Pixiv Source

The song titled Kimi de Ite, Buji de Ite was created by Kanno this week and posted on Youtube in support of those going through the aftermath of the Sendai earthquake.  She was born in Miyagi, one of the prefectures that was hit hard by the tsunami, so this song is surely made from the deepest parts of her heart.  Jpopasia translated the lyrics into English:

Worried, the world is worried about you

Searching for your name

With you, the whole world is with you

Going to meet your life

Your heart and your body unbroken

Until we hold you and see you

Be you, be safe

Hi everyone, time for a “real life” post.  If you haven’t been following the news today, a 9.0 scale earthquake hit off the eastern coast of Japan today.  An extra wave of destruction was caused by a tsunami and quake aftershocks.  The areas most affected were the northern prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, but areas as far south as Tokyo and Yokohama also received moderate damage.

I’ve often kept aware of disaster news in recent years and do my best to donate money towards relief efforts.  But this is the first event that has personally affected me.  After being in Japan last summer and meeting many people, I’ve had to send messages all day to see who’s safe.  Most have replied back that they’re alright; some have not.  Many are stuck in places without electricity and have no idea when they’ll get home or how much of their home will be left standing.

So please, if you have any money to spare, please donate to a relief organization that is helping in Japan.  Yahoo! has compiled a list where you can donate online:

AMERICAN RED CROSS: Emergency Operation Centers are opened in the affected areas and staffed by the chapters. Donate here.

GLOBALGIVING: Established a fund to disburse donations to organizations providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Donate here.

SAVE THE CHILDREN: Mobilizing to provide immediate humanitarian relief in the shape of emergency health care and provision of non-food items and shelter. Donate here.

OXFAM USA: Oxfam is poised to respond if disaster strikes vulnerable countries in its path. Donate here.

AMERICARES: Emergency team is on full alert, mobilizing resources and dispatching an emergency response manager to the region. Donate here.

CONVOY OF HOPE: Disaster Response team established connection with in-country partners who have been impacted by the damage and are identifying the needs and areas where Convoy of Hope may be of the greatest assistance. Donate here.

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS: Putting together relief teams, as well as supplies, and are in contact with partners in Japan and other affected countries to assess needs and coordinate our activities. Donate here.

SHELTER BOX: The first team is mobilizing to head to Japan and begin the response effort. Donate here.

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P.S. – A note for now and the future:  If you live in the Pacific Ocean area, on the U.S. west coast or anywhere in risk of a tsunami, please DO NOT go down to low-lying areas to look at the tsunami effects.  Several people have already been dragged out to sea, and it’s not worth risking your life.

P.P.S. – To make this post somewhat anime-related, ANN has reported a list of anime/manga/game industry related persons who have checked in as being fine.

This past summer I took a weekend during my study abroad in Japan to go down to the Mt. Fuji area.  On the last day, I headed over to an amusement park called Fuji-Q Highland and visited the new Evangelion World exhibit.  It was probably the biggest anime geek moment of my stay in the country, and I throughly enjoyed it.  Here are some pictures that I snapped (sorry in advance for any blurriness):

An Asuka and lazy Rei cosplayer heading into the exhibit.

There were various human-sized statues throughout the hall.

The Infamous Seele Monoliths

There were various spots where you could take pictures in front of EVA scenes.

There was also an EVA cockpit that you could sit in and get photos done by a pro photographer.

A giant map that showed the different key locations from the series, such as Rei’s apartment, NERV HQ, battle scenes, etc.

One of the coolest areas was a huge table that showed the original animation designs of the characters and EVAs.

And of course the main highlight of the exhibit was the 1/1 bust of EVA Unit 01.  I thought it was cool that they had the “LCL” pool to simulate that the rest of the EVA was hidden below.  Another pleasant surprise was that the EVA’s eyes lit up and steam came out of the mouth.  They really did a great job replicating the Unit and it’d be awesome if they could do the entire body someday like the life-size Gundam down in Shizuoka.

At the end of the exhibit was a store completely devoted to EVA products, and it was like I ascended to heaven.  I got a EVA 2.0 movie poster, two mini figures of Asuka in her 2.0 test plugsuit & Rei in casual wear, an Evangelion World towel and an AT field umbrella.  There were tons of other cool products, too – ranging from jewelry to lighters to clothing.  I think that the exhibit will stick around at least till EVA 3.0 comes out (whenever THAT is… orz), and Fuji-Q’s resort hotel recently added a Rei-themed Evangelion guest room. (1st 5 mins of video at source)

The entry plug bed looks kind of clunky, but I’m sure it’s actually comfy.  Plus it’s got a screen attached to the top that lets you watch Blu-Ray dvds.  Though I loled at the bed being a queen-size mattress.  As if most of the people using that bed will be coming with a girlfriend or boyfriend.  Let’s be real.

The talking Rei artwork on the wall is a liiiiiittle creepy.  Or the thought of someone standing there getting all hot and bothered from it is creepy (you know it’s gonna happen).

There’s also a life-size Rei statue, a wake-up call recording by Rei, and a personal blacklight that you shine on the wall to see hidden art/writing.  If they expand on this concept I hope that they do a room for Mari and Asuka or make a suite.  The room’s cool, but everything seems kind of cramped and you wouldn’t be able to comfortably share it with a group of friends.  Oh but if you do go there, make sure you’ve got the cash to do so.  A night in this room costs about $450.  For that money, I think I’d rather buy a shitload of EVA merchandise and decorate my own room.  The rest of the video shows Evangelion World, and it looks like they’ve added one or two things to the exhibit since I was there.  If you happen to get to go to Tokyo, take a day trip down to Fuji-Q Highland.  You’ll get Evangelion, roller coasters and an up-close view of Mt. Fuji.  You can’t beat that!

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Eva Hotel Info Source: ANN

So do I Char-chan, so do I.

Orimura is quite possibly the dumbest character of the season.  Maybe even the year.  I could believe little moeblobs like Potemayo live in my fridge before I could honestly believe that a guy could be so unaware of romance.  He’s so fucking clueless that Houki can’t even beat some sense into him.  I think at this point it’s not a matter of who likes Orimura the most  - it’s about who has the skill to break through that firewall of stupidity that he calls logic.  Though I’d totally be for a BAD END finale where Orimura condescendingly says, “Yeah, I knew what you girls were doing all this time.  I just didn’t give a fuck” and all the girls go yandere on him.

(Oh and I’ve been watching too much Oniichan no Koto.  First thought was, “If that was Shuusuke, he wouldn’t have let that pantyshot opportunity go to waste”.)

Another weird thing about this show: the girls are always getting embarrassed about getting caught naked or in compromising situations, but then they pull shit like this.  GIRLS DON’T WORK THAT WAY, I.S. WRITERS.  Oh and let’s play “What’s Orimura’s Logic?!” for this scene.  ”Charlotte is so nice!  She’s washing my back for me with two pillowy loofahs!”

And the last (I hope) addition to the I.S. harem is Laura.  Orimura’s logic?  ”Why is Laura trying to give me CPR??”

lol Houki, you deserve better.  Just graduate from the I.S. academy and find yourself a nice, intelligent man.

Moving on to episode 9, we meet Houki’s older sister who satisfies the moemoe character quota.  Though it’s surprising they made an older character moe and not one of the main girls.  But yay, Houki’s finally getting her own I.S.!

So Laura is self-betrothed to Orimura and lovingly calls him her “wife”.  And of course this means sleeping naked with him.  Orimura’s logic?  ”Laura must have walked into the wrong room last night and she took off her clothes cause the heat is up so high!”

She’s going to swear off men and become a nun by the end of this series.  (And are we seriously not going to have a lesbian character?  Laura was bisexual at the most for Orimura’s sister, but that’s done and over with.  I just want one girl to come up to Orimura and be like, “Hey.  Stay the fuck away from my women.” and just walk off.)

YEAH! FIRST STEP TOWARDS YANDERE-DOM!  But seriously, there’s a better chance of Orimura marrying his I.S. suit than going out with her.  Move on, gurl.

This was a weird moment when I realized the animators directly replicated the Venus Fort shopping mall in Odaiba, Tokyo.  Where exactly is the I.S. school that they can easily get to Tokyo and back in a day?  I assume the Seaside School is down near Kyushu/Okinawa.  Also, Charlotte’s new nickname is “Char” and I hope we get a cosplay episode where she’s dressed up in the Gundam outfit.  It’s just too much to pass up.  Though I think that calling her “Charizard” would have been much cooler.

Another WAAAH I’M SO EMBARRASSED BUT THERE’S TOTALLY NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO GET NAKED moment.  Surprisingly this was one of the rare occurences when Orimura was actually aware of the sexual implications of the situation, but of course he decides reciting Pi is much better to focus on.  Congrats Charizard, you’re hot enough that he has to consciously avoid being attracted to you!  You’re in the lead!

The rest of the episode was standard beach episode fanservice:

NICE CHOICE.

SIDE BOOB.

VICIOUS ASS CRACK RUBDOWN.

COINCIDENTAL HAIR CURL BOOB COVERAGE.

WEIRD PIKACHU GIRL.

ULTRA DERE DERE LAURA.

AWKWARD INCESTUAL ATTRACTION.  No really, that was weird.  So weird that even Charizard was like, “Orimura…  Of all the girls in swimsuits, it’s your fucking sister that makes you blush…?”.  Maybe we’ve all been secretly watching the equivalent of Boku wa Imouto without knowing it.  We’re just a imouto porn stash away from finding out.

THE VOICE ACTING QUEEN OF JAPAN HAS A YOUTUBE CHAAANNEL!  Right now it’s pretty sparse, but more videos should be uploaded as time goes by.  It’d be cool if she puts up her older vids as well.  Oh, and if you’re wondering why she’s the queen:

Since her debut in 1996, she’s had over 40 character roles including Lal’C (Diebuster), Mari (Eva 2.0), Haruhi (Ouran), and Crona (Soul Eater).

She’s done theme songs for Macross Frontier, Rahxephon, Wolf’s Rain and more.

She’s done VA work for numerous video games including .hack, Black Rock Shooter, and Final Fantasy XIII (Lightning).

She has a monthly column in Newtype and her newest album “You Can’t Catch Me” reached #1 on the Japanese Oricon charts, making her the 2nd voice actor to ever top the Japanese charts (Nana Mizuki being the first in 2009).

Basically…BOW DOWN TO THE GODDESS.

It’s finally arrived: Tokyopop’s pseudo-documentary/ANTM hybrid show.  As expected, there are some aspects to AGO that are facepalm worthy.  The word “otaku” is used many, many times.  Almost in a dry-heave inducing amount.  And there are plenty of quotes and moments that just made me shake my head.  However, there are also scenes that are either informative or impressive.  Cringing certainly outweighed any other reaction in most of this episode, but Tokyopop at least didn’t make this a complete disaster.  Well let’s dive right in, shall we?

So the host of our journey through Otakuland is Stu Levy, founder and CEO of Tokyopop.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a CEO fronting a reality show.  There are multiple possible motivations for this: 1) Stu really appreciates Tokyopop fans and wants to show it up close and personal  -  2) Stu had too much time on his hands this past summer and wanted to get out of the office  -  3) Being the host allows Stu to be a ~star~ and avoid paying someone else to do it.  Etc, etc.

In the introduction, Stu gets real and lays out the definition of otaku for all to hear.  But then he backtracks and says that AGO will be about meeting “the opposite type” of otaku.  What?  That completely negates the point of the definition.  They can’t even say they’re reclaiming a word for themselves.  You can’t reclaim a word that was never your culture’s word to begin with.  Oh and Stu says that, “If you know the term [otaku], you probably are one, whether you admit it or not”.  Uh, no.  If I was every word that I knew, I could be a Tree Surgeon Cardigan King (as an example).  There’s also a moment when Japanese fashion is being described and Stu says, “…modern trends like cosplay, goth-loli fashion and kawaii”.  かわいい is an adjective, not a noun.  You may be trying to change otaku’s definition for Westerners, but I’m not letting this one slide, buddy.

Stu… come on, buddy.  You are a CEO in your 40′s.  Being a geek doesn’t mean that you have to look like shit.  Casual doesn’t have to equal crappy.  That hairstyle should have been retired 10 to 15 years ago.  You can relate to the youth without looking like you’ve been locked in a 90′s time capsule.

So Tokyopop held online auditions for a team of young anime fans that would help Stu travel across the country aboard a Tokyopop-themed bus in search of the greatest otaku.  The chosen otaku must have six core otaku qualities.  Six people were chosen and were creatively called… the “Otaku Six”.  I’m sensing a theme.

Andre’s like the Stevie Wonder of anime: He rarely, if ever, has his goggles off during filming.  I don’t know whether he’s trying to be like a shounen character or if that’s just his schtick.

Dominique auditioned because she wanted to show her friends and family back home that anime/manga isn’t weird.  Yeah…I don’t think this was the best method to eaaaase them into the culture.  I was really hoping that one of these guys would say the proverbial “I’M NOT HERE TO MAKE FRIENDS” reality TV line, but no such luck.

Stephan’s blunt reason for joining the show is because otaku are generally people who aren’t physically attractive, so he wants to help prove that theory wrong.

You got your work cut out for you, kid.

This episode focuses on several otaku at Anime Expo in Los Angeles and San Fransisco.  Our first contestant is Ryan, a figure collector who has 10 to 20,000 items in his home.

I’m really hoping that the stuffed toys on his bed are just placed there because of the film crew’s presence.  You are beyond too old to be sleeping with a Card Captor Sakura plushie.

In a nice revelation, it’s noted that Ryan works as a toy designer and has done toys for Bratz, Naruto (for Mattel), and his own Mikuru figure.  Can’t say that’s flattering for Mikuru, but I guess not everything’s got to be a figure with upskirt poses.

He’s also created his own manga and online comic called Con-Goers.  Never read it, but I’m sure it’s got somewhat a following, so kudos.

Next, Stu and the gang head over to Royal-T Maid Cafe in Culver City.  I really wanted to go when I was at AX a couple of years ago, but LA public transportation is a damn nightmare compared to East Coast standards.  The owner, Sue Hancock, says she’s looking for franchisees for the brand, so someone on the East Coast needs to pick up on this ASAP!  Unfortuately, my dream of creating a anime store/maid cafe small business is nothing but wishful planning for now.

Next up, we meet a cosplayer named Christine.  She likes cosplay because it’s a chance for her to let her inner sexiness come out.  She once wore her costume to a supermarket and all the boys wanted her milkshake to take pictures with her.  That’s all fine and good, but you need to invest in better wigs.  Someone should have given you a mirror before you went on camera with that ratty mess.

She’s really good at creating her own costumes, and I like the detail she did for the pants of her Simca (Air Gear) character.

Christine goes on to explain how she makes USB earrings, so that in between classes she can watch her favorite anime shows. This could be cool if there was more design to the apparatus, but it just looks like you have USBs hanging from your ears.  Oh, and I love how she admitted in a not-so-subtle manner that she illegally downloads/copies anime, and Tokyopop is praising her method.  You dun goofed, Stu.

The show also interviews Erina Mano (who pimps her Twitter)…

…and shows Yoshiki/X Japan’s concert at Anime Expo.  I like that he put a huge label of his name on his piano.

Then the group heads to Hotel Tomo, which is a Best Western that’s Japanese themed.  Guests there can watch anime in the lobby, and get the Mecha Suite that has video game systems set up for your enjoyment.  If they really want to make the place awesome, they should make a bedroom with tatami mats and futons.

The third otaku contender of the episode is Gina, the female collector counterpart of Ryan.  She got into anime back when Sailor Moon aired and spends about $1000 a month on anime/manga related items.  She says that her collecting isn’t an addiction but IMO after a certain point, collecting is addiction in an organized manner.

One thing I’ve noticed is that collectors really know how to get nice furniture.  For display purposes, of course.

This Nia (Gurren Lagann) doll cost 700 dollars.  And here I thought the Kara no Kyoukai $400+ Blu-Ray collection was priced egregiously.

Gina’s also a autograph aficionado of sorts.  She’s collected signatures from Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi, and even got a signed copy by CLAMP of the Card Captor Sakura script.  I certainly wouldn’t mind that last item.

The next stop is the Cartoon Art Museum, which holds over 6000 art pieces and exhibits.  Most of the art seemed to be Western-based, but they talked about one instance where a Japanese-made version of the Batman comics by Jiro Kuwata was on display at the museum.

The last contestant of the episode is a cosplayer named Elizabeth.  Her love of cosplay has been “lifelong” as her mother made her a Sailor Moon costume when she was 5.  Sailor Moon seems to be the main theme with all of these people, right?  Anyhow, she’s really into creating her own costumes and has made 20 in the past 3 years, which is pretty impressive for the craftsmanship that she’s done. (And yes, this screenshot is derpy but Hulu’s video player is a bitch for my computer and I just wanted to finish.)

What really got my attention is how on point her wigs are.  Christine needs to get some tips from Elizabeth.  She said that got her Cure Pine (Pretty Cure) wig that color by using a mixture of ink, alcohol and water to get the exact color of the character’s hair.  Elizabeth is also involved with a community group in Japantown, LA that sings Japanese songs.  Her Japanese pronounciation is pretty good, and it makes me wonder whether she just memorizes the lyrics or knows the language.

Lastly, Elizabeth presents some of her “manga” artwork and states that she just needs a good writer to match up with her drawings.  Yeahhhh…you might want to brush up on your skills a bit more before you look for a writer.  Just sayin’.

The final segment involved an interview with Daniel James, CEO of Three Rings and creator of the Puzzle Pirates MMO game.  I have no idea why they included this, because it has nothing to do with anime, manga or Japan from what I could see.  Well the Three Rings office is cool looking.  And he’s wearing a three piece suit.  I guess there’s that.

So yeah, a lot of awkward moments in this series already but I enjoy the spotlight on tourist spots, such as Royal-T and Hotel Tomo.  Out of the four contestants so far, I think I’d like to see Ryan or Elizabeth win.  Vote below for your favorite:

View This Poll

Nope, this isn’t the live action cast of the students in Negima.  AKB48 is a super-sized pop girl group in Japan that started in a theater in Tokyo’s Akihabara section.  There’s three teams within the group (A,K,B) with 16 girls per team, and “research” girls who have the opportunity to make their way up the ranks to the main teams.  Plus, there are multiple sub-groups that have spawned, including Not Yet, French Kiss and Itano Tomomi’s solo single.  There are also other “48″ girl groups in Nagoya (SKE48) and Osaka (NMB48).  What does this all mean?  Well for one, somebody’s making a shitload of money off these girls, but also that AKB48 has finally hit the mainstream music industry in Japan in a big way.

Still, the group stays true to its roots and continues to hold up-close concerts for fans in their Akihabara theater.  Somebody also realized the marketing potential of Akihabara gamers/anime fans and produced a manga that promotes the AKB48 girls through a story about looking for the 49th member.  Which, of course, will never happen in real life.  As if they’d go through the hassle of changing all their logos, trademarks and shit.

lol @ This page.  Well I guess if you’re going to be delusional fictional, you might as well go all the way.

If you would have asked me what tropes this manga would use, gender bender/trapdom wouldn’t have been on my list.  The story centers around Urakawa and his wish to help the girl he likes (Yoshinaga) make it through the AKB48 auditions.  So he immediately decides to crossdress and sneak in to help her.  This logic, I can’t even…  But seriously, I think I’d be a lot more interested in AKB48 if they had a reverse trap.  I guess I’ll make do with watching Arashi’s dance off with Perfume every so often.

Uhhhh, is Itano Tomomi supposed to be blond in this manga?  Cause she’s always had brown hair every time I’ve seen her.  This seems like a VERY loose adaptation of her personality.  Gurl, I’ve seen your “Dear J” performances and nervous, wooden dancing ≠ confident and sexy.  And yes there is a lot of fanservice in this manga.  I would expect nothing less from a group that did an entire music video of playing around in lingerie.

Dun dun dun, of course the A Team queen is the main member of the series.  Not going to lie, Maeda Atsuko is my favorite.  I think it’s the hairstyle.  I love how the manga plays her out to be this outcast, whose fandom is dwindling.  Of course this is only going to push her popularity further.  Anyhow, I’m certainly not the biggest AKB48 fan out there, but I do know that these girls work pretty hard and have earned their recognition.  The manga will also do well with both fans and those unfamiliar with the group since it has a solid comedic love story to back it up.

The videos below are my favorite songs from AKB48 – check them out if you want a preview of their music.

lol This scene should have come with one of the disclaimers they used in earlier episodes.  For those who are unaware, sucking venom out of a wound is NOT proper procedure.  If you have a cut inside or around your mouth, guess what, you just got poisoned too!  Secondly, there’s no way that you’re going to be able to catch all the poison before it starts seeping into the bloodstream.  Rather than wasting time, she should have just called the ambulance from the get-go.  I’m guessing that we’re supposed to assume that the medic’s shot + Keito magically (or maiden magically) sucking out enough venom saved Takuto.  Or the venom stopped its course in Zero Time.  Cause really he should have been dealing with some necrosis right thurrr.

Also, Camel Star (lololol the fuck kind of tough name is that) is stupid for choosing a snake to finish Takuto off.  There has to be a bigger animal on the island that could maul him.  Hell, even a dog would have done more damage.

I’m surprised the writers passed up a brilliant opportunity for Wako to see Keito down in Takuto’s crotch and mistake it for a “happy ending”.  I guess the Kiraboshi outfits and Keito molesting Sugata in his sleep are as close to scandalous as they prefer to be.  Or they used up their trope quota for the episode.

Here’s a blast from the past series, courtesy of mangaka Shinohara Chie.  Ryouko’s Spirtual Case Files (not to be confused with the other Ryoko’s Case Files) began in 1987 and ran for four volumes. The story focuses on Ryouko and her fateful meeting with a man’s soul that takes over the body of her deceased cat, Pou.  The man has no idea who he is or what happened to his body, but knows for sure that it’s being kept somewhere in a comatose state.  At first Ryouko wants nothing to do with this new Pou, but agrees to help him after he protects her from malicious spirits that are drawn to her spiritual powers.

What I liked most about this short series was the unlikely mix of shoujo and horror art techniques.  It’s rare that you get flowery bishouen scenes on one page, then nightmare-inducing imagery on the next one.  Shinohara’s also not afraid to kill off characters like they’re in a Higurashi or Umineko game.  Arguably, the horror elements lessen with each volume, as Ryouko and Pou’s search for Pou’s real body intensifies.  I was a little disappointed by that, and the series could have been much longer with tons of different kinds of demons or spirits.  Then again, after only four volumes, Pou and Ryouko’s method of exorcising spirits was getting as played out as a Star Driver battle scene.

The shoujo element of this series is ever-so-present through the growing affection between Pou and Ryouko.  They often defeat ghosts with an attack of blinding light, a la ZA POWA OF LOVE.  Their relationship gets a tad bit awkward to see, because…..well Pou’s currently a cat.  He also has the power to possess other human beings, so we also get uncomfortable pseudo-incestual vibes when he possesses Ryouko’s older brother.  Don’t worry, he gets strong enough to interact with Ryouko in just spirit form by the time they get super lovey dovey.

I enjoyed this manga, and while it has its flaws, I’d give it a solid 7/10.  Now I’m inclined to check out some of Shinohara Chie’s other works.  I don’t believe this series was purchased for U.S. release, but online translations are available up to Chapter 10 so far and RAWs are floating around as well.

But be sure to lock your windows while you’re reading….fufufufufu.

Pixiv Source

I watched this movie with high expectations.  Summer Wars was created by the same director who did The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 2006 anime movie, and I was hoping to be as captivated with this movie as the latter.  Although SW doesn’t reach the intense emotional level that TGWLTT did, this is a solid film with good balances of comedy, action and drama.

Summer Wars is a great example of a plot that mixes fantasy with reality.  On one side, viewers get to see Kenji, Natsuki and the Jinnouchi family living their lives in Japan.  Product placement is present throughout the film by appearances of Dr. Pepper, Nintendo DS, and Apple’s iPhone (the most noticeable).  But its done in a manner that makes you think, “Oh, these people are supposed to live in the same world as me” rather than BUY THIS PRODUCT.  The only reason I wish that there was less product placement is because all those products are available right now, whereas the World of OZ (think of an evolved better form of Second Life) is not.  The only logical explanation is that Summer Wars is happening in some parallel dimension of Earth where OZ has already been developed.  Or Mamoru Hosoda doesn’t give a fuck about continuity and I’m overanalyzing this (probably this).

The story takes place mostly at the Jinnouchi household in Ueda, Nagano, which introduces us to a very large character list.  Everyone is gathering for Natsuki’s grandmother’s birthday and Natsuki invites Kenji (a fellow classmate) under the premise that he is her fiancee.  Granny Jinnouchi probably has more fire in her than most male anime lead characters. She proves to be the backbone of not just her family, but Japan’s infrastructure as well.  When an artificial intelligence program called Love Machine takes over OZ and completely screws up the country’s traffic, sewer and emergency systems, Granny steps in to call all the higher-ups of Japanese society to get their heads together and fix the problems.  Her death was very sad to witness, but at the same time, it was necessary for the rest of the Jinnouchi family to realize their own strengths.

Kenji is probably the coolest mathlete ever.  He’s so good with algorithms that he can translate code in his head, but he’s still grounded enough to rally the Jinnouchis when things get tough.  Natsuki annoyed me for a lot of the movie with her selfish behavior, but really came through during the Hanafuda game.  Things got so intense that I thought we fell into the middle of a Yu-Gi-Oh battle.  Kazuma (and his avatar King Kazma) were pretty cool, but I’m a little confused how he can be so tan when he obviously has to spend most of his time indoors defending his OZ martial arts champion title.  I thought he was naturally dark-skinned until I saw his parents.  No way he could get that tan from sporadic Kung Fu practice sessions with his Grandpa.

Wabisuke’s background (or at least Hosoda’s explanation of Wabisuke) was such a hot mess.  He’s the illegitimate son of Natsuki’s great-grandfather and was adopted into the Jinnouchi family by Granny.  He wanted to revive the Jinnouchi family’s wealth so he developed Love Machine and sold it off to the U.S. government.  And somewhere along the way he turned into a gigantic asshole?  They never really explained why he has such a piss-ass attitude.  I guess this is just what happens when you don’t talk about your plans before implementing them.  Oh and I did a double-take when I heard that he created Love Machine in Pittsburgh.  Nothing wrong with Carnegie Mellon, but I never imagined that I’d hear about Pittsburgh in an anime film.  That’s right folks, the potential end of the world will begin in Pennsylvania!

Of course, you can’t have something called OZ without trying to draw up the cross-references with the original Wizard of Oz background story.  If I had to loosely line up characters, it’d probably be like this.  Love Machine is the Wicked Witch that’s terrorizing OZ with its stolen users (winged monkeys).  Grandma Jinnouchi is like Glinda as she motivates the others to take down the oppressive force taking over OZ.  Kenji is Dorothy (lol) in that he’s arguably the central character. While he doesn’t kill Love Machine directly like Dorothy does to the Wicked Witch, he does deal the final blow on Love Machine’s plan by diverting the probe from hitting the Jinnouchi house.  The Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man would be Kazuma, Natsuki and Wabisuke.  Takashi, Kenji’s friend back in Tokyo, would be Toto since they both fit into the faithful companion type (lol).  The rest of the family can be Munchkins and Emerald City Citizens.  /end BS ramble

In the end, the fallen probe misses the Jinnouchi house by a couple hundred yards and the impact unearths a new hot spring.  I’m guessing that the Jinnouchis will take that over and can now restart the family wealth by building a resort.  Wabisuke admitted his involvement with Love Machine to the authorities, hundreds of people come to Granny’s funeral to pay their respects and Kenji & Natsuki become a couple.  Hopefully the family isn’t completely abandoning Wabisuke again since he wasn’t the actual one who unleashed Love Machine on the world.  I wonder how Americans will take the anti-U.S. government sentiment in the film.  Then again, I don’t think too many Tea Partiers watch anime, so it should be fine.

Oh and props to Funimation.  I watched this on TV via Comcast On Demand because I wasn’t sure at the time if I wanted to shell out for the DVD.  It’s a nice substitute if we can’t get it on iTunes or see it in theaters.  I’m also happy with the way dubbing companies treat source material now.  Back in the 90′s, the Hanafuda card battle would have turned into Go Fish or something.