebleeds caused from watching this show. Thankfully, the fan service is mild and not too over the top or vomit inducing, but it does get pretty close at times and some of the fan service gets pretty needless.
   Overall, this is an enjoyable series, but I won't give it a rating just yet until the show is released stateside. My question for Softenni, as always for any unlicensed anime is, who will get the license for it and will it be dubbed in English? I guess only time can tell at this point.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Some new changes

Well I guess some new changes are on the way to site. First off, my brother is coming back home from the military which means that I am going to have to find a new filming location. Second, my newest review marks the first installment in an overall story that pits me against the notorious 4Kids Entertainment and their corporate mercenaries! More details on that are to come at a latter time. I've also began to add more tweaks to the site in order to make it more dynamic and interactive, so expect some more new changes to the site as well. I am also planning to try posting episodes on Youtube again as well as looking for other video sites to host my work. More exciting changes will be announced over the next few weeks or so.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Anime Expo Highlights

Boy, this years Anime Expo was the best I have seen in quite some time! Here is a list of highlights and events I attended:

Day 1
3:00 AM - 5:30 AM
Got up at 3:00 AM in the morning and arrived early at 4:00 AM. You got to beat the crowds to the registration line right? Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that the parking lots don't open until 5:30 AM! Commence driving around in circles for an hour and a half!

6:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Wait for registration lines to open. Passed out cards advertising the website while waiting in line.

9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Attended oping ceremonies. Hatsune Miku was scheduled to appear as a guest of honor but didn't show due to "Technical Difficulties." Honestly, I think they were just teasing us.

5:00 PM - 5:45
Met Vic Mingnogna for the 9th or 10th time. Sure helps if you both live in Southern California.

DAY 2

5:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Arrived at convention center. Passed out cards in line.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Waited in line for Hatsune Miku concert tickets. Thank God they didn't sell out after all.

11:00AM - 12:15 PM
Went to Vic Mignogna Concert and almost wasn't let in due to carrying a camera.

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Went to premiere of Last Exile sequel.and got to meet the producers at Gonzo Studios.

4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Shopped around at the exhibit hall.

7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Stood in line for Hatsune Miku concert.

8:30 PM - 9:45 PM
Saw Hatsune Miku concert. What an Experience! Gotta love that dancing and singing hologram!

DAY 3
6:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Arrived at convention center and locked my keys in the car. I must have burned away three hours trying to get them back!

 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
I took it easy for most of the day since I was burned out from the Hatsune Miku concert the previous night and accidentally locking my keys in the car.

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Held my first panel at Anime Expo! What a barrel of laughs!

DAY 4
11:00 AM
Overslept! Wait a minute. Why spend driving an hour and waste gas and twelve dollars for parking if the convention ends in 4-5 hours by the time I get there? Decided to head home and recharge after three days of long, yet fun experiences at Anime Expo and I am definitely looking forward to next year.