Anime Fans Online

I discovered this phenomenon the other day. I went to check out the FUNimation video site to see if it was working yet. It’s not. Then I swung by Hulu to see if they’ve added anything new. They had. I suddenly realized how long it had been since I had watched anything at Hulu. I began to wonder why it’d been so long as I settled in to watch an episode of Negima!?.

Then the commercial started.

I became a bit impatient. After all, I went to watch anime, not ads. Wham! I had an epiphany. I knew why it’d been so long. I’d been spoiled by my Crunchyroll membership.

I haven’t been to Hulu and other ad sponsored streaming sites because I’d been spending my time at Crunchyroll. The reason I’d spent my time at Crunchyroll is because I pay.

I watch more Chrunchyroll because I pay.

I hadn’t even realized that Crunchyroll had become my main source of anime. In fact, the only places I watched video online anymore was Crunchyroll and Netflix. What do they have in common?

1. No Commercials.

2. I Pay.

I don’t mind watching commercials. Well, not much. Not if it supports something I enjoy. So if it isn’t the commercials, then its the money right? Hmmmm…

I’m beginning to think there’s some psychology involved. Six bucks a month isn’t enough to make me avoid other video sites. Not ones I like as much as Hulu anyway. I think some dark corner of my psyche guided me to Crunchyroll in an attempt to get my money’s worth.

If that turns out to be a common behavior, then charging a small fee for membership perks could be a way to surreptitiously encourage people to spend more time on your site and less time on the site belonging to your competition.

Oh yeah… and it’s a good way to make money too.

Story

Rino Rando is alone in the world since her mom passed away. Well, alone except for her friend Pucchan, who is a puppet.Then there is her pen-pal and benefactor Mr. Poppit, a very mysterious guy.

Mr Poppit offers to enroll her in the prestigious Miyagami Academy. Since she has nowhere esle to go, she accepts. When she arrives, she finds that she has no place to live.

Lucky for her the Miyagami Academy Maximum Authority-Wielding Best Student Council have an opening. They also get to attend the school and live in the school dormitory for free.

My Opinion

Best Student Council is an odd anime, not bizarre, just odd. it’s also pretty darn good.

The beginning reminds me of a slightly yuri-fied version of Azumanga Daioh. The real storyline kicks in a bit later. It’s probably a good thing that the first few episodes allows you to get used to the odd quirks of some of the characters. By the time you start to piece together the big picture you’ve become accustomed to the eccentricities of the Best Student Council.

Watch It Now

The sub is on Crunchyroll. Dub fans can find Best Student Council streaming on Netflix in English, but you have to sign up for the service.

I’d recommend watching it on Crunchyroll.

Anime, Review, Online, Best Student Council, Comedy, Slice of Life, Yuri, Azumanga Daioh

Crunchyroll Now Edits Anime

I was shocked to learn that Crunchyroll is editing anime now. The updated news post even has this statement from Crunchyroll.

Due to the nature of the original AT-X version, Crunchyroll chose to air the censored version of Charger Girl Ju-den Chan to ensure the protection of our younger audiences and allow all audiences to watch and enjoy Charger Girl Ju-den Chan.

All Audiences?

Really?

Even the edited version contains scenes that need a warning at the very least. Scenes of fetishistic behavior, masochism and urination as well as extremely suggestive art and dialog, all present after the edits, make me wonder who thinks this show is now appropriate for “all audiences”.

I’ve been giving this a lot of thought since I saw the news article about it on Anime News Network. I just can’t see a good reason for Crunchyroll to do this. Even the edited version isn’t really appropriate for younger viewers. Why not add it as an age restricted title? if that’s not possible, why not skip it all together?

Verification

If they really want to show this kind of thing, there are better options. Institute an age verification process and upload the anime unedited. Editing down an anime to make it appropriate for a younger audience is a mistake. I thought it was a mistake of the past, but it looks like I was wrong about that.

Not only does it not work, it (usually) screws up the anime.

Anime, Online, Opinion, Crunchyroll, Charger Girl Ju-den Chan

Viz’s Online Store Sale

Viz Media is cleaning out the stuff from the Viz Online Store. Pickings are kinda slim, but there’s still some cool stuff on sale. The best part is how much you can save though.

Save Up To 75%

Yep, you could wind up paying 1/4 of what your items would normally go for. That’s quite a bit of money. Any sale that reduces prices by that much is worth looking into. My girlfriend pointed the sale out to me and we spent a while looking around. There were a few things we couldn’t pass up.

My Goodies

My g/f and I bought a few things. We were tempted to buy more, but we resisted.

The picture up top shows her toy Zabuza Sword and our Akatsuki shoes. Her sword was $2.25 and the shoes are $7.50. That’s damn cheap for what we got. The shoes are nice. They wear like brand name shoes of that kind. They remind me of Keds, but I didn’t see anything on the lables that say who made ‘em. All the labels I’ve found are Naruto related.

Bad news is, you might have to settle for something close to your size since there aren’t many sizes left. The shoe boxes were a bit squished, but the shoes were fine.

The sword is the same one you can pick up at Wal-Mart or Toys R’ Us. It has combat sounds, which have been fun. It’s also pretty sturdy, much better constructed than I thought it would be. I haven’t seen one of ‘em out of the packaging before and for some reason I thought they’d be more flimsy.

We also got a few other small things, but I can’t really mention what they are. We might be using them as gift or stocking stuffers come X-mas.

I wouldn’t want to spoil any surprises.

Online, Fun Stuff, Viz, Naruto, Sale

Here’s a very interesting piece on the comics industry in America. The growth of manga is compared to the growth of import cars in the U.S.A. in the 70s and 80s.

All around some very good points made.

How MBAs killed Superman (and fundaes behind Modern Retail) « Strat . In.

I grew up reading comics, mostly Marvel with a few occasional DC titles. I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes at the time, but I remember the comics getting worse. You could almost see it happening, good comics deteriorating by the issue.

I hope the major publishers can get back to telling good stories about great characters again. It doesn’t matter if the characters are superheroes, kung-fu aliens or even high school girls. If the stories are compelling and the characters are believable (in context), then people will want to read ‘em. That’s what built the comics industry in the first place.

Online, Opinion, Comics, Manga

Funimation is putting their streaming episodes back online. That’s good, but it looks like they’ve still got a lot of work to do. I tried watching an episode of Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino, but couldn’t get past the opening. I have a fair connection and I can’t get more than a couple of minutes to work before the connection cuts out.

I have to admit, I didn’t watch anime on the Funimation site before, so I don’t know if the problems they’re having are new. I went to check out the site since I heard so much complaining when it was gone. I was surprised by how much they’re offering online. Tons of episodes are, or at least were, available.

I’ll keep an eye on the Funimation video section and let you know when it’s back up.

Anime, Online, Video, Funimation, Gunslinger Girl, Second Series, Il Teatrino

RightStuf.com is having a sale on Geneon and Funimation anime box sets. They’ve got some pretty good deals normally. The sets included in the sale are 40% off. That’s a great deal. I’m gonna have a hard time controlling my urge to spend. I saw at least 3 different box sets that I’m dying to get.

The anime sale is great, but they’re doing something else that makes this one worth telling your friends about. If you buy 2 of the selected items in the sale, you can get a Hellsing Ultimate messenger bag free. (While they last, which won’t be long.)

Check out the details.

The sale ends July 6th and I’m sure the messenger bags will be gone long before that. If you want to get in on this one, you’d better hurry.

The Shugo Chara giveaway on Crunchyroll inspired me. I’m going to giveaway a membership myself. My giveaway is going to be a bit different from theirs. You don’t have to collect eggs for a start. This giveaway will only have 1 winner, but the prize is a bit bigger than a 1 month membership.

How to enter

Entering the giveaway is easy.

Signup for Crunchyroll if you’re not a member already, even the free registration will do. Then just go to my Crunchyroll profile (2xKnight’s Profile) and add me as a buddy, then send me a message saying that you want to enter the giveaway.

That’s it.

At the beginning of next month (July 2009) I’ll pick someone at random from all the buddies that entered and they’ll win.

What can you win?

1 very lucky winner will receive a free 1 YEAR anime membership to Crunchyroll.

As soon as I pick a winner, I’ll go to their profile and buy them a 1 year anime membership.

Remember, the membership covers more than anime. You also get some great live action programming as well. In addition there’s ad free access to the forums and the rest of the site too.

I think this is a great prize. I love my membership and I think that whoever wins the giveaway will love theirs too. Plus I get to support Crunchyroll in the process.

Who can enter?

Anybody that can sign up for Crunchyroll. As far as I know that’s anyone, from anywhere around the world.

(Yes, another giveaway our friends down under can enter)

Deadline

11:59 pm Eastern, June 30th 2009

So add me as a buddy before the end of the month for your chance to win a free year of anime membership at Crunchyroll.

Anime, Online, Fun Stuff, Contests, Announcement, Giveaway, Crunchyroll, Free, Membership

Crunchyroll is giving away free 1 month membership for watching Shugo Chara. There’s a bit more to it though…

Watch episodes on Crunchyroll and collect the badges. When you collect all the badges you can trade ‘em in for a month of free membership. That includes the HD streams and the simulcasts.

I already subscribe to the anime membership and I can tell you that I think it’s worth it. I get to watch the shows an hour after they air in Japan and I’m supporting a site that provides the streams legally. That’s a big deal to me.

The memberships don’t cost that much to begin with, but a free month of it is even better. Check it out. This forum post has all the details.

Plus you get the character badges. More stuff to clutter the profile page with. Everybody loves that, right?

Give Peace Gundams A Chance

I have to admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of the Gundam franchise. Very few mech anime hold my interest. Gundam 00 caught my attention thanks to a few different reasons.

Someone recommended the show to me, when it was on the air in Japan I believe. It sounded good, but it was a Gundam show and I don’t watch Gundam shows. A bit later it was on the Ani-Mondays block on the SciFi Channel. I figured I could give it a shot, since it was on TV, and I caught an episode.

I enjoyed what I saw on Ani-Mondays, but not enough to rush out and buy, or even rent, the full series. That was due to catching a later ep. Gundam shows usually have a pretty involved story that you need to keep up with. When you catch a later episode, like I did, it can be hard to figure out who is doing what to whom and why.

Now that the entire series is on Crunchyroll I’ve had a chance to see the whole thing. I spent last weekend watching episode after episode of Gundam 00, in English since they have the dub. Sub episodes are being added, but are incomplete as of now.

If you haven’t seen this Gundam anime, do yourself a favor and go check out a few episodes. You don’t even need to be a paying member to watch it.

Code Geass Next?

CODE GEASS Lelouch of the Rebellion is another one that I passed on after missing a couple of episodes. It’s also on Crunchyroll. Maybe I’ll give it another chance too.

Anime, Online, Crunchyroll, Mech, Gundam, Gundam 00, CODE GEASS Lelouch of the Rebellion

Hitman Reborn! is a very odd show. It has some similarities to Sgt Frog. A fairly normal kid has his life taken over and turned upside down by a weird little dude. In this case though the weirdness seems even more weird since the guy isn’t an alien, just Italian. Well, not just Italian, there’s something very odd about Reborn.

I do have a few misgivings about the show. More accurately, my misgivings are about the reception of the anime should it become a popular mainstream show like Naruto. Mostly it has to do with the guns and the Dethperation shot.

Anime Backlash?

I can almost hear the those idiots whining about “saving the children” because a cartoon has a gun in it. I don’t want to see anime go through the same stupid crap that video games go through just because some people are dumb enough to think that it’s just for kids.

Hitman Reborn might not be a good show for very young kids to watch because of all the shooting. It’s not a normal gun, but it is drawn pretty realistically (if you ignore the fact that it magically materializes out of a chameleon). It also shows people getting shot by magic bullets. A lot. There are usually no consequences, or even worse, good consequences. Yeah. That might not be the best message to send the kiddies.

If this show ever winds up on TV, like Cartoon Network, expect a flurry of “outrage”. Even adult swim might not be able to get away with airing this.

It is a fun show though, and I’d recommend checking it out. At least to anyone with half a brain.

Anime, Reviews, Online, Action, Comedy, Supernatural, Mafia, Strange, Hitman Reborn!, Crunchyroll

Urban Jungle

Kuniko Hojo lives in a future world where attempts to curb pollution and environmental destruction have resulted in taxes on carbon output. Entire cities have been turned over to nature, returning to wild vegetation the concrete of the former sprawl. Things aren’t completely different though. Those in power negotiate with each other for carbon credits and view the lives of the poor as a resource.

Kuniko returns home to the sinking remains of what was once the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, and it looks like she’s just in time. Things are about to get interesting.

My Opinion of Episode 1

Shangri-La seems to be set after the environmental apocalypse that hippies keep saying will happen any day now. It’s fairly well set up in the first episode, with enough left to the imagination to make me look forward to learning more about what happened.

This anime isn’t just for tree huggers though. There seem to be more elements to the story than just the dire warning of global catastrophe. The power struggle between the haves and have-nots comes up fairly quickly. Along with it comes an apparently very high level conspiracy to manipulate key players in the fragile balance of power.

Throw in some mystically mysterious knives and we’re all set for a wild ride through the watery jungles of Tokyo.

Where To Find it

You can watch Shangri-La on Crunchyroll. This is one of many programs being added constantly to the growing library of free and legal anime streams available on that site.

Check out Shangri-La.

Anime, Online, Crunchyroll, Shangri-La

I mentioned before that Linebarrels of Iron caught my attention over at Crunchyroll.com, in spite of my usual lack of interest in most mecha anime. The same cannot be said of shojo comedies, I love those things and Crunchyroll has a good one.

The Fury of a Woman Scorned

Skip Beat! is about a girl named Kyoko Mogami who supports her boyfriend during his pursuit of fame, only to be cast aside once his dream is reached.

This instance of Epic Douchebaggery has a profound effect on her, which serves as the basis for the show. She decides that the only way to get even with him, and she does intend to get even, is to beat him at his own game. She changes her look and sets out to become an even bigger star.

Kyoko’s clueless attempts at stardom are entertaining. It’s made even better because you want her to succeed. You cheer for her efforts to crush the dreams of her ex-boyfriend. Every time she’s confronted with an obstacle, you want her to overcome it.

I certainly wouldn’t want to get on her bad side. That chick is scary.

All of this is wrapped up in a comedy that seems to poke fun at those anime shows where someone works hard to make their dreams come true. The only difference is that she’s working hard to make her dream come true so that she can crush someone else’s dreams. Spite and hatred have rarely been so funny.

I recommend checking out Skip Beat! if you get the chance. Girls, get your boyfriend to watch it too, he might treat you nicer… for a while.

Anime, Online, Streaming, Shojo, Comedy, Skip Beat!, Kyoko Mogami, Crunchyroll

Story

Hayase Kouichi gets picked on at school, but his friends Risako and Yajima are there to help. Kouichi dreams of being a hero of justice, someone that can protect his friends, instead of being the one that needs protecting.

Be careful what you wish for.

Kouichi manages to be in the wrong place at the wrong time one day on the way back to school with lunch for the bullies that push him around. A giant mech named Linebarrels lands on Kouichi, when he wakes up he finds a naked girl next to him. Kouichi also finds a new power within himself.

Can he use that power to be a hero of justice, or will he become a bully himself?

My Opinion

I’m not normally a fan of mech anime, but this one has me interested. I think the drama surrounding the characters is what draws me into the story. Kouichi isn’t very likable, at least in the beginning, but somehow it works.

Why is Kouichi such a humongous douche? Being such a douche, why do his friends stay by his side? These are the kinds of questions I asked myself when watching the first few episodes of Linebarrels of Iron. I hope if find some of the answers.

Is it worth it?

I watched it on Crunchyroll, so I don’t know if it’s even available on DVD yet. If it was I’d call it a rental, at least for now. I’d have to see a few more episodes to make up my mind about it.

Head over there and check it out. Watch a few episodes and see if you want to smack the crap out of Kouichi as much as I do.

Anime, Online, Crunchyroll, Mech, Action, Science Fiction, Linebarrels of Iron

For those of you that don’t read Anime News Network, here’s some interesting news you might have missed so far.

Naruto to Start Paid and Free Streaming

Starting in January Naruto will air on Crunchyroll about 1 hour after the airing in Japan. According to the ANN report, the Crunchyroll 1 hour delay will be a monthly subscription. However, Crunchyroll will be making available a free stream 7 days after broadcast to compete with other video sites, like Hulu, that will be streaming the episode.

I have a few questions though.

How much will the Crunchyroll subscription cost?

Will there be any other anime included in the subscription price, or will we need to subscribe to each title separately when more are made available?

Will there be more titles available for this type of subscription plan?

Will there be other perks for the paid subscribers?

I’m sure I could think of plenty more, but these are the questions that seem to be the most important.

My Thoughts

It’s about time. Sure Hulu has a currently running anime in Shikabane Hime, but that’s for a mature audience and it isn’t nearly as popular as Naruto. If anything can get the subscription service off the ground it will be Naruto. It’s insanely popular, and 1 hour after the original show in Japan is an insane turnaround time. I really doubt fansubbers could compete with that.

I really think this could work. I’ve talked about a similar setup in the past as a way to stop piracy and increase profits for anime companies. Naruto is a great anime to kickstart something like that. It’s probably the most popular anime,at least in the U.S.A., since DBZ.

The only problem I foresee is the battle between streaming sites when others start up subscription plans. That’s not entirely bad though. When services compete, the consumer wins.

Looks like next year will be a very interesting time to be an anime fan online.

Anime, News, Online, Free, Streaming, Naruto, DBZ, Shikabane Hime, Crunchyroll, Hulu