L’Arc~en~Ciel ( The Rainbow in French) is a Japanese rock band that formed back in 1991. The band has seen many changes across its long career: it has changed its bassist and drummer, but the core has remained the same. L’Arc~en~Ciel is operatic with their sound. Instrumentals are excellently dark and dramatic. Hyde’s (the lead…
Blind Beast
“Blind Beast” has to be one of the most bizarre movies I’ve ever seen. It follows the story of Aki, a successful if controversial model, who is abducted by the blind sculptor Michio and his mother. The pair take Aki to Michio’s warehouse studio, where things really start to get weird. See the walls are…
TOKYOPOP Closing in the US
TOKYOPOP is shutting down their US division May 31st. In recent years the publishing company has fallen on tough times, like much of the manga market. Since February, TOKYOPOP has limped along with just 6 employees after a series of layoffs sparked by the Borders bankruptcy. TOKYOPOP has brought manga to the US since 1997…
Yonna in the Solitary Fortress
Yonna in the Solitary Fortress is a fully computer animated short film that tries to create a soft storybook feel. It doesn’t work. The show comes off as just creepy looking. The story is nonsensical but here is a sketch: Yonna and her brother are driven to live in a fortress alone because thye have…
School Days
I’ll admit that I like to watch an occassional romance. When I saw School Days, I thought I’d give it a watch since it’s been awhile since I saw a romance. The anime starts up like one… Makoto Ito begins as an innocent and naive guy who many girls crush on. He has a crush…
Halcali
Halcali is an all female pop and hip-hop duo from Tokyo. Halca and Yucali have excellent harmony but are too “bubblegum” for my taste. Their album Halcali Bacon was the first album from an all female group to top Japan’s Oricon charts. The duo is remarkably flexible; they have been able to change with the…