  Zettai Boei Leviatan - Episode 12 - It's Definitely a Shock! Jun 29th 2013, 18:00 
Finally returning to their village, Leviatan and her friends are enveloped by a pleasant sense of weariness and relief. Syrop asks the three girls once again if they will join the Aquafall Defense. Jörmungand and Bahamut respond to her request, but Leviatan says she wishes to stay in the town and refuses...
 |  Space Brothers - Episode 64 - Piece of Cake Jun 29th 2013, 13:30 
At Serika's request, Sharon returns to the hospital to see a neurologist. Meanwhile, Mutta's concern for Sharon distracts him from his upcoming, written flight exam.
 | | Creative Spotlight: Episode #239 – Charmaine Clamor Jun 28th 2013, 00:04 
Celebrated by The New York Times as “a gifted vocalist” and by The Los Angeles Times as “one of the important and original new jazz singers of the decade,” Filipino-American recording artist and cultural trailblazer Charmaine Clamor has earned her Queen of Jazzipino crown. Honored and recognition as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipinas in the United States, her music and cultural impact can not be ignored. We are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to sit down with Charmaine and discuss a variety of topics. Read below for the full Q&A… For those unfamiliar with 'Jazzpino', tell us a bit about how your heritage has influenced your music and how the evolution has taken shape. Charmaine: Jazzipino is a reflection of my identity: a Filipino-American. I was born and raised in the Philippines but have been living most of my adulthood in America, so I can consider myself both a Filipino and an American. This is what "Jazzipino" is. It's the combination of jazz, a uniquely American musical art form, with Filipino languages, melodies and instruments. There is obviously a void to fill in terms of the rise of Filipino musicians. JazzPhil-USA looks to focus on that aspect. How important is it to support jazz musicians with Filipino roots? Is there a neglect in the industry? Charmaine: From my experience, it's key to receive the support of the Filipino-American community, especially when starting out. That's one of the missions of JazzPhilUSA: to support, nurture and promote jazz artists of Filipino descent. I don't think we're neglected. There are two different types of Fil-Am jazz artists in the U.S.: the immigrants and those who were born here. Most of the time, the immigrants stay within the Fil-Am community and don't reach the mainstream. JazzPhil-USA has been getting more and more successful in bridging the cultural gap. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCzIj4VhmGg At any point do you feel like being recognized as jazz vocalist without so much emphasis on your nationality, or is it important for you to introduce authentic Filipino musical culture to mainstream? Charmaine: My music, my art is a reflection of me. I am a Filipino-American and I am proud to have introduced a different musical form in the jazz conversation. It's something unplanned. My music is an organic expression of my identity and it continues to evolve as I evolve as a human being. I know my music will have Filipino and American influences, but it will also will include influences from different parts of the world. I call it a true global sound! You were picked to headline The 18th Annual World Music Village in Finland. Over 105,000 people attended last year. The festival offers world views and music, so this must be a big deal for you. What can we expect from your performance? Any surprises? Charmaine: The Maalima Kylassa World Village Festival is the hippest and biggest festival I've been involved with. This year's theme is human rights, with many discussions and art that focused on this theme. It's run by volunteers, and this year it featured artists from Southeast Asia. The Festival has recycling centers and had a spirited panel discussion on Water. For all these reasons, it was a huge honor to close this amazing festival. Our music focused on human rights and introduced Filipino and jazzipino to the Finnish audience. I sang in four languages. Our surprise gift at the end was a Finnish translation of my most popular jazzipino song, one of the most beloved Filipino kundiman, "Dahil Sa'Yo." It was a lovefest. You have been described as one of the most 'listenable' voices in jazz. How do you achieve a balance of self expression, while remaining imaginative and accessible to your fans and jazz aficionados alike? Charmaine: I used to think about this very question during my soul-searching phase. This is not something that I'm consciously aware now when I choose my repertoire or when I sing a song. My intention is to tell the story of the song in a way that feels real to me. I find that when someone is genuine, people are touched in a most profound way! 
Do you have any favorite Asian films? Charmaine: I still continue to catch Filipino films especially the romantic ones like those of John Lloyd Cruz, Sarah Geronimo, Toni Gonzaga. Outside the Philippines, I am a big fan of kung fu movies. You were the only jazz musician signs to Viva at the time of your first signing. Did you experience any type of pressure or demand? How were you able to create a niche in that market for yourself? Charmaine: I didn't feel any pressure or demand – except to keep being myself. I felt proud to have been the first jazz artist on the biggest Philippine pop label. If you could remake one Ella Fitzgerald song, which would it be? Charmaine: I've included in my repertoire a famous Ella Fitzgerald song, "In a Mellow Tone," in which I transcribed her scat solo. I have so much fun singing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwNaN_xb_s After your tours wrap up in 2013, can we expect another album on the horizon? Charmaine: Yes, we are now in the pre-production phase for a new album. Some very heavy cats are going to be involved. I am so excited! Lastly, any advice for struggling musicians or vocalists? Charmaine: Embrace your uniqueness and use this to inspire your musical direction. I think all vocalists should not only take vocal technique classes but also learn how to play an instrument. It will make them a more fulfilled musician and performer. Practice, practice, practice. The journey is inward. All the praises and critiques are only noises. Go forcefully and yet gracefully on your path and master it. This is the key. Master your instrument and your repertoire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OXf2B4Npw8 Want to stay in the loop with all of Charmaine’s music? Visit her official site below: http://www.charmaineclamor.com/index.php Our readers can get a FREE jazzipino download here: http://www.mmsies.com/clients/CharmaineClamor/FanSignUp/ | | The Rose of Versailles [Part 2] – Review Jun 28th 2013, 00:04 
The second half of The Rose of Versailles opens by covering one of the most damaging events that was used to undercut the reputation of Marie Antoinette and which helped make her an easy target of the starving people's wrath, The Diamond Necklace Affair in which Antoinette was found to have been wrongly implicated but which was easily to believe given the crown's reputation for being rather spendthrifts with the ever increasing money being wrung from the common people. This event may have been one of the final straws that helped turn the people against the Queen and it helped turn her into a villain in the eyes of many of the people, no small number of whom already had thought less of her due to her indiscretion when it came to Count Fersen and her obvious feelings for him- and the Queen isn't alone in possessing such feelings either as Oscar finds herself also drawn to the man though her love is doomed to be just as unrequited. Oscar's life isn't going to be any easier outside of that as brushes with those looking to change her France from the one she loves is going to range from the kind of events she is going to have to ponder in her soul to those which may set that same soul free from its mortal shell as no small number of those looking to change the status quo are willing to use bullets or blades to speed on the change that now seems inevitable. At the same time Oscar faces a new challenge of her own as having tried to escape her previous love she has taken a new role which will challenge her current status and force her to confront just how it is she wants to live as she can no longer escape how she feels about someone who has been so near to her- but with the flames of the Revolution at hand will she find that the tides of history are waiting to sweep all in its path away? The second set of The Rose of Versailles has a bit of a shift on a couple fronts, first in terms of animation as the original director had apparently made life so miserable for the staff that he was replaced after episode 19 (according to the booklet provided with this set) and his replacement's direction had the series get rid of the overly "sparkly" animation rather quickly after he took the reins, leaving events to look a bit more realistic by their absence. The flip side to that is that the various environments often seem to be darker as well, though whether or not this is a matter of decision in where to set events, the lack of sparkles or simply a reflection of the darker tone as the revolution approaches is probably up to the individual watching to decide. At the same time the story changes quite a bit in focus as Antoinette is rather quickly ushered off the stage as well, an action that comes across as rather striking given the size of a role she played in the first 25 or so episodes which often seemed designed to paint her as a sympathetic figure which the final 15 episodes largely avoid, even turning her to being rather power hungry near the end of the series and repeating the quote about eating cake she is known for but which likely was invented by someone to take advantage of the public dislike of the Queen and spur the population to action. This situation feels like it is a bit out of step given the amount of time Antoinette got earlier in the series and the lack of her development in the later episodes feels a bit off. 
On the other hand, less time for Antoinette largely translates into more screen time for Oscar as she no longer is going to have to share as much time with the Queen and which should lead to more opportunity for character growth, though the results of this new focus may feel somewhat scattershot at times to those who'd come to enjoy her previous depiction as the Oscar who appears in the second half seems to respond in some less certain ways as she has to question what she is going to do when it comes to how to live- Is she going to throw away her femininity and just live as a man as she was raised or is she going to fully embrace her femininity and abandon what had been a guiding force in her life, or will she have to find some way to strike a balance in between? And as if that weren't trouble enough there is the larger matter of the change that is overcoming the country which will force Oscar to confront the ideals that she was raised with and how she has largely lived her life of serving France by serving the Crown while now having to decide if the France she grew up with is what she owes her allegiance to or if it is the people who make up the country wherein lies the true heart of what it means to be a country and thus it is to their cause that she should turn her efforts. 
Along the way many of the familiar characters who have been established to date are stripped away and replaced with a new supporting cast that seems designed for the express purpose of pulling Oscar to the side of the people as she leaves her role as leader of nobles guarding the Royals and takes a role leading a guard troop composed of commoners which, when combined with her patrolling the streets of Paris, present a far different view of the country's situation then she saw when she attended to the Royalty. This part largely feels rather organic as it helps to give a reason why this rather sheltered noble would embrace the path she does, but one event near the end where she seems to give up making the decision to follow what she feels is right in favor of turning that decision over to the path of her heart feels like it undercuts a fair amount of what had been established about her as if she now is taking more of a subservient role than she had to date. Along with this the appearance of the mysterious masked man and a pending peril to Andre may have been somewhat original at the time but they have become such staples of shoujo anime over the years that they feel overdone here and while it plays into a sense of melodrama that the series often gives into (particularly in the use of music) it feels like it dates the story a bit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDtZ6CiGSkg It is then a tribute to the source material that not only could the series survive a change in directors (not exactly rare in anime, but it has sunk projects in the past or made them disparate in their approaches) but also overcome the places where it seems to have shortcomings and make tremendously strong strides to the end. In no small portion this is due to the events of the French Revolution which help create a powerful environment and sense of inevitability which draws the viewer in and leaves them clinging to the edge of their seats to see an event that is centuries old and which can still stir passions when shown in this powerful a manner. Perhaps one of the ways that the series best does this is in its use of a good deal of ambiguity which leaves certain character's actions up to the audience to interpret and which in the end leaves the haunting question hanging of whether or not justice was really done or if somehow in the pursuit of it events overtook it and wound up landing in the area of injustice and it is this ambiguity which may help explain how the series became such a cornerstone in the shoujo market and one whose effects can still be seen reflected in the series of today. One final note must be made of the work that Right Stuf put into releasing this set through their Nozomi label as both sets feature sturdy chipboard artboxes with some amazing art present there as well as on the individual thinpacks used to house the discs and the second set comes with a spectacular 48 page book that contains series info and some artwork and designs, as well there being an extra on the final disc that contains a French interview with the director of the later episodes Osamu Dezaki which creates a fantastic bonus to this groundbreaking series and makes it one that will be worthy of sitting on any anime fans shelf.
 | | Tai Chi Hero – Review Jun 26th 2013, 00:02 
Chinese steampunk martial arts blockbuster about the early years of Tai chi master Yang Luchan, the man who founded in the 19th century what has now become the most popular Tai Chi style in the world. The second instalment of the “Tai Chi” trilogy continues the journey of Yang Luchan, a gifted child with a fleshy growth on his forehead who helped save a village from a frightening army of steampunk soldiers bearing strange machines with the knowledge of Tai Chi that they entrusted him with. In short a martial arts village must survive against the evil steampunk death machines and armies who want to build a railway which would destroy the town. The story is really secondary. It carries the film, but the effects, action, strong characters are flawless if you understand the genre. Most of it is quite unique and visionary while not compromising on the values of a good dramatised Kung Fu adventure. I mean it is really slick how they merge effects, big graphic overlays to convey action and humour which is really good. My only regret after watching them was that I never saw them in the cinema. If you like Kung Fu films this must be one of the most rewarding films you will ever see. The vision made reality is really epic. 
There's also a bunch of subplots involving Fang, the villain from part I returning to endure further humiliation, a mysterious Westerner (played by Peter Stormare, the menacing giant of Fargo) who takes us nowhere and a flying machine called Heaven's Wings (an odd bit of pre-Wright brothers historical revisionism), all of which clutter up the story that, we're assured by the narrator, will be resolved in part III. The best bits of the film should be the fighting. But director Stephen Fung fails to fully capitalize on a battle scene pitting Lu Chan and two others against an elite army unit, which ends up feeling rather bloodless. The second big fight scene, a mano-a-mano contest between Lu Chan and a kung fu master, is smaller in scale but nicely captures the grace and skill of the discipline. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhL9eJoogJw The sum of both films put together, only unfortunately averages it out. Inconsistency works fine for the music, however, which ranges from off-kilter European waltzes to thrash metal and traditional classical arrangements — the clashing tones fit with the erratic stylistic jumps of the filmmaking. If he continues to refine his methods of repurposing a wide variety of pop culture influences, Fung’s brave risk-taking should eventually cohere into something as fluid as it is unique.
 | | Creative Spotlight: Episode #238 – Brian Jin Jun 25th 2013, 00:04 
Today in the Creative Spotlight, we take a look at ‘The Customized Play’, which is an upcoming animated feature film from South Korean director Brian Jin. Utilizing a combination of 2D and 3D animation techniques and a wonderfully rich color palette. A very promising feature filled with hope, nostalgia, loss, and solace. We sit down with Brian and get his take on all things creative. Read below for the full Q&A… I suppose we can start at the beginning. How did you first become interested in film making and animation? Brian: I majored in electronics 16 years ago at the university, which I had no interest in at that time. It was pretty obvious that I have dropped out and decided to do what I really wanted to do. I was a big fan of Miyazaki Hayao and his works. I wanted to do something like that, however I thought it was too late to begin animation career and instead, I got interested in Computer Graphics and started to dig into it. I taught myself with the instruction books and finally got hired two years later by the CG based animation company, Frame Entertainment in Korea, which was my first professional job. Probably it was around 1998. How are you able to be proficient in the different layers of production such as editing, sound, animation, and coming up with the story? Was there a large learning curve becoming satisfied with all aspects? Brian: There were not enough staff to work on a project when I was at my first official company. One person had to do more than a part they fit in, I had to do modelling, texturing, animation and compositing for a project even if I was a character animator. Only way to make it possible was studying and pushing myself, so I spent all the night studying all the layers of production by myself ,as you said, after work. And I liked to imagine and write, which is my favorite even now through the whole process. I never learned, just tried to make the story I could like and enjoy. Which area do you feel is your strongest aspect and your weakest? Brian: Many people tell me they like all the environments of my animation, I guess, they are my strongest one. but I want to make something more amazing to me and people. I keep pushing myself to get it better. My weakest? One of them is absolutely character animation even if I started my career as an animator. funny. I guess I had to be qualified for all the tasks, which made my skill of animating poor. Another my weakest is storytelling, I am just not sure I am good at it. I want to believe I am developing. When looking at your films and videos I see a style reminiscent of Tekkonkinkreet. Are there any anime out there that have influenced or inspired you? Brian: Sure, I was huge inspired by Tekkon Kinkreet when I was making two shorts, Tom N Jerry and Entering the Mind through the Mouth. As I remember, I was looking for something to make me moved and it was not hard to find because I have watched Tekkon Kinkrit that time. Suddenly I got full of passion for animation and loved the artistic styles of Tekkon. However I should say I have been inspired by Miyazaki Hayao and his works through my whole life. He has made me want to do what I do now. 
Does your heritage, ethnicity or current residency location affect your art? If so, how? Brian: In my current project, The Customized Play, I am trying to put the look of many country. I lived in San Francisco for 7 years and got back in Seoul, Korea and I traveled many countries. I love all of them and diversity of them, just want to put them together in one film and want to see how they look. The story starts from Seoul, travel countries and ends in Seoul. Of course, Seoul is my favorite. What are some of your tools of the trade? Do you have any particular allegiance to any particular software? Brian: My tool is 3D studio max even though people tend to use Maya for making film more than max. I have been used to it for 16 years, it is just handy for me. But I don’t think I care my staff want to use other software. I only care what final output looks. Your latest project is “The Customized Play” which has been getting lots of attention lately. Could you tell us a bit about it and the creative process behind the production? Brian: Sure. It is about 90 min long animation. We are still working on it, probably will have a final version late next year. still long, long journey we have to go on. There’s nothing much to tell for now with many reason. I can not tell the specific details of technics, but we try to make 2d looking artwork using 3d, which is very attractive because making process time much shorter. Here’s the short synopsis. Chun Jaeyoung and Chun Yusun visit the unusual drama company, which produces the customized play for each client. They ask the boss of troupe to make the play for their father, Chun Jongsik having a 70th birthday. The boss creates the customized play having interviews with their father and his acquaintances. In the play, Chun Jongsik experiences fiction and truth from the past so that he realizes what he has done and what he has been feeling sincerely,and eventually faces the trauma that has harassed himself. We are putting lots of energy into all the environments which are painted with coral painter and photo shop. Many beautiful sceneries of Seoul city will have people’s attention, I hope they will. I've noticed some productions take over a year to finalize. Did you find any surprises during production, sections which were particularly difficult to pull off? Brian: One of the hardest thing is the health, I guess. It takes forever to finish an animation. I do nothing but making animation during the production whether it is short or not. I got to have terrible body condition and got sick when reaching the end of production. But I felt great I could see the work would be done soon. And often I realize my skill and my sense of art grow during years of production, which makes me not want to see the work I have done in the beginning. Do you have any other projects upcoming or currently underway? Brian: Just ‘The Customized Play’ This is only thing I am doing and thinking these days. It would be same for a couple of years, I guess. Lastly, any advice for any creative out there? Brian: Hmm. It’s not easy. Not easy to advise, keep passion, and push oneself. I can only say just keep doing it. You would fail, be sick, lose passion, and be desperate, and etc. But, you would feel a sense of accomplishment as well sometimes. I did not have anything I was good at 16 years ago, but I guess I have something now. It is just slow, but it doesn’t mean we never get it. To stay up to date on all of Brian’s animated adventures, follow his cookie crumb trail below: www.brianjin.com
www.facebook.com/briansfilmstudio | | The Irresponsible Captain Tylor – Review Jun 25th 2013, 00:02 
I very much enjoyed this series but before I move onto the review I want to give you one very important warning DO NOT watch it unless you are prepared to sit through until the very end because even when I was on episode 25 of 26 I was still debating what kind of series was it. Chances are, anyone who is interested in this product knows a great deal about the series; how good Irresponsible Captain Tylor is, and how legendary it has become as one of the defining series in anime. Irresponsible Captain Tylor captures the best elements of classic science fiction humor with some unusual twists. The traditional elements include the crew of misfits in a battered old destroyer, who (in spite of the odds) survive and frequently triumph over the alien forces and their own somewhat unscrupulous military high command. Irresponsible Captain Tylor provides its unique spin on this sub-genre in the form of Captain Tylor — young (age 20) with his entire military background consisting of a short stint in the military pension office. The surprisingly well developed and generally sympathetic elf-like aliens wonder whether Tylor is a genius or an idiot. The music is pleasing, with a mix of cheery pop and light jazz. One later episode contains a lengthy space battle choreographed to classical music that is a tour de force. I also loved the animation style, its definitely old-school, none of that CGI crap. Not that I’m against it but I have seen some CGI stuff terribly gone wrong, or wasted on crappy subject matter. The ships and the characters are very well designed. The Soyokaze, Captain Tylors ship, looks like a WWII u-boat, has that nostalgic look. The graphics are a bit dated but still fairly good considering it is over a decade old and the music is also a bit old and possibly out of tune but still fun. All in all if you have the patience to watch the series, to just sit back and enjoy and to get over that urge to say “what the?” every few seconds and just let the series take you for a bit of a ride I have to say this is the series for you! 
What makes the show interesting is partly the space opera comedy mishmash that works perfectly. But the other half of the equation is the characters. Every character, from the smart and sassy Yuiko Star, to the stoic and cool pilot Harold Katori, to the random minor character marine Jason. As a big fan of Leiji Matsumoto, I picked up on many subtle homages to his genius in this show; one of the characters is even drawn in a similar style as his. However, “Captain Tylor” is definitely its own show. The fun thing is that while some elements of the plot were very predictable (How will Tylor get out of THIS one?) the major storyline was not, and there are definitely some interesting plot twists! By the end of the show, I was in love with it, and you will be too! Yeah, so the titular character gets by through the whole series – war, political conflicts, terrorist attacks, assassination plots – on dumb luck, charm, and an easy-going attitude; yet, there is also something a bit deceptive about his way of being that other characters note as well: he just might be fooling everyone and he actually does have a plan of action! Either way, it makes for a funny and memorable series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0HPCZLiBxg If you just can't stand older anime, anime from the 90's, and anything sci-fi, then this is not the show for you, and that is really too bad because this is just such a fun anime. The greatest part of the series is the character interactions, from the XO who constantly takes tranquilizers and stress tank treatments to put up with Tylor, to the ships doctor who measures his time sober with a 24 hour hourglass, the characters manage to create some decent laughs and push the story forward. Despite being a little low key on the action, what does occur is always apropos to the episode overall. And the main character will keep you, just like every other member of his crew and his enemies, wondering if he is a genius or a lucky moron. The misfit crew of the Soyokaze are among the most memorable characters ever to grace Japanese animation. One of those shows that you just don’t want to see come to an end.
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