Meri Kurisumasu! Holiday Music [JAPAN STYLE]
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: December 6, 2009
- In: Music| anime
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After spending the last four holiday seasons working in electronic retail, I finally will be able to fully enjoy and celebrate the holidays this year. I decided to try and fully immerse myself in all of the Christmas goodness going around since it has been years since I’ve had the time to really get into the spirit of the holidays, and I forgot how much I loved the music!
Holiday music is something that makes everyone get the warm-and-fuzzies, but sometimes we anime fans can feel a bit detached from our love of Japanese culture because of all the American holiday music. Well, no longer!
As my gift to all of the wonderful people who read my blog, I have put together a small collection of some of my favorite holiday songs, all in Japanese!
The first two I want to call out especially because they bring back a lot of memories for me. When I was in high school I was a HUGE Sailor Moon fan, and the Sailor Moon cast was known for their Christmas albums. So here are two songs that I remember listening to every year in high school done by various members of the Sailor Moon cast!
The first one is “White Christmas” sung by Tomizawa Michie, a.k.a. Hino Rei/Sailor Mars:
And here is “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” sung by the entire main cast!
Here are a couple of my other favorite holiday songs done by the Sailor Moon cast!
First of all, another piece from Tomizawa Michie, “Last Christmas”:
And here with her rendition of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” is Shinohara Emi, who played Kino Makoto/Sailor Jupiter:
But let’s not forget that our favorite Japanese pop and rock singers also love getting into the spirit of giving! Two of my favorite artists sprang to mind, so I found some great stuff from them.
Here is a song called “Gatsu no December Love Song” sung live by Gackt! Interesting story about this song: He wrote it in memory of all those lost in the September 11th attacks here in America. It’s a beautiful and very emotion song. Check it out!
Gackt also decided to be good to us by teaming up with one of the greatest j-pop artists of all time to give us another holiday treat. Here he is with Ayumi Hamasaki singing a beautiful holiday song from a 2005 Japanese TV broadcast:
To round it out, here is a really fun and energetic holiday song from my favorite band of all time, AAA. Enjoy their song “Winter Lander!” from their 2009 tour!
Last but not least is a Christmas treat that my good friend Jon over at JANAiBlog shared with me when I brought up making a blog on Japanese holiday music to him. Enjoy “Holy Night”, an insert song from Toradora! sung by the seiyuu who does one of the main characters, Taiga:
If you want to share these songs instantly with your friends and family, you can just link whomever you wish to my YouTube Christmas Music playlist here.
I hope you all enjoy the music, and I wish each and every one of you a happy and healthy holiday season!
NaNoWriMo Update ~ Day 27 ~ VICTORY!
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: November 27, 2009
After 27 days of complete abandonment of my free time, I have written 50,942 words, making me a winner of this year’s National Novel Writing Month!
I can’t express how amazing it feels to finally cross that finish line. I never believed that I would be able to take a story as far as I did in this past month. I defied every expectation of myself and proved to myself that I truly can achieve my dream of being a novel writer if I put my passion and effort into it.
Of course, all of those words that i’ve written are rough and unpolished, but now the process of editing starts. I have a wonderful program called KeyNote that is used by many writers all around the world. It allows you to lay out and manage all of your writing and ideas so that you can keep all of the craziness happening in the editing process in order. I think this program is absolutely necessary for me, because I am known for coming up with brilliant ideas and then subsequently losing them in the shuffle of everything.
I had a lot of amazing friends who were so supportive of me, some of whom were even participating alongside me, most notably my friend Megan from Washington state, who encouraged me to join NaNo in the first place. I can’t thank you enough for doing this side-by-side with me Megan, and congratulations on your win as well! We both definitely deserve it!
I also want to offer my congratulations to everyone else who participated in NaNo this year, whether you won or lost. Taking the leap of putting your life aside for a month to dedicate yourself to a craft you love can be a scary, overwhelming thing, but just by participating, we all have taken a step forward in our love for writing, and that is cause for celebrations all around!
For now, I will happily let my hands de-cramp from my keyboard and relax while I watch some anime. I think I definitely deserve a break!
NaNoWriMo Update ~ Day 18
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: November 18, 2009
Writing a novel is such an interesting thing. For those of you who do not write, I’d like to share a fun story with you.
Sometimes, your characters can start acting on their own. Case in point, today as I was working on my NaNoWriMo novel, my villain, a demon named Antaeus, decided to stop flirting with my main character, Meredith, and started beating the ever-loving crap out of her.
This may seem like pretty normal behavior for a villain, but I didn’t expect it of him. I don’t want to give away too much about my story since it is still in such a raw form, but Antaeus has been sealed away for thousands and thousands of years, and so anything other than the place he’s been sealed in is like a breath of fresh air to him, understandably. Meredith in particular tends to be very cold and icy to people, but as she is growing and changing in the novel, Antaeus has begun to see her as a frost-bitten Winter giving way to a warm and blooming Spring. That intrigues him, and he fully plans to keep her as a slave/pet when his objectives are completed.
So, I didn’t want him to harm her, nor did he want to harm her until today. He suddenly got so frustrated that she wouldn’t do what he said that he snapped a bit. It doesn’t change the way that he feels about her, and it isn’t like I thought he wasn’t capable of violence, but he simply surprised me. It made me realize that his confinement has brewed a lot of dark things in him that he didn’t have before he was sealed, and I promise you, he was put away for a very, very good reason.
So now I feel compelled to explore his feelings and past, and I really didn’t plan for him to be anything beyond a simple villain. I’ve been thinking of doing a sequel to this novel where he wins instead of loses, and we see what would happen to the world if he had succeeded, but I’m not sure exactly how it would go. Would it be enough valid material for a whole other story, or even a novelette? I have no clue.
The hardest thing for me about NaNoWriMo is the inability to go back and edit. Technically I could, but it would mess with my word count and, quite frankly, NaNo is about quantity, not quality, and editing shouldn’t even be a thought in my mind, at least until November is over. Still, I cringe at some of the things I’ve written this month, and I find myself dieing for the opportunity to go back in and fix it all.
I also forgot how much my literary creations mean to me. I showed my girlfriend Leigh a part from my novel that I was insanely proud of. I thought it was one of the most alluring, provocative, and downright terrifying scenes I had ever written. When I asked her what she thought, she said ‘Honestly? Meh.’
I wasn’t upset with her at all. In fact, I feel blessed to have someone in my life who can be as honest about these things as she can. Still, it didn’t make it hurt any less. A writer’s work is a product of their soul, and when someone doesn’t like it, especially when that person is someone who is close to that writer and someone whose opinion is highly valued by the writer, it can be indescribably painful.
Still, every time I think on it and how much it hurts, I remember that I haven’t had a chance to edit it yet, and probably won’t for a while since that particular scene occurs more than half-way through my 50,000 word requirement, and I can tell already that I am going to keep the story going far beyond that requirement.
Other than that, NaNo is going very, very well for me! I was worried about finding time to write 2,000 words a day, but I didn’t write for three days due to a house party I held and I only need about 11,000 more words to reach my 50,000 goal. I have never produced so much before in my life writing-wise, but I think the method of NaNoWriMo is really working for my style of writing, and I fully plan to use said method in all of my future writing endeavors.
I will probably write more about my experience when I get to my 50,000 mark, and when I do, I will continue charting my word count until the end of November to give myself full credit for all the hard work I’ve done. I also think it would be interesting to blog about the editing process and whatnot. We’ll see how that goes.
NaNoWriMo Update ~ Day 1
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: November 1, 2009
This year is the first year I will be participating in NaNoWriMo, and I thought it would be an interesting experience to blog about. So, here is my first entry!
For those of you who don’t know what NaNoWriMo is, it’s National Novel Writing Month, which happens to be November. To be part of it, you simply visit the website, sign up, and do your best to write a 50,000, 175-page novel in just a month.
Sound crazy? you bet your ass it is! However, what you should understand about NaNoWriMo is that it isn’t about the quality of the novel you write, its the quantity. The point of NaNoWriMo is to get aspiring writers to get off their asses, stop making excuses, and finally get that lingering story idea out on paper!
So, what do you get if you succeed? Well, there’s no prize for NaNoWriMo except for the satisfaction of having completed such a task and, of course, 50,000 or so words of your writing that you can then edit and add on to as you please.
Now, this is my first time participating in it so I don’t know what it’s like going through all of this, but that’s the point of this blog; to share the experience through the eyes of a first-timer.
First of all, the NaNoWriMo website is great because it has a lot of different groups you can join. They have groups for each area of America, and you can just join the one for the area you live in and chat with people near you who are participating, schedule meet-ups, brainstorming sessions, or support meetings, and just generally chat and give encouragement and ideas. It seems to be a very supportive community, which I love.
As for today…well, I’m known for coming up with novel ideas and never finishing them, so starting was tricky for me. For the past few weeks i’ve been going through all of the novel ideas I’ve had over the years and thinking ‘which one shall I choose to write for NaNoWriMo?’ and you know what? I didn’t choose a single damn one of them.
I woke up this morning with a fresh idea in my head. I still hadn’t decided on what to write, so I figured I’d go with it. I’ve done the math and I would have to write around 1600-1700 words a day to make 50,000 by November 30th, so I decided to shoot for about 2000 words a day. I do work full-time five days a week, plus I’m having a weekend house party this month, so I wanted to give myself some breathing room so I wouldn’t feel guilty about skipping a day or two of writing or not having time to squeeze out enough words on a given day; I want to take the time to dedicate to NaNoWriMo, but I don’t want to lose sleep over it or anything like that.
So I opened up Microsoft Word, saved the blank document, and decided to begin.
Now, any writer will tell you that a clean sheet of paper or a blank computer screen can be one of the scariest things a writer has to face; one never really does know where to begin right off the bat. One of the first things I learned when I decided to get serious about writing is that you have to pull a reader in, and that starts on the first page, so it’s very intimidating.
I’ll show you how I eventually decided to start my story:
I have a bad feeling about this.
Meredith couldn’t shake that thought from her head as she looked up the dark staircase. It was dark and seemed almost endless, and it probably would have scared just about anybody, but Meredith was never one to be scared, which is why the thought seemed so out-of-place to her.
She was seriously beginning to regret taking this job in the first place.
I was rather proud of myself when I sat back and read this introduction. This is something that could certainly pull a reader in. Where is this staircase? Where does it lead? Are Meredith’s feelings of apprehension founded, or is she just overreacting? And what job is she doing that is forcing her to encounter these stairs?
That is the kind of thinking, in my opinion anyway, that you want your reader to experience; you want to give them a reason to want to read more.
Anyway, I just continued after that, stopping briefly to come up with a name or think an idea through (which is a really bad habit for NaNoWriMo that I KNOW I’m going to struggle with the entire time), and after about 3-4 hours, I stopped at 2,355 words, and only did so because I had errands I really had to go and run.
One of the best pieces of advice i’ve heard about NaNoWriMo is to start off early writing as much as you possibly can, because having that extra padding in the beginning of the month can make things a lot easier. So, I’m off to try and write more! As I have time, I will continue to blog about the trials and tribulations of trying to write a novel in only a month’s time.
Now, I’m off to craft what is above that spooky staircase!
Anime Openings and Endings: My Perspective
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: September 29, 2009
Anime Openings and Endings
~
I am a HUGE fan of Japanese music, mostly because of my friend Jon and his incredible taste in music. Because of this, I was happy to see his own blog post on anime openings and endings that he wrote a little over a month ago, and it got me thinking about my own opinions on openings and endings. While Jon shared videos of some of his favorite openings and endings, I decided to go a bit deeper into my thoughts on them.
An opening theme is the introduction to its respective show, and just like the few first paragraphs of a book, it needs to pull the viewer in and make you want to know more. In my opinion, you really shouldn’t judge an anime by its opening or ending sequences, but many people do just that. So, let’s take some time to discuss what makes an opening or ending sequence great.
The music is, in my opinion, the most important part. I think just about every anime fan out there can say they know at least a few opening or ending themes to shows they’ve never even watched, but are so catchy and distinctive that they can still recognize them. Also, in my experience, good opening and ending themes generally means good music within the series as well.
The other big factor is, of course, the animation. The desire to watch a series can be effected by not only the quality of the animation, but the quality of its contents as well. You want to see something that gives off an accurate vibe of the show and shows off its characters and some of its major themes, such as a big action sequence, a romantic gaze, or a hilarious pratfall. For the most part, the animation of an effective opening or ending theme usually can give you a good gist of what you’ll be seeing in the series.
The last part, of course, is making the two above pieces come together cohesively into an enticing package. Different effects such as lighting, color shading, or making the animation change or flash in time with the music can add to the overall enjoyment of watching an opening or ending sequence. In short, an effective opening or ending sequence will generally consist of music and animation that is of high quality and gives the viewer an accurate taste and feel of what is contained in its respective series.
To show what I mean in more detail, I would like to share with you all some of my favorite opening and ending sequences and discuss what makes them work so well.
Umineko no Naku Koro Ni
Opening Theme: “片翼の鳥 (One-Winged Bird)” by Shikata Akiko
Ending Theme: “la divina tragedia ~Makyoku~” by Jimang
Umineko is currently airing in Japan right now, so the animation is brand new, as is the music. What makes it so great, though, is the aura and emotion the opening and ending to this show give off with it’s stunning visuals.
Both songs have a very grand, epic feel to them, and the animation and effects are gorgeous, showing off all of the characters and giving you a good sense of the horror that lies within the show. Both songs are wonderful, although a few people I know of dislike the ending theme song (the singer reminds me slightly of Meatloaf, but that doesn’t bother me at all). I’d also like to point out that the ending sequence hosts a new trend I’ve seen in the past few years; the preview for the next episode is actually made a part of the ending theme itself, rather than being a series of clips after the ending theme is over. Even though they only display the name of the next episode, I think it works well.
So, here for you is a beautiful HD version of the opening and ending themes to Umineko. Enjoy!
Excel Saga
Opening Theme: “Ai (Chuuseishin)” by Mikako Takahashi and Yumiko Kobayashi
Excel Saga is one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen, and it’s opening theme is the perfect example of how such a sequence can give the viewer a taste of what’s to come. This show is known for being zany and crazy, and the opening animation certainly shows that.
Also, the theme song itself is rather insane, but catchy and energetic, just like Excel Saga itself. I wanted to talk about the ending theme as well, but really, it’s just a dog barking to a tune as a woman speaks the translation of what he’s barking (he’s begging the listener not to eat him), and although it’s funny, isn’t very relevant to this blog. You can easily find it online, though.
Anyway, here’s the opening theme!
Ouran High School Host Club
Opening Theme: “Sakura Kiss” by Kawabe Chieco
Ending Theme: “Shissou” by LAST ALLIANCE
Ouran High School Host Club is a school days-type romantic comedy that’s very enjoyable to watch, but honestly, my favorite part about it is the opening and ending themes.
Both songs are very catchy, and they are a great study in how the animation of an opening and ending theme can be relatively simple in nature, but still effective and enjoyable to watch. There are some pretty effects, but for the most part it’s just shots of the characters, but it still gives you an idea of what kind of show it is and is enjoyable to watch.
So take a look, and be prepared; these songs won’t leave your head for quite a while!
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Opening Theme: “−輪舞−revolution (-rinbu- revolution)” by Masami Okui
Revolutionary Girl Utena is known for being a visually stunning (and sometimes downright confusing) series. It is truly a work of art, and it’s opening them is no slouch.
The opening theme for Utena uses the relationship between Utena and Anthy as a drawing point, as well as throwing in some scenes of Utena and the other major characters fighting. So, you can see the series will be beautiful and full of emotion and action as well. Very simple concepts, but still rather effective.
Catch a quick peek at how they did it below.
Bleach
Opening Theme: “Alones” by Aqua Timez
Ending Theme: “Houkiboshi” by Youhna
Bleach is a very popular anime of course, and it’s almost 240 episodes long at this point, so it’s had it’s fair share of opening and ending themes. However, all of them are beautifully done, so I picked my favorite opening and ending to show you.
I chose the opening that I did because it was the best balance of music and visuals I could find among them. The song is catchy and the animation displays a lot of the characters, as well as conveys a lot of the emotion and energy of the show. The visuals in this opening, like in most of the other Bleach openings and endings, are rather abstract, but pleasing to the eye nonetheless.
The ending I chose is probably the best anime ending I’ve ever seen. Not only is Youhna an incredible musical artist, but the ending is unique in that the animation is different at the end of every episode, featuring a different group of characters each time. Of course, this makes the viewer sit and watch the ending sequence each time to see the new animation, and it’s a very effective way of drawing the viewer in.
As a side note, I chose the 11th Division ending simply because they’re my favorite division of all. There’s no other reason behind it 
.
And this finally brings me to my last example: What happens when an opening sequence goes awry.
Berserk
Opening Theme: “Tell Me Why” by PENPALS
Berserk is one of my favorite shows of all time, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart; I watched it in 5 days because I couldn’t stop. It’s an incredible series. The opening theme, however, falls terribly short.
Now I know a lot of people who hold this opening sequence dear to their hearts, so I hesitate slightly to say that it’s bad, but…well, let’s just say there’s very little good about it. The song is rather catchy, but the lyrics are all in Engrish and the singer’s voice is rather whiny, and the backup singers have very shrill voices. As for the animation, although it features the main character Guts, it has nothing to do with the premise of the show, which is all about power corrupting as Guts and the mercenary group he’s a part of start currying favor and making their way to fame. It’s full of fighting, gore, and some rather twisted horror scenes, and the animation in the open sequence barely even alludes to that.
Check it out for yourself and draw your own conclusions.
So, there you go. Anime opening and ending sequences can be powerful tools to draw viewers to a series, or turn them completely away, depending on how good they are.
However, I do want to drive home my point that series should NOT be judged by it’s opening and closing sequences; Berserk is a perfect example of that, and I can think of many shows that are far, far better than their opening themes make them out to be. Hopefully, the next time you run into a bad anime intro, you’ll think about giving the show itself more of a chance.
Sub Versus Dub: My Perspective
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: August 10, 2009
- In: Rants| anime
- 4 Comments
There has been a lot of talk about anime subtitling and anime dubbing lately. This has been because anime companies have been releasing a lot of titles in America that are sub-only. A lot of people have gotten up-in-arms about this issue and have started reacting very passionately; anime fans are normally very serious about what goes on in the industry. Everybody seems to have been chiming in lately, so I have decided to put my opinions in the mix as well.
I’d like to start off by exploring exactly why so many companies have been releasing their licensed titles in sub-only form. The American economy has basically tanked, and the anime industry has of course also been affected. Still not following? Let’s take a brief look at some of the basic things you need to pull off a dub:
- Casting the dub, which includes hiring producers, ADR directors, and other behind-the-scenes crew, then putting in the time and money to hold auditions and pick a cast.
- Hiring lawyers to draw up confidentiality contracts to make sure that the voice actors won’t talk about the project before they are legally allowed to (I assume that is how this is done, I may be wrong).
- Record the dub, which includes paying the bills to run the recording studio, then paying each voice actor money to spend several hours a day in a booth saying lines over and over until the ADR director is satisfied with them.
- Post-production, which includes paying people to edit the voice work together, calling back in voice actors and paying them AGAIN to re-dub anything that didn’t come out or that the director isn’t satisfied with, and laying the English vocal track over the animation.
- Dub advertisement, which includes paying voice actors to attend conventions and the like to promote the title that they dubbed.
Keep in mind that the above steps are IN ADDITION to the following:
- Paying translators to translate the Japanese language track and opening and ending theme songs.
- Paying editors to create and format the subtitle text, time the subtitles correctly, and then finally lay it over the raw Japanese footage.
You can clearly see here that producing a dub is far more expensive than producing a sub. Everybody in America is struggling with finances right now, and this is the reason why many companies are deciding not to dub the titles they acquire. They also have very little funds coming in from products due to anime pirating, but that’s another issue that I’ve discussed previously, so I won’t repeat it here.
Now that I’ve shown why the industry is turning to subs rather than dubs, allow me to go into my personal opinion on it.
I personally love dubs. I’m a huge fan of voice actors and the industry. I love meeting voice actors, asking them about their craft, and of course as someone who doesn’t understand Japanese fluently, it’s easier on me to hear voices in my native language speaking from my screen; I can watch an anime while I run around and do things rather than sit in front of the screen and read.
However, I also am a huge lover of subs. I love seiyuu, and I love seeing different Japanese culture references in my anime, which often get lost in localization. I also love how Japanese sounds to the ear, and I enjoy picking up new words and phrases in Japanese. It’s an immersive cultural experience, and I’m one of the few people I know who actually don’t mind having to read words on the bottom of a screen.
So yes, I am a fan of both, and no, I’m not ragingly angry about American anime companies turning to subs. Why? Simply put, I’m mature enough to understand why they’re doing it. I know that they are short on money, and I’m honestly glad that they’re at least bringing these titles to America rather than just closing up shop and fully denying us the anime we love. I will continue to support official releases and do my part to ensure that these companies will still be here when the economy turns around so that we can once again see a day where dubs are commonplace. That’s my stance.
I’ve read some blogs lately that have discussed this issue, and I wanted to quote some parts for them here to give my opinion on some of the things said in these blogs. The Golden Waste released a blog about this issue that was rather harsh towards dub fans in my opinion. Here are some points I wanted to discuss.
It wasn’t until May 2009 that Bandai’s solicitation for July 2009 would include the sub-only Hayate [The Combat Butler] and at a steep price that only made people even more furious. It was 7 episodes for $39.98 suggested retail price (SRP). Many cried that it should have been more content for the price…
…And those people are immature, uninformed saps. Anime is overpriced because people keep pirating it and not buying official releases, which forces companies to up the prices to make a profit. It’s simple logic, people. Maybe if those people stopped complaining and started buying, their next favorite anime wouldn’t be offered to them at a sky-high price and it might, just might, have an English dub. Just a thought.
Sentai Filmworks had launched yet another major battle when they announced in the October 2009 solicitations that they had acquired Clannad After Story, He is My Master and Ghost Hound. Once again, the communties cried foul and moved on, ignoring the fact that ADV Films must rebuild their catalog and make money before even thinking of dubbing again.
THANK YOU. This is one of the few things in this blog that I agree with. These companies must make money in order to be able to afford dubbing again, and rioting against them or boycotting them is only going to be counterproductive. I cannot drive this point home enough.
But here, ladies and gentleman, is where I put my foot down.
[Dub fans] believe every anime should be dubbed in English. Oh please. These people need a reality check. Badly. Dub fans still have Funimation, Viz and Media Blasters to rely on for dubs, but how long can they really take on the financial losses? Get a dose of reality English dub fans, because at this point, you should be looking for a new hobby or adapt to the changing market. You don’t get what you want anymore. Got that? Good.
First of all, as a dub fan, I’m annoyed by the fact that this person lumped every dub fan into a group of only a few that seem to spew anger all over the place at the dub versus sub debate. I agree that money must be pumped into the industry to produce dubs once more, I’ve said that several times here now, but the way this person phrases it is downright rude and immature. There are better ways to inspire anime fans to support official sub-only releases than insulting them, trust me.
I’d also like to point to this blog, written by a good friend of mine. He is also a huge dub fan and while he checks out anime online, he buys official releases mainly for the English dubs. He is also angry at the loss of subs, but unlike some other people, he’s handling his opinion in a mature manner.
It’s not that us dub fans don’t understand why the companies are doing this. It is simply the fact that it frustrates us that so many great series’ are being “wasted” through a sub-only release.
I understand that frustration, and as someone who loves voice actors and hearing English dubs, I agree with you. What I love about Jon, the writer of this article, is that he still wants to buy these sub-only releases, because he recognizes that not buying them is only going to make the situation worse. This is the mentality that I think more anime fans need to have.
Now, after reading both of these articles, The Golden Waste made another blog replying to the strong response they got from the first blog I mentioned. There’s a part towards the end of it that I want to bring to attention:
Dub fans need to stop complaining about the sub-only releases and tearing apart all the communities and causing a rift.
I find it funny that he accuses dub fans of ‘causing a rift’, yet this blog has caused more controversy than I’ve personally ever seen over this issue. Nobody is tearing any communities apart here. This person is taking this issue way over the top, where it doesn’t need to be. This person is also continuing to be very rude to dub fans. I understand that this particular blogger has a very blunt style of speaking, and I respect that, but if you’re going to be rude and blunt, you’re going to get the same in return.
So, there you go. As a fan of both dubs and subs, I’m sad to see that dubbing has begun to fade out due to lack of funds, but I’m also smart enough to understand why it’s happening and supportive enough of the anime industry to continue to do my best to support official releases, whether they be dubbed or sub-only. I hope that one day the industry will build itself back up to the point where we will have dubs for every anime once again, but until then, we must fight to keep the industry alive, and that requires action.
Buy official releases. Buy official products. Encourage others to do the same. If you’re going to refuse to do these things, then you, in my opinion, have no right to complain about the lack of dubbing or funding in the American anime industry, because that makes you part of the problem.
Chu*Review: The Devil’s Rejects
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: August 10, 2009
- In: Movies| Reviews
- Leave a Comment
If you read my last review on Rob Zombie’s horror flick “House of 1000 Corpses”, then you’ll know I mentioned that there was a sequel to that film titled “The Devil’s Rejects”. Since I already went over much of what comprises the series in the first review, this review will mainly focus on how the second movie continues the story and how it differs from the first movie.
“The Devil’s Rejects” starts with a small recap of the general story, telling us that the gruesome murders that the sadistic Firefly family committed in the first movie are now well known, causing the murderous brood to now be known as ‘The Devil’s Rejects’. The Firefly family gets cornered by police right in the beginning of the movie, causing them to flee and starting off the entire movie’s chain of events.
This film is suspenseful and intense right from the break and keeps on going to the very end. It focuses on the Firefly family’s efforts to escape the police and to find a way to make a new life for themselves where they can assumedly continue their serial killer lifestyles. One of the best things about this film though is that we get to learn more about these killers.
The way the Firefly family is portrayed in this movie is rather ingenious. They are still very much the almost inhuman killers that they were in the first movie, but this film really shows their ingenuity and their bond as a family; they have escape plans already laid out, and the thought they put into them makes you realize that they’re smarter than anyone else in the film may realize. The more you learn about them, the more they emerge as the ‘heroes’ of the story, making you really want to root for them, and honestly, who doesn’t love rooting for the bad guys?
One thing of note that you’ll notice pretty quickly is that this film is much more sexually explicit than the first one. There is copious amounts of nudity and sexual perversion, so if that’s not your bag, be forewarned. As for the gore, it’s greatly reduced it quantity from the first movie, mostly replaced by the aforementioned sexual content. There’s less bloody torture and more fist-fighting and gun shooting in this one and is slightly reminiscent of a Western in some ways; it’s less of a horror movie and more of a chase action-thriller at it’s core, though it still holds the title of horror flick tightly in its grasp.
As for the acting, all of the original actors returned and they shine just as brightly as they did in the first film. Sheri Moon Zombie’s acting greatly improved from the first movie, and we get to see her character Baby portrayed as not just a killer, but a daughter who loves and worries for her parents and brother. This evolution occurs in all of the Firefly family, but because Sheri’s acting improved so greatly from the first film to the second, I felt it was especially worth noting.
Also of note, Rob Zombie’s intricate use of cut scenes, slow motion, and various video effects accompanied by off-beat music emerges once again, giving the movie a unique feel. It’s used much more sparingly in this film than in the first one, however.
Of course, the last thing to touch on is the ending. The ending to this movie is honestly one of the most memorable I have ever seen in a movie. It’s emotional, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and is, I think, a fitting end to all of the events of these two films.
Both of these films work together beautifully. They act as one story, but the first movie is more from the victim’s point of view, and the second from the killers’ points of view. If you’re going to watch one, definitely watch both, and I assure you, it will be a satisfying horror experience, no matter how many ways you slice it.
SCORE: 8/10
Chu*Review: House of 1000 Corpses
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: July 24, 2009
House of 1000 Corpses was the directorial debut of rocker Rob Zombie, known mostly for his band White Zombie and his subsequent solo music career. This gory horror flick was released in 2003. It was actually completed in 2000, but had a hard time finding a distributor due to its mature content. After it was finally edited to bring it down to an R rating, it was released and met with some harsh words by movie critics.
This review will break this film down into several parts, culminating in an overall review and score which readers are encouraged to discuss via comments left to this review. Comments and suggestions on the style and future improvement of these reviews are also encouraged.
My Experience
A friend of mine whom we all affectionately call Sparkles (upon her insistence, I assure you) is the biggest horror movie fan I know. She was the one that actually got me into the genre, something that I am forever grateful for.
I remembered her excitement as details about House of 1000 Corpses were released, and when it came out on DVD, she suggested that I watch it with her. I bought my own copy of the DVD several years later while itching for a new movie to buy.
Story
A group of four young people, two women and two men, are working together to write a book about weird and interesting rest stops and tourists traps you find when traveling cross-country. A lack of gas in their car forces them to stop over at Captain Spaulding’s Museum of Monsters and Madman, a small ode to all things horrific and scary that proudly boasts their biggest sources of income as, and I’m quoting my House of 1000 Corpses t-shirt here, “Fried Chicken and Gasoline”. While going through Captain Spaulding’s museum, he tells them the story of Doctor Satan, a serial killer who was supposed to be killed but escaped and is assumed to still be alive. Intrigued by the story, they decide to pursue the location of the tree Doctor Satan was meant to be hung from for material for their book, but the trip proves to be unlike anything they ever expected as they become entangled with the deadly Firefly family.
The story is easy to follow and enjoyable, however it begins to veer towards the end of the film. As the characters get closer to the truth about Doctor Satan, the truth begins to seem more and more unbelievable, and I found myself really having to open up my imagination to believe some of the things that I was seeing. This is something that I find sort of typical of horror films however, and if you’re a fan of the genre, I don’t think it will really be a bother for you.
Casting
Rob Zombie did a smart thing by pulling from two good resources: his personal friends and time-tested horror actors. The part of Captain Spaulding is played by Sid Haig, a seasoned horror actor who plays the part of the crazy clown store owner to creepy perfection. The part of Baby, the Firefly family’s beloved daughter, is played by Sheri Moon Zombie, Rob Zombie’s wife, who made her acting debut in this film. While her acting isn’t nearly as polished as the others in this movie, that actually plays in her favor, adding an interesting dimension to Baby as a character and making her come off as innocent while stabbing someone repeatedly or cursing up a storm.
The rest of the cast is rather a mixed bag. Some of the other characters can be downright annoying and others astonishingly creepy, but this is a horror movie, so they’re either going to commit some heinous murder or become the victim of said murder. Either way, I think you’ll find yourself satisfied.
Look and Feel
Anyone who has seen one of Rob Zombie’s music videos knows that he loves to use quick, flashing imagery in his video work. House of 1000 Corpses is no different in this respect. The film is punctuated with slow-motion scenes done in negative, shots of apparent home videos done by the Firefly family talking about various things from their thoughts on life and society to their favorite ways to kill, clips of old black-and-white horror movies, and split-screen scenes that are effective in giving you the feeling of two very different world colliding. I personally think that his style both makes you think and grabs your interest, and it was a pleasure to watch.
The clothing of the character and look and feel of the setting is integral to this film. The four main characters are dressed as very plain, mature college students, and the Firefly family like to prance around in costumes and masks (Captain Spaulding’s clown outfit Baby Firefly’s cowgirl get-ups are my personal favorites), and several of the family members are pale-skinned and grungy looking, giving you a very clear visual division between both groups. The Firefly’s house is cluttered with odds and ends that really give you an eerie feeling about this family and the way they live their life.
My only problem with the movie in this respect is that one or two of the torturous acts the Firefly family performs on their victims look just a bit too fake, but I didn’t think that it marred the enjoyment of the movie as a whole.
Sound
The soundtrack to this movie is downright delightful. It goes back and fourth between hardcore rock and old-time radio hits, depending on what scene you’re in. In both instances, the music comes off as very atmospheric and they fall perfectly in place with the movie. If you’re a fan of Rob Zombie or other musicians such as Marilyn Manson, you’ll want to pick up the soundtrack for yourself.
Last Thoughts
I am of course not going to spoil the ending, but the movie does leave off in what I thought was a rather surprising twist, leaving you to assume that the story is indeed not over, and you would be right. The sequel to this movie, The Devils Rejects, came out in 2005 (that review will be coming soon!).
Also, as an afterthought, this is one of those horror movies that I think is enjoyed at its best when viewed with others. Some of the scenes and lines can be downright cheesy or raunchy, and it’s enjoyable to discuss those moments as you watch with your friends.
For good measure, I should also warn you that this movie is very gory and sexually explicit, so if such things make your stomach turn, take heed. You may not want to watch it after you’ve eaten a meal, and I certainly wouldn’t suggest watching it during a meal, regardless of how strong your stomach may be.
Overall
House of 1000 Corpses is a fun, entertaining horror film, though certainly not the best in its genre. The story could be stronger, but the atmosphere and characters are enjoyable, spot-on, and memorable. Watching this movie along with its sequel is something I strongly recommend; you’ll get a more satisfying experience that way.
SCORE: 7/10
Chu*Review: Fullmetal Alchemist
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: June 30, 2009
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Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi, “Alchemist of Steel”) is an action/adventure/science fiction anime series that first began as a manga in 2001, then appeared as an anime which began airing in 2003. The series is 51 episodes long and is available in Japan, as well as in America via FUNimation Entertainment.
This review will break the series down into several parts, culminating in an overall review and score which readers are encouraged to discuss via comments left to this review.
My Experience
I’ve actually never watched Fullmetal Alchemist until just now, which may surprise a lot of people. I’ve met Vic Mignogna, who does the American voice for the main character Edward Elric, several times and he often talks about how much he loves the show and how much he loved working on it. When I told him I hadn’t seen it, he urged me to do so, and I promised myself that I would one day.
I finally decided to set aside time to watch it when my friend Jon had an Anime Sampler Night, which included the first two episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, a remake of the original series that is supposed to follow the manga storyline more closely. I really enjoyed what I saw, and so I went home and started watching the original series with subtitles. Jon encouraged me to watch the dub instead because he felt it was done very well, which is a rare thing for Jon to say. So he decided to lend me all of his FMA box sets and I got to watching.
Story
The story centers around the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, whom lost their mother to illness when they were young. Their father had taught them some alchemy, and so they attempted to use it to bring their mother back to life, something that is considered very dangerous and taboo in the alchemical world. As alchemists, they are subject to the Law of Equivalency, and as a sort of karmic punishment for performing the ritual Edward loses his left leg and right arm, and Alphonse loses his whole body, forcing Edward to seal his soul into a suit of armor. Faced with the consequences of their actions, both brothers will become dogs of the military, using those connections to try and find the mysterious Philosopher’s Stone, which they believe has the power to return their bodies to normal.
Look and Feel
The art of Fullmetal Alchemist is downright beautiful. The character designs are simple but very effective; you get a good sense of what the characters are like just by looking at them. Each character is also very distinctive, so it’s easy to recall a character by their actions even if you forget their names. The landscapes of all the different places the characters visit are breathtaking, and the effects whenever a character performs alchemy are very well done. Definitely of the most visually appealing anime series I’ve ever watched.
As for the overall feel of the show, I think it’s balanced very well. There is of course a lot of action and drama, but there’s also aptly placed comedy, and you’re never left feeling like the show is too serious or not serious enough.
Sound
I can’t tell you how much I love the music in this series. Not only is the background music beautiful and very atmospheric, but the opening and ending songs are catchy and very enjoyable.
As for the voice acting, both the Japanese and American dubs are wonderful. Whether you prefer your anime dubbed or with its original vocal track, you’ll love what you’ll hear.
Final Thoughts
I loved Fullmetal Alchemist. Besides the story and visuals being very appealing, it’s a beautifully executed show. The characters are rich and given a healthy (but not overwhelming) dose of back story, and we get to see a lot of minor and seemingly episodic characters return, leaving you satisfied in knowing what happened to them. The ending is also very satisfying and leaves little to no questions left unanswered. If I understand correctly, the true ending of the series lies in the FMA movie, Conqueror of Shamballa. I’ll definitely be checking that movie out.
Overall
Fullmetal Alchemist is a beautiful and well-balanced show that anybody would enjoy. If you want a slightly longer than normal anime series with great characters and a satisfying conclusion, definitely pick this show up. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.
SCORE: 9/10
My Wii MotionPlus Review
Posted by: Gina Giannetti on: June 21, 2009
For Father’s Day, my father asked my brother and I to get him Tiger Woods PGA ‘10 for the Wii. This particular game happens to come packaged with the Wii MotionPlus. I didn’t think anything of it at first really, but when he started using it, I knew I HAD to write a review on it.
I’ll start with the good parts of it.
First off, let’s talk about how it’s packaged. It DOES come with a longer Wii remote sleeve, and it’s own instruction manual, which is just hilarious to me. Anyway, it’s surprisingly easy to use and set up.
You just slide it into the bottom of the Wii remote and use the lock slide on the back of the MotionPlus to keep it in place. There’s a flap on the back of the new, longer remote jacket to thread the wrist strap through, so there’s no impediment there. It looks nice on the bottom of the Wii remote, and the jacket fits just as snug as the smaller one. Very nice. There’s also a flap on the bottom of the new jacket to plug the nunchuck into the bottom of the MotionPlus, which fits nice.
The MotionPlus is very responsive, and gave my father nice, clean golf strokes, and his game play pretty much mirrored his normal golf game scores, which I’ll take as a testament to the MotionPlus’ accuracy. My only regret about this review is that I didn’t get a chance to handle it myself, although my father really liked the way it handled, and he is a pretty fussy gamer, so that’s a good thing coming from him.
Now, here’s some criticism.
I don’t really have much criticism. They pretty much thought of everything to make sure it’s easy for someone to pick up and use, and it really is very accurate. I only have one or two problems with it.
When I picked up the remote with the MotionPlus attached to it, it was surprisingly heavy, believe it or not. Now, for an 18 hole golf game on the Wii, this may not be bad, but let’s take another game into account. Red Steel 2 for instance, which requires a LOT of remote swinging. I can easily imagine anyone’s arm tiring rather quickly while swinging that extra weight around.
The other thing that I noticed is that, in some situations, it may be too accurate. While trying to create a golfer for himself, my dad seemed to have quite a bit of trouble centering on buttons long enough to click on them. Anyone with a shaky hand or who likes to blow through selection screens might find this a bit troublesome with the MotionPlus.
I only have two questions which were left unanswered.
Can you keep the MotionPlus connected even when playing games that don’t support it? My father expressed quite a bit of annoyance at the idea of having to detach it and put on the other remote jacket every time he played a game that wasn’t Tiger Woods.
AND
How much battery power does the MotionPlus use up? Obviously since he only played one round of golf, I can’t speak for the longevity of the battery life in this regard, but I imagine it pretty much has to use battery power, so it has to decrease the battery life to some degree. How big of a degree is really the question.
So, I hope you all found this informative, and I hope it helped you make a decision as to whether you want to pick up a game that uses the Wii MotionPlus. It works really well and I think it’d be worth it personally, especially since it’s being bundled with many of the popular games that use the peripheral. The game was $60 though, so we had to pay an extra $10 for the MotionPlus in the end. Still, I don’t think that’s a bad price to pay for the extra accuracy it gives you in-game.
Feel free to comment on your own thoughts on this review and the Wii MotionPlus!
