Category Archives: English Language Modern Visual Fandom

July 22, 2007

Otakon Blogging Day 3 – Eminence Song Selection Attack Is Super Effective!

By omo

Well, to do this right let’s get some facts out there first.

1. Eminence is the premier, world-wide, anime/game orchestra in that for this purpose they have came together to perform. At least that’s how they hold themselves out to be. First in the market? In any event, despite their hokey website you can find out more about them using the usual means. Like, Eminence is actually short for Eminence Symphony Orchestra.

2. They are based in Australia. Yea, sort of far away–but the good thing is probably just that; it’s cheaper to raise a pool of international musicians in Australia than in Japan (or even in the US)? And it’s not too bad to travel to Japan or other east Asia locations for their shows, if you’re already on that side of Earth.

3. Actually what’s more notable for me is that Eminence is a high profile group that would play anime music. Game music has gotten its spotlight and is still getting more, but outside of Japan I’m out of luck with those nice, Kanno-esqe BGMs short of something like the RO2 show in Korea…or an Eminence performance.

Still, that leaves us American sods in the dust, until now anyways. We were lucky to have PLAY and the FF concert series, for whatever that’s worth. I do think the geek market is ready to support this kind of thing. So was Otakon 2007 responsive?

In short, yes.

I’ll say this, now that I’ve gotten home from Otakon: the actual playing was rather lackluster because of various reasons–atmosphere, level of expectation, fatigue, lack of practice, windy stage…and so on. But what really hits home isn’t that they’re capable of, but what they actually do! A bit of show and tell? Some preliminary videos on youtube for your sampling.

This one really got me going: Hisaishi’s Kimi wo Nosete from Castle in the Sky. Of course all of their Hisaishi pieces are home runs, even if they’re rough from having to reduce the arrangement to fit what they have. The Legend of Ashitaka is a good example, from Mononoke Hime.

Since Hitoshi Sakimoto was at the con, and they know each other and work together, Eminence played some of his hits, like LOL Odin Sphere theme. Plus bunch of his RxJ stuff.

I’m not a huge Kajiura fan, but it might work for you. They performed quite a few pieces from her. Most memorable for me was canta per me, and their rearranged version of Anna ni issho Datta no ni from Gundam Seed.

But what really did me in was Eminence’s rendition of “Beyond the Clouds” from…yep, you may have guessed it – Makoto Shinkai’s Beyond the Clouds, a Place Promised. Tenmon is really, by all means, an indie composer who works the otaku circles. To pick a song from them really means something–not only it’s a beautiful piece, but it’s the kind of thing that sets your emotions aflame, knowing where your weak spot and punch it with super professional symphonic powers!

Thankfully that wasn’t all there is to them. This crowd also knows how to have fun too.

Anyways, that’s it for Otakon 2007. For you that just means you’ll have to suffer a week or two more of me talking about it on the blog, LOL.

Oh, before I forget, a tentative play list. This is from memory and I definitely missed a few (which are noted). There were no official set list because they didn’t get it together until LAST NIGHT. Help me fill it in? You can find a thread here (some anecdotes included during the MC session. Most notable to me is how Eminence’s recording session was LOL geek when Sakimoto showed some of the footage to the orchestra ahead of time, where as a normal orchestra would sit in silence.). And here for panel stuff.

1. Tuning
2. Romeo x Juliet song (??)
3. Canta per me (Noir – Anime)
4. Not sure where this is from
5. Odin Sphere Main Theme
6. Mononoke Hime theme
7. Laputa theme (Kimi wo nosete)
8. Totoro theme
9. Ferris Wheel – Lia, composed by Sakimoto.
9. Romeo x Juliet song – They gave the title but I can’t remember, it sounded like Orgesomething.
10. Anna ni Issho Datta no ni
11. Beyond the Clouds (Tenmon, from Shinkai’s film)
12. Romeo x Juliet Song
13. Romeo x Juliet Song
14. Romeo x Juliet Song
15. Hako no niwa (Rakugaki Oukoku 2)
16. Can’t remember
17. Thanatos (Evangelion)
18. Pain?
19. Radical Dreamers.

Encore

20. Super Mario Brothers medley
21. Scars of Time (CC)

15 comments | posted in Conventions and Concerts, English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture

July 16, 2007

E: The Dempa Letter

By omo

Aika

Code-E is a lot of fun. Studio Deen gives that very classic feel to a lot of the shows they produce. With this crew it almost reminded me of the typical TV anime back in the 90s with both mundane but interesting female leads and equally mundane but more traditional male ones. Sort of like You’re Under Arrest. Sort of like summer.

I am not sure what I should be expecting from Code-E, however. It has that big-budget ROD feel but at the same time it doesn’t feel that way? Maybe I’m just distracted by the OP and the brassy show of a BGM track. Unfortunately, the jury is still in session for Code-E, because this is exactly the kind of show that traditionally gets mishandled and wrangled by poor pacing. I hope they start kicking ass sooner than later. Just because it’s dempa anime doesn’t mean it has to suck, right?

Otakon draws nigh. So does the final stretch of my cramming. Aiee. But I still managed to catch up on sleep, Potemayo, and a bit of Claymore. It’s not helping that the freight train of pre-con anticipation sounds its steam horn, leaving me to brace myself with the anticipatory regret that I’ve just spent a lot of time for very little gain, and said time is really running out. Ah well, I’ll get to see this poor sod again, and many of my online acquaintances. East Side~

2 comments | posted in Code-E, Conventions and Concerts, English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture

June 30, 2007

Today: AnnouncementTorrent

By omo

This year is not too bad as far as US con news goes so far. Definitely an improvement from the last. I’m just going to highlight some of the ones I care about:

Emma being licensed is actually my biggest ZOMG. It’s a great little gem but it’s so far off the well-treaded path for anime, let alone anime in the US, that RightStuf might have some trouble finding good homes for their DVDs. But somehow it’s the sort of show that makes you think “hey, there must be some people out there who’d buy Victorian romance imported from Japan.” Especially in the US. Especially after you scrub-a-dub-dub and remove traces of “Maide In Japan” from it.

Gurren Lagann being licensed is a nice treat. I like the show enough to watch it, but it suffers from the Eureka 7 problem in some ways. I wish it was shorter so at least I have no excuses about being able to afford it. Then again, technically I can still wait for a thin-pack from E7, and ADV is much better about releasing collections than most other studios. What’s wrong with Eureka 7? It’s too long, it’s not the sort of thing that you want to watch the whole thing twice (although some episodes definitely many many times over).

DMP is going to release Flamboyant. We know they’re bringing over a Megami compilation later this year, so this is more of the same, I guess (I hate Megami stuff with a passion, but it’s good to know). It’s interesting because I bought Flamboyant back when it was hot enough for a second run… Well, at least it’ll be cheap (and with more artwork!). Flamboyant, for the noob, is the first (and so far only?) art book by Hakua Ugetsu. Sure, it’s got the name Bakuhatsu Tenshi to taint, but the stuff inside is awesome.

Along with the re-announcement of Nanoha and Nanoha A’s, I think I might even buy the SRW OAVs when they come out. Probably pass on SRW TV though. These are all “maybe” but I think I like A’s enough to not pass.

Cosmode USA. Uuugh. In other words, a US cosplay magazine.

Last one for the day: Wings of Honneamise on DVD and HD-DVD is actually a big deal. The US is ahead over Japan on the HD home video effort. At this point in the game I don’t care if it’s Blu-Ray or HDDVD. I just want my anime on 1080! And this is a classic to own for this purpose.

2 comments | posted in Conventions and Concerts, Emma, English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

June 26, 2007

Sola Matsuri

By omo

Sola means a lot of things.

It can refer to the sky in the Engrish-‘sora’ sort of way. And obviously the connection between Sola and sky is quite clear, symbolic of what Matsuri has forgotten in her eternal journey of selflessness. The flashback to “LOL I remembered that it’s nice to have friends” bit is…well, very much about the sky that she has forgotten, and it’s a replay of when she recalls what it was like when she step into Yorito’s room. The sky is also a symbol of Yorito’s promise, which is fulfilled (in the lovingly SHOCKING TWIST fashion that makes AIR so good) when the broken-down film projector kicks in, and all that shizzat.

And speaking of AIR, the sky is full of air. Seeing that the scenarist behind Sola is the one behind Key’s successful hit games, the connection is, if anything, blatant. Sola is of AIR. Sola is also full of something else, especially episode 12…..anyways.

But I think Sola means being alone (Latin?). If you pay attention to the OP, in a way, it confirms that being alone is the best definition for the term as the show’s title. The series revolves around Matsuri’s loneliness issue and how it affects both her and the people connected to her. The lonely stroll under a rainy sky is a cute play-on-word.

And a cute play is so far what has transpired in the past 12 episodes. It was fun, it oozed with a good feeling; sort of like how Aria or Texhnolyze ooze with mood. I don’t think Sola can really disappoint with its final curtain draw now. A job well done so far, although not with its flaws.

Leave a comment | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture, Sola

June 15, 2007

Phisicalqantity Alternation Natural Deconstruction Organized Research ARRRRGGGUUUUHHHH

By omo

Killing me softly with crappy Engrish, yep.

What’s in a name? A whole lot, if you are keeping tabs on the gay marriage debate going on in the United States. But Darker than Black’s wrangling of PANDORA is just plain gay.

The past semester at school I worked with a client who is an aspiring writer. She came up with all kinds of neat words that are mnemonics for phrases–all of them actually made a lot of sense if you read them in full. Well, no duh, she has to make sales pitches to potential investors and publishers (and lawyers) who will work with her and believe in the causes she is working for. And give her money. And she lives in an English-speaking society necessarily requires that, well, you can’t use Engrish if you are serious about being a writer.

Ugh.

The thing is, is it really that hard to come up with a good … thing for PANDORA? What in the world is “Phisicalquantity”? Why must you do this, Japan? There’s NO EXCUSES if like, half of your industry revenue comes from abroad. Especially with a title like this.

UNINSTALL, UNINSTALL.

I mean, I would have been fine if no one ever explains to me what the hell PANDORA stood for. I would have been just fine if I didn’t know what HiME stood for (although that actually made some sense), but the Engrish was a good LOL for a show that isn’t to be taken seriously. Maybe we shouldn’t take DTB seriously?

And you would think after decades of anime watching I would care less about this crap. But alas.

Leave a comment | posted in Darker than Black, English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Modern Visual Culture