Highschool of the Dead (Anime): First Impressions

Highschool of the Dead (Yes, one word...I know, I know.)
Writer: Daisuke Soto
Illustrator: Shonji Sato
Sentai Filmworks, 2011.

---

I love a zombie apocalypse. No really. I love a zombie apocalypse. So much so that if you knew a little bit more about me you'd know that I've been paid to do a lecture on zombie apocalypses and its effects on social order.

Yes, I am a nerd...so?

Here's two reasons the zombie apocalypse is a great idea:

1. It makes everything simple. For example, who cares if your bills are past due? People are dying, man. And Oh, you're having a bad hair day? I'm having a zombie-ate-my-family day. Perspective is a good thing, and the ZA will provide some much needed perspective. Say goodbye to your First-World-Problems, and hello to survival mode.

2. In simplifying the world, including our relationships to one another, the arbitrary social conventions that create friction between groups based on race, culture, gender, etc. fall away...there is no more backwards, binary us v. us confusion! There is only Living and Undead. In establishing a common enemy we more easily recognize our HUMANITY...theoretically. (People are still bad sometimes, and they still cling to the old social orders when it benefits them.)

The effects of the ZA above are clearly illustrated in the animated series Highschool of the Dead, based on the manga series of the same name by Daisuke Soto and Shonji Sato. The setting of a highschool, a place rife with cliques and social stratum, only further emphasizes the message. As with all the best ZA situations, we as viewers are introduced to a group of dissimilar survivors who are thrust together by circumstance: geek and jock, egg-headed perfectionist and clueless bimbo, bad-girl kendo club captain and ridiculously busty assistant librarian, creepy totalitarian teacher and (obligatory) red-shirt-esque zombie fodder. They have to band together to survive...maybe? I'm still early in and that creepy totalitarian teacher, is really, really creepy.

Creepier than zombie hordes!
I have a feeling he will be the antagonist, and a villainous antagonist at that!

Dr. Shido's character seems power-hungry and opportunistic already. I expect his character may very well be representative of the worst humanity has to offer in a ZA situation. There's clear set up for him as adversary and complicating factor in later episodes.

Creepiness aside, this anime is surprisingly beautiful...there's a powerful juxtaposition between the beautiful and bloodthirsty: gorgeous skies and scenery is the backdrop to unflinching depictions of death. The fight scenes are brutal. This is one violent anime. But, it is also deeply emotional in a way that makes more than a few of the characters multi-dimensional from the start. The emotional angst of a few of the characters, and the genuine feel of their reactions was surprising.

I have only one complaint about the series so far: the random upskirt shots and excessive amounts of bouncing breasts are gratuitous, numerous and annoying to no end. Show me the fight scene; I don't care about wobbling fun-bags.

HOTD Trailer 

(Note the sheer amount of panties and breast shots.)

All in all, I think I might keep with this anime, despite my irritation at the T&A (it doesn't make everything better).  The second season of Highschool of the Dead was announced in April 2012, and although rumors were that the announcement was an April Fool's Day joke, there has been information out that one is in the works with no release date confirmed yet.

Random Bonus Factoid:
While looking at the closing credits for HOTD for the Japanese cast and crew, I noticed that there was a position listed as "Art and Literature Support." What is that? And why don't American production companies have such a position? And if they do, why can't I find a job doing that? Because I would be really, really good at it (if I knew what it was).

Galaxy Express 999 -- First Impressions

Those space train shows are so popular with the kids these days.

The other day I was at Japan Video, and it seemed like every drama cover had a couple or a couple and some kids and dogs all kinds. It was like someone had an alright idea for a show, but EVERYONE who had anything to do with producing it knew, if they just added a dog or two, that show was going to go from okay to SUPER GREAT!

Well, you get the picture. Dogs! Dogs, everywhere.

Speaking of dogs, do you know what else seems to be as ubiquitous in Japanese anime as dogs in Japanese cinema? I will tell you: Trains!

And, do you know who really likes to write about anime with trains in it? ME! Dear Readers, that's right! I love writing about the "animetrain" genre so very much!

If you remember my previous post on Miracle Train in which a gang of street tuffs, er, I mean Tokyo train stations embodied by androgynous young men help solve girls girly problems, or my even more previouser post on Galaxy Railways in which someone thought it was a great idea to build trains through space and then wondered why people would attack them, then you know, I just LOVE anime about trains. Blurg.

A space train being a train in space.

But, let's talk Galaxy Express 999 of which I have only watched one episode but am not surprised to find that it is a beloved classic of Japanese animation, long running and forever returning like Dr. Who. Though, unlike Dr. Who, Galaxy Express 999 is not so beloved by me.

I've said it before, and I will say it again: BUILDING A TRAIN TRACK THROUGH SPACE IS A VERY BAD IDEA.

Despite that, some of you Dear Readers may find the show enjoyable, so I will relate its premise to you now.

It's the future or some distant planet and a bit dystopian. Rich people have enough money to get their souls implanted in cyborgs so they can live indefinitely, while poor people have to stay human and live in unbelievable slummy poverty. The only hope for these slum dwelling human scums is that one day they might be able to get on the space train, the Galaxy Express 999, which will take them to a planet where they can get their cyborg bodies for free.

In this setting we find our poor hero Tetsuro Hoshino, a twelve year old urchin wandering though a snowy wasteland with his surprisingly pretty mom..

I really hope my cyborg body is more attractive than my human one!

Pretty mother and not-so-pretty son are on their way to the Galaxy Express 999, when a group of cyborgs led by a fellow named Count Mecha decide to go on a human hunt and kill his mom intending to skin her and make a trophy out of her.

The less attractive prey, Tetsuro, escapes and lays down in the snow to die but is saved by the mysterious and also very pretty Maetel:

I'm pretty and mysterious.

She tells Tetsuro she will give him a pass on the train if he takes her with him. Tetsuro agrees, but they aren't going anywhere yet, not before he takes an automatic weapon and goes and blows the sh*tballs out of Count Mecha and his buddies and burns down his manor. Then the cyborg police come after him with their crazy cyborg dogs, but Maetel saves Tetsuro with her cyborg horse and sleigh.

Long story short, they get to the city and rent a hotel. Tetsuro hears Maetel talking to someone in the bathroom, and he walks in on her while she is showering...wouldn't it be great if I stopped right here? Hee, hee!

Oh, but it keeps going. Shower scene over, the two are confronted with more cyborg police, and they escape to catch the Galaxy Express 999, a train that leaves its tracks and makes its way for the stars.

I won't knock this show too much because I know it is really loved, highly acclaimed, and I have not seen the whole thing. I will give it another go despite my train prejudice.

I just wonder if there will be any episodes involving dogs?

Hero Heel--Manga

Okay, Hero Heel, by Yellow writer/illustrator (favorite of mine) Makoto Tateno, completely deserves it's adult themed rating...because it has VERY adult themes. I'm not just talking about the sex, because there is sex (graphic sex, actually), but the complexities of the plot, character interactions, and emotions are anything but easy to process. I like angst. I like, as Ms. Shakespeare likes to point out, suffering and insecurity and long-standing secret loves. So, I like Hero Heel. This three volume manga series is brutal at points, so if you are an empathetic person this might not be for you...unless you want (like me) to feel that sort of extended tension and pain. Tateno is fantastic at extended tension and pain. Stunning at it, actually! The dialog is loaded with it, the illustrations are taut with it. OH, and it's about actors on a kid's superhero program.

Don't shake your head just yet, us ladies of a certain age remember the hotness of Power Rangers...this is something similar, and yet possibly hotter. Although, man, a few of those Power Rangers...daaaammmnn!
Hero Heel is the story of first time television actor, Minami, who lands the lead role of Oreas in a special effects, fighting program called Air Guard. His co-star, Sawada, is a veteran of these programs and takes an immediate dislike to Minami's attitude. Sawada is a consummate professional, and is playing Gadriel, Oreas's rival in the program. Minami and Sawada are both proud and stubborn on and off the camera. Their rivalry heats up, but Minami learns from Sawada as well, and comes to realize that his feelings of deep admiration for Sawada's acting and fighting skills may be hiding true affection for the man.

Okay, tame enough, a little co-worker love interest, but then it gets really, really uncomfortable. Sawada claims to have no interest in Minami at all, in fact he treats him with scorn which only seems to make Minami want him more. Desperate for any scrap of affection, and drowning in unrequited love, Minami blackmails Sawada into sleeping with him. In one of the most painful, regret-laden scenes of any manga I've ever read (and I read a lot of painful, regret-laden manga) Minami breaks down. The intensity of the sorrow in the final chapter of volume one nearly crosses the line to intolerable for me. I'll admit it...I may have cried a little. And, as I keep saying, that's not my M.O. Something has to be very powerful to move me to tears, and yet the last silent panels of Hero Heel volume one did just that.

In trying to forget Sawada, Minami smothers his feelings with a new relationship with yet another co-worker. And Sawada rekindles an old relationship with a former co-star in an earlier program, who looks remarkably like an older Minami. Could Sawada be hiding the truth about his feelings for Minami? Let's ask him.

Sawada, are you hiding your attraction to Minami behind a facade of scorn in order to save yourself from potential heartbreak?

Oh, Sawada-san, you make me so sad in my heart.

You are absolutely the kind of cruel and passionate character that makes me want to squee!

Um...yeah, I guess he is...oh, right, spoiler or whatnot! So, once we know this, as readers, the plot gets even more complex, and painful, and bitter, and...all those things I love to read about. Each of the characters deals with their own insecurities, and any hope for a relationship seems defeated by a combination of insecurity and defensive pride. When the characters do break down, succumbing to their emotions in sometimes drastic ways, it is poignant and heart-wrenching because we as readers are privy to the whole story rather than just the one-sided suppositions the characters make about one another's motivations and intentions. This is heavy stuff. As such, it isn't for everyone. There are certainly points where each of the characters crosses into uncomfortable (and sometimes even dislikable) territory. There are moments of assertiveness that do border on violence, and reactions that seem at the time completely disproportionate...like this one:



"Eh?" Indeed! (Also.."Aw, yeah!")







































It looks sweet and passionate, but it turns out in the very next panel Minami (blond) punches Sawada in the face, tells him to quit messing with him, and then runs off into the night to sob in his bedroom until he passes out while Sawada avoids his boyfriend and drinks himself into a stupor. Hooray! What a light-hearted romp through candy-canes and gumdrops! Or, did I mean what a painfully (three bonus chapters are actually entitled "Pain") drawn-out, spiral into despair that seems to have no hopes of redemption? Maybe I meant the second one. Oh, delicious pain! Oh, Sawada! (Seriously, I may be madly in love with Sawada myself...maybe I'll steal him from Minami?) Oh, Minami!

The good news is there is (sort of) a happy ending to this one--the payoff is worth it once these two idiots realize that they can't deny their disturbing love for one another. Plus, the show is a hit, so everyone wins (except the people who were dragged into the bizarre love-conflict and ultimately dumped in cruel ways...they lost, completely).

Yellow and Yellow 2 --Manga

Now, normally I give you, dear readers, a link to Amazon where you could, potentially, purchase a copy of the manga/anime we are discussing. However, it appears that Makoto Tateno's Yellow is partially out of print. So, I feel bad talking about a series whose first volume is difficult to obtain. The good news is that volumes 2-4 of Yellow and volume one of the sequel Yellow 2 are still in print. And, if you look, and trust me you don't need to look very hard, you can find fan translations of volume one online. I will not guide you there, you can find it yourself, trust me! In fact, just scroll down the right side of the screen to where we mention sites we like and one of those sites might be FOXy enough to provide you with the MANGA scans (see what I did there? I know you did, because you are brilliant and insightful).

But, Amander, you say, fan translations can sometimes be very bad. Yes, friends, I know, but trust me, they're no worse than the actual translation in this case. Yellow volume one has the notorious distinction of being the one manga so poorly translated (by the publisher, mind you) that Ms. Shakespeare attacked my copy with a glue stick and some paper. Allow me to demonstrate with an actual scan of my favorite of her "alterations."

(Remember, this is manga in the original Japanese formatting, so read Right to Left and then Down the pages.)

That is Ms. Shakespeare's actual handwriting which you see so eloquently "correcting" my first chapter. They may have hired a translator/editor for subsequent chapters because they did get better, MUCH better. The first chapter of volume one is nigh unreadable. And that, friends, is why when Ms. Shakespeare borrowed my copy she could not help but improve upon the choppy translation. Thank goodness. (Incidentally, as a thank you, I altered a copy of one of her more, ahem, provocative manga purchases to include, um...junk. Yes, I drew in "parts" where parts had been pixelated or removed due to censorship in Japan. I'm a good friend! Such a good friend!!)

But, I digress...a lot!

Here's the gist of Yellow: Taki and Goh are what they call "snatchers" who live their life in the metaphorical "yellow"/caution zone both professional and personally. They are hired by anonymous entites to "snatch" things like drugs, guns, evidence, etc. Taki is heterosexual and Goh is gay. They live together and most people assume they are a couple. Despite being only partners, they love one another very dearly and rely on one another in life or death situations which has formed a strong bond between the two. Each of them is willing to sacrifice themselves to save the other. Eventually Goh develops some rather strong feelings for Taki, and despite Taki's resistance (sometimes violent resistance) to Goh's advances, it is clear that it is only a matter of time before Taki succumbs to his intense love for (and of) Goh and their chaste partnership turns into a physical relationship. So, DRUGS! GUNS! ULTRAVIOLENCE! DIRTY SEX! I like it.

One interesting aspect to the relationship that develops between the characters stems from the fact that they know little to nothing about one another previous to their first meeting (a little over a year before the plot begins). Their former lives and identities (for the most part) are kept secret even from one another. On the surface this seems like this omission might insinuate a deep mistrust on the characters, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Each of them is trying to reinvent themselves, and feels so much trust in the other that pasts don't seem to matter. Unfortunately, not everyone feels that way and Taki's past catches up to him with a vengeance. The boys must negotiate their pasts with their future as both partners and lovers while both the good guys and bad guys are out to get them. The first series ends with a fairly solid conclusion, and feels complete (if not a little saccharine). The sequel series Yellow 2 is being released as we speak from June' Manga...and it is certainly good, but isn't great. I wish they had opted out of a continuation. I mean I like spending more time with the characters, but the sweet tension between the characters has abated as they are drawn back into the life of snatchers.

On the surface the Yellow series is a angst filled story with some light-hearted moments, and will appeal to both the yaoi crowd and detective story fans. Below the surface, for you analytical readers, there are some fairly interesting, although sometimes quite subtle discussions of the role of trust in a relationship, the definition of love (in all its incarnations), and whether abiding romantic love needs a physical aspect to be powerful and permanent.

Warning: Some very intense sexual scenes so, NC-17. Despite the rating I'd give it, I would not consider this manga series to be pornographic in nature, it is erotic at points, but is more character driven than it is a plotless vehicle for hot manga-guys doin' it.    

Antique (Movie)

A Cast as Tasty as Cake?

So I just finished watching the 2009 Korean movie "Antique". The movie is a real life adaptation of my favorite manga, "Antique Bakery," by Fumi Yoshinaga.

The original covers had scratch and sniff stickers.

Antique Bakery is an amazing story. Fumi Yoshinaga is an amazing mangaka. To quote one review of her work, "...she’s so damn good at making comics that it’s almost unfair to all the other mangaka out there." And, it's not hyperbole. Fumi Yoshinaga is a great story teller. Her ability to deal with chronology is something I'm envious of. In her hands, time is fluid, sequenced, filmlike and yet literary. I can't explain it. I wish I could do it with my own work. You have to read Antique Bakery or maybe even Ooku to see what I mean.

I have such a deep seated admiration for Fumi Yoshinaga's work that I would happily rename this the Fumi Yoshinaga blog and only cover her stories and adaptations of her stories for as long as I could.

But where was I? Yes, Antique Bakery. This manga got me into my thirties because its characters were in their thirties or almost there. I'm not going to review this manga right now. I'll just say it is beloved by me. It follows four men who run a bakery. That's the premise at least. It's a drama, a comedy and a bit of a crime/mystery story. There are no speed lines or ninja high kicks, no sword action and not that many high school girls. But, it's good anyway.

So there is an anime version, which I watched one episode of. It was boring. If it got better, I don't know, and I guess a tv show too, but I heard the main character who is gay in the comic is not gay in the show, which is just weird because a huge portion of the comic focuses on how this affects him and those around him.This isn't a yaoi story. It's really just a story with a gay character, so I'm not sure why the producers of the show made that call. Or, maybe they though they could because it isn't yaoi? In any case, I'll let it slide.

Now we come to "Antique." I was worried I would hate it, but I didn't. I loved the casting.

I'd like to have some desert please!

And I think the movie stayed true to the spirit of the manga, even when it couldn't capture every story or each thing that made the characters unique. It was interesting to see what the film makers did focus on and how they changed Fumi Yoshinaga's classic. All in all, it was a spirited, sweet movie with AMAZING CAKES throughout. I can't help but wonder what someone who may have never read the comic might think of it.

Oh, did I fail to mention there is also a hot French guy in this movie?

Day 24 - Favorite Anime Hero or Heroine: Shuzo "Shu" Matsutani of Now and Then, Here and There

What makes a hero? Selflessness? Humility? Grace? Determination?

Shu is amazing.

He’s not tough in a traditional way, he’s not a warrior-type, he isn’t a knight in battle, he’s human, but he’s also the epitome of heroism…really. He fights and sacrifices himself again and again to protect others, and to right the wrongs of a world that has lost its humanity in many ways. Although he is thrust into a dystopian future, beaten, and nearly destroyed, he still maintains a positive view of humanity. He believes people are, despite all evidence to the contrary, essentially good and always worthy of redemption.

Now and Then, Here and There is only a 13 episode series, but 13 episodes are plenty. This series deals with some heavy themes: war, rape, violence, greed, misery, abuse…heavy stuff. But through it all Shu’s heroism changes things. The world becomes a better place through the patient and caring devotion of one person to the people around him and the goodness he sees in those people, no matter how far they have fallen into despair or corruption. Shu redeems the world. He shows the world a better way. He’s just a young man, but he’s willing to suffer endlessly for the benefit of others.

Although I really love and admire this series for its message and its artistry (so much symbolism…beautiful stuff!), I would have to say I wouldn’t recommend it for most viewers. Although many of the characters are young, many of them children…this is NOT a kid’s show. It has a good message to share, but it is at times stomach-turning in its depictions of brutality. If you can handle the painful scenes (and they are painful, I’m not exaggerating), then this is well worth the watch, but sensitive people should be wary. For instance, Ms. Shakespeare, this might be a bit out of your comfort zone. But for those of you who can handle graphic violence and heartbreak, this is an amazing piece of anime, and Shu is hands-down the most heroic figure I can think of.

Day 11 - Favorite Mech Series: Gurren Lagann

I think the animes/mangas with Mechas/Robots/Gunmen are called Mechs in English and Mechas in Japanese because they need an extra letter.

They are not this:


Oh, creepy robot mouth, you scare the bejeezus out of me. Please do not sing me to sleep. At least with anime viewers don't face an uncanny valley sort of robot issue. Most mechs in anime are pretty cartooney, and most are pretty meh...I think Voltron is pretty cool, I watched it when I was little too. And I really love the farcical Titan Maximum on adult swim. But most, nearly all, mechs bore the poo out of me. It's all fight, fight, fight. Look at me sweating in my robot suit. Look at me yelling stuff.

There is one exception though, and it isn't Gundam. I love Gurren Lagann. In fact, I love it so much that I am constantly surprised by my love for it. I have talked about it plenty before, and already picked the finale of the series as "Most Epic Scene." So, I'll keep it brief and just say, SEE IT! (Also, Ms. Shakespeare if you are going to see one mech, see this one, please? That way we can talk about how awesome it is.)

Here's the trailer:


JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!!! I love Gurren Lagann! But I'm not alone.

This review by Anime News Network rated Gurren Lagann as an A rated series that shows "the manly side of mushiness, the kind of content which speaks about people who truly throw everything they have – all of their passion, their hopes, their determination, and even their souls and very lives – into the crucible to challenge the heavens, to force a path to their own destinies and those that they hold dear. "

This is some band of brothers stuff, very St. Crispin's Day speech! I cannot help but be swept up in the struggle.

So I'll leave you with some Shakespeare, which is an odd thing to be reminded of when one is discussing giant robot gunmen, but it seems entirely appropriate.

Since I mentioned it here is the St. Crispian's Day speech from Henry V:

This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.


Or, as Simone the digger would say:
"Aniki is dead. He's not here anymore! But on my back, and in my heart, he lives on in me! My drill is the one that pierces the heavens! Even if that hole becomes my grave, as long as I break through, I shall be victorious! Who the hell do you think I am?! I'm Simone! I'm not my brother Kamina! I am myself! Simone the digger!"

I'm all amped up now! YEAH! "This is my soul, and I'll make you regret this!" SQUEEEE! So much asskickery!

Monster (anime)

“Once upon a time, in a land far away lived a nameless monster. He was dying for a name.”


Monster is a long running anime based on the graphic novels of Naoiki Urusawa. This extremely elaborate drama/thriller is set in Germany and the former republic of Czecheslovakia. It’s part fairy-tale (ala Grimm Brothers rather than Disney) and part gritty crime story. The story follows Dr. Tenma, a brilliant neural surgeon mistakenly framed for multiple murders after saving the life of a young boy, Johan Liebert. Johan, and his twin sister Anna, are the only survivors of the violent murder of their adopted parents. From the first episode viewers realize that there is something inhuman about the young boy, despite his charisma. Tenma, falsely accused and on the run from several groups of people interested in catching him, takes to the road to both clear his name, and discover the truth. (Image by Angel Zakuro.)

What follows is a complex, multi-character story which spans decades. A large part of the series deals with the internal battles each character faces regarding regret, responsibility and redemption. Later discussions of belief and faith in oneself are complex and interesting. Identity is a central issue as well. Johan, with his incredible ability to influence others, is a compelling villain with charm and beauty. He becomes symbolic of the darkness possible in each person, and is molded by the Eastern Bloc Government from youth to be a perfect leader and brilliant strategist. His sister Anna and Dr. Tenma, are his counter, and embody love and forgiveness.

It really is a fantastically complex (albeit sometimes slow-moving) anime. But, I’m still wondering WHY this is animated. The animation is beautiful, and the architecture and scenery is amazingly rendered, but there isn’t any apparent reason why this story needs to take anime form, or graphic novel form. There are no special effects, transformations or dream sequences…nothing that couldn’t be done live-action at all. Despite the strange decision to animate at all, this is a really complex and intelligent series. I am awaiting the next season and the conclusion to this epic.

Oh...Galaxy Railways...a heartbreakingly crappy anime

I think I'm in love with a terrible anime. I'm two episodes in to Galaxy Railways. It's playing softly in the background right now.

Imagine this: A far off future or parallel universe where people travel through space on trains. The trains ride on a fixed track through the universe, moving full steam ahead from place to place.

Oddly, and I can't figure out why, these trains are pretty vulnerable to attack. So a league of defenders/conductors must protect them. Apparently, it is a very dangerous job because these people are dying left and right.

I guess this whole story could have been avoided if they had built spaceships instead of space trains, but then I wouldn't have so much fun!

More later.