Animax’s Blog

[PHOTO CREDITS: La Corda D'Oro ~ Primo Passo ~ Copyright as indicated]

No anime is
complete without music. Whether it be through the opening (OP) and
ending (ED) themes or the background music (BGM), anime has helped in
bringing a wide variety of music forms to an audience, who would not
usually listen to such types of music.

Let’s take a little trek through the "anime-verse" and see why anime and music mix soooo well…

For Love Of The Classics

Let’s
admit it. Classical music is not really a favorite of the youth of
today. However, did you know that classical music has played important
roles in many of the anime that you consider faves?

If you’ve been mesmerized by Kimiko Itoh’s haunting "Follow Me" from Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence,
the song is actually set to Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo’s second
movement from Concerto de Aranjuez. Jazz versions of this tune were
made popular by jazz legend Miles Davis and the James Last Orchestra.

Listen very closely to the whimsical ending theme "DuDiDuWa ~ LaLaLa" by Kotoko from The Adventures of Tweeny Witches. It is just a modern remake of the classic waltz "Beautiful Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss.

The dramatic background score of Gankutsuou/The Count of Monte Cristo comes
from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s "Manfred Symphony" and Gaetano Donizetti’s
tragic opera "Lucia Di Lamermoor." Classical music lovers would readily
recognize Robert Schumann’s "Traumerei" as among the piano pieces that
Eugenie Danglars performed in her first concert.

One
of my favorite classical pieces is the Ninth Symphony by Ludwig Van
Beethoven. This rousing score has been played on many anime. There was
even a happy hippy version of it. Just check out the ED theme of Tokyo Godfathers. One memorable anime in which it was performed, however, was in Angelica’s death scene in the final episode of Gunslinger Girl. For
such a grandiose song to be sung by both the cast and as BGM during
Angelica’s final moments gave it a poignant yet still tragic atmosphere.

Recently, there has been a classical music revolution in anime. Princess Tutu may be considered as the Fantasia of
anime, with its lovely ballet sequences and its extensive use of
popular classical ballet scores. The delightful romance comedy Nodame Cantabile focuses on an aspiring young conductor and an eccentric pianist. Fantasy and classical music again combine in the shoujo anime La Corda D’Oro ~ Primo Passo ~

* * * * *

Pop Goes Anime!

Writing
and performing the opening and ending themes of popular anime have
served as a springboard to a lucrative recording career for many
J-artists. No anime soundtrack would be complete without an OP or ED
theme by L’Arc~En~Ciel and TM Revolution. The same goes for songbirds
Sowelu and Crystal Kay. In fact, you can’t really call yourself a
J-artist if you haven’t done a song for an anime.

Pop music has also served as the focus of many popular anime. One good example is Gravitation, which remains a favorite among fans even up to now. The soundtrack of Gravitation boasts the great vocals of Kinya Kotani, who also did the OP themes of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. Another stellar anime soundtrack is that for the anime NANA. If you prefer hard rock, there’s Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad. I must admit to having a particular fondness for Oji The Section Chief, with its obvious tribute to one of the guitar gods of heavy metal, Michael Schenker.

In
recent years, EVERYONE wants to jump into the anime bandwagon, even if
they are not Japanese. Because of the success of anime in western
countries, even popular composers and artists from the U.S. and Europe
have contributed to the making of anime soundtracks and themes. A
perfect example is award-winning composers Hans Zimmer and Mark
Mancina, who wrote the brilliant score for Blood+.  

Jean-Jacques
Burnel, composer, vocalist and bass player of the British New
Wave/Alternative Rock band The Stranglers, not only wrote the score for
Gankutsuou/The Count of Monte Cristo, he also wrote and sang the
OP and ED themes of this now classic anime, namely "We Were Lovers" and
"You Won’t See Me Coming", respectively.

British music icon David Sylvian wrote and sang the haunting ED theme "For The Love Of Life" for the anime suspense/thriller Monster. Popular Eighties New Wave band Duran Duran’s debut hit "Girls On Film" was used as the OP theme for the Japanese release of Speed Grapher. Recently, the Red Hot Chili Peppers hit "Dani California" was used as the theme song for Death Note Movie 2: The Last Name.

As you have seen from last week’s blog, Daft Punk joined forces with anime director Leiji Matsumoto to create Interstella 5555.

Presently
racing up the charts is "Inori ~ You Raise Me Up" by Korean American
R&B singer Lena Park. The song itself was written and composed by
Rolf Lovland of the Irish band Secret Garden, with lyrics by Irish
novelist Brendan Graham. Even popular British soprano Sarah Brightman
is all set to release "Be With You: Itsumo Soba ni", the theme song for
the latest Pokemon movie.

Now…what happens when a seiyuu of a popular Japanese anime turns recording star?

[CONTINUED IN PART TWO]

[PHOTO
CREDITS: Members of Weiß: Miki Shin'ichirou, Tomokazu Seki, Hiro Yuuki
& Koyasu Takehito, © Koyasu Takehito & Weiß,  Marine Entertainment, Animate/Movic, Phantom Mama]

Ask
any "elitist" otaku what drives them to harangue, argue, and quarrel
with anyone who would dare to say they tolerate dubs, they would tell
you it’s the stellar performances of the seiyuu in the original
Japanese anime. However, only the most diehard fans would tell you that
the seiyuu are no ordinary voice actors. As many seiyuu have shown to
their adoring audience, they are accomplished singers as well.

While
it could not be determined when exactly the craze for "singing seiyuu"
began, anime fans are in agreement that the person who started it was
veteran seiyuu Megumi Hayashibara, who is noted for her roles as Rei
Ayanami in Neon Genesis Evangelion and Lime in the Saber Marionette series. To date, Hayashibara is the only seiyuu to have branched out into a successful recording career.

Originally, anime soundtracks of Yu Yu Hakusho and Slam Dunk
were good sellers, but the success of Hayashibara showed that perhaps
there is a wealth of singing talent waiting to be mined in the seiyuu
pool.

This
quest for singing seiyuu led to the creation of "character" albums,
special tapes and CDs boasting songs written for the characters in a
particular anime. It is only but natural that the seiyuu, who voiced
these characters, sing the songs as well.

As a result, character singles and albums were released for such popular anime as Fushigi Yuugi, Gundam Wing and Slayers. One of the seiyuu who rose to prominence as a singer is Maaya Sakamoto who voiced and sang as Hitomi in Vision of Escaflowne. She later went on to have hits in the ED themes of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles and the haunting English ballad "Gravity" from Wolf’s Rain.

The
singing seiyuu trend took a surprising twist when male seiyuu joined
forces to form J-pop boy bands. One of the most popular is E.M.U.
(short for Entertainment Music Unit), consisting of Okiayu Ryoutarou
(Kuchiki Byakuya from Bleach), Ishikawa Hideo (Ukitake Juuichirou from Bleach), Midorikawa Hikaru (Shi Seiran from Colourcloud Palace), Canna Nobutoshi (Mido Ban from GetBackers) and Sakaguchi Daisuke (Shimura Shinpachi in Gintama). They hit it big with songs for the shoujo radio show, games, and OVAs of Sotsugyou M, about a group of bishounen in an elite boy school.

The one seiyuu group that has captured the hearts of fans worldwide is Weiß. Created by seiyuu Takehito Koyasu (Sa Sakujun from Colourcloud Palace), together with Seki Tomokazu (Shi Ryuuki from Colourcloud Palace), Shin’ichirou Miki (Urahara Kisuke from Bleach), and Hiro Yuuki (Mitsuru Bandou in Air Gear), as a support music act for the anime Weiß Kreuz (about a group of bishounen assassins), Weiß’s albums were top sellers all over the world and their Japan concerts sold out.

Weiß,
however, has one flaw. With the notable exception of solos by the
individual members, group songs are sang as a group, so that you could
not appreciate the voices of the members.

It was the seiyuu of the Saiyuki anime
– Seki Toshihiko (Genjo Sanzo), Hiroaki Hirata (Sha Gojyo), Hoshi
Souchirou (Son Goku) and Ishida Akira (Cho Hakkai) — who came up with
the idea to have each member alternate in singing individual lines and
then have their voices blend together in the chorus. This way of
singing has since been adopted by the seiyuu of One Piece, Harukanaru Toki No Naka De, and Prince of Tennis (who have "disguised" themselves as boy bands AOZU and Pull Tab To Can).

Needless to say, this led to a rivalry of sorts between Weiß and the Saiyuki
seiyuu, which culminated in the monumental recordings of the
promotional CD for the anime specialty shop chain Animate, entitled Anime Tenchou. One of the most difficult recordings to find, Anime Tenchou boasts these eight seiyuu at their vocal best. In fact, one of the songs in Anime Tenchou features Seki Toshihiko rapping on a song called "Thunder Respect".

Because
of the success of this singing seiyuu, it has become a trend in the
Japanese anime industry to have their voice talents sing. Testament to
this is the success of the character albums of Bleach (I still have yet to get the album where my fave Shinigami Zaraki Kenpachi sings!), Kyou Kara Maou and Saiunkoku Monogatari. Simply put, one is not a seiyuu if he or she has not tried their hand at singing.

For example, Black Jack’s seiyuu Akio Ohtsuka has tried singing on the single "Tori Ga Iku Michi." Surprisingly, among the Black Jack seiyuu,
it is Hayami Shou (who plays Black Jack’s nemesis Dr. Kiriko) who is
the best singer, and he also had established himself as a recording
artist in Japan. One of the funniest songs you’ll ever listen to is the
ED, "How to Draw The Keroro Shoutai Song", from the anime Keroro Gunso.
This is the one song where you will get to hear the seiyuu of the Count
of Monte Cristo, Jouji Nakata, sing (with hilarious results!) as
grouchy Giroro. However, hearing Nakata-san sing traumatized a lot of
fans of Edmond Dantés (yours truly NOT included!).

However,
if you were to ask this Obataku whom I would consider to be the best
singing seiyuu in Japan today, among the guys, I would say Morikawa
Toshiyuki (Dante of Devil May Cry, Lan Shuuei of Colourcloud Palace, and Conrad of Kyou Kara Maou)
as my top favorite. One of my favorite songs of his is his version of
the Elvis Presley classic "Love Me Tender" from the KKM character
album. Other singing seiyuu whom I love are Okiayu Ryoutarou, Miki
Shin’ichirou, Canna Nobutoshi, Seki Toshihiko, Hiroaki Hirata, Yuuji
Ueda (Shinobu Morita from Honey and Clover. Yes, that’s really him singing!), and Junichi Suwabe (Archer from Fate/Stay Night). Three seiyuu who are surprisingly versatile are Masakazu Morita (Kurosaki Ichigo from Bleach), Miyano Mamoru (Suou Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club) and Kenichi Suzumura (Hikaru from Ouran High School Host Club).

Among
the lady seiyuus, hands down my all time favorite is Maaya Sakamoto.
However, one fantastic singer is Aya Hirano (Misa Amane from Death Note), who performed a few songs in Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Romi Paku (Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist) is also a great singer, as evidenced by her rock number in the "Rock Queen" episode of Devil May Cry. So it’s very disappointing that she did not sing in NANA. One seiyuu who can sing IN character is Mitsuki Saiga (Wolfram from KKM). Just listen to her KKM character singles and you’d swear that it is indeed Wolfram singing.

Indeed,
the seiyuu are talents to be reckoned with. It’s no wonder that they
remain unparalleled in the world’s voice acting industry.

I can’t believe
how difficult it was to login into this site! Imagine, one hour just to
login. And then I discover that my avatar in My Profile in the Animax
India site has disappeared as well. Grrrrr…must inquire with the
hard-working webmistress about this. Sadly, because of the long wait
and uploading, I can’t post what I was originally planning to feature
here. So here’s a short review of something I watched yesterday.

* * * * * * * * * *

Anyway, have you
ever experienced wanting something so bad that you’d be willing to give
up ANYTHING, even your two newborn kittens (No, scratch that. Maybe a
pesky relative?) just to get it?

I’ve experienced it quite a few times. The first was that frustrating search for Sentou Yousei Yukikaze. I
couldn’t find a copy of it here in the Philippines, so I was forced to
order it at an anime specialty shop. When I got it, I discovered I paid
more than a thousand for an awfully subtitled Chinese pirate. The
second would be my current frustration, trying to find the finances so
that I could be able to buy the latest novel by my favorite author
Diana Gabaldon entitled "Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade".
This Obataku desperately wants to get it for her birthday next month,
but my meager resources has dwindled because overwork has weighed down
my health yet again. (sob sniff)

Which leads us to
my third frustration… Years back, as I was bored out of my mind and
surfing through channels, I stumbled upon this anime of an alien rock
band performing. To say that I was blown away by it was an
understatement, especially since I readily recognized the art as
belonging to Leiji Matsumoto, who did my favorites Captain Harlock and The Galaxy Railways
(Whoops! Forgot to include these two titles in my list of faves.). Of
course, I thought I was watching Animax or some other network airing
anime. I blinked once and then twice when I saw that it was MTV and
what I was watching was actually a music video entitled "One More Time"
by Daft Punk.

I must admit that
I was so intrigued by it, especially since it ended with those sinister
black hooded guys with guns landing on the planet where the band was
playing. Three more videos followed — "Aerodynamic", "Digital Love"
(My favorite!) and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", but after this,
nothing. I waited…and waited…and waited… But there was no
continuation. In my frustration, I was close to transforming into my
demented devilish alter ego as well, especially when I learned from my
compatriots in the various scanlation sites I haunt frequently that
Daft Punk and Leiji Matsumoto will release the COMPLETE set of these
videos.

However, I
thought "What are the chances of it being released here in the
Philippines?" I could only heave a heavy sigh and answer, "IMPOSSIBLE!"

Many years pass.
Every time I see, those Daft Punk videos, I want to kick the TV
(although not when "Aerodynamic" or "Digital Love" are playing. I was
too much in love with the lead guitarist and the sweet galactic hero to
place my foot in their gorgeous mugs.). While I was very busy with my
interviews and deadlines for the magazine’s yearly breast cancer
issues, my best friend called with great news.

"Rory-sama," she whispered on the phone like a spy in a James Bond flick, "I know where you can get Daft Punk’s Interstella 5555."

That was all the
incentive I needed to leave the office early to get it. Although the
shop selling it happened to be owned by an overbearing guy whom I
despise (Thank God he wasn’t there when my friend and I went to pick it
up!), I was happy that — AT LAST! — I could finally watch the whole
thing.

Was Interstella 5555 worth that loooooooooooooong wait? (Amazing, I was in my late thirties when I first watched it and now I’m…40+…Urgggh!)

If you’re a Leiji
Matsumoto fan, it’s definitely worth the wait. The animation is
absolutely stellar. High quality from start to finish. The plot itself
is riveting. The alien rock band known as The Crescendolls –
consisting of lead singer and keyboard player Octave, lead guitarist
Arpegius, drummer Baryl, and the lovely bassist Stella — is kidnapped
and brought to Earth to be used for the evil purposes of a megalomaniac
named Earl de Darkwood. Of course, space soldier Shep then hurries to
Earth to save his idol Stella.

[PHOTO CREDITS: Stella & Shep © Virgin Records LTD./LABELS. Associated Copyrights Leiji MATSUMOTO & DAFT PUNK]

I personally would like to think that Interstella 5555 is the technopop anime version of Fantasia. Daft Punk’s music, all taken from their Discovery and Daft Club
albums, complemented the story very well. It is not only a visual but
an aural treat as well. This Obataku fiendishly admits that she
ESPECIALLY likes Interstella 5555 because there is NO DIALOGUE
from beginning to end, so that she is spared from the constant
lamentations, whining and griping of anime fans belonging to either the
subtitled or dubbed factions.

I have only one complaint about Interstella 5555,
and huge pardons if this Obataku regresses into fangirl mode, something
so unbecoming in a middle-aged woman — "HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO
SHEP?" To those who haven’t watched the anime, I could probably spoil
it to you on PM. But not here. Still, my eyes go teary in remembrance
of that gorgeous space soldier.

If you want to watch something different for a change, I highly recommend that you try to get Interstella 5555. Or maybe I could request TPTB here on Animax to air it. It’s really worth watching.

If only… Oh my beloved Shep! (sob sniff)

[THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR DOES NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS OF ANIMAX AND THEIR AFFILIATES.]

The webmistress
of the Animax site requested me if I could answer some of the comments
in the blog from time to time. Well, since I’m pretty much swamped with
article deadlines for the breast cancer issues of the magazine I work
for and am not able to watch TV or have any free time at all, I’m
taking the opportunity to answer some of the questions that were asked
here…

Just who the heck is the writer of this blog?

I’m not too sure
why this specific question was asked not once but twice, but you’re
probably wondering why someone like me is writing this blog to begin
with. If you haven’t read the little section below called "About Me", I
have been an entertainment AND medical writer for several women’s
publications in the Philippines ever since I was in High School
starting the year1979. Although I went on to study Medicine (Yes, I do
possess a Doctorate in Medicine), I still continued to write, primarily
for an entertainment magazine called "Glitter". Not only did I have
columns on television AND professional wrestling, I also had an anime
column called "Anime News", which lasted for a year and a half (a
pretty long time considering the fact that my gay editor HATED anime).
As far as reviewing goes, I have been trained to write reviews by a
Catholic review body called the CINEMA. However, to those who have
expressed dissatisfaction with the way I do reviews, you will never
catch me writing about the technical aspects of anime. I would rather
focus on the merits or lack thereof of the anime I watch. If any of you
feel you can do a better review, that’s what the "Comments" box below
is for. Of course, everyone still has the option to choose which ever
anime he or she wants to watch. I’m just reviewing what I happened to
be watching at the moment, and that’s it. I don’t know what other
credentials you would need to write a blog about anime.

First things first, I seem to have offended some people with my comments regarding "parental responsibility" in the Blood+ review. I honestly wish I could apologize for it, but let me explain my side.

I said something
about a press conference of a parent group who are concerned about
anime violence. The problem I had was that this is a group that would
not only hesitate to push censorship bodies for stricter editing, but
also use the media to galvanize government into banning anime. Filipino
fans would know that anime was practically banned in our country, not
once but twice. Sadly, most of the studies on TV and anime violence
that are existent did not include a very important variable, and that
is "parental guidance." There was a study that was sent to me two years
back, which showed that most parents don’t really know what their kids
are watching on television. In this day and age wherein households have
two to three TVs, parents are usually too tired after coming home from
work to actually sit down with their kids and watch TV with them.
Television has become the means to get their kids out of their hair
after a hard day’s work. Unfortunately, these are the parents who read
every news item that comes out about violence in anime AND believe
them.

A psychiatrist
colleague told me this story: "I often give lectures to parent groups
who have so-called ‘difficult’ children. They would get angry and ask
me ‘How could I make my children stop watching all these violent
cartoons and stop playing these violent video games?’ They ALWAYS ask
me the same question. But when I ask them in turn ‘Have you ever found
the time to watch these shows with your kids and play these video games
with them?’, the COMMON answer would be ‘No, I’m too tired from work.’"

While I DO NOT
make any false pretenses of being a "role model" for the youth (I am
too aware of my imperfections to even attempt to be one), allow me to
speak as a medical professional. Parental responsibility does not only
mean that you’re earning money for the family’s food, your kid’s
education, etc., etc. The REAL joy of parenthood is enjoying the things
that your children love and learning along with them. And that includes
watching TV and playing video games with them. It should NOT even be
thought of as a "parental duty".

I have spoken to
many parents who have found watching anime with their kids to be an
eye-opening experience for them. One parent I talked to recently at the
anime specialty shop I go to is especially grateful to Animax for
airing Jigoku Shoujo because she would never have known that
her son was being bullied in school. Great was his fear that he would
pretend to be sick, even going so far as to "create" his own fever by
sticking a thermometer underneath a lamp. It was when they were
watching a taped episode that her son opened up that a group of
hooligans in his class was stealing his lunch money and beating him up.
From this, you can probably see that the so-called "violent anime" CAN
be very helpful.

For the youth who
are hesitant to let your parents watch anime, believe me, there’s no
harm in trying to convince them to watch. Just start out by letting
them watch a simple, wholesome anime that they’ll be sure to enjoy and
then move on to more complicated shows.

Let me share with
you my own personal experience. My late mother HATED anime. She would
always tell me "I don’t watch cartoons." When she was diagnosed with
terminal cancer, she lapsed into severe depression and was often very
sad, short of temper and very irritable. One day, I decided to watch TV
for a change in the living room because I was waiting for an important
call. I was watching Slam Dunk on AXN. My mother heard Sakuragi
Hanamichi laugh and she asked me "Who is that laughing so heartily?" I
told her that it was the lead character in the anime I was watching.
After a few minutes, she became very curious, dropped what she was
doing, and sat down to watch Slam Dunk with me. After a while,
my severely depressed mother was laughing along with Hanamichi as well.
Eventually, she stay tuned to the anime daily. She even started
watching this boxing anime called Hajime No Ippo. If I had
known back then that anime would help her cope with depression, I
should have prodded her to watch more insistently. Even today that
she’s gone, I still regret it. Don’t make the same mistake I did. As I
said, there’s no harm in trying.

For both parents
and the youth, I assure you there is nothing more enjoyable than
watching anime together as a family. In fact, for many parents I know,
watching anime has become a bonding experience for them.

[MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN PART TWO]

[THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR DOES NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS OF ANIMAX AND THEIR AFFILIATES.]

The Obataku attempts to answer even more questions. I hope… I think… Am I even coherent?! XO

GUNXSWORD is a finished title, so definitely no second season. Same also for Card Captor Sakura.
The so-called "Third Season" encompasses the story arc wherein Sakura
transforms all the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. There is no Season 2
for Please, Teacher! However, there is a sequel called Onegai, Twins!, but none of the characters in Please, Teacher! appear in it. There is also no Season 3 for Chronicles of the Wings. But…there
will be a three-part OVA coming out in Nov, 2007 ("The Magician’s
Message"), January ("The Boy’s Right Eye")and March, 2008 ("The Dream
The Princess Saw"), entitled Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations. There was also a movie that came out in 2006 entitled Tsubasa Chronicles the Movie: The Princess of the Country of Birdcages, which crossed over with the xxxHolic Movie.

Peeps seem
to be asking this a lot. Maybe it’s because it was mentioned in my
intro that I love the anime, when I NEVER did. Sorry, but that’s the
truth. I only did the review for it, but I never said that I liked it.
Anyway to answer the question, YES, there is a title called Initial D: Third Stage. BUT…it’s a MOVIE, not an anime series. In fact, there are also Initial D OVAs, namely Battle Stage, Battle Stage 2 and Extra Stage.

The creator of Honey and Clover is Chica Umino. I don’t know where you can write her, but she has her own Official Website. I don’t think her BBS is active though. Sad to say, most official author websites that do have BBS only allow Japanese script.

Animax, please make us new seasons of  (PUT TITLE OF ANIME HERE)!

My, my! Now where did this misconception come from?  Animax
merely acquires these wonderful anime titles for airing in their
network. They DO NOT MAKE these anime. If you want new seasons of any
anime, I suggest you write and harass the production companies that
make them. You can find out the names of these production companies in Anime News Network. But I doubt if you’ll find the contact addresses there.

Animax, please air (PUT TITLE OF ANIME HERE)!

I know a lot of
you have been posting requests of anime to air on Animax. Many of
these, I have previously requested already and there is a very STRONG
chance that you’ll be seeing some of them this year. I have a pretty
good batting average whenever I make requests. Also, TPTB DO read your
comments here so they’re taking note of the shows you’re interested in.
However, this is just my opinion, especially in the cases of titles
like Naruto, InuYasha, Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny, etc.
which my countrymen have been requesting. The sticky problem here is
that these titles are being aired on another network. As my contact
explained to me, if a network has exclusive airing rights to a show,
only that network can air it. This is probably the reason why Animax
can air certain anime in countries like Hong Kong, SEA and India, but
not in the Philippines. Also, please take into consideration licensing
costs. From what my friends in the television industry told me, it’s
super expensive to air TV shows and anime. If the show in question is
very popular, the more the airing price is jacked up. So please try to
be a bit more understanding.

Let me be very
honest about this. I really and truly HATE this topic the most because
of the heated almost flame-like responses that are being generated
whenever it is brought up. Animax has made their OFFICIAL statement
about this issue in the Forums. However, I DO plan on coming up with a
extensive article on "Dubs vs Subs" in a future blog. In the meantime,
whether you’re demanding subs or are a dub fan, PLEASE practice
tolerance and patience towards each other. We’re all supposed to be
anime fans here.

Okay, there seem
to be a lot of requests like these, and I’m glad that quite many of you
who have posted have begun "friending" each other. In my case, I
personally do wish that I could "friend" people so easily, but it’s
not. Sadly, I’ve had bad experiences in certain fandoms, which have
made me especially leery of making quick "friends" with people whom I
don’t know. Trust is best earned after all. Also, I have a very hectic
schedule as a journalist to actually find the time to answer PMs,
emails, etc. This DOES NOT, however, mean that I’m a bad person. No. In
fact, truth be told, my best and most trusted friends right now are
former readers of mine from my days of writing the "Anime News" column.
One anime fan who is especially close to me has even taken to calling
me "Auntie" in real life. If some of you are still THAT desperate to
"friend" me, just read my answer to the next question below and you’ll
find my Animax Nick. Introduce yourself first. Be polite. And we’ll
see. As I said, there are NO GUARANTEES that I will respond to every
"friend" request or PM. I have to be fair also. Being very busy, it’s
practically impossible for me to respond to everyone.

I must admit that
I am very, very confused about this, and I would really like to hear
more about these issues, especially from those who have commented about
it in this blog. It’s really against my better judgment to give this
out, but I DO have a Profile/Nick here in the Animax website. To those
of you who have VALID concerns, you can PM me at ObatakuRory. This is for BOTH Animax Asia AND Animax India.

I must INSIST,
however, that EVERYONE who write to me to PLEASE BE POLITE and AVOID
GRIPING. I seriously have a very low tolerance for rude, whiny, pushy,
demanding and unreasonable people. If you want me to voice out your
concerns and suggestions to Animax, please AVOID any emotional
outbursts. You see my avatar above? Believe me when I tell you that
when I get mad, I really DO transform into THAT. So be warned.

This is just me
speaking, but there is a certain hentai fan here who posted how proud
he is of a particular "body part" he possesses. I will respect your
love for hentai. To each his own, and you are of legal age after all to
enjoy such stuff. However, this blog is NOT the place to make OBSCENE
or LEWD comments. If you don’t want me to request our patient Animax
webmistress to ban you, I suggest you stop.

PLEASE! LET’S KEEP THIS A CLEAN AND INTELLIGENT PLACE FOR NEWS AND DISCUSSION FOR EVERYONE!!

Did you know that
eating eight to ten servings of fruits and vegetables can lower your
risk of developing ANY type of cancer by a whopping 50 percent?! Oh,
the useful things you learn when you interview real medical specialists.

Unfortunately,
rushing interviews and deadlines for our magazine’s breast cancer
issues are the ONLY things I’m capable of doing right now. So I’m
seriously deprived of anime or any free time for that matter. Hope I
finish all of these deadlines though before Hiwou War Chronicles premieres.

Anyway, I’ve noticed that a lot of Animax fans post their fave anime in the blog. Since I’ve had a few peeps asking moi for
my faves and recommendations, here’s the Obataku’s list of her favorite
anime. Take note. This list would definitely be different from what
you’d been expecting. My criteria for selecting which anime are my
faves include the following…

1) The number of times I have watched it
2) My favorite seiyuus (Japanese voice actors) are in it
3) I became so addicted to it that I wrote fanfics

Definitely you will NOT find Naruto, Inu Yasha
or other common fan favorites in my list. I was interested with the
first few episodes, but with time, my interest waned considerably (Once
I start falling asleep, that’s a very bad sign!), so that although I
liked them before, I am not in the least inclined to continue watching
them today.

Do I RECOMMEND
these anime? I don’t want to say I rec these shows to everyone. Each
and every individual has his/her own tastes, so please respect mine.
One of these anime is not even suited for those NOT of legal age (below
18). But these are the anime that have stimulated my brain cells and
touched my heart (how mushy!) to a great extent.

Although I did not put any rankings, the anime titles below are placed in ASCENDING ORDER, meaning the last titles on this list are my top favorites. So… do you share the same favorites as this old coot?

ZIPANG
I got into Zipang out
of pure curiosity, and I certainly did not regret buying the whole set.
The storyline is very unique. A bunch of Japanese Navy officers of a
state-of-the-art modern day battleship called the Mirai ("future) is
out for joint defensive training maneuvers with allied forces when a
freak occurence of nature transports all of them (battleship included)
to World War II, just before the break out of the Battle of Midway. The
crew of the Mirai is placed in a sticky situation on whether or not
they should change the course of history, but this choice may be taken
away from them by a Japanese naval officer, whom they had saved from a
plane crash, who is determined to see Japan win and transformed into a
new nation called "Zipang". If you’re a history buff, this might prove
interesting for you. What I enjoyed about it is the moral dilemma the
Mirai crew is put in, and the ways they try to avoid interfering in
plotted history. Not to mention the battle scenes.

X THE SERIES  / CARD CAPTOR SAKURA
I could safely say that these are the only two CLAMP titles that I have enjoyed for certain, although I prefer X The Series above Card Captor Sakura. Darker themes interest me more. I must say though that I found the ending of X The Series more believable and appropriate than the one in the movie.

SPEED GRAPHER
Like Zipang, I watched Speed Grapher
because of all the rave reviews surrounding it. To be honest, the first
episode was a turn off because I found those perverted politicians so
disgusting to look at. However, as I persisted in watching it, I soon
came to understand what a real work of art it is. This is one anime
wherein the violence and implied sexual content is effectively used to
heighten the innocence and purity of hearts of the photographer hero
Saiga and his "goddess" Kagura. This is also an anime wherein you
actually find yourself eventually rooting for the villain Suitengu and,
ironically, he DOES win in the end and his so-called "evil" plans give
rise to something good.

HELLSING / VAMPIRE HUNTER D / BLOOD+ / TRINITY BLOOD
I LOVE VAMPIRES! Although I have lumped these four titles together, I’m usually caught watching Hellsing, Hellsing Ultimate, and Vampire Hunter D
more often. Of all the vampire characters I’ve seen, I am drawn of the
seriousness and complexity of the Dunpeal D. As for Alucard, he is so
lusciously psychotic, it’s hard not to like him. Of course, I have to
admit that I am drawn to Alucard because the seiyuu who dubbed him,
Jouji Nakata, has such a deep sexy voice.

CLAYMORE
It’s
really hard to describe this exceptionally breathtaking anime unless
you watch it. Excellent animation, a brave and truly admirable heroine
in the warrior Clare — if there is one anime which I would personally
request Animax to air, it’s definitely Claymore. Although it
may not make sense to those who have not even seen the first episode on
the Net, I really feel the strong urge to say it. Clare will kick the
butt of Fate/Stay Night’s Saber back to Camelot. And you can mark my words on that!

YAMATO NADESHIKO SHICHIHENGE / OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB
It’s
very difficult to make me laugh. But when I do, it’s equally hard for
me to stop. These two anime are the shows I watch when I’m in one of
those low moods. Both Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge and Ouran High School Host Club share a similar theme — thrust the hero or heroine in odd situations. In the case of Ouran,
beleaguered "poor" heroine Haruhi is forced to join the infamous host
club of an elite school in order to pay for an expensive vase AND
disguise herself as a guy to get clients. In Yamato, four
playboys accept the challenge to transform the niece of their filthy
rich landlady into a "perfect girl" in order to get free rent. However,
the niece in question happens to be a huge horror fan and a clone of
Sadako/Samara (depending upon which version of The Ring you watched). I actually prefer Yamato over Ouran because it’s just too darned hilarious. I would NOT recommend fans to watch Ouran and Death Note as a combo though. Since Miyano Mamoru who dubbed ditsy Suou Tamaki in Ouran is also the same guy who dubbed Yagami Light in Death Note,
I honestly had a hard time separating the two characters because he was
just soooo darned fantastic! Apparently, this "phenomena" had the same
effect on one anime fan, who ended up writing a very funny crossover
fanfic about Tamaki stumbling upon a "Love Note" and begins pairing
people off with it.

KERORO GUNSO (aka SERGEANT KERORO)
What
happens when you put together the top seiyuus in the business and have
them play…well…kooky alien frogs? I must admit that Keroro Gunso
has me roaring with laughter in my seat. Keroro’s obsession with Gundam
action figures and robots actually rival some diehard Gundam fans I
know. The success of this anime is credited to the Japanese seiyuu who
dubbed the leads. Koyasu Takehito (whom you probably remember as
Fujimiya Aya from WeiB Kreuz) was downright hilarious as the
"mad scientist" soldier Kururu. The greatest surprise however is Jouji
Nakata, who is noted for serious roles such as Roy Revant from Solty Rei and The Count from Gankutsuou/The Count of Monte Cristo. He is just endearing as the gruff but often abused Giroro. Not to be forgotten is Kusao Takeshi (Kougaiji from Saiyuki) as Dororo who is always left behind by his comrades. Keroro Gunso
is one anime that I believe should be preserved in its original
Japanese format. There are just too many things that could go wrong in
dubbing this title into English, or any other language for that matter.

(MORE OF THE OBATAKU’S FAVES IN PART TWO)

The Obataku continues with her list of favorite anime!

LE CHEVALIER D’EON

I’ve always been a sucker for stories set in historical France. Le Chevalier D’Eon is
a brilliant fictionalized account of the life of French master spy and
"Patron Saint of Crossdressers" Charles D’Eon De Beaumont. Lots of
historical references and action-packed sword fights! Love those gowns
too! Of course, there are bishies for women of ALL ages. Those in the
lower age range have loyal page boy Robin, teens and young adults have
D’Eon, much older adults (like yours truly!) have Durand to drool over
(I’ve heard that Durand was based on Brad Pitt, although he certainly
does not look like Brad), and there’s a geriatric hunk too in
Teillagory. Should I find it distressing that my 70+ year old aunt
thinks Teillagory’s balding pate is "sexy"? Should someone as OLD as
Teillagory even be considered as a bishounen ("pretty boy")? URK!

Despite having
different plots, these three anime share a common theme — "Power
corrupts". Indeed, whether it’s a cursed notebook, the ability to
manipulate other people’s minds, and a mysterious website, these titles
show that even with good intentions at heart, an act of evil will
always remain an evil deed, and you have to suffer the consequences of
your actions in the end.

These are the ongoing anime that I am loyally following. I was rather late in getting into Bleach because a friend of mine erroneously described it to me as similar to Dragonball
(which I do not like). Good thing I got curious and ended up watching
it. Now, I’m really hooked on it. I just love the plot of D. Gray man, although this Obataku reluctantly admits that she finds Marshall Cross Marian and Noah Clansman Tyki Mykk absolutely dishy. Gintama is
just too funny for words, especially the way the Shinsengumi is being
depicted. I must admit that I am rather late with my episodes of One Piece. Hard to catch up when there are 22 DVDs in all. But I’ll catch up. I always do.

Solty Rei is
one of those titles which should have been good if the plot did not end
up zig zagging all over the place. Personally, I would’ve chosen to
center more on the relationships of Roy, Solty and Rose Anderson. I
would’ve done without the back story of the female members of the RUC,
whom I was irritated with right from the start. But as the ending drew
closer, the writers finally went back to the main plot. Of course,
being a sucker for dramatic scenes, I ended up crying buckets in the
scene where Roy was begging Solty not to go into outer space and their
eventual reunion. Then again, practically everyone I know who watched
it shed tears. I’m pretty sure there was a shortage of tissues that
day.

THIS IS FOR ADULT’S ONLY, OKAY?! Fuyu No Semi is based on the popular two chapters in yaoi manga artist Nitta Youka’s series Haru Wo Daiteita. Fuyu No Semi is
particularly memorable for me because this is the FIRST (and definitely
the last) manga that I have attempted to translate. For someone who
never studied Japanese, it took me close to 4 to 5 months to translate
it using four Japanese dictionaries. I even did research in Japanese
history because the story is loaded with important historical
personages and events. While everyone (including my Japanese neighbor)
said that I did a very accurate job of it, I still had my doubts. When
the three OVAs finally came out, I finally realized that, yes, I DID do
a good job at translating the manga. I won’t do it again though.
Anyway, although Fuyu No Semi is being touted as the Brokeback Mountain of anime, it is actually more like Romeo and Juliet.
And same as when I was translating its manga version, I also cried at
the ending of the anime version. Jeez! I’m such a sucker for drama.

The first time I saw the commercial for Yukikaze on Animax, I
was intrigued. Needless to say, I really stayed up until 12 MN just to
watch it (although I ended up getting low blood pressure because of it.
This Obataku is not allowed to stay up real late). But it was
definitely worth it. Spent thousands even just to buy the complete set.
Anyway, Yukikaze is one of those anime that should have
extended to at least 26 episodes instead of the 5 OVAs that comprise
it. The novels itself (which are not really "novels" but collections of
short stories) give more information on the characters of Rei Fukai and
Jack Bukhar and the events in the OVAs. Just in case Animax re-airs it,
I suggest you take note of the scene where Rei is captured by the JAM
in OVA 1 and he was being fed by a pretty nurse. It was never mentioned
in the OVA, but in the novel, the reason why Rei is vomiting out the
soup he was being forced to eat is because the soup was made from his
co-pilot Lt. Burgadish. So when the evil JAM commander said that "Your
co-pilot sacrificed a lot for you", you know what that means. Burgadish
soup — YUCK!

A friend in the U.S. told me even before the anime premiered that I should not miss Kyou Kara Maou,
and she was right. While the episodes are worth waiting for every week,
I instantly fell in love with the characters. Yes, I know that a lot of
you are Yuuri/Wolfram fans. However, this Obataku has a fondness for
the older characters, in particular, Conrad and Gwendal. It’s hard not
to fall in love with Gwendal. He’s handsome, he’s cranky, he’s
reliable, he knits, cooks and bakes cookies — everything I love in a
man! Too bad there’s a shortage of guys like Gwendal in real life.

Being a voracious
reader in my Elementary School days, I unwittingly stumbled upon a
translated copy of "Journey To The West" in my school library. Up to
now, I regretted having to return it. When AXN began airing Gensomaden Saiyuki, it certainly came as no surprise that I got hooked on it. After Reload and Reload Gunlock, I am looking forward to the Burial OVAs,
which feature the personal stories of Genjo Sanzo, Sha Gojyo, Cho
Hakkai, and Son Goku that creator Kazuya Minekura had done in the manga
version.

The term "uplifting" is something that you rarely use for anime, but this word certainly describes Saiunkoku Monogatari. To think I was very hesitant to get this anime because I thought it was a clone of Fushigi Yuugi.
The plot is something that most people can relate to. Kou Shuurei
belongs to a noble family, but because her father Shouka was stripped
of his title as the head of the clan, she lives an impoverished life
with her father and her adopted older brother Shi Seiran. However,
poverty and the stricken conditions of the land of Saiunkoku drive
Shuurei to accomplish a dream that is impossible to achieve in Ancient
China — to become the first female official in the Emperor’s
court. To say that this anime is heartwarming is an understatement.
While it does not hold back from depicting real life situations, the
story, through its wonderful characters, never fails to inspire courage
and hope in the viewer. This is a must watch for everyone! Mark my
words on this, I’m pretty sure that in the near future, the peeps who
follow this blog will soon have avatars featuring the gorgeous male
characters of Saiunkoku Monogatari.

Truth be told, the reason why I got attracted to Black Jack is because there was this one episode in the old AstroBoy series
wherein the good doctor had to travel back in time with Astro to help
save Princess Sapphire from a magical illness. When Pinoko gets
kidnapped by the evil warlock, Black Jack flies off to her rescue…on
a broomstick. While being a doctor was appealing to me then, I was
tickled pink at the sight of a handsome guy (not a cackling old witch)
riding a broom. And this was many decades before Harry Potter. Now that
I’m at this age, I appreciate Black Jack more for its stories,
especially its accurate portrayal of the hypocrisies that are existent
in the medical profession. Of course, I still find the good doctor
handsome, so….

Being a huge fan of the classics, it should not be surprising that my FAVORITE anime are Gankutsuou and Samurai 7.
During my misplaced youth, "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre
Dumas was the book that I would read over and over again (mainly
because I have a personality similar to Edmond Dantés. "REVENGE!" says
the Obataku, and laughs evilly while she’s at it). "The Seven Samurai"
by Akira Kurosawa was my favorite movie when I watched it with my
father during the early 70s. He found it difficult to believe that 6-7
year old girl would enjoy a foreign, subtitled film that was close to
three hours long. My Dad sleep; I loved every single minute of it,
especially the part where Kikuchiyo rode on a horse on his bare butt
and fell off on his bare butt. Needless to say, I was very happy that,
despite being placed in futuristic settings, these two anime stayed
true to the originals, perhaps even made it better. The stories and
especially the characters (I am soooo in love with The Count and
Shimada Kanbei!) have been such inspirations for me that I ended up
writing some of the best fanfics I’ve written in years and have given
me the impetus to do originals as well. Hopefully, some day, I will
write that one very good story and see it made into an anime, like Gankutsuou and Samurai 7.

These are my
favorite anime. How about telling everyone what your faves are?
Solreinity certainly got us off to a good start with her review of Honey and Clover. (Another anime I like and which made me cry like a blubbering idiot.)