Anime Review - I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World

Hey there fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I realized a few weeks ago when I put up my top 10 wrestlers list, I had an opportunity for a theme for March. Maybe not for the complete month, but maybe for at least 2 weeks, I figured a wrestling theme would be kind of fun to go with. In the realm of anime, there are plenty of shows that deal with martial arts, but few series that deal with the squared circle. Though Ultimate Muscle might have been a more obvious choice, I’m gonna review a show that’s a little....sexier. A little......dumber. So, strap on your boots, tape up your hands, and get ready for my review for I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World. Get to the ring!

Story/Setup
Taken from the back of the S.A.V.E. case (More on this in a bit):

“The eye-popping world of women’s professional wrestling is sweaty, sadistic, and savagely sexy. Famous Japanese pop idol Sakura Hagiwara is better suited for the dance floor than the wrestling ring, but this ravishing songstress is about to put her body to the ultimate test. When she and fellow idol Elena are assigned to pose as wrestlers for a very special show, a vicious lady brawler by the name of Rio decides to teach the girls a lesson they won’t soon forget. Rio unleashes a flurry of ferocious of attacks on Elena, contorting her divine female form into an array of very naughty positions. Shocked by the blush-inducing beating taken by her friend, Sakura vows to get her heavenly curves ready to rumble and redeem the good name of idols everywhere by becoming a bona fide diva of the pro-wrestling world!”

That’s basically this show in a nutshell. A girl thrust into a world she doesn’t know about, learning the ropes, etc. However, there’s actually a little more going on later in the show than you might expect. Maybe not anything world-crashing, but as it transitions into the 2nd half of the series, a little more depth is added to the story. I can’t say anything as it would ruin things, but there is a nice twist or two that can really throw a viewer off. If I had one gripe with the story, it would be that the show ends a little on the safe side. Again I can’t say much more, as it would ruin the story, but I will say the end might come across as a little irritating for some viewers.

Animation
As I was watching this show, the animation seemed a little familiar to me, but I couldn’t necessarily place a finger on it. Sure enough, after a little research, I found out that the studio in question that animated I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World is none other than Arms Corporation. You might recognize the name of that studio as the group that worked on both seasons of Queen’s Blade, not to mention numerous other fan-service anime & hentai. It is very evident in the design of the girls: there are cute girls, tough & buxom girls, and all other girls/ladies/women in various related spectrums. It’s also evident that the Queen’s Blade studio worked on this show by the copious amounts of fan-service that seems to be in each episode. Trust me when I say that there’s plenty of breast & booty shots. Given the physical nature of the anime, there’s a surprisingly amount of fluidity to what going on, especially when the wresting is involved.

Voice Acting
At this point in the company’s career, Funimation has amassed a nice collection of voice actors, and I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World is no exception. Everybody is giving it their all with their respective character, and I honestly can’t complain about anybody’s performance. Granted you might not remember some of these voices by the time the show is over (More on this in the “Characters” portion), but you can definitely remember their performance.

Characters
Now here we come to perhaps the only fault of this show, and it’s a fairly big one. I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World has a surprisingly diverse cast within it. Yeah, it’s mostly centered on girls/women (Given the theme, it’s not surprising), but you got a varied enough cast that one really can’t complain. However, many characters seem to be forgettable. Especially the bad guys, there seems to be a lot of characters that are just around to be beaten up by the main heroine & her ally in some episodes. The other fault is that many characters don’t have enough story put into them, thus leading to the disposable nature of many of the individuals you meet. It’s a crying shame, as a lot of the characters are really colorful, and if given even a sliver more story behind them, could probably stand out more.

Availability & Pricing
I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World has the good fortune for being an anime that’s been released relatively recently. July 2nd of 2015 to be exact. It is a little on the expensive side (Starting at around 40 dollars on Amazon, 42 for Best Buy, and nearly 60 dollars at FYE), as it’s only on Blu-Ray, but the visual quality might be worth it for some. However, if you’re strapped for cash, the series was re-released earlier this month (The 7th, to be specific) under Funimation’s S.A.V.E. program in a Blu-Ray/DVD combo edition. This edition is far more inexpensive than the Blu-Ray version, with Amazon & Best Buy copies starting at around 23 dollars, and FYE at the slightly more expensive 27 dollars. The S.A.V.E. edition is far more reasonable for the otaku who’s trying to keep a budget, but if cash is making your wallet heavy, then the Blu-Ray exclusive version is a fine option.

Overall Impression & Rating
I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World is a harmless little anime. It might not be 100% memorable, it might not standout in comparison to other fanservice shows, but not a waste of time like some might think. If anything, this wrestling-themed series if a fun time that’s not taxing on your brain. Wrestling fans will get a kick out of it, fanservice fans will get a kick out of it, and everybody else in between. Get a friend or two together, and have a good time.

I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World gets a 8 out of 10

So that was my review for what may be one of the most ridiculous anime I’ve ever bought & watched. If you’re a fan of WWE, or wrestling in general, this might actually be a fun title. I’ll see you all in the first full week of April, when I’ll post up my review for Wrestlemania (Along with RAW & Smackdown), and a few days before that for the start of Compilation Month. Until then, slam one down for the ladies!



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Here's the trailer, and give the show's premise, it's as ridiculous as you think.

I Wanna Be The Strongest In The World (Trailer)

Food For Thought/Though For Food No. 5: Social Justice/Bullshit Justice (There Is A Difference)

I have to admit, it's been quite a while since I did one of these (Last one was way back in July of last year). I've said it before that this series of posts would be random, but the subject of today's Food For Thought/Thought For Food has been on my mind for quite some time. I wanted to wait until the fuse was lit by the right kind of match, and given the release of Mass Effect: Andromeda & the outright shitstorm both it and it's critics are slinging, it seems that said match has arrived & lit the fuse.

In recent years, the term Social Justice Warrior has arrived, and it seems that the term has been used & abused by many sides (Especially Republicans/Conservatives), and those under this mantle have been seemingly blamed for just about anything under the sun. Oh, them evil SJWs! Then feminized Ghostbusters! They limit free speech! They're all special snowflakes & safe space makers! Some manner of what I mentioned above has been spouted by somebody in what seems like the past 5 years, and given our political climate at this moment in time, it has only gotten more venomous. However, I'm here to tell you that SJWs.....don't practice Social Justice. Not even in the slightest. What do they practice, you ask?

Bullshit Justice! These people (Men & Women) aren't Social Justice Warriors, nor do they practice Social Justice. These individuals should not be called SJWs. They should be called BJWs. Now, you might be asking yourself, what's the difference between Social Justice & Bullshit Justice. That's easy!

Let's start off with what real Social Justice actually is. Social Justice.....is helping the poor. Social Justice.....is fighting for equal rights for gays, lesbians, and transgendered individuals. Social Justice.....is improving the infrastructure of your town or city. Social Justice.....is adding a diverse set of characters to a game, movie, or comic book to acknowledge the wider world. Social Justice.....is . In short, Social Justice is anything that actually helps & improves people and society. Social Justice has a legitimate point & purpose on the planet, but thanks to the twisting & manipulation from propaganda, the term has been poisoned. Thanks to people who usurped Social Justice, the ideology has been potentially tainted beyond repair.

Now, onto Bullshit Justice. This one's a little easier to explain: Bullshit Justice is fake justice! Bullshit Justice is adding a diverse set of characters to a game or movie for the purpose of appealing to people who might not even have heard of the game/movie in question. Bullshit Justice is making an issue out of something that shouldn't be. Bullshit Justice is what fake Democrats/Liberals believe in, and what fake Democrats/Liberals push (Emphasis on the word fake). Bullshit Justice is when people (Especially girls/women) called the Angry Video Game Nerd sexist when he said he didn't want to see Ghostbusters 2016 because he didn't like the trailers. That's Bullshit Justice!

So, if the differences between actual Social Justice & Bullshit Justice are so obvious, why is it that most of us can't tell the difference? Because, it's the simple fact that most of us don't want to know the difference between the two. We've become so desensitized by the shitstorm that BJWs have cause, we simply can't tell the difference, and don't want to get up to see what's what. You know what? I don't completely blame you! It's understandable why most of us have become desensitized! We see the term Social Justice Warrior blurted out on social media so much, it seems inescapable! The problem is that most of us know that it's not real Social Justice, but we don't even want to lay a finger on the issue, and thus we're making it worse, whether we want to admit it or not! I pray that to whoever reads this, the one thing you take from this is that things are far more clear than what all of the sides are saying.

To put it simply, know the fucking difference between the two, and stop perpetrating the lies & horseshit! Maybe, just maybe, we can undo the damage, and educate people on what's what!

Well, that was my random burst of rage here on the Heavy Metal Otaku blog. Hopefully, I won't have to do another one of these for a long time. Anyway, look for to a more pleasant wrestling-themed anime review tomorrow.



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I never touched any of the Mass Effect games. I only thought that ME: Andromeda was the right catalyst for me to finally make this post, given the shitstorm it's been causing.

In Memoram: London Parliament

Well, it's been a little while since I had to do one of these, fellow Otaku & Metalheads.....kinda wished it was a little longer....or maybe never, but such as it is in recent years.

At around 2:40 this afternoon in the United Kingdom, London police responded to an incident at WestMinster bridge, not far from the city's parliament building. According to authorities, a man drove into pedestrians while crossing the bridge, killing 3 & injuring up to 20 (Current count). From there, he made his way to the parliament building, where the assailant managed to stab & kill 1 policeman who was on guard duty. Fortunately, authorities managed to gun down the attacker, although the bridge & local train tunnels are still cornered off (As far as I know).

Considering the climate of the world at this point in time, this incident just adds more fuel to an already growing inferno. If you have a moment, or before you head off to bed, please send a prayer or two over to the city of London so they can get some good vibes. Also, if you would like a more detailed account of what transpired, then check out the link below:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/shots-fired-near-uk-parliament-police-treating-it-as-terrorist-incident-2017-03-22?link=sfmw_fb

(Update 1 - 11:17 PM Eastern Standard Time): An update on the casualties: 5 dead & 40 injured. Number of injured increased to 50 a day ago.

(Update 2 - 7:02 PM Eastern Standard Time): The identity of the shooter has been revealed: 52-year old Khalid Masood. A more detailed report is below.
 
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/london-parliament-attack/khalid-masood-identified-london-parliament-attacker-n737511

My Top 10 Wrestlers

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

With Wrestlemania 33 taking place in early April, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about some of my favorite wrestlers. I’ve covered at 2 Wrestlemania shows so far, but never really discussed the wrestlers/superstars I liked, and it’s also been some time since I did one of my “Top 10” lists. Well, it seemed that it was only appropriate to finally talk about the combatants that I enjoy watching on my TV & computer screen, so it was time to knock out 2 birds with 1 stone. With that out of the way, here are my top 10 wrestlers of all time. Ring the bell!

10) John Cena (Clip)

When I first began watching WWE again on-and-off in 2003, I came across John Cena back when he was knee-deep in his Gangsta gimmick (Gag me for even using that word), and I was impressed. He was gimmicky enough that it felt cheesy, but at the same time there was a certain amount of believability to him that it seemed real. Fast forward to 2017, and his bite has been taken away (Apart from the Hustle, Loyalty, Respect line, which I think has some charm still), not to mention that he is promoted in just about anything & everything, including children’s cereal. These two factors alone would probably turn someone away, and on a couple times I’ve almost been turned away. Yet, I can’t seem to actually walk away from him, and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s his charm, maybe it’s is wrestling skill (He’s a lot better than his detractors say), I’m not sure. All I can say is that John Cena is still cool in my book, even if he’s lost some of his edge.

9) The Hurricane (Clip) & I.R.S. (Clip)

I had to include two uber-gimmicky wrestlers, which is ironic given some of the other people on this list, and in my opinion, these guys are the most gimmicky of the gimmicky. In all honesty, I can’t really say much, because the characters speak for themselves. For starters, you have The Hurricane: a caped superhero fighting for what is right, and flying in the ring like Superman! Then, there’s Irwin R. Schyster, or more well known for his shortened name, I.R.S.: an angry, bitter tax collector that’ll get his money by legal means, or by beating his opponent within an inch of his life. Again, these two are some of the most out-there characters, and I love them for that! 

8) The New Day (Clip)

To be perfectly honest, I flatout hated these guys. Before their re-introduction, the buildup previews honestly seemed intriguing. A 3-man team inspired by black southern Baptists seemed promising, although it probably would be really stereotypical at the same time. Then, when they finally came out......they kinda flopped. Given the fact that WWE really can’t promote a specific religion on their programming, they kinda took that out real quick. From there, they really weren’t used in any incredible manner. Then, further into their return, something happened. They started getting entertaining. Really entertaining!

Though the “Baptist” angle was essentially cut, there were different things added to the group to make them fun. They were given wild uniforms, over-the-top personalities, and even a damn trombone! Even their intro is spectacular, and it really shows that they’re an honest-to-goodness comedy group. It doesn’t help the fact that they’re surprisingly good in the ring, harnessing their oddball humor to great effect. Don’t believe me? Just check out the example link I used above. In any case, The New Day are easily the most surprising group of wrestlers on my list that got me to smile.

7) Rey Mysterio (Clip)

It’s a shame that WWE doesn’t promote anymore Latino wrestlers than it already does (Promote well, at least), because there are some great Latin superstars that know how to perform. Rey Mysterio is one of those superstars.

If you’ve ever been curious about Lucha Libre, then you’ll want to watch Rey Mysterio, as he’s the closest audiences outside of Mexico will ever see of the art (Apart from Lucha Underground, which I also recommend). He’s like a kid that’s had too much sugar: he hops around, he bounces off of the ropes like Gumby bouncing off the walls, and when he performs the 619, he could lop off heads if he put more force into it. To complement his style of wrestling, he comes out wearing a mask that many Licha Libre artists don when they’re in the ring. A Latino wrestler with a personality is always something to watch. Speaking of personality...

6) Eddie Guerrero (Clip)

March 2, 2005. It was the first time I had ever gone to a wrestling event. My parents had paid for the tickets as a early Birthday gift (I was going to Disney in Florida over a month later), so it was me, my Father (Mom would rather shoot herself), and my at the time best friend Trevor. We got to the at-the-time Pepsi Arena, and Smackdown came to Albany. We got through halfway of the show, when all of a sudden, we heard this roar from behind where the wrestlers came out of (Our seats were on the bottom floor, on the left side of where they came out. Yeah, we were almost deaf by the time the show was done). All of a sudden this lowrider came out, it’s occupants being Rey Mysterio and the driver in question, Eddie Guerrero. The two of them had been tag-team champions for some time at the show (I forgot how long), and it was one of the greatest spectacles I had ever seen.

Now, I had seen Eddie before this show. In fact, he was one of the first wrestlers I saw when I got back into it (The very first was John Cena, ironically enough). What drew me too him was his character, his energy, etc. He knew how to be as energetic and fun as Rey Mysterio was, but he also knew how to be serious, and had a hell of a sense of humor to boot. Yes indeed, Eddie Guerrero was one of the best. However, he was not the cherry on my Smackdown sundae.

5) The Undertaker (Clip)

On the same night, John Cena had been the Intercontinental Championship for some time (Like Rey & Eddie, I didn’t know how long he had the title), and at the end of the show he was set to defend it against Orlando Jordan (Who was J.B.L.’s partner/handler when he was still a wrestler). Right around the end of the match, J.B.L. cost Cena the title, and now Orlando Jordan held it. He & J.B.L. were making their way to the entrance, laughing & bragging along the way. Then, without warning, all the lights went out, and a familiar “Ding” noise echoed throughout the arena. That was when my Dad, Trevor, and I knew who arrived.

While I had known about The Undertaker, I hadn’t seen him before this show, mainly because I was watching Raw when I started back up. My Dad was telling me stories about the guy (I sorta forgot about him when I was younger), like how he was large, yet had the ability to tightrope walk using the top rope of the ring (The other wrestler was used as a counter-weight). While he teamed-up with John Cena to take on Orlando Jordan & J.B.L., and Cena was fun in the match (Funny Thing: as Cena was about to haul off on O.J., he shouted out “I have the power! I’m gonna kick his ass!”), the real star was Undertaker. Everything my Dad told me about him was true, and then some. The guy was large, surprisingly agile, and was one of the most sinister sights I ever saw. Loved it. Just friggen loved it!

I would have put The Undertaker a little lower on this list, but due to his loss at Wrestlemania 30, I couldn’t do it. If anything, I thought that breaking his streak was nothing more than a slap to the face of Undertaker and his fans, not to mention practically killing the character’s mystique. However, I honestly could not leave him off this list, due to my first memory of him, not to mention when WWE respected the guy. I still smile when I think of that night.....those were the days!

4) “Macho Man” Randy Savage (Clip)

The only reason that the Macho Man isn’t any higher is that I find him to be too similar to my number 3. He seems to move, wrestle, and act too much like my 3rd choice. With that said, I can’t hate on Randy Savage (Although WWE still seems to). The man sure knew how to come out with a lot of lights & flash, he knew how to be one of the best wrestlers of yesteryear, and he also knew how to talk on the microphone. Accompanied to the ring by Miss Elizabeth, and later by "Sensational" Sherri, and you have one of the most stylish wrestlers of all time (The most stylish, of course, was Nature Boy Ric Flair, who’s another good superstar).

3) Hulk Hogan (Clip)

From here on, my numbers 3 to 1 are what I consider to be my “Big 3” of favorite wrestlers, and what better way to start off the Big 3 than with one of the biggest of all time!

Many fans consider “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan to be one of the most iconic superstars of all time, and they’re generally right. Granted, he’s done & said some stupid crap over the years, one can’t deny that Hogan is the pinnacle example of the word spectacle! His matches over the decades are legendary, especially with some of the biggest guys on the roster. Hell, some of his best matches were against many of the superstars on this list, and everytime he went up against somebody, he always gave it his all. From his entrance theme, to his antics in and out of the ring, to even some of his time in TNA (Ugg, shoot me for even talking about those guys), Hulk Hogan is an old-school guy that deserves whatever respect comes his way.

2) Jake “The Snake” Roberts (Clip)

Here’s a cute little story: back when I was watching in the early 90s with my Dad, one of the first wrestlers I saw was Jake “The Snake” Roberts, who is one of the most sinister guys back in the day. He choices of words sent chills down your spine, his mannerisms in & out of the ring were creepy, his quieter yet powerful voice, and when he laid out the snake on his opponent, you knew that their fate was sealed. Anyways, when I tried to say his name, I always said “Jick the Snick” instead of Jake the Snake. My parents were charmed by this, and to this day they still bring that up when I talk about him. It was only by a few inches that Jake missed my number one spot, but I can hear him hiss even to this day.

Before we actually get to my number 1 wrestler, I wanted to give you some of my Honorable Mentions in this category.  Wrestlers that, while very enjoyable, just didn’t make the cut. Maybe it’s because of controversy, or talent, or whatever other reason comes to mind. With that said, here they are:

HM1) Diamond Dallas Page (Clip) & Mick Foley (Clip)

- To be perfectly honest, it’s not the wrestling factor that I like about these two. Not to say that they didn’t do anything impressive, cause they both certain did (Especially Mick Foley & his legacy). To me, it’s what they did after their wrestling career that gets me to like them. With the invention of DDP-Yoga, Page’s new outlook on life has helped numerous people improve their health & their outlook on life. Mick Foley has had an amazing career outside of WWE as well: he has become a humanitarian, family man, and a professional Santa Claus (No joke). The wrestling was great, but the man behind it was better.

HM2) The Great Khali (Clip)

- There are guilty pleasures, and then there are guilty pleasures. Chief among all the wrestlers I ‘ve watched since 2003 was The Great Khali. Let’s be honest: he’s not that good. Khali is so slow, he makes The Big Show look like a graceful swan. Khali is so bad, he makes Barron Corbin look like a guru of wrestling. Despite the numerous faults of Khali, in a warped way he’s kinda entertaining. He’s definitely fumbles mc fumbler, and he slurs his words more than a drunk, but taken in doses, Khali can be fun......again, in doses.

HM3) Chris Benoit (Clip)

- Right now I’ve probably turned just about all of you away, and I’m not blaming you. Given how horrific an act he committed, I most certainly understand why anybody with common sense would look the other way when talking about Chris Benoit. Hell, I still hold an immense amount of hatred towards the man! That being said, I feel a weird sort of sympathy towards the man. The man was in pain....a lot of pain. He had the brain of an 85-year old Alzheimer’s patient, and given the steroids that was pumping through his system, he wasn’t in a right state of mind....and WWE did nothing. It’s been nearly a decade since the murder-suicide incident, and I guarantee you nobody will say a damn thing.....especially the company that he was loyal to once he came over from WCW. A great wrestler, but died a tragic end.

1) The Ultimate Warrior (Clip)

If Hogan was about spectacle, and Roberts was about the dark side, then The Ultimate Warrior was all about energy & intensity. Some of you might say that it’s cheap of me to put The Ultimate Warrior at my number 1 because of his death in 2014, and to a certain degree it’s true. However, when this man died, he died during a high-note: he & WWE finally cleared up past grudges, other superstars he had a problem with in the past made up, and he even managed to get rehired back by WWE (There was to be a whole bunch of new Ultimate Warrior themed goods produced for the fans & such. A new DVD collection was released as recently as the first of April in 2014).

I wasn’t kidding when I said that The Ultimate Warrior was all about energy & intensity. From his out-there personality (He makes just about everybody else on this list look like kittens), to his roaring charge to the ring, and to his nigh unstoppable force inside the ring, Warrior was a wrestler that few during his time could be compared to, and cannot be compared to in this modern age of wrestling. We all have the warrior spirit within us. Unleash it when you can!!!

So these were my top 10 wrestlers. Hope you enjoyed it, and I’ll see you in a few weeks for my look at Wrestlemania 33.....along with RAW & Smackdown. I’ve got 1 more thing for this month, but until then, farewell.

Album Review: Type-O Negative's Dead Again

Original Version

2008 Re-Release

Here’s a surprise fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I’ll be delaying my Top 10 Wrestlers post until sometime later this week (Friday most likely), but this couldn’t be ignored, even though I almost did. Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the final album from Type-O Negative. An album that, reluctantly, would be the last thing that Pete Steele and the boys would ever put onto a cd. It’s only right that I take a look at it today, as sort of a 2nd tribute to the band. So, get on your Sunday best, grab a glass of holy wine, and enjoy my look at Dead Again. Let the review begin!

Background
The 2000s was a difficult time for Pete Steele. Drug/Alcohol addiction, writer’s block, a month-long stint in prison, and departing their longtime record company Roadrunner were just a couple of the roadblocks he ran into. However, the divine seemed to have plans for the Green Man, as he rediscovered his long lost Catholic faith, and finally got off of his drug & booze habit. He and the rest of Type-O Negative even found a new record company in the form of SPV/Steamhammer, and when the situation was right, the band got back together to what would eventually be known as their final album.

Released on March 13, 2007, Dead Again would be Type-O Negative’s highest charting album on the billboard 200 (No. 27, if you were curious.), and the reception from fans & critics was quite positive. Curiously, Dead Again remains the only Type-O Negative album to feature Johnny Kelly’s actual playing, as he was only credited as such on their 3 previous released (The used a drum machine beforehand).

Basic Description
Heavy, Spiritual, Illuminating.

At it’s core, Dead Again is a Gothic/Doom Metal album. Death, Betrayal, and other goth things are definitely at the norm on this record. It when it goes in a more religious direction that the vibe this album generates do things turn into something different. Like the depressive World Coming Down from 1999, this album definitely leans in the more serious direction. That said, Dead Again illuminates Pete’s mind, showing off a side of him that unfortunately had little time in the sunlight. The lyrics have a touch of the divine as well, as much of what’s sung has some connection to God in someway. My favorite track is particularly cemented in this, but I’ll talk about that........now!

Best Track
I said this back during the overview for this band, picking what is considered to be the “Best” song of the album is a challenge, especially since everything is fantastic! That said, my favorite track is the incredible These Three Things. Coming in at the monolithic 14 minutes & 21 seconds (In comparison, World Coming Down is 11 minutes & 10 seconds, and The Profit Of Doom off of this album is 10 minutes & 47 seconds), this song embodies Pete Steele’s rediscovered religious beliefs, and is a journey of a track. It might drag your patience on for a little bit given it’s length, but if you can get through it, you’ll be witness to one of the best gothic masterpieces of the late 2000s.

These Three Things

Worst Track
I briefly talked about this in my overview for Type-O Negative in April of 2015, but it deserves to be mentioned again. Though Pete Steele had come full circle at this point in his life, what with the spiritual awakening & cleansing of drug usage, but none the less Dead Again is a pretty heavy album when it comes to emotions. This was definitely an album that allowed the Green Man to cleanse himself once again, and as such the listener will bear the brunt of his emotions. In this album’s defense, the heavy emotions aren’t self-depreciating like the ones felt on World Coming Down, and I didn’t feel drained or depressed by the time I was done. At the same time I felt like I’d taken a punch to the gut or two, and the impact was felt for a day or two afterwards..

Other
If you’d like to hear this album, check out the link below. It’s gonna be a brutal experience!

Dead Again

Overall Impression & Rating
Dead Again is good. Damn good! It’s a reluctant concluding album to be sure, but even it was forced into the spot it was, it’s quality does not diminish in any way. Pete Steele, Kenny Hickey, Josh Silver, and Johnny Kelly went all out, and produced what may very well be the best album of Type-O Negative’s career. If you’re a fan of this band, and you haven’t even listened to a single song from Dead Again, you are doing an incredible disservice. Give this album a go, and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Dead Again gets a 9.5 out of 10. A nearly flawless masterpiece!

So that was a look at what would unfortunately be the last Type-O Negative album ever produced. It’s tragic to be sure, but if there was ever a way for the band to go out, it’s sure as hell this album! So I’ll see you later this week, when I’ll get my original entry for today’s post up. Until then, may we all be dead again at some point.



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For comparison of Billboard 200 spots, Life Is Killing Me & World Coming Down were both at  no. 39, and October Rust debuted at no. 42.

Convention Review: Genericon 2017

Happy post Genericon, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Well, Genericon 2017 has finally come & gone. Despite the bitter cold & harsh winds, things within the realm of nerdiness were most definitely warm, and buzzing with activity. It may have been only for a single weekend, but the memories the convention made are most definitely strong. How strong are they, you ask? Well, think no further, and enjoy my review of Genericon 2017 at RPI. Let the review begin!

Good Points
Now here’s where I have a lot to talk about.....even though I might not type much.....anyways, first off is the people. Each & every single time I’ve gone to this convention, I’ve bumped into some great people. As the years go by, more & more people get added onto the pile, and it’s great. I might not have met as many people this year, as a lot of them I met a year or two prior, but even a small amount of new people is better than nobody. As per usual, so many of these people had incredible cosplay on as well.

Secondly, and somewhat related to above, is the staff. Since I’ve started doing panels as the convention, everytime I’ve needed help there’s always a friendly staff member to come & help me with whatever is wrong. Volunteers are nice as well, always pointing to in whatever direction. I did have a small issue when it comes to how many staff members there were, but that’s all it was.....small.

The third good point is a weird one (but an awesome one at the same time) is the food that’s served at Genericon. For a while there was the Jazzman’s Café located in the Great Hall, but it was never open to the con. A few years ago it was open to con-goers, and it provided cheap but nice little nibbles for anyone who’s hungry, along with some great coffee drinks & beverages in a nearby refrigerator. However, if you have a little more money in your wallet, you might want to try the student center across from the hall. There’s 3 restaurant spots to choose from: a pizza/wing joint, a burger & fry spot, and a joint that I can only describe as a Subway-like store. There’s also a mini Ben & Jerry’s in the center as well, although I haven’t gotten anything from them yet. For this year, they had a cafeteria setup in the armory, with a few of the student association groups cooking their culture’s respective, and Thunder Mountain Curry (A business I’ve encountered at the Troy Farmer’s Market a few times) has some great & spice food to eat. Emphasis on the word spicy in my case.

Next up is the activities. There was a great selection of panels, workshops, concerts, and dances/raves (Complete with DJs) to partake in. Although I went around more talking to people & taking pictures, and thus I didn’t go to many things, what few I did go to I enjoyed. Also, it’s great to see so much happening over the course of 48 hours. I really liked the name that anime scene/music panels the most, although the Cosplay Deathmatch was a great way to close out the convention on Sunday.

Lastly, the usage of the armory is a great plus. I previously talked about this in my review for Genericon 2016, and I think it bears repeating. Although it indirectly caused my only gripe about the convention (More on this in a sec), I can’t deny how much of a blessing this was. Before hand you had the registration & artist alley in the Great Hall, and that definitely made things a little tight to move around. The dealers room has seen it’s fair share of moves over the years, and it wasn’t until it went over to the armory that it finally felt like there was some breathing room. I think I said it last year, and I’ll say it here: the dealers room & artist alley in this larger space felt more like I was at a miniature equivalent of Connecticon’s setup for these two spaces.

Okay Points
Unlike the other Genericons I’ve reviewed, I don’t think I encountered a single thing that was obviously bad. Like I sad above, the staff was fantastic as always, but I noticed that there was a big lack of staff & volunteers this year. I don’t know if it was because of the recruitment drive or whatnot, but I didn’t see as many helpers wandering around (If I’m remembering correctly, there were only 3 to 5 people running around for the computers). Luckily, their service was incredibly valuable to me, and as usual was of excellent quality.

Bad Points
Like I said above, I really don’t have anything major to talk about. There was essentially nothing wrong with Genericon 2017 at all. Enough to the point where I would be tempted to call it flawless. If I wanted to bit nitpicky, my one point I would gripe about is how smaller the Great Hall felt. In years prior the building was filled to the brim with people. Even a few vendors would setup shop within it halls, along with the artists alley as recently as Genericon 2015. This time around, there weren’t quite as many people hanging around. I’m not saying it was a ghost town, cause it certainly wasn’t! Thanks to the new locations of the dealer’s room and artists alley, the new hangout place seems to have been unofficially moved (The only flaw I could remotely say about the new locale). Perhaps to balance things out, maybe keep some things in the new locale, but move some of the other stuff back into the Great Hall.

Personal **
Genericon 2017 was, and I’ve said a few times so far, a damn fine convention. There was so much going on, it made the previous 2 I’ve reviewed look plain by comparison (No offense to Genericon & RPI for that). However, there were two points that affected me greatly in a positive way, and took things above & beyond this year. The first was my panel I hosted.

Since 2014, I began hosting panels as a way to pay back the con for giving me such a fun experience. They were never packed in any way (2015 & 2016 especially), but at the same time there were people there, and thus things were nice. 2017 was in the completely opposite direction. This year I hosted the dirty & hilarious Hentai Comedies Worth Watching panel, and the room was almost full. Guys, girls, in-between, it didn’t matter. Almost every single seat was filled with somebody, and I was completely awed by everyone. At one point I had one of my videos sound not working, but a few of the viewers came up and offered their services to voice the characters instead. It was completely out of the blue, but I was incredibly grateful that they did that for me. Also......it kinda made that part of the panel a little better.

Next up was Cosplay Chess. I’ve helped out with this event as far back as 2011, and throughout all that time there was always something apart from 2013 (2014 was particularly disastrous for Cosplay Chess). Big, small, it didn’t matter. 2017.....I don’t think I helped out such a smooth (Again, apart from 2013). Even the one kink that did pop up was removed immediately, and the event went on without a hitch! The theme this year was particularly fun, as I was dressed up as John Cena Deadpool, and went against our (Not Really) current president, Donald Trump. It was a lot of fun: we exchanged insults, the acting on both sides was top notch, and the pieces provided a horde of the entertainment factor. A bunch of pieces on Trump’s side refused to fight for him, and walked off the board. I didn’t expect this, but at the same time made things even more entertaining for the crowd! At the end, I won, and the whole room cheered for me. To be honest......I almost cried at that point.

Overall Impression & Rating
Genericon 2017, at least for me, well go down as one of the greats. So much fun. So much companionship. So much quality......and it was so much fun! Everything in this entire convention made me smile, and even the small things provided something. Genericon has become something quasi-spiritual for me in recent years, and if you were to ask me why.....I would point you towards this one. Here’s to 30 more years Genericon!

Genericon 2017 gets a 15 out of 10. A damn fine con!

So that was my look at Genericon 2017. This is what Connecticon from last year should have been. This is a Genericon that will be incredibly memorable for me, and given that I’ve been coming to this con for nearly a decade, that should say something. So, I’ll see you later this month as the road to Wrestlemania nears it’s end for my review for the event, and I’ll be seeing you next week for a wrestling-themed top 10. See you then!



**
Something a little special this time around. Don’t know how often I’ll have this segment, but it never hurts to use once in a while. Also, if you’d like to see what I thought of last year’s convention, check out the link below.

Genericon 2016 Review