The KOR Anime Blog

Long overdue update!

2010-12-19T02:58:00.002-05:00

Hello again everyone!

Sorry about the lengthy absence. Things happen, so I had to drop blogging for a while. I'm back, hopefully regularly, to continue to post thoughts about anime. Especially with Ohayocon 2011 just around the corner! So I can complete what I started, I'm going to finish (over the next couple days) my top endings list. Then, I'll see if there are any new endings that I would add to my list (shows I've seen since the list was made in the middle of 2009).

I've gone back and done my best to update the previous posts, taking out bad links and putting in new ones. Hopefully, they all work now.

To get the countdown started, I'll give you a sneak peek at #25 on the countdown - the second ending theme to Love Hina, Hajimari wa Koko Kara by Megumi Hayashibara.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zfWc8QfukA&feature=player_detailpage#t=336s

Matt's Top Ending Themes: 35-26!

2009-07-05T20:48:00.007-04:00

OK ... We are headed into the top 30 with this edition of Matt's top ending themes. Hopefully I'll continue having mostly good luck finding the videos on YouTube. Let's start with #35!

#35 - Bokura no Kiseki by Yoko Ishida
Show: Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy ( ああっ女神さまっそれぞれの翼)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IuyveL_MwU
Embed:

This is a beautiful song by one of the legends of anime music, Yoko Ishida. This is the first ending theme from Ah! My Goddess, the second season. Not much in the way of moving animation with this ending, but I just love the song. That's why it is at #35.

#34 - Renai no Sainou by Chisa Yokoyama
Show: Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki ( 天地無用! 魎皇鬼)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loWFLhcNT68
Embed:

This is another song that by itself might not make the countdown. It is just a cute ending theme with very cute animation from Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki. It is another song that was well translated, and you can probably find the English version of it floating around on YouTube. Here is the original in all its glory.

#33 - Mask by Masami Okui and Kasumi Matsumura
Show: Sorcerer Hunters ( 爆れつハンター)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC8JY1JQ8II
Embed:

As promised, there would be more in this countdown from Masami Okui and here is the next song from her, Mask, from the show Sorcerer Hunters. A very good show (that might be hard to get a hold of now) with a very good ADV dub. Both the opening and ending of this show are solid. Who knows, you might see the opening theme in my opening theme countdown later ...

#32 - Don't Be Discouraged by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Slayers TRY ( スレイヤーズ TRY)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByiqLpt6kKg
Embed:

It has been a few since we've had a song from Slayers or from Megumi, so this takes care of both. It won't be the last, that's for sure. The ending theme of the third season of the Slayers is actually the third best ending theme of the TV series (so you know you'll be seeing the other two seasons' ending themes here later). It is good, no doubt about it.

#31 - Watashi Rashiku by Houko Kuwashima
Show: Martian Successor Nadesico ( 機動戦艦ナデシコ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfYSy_3xYLw
Embed:

Nadesico is one of my all-time favorite shows, and I highly recommend it to anybody who wants to get into anime. This is the rather simple, yet cool ending theme to the series, "Being Myself." This is another show where you can bet the opening theme will make its countdown as well. Time to move back to Slayers ...

#30 - Midnight Blue by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Slayers - The Motion Picture ( スレイヤーズ)

Note: I couldn't find just the ending to this, so this is a trailer for the movie with the song included.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgs7UG9FmdU
Embed:

I love this song from the Slayers first movie, Midnight Blue. This is one that I can listen to separate from the show. Slayers is such a good franchise that has such good music. This is just another example of that. But, we'll step away from the Slayers for a while. We'll be back, though.

#29 - Drastic My Soul by Mikio Sakai
Show: S-Cry-ed ( スクライド)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i05DV2-g2lk
Embed:

Scryed is a good show, but it is a little different. Definitely action packed, it has a very solid opening and ending theme. If I remember correctly, a couple different variations on the song are used throughout the series. Definitely a good series to pick up.

#28 - Tactics by The Yellow Monkey
Show: Rurouni Kenshin ( るろうに剣心)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8vsgE5AGxo
Embed:

This is the first of what will be many entries from Rurouni Kenshin on these countdowns. This theme was also dubbed into English and sung by Lex Lang, who did a pretty good job. The original is the first ending theme to this great show.

#27 - triangle by Mami Kawada
Show: Shakugan no Shana Second ( 灼眼のシャナ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJYFTWqZ1lU
Embed:

I am also a fan of the opening and ending themes from the Shakugan no Shana series. I really, really wish someone would license the second season and release it here in the US. This is the first ending theme to that second season, triangle.

One more before I pause for the night ...

#26 - Anna ni Issho Datta no ni by See-Saw
Show: Mobile Suit Gundam Seed ( 機動戦士ガンダムSEED)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS0Qxy6RTmg
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NOTE: The actual video of the ending is not available. So this is the promotional video to the song. The first ending theme to the show Gundam Seed falls just shy of my top 25. It is a solid opening. As with many Gundam themes, the lyrics of the song corrolate with what is happening in the series. Gundam Seed is a good show and this is a very solid ending theme.

Coming up next time, we'll countdown from 25-16, which will include some more Megumi (but not Slayers) our second entry from Fullmetal Alchemist and the first from the movie, and a couple that you might not be familiar with (but should). See you then!

Matt's Top Ending Themes: 44-36.

2009-07-04T22:41:00.015-04:00

OK ... Let's get this countdown rolling now. Here is my top ending themes from 44-36!

NOTE: For some reason, I can't get to YouTube to post the rest of these videos. I'll edit this post with the videos later.

#44 - In the Chaos by JAM Project featuring Masami Okui
Show: Galaxy Angel AA ( ギャラクシーエンジェルＡＡ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-PefP8ccuI
Embed:

This song is so much different than all of the Galaxy Angel themes. I like most, if not all, of the Galaxy Angel themes, but this one, the ending theme to Galaxy Angel AA, stands alone as a top theme. JAM Project is one of my favorite groups and Masami Okui (who you will see again on this countdown) is one of my favorite Japanese artists. It is a beautiful song that is a change of pace to the rest of the ending themes.

#43 - Reflection by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Slayers Great ( スレイヤーズ　ぐれいと)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro3JH2eW42I
Embed:

Another video I had a hard time finding, this is the ending theme to the Slayers movie, Slayers Great. I could have posted what amounted to the last 8 minutes of the movie in English, but instead I found this version. It cuts out some of the ending theme, but I think there is enough there to show its greatness. Another awesome Slayers theme by Megumi Hayashibara. And there is more to come. In fact ...

#42 - Raging Waves by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Slayers Gorgeous ( スレイヤーズ　ごうじゃす)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PnSZKKmLMkg#t=311s
Embed:

This is the ending theme to the sequel to Slayers Great, Slayers Gorgeous. It is another great story from the Slayers movies and another great Megumi Hayashibara ending theme. NOTE: In this video, skip ahead to 5:00 for the song. Speaking of Megumi, she does have great themes for other shows.

#41 - Omokage by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Shaman King ( 通靈王)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoUvOGWf-w0
Embed:

Shaman King is one of those shows that I would have loved to see more of, but unfortunately, it was brought over here and butchered by 4Kids, meaning we were left with dubbed songs and hacked up episodes. This theme comes from the original Japanese version (it is the second ending theme), and it is a very good ending theme.

Up next, a group effort thanks to one of Japan's most famous academies, Mahora.

#40 - A-LY-YA! by Rina Satou, Akemi Kanda, Ai Nonaka, Yu Kobayashi
Show: Negima!? ( ネギま!?)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JX49MDF07s
Embed:

The cute ending theme to the second season of Negima is #40 on the countdown. It isn't a good stand-alone song, but with the ending animation and with the tone of the show, the song goes well.

Four more songs to go before our break for the evening. Moving on to #39 ...

#39 - Kimi Sae Ireba by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Love Hina ( ラブひな)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugcldJmxIcY
Embed:

The first of two more back-to-back Megumi Hayashibara, this is the melancholic ending theme to Love Hina, Kimi Sae Ireba. Again, this song might not make it on its own merits, but combined with the sad-looking (sad as emotion, not sad as in poor) animation, this song makes the countdown. This song isn't the top Love Hina ending theme on the countdown, but we'll get to the other one later.

#38 - Extrication by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Lost Universe ( ロスト・ユニバース)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE7BrsprSMg
Embed:

From Hajime Kanzaka, who is best known for Slayers, Lost Universe is a very good show with very good opening and ending themes. This one is another one of my favorite Megumi songs. It has an odd beat to it that really works for the song.

We've had some older themes. Let's get to something brand new again.

#37 - Honjitsu, Mankai Watashi Iro! by Shizuka Itou with Eri Nakao, Sayuri Yahagi and Masumi Asano
Show: Hayate the Combat Butler!! ( ハヤテのごとく!!)

Link: OK, for some reason, all of the versions of the ending theme and animation were pulled off YouTube. Just head on over there and look up the name of the song, and hopefully you'll be able to find it.

The first ending theme to the second season of Hayate the Combat Butler, this song features my favorite character in the show (besides Hayate), Hinagiku Katsura. In fact, by the looks of the latest popularity poll in Japan, I'm not alone in this thought (she received over 4,000 votes, with Maria and Nagi not combining for that many!). Hina's voice actress, Shizuka Itou, sings this theme well.

One more theme for tonight!

#36 - Kesenai Tsumi by Nana Kitade
Show: Fullmetal Alchemist ( 鋼の錬金術師)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOZ1XbnEajs
Embed:

The first ending in the amazing Fullmetal Alchemist, Kesenai Tsumi (Indelible Sin) certainly ties in well to the plight of the Elric brothers. Nana Kitade is another one of my favorite artists, and she doesn't disappoint here. A great ending theme for a great show. It won't be the last theme from this show on these countdowns, that is for sure.

That wraps things up for tonight. Next time, we'll move into the top 30.

Matt's Top Ending Themes: An intro, then 51-45!

2009-07-04T21:30:00.005-04:00

OK, I have threatened to do this for a while. I don't know how this is going to go, but here it goes anyway.

Since there are about a billion different anime theme countdowns on YouTube, I thought I'd do my own. Of course, my countdown - my rules.

Here are the rules I have set for myself. To qualify for the countdown, the song must fit one of the following rules:

#1 - Be from a series that I've seen at least part of, OR
#2 - Be a song I know that is from a series I haven't seen, OR
#3 - Be from an artist that I know from a series I haven't seen.

Also, the songs are subjected ranked based on three categories: How the song fits with the opening/ending animation, how good the song is as an opening/ending, and/or how good the song is on its own (in other words, would I listen to this song if it wasn't an anime theme?).

I've decided to do a top 50 endings, and probably a top 100 openings. This list is totally subjective. Some of these songs' orders are subject to change depending on my mood. It is hard to rank your favorite anything. The top of the list is pretty solid. The rest can be interchanged, and there are some songs just outside the top 50 that could easily be in the top 50 the next time I decide to punish myself by doing this.

With all that said, we'll get started now. Of course, there was a late addition to the list, so instead of bumping one out of the list, I just made it 51. This song is new to the countdown, so it could move up the next time I do this list. But for now, it comes in at number 51.

#51 - Don't Say "Lazy" by Yoko Hikasa with Aki Toyosaki, Satomi Satou & Minako Kotobuki.
Show: K-On! ( けいおん！)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xrN-eoilQc
Embed:

This is the ending theme from one of my favorite shows of the year. K-On! is a show about four high school girls looking to save their school's light music club. They join forces to see if they can keep K-On alive. The ending theme is sung by the voice actress for the bassist, Mio Akiyama (Yoko Hikasa). It contrasts the more upbeat opening theme sung by the fictional group's lead singer, Yui Hirasawa (Aki Toyosaki).

As of July 4, 2009, this series remains unlicensed in the United States. Here's hoping the next time I do a countdown like this, the show will be licensed.

OK, I probably won't do I show recap with every post, or this is going to get really long. I'll just link to the Anime News Network page on the show. Let's move on ...

#50: Feel Well by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Slayers Premium ( スレイヤーズぷれみあむ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iImN4krHAJk
Embed:

Slayers Premium was supposed to be the end of the animated Slayers series. Of course, that was prior to the release of Slayers Revolution and Evolution-R. One of my favorite songs my Megumi Hayashibara. I love this song. Moving on ...

#49 - Just Be Conscious by Megumi Hayashibara
Show: Slayers Return ( スレイヤーズ　ＲＥＴＵＲＮ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bispDB0Y-Gk
Embed:

Man, I just love the Slayers and the music that goes with it. You'll notice that on this countdown. Here is the ending from the movie, Slayers Return. Another classic by Megumi! And the countdown rolls on with something non-Slayers!

#48 - Step by Step by Ziggy
Show: Case Closed (Detective Conan - 名探偵コナン)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUCtlAxTdR0
Embed:

Not only is this ending theme good, but if you pick up the FUNimation release, they did a pretty good English language cover of it. From Ziggy, this is the first of (currently) 33 ending themes for one of Japan's longest-running series, Detective Conan. Due to legal reasons, the show was renamed in the United States "Case Closed." Up next is another one of my favorites from another of my favorite artists - Yoko Takahashi!

#47 - Wing by Yoko Takahashi
Show: Ah! My Goddess ( ああっ女神さまっ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgVsH0Sbwe0
Embed:

The second ending from the show, Ah! My Goddess, Wing is just a cool, upbeat song that goes really well with both the ending animation and the tone of the show. One of my favorites, for certain. Also, I had a hard time finding a version of this video that didn't have foreign language subtitles on it. But here it is! Moving on to #46 ...

#46 - Blue Velvet by Shizuka Kudou
Show: Dragonball GT ( ドラゴンボールGT)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INND4rkd8Qw
Embed:

For a show that turned out to be so ... mediocre, Dragonball GT sure had some good theme music. This is the third ending theme to the show, and it is very good. In fact, this show really didn't have a bad opening or ending theme. It was the stuff in between that didn't help the show last more than 64 episodes.

OK, one more song before we take a break. Maybe I'll get to some more tonight!

#45 - The Real Folk Blues by Seatbelts featuring Mai Yamane
Show: Cowboy Bebop ( カウボーイビバップ)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGAnQDj8ais
Embed:

A classic song to a classic anime, the first ending theme to Cowboy Bebop, The Real Folk Blues, is one of anime's most recongnizable ending themes. Many people would put this song into their top 10, and I certainly couldn't argue with that. It is an awesome song that really fits the tone of the show.

That is going to wrap up the first part of the countdown. Look forward to part 2 soon!

FUNimation comes through again; Saying goodbye to Central Park Media

2009-07-04T21:00:00.003-04:00

It is almost fitting to talk about these two news items together today, as they both tie into one of my favorite anime franchises of all time, The Slayers.

First, the good news. At Anime Expo today, FUNimation announced that it has reunited the main cast of Slayers for its upcoming releases of Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R. The four main and most important voice actors are returning: Lisa Ortiz as Lina, Eric Stuart and Gourry, Crispin Freeman as Zelgadis and Veronica Taylor as Amelia. New ADR director Michael Sinterniklaas will be replacing the polarizing David Moo as the enigmatic Xellos.

FUNimation couldn't have got it more right.

Considering it had been years since this cast had been together recording Slayers TRY, it would have certainly been understandable if FUNimation was unable/unwilling to reunite the cast back together. Many believed that Freeman would be virtually impossible to get, considering his desire to not work non-union dubs in recent years. Plus, FUNi has a huge, talented voice staff to choose from. Who could blame them if they decided to start from scratch, or at the very least, borrow the ADV actors used in the Slayers OAVs and movies (especially Premium, which featured Cynthia Martinez as Lina, Chris Patton as Gourry, Freeman as Zelgadis and Luci Christian as Amelia). In fact, despite the fact that I love the original actors and dub, I had pretty much talked myself into accepting whatever FUNi decided and embracing a third group of actors to take on the characters.

That won't be necessary.

Although more details were not released (other than a 2010 street date), it can be inferred from the cast that this dub has been farmed out to NYAV or another NY-based studio. We'll know for sure as some of the minor characters are revealed (it would be awesome to get Jimmy Zoppi back as Prince Philionel).

From Slayers fans everywhere - thanks again, FUNimation. You seem to be the only US company currently interested in listening to its fans and giving us what we want (within reason, of course). I thought Bandai was after last year's Otakon ... but ... well, that's another subject for another time.

The Slayers news ties into the bad news from earlier this year - the bankruptcy and dissolution of Central Park Media. Based in New York, CPM originally licenced the Slayers under the name "Software Sculptors."

The story of CPM goes back to my beginnings as an anime fan. I had seen Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z on television, but that was pretty much the limit to my anime exposure. Then, my brother and I saw a show on the now-defunct International Channel called the Slayers. I was immediately hooked on the show, and looked to buy it, even though I had only seen it subtitled. I had even read somewhere that the same people who voiced Pokemon also did voices for this show. That made me want it even more. So I bought it, all $200 per set. Yes, my original collection of Slayers set me back $600. Think about that for all you fans who picked up all three season from FUNi for less than $100.

I did not regret my purchase (of course, I had no idea how that $600 would turn into many more hundred dollars in the coming years). I would go on to purchase a couple more CPM releases, including both seasons of "Record of Lodoss War" and "The World of Narue." However, they were yet another casualty of the downturn in the economy and the slide in anime popularity.

"World Peace Through Shared Popular Culture," was their slogan, and while we may not be closer to world peace, Central Park Media brought a generation of Americans closer to Japanese culture than they had ever been before. It is certainly fair to say that I wouldn't have become near the fan that I am today if not for CPM and Software Sculptors.

During this weekend's Anime Expo, Central Park Media ran a farewell ad in the convention program, thanking all of those who made them go for two decades. It is certainly sad to see them go, but I too want to thank them for helping make me the fan I am today.

Thanks CPM, you will be missed.

Coming soon - my countdowns of my top opening and ending themes of all time. If I can work on it tonight, I might post the first 11 ending themes (51-40).

O-Hisashiburi desu yo!

2009-06-15T00:30:00.002-04:00

Yes indeed, it has been a while. As I posted in the KOR blog, my renewed focus on this site will have me making regular posts in this blog as well as the KOR blog.

And plenty has happened on the anime front since I posted last. Well, mainly that it seems like Funimation is the only company consistently dubbing things and putting them out on a regular basis. Viz is still hanging in there. Bandai ... what a disappointment. The news of a sub-only Hayate the Combat Butler is just so disappointing. Less than a year ago, at Otakon, they were excitedly promising four separate audio tracks for the release. Now, we'll be lucky to get one.

Certainly the economy has affected the entertainment industry as a whole in a big way. Of course, when you are part of a niche branch of entertainment, you can take that effect and multiply it by 1,000. Hence, we get Clannad subtitled instead of receiving what would have likely been a fantastic dub from ADV to go along with Air and Kanon.

But Funimation continues to chug along, for now. Thanks DBZ. The cash from that franchise likely saved Funi's bacon when everyone else was treading water.

And Funimation has continued to look for new ways to get their anime to customers, including a myriad of streaming options (including their own). They were set to show new episodes of One Piece online until some idiots decided they wanted to ruin it for everyone. Should Funimation have taken more care to keep it away from those people? Sure. But growing up, you all knew where your parents kept their money and valuables. That didn't give you license to steal them, did it? Stealing is stealing. The ease of which it was stolen doesn't make it less illegal.

On the convention front, I was able to attend two conventions since my last post. The first was YuleCon in Dallas, TX. This allowed my brother and I to take our first commercial plane trips. It was awesome. Dallas was awesome. Cruising around Southlake, TX in a rented Pontiac Vibe was awesome. I might post a video of our trip to let you know what kind of fun we had.

Honestly, we didn't see much of the con. What we did see was fun. It was held in a hotel in the shadows of the Texas Motor Speedway, which is HUGE. I mean, seriously. It makes Kentucky Speedway look like a dirt track.

In addition to our Texas adventure, we headed to Ohayocon in January. It was our third trip to what we consider our home convention. There were seven of us this time, and for the most part we had a blast. Mike, his buddy Shane and I also took in a Blue Jackets game on Friday night, which was awesome. I'm really excited about Ohayocon 10 next January. I'm sure it will be special.

On the anime watched front, I finished Kanon and watched Clannad. I'm almost finished with Negima!? and I'm about halfway through Cardcaptor Sakura thanks to Netflix. CCS, by the way, has been very good so far. I was a little sceptical, but it has been good. Would be better with a dub, though (are you listening, Funimation?).

I can't remember if was since my last post or not, but I also finished Shuffle, which I really, really liked. Great dub, good story, good ending. I'll post details on that later on (I've got to save some stuff to talk about later).

Since everyone on YouTube has their top 10, 20, million opening and ending themes, I've decided to tackle the same task. Of course, it will only be from shows and songs I'm familiar with, but I've got quite the list. In fact, I did ending themes first because there weren't as many, and the top 50 was nearly impossible to choose.

At the very least, hopefully it will be something that can be discussed. I'll start posting those sometime soon (with videos of the opens as well).

OK, that's all for tonight. I don't know if I'll post here every day. But I'll be back sometime this week with more.

This Week in Anime - October 14

2008-10-12T20:15:00.009-04:00

There are several interesting releases this week, including a much-anticipated series from FUNimation. Here is what we have:

As far as new series go, the highlight of this week is the first volume of Claymore. According to Anime News Network's description of the series, this is a show based in a world full of deadly creatures called "youma." Clare, the main character, works on behalf of an organization to train halfbreed female youma and make them into warriors with the ability to destroy these creatures. Because of her rogue status (given to her for picking up a stray child and almost losing herself to her youma side through "awakening"), she is given the most dangerous of missions.

Granted, that's about all I know about this series so far - I haven't picked up the first volume yet. The FUNimation cast looks strong - with Stephanie Young and Todd Haberkorn filling the lead roles of Clare and Raki. Other well known names in secondary roles include Brina Palencia, Christine Auten, Monica Rial and R Bruce Elliott. As soon as I watch the first volume, I'll come back with my take on it.

One show I have seen and can highly recommend is Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Bandai is re-releasing the show this week as part of its Anime Legends collection. This is a true masterpiece. The show itself is very intelligently written and acted in both languages. The background and CGI are amazing looking. The music is beautiful, including the mostly-Russian open Inner Universe. The opening video is below this post. You don't see too many anime opens in Russian. It is an amazing series.

Dub Grade: A+. It just doesn't get much better than this dub. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is dead-on in the main role of Motoko Kusanagi. Richard Epcar (who is coming to Eastgate and I still can't believe it) is the perfect voice for Batou. Crispin Freeman plays one of the lone humans in the show, Togusa. The supporting cast is just as amazing, especially William Frederick Knight as the chief of the operation, Daisuke Aramaki. If you can pick this entire series up for cheap - do so. You won't regret it.

With the following week's releases a bit thin, I'll save a couple of this week's releases for then and skip right ahead to the one for which I've been waiting for months. When ADV and Sojitz split ways, Sojitz gave most of their joint licenses to FUNimation. After months of uncertainty, one of my favorite series of the year will come to an end with Volume 6 of Kanon. Describing this series could take a long time - so here's the short version. Yuichi Aizawa returns to a snowy town after seven years. The only problem is, he doesn't remember much about his time in the city during his youth. He moves back in with his aunt and cousin and meets several people with keys to his past, including Aya Tsukimiya, who seems to have the final key to a past buried years ago.

This show has taken me on an emotional rollercoster. It is absolutely hilarious one minute and absolutely heart-wrenching the next. I have no idea how this final volume will end - but I'm certain the rollercoaster will start again when I get this volume in the mail this week. Depending on the ending, this series could be knocking on the door of my top 10 of all time.

Dub Grade: A. Hard to find any fault in this one. Chris Patton is awesome as Yuichi. Jessica Boone is awesome in everything she is in, including here as Yuichi's cousin Nayuki. Brittany Karbowski is also very good as Ayu ... but after watching the first five volumes of this and hearing her in Shuffle, I kept waiting for every line of her's in Shuffle to start or end in "uguu", which is Ayu's trademark groan of disgust. Supporting roles are all well performed. Extra kudos go to FUNi regulars Caitlin Glass and Colleen Clinkenbeard who shine as Kaori and Amano, respectively. Also, high marks to Maggie Flecknoe as Shiori and Natalie Arneson as Sayuri because I totally dig her voice, for some reason. It should be an interesting finish.

That's all for this week. I'll have more next week.

Oh that tricky Ohayocon - Vic Mignogna headed to the Capitol City

2008-10-12T20:01:00.003-04:00

Anime fans begged and pleaded on Ohayocon's message boards. They did everything short of staging a protest march.

Ohayocon has listened.

After repeatedly denying his attendance, Ohayocon surprised its future attendees today when it announced that über-popular voice actor Vic Mignogna is coming to Ohayocon in 2009.

If you close your eyes and listen ... you can hear fan girls squee-ing all over the Great Lakes region.

We had a chance to see Vic at Cleveland's Colossal Con last summer. He was very engaging and entertaining. His concert, while mostly geared towards his fangirls and megafans (known as the "Risembool Rangers" from his part in the anime megahit, "Fullmetal Alchemist") was a ton of fun. He sang everything from his cover of the D.N.Angel opening to his opus dedicated to minor voice roles everywhere (Soldier A). If he is in concert in Columbus, it is most certainly worth the time to see him.

I'll have more later tonight, including this week's picks in anime releases.

Wow ... what an AMV!

2008-10-09T23:16:00.003-04:00

We frequently search You Tube for some of the best in Anime Music Videos (AMVs). This is where someone will take clips from an Anime and match it up with an unrelated song. When it is done well, it is a true talent.

We often times try to think of some random song and see if someone has used it in an AMV.

That brought us to this: A Cowboy Bebop AMV using Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing." It is nothing short of amazing. Note: This is the unedited version of this song, which does include language some may find offensive. If you know the song, you know what I'm talking about. It is the most amazing AMV I've ever seen:

WHO is coming to A & G Ohio???

2008-10-09T20:52:00.003-04:00

My brother and I were stunned to learn that there will be an anime convention very close by in 2009.

A & G Ohio is moving its convention to the Holiday Inn in Eastgate. That is just around the corner from us.

Then, they announced that the voice of Master Shake, Dana Snyder, was coming to Eastgate. I thought that was as good as it could possibly get.

It just got way better.

Two of the absolute legends in the anime business, Richard Epcar and his wife Ellyn Stern, will be coming to what we're dubbing Eastgate-con. This is totally awesome.

Forget the fact we just saw them in Baltimore in August at Otakon. For them to be coming to Eastgate - that is just incredible.

Needless to say, we'll be there in March (13-15, 2009). We'll have it all covered here. Of course, Ohayocon 2009 is up first at the end of January.

Ohayocon has listed 11 guests for the upcoming convention on its forums. Getting to meet Brett Weaver in person will certainly be awesome. Mike McFarland's improv is always a highlight of the weekend. The annual roast will feature ADV co-founder Matt Greenfield. It should be a ton of fun.

There are two previous guests not listed for 2009 that I'm hoping will be back. The first is Monica Rial, who has become one of my favorite female VAs in the business. The other is Chris Sabat, who was awesome two years ago, but a late minute cancellation kept him away earlier this year. Here's hoping he's back to run the dubbing panels like he was scheduled to do last year.

This has nothing to do with anime ... but Mike and I were talking about it so it had to be posted here. This type of news makes me want to celebrate like the guy in this video:

This Week in Anime

2008-10-04T22:08:00.014-04:00

This is the first in what I hope will be a weekly column talking about upcoming anime releases. Of course, new DVDs are released on Tuesday so this is a column talking about releases on Tuesday, October 7.

Of course, there are many releases each week ... and many of those series are shows that I haven't seen. But if it is a show that I know is popular, I'll make note of its release as well.

I am using Mania.com's release schedule.

Here is what is upcoming this week:

Buso Renkin, Set 2. (Viz Media) I haven't finished watching set one, but it had a pretty good story and I will eventually get around to watching this. From the man who brought us Rurouni Kenshin, Buso Renkin is about an average high school student, Kazuki Muto, who is killed trying to rescue what looks to be an average high school girl. The girl, Tokiko, is actually an alchemic warrior who saves Muto's life by giving him the Kakugane to replace his heart. Of course, as you might guess, Kazuki joins Tokiko in her fight against the Homunculus terrorizing his city. Dub grade: B+. What I've seen of the dub is good ... some of my favorite VAs make an appearance in this one (Patrick Seitz, Spike Spencer, Liam O'Brien, Richard Epcar and more). If you like Shounen action, you'll probably dig this one.

Three different season sets are being released this week - shows all released in single-volume form earlier. From ADV Films, Mezzo TV was a TV series based on a Hentai release in Japan. The TV show is not porn (so don't worry). The three-member DSA will take on any case - as long as they get paid for it. When team member Kurokawa is an assassination target, the group must try to figure out who and why. The TV series is a lot of fun and features some of ADV's best voice talent. Dub Grade: A-. Luci Christian is especially good in the lead role of Mikura Suzuki. She is joined by a stellar supporting cast, including Andy McAvin, Jason Douglas, Sasha Paysinger, Chris Patton, Mike MacRae and Vic Mignogna. If you find this one at Best Buy and are looking for a funny, action packed short series, give this one a try.

Bandai is releasing a show that I had originally started watching on Netflix, but got so hooked on it that I had to buy the final volume the day it came out. Mai-Hime (or My-Hime) is a story about an all-girls academy populated with girls possessing special powers. One of those girls is the main character, Mai Tokiha. She, of course, is unaware of those powers at the beginning of the series but quickly learns she possesses the power as well. What follows is a very compelling series as those with the power quickly learn what they are expected to do with that power. Dub Grade: B+. Ocean Group doesn't produce a large number of dubs, but what they do dub is quality. This is no different. Carol-Anne Day really stands out as the main character Mai. Sometimes it is nice to watch something where you are not immediately familiar with the voices in the show.

FUNimation is releasing another show that I got caught up in - Suzuka . This is one of those, "boy gets dropped into a situation where he is surrounded by girls and one of them treats him bad but seems to like him" stories. They are a dime-a-dozen in anime. But I did like the story, and if you get past the feeling of "it's been done before," I think you can get into this story. Yamato Akitsuki travels to Tokyo to study alone and live with his aunt, who just happens to operate a public bath populated by all girls. He meets Suzuka Asahina, who is the school's top track athlete. The two cross paths early on ... and this leads to all kinds of love-hate fun. Dub Grade: A. Whether you like the story or not, you can't dispute the awesome voice cast that brings this story to life in English. The main characters - Suzuka (Leah Clark), Honoka (Brina Palencia) and Yamato (Todd Haberkorn) are all outstanding. The supporting cast (namely Carrie Savage and Colleen Clinkenbeard as his ... we'll say ... "fun loving" neighbors) are very good as well. Watching the show got me into the manga as well, which is a bit more mature than the anime. But it's not a bad show ... and if you can pick up the whole series for cheap ... it is worth it.

Two other new releases from FUNimation this week that I don't know much about yet ... but are highly spoken of on many message boards. Ghost Hunt (which will be released in a half-season set) and Jyu-Oh-Sei (Complete Series) are shows that FUNimation is giving viewers large amounts of episodes for a reasonable price. I may have to pick these up at some point ... if I do I'll post my review then. FUNimation has been pretty smart about releasing some of its "B" series in large chunks lately. Hopefully this a trend that will continue. They will still be releasing volume-by-volume on their biggest series - they need to make money after all. They also seem to be leading the way in digital delivery of anime as well.

That's all for now. I'll be back soon with more news from the anime world.

ADV sending mixed signals

2008-10-04T21:58:00.002-04:00

My last post was about how ADV was rumored to have the series Clannad.

A week later ... things aren't much clearer.

One website was able to confirm that Matt Greenfield had announced the Clannad series license. However, at a convention today, David Williams used the old "unable to confirm or deny" when asked about the series.

Here's hoping we get something concrete from the company soon. All of us ADV fans are hoping for a massive comeback from the Houston, TX based company.

ADV has Clannad?

2008-09-27T20:56:00.003-04:00

OK ... I had planned on starting off this anime blog with my top 10 favorite anime of all time. But some bigger news may have broke this afternoon.

Sources are telling posters at Anime on DVD's forums that ADV has licensed Clannad.

ANN: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7809

Of course, we've gotten no official confirmation from ADV yet. If this is true ... it is the first real sign that ADV is back following the Sojitz failed partnership.

Matt Greenfield stated at Otakon that they were 'so close' on a few licenses, but because of what they had been through, they didn't want to announce anything until it was absolutely final. They also said that once things were finalized, they wouldn't wait around for a major convention to announce it.

Having seen Air and most of Kanon (minus Vol. 6), and having seen some of Clannad, I'm personally very excited about this license. But even if this title isn't something you would like, the fact that ADV is licensing known shows again leads you to believe that more is to come. Their new financial backer (still unnamed) is willing to pay to get ADV back on the map. And I couldn't be happier.

Our "home" convention, Ohayocon, has been an ADV hangout in the past few years. This year will likely be no different, especially considering Greenfield himself will be the one "roasted" this year. Last year, Greenfield was mostly quiet - only previewing the first couple episodes of Gurren Lagaan (which were awesome, BTW). This year, if the company is rebounding as it seems, the mood should be much lighter. Plus, it will be easier to "roast" Greenfield now that his company is headed in the right direction again.

ADV has always been one of my favorite companies. I hope they make a strong comeback. It would be some good news in the anime industry for a change.

I will continue to follow this situation and post an update if we get a confirmation from ADV.

Also ... I'll be posting thoughts from the year in conventions for us in 2008. We went to three (so far): It started at Ohayocon in January, then went to ColossalCon in Beachwood, OH in June, then finished at our first huge con - Otakon in Baltimore in August. I'll have more to say about this ... but seeing JAM Project live in concert at Otakon is the highlight of my anime year, without a doubt.

Welcome to the KOR's Anime Blog

2008-09-27T13:47:00.002-04:00

For those who might be fans of Japanese animation, welcome to the King of Online Radio anime blog. I will be posting thoughts on anime news, DVD releases and TV airings. I will also post photos and videos from conventions we attend.

Coming soon (maybe later today), I will make my first full blog post ... the beginning of the countdown of my top 10 favorite anime.

See you then!