Last summer I did a post on the anime called Emma. The second season is now out on DVD, and we’re watching it. Tonight we spotted a moment in a show where a ledger is being shown, but then we realized that instead of being an accounting of financial transactions, it’s a bunch of Beatles song titles. I’ve tried to make them legible in this image.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, from 2006, is yet another anime about high school. This one is top notch fun.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/NOV/LeaptTime.flv 640 360]
Eric had a blast seeing his favorite Japanese band The Pillows live, back in March at Anime Boston. Eric’s cousin Kate recommends the Japanese Pop band The Captains.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/OCT/TheCaptainsWestern.flv 440 330]
Today is the 63rd anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima. Courtesy of Eric, here’s the 90’s Japanese glam rock band Malice Mizer with what I suppose is a commentary of some sort about Japan’s militaristic past.
(No, that’s not Michael Jackson!)
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/AUG/MaliceMizer.flv 440 330]
The granddaddy of Japanese animation is a boy. A robot boy. Astro Boy. I have great fondness for the original b&w Astro Boy TV series, and I’m happy that the complete run of the American version of the cartoons is available on two DVD box sets, Astro Boy: Ultra Collector’s Edition. That link goes to Amazon, but if you’re going to buy them go to the “Used & new” section and order from Shawnek. You’ll be glad you did.
Way back here, in the fall of ’06 I highlighted the 60’s humor magazine HELP! Some of cartoonist Robert Crumb’s first published works were in HELP!, including this drawing from his walking tour of Harlem.
If you’re familiar with the American version of Astro Boy’s theme song, here is the Japanese version of the original opening, along with an alternate Japanese intro and an outro before the credits were inserted.
[flv:/Video/2008/JUL/AstroBoy.flv 448 336]
A new Astro Boy movie, with computer graphics, is in production and is scheduled for release next summer. My interest in Astro Boy is mostly limited to the original series, but I’m still hoping the movie comes out well.
As promised, here’s more anime. Emma, A Victorian Romance, a 24-part series, isn’t Jane Austen, but it’s not giant robot battles, either.
We’ve watched only the first episode of Emma, but the series looks like a good selection for Eric’s girl cousins. I’ve spliced together a couple of scenes. See? No giant battling robots! 😉
[flv:/Video/2008/JUL/Emma.flv 448 252]
