“To Begin…”

Thanks to some unforeseen technical difficulties, I, Mollybibbles, will be watching the nest as the owl temporarily leaves the rafters to get his computer fixed. Ok, that’s enough of the owl puns. Let’s get down to business.

In commemoration of the popular director, Satoshi Kon’s life and the creation of titles such as Tokyo Godfathers, Perfect Blue and Paprika, our resident Mr. Owl, Tyto, had planned a full anthology of his work but technology has a way with timing when it decides to break down. To stall for time while the problem is solved, I’m going to take you through Kon’s famous 13-episode anime series, Paranoia Agent.

“Enter Li’l Slugger”

If you thought Inception was a mind trip, this Studio Madhouse series is sure to incite some feelings of excitement and oblivion. Compiled of unused ideas he still felt were usable and recognizable concepts from his past works, Paranoia Agent takes you through a paranoid society’s fear of one Shonen Bat (also known as “Li’l Slugger” in the dub), a “young boy with golden in-line skates and a crooked golden baseball bat”.

Why the quotation marks? It is implied partway through the series that perhaps this Li’l Slugger is not a boy but the culmination of the victim’s wishes to be freed from their inhibitions. The victims become “freed” when the crooked bat held by the kid with the smile meet the victim’s skull. Though, after these attacks, the victims seem to experience a release and calmness. Truly a creepy concept.

Each attack is unrealistically connected to each other by way of simple association. Father and daughter, journalist and subject, student and tutor, even “customer” and “server.” Even then, the connections run deeper than that. Even when “Li’l Slugger,” a delusional junior high student, had been detained, he too was attacked (though he was “asking for it.” Once more, you’ll know what I mean when you get to episode 8). “He is one person, yet he’s not”. Take that quote as you will, though as you traverse through each episode, you’ll come to understand it’s meaning.

“Mellow Maromi”

If you haven’t noticed by now, the most successful anime series have some form of fluffy, animal-like mascot: a marketable product to get fans to spend more money. Take for example Kon from Bleach or Mokona from various CLAMP series. In the case of Paranoia Agent, we’ve got the adorable pink pup, Maromi, designed by the first Li’l Slugger victim, Tsukiko Sagi.

This little guy wasn’t made for retail though. Maromi acts as the thread that connects everything from reality and delusion to past, present and future (which is one screwed up future. If you get to the end of the series, you’ll know what I mean).

Maromi reminds the watcher that you are, in fact, watching the same series because wild turns come at the moment you least expect them. Each episode depicts very different lives with very different stories. Maromi acts as your tether. A freakishly adorable tether or a freakishly adorable danger. Take that as you will. *All knowing snicker*

“Happy Family Planning”

The details of this series are immaculate. Everything down to the reoccurring crows and the subtle themes. The soundtracks differ per episode, shadowing the mood of the plot. In the episode “Happy Family Planning,” an obvious parallel to Satoshi Kon’s film Tokyo Godfathers (another must-watch that Tyto will outline for you in his Kon anthology), our intrepid trio of suicidal misfits in this episode wander around Japan with a soundtrack mimicking their hilarious coincidences. The music from this episode would be what I consider my favorite in the series if not for its refreshingly comical feel.

The details Kon packed in don’t stop there. Each episode title in and of itself plays into each episode in the most subtle manner. You really have to pay attention in order to catch recurrent titles as, perhaps, a billboard advertisement or text on a computer screen. If you don’t keep your eyes open, you’ll miss it completely. It took me a couple watches to catch them all.

Paranoia Agent is a perpetual “I-Spy” full of obnoxiously subtle nuances here and there. You’ll notice that pieces of Li’l Slugger’s attire (i.e. the in-line skates, the hat, the bat) show up in ways that seem like they should be obvious to the given scenario. It’s the little things in this series that make it the mind bender that it is. Zone out, and you’ll miss out on what makes this anime so unique. Subtle subtle subtle.. If I use that word anymore, my head will implode and we don’t want that. So let us move on.

“Radar Man”

Though the series focuses on Li’l Slugger and his victims, we also follow the detectives that are tracking “him” down. One, Mitsuhiro Maniwa, loses sight of reality and becomes the ever-so-epic “Radar Man,” a delusional superhero character. The other, Keiichi Ikari, the detective in charge of Li’l Slugger’s investigation, attempts to let go of the chase. The detectives are fairly run-of-the-mill, Ikari being more old-fashioned and Maniwa being young and overly understanding.

If I went through every single character introduced in this anime, I would bore you with a twenty-page analysis. I will tell you that each victim was almost too mundane. But because each character has their own time to shine, it’s not boring at all. In fact, this allows the watcher to relate to the victim because in most instances they are struggling through normal social situations. We’ve got your over-achieving students, your overbearing journalist, your over-stretched industry workers and so on and so forth.

When you get right down to it, each and every character is very plain and predictable. They are people of a normal society. This makes them relatable and that much less fictitious. And though they present different lives and troubles all strangely connected to each other, each are similar in that they go through this time frame feeling emotionally and socially cornered. It is then Li’l Slugger’s job to “set them free,” so to speak.

If I had to choose my favorite character, it will be the little old man you will get to know very well with each episode. I speak only of the bizarre, old prophet who shows up at the most unlikely of times. He plays a role similar to that of Maromi. The old man, though speaking complete nonsense, is what keeps our characters in reality, because he too is associated with one of the attack victims, though it could also be argued that he’s the one that introduces you to the overall delusion.

His “Prophetic Visions” become one of the main drivers of the plot. Though it seems you’re watching the preview for the next episode, if you listen close the mish-mosh of words he’s spewing out, you’ll gain a very strange understanding. If you think about it, it seems that Satoshi Kon was trying to speak indirectly to the watchers through our bizarre prophet. Plus, I just love his creepy old man voice.

OH! When you get to the end of the series don’t forget to watch the final Prophetic Vision after the closing credits. You won’t regret spending that extra couple of minutes.

“Fear of a Direct Hit”

This is possibly my favorite episode title and the title to finish out this review. Satoshi Kon, a mastermind in creative story telling, created something that could rival any anime on the market. He worked constantly to blur the line between reality and delusion, something used heavily in his film Paprika. People is never sure whether they are witnessing a dream or reality. I’m fairly certain no reality I know of has a giant exploding puppy. What a way to scare the living daylights out of the watchers than to have the city overrun by pink, fluffy puppies.

There is something truly uncomfortable about this anime. Once “The Final Episode” comes to a close, a feeling of relief will overcome you, if not a feeling of familiarity. Upon finishing the series for the first time, Tyto had recommended that I rewatch the first five or so minutes of the first episode. I say you should as well. The sense of coming full circle is almost eerie.

Paranoia Agent is the definition of an intelligent series. If you yearn to stray from the everyday drudges of mainstream anime, this is a step in the right direction. Combining the flawless storytelling of Kon and the seamless and pseudo-realistic art style, we get a real treat to get your mind running again after the loads of diabetes-inducing, mind-numbing pop anime you may (or may not) have been watching (I don’t judge).

This anime is truly satisfying; a feeling induced by all of Satoshi Kon’s work. I could say that the anime industry will never be the same without the mind of Satoshi Kon, but I will instead say that this is our chance to celebrate what he has given us. Paranoia Agent and all of his works are something to be celebrated for years to come. It is up to us, the loyal fans of the anime industry, to keep his visions alive. With that, I will be giving the nest back to Tyto. Hope you enjoyed this second Extra Special Special.

Bibbles out.

“And then…”

• Colored
• Black & White

Today, France is stuckup (wait, is that news?), Enma-kun get’s an anime, and Golden boy is BACK!

Sources:
• Story 1 (NSFW)
• Story 2
• Story 3

It’s time for an utter meltdown! The July heat getting to you? Well, August was nice and sweet with your favorite musical artists. This month on Music Meltdown we talk about the latest, which includes the famous “Butt Dance” as well as a girl’s only club…? What could this mean?! Were the men trumped!? Find out after the jump~

• BoA’s “Hurricane Venus” – Watch | Buy | Official Site
• Kana Nishino’s “If” – Watch | Buy | Official Site
• Miwa’s “Change” – Watch | Buy | Official Site
• Kara’s “Mister” – Watch | Buy | Official Site
• Perfume’s “Voice” – Watch | Buy | Official Site
• Zia’s “Just Laugh” – Watch | Buy | Official Site
• Alice Nine’s “A Flash” – Watch | Buy | Official Site
• Supercell’s “Bubble Fireworks” – Watch | Buy | Official Site
• Girls’ Generation’s “Genie” – Watch | Buy | Official Site

Today, Atlus is water soluble? Japan likes the 360, but not it’s games? And Monster comes back with a bang!

Sources:
• Story 1 (NSFW)
• Story 2
• Story 3

Today, Arizona’s hatin’ on Animu, One Piece manga hiatus, and and pants will NEVER be safe!

Sources:
• Story 1
• Story 2
• Story 3 (NSFW)

Stealing Kana’s thunder today, and posting up before her. We’re gonna go with that as the reason I’m late this week. Maybe I should just switch to Tuesdays.

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Demon King Daimao – Episode 07 – The hero appears.

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Words, we read them

Animation
Okay, seriously, wth? I can’t even explain in words what happened in this episode, it’s like TTGL’s episode 4 mixed with episode 7 (I think) of Seto no Hanayome, with a dash of the naruto guest animation debacle. Watch it for yourself.

Soundtrack
Good music during this episode, the instrumental remix of REALOVE:REALIFE is a nice backdrop to all of the action going on.

Story
We still don’t know who that mystery blone haired guy is, the one who shows up in all of the flashbacks, and if he’s the main antagonist, you’d think we’d know a little more about him by now, with less than half of the series to go?

Characters
Looks like we’re going to see some drama happen with the useless kid, now that he’s gained enough power to actually accomplish things.

Wrapping up
A good episode, with some nice bites of action here and there, but you’re distracted the entire time by the what the farkery to really notice.

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You can watch Episode 7 on Crunchyroll or on The Anime Network. Or if you’re a stickler for censorship, you can pick up the DVD here, or the Blu-Ray (Part 1 – Part 2).

Our question of the day, what did you think of the new animation style, did you like it, did you hate it? Do you just not care? Comment and let me know!

Just around the Korner, we have an interview with Julie Ann Taylor. From popular series to lesser known gems, she’s got firsthand experience info and humorous anecdotes to share, so make sure you check it out!

How to stalk Julie Ann Taylor
IMDB
Wikipedia
Facebook

Greetings everyone out there in 91.8 the Fan-land, Jubilee is back for another week of super awesome news! From misfortune wished via Twitter, to Chocobos and Moogles part 14, Jubilee has every little article of news you could possibly want from this past week, and maybe a muffin or two as well.

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Featured in iStalk 390, manga creator Rei Hiroe, best known for his series Black Lagoon, recently updated his Twitter account about discovering a person who had posted all of his manga in a compressed ZIP file online. Hiroe then proceed to tweet misfortune upon the unknown uploader, wishing that the person would contract pancreatic cancer. The tweet also inspired other manga creators Kazuki Kotobuki and Kouta Hirano, creator of Hellsing, to post their own opinions. Kotobuki wished for the uploader to step outside and get hit by lightning, a meteorite, or some other “constructive” form of death. Hirano wished that the uploader would contract a bizarre, previously unknown disease — therefore, the disease would be named after the uploader in medical journals, and that would be how the uploader would be remembered for posterity. Go, Go, Fight the Pirates!

Also in iStalk 390, the website Yahoo Auctions! Japan recently sold 3 spare parts and 3 decals from the life-size Gundam statue that was on display in Tokyo at the Gundam Super Expo from August 10th-19th. Overall, the pieces brought in 4,001,000 yen ($46,900). All of the proceeds went to the Japan Committee “Vaccines for the World’s Children.” The three pieces auctioned included an operating part of the hip joint, which was the largest piece at 55 cm long, a tip of one of the feet, and an exterior detail used throughout the body’s surface.

Featured in iStalk 391, the October issue of Hakuskensha’s sh?jo manga magazine LaLa has recently confirmed that Bisco Hatori’s manga Ouran High School Host Club will end with a 52-page chapter in the next issue, which will be released on September 24th. However, the magazine had already announced in June that the current arc would be the final one. In response to the end of the manga, LaLa is having a “Host Club: The Last Party” campaign that will be hosting a fan art competition, votes for the fans’ favorite title page illustration, and a list of favorite quotes from the series.

Also in iStalk 391, a first limited-edition manga volume of sion and Takumi Miyajima’s Goulart Knights will be shipping out on December 25th, 2010 with a specially featured OVA. The OVA is officially titled Goulart Knights Evoked The Beginning Black. It is also the first animation project produced by Lantis, Bandai Visual’s music label, since it was established over a decade ago.

Famous director, Satoshi Kon, suddenly passed away Tuesday evening, at the age of 47. Kon started out as a manga creator, but eventually delved into anime, where he made his name known worldwide with his debut film Perfect Blue, in 1997. Other movies Kon had worked on included Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent, and Paprika. Sadly, Kon was also in the middle of working on his newest film, Yume-Miru Kikai, at the time of his passing.

Key animator Shojuro Yamauchi also passed away on Tuesday. The legendary animator had worked on films such as Grave of the Fireflies, Spirited Away, several Lupin III movies, and Prince Mackaroo to list a few of his career’s broad range. Key animators are the artists who draw the key frames which other artists form into animated sequences. In addition to being an animator, Yamauchi also worked as an animation director on films such as One Pound Gospel, Sherlock Hound, and Kiteretsu Daihyakka.

Denmark is currently facing a controversial subject due to the opening of a manga exhibit at Kunsthallen Brandts’ Media Museum in the city of Odense. Many protesters are seeking to ban the gallery due to the depiction of fictional children in a sexual manner. Although the exhibit features manga of various sorts, naturally, the obscene erotic mangas such as Bondage Fairies and Pink Sniper stand out enough to cause controversy. In fact, Denmark is the only Scandinavian country in which sexual depictions of fictional children is permissible; although, the Social Democrats of the country did propose a ban in April, which is still in review.

Going back to iStalk 390, women’s fashion magazine Zipper announced Monday that a live-action adaptation of the manga Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa has been confirmed. Actress Keiko Kitagawa, also known as Reiko in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, will be starring in the movie alongside other actors such as Osamu Mukai, Natsuki Kato, and Aya Omasa. The original manga focused on high schooler Yukari Hayasaka who is discovered by a group of up and coming fashion school students known as “Paradise Kiss.”

Announced on Friday by the official website, Kara no Kyoukai – the Garden of Sinners film franchise will be releasing the final chapter in a Blu-Ray Box that will feature both English as well as Japanese subtitles. This chapter, running 30 minutes in length, is titled “Gekij?-ban Kara no Kyoukai Sh?sh?: Kara no Kyoukai,” and will be featured alongside a 60-minute editied, Remix –Gate of Seventh Heaven- , compilation of the first six films. The Box should ship in Japan in early 2011, and will run for a whopping 52,500 yen ($620).

Announced by Viz Media via Facebook, the North American company has obtained the licenses for the second season of Vampire Knight, Vampire Knight: Guilty. Although the company revealed its acquisition of Vampire Knight back at Comic-Con in July, it was not confirmed until last week that the second season had also been acquired. The anime adaptation of the first season will also be re-posted to the VizAnime portal beginning this weekend.

Publisher Kodansha recently shipped DVD’s to readers containing a new opening animation for a new original animation for xxxHOLiC: R?. The first xxxHOLiC: R? OAD was bundled with the 17th volume of CLAMP’s original xxxHolic manga on April 23rd. xxxHOLiC: R? is set for release in Spring of 2011.

In Phoenix, Arizona, the Phoenix Public Transportation Department recently rejected an anime themed bus ad proposal from a restaurant named “Stingray Sushi.” The department reportedly made their decision on the basis of its policy not to depict ads that portray violence or obscene language. The ad features Suzi Stingray, the restaurant’s mascot, wielding 2 guns and wearing a short skirt. Stingray Sushi claims that they have already paid for the ad space, but that a refund is not an option. The PPTD has said they will allow the ad if the character’s skirt is lengthened and her weapons are holstered.

As confirmed by iStalk 393, a new UFC based manga has surfaced, based upon the title match between Lesnar and Carwin that took place on July 4th earlier this year. The manga’s creator goes by the alias of Manabelldo, who posted the manga on his page which you can view here. (http://manabelldo.exblog.jp/13011990/) Note the text box on the side for a quick copy paste translation!

Announced by Square Enix via Twitter, the Open Beta for Final Fantasy XIV will be launching in early September. The exact Tweet was listed as, “The FINAL FANTASY XIV Beta Test Phase 3 will end on August 25, then move to the Open Beta Test in early September. Get ready!” Although an exact date is not listed, it does narrow it down to within 2 weeks, just make sure if you get accepted that you do not play for more than an hour!

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News…another week of it has passed, so it has been said…so it shall be done. If I had anything else witty to say, I would put it down, but alas, I am at a loss. Instead, let me reveal this week’s winner of super Spiritomb, Quostin who answered,

“I would do an Eevee team consisting of Vaporeon, Leafeon, Espeon, Glaceon, Umbreon, and Jolteon. Eeveelutions are my favorite type of pokemon, and I would like to see how far I would go in a Championship with an eevee team, and how I would fare against powerful pokemon.”

I like the dedication, and Eevee’s are the win! So, be on the lookout for a PM later this week on a time when I can transfer him over to you. As for this week’s question,

“Discuss your opinion on manga depicting children in sexual acts. Are you against it? Does it bother you? Jubilee wants to know, yo.”

So, if you would like to be featured in next week’s article as the head of the debate, either PM me your answer via the forums, or email me at Jubilee@918thefan.com! Until next time Fanatics, keep your rooms clean, hug your mothers, and tell them thanks for being awesomesauce!

Two Days Left!!

So those of you who are fanatics know, already, that at Metrocon I picked up two of the Good Smile Company’s Vocaloid blind box Nendroid figures, and was cursed to find that the one character I did NOT want was in BOTH of the boxes I had gotten. So instead of setting fire to my neighbors lawn I decided to give these away as prizes.

The fanatics already had their contest, and now this contest is open to everyone (that isn’t staff). Which means if you were a Fanatic, you got an extra shot at this little faith-killer.

So the contest goes something like this
With this being a Vocaloid, I thought, what better a contest than to have users submit their own original music compositions? The one our staff deems as the best will win the pint-sized dream crusher. But the awesomeness doesn’t stop there. Even if you DON’T win the figure, the grand prize winner, and the two runners up will have their songs featured in iStalk!

Hot digitty, how awesome are we?

Here are the rules and other mumbo-jumbo:

• To enter you must submit to us at least one original composition by August 31st at Midnight (PDT).
• You may send in as many entries as you wish, your first song might not be your best.
• Lyrics are not necessary, but if you do happen to have them, remember, no swearing or dirty language, keep it completely G rated!
• ORIGINAL means ORIGINAL, plagiarists will be barred from the competition, and probably smacked around a bit with Kana’s ban-hammer.
• The final step is a recording of you saying we have permission to use your song, be sure to say your name. This is important because we don’t want you to win our prize and then sue us a week later.
• Upload your submissions in mp3 format to megaupload, and send them to info@918thefan.com with the title “CONTEST ENTRY”. Be sure to title it right or we might miss your entry, and then nobody will be happy.