Sadako vs Kayako Weird Commercials

So now we got a series of bizarre commercials for the upcoming Sadako vs Kayako movie. These range from the two ghouls trying to sell you Popcorn.....

.....to observing proper etiquette when in a movie theater......

.....a Ladies Day Special......

.....why this movie ain't for kids (sorry, Toshio).....

.....and even who's gonna get the most followers on social media.

The movie comes into Japanese Theaters June 19th.

Classic Shojo Manga Returns

CLAMP announced that the upcoming Cardcaptor Sakura manga coming this June will be an ongoing sequel to the original series that ended in 2000.

 Originally a manga series and later adapted into anime, Cardcaptor Sakura (Cardcaptors in the US) is of 10-year old Sakura Kinomoto, who after accidentally released a set of sentient magical cards to her hometown, must capture them back using magic given to her by cards' guardian, Cerberus. Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the many successful Shojo (Girl) Anime series following Sailor Moon.

Nick Premiere List May 2016

Nick Premiere List for May. List also includes TV Land premieres for June. (credit to Toon Zone)

Nickelodeon
ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks
Monday, May 9th-5:30 pm "The New Kid"
Tuesday, May 10th-5:30 pm "Simon the Superb"
Wednesday, May 11th-5:30 pm "The Sub"
Thursday, May 12th-5:30 pm "Lights, Camera, Uh-Oh"
Friday, May 13th-5:30 pm "Wax Dave"
Bella and the Bulldogs
Saturday, May 7th-9:00 pm "Doggone Record Breaker"

Blaze and the Monster Machines
Tuesday, May 17th-1:30 pm "Rocket Ski Rescue"
Thursday, May 19th-1:30 pm "Dinosaur Parade"
Monday, May 30th-1:30 pm "Race Car Blaze"

Game Shakers
Saturday, May 21st-8:00 pm "Revenge at Tech Fest"

Henry Danger
Saturday, May 7th-8:00 pm "Twin Henry's"

Paw Patrol
Tuesday, May 3rd-11:30 am "Pups Save Apollo; Pups Save the Hippos"
Thursday, May 5th-11:30 am "Pups Save the Polar Bears; A Pup in Sheep's Clothing"
Tuesday, May 24th-11:30 am "Pups Save a School Bus; Pups Save the Songbirds"
Thursday, May 26th-11:30 am "Pups Save Old Trusty; Pups Save a Pony"
School of Rock
Saturday, May 7th-8:30 pm "Money (That's What I Want)"

Shimmer and Shine
Wednesday, May 11th-12:00 pm "The First Wish"

SpongeBob SquarePants
Monday, May 2nd-5:30 pm "The Fishbowl"
Tuesday, May 3rd-5:30 pm "Married to Money"
Wednesday, May 4th-5:30 pm "Sharks vs. Pods"
Thursday, May 5th-5:30 pm "CopyBob DittoPants"
Friday, May 6th-5:30 pm "Sold!"

The Halo Effect
Friday, May 20th-8:30 pm "Hello World"

The Loud House
Monday, May 2nd-5:00 pm "Left in the Dark; Get the Message" (Series Premiere)
Tuesday, May 3rd-5:00 pm "Heavy Meddle; Making the Case"
Wednesday, May 4th-5:00 pm "Along Came a Sister; Chore and Peace"
Thursday, May 5th-5:00 pm "Project Loud House; In Tents Debate"
Friday, May 6th-5:00 pm "The Sweet Spot; A Tale of Two Tables"
Monday, May 9th-5:00 pm "Driving Miss Hazy"
Tuesday, May 10th-5:00 pm "No Guts, No Glori"
Wednesday, May 11th-5:00 pm "Picture Perfect"
Thursday, May 12th-5:00 pm "Undie Pressure"
Friday, May 13th-5:00 pm "Linc or Swim"
Monday, May 16th-5:00 pm "Hand-Me-Downer"
Tuesday, May 17th-5:00 pm "Sleuth or Consequences"
Wednesday, May 18th-5:00 pm "Changing the Baby"
Thursday, May 19th-5:00 pm "Sound of Silence"
Friday, May 20th-5:00 pm "Space Invader"
Monday, May 23rd-5:00 pm "Overnight Success"
Tuesday, May 24th-5:00 pm "Ties that Bind"
Wednesday, May 25th-5:00 pm "The Green House"
Thursday, May 26th-5:00 pm "The Butterfly Effect"
Friday, May 27th-5:00 pm "It's a Loud, Loud, Loud, Loud House"

The Other Kingdom
Sunday, May 1st-7:00 pm "Cold Season"
Sunday, May 1st-7:30 pm "Expiration Date"
Sunday, May 8th-7:00 pm "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
Sunday, May 8th-7:30 pm "I Got This"
Sunday, May 15th-7:00 pm "Trouncing the Council"
Sunday, May 15th-7:30 pm "Let there Be Cake"
Sunday, May 22nd-7:00 pm "Get a Job"
Sunday, May 22nd-7:30 pm "Bad, Bad Fairy"


Nick Jr.
Peter Rabbit
Monday, May 2nd-6:00 pm "Spilled Milk; The First Bluebell"
Wednesday, May 4nd-6:00 pm "The Great Tortoise Rescue; King of the Woods"
Friday, May 6th-6:00 pm "Musical Mayhem; Missing Journal"

Teletubbies
Monday, May 30th-8:30 am TBA


TeenNick
TeenNick Top 10
Friday, May 6th-9:00 pm


Nicktoons
Breadwinners
TBA

Get Blake!
TBA

LBX
Sunday, May 1st-10:30 am "Achilles Heel"

Rabbids Invasion
TBA

Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V
Sunday, May 1st-10:00 am "Battle Under the Big Top"


TV Land
Impastor
Sunday, June 26th-TBA (Season Premiere)

Lopez
Wednesday, May 4th-10:00 pm "George Hosts a Golf Tournament"
Wednesday, May 11th-10:00 pm "My $uper $weet $ixteen"
Wednesday, May 18th-10:00 pm "George Doubles Down"
Wednesday, May 25th-10:00 pm "George Gets Roasted"
Wednesday, June 1st-10:00 pm "George Needs Vegas"
Wednesday, June 8th-10:00 pm "Fear and Loving on the Way to Las Vegas"
Wednesday, June 15th-10:00 pm "George Goes All In"

The Jim Gaffigan Show
Sunday June 19th-TBA (Season Premiere)

The Soul Man
Wednesday, May 4th-10:30 pm "Soul Train"
Wednesday, May 11th-10:30 pm "Sex, Lies and Video Store"
Wednesday, May 18th-10:30 pm "This Mud's For You"
Wednesday, May 25th-10:30 pm "No Bingo, No Peace"
Wednesday, June 1st-10:30 pm "White Trash"
Wednesday, June 8th-10:30 pm "Numb and Number"
Wednesday, June 15th-10:30 pm "Boyce Don't Cry"
Specials

Lost in the West
Saturday, May 28th-Monday, May 30th-8:00 pm (Three Part Special)

Disney Premiere List May 2016

List of Premiere dates for shows from Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Jr. (credit Toon Zone):

Best Friends Whenever on Disney Channel
Sun May 8 - 8:30 - 117 - Fight the Future, Part 1
Sun May 15 - 8:30 - 118 - Fight the Future, Part 2
Sun May 22 - 8:30 - 119 - Fight the Future, Part 3

Bunk'd on Disney Channel
Fri May 13 - 8:00 - 115 - Live From Camp Kikiwaka
Fri May 20 - 8:00 - 118 - Xander Says Goodbye

Girl Meets World on Disney Channel
(No new episodes in May)

K.C. Undercover on Disney Channel
Sun May 8 - 8:00 - 208 - The Truth Hurts
Sun May 15 - 8:00 - 209 - Down in the Dumps
Sun May 22 - 8:00 - 210 - Dance Like No One's Watching

Liv & Maddie on Disney Channel
Sun May 8 - 9:00 - 317 - Choose-A-Rooney
Sun May 22 - 9:00 - 318 - Friend-A-Rooney

Stuck in the Middle on Disney Channel
Fri May 13 - 8:30 - 108 - Stuck in Harley's Comet
Fri May 20 - 8:30 - 110 - Stuck With Mom's New Friend

Radio Disney Music Awards on Disney Channel
Sun May 1 - 7:00 - Radio Disney Music Awards 2016

Backstage on Disney Channel
(originally aired on The Family Channel)
Fri May 6 - 9:00 - 106 - Dig Deeper
Fri May 13 - 9:00 - 107 - In Their Shoes
Fri May 20 - 9:00 - 108 - On Deck

Mako Mermaids on Disney Channel
(originally debuted on Netflix)
Fri May 13 - 7:30 - 125 - Betrayed
Fri May 20 - 7:30 - 126 - Decision Time

Avengers: Ultron Revolution on Disney XD
Sun May 1 - 8:30 am - 308 - Dehulked

Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything on Disney XD
(No new episodes in May)

Guardians of the Galaxy on Disney XD
(No new episodes in May)

Kirby Buckets on Disney XD
(No new episodes in May)

Lab Rats: Elite Force on Disney XD
(No new episodes in May)

Pickle and Peanut on Disney XD
(No new episodes in May)

Star vs. the Forces of Evil on Disney XD
(No new episodes in May)

Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD
(No new episodes in May)

The 7D on Disney XD
Sat May 7 - 9:30 am - 209 - The Family Pickles / Chicken Soup for the Troll
Sat May 14 - 9:30 am - 210 - Dr. Jingleheimer / The Enchanted Forest Ranger
Sat May 21 - 9:30 am - 211 - Nicely Done & the 7D / Take Me to Your Grumpy

Ultimate Spider-Man vs the Sinister 6 on Disney XD
(No new episodes in May)

Walk the Prank on Disney XD
(No new episodes in May)

Wander Over Yonder on Disney XD
Mon May 30 - 8:30 - 218 - The Hot Shot / The Night Out

Doc McStuffins on Disney Junior
TBA

Goldie & Bear on Disney Junior
Mon May 16 - 9:30 am - 117 - The Tooth About Jack and Jill / Pig Problems

The Lion Guard on Disney Junior
TBA

PJ Masks on Disney Junior
TBA

Sheriff Callie's Wild West on Disney Junior
TBA

Sofia the First on Disney Junior
Fri May 6 - 10:00 am - 320 - Best in Air Show

CN Premiere List May 2016 *2nd UPDATE*

UPDATED LIST as of 4/29:

Peanuts (added 4/29)
Mon May 09 - 10:30am -101- Come On, Snoopy [SEASON PREMIERE]
Tue May 10 - 10:30am -104 - Have a Good Day Linus
Wed May 11- 10:30 am -106 - Good Sports
Thu May 12 - 10:30am -109 - The Mysteries of Love
Fri May 13 - 10:30am - 112 - A Day with Snoopy

Adventure Time
Thu May 05 - 7:45pm - 732 - Bun Bun [NEW NIGHT & TIME]
Thu May 12 - 7:45pm - 733 - Normal Man
Thu May 19 - 7:45pm - 734 - TBA
Thu May 26 - 7:45pm - 735 - TBA

The Amazing World of Gumball
Thu May 05 - 5:30pm - 425 - The Parasite

Clarence
Thu May 05 - 5:00pm - 220 - Mystery Girl

Pokémon the Series: XYZ
Sat May 07 - 7:00am - 1912 - Party Dancecapades!
Sat May 14 - 7:00am - 1913 - A Meeting of Two Journeys!
Sat May 21 - 7:00am - 1914 - An Explosive Operation!
Sat May 28 - 7:00am - 1915 - TBA

Regular Show
Thu May 05 - 7:30pm - 729 - Rigby Goes to Prom [NEW NIGHT & TIME]
Thu May 12 - 7:30pm - 730 - The Button
Thu May 19 - 7:30pm - 731 - TBA
Thu May 26 - 7:30pm - 732 - TBA

Steven Universe
Thu May 12 - 7:00pm - 301 - Gem Drill [SEASON PREMIERE] [NEW TIME]
Thu May 12 - 7:15pm - 302 - Super Watermelon Island [SPECIAL TIME]
Thu May 19 - 7:00pm - 303 - Barn Mates
Thu May 26 - 7:00pm - 304 - Same Old World

Teen Titans Go!
Thu May 05 - 6:30pm - 331 - Arms Race with Legs

The Powerpuff Girls
Thu May 05 - 6:00pm - 114 - Puffdora's Box

Transformers: Robots in Disguise
Sat May 07 - 6:30am - 212 - Decepticon Island, Part 1
Sat May 14 - 6:30am - 213 - Decepticon Island, Part 2 [SEASON FINALE]

Uncle Grandpa
Sat May 07 - 11:30am - 316 - TBA
Sat May 14 - 11:30am - 317 - TBA
Sat May 21 - 11:30am - 318 - TBA
Sat May 28 - 11:30am - 319 - TBA

We Bare Bears
Thu May 05 - 7:00pm - 208 - Cellie


---------------
(Original Post)
Tentative list of premieres for CN in May. Subject to change (credit to Toon Zone):


The Amazing World of Gumball
Thu May 05 - 5:30pm - 425 - The Scam
Thu May 12 - 5:30pm - 426 - The Parasite
Thu May 19 - 5:30pm - 427 - The Love
Thu May 26 - 5:30pm - 428 - The Nest

Clarence
Thu May 05 - 5:00pm - 220 - TBA
Thu May 12 - 5:00pm - 221 - TBA
Thu May 19 - 5:00pm - 222 - TBA
Thu May 26 - 5:00pm - 223 - TBA

Pokémon the Series: XYZ
Sat May 07 - 7:00am - 1912 - Party Dancecapades!
Sat May 14 - 7:00am - 1913 - A Meeting of Two Journeys!
Sat May 21 - 7:00am - 1914 - An Explosive Operation!
Sat May 28 - 7:00am - 1915 - TBA

Regular Show
Thu May 12 - 7:30pm - 729/730 - The Button [NEW NIGHT & TIME] [HALF-HOUR SPECIAL]
Thu May 19 - 7:30pm - 731 - TBA
Thu May 26 - 7:30pm - 732 - TBA

Steven Universe
Thu May 12 - 7:00pm - 301 - Super Watermelon Island [SEASON PREMIERE]
Thu May 12 - 7:15pm - 302 - Gem Drill [SPECIAL TIME]
Thu May 19 - 7:00pm - 303 - Barn Mates
Thu May 26 - 7:00pm - 304 - Same Old World

Teen Titans Go!
Thu May 05 - 6:30pm - 331 - TBA
Thu May 12 - 6:30pm - 332 - TBA
Thu May 19 - 6:30pm - 333 - TBA
Thu May 26 - 6:30pm - 334 - TBA

The Powerpuff Girls
Thu May 05 - 6:00pm - 114 - Puffdora's Box
Thu May 12 - 6:00pm - 115 - TBA
Thu May 19 - 6:00pm - 116 - TBA
Thu May 26 - 6:00pm - 117 - TBA

Transformers: Robots in Disguise
Sat May 07 - 6:30am - 212 - Decepticon Island, Part 1
Sat May 14 - 6:30am - 213 - Decepticon Island, Part 2 [SEASON FINALE]

Uncle Grandpa
Sat May 07 - 11:30am - 316 - TBA
Sat May 14 - 11:30am - 317 - TBA
Sat May 21 - 11:30am - 318 - TBA
Sat May 28 - 11:30am - 319 - TBA

We Bare Bears
Thu May 05 - 7:00pm - 208 - TBA

Another Anime/Manga Comes to Hollywood

Three actresses are being tested for the lead role in James Cameron's adaptation of the classic manga/anime series "Battle Angel Alita".

Battle Angel (titled "Gunnm" in Japan) is a classic manga series by Yukito Kishiro of an amnesiac female cyborg who takes on a role as a bounty hunter in a post-apocalyptic future. Cameron is a long-time fan of the manga and waited for CGI technology to be sufficient enough for him to make the film.

 

Battle Angel has been released in English and was also adapted into an OAV series, and it is quite a worthwhile read. Don't expect the Hollywood version to come out anytime soon despite this news as Cameron is still committed to do the sequels for his Avatar film.

Bad News for Female-centric Comics

Despite the numerous releases catered to the female audience (translation: feminists), sales of comic books catered to such audiences did not reach expectations.

The Mary Sue, meanwhile immediately responded to the reports.

Ajin Season 1 Review

I honestly don't get why when Netflix airs a certain anime, they would claim it as an original series, implying it's a Netflix production when it never was. They just happen to have the license to air it on their service. It's done before with the first two seasons of Knights of Sidonia, and now they're doing it again with Ajin: Demi-Human.

Ajin is based on the ongoing manga of the same name by Gamon Sakurai and is about the global manhunt of the Ajin - humans who are immortal and can summon beings known as 'Black Ghosts'. Teenager Kei Nagai is one such Ajin after he is killed in a truck accident, and is on the run from numerous factions who want the Ajin for various types of research from medicine to weaponization - all at the expense of the Ajin themselves.

Besides Kei Nagai, there is Yuu Tosaki, who plans to capture the Ajin by any means necessary for research purposes. We are also introduced to Sato, an old man who publically announces himself as an Ajin in a campaign to expose the Japanese government of their cruel experimentations towards the Ajin and fighting for Ajin rights. Sato, however, has a much more sinister goal in mind.....

Ajin combines elements of the supernatural and make it part of an action-thriller. Indeed, Kei continues to be hunted down by the various factions that want him for their own purposes. At the same time, we have Sato who goes after his goal in the most violent, yet ingenious way possible. And then we have Tosaki, who is pressured to capture these Ajins by whatever the cost. And it's not like Kei's a good guy either, as he's a sociopath with a cool and calculating demeanor. He can be compared to Code Geass's Lelouch Lamperouge as they both wish to attain their goals by any means necessary, even if it means collateral damage to everyone around them.

The only thing that bums me with Ajin is the fact that the first season ends in a cliffhanger. Now the original manga is available to check out on Crunchyroll, but the manga drives the plot much differently from the anime. So in a way it's kind of like how AMC handles The Walking Dead and how the show differentiates itself from the comics, while retaining a number of elements at the same time. So if you're planning to read the manga version of Ajin, it's best to start from the very beginning rather than the chapter where the anime left off.

Animation-wise, Polygon Pictures, the studio behind Ajin, makes it done in full CG, similar to what they did in Knights of Sidonia. Quite noticeably, the English voice cast for Ajin also come from Knights of Sidonia, so you may wonder if there was a connection at first. I personally prefer the original Japanese dialogue over the dub, however. Kudos to flumpool for the OP theme "Can You Sleep at Night?" as it is quite catchy and worth getting it if you can.

Ajin is a great action thriller that makes you wonder who you're going to cheer on. While the cliffhanger ending is very upsetting, a continuation is in the works and we can expect it to be available later this year or sometime in 2017. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give "Ajin: Demi-Human", the first season, a 4 out of 5.

The anime series is currently available on Netflix, while the English version of the manga is available on Crunchyroll.

A Popular North Korean Anime Has An English Dub.....

This is perhaps the very first bizarre first impressions I have. In fact it's so bizarre, I'm cutting out the opening entirely. So this First Impressions review is about the infamous animated series "Squirrel and Hedgehog" - the Enlgish dub.

Yep. An english dub version apparently exists from 2008 and is released just recently on Vimeo, which I will provide the link in the video description.

For those who don't know, Squirrel and Hedgehog is produced by SEK Studios, which is, to the best of my knowledge, the ONLY Animation Studio from North Korea. The series is still ongoing to this day, having started in 1977. Except that due to the economic and political atmosphere surrounding North Korea, there is a huge gap of several months, if not YEARS, before a new episode is released. Definitely far longer than waiting for a new episode of Steven Universe, or Bee & Puppycat. At the moment, the last episode of Squirrel and Hedgehog came in 2013, and a new episode has yet to be released.

The premise of the series is of the  inhabitants of Flower Hill (or Lotus Village in the dub), comprised of Squirrels, Hedgehogs, and Ducks, among a few other animals, defending their territory from other factions. The inhabitants of Flower Hill obviously refers to North Korea, while the other factions are the other nations represented by a specific animal - The bears being Russia; the weasels, Japan; and the Americans as wolves.

Despite it's North Korean propaganda, its depiction of violence (you WILL see a lot of on-screen deaths), and the fact that this is supposed to be a Children's show, Squirrel and Hedgehog gained fame worldwide when episodes where released and fansubbed on outlets like Youtube. Animation-wise, it's nowhere on par with what we see today, but the narrative and the characters are just weirdly entertaining. Whether you'd laugh at some of the scenery or feel the intense moments of the series, you just can't take your eyes off of it.

So when Mondo TV, an italian company, decides to produce and English dub of the series under the title "Brave Soldier", I was like "WHAAAT?" and had to check it out. This company, by the way is NOT to be confused with Mondo Media, the group behind Happy Tree Friends.

I just don't know if the English dub is meant for kids or those who watched the original "Squirrel & Hedhehog" cartoons. I wouldn't say the dubbing is terrible, but it's done in almost the style of 70's or 80's cartoons that I couldn't help but laugh at the dialogue and I really couldn't take it seriously! Add the fact that the soundtrack is entirely fanfare so the ambience sounds kid-friendly, when obviously, it's anything but. Even in the scenes where it's something bad is about to go down, it still uses these kiddy-tracks! So  when the village was burned down, and this fanfare is still playing, it's as though everyone is still happy about it, and so should the audience! I don't know if that's meant to be satire, or Mondo TV just couldn't get the right track and just lazingly slap it there. And yet, I can't really say whether it's a good thing or a bad thing at all! That's just how bizarre this dub is!

I did compare the dub to the original North Korean dialogue with the fan subs and though there are some changes in the English dub, such as adding a narration to explain the plot, and changing the names of the characters so its easier to pronounce, for the most part, it retains much of the original cartoon. They also did some restoration to the animation since the original is clearly faded over time, but not much.

I would say that "Brave Soldier" is more of a curiosity in itself rather than being a good or bad version of "Squirrel and Hedgehog", and I do wonder how many episodes Mondo TV has done in this series. Again, the last episode of Squirrel and Hedgehog was on 2013 and a new one has not been known to be available since, and I'm just as wondering how Geumsaegi, the protagonist of this series, will finish his recent mission.

All 32 episodes of the Squirrel and Hedgehog series is availabie on Youtube, while Brave Soldier, the English dub is on Vimeo. You can find the links in the video description.

Squirrel & Hedgehog Complete (so far)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsAeTEvKgtAXMslYTrFt0K1sKt40DMfKJ

English Version Ep 1
https://vimeo.com/163252380

Kabaneri of The Iron Fortress First Impressions

Kabaneri of The Iron Fortress is best described as Attack on Titan meets The Walking Dead + 28 Days Later set in 19th Century Japan. And it's freaking cool.

The story is set in an alternate history of the Japanese Industrial Revolution, when Japan is suddenly overrun by a horde of zombies known as "Kabane". Unlike most zombies we're familiar with, the Kabane have enhanced strength and speed, as well as being very aggressive and can only be killed by attacking their exposed hearts, which is protected by a layer of iron. And since this is 19th Century Japan, armor-piercing weapons are hard to come by.....

We then meet the series protagonist, a young steam engineer named Ikoma, who also studies about the Kabane and how to deal them. He develops a weapon that can pierce through the iron layer called, which I will say it slowly, the 'Tsuranukizutsu' or 'Piercing Gun', and successfully killed a Kabane with it. But in the process, he is bitten.

As with every other zombie tale, if you're bitten by a zombie, you're infected and will eventually turn into one. However, Ikoma manages to stop the infection from fully taking over, becoming what is known as a 'Kabaneri', someone who retains their humanity while having the superhuman powers of the Kabane. Together with Mumei, a young girl who is also a Kabaneri, they protect the passengers of the armored train the 'Kotetsujo', or 'The Iron Fortress' from the zombie horde.

So now you know where the series title comes from.

After watching the first 2 episodes, Kabaneri of The Iron Fortress leaves a great first impression from the production team behind Attack on Titan, and it deserves the praise given by both critics and audiences alike.

As soon as the series begins, you're already thrown into the middle of the chaos as the narrative gives you an idea as to what is going on and who the characters are. You then get a moment of calmness to process the entire thing before all hell breaks loose again. The Kabane are unlike the Titans, for sure, but the usual zombie horde trope, added with them being more difficult to kill makes them just as intimidating.

As with the mindset of the people of that period, and perhaps taking notes from The Walking Dead, the human characters are just as ruthless, not taking any chances of killing off other humans suspected of being a Kabane, and thinking of the zombie apocalypse as a curse, as opposed to being caused by a virus.

My knowledge of Japanese is minimal at best, but despite that, I did enjoy the Japanese dialogue in this series, which uses the terms and phrases of the 19th Century period. Think of a fantasy series where the characters speak the Old English of the Medieval times, rather than the modern English we speak today. The dialogue in Kabaneri is like that and is done so naturally, it does make you feel like you're living in that period. Of course, you'd only get this feeling if you know some level of Japanese, but otherwise you wouldn't tell the difference.

Kabaneri of The Iron Fortress is slated for 13 episodes, and word has it the second season of Attack on Titan will take its place afterwards. I will tell you right now, even though it's only been 2 episodes as of this recording, if you enjoy Attack on Titan, or intense in your face action, you must check out Kabaneri of The Iron Fortress. The series is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime.

CN Invasion Confirmed?

This is not a fanart. It is a legitimate pic of all the CN characters together drawn by their respective artists and is leaked from CN's servers. Either this is one of the CN bumpers, or possibly the rumored CN Invasion event. There is also report of a card game coming out featuring all the current CN Original cast and this may likely be an ad for that particular card game.

UPDATE: Apparently, it's a scene from the upcoming Uncle Grandpa episode "Pizza Eve", which airs tomorrow at 11:30 EST. 

Quick Thoughts on Macross Frontier

So I just binge-watched the ENTIRE Marcross Frontier television series with my brother, who is a Robotech fan. And boy, did we have a blast. Much of the story is in a way, a spiritual re-telling of the first Macross (Robotech) series, but with several added elements that continues the saga that is surprisingly very well written. You really get attached to the three main protagonists and the love traingle that erupts from this is something similar to the fanbase found in the Twilight Saga, but in very good way.

Another that makes great is the soundtrack. Despite being Japanese, the songs are very catchy and easy to listen to. They do repeat themselves occasionally throughout the series, but not to the point of annoyance. It's worth buying the soundtrack if you can get your hands on one.

Have to say, out of all the Macross series I've seen to far, Frontier is the best one. Great story, great characters, great soundtrack. The only thing I hate about it is that it is yet another vicitm of the legal limbo that is Harmony Gold, which means this will never be released officially in English. So the only way to watch Macross Frontier is through fan subs. But it's totally DAMN worth it! 5 out of 5.

No More Sexy Red Sox Fan For You!

A unique story for sure. Japanese fan-art site Pixiv has issued a statement that it will ban all sexual fan-art of the character 'Ellen Baker', the popular character from the New Horizon English Book series, out of respect to character designer Denchubo, and to assure she will appear in future New Horizons books.

 

New Horizons is an educational book series for Japanese Middle Schoolers on how to learn English. The recent edition features the character Ellen Baker as a 20-year old Assistant Language Teacher from Boston. Ever since her design was revealed, her popularity skyrocketed within social media, that numerous fan-arts, memes, and even theme songs of her were made within a few days. However, artist Denchubo, who created the characters, were concerned that the many sexualized fan-arts of Ellen Baker would cause the character, and the design of the characters overall, to be pulled from future publications out of complaints from parents and the like.

The Hidden Inspiration fo Son Goku

Goku's character in Dragon Ball is well known to be inspired by those of Sun Wukong, Superman, and Bruce Lee. Very few, however, know of the other inspiration Goku's character, and much of Dragon Ball, comes from, as ANN explains.

Rebecca Sugar CNI Interview Highlights

Comic News Insider, a podcast series talking about comics and movies, aired a special episode today interviewing Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar about the show, its development, fun trivia, and plans for the future. 

Below are highlights of the interview by timestamp:

40:23 - Early concept for SU began while Sugar was storyboarding for "Lady & Peebles" on Adventure Time.

- Sugar originally wants to remain storyboarding for AT while working on SU, and officially left AT after "Simon and Marcy"


42:25 - Much of the story has already been pre-planned before actual production. Sardonyx and other fusions was developed as early as the pilot.

- Garnet wasn't originally supposed to be introduced until later in the show, but some friendly meddling made her appear in the pilot.

- Sugar confirms it takes roughly a year to produce an 11-minute episode. As such during that period, there would be some changes to the story, but not for reasons like fan reaction or by the CN top brass.

- Much of the positive fan reactions to characters, and what fans are expected of them, have already been pre-written. Sugar cites Peridot as an example, as she has already written her entire story from start to finish.

(Sugar did not clarify on the 4th/5th Season 'renewal' as a rebranding of Season 3)


45:28 - Ruby and Sapphire are based loosely on Rebecca and Ian and how they always do the show together as a team (Ian has left the show to develop OK, KO!)

- The song "Stronger Than You" was made as a reflection of the challenges Rebecca and Ian had in developing the show

- Sapphire doesn't always have one eye, but was chosen as a reflection of her character seeing things only in one direction.


48:27 - The songs in the show were added to the storyboard as the situation calls for it. After the song is written, it is up to the storyboarders to produce scenes that go with the song.

- There will be a full musical episode. 7 songs total.


51:03 - Shelby Rabara, the voice of Peridot, originally auditioned for the role of Garnet

- Jennifer Paz (Lapiz) also auditioned for the role of Amethyst


52:32 - Mystery guest voice in an upcoming episode coming in the Fall


54:32 - Sugar fangirling on celebrity voices


55:52 - A possible musical number from Yellow Diamond?


56:06 - Fusions are metaphorical representations of a relationship between a couple. Sugar notes that a person in a relationship behaves much differently than when the person is single, and a 'new character' is created as a result.


58:58 - Sugar wouldn't call Pearl's love for Rose as "Unrequited"


59:32 - Sugar talks about his real-life brother Steven, who is the basis of the character.


60:55 - Steven Universe on Broadway?


61:53 - If Sugar is to produce her own mini-series a la "Over The Garden Wall"


63:12 - Sugar clarifies what is canon in regards to the show and comics and believes what she and the crew make together is the 'most canon' in the story, as opposed to one where Sugar writes herself

- Working on a children's book based on "The Answer"


64:33 - On a possible crossover with other CN shows like Adventure Time

- Would love to work with Adam Muto again (Muto is Sugar's co-storyboarder for AT and is now the current showrunner for AT)

- It would be difficult to do an SU/AT crossover because the two shows are completely different


65:45 - On how they do recording sessions together despite some challenges (namely Estelle (Garnet)and Deedee Magno Hall (Pearl) currently on their respective tours)


67:33 - On developing the theme song


69:35 - On writing "Everything Stays" for AT's 'Stakes' mini-series and possible future collaborations with the show.

- "Everything Stays" is Sugar's most personal composition to date. The lyrics came from Sugar's experience of losing a stuffed animal in a garden, only to find it a year later.


72:52 - There is an ending for Steven Universe already in place, but the narrative to reaching that ending changes as the show progresses.

- There are no plans to extend the series even if CN wanted to.

RIP Kouji Wada

Singer Kouji Wada, best known for the numerous theme songs for the Digimon franchise, like Butterfly and Brave Heart for the 1st Season, passed away this week from cancer in his upper larynx, ANN reports.

Harcore Deku

I got bored, so I made a thing.

Hollywood Death Note is Closer Than You Think

Looks like Netflix will be producing and releasing the American adaptation of Death Note.

Will it be good? Will it be bad? Well, historically, American versions of Manga/Anime tend to suck REAL bad. Remember Dragon Ball Evolution?

Cyborg 009 vs Devilman Review

In what is a surprising move by Netflix, the crossover Anime Cyborg 009 vs Devilman came out on April 1st. And it's no joke. As the title suggests, the Anime, which came out last fall, is a crossover between two familiar titles in Japan, Cyborg 009, and Devilman.

Now before I give the rundown on the plot, let me provide a brief synopsis on the two series. Despite both series came out in English - Cyborg 009 having aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami block in the 2000's, while Devilman on video, both aren't as widely known as Kill la Kill or One Piece. Furthermore, the crossover assumes the viewer is familiar with the two series rather than re-introduce them to new audiences.

Cyborg 009 is created by Shotaro Ishimori, the man behind the Kamen Rider franchise, and is about 9 people who are kidnapped by a criminal organization known as Black Ghost, and transformed into Cyborgs as human weapons. The Cyborgs, named 001 to 009, banded together to battle Black Ghost, who continue their production of cyborgs in their campaign of world domination.

Devilman is one of the earliest and most infamous works by Go Nagai, who also created Mazinger Z, the series that made the Mecha Anime genre today, and co-created Getter Robo with the late Ken Ishikawa. A young teenager named Akira Fudo teams up with Ryo Asuka in a battle against the demons from Hell. To combat these demons, a pure-hearted person must become a demon himself, and Akira is the perfect candidate.

Now that you got an idea of the two shows, it's time to give the plot of the crossover. While the two series are totally unrelated, the crossover depicts the two as sharing the same universe. As the Cyborgs take on Black Ghost, Devilman battles the demons of Hell and kills them in the most brutal way possible. Eventually, their battles will cause the Cyborgs, notably 009, and Devilman, to take notice of one another and mistook one another as the enemy. Later, a mad scientist apparently made a pact with a demon to form the ultimate Cyborg-Demon fusion, which causes the Cyborgs and Devilman to once again cross paths.

As I said before, the crossover requires that you know about Cyborg 009 and Devilman, otherwisse you'd be totally confused as to the plot. And while this is a crossover, it's more of a Cyborg 009 story than a shared narrative with Devilman, as the latter only gets involved in the first and third episodes. You could say Devilman is but a guest character in this crossover.

Maybe it's for the best as the two shows have completely different tones. Devilman is known for its depiction of horror and graphic violence, while also serving as a metaphorical anti-war message. Cyborg 009 is lighter in tone, and has a more superhero feel to it, like the Kamen Rider franchise. Yet, when Devilman and the Cyborgs do cross paths, their respective tones don't seem to contradict one another. You can still see the blood and gore Devilman brings, but it doesn't affect the tone and atmosphere from the Cyborgs at all.

As I watched the crossover on Netflix, I chose to watch the English dubbed version over the original Japanese, and I do enjoy the dub, with Johnny Yong Bosch as Cyborg 009 and Bryce Papenbrook as Devilman. Also, the Opening and Ending themes are performed by JAM Project, who of course did the Opening theme to One Punch Man.

Cyborg 009 vs Devilman is definitely not for those who are unfamiliar with the two series. But for those that do, despite being more of a Cyborg 009 show, it is quite enjoyable and definitely worth watching. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Cyborg 009 vs Devilman, a 3 out of 5.

Cybogs vs Devils

Crossover Anime Cyborg 009 vs Devilman is now available on Netflix. The series is a crossover between the series Cyborg 009 by Shotaro Ishimori (creator of the Kamen Rider franchise) and Devilman by Go Nagai (Mazinger Z, Getter Robo).

Cyborg 009 is about nine individuals kidnapped against their will by a criminal organization and transformed into Cyborgs as human weapons. Each Cyborg has his/her own unique abilities. The 9 Cyborgs then banded together to battle the very organization that created them.

Devilman is about Akira Fudo, who is involved in a battle with the demons from Hell with his best friend Ryo Asuka. They learn that the only way to defeat the demons is if one with a pure-heart becomes a demon himself, one like Akira's. Devilman is infamous for its depiction of graphic violence and horror, and is hailed as a metaphorical message on what happens when peace is no more.