Animatrix Network

Next Club Meeting: May 26, 2018, at the Fountaindale Public Library from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Animatrix Network is an anime & manga fan club located in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. We usually meet on the fourth Saturday of each month (except when holidays or conventions coincide). The meetings are free and open to the public. Join us for a day filled with anime.

This site provides news, reviews, commentaries, and previews of the world of anime and everything it inspires, such as live-action films, comics, music, art, and other weird things to enjoy and contemplate.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Emara - Episode 1

E M A R A

Meet Emara, a young Emirati girl who harnesses a special power to fight crime across the Emirates. Animated for both English and Arabic.

Friday, May 25, 2018

'To the Moon' Gets its Own Anime

TO THE MOON

[Source: aintitcool] With the invention of the internet, things have changed in the world for both the better and the worse. When it comes to video games, it seems pretty much all around good, though. Especially for indie games, because they are able to get the attention and appreciation they deserve.

TO THE MOON is very well thought out indie RPG that you can pick up on Steam, with overwhelmingly positive reviews. This game was actually made with RPG Maker XP (that takes me back), by Kan Gao.

“The story, set in the future, follows two doctors who offer to fulfill a dying man’s last wish using artificial memories. The game features relatively few gameplay mechanics, with the player controlling the two doctors, exploring the narrative and solving puzzles as they try to reconstruct the dying man's memories in order to fulfill his wish.”

TO THE MOON is a tear-jerker and a comedy. From what I’ve read, you actually get to travel through the dying man’s memories and see his life. Supposedly it’s only a 4-5 hours adventure, which seems worth a $9.99 price tag.

You can enjoy the trailer for the game. (Try not to cry.)

Many details about the TO THE MOON feature are so far kept under wraps, but Gao is promising in his announcement on YouTube it is in fact happening. Gao also says that they have a “significant budget” that is above YOUR NAME and some big animation players involved, how mysterious and exciting!

Thursday, May 24, 2018

'Totoro' Restaurant in Bangkok

May's Garden House Restaurant

[Source: SyFyWire] For three decades, My Neighbor Totoro has withstood the test of time as one of Studio Ghibli’s greatest anime films. The forest spirit, Totoro, has become so beloved that Studio Ghibli adopted him as their official mascot, and he remains a very popular character to this day. Now, Totoro is even getting his own restaurant in Bangkok.

Via SoraNews24, May’s Garden House Restaurant is the first Totoro-themed restaurant officially licensed by Studio Ghibli. The restaurant isn’t officially open yet, but it’s currently welcoming hungry diners during its preview period while collecting feedback. There’s even a giant Totoro at the entrance of the dining room, which will probably be one of the most popular attractions there.

Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki was heavily involved with the creation of the restaurant, thanks to his friendship with the proprietor, Kanyada; whose nickname is “May.” The report notes that Suzuki was so taken by Kanyada’s chicken wings and sympathetic to her business struggles that he came up with the idea for May’s Garden House Restaurant. He also created the restaurant's official logo.

While there are numerous Totoro characters placed throughout the restaurant, May’s Garden House will also be home to Colko and Peeko, two new creations made and designed by Suzuki himself. Colko and Peeko are also the restaurant's official mascots.

There are a few parts of May’s Garden House that aren’t yet completed, including a playground for children, an orchid glasshouse, a boat water pool, and more. Even the menu hasn’t been finalized yet, although it will include dishes inspired by Totoro and his spirit pals. But we’re not quite sure what this Catbus snack is supposed to be.

May’s Garden House Restaurant also has its own official Instagram account, which will continue to entice visitors even after the grand opening later this this month.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Anime Viewing Schedule for May 26, 2018

A N I M A T R I X N E T W O R K
Saturday, May 26, 2018

Fountaindale Public Library

"Get ready! We're flying to a new location!"

Remember! We'll be in a Different Library!
Fountaindale Public Library
300 W. Briarcliff Rd.
Bolingbrook, IL 60440

2nd Floor Board Room, 11:15 am to 5:00 pm

11:15 - 12:05   Houseki no Kuni 7-8
12:05 - 12:55 A Place Further Than the Universe 5-6
12:55 - 1:45     Violet Evergarden 7-8
1:45 - 2:20     Club Meeting / Announcements
2:20 - 3:10     B - the Beginning 5-6
3:10 - 4:50 Mary and the Witch's Flower [Movie]

All anime presented are fan-subtitled unless otherwise noted.

Don't miss the exciting anime series: B - The Beginning and Houseki no Kuni!

ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW

ThunderCats Roar Back into Action!

The ThunderCats are coming back!

[Source: Entertainment Weekly] EW exclusively revealed that Warner Bros. Animation is bringing back the iconic cat-like aliens for new animated series called ThunderCats Roar, which will debut on Cartoon Network in 2019.

Check out an exclusive sneak peak at the show above.

The original ThunderCats show aired from 1985 and 1989, and followed the adventures of Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, Snarf, and WilyKit and WilyKat, the refugees of the planet Thundera who end up on Third Earth. While ThunderCats Roar plans on staying true to the original’s premise and will feature tons of action, it will also lean into the inherent comedy of the world, too.

“I think the world that they built lends itself really well to comedy because of how silly and crazy and outlandish those ideas are and some of those settings are,” says producer Victor Courtright in the exclusive behind-the-scenes video above. “But at the same time, it wouldn’t be ThunderCats if it didn’t have super cool action elements because that’s what people came back to. It’s very much something that we want to lean on. So with the new show, we’re not walking away from the action in any bit. Every step we take towards comedy, we take two more towards really cool action scenes and explosions and lasers and actions effects.”

Here’s the official logline for the series: “Staying true to the premise of the original series, Lion-O and the ThunderCats — Tygra, Panthro, Cheetara, Wilykat, and Wilykit — barely escape the sudden destruction of their home world, Thundera, only to crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet of Third Earth. Lion-O, the newly appointed Lord of the ThunderCats, attempts to lead the team as they make this planet their new home. A bizarre host of creatures and villains stand in their way, including the evil Mumm-Ra, Third Earth’s wicked ruler who will let nothing, including the ThunderCats, stop his tyrannical reign over the planet.”

ThunderCats Roar stars Max Mittelman (Justice League Action) as Lion-O and Wilykat, Erica Lindbeck (DC Super Hero Girls) as Cheetara and Wilykit, Patrick Seitz (Justice League Action) as Tygra and Mumm-Ra, and Chris Jai Alex (Star Wars: Battlefront II) as Panthro.

Monday, May 21, 2018

Anime Central 2018 - Sunday Cosplay

SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2018

Anime Central 2018 - Saturday Cosplay

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2018

Anime Central 2018 - Friday Cosplay

FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2018

Friday, May 18, 2018

Kenichi Sonoda's Kickstarter Anime: Project BB

BEAN BANDIT

Today at Anime Central, Kenichi Sonoda officially launches his Kickstarter Project: Bean Bandit.

very time I am invited to events in North America, I am always left with the memory that fans want a new Riding Bean and Gunsmith Cats. One day, my friend brought me a plan for crowdfunding anime. I realized then how fun it would be to make more extreme and more profound animated works just for the fans without being bound by the opinions of publishers and editors.

That is why I started this Kickstarter.

Our initial goal is to produce a five-minute animation. Should we receive more support, we are planning to make it longer. I would be truly happy if we gathered enough pledges to create a 20-minute anime with a slick original opening!

I also intend to prepare an art book featuring concept art, design, and a newly drawn original color comic if possible.

The animation, art book, and manga will be available in both Japanese and English. Additionally, the finished animation will be released on a Blu-ray disk at the highest quality.

Visit the Kickstarter Page

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Darkwing Duck in the Ducktales Reboot

I... am... DARKWING DUCK!

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and The Wasp

Ant-Man and The Wasp

Real heroes. Not actual size. Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and The Wasp is in theaters July 6.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Image of New Young Justice Team Lineup

YOUNG JUSTICE | OUTSIDERS

[Source: WeGotThisCovered] Anyone who loves superheroes these days seems to have that one cartoon that resonated with them, leading to an undying love for it. Children of the 1990’s will likely wax nostalgia over Batman: The Animated Series or X-Men: The Animated Series, while others who prefer the decade that followed remember Justice League Unlimited and Spectacular Spider-Man quite fondly.

This particular decade’s biggest breakout was arguably Young Justice, a series that placed the focus on sidekicks such as Robin/Nightwing, Superboy, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Miss Martian, Artemis and others who were coming of age and ready to take their place in the limelight. But it was unfortunately cut short after only two seasons due to a lack of merchandise sales – even though not much was manufactured to begin with. It was a ridiculous Catch 22, to say the least.

Since its untimely cancellation, a very rabid fanbase tirelessly campaigned for the series’ return, ultimately resulting in a third season being chosen as one of the vanguards for the upcoming DC Universe streaming service that’s really gotten people talking as of late.

As was to be expected, the next chapter in the story will see another lineup shift, which producer Greg Weisman unveiled over on Twitter:

Upon examining the image, we see Tigress, Superboy and someone who appears to be Black Lightning looming above, though it remains to be seen if this iteration of the character is indeed Jefferson Pierce. In addition to them, Nightwing can be glimpsed heading up a new band of heroes consisting of Katana, Metamorpho and three others who’ve yet to be identified.

Of course, this is but a fraction of the cast, so we’ll keep you posted when it comes to any relevant developments made between now and showtime. Let’s just hope that we see some of the villains before long because, don’t forget, season 2 left off with a handshake shared by Vandal Savage and Darkseid, so we’re definitely intrigued to see where that goes.

For more on Young Justice: Outsiders and various other shows comprising the DC Universe spectrum, be sure to click here for additional details.

Recommended Anime

MADE in ABYSS

The Best Anime of 2017

Made in Abyss is centered around an orphan girl named Riko who lives in the town of Orth on an island in the sea of Beoluska. The city surrounds a strange, giant hole going deep into the earth, which is commonly called the Abyss. The Abyss harbors artifacts and remnants of a civilization long gone, and is therefore the popular hunting spot for so-called Cave Raiders, who undertake arduous and dangerous descents into the mist-filled pit to recover whatever relics they can find. However, the deeper one goes into the Abyss, the more they are afflicted by a progressively fatal malady called the Curse of the Abyss once they ascend back; few who have descended into the lower regions have returned to tell of their experiences. Some legendary Cave Raiders earn the title of White Whistle, one of them being Riko's mother Lyza.

Riko's goal is to follow in her mother's footsteps and solve the mysteries of the Abyss. One day she explores the caves and discovers a robot named Reg who resembles a human boy that she and her friends befriend. Some time later, Riko is informed that some items sent by Lyza were recovered, including a message to her, telling her to meet in the bottom of the Abyss. Riko then bids farewell to her friends and departs to the Abyss with Reg in search for her mother, despite knowing of the risks and the fact that due to the Curse of the Abyss, she will never be able to return.

Characters
Riko is a trouble-prone 12-year-old girl who wants to emulate her late mother, a legendary Cave Raider named Lyza the Annihilator who disappeared in the Abyss ten years ago. Riko is currently a Cave Raider-in-training at the Belchero Orphanage, and as a rookie bears the rank of Red Whistle. She has secretly taken possession of one of her finds, the Star Compass, which she hopes to use in her exploration of the Abyss. Her poor eyesight stems from the Curse of the Abyss, which she caught when her mother gave birth to her during a mission in the Abyss.

Reg is an amnesic robot in the shape of a human boy. Having no memory of his own name, he was given the name Reg after a dog Riko used to own. Surprisingly, he can consume organic food despite being classified as a machine. His mechanical arms extensible, and can also fire a deadly energy beam capable of melting even stone, which Riko dubs the "Incinerator".

Flashback Corner - Remember This?

THE DIRTY PAIR is a series of sci-fi comedy light novels written by Haruka Takachiho and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko that was later adapted into anime and manga versions. The franchise has bounced across multiple formats and production companies, resulting in (so far) eight novels and a few shorter stories, a television series, two OVA series, two OVA features, a feature film, a number of graphic novels, and two short Japanese radio series. The 1985 television series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize for that year.

The stories take place in the years 2138-43, by which time humanity has spread across some few thousand star systems. A corporation called the World Welfare Works Association (WWWA or 3WA) helps member systems of the United Galactica (UG) federation deal with various planetary-scale problems, for profit, by sending agents called "trouble consultants". The series focuses on a team of trouble consultants in that section, named Kei and Yuri, who have a reputation for leaving a trail of destruction behind them, for which they are known publicly as the "Dirty Pair".

Kei and Yuri are the two members of Trouble Consultant team 234, code named "Lovely Angels". Almost every mission they are involved with ends up in disaster, but not failure (they'll catch the crook, but a city may be destroyed in the process), and thus they are more generally known as the "Dirty Pair", a nickname they hate. They are always cleared of any wrongdoing by the 3WA's Central Computer because the extreme collateral damage is never actually their fault (though their mere presence has been known to make things worse). In some but not all continuities, they have joint ESP powers, usually limited to precognition. This talent was the reason they were recruited in the first place.

Kei is a hot-headed tomboy with red hair and tanned skin who wears a silver-white uniform. She favors large weaponry and prefers to "shoot first, ask questions later". The more aggressive of the two, she is also the bustier of the pair and is attracted to manly, muscular men. Yuri is of Japanese ethnicity, and wears a golden-yellow uniform. She often uses non-gun weaponry such as energy whips or throwing cards. While the more feminine of the two, she is known to become very violent when crossed. She is the more bottom-heavy of the team and is also a coy flirt who prefers cultured, refined men. Her most recognized weapon is the Bloody Card, a technologically enhanced throwing card that can be used to take down several people at once.

Gaming Corner

NIER: AUTOMATA is an action role-playing game in which players take the role of combat androids from the YoRHa units across an open world environment. In addition to standard navigation on foot, using a special item allows the player to summon a wild animal to ride, and in some scenarios pilot a flying mech to fight enemies. As with the previous game, during navigation in some environments, the camera shifts from its standard third-person view to an overhead or side-scrolling perspective. Some areas also include platforming elements, requiring the player to navigate via jumping between platforms or over obstacles. The player can complete side quests for non-playable characters found throughout the world. Shops available in hub locations allow the player to purchase items, including consumables which recover health.

Combat is action-based, with the player fighting enemies in real-time in a variety of in-game environments. During battle, the player can use light attacks—which are fast but weak—and heavy attacks—slow and more powerful. The player can evade enemy attacks, and with successfully timed button presses, can gain temporary invulnerability and launch a counterattack which deals heavy damage. The player is also assisted by a Pod, a flying robot assistant which launches customizable ranged attacks varying from simple gunfire to heavy-hitting hammer attacks. Players can access four different weapon types in battle: short swords, long swords, bracers, and spears. While attacking, the player can alternate between both weapon types and attacks to create combination attacks. Attacks with different weapon types can also be charged and launched for increased damage. Weapon Stories, a recurring element in both Nier and the Drakengard series, where weapons found throughout the world have unique stories attached to them, are also featured.

As the players progress, they gain experience levels, increasing their health, defense, and attack power. Character progression is handled through chips, items installed onto the player characters that modify their attributes; these chips provide benefits ranging from altering the HUD, to granting status buffs. The number of chips that can be installed at once are limited by how many slots are available. Chips can either be purchased from shops, or picked up from defeated enemies. If the player dies, they will respawn at their previous save point. The player can then find their original body, and either retrieve items and experience left with it to gain a bonus, or attempt to repair it. Depending on the player's success, the body is either resurrected as a temporary ally, or as an enemy the player can defeat for an extra bonus. With online features enabled, the bodies of other players can also be retrieved or resurrected at the location in which they died.

Mighty Orbots - Remember this?

MIGHTY ORBOTS

In the future, Earth is threatened by various enemies, but none worse than the organization called Shadow, lead by the cybernetic menace known as Umbra. Against this, the Galactic Patrol strives to protect Earth, but the mild mannered young scientist, Robert Simmons, does more. In times of peril, he secretly fights as the leader of the Orbots, a team of unique artificially intelligent robots each equipped with their own unique capabilities that are invaluable in this war. Together, whether individually or united as parts of a giant combined robot, they represent Earth's most powerful defense.