Before he was undereducated, undermedicated, and not nearly as cynical, Russ was a Teenage Otaku. With the demise of Yahoo!Geocities, so many opinions will be lost, namely his. Where else are you going to go for a fanboy's approach to anime and find the rare MIDI's the otakus crave.
Imagine We Still Had VHS: Quack Experimental Anime: Excel Saga
I had composed my wrestling blog post three days ago for "Disgruntled's Real Championship Wrestling". The following night I produced the latest episode for "NinetyForChill.com: The #Podcast". Otherwise, my life has been devoted to work. With the lack of interactions outside of retail, do I have anything to blog about?
There is only so much of my past that I can bury on Twitter (@catbusruss). OSF Healthcare will not fulfill my prescription requests since I cannot use their services under the health insurance that Marine Bank had left me turning to. Those thoughts were released into the world. I suppose I should open up the benefit package document my retailer has given me, but do you expect me to have the energy to do anything when I get home at 8 pm?
It is not my employer's fault. Out of principle, I do not mind that my 40-hour week job is only opened 56 hours a week. The consistency is nice and no one can be upset about what their schedule is. Marine Bank having 11 hour days can result in team miscommunication. One shift, one team feels like it makes a lot of sense. Again, the only problem is that it takes up all of our day. Are we to be expected not to sleep in as late to opening as we can?
Discipline might be my problem. Getting a new doctor should not be difficult if I chose to wake up when the rest of the world opens. But, here I am writing and taking advantage of using a VPN and Fite TV. Wrestling will have to wait so that I can try and show "Excel Saga" the praise it deserves.
So my Tuesday night was not totally wasted. My anime A to Z website is just two letters away. I will acknowledge that it was quite the stretch to make this installment the Q representative. If only the Japanese would not focus so much on princesses, weird Wikipedia searches would not be involved.
Excel Saga (1999): Episodes 1 - 3
Excel is the epidemy of hyper anime girls. She is a recent high school graduate obsessed with Lord Il Palazzo, the leader of the secret, ideological organization Across. This affection is not returned, but her naivety this keeps her focused on the goal to win his affection and help Across purify the corrupt F-City.
Il Palazzo seems to be a wise leader. World domination is his goal, but you cannot afford to screw up. When the only other members of Across are the anemic alien princess, Hyatt, and Excel's emergency food supply, Menchi the Mutt, baby steps are definitely the way to go.
Excel has enthusiasm but not much else. She is oblivious to how the world perceives her efforts and those who seem to have a role to play in her destiny. It is a shame because it is quite the rogues gallery of weirdos. There is the afro-sporting, Martian-fighting, super spy Nabeshin. Somehow, the three neighbors of struggling 20-something men, the driven Watanabe, the care-free Iwata, and the silent Sumiyoshi, must have a role to play in her life.
Despite Excel's efforts to blend in at part-time jobs, they seem to always result in tragedy. Thankfully, the Great Will of the Macrocasm is more than willing to reset her adventures. Provided the will is not abusing the desperate Pedro, a immigrant laborer trying to regain the love of his sexy wife and loving son.
With every reset of the space-time continuum, the scenarios if F-City seem to change. Excel's world can be an ode to the manga that bore her into existence, a space opera, and even an 80s' action movie. A constantly changing world and a history of failures, is Excel capable of bringing peace and the ideals of Across to F-City? Until her stomach is filled, I do not think she cares.
This was my best effort to try and capture the charm of my VHS tape box for "The Doom Generation". When are we going to get the whole of Gregg Araki's filmography on streaming? Basically, that box summarizes everything in the movie while putting emphasis on driving off eating Doritos.
Imagine We Still Had VHS: "Cat Planet Cuties" and the Curse of Too Much Physical Media
*Blog post started on February 19, 2021.
Trying to optimize my Twitter feeds (@maineventzombie, @catbusruss, @russthebus)
yesterday has put me a day behind in terms of writing. What is the
point of staying up late for content if it is not fresh in your mind the
next day? There is a chance that the thoughts that ruined your original
intentions bleed over into the next day. When you are obsessive
compulsive like me, if one thing is optimized, all must be optimized.
That
can kill some time at the day job. I may be going through my blogs to
make sure that forwarding the reader on to my different blogs is not
that tasking on the eyes. In other words, the reader maybe frustrated
with reading through have a screen of text to be reintroduced to the
same text again when they click on the "Check out..." link. Some further
editing
is definitely needed.
As
for my Wednesday content search, it is a good thing that it was an
anime television series. I got home from work, practiced some self care,
and made dinner and watched the "NBC News Nightly News" from my DVR.
With no wrestling on Thursday (I would say the best day for AEW's next
program, but after Dynamite, everything is down hill to BTE on Monday.),
it is the perfect day to binge the streaming services or watch those
series you impulsively buy on DVD.
When
it comes to streaming, I have two hours to catch up on "WandaVision".
If WWE does something offensive to my taste on Sunday, the real
superheroes can take their place. Which reminds me to cancel the WWE
Network for the last time (There is no point to pay $9.99 for 17 days
when it will be on Peacock on the 18th). Sorry NXT UK.
When
it comes to DVDs, I can obviously make any night a wrestling night in
my household, but there are some TV shows that I just have to own. This
seemingly means half of post "Game of Thrones" HBO series ("Watchmen"
and "Westworld" tell the audience that you need the special features)
and what ever affordable anime series I can grab at Disc Replay or Best
Buy. There definitely not as many of those.
I
have considered getting Crunchyroll or Funimation subscriptions, but
Shudder is definitely the greater priority. It might also just be the
hunter/collector in me who does not want to have everything at my finger
tips. My "Speed Grapher" collection might be the pride of my
2000's/2010's collection. To get all the episodes on four-episode DVD's,
the extra $100 spent was worth it. Truthfully, Ebay allowed me to
make that hit a lot less.
Not
being an anime streamer may also be a need not to develop another
hobby. I know there is quite the Japanese animation lineup on Netflix,
but I am starting to ponder if that service is worth maintaining. There
are some great comedy specials, but again, I do not need the hobby.
Especially when I need those sub two-hour time slots for NinetyForChill.com - The Podcast.
They may have one series a year that is worth subscribing for. Is each
series worth 15 bucks? How do I tell all those using my info that I am
cutting it off?
It
all comes down to having too much physical media. Yes, there are
special features, but what is the point, aside from Steelbooks? I say
physical media allows us to be of more critical minds. There are no
worries of "Available till" messages, so when you watch them, you can
take your time and find out the answers to why something does or does
not work.
You
can claim that can be done with streaming services, but I have yet to
find a remote control that functions as well as those of a physical
media player. Personally, the more buttons, the better. Of course there
are special remotes, but you can usually buy at least two DVDs for the
price of one of those.
Ironically,
anime rarely has those kind of expansive extras to warrant a physical
copy. But does "Cat Planet Cuties" need that when I could grab it for
$10 bucks? I could not pass up something catcentric at that price. It is
still a gamble because it is an anime. This is an anime with an American
title that implies loads of fan service.
Fan service is best kept as an implication like the promises at the end of episodes of "Evangelion" or "Blue Seed". As a series, I have seen that backfire so many times like "Agent AIKa" and "Knights of Ramune".
"I
am coming to drop by." That is the first extra-terrestrial message that
humanity has received. It is not necessarily ominous, but the Japanese
Self Defense Force is still on edge since the object they are tracking
seems to be eying Okinawa as a landing zone. There is an incident of a
smuggler's ship blowing up, but otherwise all was quiet the night of the
message.
The
next afternoon seems like any other. There is a celebration for Kio's
late grandfather going on, but the most stress that could lead to would
be Kio's uncle pushing him to flirt with the cosplay girl who just
randomly showed up. Showing immediate concern for the confused stranger,
Eris, the sixteen year-old ends up getting black out drunk when he
consumes the booze that the uncle had meant for the new girl. Fortunately for Kio,
Eris is quite caring and is able to walk him home at his uncle's
behest.
The
next morning, Kio awakens to a half-dressed Eris being curled up by his
side. This leaves him immediately startled and Eris further confused.
Before she can offer an explanation, Kio's neighbors Manami and Maki
stop by to check up on him and inquire about the girl they presume he
took home to fulfill some furry fantasies. Eris reveals to them and
proves by letting the two pet her tails and ears that she is an alien
from the planet Catia. She is on a recon mission to hopefully establish
diplomatic relations with Earth, a planet that may lag in technology, but
none the less, is very similar culturally to her home world.
With
everything explained and established on Eris's end, all should be
alright provided the girls do not blab about it. Well, they are not
going to go public with it, but that is because they are both covert
operatives. Manami has aspirations to join the CIA, so bringing in an
alien should secure her a spot.
Maki
is a part of the Beautiful Contract, a secret society that is looking
to ensure that first contact with space beings will be a magnificent moment in
history. To find out that the cosplay ideal is what the superior
lifeforms look like does not sit well with them. They intend to
eliminate her to prevent the embarrassment.
On
top of these two agencies, another one of Kio's friends has been
instructed to rid earth of Eris. The shy Aoi is a Japanese immigration
agent who specializes in eliminating any threat to Japan. This all
sounds like too much for Kio to handle, but Eris has an army of cute
helper droids that can carry out almost any command. She is more
concerned about figuring out how humans operate especially Kio. It is
about time for her first mating season and after seeing some of the
manga under her host's bed, she has some ideas that Kio is probably far
from ready for.
"Cat
Planet Cuties" comes across as a refined "Excel Saga". "Excel Saga" was
all about making fun of all of the tropes associated with anime making
every episode its own entity. This cat-girl anime focuses on one trope
and builds a 12-episode narrative around it. If you are not looking to
laugh at all types of anime but want a ridiculous premise, "Cat Planet
Cuties" will treat you a lot better than the abrasive nature of a
straight up parody like "Excel Saga".
This
anime is very well produced. I personally prefer to have my colors a
little more subdued as if the project was a manga with motion,
but for a bright and loud comedy, you cannot complain about it popping
out of the screen at you. Along with a very versatile soundtrack, the
premise may have just sounded too nuts for Funimation to talk Cartoon
Network into airing it on our shores.
What
I really liked about "Cat Planet Cuties", aside from the obvious (six
cat tats and counting), is that the storytelling is very similar to one
of my favorite anime franchises, "El Hazard".
I suppose my comparison to "El Hazard" speaks to how I loved that
P-Anime (Pioneer produced Anime from the 90's) more than the better
known "Tenchi Muyo!"
That title is more appropriate to compare it to since this is a story
about an alien entering a teenage boy's life instead of the protagonist
being placed in an alien world. Either way, the story revolves around
our hero as all the girls for the most part hide their infatuation with
him. Either way, for a narcissistic boy, it is my dream (and a really
weird one at that when you smoke a bowl before bed.).
As
for the fan service fears, the dirty minds of the audience are amused
with near tongue-baths and accidental boob grabs, but it does not
dominate any elements of the story. The series is nudity-free through
the first five episodes, with the exception of the third. In that
episode, that is all played up for laughs instead of "Ramune" and "AIKa"
who wants the viewer leering at the screen the entire series.
The
best homage to fans are through the peripheral elements of Eris. She
attacks with a mallet (like Harley Quinn) and her assistant droids
gradually become chibi-cat tributes to other famous characters (samurai,
even a Hong Kong gunfighter...spoiler for episodes 4 and 5). This
series's humor is not breaking new ground, but it is an ode to the
serieses that I would pay $25 per 1-hour dubbed tape in the 90's.
"Cat
Planet Cuties" shows how important it is too feature relatable and
likable characters. When you have those, any premise can be translated
into entertainment. After three (or five) episodes, this series has done
no wrong. If you can create a series based around cats that is
reminiscent of the best comedies of the 90's, any anime fan should be
pleased with purchase.
Opinion: No El Hazard
fan should be let down by this bonus story to the anime universe.
This is a review of the subtitled VHS version.
Much to Jinai's
dismay, Kalia is not as naive as he thought. This demon goddess is determined
to activate the weapon she spoke of, the "Trigger of Destruction".
The Muldoon priestesses are no match for her, so that would make it seem
like she would be as powerful as Ifurita, but if she knows how to activate
an even greater weapon than the "Eye of God", could she herself
be stronger than her sky-blue haired counterpart. And if this is so, what
can Makoto and Yuba do to prevent an imminent doom.
If you read
my review for "Awakening of Kalia", you will find out what the
technical qualities are the same for virtually the entire series. The appearance
of the colors are still bland, the soundtrack is not to par with the first
series, but some of the artwork for the finale/climax are stunning. This
does make me wonder who needs CGI when ink can create even greater detail.
Besides the
eye candy, the second "El Hazard 2" volume improves on the dramatic
aspects from the preceding episodes. Since we all know that it is all
going to end up in a huge climax, the video focuses on almost nothing
but the drama which of course intensifies our yearning for the "promised"
powerful ending. Kalia is nothing but a dramatic character, so this quickly
and effectively wraps up any of her remaining character development. The
drawback to doing this with only four episodes is the sacrifice of the
comedic elements, the reason for new anime fans to experience "El
Hazard", so since nonestablished fans of this show should skip
this title.
Perhaps El
hazard 2 could be edited into a great film, a method that could make
this title universal to all anime enthusiasts. Until that happens, all
I can say is that no El Hazard fan should be let down by this bonus story
to this universe of anime.
With Roshtaria's
war against the Bugrom finished, the heroes from El
Hazard are preparing for the wedding of the Great Priestess of
Water, Miz, and former history teacher at Shinanome High, Masamichi Fujisawa.
That is everyone...except for Fujisawa who leaves to his students the
responsibility of telling his fiance that he has gone on one last climbing
expedition. After nearly flooding the entire castle with her rage, a determined
Miz forms her own search party (basicly the past heroes) to drag her cold-footed fiance to the altar.
Meanwhile, Katzuhiko Jinai is determined to re-establish the Bugrom
Empire. While looking for a new location to base the planned headquarters,
Jinai finds a shrine similar to the one which imprisoned the destructive
force of the Demon God Ifurita. As his luck would have it, he finds another
demon god called Kalia who tells him of a weapon that has more power that
the Eye of God, a device that nearly erased the existence of El Hazard
in the previous series.
So all of the earthlings from the last series paths will cross once again
which would make anyone fear for the fate of this "Magnificent World".
El Hazard
2: The Magnificent World is a two VHS, four episode series, so it
would immediately seemed that the story will not have the same chance
to develop as fully as its seven episode predecessor had. Fortunately,
there are only two story angles to combine unlike the three from the premiere
series, so the pace is not hurried and the plot runs smoothly. Yet, it
does not feel like El Hazard: The Magnificent World because there
is only the addition of one new, interesting character, Kalia, but when
we (assuming you have all seen the first series) are familiar with the
power of a demon god, we do not get a character with any great comic quirks
or weird ability that made all the original characters so likable. Besides
for a consistently well developed story, the uniqueness of the characters
is what I considered to be one of the key draws of the first series.
Along with
lacking one of the best reasons to see the original series, El Hazard
2 feels likes is was done quickly and cheaply. The colors seem to
be rather bland compared to the first series and its soundtrack while
being good, is not near the high quality of the first OVA
(Original Video Animation) series. These accusations are further supported
by the fact there are only four episodes. Despite the stereotype that
the Japanese are not Walt Disney fans (at least in terms of directors
like Hayao Miyazaki of Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery
Service), they seem to have adopted the Disney Conglomerate's methods
of capitalizing on a series success by creating a cheap sequal.
Do
not immediately dismiss a film because it does not contain the excessive
nudity of "Ghost in the Shell" or the graphic violence of "Akira".
If you have heard good things about a title like the buzz there is for "Neon Genesis Evangelion", the title is not
a waste of money.
It maybe that I have not had the same amount of cash
to spend on overpriced videos. It maybe that the previews on the videos
I do buy are not enticing enough. It maybe that I am spending my cash
on the recent ECW, FMW, and XPW videos (this is not a wrestling web site,
but look for the first company's tapes first). Maybe it is all these reasons,
but I am having a problem finding Japanese animated videos to buy.
Since I got a DVD player for Christmas, I figured
it was time to seriously restart my anime collection, but where to start?
While flipping through the discs at SunCoast, I found "Dual! Parallel
Trouble Adventure". If you have seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, you should instantly become a giant
robot fan, and Dual! has them. The disc also had a sticker on its
wrapping which boast that it was "From the creators of Tenchi Muyo!" (specifically, writer Masaki Kajishima),
and I am a big Tenchi fan. So far this anime was irresistible from this
buyer's standpoint.
It
would seem to be just an ordinary day in Tokyo, but that is not the case
for Kazuki. For him, he has to continue to question his sanity as he constantly
sees visions of giant robots using the city as their battleground.
Despite these
visions ability to drive Kazuki crazy, he has been able to create a popular
website from his accounts of these battles. This site even gets repeat
hits from the most popular girl in school, Mitsuki, who is so intrigued
about the robots that she approaches Kazuki with questions about them.
After saving
Kazuki from a beating by the high school's athletes, Mitsuki (this
may not be the correct name; but this is what I have picked up as her
name after watching this DVD thrice) takes her to visit her father,
an assistant University professor, who is also a huge, possibly larger
enthusiast of the boy's visions. Such an enthusiast that he offers Kazuki
an explanation for his visual stimuli.
The professor
explains that Kazuki's visions are actually the reality of another dimension
that he wants to prove the existence of. Fortunately/Unfortunately, we
find out he is correct by accidently sending the main character to the alternate dimesion and in the center of a battle none the less.
So to solve
his even deadlier dilemna, Kazuki must find the professor of this dimension
and pray that he is a little more responsible than the one from his dimension.
Purchasing
Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure really paid off for me. I think
what really made this investment worth while was the series' having a
plot premise that was similar to "El-Hazard:
The Magnificent World", a series I cannot get enough of.
There
just seems to be something captivating about an anime based on the idea
of a weird boy becoming a hero in an alternative world which has a large
population of girls who have some kind of attraction to him. I guess Masaki
Kajishima, the writer of Tenchi
Muyo! and this series, really knows how to write toward the stereotypical
adolescent male's dreams.
Dual!'s
great premise leads to good stories, but none of them are as good as the
best of Tenchi
Muyo! or El-Hazard:
The Magnificent World episodes. Some of the attempts to sympathize
with the main character make a few of the episodes a little too sappy,
and maybe this type of story does not cross over well with giant robots officianados.
Fortunately, this series does not seem like it will allow the robot influence
to change the light-hearted characters, so if you do not want to see the
dark, bleak atmosphere of Neon
Genesis Evangelion, this series will not feature it.
These robots
may not be appropriate with their story premise, but man do they look
good. Most of the CGI (computer generated image(s)) are integrated well
with the traditional animation and also looks great. And even with the
CGI being almost outstanding, the regular hand drawn animation is good
enough not to be blown away by it, so the efforts of the many animators
with their pencils are not wasted.
Dual!
is by no means as funny as El-Hazard:
The Magnificent World and Tenchi
Muyo, but is unique enough to be enjoyable with its great animation,
futuristic giant robot plot, characters with bright personalities, and
good use of computer animation. If you dislike the animes that this is
similar to, you maybe wasting a couple hours at your job trying to earn
enough money to buy this, but as far as I can tell, Dual! is definitely
one of the better cutting-edge titles which any audience that is suited
to see it can enjoy.
