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.
You read that right! An Original pole dancing-themed anime...
POLE PRINCESS
The story centers on Hinano, a very normal and mild-mannered 17-year-old girl. Since she was very young her grandmother ran a planetarium that Hinano loved, but one day Hinano found out that the planetarium would be closing down. Hinano worried about whether there was anything she could do for her grandmother and for the planetarium, and she coincidentally one day catches sight of a woman dancing on a pole under a starry sky. She gathers her friends and together they set up a stage in the planetarium to perform shows, and they jump into the world of pole dancing.
[Source: KoreanTimes, Written by David A. Tizzard] There's no denying the quality,
charm, and success of Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Not just here in
Korea, but all around the world people eagerly await the release of the
latest episodes. They're desperate to see how the relationship between
Woo Young-woo (spelled the same forward and backwards, lol) and Lee
Joon-ho will play out; whether Min-woo's diabolical schemes will come to
fruition; and what kind of secrets Gwang-ho is harboring.
For
many, what makes this drama new and refreshing is the fact that the
protagonist has autism. Instead of a Cinderella figure, My Fair Lady
character, or Pretty Woman story in which a rich man teaches a young
woman the mores and values of a high class way of life, instead a
'somewhat' poorer and lower status man is required to teach a woman
social cues, emotional responses, and personal interactions she is
otherwise lacking. The structure is the same as ever but the
peculiarities are adjusted for modern sensibilities. It's certainly
endearing, the chemistry is great, and the acting is very good.
And despite the international success, EAW (Extraordinary Attorney Woo) definitely feels more like a Korean drama rather than a K-drama. There's no gratuitous violence, zombies, transgender characters, or super progressive themes going on here. Instead, the plot seems designed primarily for a domestic audience. Moreover, it has a host of common Korean drama tropes: a blossoming romance between a pure woman and her first experiences with a man, family revelations showing that parents are not who or what we once assumed them to be, a cool young female sidekick, a big fat hairy guy who people realize has a kind heart, and powerful company managers playing games against each other.
While a lot has been written about the representation of mental health in this Korean drama, perhaps snowballing on from the equally successful Our Blues and the first ever actor with Down Syndrome to appear in a mainstream Korean television show, for me EAW seems to be making a different point. It's raising a series of issues affecting Korean society and then asking what justice in each particular situation is. It's a referendum through the medium of television. Didactic entertainment.
Take the episodes we have seen thus far: people brought together in marriage despite their wishes, children forced to study all day without play, elder brothers using their age in a Confucian society to trick their younger sibling, technological developments and patents, the gentrification of rural villages, North Korean defectors, a cheating husband, and young adults with developmental disabilities. In every episode, as viewers we are asked to consider justice. Because emotions run high, Woo Young-woo often provides the clear legal (and often moral) perspective for us. She is the rational and fair adjudicator, showing us perspectives that we cannot see because we are too blinded by bias, money, or our involvement with certain issues. While Young-woo does this, tension is created by having an ill-intentioned character seek to bring her down. And so we are asked whether bad things can happen to good people.
The most recent episode was perhaps the clearest indication that this drama is focused more on Korean social issues than it is mental health. The case Young-woo was faced with concerned gender inequality, labor laws, patriarchy, regionalism, street protests, and seemingly loud feminists demanding better treatment. The ending pulled no punches: Even the law does little to help protect women's rights. They are forced to find solidarity, solace, and sanctuary in each other. Thus the country has developed a strong and proud heritage of feminist literature and poetry in recent decades as referenced in the closing scenes. It also reminds us that while women fought for their civil and legal rights in other countries, with them simply being enshrined in Korean law following the establishment of the constitution in 1948, it neither gave Korean women the chance to raise their own voices nor did it allow the culture to actually have the conversation about fairness and equality.
South Korea does need to be more focused on the rights of people with disabilities, of course. Protests demanding increased support and access to public transport for the community have sadly by and large been viewed as an inconvenience by many in society. Politicians have also turned a blind eye to them, some even going so far as to criticize the participants. The drama reaffirms Korea's relatively slower progress on such issues by making reference to the advanced stages of acceptance towards disability in places such as France and Boston.
But ultimately the drama plays out a bit like BBC's Sherlock. Each episode, by and large, is a standalone case centered on a social issue which regular people are unable to solve. So the help of a highly intelligent but (as yet) anti-social individual is brought in to help everyone arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. Without Young-woo, justice might not be served. Innocent people might suffer and guilty people might win. While Sherlock's moments of inspiration were presented on screen through formulas, annotations, and references to drugs, Young-woo's moments of inspiration come with the arrival of whales and dolphins. A bit more acceptable than opium these days, I guess.
We can all probably predict what the outcome of the drama might be. What interests me going forward is whether we will see a second series or the more traditional approach to a single-arc will be maintained. There will of course be great demand for more of that thing we like. But as a society I hope we'll understand that more of that same good thing isn't necessarily always the way forward. Until then, I'll be waltzing through elevator doors, eating kimbap, thinking about freeing dolphins, and waiting for the next episode of this charming piece of Korean entertainment.
Dr.
David A. Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies
and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He is a
social/cultural commentator and musician who has lived in Korea for
nearly two decades. He is also the host of the Korea Deconstructed
podcast, which can be found online. The views expressed in the article
are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The
Korea Times.
ALICE in BORDERLAND - Season 2 “If we clear all the games, can we return to the real world?”
This mega-hit survival drama starring Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya and directed by Shinsuke Sato has been widely anticipated across the globe. Now, the long-awaited continuation of the series that reached the Top 10 in at least 70 countries worldwide is finally set to stream! Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) and Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) try to unravel the mysteries of Borderland to return to the real world. In a place they believe holds the key to uncovering these mysteries, they meet allies, enemies, and the mastermind behind all of the games. Arisu and the others pit themselves against games of a scale and difficulty that exceed the first season. The remaining games are only the Jack, Queen, and King cards, but will they be able to collect them all and return to the real world? The hugely popular series that astounded the world returns with even more thrills and excitement!
The next official Avatar Anime/Cartoon has been revealed. An Earth-bending Avatar after Korra. We'll also cover more valuable news in this video so stay tuned!
[Source: PA Media] The
BBC has given a glimpse of the forthcoming Doctor Who mini-series which
is set to air in 2023, in celebration of the show’s 60th anniversary.
The
one-minute teaser clip features footage of David Tennant as the 14th
Time Doctor, and Catherine Tate who returns as Donna Noble, in the
trilogy of anniversary episodes.
The BBC also disclosed that
Jacqueline King and Karl Collins will reprise their roles as Tate’s
on-screen mother Sylvia Noble and her on-screen husband Shaun Temple,
while Years And Years star Ruth Madeley joins the cast as Shirley Anne
Bingham.
Russell T Davies, who has returned as showrunner as the
BBC show teams up with Disney, said: “We wanted to give fans, friends
and families a lovely little Christmas present – with a promise that
2023 will be a riot of Doctor Who goodness.”
The
trailer, which landed on Christmas Day, begins with a view of London at
night as the Tardis thrums before landing in an alleyway and features
glimpses of monsters and the return of UNIT.
Tate says: “Sometimes I think there’s something missing. Like I had something lovely and it’s gone.”
Meanwhile
Tennant says: “I don’t know who I am any more.” He later adds: “I don’t
believe in destiny but if destiny exists then it is heading for Donna
Noble. If she ever remembers she will die.”
The mini-series is
expected to explain why The Doctor has regenerated, which leads to
another regeneration into the 15th Doctor, played by Sex Education star
Ncuti Gatwa.
The teaser clip features Gatwa sporting a moustache, saying: “Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here?”
It
also features Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney and guest star Neil Patrick
Harris’s character declaring: “The show is just beginning. Worldwide
premiere.”
This month it was announced that Coronation Street star
Millie Gibson would play Gawtwa’s on-screen companion Ruby Sunday, who
will travel alongside him as they embark on a new set of adventures.
Jodie
Whittaker, who played the 13th Doctor, faced her final battles as the
Time Lord in October in a special episode of Doctor Who to mark the
BBC’s centenary.
The actress, 40, became the first woman to portray the Doctor when she took over the role from Peter Capaldi in 2017.
During
the feature-length programme, viewers were left surprised as
Whittaker’s Time Lord regenerated into Tennant, who previously played
the 10th incarnation of the Doctor.
The BBC said Doctor Who will
return in November 2023 with three special episodes to coincide with the
60th anniversary – with Tennant as the 14th Doctor.
Gatwa will then take control of the Tardis, with his first episode airing over the festive period in 2023.
[Source: The Independent] TV viewers have been left in floods of tears after watching the BBC’s adaptation of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.
Based
on Charlie Mackesy’s 2019 illustrated book about a group of animals who
become unlikely friends, the half-hour TV adaptation featured an
all-star voice cast including Idris Elba and Tom Hollander.
The episode aired on Christmas Eve on BBC One, with viewers admitting that the “beautiful” and simple animation “broke” them.
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse on @BBCOne is absolutely stunning,” one viewer tweeted. “What beautiful, beautiful animation. I’m a blubbering wreck.”
“A classic that is sure to be a regular Christmas staple. Not ashamed to say that I cried like a baby!” another commenter wrote.
One
viewer called it “the most beautiful thing you’ll watch this
Christmas”, while another said it was “heart-warming and life-affirming
stuff”.
“Spellbinding, magical utterly wonderful. A future classic. Bravo. If you missed out on The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse then make some time with the family and children of all ages to share the joy,” wrote actor Jolyon Rubinstein.
“The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse just absolutely did me in,” another commenter said.
“The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. Well didn’t that just sneak up on the inside and break me a little bit,” one tweet read.
Another Twitter user said: “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.
So profound and moving, seeing the beauty in all life’s moments, good
or bad. Charlie Mackesy, absolute genius. Watch it if you haven’t seen
it and have the tissues ready!”
what counts at Christmas is being there for each other...
❆❆❆A Christmas Carol❆❆❆
Gather around the fireplace and enjoy this rendition of "A Christmas Carol" produced by one of the World's Greatest Animators, Richard Williams, who passed away on August 15, 2019. Rest In Peace. The excellent 1971 animated version of the Charles Dickens classic, drawn in the style of 1800's engravings by the great Richard Williams Studio. It features the voices of Alistair Sim, Michael Redgrave, and Michael Hordern, reprising his 1951 performance as Marley's Ghost. Animation by Ken Harris, Abe Levitow, among others. Produced by Chuck Jones. This film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for 1972.
The main features of this simulated CBS Rankin Bass Christmas special include Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, Santa Clause is Coming to Town and Frosty the Snowman. A few bonus classic Christmas cartoons are also included near the end, And all commercial breaks are packed full of nostalgic Christmas commercials from mostly the 70's and 80's. The special is not set in a specific time frame so the commercial dates will jump around a bit. Some of the commercials have even been edited slightly to remove the mention of the date. The first and last clip match each other so you can right click and select loop to repeat like a broadcast day. This is good for holiday chores or background entertainment for Christmas company.
MONKEY WRENCH- The Ghost Egg Watch the intergalactic adventures of Shrike & Beebs... ▶ Episode One
Hey there! I'm Joshua Palmer, more commonly known as Zeurel online, and I've been animating for well over 12 years now.
I've been doing freelance animation work for a very long time (stuff for big networks like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Adult Swim, Various Youtubers such as Swoozie & Vinesauce ), and although it's helped me grow as an artist (and helped pay the bills) I feel it's time I tried to strike out on my own and get back to doing what I REALLY enjoy doing; making original animated content.
If you've been following me for a good while now, you'll know of my original character stuff; Old stuff like Shrike Sanchez, Spoiler, Lariat, BB etc. I've had a story planned out for these characters for a very long long time now and originally I was going to make a comic instead of animation as it would be far less expensive (as in next to no cost what so ever!). But deep down something has been telling me that it HAS to be animated. These characters were once brought to life back in the day, and with my vastly improved skill at animation and storytelling I feel that now is the time to attempt something like this.
I'd love to be able to make this story become a reality, and make some other short animated stories on the side, as well as some more Vinesauce animated content as well since people seem to love those.
As of right now my time to work on my own projects is very slim. Freelance takes up the majority of my time. I'd love to be able to transition from fully freelance to, hopefully in time, fully independent via Patreon. That way I'll be able to produce things I want to make, as well as provide you guys with some fun and interesting things!
I'm currently in the process of making an animated pilot for a show I wanna get off the ground. I've saved enough money over the past 5 years to get it started, but I'm hoping that I can get enough Patreon support to get it the rest of the way. And, once it's finished, keep growing this Patreon so I can keep making more and more!
That's the idea, anyway!
Anywho I best get back to work! Thanks for checking out my work!
Upon graduation, highly trained teenage assassins Chisato and Mahiro are informed by upper management that they will need to hold down “normal” jobs as a cover, and—even worse—they’ll be forced to share an apartment. However, after an unfortunate run-in with a Yakuza member, the two must band together to survive an epic fight for their lives.
▶ Watch the Trailer Now! Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Masanori Mimoto star in the badass new
After saving the realm from evil and destruction at the hands of the most terrifying power couple in Exandria, Vox Machina is faced with saving the world once again—this time, from a sinister group of dragons known as the Chroma Conclave. The Legend of Vox Machina is a production by Amazon Studios, Critical Role, and Titmouse for Prime Video. The series stars Critical Role founders and cast members Laura Bailey (The Last of Us: Part II), Taliesin Jaffe (Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn), Ashley Johnson (The Last of Us), Liam O’Brien (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Matthew Mercer (Overwatch), Marisha Ray (Final Fantasy XV: Comrades), Sam Riegel (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Travis Willingham (Marvel's Avengers). The Critical Role cast also serves as executive producers, alongside Brandon Auman (Star Wars: Resistance), Chris Prynoski (Metalocalypse), Shannon Prynoski (Fairfax), and Ben Kalina (Big Mouth).
Mr. Fujiwara is Japan's Top Pet Detective. We were lucky enough to spend 2 weeks with him and his team, as we searched out lost pets. An experience unlike any we've ever had. An unbelievable story about a very unique job. Mr Fujiwara's Pet Detective Service can be found here: https://www.rescue-pet.com/
In modern day New York City, magic is real - it's just hidden from the public. But Daniel Spellbound knows just where to find it. Making his living "tracking" hard to find magical objects, Daniel catches the attention of the wrong people when he discovers a rare artifact and suddenly the fate of the magical world hangs in the balance.
There are a number of anomalies with the sudden firing of Bob Chapek, as has previously been pointed out by Kamran Pasha, who alluded to the possibility that there might be a connection with the FTX collapse, and now, there is a smoking gun, adding weight behind the speculation...
What if we told you that AMC+ streams an hour long adult animated sci-fi drama, and that it’s one of the best series we’ve seen in the past few years? Well it’s called PANTHEON, and it rules.
Bullied teen Maddie begins receiving messages from a mysterious
stranger that claims to be her recently deceased father, David; his
consciousness has been uploaded to the cloud after an experimental brain
scan, and it turns out he's not the only one.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
Coming to theaters June 2023. Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson Screenplay by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller and David Callaham ▶ Watch the Trailer
Avatar: The Way of Water is almost here--and since it's been 13 years since the original movie broke box office records, maybe you've forgotten a thing or two. No need to re-watch the whole movie though. In this video we recap the original Avatar, what you need to know about Jake Sully, Neytiri, Quaritch, and the battle for Pandora.
When a goddess of war reincarnates in the body of a young girl, street orphan Seiya discovers that he is destined to protect her and save the world. But only if he can face his own past and become a Knight of the Zodiac.
[Source: TheDirect] Star
Wars will take a new direction with the release of The Bad Batch during its run
on Disney+, making history in the process. Fans
recently got their eyes on the first trailer for Season 2 of The Bad Batch
thanks to an unexpected post on the main Disney+ website, showing the fandom
what Hunter, Wrecker, Omega, and the team will have to face across the galaxy.
This season will even include a couple of classic Star Wars clones like
Commander Cody from the original trilogy and Captain Rex from The Clone Wars,
touching on plenty of Star Wars story threads from the 21st century. The show is set to arrive on Disney+ shortly after the new year begins,
complete with the first two episodes both arriving on the streaming network on
January 4.
But while a two-episode premiere is far from uncommon during Disney's streaming
era, The Bad Batch will take a more unique route with the release of later
episodes as well.
According to the official press release for Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2,
the season will conclude on March 29 with both Episode 15 and Episode 16 being
released simultaneously. This is the first time that any Disney+ show has
released two episodes in the finale week of its season. Additionally, on top of the double season-opener and the double-season finale, there will be a third instance of two episodes premiering at once for the mid-season finale on February 8 with Episode 7 and Episode 8.
Jan. 4 — Ep 201 “Spoils of War” & Ep 202 “Ruins of War" Feb. 8 — Ep 207 “The Clone Conspiracy” &
Ep 208 “Truth and Consequences” March 29 — Ep 215 “The Summit” & Ep 216 “Plan 99"
Don't miss the new film by Makoto Shinkai, visionary director of Your Name. and Weathering with You.
On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety— Suzume is a coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must close the doors causing devastation.
Called upon by the blood of humanity, hatred is reawakening in the mortal realm. On 6/6/2023, your fight for the fate of Sanctuary begins in Diablo® IV. Lilith’s return will bring forth endless new evils to slaughter—and with it, countless abilities to master, nightmarish Dungeons to conquer, scores of loot to plunder, and more!
Diablo IV will launch on Windows PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. All platforms will host cross-play and cross-progression,
bringing players from around the world together in one terrifying
hellscape. You can also slay demons side-by-side with a friend through couch-co-op on console.
Pre-purchase is now available and comes with Early Access to the hellish
exploits of the Open Beta.
Watch as Inarius, Archangel of The High Heavens, challenges
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor™, an upcoming action-adventure game
developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. A
sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it is scheduled to release on
Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in March 17, 2023.
Calling Khan director
Nicholas Meyer her biggest career "champion," Alley said he kept
auditioning her for the Saavik role, so studio executives would see what he saw
in her.
"I was up against a lot of
people who had a lot of work," she recalled at the event. "And then
in the final, hour, he gave me the role."
Alley noted that amid the auditions,
her parents were in a serious car crash in which her mother was killed and her
father was severely injured. She flew back home to Kansas to be with her dad in
the hospital. She told her agent she would not come back to read again until
she knew her dad was okay. Rather than just pass on her, Meyer said he would
wait, the actress said.
"It still makes me want to
start crying because, 'Okay. We'll wait for her' — that girl who's done nothing
except clean people's houses," Alley said. "It was amazing he did
that."
As for the production, Alley said
the late Leonard Nimoy was an "icon" to her who she adored from
watching the original Star Trek TV series.
"My friends would make fun of
me because my eyebrow goes up at certain points and I have no control over
it," she said. "So, I would watch and when Mr. Spock would come on, I
would say, 'Wow. If I was ever an actress, I could play Spock's daughter.' When
I met him, he was an icon to me, and I was incredibly impressed."
Alley also noted that she was not
acting during Spock's funeral scene. "I just started crying because I
thought it was sad that Spock died when we were shooting the scene," she
said. "It was so surreal and so sad. I just started crying and they used
it. It wasn't some big dramatic coup. I was really sad."
On Monday evening, shortly after
news of her death broke, William Shatner paid his respects via social media.
"Saddened to hear of the
passing of @kirstiealley. Condolences to her family & friends," the
Capt. Kirk actor wrote on Twitter.
