Fanart: Attack of the Titans and Miku crossover

Click for larger view.

Run little kiddies, before it's too late!

Art source: pixiv

J-Music batch update

I have a heap of proper work sitting on the corner of my desk, calling my name, but instead I decide to publish an update on the J/anime-music that I'm interested in because procrastination is awesome.

1. Let's start off with Miyano Mamoru's new single Kanon. It's the opening song of the anime Uta no Prince sama Maji Love 2000%. Download link is here.
   Thoughts: The song Kanon is amazing, but I think Mamo has sung better songs before. The second song THANK YOU is average - Is it just me or does the chorus of this song sound like J.Beiber's "Baby"? The third song FOREVER LULLABY is pretty plain.
2. This is a big year for the band SID. It's their 10th year anniversary and they're doing a lot of events and productions in celebration. They recently released another single 恋におちて (Koi no ochite), which you can download here.
Thoughts: Mao's voice never ceases to amaze me. Their first song has a calming jazz swing to it.
3. 凛として時雨 (Ling tosite sigure)'s new album i'mperfect. This band provided the first OP to the anime Psycho Pass, abnormalize, which is also featured in this album. You can download it here.
   Thoughts: Ever since I heard their song from watching Psycho Pass, I've added this band to my 'radar' list. I like their unique rock and metal elements.
4. GRANRODEO's new compilation album Granrodeo Greatest Hits - Gift Registry. This two-man rock band consists of vocalist Taniyama Kishow and e-ZUKA the guitarist. They composed and performed many anime OP and ED songs; such as those from Togainu no Chi, Kuroko no Basuke and Code:Breaker. You can download the album here.
   Thoughts: I've fallen in love with this band ever since I discovered that Taniyama was the vocalist of this band; Taniyama is one of my favourite seiyuus, voicing characters such as Natsuki from UtaPri, Ikki from Amnesia and Sloth from Shirokuma Cafe.
5. 神谷浩史 (Kamiya Hiroshi)'s new mini album ハレイロ (Hareiro). Kamiya is another renowned seiyuu, voicing characters such as Otonashi from Angel Beats!, Rokuro from Brave10, Hibiki from Devil Survivor 2, Izaya from Durarara!! and Erekpyle from Ixion Saga DT.  You can download the album here.
   Thoughts: I think it's a challenging task for a seiyuu to produce their own music, because I think it's hard to distinguish which is their "true" voice, apart from their character voices with their respective character songs. I applaud Kamiya for his hard work in producing this album. Unfortunately, in some of his songs I can hear/feel his "true" voice wavering and instead I can picture certain characters he's voiced before singing the song. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this rather peaceful and gentle music.

   Well that's all from me now. Expect more updates in the following two months. April and May are big months in music releases this year, at least for bands which I'm interested in.  I think I should go and start my work now, while I patiently wait for another 5 hours until episode 2 of UtaPri is aired.

Comedy video: How Animals Eat Their Food

Ever wondered how animals eat their food? Your questions are answered below!

New Railgun Promo

A video promoting the second season of Railgun, has been released. According to Crunchyroll the series will premiere on Friday (March 12, 2013).



Source: Crunchyroll

Pumpkin's Palette: My first gif!

This is how I spent a Tuesday afternoon: making my first gif image!

It took me a total of less than 3.5 hours, and I'm pretty happy with the results.

The character is Hiroshi Inaba from Cuticle Tantei Inaba. It's a pretty funny anime and I recommend it to those who need a good wacky laugh.

[Edit:] Here's an updated version promoting our blog.

GacktXGakupo duet of Episode.0: One fangirl's dream come true

As a big, major, HUGE fan of Gackt, and a fan of Vocaloids, I was ecstatic when I saw this video on YouTube, which is an excerpt of the ボカロ歌謡祭2013(春) (The Vocaloid Music Festival 2013 (Spring)). It features a short interview with Gackt, and concludes with an amazing duet performance of the song Episode.0 by Gackt and Gakupo.

Sword Art Online

Sypnosis:
Using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear, which allows players to literally enter a game. Kirito,  enters a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, or for short, an Online RPG. The game is called Sword Art Online, a game in which characters can use no magic (other than a few magical stones), and must focus solely on Swords Skills. The game takes place inside a giant flying fortress called, Aincrad. The fortress has 100 floors for players to complete. On the day the game was released however, the game creator decided to hold players captive, and not allow them to leave the game, until they reach the 100th floor. The worst part is, if they die in the game, they die in real life. Their struggle for survival begins... 

Aincrad

Review:

The protagonist can often be seen over-powered, and there are parts that try hard to be tragic. The battles are worthy of praise, but you may have to wait a while before the story takes you to one. The boss battles are epic, but out of  the 100 bosses, you only get to see a few — only by defeating these can you go to the next floor.

The series is based on a Light Novel, and with only 25 episodes, there are parts in the series that are rushed. The side stories focus on the protagonist being cool with girls, and throughout most the series, you only get to see things from the protagonist's perspective.

The second half of the series takes a completely different and darker path, and it's not as good as the first half, though the ending kinda makes up for it. Despite all its flaws, I enjoyed the series, and would recommend it to anyone. Now, what did I like about the series? Well for starters, I really enjoyed enjoyed the romance, it was really cute. But, at the second half of the series, the romance is taken to a strange territory. I also enjoyed the battles, they are intense and memorable.

The conflicts can be pretty interesting, too. Like when an ally suddenly shifts sides and attacks the protagonist, he is placed in a position where in order to save his life, he must make a choice that may go against his moral values. Also, the plot twist at the end of half the series, amazing!

These guys are screwed

The voice acting is great. The  animation can be inconsistent. In one part you get this beautifully drawn nature scene, and in another, you get a plainly drawn view at things. There were no poorly drawn scenes, though. The music is excellent. There is a song for every scene, and it blends in perfectly, putting you in  the mood the animators want you in. The battle themes are the most memorable:

Characters:
The protagonist (Kirito, also known as Kirigaya Kazuto), is a direct spoken character, and can sometimes come off as rude. He sometimes acts overconfident thinking he can do other can not. He rarely shows any signs of distress, and is almost always calm and collected. Though, when in a battle, he becomes incredibly fierce and aggressive. He can also be compassionate and will help others in need, he cannot abandon others in trouble. He can sometimes be controlled by his emotions. He is a tenacious character and will always find a way to complete his challenges. 

Asuna, she is a kind and helpful young woman, who is similar to Kirito, and cannot abandon others in trouble. She takes the game very seriously and is very focused on clearing it. She is also somewhat proud and is not afraid to get physical with those that challenge her authority or brag about her abilities. She isn't afraid to act out on her own and will take matters in her own hands from time to time. Asuna, once again similar to Kirito, is someone who can be controlled by her emotions many times.

Conclusion:
Overall this is a really good series, of course, it's not perfect. Still, it is one of my top five anime. The concept is what probably drives most to watching the series — I mean, who wouldn't want to get inside a videogame. If you enjoy intense battles, adventure, and romance, you might enjoy Sword Art Online.

9/10

Previous review: Fullmetal Alchemist

Vocaloid Cinema Party

On March 9th, 2013 a group of fans held a "Vocaloid Cinema Party" in Ginza, Tokyo. The videos were said to be outstanding, with breathtaking images and great resolution.
Here's one the videos featured:

Kagome Kagome (Robotics;Notes)

Remember that creepy tune "Kagome Kagome" from Robotics;Notes that plays when Kimijima Kou hacked the pokecoms? The song "Kagome Kagome" originates from a Japanese children's game; almost like the English version of "Duck Duck Goose". You can read more about the history here.

The reason for this post is because I wanted to download this song and use it as my mobile ringtone. Furthermore, I wanted to share the file with others so they can do the same. This kind soul has created the sound file which you can download here.

Now let's hope I don't get any calls or texts during the middle of the night, otherwise I would totally freak out.
An extra special bonus for our Vocaloid fans: Here's a Miku and Luka adaptation of the Kagome song.

McDonald's Japan Introduces New Uniform Dance

McDonald's Japan has announced that a new uniform will be introduced in June, which will be the first new uniform to be introduced to franchises in Asia. An additional 27,000 crew members are planned to be hired and the dance video was posted to encourage people to apply. The video features the new uniform and it is choreographed by Papaya Suzuki of Oyaji Dancers.

Source: CR

More UtaPri booty shakin'

Okay, okay. I'm sorry... not!
Video editing is fun...
And here's more UtaPri crack!
I'm pretty proud of this.

UtaPri fangirling and 'dem sexy moves'

Okay, I can't stop giggling/going-red-in-the-face/feeling agitated/fangirling over the second season of Uta no Prince sama. For those who don't know yet, the first episode was aired early this morning. The English sub version can be found at nyaa.

The boys have become so much more sexier than the first season, more innuendos, jokes, teasers and fanservice!! The songs are just as awesome. While I don't want to spam our readers with screencaps and squealing, this kind soul at tumblr pretty much summarized all the thoughts and emotions going through my head.

Anyway, after having a reblog spam session on tumblr, I decided to have a go at making an UtaPri crack video; Enjoy!

Pumpkin's Palette: Amnesia Tribute

While I'm trying not to die from my coughing, I managed to whip this up in 6 hours. Although I believe there is an improvement in my skills, I still spot some mistakes here and there. This just means that I have to keep on practising until I get it right. The most important thing though is to have fun and enjoy the process of drawing.

(click for larger image)
Left to right: Shin, Ikki, Kent, Toma - the 4 main male characters in Amnesia.

PSotD - ねぐせ

Title: ねぐせ (Neguse)

Artist: Tamako Kitashirakawa (CV: Aya Suzaki)
Year: 2013

Notes: Tamako Market ED song. This song is cute and bubbly, very fitting for the anime. Tamako Market is a slice-of-life, comedy and romance anime; The story revolves around a young girl who is heir to a mochi shop, about her friendship troubles and a fat bird that can talk.
Although I'm not a fan of slice-of-life animes, I was able to survive the 12 episodes and actually enjoyed it; I found the art to be very cute.

DDL: here

Fandom Creates its Own Episode

The first fan made episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is magic, was released today. My Little Pony fans have been looking forward to this for a long time, now. Created by FlamingoRich. The story is focused on Rainbow Dash. After boosting her natural abilities by way of science, she is able to do a Double Rainboom, which sends her to a distant land, where she meets a group of unique girls — The Powerpuff Girls.  It kept true to both series, and they portrayed the personalities of each character pretty well.  The art was excellent, almost matching the quality of real episodes. The voice actors mimicked the voices in real episodes pretty well. Quite a fun experience. It combines two of the greatest series ever released on television, and it does it in a unique fun way. You can find the episode on Youtube, here.

This was fun to watch

Uta no Prince sama - Maji Love 2000% Anime Trailer Streamed

5 days! 5 days!! Yes, there's only 5 days until the first airing of the second season of Uta no Prince sama (Maji Love 2000%), and to satisfy us fan(girl)s the production company has released two commercials/promotional videos early this morning.

Ghost in the Shell Arise Anime's Teaser Video Streamed

The official website for the Ghost in the Shell Arise project began streaming a new teaser for the anime.

The website also reavealed the design for the "Rojikoma" mechs. 

The Ghost in the Shell Arise anime, which consists of four 50-minute parts, will premier in Japanese theatres on June 22, and will then be available on Blu-ray Disc and DVD at retail on July 26. Kazuchika Kise (chief animation director for Otogi Zoshi, Blood-C: The Last Dark) will direct the series and design the characters, and Tow Ubukata (Le Chevalier D'Eon, Mardock Scramble) will handle series composition and the screenplay. Production I.G is producing the series, and Cornelius (Appleseed: Ex Machina) will compose the music.

The series will star Maaya Sakamoto as Mokoto Kusanagi, Kenichirou Matsuda as Batou, Tarusuke Shingaki as Togusa, Tomoyuki Danas Ishikawa, Takurou Nakakuni as Saito, Youji Ueda as Paz, Kazuya Nakai as Borma, and Ikkyuu Juku as Daisuke Aramaki.

Source: ANN

Recorder and Randsell Comedy Anime Gets 3rd Seaso

The first two seasons of this comedy anime, with each episode only 3 minutes in length, was very enjoyable; It's about an older sister that looks like a pre-schooler and a younger brother that looks like an adult and their daily lives/troubles. I recommend it to those who want a good laugh. - pumpkin_so77

Recorder and Randsell Mi, the third anime season based on Meme Higashiya's four-panel manga Recorder and Randsell, will premiere in Japan this July. Higashiya's story revolves around Atsushi Miyagawa and his sister Atsumi Miyagawa. Atsushi looks like an adult at 180 centimeters (about 71 inches) tall, but he is actually an elementary school boy. Atsumi looks like a little girl at 137 centimeters (54 inches) tall, but she is actually in high school.

The manga launched in Takeshobo's Manga Club Original magazine in 2007, and it also runs in Takeshobo's Manga Life Original magazine. 

Source: ANN

How To Reduce Aggressiveness

I'm gonna derail myself from my usual topic, and instead talk about something else. I'm gonna talk about aggression  and how it can be prevented. Aggression is a common trait among humans. Some of us can control it, better than others. We tend to get angry because of our ignorance. We attach ourselves to certain ideas of ourselves. We allow others to identify us with insults, and we get angry at them. It's highly illogical. When you think about it, anger is pointless, it has no use, it doesn't help us in any way. It hold us back. So, how come humans haven't removed that trait throughout our evolution? Why do we always tend to think so primitively? I think it's because of our inability to come to awareness. If we could, we would've removed pointless emotions such as anger a long time ago. 

Fullmetal Alchemist

A truly memorable anime. This series focuses on the lives of Edward and Alphonse Elric. It also focuses on Alchemy, a mysterious art that works almost by way of magic. It is the art of constructing, reconstructing and deconstructing matter. In order to use Alchemy, you must follow a certain law — in order to gain something you have to sacrifice something of equal value. The art of using Alchemy is known as transmutation. However, there is a taboo among alchemist, human transmutation is forbidden — for what could equal the value of a human life. 

Knowing all this, Edward and Alphonse attempt human transmutation, and the results are horrifying. Edward almost loses his little brother, but he manages to attach his brother's soul to a large suit of armor. While he did manage to save his brother's life, he paid the terrible price of his limbs. In order to get back what they've lost, the brothers embark on a journey to find the Philosopher's Stone that is said to amplify the powers of an alchemist enormously.

There are two series in the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise. Both follow the same synopsis. However, where they differ from each other is in the dept of the story, and how closely they follow the manga.

Fullmetal Alchemist

This series aired in October 4, 2003. I don't have much to say about this series because, although I truly enjoyed this series, there isn't much for me to say but how it differs form the later series. It's full of dramatic moments, and has some intense battles, too. The story ends with a movie that follows the end of the series. Basically, Edward ends up in our world, and has to find a way to get back to his world. Also, the way alchemy works differs greatly from the manga. Alchemy in Edward's world is a result of  many experiments done in our world. The energy released goes to his world, allowing people to use Alchemy. The series ends in a satisfying (yet confusing) way.  

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

This series aired April 6, 2009. This series closely follows the manga, and is in my opinion better than the previous one. It got me into watching more anime series, too. This series is also full of sad, dramatic, and intense moments, but I dare say the story is better. In this series not only do the Elrics need to recover what they've lost, but they also need to stop an evil mastermind from taking over the world. It takes the antagonists from the previous series and makes them a bit more interesting and stronger. You explore Edward's world more deeply in this story. Also, Alchemy's energy comes from the energy produced by the Earth's tectonic plates. Edward goes through some hard moments and you never really know whether to feel sad or happy, because the series constantly changes momentum in a genius way. The final battle is truly epic. It's a great series, and I highly recommend it.

If you enjoy anime that will mess with your emotions, both series are perfect for you. I loved the characters, and it never really got boring — not in the Brotherhood series, at least. The voice acting was perfect, and in both series the art was excellent. Both are action packed, with some occasional funny moments. Seeing how Edwards grows, the sacrifices he has to make, is invigorating. The original soundtracks for both series are excellent. Just listen to this:

Edward is very intelligent — he's an alchemist prodigy. He can also be short headed. He hates it when people call him short, and has a profound hate towards milk. However, once he decides to learn something, he will not sleep for days and will continue his studies relentlessly. Alphonse is the level headed one, always calling out to Edward whenever he's rude to someone. He loves animals, and will often adopt stray animals and house them in his armor. Both are willing to sacrifice each other for each other. They share a bond that can't be broken, and give each other strength. Winry is Edward and Alphonse's childhood friend. She's responsible for giving maintenance to Edward's artificial limbs. She can be too aggressive, but will always be there when the Elrics need her.

I highly recommend both series. I hope you give at least one of them a chance, I can guarantee you will enjoy your time. 

Fullmetal Alchemist: 8/10

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: 10/10