Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Vampire Knight (Anime, Manga, Video Game)


I've had this one on my list for a long time, I actually got the anime in all its japanese glory. And I tried to watch it, I did, I put forth my best effort, but I'm not strong enough. I started to fidget, and started missing more and more of the sub titles.. I gave up. The voices were amazing though, I just with I knew what they were saying! In any case I found it online at dubhappy.com and have been watching it there. I'm on episode 9, almost done.


It's pretty good, though I am curious about of few things. But I'll leave those things to a forum, no spoilers here! Also I remember I once said no horribly long reviews lol. Ok on to the normally scheduled programming.


Hey Vamp fans, this is an on going Manga. This is good news (don't sigh at me, yes it is) at least it hasn't died, been put on hiatus, or gotten lost, or compleltely abandoned like many of its kind.

There are 11 out in japan, 10 in US, serialized in Lala Magazine!
Vol 1










Vol 11 - No released until Dec. 7 2010


There are also 26 episodes of anime - 2 seasons (13 epis each, ya ya I know you can count >.> )

Ok weird. Apparently this was available to stream (the dubbed version) before the DVDs were. However before all the dub madness Season one came out in 5 volumes in japan. The first and last Vol have 2epis all the ones in between have 3. They did the same to Season two. Is it just me who finds this weird?

Anyway, like I said you can get Season 1 13 epis online, but you can only buy the first 4 on DVD. Again, weird! I'm not sure how many volumes there will be since Vol. 1 has already doubled its japanese counter part.



Vol. 2 -

Vol. 3 -
Complete First Season


Second Season is called Vampire Knight Guilty - Not released until March 15th 2011

There are 2 drama CDs, and I'm going to divulge a secret right here and now: I'm sorry everyone, but I do not know what a drama CD is!! What is it? Is it like a radio theater? Kinda like a book on CD but with actors and stuff? Please help!

Moving on, there are a few light novels, I would read these LAST!! They were created by Matsuri Hino and Ayuna Fujisaki and were published in Japan by Hakusensha in 2008. Both novels feature two individual side-stories that use the characters of the manga, but are not specifically based on chapters from the series. The first novel, Vampire Knight: Ice Blue's Sin Vanpaia Naito: Aisu Burū no Tsumi?), was published on April 5, 2008. The first story within the novel looks at events that occurred at Cross Academy in the year preceding Yuuki's arrival, while the second story details an accident that occurred while Zero was still in training to be a vampire hunter.

The second novel, Vampire Knight: Noir's Trap, Vanpaia Naito: Nowāru no Wana?), was published on October 3, 2008. It details some of the Cross Academy romances, as well as detailing the accident that happened when Kain and Ruka go to visit Shiki and Rima's modeling studio.

I completely recommend the series. Enjoy :D I'll be back to update later.
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Friday, October 22, 2010

Moderation in most things..

Evenings Greetings and Salutations!

Have you missed me? Ya ya, don't get all mushy, I missed you too. I just figured you'd want me to focus on updating entries or making more. Which I have been, in a manner of speaking. This however wont take me long, I just thought I'd update ya on a few things.

Namely that I am still in the market for an assistant :D I love my Lox, but he's pursuing a much more prestigious goal in life and has little time for blogging and research. He's still our beloved pervert-adventurer and all around narcissistic good guy, who still watches Anime; he's just hoping to trade in his collared shirts with fatigues (or whatever the Swedish military calls their uniforms) And this we support him in.

So anyone interested you may comment or email me at diamondoll1985@msn.com

Moving along. I want to apologize to a few people who I'm sure have come here thinking I'd done a post on Vampire Knight. I'm here to say, it's in the process, but it has nearly killed me trying to get proper info!

The nightmares, the nightmares... it's Saber Marionette all over again.

It should be simple! Not like Bleach or Pokemon or One Piece (I've slightly poked at Bleach but ran away screaming. Not from the show, the show is awesome. But holy never ending bio-batman )

Anyway I refuse to upload without a 98.7% surety that I've got the right stuff. I'm almost there but.. ah.. I got distracted. Depending on IT"S difficulty you may or may not see C'lannad before VK. I BEG for your forgiveness..

Anyway that's it. Again if any of you lovely readers have requests those will be put in priority and I might actually get them posted soon. What with having a reason to and all.
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Monday, October 4, 2010

Death Note (Anime)



I am soooo freaking sorry!! I didn't notice I hadn't updated!! IT"S OUT PEOPLE!! Dubbed and ready to be loved. OMGOSH! I love this show soo much, it's so dark and dramatic and amazing! You love and hate people time and time and time again! Mostly just the same person, but you go back and forth. Anyway, I shall update now.

Ok peeps, it looks like two specials came out as well. Death Note: Relight 1 & 2 Ls successors
This is, in almost majority. Crap. It's basically a retelling of the series, with a few "new" clips added. These clips apparenlty aren't all that great, and are more or less redundant.
"So in conclusion, this is basically a milking of the series that subtracts everything that's really good about the actual anime." -Thomas E Hanley (amazon member/reviewer)


L: Change the WorLd Spin-off of Death Note Series (Not sure if its out in America yet)
This started out as a Manga, as most animes do, so that means YES there is more info for you in da books. If you want all the nitty gritty bits, read!!! Failing that the Anime totally makes up for
your lack of literary culture. Either way DON'T miss the Anime :D
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Hetalia Axis Powers


I'm going to preface this with one world:



LOVES!!


I have VERY little to say about this show but.. I'm excited to say that Funi has picked them UP! And will be dubbing them, however I think they wont be released until late 2010.

So heres the deal Peeps. Hetalia started as an awesome webcomic (thats translated btw, sorry guys I appreciate the Japanese culture, and I understand you guys love the subs vs the dubs, but I don't speak Japanese, and I like voice actors ok?!)

They have been published in two Volumes by Gentosha Comics and there was rumor that seinen manga magazine Comic Birz but that was a misunderstanding. So I'm thinking it hasn't come out in US yet. :(

I got a little confused when it comes to the Anime. I KNOW there are two 26 eps seasons, but I think there might be a third. Funi has the rights to release two of the season, but they just announced that on the 8th of this month.. so like I said.. not until LATE 2010 will we see any of the spoils


I guess there is ALSO a movie, it was announced Sept. 23rd '09 and is scheduled to come out in 2010 sometime :D Love how they are soo specific.. LOVE IT I SAY!!

There is nothing out in America yet, and I sadly only pay attention to that.. sorry folks. But really I can't search for the others in different languages because..I'd get confused really quickly. So I'lll just leave you with the website from Funi and... a really cute picture!


p.s. It has yaoi undertones.. just saying. Not my artwork, it belongs to brilcrist
It's OUT! I had a mini party in my bathrob and slippers when I saw this and instantly bought my per-order copy! The first season came out today, I get mine tomorrow *happy dance*
Here ya go
There are no Vol. 1 &2 because the episodes, I kid you not, are like 5-10 mins long. All 26 are here. You aren't missing anything. But if you are used to fast forwarding the opening credits and ending credits to get to the next bit, don't bother, they aren't very long either, and are fun to sing along too. (Off topic, I have a tradition of always listening to the full opening and ending credits for every anime I watch.. then I usually just skip them. Unless I really really like it. Like Last Exile.)
The Second season has been dubbed too but it doesn't come out until Oct 26.. I know it's to keep the Hype going so people buy more.. but seriously people, you're killing me!!
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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Trigun (Anime, Manga, Movie)



Yasuhiro Nightow submited Trigun to the Tokuma Shoten magazine Shōnen Captain and began regular serialization later until 1997 when the magazine bit the dust. However magazine Young King Ours, published by Shōnen Gahōsha, offered him a spot with a new series, though he felt bad about leaving Trigun unfinished, so they let him continue it with: Trigun: Maximum. Which is set two years later, a bit on the serious side, perhaps due to the switch from a shōnen to a seinen magazine. Nightow has said the change in name is only because of the change in publishing, it is not a sequel, but a continuation.


Ok Vash fans, pretty much everyone on Amazon reviews LOVES this show. They rank it right up there with Cowboy Bebop and stuff :D So you know its good. I have watched the first three episodes, and so far.. it's ok. Our discs are being stupid so we haven't watched anymore, but from reading all the glowing praise I want to!
Trigun 3 Volumes
Vol 3 Manga - can't find!! (gah!!)

Trigun Maximum 14 Volumes
Vol 1
Vol 2
Vol 3
Vol 4
Vol 5
Vol 6
Vol 7
Vol 8
Vol 9
Vol 10
Vol 11
Vol 12
Vol 13
Vol 14


26 Episodes


Vol 1 (epis 1-4)

Vol 2 (epis 5-7)

Vol 3 (epis 8-10)

Vol 4 (epis 11-13)

Vol 5 (epis 14-17)

Vol 6 (epis 18-20)

Vol 7 (epis 21-22)

Vol 8 (epis 23-26)

or

Complete Collection (vol 1-8)

(( There is a Trigun remix, it's the same song and dance, only there are more epis per disc so there are fewer Vols. Also they amped up the sound to 5.1, and each opening is slightly different. Also theres are diff covers, and slightly different extras. It's recommend for first time buyers to get this set, but in all honestly it probably doesn't matter.))

It was licensed in the United States by Pioneer USA (now Geneon). However, Funimation Entertainment rescued it after Geneon USA closed its doors in 2007. Funi will be re-releasing the DVD and Blu-ray in the fall of 2010.

Nightow has stated that due to the finality of the anime ending, it is unlikely any continuation will be made. However, that doesn't rule out the possibility of a reboot based on Trigun Maximum. This statement makes me think that the 26 Epis are all based on the first 3 manga vols, but I have found nothing to prove my theory.


Movie: Trigun: Badlands Rumble released 4/24/10 - can't find


Game: Trigun: The Planet Gunsmoke - Also can't find
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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Hellsing: Anime & Manga VAMPIRES!!





If you weren't in love with Alocard in Castlevania then you will be now. I watched the first disc last night (all 3 episodes *shaking fist*). At first I was a little iffy about it, Hellsing is much darker.. and uglyier (compaired to Fruits Basket it is ugly!) then what I normally watch, however unlike my sister I get past the animation and focus on the story and the characters. And now currenlty searching for the rest of this story! There are 13 episodes, and they don't follow the plot of the Manga, not much anyway. So it really doesn't matter which order you watch it in, because they don't follow each other. But they do have the same characters, so thats helpful.

Hellsing - Impure Souls (Vol. 1)

Hellsing - Blood Brothers (Vol. 2)

Hellsing - Search and Destroy (Vol. 3)

Hellsing - Eternal Damnation (Vol. 4)

Ok now I may or may not watch the Hellsing OVA more of less for the reason below:

"The three-part Ultimate OVA offers even less plot and more violence than the original program: the filmmakers seem intent on setting a record for gore in an anime series. Characters are dismembered, bodies torn apart, eyes gouged, and corpses devoured. It all adds up to a nonstop slaughter-athon that would make the cast of Wicked City blanche. (Rated 16 and older, but more appropriate for 18 and older: graphic violence, violence against women, sadism, grotesque imagery, tobacco use, cannibalism, profanity)" --Charles Solomon

So I didn't read my own review befor watching the OVA, I did watch it. Or at least I think I watched the OVA. I know I watched all of the 13 episodes, which rocked. Then my final disc had more on it.. but it was pretty much exactly what I just watched, however the animation was different and it was compressed, they pretty much took out a lot of the irrelavant details and just hit you with the raw story. I was MAYJORLY confused, so I came here. And to my surprise.. kinda.. I didn't have any of the info I needed. BAD Stone!! So heres what I found out. There will be 7 volumes of OVA, Funi has it now and they just released the 4th one Sept. '08 the next three don't have release dates. BUT they are alllll out in Japan.. so if you can't wait start those search engines up and get some fan subs.

I also found out that the OVA follows the Manga more then the other one.. which explains the similarities! I guess I'll have to read the Manga to really find out huh? *sigh* So much to do.

Hellsing Ultimate Vol. 1 (2006)

Hellsing Ultimate, Vol. 2

Hellsing Ultimate Volume 3

Hellsing Ultimate, Vol. 4

MANGA!

Hellsing Volume 1 (Hellsing (Graphic Novels))

Hellsing Volume 2 (Hellsing (Graphic Novels))

Hellsing Volume 3

Hellsing Volume 4

Hellsing Volume 5 (Hellsing (Graphic Novels))

Hellsing Volume 6 (Hellsing (Graphic Novels))

Hellsing Volume 7 (Hellsing (Graphic Novels))

Hellsing Volume 8 (Hellsing (Graphic Novels))

Hellsing Volume 9 (Hellsing (Graphic Novels))

OH! BTW theres a 10th Book, it's just not out yet :D Thats where it ends though

Oh and guess what? Theres a Manga prequel called Hellsing: The Dawn. Heres what wiki has to say about it because I'm lazy:

Hellsing: The Dawn
In 2001, Hirano began publishing chapters of a prequel series, Hellsing: The Dawn, in special editions of Young King OURs, of which six chapters have been released as of May 2009. The Dawn features a fourteen year-old Walter C. Dornez and Alucard, in the form of a 14 year old girl, attacking Millennium's base of operations in Germany, Poland in September 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising. Publication is scheduled to resume after the conclusion of the main Hellsing series. According to Taliesin Jaffe, the chapters of The Dawn will be animated as part of the Hellsing Ultimate OVA series

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Monday, October 19, 2009

Kanon


Like many other Animes, Kanon originated with a Adult Vision Novel. Or in other words a Roleplaying Game. It was then adapted into five Light Novels, one for each heroine of the game.

Girl in the Snow
Beyond the Smile
Girl's Prison
Fox and the Grapes

A Sunny City


I'm going to take a shot in the dark so PLEASE don't quote me on this, but I think those names are english translations of the real titles because I can't for the life of me find them, not a hint anywhere except my original source


The first Kanon magna was serialized in MediaWorks' manga magazine Dengeki Daioh The individual chapters were later collected into two separate volumes. There are six chapters in total, three in each volume. This manga is different than the visual novel in that three of the girls stories are not told in their entirety. Near the end of each of these girls' stories were originally intended to give the viewer the remaining answers, but the manga version ends these girls' stories prematurely. Because it focused to much on main girls story. I tell you I love google!! (sarcasim) I can't find the physical books ANYWAY but I do have my choice of 1,569 sites that have in on down load!

http://www.onemanga.com/Kanon/

Kanon: The Real Feelings of the Other Side of the Smiling Face.

K so studio Toei Animation came out with a 13 episode Anime for Kanon in 2002 as well as a OVA called Kanon Kanahaza. I can't find it anywhere to buy, and found a few snips saying it was never released in the US, so you might have to go searching via less conventional means if you really want it. However in 2006 Kyoto Animation did a new adaptation of Kanon, so you shouldn't miss much. ADV picked it up for a while then it was transfered to Funi.


(This is the 2006 Anime)
Kanon, Volume 1
Kanon, Volume 2
Kanon, Volume 3
Kanon, Vol. 4


Hope I didn't freaking confuse the lot of you, I know I am, and I wrote all this. Please if you have any more info, share! Otherwise I'll keep this on my update list and get back to it when I have time, or hear a rumor.
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Last Exile (Anime)



A friend recommend we watch this, and lucky for us it was available to stream off of netflix! So after my futile search for season 3 of Kyo Kara Maoh, I was able to rebound with this awesome show, that very night.

Unlike some it starts in the heat of the plot, no back story (that comes later) that drags for episodes. However they sorta had no choice, well I guess they did, we all do. But considering there are only 26 episodes, they had to stream line it well to get maximum potential.

I'm on the 13th episode and LOVE it so far, awesome animation, music, characters, story and music! (I know I said music twice)

So there's no Manga, or Novel, just the 26 episodes, and some sound tracks (which I will be looking for) There is a rumor about a live action, but haven't seen much about that.

Like I said if you have netflix you can stream it (or just get it), also I'm sure you can find it on the web. However if you're looking to buy (which I will) then here ya go:


Or

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Temptations

You know, theres been a time or two that I've wanted to just give up on this blog. I don't see it as I used to, and I haven't had time to update it as much as I want. But then, there comes a time when I need it. Last night was one of those, I finally got around to watching most of Kyo Kara Moah! I tell you what, the show takes forever to get going, but when it does, man have the next disc ready. Which brings me to the site. Season two ends on one dilly of a cliff, and there is no Season three in english, or available to buy with subs, though I wouldn't do that anyway Official subs suck. What there is, and what I may resort to, are fan subs. I'll keep a record of how I find them if anyone wants them, but I'm not posting them sorry.

Do I rock or what! So that means I will keep this site going, and now that my novel (yes thats what kept me away) is finished, I can give this site the attention it deserves. In fact I started a new Anime last night that I have to do some research on, and like always I'll share my findings. It's called Last Exhile, I'm on episode 9 and so far it's pretty awesome, granted for the majority of the fifth and sixth episode I was wikiepidaing all of the voice actors. What can I say, I have a Voice actor fetish. And guess whose on this one? The Gorgeous Crispin Freeman, he ranks right up ther with Chris Patton.

Ok on to my next post. Oh and be on the look out for a new Poll, I've decided to try that again.
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Monday, September 21, 2009

City Hunter

Right. So, I figured it's time I earn my upkeep by doing a review of an anime over here. And guess what I choose? A classic that I grew up with (Amber says: "That explains A LOT..."), and which I consider one of the world's three greatest animes, EVER. It's a true classic, an 80's anime of the perfect genre crossbreeding: Action, romance, ecchi (that's pervertedness for y'all non-otakus out there), and more ecchi. In other words, I give you all, the one, the only, the legendary, City Hunter. (That's Shitihanta for all you Japanese people out there.)

The main character is Ryo Saeba, a "sweeper" (private detective/mercenary/hitman/assassin/vigilante) in the Tokyo underworld. Ryo have four major crosses to bear; 1, he loves women. 2, he loves women's underwear. 3, he loves to peep at women when they take a bath, and usually, he tries to do more than just peep on them, which leads us to number 4, he also loves a little something that he calls "mokkori". To keep this clean, I won't say what it is (though I will say, a simple search on Wikipedia can inform you of it), but I'm certain you can guess already. "Mokkori" happens to be Ryo's battle cry whenever he attempts to pick up a beautiful woman, or steal her underwear. ("Waow, mokkori brassiere!").

But!
That's where his partner, the female tomboy Kaori Makimura, comes into the picture. Whenever Ryo tries to woo one of their clients (and being that Ryo only accepts contracts from beautiful women, that happens every time), vóila, she's there with a 100 ton hammer, smashing his head in with tremendous force and fury. She's really a scary woman, considering she's the only one who ever get the drop on the legendary City Hunter.

So, anyways, what you have is action, romance, heartwarming stories in every episode, and all of it in a typical 80's package accompanied by an incredible soundtrack. It stands to reason that this series is really one of the best that has ever been made. Quite obviously. And if you decide to read the manga, be prepared to realize that the series, which is quite perverted in its own right, pales in comparison to the manga, drawn by the genius mangaka Tsukasa Hojo.

Unfortunately, though, the manga is a rarity these days. Even on the net where piracy seems to be able to get you everything, it fails here. You can only, via fan-translations, get your hands on the mangas up to chapter 32. This is, as opposed to volume 32, which always confused me, but are two different things. You may think that you can still buy the manga, even if you have to buy it legally from Ebay, or somesuch. But the sad truth of the matter is, the manga has never been translated to English past chapter 32. And I dare say if you really want to read the manga you would have to speak and read fluent Japanese, and also live in Japan, to be able to track it down.

The series, however, is more than capable of standing on its own as one of the greatest animes of all times. So, with that in mind, get your butt out there, find it, and ACQUIRE IT, by any means necessary! Until the day you have seen the City Hunter anime, I daresay your life is 69 percent un-lived.
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Saturday, July 18, 2009

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle (Anime)


I really like this series. In fact it inspired me to create clay Mokonas :D I'll have to post a picture they are WAY cute.


Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle is an on going manga series by Clamp. It is currently being serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. It takes place in the same fictional universe as many of Clamp's other manga series including xxxHolic, Cardcaptor Sakura, Legal Drug, Angelic Layer, X, Chobits, Magic Knight Rayearth and Tokyo Babylon.

SOOooo, This series I would like to link to XXXholic although you don't have to watch either in order. Though I would suggest watching Holic first that way you will appreciate and understand Yokos involvement and her brief cameo. But the stories are COMPLETLEY different, neither effect the other they just cross paths from time to time.. well ok ONCE so far in the Anime, I have yet to read the Manga. Also apparently its the same for Chobits and Cardcaptor, I haven't seen Cardcaptor but I have seen Chobits and I didn't see any links, though I also haven't seen season two.

Sorry for the delay in posting this one, for some reason I thought I had already. I was spurred to however by a visitor to my site seeking out info on this Anime, only to be let down because it's not UP! I'm sorry I have failed you :(

That shall be remedied I promise.

So here we go!
27 volumes of manga (there will only be 27 vols)
Tsubasa 25 Comes out in English in January 2010
Tsubasa 26 Not sure when it comes out (in english)
Tsubasa 27 Not sure when it comes out (in english)
Anime Totals 52 episodes. They don't run through all of the Manga though and it's unlikely there will be a season 3 so for more Tsubasa Chronicles hit the books stores for the finale.
Second Season
K sports fans, there are 3 OVAs called Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations, I can't find the DVDs to buy but if you want there are ways to down load them *wink wink* but don't ask me how. Though if you ask Lox nicely he might be able to help.
Tsubasa Chronicle the Movie: The Princess of the Country of Birdcages in conjunction with xxxHolic the Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream were released
Quote from Wiki:
Two original video animation (OVA) series were animated by Production I.G as sequels to the anime. They are directed by Shunsuke Tada and written by Nanase Ohkawa with music provided by Yuki Kajiura. A three-episode OVA series entitled Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations, stylized as Tsubasa TOKYO REVELATIONS, was released between November 16, 2007 and March 17, 2008 across three DVDs bundled with limited versions of volumes 21, 22 and 23 of the manga. A two-episode OVA series entitled Tsubasa Shunraiki (ツバサ春雷記, Tsubasa Shunraiki?) lit. Tsubasa Spring Thunder Chronicles was released across of two DVDs on the first with volume 26 of the manga, which was released on March 17, 2009 and the second was released with volume 27 on May 15, 2009
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The New Me.

As my newest Author announced yes I am changing my name. Have changed it actually. Why? Well T.W.I.G.G. or The way it goes Girl, was never my favorite OR my first choice. It was a rather hasty decision and I just didn't have time to change it. Besides it kinda works.

The name I've been going by for quiet sometime now is Stone~Amber, please call me Stone or any variation of that. (ie: Stoney)

On to business: I would like to welcome Loxely to my growing army of Anime Archaeologist's. Hopefully now there will be more shows uncovered for you all soon. I would like to take this time however to remind Lox that he is here to pimp Anime, not himself :P

That said I would also like to thank all those who read this, and if we've helped you at all please let us know we would be very interested in hearing from you.

Edit:
I forgot we had another change, in the form of a missing Author. Due to conflicting schedules and school time constrants Aaron has abdicated from being a blog Author. We are sad to see him leave but excited to see him pursue his goals by furthing his education and wish him luck.
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