Jason Huff of The Anime Review's Journal

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8:35PM - Hmm...time for my yearly update...

Now that The Anime Review is about to go on sabbatical, maybe I'll start posting again. Sadly, I have a lot of anime to watch and no time whatsoever to watch it. I'd also love to find a good cheap DVD player that also plays .avi files -- that would save a lot of time -- but I'm not sure I can justify the expense until I could actually get around to watching anything. Ah well...

1:58AM - Sleepy...

OK, now to bed...Mr. Hendrix is starting to sound fuzzier than usual...or maybe that's just him blowing out the speaker...who knows...

1:40AM - Going to keep on blogging, since I's is nots as so tired...

Watched SHADOW STAR NARUTARU Vol. 2 today. This is a seriously wacked show. Whoever put that OP on this show should have been shot. It's like advertising PCP as Children's Tylenol. That being said, this show is really growing on me. How many freaky kids can there be in one series? I don't think I've ever seen a show that put out there just how mean middle school kids can be to each other. This show probably would have taken off if it weren't for the crappy animation...and I do mean crappy. It's astoundingly bad looking.

Saw the STEAMBOY Special Edition at Wal-Mart for something near $40. The DVD by itself was $20. Thanks but no thanks...it just wasn't that great a movie. I'll pay my Netflix fees and rent the extended Director's Cut, but I think that will be the end of STEAMBOY for me. Sigh...

However, I must say that it was incredible to get what amounts to an anime reviewer care package from ADV Films. It had a real copy of THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS, for which I am very thankful (since their screener had a non-transparent logo placed in the top third of the screen for the entire show). On top of that, copies of MY BEAUTIFUL GIRL MARI, YUGO THE NEGOTIATOR Vol. 1, and AREA 88 TV Vol. 1. Have I ever said what a fan I am of the original AREA 88? If this comes anywhere near close to that, I will be in heaven. There's something to be said for lots of free anime - even if some of it reeks (yes, GANTZ, I'm looking at you, even though I'll probably wind up renting more of you to find out what the hell's going on, thank you very much you evil evil little show).

I've also been enjoying the heck out of SAMURAI CHAMPLOO. Yes, it's a little too eager to be the next coming of COWBOY BEBOP, but I really enjoy it. Episode 11, which recently aired, was excellent and focused in on developing Jin...a nice touch, since he's been underused so far.

I keep looking at the ads for PARANOIA AGENT and wishing I had more time to watch anime. Then I look at the ads for s-CRY-ed and wonder why I'm recording it - it just looks...eh. But I'll get to them both here soon enough.

I've got the second volume of ELFEN LIED sitting in the first slot in my Netflix queue. Apparently, it's popular, since I can't get ahold of a copy of it. Wish that would show up soon. Ah well.

Went to Best Buy the other day and perused the anime section just to get a look at what was out there. What struck me is that there's little room for catalog titles, even highly praised ones. They didn't even have much in the way of "fan classics" like EVA, though they did have the new GitS discs and such. I was thinking about finally picking up HAIBANE RENMEI, but it wasn't there - not a single disc. Guess that will be a Netflix rental, which is just as well on the wallet.

It's been hot here. Freakin' hot. I put my laundry out to dry on Jackson's swing set and it was done in under 25 minutes or so. Beats running a dryer and shrinking your clothes. I mowed the lawn this morning, which I'm glad I did - it needed it - but if I had started a half-hour later, I'm not sure it would have been bearable.

1:21AM - Do I ever update?

Man, it's been forever since I've blogged. And I'm wired on Diet Mountain Dew and the fact that I just spent the last five hours buying the parts for and upgrading my Tivo, a harrowing but ultimately great experience. Now we've got a ridiculously large amount of space to save recordings, which means that I no longer have to worry that my not getting around to watching s-CRY-ed or Paranoia Agent is going to fill up the sucker. And what's even better, Deep Space Nine just hit its second season on Spike TV, which means that I can record all of it without renting the discs from Netflix. (I've just taken Catha through the first season, and she likes it...at least enough to watch the whole seven seasons with me, which is great, since I never got the chance to see past fifth season. Woohoo!) At any rate, there's a lot of stuff going on with anime reviewing and seminary and life in general, so I can't promise I'll be updating lots, but at least I'll try.

10:10PM - First post in a long time because...

AREA 88 is now a TV series.

How did I miss this? I loved the manga until the weasels at Viz cancelled it. I loved the three part OVA series (that you still can't buy on DVD over here, save for the first part). This is one of those seminal shows that shaped my opinion of anime for the better many years ago. The fact that there's now an ongoing TV series from it gives me hope for the universe.

2:28PM - Ebichu

I just got done watching Ebichu. I'm laughing so hard I'm too dizzy to find the shower that I feel I really need right now...if you've seen it, you know what I mean.

4:06PM - Father's Day

For all those fathers out there, be careful out there. ^_^

3:39PM - More poetry fun...

The Dagger of Kamui Review, from THEM Anime, in poetry form:

THEM Anime is one for
this
anime Reviews 3.0 The two to Captain
lost treasure on the
Monolithic Monk who offed
his name , and
a review by the Monolithic Monk who
teaches him how to scene, before he finds out
and European colonial history?
and WHOTTAWHOTTAWHOTTAWHOTTA the kid will be best
off into the bad
guys.
Well, I care about half
its length. The
kid reading a N/A review
by hordes of somewhat graphic scenes of when credits
COMEON, SHOWUSSOMECREDITSALREADY!! There is
yet AGAIN, it
was ever going
to of
this anime
We do, mean REALLY like
Japanese and gripping...at
all.

3:38PM - The Amazing Poem Generator

Check it out at http://cmdrtaco.net/poemgen.cgi. This thing takes whatever you type in and makes a poem out of it. It's usually incomprehensible, but sometimes it's downright laughter-inducing.

Here's the poem made out of my review of COWBOY BEBOP:

Cowboy premise is incredibly good, a back story here. The
very good
series actually contained before
my first thing
in my thoughts
too bad. music. I could see what other
kind of the first
two episodes and the traditional
artwork is
COWBOY BEBOP has atmosphere aplenty. more, it
is
to your mind?
I really had no
sense of the characters sound perfect.

And here's the one for GUY: DOUBLE TARGET...

Guy is bad
taste,
and unedited
version,
and unedited version, really
really really loses
no plot, for this there is
an F rating, but it is one of it.
is an attempt to be laughable. The
only gets an attempt to a score at
your local garbage dump instead of
those still interested. In
terms of content need not scenes that conservatives and
his female cohort travel
to Do yourself a penal
planet in order to Do
the Devil, Guy
and almost , the
local Suncoast video store,
there is the climax, it is so dull.
What we have here is all around
offensive Frating, but nothing a couple
of disgustingly graphic sex, graphic sex
graphic sex, and
his female cohort travel
to create character background in order to
a turn.

12:19PM - The Anime Review updates...go team.

New updates of Marriage and extended Riding Bean today.

I have to say that I am starting to realize an inevitable problem...the longest reviewing work is ahead of me, not behind me. I'm starting to realize that the list of movies coming out grows shorter and shorter, and TV series are becoming more and more popular. Great news for those who've been waiting their lifetimes for good anime on TV to be released, but bad news for those of us who review entire series at one time.

I really don't want to change my reviewing format, but once TV shows are all that's left, I might not have a lot of choice--unless, of course, I start checking out all the bad OVAs I've left alone for centuries. Anybody up for a one-two of MD Geist and Apocalypse Zero? Anyone? Anyone?

8:37AM - Baseball Hall of Fame Fiasco

So they cancelled a ceremony to get out of having Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon say a bunch of loony left crap for all the world to hear. So what?

The liberals keep screaming that people have the right to speak their mind without reprisal in America. This, as everybody should know but very few people do, is pure horse pucky.

Now everybody has the right to free speech, as the First Amendment guarantees. But when did it give you a free pass? It's as if there is some unwritten rule now that not only should you be able to speak your mind, but that everyone must not only listen but also not react. But this is the liberal game -- you have no right to your own reaction, since if it is different from mine, it is wrong.

Dale Petroskey made a political move in what he did, but it's his right. It's his event. He didn't want a political rally. So he stopped one from happening.

I used to like Tim Robbins, but I can hardly stand to look at him now. Grr...

10:57PM - Baraka

Man, if you're ever in need of feeling the universe as big and getting past your own petty viewpoint, this is a film to see. Baraka is 90 minutes of music set to stunning visuals from all over the world juxtaposed together. One minute, you're praying with the Buddhist monks. The next, you're in a tribal ritual that sounds like the soundtrack to AKIRA. Then you're on high speed fast forward through the human traffic of Hong Kong. Then the oil fields of Kuwait on fire...the remains of Auschwitz...the Painted Desert...Mohammed's grave in Mecca...wowza. Boring to some, but fascinating to me.

Current mood: contemplative

4:40PM - All hail Right Stuf!

I was feeling pretty psyched about their previous deal, where I got amazing prices on Silent Mobius TV, the rest of Crest of the Stars which I was missing, and the Gasaraki Box Set.

But no, they want more of my money.

They just put Nadia up - the whole of the thing - for $110. And all of Votoms for $89.

Wallet, say goodbye to your friend money. Hee hee...

Current mood: chipper

11:21AM - Arnett out on his keister

Last night I wrote about how upset I was with this so-called journalist proclaiming on Iraqi TV that the US war plan had "failed".

Apparently, NBC and National Geographic agree. They fired him.

At least somebody is paying attention... ^_^

Current mood: amused

10:39PM - Journalistic integrity my @$$

Can I just say that the reporting on the war seems to be so left-wing as to be out on the rudder flaps? The troops are within 50 miles of Baghdad, the capital in the center of the country, in a week's time! These irritating reporters keep saying that things aren't going as planned. Well, yeah, if they planned to be able to roll into Baghdad within a week, it's silly. But otherwise, if Peter Arnett wants to give interviews to Iraqi TV telling them the US isn't doing as well as expected, I'd say leave the man there and let him cover National Geographic specials of the sandstorms.

As Red Foreman would say on That 70s Show, "Dumbass!"

12:55AM - Oscar, Oscar

OK, well, it didn't reek as badly as it has in some years. It's really too bad that it took a war to make Oscar even slightly better. At least no swan dresses...

The night's best moment for anime fans came in the first few moments, defeating all the nay-sayers who said the Academy of octagenarians wouldn't pick SPIRITED AWAY. I nearly...nearly...turned the Tivo off at that point.

As it turned out, that wouldn't have been a bad option.

Best non-SPIRITED AWAY moment...Adrian Brody. The guy has been unreasonably overlooked for what is a layered, nuanced performance. Granted, my pick was the wonderful Nic Cage in a dual role in ADAPTATION that nearly made me think that Cage actually had a twin brother. But in his acceptance and in his smacking on the Academy orchestra, he showed character and charisma. I'll be looking forward to seeing more of him.

Worst moment...the incredible mis-step of giving Michael Moore the Oscar for BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE. Not only has the film been proven inaccurate, it's been proven that well over half the film is actually edited in such a way that a class-action defamation lawsuit would not be out of the question. Now I loved ROGER AND ME, one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. But not only did the Academy get it wrong, they gave it to a man who's been whining over the last week how he could never win the award. On top of that, his speech proved beyond all of my doubts that he has no interest in anything but the loony left agenda. Ick.

Chicago as Best Picture...I think not. Someday, the Academy will look back and realize that they picked one of the most manufactured, cynical movies in recent history. I can name a dozen movies that should have been nominated above this one.

Ah, well, I'm just a journalist, and an anime journalist at that. What do I know?

6:46PM - Entertainment

Is it just me, or is anybody else already bored of this war?

No flames, not trying to start anything. But seriously, there doesn't seem to be a need for 24 hour war coverage. It looks like the networks might finally be on to some regular programming today, which I'm hoping will be the case for a while.

The only reason I say this is that I don't want people to get so used to seeing war coverage that they are desensitized to it. "Oh, yeah, honey, another 4,000 bombs were dropped on Baghdad today...can you throw me a Heiniken from the fridge?" How terrible that would be...

11:47PM - Since everybody else is talking about it...

I'll be brief. War is never something we want to contemplate. It is destructive. It destroys property, lives, relationships.

And yet, war is often constructive. No, the war itself perhaps isn't, but the rebuilding certainly can be. It can end some sufferings...bring food to the hungry, wealth to the impoverished, medicine to the sick, and peace to the oppressed. And right now, the people of Iraq are in this state.

For all the talk, I am convinced we are going in for the right reasons. I am convinced that Saddam's regime should fall. And I am convinced that the world will condemn us until they start reaping the benefits of a world without one more sponsor of terrorism.

That's all I have to say about that.

12:21AM - Another day, another post...

Since the Anime Reviewers' Forum is down yet again...

Let me just say how much I love Medieval: Total War...this game is completely awesome! I liked Shogun, but this is just all over it. Thoroughly trouncing the French forces as the British has been quite awesome. See if you like the UN now, you wipers of other people's bottoms...seriously, though, this game is immense fun. I'm looking for other players to do the multiplayer thing. I'm sure to get hosed, but I don't care.

Tivo rules. For those of you who don't have one, you should. It's like the perfect VCR. We've had one for maybe two years and I cannot imagine life without it.

Meanwhile, I watched "Ed" tonight. Does anybody else on the planet watch this show? I know they are moving it to Friday nights to avoid it being cancelled in the "American Idol" onslaught. (And don't get me started on that...I have made a vow never to watch that show again. First season was OK, but now it's plain awful.) Anyway, "Ed" is like the sweetest romantic show that still has both comedy and drama and pathos all worked together. It's life with a little bit more eccentricity. It's more like my life, which is why I like it. Anyway, here's hoping for another season.

Happy to see that "Alias" and "24" got renewed...two awesome shows indeed.

It's striking me that American TV is getting better. Not the majority of it, no, because 95% of it is strikingly crap. But the 5% that is good is really good and getting better, stuff that is as good if not better than the films I like to go see. Good trend. Now the shows that I think are the best in the lot (like "Alias", "24", "ER", "Ed", "Miracles") are not doing great in the ratings. The pap is still winning. That can't be good.

Watching reruns of "Friends" reminds me why I think they should have stopped with this season. I'm not sure how much more life can drain out of it and it still be watchable.

Saw DAREDEVIL last night. Decent, but not great. Plot holes you could drive a semi through and lousy direction, but the actual story and acting was decent.

I think that's probably enough for one post...

Current mood: numb

Current music: "To Ever Live Without Me" - Jody McBreyer (not my choice)