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Sunday, June 24, 2007

Hironobu Kageyama, JAM Project, and YouTube



24 JUNE 2007 -- If your a fan of Hironobu Kageyama and/or JAM Project, you are not alone!  I searched YouTube for live concert footage of Hironobu Kageyama, and I found 1,960 related videos on YouTube.

Don't ask me why I search for Hironobu Kageyama on YouTube, but the results utterly floored me.


Maybe, it was a sugary Pocky flashback from fifteen years ago.  I think Toei Animation and Akira Toriyama was secretly planting hidden messages in my soft malleable brain.  At this very moment, it is seeping into the rest of my brain just like Keanu Reeves in Johnny Mnemonic.  It is infecting my brain and crushing my soul.  Now, a little part of me is dead inside.


Here are some of my favorites Kageyama theme songs (Also, some of my all-time favorite shows)!


That is just the tip of the iceberg.  Do your own search and find Kageyama singing your favorite anime theme song.  However,

I couldn't find Kageyama singing (LIVE!) the Shinesman theme song ("You are the Hero").  If you find a clip of him singing it, please e-mail me a link.

For more information on Hironobu Kageyama:



--
James Leung Man-Fai
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Saturday, June 9, 2007

OTAKU USA, First Issue in Stores! and Paprika (Anime Review)

09 JUNE 2007 -- I'm back from my funky adventures below the Mason-Dixon Line.  I've returned to a humid and sticky New York City.

OTAKU USA! The first issue arrives on store shelves!


OTAKU USA is the first real American J-Trash magazine with some red meat.   The articles are interesting and well written.  The reviews and features are comprehensive and engaging.  It contains: anime reviews, manga previews, Gundam Model kit previews, j-pop news, movie news, Tokusatsu info, interviews, and Kaiju movie updates.  It is edited by Patrick Macias.

I've read this magazine cover-to-cover.  It's been a long time since I've done that...  Get youself a copy immediately.

OTAKU USA Magazine is available at these stores: Barnes and Nobles, Borders, Books A Million, Hastings, Walden, Loblaws, Target, and other magazine retailers.



ANIME: Papurika

I finally viewed Satoshi Kon's (Paranoia Agent and Tokyo Godfathers) latest movie, Paprika (a.k.a. Papurika) on the big screen, and it was quiet trippy.  It was very reminiscent of his work on the last few episodes of Paranoia Agent.  The most memorable scenes consist of dreamy sequences that rapidly turn into a dark imploding world.



The general plot involves a medical corporation that develops a dream machine that allows therapists to delve into the patients' subconscious.  This new ability leads to problems when a fiendish criminal tries to steals dreams from patients and manipulates their minds with the machine.  Paprika, a mysterious dream heroine, must stop the criminal from completely overtaking the dreams of everyone involved in the project.

The film does include many element of Wachowskis' The Matrix, and there are other references such as Journey to the West, Tokyo Godfathers, Roman Holiday, and Tarzan the Ape Man.

Paprika is a gorgeous and visually enticing movie.  It has a bright palette of colors and characters that will keep audiences interested in every cell of animation.  It was almost hypnotic.  Masashi Ando's (Paranoia Agent) character designs are very intricate, and the animation is surprisingly fluid.

I am a huge fan of Satoshi-san work.  As with Paranoia Agent and Millennium Actress, he creates the same sense of intensity in this film.  His movies have a distinctive pacing and rewarding climaxes.  Satoshi-san did not disappoint his fans with this amazing film.  A must see anime!

You can watch Papurika trailer on YouTube.



--
James Leung Man-Fai
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