Dragon Hub

Ongoing Discussions: Does Netflix treat their acquisitions with enough support? (Part 1: Recent Cancellations)

2018-12-14T15:56:00.000-06:00

Netflix has been making questionable choices to fans & subscribers of the streaming platform as of late. They have abruptly cancelled series that have had huge fan bases such as Sense8 & their Marvel shows. They have spent a ridiculous amount of money on shows that have ended several years ago like Friends. Last but certainly not least, they have gained heavy criticism from FUNimation CEO Gen Fukunaga, on how they'll possibly treat their recent anime acquisition Evangelion. What I want to discuss is the reason for some of the criticism Netflix is getting and if it is even deserved. Strap in folks, it's time to look at Netflix.

CANCELLATIONS

The first topic to discuss is Netflix's recent cancellations. As mentioned earlier, one that you may see even if you have never even watched the show, is the internet's reaction to Sense 8 being cancelled. 8 times out of 10, if you are looking at Netflix's Twitter or Instagram, there is at least one or two fans still mildly upset about the cancellation of the series and demanding Netflix revive it. Since the outcry when it was initially cancelled, Netflix has promised a movie tying up the series loose ends, but many still aren't satisfied.

While many cancelled shows have their share of upset fans, what makes Netflix cancellations hurt all the more for fans is the fact that they don't have any indication to tell if a show is doing well besides looking at how people talk about it online. With most television series, you can simply looking at Nielsen ratings to have a good indication on how a show is doing on a network. Unfortunately with Netflix, the streaming company does not reveal it's ratings to the public, unless they are big enough to warrant sharing them.

This is also a reason as to why it came as such a shock to fans when Netflix decided to abruptly cancel Marvel series such as Luke Cage & Daredevil. While some saw this coming, with the silent cancellation of the Defenders, which notoriously got lower ratings than Marvel's other offerings on the app, it was still a surprise due to being a part of such a high grossing film franchise.

Since the cancellations, we have learned a bit more of why Netflix decided to end the series and there are several reasons. For one, Disney is planning a competitor streaming service against Netflix called Disney +. On this streaming service, they are planning for their own Marvel series that will be directly in continuity with the films. While Netflix and reporters say this is not the main reason, one can't help but notice the timing of these cancellations with the news of this streaming service. For anyone considering that Disney might just be trying to put these Netflix shows on Disney +, that appears to not be the case happening here as there is a clause that say anyone would have to wait 2 yeas for these characters to be used again after Netflix.

Besides Disney+, there was also the fact that people have talked considerably less about these shows on social media, which is important for a show on streaming services like netflix & hulu in order to remain relevant since there can only be so much internal advertising by Netflix themselves. The final issue, at least for the show Luke Cage, was apparently conflicts in the writers room about where to take the series.

(To be continued. Part 2 focuses more on speculation using the facts we know about how much Netflix spends on certain shows + a defense on comments made against Netflix in my personal view.)

A Restart--Rambling thoughts from DP

2018-07-25T09:58:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, I haven't blogged in a while, especially not on this site. Over the past 4 years, I was earning a bachelors degree in public relations and decided I'd be doing so much writing, I probably should't waste my time continuing to blog. With that said, now I'm more free to blog again, so I'm happy to say I'm going to try writing post more often on here. We'll see how it goes and if I can continue to do this. It all depends on how my career lands in the future and if I manage to get a job that will keep me too busy to work on this site.

For those wondering what I am currently doing, I work as a package handler for a shipping company. It's a hard labor job and not something that someone who graduated college should be doing, but hey, money is money. I'm hopeful I'll be out of this job in the next two months, but for now I have seen the benefits of my hard labor and have really started gaining some muscle and have been able to feel more confident about myself. Not saying that I was overweight, but that it just feels good to do work and see the results of it, which is something I never really felt at college till I held that degree in my hands.

So what topics will I be covering on this site now? I'm thinking I will do opinion pieces for the most part on news whether it be comics,television,movies,etc. I may also share my opinion on politics every now and then, just to have somewhere to rant about these things.

The most important new section I will have on this blog though is finding my inner piece. I plan to discuss really personal things in a way I think can relate to everyone to help better find themselves. I'm still working on this and may actually move this to a different blog since it's such a different topic than what this blog normally covers, so just consider this a thought in process.

Anyways, thank you to anyone who actually clicked on this post and cared enough to read it. The first opinion piece I have coming is my thoughts on Batman,Superman and whether them being married is the end of the road for them.

Should Superman Kill?

2016-01-27T00:51:00.001-06:00

Should Superman Kill?

By Jarrod Bethel

It’s June 12^th, 2013 and many comic fans are standing in line and getting excited for the premiere of what could be the film Superman fans have been waiting for, “Man Of Steel!” The film, directed by Zack Snyder, promises to be an iconic and fresh take on the origins of the character, something fans have been hoping for since the film was first announced. As the film started, fans were entranced by the films visual effects and stunning writing, but there was one part of the film where fans had to stop the “wow’s” and go “wow... really?”

This moment was non other than when Superman is battling General Zod in a destroyed Metropolis after Zod has invaded the city, threatening to destroy everyone on Earth. Near the end of the fight, Zod begins to attack a family in peril, with no other choice, Superman does the unexpected and snaps Zod’s neck. This might be a moment where some ask the question, “what’s the big deal?” The big deal is that this is the first time in mainstream media where Superman has killed someone for the greater good, not rising up to the challenge and finding another way.

This scene left the audience astonished because most have never seen Superman portrayed like this before. This scene gave the audience a huge question to linger on: “Should Superman kill?” That question is what leads this paper, where the notion of where Superman should kill will be discussed in great detail. From what the original creators intended him to be, how comics in the past addressed Superman being a killer, stories that actually showed Superman being a killer and finally seeing the reasons from the writer and director of “Man Of Steel” on why they chose to have a Superman who kills in this film.

To first discuss the notion of whether Superman should kill, the first thing that must be looked at is what his creators intended him to be. In a documentary discussing the history of comic book heroes, Superman’s history was looked at by historians and the character that was described by the original creations was, to put it lightly, not much like the character seen on the big screen today. This Superman was a rough one, but at the same time he was described as “having the strength of Hercules, but being the middle man’s hero. To be a better person than the one next to him.”(Super Heroes) The idea about the original Superman was more so that it was less about the subject of topics such as “should superman kill his enemies” and more on the idea of being a social crusader.

The creators of Superman, Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, were both Jewish immagrants and had to work hard for what they got at the time, this shows when looking at the origin of the Superman character at the time and the comparisons to their own lives, best described in the book Superman: The World’s Most Fly Highing hero:“an immigrant figure whose desire was to fit into American culture as an American". (Tye) At the time, the creator's intentions were for the character to be not simply a hero to the young, but also a social crusader and commentary on events going on in the time. There was a reason for why Clark Kent was a hard pounding journalist in his day job besides just being a secret identity, so he could be knowledgable and smart of events going on and so the creators could make their own comments on events going in at the time in their comics.(Gaudini pt. 1)

Just to provide a example, in the 1930’s during the Great Depression and when FDR made the New Deal, the creators of Superman gave their own social commentary on it by proclaiming Superman as a “champion of the oppressed.”(Gaudini pt. 1) The reason this particular example is provided is because it shows how Superman changes depending on events going on at the time. Take a look at another example, 10 years later after the original creation of the character, there is something very different about him: his power level. This is quoted best in this discussion of Superman’s ideology which shows how Superman changed due To Americans’ reaction to the threat of a nuclear war: “In 1938, Superman was super-fast, super-strong and could leap an eighth of a mile! Little by little, the Man of Steel gained more powers, like flight, heat vision and whatever else writers felt like adding. By the 1950s he had become infinitely powerful, able to weather a nuclear explosion. Americans of the period lived in the shadow of the all-power bomb, frightened of a the possibility of an all-destructive nuclear war. And yet here, the American superhero, was smiling bravely in the face of nuclear holocaust, certain that he could handle anything such existential threat.” (Gaudini pt. 2) These examples are not to simply browse the history of the character throughout the times, but show that depending on the time when he is written, he will change to fit in with it.

This ideology of a different Superman depending on the times continued until the 1990’s when the famous “Death of Superman” storyline occurred where Superman and Doomsday both fought each other to death. (Jurgens) To death as in, Superman killed someone, but the reason it did not cause a controversy was due to the fact that it was not only overshadowed by Superman’s own death, but there was no other choice in the way it was written. This was the first time Superman had ever killed someone, but due to the factors, it was overlooked at the time and seen as more of an act of good deed by the character, stopping a force that could not be stopped by any other means.

Based on the idea that if Superman is written differently based on what events are going on at the time, was there ever a time when Superman has killed someone on purpose in the comics? Several times actually, and the most ironic part about these times that Superman killed someone is the fact that they have all taken place in the past 10 years.

The first instance of this occured in the 2013 video game comic tie-in series “Injustice” where Superman kills The Joker after he is tricked to kill his wife Lois Lane and their unborn child.(Taylor) The next instance is in the 2013 DC Comics “Trinity War” event where Superman “kills” Dr light, but it is later revealed that Superman was brainwashed and did not do it on purpose.(Johns) The latest moment where Superman took another life is in a alternate universe series called “Earth 2” where superman has become brainwashed by the villain Darkseid and kills many people on the planet, including his own father who adopted him. (Taylor 2)

The ironic part of this is that so far, it has been proven that Superman is written as a character who is a social representation of the times. So if he has become a killer to stop bad guys, what does that show of the times? Well, that is not a question for the essay, but it does bring the topic back to it’s central question: “Should Superman Kill?” The reason why Superman’s writing approach throughout comics history is explained in so much detail in this paper is because it is to help readers understand that Superman has gotten to the point of killing enemies to save others.

Before concluding this essay, there is one more story that could affect the question that is being asked in the paper and that story is “What’s So Funny About Truth,Justice And The American Way?”(Kelly)

In the story, Superman is confronted by The Elite, a group of self proclaimed super heroes who use their powers to kill super villains without judgment and to take the law into their own hands. Superman himself is disgusted by these heroes due to the fact that they use their powers to harm bad people rather than to save good people. Superman was extremely disturbed by the fact that the villains would not care that they murdered innocent bystanders. When confronting The Elite, both sides quickly realize that they won’t agree on things and decide to have a duel (on another planet at Supermans request;so no one on earth gets hurt) to see which side is right. At first, Superman is seen as losing with The Elite members taking him down, but then Superman uses his powers to take each and every one of them down, and through the use of the camera's, he makes people believe he actually killed them. Superman does all of this to prove a point to Manchester Black, the leader of The Elite, and to show him that killing is never the way and that while he did have all of the power needed to take down the elite, he didn’t because that is just not the way he was raised to believe. (Kelly)

His reasoning for all of this is best described in the last quote of the issue where he says: “Dreams save us. Dreams lift us Up and transform us. And on my soul, I swear… until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice become the reality we all share… I’ll never stop fighting.” (Kelly)

Joe Kelly wrote that story so that he can show that Superman did have a place in pop culture in a time where he didn’t seem needed. He adapted the story into an animated film in 2012 where he gave more insight into the idea of the story: " Like the original comic story, the film is thought provoking without being preachy and really delivers a punch. The original story was about anti-heroes and comic fans and trends in the industry that were disturbing to me when it was written. For the story to work as a film, we needed to get beyond that while keeping the core of the story: that Superman serves a purpose and his moral code is relevant even in the modern world. This is where the expansion into "world politics" really helped." (Goldenberg)

What is trying to be conveyed in this paper through the study of Joe Kelly’s story is that Superman is a character who must continue to revitalize to stay relevant to today’s world and while Man Of Steel really took to the idea of revitalizing, did it really need to take it to the point of killing someones life? Well, that brings back the question, should Superman kill? This is a question where all of the research in the world won’t find a answer due to the fact that it depends on the writer writing the story he is in to make that answer, but maybe all one needs to do is look at this quote by famous Superman writer Grant Morrison on the subject of Superman becoming a killer in today’s times: “I don't want to sound like some fuddy-duddy Silver Age apologist but I've noticed a lot recently of people saying Batman should kill the Joker and, yeah, Superman should kill, he should make the tough moral decisions we all have to make every day. I don't know about you, but the last moral decision I made didn't have anything to do with killing people. And I don't think many of us ever have to make the decision whether or not to kill. In fact, the more you think about it, unless you're in one of the Armed Forces, killing is illegal and immoral. Why would we want our superheroes to do that?” (Truitt)

Bethel 8

Works Cited

SuperHeroes: A Never Ending Battle Dir. Michael Kantor Perf. Stan Lee, Adam West, Lynda Carter, Joe Simon. Ghostlight Films, 2014. Film

Gaudini, Michael. "The Ideology of Superman: The New Deal Democrat." Diniverse Major. N.p., 9 Sept. 2011. Web.

Tye, Larry. Superman : The High-Flying History Of America's Most Enduring Hero / Larry Tye. n.p.: New York : Random House, c2012., 2012. NWCC Catalog. Web.

Jurgens, Dan.(w),Jurgens, Dan.(d), Breeding, Brett.(i) “The Death Of Superman.” Superman #75(Jan. 1993) National Comics Publications [DC Comics].

Taylor, Tom. "Injustice: Gods Among Us." Library Journal 139.10 (2014): 53. NWCC Catalog.

Johns, Geoff. "Justice League: The Trinity War." Publishers Weekly 261.13 (2014): 48-49. Literary Reference Center.

Taylor, Tom. "Earth 2 #25." N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Kelly, Joe. "Action Comics 775." N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Goldberg, Lesley. "Joe Kelly Previews DC/Warner Home Video's 'Superman vs. The Elite'" The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 14 Mar. 2012.

Spoiler-Filled Review: The Dark Knight Returns(Parts 1)

2016-01-27T00:45:00.000-06:00

Today I would like to take the time and discuss the brilliance of one of DC's recent animated movies(based on a classic graphic novel) known as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. This story has been getting a lot of headlines due to the fact that the upcoming and highly anticipated film "Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice" is using the original graphic novel as a springboard of sorts for the film. Hearing so much about the story has gotten me to finally check out the material of the graphic novel, for now at least by DC's faithful adaption of the film. Enjoy the review.

So most likely if you are reading this review, you know the story and are just hearing my thoughts on it. What I'd like to go through in this review are my thoughts and views on how some things are handled in the film. Again, this is my first time ever seeing this material before so I don't particularly know how some of the scenes in this film differ from how they were in the comic besides famous panel sequences and pages that I have encountered online before.

The film begins with Bruce Wayne pushing himself to the limits in a race track where he even ignores what his driver assistant suggests him to do and continues pushing himself further. Immediately we realize, this is the result of a man who has spent his life fighting crime and he has reached the point his life where past events are taking a toll on him. We can only imagine how things go next.

As the film continues, we realize Bruce Wayne has retired from a life of crime fighting and has given up the mantle....which he quickly picks back up as a new crime gang known as "The Mutants" begin to terrorize Gotham and with Jim Gordon's coming retirement, the city needs a hero. I really enjoyed seeing how fast it took the film to bring Bruce to put on the costume again and I loved the direction they took to show why he would bother continuing to fight crime in a city where new villain arise each day.

The key scene I keep thinking of in this film that motivates Bruce to start fighting again is when he flips through television channels and goes from the news and to the mask of Zorro film, where he continues to realize that violence has never stopped in the city and that he has essentially given up on fighting the war. This scene is powerful by showing us just how haunting that night was for Bruce, especially when we saw just before, that one of the motivating factors he had for giving up the mantle was Jason Todd, a former Robin who died under the guise of Batman.

Now let me speak on the immediate scenes after Bruce first puts back on the costume and begins fighting again. with one simple word...WOW! I love the idea that Bruce is still fighting almost as good as he did in his prime and that he can still be a scary presence to the bad guys of the city. Anyways, one person in particular is really motivated by being saved by the Dark Knight on his first night out again, Carrie Kelly, who takes it upon herself to become a self proclaimed robin and help Batman against his war on crime.

I have to admit, I didn't know what to expect of this robin coming into the film, but was pleasantly surprised at how much I ended up liking the character. At first, I thought she was just being extremely reckless by jumping buildings and running to wherever Batman would be, but then I realized, she was a lot more smarter than I realized and that she could take care of herself and that eventually, Batman noticed that. I liked the fact that Batman didn't struggle to accept her as a sidekick or that he wasn't even mad when he saw her wearing the robin costume.

He simply let her be a "soldier" in his army against crime and when Alfred tried to remind Bruce about the last soldier he had, Bruce just said that Jason was a fine soldier and moved on. I loved how by this point of time, Bruce had already accepted Jason's death and was no longer holding it against himself and that he was able to take in a new robin. I think the idea that it was a girl robin helped matters as well because it was a testament that anyone could challenge violence and that no one in Gotham should be scared of the villainy there, which is something that I feel was emphasized in the second half of the film.

The first villain of this story was a redefined Two Face, who at the beginning of the story, was believed to be healed and done with his life of crime. But of course, he wasn't done. He made a plan to blow up two buildings in 22 minutes if he didn't get a huge sum of money. What we didn't know until Batman got to him was that Two Face was planning on suicide as soon he got the money.

What's interesting to me is after this discovery of his planned suicide and when Batman uncovers Two Face's mask, which many news reporters and Batman himself suggested he may have done something to his face again. It turns out Two Faace did nothing to his face. All he says is that people were just laughing at him when they saw his face and that it wasn't healed. That he truly thought the world hated him. It was the ultimate irony that a healed and older Two Face saw the entire world as a two faced coin with everyone meaning the opposite of what they say. I really loved this as a end to the character.

The major villains of part one is the Mutant gang and it's leader. At first, I thought the idea of this Mutant gang was very absurd and weird, but the more I watched, I realized I liked them for what they stood for. Random hate and crime. The type of crime that people do for no reason except to just do it. To me, these were the perfect type of villains to get Batman fighting for the city again, especially since part of the reasons Batman started fighting crime was due to all of the gang violence in Gotham city. So it was a nice full circle that this is what lead him back to fighting crime.

The leader of the mutant's was very...how do I say it, ruthless in this story and striked me as disturbing and unwelcoming. I can only imagine how Batman felt when he saw his city was being threatened by him. To me, the first fight Bruce had on the mutants was nothing compared to the final beat down between Bruce and the leader(and lets be honest, the first fights bite the Mutants leader did? Been there,seen that with the Walking Dead. ;)) was nothing compared to the second fight between them. During that match, I truly had no clue which way the match could turn and the sudden change of Mutants gang turning a new leaf to fight on Batman's side was very inspiring and nice to watch. I will talk more about how Batman impacted them in my part 2 review.

Overall, that sums up my thoughts on the first part of the film. In my second part of my review/discussion of The Dark Knight Returns, I will discuss my thoughts on The Joker,Superman and the new commissioner in the film. Be sure to tell me what you think of this review on Twitter @DragonPiece.

Dragon Review: Michiko and Hatchin Part 1

2013-09-16T19:58:00.000-05:00

This time on Dragon Review I take a dive at what been called a spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop, Michiko And Hatchin Part 1! Is this show as good as the hype makes it out to believe? Find out after the break!

What They Say

Michiko is a stunning escaped convict with lethal looks and a deadly disrespect for the lawmen trying to hunt her down. Hatchin is a hapless orphan pushed to the breaking point by the sadistic spawn of her fiendish foster parents. On their own, these chicas are nothing more than a Yin searching for its Yang, but when fate - in the form of a mysterious hombre from their past - brings them together, the world better watch out!

With the future dead-ahead and la policia hot on their heels, Michiko and Hatchin burn rubber through exotic locals where danger lurks around every corner. It's two against the world in this sun-soaked, Latin-tinged tale of partners in crime who won't stop running till they chase down a dream.

Contains episodes 1-11.

Special Features: Select Episode Commentaries, Michiko: The Woman Behind It All, Unveiling Press Conference, Live Action Promo Video, Anime Promo Video, Textless Songs, Trailers.

REVIEW

Right off the bat, this show has a killer concept. A little girl who is treated like trash being rescued by this escaped convict calling herself the girls mom? That's a great start for the first episode. It's just a shame the series doesn't do as well with the concept and ideas laid out throughout the first half of this series as I would have hoped. Now before you get your pants ruffled because I said something bad about this show, know that I do understand what the director of this series was trying to go for here, which I believed she perfected with what she directed next but just did not get right on the spot here, though I did enjoy the series a lot, it just fails to meet the expectations I had.(And by this, I mean part 1. I have to say I am enjoying part 2 the more I watch and plan on giving it a better score than I did this.)

As I said, the show starts out with a girl who is designed to be a Cinderella type figure named Hana, who is treated terribly(as you will see in the first episode) by her foster family. It is not till recently escaped convict Michiko escapes and rescues Hana and then tells her she is her mom that the story begins. The next few episodes are expected, with the two getting use to the way each other act and having polar opposite personalities, with Hana always getting treated like(excuse the language) shit by Michiko. It begins to get really agravating and I see how it works in the story, but it just continues to happen each episode. Maybe it's just me, but I would have preferred to see a bit more friendliness from Michiko to Hatchin. And I checked to see if this was just something for the first half of the series. And the very first episode of the second half of the series deals with Michiko being troublesome for poor Hatchin, it's just such a over used plot point in the series.

Another part of the series I didn't like is that the plots from different episodes seem to just drop and turn back up(or not at all) at the worst times. One episode of the series deals with a stripper wanting to leave her job, yet that plot suddenly takes the back burner as some sort of development for Michiko, yet it doesn't really develop her character at all and really makes me wonder what the point of the episode was at all besides showing one of Michiko and Hatchin's journey together. Speaking of Michiko's character development, it's just so badly done. It feels like she never learns any lesson she has. The character itself is really nice and unique in a world mostly full of the same type of female characters we see all the time in anime, but there are too many annoying moments too have with this character. Each episode I hope Michiko actually stays with Hatchin, but instead does something stupid or doesn't care for Hatchin's feelings at all. This is addressed in the show once, but it would happen again right in the next episode, truly showing how bad this show can be at character development.

To be fair, I do like Hatchin's development so far in the series. Going from the girl who would get picked on by her foster siblings to becoming a independent and strong girl was really nice to see. Her solo adventures are some of the best parts of the series so far.

Another great part of this show is the voice acting. Monica Rial absolutely nails it as Michiko and should win a "anime voice of the year" award if there is anything like that(which I don't think there is, correct me if I'm wrong.) She truly elevates the character with a voice no one would expect from Monica by giving her such a original voice unlike all of her other roles and truly bringing about a A+ performance! It's truly something you have to hear to believe! The rest of the dub is also great being directed by Christopher Bevins(He has also directed Sengoku Basara and El Cazador for FUNimation.)

As for the bonuses, this set also excels with fascinating commentaries,a behind the scenes discussion with the voice actor for Michiko, a press conference introducing the series,promos from Japan and per usual with most FUNimation releases,textless openings and endings plus trailers of upcoming FUNimation releases.

Overall, I would like to say I hope the second half of this show is a much better watch than the first. I feel like I may have went over board with how much how I disliked certain parts of this show, but I really wanted to make my case clear with the reasons I didn't like the series since I hear people constantly rave about how good this show is. I was just very hyped and excited for it only to be left underwhelmed. And while I say this, I will admit that this is a show that shouldn't be missed. There are a lot of great episodes on this too that I think people should watch, though as a whole entity, I will have to give this show the opinion of...

NOT WORTH THE HYPE

While this definitely isn't a show you should miss, it definitely is not as great as everyone has been suggesting it too be. Watch with caution, because if you end up not liking it as much as you thought you would, you aren't alone on that thought.

You can buy Michiko and Hatchin: Part 1 on Blu-Ray and DVD wherever anime is sold!(But I recommend Rightstuf!)

Dragon Review: Lupin the 3rd: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine

2013-08-13T13:30:00.000-05:00

This time on Dragon Review, I review Lupin The Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine! The title alone for this anime should be enough to get interested in this one of a kind series, but does such a franchise like Lupin do good with a female protagonist? Find out after the break!

What They Say

She's a thief. A killer. A saint and a scandal. She's whatever you need her to be to get the job done. After sizing you up with one sinful glance, she disarms you with a touch. You're powerless to resist. She's walking seduction, with an insatiable itch for the priceless and a fetish for mischief. She takes your breath away to get what she wants. She takes everything else just because she can. It's all in a night's work for the woman called Fujiko Mine. She's the slinky, sultry thread that holds Lupin III's crew together - and this is the heist that started it all.

Contains episodes 1-13.

Special Features: Commentary for Episodes 6 & 9, Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine Cast Reunion, Fujiko Mine at OkraTron 5000, Textless Opening Song, Textless Closing Song, U.S. Trailer, Trailers.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

REVIEW

___________

Where do I even begin with the series without saying right off the bat I absolutely loved this series from episode 1! From the writing to the art to the voice acting, everything is top notch here, I really couldn't find any problems with this series. I know that might make this review a bit boring since I am just going to gloat about how much I love this series but...it's true! This series is truly stunning and I will start off by telling you how beautiful the story of this series is!

Unlike other Lupin series, this anime stars Fujiko Mine, not Lupin The Third(a side character this time.) And that is the exact reason this show is so better than others. It does things differently with a different setting almost each episode, different characters get focused each episode and the story is different each episode until you realize near the end how it all comes together. The show truly tries to do something different as we see the story of Fujiko Mine, a story that truly will have your head spinning till the very end.

As I said, Fujiko Mine is the lead character of the series. What can I say about her? The 2 main qualities about her is that she is very sexy and isn't afraid to show that as you will see in the series (and you will see A LOT.) The other quality about her is that she is a thief, just like Lupin, which is how the 2 meet in the first episode. In this series, Lupin is about the same Lupin iteration as usual, but he declares in the first episode he wants Fujiko for himself, which is why the series is still called Lupin The Third. That is actually another reason I love this series, how every character has a very integral part to the main plot. Like for instance, 2 characters who each have their own separate story arcs with Fujiko, Jigen and Goemon, both have have their story lines resolved by the end and one of those characters doesn't have any interaction with Lupin at all. The other main characters would be Zenigata, the detective who is always after Lupin, who must go after Fujiko in this series since he can't get Lupin without getting her first and the other main character is Oscar, the detectives assistant who lets just say...has a very interesting part in this story.

One more thing I want to mention about the story is just how great each episode is on it's own, like I said before, a lot of these characters have their own separate stories all leading to the same ending, but a lot of the earlier episodes are all stand alone and can be watched by themselves which is something I find cool about the show. And if you ever decide to rewatch(and if you end up loving this series as much as me, you will), then be sure to look out for the owls. They show up in just about each episode and is a tease for the final episodes, showing you just how connected the series was.

Overall what I am saying here is that this anime was amazing and that you should buy this anime just because of that excluding the dub and extra's. But FUNimation was nice enough to include them because they love you so continuing on..

The dub is absolutely just as stunning as the series itself, they were able to find the voices from the older series(which wasn't that hard to do as most of the voices still work at FUNimation), the main lead's voice Fujiko Mine was played by Michelle Ruff who may have done the best voice over work I have seen in a very long time. She really was able to get into the voice of Fujiko and make it her own and hearing the poetry that starts each episode of the series off always sets you in tone for the show. Sonny Strait also does a good job as Lupin as usual and the rest of the dub cast also does a fantastic job per usual. Christopher Sabat, the dub director, did a very great job for this dub so I have to hand it to him on that.

Speaking of Chris Sabat, he did one of the commentaries for the set with the voice of Lupin, Sonny Strait, and that commentary was probably my favorite non One Piece commentary I have ever heard. They have such a love for this show with how much time they put onto in the past and it shows. They really sound like they have a really good time with this series and love it just as much as the fans do. There is another commentary on this set also which features Brina Palencia who was part of the production of this dub so check that also as she defends Fujiko's habit of being naked in the series!

Other extra's on this set include a behind the scenes look of dub being made with Chris Sabat directing Michelle Ruff in the studio and the two of them talking about the series. It's very cool to see the inside of the Okatron 5000 studio, as I haven't actually seen it before. Also included is a cast reuinion and textless openings and closings and trailers per usual.

So in case you are still confused from what I have been getting at, here is my rating for Lupin The Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine...

Perfect

Lupin The Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is nothing short of perfection and provides a perfect beginning and end to the story of Fujiko Mine with a terrific story,beautiful art and fantastic voice acting.

You can buy Lupin The Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine on DVD and Blu-Ray wherever anime is sold!

Dragon Review: Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends DVD/Blu-Ray The Complete Series

2013-08-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

This time on the first Dragon Review of the summer(with a lot more incoming in the next few weeks), I take a look at a new and recent harem anime known as Haganai: I don't have many friends! I personally don't like harems as they tend to have the same formula with each one...but will this series be any different and do something to break the mold? Find out after the break!

What They Say

Yozora's an abrasive loudmouth whose only friend at school is imaginary. She knows she's difficult - which makes her better off than Kodoka, a new transfer student who picked up an undeserved bad reputation the second he stepped on campus. Inspired by their shared status as social catastrophes, the two loners unite and start the Neighbors Club, an organization dedicated to finding other misfits and making friends.

In no time, a third member joins their ranks: Sena, a pretty, popular rich girl who annoys Yozora to no end. With Kodoka in the middle of the chaos, the brash brunette and the blonde boy-magnet go 'round and 'round, even as the Neighbors Club begins to grow. Hopefully, the girls can get past their rivalry, because sometimes the friendship you're looking for is right in front of you, and sometimes the best friends are the friends you never even wanted.

Contains episodes 1-13.

Special Features: Blu-ray & DVD Spots, Original Commercials, Promotional Videos, TV Spots, Textless Opening and Closing Song, U.S. Trailer, Trailers.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

REVIEW

___________

I didn't really know what to expect before watching Haganai, all I really knew was that the series was set in a high school and that the main character didn't have friends. When I finished watching the series, it came out to be a a typical harem anime, but with a sideplot that seems interesting at first but is never really developed well(and you can argue that is why there is a second season, but I actually finished watching the second season just to see how that side story develops..and it hardly develops further at all and the season ends on a even worse cop out ending than this one...but that is for another review if FUNimation decides to release that season.)

As I mentioned before, this show is a harem. A show with one male lead and the rest of the cast being female. Fortunately, the show isn't all about their boobs though as typical harem are(but if that is your thing..you will see a fair amount of it.) For the most part, the series was about gaining new friends and I guess if that was the purpose of the show...it wasn't accomplished very well. The main character does meet new people to talk too, but none of them considered each other as friends. And 2 of them constantly pick on one another which became more annoying to watch than funny.

Now from what I said so far you most likely think I hate the series, and I wouldn't really say that. There are some things good about the series. For one, I like the chemistry from the female lead, whose name is Yozora, and the lead male character, Kodaka, while that plot isn't really developed further, I guess I expected even less to begin with for the series being a harem anyways. I also liked the easy going attitude the show had, it was nice to just relax and watch. Maybe that shows how brain dead this show is, but I really liked how casual it was and how their wasn't any drama for the most part.

Now enough on my thoughts on the series, lets talk about the dub, which is probably the best part of the series. I always like how FUNimation has fun dubbing harems and this is no exception. The cast is all around great, though I heard that a character in the series, Rika, who talks in first person in the dub which I thought was clever and cute, doesn't do that in the subbed version which I find weird...but I wouldn't care about that too much, just thought I would make note of it.

As I said earlier, there are a bunch of cut away gags FUNi slipped in for this dub like people in the background making a joking nod to Pinky and The Brain(which I won't spoil the actual joke, but you will see what I mean when you watch the series.) As for the voices, FUNimation did a great job finding talent that isn't used often enough to make this sound like a fresh and new dub. And as for someone, who has reviewed FUNimation anime for the past year and a half, it was very refreshing to not hear Todd Haberkorn get the lead again! Overall, this dub is definitely one of the best parts about the series!

For the extras, we get spots for the DVD and Blu-Ray when they were coming out in Japan,promos for when the series was airing in Japan...and that is about it for anything worth noting. As usual, we get openings,closings,commentaries and trailers for other FUNimation anime.

So overall, I would say the series if you are interested in a good story with a plot that actually develops...this anime isn't for you. If you are interested in comedy and the typical ecchiness that a harem usually brings, this series is for you. Unfortunately, I was hoping for a good story, which Haganai really isn't. While it does have some good moments in the series,a great dub and alright extras, I just can't see myself recommending this anime for others so I will unfortunately be giving this series a review of...

Meh

I don't recommend or hate the series, though I definitely closer on the latter side. It is definitely something I suggest you take my review into mind before deciding this is type of series you would like to watch.

You can buy Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends on DVD and Blu-Ray now wherever anime is sold!

Dragon Review: Tenchi Muyo: War On Geminar Part 1

2013-07-17T11:53:00.001-05:00

Dragon Piece Reviews…

Tenchi Muyo: War On Geminar Part 1!

It has been a while since the United States had a new Tenchi Muyo anime to enjoy and be entertained by. Case in point, the last Tenchi series that aired in the states was Tenchi Muyo GXP, a series which recently ended it’s run on Toonami. The main problem with that series would be the main character, Seina, who I would say is just about the worst protagonist in all anime, yes I said all anime. He trips and falls on boobs constantly due to being very clumsy and does just about anything you can think of to give you a face palm. This plus terrible animation and flat out bad plot lines really made this the worst Tenchi Muyo series to ever see the light of day here, even causing people who disliked Tenchi Muyo In Tokyo to rethink their opinions on that series! What I am saying here is that Tenchi Muyo hasn’t had good light in America lately. Thankfully, the release of Tenchi Muyo: War On Geminar Part 1 changes all of that.

War On Geminar is a 13 part OVA series focusing on the adventures of Tenchi’s half brother Kenshi. This series brings great changes in the world of Tenchi Muyo with a vibrant new cast that all have unique characteristics and to the complete opposite of GXP, one of the most likeable main protagonists in the franchise so far. So far, Kenshi has done all the right things in the series by solving problems quickly and having great martial art skills while still being able to show emotions and a have a true good nature. In a lot of ways he reminds me of Luffy from One Piece, just without being hungry for meat constantly. Enough about Kenshi though, lets talk about the rest of the cast.

As I said earlier, the rest of the cast is great too. Being a Tenchi Muyo series, the cast is mostly female with a few male characters, but they aren’t that important…till the end anyway…because PLOT! This time, the women featured in the series each have a good role to play besides just having a crush on the main character and filling one small stereotypical role. In this anime, the females more have more character development and a variety of personalities as the series progresses. The cast include Princess Lashara, the princess who makes Kenshi her servant, she also has a bodyguard named Chiaia, a pretty clumsy woman but has her moments, she has a crush on her childhood friend named Dagmeyr, who becomes a very important character in the series. You will want to pay close attention to him. Anyways, Lashara isn’t the only princess though as Princess Maria quickly makes her own debut, she also has a bodyguard and servant named Yukine, who happens to have a huge crush on Kenshi when she first meets him. Besides the royalty, Wahanly is a inventor at the academy, Lithia is the president of the academy and often calls Kenshi a “wild animal” and there is also Aura, who hasn’t gotten too much spotlight yet, but is a pretty nice and honest character so far. One more female character who is pretty vital in the story would be Mexiah Furan, who ends up being a major character in the end of the first part.

So those are the characters I feel are important to know before watching the series. Something I also want to mention before watching the series is to not write the series off with just the first episode. The first episode of the series really dragged for me and I personally felt very confused at understanding the story line and it wasn’t until I read what was happening on Wikipedia, that I decided to continue watching with the second episode. The way AIC(the company who animated and made it) designed the first episode just really felt odd to me, it isn’t until Kenshi gets captured that you start to understand what is actually unfolding.

As for the FUNimation dub, it is definitely the best one to ever come out in the states so far, I won’t bore you with a list of who is playing who, you can see that here, but I do want to say a few who I think stand out and do a great job. The one voice that always comes to my mind as my favorite is Kenshi, I know I have said already how awesome the protagonist is in this series, but that halfway has to do with the voice playing him,Jason Liebercht! Jason does a great job of nailing the voice for Kenshi by portraying him differently when he is being awkward,when he fights or when he is just being emotional, he manages to keep all of these portrayals in the voice of a country teenager, which is who Kenshi truly is at the end of the day. Besides that, the rest of the cast all do a great job also…and just because I am a fan of everything she voices, Colleen Clinkenbeard is a standout as the character Flora, totally not shouting that out because I am biased of every work Colleen has of course!

Also I do need to give another shout out to ADR director Joel Mcdonald, for making one of the best Tenchi Muyo dubs yet! Also shout outs to Kevin Leasure,John Burgmeier and Jamie Marchi, who also contributed to the dub of the series! They truly made a great one!

Now as for the quality, I’m not the best tech guy, but I can tell when something looks good and something doesn’t. And War On Geminar DOESN’T. From what I am seeing on forums, this was also the case in the Japanese Blu-Ray’s also though, so don’t guy rioting at FUNimation about this. At the very least, the quality looks better than it does on DVD. But since this is released as a combo pack, that isn’t too big of a deal huh?

For the extra’s, there is a lot to behold unlike most FUNimation releases. While the trails and commentaries for select episodes are included per usual, there are also behind the scenes looks at the music of the series plus trailers from when the series was first being releases in Japan. I always find these extras cool and exciting because we hardly ever get them. And of course, you get a 32 page art book if you buy the limited edition. So hurry up on that and buy the set as fast as you can, if you are interested.

Overall, Tenchi Muyo: War On Geminar part 1 is a fresh face for the Tenchi Muyo franchise as we get a new world and cast to play with, plus a fitting lead for the series unlike it’s predecessor GXP, which this series completely topples over in terms of well…everything. Anyways, enough of my constant pickings at GXP(one last time: it sucks!) This series definitely gets my recommendation for giving a watch but as I said earlier, due to the video quality of the series, I feel it isn’t a perfect release, so I am giving this set the rating of…

4 1/2 Out Of 5 Stars! A fantastic new entry in the Tenchi Muyo franchise that reminds us all what makes these series great in the first place!

Click here to order the limited in quality part 1 set(Or you can order the regular edition here!)

Dragon Review: Shakugan No Shan S (OVA)

2013-01-21T09:55:00.000-06:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

FUNimation has been releasing Shana on overdrive over the past few months, so why should you buy such a niche set like these OVA's? Well, if you think it will change your view of the story and show new plot lines, then your'e wrong! I only recommend this if you are a die hard fan, keep reading my review to find out why!

WHAT THEY SAY

Find out what happens when Yuji accidentally triggers a found Treasure Tool while it's pointed at Shana! Then, Yuji teams up with Wilhelmina to stalk their fiery friend - whose secrecy has become unsettling. Finally, in a two-part special, Shana tracks a Denizen's trail by sorting through a Torch's memories for clues. Her sleuth skills reveal a teenage girl's heartwarming last days and a predator with a serious identity crisis!

Contans OVA episodes 1-4:

Reshuffle

Domicile

Overture, Part 1

Overture, Part 2

Special Features: Shakugan no Shana-tan G, Shakugan no Shana-tan Dos, Shakugan no Shana-tan Tri-, Shakugan no Shana-tan Frontier, Textless Songs, Trailers.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

THE REVIEW

The 4 OVA's on the set take place right after season 1, while not actually continuing the story line left off from there. Each episode gives out random story lines like one that is flat out silly like Shana and Yuji switching bodies, which is a fun episode, but it really serves no purpose unless you are craving for more Shana episodes, which with the amount FUNimation is chugging this series out, you probably aren't/

The second OVA delves into Wilhelmina teaming up with Yuji, which is nice since she seemed so crazy and annoying in the first season, not saying this episode changes that, but it was nice to get a bit more character development.

The third and fourth OVA are definitely the weirdest as they take place before the series and before Shana met Yuji, and shows more of Shana's life before all of that. I honestly though it was really nice too see how her life was and how her character matched up with how she was at the beginning of season one. While not needing to be in the main series, this is one I though was a very well made prequel.

Overall , while these OVA's are not needed and you don't need it to understand the first 2 seasons(Don't know about the third yet!) These OVA's are good and if you are even in need of more Shana, they are worth getting!

Dragon Review: Toriko Part 1 and 2

2013-01-21T08:57:00.000-06:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

Guts, guts and more guts! On this Dragon Review, I review GUTS! I mean Toriko part 1 and 2! Is the ~~food~~, I mean anime, good enough too swallow?! Keep reading to find out!

WHAT THEY SAY

Welcome to the Gourmet Age, a time when the world is full of deliciously deadly ingredients that the wealthiest appetites in existence can't wait to devour. But only a mighty masticating mercenary like Toriko can track down the rarest animals on the planet and put them on a plate! This gluttonous gourmet hunter is one of the four Legendary Kings, superhuman warriors born to battle the likes of Troll Kongs, Gararagators, and Devil Pythons.

Accompanied by his loyal Battle Wolf and the promising young chef Komatsu, Toriko will circle the globe in search of the mouth-wateringly lethal ingredients that will one day make up his Full Course Menu of Life. The more ferocious the beast, the bigger the feast, but never forget the code of a true gourmet hunter: you gotta eat what you defeat!

Part 1 Contains episodes 1-13./ Part 2 contains episodes 14-26.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

THE EXTRA'S

Per usual for FUNimation, the extra's for Toriko part 1 include textless openings and closings...because people appreciate that. Trailers....because people like that. And menu's with background music...because it's smoothing.. Yep, nothing to see here.

THE QUALITY

Look, I don't really review quality, it's not my critique or area I'm good on, but I can at least tell when a series looks plain annoying to view. I don't know if FUNimation did anything to the video quality and if they did, that's not even what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is the animation. It's downright lazy and some of the worst from Toei animation. I know the money from Dragon Ball isn't going too last forever, but c'mon Toei, you can try harder than this! The bad animation really gave me a hard time watching the series...

THE REVIEW

WARNING: PLEASE HAVE FOOD BEFORE WATCHING OR YOUR MOTH WILL WATER.

I once read that Toriko is what would happen if Dragon Ball Z had a crossover with Top Chief. Now I have never seen Top Chief, I am just assuming it's a cooking show, and if that's the case, then the person who described it is right. Toriko Part 1 truly is that in both good ways and bad.

I would say in good ways due to the fact that the fighting is evident in this series, while it seems just like fun at first, the series truly begins to grow into action series, at the very least growing in the second part. And for bad ways, these fights drag. Like Dragon Ball Z level dragging...well, what I should say is, the dragging part begins in the second part of the series, which is also what is being reviewed here. So just beware of that as we continue.

Also one more thing you should be aware of before we continue any further is that this set doesn't actually contain episode 1, it actually starts at episode 2. Which makes sense since episode 1 is really a crossover to a One Piece episode and if I remember correctly, it's the second part of the crossover so it'd be even more confusing.

But ANYWAYS, you don't wanna hear about what's not on the set, you wanna know about what you are actually getting in the set! And what you are getting aret the first 13 episode of Toriko! The first few episodes of the show showcase everything I like about the series, which is the fact that it's already pretty grounded. Toriko is already a Heavenly King(which is like..pretty awesome in this universe) so it doesn't really feel like he is trying to be a Hokage or a Pirate King or reach for a goal, because he already has gotten it. He's also already has a ton of friends so it's not like he is lonely, all he does is just work towards completing his full course menu, which is his gran meal he wants to have and while doing that, just relaxing really. It's like being on retirement when you are older and having a hobby you collect...or at least that's how I perceive him too be.

The whole idea of that just makes the series feel a lot more smoother as you are watching it, while on the flip side, with how powerful Toriko is from the start and how powerful his friends are that he begins to team up with and meet again when he meets Komatsu, a nice you man who Toriko decides to be friends with, you don't really even feel the need to feel frightened at the task's they go through.

For example, one of the early episodes in the series deals with Toriko going to a nest of Kong Trolls to find a delicate fruit known as the rainbow fruit, but it's shown rather quickly that he can amount to the situation and handle the Trolls easily. While it's cool and awesome at first how well Toriko can handle these tough situations, it just makes you feel like all the task's he does in the future will be easy to handle, well at least in the first part you will feel that way....

Besides that small nitpick(and it really is small, the second part fixes that problem!), Toriko really is a good show to watch in the first part(and the second part if you like what you see in part 1!) The mouth watering food sensations you hear in every episode truly make your mouth water just at the rare sight of it even if the food delights have odd sights to behold. The interesting and varied characters that appear in the first few episodes are also great and each have a unique and great personality that bring this show alive in it's fantastic format.

Like I said before, whoever said this series is what would happen if Dragon Ball Z and Top Chef fused, then they were correct. Toriko Part 1 truly is that in all regards. So with all that in mind, I'm giving Toriko part's 1 and 2 the Dragon Rating of...

EXCELLENT

Order part 1 here!
And pre-order part 2 here!

Dragon Review: Panty And Stocking: The Complete Series(BLU-RAY)

2013-01-11T19:04:00.000-06:00

Dragon Piece reviews....

This time on Dragon Review, I turn my brain off for the raunchy,comedy series Panty and Stocking! This series is acclaimed as Japan's take on western animation, now that for a fact is true! But is it worth your money?! Find out!

WHAT THEY SAY

The Anarchy Sisters Panty and Stocking are two nasty angels who got booted from the pearly gates for being foul-mouthed bitches! Now they spend their days blowing up ghosts in the lecherous abyss between Heaven and Earth. Panty likes sex, Stocking likes sweets, their afro-sporting main man Garter Belt has a fetish we can't mention. Together, they're keeping the streets free of bodily fluids. Ghosts don't have a prayer against their panty pistols and stocking swords, and if this debaucherous duo can collect enough Heaven Coins, they just might get their halos back. They've got a slim chance in hell, but rolling commando is the best way to get lucky - especially with Panty and Stocking!

While supplies last, customers ordering this limited edition will also recieve a metal Heaven Coin!

Contains episodes 1-13.

Special Features: Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt Revealed: Unrated Cut, Sit Down with Panty and Stocking, Panty and Stocking in Sanitary Box OVAs 1-8, Ghost Explosion Collection, Promotional Video, Outtakes, U.S. Trailer, Textless Opening Song, Textless Closing Song, Previews.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

Time to dissect!

EXTRA'S

Contains episodes 1-13.

Special Features: Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt Revealed: Unrated Cut, Sit Down with Panty and Stocking, Panty and Stocking in Sanitary Box OVAs 1-8, Ghost Explosion Collection, Promotional Video, Outtakes, U.S. Trailer, Textless Opening Song, Textless Closing Song, Previews.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

MY THOUGHTS

There's a huge number of extra's on this set which is always nice. First off there are 8 ova's from the Japanese release which are fun little shorts, I am glad FUNimation was able to put those on the release.

There is a Ghost Explosion Collection which is a montage of every single time Panty and Stocking destroyed a monster, it's a pointless extra IMO but I guess the more extra's the merrier. There is also a montage on how they were able to do the Ghost Explosions and it's kind of cool to see the behind the scenes process.

There are A TON of promo's on this set, so if you had a favorite promo that aired for this show, chances are it's on the set. Also there are out takes, which for this show is really funny to see. Last but not least text less opening and closing, a trailer for the US dvd's and previews for other FUNimation anime.

Overall, a nice lot of extra's which is always good. And by the way, if you order a Right Stuf, you can get a replica of a heaven coin!

I also have too mention a new extra on the set for the Blu-Ray version which is a video interview with cast members of Panty and Stocking discussing their characters, I highly recommend getting the Blu-Ray version just for this because of the amount of laughs you get by it! I mean c'mon, it's Chris Sabat as one of the guests!

LANGUAGE

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

MY THOUGHTS

The dub for this show is absolutely wonderful, they honest couldn't have cast better here! Jami Marchi is possibly one of the best casting decisions ever with her role of Panty, she really gives you a perfect interpretation of Panty

Monica is also great casting giving you a fantastic Stocking, really showing you that emo-sugar loving girl. Last but certainly least for stand out voices is Chris Sabat's Gartelbet, his voice is absolutely astonishing and hilarious and truly is the perfect and only bad ass voice needed for the character. The whole cast is great and you will have a treat watching this dub.

THE STORY LINE

The Anarchy Sisters Panty and Stocking are two nasty angels who got booted from the pearly gates for being foul-mouthed bitches! Now they spend their days blowing up ghosts in the lecherous abyss between Heaven and Earth. Panty likes sex, Stocking likes sweets, their afro-sporting main man Garter Belt has a fetish we can't mention. Together, they're keeping the streets free of bodily fluids. Ghosts don't have a prayer against their panty pistols and stocking swords, and if this debaucherous duo can collect enough Heaven Coins, they just might get their halos back. They've got a slim chance in hell, but rolling commando is the best way to get lucky - especially with Panty and Stocking!

MY THOUGHTS

What can I say, this series is one of a kind. Starring Panty and Stocking, these angels must collect 99 coins to get back into Heaven. Unfortuantely these girls would rather have sex with 99 guys or eat 99 donuts. To their luck though, they have Garterbelt watching over them and making sure they don't screw up on their.

Their help on this quest is Chuck, Panty and Stocking's side kick. He is a really fun dog and his episodes "Chuck To The Future" prove that. Also for help is Brief, who doesn't premiere at the beginning of the series but later on. He's a pretty funny nerd that we can all relate too.

Last but certainly not can forget, are the demon sisters! These are some bitches you don't wanna be on the wrong side with! Here is a clip of their sinister action to see yourself!

While yes, this is a simple plot for a anime, it doesn't run like a typical anime. It's more like a western cartoon with 2 11 minute episodes making up the show. It kinda runs like a monster of the week type of show with a raunchy twist added to it. So basically if you are wondering why there is so much hype for this show, it's because it's a new take on a old concept which people always enjoy.

I honestly like the idea myself and enjoy the wild things they get into like Panty having to go around the world deleting her porn tapes or Stocking dating a ugly ghost! Fun and random plots like these are what make the show so lovable!

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a show that breaks the 4th wall of anime the right way, and is a vital part for your anime collection, so of course I am giving this release a rating of....

EXCELLENT

Dragon Review: Steins;Gate part 2

2013-01-01T11:35:00.000-06:00

This time on Dragon Review, I look at the second part of Steins;Gate! Part 1 was interesting and exciting but never really pulled you in, this part changes all of that and even gives you some thinking to do! Read why in my review after the break!

WHAT THEY SAY

The microwave is a time machine and the girl gets shot. Okarin sends another text. Nukes another banana. The mad scientist meddled with forces he never should have known about. The girl gets run over by a car. Okarin goes back to stop the bleeding. Dashes madly through the dark streets. Races against time. The girl gets hit by a train. Failures and flatlines multiply in a ghastly pattern of repetition.

Over and over and over again until sanity is stripped away and you start to notice shapes slipping in and out of the shadows. SERN. The girl gets stabbed before and after the kissing. Okarin grows frantic. Bodies pile up around him. SERN is getting closer. The girl is bleeding. A Top Secret Future Gadget Lab member from the future is their only hope. The blood sprays and the girl dies. SERN destroys the world. Kills all the girls. There is time for one last try. Now Okarin bleeds but he won't stop. Ever. The microwave is a time machine and the girl always gets shot.

Contains episodes 13-25.

Special Features: Voice Actor Commentary for Select Episodes, U.S. Trailer, Textless Opening Song, Textless Closing Song, Trailers.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

THE PLOT

In the first part of the series, we were introduced into Okarin's life as we saw him gain new lab member in the name of figuring out what was up with the mysterious time machine they had. In this season all of their wondering and confusion go's on a whole other level as Okarin tries to save his loved ones from being lost forever due to his mistakes at playing with fate. Fate. That's a good word to describe this part of the series just because of the drastic things Okarin does to save not only his friends, but the future of the world....

One thing I need to say about the second part is that it is a lot more darker than the first part. The drama in the second part can get really nerve wracking and at times emotional, but I guarantee staying through and watching it all will leave you satisfied and overjoyed.

Before I finish writing about the plot, I do want to say this is one of the best anime endings I have seen in a while. A lot of anime I have seen this year usually have a hard time wrapping up, but this one finished quite nicely, plus had a extra episode at the end that tied up even more things and made the series end on a happier note and reminded us more of the earlier episodes of the series.

Overall, this was a fantastic ending to a fantastic series! The momentum was kept high as Okarin dealt with trying to save not only his friends, but the world! I am going to give this part of the series the rating of...

EXCELLENT

Dragon Review: Level E the complete series

2012-12-19T09:52:00.003-06:00

This time on Dragon Review, I take a look at the hilarious anime series Level E! The newest comedy from FUNimation shows the actions of Princess Baka as he journey's around Japan trolling when you least expect it! See my thoughts on the series and the FUNimation release after the break!

WHAT THEY SAY

This extraterrestrial adventure follows the alien genius, Prince Baka as he turns life on Earth into his own personal laugh track. The Prince has the biggest brain in the galaxy, but he's also a sadistic prankster who loves to make humans squirm. The alien invasion has begun. Prepare to die - laughing.

While supplies last, customers ordering this set will also receive a slap bracelet featuring the Prince and the Color Rangers!

Contains episodes 1-13.

Special Features: Japanese Live Action Promo Video, Voice Actor Commentary for Select Episodes, Cast Interview.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

THE PLOT

Insane. Comedy Gold. Trivial Nonsense. These words would be a accurate description of what you are in for when watching Level E! The series follows the hilarious exploits of the alien genius, Prince Baka as he turns Earth into his own personal laughing track! Now before I continue forward and begin giving my thoughts on the series, let me first give you a warning. NEVER believe anything Prince Baka does, there is always some joke or trolling that comes out of it...and with that let's discuss the odd story shall we?

The story starts with a teenage named Yukitaka, who just moved out of his parents home and has just arrived at his apartment meeting in Japan when he see's Prince Baka in his own apartment, not having a clue how he get there, he instantly kicks him out. After realizing there maybe more than meets the eye for Prince Baka, he decides to let him stay at his place for a while due to becoming friends with the alien. Bad idea Yukitaka, as I said before, whatever this Prince Baka does, he is doing for himself.

Things happen and well...I'd rather not spoil. Let's just say the narrative doesn't just stay with Yukitaka, we move to other characters such as a girl who falls in love with a alien princess, a TV show pilot Princess Baka makes, and my favorite arc, "Here Come Color Rangers!" Each arc presents hilarious exploits Prince Baka does to understand Earth more as he get's closer and closer to becoming the king of his own planet...

Overall, while I can't describe Level E too much without spoiling the fun, in a few words, it's quite unlike anything we've seen before. I mean sure, Prince Baka's exploit's may get effortless as you start to expect his plans at times, you will still manage to get caught up in the plot and continue to enjoy it!

THE CAST/ THE DUB

The cast in the series includes Prince Baka, the main character who is soon to become prince of his planet, he likes to play jokes. A LOT. He is voiced by Vic Mignoga and dare I say this is Vic's best voice over yet. With all the personality's Prince Baka has, it was just a match made in Heaven getting Prince Baka voiced by Vic. Next in the cast is Yukitaka, the high school student who just recently moved to his new apartment and the discovered the prince. He is voiced by Micah Solusod, and while there is not much needed to do a good voice over for him, he get's the job done nicely.

Also in the cast is Miho Edogawa, who is a friend of Yukitaka. She is voiced by Lindsay Seidel, who delivers a ok performance, but does nothing to stand out(not as if she has too of course.) Last but not least in the cast is Captain Kraft, he is Prince Baka's top body guard, but also hates Baka with a passion! He is voiced by Jason Douglas, and boy, is the performance well done! I always get a joy seeing him being featured in a episode!

BONUS FEATURES

Bonus features on this set include a interview with fan favorite voice actor Vic Mignoga as he discusses his character Prince Baka, promo's for when the series aired in Japan and also commentaries(I recommend the commentary with Vic and Micah, one of my favorites!) And as usual, you also have promo's for upcoming FUNimation releases. Not a lot of bonus features, but it is better than just commentaries and promo's like most FUNimation DVD's and Blu Ray's.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All in all, this is a very great series and a well done release. Sure, the series has it's flaws with repeated jokes, but the laughs never stop as the story changes up well enough every few episodes! With all this in mind I am giving this series the rating of...

EXCELLENT

Pick this series up at Rightstuf today!

Dragon Review: Tenchi Universe: The Complete Series

2012-11-14T16:53:00.000-06:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

This time on Dragon Review, I take trip to the past as I review the classic harem anime Tenchi Universe! This classic anime is a mile stone of anime, but does it still hold up today? Find out in my review!

WHAT THEY SAY

Everyone's favorite luckless hero is back for more intergalactic hijinks in Tenchi Universe, an alternate universe retelling of the original Tenchi canon.

Seventeen-year-old Tenchi Masaki is a regular guy whose life takes a turn for the outrageous when Ryoko the stunning space pirate crashes at his grandfather's shrine. In the bat of an eye, Tenchi finds himself surrounded by a bevy of bodacious intergalactic beauties who'll do everything they can to make him late for class!

Contains episodes 1-26.

Special Features: Textless Opening, Textless Closing, Trailers.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

THE REVIEW

I will admit, I've never seen Tenchi Universe before. Or for that matter, any of the franchise. Sure, I have heard of it and it's deep history, but I never actually sat down and watched a series. I just always heard it being described as "the harem anime that started it all!" so when I finally watched, I'd definitely say that is a accurate summary of the entire series. I say this due to the fact that it feels incredibly out dated watching but shows all signs of being a harem. It's really nice seeing how the genre began! Any way....about the plot..

The series focuses on the likes of Tenchi Muyo, a boy who just can't get the space babes away from him! One after another, a space alien drops by in a odd sense of fasion and instantly get's an attraction to Tenchi, as the host of Toonami says it properly: "He's got 99 problems, and these bitches are the main ones".

Throughout the series though, I will admit the show begins taking different directions. After they soak the whole harem plots out, they decide to go up to space to do cool mecha battles and other fun stuff then head back down! Overall, the story line is pretty much varying if you enjoy a good classic,harem mecha. If you like these things, you will probably enjoy Tenchi Muyo Universe.

THE DUB

On the dub side of things, I have to admit, it's really bad. I don't actually recognize any of the cast members with this being such a old series and they obviously show dubbing anime is still odd at the time. Tenchi's voice actor makes everything seem ackward and the girls make it sound like they thought this would be a hentai series. So without a doubt, I'd say to switch to the Japanese audio. But I will say that the dub script is accurate, at least when I had on subs just too see. So if you do end up watching the dubbed version, you won't be missing anything you'd get from the Japanese version.

THE BONUS FEATURES

Sadly, there aren't many bonus features on this set. Included are just the usual textless openings and endings plus trailers for other FUNimation DVD's.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, watching this series, even with it's faults, I have to say I highly enjoyed it! It's just that certain blast of nostalgia you had(or never had like me) that comes in and just gives you such a wonderful time with it. So with that I am giving it the rating of...

GOOD

Dragon Review: C-Control- Money Of Soul and Possibility

2012-10-29T15:20:00.003-05:00

Dragon Piece Reviws

This time on Dragon Review, I watch the newest FUNimation Blu-Ray release, C-Control! This is a series I had very huge hype for after watching the first episodes when it was simulcasting, now re-watching the whole series in dub format...does the hype still hold up? Find out when I discuss my thoughts on the series after the break!

WHAT THEY SAY

Kimimaro is a hard-working college student, raised by his grandmother after his mother died and his father went mysteriously missing. Working at a mini-mart to eke out a meager existence while completing his studies, one night he is approached by a strange, clown-like man. This man has an offer: receive a near-endless supply of money through loans leveraged against one's future.

Part of the bargain includes joining other "Entrepreneurs" and battling with animal-like "Assets" to gain money directly tied to their lives. Intrugued, Kimimaro finds himself fighting alongside his Asset, Mshyu, and inadvertently discovers the twisted ties that secretly hold the World's economy together as well as his own family's past.

While supplies last, customers ordering this set will also receieve a replica "Bank of Midas" card!

Contains episodes 1-11.

Special Features: Commentary for Episodes 5 & 11, C-conomics 101, Promotional Videos, Original Trailer, Original Commercials, U.S. Trailer, Textless Opening Song, Textless Closing Song, Trailers.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

THE PLOT

We start out story by taking a look at the financial district, a mysterious realm in which adults use Midas money to make deals which is like gambling with Pokemon-type creatures known as assets.... yeah..After figuring out how this mysterious type of economics system works, we take a look at our broke-for-cash protagonist Kimimaro Yoga, a college student who can barely afford to do anything with his friends he is so broke, but after getting a strange greeting from a weird man with a pink umbrella, Yoga becomes invested into using Midas money and is forced to make deals every week in order to not go bankrupt in the real world.

As the series moves forward, the story get's more and more complex as Yoga deals with tougher assets and learns just how mest up this economic system can be. The plot is definitely something that helps you learn more about economics in the real world plus it is a great story that makes you truly think. I had a lot of fun seeing how the story progressed and if you take the time to really analyze it, I think you will too. Anyway, Yoga isn't the only character, so let's take a look at the cast...

THE CAST

Besides Yoga, also included in the cast is Msyu, who is Kimimaro's asset. At first she seemed to be a generic character who did nothing but gripe till you saw her point of view in the middle of series, which made me start care for her a lot more. After that would be Mikinu, who is a powerful dealer in the financial district and is one of the first to help Yoga out in the world of gambling, Q is Mikinu's main asset.

Hanabi is Yoga's love interest throughout the series, but well...just watch the series on that one. One last character you need to know is Sato, who is secretly trying to understand what's really going on in the financial district, and trying to shut down the system as she believes it causing more trouble for people than good.

THE DUB

The dub for the series is another hit by FUNimation as usual! Though I have to nit-pick it's becoming a tiny bit annoying seeing Todd Haberkorn being the lead in almost every FUNimation anime lately, that's not saying at all he doesn't do a great job and effort into the lead character Yoga's role though. Ignoring that gripe, Brina Palencia and Monica Rial both do a great job as asset voices and J. Micheal Tatum does nails his character Mikuni's voice! It was also nice hearing more of Martha Harms, who is still relativley new at the voice acting biz.

One additional role I wanna say was good was Sonny Strait as Takedazaki, it's always great and interesting to me hearing DBZ voice actors in other anime like this personally. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the dubbed version of the series.

BONUS FEATURES

Bonus features on this set included a ton of promo's for the series in Japan, facts on Economics to help you out watching the series, commentary's(because who doesn't like a good chat through the episode from voice actor's and director's?) The last extra would be the usual trailers from other upcoming FUNimation anime.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I HIGHLY enjoyed C-Control! It gave me a lot more info on economics and just how bad it'd be if you went bankrupt(well, it gave me even worse thoughts than what I already knew!) The series's plot was fantastic and the characters were intruging, the story probably could have been condensed even more than it feels like, but it never feels like it was dragging. With all of these thoughts in mind I am giving this series the rating off...

Excellent!

ORDER HERE!

Buy Comics at Things From Another World

Dragon Review: Deadman Wonderland: The Complete Series

2012-10-08T12:56:00.000-05:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

This time on Dragon Review, I take a look at the anime Deadman Wonderland! Recently finishing it's run on Toonami, it is now bringing put on DVD in a complete edition set wit bonus features such as a never before seen OVA episode and promo's that aired in Japan before it premiered! See my thoughts on the series and the DVD set after the break!

WHAT THEY SAY
___________

Ganta is the only survivor after a mysterious man in red slaughters a classroom full of teenagers. He's framed for the carnage, sentenced to die, and locked away in the most twisted prison ever built: Deadman Wonderland. Then it gets worse.

At Deadman Wonderland, convicts are forced into brutal deathmatches for the amusement of the masses, the cheers of the crowd drowning out the screams of the dismembered. Even when Ganta befriends Shiro, an unusual female inmate, his dark fate crushes all hope - until he discovers a strange ability to wield his spilled blood as a weapon. Ganta learns his new skill might be related to the murderous man in red and uncovers disturbing secrets that could expose those who stole his freedom. He's determined to see justice served - but first he'll have to fight for his life in a prison that holds a million ways to die.

While supplies last, customers ordering this set will also receieve a free mousepad!

Contains episodes 1-12 and the OVA.

Special Features: Commentary for Episodes 6 & 12, Promo Videos, Original Commercials, U.S. Trailer, Textless Opening Song, Textless Opening Song (Director's Version), Textless Closing Song, Trailers.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

THE PLOT

The plot starts as we enter the life of Ganta, a kid who seems to have a ordinary life until a man in red comes in and kills his entire class! Being the only one still alive from the attack, Ganta is treated as the murder of all of his class mates and is sentenced to the prison park known as Deadman Wonderland!

In the park, Ganta must fight for his life as he is constantly challenged by psychotic trials where at the end of the day he must truly want to live himself if he wishes to continue. Along the way though, even in a prison full of the very worst people in the world, Ganta is even able to make friends as seen in the next section, the cast....

THE CAST

The cast of this show so far includes Ganta Igarashi, the kid who just can't catch a break lately and Shiro, a mysterious girl who apparently knows Ganta already. We also have Makina, the chief guard of the prison and last but certainly not least Tamaki, who was Ganta's lawyer at first, but just go's 180 on us and seems to be working in the prison, he is a character I am very interested in seeing developed. So far, the cast is all pretty diverse and interesting and each one of them served their purpose well in these 12 episodes.

THE DUB

The dub was fantastic and I can safely say is another fine work from FUNimation. Maybe it's just because I have heard a lot of anime dubs before, but I got use to Greg Ayres's wimpy childish voice pretty fast and I actually enjoyed hearing it more and more as the series went on. It really just makes it feel all the more surreal when the situation is with a innocent teen committed for a crime he didn't do.

Shiro's voice is played by the always talented Monica Rial a was great, her voice truly helped make the character for me, bringing such a playful attitude to the character. Now for Makina, since she is played by my all time favorite voice actress, Colleen Clinkenbeard, I may a bit biased to say my opinion on her so I'll just say she does an A+ job as usual and keep going, heh..Last but not least is Tamaki, played by Eric Vale!

Eric manages to really get that feeling of villain perfection here by making the bad guy look like a man who knows what his plans are and knows how to get them and every episode I heard Eric's voice, the series felt all the more dark and serious, as their was obviously a huger plot going on than we knew. Overall the dub cast is great and I have a feeling if you enjoy most FUNimation dubs, this will be another hit for you!.

BONUS FEATURES

Bonus features for the DVD include a never before seen episode of the series plus promo's from when the series was airing in Japan. While we also get the usual commentary from voice actors of the show, we also get for the first time a video commentary, which is something I haven't seen on a DVD in years(last time I saw something like that would be from a volume of Batman TAS.) Overall, while the extra's list is lack luster, which I am guessing is because of the inevitable Blu Ray, it certainly get's the job done!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I highly enjoyed this series! While the series ends on a bad note because the manga is still going, that doesn't mean any of the series is bad at all or feels rushed! Each episode makes things seem more and more insane with the over the top action the series brings! With I give this series a rating of...

Excellent

Dragon Review: Steins;Gate Part 1

2012-10-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

"The Microwave is a time machine!" and "Lab coats are cool!" are things to remember before watching the latest series I review known as Steins;Gate! This series is one I had high hopes for and it didn't let me down so far! Take a look at the first 12 episodes of the series!

WHAT THEY SAY

The microwave is a time machine. Okarin proved it. The self-anointed mad scientist nuked bananas into some gelatinous version of the future. Or maybe it was the past. Doesn't matter. No one thought he could do it, but he did it anyway. He sent text messages through time to people he knew. To his friends. Some of them female. Pretty. He should have been more careful. He should have stopped. Tampering with the time-space continuum attracts unwelcome attention.

Clandestine organizations of nefarious origins take notice. SERN. Always watching. Okarin knows; he can feel their eyes. That's why he started the top secret Future Gadget Lab. To stop them. You should join. We get to wear lab coats, and it's dangerous. Danger is exciting because it's deadly. The microwave is a time machine.

Contains episodes 1-12.

Special Features: Commentary for Episodes 1 & 12, Akihabara Map, Textless Opening Song, Textless Closing Song, Trailers.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

REVIEW

___________

Before I begin my thoughts on the series, let me first explain the plot! The story begins by showing that a mad scientist named Okarin proves time travel is real after using a banana he put into his microwave travel into the future! As the series go's on, Okarin and his lab partners begins to find more and more info on just how time travel works leading Okarin to discover he may be the key to saving the future! ....Wait, what?

That's basically Steins;Gate in a nutshell! A series about a mad scientist and his friends discovering just how time travel works and how drastic things can change because of doing small things in the past or future. Trust me, after you see 1 or 2 of the things Okarin does by sending small things such as text messages to the past , your mind will be blown! The whole concept and story idea is one of the most original I have seen in anime lately and that's something to congratulate on alone!

As I said before, the main character is Okarin. Other notable characters in the show include people such as his first few lab partners like Shiina, a child hood friend of Okarin who likes to hang out with him for odd reasons and Daru, who is the hacker on the lab team and is good at the actual computer concept of time travelling.

Later on in the series though, we meet people like Makise, who is a researcher at an American university, but comes to Japan to lecture for a bit it at a Japanese institute and we also see Ferris, a girl who works with Shiina at a maid cafe. Last but not least, we also get to know Moeka, but not much is really known about her just yet, except she seems to know a lot more than meets the eye.

Just as I said before the break, this is a series I had very high hopes for before watching, and while the set

ends at a random spot, I can tell easily why this show is so loved just by watching this set! The series does a whole new take on the concept of time travel and really shows you just how dangerous it can't be! Though the set ends at a bad spot for the series, I am really excited to see where we will go from here! I give this title the rating of...

EXCELLENT

Order this set at Rightstuf today!

Review discs provided by FUNimation and Blu-Ray screenshots provided by Blu-Ray.com! Thanks for the support!

Dragon Review: King Of Thorn

2012-09-21T16:32:00.000-05:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

This time on Dragon Review, I take at look at FUNimation's newest feature film King Of Thorn! Is this another block buster hit from producers Sunrise? Find out after the break!

REVIEW

First off let me say, DO NOT LET THE COVER MISLEAD YOU! This is not a tentacle rape hentai, if you are looking for that type of thing, this is not that sort of film! Instead you are in for a shocking horror film full of surprises that will make you want to rewatch the film just because of everything that happened in between and the drastic twist's at the end! Well, instead of talking about the end, let's talk about the premise shall we?

This movie is yet another story that takes advantage of the recent December 2012 end of the world scare, but in a unique fashion by having a mysterious disease known as Medusa slowly killing people. Because it's Japan, this disease will eventually turn people into stone because..well..it's Japan, what else can I say?!

Anyway, skip ahead 5 years, most of the world's population is dead at this point thanks to the disease, but in between this time, researchers have built a castle designed for select individuals to go into infinite sleep which will last for 100 years(or at least until it is safe to live normally again.)Now I am guessing the people who were chosen are unlikely to get the disease?(I am putting a question mark because I am truly taking a guess on that, knowing doesn't really matter to understand the flow of the film.)

Eventually though, and I won't spoil when or how, the infinite sleep idea doesn't work out and everyone chosen wakes up to find the castle filled with thorns! The people in the castle have to figure out just what happened while they were asleep while dealing with dragons and thorns on their journey to the top!

I was surprised with just how interesting and enticed I was at this story, you really feel like this type of scenario could happen, or at the very least, see this is a very epic fan fiction. I loved every minute of it and highly recommend people who film adictions, scary movie watchers and people who just like damn good animation to watch this movie!

And with that I give it a rating of...

EXCELLENT!

You can order King Of Thorn at Rightstuf today!

*Review copy provided by FUNimation and screenshots acquired from Blu-Ray.com Thanks for the support!

All you need to know about Neon Alley! (Part 1: The Channel!)

2012-09-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

It's September and you know what that means, Neon Alley launch month! And with the day's getting closer and closer to the launch of the brand new 24/7 anime channel I thought it'd be a good idea to present a FAQ on Neon Alley and just an idea of what can be expected on the channel! So without further ado let's begin!

The Price

This is main thing on everyone's mind before wanting to consider a monthly subscription as it can make or break before you even see the actual product. Well luckily, Neon Alley will start off at the monthly price of 6.99$ a month, which is a great price if you consider that each of the anime on this channel would cost 1.99$ an episode on Itunes so this really is a bargain if you look at this at that angle! Also, Neon Alley is giving a 1 week free trial, so whenever you decide to give the channel a try, so you can always test and see if you like it before just giving Viz Media your money(which by the end of that free trial, I am sure you will want too!)

On Viz Media's vice president of animation response on the price, he says..

"Similar to Hulu Plus, we blend a subscription and advertising model to keep the cost low and bring the best uncut, English-dubbed content to fans, and in HD when available. Please register on NeonAlley.com for news & updates on special introductory offers!"

The Schedule

The full schedule for Neon Alley has yet to be announced, but we do have an idea on how the schedule will work, thanks to Anime News Network's interview with Viz Media's vice president of animation, as he said this on the schedule...

"Neon Alley's programming will evolve to keep it fresh and interesting for our audience. There will be new content each week, and throughout the season you can expect event programming, specials, premieres and more. Shows will repeat, so if you didn't catch the premiere, you'll have an opportunity to view your favorite anime at a later time!"

Stay tuned to the blog as we get more info on the schedule!

The Programming Guide

Viz Media seems to feel very confident in their on screen electric programming guide, which will be our alternative scheduling feed to usual guides you would see from your own satellite or cable subscriptions. As you see in the guide, the guide will be looking familiar to other TV guides, but with little differences to fit it being a channel running on the PS3!

Play station 3 Exclusive

Neon Alley will be launching exclusively on the PS3 for the time being, which is great due to the success of Naruto video games and anime RPG'S, the PS3 has a HUGE amount of anime fans to present a 24/7 Anime channel too! More news on how to get the channel via PS3 will be revealed in the future!

Viz Partners with Tout Industries!

The latest news we know about the channel is that Viz will be partnering with Tout to provide a social connection with fans! By making a 15 second video on Tout.com, fans can share their favorite show or what they are most excited about for the channel to Neon Alley themselves! If you go ahead and make one now, you could appear on the official Neon Alley website, and just maybe the actual channel when it launches! More on how Neon Alley will integrate TOUT will be revealed soon.

ANN Partership

Anime News Network will be helping out Viz Media's new channel with info about the anime airing on the channel and cool on air facts on anime. The only other news we got was that Anime News Network will be providing a forum for Neon Alley where fans can discuss what is airing I assume. Besides that, we still don't know just how ANN wil be involved with Neon Alley.

The Anime

The final bit of info we know is that Viz will be getting help from FUNimation and Aniplex to provide some of the best anime around for the channel! I will be doing a post describing all the anime that will air on the channel soon, but you can check the video above for a look at what is airing for now!

So that is pretty much all we know about Neon Alley at the moment, keep checking the blog as more info comes!

IMPORTANT LINKS

_______________________________

http://www.neonalley.com/

http://www.neonalley.com/shows.html

Twitter.com/NeonAlley

http://www.facebook.com/neonalleynetwork

Get Hyped: The Vortexx Begins This Morning!

2012-08-25T06:15:00.003-05:00

Today is the day folks! Starting right now for some time zones and for everyone in a hour, The Vortexx launches today! In case you missed it, check out MyVortexx.com to see the line up, which includes shows like Yugioh Zexal, Justice League Unlimited and Dragon Ball Z Kai!

Dragon Review:Shakugan No Shana: Season 1

2012-08-24T19:57:00.002-05:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

This time on Dragon Review, I take a look at the first Genon Universal release from FUNimation this year, Shakugan No Shana season 1! This happens to be my first time watching it, and boy was it something good! Check out all of my thoughts as I analyze the series after the break!

WHAT THEY SAY

Wielding a blazing sword, Shana is a fiery huntress whose sole purpose is to fight demon-like beings that consume human lives. To reduce the impact on the human realm, Shana turns the slain into shadows of their former selves. Once a flame that represents their remaining life goes out, they fade from existence. This should have been Yuji's fate, but when he discovers he holds a special power that ignites a newfound strength in Shana, they join forces in her ongoing mission to maintain the balance between the ordinary world and the supernatural.

Contains episodes 1-24.

REVIEW

Man..how do I start without saying this show is utterly great. Shana's story begins by telling us the tale of a teenage named Yuji who lives the day to day high school life until suddenly everything changes when he meets Shana, a girl who is known as a flame haze, one who defeats the evil roaming demons who try to consume human's! As soon as he meets this girl and learns of this true,insane world he once thought of as just a ordinary place, he dies! AKA...the end! That's all folks!

Ok..not really, it ends up that he has a special gift that allows him to stay alive instead of his soul being devoured, of course this means he's living a day to day life while knowing he is technically dead and that his whole word is upside down as he know's it!

This is pretty much a basic synopsis of the series! As the series go's on he realizes he wants to learn to fight the evils roaming his world so the flame haze Shana decides to teach him in the afternoon how to fight while in the day time disguising as a high school student and schooling the teachers!

When I think of anime to describe this as, I'd have to say it's a combination of Yu-Yu Hakusho meeting something like Clannad. I say that in the sense that this anime gave me that feel Yu-Yu Hakusho gave me when Shana and the other flame haze's are fighting demons, and then going going 360 whenever it is the day time and feeling like a romance drama when Shana and one of Yuji's classmates Kazumi are both trying to compete to date Yuji first.

There were part's where the series felt like it was dragging and made me want to stop watching for a while, but nothing that made me want to drop the whole season. It had good enough plot points that made me glued to my TV screen to see what would happen next always, which is something I always admire in anime!

Over all, the entire series was fun and kept me interested and glued to the screen looking forward to the next episode! This season was full of flame hazes,monsters and a whole lot of drama, but tied it all up together nicely so I am going to have to give it the rating of...

EXCELLENT

Order Shakugan No Shana: season 1 today at RightStuf!

Blu Ray screen shots provide by Blu-Ray.com, you're #1 source for info on a Blu Ray's! A screener copy of the season was provided by FUNimation!

Dragon Review: Oblivion Island: Haruka And The Magic Mirror

2012-08-14T17:43:00.002-05:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

This time on Dragon Review, I check out the brand new FUNimation feautre film Oblivion Island! Is this the next big CGI film of the year with it's adventure filled charm? Find out after the break!

WHAT THEY SAY

16-year-old Haruka is on a mission to find her mirror - a precious childhood gift from her mother that mysteriously disappeared. While following a strange fox-like creature in the woods, she tumbles into a mystical world where once-cherished toys and treasures go when their owners neglect them. Join Haruka and her new friend Teo on a roller coaster ride of adventure as they contend with the island's greedy ruler, who wants the mirror for his own evil plan!

REVIEW

Let me say off the bat before watching this movie I was expecting something of the like of Summer Wars or something like a Ghibi film, what I ended up getting was Japan's take on Alice In The Wonderland, and honestly, it worked out pretty well, first off, let me tell you how the story starts...

The story go's that their is a high schooler named Haruka(as the title suggests) that one day see's a fox type creature who roams into a mystical world known as Oblivion Island where treasure's and things humans stopped caring for are placed, honestly this seems pretty flawed itself because you'd think out of all the things they have built in this very awesomely designed world someone in our world would have cared to notice, but hey, they are neglected items after all...

Anyway, Haruka ends up going on a adventure to find her mirror her mother gave her years ago, but this isn't any ordinary mirror to the mystical world, it happens to be a magical one(as the title suggests!) So of course this means the evil fox like creatures are going to go after it, this is pretty much how the story go's, now before I begin talking about things I didn't like about the film, let me say something I did like....

The animation! Besides a few scenes which tried to blend the CGI with 2D, the CGI visuals look great in this film! The whole world of the creature's look great and when the switch happens from our world to the Oblivion Island you can really tell how majestic and magical it is! And the designs for the animals and monsters are really great and different which really makes it a lot to take in(which is a good thing!) The animation for this film definitely raises the problems I had with the film...

Something I didn't like about this film was the fact that it just seemed like such a over used plot line. The whole girl go's into a mystical world just seems pretty old at this point honestly, sure this isn't really something to rant over, but I personally found it boring at first, when I rewatched it a second time I will say I enjoyed it more though so maybe it was just more of a personal mood swing.

Overall, this film get's the job done in all the factors. It will entertain you, it will give you that awesome feeling of adventure and it will make sure too give you that tear jerking feeling! I give this movie a rating of...

EXCELLENT

Blu Ray screen shots courtesy of Blu-Ray.com, your #1 source on news and reviews on the latest Blu Ray's and the Blu Ray screener disc was provided by FUNimation Entertainment.

Sorry for the absence!

2012-07-29T14:58:00.000-05:00

I really apologize for the absence, I was on a cruise all week, so I wasn't doing that on purpose! Don't worry though, through out the day I will be reporting major announcements at Otakon!

Dragon Review: Fractale The Complete Series

2012-07-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

Dragon Piece Reviews...

This time on Dragon Review, I take a look at FUNimation's latest anime release Fractale! This series has received varied reviews of whether it's one of the worst anime of the past few years or if it's something more than meets the eye, find out how I interpreted the series as I dive into it after the break!

WHAT THEY SAY

In a near-perfect society, humans enjoy virtually anything their heart desires by simply staying connected to Fractale - a centuries-old technology on the verge of collapse. One day, Clain, a teenage boy who collects antique electronics, saves a girl on the run from dangerous pursuers. She disappears in the night, leaving only a pendant full of data behind. Suddenly Clain's quiet life turns to chaos when he's caught between the religious order determined to save Fractale, and the Lost Millennium, who want to destroy it.

Contains episodes 1-11.

Special Features: Episode 1 & 7 Commentaries, Shobi Wind Orchestra, Fractale's Art Sanctuary, Original Trailers and Commercials, Textless Songs, Previews.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

STORY LINE

WHAT THEY SAY
In a near-perfect society, humans enjoy virtually anything their heart desires by simply staying connected to Fractale - a centuries-old technology on the verge of collapse. One day, Clain, a teenage boy who collects antique electronics, saves a girl on the run from dangerous pursuers. She disappears in the night, leaving only a pendant full of data behind. Suddenly Clain's quiet life turns to chaos when he's caught between the religious order determined to save Fractale, and the Lost Millennium, who want to destroy it.

REVIEW

___________

Let me be clear here before we start and go ahead and tell you this review is not just trashing the series. I actually don't think it's near as bad some people consider it to be, it's just as I will constantly say through the review "A series that doesn't know which direction it is going towards".

By that statement, I am summing up the main fault of this series. Let me go back a bit here. Fractale is the tale of a future in which society has given up on actual labor and has advanced so far in technology that their is no need for actual work.For example, the main character Clain's parents are both dead. To replace them he has doppels which are as Wiki describes it "holographic robots which are representations of his parents". This is just one example of how far the technology known as the "Fractale" system has changed the way human's live their lives.

The actual story starts when Clain notices a girl literally falling form the sky after being chased. He saves her and they become friends for a while, just for her to randomly leave. The good news is though is that she left a important gift, the key...Nessa. Now I would tell you this is when the story truly begins to start, but the story doesn't actually start till the last couple of episodes in the series.

This is the main fault of the series, it keeps switching directions, as I went into this series with a open mind to get a grasp of the story, I found it odd how their was no true setting or what the purpose was of some of the episodes in the show. To be fairly honest, the only moment I truly felt something in this series was the dramatic reveal of the last episode, which was actually pretty sad(though that quickly changed and made me confused with the credits.)

Don't let that bug you though, as there are a few comedy bits in each episode. Especially in the episodes when they are just on the ship voyaging. Moments like those are what the show should have been about the whole time instead of dragging out a mysterious story line with the Fractale system that ended abruptly.

So overall, this is a series of many up down's and few up's. Watching the series just depends if you are a patient fan who just wants to take in the show and doesn't mind waiting to see what happens or if you are a fan who want crazy plot lines dropped every episode.

EXTRA'S

WHAT THEY SAY

Special Features: Episode 1 & 7 Commentaries, Shobi Wind Orchestra, Fractale's Art Sanctuary, Original Trailers and Commercials, Textless Songs, Previews

REVIEW

There are a good number of extra's on this set as usual from FUNimation lately. You have your usual trailers and text less songs plus you have commentaries which are always funny. A new extra you don't see much is a chance to see the orchestra preform the music for this show, as a big fan of music myself, I enjoyed seeing this. The last extra are promo's for the series in Japan.

LANGUAGE

WHAT THEY SAY

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.

REVIEW

The English dub for this set is great, as it should be being directed by Colleen Clinkenbeard. There were some moments where dub was out of sync in the first few episodes, but I am going to hopefully assume that was just due to me having screener discs. A role I am going say deserves a standing ovation for is Caitlin Glass who was absolutely perfect for this role! Playing One Piece in Vivi, I knew her before hand, and it's like she is destined to play these princess type of characters! Much respect to her!

FINAL THOUGHTS

While there were moments, I enjoyed the series. There are just too many ups and down's to give it a "Excellent" review, so I am sadly going to have to say this is...

FAIR

Since this is the first time I have given a review something that isn't excellent for a while, I will just give you guys a list of the grading scale...

Excellent(SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!)

Good( If you have the money, go and get it, I recommend!)

Fair(It's OK, if you are bored and are somewhat interested give it a try)

Poor(Just ignore this series)

Anime Expo 2012 Roundup

2012-07-03T14:48:00.004-05:00

Well finally, I think I can give a round up post for one of the biggest licensing conventions this year thanks to Sentai Filmworks! There were at least 30 titles announced at the convention and I have them all listed, hope you see a favorite!

Anime Expo 2012 New License Announcements

Right Stuf, Inc. / Nozomi Entertainment:

Ristorante Paradiso
Hyakko
Aoi Hana: Sweet Blue Flowers

Aniplex of America:

Mikunopolis in Los Angeles

FUNimation:

Appleseed XIII series
Aria of the Scarlet Ammo
Blood-C: The Last Dark
Blood-C TV
Eureka Seven AO
Highschool DxD
Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians
Ikki Tousen: Xtreme Xecutor
Jormungand
Michiko to Hatchin
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero - simulcast only
Binbogami ga! - simulcast only

GKIDS:

A Letter To Momo

Section23:

Campione!
Detroit Metal City: The Animated Series
Hakuoki Reimeiroku
Hiiro no Kakera - The Tamayori Princess Saga
Horizon In The Middle Of Nowhere, Season 2
IDOLM@STER Xenoglossia
Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita
Kokoro Connect
La storia della Arcana Famiglia
Legend of the Heroes - Trails in the Sky
Mayo Chiki!
Natsuyuki Rendezvous
Qwaser of Stigmata
So, I Can’t Play H!
Someday’s Dreamers II Sora
Space Brothers
Tari Tari

Dragon Hub

Ongoing Discussions: Does Netflix treat their acquisitions with enough support? (Part 1: Recent Cancellations)

A Restart--Rambling thoughts from DP

Should Superman Kill?

Spoiler-Filled Review: The Dark Knight Returns(Parts 1)

Dragon Review: Michiko and Hatchin Part 1

NOT WORTH THE HYPE

Dragon Review: Lupin the 3rd: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine

Perfect

Dragon Review: Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends DVD/Blu-Ray The Complete Series

Dragon Piece Reviews...

Meh

Dragon Review: Tenchi Muyo: War On Geminar Part 1

Dragon Review: Shakugan No Shan S (OVA)

Dragon Piece Reviews...

Dragon Review: Toriko Part 1 and 2

Dragon Piece Reviews...

EXCELLENT

Dragon Review: Panty And Stocking: The Complete Series(BLU-RAY)

FINAL THOUGHTS

EXCELLENT

Dragon Review: Steins;Gate part 2

This time on Dragon Review, I look at the second part of Steins;Gate! Part 1 was interesting and exciting but never really pulled you in, this part changes all of that and even gives you some thinking to do! Read why in my review after the break!

WHAT THEY SAY

THE PLOT

EXCELLENT

Dragon Review: Level E the complete series

This time on Dragon Review, I take a look at the hilarious anime series Level E! The newest comedy from FUNimation shows the actions of Princess Baka as he journey's around Japan trolling when you least expect it! See my thoughts on the series and the FUNimation release after the break!

EXCELLENT

Dragon Review: Tenchi Universe: The Complete Series

Dragon Piece Reviews...

This time on Dragon Review, I take trip to the past as I review the classic harem anime Tenchi Universe! This classic anime is a mile stone of anime, but does it still hold up today? Find out in my review!

WHAT THEY SAY

Dragon Review: C-Control- Money Of Soul and Possibility

Dragon Piece Reviws

THE DUB

Excellent!

Dragon Review: Deadman Wonderland: The Complete Series

Dragon Piece Reviews...

WHAT THEY SAY___________

THE PLOT

THE CAST

BONUS FEATURES

FINAL THOUGHTS

Excellent

Dragon Review: Steins;Gate Part 1

Dragon Piece Reviews...

EXCELLENT

Order this set at Rightstuf today!

Dragon Review: King Of Thorn

Dragon Piece Reviews...

EXCELLENT!

You can order King Of Thorn at Rightstuf today!

All you need to know about Neon Alley! (Part 1: The Channel!)

The Price

The Schedule

The Programming Guide

Play station 3 Exclusive

Viz Partners with Tout Industries!

ANN Partership

The Anime

IMPORTANT LINKS

Get Hyped: The Vortexx Begins This Morning!

Dragon Review:Shakugan No Shana: Season 1

Dragon Piece Reviews...

EXCELLENT

Order Shakugan No Shana: season 1 today at RightStuf!

Dragon Review: Oblivion Island: Haruka And The Magic Mirror

Dragon Piece Reviews...

EXCELLENT

Sorry for the absence!

Dragon Review: Fractale The Complete Series

Dragon Piece Reviews...

FAIR

Anime Expo 2012 Roundup

WHAT THEY SAY
___________