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

The Animatrix Network is an anime & manga fan club located in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. We usually meet on the third Saturday of each month (except when holidays or conventions coincide). The meetings are free and open to the public. Join us for a day filled with anime.

This site provides news, reviews, commentaries, and previews of the world of anime and everything it inspires, such as live-action films, comics, music, art, and other weird things to enjoy and contemplate.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Anime Viewing Schedule for June 11, 2011 Meeting

Here's what we'll be showing this weekend!
NOTE: Meeting is pushed back by one hour due to a class in the morning. Starting time is now 1:00 pm.

1:10 - 2:00   Fortune Arterial 9-10
[Source: Wikipedia] Fortune Arterial's story revolves around the male protagonist Kohei Hasekura, who transfers into a prestigious public school in the style of an English six-year school encompassing junior-high and high school students. The school, named Shuchikan Academy (修智館学院 Shuchikan Gakuin), is on an island named Tamatsu Island (珠津島 Tamatsushima) off-shore from mainland Japan, and the only way to get there is by boat. Soon after transferring, he discovers that one of the student in the class next door to his, Erika Sendo, is in fact a type of vampire. Kohei is the protagonist of the story, and is a fifth-year student. After always transferring to other schools, he makes his way to Shuchikan Academy where he plans to stay for a while. Erika is also a fifth-year student, as well as the student council vice-president. She is a vampire. She is strong in literature classes and martial arts, and is very attractive, making her popular in her school. She has an inquisitive personality, and likes to do things directly. Once she has her mind set on something, she becomes very pushy, and will take her time making plans to make sure she gets her way. Her older brother Iori is the student council president.

2:00 - 2:50  Fractale 1-2
[Source: Wikipedia] The story takes place on an island resembling a futuristic Ireland (certain scenes are directly taken from Galway city in the west of Ireland), in a world ruled by the "Fractale System" that ensures mankind's stability and prosperity. One day, Clain meets a fleeing girl called Phryne, who disappears during the night leaving a pendant. When he is able to activate the pendant (which turns into a "dopple" named Nessa), Clain sets out for a journey with the girl-shaped avatar Nessa to look for Phryne and discovers the secret behind the Fractale System. While taking a walk, Clain has an encounter with the mysterious Phryne who was running away from a gang of pursuers. Clain and Phryne soon become friends, but in the following day she disappears without saying a word, leaving a mysterious item behind. While examining the brooch left by Phryne, Clain finds that Nessa, a doppel in human form, was sealed inside it. After trying to dispose of her, he ends up accepting Nessa's company, just before being captured by the same trio that was pursuing Phyrne.

2:50 - 3:15    The World God Only Knows 8
[Source: Wikipedia] This episode features 4 different perspectives happening on the same day. Elsie is angry that Keima called her useless for making his lunch despite "it" having bizarre ingredients that are still alive. After her friend Chihiro advises her on how to impress Keima, Elsie decides to make a strawberry cake for him. Unfortunately, she misunderstands recipe's instructions and mistakenly uses ingredients from Hell instead of normal ones, causing many accidents including releasing a Mandragon and blowing up the Home Economics classroom. At the same time, Keima irritates his English teacher, Mr Kodama, who dislikes the fact Keima constantly plays games during class yet still manages to get perfect scores on tests. After getting into an argument with Keima over games and real life at PE class, Kodama is chased by the Mandragon. The Mandragon eventually arrives at the Katsuragi residence, where it drops Elsie's cake. Keima returns home and finds Elsie's cake and eats it out of guilt. However, because he was hiding, his mother mistakes him for a thief and hits him on the head with a vase. Kodama arrives at the Katsuragi residence for his meeting with Keima's mother, but sees the Mandragon get eaten by the "lunch" Elsie made earlier, scaring him away. Elsie returns home and vows to make another cake for Keima. Despite having eaten the cake, he tells her that he doesn't like sweets, much to her chagrin.

3:15 - 4:05   Deadman Wonderland 1-2
[Source: Wikipedia] A massive earthquake ravaged Japan's mainland and destroyed most of Tokyo, sinking three-quarters of it into the ocean. Ten years later, the story shifts to Igarashi Ganta, a seemingly ordinary student attending Nagano Prefecture's middle school. An escapee, a survivor of the great earthquake, Ganta has no memories of the tragedy and has lived a normal life. This all changes when a strange man covered in blood and crimson armour floats through his classroom windows. Grinning madly, the Red Man massacres Ganta's entire class but instead of killing him, embeds a red crystal shard in Ganta's chest. Within days of the massacre, Ganta is declared the sole suspect and, following a quick trial, is sentenced to life imprisonment in Deadman Wonderland, a massive theme park like prison. Arriving at the prison, Ganta is fitted with a special collar which monitors his location and life signs. Due to the heinous nature of Ganta's 'crime', he has to live out his imprisonment under Deadman Wonderland's 'Death Sentence'. A lethal poison is constantly injected into his bloodstream through the collar, but it can be neutralized by consuming a peculiar candy-like medicine every three days. Additional candy can be earned through hard work or by purchasing it. In order to gather Cast Points, the prison's currency, an inmate has to perform in the facility's lethal games and survive. Fortunately for Ganta, he is aided by a mysterious girl named Shiro, who apparently knows Ganta, and is known by other prisoners as well. While trying to survive as an inmate on death row, Ganta becomes increasingly obsessed with the 'Red Man' and tries to find him so he could clear his name. In a bizarre twist, Ganta begins to develop the ability to manipulate his own blood, to the point of turning it into a weapon. Unbeknownst to him, Ganta has become one of the prison's 'Deadmen', a segregated group of prisoners possessing the Branch of Sin which makes them capable of controlling their blood. After his ability is discovered, Ganta is forced to participate in brutal gladiatorial death matches, known as Carnival Corpse, whose anonymous spectators pay large amounts of money to watch. In his struggle he manages to befriend some of those he fought off in the arena, and with their help Ganta continues his quest to uncover the identity of the Red Man, why he turned into a Deadman and the dark secrets the prison authorities are hiding.

4:05 - 4:55    Occult Academy 11 (corrected episode from last month)
[Source: Wikipedia] The story revolves around Maya, the daughter of the former Headmaster of a private Japanese academy dedicated to the study of the occult, and time traveling agent Fumiaki Uchida, a mysterious young man who travels back in time from 2012. In 1999, Maya returns to the Academy, both for her father's funeral and for her goal to destroy the Academy, as she hates everything occult. Occult Academy is apparently situated in Nagano, as the Matsushiro Underground Imperial Headquarters are shown to be nearby. In episode 10 the acedemy was actually Maya's Christmas gift therefore giving her a reason of not destroying the school. Maya successfully assumes her father's place as the academy's headmistress. She later meets Fumiaki Uchida whom makes his appearance from the future. Having no luck in finding the Nostradamus Key, Bunmei meets Mikaze Nakagawa at the diner she works in. Meanwhile, people are mysteriously disappearing around the city. Mikaze tries to convince Bunmei that Maya is actually the Key of Nostradamus and asks him to separate Maya from her spellbook, but he ends up warning Maya about Mikaze's intentions instead. After trying unsuccessfully to deceive her enemies by faking her death, Maya must escape from Mikaze whom is revealed to be a black mage.

4:55 - 5:55    Club Meeting and Announcements
Anime Central Convention Coverage
-  Animation News from around the world
-  Cosplayers
/Skits/Masquerade
-  New Anime Releases

-  And other interesting stuff...

  
5:55 - 6:20    Gosick 5
[Source: Wikipedia] Gosick takes place in 1924 in a small, French-speaking fictional European country of Sauville. The story centers on Kazuya Kujo, the third son of a Japanese Imperial soldier, who is a transfer student to St. Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. There he meets Victorique, a mysterious yet beautiful and brilliant girl who never comes to class and spends her days reading the entire content of the library or solving mysteries that even detectives can't solve. The series mostly focuses on Kazuya and Victorique getting involved in different mystery cases and their struggle to solve them, at the same time forming important bonds with different people. Kujo is still puzzling over Avril and cannot understand what is bothering him about her character. He begged Victorique to find him a book in hopes that it would give him a clue to Avril's mystery. Instead, Kujo is knocked unconscious and the book disappears. Victorique reveals to Kujo that the Avril Bradley he knows is actually an impostor and the successor of the legendary thief, Kuiaran. After Kujo rescues the real Avril Bradley, the duo confronts Kuiaran the Second on top of the library tower who came looking for the book.

6:20 - 8:50    Break Blade 3-5
[Source: Wikipedia] The inhabitants of the continent of Cruzon are born with the ability to freely control quartz. Technology based on this power allows them to perform a great multitude of tasks such as shoot projectiles and pilot mobile suits (called Golems in this society). Rygart Arrow is an un-sorcerer, a rare individual who is unable to levitate even the smallest crystal. Living with his brother on a farm, he receives a letter from an old friend, Hodr, the current king. Close companion of the king and queen when they were students at Assam Military School, Arrow is informed that a war is about to occur. Hodr called him because an ancient type of Golem has been found in a mining shaft. No one has been able to move it and queen Sigyn, an expert engineer, suspects that maybe an un-sorcerer might be the key to activate it.
Episode 3: "Scars from an Assassin's Blade"
Zess wonders about the terms of surrender Rygart was talking about as he and his squad prepares for one more attack at Binonten. As Rygart is being taught on using the Delphine and its new heavy armor, Sigyn wonders if he is capable of killing someone and Baldr warns him he has to work hard if he wants to save an enemy's life. Zess's squad begins their final attack but quickly aborts the mission once they realize the Krisna forces are following them. As they escape to the border, Rygart soon arrives and quickly kills one Zess's men, Argath which Zess stays back to fight him. Rygart at first is reluctant to hurt Zess but quickly puts it aside and seriously damages Zess's Golem and injures him. Cleo, traumatize from the death of her comrades, fights Rygart in anger where she quickly defeats Rygart and fights against Baldr and his men alone. When Erekt manages to retrieve the injured Zess, Cleo tries to escape but her Golem is shot and disabled by Narvi, and tells Erekt to leave her behind and escape with Zess. While Rygart believes it's over, Baldr tells him they now must face the Athens Invasion force led by General Borcuse. In Athens, Borcuse is informed by his second in command, Colonel Io, that Secretary Loquis has manage to acquit the General's war crimes at Assam and made him commander of the Athens Invasion force where his soldiers are gathering at Ilios. Meanwhile in Binoten, Sigyn decides to have Cleo stay at her bed chambers instead of prison, hoping she will cooperate and tell them about her Artemis Golem but Cleo takes her hostage in order to escape. As Cleo escapes while holding up Sigyn with her gun, they find Rygart talking to Hodr's pet owl Gram. Cleo at first is reluctant to shoot him upon hearing that Rygart is a friend of Zess and hopes for his safety but when she does tries to shoot him, she learns the gun is empty and is apprehended by Sigyn guards. At Ilios, Loquis informs Borcuse of their nation's Quartz shortage and tells the General that he must do everything necessary to win and take over Krisna as his army heads out.
Episode 4:  "The Land of Disaster"
As Zess and Erekt returns to Athens, Krisna mobilizes their army to face the Athenian Invaders. Cleo continues living with Sigyn where the latter warns her not to harm Rygart again. Meanwhile, Sigyn assembles a special Golem force led by Narvi with Rygart, her older brother Nile and Sniper Loggin under her command including Girghe. Girghe is General Baldr's son and a talented Golem pilot who has been given Cleo's Golem but he is a former criminal who killed his teammates without reason which Baldr warns Rygart to be careful with his son and kill him if he does anything suspicious. As General True and General Baldr's forces head out, Rygart trains with his teammates to better use the Delphine while Hodr asks the Orlando Empire for help. Before leaving, Sigyn, who is revealed to be in love with Rygart, makes him promise to come back safely. Unknown to Rygart and co. General True is killed in battle after being ambushed by the Athenians led by Io and Nike, the Golem commander who killed General True. As a siege battle begins between Baldr focres on a hill and Borcuse forces attacking, an officer named Elsa notices a small opportunity and convinces the General to let her lead a small Golem detachment to kill Borcuse who is currently protected by five of his officers. However much to their shock, Borcuse and his men kill all of Elsa's forces despite being outnumbered 20 to 6 and is one cruel act, Borcuse orders Nike to drag and show Elsa's cockpit to the Krisnan defenders to demoralize them. However, Baldr uses Elsa death into anger and orders all of his Golems to attack Borcuse's army. As Baldr's forces are cornered by Borcuse on both flanks, they are soon rescued by Rygart and his teammates as they decimate the left flank, forcing Borcuse to order his army to retreat. As they escape into a valley, Borcuse forces get ambushed by Girghe who quickly subdues Nike's Golem and proceeds to fight Borcuse and his officers.

Episode 5:  "Death's Horizon"
Girghe is questioned by Narvi over his surprise attack against Borcuse forces and has him put under house arrest so he doesn't repeat his antics again. Later Loggin, Rygart and Nile learns about True's death but Nile is unsure whether to tell the true to Narvi. While Rygart and Baldr talk about Girghe's past and Cleo learns more about about Zess's academy days with Sigyn, the Athenian Invasion army have finally regroup and despite losing many Golems, Nike's ego badly bruised by Girghe and the death one his officers, Borcuse is overjoy of finding two worthy opponents to fight, particular Rygart and Girghe. When Rygart learns Borcuse forces are heading to his hometown where his little brother Regatz lives, he disobeys Narvi's order to head home and search for his brother. However, when he arrives, the villagers have been slaughtered by Borcuse's men. Borcuse is glad to see Rygart is here and has duel with him while his men are ordered to watched. After a long tenuous fight, Borcuse knocks out Rygart and orders his men to pry open the Delphine cockpit and kill the pilot before returning it to Athens. Yet Rygart manages to regain conscious and is able to escape thanks to his squad mates who have come to rescue him. As they are about to fallback, the squad is intercepted by Io and Nike forces where Narvi, Loggin, and Nile's Golems are taken down. In the confusion, Girghe runs away where Rygart chases after him where he has a duel with Rygart. As they battle, Girghe mocks Rygart for defending the weak and reveals he knows the stories that Sigyn is in love with him and offers him the chance to make Sigyn his. But Rygart scoffs his ideals and tells him he should fight for Krisna just like his father and defeats him. Io and Nike forces finally where they corned both men and with the Delphine out of energy, Girghe decides to save Rygart by kicking the Delphine into a valley while he sacrifice himself fighting against the enemy, killing many of them including Nike.

8:50 - 9:00   Shinryaku! Ika Musume 5 - "Aren't You an Alien?"
[Source: Wikipedia] A woman named Cindy Campbell who comes from a US extraterrestrial research laboratory believes Ika to be an alien and wants to take her back to her lab. Cindy attempts to brainwash Ika into thinking she's an alien, but her appetite snaps her out of it. Later, Ika has a look around Eiko's school, believing it to be a military base. She decides to hold the principal captive and take over the school before Eiko stops her. Later, Sanae has a dream in which Eiko finds a miniaturized Ika and keeps it as a pet.

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