03.11.10
Posted in Anime, Events, Reviews Tags: Mai Mai Miracle, movie, Narutaki solo, New York City, New York International Children's Film Festival, マイマイ新子と千年の魔法 at 10:00 am by reversethieves
The New York International Children’s Film Festival is a place I like to experiment and quite often go into movies without much knowledge of them. I guess it comes down to the fact that for many of these films, this may be the only chance to see them, especially on the big screen. With a number of films this year being anime, I was feeling even more of an itch to squeeze in as many screenings as I could. Something about that big screen adds a lot to the experience, at least for me. So with that in mind I went to see Mai Mai Miracle where literally the only thing I knew about it was that it was from Japan.
Mai Mai Miracle follows the ever-imaginative young Shinko in a small, somewhat rural town, of a post-WWII Japan. Thanks to Shinko’s grandfather she has become fascinated with the town’s 1000-year-old history so much so that she often has wild daydreams about it. When shy Kiiko moves to town, Shinko’s curious nature leads her to befriend the quiet girl and the two become fast and inseparable friends. Through the make-believe world that Shinko shares with her, Kiiko starts to come out of her shell, and soon the little town is a place of joy where each day is spent in laughter and adventure. But, as many stories about coming of age do, some sad and very real problems invade their little piece of paradise. Mai Mai Miracle is a story of friendship, history, dreams, and growing up which really and truly feels like the perspective of the young.
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03.08.10
Posted in Anime, Events, Reviews Tags: movie, New York City, New York International Children's Film Festival, Summer Wars, サマーウォーズ, 細田 守 at 10:00 am by reversethieves
When I heard that Hosoda’s plans for his next film were in the works, I was truly excited. Afterall, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time instantly became a favorite or mine, and not one that I will soon forget. So basically after hearing “He is making something, and it is called Summer Wars,” I promptly tuned out any information thereafter. Something made me want to jump in blindly, to be completely caught unaware by this next film. And truly I went into the theater with no knowledge of the plot and having only seen the poster for the film. Going in really on faith alone that it would be amazing seemed to really stimulate my imagination so you dear reader may want to turn back now and enjoy that same feeling. Though there aren’t any spoilers here, even the analysis of Summer Wars characters and themes seems like I’m telling you too much if you haven’t already experienced it.
A question I often hear is “Who is going to be the next Hayao Miyazaki, Satoshi Kon, or Mamoru Oshii? Who is going to be the next reliable anime director that people can expect quality films from?” The worry is that as the great anime directors of today retire there will be no one to take their place. I will say with full confidence that Mamoru Hosoda is a name everyone should be watching as a worthy successor to the great anime directors of the past and present. His outstanding work on the 6th One Piece film and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time had caught my eye in the past. And Summer Wars has solidified him as a director I shall go out of my way to research and keep an eye out for what he is doing next.
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03.07.10
Posted in Experiments, Fandom Tags: bloggers, Otaku Cook Up at 3:16 pm by reversethieves
Okay, if you haven’t heard, Tim Maughan added this challenge to his Otaku Man Up! campaign. The idea should be fairly straightforward, it is a step in the process of “manning up” to be able to prepare food for yourself and others. And it is also quite satisfying. Being that I love to cook, I couldn’t sit this one out!
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. ziti pasta
- 26 oz. jar of pasta sauce
- 32 oz. ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- salt & pepper
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Boil pasta for 8 minutes then drain (it will finish cooking in the oven).
In large bowl combine ricotta, parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 egg (beaten), salt & pepper. Mix well until it is all the same consistency.
Coat the bottom of a 10X13 pan with some of the pasta sauce.
Then alternate pasta, sauce, cheese mixture for 2 or 3 layers.
Top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake til top is bubbly and slightly brown (10-15 minutes).
Take out of the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
*Add punching people and/or food to make this recipe have anything to do with Zeta Gundam.
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03.05.10
Posted in Anime, Music, Ongoing Investigations Tags: Detective Conan, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Toradora, 名探偵コナン, 名探偵コナン ベイカー街（ストリート）の亡霊, 天元突破グレンラガン, 天元突破グレンラガン 螺巌篇, 機動戦士ガンダムΖΖ at 10:00 am by reversethieves
It was a natural combination that was an inevitability like the teaming up of Jackie Chan and Jet Li we have the combination of Detective Conan and Sherlock Holmes. Thankfully Detective Conan Movie 6: The Phantom of Baker Street turn out better than The Forbidden Kingdom. When Conan and his detective gang are invited to the world premier of a high tech virtual reality game the festivities quickly turn to a race to solve murders in real life and the virtual world. The draw of the movie is going to be Conan substituting for the world greatest detective as he tries to solve the Jack the Ripper murders in a virtual London. The fact that if they lose the game everyone playing dies also ramps up the tension. The action in the virtual world and the real world work well in tandem but eventually tie together in an unexpected manner. There was always some bit of action or excitement going on which helped keep the movie lively. It was great to see Professor Moriarty and Sebastian Moran in the game as well although there is less Holmes than I expected. The Junior Detective League also seems like they were deliberately part of the script as opposed to crammed in like the other movies. Overall it was a good time and a fine addition to the franchise.
I can’t tell you how trilled I was when I got my hands on this movie, I insisted that it be next on this list. My goodness, what a combination: Conan (love!), Sherlock Holmes (love!), 19th century London (love!), and a Jack the Ripper mystery (love!). I really enjoyed that the creators finally cooked up away to bring all those elements together even if it takes place in a virtual world. And the virtual reality aspect of this film tells you exactly when it was made, the mid-90’s when everyone was convinced that was going to be the next big thing! But it’s not like Detective Conan isn’t already set around some pretty crazy technology so this doesn’t seem out of place. Everyone contributes a lot to this movie and we even get an appearance from Conan’s parents. There are of course many twists and turns, and this one does have some very suspenseful moments. I found the final confrontation scene especially thrilling and once again tip my hat to Ran, in fact the franchise is very good at the final scenes overall. Detective Conan Movie 6: The Phantom of Baker Street is a great romp in the collection!
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