In Memoram: Brussels

It seems the world can't escape tragedy, fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Earlier today, Brussels was the target of a terrorist attack. An explosion at the departure hall of the Brussels Airport, along with another explosion at the Maelbeek subway station an our later, has left 31 people dead, and over 100 with injuries. One of these explosions is known to be the work of a suicide bomber, but at this point it is undetermined whether or not these were the work of ISIS. It is also undetermined whether or not this attack was related to the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, the sole survivor of the Paris attacks from late last year.

On the one hand, this truly is tragic. No-one should ever have to be the victims of such a cowardly assault. On the other hand, fewer people have died in this sneak attack, so the lesser amount of lives lost is a bittersweet blessing in disguise.

At this moment in time, Brussels is on lockdown. The metro is closed down & flights to & from the city are canceled. The European Union complex, which wasn't far from the 2nd explosion, has had it's security increased. Only workers & employees with a badge can get in or out. The prime minister of Belgium has told civilians to “avoid all movement”, as authorities are getting ready for any potential violence.

If you could spare a minute or two, send a prayer to the people of Brussels. Send one for those that departed, one for those that are wounded, and one for those that are still alive. If any of you have family in the city, be sure to give them a call and see if they're okay.

Also, here's some news articles from the internet about what's going on. If you have time, read these, as I may have missed a thing or two when typing this up.

BBC: Brussels Attack

The Guardian: Brussels Attack

NY Times: Brussels Attack

I'll post updates here when they come out over the day. Suffice it to say, I'm not looking forward necessarily to doing so, but I feel it's right. In the meantime, to soothe our hearts & minds, here's a pug in a leprechaun costume.

Doug the Pug: Leprechaun

My Top 10 Anime: New-School Edition

Hi fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

A little over a year ago, I put up a list for my top 10 old-school anime. Those are the older series that I hold close to me heart, and practically nothing has changed since then. That’s the appeal of old anime: the moment you watch even a single episode of a shows from the 90s & before, it will stick with you until the day you die! Today isn’t about old-school anime. This list is devoted to new anime. The anime of now (2000 & onward) so to speak. A period that is far more random & chaotic, with styles & tastes going all over the place. So lets not waste anymore time, and show you all my top 10 favorite new-school anime. Enjoy!

10) Bible Black Franchise (Clip)

If La Blue Girl was a infamous 90s hentai franchise, then the Bible Black franchise dominated the 2000s.

On one hand, it’s got some things that I like. The women look great, the animation is fine (Although I think a couple more years down the road, this might get dethroned by something better. Probably has already, but I haven’t noticed), the sex is intense, the characters can be interesting, and overall has a good story behind it. However, I didn’t like it as much as La Blue Girl, and I don’t think I will ever like it as equally as the previously mention series.

For starters, Bible Black has some of the most horrendously iconic voice acting. If you ever heard even a pinch of it, you’ll know that it is some of the most laughable dubbing for a hentai that’s ever been recorded (Although La Blue Girl is a pretty close second place). Secondly, some of the sexual content is a bit on the graphic side. If you’re not a fan of futanari, you’ll be annoyed by how much of it you’ll see. At some point a girl is inflated with water, and the main villainess (At the time, anyway) proceeds to make out of her while her victim is holding the water in (Don’t worry: you don’t see shit when the water comes out...for the most part). There’s even a point where there’s a virgin sacrifice, and there’s a lot of blood as a result of said sacrifice (If you’re squeamish about that kind of stuff.....walk away!!!).

With that being said, I can’t deny the allure of Bible Black. It doesn’t pull any punches with it’s story, sex, or it’s rather bleak nature. If you want a more serious hentai series to get your jollies off, then you can’t go wrong with Bible Black.

9) Rosario + Vampire (Clip)

In hindsight, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to put this show on here. After reading the manga, I found the show to be incredibly disappointing. Whereas the manga is surprisingly smart & has depth and emotion, the anime is basically a devolution edition, focusing mainly on the love-comedy and fan service, & throwing out a lot of what made the manga great. With that said, there is one reason alone why this is show is on this list.

It was 2007. During the fall semester of my time at college, I was still having trouble making friends, but I managed to get a couple at this point. One day, I was eating lunch in the downstairs hangout area, I noticed a girl sitting in a chair, watching a particularly fan-service anime scene. When me and my buddy Will came up to her and asked her what she was watching, she simply/shyly said “Rosario + Vampire?” I’ve been friends with her ever since. 

8) Love Hina (Clip)

The sheer amount of blind, seething, juvenile hatred towards this show is absolutely staggering. My stance on Love Hina is this: it’s flawed. Not massively flawed, but flawed enough that it’s noticeable.

Now, I’ve watched the anime, and I’ve read the manga. The anime is good. It’s really good in fact! I can’t deny, however, that it’s got problems. For one, it doesn’t exactly follow the manga (I don’t have as much beef with this as others might), and the characters aren’t quite as likable as they were in the comic (A complaint I can agree with slightly). Secondly, the voice acting isn’t exactly perfect. Most of the characters sound alright, but there are at least 2 of them (*cough* Kitsune & Su *Cough*) that have garnered some hate because of how they sound. There are also a host of other things that people have nitpicked about this show, real or imagined, but I’m not gonna put them all here.

There are things I do like about this show. The animation still manages to hold up, the characters are likable, the voice acting has withstood time (Apart from the obvious), and it’s honestly just a simple & fun show. Nuff said.

7) Strike Witches (Clip)

If I ever do a “Top 5 Anime I’m Ashamed of Owning” post, this is sure as hell getting on there. For starters, all of the girls aren’t wearing pants. Secondly, most of the girls are a little underage (The youngest is 12, while the oldest two are 20). Third & finally, the fanservice sometimes can be a tiny bit creepy. There’s been some moments in both seasons where something dirty happens, and I’ve honestly squirmed in my seat a little. If there was any one positive thing I could say about this, it would be that it’s imaginary girls getting sexually glorified instead of real girls. Yeah that maybe sounds just as sick as the fanservice I just mentioned, but it’s the lesser of two evils.

Despite this, Strike Witches is an interesting show. The alternate WW2 setting is something that got my interest immediately. Secondly, the mix of real-world technology with magic is an intriguing concept, and lends itself to the story quite heavily. The animation is great, with each of the girls looking different from one another, in terms of both physical appearance & thought (Other shows in the past have had problems in this regard). The voice acting, while a little irritating at times, is good enough that your ears won’t be bleeding. If you don’t mind some questionable moments, then you’ll have a friend in Strike Witches. Still winning the war against pants!

6) Ground Defense Force! Mao-Chan (Clip)

If you hated Love Hina, you will absolutely loathe this series!

Let me just say this: Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan is cute. Undeniably, sickening sweet cute. This show has the kind of cute that would give you diabetes in an instant, and you’ll have to take insulin every single day to fight off said diabetes. Hell, even the “villains” of the show are basically giant cute animals & goofy looking aliens! With that said, I like the cuteness. The way I look at it, you need cute shows to balance out the serious shows, and this definitely belongs in the cute category.

The animation quality is once again typical Ken Akamatsu. It’s bright, colorful, and the characters look nice. The story is sweet & simple but a little emotional, and the voice acting fits the show. Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan is a good example of a fun, fluff series, and one you should watch at least one.

5) Tenchi Muyo GXP (Clip) & Tenchi Muyo Ryo-Ohki (Clip)

The sheer irony of this spot on the list is that I watched the both of these series before I ever laid eyes on the original OVA series. True, I did know a tiny bit about the OVA before I watched these two shows, but for the most part I knew nothing else about it. In the case of Tenchi Muyo Ryo-Ohki, it’s right after the events of the OVA, and there’s enough references to the original show that I wasn’t confused. As for GXP, it’s within it’s own world that I didn’t have to know anything about the OVA, but little bits & pieces show up from time to time to let you know that it’s the Tenchi world. Truth be told I find that it shows off the Tenchi world much more effectively than War on Geminar, but that’s for another day.

Both of these series are honestly good. If you want to see what the original gang is up to after the OVA, then Ryo-Ohki is your deal. If you want something that’s familiar yet different, then try out GXP. You won’t be disappointed either way.

4) Cat Planet Cuties (Clip)

This is by far one of the most recent shows on this list. Airing in Japan back in 2010, and coming to the United States in 2012, Cat Planet Cuties is one of the more interesting shows I’ve seen. Sure, there’s cute & sexy girls (Catgirls & otherwise), and a plethora of fanservice to boot. With that, this actually has things other than just fanservice & women.

There’s actually a bunch of stuff going on. You’ve got government & alien conspiracies, a story that actually has some depth despite the naughty moments, characters that have backgrounds (Not all of them, but enough to make the world interesting), and a fun & action-packed experience. Mixed with some nice voice acting & good animation quality, and you have a fun & quirky series. Bottom line: buy Cat Planet Cuties, watch it, and give it some loving pets!

3) Inuyasha (Clip)

Inuyasha & Love Hina should go on a date together. They should go on a date, and for the entire time, talk to each other about how often they get made fun of. Seriously, these two shows are some of the most targeted anime I’ve ever watched!

I can understand why Love Hina gets picked on, and I can also see why Inuyasha is made fun of. It went on for too long (Though it was finally completed with The Final Act), it wasn’t perfectly loyal to the manga, a fair amount of what was in the show was made exclusively for the TV series, and the characters could grate on people’s nerves. I can understand & agree with these complaints, but at the same time I’m a little more forgiving, and perhaps I’m a little impartial in this regard.

Back in 2005/2006, I was getting into anime more seriously than I did when I was in high school. I finally had the freedom to explore things that interested me, and Japanese cartoons were definitely high on the list. When I was with my girlfriend of the time, we went to the mall that was near where I live, and we were wandering around in the Best Buy that was there. I went to the “Anime” section of the store (BTW, the section now is laughable depending on which Best Buy in question you happen to be at), and spotted the second Inuyasha film. While the movie was a gateway, the series was the vehicle in which I traveled down the anime road I’ve been on.

I like the animation. I like the voice acting. I like the characters (Despite some of them that can grate on my nerves), and I even like the story, in all of it’s flawed glory. If you want something that’s just some nice action-packed fluff, you’ll like Inuyasha.

2) Comic Party Revolution (Clip)

When I was talking about Kekko Kamen in my top 10 old-school anime list, I talked about watching the trailer for the show. Well, there were a couple other trailers I saw, and the one for Comic Party Revolution was the second most memorable trailer. It’s goofy, laid-back nature caught my eye practically immediately. Adding to the irony of seeing the trailer for this

There’s been plenty of anime that explored Otaku culture. Some of them did a good job, but others were either too over the top, or didn’t have enough effort put into them. Comic Party Revolution strikes a perfect balance.

It has simplistic but nice animation, and the voice acting is equally simple & good, but it’s greatest strength is how it looks at Otaku culture. It treats the characters with a surprising amount of respect, it knows how to show the serious & silly sides of being a Otaku, and in the end it never takes itself seriously. There are plenty of Otaku culture focused shows, but if there was a definite series you had to watch, make it this one.

Before we get to my number 1 new-school anime, I wanted to give you some of my Honorable Mentions in this category. Shows that, while very enjoyable, just didn’t make the cut. Maybe it’s because of the story, or it’s voice acting, or whatever other reason comes to mind. With that said, here they are:

HM1) Bleach (Clip)
- I often find myself switching Bleach with Inuyasha, and Inuyasha with Bleach, on a constant basis. I’ve found that the two shows share a lot of issues with one another: fluff composes a fair part of both shows, stories can drag on from time to time, and characters can sometimes be grating at times. At the same time, Bleach & Inuyasha also have good points too: when the action kicks in it’s great, there are good stories once in a while, and characters can have their good moments. Both of this shows are very commercial, but if you can get past their faults, then you’ll find some easy shows to watch.

HM2) Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls (Clip)
- I took a look at this series a few months back with my review of the show, and just a couple weeks ago with my 1st “Anime or Manga: Which is Better” article. I still mean it when I say that Monster Musume the anime was treat to watch. Maybe a little more flash in the pan than the manga, but it’s still very entertaining. A simple & lighthearted story, humorous & fan-servicey, and filled with nice characters you won’t forget. If you want your harem anime a little different than most, Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls is for you!

HM3) HaNaYaMaTa (Clip)
- Iiiiii didn’t want to put this show in the honorable mentions sections. I really didn’t. If you recall back to the early days of this blog, I flat-out gushed about this series. In fact, I gave it a 9.5 out of 10! Practically everything in the show works. Story was great, characters were cute yet flavorful, and the overall mood was a nice mix between silly & emotional. The only reason HaNaYaMaTa got put here is because of a lack of dubbing. A silly reason, perhaps even childish, but it’s the one thing that holds this series back from getting onto the main list.

1) XXXHolic (Clip) & Chobits (Clip)

If there’s any flaw that can be had with XXXHolic, it’s that I don’t find it to be a very accessible show. It’s very serious, and often dark & morbid nature, can really be a turnoff for some people. With that said, I really like what I saw. I found the animation style to be very artsy, and I normally don’t like artsy things. The voice acting really fits in with the show, as they sound like people you’d meet in the street. The characters were a treat to watch, as they were all pretty likable What I really like about XXXHolic is that it’s in it’s own universe. The original manga crossed over with Tsubasa frequently, and didn’t really feel like it was it’s own thing. In this show, it was pretty much on it’s own, although there were plenty of references to other shows. A nice mix of funny & serious, if I do say so myself.

As for Chobits, all I have to say is that the moment that I watched the first episode, I was immediately hooked. I’m not kidding!

I liked the nice but simplistic animation. I liked the story, and how it mixed serious & silly practically seamlessly. I liked the characters, as there was nobody (Except maybe the bad guys) that I didn’t like. I liked the intro song, and I’m not normally a fan of Japanese music. Hell, I even liked how they used the fan service, as it was never too over-the-top, but never too underwhelming either. To put it simply.....BUY THIS SHOW!!!

So this was my top 10 favorite new-school anime. I hope you liked what you saw, and maybe you’ll find something here you haven’t seen before. See all at the beginning of next month, when we’ll examine a two-headed metal overview. See you soon!



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If you’d like to take a look at my top 10 old-school anime, check out the link below:

My Top 10 Anime: Old-School Edition

Album Review (Obscurus Metalus) - Draconian's The Closed Eyes of Paradise

Hey there fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I’ll be getting my schedule back to normal around April. Genericon definitely shook things up, but with the next convention coming up in July, I’ve got time to get things in their normal spot, as well as planning something special (Hint, Hint). To spice things up a little this month, I thought it was time to read from the tome of Obscurus Metalus once again. Last year I only read from this weird tome twice, covering an obscure release from an unknown band, and one from a very popular artist. This time around, I’m covering an odd release from a fairly popular band. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my look at Draconian’s 1999 demo, The Closed Eyes of Paradise. Let the review begin!

Background
If you thought my look at Substance For God's only release Assembly Of Flowers was an obscure release, let me tell you that information about The Closed Eyes of Paradise is practically non-existent. Apart from the band building this demo off of John Milton’s classic poem Paradise Lost, there is absolutely nothing out there I can find. Sorry if this part feels rather weak.

Basic Description
Goth & Doom mastery!

Draconian is a band that’s a little more varied than your typical Gothic Metal band. That’s certainly their focus, but they supplement things with the slow & sludgy aspects of Doom Metal, and some sprinkles of Death Metal to smooth it all out. The Closed Eyes of Paradise, however, is firmly within the realms of Goth & Doom metal. It’s moody, dark, and the production value (Despite it’s flaws) adds much to the atmosphere. This is definitely a rainy day kind of album: the clouds are grey, rain is gently pouring down, thunder is rumbling off in the distance, and a flash of thunder can be seen out of the corner of your eye.

Best Song
For me, The Closed Eyes of Paradise has 3 standout tracks (The Morningstar, Serenade of Sorrow, The Gothic Embrace). Curiously, Draconian would redo these songs on their compilation album, The Burning Halo, in 2006. I’m not particularly fond of those versions, as the higher production value seems to take something away from them. These versions, however, are downright fantastic! They’re moody, atmospheric, and darkly beautiful in ways people might not understand. A great trio of tunes!
               
The Morningstar

Serenade of Sorrow

The Gothic Embrace

Worst Song
Honestly, there’s nothing on The Closed Eyes of Paradise that can be considered bad. It’s only real flaw is the production. This is a demo, and as such the sound quality isn’t necessarily the greatest out there. Sound effects sound dated, instrumentation comes across as slightly muted, and the vocal work could use a little more polish. It’s a crying shame, since the dated quality somehow gives this release is flavor & atmosphere.

Other
If you’re liking the music on this album, then good luck finding this! Amazon doesn’t have it, none of the typical music stores, and even Ebay doesn’t have it. Considering it’s age, as well as it’s relative obscurity, it’s understandable why The Closed Eyes of Paradise is exceedingly difficult to locate. This is one of the few times in which downloading is the only way to acquire this release.

Overall Impression & Rating
The Closed Eyes of Paradise is a long lost relic. An album from one of the most chaotic times in music history. Draconian proved through this demo that they were a force to be reckoned with, and while a little hokey & dated, it still contains some great music. Find a link, download it, and enjoy!

The Closed Eyes of Paradise gets a 9 out of 10

So that was my first Obscurus Metals review of 2016. Hopefully, I’ll get more up this year when compared to 2015. See you all next week, when another top 10 list makes itself know. See you soon!

Convention Review: Genericon 2016

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Well, I got home from Genericon 2016 last night. I was tired (I’m still a little tired, truth be told), my belly was full of Sushi, and I had a damn good time! All of the people I knew were there, and I managed to come across some new folks as well. The con & it’s staff have always treated me well, and have provided me with a damn good experience! Well, let me not waste anymore time with this intro, and give all of you a review of Genericon 2016. Enjoy!

Good Points
I know I may repeat some things from last year’s review on this convention, but I can’t help myself!

First things first. The convention goers are always great! People from all over the city of Troy & the state of New York (Not to mention some outlying states as well) flock to RPI for a weekend of fun & friendship. There are normal folks, average cosplayers, and some of the best costume wearers you’ll find along the east coast! I saw people in costume from classic shows, and individuals who were wearing creations from recent series as well. Regardless of whether they were in costume or not, it was always a blast running into someone and talking. Even if it was just for a few seconds, they were always interesting in some way. Leading to interesting people....

Genericon 2016 had a great cast of guests as well! Robert Axelrod made a return (His last appearance was Genericon 2010), and Uncle Yo (The geek-specific standup comedian & all-around incredible human being) put on a fantastic show as he always does. Special panelists The Con Artists put on great event of their own. Also, while they’re not necessarily guests in of their own right, I do want to mention the inclusion of the various student associations, plying their wares & being quite friendly to us con-goers. There’s was the Chinese Association, Hawaiian Association, and I believe the Japanese Association as well. It was a really great addition to the convention, and I hope that RPI & Genericon continue to partner up in the future!

The convention staff was great too! I’ve always found them to be highly helpful, friendly, and very speedy. At no point did I ever hear one of them complain about anything, apart from maybe a lack of sleep, which I can definitely understand. Considering how I’ve felt after a long night at the con, I can definitely sympathize.

Artists & Dealers were on top this year! I had an issue with last year’s Genericon when it came to the dealers (The artists were fine), but this year it felt like there were more vendors, and thus more options to choose from when it came to purchasing something. In a change of pace, the dealers were moved from the rather cramped dining hall, to the armory across the room. The space in which the dealers and artists gave far more space to everybody involved that the ones before. In fact, the new artist & dealer space feels like a miniature Connecticon, and anyone who’s gone to that convention will probably know what I’m talking about.

Lastly, I’ll conclude this section with food. In recent years, the Genericon staff teamed up with Jazzman’s Café, the food station that was located in the great hall. I said it last year, and I’ll say it here: decent food, and decent prices. If you don’t want to go for Jazzman’s café, there is the cafeteria across the bridge. While a little more expensive, you’ve got your choice of pizza, burgers & fries (My choice for this year), a Subway-like sub shop, and even a miniature Ben & Jerry’s! Good options in all of these, and the general convenience shop is also open to convention goers as well.

Okay Points
Honestly, I really don’t have anything major to complain about for this year’s Genericon. This was a damn fine convention! Even Sunday, the day that normally doesn’t have much going on, had a good amount of stuff to do this year! Apart from perhaps one thing (See below), my only nitpick was the pre-registration/registration line. Due to the moving of it to the armory, it may have been given more room, but things weren’t labeled properly. I didn’t have to use these lines, as I was a panelist, however I did pass these lines on the way to the dealers & artists, and let me tell you that there weren’t labeled well. The lines themselves were quite long as well, circling a fair amount of the armory, and going through the lines was a little annoying.

Bad Points
Okay, now it’s time to talk about the bad stuff. Even though there’s something bad I want to talk about, I have to admit I may be a little childish. Maybe even whiney. So yesterday afternoon, I had wandered to the dealers & artists to get a autograph from Robert Axelrod, the voice of Lord Zedd from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I even brought along my original tape of the Power Rangers movie for him to sign. Sadly, he told me that it was 20$ for an autograph. I was a little heartbroken, but in defense the price was considerably more reasonable than most other actors (Voice or otherwise) might say an autograph costs. I know this is something I shouldn’t complain about, but it just bugged me.

Overall Opinion & Rating
Genericon 2016, you did a bang-up job! Minor quibbles aside, this has to be one of RPI’s best. Events were varied & fun, guests were great, and the venue itself was filled with some very entertaining panels. Come next year, RPI is gonna have Genericon XXX.....here’s hoping to have a convention with a more adult edge.

Genericon 2016 gets a 9.2 to 9.4 out of 10.

So that was Genericon 2016. A pretty damn good convention, if I do say so myself! So I’ll see you all next week, when I’ll get some proper reviews & such up. See you soon!





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If you want to see what I thought of last year’s Genenricon, click the link below & enjoy:

Genericon 2015 Review