mercy_angel_09

I wish I could write about spoilers. But I can't. And I won't out of principle. But more on that later.

I got to see Badlands Rumble during its world premier run at Sakura-Con 2010 in Seattle. This was almost a year after seeing the world premier of the trailer and the panel at Anime Expo in 2009. I had been excited about this since the rumors started, and the at the panel I was given a taste of what the movie could be.

By the time I finally saw it I didn't care that it was raw and I couldn't understand more than just a couple of passing phrases. It was Trigun. It was a movie. It had the original cast. It was SHINY. And oh yeah. Wolfwood was back. I sat in a fangirl stupor enjoying the pretty on the screen. So that's why I really can't write about spoilers - I suppose I could try and give something away via analyzing the animation, but I could be very, very wrong.

Chronologically speaking, Badlands Rumble takes place somewhere in the middle of the series. Hence Wolfwood still being alive. The prologue is dated about twenty years (I think) before the start of the series, but the bulk of the movie takes place in the middle of the series. In addition to fan favorite characters returning (including Wolfwood, but you should know this already), there are a handful of new characters created just for the movie. In terms of animation, it's much sharper and cleaner than the TV series - basically it's what the TV series would look like if they made it today. It should be noted, however, that despite the ten year gap in production between the series and the movie, the character designs are the same. No radical make-overs, they just look cleaner and sharper. Seriously, visually speaking, the movie is a treat.

A major coup for the movie is the return of the four original cast members. No word on if it will cross over into the dub or not (if Funimation is smart, they'll have the four main actors return). Another coup is Tsuneo Imahori returning for the music. While it's not the exact same tracks from the series, the spirit of the music is the same, all while keeping an independent feeling unique to the movie.

Big Damn Movie, indeed! As my friends and I exited the auditorium, Satoshi Nishimura thanked everyone who attended at the door. My friends and I enjoyed ourselves so much we actually bowed and thanked him for the honor of allowing us to attend one of the first screenings of the movie. He got all embarrassed and I swear he blushed. But seriously. Well deserved praise, Nishimura-san.

It should be noted that the first time a recognizable character appeared on screen, the whole room went up in cheers and whoops of joy. Even when Kuroneko-sama appeared. Actually, every time Kuroneko-sama appeared. I think it goes to show just how much the American audience loves Trigun, and the fact that even ten years later it could get its very own Big Damn Movie. I have no idea what its reception at Anime Expo was this year (as it had finally been subtitled at that point), but I can imagine that it was just as enthusiastic as it was at Sakura-con, especially given how packed the Trigun movie panel was the year before.

I cannot wait until this movie comes out on DVD. I was completely blown away by watching it raw, I'm sure that feeling will be ramped up to eleven when I can finally understand what they're saying.

I can't count the number of times I've read this novel. Since I first picked it up six years ago, I've read it to the point of near memorization. My biggest fear would be that the movie would destroy what the book so carefully constructed.

I was thrilled when I saw that the movie kept relatively true to the book. With any novel-to-screen adaption, things are lost. This is a rare exception, where the changes help those who haven't read the novel understand what is going on. Even the condensing of events doesn't leave the viewer feeling as if something might be missing.

The cinematography is amazing. The use of symbolism and color emphasize the storyline, and portray the subtleties of geisha life. It also shows that geisha are not prostitutes, but women who are elite entertainers. The score by John Williams sounds traditionally Japanese, and features cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma and violin solos by Itzhak Perlman. If anything, the movie will garner attention for the simple things like the visual and musical aspects.

The biggest issue most people have is the fact that they cast Chinese actresses in the lead roles of Sayuri, Mameha, and Hastumomo. Since when have people gotten all huffy over the nationality of actors and actresses? Chayanne, who is Puerto Rican, played a Cuban in Dance With Me (1998), but I didn't hear everyone getting bent out of shape about it. And back in the early days of cinema, it wasn't uncommon for a white person to "black" themselves, and play an African or African-American. Who cares about the ethnicity of an actor or actress? If anything, I am in awe of Michelle Yeoh, Li Gong, and Zhang Ziyi who were able to step past the cultural barrier and completely transform themselves into the roles of a geisha. I understand that there is still some sensitivity about Chinese actresses playing such a iconic Japanese role, and that it stems from both sides. But great acting does matter. If a Russian-born actor can establish his career playing the King of Siam (I'm talking about Yul Bryner), ethnicity shouldn't matter. Talent should, and that is where Marshall made the right choice in casting.

I can't wait until this movie comes out on DVD and I can watch it again and again. By not losing everything that made the book a stand out, this movie will be a sleeper hit, attract those with an interest in Asian culture and the fans of the book. Don't knock it until you see it.

I came across this channel surfing one afternoon and became intrigued. This wasn't like other newer Nicktoons, this one was of the same quality of when the Nicktoons numbered three, Doug, Rugrats and Ren & Stimpy. "Danny Phantom" comes from the mind of Butch Hartman, the same guy who brought us "The Fairly Odd Parents."

Danny Phantom revolves around the life of fourteen-year-old Daniel "Danny" Fenton, his ghost hunting parents Jack and Maddie, his sixteen-going-on-thirty sister Jazz who thinks she's an adult, and his two best friends: Tucker, resident techno-whiz loudmouth, and Sam, a free-thinking, ultra-recyclo vegetarian Goth girl. Dealing with the normal trial and tribulations of being a freshman at Casper High is hard enough. Dealing with the abnormal trials and tribulations of being half ghost freshman at Casper High only makes thing worse.

The series smartly combines the ordeals of high school (like the mystery meat in the cafeteria, frog dissections, and wanting to be part of the "in" crowd) with the supernatural super hero story of average teenage boy must save the world from those who wish to see is blown clear to the Ghost Zone, not to mention he'd rather be sitting at home playing video games or hanging out at the local water park with his friends. A liberal sprinkling of pop culture references, parodies, and romance only add to the charm and wit of this show.

Fans of "The Fairly Odd Parents" may not find this show worth watching. Aimed at a slightly older crowd, "Danny Phantom" echoes the horror of going through that painstaking first year of high school, with embarrassing parents, overprotective siblings in the senior class, and mediocre grades to boot. Tweens, teens, and college students will most likely find this show interesting and amusing. Anyone younger than thirteen might not get all of the pop-culture references and jokes.

This is Ghostbusters for a new generation, and reminds me of many Saturday mornings spent watching my favorite New York ghost fighting team in action.