Celebrating Makoto Shinkai with New Video Transfer?
I’m sure you’ve seen enough headlines about this, and the critical acclaims Shinkai gets with his works.
But I’m just pacing through CrunchyRoll’s Byousoku 5 Centimeters feed now, and funnily enough the speech-like pacing of Oukashou made streaming that 480p video casually easy. It gives you a lot of places to hit that pause button so your buffer can catch up. And take a lot of screen shots. Maybe I should post them tomorrow…[maybe I will even update this post.]
Reading the Anime News Network thread, some CR guy reported that they have a new transfer of the movie. That was enough to get me interested. Let alone the new Bang Zoom dub…I don’t even remember what ADV’s dub sounded like. I guess I can always try to sneak that in tomorrow. Sufficed to say the new dub isn’t bad; I watched it all dubbed. But I probably won’t again ever, chance to choose willing.
Of course, 5cm is as beautiful in every inch and every second as I remember it to be. I don’t get to stand up and walk up to my TV like I can with the Blu-Ray version of 5cm or Beyond the Clouds, but I’ll live. This is a great deal for free (as in beer) and free (as in speechregion).
Oh, I guess I still need to watch Beyond the Clouds on CR sometime within the next 18 hours. Yea, time’s running out. This particular version of 5cm will go away. 5PM PST was it?
Looks familiar? (Gosh, I think that old cap was from a DVD rip. I don’t remember. And don’t let this prettier image fool you, I think it just has fewer jpeg compression artifacts from being recompressed.)
I am definitely impressed by the supposedly new mastered video and audio(?) for 5cm. Enough to do this post. Granted, it’s still a streaming video so the bitrate can’t compare, but this is hands down the best quality video on CR that I’ve laid eyes on.
If you care about the supposed fesitivities, visit the Shinkai Day HQ, or check this guy on Twitter. They party it up on IRC and Ventrilo and what not. Nuts.
Good Meta - Blog Tagging Circle Jerk
Unlike the other posts, I really don’t have anything in terms of screen shots to offer you. People don’t read the DailyKos because it’s pretty, amirite? Heck, one of my recommendations is just a feed. Not even a website. And some of them are not even that new. You’ll just have to forgive me.
Who: Shizuki @ AnimeVice
What: Anime/game/merch industry blog for someone who works in America and does the whole import/localization/marketing thing.
Why: She knows stuff! And there are pictures of foods when she doesn’t forget to take them before it gets polished off :D Actually, she’s the ex-Broccoli USA blogger who worked their two(?) blogs and briefly on Bandai Visual’s site. I’m glad she continued to write after not having to. Just go read it.
Who: Ongaku - World of Anime Music
What: piracy-driven anime music blog
Why: Because it actually brings up things that are interesting. Like, for example, that Hisaishi live show that has been going around. Even if the site itself is full of things that says “HAY I AM A UNSCRUPULOUS LOOKING BLOG PUSHING FOR $$$” it also has random stuff to fan covers and whatever that a musically-inclined anime fan might enjoy. For the record I don’t really read this site regularly, but I found myself linking or reading it because of the things I get pointed to. Partly because the guy who runs it has these.
Aside: Is it me or most anime music blogs fall into just Kanno blogs, Kajiura blogs, something to do with nicovideo/vocaloids/doujin, or some seiyuu/pop music kind of thing? Do I have to reach to game soundtrack-type blogs to get all the love for the other composers?
Who: Lelangir’s Google Reader share feed (it’s a feed)
What: It’s a Google reader feed…of other people’s shared items as Lelangir collects them. Which is to say while half of the entries are his, there are all kinds of random things that filter through. Not to be confused with his shared items, which is just what he shares. This feed is kind of an aggregate of a bunch of people’s shared items. Obviously, this is the link to a feed and not a website, so use a feed reader to read it (like most modern browsers).
Why: Because…the man doesn’t really blog on one site, now does he? This is perhaps the most useful contribution he makes, on top of the usual writing wherever it happens. However, sometimes it’s a little wild and insular.
Who: Funimation’s blog
What: It’s…Funimation’s blog. So mostly a PR release space.
Why: It’s actually new–the other blogs I listed are not, at least in terms of me knowing about them. But if it keeps up with the random lols it might have a chance to be something worth reading. I want to encourage this kind of communication for companies that are heavily dependent on their fans for survival, so you guys should all keep them accountable and call them out (nicely) when they screw up (or does something you don’t like, which might just be every time Tyrenol makes a comment).
Lastly… OP image is from these guys, who put out some anime that I need to watch, because I’m curious. The image immediately above is from another new blog that you might want to check out, if you can deal with them moon runes, or just want the silly pictures.
Aging, Rambling Old Man
Being a silly American, I bought the US release of Persona 3 FES when it came out last April. I even pre-ordered it, counting on the buzz of friends and foes alike. It did turn out to be a great little PS2 gem, even for someone who generally avoids RPGs on the console like myself. I chalk it up to that it’s just so…high-school-anime-like.
Coincidentally the US release overlaps with the anime Persona Trinity Soul in Japan over the air, which is kind of a spinoff to Persona 3, except it’s done with a totally different setting and cast. Some of the concepts in that show shares with the game, including a cameo character from the game proper.
I purchased Persona 4 just today, thanks to a sale (that ends midnight PST time). Will it take me a year to beat it?
I’ve been also taking my sweet time with some anime series. The second go-around (if you could really say that–it’s more like trying to fall in love with your wife again rather than revisiting a fond memory) with Simoun for me is still ongoing. Along with my slow walk-like pace through Gundam 8th MS Team… I think this is probably my second time at it with 8th MS Team, too, but unlike the aborted attempt I had I will finish, time willing. In between somewhere is reviewing Emma season 2, Aria season 1, and Nanoha season 1. (Notably excepted, Nanoha A’s gets to go directly to jailmarathon. It is delicious, you must eat it.)
I’ve always tied the enthusiasm of my fanboy spurts to the seasons. It has been a frigid winter in the Northeast, and maybe it’s getting to me. Maybe it’s because I’m just getting old. Whatever it may be, sometimes it’s just good to take it easy. It’s a legit way to roll, IMO.
There is a screen shot of my wordpress backend that I’ve been looking at sparingly over the past few weeks. It’s basically a list of all the drafts stored in there. I’d say a good 70% of them are aborted ideas that probably should never see the light of day; many of them reads better as essay questions for a college-level course or thought-provoking questions you stick at the end of an editorial, trying to make you seem smarter than the paragraphs of mess you’ve fed your reader. I know at some point, those words as strung together made sense–not only that they convey meaning, but it had to seem good for me to write them down. They often still do…reading them reminds me just how weird I could be sometimes. But what makes me read them to begin with is seeing how many of those I’ve written. Guh, I am definitely glut with ideas but lacking the will to execute, somehow.
But yea, at this rate, it will take me more than a year to beat Persona 4. Thanks, old age and fast intarwebs.
Lastly, the law of equvalent pimpage requires me to talk about the silly contest that’s going on. It’s silly, but the prizes are real and so are the LULZ. To enter the sweepstake, you have to sign up at a certain website. I’ll let the rules speak for themselves.
A Different Kind of MAKO-Cake
Nothing to do with the three Ms. Minami here. Move along.
I’m not exactly overwhelmed or impressed by the offering of anime in the past 6 months. With exception to Xam’d and maybe a couple others (that I’m not watching, so I can’t say for sure), there’s just not a lot of stuff out there, new, that keeps me happy like those guys in the 4-gaijin 4-koma jokes. What am I suppose to do?
Oh right, revel in guilty pleasures. Like Sora Kake Girl. This wacky production comes off with the same vibe as My-Hime, which some friends have branded as the “best worst show.” It’s fun. I like what I see. It makes me grin, laugh out loud occasionally, and gives me something to think about sometimes. It’s a great distraction. The story exists, if nothing special. The fanservice is smooth, it’s like the lubricant for me to not think too much about what’s going on, and just enjoy the acting. It’s theatrics and simple pleasures of a slapstick anime that just works.
It also creates an excuse to have MAKO host a radio show. I first heard of MAKO when she took the role of Yurie in Kamichu…a long time ago, it seems. Then there’s the whole maraca thing she did in Bon Bon Blanco. And then Maid in Akihabara. I think I saw like a couple episodes of that because it was freely streamed online… not exactly too pleasant. And then BAM! It’s like Emeril picked her up and slammed her into some otaku stew of sorts. She’s now in a bunch of shows. She started blogging pro-style. It’s like she finally decided to go for it. She’s back on my radar again.
The aforementioned radio show is where there had been MAKO & cakes. Others said it best, but after a couple episodes I was sufficiently amused. Seriously though, I would so dig a duo between her and Ai Nonaka. And it doesn’t have to be in this context. I’m not even sure if the coupling work as a duo for anything besides general silliness, but I like their chemistry in the anime proper so far. Even if I get a feeling that something is holding things back.
Well, as for warding off boredom and wasting free time, there is also this. If you want in on the action, now is the time! Signups for the sweepstakes(?) ends next Friday.
Selvaria Bles; Himeka; Wouldn’t It Be Nice…
First thing first: so her boobs are almost as big as they are in the anime design sketches. It never seemed as unsightly in the game, probably because of the 3D nature of the rendering and how the visuals of the game take hold of your perspective with an iron grip. The character designs remind me of this guy, which is not the BEST thing ever, but it’s faithful enough that I think I’ll be pretty happy.
Second thing. Correct me if I’m wrong:
1. Cathrine St. Onge (now known as Himeka) wins the 2nd Animax Anison competition
(2.5 Valkyria Chronicles game gets English language release)
3. Gets put on Valkyria Chronicles anime OP
4. ???
5. ProfitOpportunity for western pandering!
Also correct me if I’m wrong:
1. First simulcast by Animax via Animax Asia (Tears to Tiara)
2. ???
3. WORLD DOMINATION
PredictionWishful thinking:
1. Valkyria Chronicles animu hits PSN Video Store?
If you really think about it, there is an Animax India channel. India. I mean yeah, they watch anime there too. But don’t we? Where’s our anime channel? This is kind of messed up. A little weird, at least. Just as it is a little weird for a Canadian to win a Japanese anison contest and gets a shot at selling to otaku. At least Valkyria Chronicles kinda, slightly, just a little mainstream.
But somehow, I think it’s great.
Himeka seems to be a fan of Nana Mizuki, so giving some props there is only natural.
