March 1, 2014

The IM@S Bonfire

By omo

If I was a mild IM@S fan before going to Japan to watch the IM@S movie and their live show, I am no longer such a thing. Arguably I could not have been a mild IM@S fan given somewhere between 20-50% of my motivation of going to Japan this time was to see these two things, which can appear as an irrational behavior in most normal contexts. I say fan’s gonna fan, right?

Thing is, when I first watched the IM@S anime not-so-long ago, it didn’t appear to me as some top-tier anime made to advertise the franchise. I thought it was competent, featuring sparks of brilliance but overall typical A-1 Pictures late-night anime fare. Well, that actually says a lot, given this became one of the first anime that Studio Trigger that we now know worked on?

Discussing with some friends about Sakuracon tonight, I found that the Seattle-based con managed roped in two relevant animators as this year’s guests: the always amusing Koji Masunari, and sakkan and designer Toshifumi Akai, as a part of Magi’s promo at the con. Immediately my eyes honed into their contributions to Anim@s. It’s just that state of mind. And it’s not just that–I whipped out episode 23 from Crunchyroll right there and then and watched it. Despite the jetlag (or because?). Despite that not 5 minutes ago I was about to go to bed because I was tired, and it’s almost 1 AM.

The funny thing is, the entire episode kept my attention. Just a few minutes before putting my sleep schedule out of whack, I was watching an arguably inferior anime. I was close to zoning out while watching the show, so it was a good time to stop for the night I thought. But nope, that IM@S bonfire lit under my butt keeps me warm and going. What started as a freaking seed has blossomed into something more, perhaps something a little bit scary now. We’ll see where this takes me.

Episode 23 of The Idolm@ster anime is probably the second most depressing episode, and it’s depressing in a “Lost in Translation” kind of way. It’s got the Masunari touch. The way the scenes show the upper body motion. The way Yukiho sits in the green room, meditating to the music. The way Haruka camps out in front of her computer in her room. I totally forgot Little Match Girl made its anime debut here, and it becomes juxtaposition and yet somewhat touching in a very different way to what was going on in Haruka’s mind. And this is because the Yukiho we all love to hate or hate to hate has come so far along.

Everything comes together in this nub of an episode where Haruka doesn’t fall to the ground. It’s both the cause and cure of insomnia.

PS. If I was more motivated I would’ve pulled out their individual pieces from the Backstage M@ster book and look at the paw prints Masunari put in there. Of course, what ended up happening was that I googled the book and it turned up a couple “unboxing” type videos where the youtuber just go through the book, and what I found was that there are now a print run of this book that doesn’t have the Ogi Star Memories add-on. And for fact-checking purposes I got my copy out of the shelf anyway. At any rate, beware. Don’t get that version, if you want to buy the most definitive print reference for Anim@s. Get the one that has the Ogi Star Memories (the obi will indicate so). I am pretty sure that particular doujinshi is still over $100 street price-wise. Maybe you can get it less if you shop around?

All the more amazing when I just found it lying on A-Button’s counter a week ago.

PPS. The full sheding from Yukari’s SSA show can be found here. He goes into way more details than I can remember, and I sat next to him for the 2/15 show anyway!

EDIT: See the comments, but also https://twitter.com/digikerot/status/440942124369190912 for the first and subsequent editions of the book.

4 comments | posted in Idolmaster, Modern Visual Culture, Seiyuu, Idol, Pop

February 26, 2014

Gundam Build Fighters: The Other Side of Shiny?

By omo

The thought came across first when the second ending visuals came on for the first time for Gundam Build Fighters. I was watching the show on my way to work as I typically do, on the train. The extra ~$30 I pay a month goes to exactly this–better-than-the-competitor’s LTE coverage down the Northeast Corridor, so I can watch anime on the go without having to set up some kind of auto-torrent-re-encode-plus-sync system, thanks to the magic of simulcast.

It’s the same idea behind why I liken the IDOLM@STER movie costumes as Gokuseifuku a la Kill La Kill. White background, single-colored stars. It glitters while I was thinking about the connection between these things. Well, maybe not so much thinking and noticing there’s some connection.

sample

It didn’t really click until I read the investor report from the Bandai Namco group for fiscal year 2013 where the spotlight on Bamco’s unique IP puts IM@S back to back with Kamen Rider and Gundam, as some of the biggest drivers within Bamco’s portfolio. It’s quite telling if you actually read what it says, like:

  • In Japan it’s about on par in terms of name recognition as Gundam
  • A focus to target anim@s Ps via social games

So, what about Gundam Build Fighters? I think it fits Bamco’s vision for the business to a tee. It bridges the kind of generational gap between kids and adults. One way it does that is by adding that video game element to the series in a very straight-up sort of way. This has two effects. One, you can have the tournament/arena setup that we see in the show, providing pretty satisfying battles (ones with clear losers) on a regular basis without killing all your cast in the process. Two, it gives the gunpla aspect new life by clearly painting a vision for the gunpla builder. In that sense, we’re now gamifying the gunpla aspect by giving it the ability for people to customize using official components (which is also a money driver kind of a thing).

Which is to say, if we were to describe the genre of game Gundam BF is trying to depict, it’s not really a fighting game (even if the gameplay turns out that way). It’s closer to a social-mobile game in which players spend all their time and effort building their gunpla, perhaps to just admire them (this is what Sei was doing until he met Reiji) or to relive them like “proper otaku” (this is what Ral-san was doing, as with the old fogies that Reiji schooled). Or in Gundam BF’s case, explode your master grade++ gunpla in moments of glory in battle. All these things exist only in some kind of weird context that you do with mobage as well.

All they’ve left out is the infinite money sink hole that is the kuji process.

I mean, it is not really that close to, say, Million Live, but the formula is there. You can’t customize your idols, and you can’t really build them up beyond what the game provides the framework for. For gunpla OTOH, masterful crafters can actually do something unique and special by adding their own touches. But in the digital version of such a game, you might as well be equally limited.

PS. I’ve returned. I have 3 posts queued up and to be written, on top of the backlog now haunts me and the posts to be written for other obligations. orz indeed.

PPS. I don’t know about you, but I think Wing Gundam is top idol.

PPPS. If it’s with you, Imber.

2 comments | posted in Gundam, Idolmaster, Modern Visual Culture

February 21, 2014

KOTOKO – Kuchuu Puzzle Tour 2014 at AiiA Theater, Shibuya

By omo

Aiia Theater

Let’s break it down before IM@S breaks me down.

  1. My-Les
  2. WING OF ZERO-the ring-
  3. 黙れよ、ピーター
  4. フシ-ギナ-アナ
  5. サ・ヨ・ナ…ラ
  6. frozen fir tree
  7. 冬の雫
  8. snow angel
  9. 原罪のレクイエム
  10. agony
  11. 海豚
  12. 雪華の神話
  13. Largo
  14. サクラノアメモエギノヨ
  15. ささくれ
  16. Re-sublimity
  17. Loop-the-Loop
  18. Rock☆DE フルーツバスケット♪
  19. Flower!
  20. Light My Fire
  21. Pâ—‡liGâ–³n
  22. 空中パズル

Encore 1

  1. Presto
  2. 開け！ソラノオト
  3. →unfinished→-Album ver.-

Encore 2

  1. SHOOT!-KOTOKO.ver-

Check Kotoko’s blog for pics of her outfits. And all the stuff I was gonna say until I read it www.

So let me keep it personal and point out the big things. First, there were two costume changes in the main set. Encore has the usual t-shirt + skirt combo and she puts on No. 11 jersey for Shoot! She also tried to score a couple handicapped freethrows, and makes the last one of three.

The “Winter” set is in her snow-fairy-peter-pan inspired getup. I really like how it gave her an excuse to sing all these old snow-theme songs. The stage had this fake snow setup where it’ll spew out mysterious snow-like substance that floats down much slower than actual snow. It would be neat except I’m kind of sick of snow at the time given how it interrupted travels so much.

The first costume change happened during a really long instrumental solo if I recall correctly. The second outfit I remember liking more, because it’s got this weird white theme going on and is a little bit like a wedding dress except the huge ribbon-like thing on her shoulder. I could be wrong.

I was too busy rocking out to have an opinion of the third one.

KOTOKO isn’t so much what I call “a sight for sore eyes” both visually or musically, but the strongest immediate reaction was that I really missed her, and I didn’t even know it. Her music in the live context just gets me.

The crowd was another point of observation. I’ve never seen her live over in Japan so it’s not clear to me how the fans move. So it turns out they move the same way as they do in the States, basically. There aren’t too many songs with calls, and those that do tend to be just anime or game songs that go by the usual pattern and/or hooks into some other franchise, like Shoot, which has the full cheer-ppph-thundersnake thing built in. Just rock and thrash as usual guys!

Can’t wait for her Raleigh stage!

Leave a comment | posted in Conventions and Concerts

February 16, 2014

Thought-Dump Japan 2014 Part 1

By omo

So what kills blogging is not twitter, it’s a grueling schedule of a) line up early for goods/events/etc b) events c) post-event hangout d) post-even hangout pt 2. e) oh hey it’s 4am. f) repeat.

But I’ll take this time to write up some stuff. I hope to go to bed soon so should be short. Right.

Bunny berry pink penlight

Continue reading

2 comments | posted in English Language Modern Visual Fandom, Introspectives, Off Topic, Seiyuu, Idol, Pop

February 11, 2014

The Trip, 2014

By omo

I never got to wax much nostalgia about my trip last April when I went to see that PA Works show, along with Coorie and Tamayura. I traveled for about 10 days and did the otaku mecca thing, while focused on taking it easy, eating (and didn’t even do much of that beyond local recs) and hanging out. Watched a couple anime movies, at least. It was actually quite a blast, but I definitely could’ve done more if I was more organized or adventurous.

Makoto goes traveling on a Jitensha w

This year I’m going with a herd of other foreigners and in the span of about also 10 days, I would have hit up 2-3 theater greetings, probably will watch the same two anime movies like, in four different occasions (funny considering I could also watch Buddha 2 or the new Tiger & Bunny film that’ll get a theatrical run in a month), will attend a radio recording, plus at least five concerts. FIVE. Maybe more if I want to do that underground idol thing. So most likely this means I won’t have time to try my luck at Kancolle cafe, just a couple days for shopping, and who knows how many places I can go eat? I get the feeling those things will take care of themselves however.

Here’s the event list, at least the confirmed ones. A few are not yet and are marked TBD:

There are a ton of events that I wished I could attend, either because it runs against one of the other events, or because I can’t get the proper tickets (like WUG handshake sessions…or Yui Ogura handshake sessions…or Milk Lariat S conflict with KOTOKO…or Kanon 2014 conflict with IM@S with Yanagi Nagi live etc).

And that’s just events! There are tons of other stuff on the agenda, none perhaps less epic than the chronicles detailed here. But I will do my best with the whole enjoy Japan thing. Food, scenery, shopping, you name it. Definitely want to revisit A-Button and Garten once.

Anyway, if this blog stops updating the next 2 weeks, you know what’s up. Actually I will still be updating the non IM@S stuff here, so watch for that; but as you can see there’s not a whole lot of that.

4 comments | posted in Conventions and Concerts, Introspectives, Modern Visual Culture, Popular Culture, Seiyuu, Idol, Pop