Anime Fans Online

The news of the Tokyopop restructuring was a big surprise for me. From the outside looking in, everything seemed to be going great for the manga publisher. They release a tremendous about of titles and have a large and active website.

Digital or Dead Tree?

That seems to be how things are breaking down. The company is splitting into a manga publisher and an online publisher. That makes sense. Even if the dead trees stop selling, some part of Tokyopop may survive. It leaves me with a question though.

How closely will the 2 companies be working?

When it was one company it made sense that their own online community would be the place to find digital Tokyopop stuff. Will that be changing now? Will the online community start offering digital versions of titles that Tokyopop Inc, the dead tree publisher, doesn’t have? What about the other way around? Could we see digital versions of Tokyopop titles on other websites?

I’m rooting for Tokyopop, no matter how this shakes out.

Manga, News, Opinion, Tokyopop, Online, Community

For details on the (bad) news check out Anime News Network’s post.

Looks like there’s a new and exciting way of making movies n Hollywood. You just find something that’s popular overseas, then cut a deal to remake it. It doesn’t even have to be a good remake. All it needs is a recognizable name on the poster. It’s worked really well for horror movies. Now it’s anime’s turn.

Yes, it looks like the same people that brought us The Grudge have gotten their little claws on Death Note. I can only hope that it’s treated with all the respect it deserves. It won’t be, but I can hope.

In that spirit, I’d like to start up another Casting Call.

Death Note Casting Call

Rules for Free Manga

1. This Casting Call ends June 30, 2008.
2. Cast the full list.
3. Leave a real, valid, E-Mail address so I can find out where to send your manga if you’re selected.

Right now I’m leaning towards asking for humor casting or even the worst cast possible. So which one you decide to do is up to you.

You can cast any of the characters you want to, but there is a list of characters you need to cast to be in the running for free manga. I’ll keep the list short this time. Here is the list of characters I’d like to see cast.

The List

• Light
• L
• Ryuk
• Misa

Cast each of these to be in the running for some grab bag style free manga.

I’m looking forward to seeing who you’d cast.

Anime, Manga, News, Opinion, Contests, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Live Action, Death Note, Movies, Cast, Casting, Light, L, Ryuk

I thought I’d share this with you and get your opinions. I think this character from Wild Ones looks suspiciously like someone from a different series.

Just in case some of the regular readers would rather not see the pic, I’ll break the page here. It is kind of a spoiler, I guess.

(more…)

In my review of the Lucky Star Volume 1 DVD I questioned the reasons behind the casting choices. I’ve been thinking about it since and I may be more confused than ever.

The Girl’s Got Talent

Does it matter why Wendee Lee was cast as Konata Izumi? She is a talented voice actress after all. Even if the decision to offer her the role was based on marketing, it’s happened before and it’ll happen again.

There’s a part of me that hopes she was given the part because of her former role. There’s been some pretty cool stuff released in Japan that plays off of the connection between Haruhi and Konata. If the people in charge wanted Haruhi’s English voice talent to play Konata, then that could mean we might be seeing some of that cool stuff over here.

Bad Anime Fan! No Pocky!

Is it bad of me to think that way? Am I less of an anime fan because I’d like a shot at some of the cool stuff without paying through the nose on e-bay then paying international shipping?

I hope not, because that is the only thing I have to cling to when I think that maybe, just maybe, the folks that bring anime to the States and produce the English dubs might not care if the talent they cast really is the best choice. My only protection from a mental collapse brought on by cynicism is the hope of one day having a highly detailed Konata Izumi figure dressed as Haruhi Suzumiya, complete with interchangeable “Ultra Director” and “Brigade Leader” armbands.

Besides, if the dub sucks I’ll just watch the subs.

Anime, Opinion, Lucky Star, Voice Talent, Casting, English, Dub, Sub, Konata Izumi, Haruhi Suzumiya, Wendee Lee

Online anime rental seems like the perfect option, at least for the fans that don’t want to download illegal fansubs. I’ve already reviewed Blockbuster’s anime offering, now it’s time to take a look at a more specialized outlet.

RentAnime

RentAnime is run by the folks at AnimeNation, an anime retail site that’s been around since 1995. If you’ve been a fan of anime for a while you’ve probably heard of AnimeNation. Whatever opinions you may have formed about them can probably be safely transferred to RentAnime. I’ve never had any problems with them, neither the retail or rental branch.

Pros

• Much Better Anime Selection -

I have yet to think of an anime that I couldn’t find on there. Because they specialize in anime, and probably because they sell anime, they have a much better inventory.

• New Anime Added Constantly -

This is probably because they’re run by AnimeNation. AnimeNation has to keep on top of new releases so they can sell ‘em, so it makes sense that they’d also order some to use in their rental program.

Cons

• Horrible Website -

This is probably the biggest problem that RentAnime has. The website needs a complete overhaul. The only way to find an anime is to know what anime you’re looking for. The “Rental Categories” are not categories at all, they’re alphabetical listings of the anime that they offer. That is mind bogglingly bad.

• Useless Search -

Because of the lack of categories, I have to include the site search here too. This is what I got when I searched for “shojo”.



I find it incredibly hard to believe that RentAnime has absolutely no shojo anime. They need to fix that A.S.A.P..

• Slow Turnaround -

The amount of time between sending back a DVD and getting the next one in the mail is unacceptable. I sent back DVDs to RentAnime and Blockbuster on the same day. I had new Blockbuster DVDs a couple of days before I even got the e-mail from RentAnime telling me they got the DVDs. That could probably be fixed with some regional shipping centers.

Bottom Line

RentAnime has a great selection of anime. They’ve also got enough of it that it’s not often you have to wait very long for a particular title. The problem is waiting to get any titles thanks to their slow turnaround.

Once again I have to say that the website needs to be re-worked. Finding something to watch can be a huge headache unless you know the exact anime you’re looking for.

The selection is amazing, but if they can’t fix at least one of their problems I might have to look for another specialty anime rental site.

Anime, Rental, RentAnime, Rent Anime, Online, AnimeNation, Anime Nation, Review

I did a post that talked about places to rent anime online. Since then I’ve used 2 of those services. Here is a short review of one service based on my experience with them.

Blockbuster

Blockbuster is known across the country as a family friendly video rental outlet. With a large chain of stores and the good sense to use those stores as a factor in it’s online rent by mail business, it has a few advantages going for it.

Pros

• Selection -

You can rent more than just anime from Blockbuster. You can get pretty much any mainstream movie delivered to your home.

• Real Stores -

Blockbuster uses it’s many locations to it’s advantage. You receive coupons every month for free in store rentals. You can also return your Blockbuster Online rentals to a store and exchange them for another movie.

Cons

• Weak Anime Selection -

Blockbuster has some mainstream anime. The more popular it is, the more likely they are to have it.

• Extremely Long Wait -

The wait times for anime can be extremely long. I’m pretty sure that they didn’t even have some of the anime I wound up removing from my list, they just haven’t bothered to update the listings. It seems that way anyway.

This doesn’t seem to be the case with newer movie releases, just older releases or specialty topics like anime.

• Family Friendly Means No Hentai -

I’m not even talking about porn. Everyone that might be interested in porn knows you can’t get it at Blockbuster. I’m talking about things like Kite or Mezzo Forte. You won’t be able to see the uncut versions of those movies because they contain a scene or two that are hard core.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for an overall video rental account, Blockbuster is pretty darn good. Quick service and some coupons to use at your local store make it worth checking out.

If you want a rental account for specialty topics, such as anime, then you might be better off going with a rental company that specializes in what you’re looking for.

The movie casting game is still going on. There have been a couple of comments with some interesting casting suggestions for a Bleach live action movie.

Reminder

I’m using this to try out a grab bag giveaway. If you follow a couple of simple rules, you might get some free manga. Just leave a comment with your casting suggestions for a live action Bleach movie.

Repeat answers are allowed. I’m asking for your opinion. If you agree with someone else that’s cool with me. Don’t think you’re out of it because someone listed one of your answers already. This is about having fun after all.

If you want a shot at free stuff, then make sure to cast the following characters. You can also cast any others you want. These are the ones required for the grab bag.

• Ichigo Kurosaki

• Rukia Kuchiki

• Orihime Inoue

• Sado “Chad” Yasutora

• Uryu Ishida

• Kenpachi Zaraki

If you’re not interested in a chance at free manga, then don’t worry about the list. You can still drop in with your suggestions for a Bleach dream cast.

My Favorite Suggestions

A few of my favorite suggestions so far…

• Ikkaku - Jason Statham

• Yumichika - Orlando Bloom

• Urahara - Matthew McConaughey

So far this one has been nearly unanamous…

• Rukia - Christina Ricci

Future Casting Calls

I really hope this works out because I enjoy this kind of game. I’ve enjoyed reading the opinions and casting suggestions, but I’d like to see some more. I hope to do this again.

If you want to suggest an anime for the next Casting Call game, just let me know.

Anime, Opinions, Fun Stuff, Games, Contests, Manga, Free Stuff, Free Manga, Free, Live Action Anime, Casting, Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, Sado “Chad” Yasutora, Uryu Ishida, Kenpachi Zaraki, Ikkaku, Jason Statham, Yumichika, Orlando Bloom, Urahara, Matthew McConaughey, Christina Ricci

Here it is folks. This is the first casting call post. If you missed the explanation of what’s going on here, then check out the previous post.

Everyone have fun with this one. I look forward to seeing your choices.

The anime to cast is…

Bleach

You can cast the role of any extra characters you want, but the characters I’m looking for are…

• Ichigo Kurosaki
• Rukia Kuchiki
• Orihime Inoue
• Sado “Chad” Yasutora
• Uryu Ishida

and because my g/f and I like him…

• Kenpachi Zaraki

These are the characters that you have to use if you want a shot at some free manga. If you don’t care about that, then ignore the list and cast your favorite characters.

Type of Casting

Serious: The actor that you think is best for the part.

Leave a comment with your dream cast for a big budget live action version of Bleach.

Anime, Opinions, Fun Stuff, Contests, Manga, Free Stuff, Free Manga, Free, Live Action Anime, Casting, Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, Sado “Chad” Yasutora, Uryu Ishida, Kenpachi Zaraki

Quite a few anime are being turned into live action movies, or have been recently. I thought it was about time I got your thoughts on the matter. I could do an opinion poll, but that discourages original answers. I could just ask you what you think, but you could do that on any post. I wanted to do something fun.

Time for a game.

How it works

I’ll select an anime. It may or may not have been made as a live action movie already.

Then I’ll ask you to cast the actors for the live action movie. Not the whole cast, just a few of the main characters. Though you can cast more characters from that anime if you’d like.

There are a couple of casting categories. Serious, Humorous, Hollywood and Anti-Casta

• Serious: The actor that you think is best for the part.
• Humorous: Joke casting, so go for the laughs.
• Hollywood: Who you think Hollywood would cast. This isn’t applicable if there has already been a Hollywood version, like Speed Racer.
• Anti-Casta: The actor that you think would be the worst possible choice.

I’ll let you know which casting category I’m looking for. You can do any of ‘em, but if you play along there might be something in it for you.

Why play along?

Free stuff.

I’ve got way too much manga sitting around that I’ll never read again. Stuff that I bought to review or just didn’t like. I’m not going to be reading it anymore, but you can.

I’ll pick a few of the comments I like best and they get free stuff. The free manga will be randomly selected. That means I just grab something. So don’t bother with “Can I have (random manga name) ?”, because it won’t work. Those clever or insightful enough to receive something will get whatever is on top of the pile.

What do you think?

I think this could be fun. Is there anything missing though? Should I make any changes before I post the first anime to cast?

Anime, Opinions, Fun Stuff, Contests, Manga, Free Stuff, Free Manga, Free, Live Action Anime, Speed Racer, Casting

I have tried several times to watch the Ikki Tousen anime. The last time was a DVD I thought I’d removed from my rental list. The second Ikki Tousen DVD showed up in my mail and I figured I’d give it another chance. Maybe even write up a review. Bad idea. It’s just as bad as I remembered.

Story

Very loosely based on the Japanese translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ikki Tousen tells the story of 7 high schools vying for power. The schools war against each other using fighters designated by the stones that they wear. Some of the students seem to be linked to the fates of the ancient warriors.

My Opinion

Sounds great, right? It’s not, at least not in my opinion. There is just a bit too much fan service. Instead of ancient battles being fought again and again throughout history, it’s a framework for panty shots and ripped clothing. It’s like being told the story of Ben-Hur, but when you watch the movie it’s the toga party scene from Animal House.

It’s pretty disappointing when you want more history and fewer boobs.

I want to like Ikki Tousen, I really do. I just can’t get past the nearly hentai nature of this anime. So far the only thing I really liked about Ikki Tousen are the toys. There is some very cool Ikki Tousen merchandise. Maybe the manga is better. I don’t know. I’ll pick up a copy of the manga and see if there are any redeeming qualities in there.

Is it worth it?

I’d say no, but if you like jiggle more than story in your anime you might feel differently. If you want a beat ‘em up anime with tons of fan service then rent Ikki Tousen and save your money for the toys.

Anime, Reviews, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi, Fan Service, Historical, Martial Arts, School, War, Ikki Tousen, Dragon Destiny, Romance of the Three Kingdoms

I was just catching up on reading my Shonen Jump subscription and that started me thinking. I was taking in the art of this month’s installment of Bleach and I noticed how much better it looked. Why did it look so much better?

Size Matters

Because of the page size. I hadn’t noticed it before, though I really should have, but the larger pages just look better. You can see more detail and the artwork is better able to tell the story. The Shonen Jump sized pages are the way most if these manga were intended to be published, or at least a lot closer.

I don’t have anything against the trade paperback sized manga. I read ‘em all the time. They provide a great way to follow the stories I love. I have to wonder though, why aren’t more magazine sized manga published?

Is it more expensive to publish a monthly magazine like Shonen Jump or Shojo Beat than it is to stock the shelves at Barnes & Noble with paperback volumes? If so, then why does the monthly Shonen Jump cost $5 when a paperback manga volume costs $10?

Selling Point

Is Viz losing money on monthly Shonen Jump in an effort to promote their manga paperback volumes? If so, does it work? Why wouldn’t the other companies do the same thing? I’d love to see a monthly magazine from the other publishers.

TokyoPop has been doing a lot to build their online community. They even offer free online versions of their manga. Why couldn’t they bundle a few stories in a nice thick magazine every month? They’d be promoting their TPB manga and maybe making a couple of bucks in the process.

Manga, Opinion, Magazine, Paperback, TPB, Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat, Viz, Viz Media, Bleach, TokyoPop

Anime News Network reported that anime company Gonzo will be streaming some of thier new titles. Not only that, but those titles will be subbed in English. Check out the story for the details.

Why is this a big deal?

That’s easy. This is a big deal because this gives fans of anime outside of Japan a way to see the new stuff without turning to fansubs. As great as some fansubs are, they’re still illegal.

Why am I writing about this?

There are a couple of reasons that I’m pointing out this tidbit of news. The simplest reason is because it’s cool. This is good news. I hope Gonzo has tons of success with this. If they do well with this, then other anime companies might do the same.

The other reason I wanted to talk about this is because of a post I wrote back in November. In that post I talked about how anime companies can reduce piracy. One of the things I mention is simultaneously streaming the anime with subtitles.

It’s no secret that the first company to get their product on the shelves has a huge advantage. The same principle applies here. Gonzo is providing an official version of the anime a lot quicker than even the fastest fansub groups. That alone will probably do a lot for Gonzo’s reputation.

All of this leads me to a question.

Will you watch Gonzo’s anime online?

I’d really like to find out what you think about this. Will you be checking out the anime that Gonzo releases online? Is Gonzo on the right track? Do you think other anime companies will start doing this?

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Anime, News, Opinion, Online, Gonzo, Subtitle, Fansub, Fan Sub

The Way I’ve Always Thought Of FanFic

I’ve never really liked fan fiction. It always seemed like a waste of time to me. Wasted writing time and wasted reading time both. If I want to read a Harry Potter story, I don’t turn to fanfic. I just read Harry Potter.

Oh, and speaking of Harry Potter fan fiction… there’s another good reason not to read it. A lot of fanfic writers tend to write the stories the way they believe they should be written. Not a big deal. I’m sure it’s a lot of fun. For them. For a lot of the readers it’s just painful.

I’ll admit that fanfic can make great writing practice. You’re able to focus on the plot without having to come up with new characters or settings. After a certain point, I believe you’re a lot better off writing original material.

Don’t use fan fiction as a crutch if you want to be a writer.

What’s Changing My Mind

I agreed to proofread a story for my girlfriend. It’s FanFic set in the Bleach universe. I just check for glaring grammatical errors and give her my opinion. I also try to let her know if I think one of the characters is doing something that doesn’t seem right.

Why would I agree to proof read fan fiction in the first place? Blackmail. She’s also working on some original fiction that I really want her to finish. I think that’s going to be a great story and I want to read it. So I agreed to help with the fanfic if she continues to write the other story.

What I Think Of FanFic Now

It’s not that bad. Some of it could be pretty good. The important thing is that it’s fun. It’s another way to interact with the stories and characters we love so much. It also gives us a chance to interact with other anime and manga fans. If you don’t mind letting other people read your work.

It is not a replacement for original fiction. I’d still rather read something new than the best fanfic.

General, Opinion, FanFic, Fan Fiction, Bleach, Harry Potter

The last time I went shopping for manga I decided to check out one of TokyoPop’s multi-volume books. The manga I chose for the test was Sgt Frog by Mine Yoshizaki. I’d liked the anime and wanted to check out the manga, but it wasn’t one I loved enough that I wanted to build a collection of the different volumes. It seemed like a good choice.

Why bother?

I wanted to try out the multi-volume manga because I thought it would be a good way to try a new manga series. With anime I need to see a few episodes to make up my mind. That’s not as important with manga, but it does play a part.

I also wanted to find out if the size of the books had any effect on the reading experience. That was a major point for me. One of the reasons I enjoy manga is the reading experience. Reading a manga volume has elements similar to reading comics as well as reading a book. I wanted to find out if the larger size of the multi-volume manga upset that balance.

The last reason is price. At $9 to $12 per volume, manga can get expensive very quickly. At $9.99 each, the first three volumes of Sgt Frog would cost around $30 purchased separately. The list price of the multi-volume version is $12.99. That saved me $16.98. (All prices calculated without tax.)

My Opinion

When it comes to collecting manga I love, I’d probably still buy the individual volumes. That’s just a personal preference though. As for manga I just want to read or review, I’d have no problems buying the multi-volume version. It’s the same story in the same format, it’s just in a thicker book.

For me the reading experience was effected somewhat because of the thickness. I’m very careful when I read a book. I don’t like to open it too far and crack the spine. It’s tough not to do that with a manga that’s almost 2 inches thick. If you’re not as picky as I am, then that shouldn’t be a problem. Once I got used to that I enjoyed it as much as I would enjoy the three volumes separately.

The price is great. It’s almost like a 3 for 1 sale. I paid $3 more and got 2 more volumes. That’s a great deal. I’d like to see more multi-volume versions become available. I will definitely be buying more of these.

Are multi-volume manga worth it?

I think they’re great. The issues of reading experience and manga collecting are subjective. You might want to try one out with a series you’re not completely in love with first. The price is great. I’d recommend multi-volume manga to any otaku on a budget.

Manga, Opinion, Muti-Volume, Sgt Frog, Mine Yoshizaki, TokyoPop, Price, Cheap, Save Money

I’ve got some questions for you. Would you be interested in more giveaways on AnimeFansOnline? I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about contests and giveaways lately. Maybe it’s because I’m doing a book giveaway at Fanatic Space. Whatever got me thinking about it, I’ve come up with a couple of ideas.

Grab Bag

I’ve been buying a lot of manga since I started writing for Anime Fans Online. I kinda have to. I can’t review it otherwise. So far I’m not important enough to get review copies from the manga publishers. If that changes then this idea gets even better.

I’m thinking about starting a regular grab bag giveaway on Anime Fans Online. I’ll take the manga and stuff that I get for reviews and put it in a grab bag. Every so often I’ll write up a grab bag post, all comments on it would be entered to win some free manga. The prize is a random pick. I don’t know what your getting and neither do you, but… hey, free stuff!

Gift Certificates

The old standby, I’ve done it before. Enter and win $XX amount at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or some other online store. This is a no brainer. It’s easy for me to do, and you can buy what you want. If I decide to do this, don’t expect a huge amount. It’ll probably be in the $15 to $25 range. That’s enough to buy a couple manga or an anime DVD. Not bad.

What do you think?

I’d really appreciate your input on this. So I’ve got a couple of questions for you.

• Think the grab bag is a good idea or would you rather get a gift certificate?
• What about doing both on an alternating schedule?
• Do you have any other ideas for giveaways?

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

General, Opinion, Anime, Manga, Giveaway, Contest, Free Stuff, Grab Bag