Some fans love Pharrell’s 'It Girl' video; Others call him a pedophile
Pharrell William's new song, "It Girl", was released in late September, bringing with it many differing opinions from critics and fans alike. Some critics claim that the cartoon characters in the music video appear too little (age-wise), labelling Pharell a pedophile. Other fans applaud Pharrell for his creativity. The art in the music video was drawn by Takashi Murakami, who is, by his own admission, a lolicon.
Manga cafes are a popular destination for anime/manga fans on vacation in Japan. A company called Slow Curve has announced the creation of "manga apartments". These apartments will come fully furnished and filled with over 2,000 volumes of manga lining every room. Each night stay in these apartments cost 5000 Yen (~44.52 USD at the time of this post). Three buildings will be built in total: one in Akihabara which will have the latest manga/anime news, another apartment will be built in Ikebukuro, which will hold mostly shoujo and josei manga and lastly one will be located in Nakano will be a homage to classic manga. These apartments will forego typical hotel services in order to keep costs low. However, all guests will be given discount coupons to restaurants, cosplay cafes and stores.
Nestle 'hiring' 1,000 robots to sell espresso machines
Last Wednesday, Nestle announced that its Japan branch would be "hiring" 1,000 robots as sales clerks at stores across the country. The first batch of robots, named "Pepper" is set to arrive at many stores to sell espresso. These robots are able to understand 70%-80% of spontaneous, conversational speech. Pepper is set to enter the market in February 2014 with a price of 200,000 Yen per unit (~$1780.71).
A white face with pointed ears, whiskers, a pink ribbon, and an oval shaped nose--there's no mistaking it: it's Hello Kitty! For the past 40 years, Hello Kitty has been present practically everywhere: keychains, iPhone cases, apparel for all age groups and even carnivals and maternity wards are proudly decorated with her. While most of the population thinks that Hello Kitty's main consumers are probably children, statistics show that the character's main consumers are adults. Kitty has inspired many fans to start what they call Kittymania, with a famous devotee being Lady Gaga, who donned a dress made by cuddly toys to commemorate Hello Kitty's 35th birthday. These fans know things about her that the public may not even be aware of. For instance, Kitty is not a cat, but a cartoon of a human girl, with a cat of her own. Devoted Hello Kitty fans also know that the character is a Scorpio with a penchant for apple pie and a hamster called Sugar. "Hello Kitty gives adults some licence to play, to express a part of themselves that other parts of their lives may not allow," says Christine Yano, an anthropologist from the University of Hawaii. Whatever the case may be, Happy birthday Kitty. You may be reaching your 40s, but you keep your fans feeling young.
With Halloween's passing, we look back at this year's celebration of costumes and candy galore. Filling the already busy and populated streets of Shibuya is one of the biggest and most festive crowds this Halloween. Check out the photos many people posted on Twitter by clicking the image above which brings you directly to the gallery of colorful and diverse Halloween costumes, inspired by both Eastern and Western culture.
2014 Anime Adventures Secret Santa by Black Hole
It's that time of the year again where Santa Hole-tan is going to be running the AA's Secret Santa. If you meet the requirements and have some spare cash, come and join in! We have two weeks before the deadline is over, if you haven't signed up now, what are you waiting for?
Anime Adventures Weekly - Writer Recruitment by Tweety.
The Anime Adventures Weekly team is currently recruiting! Think you have the knowledge to express your views about the Japanese culture, Anime and games? Then come check this thread out for more information.
[AA] Post Your Desktop Thread! by Taiga
Taiga's ever so famous Desktop Thread has come back to life! Come check out the wallpapers used by our AA members, feel free to post yours too!
Misa's Katarina is absolutely amazing. While her height may be a little questionable, her cosplay seems spot on. From looking at Misa's portfolio and previous cosplay's, you can see she has an amazing body that can literally fit into any cosplay. She naturally blends into a characters persona, recreating the perfect poses and facial expression. The pictures used don't do much justice to back up this statement, but the links to her gallery and profile can be found below. Let me know if you agree, because this is something which is hard to really differentiate between cosplays that look good and amazing.
The quality of the cosplay looks top notch. Misa has these hand made by a production team for each company she takes her shots with. She is ranked extremely high on WorldCosplay making her very popular. Her popularity will gain her better quality material for each cosplay she does. Multiple cosplays are done for each character, increasing the variety of pictures available. The details on the blades of Katarina are scary, they are done right to every single pattern. Her hair is done so well to the point that I can't differentiate it between a wig and real hair. The style is just right, giving it that flick at the end as well as the bangs. Real cute, real realistic.
As for the editing, on the picture displayed on the right hand side, it is marvelous. Editing of this quality is to be expected from Misa, her ranking will attract more talent and popularity around her. The photographer for the left and right hand side images are done well, we can safely assume the center image is done by herself for her fans during halloween. All in all, Misa is extremely cute and is a naturally talented cosplayer. She can practically fit into any character and create a likelihood between the two.
Title - Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ13) Genre(s) - Action, Drama, Thriller, Seinen Studio(s) - The Answer Studio Episodes - 50 Episode Length - 24 min. per episode Rating - R+ (Mild Nudity) Airing Date - Apr 12, 2008 to Mar 28, 2009 Airing Status -Finished Airing On Crunchyroll? - No
Synopsis
Golgo 13 has been called a Japanese counterpart to James Bond, except with a darker character, a much more hardcore attitude towards sex, and a complete lack of morality. Golgo 13 is described as a mystery man of undetermined origin, possibility being at least part Japanese, who takes any assignment for any employer (it has been said he has worked for the CIA and the KGB) as long as the right price is given and will always fulfil his contracts, even if he has two or more opposing contracts at the same time. He is an uncanny sharpshooter, with near 100% accuracy and capable of lethal trick shooting, and regularly uses a customized, scoped M-16 rifle in his assassinations. He also is a heavy smoker of cigars.
Characters
Duke "Golgo 13" Togo
Golgo 13 has been called a Japanese counterpart to James Bond, except with a darker character, a much more hardcore attitude towards sex, and a complete lack of morality. Golgo 13 is described as a mystery man of undetermined origin, possibility being at least part Japanese, who takes any assignment for any employer (it has been said he has worked for the CIA and the KGB) as long as the right price is given and will always fulfil his contracts, even if he has two or more opposing contracts at the same time. He is an uncanny sharpshooter, with near 100% accuracy and capable of lethal trick shooting, and regularly uses a customized, scoped M-16 rifle in his assassinations. He also is a heavy smoker of cigars.
Tails' Opinion
I would like to start by acknowledging that yes, the character synopsis and series synopsis are the same and yes there is only one main character, one constant character throughout the entire series.
Golgo 13 is a bit harder to define when reviewing its story. It is a series of 50 standalone episodes that are all defined by the various assassination jobs he has to accomplish. There is no progression from episode to episode, no real development of a storyline of of the characters, nothing. With that being said, for what it is, the standalone episodes are great. Every single episode is a new adventure, you just have to see what Duko Togo has to do next and especially how he does it. It's great if you have found yourself struggling to stick to anime recently or cant be bothered to keep up with a story, since every single episode is an entire story itself and you can either stop at any time and feel complete or keep going and be captivated by the raw thrill and enjoyment of every episode. With that being said, I can't really, as a series, classify the story as great. Each episode is good but with no true story progression through the series it's a little harder. I think middle of the road is acceptable here. I give the story a 5/10
This is another interesting segment because of there only being one character in every episode. However, the show makes it work because the main character is just so badass. He is the #1 assassin in the world. And to say he carries the show is an understatement, he IS the show (see synopsis). Duke Togo is a character that by design, has little flaws. I give the characters a 7/10.
The art is pretty generic to be honest for that of a 2008 show. If there is a weakness in Golgo 13 (despite the story score) it is the art. Its very safe, very conservative. There are some decent artwork moments but overall, its just average. I give the art an 5/10.
Golgo 13 thrives in that it is just plain enjoyable. If you are a fan of shooting games, action shows, television, really anything, Golgo 13 will be enjoyable to you, I can guarantee that with 98% certainty. Its a great show and anyone should watch it, but especially if you are struggling with committing to full series no matter the episode count and you don't want to watch a show that you feel obligated to finish out. Plus, realistically Golgo 13 has a 1 episode rule. I guarantee that you will have your opinion of the entire series in the first two episodes. That way you won't have to worry about it getting good and you missing out. In terms of enjoyment I give it a 10/10
Title - Oretama (My Balls) Title in Japanese- オレたま Genre(s)- Comedy, Demons, Ecchi, Romance, Seinen Chapters currently released - 41 Author – Shigemitsu Harada Artist(s) – Takahiro Seguchi Released - Nov 3, 2006 to Apr 2, 2010 Status -Complete
Synopsis
The fate of the world rests on one man's shoulders. Or, to put it more exactly, it rests on his balls.
In a freak sealing accident the Queen of Terror is sealed into Satou Kohta's balls, thus preventing her from reigning destruction on the world. However a lesser devil, Elyse, has been sent up to Earth to release the Queen at all costs. The only way to do so is to make Kohta ejaculate, and Elyse only has 30 days to do it. The battle for mankind has begun — in Kohta's pants...
(source:MAL)
Characters
Worried about somthing?...
Kohta Satou
While stumbling around drunk Kohta decides to urinate on the Holy Ball that an Angel is trying to trap Lady Emmaniel inside. Through sheer coincidence, the Angel, disturbed by this, shoots Kohta's testicles, trapping Emmaniel inside. Kohta can not ejaculate for an entire month otherwise Lady Emmaniel will escape and destroy mankind. What is that armour meant to protect against exactly?...
Elyse
Elyse is a Lesser Devil sent to assist the Queen of Terror in destroying the human race. When an Angel seals the Queen of Terror in Kohta’s right ball, her mission is to now to make Kohta ejaculate to free the Queen, but fails because Kohta's erect penis disgusts and scares her...and it doesn't exactly help that she harbors a love interest underneath her layers of hatred towards him.
She has stated that she cannot return to hell until the Queen of Terror is released. While she has magic abilities, her spells have always had unexpected consequences.
la la la...
Minayo Aizawa
Minayo works with Kohta and is his dream girl. She has an issue where she loses all of her inhibitions when drunk.
Vandie’s Opinion
When I was asked to review this I expected it to be at least half decent.The description seemed interesting and the cover showed it had a "plot". Unfortunately, however, the story of Oretama is a bit of a let down...The introduction is rushed and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The layout of events seems random and not very well planned out. It is told in awful fashion with the only thing saving the trainwreck of a story being the comedy that it loves to show. The comedy within Oretama is brilliant as it describes human sexual reactions and how disturbing they would seem to something that had never even met a human before... Unfortunately story gets a rather bad 4/10
Next you get to the characters, what can I say about them...
The characters are an interesting bunch with very different and sometimes quite hilarious quirks and personalities. They interact well with each other and occasionally make a witty joke or two. Let's take Kohta for example. He is a hard working masochistic part-timer who seems to have a masturbation addiction. He ends up with a demon stuck in his bollocks because he took a piss in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, this is weird, sure. However, it also makes you gain an interest in him as a character. All the characters are like this.And so... The characters (however weird or wonderful) get a breezy8/10
Now I'm not sure which I like more, the characters or the art. The art was good in Oretama, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't brilliantly drawn, nor was it badly drawn. It was just...good. I'm really not sure what else to say. The buildings, when included, were pretty and quite realistic and the faces of the characters were normally soft but still sharp when required of them. The art gets a rather decent7/10
So my opinion of Oretama is a rather mixed bag. I didn't love it or even hate it. I disliked one of the most important things that it needed but overall it was OK. Not anything special but good all the same. Oretama receives a almost average6.5/10
If you want a manga reviewed please send a PM to vandie. We are still yet to receive a request and as such will give a shoutout to the first person to send one in. We don't have list of what you like so why don't you learn that if you don't ask then you won't get.
(Click to View) Angel: Hey Viper, how are you doing this evening?
Viper: I'm fine and you?
Angel: I'm doing well, except for the fact that I'm a little snowed in at the moment. Now getting started, did you do anything interesting for Halloween?
Viper: Not really, I used to go trick or treating with some friends but I didn't this year. I did a whole makeup thing based off of Smily though.
Angel: Yes, I saw your thread with a picture of it which was way too spooky for me. Before we jump into this, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?
Viper: Well, I'm 15, I'm semi Japanese and I love anime to death (heart)
Angel: Oh, semi-Japanese sounds interesting. Is it from your mother or father's side?
Viper: My mother is Japanese, Father is French and I'm born in 'Murica.
Angel: Cool! That's an interesting mix. Well moving on, let me ask you what your favorite anime is and why?
Viper: That's a tough question, don't really have a favorite. Some notable ones would be Death Note, Angel Beats, Devil Survivor 2 the Animation, My Little Monster, Kaichou wa Maid-sama, Sukitte Il na yo...
Angel: Yeah I realize it's a somewhat difficult question but most of us have that one anime that just sticks out in our mind. Recently, Dragon has begun hosting and running some anime movie nights. Have you attended any of these so far? What is your opinion on these movie nights?
Viper: I've attended all of them so far, even did it at school. I think it's actually a fun idea but rather than watching things some people have seen, I think we should watch new shows that no one has seen. I hope he continues these AA nights but the website formatting needs some fixing.
Angel: I've attended only one and it was only for a short while. What's the atmosphere like at these events? Do people talk and discuss the anime or is it mostly type based?
Viper: There's about 3-4 people that talk including me while a couple others are typing. It's a nice atmosphere but I see some people were bugged by a redneck member. I don't mind the typing at all, just wish it was next to the video or in the corner of the video.
Angel: Having the text box next to the video seems reasonable. While we're on the subject of speaking to fellow AA members, have you been in the Anime TeamSpeak yet? What do you think of anythinga hosting TS specifically for AA members?
Viper: I've visited there only once, there was only one member there... I think it's alright but I prefer the typing on skype. If I'm not mistaken, it's open to people outside of hf which I'm not interested in being part of. I prefer staying with my friends here on hf.
Angel: Well since it is a public TS I guess anyone that knows the IP could join if they wanted. The first night it was open I joined and there were quite a few people in there. Moving on, what do you think of the Studio allowing an anime sector within their group?
Viper: I think it's really cool that Frostix was trying to get us a group but sadly Omni declined it. I am very grateful to him for going as far as creating a sub-section in his group for us weeaboos. I believe that it's going to help the AA section grow and stand out more. The only thing is I'm not sure what difference we're going to have then what we normally do.
Angel: By what we normally do, you mean be awesome right? Personally, I cannot wait to see some new faces around Studio. Well it's about that time of year again, the time when AA hosts their very own Secret Santa! What do you think of the group activity and will you be participating this year?
Viper: Ye best area of hf 🎉. I think it's awesome that AA has this and it seems to be working a lot better than my class, lel. I'm not sure if I'm going to join, I might, idk.
Angel: This will be my first AA Secret Santa and I can't wait to see how it turns out. There seems to be a somewhat decent turnout this year. Well, the Winter season's anime chart was recently posted, are there any anime that you will be looking forward to?
Viper: Looking forward to Durarara 2, Isuca, Junketsu no Maria (did I just read some rape in the plot?), Juuou Mujin no Fafnir (hmm sounds like IS), Kuroko no Basket 3 (hype as fuck, fan grilling), Saenai Heroine no Sodate-kata (seems like Mangaka Assistant), Seiken Tsukai no World Break, Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha (dis sounds good) and Tokyo Ghoul 2 (kyaa!). Perhaps others but these will do for now.
Angel: Tokyo Ghoul 2 is definitely something I'm looking forward to along with a couple of other series. Well that pretty much wraps up this interview for now. Is there anything you would like to say to our readers, Viper?
Viper: Bitches and hoes are like new clothes, once you get 'em you wish you never got em. I love every one of you in the AA section (heart) especially you bbe.
Angel: Never heard more true words, 2D > 3D. But thank you taking the time to let me interview, I hope it wasn't too terribly boring. It was a pleasure.
Viper: Not boring at all, it was my pleasure. Thanks.
Missing Weeks Explanation
It is currently exam season in most educational institutions around the world, many of us are studying towards assignments and exams on the team. In light of that, we have taken a two week break to deal with our personal lives. I apologise for missing the weeks but it's not something we can do during exam season, especially with out small team. We want to expand our current roster to avoid situations like this, hopefully we will in the future. It's looking bright.
Recruitment
Since we missed two weeks, I have come to the conclusion that we cannot continue going on with our tiny team. We need more dedicated AA members that are willing to put some time in to entertain our community as well as keeping the AA Weekly tradition running. Think you got what it takes? Know your ins and outs around the Japanese culture? Check out the recruitment thread, we don't care if you are ub3r, l33t or even a normal member, we will like to have you on our cosy little team! Recruitment can be found here.
Great work as always, although if you're looking for feedback I'm going to say that personally I prefer the highlighted cosplayers to not be League of Legends champions, because honestly there's too many of them and anime interests me more. But that's just my personal opinion.
Those manga apartments seem interesting...
$44.52 to stay in a hotel as a foreign guest and it comes with manga?!? That's pretty cheap honestly consider some hotels here in the u.s cost that much or even more. Sign me up!
This was the first time I read it in full detail & I gotta appreciate the work the writers have put in this.
Way to go people.
Gonna watch Golgo 13 right away.
Probably not the best publicity for anime to be displayed like that in a music video. All the anime fans know what to make of it but not the general public. Props to Pharrell for being creative and venturing into controversial territory.
Not gonna lie, the manga apartments is a cool idea. Although, I'm surprised this hasn't been implemented already. I figured if you stayed in a hotel in a weeaboo district it would be anime themed or at least have some manga in it.
It always surprises me how popular some holidays are in Japan. Looks like a lot of fun!
The first song was a nice alternative number and a cool, artsy music video to go with it. I'm very fond of instrumentals so the second video was pretty awesome; loved the grungy and laid back feel.
Correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't the third video been posted already? I remember that girl and the beat/overall sound seems familiar.
Oh Misa, why haven't I had the pleasure of finding you on the internet sooner? I didn't think it was possible, but I actually found my "flat" goddess. She is the perfect example of how you don't need huge knockers to be attractive. Where do I begin? She has a very diverse portfolio of cosplays and while they may not all be perfect, they are all very well done. She has something for everybody: Flandre Scarlet for Lyralei, Mirai for Angel, Asuka for everyone (oh god don't get me started on this one, the body suit hnnnng) and of course Shinobu for AA's best girl, plus many more. Seriously check out her portfolio guys, you won't be disappointed. Facial expressions on point. Poses, nailed it. Costumes, some of the best you'll ever see. She really is a gem and I'm glad you introduced us to her.
I've read, watched, and heard about some absurd things but the "plot" of Oretama is at the top of that list. Now that you've brought it to my attention, I feel it is my duty to read something so ridiculous.
Awesome job guys, this is one of my favorite issues despite no VN. You guys never cease to impress me. Keep it up homies. Spoiler (Click to View)
(Nov 16, 2014 04:38 PM)Toonami Wrote: Oh Misa, why haven't I had the pleasure of finding you on the internet sooner? I didn't think it was possible, but I actually found my "flat" goddess. She is the perfect example of how you don't need huge knockers to be attractive. Where do I begin? She has a very diverse portfolio of cosplays and while they may not all be perfect, they are all very well done. She has something for everybody: Flandre Scarlet for Lyralei, Mirai for Angel, Asuka for everyone (oh god don't get me started on this one, the body suit hnnnng) and of course Shinobu for AA's best girl, plus many more. Seriously check out her portfolio guys, you won't be disappointed. Facial expressions on point. Poses, nailed it. Costumes, some of the best you'll ever see. She really is a gem and I'm glad you introduced us to her.
At the moment of writing, she is ranked #10 on the daily ranking on WorldCosplay. I know right? She's insanely cute and fits into anything and everything. Honestly have no idea how she is doing that, I'm not sure if it's the make up, or what?
Thanks for your feedback, you always post some meaningful feedback and warm words. It's nice to see people enjoying the Weekly.
(Nov 16, 2014 10:44 PM)tweety Wrote: At the moment of writing, she is ranked #10 on the daily ranking on WorldCosplay. I know right? She's insanely cute and fits into anything and everything. Honestly have no idea how she is doing that, I'm not sure if it's the make up, or what?
Thanks for your feedback, you always post some meaningful feedback and warm words. It's nice to see people enjoying the Weekly.
I'm not sure what it is either. How much of it is attributed to the lighting, camera angles, etc. or if it's mostly her (I think it's mostly her). I'm not into lolis but her cosplay of Shiro had me thinking naughty thoughts; that's when I knew something was up. 🤫
No problem, it's just crazy to see the difference in content from issue 6 (I forget which one I read first) or even issue 30 to now. From a one man army to a team of dedicated individuals is pretty awesome. Thanks to everyone who had a part in keeping this alive.