Next Club Meeting: October 19, 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, August 22, 2013

Anime Viewing Schedule for August 24, 2013

Saturday, August 24, 2013
Wood Dale Public Library

"Now there's something you don't see everyday."

Main Meeting Room, 10:15 am to 5:00 pm
(Click on titles to view Video Previews)
10:15 - 11:05    My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU 1-2
11:05 - 11:30    Blood Lad 1 

11:30 - 12:20    Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet 7-8
12:20 - 1:10      Red Data Girl 9-10
1:10 - 1:50        Club Meeting / Announcements
1:50 - 2:40        Sword Art Online 18-19
2:40 - 3:55        Attack on Titan 13-15
3:55 - 4:40        Garden of Words [Movie]


10:15 - 11:05    My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (Episodes 1-2)
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] The story follows loners, the pragmatic Hachiman Hikigaya and beautiful Yukino Yukinoshita who despite their varying personalities and ideals, offer help and advice to others as part of their school's Service Club. It largely depicts various social situations faced by teens in a high school setting and the psychology driving their interactions.
Episode 1 "And Thus Their Mistaken Youth Begins": Hachiman Hikigaya is a pragmatic loner who is forced by his language teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka to join his high school's Service Club as a result of his biased socialistic ideals. Reluctantly joining, Hachiman immediately meets and clashes ideals with the club's only other member, Yukino Yukinoshita. Unable to reach a common ground, Shizuka proposes that they both contest their ideals by helping people sent to the club, with the winner being able to order the loser around. The following day, Yui Yuigahama enters the club with a request that they help her bake cookies for a "certain person". Yukino tries and fails to get Yui to bake correctly, although Hachiman fulfills Yui's request using reverse psychology which effectively helps her realize that people simply appreciate being thought of. The following week, Yui shows up at the clubroom and gives both Hachiman and Yukino baked cookies as thanks for their help.
Episode 2 "Surely, Everyone Else Has The Same Troubles": While in class, Hachiman thinks about the pros and cons of forming social groups by comparing the act to the animal kingdom and wishes he was a solitary bear while subsequently drawing one on his biology assignment. While being reprimanded by Shizuka, she asks Hachiman about the club's progress and states that she simply wanted to separate both Hachiman and Yukino from everyone else because of their unorthodox views on society. At lunch, Hachiman observes Yui's continually failed attempts to break away from her social group led by the popular Yumiko Miura in order to have lunch with Yukino. Yui, soon finds herself in a tight spot when she can't explain why she has to leave to Yumiko. Just then Yukino shows up and demands to know why Yui is late, but understands once Yumiko makes herself known. Yukino then proceeds to point out the flaws in Yumiko's personality, in that she imposes her beliefs on others as the unrequited leader of her social group. Afterwards, realizing the tense atmosphere, everyone but Yui and Yumiko exit the class, allowing them to resolve their differences, while outside the class, Yukino and Hachiman listen to Yui telling Yumiko her true feelings of the way she wants to be treated. After school, an acquaintance of Hachiman, the delusional Yoshiteru Zaimokuza shows up at the club with a request that they help him review a light novel he wrote, which they accept. That evening, while walking home, Hachiman has a flashback involving a dog and a car while crossing the street. The following day, without hesitation, Yukino harshly critiques Yoshiteru's work, making him feel put down, but also glad that he was able to get honest opinions from people for something he wrote and promises to have them review his next work.

11:05 - 11:30     Blood Lad (Episode 1)
 
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] Blood Lad follows Staz, a vampire from the surreal "Demon World", and Fuyumi, an ordinary girl who accidentally wanders into the Demon World through a portal. Subsequently after meeting each other, Fuyumi is killed by a carnivorous plant and turned into a ghost, causing Staz to take responsibility and pledge to help bring her back to life.
Episode 1  "She's a Skeleton Now"
In another dimension, vampire and boss of the Demon World's Eastern District, Staz Charlie Blood lives as a normal otaku. Staz's second-in-command, Deck, informs him of their capture of a living human girl, Fuyumi Yanagi, and brings her over to Staz's apartment. Upon meeting Fuyumi, Staz becomes infatuated and engages her in an otaku discussion. Meanwhile, Deck and the other gang members get into a fight with a challenger to Staz's leadership who wields demon plants. Deck calls Staz for help, who aids them after suppressing his vampiric urges from Fuyumi. Staz easily kills the challenger and when he and Deck return to the apartment they horrifically discover that Fuyumi had been killed by one of the rogue demon plants. After finding her bones and strangely enough, Fuyumi herself on Staz's bed, Deck deduces that she became a ghost and Starz resolves to resurrect her. Fuyumi later remembers how she stumbled into the Demon World and takes Staz to a back alley where they discover a rare dimensional portal known as the "Black Curtain". Staz stops Fuyumi from entering the portal, explaining its strange nature, before expressing a desire to visit the Human World himself. Staz then takes Fuyumi to a local cafe where he has the owners, Saty and Mamejirou, determine the nature of her existence via their Third Eye magic. As Staz reveals his intention of going to the human world to a panicked Mamejirou, Deck enters with a new gang recruit, Mimic Yoshida. Mamejirou outlines the repercussions of Staz's departure but he compensates by making Mimic the new boss, who subsequently transforms into Staz's own likeness and they decide to use him as a body double in Staz's absence. Afterwards, at a welcoming party for Mimic, Fuyumi wonders if Staz can really resurrect her but Deck reassures that Staz sees his goals through. In the epilogue, Staz and Fuyumi step through the Black Curtain.

11:30 - 12:20     Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet (Episodes 7-8)
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] In the distant future, mankind has taken to the stars and formed the Galactic Alliance of Humankind (人類銀河同盟 Jinrui Ginga Dōmei). The Alliance is engaged in a perpetual war with a tentacled alien species known as the Hideauze (ヒディアーズ Hidiāzu). 16-year-old Ensign Ledo is a soldier in the Galactic Alliance, piloting a Machine Caliber (マシンキャリバー Mashin Kyaribā), an AI-automated, humanoid-shaped battle suit, which he refers to as 'Chamber'. After a failed attempt by the Alliance forces to destroy an enemy super-weapon, Ledo is knocked into a wormhole and loses consciousness. When he awakens, he learns from Chamber that he has been in cryo-stasis for 6 months while his wounds were healing. Ledo learns that he and Chamber have been 'found' by a rag-tag band of 'primitive' human scavengers. Ledo quickly discovers that he is on board a massive fleet of ships on an ocean-covered planet. Chamber tells him that local star charts reveal the planet is Earth, the birthplace of humanity, a place that members of the Alliance were only familiar with from stories and believed was a myth.
Episode 7 "A Soldier's Fate": Despite Bellows' pleas, Ledo kills the creature, a whalesquid (クジライカ kujiraika?), considered a sacred animal by the earthlings, and news of its death spread rumors of an impending misfortune towards the Gargantia. While Ledo has Chamber analyze a sample of it, he wonders why it does not attack Humans on sight like the Hideauze usually do and Chamber deduces that somehow both species learned to coexist. Elsewhere, Pinion plans to draft Ledo to his crew with the intention to explore the uncharted whalesquid territory and salvage its treasures, but Bellows tries to dissuade him, and it is revealed that Pinion's ulterior motive is to enact revenge for his deceased older brother, who was killed by them. As Chamber's analysis prove that the whalesquids are indeed similar to the Hideauze, Ledo is determined to exterminate them all, despite Amy and the others' attempts to make him change his mind. When a huge number of whalesquids is seen approaching the Gargantia, Commander Fairlock declares that all of the fleet's machinery and lights must be turned down, to not provoke the creatures as they pass under them. Amy tries to stop Ledo from fighting them, but he does not listen to her, until Ridget points a gun at him, and he is forced to stand by. The whalesquids pass under the Gargantia without any incidents, but while Ledo rejects Amy for not agreeing with him, Fairlock is informed by Pinion of his plan and Flange declares his intention to accompany him with his ship. As both express their intention to secede from the Gargantia, Fairlock tries to dissuade them until he suffers a heart attack.
Episode 8 "Separation": Fairlock does not resist the attack and nominates Ridget as his successor before he dies. Meanwhile, Chamber informs to Ledo that he finally managed to pinpoint the location of their civilization in space, but their current location is too far from it, and it may take thousands of years until someone picks up their distress signal. As Fairlock's funeral is held, several dissident ships agree to follow Pinion's plan and prepare themselves to get separated from the Gargantia. Melty dedides to leave with them, and Saaya asks Amy if she does not want to leave with Ledo as well, but she responds that she can't abandon her brother. Seeing how much his sister is suffering with Ledo's decision to leave, Bevel tries to dissuade him, and Ledo claims that his drive to annihilate the whalesquids also comes from his desire to protect both Amy and him from the Hideauze. Instead of attending her foster father's funeral Ridget looks for a solution to stop the fleet from splitting up, but Bellows reminds her that she does not need to take all the burden to herself, as she will always have the rest of the fleet to support her. Ridget then sees Fairlock off as his body is sent to the waters and asks the members of Gargantia to lend her their support. Soon after, a heartbroken Amy watches as the dissident ships leave the Gargantia, with Ledo aboard them.

12:20 - 1:10    Red Data Girl (Episodes 9-10)
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] The story revolves around Izumiko Suzuhara, a 15-year old girl who has been raised at Tamakura Shrine, part of the Kumano Shrines World Heritage Site. She destroys any electrical device that she comes into contact with. Despite being shy, she wants to try living in the city. Her guardian Yukimasa Sagara recommends that she enroll at Hōjō High School in Tokyo, accompanied by his son and Izumiko's childhood friend Miyuki Sagara. While in Tokyo, an entity named "Himegami" appears. Izumiko learns that she is a yorishiro, a vessel for a shinto spirit known as a kami, while Miyuki learns that he is a yamabushi, a warrior tasked with protecting her.
Episode 9 "My Debut": A festival is thrown at Izumiko's school and at the last minute she is asked to model for the festival. She is worried that since she has to let her hair down due to tradition, the Goddess might appear in front of everyone during the ceremony. She decides to keep her hair in braids, but the Goddess is able to possess her still and in a desperate attempt to get Izumiko back Sagara hugs her.

1:10 - 1:50     Club Meeting / Announcements

More 2013 Convention Highlights
  • Convention Coverage
  • Animation News from around the world
  • Cosplayers/Skits/Masquerade
  • Anime Music Videos
  • And other weird, interesting stuff...


1:50 - 2:40    Sword Art Online (Episodes 18-19)
Plot Summary: [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 18 "To The World Tree": Suguha reminisces about how she started VR gaming, and then meets up with Recon's real life persona, Shin'ichi Nagata. She informs him that she will be leaving their party to join Kirito. Later, she logs in as Leafa and accompanies Kirito to shop for new equipment, but runs into her party. The group is led by Sigurd who does not take kindly to Leafa's departure and warns them they will be consider renegades for not sticking their allegiance to their race's territories. Before Kirito and Leafa set off, Recon approaches them, saying that though he wants to join them, he will remain in the party to keep an eye on Sigurd due to some suspicions he has on him. Later during their travels, Kirito and Leafa arrive at a landing point where they take turns logging out to refresh themselves. After Kirito returns, they both set off again, unaware that they are being followed by a mysterious group. Meanwhile, Asuna learns from Oberon that Kirito is still alive and secretly obtains the keycode for her cage's lock.
Episode 19 "The Lugru Corridor": While passing through a cave, Leafa receives a message from Recon cautioning her to take care. She and Kirito then realize that they are being followed and try to escape, only to be cornered by a large group of Salamander players. Kirito asks Leafa to support him with her magic while he fights the group by himself. However, he is unable to break their formation until Yui comes up with a plan to have Leafa cast some protective magic on Kirito, while he conjures a spell that temporarily transforms him into a giant demon. In his new form, Kirito obliterates his enemies, but spares one whom Kirito bribes in exchange for information. The Salamander player reveals that his party was ordered to attack Kirito and Leafa by the same group which attacked them during their first encounter. After arriving at the next town, Suguha logs out for a while and answers a phone call from Shin'ichi. Shin'ichi tells her that Sigurd is in cahoots with the Salamanders, who plan on attacking the Sylph leader Sakuya and the Cait Siths during a meeting to establish an alliance. Upon returning to the game, Leafa explains the situation to Kirito and states that it would be in his best interest to continue without her, as allying with the Salamanders may be the best option for him in order to reach the top of the World Tree. Kirito instead chooses to help her and makes use of his speed to break out of the cave with her. 

2:40 - 3:55    Attack on Titan(Episodes 13-15)
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] In an alternative, middle-ages setup, the human population is dwindling in numbers. With the advent of Titans, giant humanoid creatures that attack and devour any human on sight, what remains of civilization is protected by three concentric walls, hundreds of kilometers long and around fifty meters tall, called Wall Maria (the outermost wall), Wall Rose and Wall Sina (the innermost wall housing the capital). All efforts to expand the human territory beyond the walls have failed so far, but the citizens inside remained safe for a hundred years, until two unusual Titans, a colossal one, sixty meter tall and another one, covered with a hardened shell, break through Wall Maria, bringing the other Titans inside, forcing mankind to once again face its greatest threat to ensure its survival. The series follows the story of Eren Jeager, a young boy whose father disappears after his mother is killed during the fall of Wall Maria. Years later he enlists into the army, accompanied by his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and their childhood friend Armin Arlelt. When the Titans threaten to break further through Wall Rose, Eren discovers that he possesses the ability to temporarily transform himself into a Titan. Seen as a threat by some, and a ray of hope by others, Eren joins his companions in a war to protect what still remains of mankind, making use of his newfound power while looking for answers to the mysteries surrounding the Titans, the walls, and his own existence.
Episode 13  "Primal Desires: Battle of Trost District, Part 9": Jean manages to acquire another Maneuver Gear from a dead soldier and escape thanks to Annie, Connie, and Marco distracting the Titans. With Titan-Eren now fully awake and carrying the boulder towards the gate as planned, Ian orders everyone to distract the Titans away from Eren at all costs, with some of them sacrificing their lives in the process. Eren finally blocks the open gate with the boulder, and a tearful Rico fires a yellow flare to signal that the operation was a success. As Armin tries to pull out Eren from his Titan body, they are surrounded by two Titans but are then saved by the timely arrival of Levi. With the gate finally sealed, the army eliminates all of the Titans remaining in Trost except two which are captured for research. As the army counts their casualties and dead, a shocked Jean finds Marco's dead and half-eaten body, Sasha's group is horrified to find a pile of corpses regurgitated from a Titan, and Annie mourns one of her dead comrades. Meanwhile, Eren is locked up in a cell guarded by the Military Police where he is visited by Levi and Commander Erwin Smith of the Recon Corps. After listening to his story and reasons for wanting the Titans dead, Levi allows Eren to join the Recon Corps under his command but warns if he ever betrays them or goes berserk again, he will personally kill him.
Episode 14  "Can't Look Into His Eyes: Prelude to the Counterattack, Part 1": When word spreads about a Titan siding with humankind, the populace is divided over whether Eren is their savior or their end. Eren is brought to a military tribunal to be judged by the Commander-in-Chief of the military, Darius Zackley, who will decide whether Eren should be given to the Military Police or the Recon Corps, both of whom have their own reasons for wanting him. The Military Police want Eren killed as he is seen by them as a menace, while the Recon Corps want to use him to retake Wall Maria. As both sides get into heated arguments over Eren's Titan powers, one of the merchants siding with the Military Police accuses Mikasa of being a Titan as well, much to Eren's anger. When Eren calls out the Military Police and their supporters for their cowardice, one of them attempts to shoot him, only for Levi to beat Eren down. Despite being brutally beaten, he does not transform into a Titan, which Levi shows to the court that the Recon Corps can control Eren and proposes that he is to be made part of his squad. In the end, Zackley gives Eren to the Recon Corps where Erwin and Zoë Hange welcome him. 
Episode 15  "Special Operations Squad: Prelude to the Counterattack, Part 2": Levi and his Special Op Squad, composed of Petra Ral, Auruo Bossard, Erd Gin, and Gunther Schultz, who are all elites chosen by him, bring Eren to the old Recon Corps headquarters where Eren will learn to control his Titan's power under their watch. As Levi orders the castle to be cleaned, Petra assures Eren that despite his rude and harsh demeanor, Levi does care about the people under his command. Meanwhile, Erwin and Mike Zacharius discuss about the new recruits joining the Recon Corps and how they must prove Eren's usefulness to Military Command within a month. While discussing his powers with Levi's Squad, Hange arrives and asks Eren to help her in her experiments with the two Titans they have captured, which she names Sawney and Bean. Hange is revealed to have an obsession with Titans where she treats them like people despite the many times she puts herself in danger. In her talks with Eren, she reveals the Titans need sunlight to survive and despite their size, their bodies are disproportionately light. But the next day, the Recon Corps discovers Sawney and Bean have been killed. As Hange mourns for them, the Recon Corps deduce that the culprit is a soldier who escaped using their Maneuver Gear which makes Eren wonder who their true enemy is.

3:55 - 4:40    Garden of Words [Movie]
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] Takao Akizuki is a 15 year old student who lives with his melodramatic mother and adult older brother. He yearns to be a shoemaker, having being enraptured as a child by a pair gifted to his mother, though his immediate friends and family think little will come from his goal.

One morning commuting to school during the rainy season, Takao opts to skip his first class and head to the park to sketch shoe designs, and encounters Yukari Yukino, a well-dressed young woman drinking beer in the early morning drizzle. They do not speak to one another, but as the rain clears she notes the school crest on his vest and decides to bid him farewell with a tanka, leaving Takao puzzled as to its origin and meaning. The two continue to encounter each other in the park on rainy mornings and grow closer in each other's company, but never formally introduce themselves to one another. When Yukari expresses an interest in Takao's shoemaking, he decides to make a pair of shoes in her size. As her foot is being measured, Yukari admits that she needs to learn how to walk on her own, hinting at her deep personal troubles. The rainy season ends, and whilst Takao and Yukari tell themselves that it's better for the other to go back to their normal lives, both sincerely wish that it would rain so that they could meet again.

Returning to school after working for the entire summer break, Takao heads to morning class when he suddenly spots Yukari, who is greeted by a group of anxious and relieved students. Takao's friends inform him that her name is Miss Yukino, and that she has been absent from school due to stress and anxiety. Due to a male student developing a crush on her, Yukari found herself the target of rumours and bullying started by Aizawa, the student's girlfriend. Out of kindness and in a bid to avoid more confrontation, Yukari opted to avoid work and retreat to the park where she met Takao, hoping she would learn to overcome her loneliness, her fears and be able to 'walk' again. Angered by the cruelty shown to Yukari, Takao confronts Aizawa, who expresses that she is happy that 'Miss Yukino' is quitting teaching at the school and that she deserves the torments and rumours. In retaliation, Takao strikes her across the face, but is soon beaten by Aizawa's companions who mock him and accuse him of falling for Yukari.

Takao heads to the park and meets Yukari by the waterfront, where he greets her with the correct response to her tanka. She congratulates him for finding the answer and apologises as she believed that he would figure out that she was a literature teacher. Unfazed by her revelation, Takao and Yukari converse as normal, and as she expresses concern over his injuries, the two are disturbed by a loud clap of thunder, signifying the beginning of a rain storm. Finding themselves soaked, Takao heads to Yukari's apartment, and the two spend the afternoon bonding, realising that they both have never felt so happy before. Whilst having tea, Takao confesses to Yukari that he thinks he is falling in love with her. Blushing, Yukari corrects Takao and tells him to address her properly as Miss Yukino before informing him that she is moving back to her home town. Confused and hurt by her rejection, Takao abruptly leaves, leaving Yukari to cry alone and reflect upon their interactions.

Realizing her mistake, Yukari runs after Takao and finds him in the stairwell outside the apartment block. Still reeling from Yukino's words and with tears welling in his eyes, Takao angrily tells her that he should never have opened up to her, and demands the she tell him that his dreams are worthless. Shouting that she'll live her life alone, Takao strikes home, and Yukari runs to throw her arms around him. The two weep openly as they embrace and Yukari cries that she was once so scared and that Takao saved her, as the rain clears and the sun shines through the clouds around them. The credits and epilogue show the two characters lives, apart from one another; Takao failed his final exams, but is still working at his part-time job and other goals, whilst Yukari is happy teaching at her new school. Takao visits the park again in the wintertime, reading a letter from Yukari, and reveals the completed shoes for Yukari. As she stops in class and looks out the window, seemingly thinking of him, Takao vows that one day, when he himself can walk greater distances, he'll come and find her.

No comments:

Post a Comment