WHY?! The Anime/Video Game Conversion to Live-Action Movies

This is a trend that I am NOT liking one little bit. I was just checking up on my e-mail and read something disturbing. Cowboy Bebop is about to become the next victim of Hollywood’s anime to live-action attempts. WHY?! It does not make me feel good that FOX is doing it, or that Watanabe and Nobumoto are associate producers or that Keanu Reeves is slated to play Spike Spiegel. None of that makes me feel good at all.

I’m totally miffed and vexed by  this trend of American companies making live-action movies out of everything. This is getting really ridiculous. I always thought of anime as an art form as such a form  that told and presented a story in  a way that it can’t really be reproduced physically; it can only be animated.. meticulous drawn out and painted, cel by cel. Obviously, Hollywood thinks differently and it is trying to cash-in on the popularity anime is enjoying over here in the States. I am really starting to miss the days when anime was an underground, cult phenom that everyone else [those who weren't into it] wasn’t interested in and wanted to have no part in. But not anymore. You know, I probably wouldn’t be so upset if Hollywood could get it right. We all saw how Speed Racer turned out… and Godzilla… and that certain Dead or Alive movie attempt…

I guess I’ll just have to get used to the fact that this is the current trend in Hollywood. They ran out of fresh ideas long ago; now they are running out of remakes so they have turned to anime and video games. Is there no originality anymore?

And before I get bashed, let me just mention that I am fully aware that in Japan, anime gets adapted into live-action movies and even musicals too. However, the Japanese have a greater understanding and appreciation of where that movie or musical is coming from and they put a lot of hard work and effort to reproduce the emotions and characters associated with a particular piece into that new live-action form. I have yet to see Hollywood pull it off. I’m also aware that here in the states, books and musicals get adapted into movies too. So long as the adaptation is true to the spirit, meaning and over all story of the original book and musical, it is fine. It is just interesting how things from overseas usually get lost in translation; I suppose that can’t be avoided.

We’ll just have to wait and see now with Dragonball Z coming out, the American version of DeathNote, now Cowboy Bebop, and possibly Castlevania and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Cowboy Bebop information found here .

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I’d like to know what everyone else thinks of this trend Hollywood is taking in producing live-action movies of some of the otaku world’s most beloved animes and video games. I suppose there are some who are excited about this trend, some who are scared, some who are outright angered and other who don’t care. What is your opinion?

From Anime with Love…

AH! My dorm room is filled with anime!

And that isn’t a bad thing either. Well, I made it back to campus safely. Immediately, I went about decorating the dorm with my personal touch. Gackt, Hyde, BLEACH, Utena, Vampire Knight… there is a lot of anime stuff here. Luckily, my roommate loves anime too. Well, I still have a whole day to go through before classes start. I’m working on a new story and trying to finish an older one too. Somewhere in there I’ll study… lol.

CR Top Animes of Summer 2008

I promised I’d begin posting all my favorites of this summer so I’ll begin with my favorite anime series. Then I’ll probably follow up with favorite manga, video games, movies (anime and real), music, musicians etc. Should be fun! So, hajimaru!

TOP TEN ANIME SERIES OF THE SUMMER

1. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
2. Vampire Knight
3. Junjou Romantica
4. Bleach
5. Code Geass
6. Death Note
7. Mirage of Blaze
8. InuYasha
9. Gravion
10. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

Ta-da! The Count of Monte Cristo tops the list this year as the unexpected BEST SHOW EVER anime of the summer. I first saw The Count at Otakon 2005 and was instantly captivated by its elaborate artwork. However, because I only saw one episode at that time, I had no idea what was going on. Since then, I had tried my hardest to purchase it but alas, other anime series beckoned. Every time I went to Suncoast, I always allowed my hand to linger in front of the boxset but I never brought it. Finally, in June at Anime Mid-Atlantic, I broke down and chose The Count over the second half of the Fushigi Yuugi Series. At first, I thought I had made a mistake but it turned out I didn’t. The art, the story, the voices in both English and Japanese… everything was worth it. I finally got to see it, I finally got rid of that terrible longing in my chest for it and I kept my V for Vendetta fandom alive a little longer (not that it was dying. It’s just that shortly after I got Gankutsuou, HBO started showing V again everyday at lunch time)

So here’s to Gankutsuou, Junjou, Vampire Knight, Bleach and Code Geass; my top 5 animes of the summer!

ZOMG! An Update 0_0

Eeep.

Adjusting to home seems to have taken a little longer than expected, ne? “Daijoubu, Daijoubu” as Abel Nightroad once said, teehee. Anyway, things have been going in a direction I did not foresee. I’m procrastinating on getting everything ready for Anime Mid-Atlantic. There was a slight mishap with my new costumes but hopefully it will all work out. Other than that, I’ve been pretty lazy. Slothfulness is not good. ^o^

Well, now that I’ve broken my silence, perhaps I can get this thing back up to speed. So I’ll start with a little note about the Vampire Knight manga. I know many people have read the whole thing online already years and years ago, but this month’s portion in Shoujo Beat was amazing. There is a reason why I love this series so much (Kaname-sama) and the anime is up to arc featuring “that woman”…. I couldn’t stand her and she’s even more annoying in the anime!!! (Which is weird since the anime is doing a good job with sticking to the manga plot-line)

Last week’s episode of Junjou Romantica (Ep. 9) was kawaii. I was slightly jealous of Hiroki-chan because I have a kanji dictionary that big and I can’t use it as effectively (if at all ^^; ) as he can. I know I know…. weird… but it’s the truth. Koi! <3

That’s all for now. I’m styling my new wigs for the convention hoping everything goes well for this new cosplay contest AMA is having. It’s like the Hall Costume Contest but it’s for those of us who can’t sew (FINALLY). As soon as I get a few pictures of me as Anthy again, I’ll post them here in the Fantasia of the Rose section.

Ja ne!

~ Anthy Himemiya

Anime Dark Ages? Maybe Not…

So Geneon went under. It seems that cataclysmic event set off a chain-reaction throughout the industry both state side and in Japan. It was dubbed “The Anime Dark Ages” by PiQ Magazine, which painted a dark and bleak future for the anime industry in the coming months. Even I was starting to wonder if it was true. I was running out of new content to watch. However, after a recent splurge at FYE in Washington D.C. I slowly came to realize the Anime Dark Ages might not be so dark after all. We still have ADV, Bandai, AnimeWorks and Funimation after all (I probably forgot a few more). There is still some interesting new stuff on the shelf. My favorites so far are Devil May Cry and Black Blood Brothers. I have yet to get Girl with the Blue Eye and even though they went under, there are still some Geneon titles floating around out there (even if they have become a bit more expensive). To top it all, Funimation seems to be making good on their promise to re-release Yu-Gi-Oh!. The second season box set is now available for purchase on AnimeCastle.com. So if you know where to look, you can still find good anime to watch.

Going across the Pacific, it seems the anime industry in Japan is showing signs that it still has what it takes. My new favorite manga Vampire Knight has a 26 episode series that premiered last Tuesday. Everyone’s favorite BLCD Junjou Romantica has also been adapted into a 24 episode series and premiered last Thursday (wait, I guess that means the second episode came on earlier this morning EST since it is now 3:30AM in Japan XD) Plus, this summer, the second OVA of Ikoku Irokoi Romantan by Ayano Yamane will be released. Then there is a bunch of other stuff happening, like people from Cowboy Bebop and DeathNote working on a Pokemon movie?! I skimmed through ANN this morning and saw a blurb about something going down with a Pokemon movie, lol.

It might be the Anime Dark Ages but it isn’t as dark as some people paint it to be. Besides, there’s always manga, VHD and Trinity Blood novels to read X3

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Watching: Vampire Knight Episode 2

Listening to: Gareki no Hana by D

Eating: Beef and Broccoli & White Rice + Pizza

Drinking: Chai Tea