A blog that will cure your apathy and inspire your dreams...
Warning: All who watch anime, play video games, like J-music and K-music, and the like... ARE OTAKU!
In romanization that is, "Terrible-Strength Girl Hero"
There's no such thing in anime though. As Chansu says in his One Punch Man review, we kind of root against a hero who has everything easy and shows no effort to win. Though "One Punch Man" is more of a Millenial generation Shounen Hero because he's sarcastic about all of the enemies he beats by using no emotional attachment to them. The whole anime game is changing so...
There are already some old anime like Blood+, Birdy, Haruhi, FLCL, Evangelion, Gundam, and maybe Gintama where there are strong and terrifying female characters that kick ass and pose formidable threats to the main characters, if they are not already. That's how formidable they are in the anime world that there are so few of them starring in their own anime and in the ones that they only co-star they always manage to hurt the main character. If they didn't cartoonize those blows, the main character guy would usually sure die, such as Gintama or FLCL where Ginoki takes ninja knives to the head and FLCL where the boy takes guitars to the face so that he can finally transform again.
It's not a new thing out there. Maybe it causes guys and guy otaku some anxiety to want more anime like it but it shouldn't because they're anime and the real world is much different. It would cause thousands of tons of anxiety for a real life human man to undergo such anxiety! (LOL) So it's best that these kinds of themes are seen more in anime than in real life, right?
That's no cause for otaku to fear. We're already pretty nerdy people who deal with daily hassles already. For those of us who like shounen anime, we maybe already love the "Tensai Shoujo Hero"!
In Japanese folklore, ghosts, light angels, and nether-creatures are called "yokai". Yokai are the spirit forms that inhabit the world of spirits in Shinto religion. Folklore of Japan has countless types of yokai, making it one of the richest cultural examples of creative spirituality on the planet Earth. This differs from Western culture and it's black versus white, good versus bad, and darkness versus light duality which so many people are tired of comparing themselves to.
Anyway, this edition of the blog focuses on different yokai creatures: Yokai-Spotting!
Kasa-Obake
(Umbrella Ghost)
The Kasa-Obake is that Umbrella creature you might have seen in an anime...
Type: Tsukumogami
Meaning "Kami of the tool" or any object that reaches its 100th birthday and becomes self-aware.
Maybe "Kasa-Obake" (Umbrella Ghost) is a discarded umbrella that fell by a wayside, finding a quiet spot under a bridge where it gained the expanse of time and experiences with animals that it needed to take on a life of its own. That or a grudge that it retained from its previous owner. Generally, they're not too harmful (as yokai) and Japanese schoolchildren like to doodle them in their notes or creatively.
"Kasa-obake" is one of the Kirby series baddies that made frequent cameos in the older gameboy, SNES, and even the newer installments. This baddie gives Kirby the ability to wield an umbrella against his foes.
Always mind your umbrella so it doesn't bear your eternal grudge...
This month, January, is dedicated to actual anime love character matches through different anime. Since next month is February and then it will be Valentine's Day again! I figured that everyone would like to get into the romance spirit instead of bemoaning romance and love, as the hipocrites actually do when they have mucho love on the side, right?
It's been a long 2011 and for a while it seemed like we were going to shut down, just like they brag about on Gintama. But everything's good now, have a beer!
L'arc en Ciel is back and they're going on tour for their 20th anniversary. Their worldwide tour started in Japan at Ajinomoto Stadium. Yes, they are coming to the United States later next year.
So I won this contest with animenewsnetwork and go free tickets to see the 20th anniversary kickoff at Ajinomoto Stadium live. I saw it at Empire 25 right in NYC.
Stay Tuned for the World Tour!
You'd think they'd treat me like a contest winner?! It was basically like I won the experience of sneaking into a city movie theatre... But the concert film was pretty cool. It wasn't truly live, it was more like it was filmed on the 29th in Japan and shown in the USA on the 29th. So it's almost like it was live right? It took place at technically the same time and day. That's better than Justin Beiber does when he shows his concert movies in films.
Ever wonder why L'arc en ciel concerts are packed in Japan? Seriously there must have been almost a hundred thousand people there! (at their concert in Japan) Or more!
I only knew a few of the songs they chose for the film. Blurry Eyes, Niji, Ready Steady Go!, and Link
I was disappointed they didn't choose Fourth Avenue Cafe (U.U)p
That was probably done on purpose because there IS going to be a world tour, hitting NYC in March!!! (or April)
Here's some footage of the footage! The sound isn't that great but they're performing Ready Steady Go!
Anyway, L'arc en Ciel is my favorite band from Japan!
I continue to buy their singles on itunes!
Yes they're on itunes in America!
Here at Otaku Reviewers, we are as selfless as Sakura Kyouko
with her strange yet cute desire to hand out free apples. But instead of
apples, you get sweet Otaku gear!
"Kuu kai?"
"How do I enter the free contest giveaway?" you ask? Well, just follow the instructions below and you too can be eligible to receive some cool prizes from your friendly Otaku Reviewers writers.
*ahem* Need I emphasize that this contest is FREE?
You might have looked at our current survey in the sidebar and thought, "I don't know what some of these words mean!".
Well I'm here to clear it all up!
In anime and manga there are some signature character types... Included in our survey are some popular character types in anime.
Tsundere - A character that is a mixture of mean and then nice. One type of tsundere is mean at first and gradually becomes nicer and the other type is mean most of the time but has occasional times when they are nice. See:: The Four Tsundere Wonders
Yandere - A character that is a mixture of gory evilness and niceness/love. See:: ::: When They Cry, Halloween だ!::: Boke - A character that will usually say stupid things, zone out, or be oblivious to the obvious. Example: Otani from Lovely Complex
Otani frequently mispronounces english words and is oblivious to many hints from his friends. Though his opposite love interest, Risa, also has her boke moments...
Tsukkomi - The tsukkomi character is opposite the boke character. They are the character that notices the faults of the boke character and points them out frankly to them or to the viewer. In Japan, they play the straightman in the comedy routine. Example: Tomoya from Clannad
Even in this picture Tomoya is frankly commenting on Fuko's sadness. Tomoya frequently points out others faults so he's an example of the "Tsukkomi" character.
Otaku - Any character that has an extensive interest and hobby dealing with anime, manga, video games, or collectable figures. See:: Female Otaku Needed for Cosplay
Shy - A character that is shy or timid. Example: Hinata from Naruto
Hinata likes Naruto but can never find the right words to tactfully have a conversation with him. It's until she grows older in Naruto Shippuuden that she "opens up to him".
Intelligent - A character that is a tensei (genius) or just plain smart. These characters usually have glasses and frequently adjust them ^^ Example: Ishida Uryuu from Bleach
That's practically all he's got going for him in Bleach. Being smart enough to understand the physics of his flying arrows and the limits of his body.
Outgoing - Applies to any character that is very social or extraverted. I would say it applies to some shounen heroes as well. Example: Haruhi from The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Haruhi is pretty outgoing. She singlehandedly starts a club at her school naming it the S.O.S Brigade and proclaims it's to investigate the supernatural and extraterrestial phenomena. She has no problem approaching other clubs to compete with them and no problem bossing around the main guy character, Kyon.
And there you have it!!! Use this guide to vote on our sidebar survey!!
You've got a much better chance of winning a gift from the Otaku Reviewers!!
Be one of our lucky followers and you'll win A Very Otaku Gift Pack!
What we're giving away: Um everything is brand spanking new XD
Shounen Jump December 2010 Issue (Shounen manga magazine!!!)
Saiyuki: Requem The Motion Picture (If you're a Saiyuki fan you'll love it, if you're not a Saiyuki fan you'll love it)
Gintama Volume 20 in English (Pure Comedy in Manga form)
The Otaku Encyclopedia by Patrick Galbraith (In case you don't know what an otaku is or the secret information every otaku should know)
How to enter: Any follower/subscriber is eligible to win! First click follow on the right-hand side to subscribe then comment below with your email address! One lucky follower who commented will win!!!
Enter by: 12:00am Eastern Time on December 15th (The night of December 14th)
So you can get it before Christmas!!! Hopefully...
Hey fellow bloggers, I know I haven't posted in a while due to lack of ideas, but I suddenly regained some inspiration so it's time to jump into a review! ^^ __
Have you ever thought about what makes an action anime... a good action anime? Well the reason may differ from person to person but in my opinion it just needs a base storyline and well thought out fights. Fights where they just thrust swords at each other and the storyline seems to repeat itself... *cough*... are not too fun. So in these favorites of mine you'll find tons of well-thought out battles with satisfying story lines.
You must be itching to know what my favorites are... well then... without further ado... onto the review! :)
I now bring to you... my TOP 3 action animes! o.O
Number one: I know you all have probably heard of this one before; one of the most popular animes in the world; one that exceeds all average action expectations that one may have; onethat will cure your apathy and inspire your dreams; one that will... (did I say "one" enough?)... forever be the famed anime called One Piece!
This anime has everything--from romance, slice of life, extreme drama, and crazy twists to hilarious moments, randomness-you-just-have-to-accept, well-written fillers (Yes, I said well-written and fillers in the same sentence), as well as epic and explosive action. What more can you ask for? Key Magic? They have some of that as well! =P
So just what is this anime about you ask? (...wait, you don't? *evil stare* Well...I'm telling you anyway...)
Well, if you can't tell just from looking at this picture, it's about a group of pirates who journey across the sea in search of the greatest treasure--"One Piece"! The main character, Monkey D. Luffy, ate a devils fruit that allows him to stretch like rubber! As he journeys he meets other friends who all aspire to make the best of their lives and achieve their goals. As they sail to the future what will become of them? Will they become the best or fall in defeat? You'll have to watch One Piece to find out =P. _________________
My Personal Experience:
At first when I started watching this anime, it took me a little while to get used to the animation--but once that phase was over I realized just how amazing this anime is. The story line is so well written that even the fillers are good!!! If I didn't look up which episodes were fillers I'd have no idea! Even the moments where you think they can't use that portion of the story effectively blows you away. The structure and planning of the story and how it all comes together + the amazing twists they come up with--and the consistency of that amazement is off the scale for me. I HIGHLY recommend this anime if you're an action and adventure fan =P.
Opening:
Here you go! ^^
_________________
This anime is very similar to my next review: The Law of Ueki.
Like One Piece, it is very well thought out and contains the most unique powers I've ever seen in an anime.
And that's not the only similarity. The main character in this anime, Ueki, has the ability to turn trash into trees. (Wha-?) You heard me. Trash. Into. Trees.
... And although Luffy's rubber ability and Ueki's trash-into-trees ability both don't sound very formidable, they're both extremely strong abilities if you know how to use them.
In this anime Ueki joins a tournament where the winner gets to become God! No--not for selfish reasons. Ueki joins to stop others from total domination. Will his unwavering Justice be able to defeat Evil? You'll have to watch Law of Ueki to find out =P _________________
My Personal Experience:
At first when I started watching this anime, I thought it was pretty stupid. Like many animes, this one didn't put a lot of effort into hooking in the viewer in the beginning, assuming people will watch their whole series for the explanation. That didn't stop me, since I had heard many good things about it I kept watching. Right after where I would've stopped (around episodes 1-3) they introduced the explanation and made everything click and I was so glad I did. This arena-style anime was very refreshing and brought me some nostalgia I'll never forget ^^. It climbed into my top 3 action animes and is overall fantastic and highly recommended for all action lovers =P.
Opening:
Here you go! ^^
_________________
And last but certainly not least is my favorite shoujo action! You heard me right--girls can't kick butt too! =P
The sister anime to Toaru Majutsu no Index: Toaru Kagaku no Railgun! Yay!
This action anime has my favorite animation out of all the ones before mentioned. I honestly think it's the best animated action anime, but I haven't seen them all to earn the right to say that =P.
What is this anime about?
Well, it doesn't really have a main story line--it's more like a settled multi-plot action anime which was the first of its kind I've ever seen. If you want an idea--imagine Lucky Star... with Action...and an ESPer city... and... and... ok fine that was a bad reference--but still! It's a great anime. The characters are really energetic and fun; except for the somewhat humorous small series of perverted girl-girl comments/moments from Kuroko (the girl on the left of this picture).
What makes this anime so great?
The best things I like about this anime are the amazing characters, themes, art, and high action thriller it gives you... like... you know: chasing criminals... stopping bad guys... fighting evil... (*ahem*, what do you mean I'm just saying the same thing in different words??)... you know... the good stuff =P.
"But Deretsun... how can girls kick butt!?"
Wha-? You still don't believe me? Take a look at this next picture of the "Railgun"...
Believe me now? =P
...Thought so. _________________
My Personal Experience:
At first when I started watching this anime I was expecting a main story line like Toaru Majutsu no Index (which I recommend you watch before watching Railgun) so I wasn't too thrilled when I found out it was just "another non-major-plot anime." As I felt forced to watch the rest of it I realized that I was actually enjoying it and then I opened up my eyes without expectations and realized how much I was actually loving it! It was very happy and refreshing to watch and I highly recommend it to people who just want to kick back and watch a nice relaxing action anime. (Kind of an oxy-moron isn't it? But believe me--action can be relaxing too! =P)
Opening:
Here you go! ^^
_________________
So if you're an action fan I recommend all these animes to you! Make sure you watch Index before Railgun though, so you can catch the references.
That's all for today, thanks for reading! ^^ :::Deretsun:::
Hi everyone! Today I bring to you my contribution in the J-Pop section.
はじめましょう！ ^^
First off is the Oricon Charts. The Oricon Charts give to you the top ranking music videos for Japanese Pop (J-Pop) and Korean Pop (K-Pop). Here you'll find the top 30 J-Pop videos as well as the best of J-Pop, J-Rap, J-Rock, and even Anime songs!
A really cool thing about the site is that most of the videos if not all of them have subtitles right next to the videos with scrolling options so you can sing along or figure out what they're saying!
They update it by the week so you can stay up-to-date and check out what's hot in Japan.
On this website is where I learned of the most famous all-girls music group in Japan! Morning Musume! What's cool about this group is that most of them are runners up of famous Japanese version of American-Idol called Asayan. They have many videos that can appeal to different people ranging from sweet melodic and calming videos:
to dark dancing videos!
So that's Morning Musume, or "Momusu" for short.
Another artist I found interesting on the Oricon Charts is a group called AAA. I found them interesting because they use a lot of cool visual effects and it's very entertaining to watch. Coming up high in the Oricon Charts for both of these videos:
Dream After Dream - AAA Visit here for the video on the Oricon charts for subtitles on the side!
Makenai Kokoro (Current Number 23 on Oricon Charts) - AAA Visit here for the video on the Oricon charts for subtitles on the side!
So if you get a chance, check out the Oricon charts and find videos that you might like! Or you can feel free to check out more of Morning Musume and AAA!
That's all for today, thanks for reading! ^^ :::Deretsun:::
Hi everyone! I bring to you one of the funniest comedy acts in Japan: The Manzai Routine! Also known as the "Boke-Tsukkomi Routine"
What does this mean exactly?
Well the person playing "Boke" would normally make a stupid comment and then be "punished" or tsukomu'd by the Tsukkomi who corrects him/her. This type of comedy is really funny and is evident in anime and manga as well!
Here are some examples:
In the manga Love Roma, Hoshino's relationship with his girlfriend is usually in a boke-tsukkomi style because of the Always-Honest-Hoshino and the embarrassed girlfriend ^^. Hoshino even claims their relationship to be a Manzai one:
Note: You may have to click the image to see it better (alternatively read this on mangafox here) It's quite a wonderful manga and I highly recommend it if you like comedy/romance ^^
Another funny Boke-Tsukkomi relationship is from Lovely Complex:
This anime is about a romance between a very tall girl and a very short boy. You can imagine the comedy in that. Although this anime is quite old, it's still a very good story =).
Lucky ★ Star also has some very funny Manzai moments. Take Kagami and Konata for example. Kagami is always quick to jump into her tsuntsun half of her tsundere personality to pounce on the ridiculous comments Konata has to offer. It's also very funny ^^.
Sometimes when the Boke is punished, they actually enjoy it! Take Toaru Kagaku no Railgun for example. Everytime Kuroko annoys Misaka (the Railgun) with her awkward comments, she shoots her with an electric shock that looks very painful.
Another funny Boke-Tsukkomi example comes from my favorite anime: Clannad! As Kyou tries to teach Kotomi how to play the Tsukkomi role, she ends up being the Boke as Kyou tsukomu's her. Here's a video clip of this in action!
Note: This comes from episode 11, and is a partial spoiler.
(Uploaded myself of course ^^)
And thanks to Chansu for the contributions from the Touhou department:
In this one, Cirno is announced as the "new tsukkomi"--wait! TWO tsukkomis? This has got to be interesting...
A Touhou collection of studio Ghibli jokes... or should I say... Shibli? If you're a fan of My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Ponyo, or any other Ghibli movie, you're sure to enjoy this:
So as you can see there are tons of Boke-Tsukkomi duos out there in anime, manga, and even fan-made videos, so if you like this type of comedy, don't hesitate to check it out! ^^
That's all for today, thanks for reading! :::Deretsun:::
So you reach stage 6, the final stage, of this weird game called “Touhou.” You’re doing pretty well because you’re on easy mode [don’t worry I won’t tell your friends], you even manage to beat that crazy floating black cat that won’t leave you alone. But all of a sudden the screen flashes then grows dark. All that remains in the center is what appears to be a dying sun. You see a girl with black wings but whatever, you just want to win the wretchedly difficult game, so you skip the dialogue and start the boss battle.
Too bad. The combination of epic boss music and zillions of shining white bullets whizzing at you killed you off instantly.
If you’ve ever played and won Touhou 11 – Subterranean Animism, then you’ve met and faced off against Utsuho Reiuji, keeper of the Hell of Blazing Fires. It is debated that her theme music is the only final boss music in a Touhou game that actually sounds like a final boss.
Lets examine Utsuho, shall we? Pitch black hair and wings. Green bow, white shirt, green dress. Ovular ruby on chest. Mantle that reflects the universe in its underside. One leg suspended by atoms, the other leg dipped in radioactive goop. And a massive “third leg” attached to her right arm that regulates her power. It may not be obvious, but Utsuho controls nuclear fusion, and uses her powers to regulate hellfires and attempts to rule all of Gensokyo.
“How can such an adorable wittle girl have such malicious intent?” you may ask. Compare the two pictures below.
VERSUS
The picture on the left is the bird-brained crow that mutters “Unyu?” cutely. The picture on the right is the reincarnation of Yatagarasu, the three legged crow that controls the Sun, ready to kill you with the strongest form of energy known to man. You decide which one is Utsuho, but do it fast before you end up dead…!
[Epic yelling in flames is epic.]
It is believed that, although Utsuho is a raven, loves to eat boiled eggs. As you can imagine, such a contradiction is hilarious. See video below.
[Catchy, isn't it?]
It’s no wonder that some people believe she’s just as profoundly dumb as Cirno. Even with such power under her control, even though she is badass in all form and manner, even though she controls what we cannot, Okuu is still just a bird-brained yokai.
Welcome back to more Vocaloid awesomeness. Today's PV is one of the most well done 3DPVs I've ever seen. "Romeo and Cinderella" [Yes, NOT Juliet] is, most simply put, about the hardships a young woman faces in an intimate relationship. But after watching the video for this song, many powerful motifs come into play. See if you can catch all the symbolism in this one!
I apologize if this stretches the limit for our mostly family-friendly blog, but the beauty of this song with the video out-prioritizes that. I hope you enjoy!
Hatsune Miku - Romeo and Cinderella
I did not subtitle or create this video or the music. I don't own it. Don't kill me, copyright people.
This segment is a biography segment on anime characters that I like. And I can make you like them too! Without further ado I bring you:
ANIME PEEPS I CARE ABOUT Today's segment is about Hiruzen Sarutobi
Why, you ask, do I care about the third Hokage in Naruto. Well we have two things in common. One, we're both super diesel smart ninjas who know thousands of jutsu. Two, we're both around 5'4 and so we're like twins in different dimensions haha. Well I might have exaggerated our common traits alittle only because I'm 5'6. And no I'm not lying (T.T)
Well I did cover a few important things about Hiruzen in that first narcistic vain comparison. Most importantly that he's one diesel short guy. Our man, the Third was nicknamed "The Professor" because he knew every ninjutsu ever, with the exeption of some of the forbidden ones that involved using another human's body parts or the like. He took on two of the previous Hokage when they were summoned by Orochimaru like a boss!
His summon seen above is the Monkey King Enma. Did you guys ever notice that in Naruto almost every summon creature is like their summoner in some way or another in appearance. It's easier to tell with The Third, Naruto, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. Well I do not know if Tsunade looks anything like a slug. Anyway... The Monkey King Enma can turn into a staff thats as hard as diamond. Also, Hiruzen was able to summon a Dead Demon Consuming Seal (that seemed scary like the grim reaper haha) in order to seal Orochimaru with himself and his previous masters in the afterlife I guess. That is a jutsu that only he could know how to do in the heat of battle.
Wikipedia has a stats system that score ninja in Naruto by a combo of things including ninjitsu, taijutsu, strength, intelligence, etc. Hiruzen's score is 34. In comparison, Kakashi's score is 34.5 and Naruto's is 26. This scoring seems to be based on kinetic power and not potential. Just for more comparison Jiraiya is 35.5 so anything past 34 is crazy strength in Naruto.
I bring to you the greatest Visual Arts studio that has ever existed (in my opinion of course).... Key!
Key has had such a lasting impact on me in all their animes and has drastically changed my outlook on life. If only I could explain the intensity and heart-wrenching stories, twists, music, and characters that Key provides... then you might see eye to eye with me on what a "Key-Magic" moment is like. I invented the phrase because I could not think of a better way to explain this feeling in a condensed amount of words. So in order to explain what its like i'll have to uncondense it a bit.
When you experience a Key-Magic moment you'll usually do one or more of the following: -Curl up in a corner -Get into a hypothetical fetal position -Cry -Feel chills run down your spine/body -Be paralyzed in awe -Become momentarily depressed or mentally worn out but then become extremely happy at the marvelous story/moment you are having
I'm convinced that Key is full of psychology majors because they really know how to penetrate your emotional walls and soul. If you don't believe me then I encourage you to watch my new favorite anime: Clannad, as well as other Key masterpieces: Angel Beats, Kanon, Air TV. If you've seen Chansu's vocaloid track #9 (double header "kokoro" and "kiseki" respectively) and felt something or had chills run down your spine in awe, then you just had what I call a Key-Magic moment. Of course its nothing compared to the animes that Key was involved in but its a little taste of what its like.
KM moments are priceless to me and I do hope you guys will enjoy them as well! ^^. Key is usually involved in romance related things so if you're not a big romance fan you might not enjoy it as much. But even if that's not your thing I'm sure you'll still appreciate it. It couldn't hurt to give it a try, right? =P.
So if you're up for a life-changing experience, I highly suggest watching Clannad and/or some other Key related phenomenon. And if it doesnt bring you to tears there's something wrong with you... Haha just kidding. But hopefully after you watch one of them if not all of them you'll be able to say "So that's KM."
So don't forget to add Key-Magic to your dictionary =P.
That's all for now, thanks for reading! ^^ :::Deretsun:::
This blog, "The Otaku Reviewers", was started in February of 2010 on this very same platform, Blogger. At first, it was a venture into the informational and informal world of comics, anime, video games, and Japanese culture. In other words, just a random blog.
Over time, the founder of the blog credited with the pseudonym "RPGhero" was joined by two fellow bloggers and friends with the names "Chansu" and "Deretsun". Together the three bloggers looked up interesting Japanese culture facts, recommended new anime, talked about their own "otaku" interests, and traveled across the United States to various anime conventions.
There have been off periods when the blog ceased production of content and there have been times when there would be dozens of blog posts per week. The schedule varies depending on the lives of the people behind the alias'. However the pattern is that we always get back into the game with even newer information about Japanese culture, anime, video games, and other nerdy hobbies.
The motto of our blog is:
"A cure for your apathy and an inspiration for your dreams. ...Applies to Otaku, anime fans, J-pop junkies, and the like"
The purpose is to blog about cool stuff related solely to anime and otaku stuff. There's no other reason we're doing this.
If you like our blog, please support us in however small a way that you would like. We appreciate our readers!
Well, if you can't tell just from looking at this picture, it's about a group of pirates who journey across the sea in search of the greatest treasure--"One Piece"! The main character, Monkey D. Luffy, ate a devils fruit that allows him to stretch like rubber! As he journeys he meets other friends who all aspire to make the best of their lives and achieve their goals. As they sail to the future what will become of them? Will they become the best or fall in defeat? You'll have to watch One Piece to find out =P.
