Next Club Meeting: April 20, 2024, at the Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

The Animatrix Network is an anime & manga fan club located in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. We usually meet on the third 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.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Next Club Meeting is Saturday, April 9, 2011

Anime Programming Schedule

EVENT DATE: April 9, 2011
EVENT TIME: Noon - 8:00 PM
EVENT LOCATION: Building K, Room 131

Viewing Schedule
Time  Title Ep
Noon- 12:50  Asobi ni Iku yo! 10,11
12:50 - 1:15  Shiki 8
1:15 - 2:00  SUPERNATURAL The Animation (Eng Dub) 1,2
2:00 - 2:50  Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 1,2
2:50 - 3:15  The World God Only Knows 6
3:15 - 4:15   Club Meeting Announcements -
4:15 - 5:05  Katanagatari 11
5:05 - 5:30  Occult Academy 10
5:30 - 5:55  Gosick 3
5:55 - 8:00  Mobile Suit GUNDAM Unicorn 1,2
PLEASE NOTE: OUR MEETING LOCATION IS IN BUILDING K.
Screenings are FREE, but donations to the club are welcome.  Viewing Schedule is subject to change. All are Fan-subbed unless otherwise noted.  Some titles may contain scenes of nudity, adult situations and/or violence.

ANIME DESCRIPTIONS
Noon - 12:50   Asobi ni Iku yo! 10-11
[Source: Wikipedia] The story revolves around Kakazu Kio, an ordinary high school freshman living in Okinawa. A girl with cat ears appears before him during a memorial service for one of his family ancestors. The girl calls herself Elis and claims she is an alien. Before long, fanatical alien worshipers and a mysterious government agency are in hot pursuit of Elis, but Kio's childhood friend Manami — who wants to follow in her father's footsteps in the CIA — captures Elis. Kio finds himself having to protect Elis from everyone. It's Christmas and the Catians decide to prepare a special present to mankind, while Kuune, the captain of the Catian mothership pays a visit to Kio's house. However, the festivities are interrupted when the Dogisians launch an attack on them. Then, with the Catian ship en route to collide with Earth and Kuune out of commission, Kio is appointed the new captain of the Catian forces, and he sets with the girls to an abandoned launch base in Russia as part of their plan to aid their friends in space.


12:50 - 1:15  Shiki 8
[Source: Wikipedia] Seishin works on a novel called "Shiki", which describes the undead. Natsuno, Kaori and Akira dig up Megumi's coffin to find it empty, confirming their suspicions. Kaori is suddenly captured by someone but manages to repel him using the good-luck charm she gave to Megumi. Natsuno arrives and kills the man in self-defense. They realize that the man has no body heat prior to being "killed", meaning he's one of the vampires. They partially bury him in Megumi's grave, hoping the adults will take notice. In the morning, the three return to the forest and discover that the vampire had revived and covered the grave back up. Natsuno decides to finish off old lady Motohashi, who just died from the "illness", if she arises from her grave. Meanwhile, Seishin suspects Sunako is one of the risen, by her speech and her genetical illness. While Natsuno is still outside, a young girl, Shizuka Matsuo, wearing kindergarten uniform and using a Japanese-style puppet to talk, goes to his house and asks her parents to let her in and claims to know Natsuno. Natsuno's father suspects the girl though he reluctantly invites her in due to his wife's persuasions. However, the girl, whose eyes glow ominously, asks to wait in Natsuno's room.


1:15 - 2:00    SUPERNATURAL: The Animation
Watch the Trailer
Based on the hit television series, "Supernatural: The Animation", is a 22-episode series from Studio Madhouse, who also brought us Batman: Gotham Knight and of course Death Note. The anime project will not only remake the best episodes from the live-action version but also depict original episodes not seen in the live-action version. Those original episodes will include prologues of the Winchester brothers’ childhood, anime-only enemies, and episodes featuring secondary characters from the live-action version. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles will be doing the voice work for the series' Stateside debut. Although Padalecki has signed on to dub all 22 episodes, Warner Bros. Japan says Ackles will only voice his character Dean in the final two due to scheduling conflicts. "Supernatural: The Animation" is set for initial release in Japan on February 23rd, and a U.S. version is expected to be released on DVD, though no release date has been announced. Supernatural creator Eric Kripke is credited as creator of the anime, which is co-directed by Shigeyuki Miya (Lupin III: Green vs Red, Aoi Bungaku Series) and Atsuko Ishizuka (Aoi Bungaku Series).


2:00 - 2:50   Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (eps 1-2)
Watch the Trailer
[Source: J-List] The now-prophetic Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, which premiered on July 9, 2009, tells the story of a large earthquake centered in Tokyo and the journey of a girl named Mirai and her younger brother Yuki to get back home, with the help of a woman named Mari. The project was conceived by Fuji TV and animation studio Bones as a way to realistically portray how a serious disaster might unfold, to tell an interesting story as well as to prepare people for this kind of disaster ahead of time. The series is great, with fascinating and realistic characters and better writing than a whole shelf of anime series, and I recommend it (but keep a box of tissues handy). The show is interesting in another way, because it lets those living outside Japan experience a realistic side of modern Japanese young people in the 21st century, in the character of the 13-year-old Mirai. At the beginning of the series, she uses her keitai (cell phone) constantly to retreat from the real world and all its unpleasantness, earning her the nickname keitai seijin, or "Alien from Planet Cell Phone." Mirai is constantly bored, lacking the capacity to be emotionally moved by anything, and the only opinions she offers about the world are futsu (translatable as "normal" or "same as usual" but in this case it functions more like "whatever" or "I don't care") and betsu ni (meaning "nothing in particular"), which are indicative of her general melancholy about life. In the first episode she becomes frustrated with everything and says, "I wish the whole world would be destroyed," and naturally that's when the quake hits. By the end of the show she's changed greatly, a personal journey that can be compared to Spirited Away, only with more sadness and earthquakes. I am secretly hopeful that Japan's young people, who have been heiwa boke (hei-wa boh-kay), meaning "spoiled rotten from too much peace and prosperity," will somehow be changed by the great tragedy Japan has experienced, and will realize the preciousness of life, like Mirai eventually did.
 
2:50 - 3:15    The World God Only Knows 6
[Source: Wikipedia] Keima Katsuragi, a second-year high school student, is an avid bishōjo game player. He is known on the Internet as "The God of Conquests (落とし神 Otoshi-gami?)" for his legendary skills to be able to "conquer" any 2D girl in games. However, in his actual school life, Keima is known as otamegane (オタメガネ), a derogatory portmanteau of the two words otaku (オタク) and megane (メガネ-"glasses"), and is considered nothing but an intelligent yet gloomy geek with glasses. At the start of the series, Keima receives an e-mail offering him a contract to "conquer" girls. When he accepts it, thinking it is an invitation to a game, a demon from Hell named Elsie appears. She asks for his cooperation to help her in catching runaway spirits. These spirits hide themselves inside the hearts of girls, and Elsie suggests that the only method to force the spirits out is by "conquering" the girls hearts, making them fall in love with him and filling up the gaps which the runaway spirits hide in. Interested only in 2D girls, however, Keima is appalled by the idea, and refuses the assignment as he has no romantic real life experiences whatsoever. Nevertheless, with the contract already agreed, Keima has no choice but to help Elsie no matter what, as they will be beheaded if they fail. Aside from focusing on Keima and Elsie's adventures on capturing spirits, the series also makes fun and parodying common and popular cliches about dating sims, anime character stereotypes, and pop culture.


3:15 - 4:15    Club Meeting and Announcements
-  Anime News
-  C2E2 coverage

-  COD-Con in April

-  New Anime Releases

-  And other interesting stuff...

 
  
4:15 - 5:05    Katanagatari 11
[Source: Wikipedia] Shichika Yasuri, the main character of the story.After living on a certain island in the country of Tamba for the past twenty years, he is sought out by Togame with a mission to find twelve unique swords. As a practitioner of the Kyotōryuu school of swordplay, he does not use a single sword when fighting, instead using his hands and legs as his primary weapons. In a sense, he is actually a physical fighter, but since he uses hand-chops, he considers it to be an art of the sword. The reason why he practices Kyotōryuu is because the Yasuri family has no talent in handling swords, which dates back to as far as the first head of the school, Kazune Yasuri. He is in love with Togame and will do anything she tells him to do; however, he sometimes considers her orders a hassle. After defeating Hakuhei Sabi and retrieving his sword, Shichika also inherits Hakuhei's title and becomes known as the strongest swordsman in Japan. His catchphrase is "but before then you'll be torn to pieces". Togame is a self-titled strategian. She arrives on the island where Shichika resides in order to seek his help with finding the final twelve swords forged by Shikizaki Kiki. Her father was Takahito Hida, the leader of the last rebellion and also one of the people Mutsue Yasuri had killed back then; this makes Shichika the son of Togame's father's killer. The reason behind her seeking help from Shichika is that he has no reason to keep the swords for himself and she believes that people who work for love can be trusted the most; that is why she tells Shichika to fall for her. She has a habit of saying "cheerio" while punching Shichika.


5:05 - 5:30    Occult Academy 10
Watch the Trailer
[Source: Wikipedia] The story revolves around Maya, the daughter of the former Headmaster of a private Japanese academy dedicated to the study of the occult, and time traveling agent Fumiaki Uchida, a mysterious young man who travels back in time from 2012. In 1999, Maya returns to the Academy, both for her father's funeral and for her goal to destroy the Academy, as she hates everything occult. Occult Academy is apparently situated in Nagano, as the Matsushiro Underground Imperial Headquarters are shown to be nearby. In episode 10 the acedemy was actually Maya's Christmas gift therefore giving her a reason of not destroying the school. Maya successfully assumes her father's place as the academy's headmistress. She later meets Fumiaki Uchida whom makes his appearance from the future. Having no luck in finding the Nostradamus Key, Bunmei meets Mikaze Nakagawa at the diner she works in. Meanwhile, people are mysteriously disappearing around the city.

5:30 - 5:55    Gosick 3
Watch the Trailer
[Source: Wikipedia] The year is 1924, the place, Sauville, a small European country neatly tucked beside the Alps... Kazuya Kujo has been studying abroad at the prestigious Saint Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. Most Kazuya ignores but the story of the Queen Berry, a mysterious ghost ship, really gets to him. Of course, his brainy friend Victorique is much more intrigued by true stories, and she uses her unrivaled logic to solve mysteries even the town's famous detective can't. Ironically, it is Victorique's inquisitive nature that leads the duo to board a ship that matches the Queen Berry's description to a tee, a ship that might just hold the key to solving a sinister mystery... After surviving the events at the ship along with Kujo, Victorique uncovers the truth behind what happened there, and about a similar incident that occurred ten years before. Her deductive reasoning astonishes her audience as she reveals the reasons behind both incidents.

5:55 - 8:00    Mobile Suit GUNDAM Unicorn [MOVIES 1 - 2] 
 ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED  
Watch the Trailer
[Source: Wikipedia] A Neo Zeon remnant group called the "Sleeves" travels to Side 4's Industrial 7 colony, so that its captain, Zinnerman, can receive a "key" to something known as "Laplace's Box" from Vist Foundation leader Cardeas Vist. The item is said to be capable of either restoring the future or destroying the world. Audrey Burns seeks to meet Vist first and convince him not to turn over Laplace's Box, believing the Sleeves will use it to start another war. Along the way, she is rescued by 16-year-old student Banagher Links, who agrees to take her to Vist. Meanwhile, a battle breaks out between the Federation's Londo Bell taskforce and the Sleeves. As the collateral damage rises, the colony is evacuated. Amidst the chaos, Banagher discovers the fatally-wounded Cardeas Vist in the cockpit of the Unicorn Gundam. Before his death, Vist entrusts the Gundam to Banagher, who realizes that Vist is his father. Banagher then launches in the Unicorn and confronts the Sleeves' elite pilot, Marida Cruz, who is piloting the Kshatriya. The transformed Unicorn Gundam overpowers the Kshatriya and Marida is ordered to retreat. The Unicorn is picked up by the Londo Bell ship Nahel Argama. Banagher is questioned by Daguza Mackle about how he came to possess the Unicorn Gundam but is interrupted by the Sleeves' surprise attack. Full Frontal, the leader of Neo Zeon, demands that the Nahel Argama hand over any items related to Laplace's Box, including the Unicorn. Daguza tries to ensure safe passage by holding Audrey, revealed to be Zeon Princess Mineva Lao Zabi, hostage, but Frontal refuses to accept they have the real Mineva. With no other choice, Banagher sorties in the Unicorn against the Sinanju; he fights well, but is captured when blindsided by the Kshatriya. Banagher is taken to meet Frontal at the Sleeves asteroid base of Palau. After discussing the nature of Zeon with Marida, who is placed in charge of watching over Banagher, a crew member from Nahel Argama disguised as a bum bumps into Banagher and passes him a map and a transmitter, telling him to get to the 14th space gate or risk being killed in the coming battle. Banagher laments over how the colony will become a battlefield soon.

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