Next Club Meeting: December 14, 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.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Child of Light - Now Available on Steam!

The kingdom of Lemuria is in despair 
The Black Queen has stolen the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. You play as Aurora, a young princess with a pure heart whose soul is brought to the kingdom of Lemuria. Embark on a quest to recapture the three sources of light, defeat the Black Queen and restore the kingdom of Lemuria.

Key Features

An Adventure Waits! 
Created by the talented team of Ubisoft Montréal using the UbiArt Framework, Child of Light is an RPG inspired by fairy tales. Take an extraordinary journey through the vast world of Lemuria and explore its mythical environments, interact with its inhabitants as you discover new locations and their secrets. 

The breathing world of Lemuria 
Across your experience through Lemuria you will meet encounters that you will remember, from friendly fairies and gnomes to vile wolves and dark dragons. 

Fight monsters and evil mythical creatures 
Aurora has the power to fight creatures from the dark and to restore the Stolen Lights. Fight alongside the Igniculus in Active Time Battle Systems. Your firefly ally can be controlled by another player, so you can live this adventure with your friends.

Artwork by reknowned Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Star Wars Episode VII Cast Announced

The cast of 'Star Wars: Episode VII' assembled in London (StarWars.com)
[Source: Yahoo!News] Luke. Leia. Han. Chewie. Artoo. Threepio. All present and accounted for as StarWars.com unveiled the official cast of "Star War: Episode VII."

Here's the full release:

The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.

Director J.J. Abrams says, "We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud."

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

While original stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford had dropped hints that they would be reprising their roles for the new chapter, which takes place around 35 years after "Return of the Jedi," nothing was confirmed until today. As expected, the trio will be joined by longtime castmates Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO, the only actor to appear in all six episodes to date).

New additions include Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver, who recently appeared together in the Coen brothers' 2013 folk music drama "Inside Llewyn Davis." Also onboard: Andy Serkis (best known as Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy), Domhnall Gleeson ("About Time") and the legendary Max von Sydow ("The Exorcist"). Fresh faces John Boyega ("Attack the Block") and Daisy Ridley (who has appeared in just a handful of BBC dramas) round out the cast.

Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn confirmed last week that second unit filming has already been underway in remote locations like Abu Dhabi, but the principal cast will not start working in the UK until next month. That leaves them just 17 months for both production and post-production, which is ambitious considering the enormous scale of the project.

May the Force be with Abrams and his very talented cast.
John Boyega
Daisy Ridley

Monday, April 28, 2014

HAWKEN - Early Access on Steam!

Giant War Machines FPS
Before there was TITANFALL, there was HAWKEN. But now HAWKEN is available on Steam! HAWKEN is a multiplayer first person shooter for PC that places you inside a mechanized war machine on the battlefield of a dystopian world called Illal. With strategic, fast-paced gameplay, HAWKEN features incredible alien landscapes, customizable and upgradable mechs, and dynamic experiences across multiple competitive game modes.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Attack on Titan Toonami Trailer

Attack on Titan
Funimation began streaming a new trailer on Saturday for the premiere of the Attack on Titan television anime series on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block. The anime series will premiere on the network on Saturday, May 3 at 11:30 pm ET.

When the man-eating giants called Titans first appeared, humans retreated behind massive walls. After a hundred years of safety, a colossal-sized Titan smashes through the defenses, unleashing a flood of giants and carnage in the streets. Eren Jaeger watches helplessly as one of the creatures devours his mother.

He vows to kill every Titan walking the earth.

Eren and his surviving friends enlist to fight against the insatiable monsters. The future looks bleak, but there's more to Eren than meets the eye: he may be humanity's last hope against extinction. From the director of Death Note and High School of the Dead comes the series Anime News Network calls "an intense, visceral, and graphic thrill ride." The Titans have come to feast. Anything can happen. No one is safe.

Funimation will ship first 13 episodes of the anime in a standard edition Blu-ray and DVD combo pack, a Limited Edition, and a Funimation.com-exclusive Collector's Edition.

The Collector's Edition will retail for US$128.98 and include 104 minutes of on-disc extras, a 3D lenticular art card, 24-page "Notes From Beyond the Wall: Part 1" booklet, four military emblem pins (Military Police Regiment, Scout Regiment, Garrison Regiment, and Cadet Corps), a replica of Eren's key necklace, and a sword necklace "featuring the Titan flesh paring blades." The Limited Edition will retail for US$89.98 and contain the on-disc extras, the 3D lenticular art card, and the booklet. All versions will ship on June 3.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

C2E2 Day One Re-cap

The first day of the Best Weekend of the Year is in the books, and we've got a video recap for those of you who couldn't make it out to C2E2! For those that did attend, can you spot yourself or your friends?

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Fan-made Gal Gadot poster for Wonder Woman

One intrepid fan has decided to take a crack at figuring out how Gal Gadot might look as Wonder Woman. What do you think?

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Darwyn Cooke's Batman 75th Anniversary Short

Batman Beyond vs. the Dark Knight
A brand new short from artist Darwyn Cooke returns fans to the world of Batman Beyond as Terry McGinnis' futuristic Dark Knight faces his most formidable foe of all--himself.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

First 5 Mins of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
Watch the opening sequence from the sequel to DreamWorks Animation's high-flying adventure.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Live-Action Lupin III Footage Revealed


LUPIN III
[Source: AnimeNewsNetwork] The story will follow Lupin and his partners in crime before they became a gang. They will infiltrate the high security of the Ark of Navarone, a gigantic fortress-like safe, to lay claim to the Crimson Heart of Cleopatra within. It is said that whoever possesses this treasure shall "unite the world."
The movie stars (from left to right in the images above) Tadanobu Asano as Detective Kōichi Zenigata, Gou Ayano as Goemon Ishikawa, Shun Oguri as Lupin, Tetsuji Tamayama as Daisuke Jigen, and Meisa Kuroki as Fujiko Mine. An original character, Lupin's nemesis Michael Lee, will be played by Jerry Yan (Meteor Garden) of the popular Taiwanese group F4. Other cast members include South Korean actor Kim Joon (South Korean Hana Yori Dango) and Thai actor Thanayong Wongtrakul (The Man from Nowhere).

The first live-action adaptation of Lupin III in four decades will open on August 30. The movie began filming on October 3 and finished principal photography on December 26. The production shot in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines.

The film is now in the middle of the final steps of editing, and the staff aims to complete post production and the film itself at the end of June. Ryuhei Kitamura (Azumi) is directing the film, and Mataichirō Yamamoto wrote the script.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

"Santa Company" - Early Version Without Voices

"Santa Company"
What is Santa Company?
Santa Company is a large international conglomerate that consists of three departments: Santa Dept., Reindeer Dept. and Gift department.

Except during Christmas season, Santa Dept. protects the safety of residences as the largest home-security organization in the world. It might be easier for you to imagine Santa Dept. is like ADT. Its workers, Santa Clauses, normally secure the safety of each home, so they can sneak into houses and know the shortest routes to the children's rooms. Of course, they do that only when they receive requests from parents.

Reindeer Dept. usually breeds and educates reindeers. Also it provides navigation services. It's like Garmin, I guess. It navigates on a daily basis so that it can take Santa Clauses to their destination for without any trouble.

Gift Dept. is in charge of product sales and delivery business. More simply put, it's like Amazon. It has giant warehouses and sells various toys, so it can easily prepare, pack, and deliver gifts during Christmas season. It provides delivery of Christmas gifts only when it receives the requests from parents.

And only once a year, these three departments work together and use their expertise to safely deliver Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve!

Noel is a girl who has just joined a mysterious company, Santa Company. She takes an exam to be an official tonttu who assists Santa Clauses.
In such a big moment, a letter arrives late at Santa Company. When the letter is about to be categorized as "flawed," which means a child can't receive a Christmas gift, Noel, her three friends and one reindeer start off an adventure over the gift.

It's told with a touch of romance and action. It also tells how ordinary people with no particular special powers systemize the job of Santa Clauses to make it fitted in the real world, adding some factors such as relationship between workers and this Christmas gifts delivery business's power of influence and the economic effects.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Official Trailer 3
The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The beloved characters from the original "X-Men" film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from "X-Men: First Class," in an epic battle that must change the past -- to save our future.

Friday, April 18, 2014

THE ANOMALY

Traumatised ex-soldier Ryan wakes up in the back of a van, alongside a kidnapped boy. Ryan helps him escape but when he finds a mask in his pocket he comes to an appalling realisation.... But there's no time to act - after nine minutes and forty seven seconds of consciousness it all goes black. What does this have to do with Ryan's past as a patient at the experimental Medical Unit? Ryan has a lot of questions, and very little time to find any answers...

Thursday, April 17, 2014

How FROZEN Should Have Ended...

Anna and Elsa's parents just don't get it. Please enjoy this alternate ending to Disney's hit "Frozen".

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Anime Viewing Schedule for April 19, 2p014

Saturday, April 19, 2014
Wood Dale Public Library
Get out of the rain!
And watch some anime!
Main Meeting Room, 10:15 am to 5:00 pm
(Click on links to view Video Previews)

10:15 - 11:05    Noragami 5-6 [Video]
11:05 - 11:55    Nagi no Asukara 6-7 [Video]
11:55 - 12:45    Captain Earth 1-2 [Video]
12:45 - 1:35      Nisekoi 3-4 [Video]
1:35 - 2:15        Club Meeting / Announcements [Video]
2:15 - 3:05        Wizard Barristers 5-6
[Video]
3:05 - 3:30        Coppelion 10 [Video]
3:30 - 4:45        Short Peace (Movie) [Video]

 

ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW -- Spend the day watching anime with friends and cohorts --

10:15 - 11:05    Noragami 5-6
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] Noragami literally means "Stray God." Hiyori Iki was a regular middle school student until she gets hit by a bus in order to save Yato's life. This incident causes her to transform into a half-phantom. Soon after she learns that Yato is a war god, and her life is never the same again.
Episode 5 "Borderline": After Yato teaches Yukine how to make a borderline, which regalia can use against phantoms, Hiyori decides to have Yukine live in her house, feeling Yato can't look after him properly. After some reluctance, Yato agrees to let Yukine stay with her. Yato ends up sneaking himself too, keeping Yukine in check before he gets any ideas about Hiyori. The next day, Yukine runs away after Hiyori stops him from stealing a skateboard, with Yato later explaining to her that any impure thoughts Yukine has results in pain for himself. Whilst running away, Yukine encounters a little girl, which he later learns to be the spirit of a girl who died in a traffic accident. However, the girl ends up getting possessed by a phantom and becomes consumed by it, forcing Yato to use Yukine to defeat her against his will .
Episode 6 "Scary Person": Yukine, depressed about being used by Yato to kill the girl spirit instead of saving her, steals the skateboard he had his eye on before. When Yato stops him, Hiyori appears, deciding to cover for Yukine by claiming she bought it for him. Just then, a god named Bishamon, holding a personal grudge against him, appears and attacks Yato. Hiyori calls Kofuku and Daikoku to help, tracking Yato's location using her sense of smell. However, Kofuku's attempt to stop the battle ends up making things worse by causing a huge hole with raging storms appear. Bishamon tries to take advantage of the situation, dealing some damage to Yato, but is urged by one of her regalia, Kazuma, to retreat to protect her other regalia. 

11:05 - 11:55     Nagi no Asukara - "A Lull in the Sea" (Episodes 6-7)
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] Long ago, human civilization had lived on the oceanfloor. However, there were many humans who wanted to live above the surface and they moved to land creating a fundamental separation between the two. After their school closes down, four middle school students from the sealand have to go to school on the mainland. This is about their lives as they adjust to a new environment and the relationships with each other.
Episode 6 "Beyond Tomoebi": The children are taking swim classes and the boys get hyped upon Chisaki's body. Hikari and Tsumugu decide to have a small competition but Hikari ends up crushing his toenail and Manaka rushes in quickly to assist him, leaving Chisaki once again ashamed as once again Manaka stood up to him ahead of her, to the point of refusing to help taking him to the infirmary and Hikari gets frustrated not only for hurting himself, but for realizing that Tsumugu can swim faster than him at the surface. After classes, the children join together to rebuild the Ofunehiki, joined later by Miuna, Sayu and the rest of the class. However, Chisaki leaves earlier and Manaka fails to cheer her up, as she is still troubled by her feelings. On her way back home, Manaka meets Tsumugu and reminisces about the day when she and her friends failed to witness the Tomoebi, a rare underwater natural phenomenon because it took to long for her to join them. Back at Shioshishio, Manaka witness the Tomoebi starting again and manages to call Chisaki to watch it with her, and taking Tsumugu's advice, she speaks her mind without hesitating to reconcile with her, but regretting that they could not watch it together with the boys, unaware that Hikari and Kaname are watching it too while overhearing them. 
Episode 7 "The Ofunehiki Shakes": Assisted by their friends, the children manage to rebuild the Ofunehiki. However, the real festival will not be held as the fishermen and the men from Shioshishio are at odds with each other. After helping the others to collect signatures for a petition to hold the festival again, Hikari fails to convince his father Tomori to comply but he ends up taking part in the reunion between both parts arranged by him. Despite being impressed at first with the offering, it does not take long for both sides to reignite their old feuds and start fighting, a situation that gets even more hectic when Akari and Itaru enter the room together, to the point that the offering is destroyed once again by accident. After the failed meeting, Tomori attempts to once again persuade her to break up with Itaru but she had made her decision and prepares herself to leave her house in Shioshishio. Hikari decides to leave with her as well but Uroko uses his powers in attempt to stop them until Tomori asks him to let them go.

11:55 - 12:45    Captain Earth (Episodes 1-2)
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] High-school student Daichi Manatsu works for the Globe (グローブ Gurōbu) organization to pilot a giant robot called the Earth Engine Impacter (アースエンジンインパクター Āsu Enjin Inpakutā) to protect the Earth from the invading alien force known as the "Kill-T-Gang" (キルトガング Kirutogangu). from the planet Uranus.

12:45 - 1:35     Nisekoi (Episodes 3-4)
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia
Nisekoi follows high school student Raku Ichijo, the son of a leader in the yakuza faction Shuei-Gumi, and Chitoge Kirisaki, the daughter of a boss in a rival gang known as Beehive. They unexpectedly meet when Chitoge hops a wall and knees Raku in the face. After she runs off, Raku realizes he has lost his locket which was given to him by his childhood sweetheart with whom he made a secret promise. After discovering Chitoge is a new transfer student in his class, he forces her to help him look for the locket. During the search, they begin to dislike each other. Upon returning home, Raku learns that the Shuei-Gumi and Beehive gangs have agreed to settle their feud by pairing their leaders' children. Raku learns that his girlfriend-to-be is none other than Chitoge. For the next three years, they must pretend to be in a relationship to maintain peace between the gangs. This turns out to be quite a challenging task, not only because of their hatred for one another, but also because Raku has a crush on another schoolmate, Kosaki Onodera, whom he secretly wishes was the girl who bears the key to his locket. Various developments complicate the situation, including Chitoge's over-protective bodyguard, a female hitman, a girl who claims to be Raku's fiancée, and the existence of multiple keys.

 1:35 - 2:15     Club Meeting / Announcements

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

2:15 - 3:05    Wizard Barristers 5-6
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] In 2018, humans and wizards live together in Tokyo. Police continue to protect order in society, but wizards (known as Wud) are tried according to magical law via Magic Prohibition Law, in special courts defended by wizard barristers via the Court of Magic. At age seventeen, half Japanese half Canadian Cecile Sudou, has just become the youngest wizard barrister after passing the bar exam at age fifteen, and begins work at the Butterfly Law Offices. While she hasn't realized it yet, she has tremendous magical potential.

3:05 - 3:30    Coppelion 10
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] In 2016, a catastrophe occurs after a nuclear meltdown from the nearby Odaiba nuclear power plant contaminates Tokyo, forcing the government to order its citizens to evacuate. 20 years later, Tokyo has become a ghost town due to the high levels of radiation which the government has banned entry for anyone. When a distress signal is received from Tokyo, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force dispatches 3 teenage girls from the Dispatch 3rd Special Force Coppelion, who comprise the "Healthcare Team". Due to genetic engineering, the Coppelions are immune to radiation while also possessing special skills. Thus the Coppelions journey to the ruined capital to find survivors.
Episode 10 "Human": Ibara and her team manages to lure the Ozu Sisters and the Ghosts to a park while Gennai, Oyakata and Gojiro tries to fix the railway power lines while Taeko deals with Ibuki's water breaking. Unable to track them due to Haruto's traps, the Ozu Sisters head back to the Sarcophagus. To stop them, Mr Nonsense carries Aoi to bait the Sisters to chase them since they bullied Aoi in the past. When Mr Nonsense tries to protect Aoi from Shion, Aoi stands up to Shion, activating her teleportation powers before escaping on a paddle boat. With Shion distracted chasing Aoi at the lake, Ibara and Haruto try to find Ibuki's lover. However, they are captured by Kanon and the Ghosts, with Kanon electrocuting the two but they escape thanks to Ibuki's lover. After convincing him to join them for Ibuki and their child's sake, the three of them try to rendezvous with Aoi who is rescued from Shion by Mr Nonsense. Meanwhile, Gennai, Oyakata and Gojiro manage to fix the power lines but realizes the substation isn't sending electricity. With the storm forming early and for his daughter's sake, Gojiro volunteers to fix the substation, revealing he worked at the Obaida power plant, which was the cause of the accident. Ibara reunites with her team but the Ghosts summon a giant robot spider to the park.

3:30 - 4:40    Short Peace [Movie]
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] Short Peace (ショート・ピース Shōto Pīsu) is a compilation of four short anime films produced by Sunrise and Shochiku. The four films were released in Japanese theaters on July 20, 2013 and will be screened in North America during April 2014. Sentai Filmworks have licensed the films for North America.

Possessions (九十九 Tsukumo) - Nominated for Academy Award
A lone traveler is confronted by unusual spirits in an abandoned shrine. Directed by Shuhei Morita.
Combustible (火要鎮 Hi Yō Mamoru)
A spectacular tale of love, honor and firefighting in ancient Japan. Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo.
Gambo
A mysterious white bear defends the royal family from the predations of a red demon. Directed by Hiroaki Ando.
A Farewell to Weapons (武器よさらば Buki yo Saraba)
A tour-de-force saga of men battling robotic tanks in apocalyptic Tokyo. Directed by Hajime Katoki.