Monthly Archives: January 2010

OEL Screentone Revelations!

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Long before Tokyopop started pushing the concept of “Original English Language Manga,” or “OEL” for short, something about western attempts at creating “manga” really bothered me, and not for any philosophical reasons. Something always felt off about the artwork, and I just couldn’t pinpoint why. Initially, I thought that it might be because the artists had no idea how to  draw “manga characters,” but I realized that couldn’t be the case, because 100 people drawing big eyes and small mouths “incorrectly,” so to speak, should result in 100 different ways to look not-quite-right. No, the thing that bothered me was something more consistent across the idea of “OEL” before it was called OEL. It had to be a shared trait.

Then last year while looking at OEL, something hit me: for some reason I was being bothered by the screentones. Again however, I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. I just knew it was something having to do with screentones. In fact, the initial draft of this post is from May of 2009, where the only contents of it was the title of the post, which read “BAD SCREENTONES.”

Finally though, through the keen of eye of the Reverse Thief Narutaki, my suspicions have been confirmed, and I now fully understand why OEL screentones had been bothering me so. I really recommend you read the article, but for the sake of summary: According to Narutaki, in manga, screentone is generally used for patterns or to pull elements into the background of a panel with shading primarily done in ink, but in OEL screentone is more often used for shading and used to excess, which ends up flattening the image.

I feel so relieved!

But this information brought with it a new question: Why is it, if OEL is trying to be like manga (which we all know it is), that it does something that manga almost never does, i.e. use screentone to shade to excess? There are very few examples from manga that would fuel this mass assumption on the part of these artists, after all.

That lead to another revelation: maybe the source of this trend wasn’t “manga” at all, but something closely related. Anime!

Anime is where you will find manga-style characters with some degree of shading, even if it’s a single tone to show a simple fold in their clothing. I can only conclude that the reason OEL shading looks the way it does is because the artists were influenced by the shading methods seen in animation, and then applied these methods to manga where they are in actuality quite foreign despite the fact that anime and manga are so closely related.


Ogiue Chika RANDOM STRANGER AT A DOUJIN EVENT

This is no surprise to me, as anime and manga are often spoken of in the same breath. Heck, I’m no exception, and you will often see me choosing one word or the other when referring to both, as after a while it gets irritating to write “anime and manga” every time instead of just “anime.” Still, it is a very good reminder that as similar as anime and manga are, they also possess a number of unique differences beyond the fact that one is animated and the other is not.

A Convenient Metaphor for You Anime Fans to Remember

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Fanservice is like chocolate.

Sure you might like it, perhaps even a lot, and sometimes it’s just the thing you’re looking for. But you can’t live off of chocolate alone, and any attempts to do so will only end in agony. Similarly, fanservice can be a welcome addition to anime, but if all the anime consists of is tits and ass, then it’s not going to be a complete, well-rounded experience.

Which isn’t to say you should never watch fanservice shows; it’s just that the satisfaction you get from marathoning To-LOVE-Ru is as fleeting as the one you get from gorging on a box of Russel-Stover.


If you want fanservice and a well-rounded show, go with Godannar.

Curry at Donburiya: Sauce and Rice, to the Next Level

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Let it be known that I am a proponent of curry. I’ve written many times about the fabulous Go Go Curry, but whether it’s Thai, Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, Caribbean, you name it, if you’ve got a curry dish then I want to try it. Still, there’s a special place in my heart for Japanese-style curry. In fact, all those Chinese-run sushi places that sprung up over the past decade? I think they should be making curry instead.

It is my delight then to discover that a place I’d already gone to for quality donburi (bowls filled with rice and other ingredients, generally some kind of meat + egg), the aptly named “Donburiya,” also houses a fantastically good curry as well.

I’ve talked before about how Go Go Curry differs from most Japanese curries in that its flavor is much bolder than the norm, and Donburiya’s curry is similar in the sense that it seems to have a more complex and spicier flavor than what I’ve come to expect, but without being “intense,” with layers of subtlety underlying the more immediate spiciness. The rice itself is on par with what they serve normally, which is to say “perfectly done” and the “hamburg” I ordered with it was very juicy, and the diced onion in the hamburg was in no way overwhelming.  If you’re not familiar with Japanese hamburg, it’s something akin to a salisbury steak or a meatloaf more than it is an actual hamburger patty. I also did not feel like I got cheated out of any hamburg at all as it was quite a hefty piece of meat.

That said, it’s also a sit-down restaurant so you have to pay tip, the dish itself costs more than what you’d get at Go Go Curry, and at the end of the day I think I prefer Go Go Curry overall just because it hits harder and I absolutely love the roux there.  Overall though, the biggest hurdles for curry at Donburiya are the donburi, and I’d advise everyone to try out those before they tackle the curry dishes, or for that matter the ochazuke (rice mixed with green tea or some kind of broth), which also by the way is delicious.

Basically what I’m saying is that you pretty much can’t lose at Donburiya, and if you’re looking a curry that’s more refined than what you’d get at Go Go Curry, I’d recommend this place in a heartbeat.

Stop Taking Anime Openings Off of Youtube

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Ever since Shin Mazinger, I’ve noticed that it’s been getting harder and harder to find anime openings and endings on Youtube. Oddly enough however, the song uploads themselves on Youtube go relatively unchecked.

What gives? I mean, I know the anime companies are getting more concerned about protecting their properties and preventing piracy, but I feel like having the openings on Youtube were some of the best ways to get people to notice shows both new and old. Why can’t fans keep their minute and thirty seconds of Durarara! opening from getting removed? It’s not like they’re entire episodes or even clips from the actual episodes themselves! There, I could see their point of contention, but I feel like this is different. I just want to show someone how cool an opening is without having them load the stream for an entire episode on Crunchyroll. Heck, they even do it for some decades-old shows! I’m tiring of this ham-fisted approach.

Basically, if companies are taking openings off of Youtube, I at the very least would like them to upload it themselves so that we may continue to enjoy it and they can continue to send copyright violation letters.

Stealthman

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This time in my own personal attempt at creating a set of Robot Masters I present to you Stealthman.

Stealthman, unlike Novaman, is not a product of my youth as an avid gamer but rather a recent idea. His gimmick, like all Megaman bosses, is in his name and as such I incorporated “stealth” design elements acccordingly.

The key features of Stealthman are the tapered edges all along his body, as well as his thin limbs which are unusual as far as Megaman bosses go. All of this is based on the principle that stealth aircraft are thin to avoid detection and lack rounded edges because those bounce back radar signals more easily. Now I know his design isn’t actually stealth-worthy what with him being a robot whose head is jutting out and all that, but it was more to give him the trappings of stealthiness. Also, if you’re wondering about the feet, he floats.

In battle, Stealthman would naturally cloak himself to avoid detection and then shoot bombs at you. Out of those two weapons, Megaman would be getting the “Stealth Cloak.” With it, Megaman would be able to slip by those enemies which tend to react to his presence, such as Mettools and any homing weapons. It would drain meter similar to Flashman’s Time Stopper except you’d be able to switch out of the weapon at any time. Megaman would be able to still fire while Stealth Cloak is in effect, but perhaps at a reduced capacity.

As for the sprite itself, it took quite a few tries in terms of color scheme to really match up to the drawing I made, but I think it turned out well in the end.

GONZO on Super Street Fighter IV, I Think They’ll Be All Right

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In creating the same-numbered sequel to Street Fighter IV known as Super Street Fighter IV, Capcom has opted to ditch acclaimed animation studio 4C in favor of GONZO to do the anime accompaniment to the game.

“Wait, GONZO? You mean those guys who ran out of money and weren’t even allowed to do Strike Witches Season 2?” Yes, those guys, but when you think about it they’re a really good fit for Street Fighter IV. Production IG would’ve been better, but you can’t have it all.

Let’s first get out of the way the fact that the Studio 4C Street Fighter IV anime was pretty terrible, and much less than what we’d expect out of a studio which prides itself on its creative animation. Looking back, it’s easy to see that it was simply the wrong studio for the job. Illustrating muscley men (and women!) beating each other up is not really 4C’s thing. GONZO on the other hand is quite good at it.

GONZO utilizes a certain style when animating for international audiences, one that combines the basic aesthetics of “anime” with a very American and masculine idea of “cool,” with the most prominent example being Afro Samurai, and that style just so happens to mesh well with Street Fighter IV ‘s. Looking at it relative to the rest of the series, SFIV looks the least like anime out of any of the games ever, and it’s a style that appeals to an audience that also consists of people who don’t like anime (or their image of anime) too much. It’s 3D, it’s “realistic” in an American comic book sort of way even if we’ve got some weird character designs, and it’s close to how GONZO rolls and vice-versa. If you don’t believe me, check out the trailer.

GONZO’s weakness as a studio has generally been utilizing money poorly and mediocre to poor direction on their shows leading to bad endings. But give GONZO enough money for the job and they’ll turn out something pretty-looking for sure. That’s why I predict that this GONZO SSFIV animation will turn out well. First, this is game industry money after all, and even if it’s feeling the effects of the recession it’s still faring better than the anime industry, and they’d be able to at least fund a one-shot bonus feature. Second, this anime will probably be a mere setup for the game itself, so there’s no need for an ending and thus no conclusion to sabotage. And even if there was an ending, it’s not too hard to predict. In fact, I’ll spoil the ending for you: Ryu punches Seth, everybody wins.

All in all, I don’t think it’s going to be the pinnacle of Japanese animation, but it’ll definitely get the job done.

I Played Mahjong with Real People and Also Ate Potato Crisps

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When it comes to playing mahjong, I am a very recent convert. I’m not good by any stretch of the imagination and I generally make bad decisions, but it’s generally fun and I like the way the game gives you the ability to make constant decisions so that you don’t feel entirely subject to the whims of fate and luck while  still incorporating those very same aspects into the game itself. But as fun as it’s been, I knew I had been missing out on the full experience by playing only against people online and against Char Aznable on my DS.

Then fortune struck. Sub of Subatomic Brainfreeze (aka Dave of Colony Drop), himself a newbie in the wild world of mahjong, notified me that someone was holding a live gathering in the NYC area to play reach mahjong, i.e. the Japanese style of mahjong used in all anime and manga. And so we decided to hit it up, see how we stacked up against these other players who more likely than not had far more experience than we did.

The first thing I noticed was just how tiny the Japanese mahjong tiles are. They are significantly smaller than Chinese tiles, almost to the point of being cute. The second thing I noticed was that playing live is awesome.

Having played against real people with real mahjong tiles at a real mahjong table while eating real Pringles, I have to say that I much prefer it to online mahjong. On a basic level, it’s like playing video games with people next to you on the couch instead of playing against them through X-Box Live. But more than that, I loved the feel of the tiles and the way in which I had to manually pick them up and discard them.

I also loved how there was more to go by than just people’s tiles, like their energy; I’m definitely no Akagi Shigeru, but I think anyone can appreciate that element of the game.

Speaking of Akagi, it turns out that almost everyone there had learned how to play reach mahjong because they saw the anime. Basically, everyone was a nerd and that is definitely an environment to which I’m accustomed. I’m waiting for the people who got into mahjong because of Saki to start arriving.

In the end, I played two games total, one East-only game, and an East-South game that was aborted early due to time constraints, getting second place in the first game and first in the second, scoring a few decent hands and calling, “Pon!” and, “Chi!” with gusto. Knowing my results you might think that I was being modest when I said I wasn’t good, but I really do mean it. I don’t know how to score, I can’t do multi-sided waits, and a lot of it I would chalk up to luck. Next time I play, I’m likely going to end up in last place. But that’s the way mahjong rolls, and it’ll still be fun as hell.

I Went to Nintendo World and All I Got Was This Tatsunoko vs Capcom Autographed Poster

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On my way to  Nintendo World’s Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars I thought to myself, “Even though I’m getting there an hour after it started, there shouldn’t be too many people! I mean, who really knows about Tatsunoko vs Capcom anyway?” But never again will I underestimate fighting game fans.

Upon reaching the second floor, my friends and I noticed that it was packed. Not only was there a tournament about to commence with the prize on the line being an actual copy of TvC, but there was an autograph line snaking throughout the entire floor, and small groups crowded around each sample kiosk.

You could pretty much tell that almost everyone there was a fighting game fan, and in all likelihood weren’t really sure what “Tatsunoko” was. There’s something about the dress, the demeanor, the energy of the crowd that really made it obvious that they loved 1 on 1 fireball-throwing action and possibly yomi.

Another thing I noticed was that the event actually brought cosplayers. And it wasn’t even like all of them were relevant to the event at hand. While there was a Yatterman cosplayer walking around, I also spotted a Kakashi from Naruto with flack jacket and all, as well as a guy dressed as Kyon from Haruhi. Still, it wasn’t like the event was overwhelmed by anime fans in anime costume, but I was both a little nonplussed yet not surprised at all at this situation. It was an event celebrating anime characters after all.

All this time, I was on the line to get my autograph poster, and after an hour and change, I reached the signing. There, I asked the producers of the game an important question: Is Joe the Condor’s voice actor in TvC the original, Sasaki Isao, i.e. Joe’s original voice actor and famous anime singer responsible for shows such as Space Battleship Yamato, Neo-Human Casshern, Galaxy Express 999, UFO Robo Grendizer, and Getter Robo? They said “yes,” and were surprised that I even knew who Sasaki Isao was. Mission accomplished.

Afterwards I played the game a little, using Gold Lightan and seeing if he felt any different. I wasn’t that good at the game so I couldn’t really tell, but he’s still the Gold Finger Crashing Behemoth we know and love.

And then I ate udon. Mm mm.

Novaman

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I’ve been on a bit of a Megaman and, by extension, a Megaman sprites kick recently, but it’s been a while since I actually designed an original sprite.

Here is Novaman. His power: Nova Spark. He’s actually based on a design from when I was a little kid, except back then he looked like a total Metalman rip-off. He had the same face, a fireball instead of a blade on his head, same color, everything.

I designed his left arm to be different from his right arm because the right one shoots normal shots while the left one is attached to the compressed star you can see in his chest, and is the arm which releases the Nova Spark. The attack itself would be a slow moving projectile which gets bigger and bigger until it collapses and explodes.

One thing to keep in mind when designing Megaman boss sprites is to realize just how few colors are actually used in the sprite. Novaman here, aside from the necessary black (for the outline) and white (the eyes), only uses red and blue distributed throughout his design in a versatile manner.

Oh, and for those who missed it, here’s some of the stuff I’ve posted previously on the subject.

Garbageman Animation

Sprite Analysis

Megaman PC Robot Masters

Megaman 10 Robot Masters (Clean-Up)

Megaman 10 Robot Master Analysis

Your Introduction to Anime GMILFs

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With anime these days, it’s always “lolicon this” or “high school that,” and amidst all this focus on youth I began to wonder if a certain segment of the population was feeling that anime provided nothing for them. I am of course referring to people who like their women with not just a little bit of experience, but a lot. I want to tell those guys who dig the really mature that anime has something to offer to them, even if it seems daunting otherwise.

Now I don’t partake in this particular preference, so I can’t tell you for sure whether or not they do the job, but I have set up a few criteria in compiling this list.

First, the women here have to look aged. There’s quite a few elderly female characters out there who never age past 35, and so hardly count as GMILFs. In fact, their appeal is no different from just plain MILFs. So in this respect, characters like Tsunade (Naruto), Kazami Hatsuho (Onegai Teacher), and Milia Jenius (Macross 7) do not count, even if Milia is actually a grandmother.

For that matter, second, they do not have to have grandchildren to qualify as GMILFs.

Third, the characters for the most part tend to be quite physically fit. I figure part of the issue is that a lot of times cartoons, be they anime or anywhere else in the world, tend to portray the elderly as comically old and decrepit and having seen better days. This is probably appealing to only a few, and so have chosen characters where age is not a barrier to active living.

Fourth, this isn’t really criteria but a lot of them are teachers or are in some kind of teaching profession. Don’t ask me, that’s just how it turned out.

So without further ado, your GMILFs.

Maria Graceburt, My-Otome

More commonly known as “Miss Maria,” Maria Graceburt is a teacher and advisor at Garderobe Academy where she trains her all-female students to become “Otome,” or nano-machine-enhanced super-powered royal bodyguards. Once an Otome herself, Maria has much experience in this regard, and has been tempered by her years in battle. Despite her old age, she is still capable of keeping up with the younger generations. She almost has to be seen to be believed.


Barbara McGregor, Taisho Baseball Girls

It’s the 1920s and Japan is at the height of the Taisho Era, where western influence is making in-roads into the society. Barbara McGregor is the principal at Touhou Seika Girls’ Secondary School, a school that prepares young girls to embrace both Eastern and Western influences and lead them to a wholesome mentality. When she finds out that a group of girls at Touhou Seika have decided to form a baseball team, she supports the endeavor but with a stern warning that it is not to affect their grades, or else. Calm and steadfast, Barbara sees progress in the future of womanhood.


Yukimura Tokiko, Kekkaishi

Tasked with protecting Karasumori, a land which bestows great power upon spirits and demons, Yukimura Tokiko is the 21st “Kekkaishi” or “Barrier Master” of the Yukimura clan. In addition, she trains her granddaughter Yukimura Tokine in the art of Kekkai while also maintaining a rivalry with the head of the Sumimura Clan, fellow Kekkai users with whom the Yukimura clan split generations ago. Although quite old, Tokiko has vitality greater than her talented  granddaughter, and is actually currently the strongest Kekkai user known.

Tamashiro Miwa, Koutetsushin Jeeg

In her younger days, Tamashiro Miwa, then known as Uzuki Miwa, was a skilled pilot who supported the cyborg hero Koutetsu Jeeg and the “Build Base” in their fight against the evil Jama Empire by piloting the supply ship known as the “Big Shooter.” 50 years later, when the Jama Empire resurfaces and her granddaughter Tsubaki becomes the pilot of a new Big Shooter for a new Jeeg, Tsubaki becomes the new commander of Build Base, lending her experience in combat against the Jama Empire for a new generation. Though she now sits behind a desk instead of a cockpit, it is apparent that age has only made Miwa stronger and more determined than ever.


Toudou Kaworu, Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu

Toudou Kaworu is a visionary who seeks to transform education in Japan, and has implemented an exclusive revolutionary method of organizing students. As principal of Fumizuki Academy, Kaworu ranks students from A to F, with the A students at the top receiving the best supplies and the best teachers, while those at the bottom must claw their way up if they want to improve. To facilitate this Darwinian education system, Kaworu allows students to engage in holographic “battles,” where summoned avatars engage in combat and have strength proportionate to their grades and overall academic achievements. A cheerful, if mysterious woman, Toudou Kaworu challenges the conventional.

So there you have it, five women who have experience on their side and are capable of appealing to those who are tired of seeing nothing but young girls in their Japanese animation. Keep in mind that this is only a brief list; there’s more out there. If you’ve got any suggestions, speak up!