I haven't had a ton of time for watching lately, but Darla and I recently watched episodes 9, 10, 11, and 12 of ROD the TV.
Yow. Things have really heated up -- they're playing hardball now. I'm very curious to see how things go from here.
I won't say any more right now, other than "don't watch episode 9 with your mom."
This movie is my current boom obsession. http://www.tamala2010.com/
Imagine a mutant hybrid of Hello Kitty and Philip K. Dick, animated in the classic 1950s TV style of Osamu Tezuka, and you have some idea of the incredible strangeness of Tamala 2010, the amazing new feature from the two-man music and visual artist unit called “t.o.L”. Super-cute space kitty Tamala goes head-to-head with the Dark God of Death, killer dogs, a robotic Colonel Sanders with an axe in his head and more, using her trademark karate kick and heart-shaped sunglasses. A sample of some of the dialogue?: “Later you anaconda bitch!,” “Moimoi, me very tasty. Wanna eat me? “ and “Beware, Martial Law has been enforced in the Eastern Hate District!”
"Trust us - it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before." ~ Margot Gerber, American Cinematheque
From the Japanese pressbook:
It is the year 2010 on Cat-Earth, a planet in the Cat Galaxy. On her first birthday, the punk cat Tamala blasts off aboard her pride and joy, her spaceship Vanpla Turbo 1, heading for her birthplace in the constellation Orion. However, she hits an asteroid near the small planet of Q, and falls into its atmosphere.
Q, behind Cat-Earth in terms of civilization, is a barbarous planet of endless war and terrorism between the Dog and Cat tribes. At first in a state of near-panic after her emergency landing on a planet she's never been on before, Tamala gets the urge to go out and have some fun. She quickly picks up a tomcat named Michelangelo, and they set off for the big city in his Porsche. Tamala, who is without fear, has a great time getting a tattoo, bowling, skateboarding, and shoplifting sunglasses with which they play tag. They go to a concert at which Tamala jumps up on the stage to dance, which drives the 10,000 people assembled there into a frenzy.
Tamala does everything with such complete authority that Michelangelo is sent reeling, and he begins to realize that she is not just your ordinary everyday cat. And it is also true that since she has come to Q, strange things have started happening. All of a sudden the streets are full of advertisements and merchandise bearing the logo “Catty&Co.” And the kid-cats are all telling each other about having the same weird dream about a bizarre robot cat ascending a long escalator into the sky. This is, as a matter of fact, the dream Tamala has whenever she takes an afternoon nap—the dream that has stolen into the minds of the people of Q. While they sleep, the robot cat brainwashes them so that they will act in the way Catty&Co. has planned for them.
It's the first movie in a planned trilogy. There is a TV series starting for Tamala too. I'm rocking out to the soundtrack right now. The Japanese DVD has English subtitles for the nihongo-impaired.
Just a small request out to people who make these wonderful things. Please. Please. Please. Please, make some in 1280x854 for us widescreen users. We'll love you forever.
ADV has put up a web site for Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi! It looks like this is due out on DVD on 12/16/2003. This was definitely one of the more insane shows I saw last year. A few of the episodes were so over the top, but oh so enjoyable (trying to catch every single reference to other shows and movies is lots of fun). I definitely recommend it.
I've not watched two DVDs worth of SuperGALS! and I've got to say this show is great. It's a bit frantic and silly but it's lots of fun. The theme song has also gotten completely stuck in my head. I wasn't sure what to think about the show at first though. The animation style is quite different from a lot of other stuff I've seen. Definitely one I'll watch the rest of.
According to Anime News Network, there will be a Hikaru no Go Special in January. In it Hikaru and Touya are 15-years-old. Anyone heard anything more about this?
Just got done watching the first episode of Chrno Crusade. It's about two professional exorcists, Chrno and Sister Rosette, from the Magdala Monastary. It was pretty fun. Rosette is one of those character who can't seem to fight without unleashing much destruction. The animation is quite nice looking, with that Gonzo look I can usually pick out instantly. I'll definitely be checking this one out for a few more episodes at least.