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Issue #56 So tell me, what’s it like living in a constant haze of stupidity?
- Hiei(Yu Yu Hakusho)
Rumours Of Last Studio Ghibli Films
This summer we have a new Studio Ghibli film and according to some reports it could be the last one. Although no confirmation has been made by Studio Ghibli but an insider told News Cafe that Ghibli's latest release, When Marnie Was There, "seems like it will be the last [from Studio Ghibli]." Internationally renowned ex-Director Hayao Miyazaki retired last year from the company and its fair to say he was the company. The only way we will truly know is after the release of When Marnie Was There, obviously if its a success it can fuel more feature films.
Grandad Makes Totoro
Grandad, Hidebochi, has run an udon shop for over 32 years and on the weekends has been a hobbyist carpenter. He decided to make Totoro after his grandchildren announced they would move from Canada to live with him and he wanted to surprise them. Just like the protagonists in the film they children moved from a home and country they knew so well to somewhere completely opposite and so the Totoro mascot suits them massively. He placed the giant Totoro outside his home so that his granddaughters can see it through their windows always. Check out the giant Totoro!
The AA lounge 5! by Hentai
The AA lounge gets its 5th thread after the last one hit 2000 replies! Woo!
Title - Mekakucity Actors (メカクシティアクターズ) Genre(s) - Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Supernatural Studio(s) - Shaft Episodes - 12 Episode Length - 23 min. per episode Rating - PG-13 - Teens 13 or older Airing Date - Apr 13, 2014 to Jun 29, 2014 Airing Status -Finished Airing On Crunchyroll? - Yes
Synopsis
The incidents which occurred on August 14th and 15th bring a group of young boys and girls together... They are members of a group they call themselves the "Mekakushi Dan" (Blindfold Organization) and each member possesses a strange power involving their eyes. Will the members of this peculiar organization be able to solve the mysteries behind these incidents and see the truth?
Characters
Shintaro Kisaragi
The main protagonist of the manga and brother of Momo Kisaragi, Shintaro is a hikikomori and as such, he has a hard time dealing with people. He seems to be constantly bothered by Ene.
Takane "Ene" Enomoto
A strange program taking the shape of a young girl which has taken up residence inside Shintaro's computer. She calls him "Master," and yet adores bothering him.
Momo Kisaragi
First appeared in Kisaragi Attention. A very popular idol in her first year of high school. Ever since a childhood marine accident at the beach with her father, she has the "eye-captivating" power that can draw people's attention regardless of their preferences in tastes or interests. Because of her power she was often alienated from people and had no friends, but since her meeting with the Mekakushi Dan, she regains her original, bright character. She has peculiar sense in taste and fashion, and as such, it is common for her opinions to disagree with other people's. She is also the younger sister of Shintaro.
Tails' Opinion
This week we have Mekakucity Actors, or Kagerou Project. This story is a little muddy. While the story itself is unique and pretty cool the pacing was absolute shit. The constant jumping around and switching of focal points and point of views irritated me sometimes. With that being said, that is about the only real flaw with the story of this show. So its not too bad, but not too good either. I give the story a 5/10
The characters are literally the driving force in this show. Literally everything about this show revolves around them, there is no bigger picture, there is no outside view. Its all them. And pretty much every episode is about an individual. This show is like a collection of short stories about each individual. So yeah, the characters are a pretty big deal, its pretty much the only focus here. And its not too bad. It takes some getting used to but the way the connections are seemingly made is really good. So while character development is all but missing in the actual storyline, the backstory on each character is so in depth it hurts. It makes up for it in a way considering the actual storyline could be wrapped up in 6 episodes max at the same length. So you cant expect too much development but in proportion to the story length, its fine. I give the characters a 8/10.
Finally, the art. Honestly Im not a huge Shaft fan. So the art style wasnt my cup of tea. However, it was good. I could have done without the 30k signature Shaft head tilts throughout but its not bid deal. It just makes them look kind of awkward. So putting my biased against Shaft animation aside as much as possible I give the art an 8/10.
Overall, I really enjoyed Mekakucity Actors. It kept me wanting to watch every week, which recently Ive been having problems with. I was pretty much hooked from the first couple of episodes. While its not the best series or perfect in any aspect of my review I think it is really enjoyable. Despite all its flaws, its just a pretty enjoyable show, plain and simple.
Programmargorp's Opinion
This week, we have something a bit more unusual in the world of anime, namely an adaption of a Vocaloid Song series by Jin and animation done by no other than Shaft (A.K.A Studio Stallmaster). The star of this week’s review is none other than Mekakucity Actors, i.e. the adaption of Kagerou Project.
To start off this review, I’m going to say that this review would be heavily biased due to the fact that I’m a Shaft fanboy. Basically, if this series was done by any other studio, the overall score would be lower than what I’m giving it.
Mekakucity Actors follows a nonlinear plotline about a bunch of people in this group named the Mekakukishi-dan, with most episodes following different characters. While it started off quite well with the story of Shintaro, it kind of didn’t get anywhere; the whole show is basically a collection of short stories that “kind of” join together to give it one story. The story was heavily lacking in detail and development; kind of disappointed considering the masterminds at Shaft are behind this; that said, the story wasn’t a complete flop like some other series I know (*Cough* Daimidaler *Cough*) Story wise, I rate this series a 3/10
Onto the characters, due to the way the story of the series was laid out, each character got their own little “episode” of backstory. However considering that each character only got about one episode of development each, aside from the “monster”, no other character really gets any decent development which makes them deviate from their initial image, nor do they gain any depth throughout the series. Character wise, I rate this series a 3/10
Ahh, now onto the part where my Shaft fanboyism starts taking over. In terms of the art, Shaft did a good job as always with their vibrant and unconventional art style, epic head tilts, quite a few hard to achieve scenes and on top of that manages to give off the whole Shaft vibe. Animation was top notch as well as movements were fluid and corners were not cut. Art wise, I rate this series a 9/10
Onto the final section where I adjust my final scoring with, i.e. enjoyment. While Mekakucity Actors is a relatively horrible show in terms of the story and characters department, the art and my Shaft fanboyism was able to boost the score by quite a bit in this department. It was actually quite interesting as I was watching it instead of being boring. Enjoyment wise, I rate this series a 7/10
Overall, Mekakucity Actors is not a series for someone who’s looking for only the best of the best to watch, and surely not for people who absolutely loved the Kagerou Project (Considering they didn’t even use the vocaloid version of the songs in most cases). I personally enjoyed it more than I should due to Shaft, but that’s about it.
(Click to View)Anima.: Welcome to the 56th installment of the AA Weekly News. Today we have the lovely user, Chitoge. How are you doing? Would you like to give any shout-outs before we begin? Chitoge: I'm doing great! I'm really excited to be a part of this issue! Shout out to all those working hard on this issue and my waifu, Chitoge Kirisaki.
Anima.: Awe, she's a cutie. I'm sure she'd enjoy the shout-out! Recently the AA News Team opened a recruitment thread. If you could add a new section, what would you add? Chitoge: To be perfectly honest, there isn't really a section I would add. I enjoy reading the AA weekly news and I think the effort that they put into every issue really shows. Though I think adding an "Avoid this anime" section would be good for many. Lately, I've been seeing fellow AA users (not going to list any names) recommend Boku no Pico to newer members and people who want to get into anime. As much as I think it's funny, I don't want people who just got into anime to be scarred for life and leave the AA section due to their "suggestions". Aside from that, I think that the issues the AA News team produces is top quality and very interesting to read.
Anima.: Thanks! The team would love the compliment! Aside from watching anime, could you tell the readers what you like to do in your spare time? Chitoge: In my spare time, I love to play League of Legends & Counter Strike: Global Offensive with my friends. Other than that, I try to run three miles at least three times a week. I also do weight training and try to stay fit. I also like playing basketball with my friends and just relaxing. Socializing has also been a very important factor in my life and I've been working my butt off to try and make sure I hang out with my friends as much as possible before we go off for college.
Anima.: I like to play League as well. Wow, you really like to go outside. Way more than me...actually.. Do you plan on trying to pursue any sports Chitoge: I really wish I was good enough for a sports career, but I was not able to make the cut for a track scholarship. I haven't tried to pursue a career in sports as much as I have for computer engineering. Ever since I was ye tall, I wanted to be a computer engineer and everything that I saw them do, was extremely fascinating to me. I spend a lot of time on the computer but I try to balance it out by making sure I'm physically fit and healthy, thus me spending a lot of time outside as well.
Anima.: Interesting. I assume everything's going well in school, then?careers? Chitoge: Everything has been going great! I have been accepted into multiple universities but declined by my true favorite. I decided I would work hard in city college to get into my favorite school. Should be relatively easy since I'm a first year in college but have almost enough credits to be a second year. All I need to do is work my butt off and hopefully I can get into my dream school and find a job I consider fun and can pay the bills. I am really excited to meet everyone and glad I'm finally free of the dumpster called high school.
Anima.: Well I hope everything goes well with that. Planning on watching any new anime in the meanwhile? Chitoge: Okay, I'm EXTREMELY LATE but I am in the middle of watching Steins;Gate and the Bakemonogatari series. Aside from those, I'm have been looking forward to watching RE:Hamatora and I consider it to be my favorite anime this season (so far). I am always looking for something comparable to Clannad but have been disappointed by the suggestions I have received. I am also trying to keep up with this season's anime so that I can talk about it with all my friends.
Anima.: Steins;Gate was really nice. Shout-out to my friend for recommending that to me! Recently someone posted a thread about Nisekoi. What are your opinions on the fact that there are only 20 episodes on the anime when it shouldn't have stopped mid-series? Chitoge: Ahh, this is a favorite of mine as you can tell. To be perfectly honest, I did not agree with Shaft when I saw the ending. I think the way they ended the series made it a lot less favorable to many viewers. Personally, I thought the ending was probably the only way they could have ended it judging from the manga, either way, it was not an ending I would have liked to see, but I have seen WAY worse (shoutout to my friend Benzo for recommending me School Days & Medaka Box). If it were to end the way I thought it should, it would probably take way more than 20 episodes and the fact that 20 episodes is already a decent amount, I don't think Shaft wanted to increase the amount any more. Needless to say, the way they ended it was not to my standards but I enjoyed the series and am trying to catch up on the manga so that I may one day post my review.
Anima.: Seeing that I haven't read the manga, I was pretty upset when it stopped at 20. Well, it looks like that is all the time we have. Would you like to say anything before we end this interview? Chitoge: Thank you for taking the time to interview me! I appreciate the effort you and the rest of the team put into every issue. I was extremely happy to see the first 10/10 (Trigun) and I enjoyed it so much! Every issue has helped me find better animes and ones that aren't that good. I enjoy reading everyone's comments as well and their opinion on each issue. I'd really like to thank those who make this section fun for me since I'm not a veteran or anything. I appreciate all of you who recommend me great animes. I look forward to reading the next issue! Once again, big thanks to the Anime Adventures News Team!
(Click to View)Bleeding: Hey Ryner, how are you doing today?
Ryner: Hehe, I'm doing perfectly fine Bleeding! Thanks for inviting me to this interview.
Bleeding: No problem, I'm glad to have you here! Well lets' get things rolling. I would like to start things off by getting to know you a little better. If you don't mind, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?
Ryner: Oh well, I am named Ryner and I am sure that some of you may have seen me before inside the Anime section! I am a 16 year old guy and I'm currently spending my summer vacation watching Anime and playing games. Once the summer vacation ends I will probably end up going back to school. I'm actually planning on studying at a certain school where you learn how to serve food/cook etc. butcher pigs and stuff like that I guess? I am unsure about its name in English. I joined HackForums months ago but really my account is older because I had an older account merged with my current one as I forgot about my older one when I made this one! xD I have been into watching Anime ever since back in 2009 and such when my siblings invited me to watch certain anime together with them such as Fullmetal Alchemist and Naruto etc. Oh and by probably going back to school, I'll rephrase that by "going back to school" as I have no plans of ditching it or such, xD.
Bleeding: Wow! The school you plan on going to seems really interesting, I wish I could cook but I kind of suck lol. I'll also be heading back to school in about a month, so my summer is also coming to a close here shortly. Well now that I've gotten to know you a little better, let me ask you what your favorite anime/manga is and why?
Ryner: Oh well personally for me I never really think of what my biggest personal preference of Anime is. I really think there are a lot of great anime and such so it's a little hard for me to pick a certain anime that I would consider my "favourite", but I will try and do so right now! ;)
I believe that Hunter x Hunter or Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu as my personal favourite Animes. But if I had to pick one… I believe I would pick Hunter x Hunter as it has a longer and better story than Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu. Hunter x Hunter is by far more well known and popular as well, the story itself is amazing and has a lot more in-depth detail as to where they explain how stuff works and so on which I find quite interesting.
As for Manga, right now on the top of my list is Tokyo Ghoul. Maybe it's because I just read it not too long ago? Tokyo Ghoul kinda reminded me of Ajin which doesn't release that many chapters due to the fact that not so many people have picked up interest in it yet. So yeah, my personal favourite Anime is Hunter x Hunter whilst my favourite Manga is Tokyo Ghoul. I don't think so many people have heard of Ajin yet but it basically striked me as unique and the only Manga that resembled it in the slightest for me was Tokyo Ghoul. If I had to describe Ajin it would probably be the fact that they had complete immortals. They wouldn't die under any circumstances. If you chopped or smashed their heads a new one would just pop out, lol
Bleeding: I know what you mean when you say it's difficult to pick a "favorite anime", as I think it may be a little difficult for anyone. Hunter x Hunter is something that I've yet to see but if it's as good as you say I'll just have to check it out for myself! Onto the next, what anime that are currently airing do you keep up with or what currently airing anime do you think show decent potential?
Ryner: The currently airing Anime that I believe to show decent potential in all honesty would be Zankyou no Terror and Sword Art Online. There are a lot of other great anime but these are the two anime that I enjoy the most. Sword Art Online is mostly biased on my hype level for it coming out and I hadn't heard of Zankyou no Terror prior to it coming out but when I watched the first episode it was surprisingly good and possibly my favourite this season. I also remember Psycho-Pass as the first season was quite decent but I have yet to take a look at the so called "New Extended edit version" of it yet. I expect it to be good but I just finished the first season not too long ago so I am unsure if it I would be able to enjoy re-watching the new edit of it. I got the feeling that I am missing out on something else. I would also like to mention Akame Ga Kill and Tokyo Ghoul, they both have outstanding Manga and the Anime seems pretty fine so far really! But compared to the Manga I can notice a small difference in Tokyo Ghoul. They seem to rush the story a little. Everything went so fast on the last episode but it was definitely enjoyable to watch. I am unsure if it is going to have 12 episodes or 24 or such, I have yet to search it up, but it seems to be going at an incredible fast pace.
Bleeding: Ahh, I've heard really good things about Akame ga Kill. Now I'm not usually one to start watching an anime before it finishes airing but I am keeping up with Tokyo Ghoul and Glasslip this season. There are several more that I want to watch, I just don't have much time here lately. If you had your choice to visit any place from any anime, where would you travel?
Ryner: Any place in any Anime? I'd visit the Ramen shop inside Naruto and buy a cup of ramen. I have always wondered how good that guy is at making ramen. Oh not a cup, but a bowl I guess? Haha Xd. And yes the Alpha Stigma may mimic any magic spell it has seen/analyzed before. It also has a flaw or perk depending on how you see it from as to where they go berserk and just go ahead and dish out some destruction. Well to go berserk it really depends on the emotions of the Alpha Stigma user.
Bleeding: Now I'm not a huge fan of Naruto but that seems like a great place to visit. I guess if I had to choose, I would like to visit Aincrad but you know without the whole you die in the game you die in real life thing. Now let’s change direction. Do you have a favorite Vocaloid and if so what is your favorite song by her/him. If not, what is your favorite Japanese artist?
Ryner: I am not that into Vocaloids but I hold nothing against them really. But if I had to mention a specific Japanese Artist that I like the music of I would probably just go ahead and mention "Deemo or Nujabes". Mostly Nujabes, but Deemo is good as well I guess, it depends on the mood. If I had to pick a favourite song of Nujabes… Hmm… It would probably be the song "Feather" by Nujabes, or perhaps the "aruarian dance"?
Bleeding: I love Nujabes myself, he has a wonderful sound to his music. Great song to pick as a favorite also! It's sad that he won't be able to make any more music though. Now wrapping things up a little bit I would like to ask you a few questions about the AA section in general. What makes you keep coming back and posting in the AA section. What is the overall appeal to this section?
Ryner: The AA section in itself is the place where I go to discuss the new coming Anime or to simply just reply to others thread and recommend anime for them! It's always good to speak with people sharing the same common interest. I got to know a lot more about the Japanese Culture just after a few weeks after lurking around in the section as well. There are a lot of knowledgeable users around in the AA section that really deserves a lot of respect for what they're doing. It wouldn't be the same without them really, they're upholding the AA section and keeping it clean. There are stickies hanging around that help people out and we also have the AA lounge to prevent people from making meaningless threads all the time. It's very organized thanks to them and I am very thankful for that.
Bleeding: I agree, it's nice to talk to people that share the same interests as you especially when it comes to anime. There does seem to be a rise in generic recommendation threads lately. What is your opinion on these and the current state of the AA section in and of itself?
Ryner: As I am quite a newgen and haven't been here since or such like certain others have. I am unsure as to how it has been in the past, some members say it has been going worse lately whilst some say it's completely fine. I believe that it's because there's a lot of new members coming in that are not 100% adjusted to the rules and posting etiquette like others are. Some might also make meaningless replies and expect recommendations without telling us what he wants or what kinda anime he's watched before. But most of the time it is completely fine really, the AA section is a really nice place to be in my opinion! There are a lot of friendly users and I have yet to have a single bad experience with anyone here! Although some might be considered a Nazi and be quite into order and doing stuff properly and such. Well from my past months of experience I can say for sure that the AA section is a really great place for me and that I haven't had any bad experiences with it so far!
Bleeding: It is kind of hard to recommend something when you have no idea what they've seen isn't it? I guess a MAL or something similar would really come in handy to some people. I love the AA section myself and will always come back to it but I do wish people would at least attempt to read the stickies. Well it's been my pleasure speaking with you today Ryner and concluding this interview, is there anything you would like to say to our readers?
Ryner: Well we do see quite a lot of people coming in and making beginner mistakes and failing to read the stickies before making a new thread or such, but that's just how it is I guess! This has been a great interview Bleeding! Thank you very much for inviting me to this! It was really fun and it was a great opportunity to join you today ;)
Bleeding: No problem! I had quite a fun time interviewing you today and I'm glad you decided to join me. Have a good day bud
Ryner: Same to you buddy! Cya around in the AA section and I hope you have a great day now.
Submit your own Music Video of the Week and be featured in next weeks issue by clicking here!
Note: This weeks loli of the week contains spoilers for Kanamemo
Saki, or better known as (assistant) 'Chief' of Fuhshin Gazette is an elementary school girl as well as being in chargee of the Gazette itself. Saki is the only serious one in the group, she has taken a role of responsibility. Saki is the ony who sets the timetables for everyone as well as chores. She is what keeps Fuhshin Gazette running and operational.
Saki is extremely cute and small. She is literally half the size of everyone that lives in Fuhsin Gazette. She has dark purple-black eyes with purple twin tails with red ribbons. Her twin tails are tied up in a way so that it has a small loop on either side of the knots. Saki is generally wearing different outfits in every episode, her attire is generally consists of frilly clothing or cute things, her favourite type of clothing are one peice.
Saki is one of the kindest loli's you will come across. She puts on a front to show she is strong, strict and follows everything by the rules. However, she has her soft side. Saki would always be here for anyone if they need it. She also rewards the workers or give them leeway when it comes to certain things. Saki is really kind, even though she does not want others to see this. One of the best things about Saki is talking about her kindness in front of others, or just embaressing her. She will deny everything and hide away her blushing face. Cute.
(Jul 21, 2014 04:17 PM)Anima. Wrote: Happy, so tell me, what’s it like living in a constant haze of stupidity?
Glad the edition is out. Forgot it was Monday!
You're fired. You have till the end of the day to pack your boxes.
* - cacnecac - Jul 21, 2014
The anime review was spot on like always for me. One of the few SHAFT ones that I refuse to even give a chance because it was extremely confusing and boring. And Hell I've seen monogatari 90 times.
(Jul 21, 2014 04:21 PM)Happeh Wrote: You're fired. You have till the end of the day to pack your boxes.
Good I couldn't stand the sight of him any longer.
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Great issue as always, nice to actually be a part of this one. The music videos are always a pleasure to watch. I liked Mekakucity Actors, but its definitely something I'll have to watch again to fully understand it.
I'm surprised Mekakucity Actors got such a mediocre review. I always saw people reference it in multiple threads so I automatically assumed it was popular.
The interviews were really entertaining. They were some of the best interviews I've read recently. It's nice getting to know a little bit about each member.
All the submissions for the music videos were pretty good this week. They were all upbeat and gave off that "feel good music" type of vibe. Although I wouldn't consider the Moe Jazz Dreamer jazz. It was more reminiscent of a Latin type music.
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