Conan and Andy Dub Anime

"Nabari no Ou"

This is a new show posted on the funimation website. It's about modern-day high school ninjas and it's drawn in a style that's more like some bishounen manga. There's 3 subbed episodes posted now. It may be enough for me to get interested in buying the series when it comes out in September. Damn you funimation...

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"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

Ok, saw a matinee of this movie today. Harry and the gang at Hogwarts is a little bit older. There's teen romance, treachery, potions, and Jim Broadbent. It feels like a tome packed into two and a half hours. It's well done and it's got that "Empire Strikes Back" sort of feeling since the good guys are kinda left hanging and you want to see next movie. I have begun to not understand the plot of the whole thing since I have only read the first book. As each movie progresses, I feel like "who is that character, that person is familiar...?" This happens when I see Helena Bonham Carter in the movie. But I know I'll hit the multiplex when the next one comes out.

"Phantom" episodes are back

Ever since the Funimation video portal got shut down, the simulcast of "Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom" has been stuck at episode 9. But episodes 10 and 11 came back recently and today I noticed they've been caught up to the current episode 15! I wonder if episode 16 will be here tomorrow (Friday) since that's when 16 is broadcast in Japan.

"NANA 2"

Just watched "Nana 2" and I really liked it although I think it's cause I like anything related to the "Nana" manga by Ai Yazawa. Actually, I have only been lazy and watched the fansubs of the anime and never read the manga. But, I must recommend the anime and the two live action movies. They are about two 20 year old women who happen to meet on their way to Tokyo and both are named Nana. Nana Osaki is trying to make it big as a rock singer and Nana Komatsu is following her boyfriend to Tokyo. Mika Nakashima is really good as rocker Nana. She's got the tough-but-fragile-inside gothic thing down. Catch her song which played on the ending credits on my IMEEM J-pop and anime playlist.

"Cloverfield"

It's Godzilla meets Felicity meets the Blair Witch Project. JJ Abrams is good at finding scruffy looking, but handsome, sad sack actors and really pretty actresses (see Michael Vartan, Scott Speedman, Jennifer Garner, etc.) and setting them up with awkward romantic situations (see entire run of "Felicity.") So the movie begins with Rob and Beth (both atractive), in said awkward situation, and then heads into science-fiction fantasy when Manhattan becomes invaded by Godzilla with longer arms. The tension of the buildup to the appearance of the monster is well done. The "Oh crap, oh crap, what are we going to do, we're trapped in a disaster" feeling is well done. And you do like Rob because he is trying to rescue Beth. But the narrator who carries the wobbly digital camera is really annoying after a while. I half wished the movie was just told in a conventional way so that the narrator Hud would not be necessary anymore. Movie does well with tension, but do we really care much about these characters? Not really. It feels like a director's exercise in teasing the audience more than anything else.

"Umineko no Naku Koro ni"

"Umineko no Naku Koro ni" (When Seagulls Cry) is a new summer anime of which I just saw the first episode. From the overly dramatic gothic OP to the strange ED, it's a nonstop supernatural mystery ride. You can smell the Agatha Christie-like set up pretty quickly, in that there's greedy sons and daughters, a crazy patriarch about to kick the bucket, suspicious looking servants, and an island. There is also a witch thrown into the mix. I wonder if I'll continue to watch this.