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This is the third and final part of our 60th show and Osamu Tezuka spotlight, featuring Clarissa’s review of the Black Jack OAVs and movie from the 1990s.
Took a little while to up this one, but Otaku USA Issue 3 is now on sale! Please buy it so it doesn’t suffer the same fate as Pulp.
Review: Black Jack (0:00 – 49:25)
Clarissa reviews the only Black Jack anime that was commercially released in the US: the 1990s OAVs as well as the 1990s movie. It’s a somewhat different take on the character, since it’s by the dynamic duo who brought us such fine classics as Golgo 13, Space Adventure Cobra, and possibly Mad Bull 34. In other words, this anime is awesome. If you already know the basic premise of Black Jack, feel free to skip to about the 25 minute mark.
Promo: World’s Manliest Podcast (49:35 – 50:00)
Listen up. All you people who listen to Fast Karate then run off and start your own podcasts need to understand something: Dave and Joel don’t love you. Have THEY ever played your promo? HUH? That’s right, they have not. They only want you for your body, whereas the AWO wants you for your eternal souls. This is a podcast by two foreigners screaming about awesome things in an disorganized fashion. Daryl tried to set them straight by informing them that Nastasha Zabigov > Rain Mikamura, but they just wouldn’t listen. Perhaps playing their promo will make them live up to their names. If so, we demand this as tribute. Also, if not.
Closing (50:00 – 54:04)
It took an entire month for us to release what is technically one single episode. How much lower can we go at this point, really? The answer: our second all-mecha episode! Daryl’s turning all the dials to 11 and setting his age past 99 to 999 when he reviews Godannar, Clarissa’s doing her part to keep Masami Obari employed by reviewing Gravion and its followup Gravion Zwei, and Gerald realized that reviewing Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann would make people actually WANT to listen, so he’s breaking our Yoshiyuki Tomino seal with Space Runaway Ideon. Be fortunate, all of you, that we no longer live in the era of violence.
DAVID VIOLENCE.
From the beginning of the show notes:
“If you already know the general premise of Black Jack, feel free to skip to about 25 minutes in.”
From the end of that same paragraph:
“If you already know the basic premise of Black Jack, feel free to skip to about the 25 minute mark.”
I’ll forgive you Daryl, since you released this at 2AM, but you should probably fix that. 😛
Also, is that video at the end of the show notes from the nerd prom? Or is that from an earlier AWA?
-Jaime
Black Jack Movie (Manga Entertainment) for $15.66:
http://www.dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=1213
Black Jack Box 1 (CPM) for $17.60:
http://www.dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=619609
Black Jack Box 2 (CPM) for $17.60:
http://www.dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=646755
Enjoy ^_^
-Jaime
Well mister Surat, if you had a forum, maybe I’d pay more attention to you, atleast those two may love me for mah body, but atleast they have a forum. Also thanks man, gonna listen on the bus ride yo, keep podcasting and when you get the promo, I’ll whore it for you like a cheap prostitute, yeah!
Speaking of Tezuka, it looks like we’re getting a new Unico release http://www.newgalaxyanime.com/
Yeah, another mecha themed show for next time!
Except that it’ll be about Godanner and Gravion, ugh.
I saw one ep of Gravion (ep 5.) at an anime convention. Came off as a retarded version of Gaogaigar (a series I really like). It’s like those show’s are all about BOOBS BOOBS BOOBS and some mecha then it’s more BOOBS BOOBS BOOBS. And I LIKE BOOBS mind you. The mecha just comes off really generic and recycled (Kunio, you freaken rehash hack). The only thing that stuck out from that ep was when the MEGA BOOB girl Mizuki put another girl’s (or was it a guy?) head inbetween her chest.
I know exactly what the trend for these shows is that you mentioned. Useless fanservice. Now I do like fanservice mind you, but not at the expense of the robot action which should be the primary focus of a robot show.
I think a mecha show where the fanservice came off better was Iczer-1 but maybe because that primarely wasn’t a mecha anime, so much as a mish mash of alot different genres which IMO payed off. So I think fanservice in a mecha show needs to be subtle most of the time.
I’ll discuss more about that when your next show comes out.
Black Jack is pure awosemenes. And I can’t wait to watch the last two OAVs on my Ipod. I must say that my favorite is the the one with the big tree.
I wrote on the FKFG forums that Black Jack is the Osamu Tezuka Golgo 13.
Also after watching the very first episodes of Doctor Who I came with the realization the the first Doctor and Black wear the same outfit 😛
Also a more extensive e-mail is to come … (of course it will never be answer since you only answer 2 line e-mails but whatever) 😛
erwin: I didn’t care as much for the Dezaki movie, because it seemed like a Golgo 13 movie which happened to feature Black Jack. But the OVAs were great, and I highly recommend they be snatched before CPM loses the license. It took them a lot of wrangling with Tezuka Pro to get them on R1 dvd in the first place, and supporting is the only way to get that SD tv show out here one day.
I’ve never seen any of Black Jack but I think I will have to check it out now. Sounds very interesting. Great review!
Did you guys get that email I sent you about Super Robot Wars and other mecha video games? I didn’t get a response back so I was just curious. I guess it makes sense if you’re saving it for your all mecha show next episode.
Daryl, how do you like Dead Rising and Marvel Ultimate Alliance? I love MUA and I’ve played through it several times. The whole time limit thing on Dead Rising really takes away from the game and the people you have to rescue are complete dumb asses and usually end up getting themselves killed. Other then that, it is really fun just screwing around killing zombies with all the various weapons lying around.
Gerald, how is the single player in Chromehounds? I’ve heard it’s a popular multiplayer game but I don’t know how the single player campaign is.
I’m currently playing Dynasty Warriors Gundam. I like it a lot even though it has its issues (camera, allied AI, few levels). It’s too bad it doesn’t have any online multiplayer modes. I just completed Official mode last night with all the characters (Gundam, Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam storylines).
Oh man, is this going to be Gerald ranting for 45 minutes about how wrong I am about Ideon?
Oh man, is this going to be Gerald ranting for 45 minutes about how wrong I am about Ideon?
Fortunately Jeremy I didn’t listen to your Ideon episode until after I watched and reviewed the show, but yes, I think we have some pretty big disagreements :).
Also Derek, it may be that we’re an anime podcast so we don’t spend much if any time talking about videogames since there are about a billion other anime and videogame podcasts out there. But yeah, Chromehounds single player is a mixed bag, but it solidifies my feeling that I just don’t like that philosophy towards mech design. I really don’t like the big, slow, lumbering tanks that dominate the American style of mechs (even though Chromehounds was done by a Japanese company, I have to mention that since nerds can’t wait to get you on that stuff, ugh) and I prefer the faster, and more sleek style of mechs ie. Gundam and Kunio stuff, etc… Throughout the entire game all I wanted to do was to be able to jump and glide but, nope, all you can do is walk glacially slow around the map and pick off other mechs from four miles away. I did enjoy it, but it’s not really my ideal sort of mech game. Now if I could get a remake of Robot Alchemic Drive, then I’d be set!
Gerald, yes I realize this is an anime podcast, I just noticed you had been playing Chromehounds and I wanted to see what you thought of it. I wouldn’t have brought up video games if Daryl hadn’t mentioned them in the last two episodes. Sorry.
If the theme is BOOBS, then why aren’t you reviewing Kotetsu Shin Jeeg?
It makes me sad when people hate on “Godannar”. I like that show…”Why are we moving this big heavy thing all by ourselves?” “I was just about to ask that!” KERSPLOOOSH! “Oh no, now we’re all covered in sticky oil! We have to go take showers right away!”
That’s the exact reaosn I hate Goddanar, and the fact the couples have such wide age discrepancies that they could be father-daughter, and the whole incest thing. Goddannar is horrible.
Well, keep in mind that I ONLY watched the Ideon movies. Andrew watched the show (some of the show?) Anyway, my interpretation is based entirely on that.
Black Jack is one of those franchises I’ve heard a lot about (mostly positive buzz) but never seen a single frame of. Guess I’ll try to change that in the future, in part thanks to this review.
Also, I’ve been looking at some old Dezaki stuff recently (Space Adventure Cobra, Takarajima), so that might fit right in with the theme…or maybe not. In any case, I’m interested.
And count me in as another horrible person who doesn’t totally hate Godannar. The boobs and asses can be distracting (even for an honest perv such as I), but the Super Robot mecha action was right on, the humor mostly worked and the plot had a couple of nice (if usually predictable) twists. The OST is kind of good too.
Not top ten material but, if nothing else, it did help me get over the unnecessary drama/angst-filled-fest which was Rumbling Hearts. That has to count for something in my book. 😛
Never seen Gravion though, and Ideon is still somewhere on my ridiculously long “to watch” list…so I’m looking forward to the next podcast.
I do not want AWO to review kotetsu Shin Jeeg until it is release here in the USA and I get to watch it all, again.
I really haven’t been into the modern mecha anime except for those remakes of Go Nagai stuff like New Getter Robo since I felt it’s the right way to do a robot series.
I’d love it if you did a Mamoru Nagano themed show and review L-Gaim, FSS (manga and movie) and maybe Brain Powered. One of my favorite mecha designers.
Regarding OTAKU USA’s prospects, I hope Warren Ellis will not mind if I quote a recent post of his on print magazines:
“Mediapost says the magazine is not dead.
“Since 1996, with the dissemination of the new media that’s supposed to kill print, the total number of magazines has grown 15 percent, and total magazine readership has grown by 9 percent. An accelerating growth: There were 12 percent more magazine launches in 2006 than in 2002.
Nope. Definitely not dead.
“…a number of magazines are thriving. The New Yorker (revenue up 7.5 percent from 2006), Vanity Fair (+21.7 percent), Wired (+10.7 percent) and Fast Company (+13.9 percent) have all seen their ad pages grow in the last year. The Internet has not siphoned away readers from them as it has from newspapers. The big exceptions, of course, are magazines whose raison d’etre is providing news – like Time (-14.6 percent) and Newsweek (-0.3 percent). There simply is no reason for either publication to exist today, at least with their historic missions. If a newspaper is a day late with news, what does that make a weekly news magazine?”
Yet, sadly, niche magazines have a very, very tough time.
One of my favorite mags, Wings/Airpower, folded after something like 40-some years of publication due to declining store sales. I feel there’s a few reasons for this on top of that, some choices made at the start of ’07 that I think hurt them at the wholesale level and some editoral choices that chased away long term readers, but in the end none of it matters because they’re gone and I’m sad because I loved getting my airplane data on. Who else is going to do a 4 issue exam of the SR-71? Nobody.
Right now, as I see it, the magazine business is more about making sure you’ve got a rock solid relationship with a major distro company, and you’re staying in the face of the buyers at the corporate level, both of which I think Otaku USA are solid on.
I miss my Wings/Airpower.
Not a fan of House here, but the premise of Black Jack sounds interesting. Given that Clarissa talked about so much its nice to have a full review.
Speaking of reviews.. On Space Runaway Ideon, after watching it about halfway through the series I gave up. Why? That redheaded afro kid was just too damn annoying! Maybe the review will encourage me to pick it up again I don’t know…
Though I’ve only watched halfway through the series I really couldn’t see the huge resemblance to Evangelion. I guess the Ideon itself could count, given its ungodly powers (from what I’m told). If I had to compare, its more like a cross between Gundam and Orguss. Gundam shouldn’t be surprising, simply put the Original Series side-by-side and you get a familiar feel. Orgus for the simple plot point of one group of people against everyone else. Both had that 80’s anime style to them….
adm: I’m sure its on the list of “things to do,” but a review of Legend of the Galactic Heros should be in order.
I’m beginning to wonder if anyone in Japan or the U.S. actually owns Legend of The Galactic Heroes!
Anonymous Coward wrote:
I’m beginning to wonder if anyone in Japan or the U.S. actually owns Legend of The Galactic Heroes!
I’ve got three of the six LD boxes, and I know a couple other people who have all of the LDs or the main series and movies on LD. None of us felt like paying another $2000 for the crapped up DVD releases.
Well very good 3 part series to the man himself Tezuka, I really couldn’t see this type of show going any other way. Clever use of a Prince of Tennis reference, and yes what are you trying to Gerald chase everyone away with your next review? Just kidding but seriously could one of you do a Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann review in show 62 and/or maybe a fall preview show to give listeners and idea of what has the potential to be a good anime for the fall season. Brian/Nightmare
Not releated to anything discuss in the show but take a look at this and maybe you can use it in the “Let’s News” segment for the next show.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-10-25/japanese-poll-87-percent-accept-manga-child-porn-regulation
VZ: That’s newsworthy, I think, though the wording of the poll does leave a lot of room for debate. How much and what kind of “regulation” does it imply, for example. Regulation isn’t necessarily equal to a ban, though it doesn’t rule it out either.
Some restrictions on those things could be welcome, considering the extreme examples one can easily find, but the rest of the details are unclear.
And well…considering how much of that stuff is produced in Japan and how many people get it, even a total ban would have to face a persisting underground movement willing to produce and distribute such materials, no matter what others may think of them.
exedore
>None of us felt like paying another $2000 for the crapped up DVD releases.
Yeah, I wish I could get a nicely done legit copy, but I’m cheap enough as it is, yet alone $2,000. I got fansub copy…
vz
>http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-10-25/japanese-poll-87-percent-accept-manga-child-porn-regulation
This survey is a joke.. polling in general is a joke.. Imagine if they tried that survey here in the States…
Today I surveyed 5000 people in person. I asked simply if they were an “asshole”. 99% responded no, 1% said yes (though its said 70% of that were trying to be funny)
Thanks for reminding me that I have all of Ideon sitting on my hard drive. I really need to watch that.
Hey guys, great show, as usual.
First, I wanna try and clear up some of the confusion concerning Osamu Dezaki, and what he has and hasn’t directed. Osamu Dezaki actually has an older brother named Tetsu Dezaki (sometimes credited as Satoshi Dezaki) who is also an anime director. Although he has directed a few good things (They Were 11 being one of them), the majority of the things he’s directed are garbage. He’s the one responsible for Mad Bull and Wounded Man and the like. The fact that they’re brothers is probably the reason why some of Tetsu’s stuff is accidently credited to Osamu. Here’s a link to his ANN entry…
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=11271
I’m really looking forward to the next show, especially Gerald’s review of Ideon. I keep hearing people on the internet say stuff like “Evangelion is basically Ideon with a different name”, but I think they’re fairly different from each other (although they are similar in some respects). Although, I have read on Wikipedia (which is always 100% accurate!) that certain shots from Ideon: Be Invoked are mirrored almost exactly in The End Of Evangelion, so go figure.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to take a nap.
For the article I posted before. Not to make this into politics but myself having a libertarian view and being an artist, I feel that people should draw whatever they want because it’s only ink on paper and that doesn’t hurt anybody. Although you can make the argument that stuff like lolicon and guro is what influenced a person like the OTHER Miyazaki, but he was deranged already since he was bullied for having deformed hands. Should Evangelion be banned just because there wass that one person that killed his mother because what he got from Eva that humans aren’t worth saving or something like that?
Besides, you wouldn’t want Aki Uchiyama or Waita Uziga out of a job now would you?
> ScottGreen said…
>
> Speaking of Tezuka, it looks like we’re getting a new Unico release http://www.newgalaxyanime.com/
Guess my little effort paid off!
Still, I’ve never heard of this company before, and do hesitate to wonder if they’ll stay afloat or not, only time will tell.
Being reminded of having bought the first Blackjack OAV episode nearly 10-11 years ago, and getting that impression Clarissa mentioned, and not being sure whether to continue or not. I couldn’t have skipped it since it was the very first volume that was released, and I bothered to pick it up at a Record Town/Saturday Matinee when it retailed for whatever bloated price tag those tapes used to be. Glad to hear the remainder of the series was nothing like that first (don’t remember why I wanted to see it in the first place other than for the lack of Tezuka-related stuff we had back then).
In closing, I like to quote the rumored last words of our god of manga himself…
“I’m begging you, let me work!” 🙂
exedore: “Anonymous Coward”
Coward, huh? So then when are you gonna enlist in the armed forces?
Looks like someone spliced the audio from the Matrix trailer into Megazone 23. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKjqU9ie9iI&NR=1
Oh, and speaking of Black Jack, this is a cute reminder asking Japanese fans to turn off their cell phones. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou362uhMyE0
Coward, huh? So then when are you gonna enlist in the armed forces?
Someone doesn’t read slashdot…
Hey exedore
Thanks for releasing Giant Gorg
Yeah, that reminder is from the new Black Jack movie that’s tied in with the recent TV show. Very cute.
They also did a short with Pinoko that ran leading up to the movie in the theater, which was subbed and distributed with the movie along with that cell phone reminder.
So why do you guys think the mecha genre is the least popular as far as anime goes even though anime itself is largely associated with mecha? I’d say 85-90% of the anime I watch or own is mecha based. Even though I like both super and real robot mecha, I prefer super a bit more because I like it when the show is about the mecha. Im fine with the mecha as tools idea in realistic mecha anime but then the problem is they usually become boring as they like to insert philosophical BS (which is why I was never big on the Patlabor or any of Oshi’s movies).
I think mecha’s limited popularity has to do with the demegraphics being mostly female and girls don’t like mecha/ If they do, it’s like Evangelion or Gundam Wing for the characters. Im not saying characters aren’t important. Iprefer the type of characters seen in New Getter Robo and the little I saw of L-Gaim’s characters over Eva’s characters or Gundam Wing’s.
I figure this will be good discussion fodder for the next episode of your show.
BTW, now that Transformers has made a gazillion dollers dispite the insipid script, do you think we’ll see Japan start making live action versions of something like MMazinger Z or Getter Robo? Has anyone seen the Tetsujin 28 LA film? The CG in that looked awful from the trailer.
vz: “So why do you guys think the mecha genre is the least popular as far as anime goes even though anime itself is largely associated with mecha?”
Least popular now? Least popular in this country? Or least popular in Japan now? As far as I’m concerned, I’d blame Evangelion. It’s so annoying, that even anime fans willingly chose to lower their IQs to “enjoy” Transformers. People claim it innovated the genre, but in reality, it subjected the viewer to more annoying teen shows and less action shows. So, now when people hear the word mecha, they think it’s mostly boring verbal exchanges regarding recycled Star Trek jargon, rather than robot porn.
“Im fine with the mecha as tools idea in realistic mecha anime but then the problem is they usually become boring as they like to insert philosophical BS (which is why I was never big on the Patlabor or any of Oshi’s movies).”
You really should see the show and OVAs, as the movies are just one approach to the series. But I’m going to have to disagree with you about it being boring. [Well, maybe the second film, but it was supposed to add insight into the least interesting character on the force, so it probably suffers as a result. What’s weird is that Japanese poll I saw a while back[I think ANN.] which ranked it the best of his work, even though the current trend seems to be towards the harem genre-so you’d figure UY would be number 1.]
Anyway, if you just focus on the story, you’re more likely to enjoy Oshii’s stuff than if you concern yourself with his philosophical ramblings. [With the exception, once again, of the Blood novel…]
“I think mecha’s limited popularity has to do with the demegraphics being mostly female and girls don’t like mecha/ If they do, it’s like Evangelion or Gundam Wing for the characters.”
I really don’t know any chicks who dig Eva. It’s probably because Anno’s a misogynist, but then they seem to get a kick out of Arina Tanemura, so who knows what they’re thinking?
“BTW, now that Transformers has made a gazillion dollers dispite the insipid script, do you think we’ll see Japan start making live action versions of something like MMazinger Z or Getter Robo?”
I fucking hope so, but if whoever owns Starvengers is still holding back the rights to the original series like whoever holds Macross: DYRL, then it might be a Japan-only thing. Though that also depends on whether people are still willing to invest in live-action Go Nagai properties, period, after Devil Man and Cutie Honey did so poorly. (I’m aware of the new CT tv show, but they probably did it, because it was cheap like the live-action Sailor Moon. Whether they’d do the same for a movie is a different story.)
“Has anyone seen the Tetsujin 28 LA film? The CG in that looked awful from the trailer.”
I kinda wanted to, but the child actors didn’t come off very believable.
I’ve been wondering about a possible rise in robots in American Cinema since Transformers release. I, myself, wouldn’t mind seeing a Hollywood budget live-action anime remake of some of the shows previously mentioned.
Then again, Hollywood hasn’t exactly been at the top of it’s game, and I fear it would turn into another slew of crap releases, ala the superhero boom which only now seems to be ending.
Anonymous Coward wrote:
Coward, huh? So then when are you gonna enlist in the armed forces?
Funny, I served in Kosovo with the 101 Screaming Eagles and I still post my name.
kevin: “Funny, I served in Kosovo with the 101 Screaming Eagles and I still post my name.”
Bombing a city from the convenience of a fighter jet ain’t brave. Just ask the pilots who hit Dresden.
I should have clarified that I meant bombing a city which is nearly done for, anyway.
Clarissa said…
Yeah, that reminder is from the new Black Jack movie that’s tied in with the recent TV show. Very cute.
Heh, I thought that was really cute! Kinda reminded me of this little PSA made for AMC Theatres that mocked a rather Lion King-ish style trailer that was seen sometime ago (heard they pulled it though)…
I thought it was rather a nice effective way of reminding people while getting a silly spoof of a typical Disney-like G-rated flick in the process!
And I’ll give thumbs up to that bitchin’ Megazone 23/Matrix trailer too! Great to see someone showing off that talent! 🙂
Can’t wait for the Ideon review soon!
Incidentally, I feel a little pissed I can’t find a copy of “Projext X – Cup Noodle” at all online, it appears it might not out-of-print now and it sucks I missed out on getting a copy someone had up eBay recently. If anyone out there can help me out in tracking down that book, let me know, I’m desperate!
Another mevha show Iiked that had fanservice (sadly didn’t really have nudity) was Vandread. Not the best but enjoyable (saw it on the Encore Action channel).
I’ve been trying to compile a list of mecha or sci-fi anime that have a 98% female cast.
Vandread
Iczer-1
Simoun
Galaxy Fraulein Yuna
Gall Force
Any others?
BTW, don’t bother teaching English in Japan. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071026/bs_afp/japaneducationbankruptcycompanynova_071026182954
Yes! Finally, another Mecha show… I am in bliss. Thank you.
Anonymous said…
BTW, don’t bother teaching English in Japan.
You don’t have to remind me, my friend already told me a couple days ago. Have to talk to him about what he might plan to do now. Shame to see this happen, right after he already had luck getting there in the first place (having had so many setbacks in the 8 or so years I have kept in touch with him).
Chris said
Incidentally, I feel a little pissed I can’t find a copy of “Projext X – Cup Noodle” at all online
Have you tried abebooks.com? Right now there’s one seller there (with two listings – the first is apparently for used copies, the second for new, not overly expensive).
Also, searching with the isbn (1569709599) on google should throw up a few no-name shops with current stock, if you want to go that route.
So it looks like the guy who fucked up LXG is no longer directing Akira…
Oscar nominated Irish director Ruairi Robinson (“Silent City”) is tipped to be up for helming Warner Bros. Pictures live-action remake of the classic 1988 post-apocalyptic manga feature “Akira”. The project is tipped to be moving forward pre-strike…”
Source: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news07/071029c.php
I hope you guys don’t mind me posting alot here. i have much to say, that’s all.
Anyway, rumor has it that Lucky Star has been licensed.
YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
Also, just for discussion fodder for the next ep. There’s practically no mecha manga out in the U.S. There’s various Gundam one but most aren’t interesting to me (I want Side Story of Z), Evangelion, Brain Powered and also Five Stars Stories (which was difficult to get since it’s not the standard manga format).
Seriously, I’d like some mecha manga but ther really isn’t any in the U.S.