i just remember growing up...we didn't have half the distractions kids have now, videogames and computers were still in their infancy and japanese pop culture hadn't takin' over the airwaves yet.
been watching zegapain and black lagoon lately... both of them, really good series... The Zegapain opening theme is also very good.
Also, finished watching ZIPANG! Very nice anime... if you're in to world war 2 stuff especially focusing on asia pacific, then this one is definitely for you... Ep 21 and 22 is very nicely done... It's really something to watch an AEGIS cruiser battle a squadron of ww2 warplanes...
Was watching the 1st episode of the new Hellsing yesterday. The pace is quite fast compared to the first Hellsing. The first episode alone in the new Hellsing was already about the first 3 episodes of the older one. :sweat: But it's good nonetheless, and I'm looking forward to the release of the next episode. :D
not as much into anime as i used to...more into dramas nowadays but i still enjoy watching FLCL every once in awhile...or .hack//, or cowboy bebop or something...as long as the music is awesome of course...oh and can't forget my favorite...PRINCE OF TENNIS
aznanimedude wrote:not as much into anime as i used to...more into dramas nowadays but i still enjoy watching FLCL every once in awhile...or .hack//, or cowboy bebop or something...as long as the music is awesome of course...oh and can't forget my favorite...PRINCE OF TENNIS
the sad thing is the animes i've seen recently are much more creative and well made than most of the crappy doramas that have been coming out....
aznanimedude wrote:oh really then...guess i'd better go back in time and check some of em out
well i'm referring to the doramas that have been coming out recently like the 2006 doramas...if there are scores of doramas from previous years that you haven't watched...you should still find some good material to watch.
theres a few early 2000 doramas that are good, I just like the story lines of the 90's better... but it does seem that the anime are getting better, and the doramas are falling into a funk... it'll probably reverse itself soon. then i'll be watching more dorama and less anime.
krim wrote:theres a few early 2000 doramas that are good, I just like the story lines of the 90's better... but it does seem that the anime are getting better, and the doramas are falling into a funk... it'll probably reverse itself soon. then i'll be watching more dorama and less anime.
havne't gotten around to watching Shinobi.. or did i not have subs, i forget... but i get the basic story... haven't got much time right now, i've been stripping the paint in the living room and patching cracks in the concrete.
krim wrote:havne't gotten around to watching Shinobi.. or did i not have subs, i forget... but i get the basic story... haven't got much time right now, i've been stripping the paint in the living room and patching cracks in the concrete.
Films Adapted from Comics Spearhead a Boom in Japanese Cinema (July 26, 2006)
A poster for the movie Death Note
(c) 2006 "DEATH NOTE" FILM PARTNERS
The Japanese film industry was once thought to be in decline, overshadowed as it was by blockbusters from Hollywood. But over the past few years Japanese movies have won new popularity, and both box office sales and the number of releases are now on the rise. Live-action movies adapted from manga comics are a major force shaping this trend.
An Accent on Casting and Makeup
Japan is the land of comic books, and manga are a treasure trove of stories. Until recently, however, most manga-based movies were animated, and live-action productions tended to be low-budget affairs that got poor reviews.
The manga version of Death Note
(c) Tsugumi Oba • Takeshi Obata / SHUEISHA Inc.
Today, however, a new generation of directors brought up on manga is active in the movie industry, and computer graphics technologies have made substantial advances. Film makers can, for example, depict futuristic scenes from manga powerfully and realistically. And they can also produce works that are faithful to the original and do not disappoint manga fans, something they achieve by taking special care with the casting of the actors and makeup techniques.
Manga offer a number of advantages as the basis for a film. First, the titles of manga tend to convey the worldview and overall image of the work, so the gist of the story can be conveyed readily to potential readers without large-scale advertisements. The same holds true for movies adapted from manga. In addition, movies based on popular manga are guaranteed to attract fans of the original works.
Among the noteworthy films in this genre are Azumi, released in 2003, and Cutie Honey and Umizaru (Sea Monkey, the nickname for the Japan Coast Guardfs professional divers) released in 2004. In 2005, Nana and Always Sanchome no yuhi (Always: The Sunset at Sanchome) moved up the charts to become top-ranking Japanese box office hits.
A scene from the Death Note manga
(c) Tsugumi Oba • Takeshi Obata / SHUEISHA Inc.
Debut of Sequels
This year the list of manga-inspired films is even longer, with Saishu heiki kanojo (The Last Love Song on This Little Planet), Umizaru: Limit of Love, Rabu*kon (Lovely Complex), and Hachimitsu to Kuroba (Honey and Clover) among them. The manga from which they were adapted include both old and new titles and run the gamut from science fiction to love stories, thrillers, and comedies.
One of this year's hot new films is Death Note, which began showing in June 2006. The original manga was carried in the weekly manga magazine Shukan Shonen Jump through May 2006 and was also published separately as a set of paperbacks, which had sold more than 20 million copies as of July 2006.
Death Note is a mystery whose unique plot revolves around a notebook with the power to cause the death of any person whose name is written in it. The movie was made in two parts, unusually for a Japanese project, with the aim of remaining true to the spirit of the original work. The second part is scheduled to open in theaters in November. There are plans to release the film in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and a number of other countries and regions in Asia, and the possibility of a US and European release is also being discussed.
Making comic-based live-action movies was once the exclusive domain of Hollywood, while Japanese filmmakers commonly focused on making animated versions of manga. Now that manga have an international readership, live-action Japanese movies adapted from these comics are likely to gain a following in the rest of the world.