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The full-on Podcast411-approved rig is officially in full effect! Daryl reviews The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Clarissa has the baseball anime Ookiku Furikabutte (“Swing Big”), and Gerald catches Clarissa’s moe infection brought on by Potemayo as he reviews Lucky Star. Lucky Star? LUCKY STAR? NAJICA?!
This episode was delayed because we were placed under duress by Shingo Takagi:
That is indeed Nigel McGuinness in the background. The ultimate Nigel picture may or may not be posted at some point in the future.Also, because Gerald came out of the Narutard closet. You’ll get those pictures SOON ENOUGH.
Introduction (0:00 – 27:00)
We tackle the important questions this time, such as “who would win in a fight between John Rambo, John Matrix from Commando, and John Kyosuke Hiba from Dog Soldier?” and “what advice do we have to offer regarding running panels at anime conventions?” Also, Ikkitousen? It sucks and don’t let anyone from the Teen Girl Squad tell you otherwise. And that whole simultaneous streaming thing Gonzo’s got going on? It’s not available to people outside the US.
Let’s News! (27:00 – 45:13)
One Piece is no longer on Cartoon Network, Media Blasters licensed one of Geneon’s previously defunct properties Seirei no Moribito, two animations from 90 years ago were recently discovered in a Japanese antique shop, and Dezaki/Sugino aren’t working on Golgo 13 or Cobra because they’re too busy making an anime out of–of all things–Ultraviolet. We suspect this came about because investors were scouring the Internet and found a webpage proclaiming Ultraviolet to be “the greatest movie ever.”
Anti-Promo / Promo: Weekly Anime Review Podcast (45:13 – 46:38)
Hilarious though it may be for us to receive emails and voicemails from people proclaiming other podcasts to be terrible, it does nobody any good if you never ever bring your grievances up with the makers of said podcast themselves. Sure, you’re probably thinking “well, there’s no point in telling them, since they’re not going to change anything anyway,” but if enough people mention the same issue, most anyone will start paying attention to it. We would say that “we can only assume people do this to us as well,” but as the AWO we see and hear EVERYTHING. In fact, we are watching you poop by way of our operative Jeff Goldblum. Google it if you doubt the claim. Oh, and do listen to Aaron’s review of Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms with special guest host Eeeper. Not only is it released through jaPRESS which is operated by TV’s Patrick Macias, it’s got enough child suffering to bear the Official Justin Sevakis Seal of Approval!
Review: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (46:38 – 1:08:46)
With the US release finally officially forthcoming, Daryl brings out a review of a film from an up-and-coming anime director, Mamoru Hosoda. People are always talking about “who’s going to be the next Miyazaki once he’s gone” and such, but you know something? We don’t need another guy just like Miyazaki to come along. Not when we’ve got people like Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Hosoda, and Masaaki Yuasa right now. All people need to do is start watching the things they make. Judging from the general fan apathy to Yuasa’s new series Kaiba, that may be a while yet. Pictures to come.
This is the de facto promotional image for this film, and it’s well chosen because it more or less sums up the spirit of the film in one shot. Of course, there’s the matter of what happens immediately afterwards…Review: Ookiku Furikabutte / “Swing Big” (1:08:46 – 1:29:34)
Clarissa may say that phrase translates to “swing big,” but deep down she knows the TIMED BY KILLSHOK translation that read “big booty freak” is the one she carries in her heart. Actually, this show is about baseball. Specifically, pitching and catching. If you get the picture. If you don’t get the picture, we’ll put pictures here later.
Ah yes, baseball. And indeed, the complex strategy and interpersonal workings of the battery.
It is, of course, a sports anime about a team sport. So we should all remember that it’s also about team building. Sometimes team building involves holding hands.
This show is also about Mihashi’s really good facial expressions. Mihashi: example of actual moe without being a shitty waste of space? Perhaps!
OoFuri also teaches us how to compensate for a lack of female cast members by endowing one with ridiculous breasts! Except Maria’s also pretty awesome.
P.S. Teenage boys are spazzes. Oh, the springtime of youth. (This is Tajima, by the way. It may be scientifically impossible not to love him.)Promo: Podcast Pickle (1:29:34 – 1:29:44)
We figured that since we use their free Flash Pickle players on every post for the specific purpose of infuriating Steve Harrison (hint: just disable Flash entirely in your browser if it slows down the page loading so much!), we oughta actually play their promos. It’s also a good site to actually find new podcasts to listen to, and if you add the shows you like to a Favorites list, you can get a OPML file of all those feeds together. This is helpful if you use feed aggregator / podcatching software.
Review: Lucky Star (1:29:44 – 2:02:39)
Gerald reveals his inner pedophile by copping to enjoying Lucky Star after the initial crappy episodes. Daryl by contrast KNOWS this show fucking blows from beginning to end, and in a few years will be completely forgotten and remembered by nobody. Actually, it’s probably more like a few months. Anyway, listen in to hear how we can talk for over 30 minutes about a show with pretty much no plot at all.
The original Anime Tenchou video created by Gainax.
Anime Tenchou’s appearance in Lucky Star.
Closing (2:02:39 – 2:07:16)
Next episode, it’s Show 69. This will only happen once, so it’s time to do another hentai episode BY POPULAR REQUEST. Gerald’s reviewing Cream Lemon, Clarissa offers up an overview on doujinshi, and Daryl follows up on the path of karate science as he reviews Wicked City.
Note: if your posts are deemed exceedingly stupid, they’re getting blown away. Who’s making this decision regarding what’s stupid? Rambo’s walking down a really long road to a farm at the moment, so it falls to this man instead, and he is not as merciful:
Sorry for my ignorance but, who’s Nigel McGuinness? Also, just out of curiosity, where was this picture taken? Because it kinda looks like a airport to me, but it kinda doesn’t at the same time.
Also Daryl, the picture at the end of the post is not working.
-Jaime/Karasuhebi
Hey guys, thanks for all your advice for my panel. I REALLY appreciate it. It means a lot getting advice from you guys. I’m now even more motivated to give the best panel I can.
Plus…Kiba over Matrix? That’s more shocking than The Ultimate Warrior pinning Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania VI!
Yeah! Golgo 13!! I’m really enjoying it so far, though the slow pace of the second episode is something which is acceptable but hopefully not repeated on and on.
Keep up the good work!!
Also, woot for Mur Lafferty. I listened to a lot of her “I should be writing” podcasts…
desert punk? elfen lied? NAJICA?!
Also, It seems I’ve put off reading those Dog Soldier scans for far too long.
Jamie Nigel McGuinness is an amazing indy pro wrestler and current Ring of Honor heavyweight champion of the earth
Daryl, why are you so fin?!
Golgo 13 would be dissapointed…
Osamu Dezaki is still going to do the new Cobra show, as well as Ultraviolet.
Black Lagoon – The Second Barrage is showing in the US on Starz Action. My TiVo picks up two episodes every week.
FUCK YES CREAM LEMON!! THANK YOU GERALD!
On that note I spoke with on of the guys at Media Blasters at NYCC, he said that they’re working on getting the license for Cream Lemon.
Daryl’s a lost cause but at least Gerald and Clarissa enjoyed Lucky Star.
I listen to eepers and Gerald’s review of Iczer-1. So awesome.
BTW When you guys talk about garage kit resin figures, it should be note that most people probably are buying mass produced figures made of PVC.
Also I’m wondering if anyone else is watching the show Kanokon. So stupid but still funny.
So, yeah when are we gonna get the a new Golgo 13 review or preview?
Your final picture make think that is coming but taking in account the new rate at which you guys releace new episodes and since you guys like to review it until you finish watching it I think I will have to wait for a super celebration for show 100
Cheers and awesome show.
I really though Daryl was going to review Appleseed Ex Machine after he listened to Dave and Joel’s review on GTE. And shame on Gerald for taking the Lucky Star review from Clarissa.
So, yeah when are we gonna get the a new Golgo 13 review or preview? Your final picture make think that is coming…
If you were to do something crazy and actually read the words preceding the picture, you would see that the picture is being used to represent the notion that if your post is stupid, it’s getting deleted for the crime of stupidity, as surely as Golgo 13 carries out his assassinations.
Daryl’s a lost cause…Also I’m wondering if anyone else is watching the show Kanokon. So stupid but still funny.
Between you and Dan, Golgo 13’s gonna be REAL busy. Especially because the next few weeks bring Otaku USA deadlines, JACON, and Gerald’s final exams for this semester.
The guy who directed 1-4 of Lucky Star left to start his own studio (Ordet). He added most of the original stuff people liked in Haruhi/Kanon, so his leaving might be what delayed the second Haruhi season.
Thanks for another great episode:)
I’m really starting to doubt that there’s going to be a second season for Haruhi.
I would like a special for Lucky Star however (like they go to America and visit Patty).
The otaku that leapt through time.
http://miezaru.donmai.us/post/show/216005/izumi_konata-jump-lucky_star-parody-school_uniform
Goddammit!! Thanks A LOT for playing The Final Countdown before the Lucky Star review!! It’s been stuck in my head for the past 36 minutes!!
Anyways, good show as usual. I definitely liked hearing your opinion on Lucky Star. I would have to agree with Daryl about that show; it’s sort of funny at times, but it definitely didn’t live to the hype in the same way Haruhi did.
I’m really looking forward to next episode’s segment on doujinshi. I really liked it in older episodes when you did non-review segments like Creator Spotlights or Anime: Then And Now (unfortunately, Daryl’s Area 88 review was the only time you ever did that segment).
That’s all for now, see ya later.
DARYL! WE NEED APOCALYPSE ZERO! We the people demand it!
Daryl, I formally request that you do an entire podcast in that voice you read that dude’s Icky-Toes-In letter with. Also it needs to be in the hentai episode.
If you keep deleting comments, the only posts you’ll get on here are requests…
Not true, that the only posts will be requests!
for I am mentioned and must reply.
My problem isn’t the Pickle Player, altho I do have a major mad-on for websites that are all FLASH driven because not only do they take forever to load, they’re almost always made of crap (I’m looking at YOU Mediablasters!)
Plus I can’t access them on the iMac G3, I have to use my G5. Now that I’ve migrated a few final things I’m using my G5 more and more but then I can’t watch TV while doing ‘net stuff.
I’ve never really had any problem downloading the AWO ‘casts, just time consuming on dial-up. This one for example took about 9 hours.
OTOH I have no idea what the deal is over at Paul’s Greatest movie EVER site, It takes dozens of tries to get that ‘cast. I assume it’s due to the server hosting the ‘cast doesn’t like to be connected for several hours. Sorry, Paul! Love the work, can’t listen to it because I am denied.
I am glad to see Duke Togo enforcing Rambo’s Law.
I think you guys don’t really understand what “slice of life” means. Slice of life is not like Seinfeld. Slice of life is like James Joyce.
It’s a literary technique where you try to make something realistic by bucking the conventional plotting and character development in fiction.
Essentially, think of slice of life as a single day’s diary entry for a real person. You do not have to worry about a beginning, middle, and end. You do not have to worry about a climax or a dénouement, ongoing plotlines, or character development. Real life frequently has none of those things. Maybe you select a day in the life of a character where they have an epiphany, but if so, that is the only climax or moment of character development, and it’s often some quiet, introspective thing. Joyce especially is very, very low key, no hyperbolic screaming even when a sad alcoholic is ruining Christmas.
The idea was to focus on everyday people and everyday life. Lucky Star seems diametrically opposed to this line of thinking.
If slice of life features ANY comedy (as slice of life is usually pretty serious), it’s usually just one character making jokes. It does not feature pratfalls or sight gags or pies in the face, because as a rule, such things do not occur in real life.
Seinfeld, unlike, say, Dubliners, is a classic sitcom. A sitcom features a very limited set of characters in a very limited set of locations, and the humor is based around the things that happen to these characters. There is rarely much continuity between episodes, almost never are there ongoing plotlines, and character development is rare, and when it happens, it’s usually an abrupt change in a “very special episode”.
Contrast this with sketch comedy, where there are not really recurring characters, every sketch can be in a totally different location and about a different thing. Also contrast this with musical comedies, vaudeville, et cetera.
The sitcom is a specific type of comedy, and as the name implies, the jokes are based on the situations. Seinfeld is humor about unmarried middle class people living in a city, Saved By The Bell is humor about too smart teenagers living in California, Married… With Children is about a depressed shoe salesman living in a crappy house with a shallow harpy wife. Seinfeld makes jokes about odd sexual experiences, food, that kind of thing. Saved by the Bell makes jokes about school, dating, that kind of thing. Married makes jokes about selling shoes, how terrible Al Bundy’s life is, his wife wasting the meager money he does earn, that kind of thing.
This is pretty different than Saturday Night Live where they make jokes about politics or popular music or Laurel & Hardy where it’s two guys falling on each other for 15 minutes.
I am not really interested in watching Lucky Star, but what you describe sounds more like a sitcom with some hyperbolic “zany anime comedy” moments.
And that’s the end of my essay!
Jeremy, you wrote more than Steve H.
I really liked it in older episodes when you did non-review segments like Creator Spotlights or Anime: Then And Now (unfortunately, Daryl’s Area 88 review was the only time you ever did that segment).
Yeah, we could probably benefit from more creator spotlight bits, but the truth is that they’re actually harder to do than reviews since you have to watch several things in preparation instead of just one thing. As it turns out, I was thinking of doing one for Makoto Shinkai in the next episode, but Show 69 derailed me from this course. To be fair, usually when we talk about a director we do mention some stuff about him as well as other things they’ve done. Perhaps the segment is slightly redundant because in a sense we do it anyway?
That’s basically why you haven’t seen any other “then and now” bits. We do them anyway, only without explicitly labeling them as such. Any time we’ve review something that’s a remake of a classic title (Mazinkaiser, Raoh Gaiden…) we inevitably mention the original and how the updated version differs anyway.
I am glad to see Duke Togo enforcing Rambo’s Law.
Actually, Golgo 13 transcends all laws and is not bound to uphold or abide by any judicial decrees. If he had a house in Florida, he would water the lawn seven days a week in flagrant violation of drought restrictions, and he’d get away with it scot-free. He is merely carrying out a job he was hired to do.
The Girl Who Leapt Through time has been picked up by Bandai Entertainment I think. They’re going to put it out this year or something.
Why, however did you discover such amazing news? Was it the part where the very post you’re replying to contains the phrase “with the US release finally officially forthcoming,” the part where we spent time on the show talking about the fact that Bandai Entertainment has the US rights, or the part where you didn’t actually listen to the show or read the post before leaving a comment OH SNAP YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS BUT AT LEAST YOUR POST WILL LIVE ON IN MEMORY BY WAY OF ITALICIZED QUOTATIONS
daryl: “If he had a house in Florida, he would water the lawn seven days a week in flagrant violation of drought restrictions, and he’d get away with it scot-free.”
But would he have an illegal dog-fighting ring?
Anyway, I’m surprised Steve hasn’t extolled the greatness that is Contra 4 yet.
Contra 4? there’s a Contra 4? There’s still arcades?!
Man, I loved playing Contra, that wacky control setup where the joystick also rotated, and the funny tubby little Rambos marching along dealing DEATH, jumping in and out of tanks and stuff..
“Take notes from Eazy-E, the violent hero.”
–Eazy-E, “We’re All in the Same Gang.”
Although it seems you have the scans now, I really should haul out to AWA my precious 1987 copy of YJ with that chapter of Dog Soldier where Hiba…where he…no, it’s impossible for someone to have put THAT MUCH ACTION into one manga chapter. All these years I must have been imagining it. The same issue also contained a light-hearted manga about a porn star from Lemon Angel’s Jun Watabe, with light-hearted enemas. All in all, it could be said to have dropped a sixteen year-old head first into the mass-market manga of the time when, as Daryl so well put it, Japan was “King Shit of the World.”
Contra 4 is exclusively for the DS.
Mr.Daryl Surat far as I have read Osamu Dezaki is still going to do the new Cobra show,are you sure hes not doing it now???????Please let me know for I am going to cry if hes not doing it.
Daryl, I salute you for not being sucked in by whatever has latched so many people to Lucky Star. The voices are awful (That DBZ cover played at the end), the character designs are pedotastic (They look like 12? More like 6.), and I don’t really see the awesome humor in stuff like how you eat a pastry or put mayonnaise on something.
I’m curious about the doujin segment because I want to see if you actually cover some that ISN’T just porn. I was at Otakon last year and saw a doujin booth with a big sign saying something along the lines of “STUFF FOR ALL AGES”, opened a folder, and found the cover to be Winry lying naked on a bed. I left.
behonkiss –
We will try to talk about non porn doujinshi, but unfortunately all of us live in America and have never had the opportunity to actually go to Japan.
Resellers over here generally stick to porn books since they know that’s what the majority of the people want and can understand without knowing Japanese. Most Japanese circles or stores won’t ship to America, and due to proxy fees those sites and auctions are fairly expensive to buy doujins from. (For example, I wanted to buy some JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure doujins and a couple of Mobile Suit Gundam ones. They were mostly 600 yen and under; once all the Japanese bank transfer fees, within Japan shipping and proxy fees were totaled up, the books would have been nearing $20 each and that’s not even counting the international shipping to get them to me.) The scanning community also doesn’t tend to do very much with non-porn books.
So it’s a bit difficult for us to see very many “regular” doujinshi and our knowledge of that is rather limited. Also, out of the three of us I’m the only one who knows any Japanese and I’m far from fluency (I’ve only passed JLPT 3 and am beginning studying for 2), so even we can’t really read that much of the non porn stuff.
Gerald and I do have a few books that aren’t porn, so I promise we’ll talk about it. But we really can’t speak extensively on the subject.
Ah yes, Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo. I saw this at an MIT event, and they even brought Hosoda along with them for some hot Q&A.
Also Daryl, please, open up to the moe. You’ll be a happier person for it!!
Also 2: I think you guys should review Akagi. Just because.
Oh, you can try to front, Daryl, but I’ve got your number. I remember all those late night Instant Messenger conversations we had, the tantalizing exchanges of “You got hemo blood on me!” and “Are you mental?”. I remember every instance in which we each expressed disappointment that the Blu-Ray release of Ultraviolet is the theatrical cut, rather than the far superior Unrated Director’s Cut. I remember every time we lamented that the original, 3+ hour version of the film has not yet been – and may sadly never be – released. I know how you really feel, in that black and twisted mass of tissues you call a heart, in regards to Ultraviolet…
I still maintain the film is one of the profoundest examples of metafiction in existence, since the actions of the character mirror the actions of the audience. Oh, I don’t mean the audience goes out and slaughters 700 generic thugs in ceramic armor and motorcycle helmets, no. I mean that Violet’s feelings of self-loathing mirror those of the people watching the film, and when Violet wants to blow her brains out, the audience does too.
There can be no doubt, Ultraviolet is a powerful film threat. Weaker minds cannot withstand the onslaught. The trick is to divert the aggro away from yourself onto some unsuspecting slob, like a Level 70 Troll Hunter casting Misdirection. Always view Ultraviolet with a friend, family member, or loved one…and watch them SQUIRM.
That one episode of CREAM LEMON that’s really worth talking about–you had better mean “Don’t Do It Mako: Sexy Symphony II.”
So Daryl, what don’t you like about the Lucky Star character designs? Just wondering.
Also I’m almost finish watching the original Macross (barely saw anything Robotech in my youth) and surprised how well the show holds up.
Carl: Any chance Dark Horse would be interested in renewing the license for Lupin: World’s Most Wanted?
From my understanding The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’s failing at the Japanese box office wasn’t so much due to people not wanting to watch it, as there being a lack of places to watch it. I recall reading that it opened in just one cinema in Tokyo.
Hopefully the critical success will mean whatever Hosoda does next (I believe he has another film lined up with Madhouse) gets better distribution so he can become the household name he should be.
Girl Who Leapt Through Time failed? I heard it did well as a limited release.
Damn, will someone hurry up and get the rights to Black Lagoon? I love that show.
Are all of you(almost all) currently going to school?
I second the guy who said “thanks a lot” for the Final Countdown theme before the Lucky Star OP theme. I actually LOL’ed at that. It was brilliant. Kudos to whoever came up with that. I also second the guy who said someone has to review Apocalypse Zero one day. I think that series is made for AWO, especially since it has some of the most retarded attack names ever (ultra sucking hand attack comes to mind).
Regarding the Girl Who Leapt review, I too agree that the movie doesn’t excel at anything in particular but is still very enjoyable to watch. Are there any other anime movies like this where it’s just good despite being average in almost every aspect?
And finally, I don’t know about anybody else, but that version of Cha-la-la at the end of the Lucky Star review seriously made me want to kill something. I found it that infuriating and annoying. Thank you AWO for making me feel strong emotions again.
Konata singing the DBZ OP and other songs is supposed to be bad on purpose. It’s karaoke.
I third the review for Apocalypse Zero. I want the ED song by Hirobu Kabeyama for that SO bad.
@dan & @vz: Yup, I know it was karaoke and sung badly on purpose, but (at least for me) it’s still unbearable!
Speaking of unbearable, I’ve been listening to Final Countdown on a loop for the entire afternoon now. I’m sick of it but I can’t stop listening to it. Someone has to pay for this.
nckl: Will http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5LX16zia2k
make you feel better? BTW, is it just me or does it sound like they’re saying, “We’re heading for penis?”
Nice Ookiku Furikabutte review, Clarissa. I never thought I’d be interested in baseball but I’m definitely going to check this one out when I have time.
I’ve been meaning to ask all of you if you’ve heard of Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji. Somehow it seems like the type of show you’d review since it’s relatively obscure here, perhaps due to the “ugly” art (read: noses that can pierce anything and a dude sporting a mullet).
If I describe the plot to you – loser gambles to escape debt – it sounds boring but it’s one of the best new shows I’ve watched lately. I don’t really know how to describe why it’s great except that Kaiji trying to escape a life and death situation by playing rock, paper scissors is awesome (and that’s just the first arc). There’s also something extremely cathartic about watching Kaiji cry.
Anyway, I dunno if I’ve convinced you or not but I hope you’ll give it a try and review it in the future.
@dan – Thanks man. That was awesome. 😀 How did you know I’ve been in a 80’s mood lately? (Listening to City Hunter music right now in fact).
Btw, regarding next week’s “hentai 69 show,” since Wicked City is being reviewed, does that validate my position that the movie watches like a semi-porno? (Yeah, for some reason I consider it only a “semi-porno” even though IIRC it had a lot of sex, rape of just about every imaginable kind, and some of the awesomest vagina imagery ever seen.)
As far as the Lupin manga is concerned, it would certainly be an honor to publish it, but the first thing I’d want to consider are the exact reasons the license became available.
carl: According to Tokyopop, it tanked, so they gave up on it. Cyborg 009 is also free for the same reason, I hear. But Lupin is closer in style to your Koike/Trigun stuff, so I figured you could sell it better than the competition.
I second that recommendation to publish Lupin. Another random recommendation: Kimba The White Lion. We have Astro Boy, we’re getting Black Jack later this year, so if we got Kimba, we’d have all 3 of Tezuka’s most popular creations
tj: I asked Toren about Kimba, and he claimed it’d be tough to sell, due to certain stereotypical images. But really, with that “Jazz Singer” movie finally out, and frequent rumours of Song of the South heading to dvd, how much worse can it be?