Next Club Meeting: March 16, 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, January 31, 2013

Disney's Paperman

Best Animated Short Film of 2012!

  • Introducing a groundbreaking technique that seamlessly merges computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques, first-time director John Kahrs takes the art of animation in a bold new direction with the Oscar®-nominated short, "Paperman." Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him. Created by a small, innovative team working at Walt Disney Animation Studios, "Paperman" pushes the animation medium in an exciting new direction.



The Art of  "Paperman"

The Making of "Paperman"




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        Wednesday, January 30, 2013

        Star Trek Into Darkness - Homemade Version

        Hilarious Low Budget Treatment
        • The full "Star Trek Into Darkness" trailer recreated shot-for-shot entirely on an iPhone. All in-camera, no VFX!


            Tuesday, January 29, 2013

            FROM UP ON POPPY HILL - U.S. release poster

            Limited theaters starting March 15, 2013

            • Written by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by his son Goro, Poppy Hill is a story of young romance set in 1963 Yokohama. We meet our protagonists at a time when Japan was still recovering from WWII on top of preparing for the 1964 Olympics. Young would-be couple Umi and Shun join together to stop the destruction of a historic, Meiji-era house. Secrets from the past cast a shadow that may consume their efforts and their blooming romance. The English dub cast includes Gillian Anderson, Sarah Bolger, Beau Bridges, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bruce Dern, Jeff Dunham, Isabelle Fuhrman, Christina Hendricks, Ron Howard, Chris Noth, Emily Osment, Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Saxton, Alex Wolff and Anton Yelchin. From Up On Poppy Hill hits NY/LA cinemas on March 15, expanding out on March 29.
             
            • Set in Yokohama, From Up On Poppy Hill is a high school love story that take place in the year before the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. As the country begins to pick itself up from the devastation of the Second World War, the new generation struggles to move towards a prosperous future whilst trying not to lose the essence of their past. The film's rich and vibrant animation captures the entrancing beauty of Yokohama's harbour and lush surrounding hillsides and, with a soundtrack that draws inspiration from the finest music of the time, perfectly captures the thrills of young romance and the hope of a new dawn.

                  Monday, January 28, 2013

                  First Look at Hit Girl in KICK-ASS 2


                  Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl in KICK-ASS 2

                  Here are some scenes from the first film:


                      Sunday, January 27, 2013

                      Knights Of Badassdom


                      Live-action role players conjure up a demon from Hell by mistake and they must deal with the consequences. Starring Peter Dinklage.

                      Saturday, January 26, 2013

                      Friday, January 25, 2013

                      Disney Confirms next Star Wars Director to be...

                      J.J. Abrams to Direct Star Wars Episode VII

                      J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay.
                      “It’s very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie,” said Kennedy. “J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Wars experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture.”
                      George Lucas went on to say “I’ve consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller. He’s an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn’t be in better hands.”
                      "To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honor,” J.J. Abrams said. “I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."
                      J.J., his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, and Bad Robot are on board to produce along with Kathleen Kennedy under the Disney | Lucasfilm banner.
                      Also consulting on the project are Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg. Kasdan has a long history with Lucasfilm, as screenwriter on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi. Kinberg was writer on Sherlock Holmes and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
                      Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have a proven track record of blockbuster movies that feature complex action, heartfelt drama, iconic heroes and fantastic production values with such credits as Star Trek, Super 8, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, and this year’s Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams has worked with Lucasfilm’s preeminent postproduction facilities, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, on all of the feature films he has directed, beginning with Mission: Impossible III. He also created or co-created such acclaimed television series as Felicity, Alias, Lost and Fringe.

                        Thursday, January 24, 2013

                        Kalafina to Perform at Anime Central 2013


                        The organizers of the Anime Central convention announced on Wednesday that the Japanese pop trio Kalafina will perform at the convention on May 17. Anime Central notes that the performance will mark Kalafina's "first full band performance" in the United States.

                        Kalafina's Wakana, Keiko, and Hikaru debuted in 2008 with "Oblivious," the first of seven ending theme songs for the Kara no Kyōkai - the Garden of Sinners anime films. Since then, they have performed theme songs for several other anime, including Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Sound of the Sky, Fate/Zero, and both seasons of Black Butler.

                        Verteran composer Yuki Kajiura (Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Noir, .hack//SIGN) put together the Kalafina group and writes the music. Kalafina previously attended Anime Expo in 2011 and Anime Boston in 2009.

                        Anime Central will be held from May 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. Kalafina's concert will be held at the Akoo Theatre. Tickets will be available only to those who have already purchased admission to the convention.

                        Wednesday, January 23, 2013

                        TATSUMI

                        A tribute to an artist who sought to make comics cinematic, Eric Khoo's animated feature TATSUMI brings the manga legend classic stories to the big screen for the first time. The North American independent label KimStim has confirmed that it will release Eric Khoo's Tatsumi film on DVD. The company will release the film on March 26 for US$29.99. The film will include the Japanese language track with English subtitles. Khoo's animated film adaptation of Yoshihiro Tatsumi's A Drifting Life autobiographical manga retells the namesake creator's struggle to make a living after World War II. Tatsumi and others began challenging normal standards of manga drawing by pioneering a nontraditional gekiga style of storytelling and art design. The film previously screened at France's Cannes film festival in the Un Certain Regard category, won the Best Animated Film award at Spain's Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival and the best film award at the Dubai International Film Festiva, and received special mention in the Winds of Asia-Middle East category at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2011. Singapore submitted the film for consideration in the foreign-language film category for the 84th annual Academy Awards, but the film was not nominated. A Drifting Life originally shipped in Japan in November of 2008 as a two-volume series. The Canadian comic book publisher Drawn and Quarterly picked up the North American license and released the manga as a single, 840-page volume in April 2009. The manga since won two Eisner awards in 2010. Tatsumi himself was also nominated to enter the Eisner Hall of Fame that year, but was not selected. The film is currently screening in Toronto until January 25, and will also screen at the Videology theater in Brooklyn on January 26.


                        Tuesday, January 22, 2013

                        Anime Viewing Schedule for January 26, 2013

                        Wood Dale Public Library
                        Large Meeting Room, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
                         
                        "Doors, OPEN!" 
                        Saturday, January 26, 2013
                        10:00 - 10:50    Accel World 10-11
                        10:50 - 11:15    Space Brothers 7
                        11:15 - 11:40    Rinne no Lagrange 9
                        11:40 - 12:30  
                        Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 1-2
                        12:30 - 1:20    
                        Kokoro Connect 11-12
                        1:20 - 2:00      
                        Club Meeting / Announcements 
                        2:00 - 2:50       Sword Art Online 6-7
                        2:50 - 3:50       Space Battleship Yamato 2199 eps 5-6
                        3:50 - 4:40       BTOOOM! eps 1-2


                        10:00 - 10:50   Accel World 10-11
                        "Begin Combat!"
                        Accel World
                        [Source: Wikipedia] In the year 2046, Neuro-synchronization, a technology system that allows humans to manipulate their five senses, has become widespread where people can access the internet and enter virtual worlds. Haruyuki "Haru" Arita is a short, fat boy who due to constant bullying has low-self esteem. To escape the torment of real life, he logs-in to the school's virtual world network where he plays squash alone and always gets the highest score. One day Haru attracts the attention of the Student Council Vice-President Kuroyukihime who offers him Brain Burst, a secret program which allows a person to make time appear to stand still in their surroundings by "accelerating" their brainwaves in the real world. Unfortunately, there is a limit to how many times a person can accelerate due to Brain Burst points and the primary way to get more points is to fight and defeat other Brain Burst users in the program's virtual reality massive multiplayer online (VRMMO) fighting game. However, if a user loses all of his/her points the Brain Burst program will uninstall itself and block all re-installation attempts, thus permanently removing the user's ability to accelerate. Kuroyukihime wants Haru's help as she wishes to reach Level 10 and meet the creator of Brain Burst to learn its true purpose. But in order to do that, she must defeat five other Level 9 users who just so happen to be "The Six Kings of Pure Color", the leaders of the six most powerful factions in the Brain Burst world. For helping him, Haru agrees to help Kuroyukihime not only to repay her but to overcome his weaknesses.
                        Episode 10 "Activation": After having another misunderstanding cleared up for her, Chiyu expresses an interest in becoming a Burst Linker. As Kuroyukihime explains how the ability to give someone a copy of Brain Burst and become their guardian can only be used once, Haru becomes intrigued as to who her guardian was. When asked, Kuroyukihime only replies that it is someone who betrayed her trust, also explaining how a relationship between guardian and protegé is different from others. Later that day, Haru, Kuroyukihime, Takumu and Yuniko gather together and enter the Unlimited Accel World to search for Chrome Disaster. As they make their ways towards them, they are ambushed by a group of Burst Linkers led by the Yellow King, Yellow Radio.
                        Episode 11 "Obligation": Both Haru and Yuniko realize that Yellow Radio was the one responsible for the fifth Chrome Disaster, using a loophole in the non-aggression treaty as an excuse to eliminate her and reach Level 10. He then takes out Kuroyukihime by displaying a recording of herself beheading Red Rider, the first Red King, demoralizing her enough that she faints. Haru, Yuniko and Takumu are then forced to endure the onslaught from the Yellow Legion. During the battle, Takumu sacrifices himself to buy the others time. As the Yellow Legion starts to overwhelm them, Haru urges Kuroyukihime to wake up and she does. Kuroyukihime does battle with Yellow Radio and just as they charge up their killer moves, Yellow Radio is impaled by Chrome Disaster. 

                        10:50 - 11:15   Space Brothers 7
                        "Houston, the Eagle has landed!"
                        Space Brothers
                        [Source: Wikipedia] When they were young, the brothers Mutta and Hibito promised each other they would become astronauts. Now, in 2025, Hibito has followed his dream to become the first Japanese on the moon, but Mutta has just been fired from his job. His brother reminds him of their childhood promise, and Mutta decides once again to aim for space.
                        Episode 7 "Dear Hibito": As Hibito notices Mutta acting strangely, he suspects that something is up. Mutta eventually confesses about his high chance of failure, and appears to have resided to think he has no chance. Meanwhile, Hoshika has trouble trying to convince another judge to change his mind about Mutta. As Mutta spends time with the pet walkers following being told off by Hibito, the restaurant he is visiting is attacked by a fire extinguisher wielding robber.

                        11:15 - 11:40   Rinne no Lagrange 9
                        "Flying a robot is like riding a bucking bronco... sort of."
                        Rinne no Lagrange
                        [Source: Wikipedia] Madoka Kyouno, a schoolgirl from Kamogawa, is the sole member of the Jersey Club and always ready to help others out. One day, she is approached by an alien named Lan who asks her to pilot a robotic aircraft to defend mankind against an evil force.
                        Episode 9 "Departing Katsuura → Destination Kamogawa": As the Jersey Club works on a preparing a cultural festival, Izo becomes inspired by a samurai drama to challenge Madoka to a duel and travels to Kamogawa, prompting Array and Kirius to try and stop him. As Izo is mistaken by some of the other students for Madoka's boyfriend, he is told how Madoka was inspired by Yoko to join the Jersey Club after her mother died trying to save someone. After hearing the story, Izo decides to leave before Madoka arrives.

                        11:40 - 12:30     Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 1-2
                        "This is the work of your Wicked Eye!"
                        Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
                        [Source: Wikipedia] Yūta Togashi is a boy who, during junior high school, had 'adolescent delusions' (中二病 chūnibyō, lit. "junior high school second grade illness"), believing that he possesses supernatural powers and dubbing himself the 'Dark Flame Master,' therefore alienating himself from his classmates. Finding his past embarrassing, Yūta attempts to start off high school where he does not know anyone, free from his old delusions. This proves to be difficult, however, as a delusional girl in his class, Rikka Takanashi, learns of Yūta's past and becomes interested in him. As the plot progreses Rikka becomes more attached to Yūta, who despite finding her delusions irritating and embarrassing, accepts her. He helps Rikka with a number of things, including founding and maintaining her club and tutoring her. When he joins her on her summer vacation, Yūta learns that when Rikka was very young her father, whom she was very close to, died unexpectedly due to a terminal illness, causing her to fall into her delusions. After Yūta agrees to help Rikka search for the 'Ethereal Horizon' (不可視境界線 Fukashi Kyōkaisen), which she believes will lead her to her father, she becomes romantically interested in him and vice versa.
                        Episode 1 "An Encounter with...the Wicked Eye": As Yūta Togashi throws away his past delusions of grandeur in order to start high school with a clean slate, he encounters a curious girl climbing down his balcony. On the first day of school, the same girl, Rikka Takanashi, approaches Yūta, exhibiting her own signs of 'chūnibyō syndrome'. Having eavesdropped on Yūta getting his delusions out of his system, Rikka declares him her soulmate, despite him having no interest in reentering his delusions. However, he is asked by the teacher to walk Rikka home, as she had only moved in with her older sister, Tōka, who lives above Yūta's apartment, the day before. Upon arriving home, Yūta helps Rikka move her belongings into her apartment. Later, Rikka manages to convince Yūta not to throw away his old belongings.
                        Episode 2 "Priestess of...Melodies": Rikka finds a stray cat, which she claims is a chimera, though cannot keep it in her apartment due to Tōka's allergy to cats and Yūta refuses to take it in himself. Meanwhile, Yūta finds himself nervous around the class president, Shinka Nibutani, which becomes more awkward when Rikka shows up. Later, another student named Kumin Tsuyuri inquires about the cat they found, as she had been looking for her own who ran away. Both Yūta and Kumin go to Rikka's apartment, filled with all sorts of oddities, though the cat turns out not to be Kumin's. After Tōka swiftly punishes Rikka for bringing the cat in, she asks Yūta to get rid of it, threatening to expose Yūta's chūnibyō behavior if he refuses. As Rikka runs off with the cat, Yūta runs off with the audio evidence and they both try to escape Tōka, but are eventually caught. Afterwards, Yūta agrees to take in the cat.

                        12:30 - 1:20   Kokoro Connect 11-12
                        "There's something I've always wanted to give you."
                        Kokoro Connect
                        [Source: Wikipedia] The story involves five high school students, Taichi, Iori, Himeko, Yoshifumi and Yui, who are all members of the Cultural Research Club. One day, they begin experiencing a phenomenon in which they randomly swap bodies amongst themselves. As these five friends face many different phenomena at the whims of a mysterious being known as Balloon Vine, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.
                        Episode 11 "A Story That Began As We Realized It": On the day before Winter break, following a brief period of peace after the unleashing of desires, a new phenomenon takes place in which Yui and Iori temporarily revert to a younger age during 12pm and 5pm that day. After returning back to their normal age, they lose memory of what happened, but remember things from when they were that age. Later that night, a second Heartseed appears before Taichi through his sister's body, tasking him with watching over the others and warning him not to tell the others about his existence. The next day, Taichi stumbles upon Yui who is argued at by an old karate rival, Chinatsu Mihashi, over breaking a certain promise which she can't remember. As the gang meet up at an abandoned building, this time Himeko and Yoshifumi shrink, with the now ten-year old Yoshifumi likening Yui to a girl named Nana Nishio. After reverting to his normal age, Yoshifumi explains Nana was a girl he went out with once before she moved, leading him to be conflicted over how his feelings for both her and Yui stand. The next day, as Taichi and Himeko watch over a 14-year old Iori, Himeko voices her worries.
                        Episode 12 "Into a Snowy City": As the gang have to look after Iori who winds up as a baby, Yui is confronted by Chinatsu, who challenges her to a karate match and defeats her. Meanwhile, Yoshifumi ponders if his feelings for Yui are because of her similar appearance to Nana. On the second day of the New Year, Yui reverts to right after she was assaulted and, upon returning to normal, remembers vividly about that age. As Yui refuses to talk things out with Chinatsu, Yoshifumi tells her to stop running away from her problems. Talking with Taichi, Yui reveals her promise with Chinatsu was to meet each other at the national karate tournament, which she was unable to keep after contracting her androphobia, and laments how weak and reliant she has become. After sending Yui home, the others speak with Yoshifumi, who remembers his personal vow to live carefree and decides to go visit Nana to tell her about his love for Yui. Afterwards, Yoshifumi reconfirms to Yui that he loves her for who she is. This encourages Yui to face her own problems and embrace Yoshifumi and overcome her androphobia. Afterwards, Himeko becomes suspicious of Taichi hiding something from everyone.

                        1:20 - 2:00     Club Meeting / Announcements

                        Tea Time!
                        -  Convention Announcements
                        -  Animation News from around the world
                        -  Cosplayers/Skits/Masquerade
                        -  Anime Music Videos
                        -  And other weird, interesting stuff...


                        "Uh... no comment."
                         

                        2:00 - 2:50    Sword Art Online 6-7
                        "Kirito must beat the game in order to save himself and his friends,
                        but he must first harden his emotions even to those he loves."
                         Sword Art Online
                        [Source: Wikipedia] In the year 2022, the Virtual reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) Sword Art Online (SAO) is released. With the Nerve Gear, a virtual reality Helmet that stimulates the user's five senses via their brain, players can experience and control their in-game characters with their minds. On November 6, 2022, all the players log in for the first time, and discover that they are unable to log out. They are then teleported to a place where Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of SAO, issues them a challenge; if they wish to be free and log out of the game, they must reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if their avatars die in game, their bodies will also die in the real world. The story follows Kirito, a skilled player who is determined to beat the game. As the game progresses Kirito eventually befriends a female player called Asuna who becomes his partner and lover. After the duo discovers the identity of Kayaba's avatar in SAO, the couple confronts and defeats him, freeing themselves and the other players from the game. Upon returning to the real world, Kirito learns that Asuna is trapped along a small group of SAO players against their will in another VRMMORPG called Alfheim Online (ALO) as a part of a plan devised by Nobuyuki Sugō with the intention of brainwashing Asuna and marry her in an attempt to take over her family's company. Helped by old friends from his time in SAO along new allies, Kirito manages to thwart Nobuyuki's plans and finally reunite with Asuna in the real world. Soon after, Kirito embarks in another VRMMORPG called Gun Gale Online (GGO) to investigate the mysterious connection between the game and deaths ocurring in the real world. He eventually discovers that the cuplrits behind the deaths include former members of a murderous guild he has previously confronted in SAO. After solving the murders in GGO, Kirito is recruited to assist in the development of a state-of-the-art game interface far more realistic and complex than those of the games he had previously played, but he eventually gets trapped in a game called UnderWorld (UW) where the flow of time is thousands of times faster than in the real world and is currently finding a way back to reality.
                        Episode 6 "Phantom Avenger": Kirito pursues the assassin, who escapes by using a teleport crystal. Kirito wonders how it is possible to kill someone in a safezone to which a paranoid Schmit declares that the killer is Griselda's ghost. After watching a dropped sandwich vanish and talking to Asuna about the game's marriage system of inventory sharing, Kirito deduces how Yoruko and Kains "died" and who was Griselda's murderer. He explains to Asuna that Yoruko and Kains are actually alive, and that they had merely faked their deaths by using a teleport crystal when their armor broke from the damage over time weapon effect to give the appearance of a player death. Yoruko and Kains confront Schmit at Griselda's grave to investigate the identity of Griselda's killer. After Schmit explains that he had only followed instructions given to him and had not expected Griselda's death, the three are surrounded by members of the notorious player-killing guild, Laughing Coffin, who have come to kill them. Yoruko, Kains and Schmit are rescued by the timely arrival of Kirito, who intimidates the Laughing Coffin into retreating. Asuna arrives with the man who hired the Laughing Coffin and Griselda's killer, Grimrock. Grimrock reveals that he killed Griselda, who was also his wife in the real world, because he could not accept that his kind, dutiful wife he loved had become a fearless, independent leader. Asuna admonishes Grimrock for killing Griselda, telling him that he never truly loved his wife and that he was merely possessive. After Yoruko, Kains and Schmit take Grimrock into custody, Kirito and Asuna briefly discuss about marriage and Kirito states he would love his partner more after seeing a different side of her. Kirito and Asuna then see an apparition of Griselda thanking them. 
                        Episode 7 "Warmth of the Heart": On June 24, 2024 at Lindas on 48th floor, Asuna visits her friend, Lisbeth or "Liz", at her smith shop before going off adventuring, and Liz suspects that she was going away with a boy she likes. The next day, Kirito arrives at Liz's shop in search of a custom-made sword to buy. Much to Liz's shock, Kirito's sword, Elucidator, easily breaks her strongest sword. Angry and her pride hurt, Liz persuades Kirirto to let her accompany him to the Western Mountain on the 55th floor to get a rare mineral from a dragon that eats crystals, so that she can use the mineral to make a stronger sword. When they arrive at the Western Mountain, Kirito tells Liz to hide when he fights the dragon. However, she ignores his advice and emerges from hiding halfway through the battle, believing the dragon almost defeated. The dragon blasts her into a deep pit with a powerful gale, and Kirito jumps in to save her. Despite surviving the fall, the pair cannot find a way out of the pit and are forced to sleep there for the night. Liz asks Kirito to hold her hand while they sleep, which brings her to the realization that she has feelings for him. The next morning, Kirito discovers that the mineral they are seeking, a Crystallite Ingot, is under the snow as the hole is the dragon's nest. The dragon returns and Kirito grabs Liz with him as he stabs the dragon's back, forcing it to carry them out the hole before jumping out. Now safe with the mineral, Liz creates a new sword, Dark Repulsor, for Kirito and denies payment. She instead asks Kirito to make her his exclusive smith and is about to confess her feelings to him, when a worried Asuna suddenly arrives. Realizing Kirito is the boy Asuna likes all along, Liz abruptly excuses herself from them. As Liz cries over her heartbreak, Kirito finds her and tries to comfort her. Accepting that her feelings would go unrequited, Liz pledges her support to Kirito as his smith if he promises to win the game and free them all.

                        2:50 - 3:50    Space Battleship Yamato 2199 eps 5-6
                        "Our... Star... Blaaaazers!
                        Space Battleship Yamato 2199
                        [Source: Wikipedia] The year is 2199. The once blue and green planet Earth has been reduced to a radioactive desert wasteland by constant attacks from a hostile aliens from the planet Gamilas which force the remaining population underground. However, a friendly alien race from the planet Iscandar contacts the humans and gives them the blueprints to build a powerful space battleship capable of retrieving a device to clean the planet before humanity disappears. The name of the ship: Space Battleship Yamato.

                        3:50 - 4:40    BTOOOM! 1-2
                        "The video game of exploding bombs just became real!"
                        BTOOOM!
                        [Source: Wikipedia] Ryōta Sakamoto is an unemployed 22-year-old who lives with his mother. In the real world, there may be nothing really special about him, but online, he's one of the world's top players of the combat game called Btooom!. One day, he awakes in what appears to be a tropical island, though he has no memory of how or why he has come to be there. While wandering around, Ryōta sees someone and calls out for help. The stranger responds by throwing a bomb at him. Ryōta soon realizes both that his life is in danger and that he has somehow been trapped in a real-life version of his favorite game. In the game Ryota meets Himiko, who is another Btooom! gamer — and supposedly Ryota's in-game wife.
                        Episode 1 "Start": A new MMO game was released called Btooom! which sold almost 3 million copies worldwide. Ryōta Sakamoto, is an unemployed 22 year old who has risen as the top ranked player of Btooom! in Japan, and his team, Team Sakamoto ranked as 10th in the world. In the present, Ryōta awakens trapped in a parachute harness in what seems to be a tropical island and has no memory of how he got there. Equipped with his bag containing a few necessities, pouch full of bomb like weapons called BIMs and a strange bead embedded on his left hand. Later he sees another person running towards him on the beach but when he hails this person, Yoshiaki Imagawa, attacks him with bombs. In a flashback Ryōta has a dispute with his mother who wants him to get a job rather than stay at home playing video games, but he harshly states that he is persuing a job at the company who created the Btooom! game. Later when he visits a convienence store to revoke a job application his mother turned in for him, he is met by two men at which point his memory dissolves. Back in the present Ryōta tries to reason with his assailant but to no avail which forces him to run, realising that he is forced to play Btooom! for real. However his morality argues that he cannot just kill another person, but this quickly dissolves when he is forced to fight back after the man corners him. Ryōta then sets a trap by leaving a timer-BIM on a cliff and jumping into the ocean, which kills his unawares assailant. In the epilogue Ryōta has a dream where he had yet another fight with his mother about job hunting. He then stumbles through the jungle, meeting a river where a girl is seen refreshing herself.
                        Episode 2 "Chi no Joshikousei": In a flashback a girl called Himiko explains to her friend Miho that she was invited to play Btooom! with Team Sakamoto. Back in the present Himiko discovers that she had been parachtued onto the island with limited rations and a pouch full of bombs as well as her stun gun. In another flashback, Himiko and her friends discuss a strange chain letter that had been making the rounds on the internet that claims to reward anyone with 100,000 yen in exchange for allowing the "disappearance" of a named person of the email receiver's choosing. Back on the island Himiko awakens to find herself admits three men, Mitsuo Akechi, Isamu Kondō and Masashi Miyamoto. They decide to team up but when Isamu gets into constant disputes with Masashi, Masashi slits his throat; killing him. Mitsuo and Himiko then run away while Masashi is asleep but he quickly catches up to them only to retreat when Mitsuo uses his bombs. In another flashback, Himiko and her friends, Yuki, Arisa and Miho are invited by an upperclassman, Yoshioka to an apartment. When Himiko shows up late she discovers her friends were drugged and raped by Yoshioka and his band. They attempt to rape Himiko however she escapes and alerts the authorities. Afterwards, her best friend, Miho annuls their friendship and blames her for the crime. In the present, Mitsuo becomes delusional and Himiko stuns him and runs away but he finds and sexually assaults her. However, Himiko activates one of her timer-BIMs, deciding to kill them both but when Mitsuo runs she throws the bomb after him which explodes and kills him. Himiko then deems that everyone on the island is her enemy, especially the men. At this point, when Himiko is refreshing herself at the river, she is discovered by Ryōta.

                        Monday, January 21, 2013

                        Coming of Age Day Japan 2013

                        Snow in Harajuku and Shibuya

                        Sunday, January 20, 2013

                        Maoyuu Maou Yuusha

                        A New RPG-style Anime


                        Maoyū Maō Yūsha (まおゆう魔王勇者, Archenemy and Hero, also known as Maoyu and stylized as MAOYU) follows the exploits of a human hero and the queen of demons who join forces to bring peace and prosperity to a war-torn world. The story is set in a world embroiled by war between Humans and Demons. The Humans' greatest warrior known as the Hero invades the castle of the Maō (魔王 Demon King), leader of the Demons who is actually a Queen, as he is determined to vanquish her. However, instead of fighting back, the Queen proposes an alliance with the Hero. She explains how a sudden end to the war can bring further chaos to the world as the Humans once united to stand against their common enemies would eventually begin fighting among themselves, with similar issues already occurring at the Demon Realm. Convinced by her words, the Hero joins forces with the Queen and together they execute a plan to bring prosperity and a lasting peace to both Humans and Demons alike.

                        Saturday, January 19, 2013

                        ALIENS: Colonial Marines

                        Arriving February 12, 2013


                        You and your friends are the deadliest 
                        killers in the galaxy. 
                        Another glorious day in the Corps.
                        • Buckle up, soldier! Welcome to Aliens™: Colonial Marines. Created by Gearbox, the critically acclaimed and fan-favourite developers of Borderlands and Brothers In Arms, you and your friends will become the most badass military outfit in the galaxy – the US Colonial Marines. It’s up to you to not just survive, but wipe out the Xeno infestation.
                        • Enlist in the Marine Corps.
                          Bringing you a true sequel to the classic Aliens film, get tooled up with classic Marine weapons including pulse rifles, motion trackers and flamethrowers.
                        • The most authentic Aliens experience ever.
                          Using authentic environments inspired by the film series including Hadley’s Hope, the Sulaco and LV-426, you will be immersed in an eerie, atmospheric world where any moment could bring your death.
                        • Drop-in/Drop-out co-operative gameplay.
                          The masters of co-op bring their expertise to the Aliens universe. Xenos getting too tough? Call up your buddies so they can drop in with extra firepower. The whole campaign can be played with a squad of up to four players, dropping in and out as necessary through self-contained missions within an over-arching narrative.
                        • Loadouts and upgrades.
                          Create your perfect killing machine. An extensive upgrade system allows players to customise their characters to play the way they want. Earn experience to get perks, new weapons and new looks for your squad.
                        • Pre-Purchase on Steam and receive S.H.A.R.P. Stick! As referenced by Hudson in Aliens™, the prototype sonic-harpoon artillery remote projectile (S.H.A.R.P.) rifle fires time-delayed, explosive-tipped darts that embed themselves into enemies or terrain.

                        Friday, January 18, 2013

                        Shot of B12


                        Steve and his friends join a boy band and make an infectious music video. 
                        WTF, B8 is a girl!?

                        Thursday, January 17, 2013

                        Heads-Up Display - Animated Short


                        The fastest base stealer in the league squares off against a high-tech catcher. The classic showdown between catcher and base-stealer is given a sci-fi twist in this all CG short created exclusively for The New York Mets.

                        Wednesday, January 16, 2013

                        The SFX Wizards of the Avengers Movie

                        Showcasing the Magic Behind the Movie
                        This epic FX reel proves why Avengers definitely deserves an Oscar 
                        To build buzz for their nomination, Avengers effects crew Industrial Light and Magic has put together an epic video showing how they made all those insane scenes come together.

                        Here's ILM's intro for the clip:
                        "We are proud to present this video which showcases some of ILM's Oscar nominated effects work for the 2012 hit film, "Marvel's The Avengers". This reel represents a small fraction of the work created by over 200 ILM artists, scientists, and engineers backed up by a world class production team. The stop motion animations which open and close the reel were done the old fashioned way - by hand, one frame at a time. They were crafted by ILM's stop motion guru, Erik Dillinger specifically for this reel."
                        Check it out below and see the magic of the SFX Wizards:

                        Tuesday, January 15, 2013

                        ABC's of Marvel

                        Marveletica
                        • Illustrator Benjamin Thomas Johnson created this fun Marvel typface that he calls "Marveletica," which is a mix of Marvel and Helvetica. He gives us the ABC's of Marvel characters!
                        A - Apocolypse
                        B - Beast
                        C - Captain America
                        D - Doctor Octopus
                        E - Electra
                        F - Firelord
                        G - Gambit
                        H - Hulk
                        I - Ironman
                        J - Juggernaut
                        K - Killer Shrike
                        L - Loki
                        M - Magneto
                        N - Nightcrawler
                        O - Oracle
                        P - Punisher
                        Q - Quicksilver
                        R - Rogue
                        S - Spider-man
                        T - Thor
                        U - Union Jack
                        V - Venom
                        W - Wolverine
                        X - Professor Charles Xavier
                        Y - Yellowjacket
                        Z - Zues