OtaKrew hits some new shows on Monday Night Forum

So, the OtaKrew is getting around to watching some new shows at Monday Night Forum.


With the fansub pimp, Cyphr, and I being BIG fans of Fullmetal Alchemist, the new FMA show was an obvious pick-up for Forum. "FMA: Broherhood" is, basically, a retelling of the FMA story but this time around it follows the manga much more closely than the first FMA anime did. Sure, the first FMA followed the manga up until it caught up to (and passed) the manga. Then the series did what most anime put in similar circumstances will do, make up new storylines. Gotta say that I am really digging this one, though, as we finally get to see new characters Lin and Mai (two of my favorites). Cannot wait until we get introduced to Major General Armstrong. (le sigh)We are currently on season two of this series and the OtaKrew are pleased...If you have a chance at picking this up on a fansub, I suggest you check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Another long-awaited (for me, anyway) series is "Inu Yasha: The Final Act".
MILD SPOILER ALERT

This anime is finishing up the story from manga number 36 through to the end of the story at manga 56. What is cool is that it picked up right were the first anime left off and, as someone who has been reading Inu Yasha religiously, I am very happy that what I have seen so far. Gotta love the fact that Sesshomaru is, currently, getting a lot of airtime as he has shown up in all three of the episodes that have been shown. Sadly, one of my favorite characters died in the second episode. Honestly, it brought a tear to my eye when I read first read it in the manga and I did get a little sniffy watching it on TV too.

And then there is "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0".
MILD SPOILER ALERT!!!

Wow. What a fantastic show this was. I say was because we have already seen all 11 episodes of this show and we (the OtaKrew) came away VERY impressed.

The setting is based on the prediction that Tokyo will be hit by a 7.0 magnitude (or higher) earthquake in the next 30 years. The story follows two young kids (Mirai and her little brother Yuki) who are caught up in an 8.0 magnatude earthquake in Tokyo and are trying to get back home.

Mirai and Yuki meet up with a young woman, Mari, who assists them in making their way through the devastated city.

Don't want to give anything away but, if any of us saw this show by ourselves, we would have cried like babies at the end. Think "Grave of the Fireflies" sad...

Anywho, after all this talk of sad (but good) anime, I need something to make me happy to finish off this post....I know....how about my favorite WWE diva....

MELINA!!!


DECULTURE!!!

High on Halibel and potentially awesome FMA news...

A little bit of GOOD news from the headlines at ANN

posted on 2008-12-07 03:50 EST

The official website for the new Fullmetal Alchemist television anime series has launched with a short teaser video, and it has confirmed that the television series will launch in Japan in April. It also promised that new information will be provided in the January issue of Square Enix's Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine (where Hiromu Arakawa's original manga is still serialized) on December 12. The same issue will also include a poster with a key visual image.

The new Fullmetal Alchemist teaser trailer ran at the end of the episode of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Second Season that aired in Japan on Sunday. The trailer says, "New training … a fullmetal artificial limb, a body of armor … the brothers' journey begins. Fullmetal Alchemist: April 2009 Training. In this palm, is there hope or despair?"

The new television anime series was confirmed on the wraparound

jacket band of the 20th volume of Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist manga in August. However, a document with leaked information about animators who worked at BONES had already mentioned the possibility of "Hagane 2" ("Iron/Fullmetal 2") in July. Viz Media published the 17th volume of the manga version in North America this October, while FUNimation Entertainment released both the first television series and its theatrical movie finale.

Source: Moon Phase Comments

Now, for me, this is GREAT news as I love FMA in both of it's forms. The only concern I have is if this anime will be a continuation from the TV show or from the movie. Hopefully, the movie gets turned into an alternate ending and the new show picks up where the first show left off. As the manga is still being released in Japan, there is quite a bit of story left to go over.

Now, feast your eyes on my NEW favorite female character from Bleach.

This is Halibel. She is an Espada in Aizen's Arrancar army who was first introduced in volume 26 of the Bleach manga and during the Arrancar Arc (not sure about the episode number) on the anime.

As you can see, she is a fanservice-oholics dream.

~Dadong
And, judging from the amount of fanart out there for her, she is only going to get more popular the more we see of her in both the manga and anime.

Wen-JR
Along with the fanart for Halibel, there has also been quite a bit of cosplay done to her as well.

This cosplay was brought to us by 'kakashified' at Otacon 2008. I really like the material that was used.

Probably one of the more daring cosplays of Halibel...

This outfit debuted at Ichiharu-con 2008 by the Russian cosplayer, halibel-sama. Very nice!!!

DECULTURE!!!

It's like finding gold...

Since I am so far behind, this post is going to be pretty short but sweet...

More scans from the November 2008 issue of Hobby Japan. This time, I'm featuring the specs on the VF-25S Messiah (Alto custom). This one is the main mech in Macross Frontier flown by the main character, Alto Saotome.

In the Macross-verse, you know someone is the main character when their mech has the red/black combo (ala Hikaru Ichigo).

This is the only one that is available right now on various hobby sites. Unfortunately, I have yet to find it at my local hobby shop.

MANGA REVIEW
Some more of the new manga that I picked up recently at Roger's.

I'm a big fan of both the anime and the manga of Fullmetal Alchemist. It is the manga for FMA, however, that I believe is the stuff that all other manga should aspire to be. It's a really neat read all around as I like Manga-ka Hiromu Arakawa's style. Both in story telling and in art.

Interestingly enough, this is one of those manga that got animated before it ended it's run. In fact, the anime came and went (last episode was shown on Cartoon Network back in 2006) and we are still getting more manga to this day. The story is getting more and more interesting as suppoting characters continue to die and more secrets are revealed. Having said that, I just finished reading volume 17... In this volume, the Elric brothers are still at Fort Briggs when it is attacked by the homunculus, Sloth. We get a little history lesson thrown in for good measure and my new anime crush, Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong gets major page time...whoo hoo...

The thing that does suck about this manga is the wait that I now have to endure for the next volume after the brutal cliffhanger I was left with. (Way to keep us wanting more)

If they had only waited to animate what we are seeing now in the manga...I would be a happy otaku...

Being the fan of vampires that I am, the manga to Hellsing continues to keep me interested.

I'm like many otaku who thought that the Hellsing OVA was very good. Sure, the ending was a little light (ie: rushed/weak) but overall the show was very entertaining. Then the good folks at Dark Horse Manga gave us the original manga uncut. Suddenly, we saw that there were other stories that didn't get a sniff in the OVA. Stories like the vampire nazis or the continued growth of Seras Victoria or how Integra became the leader of the Hellsing Organization or what would happen in a fight between Alucard and Walter "The Angel of Death".
In volume 9, we get to see Alucard and Walter finally face off in a brawl that you just knew was bound to happen someday.

Two words: "Kick" "Ass"
If you are like me and you liked the Hellsing OVA, you need to get..this..Manga!!!

Taa Dah!!!! I told you it would be short..but sweet..

DECULTURE!!!