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.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Celebrating Easter!

Miracles can happen... 
when you believe!
    

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Walking Dead and Toy Story are the Same

Here's the Proof:
  • Reddit user JimmyLegs50 realized that these two disparate pieces of entertainment actually have much more in common than we ever guessed, and he did a series of more than three dozen side-by-side comparisons to prove it. Obviously not everything matches up perfectly (Woody doesn't straight-up murder Buzz, after all), but there are enough strange parallels to make us imagine an animated Walking Dead adventure starring Woody the Sheriff. Pixar would probably design some adorable intestines. Here are a few of our favorite comparisons and put them in the gallery below. You can check out the whole thing here (obviously, major spoilers for both Toy Story and The Walking Dead).














































































































Friday, March 29, 2013

Thursday, March 28, 2013

The Wolverine - Trailers

The Wolverine
7 . 26 . 13
  • Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern-day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world, he will face a host of unexpected and deadly opponents in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality. Story by Christopher McQuarrie.
  • U.S. Trailer



  • International Trailer


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

After Ever After - Disney Parody

So what happens to the Disney Princesses 
AFTER Ever After?

LYRICS
If you've ever wondered why
Disney's tales all end in lies
Here's what happened after all their dreams came true

Ariel
I loved being princess down in -- this beautiful ocean blue
But mermaids are going missing -- they end up in someone's stew
So just try to put yourself in -- to somebody else's gills
You're killing my ecosystem -- with fishing and oil spills
Thank you BP, thank you BP
The British are killing, oil is spilling
Now I can't see... MY EYES!
Chinamen feast on Flounder's fins
Plus the Japanese killed all my whale friends
Oceans are browning, I think I'm drowning
Thanks to BP
YOU SUCK!

Jasmine
Hey, I'm OK, but I'm slightly scared
My husband's a mark for the War on Terror
Aladdin was taken by the CIA
We're not Taliban
You've got the wrong man
In Guantanamo Bay
Prince Ali, where could he be, drowning in wawa
Interrogation from the nation of the "free"
Bin Laden's taken the fall
We're not trained pilots at all
Jafar went crazy and no one put up a fuss
We're for freedom, Genie can vouch for us
Bush was crazy, Obama's lazy, al-Qaeda's not in this country
Set free my Prince Ali

Belle

A whore! A whore!
A whore, a whore, a whore!
This town's gone wild since I married Adam
They think I'm going straight to hell
But the charges laid on me
Of bestiality
Could wind up getting me thrown in a cell
No, I'm overrun by mad men
I hear they plan to burn me at the stake
They legit believe I'm Satan
And now I hear that PETA's gonna take my beast away

Pocahontas
After John Smith traveled back to England
I helped my people cultivate the fields
More English, French, and Spaniards came to visit
And they greeted us with guns and germs and steel
They forced us into unknown lands of exile
They pillaged, raped, and left us all for dead
So now I'm far more liberal with a weapon
When I separate their bodies from their heads
Have you ever held the entrails of an English guy?
Or bit the beating hearts of Spanish men?
Can you shoot an arrow in some French guy's eyeball?
Can you paint with the red colors in these men
I can murder if I please
Cause I'm dying of disease
I can paint with the red colors in these men

Thanks to BP
Where's Prince Ali?
Bestiality
I've got STDs

 

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

'Bioshock Infinite' Scores Big!

Highest Rated Game of the Year!
Bioshock Infinite
  • [Source: Yahoo!Games] How do you improve a classic? It’s a question that haunts anyone attempting a sequel or reboot to a beloved franchise, and more often than not, it’s answered with a resounding “you don’t.” But don’t tell that to game design auteur Ken Levine and his team at Boston-based Irrational Games, because they’re not really listening. Instead, they’ve been working on making BioShock Infinite, releasing Tuesday for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, as good a video game as humanly possible. For well over four years they’ve been at it, hoping that time and a budget of over $100 million yields a title that compares favorably to the groundbreaking 2007 shooter BioShock -- something the first sequel, the underwhelming BioShock 2 (crafted by a totally different team), couldn’t quite manage. It certainly isn’t an easy task. Levine recently admitted as much, telling the New York Times that “it’s getting harder to ask someone to spend $60 on something that’s merely a good effort,” and that it has to be “different and really special.” As it turns out, that adequately describes BioShock Infinite. Reviews are slowly rolling in, and they’re as lofty as the flying city in which the game is set. Currently averaging a hefty 95 on Metacritic, it’s the highest-scoring video game in ages and the early frontrunner for Game of the Year. “Infinite is more than a new setting, story, and characters; those elements are seamlessly integrated with complex themes, a mysterious plot, and entertaining combat to create an amazing experience from beginning to end,” gushes Game Informer’s Joe Juba in a 10/10 review. His favorite aspect is the game’s storytelling, which culminates with “one of my favorite game endings in years.” The game is set in an alternate version of 1912 in the flying city of Columbia. Players take on the role of Booker DeWitt, a former detective tasked with rescuing a teenage girl from the floating metropolis. Things quickly spiral out of control, of course, lending the game – and its world – some much needed weight. Where the original BioShock riffed on Ayn Rand’s visions of Objectivism, Infinite references America’s complicated relationship with racism, religion and empire-building.

  • "Save the girl, Save the world"
    Welcome to the city of Columbia. Floating amongst the clouds, cruising far above sea level, this is a place unlike any you've ever seen. Please enjoy your voyage...

    The third game in the popular Bioshock series, BioShock Infinite breaks away from the underwater setting of the first two games to take players into a floating city held aloft by dirigibles. The game is set in 1912. You play as Booker DeWitt, a disgraced former private detective who's picked up a new case. Your goal is to find Elizabeth, a young woman who's gone missing and return her unharmed. The only problem is that she's being kept on this flying city. Columbia was once a symbol of America's success as a nation, floating around the world as a traveling World's Fair, a marvel of human innovation. But strange things have happened since Columbia's unveiling in 1900, and now the city has disappeared into the clouds. DeWitt knows how to find it, but over the years stories have been told about Columbia having unlawful heavy armament and deranged citizenry. Do not expect this to be a pleasure cruise.

  • “The world that Irrational has built is one of BioShock Infinite’s greatest assets,” asserts Polygon’s Arthur Gies while doling out another perfect score, adding that the game “lives up to the promise of its legacy.” Descructoid’s Jim Sterling agrees, particularly when it comes to the game’s co-star, Elizabeth. Compared to the often brain-dead helper bees in most video games, she’s a veritable Einstein. “Elizabeth's uses as an ally are extensive and go toward making her more than just a stereotypical rescue prospect,” he writes. “She becomes an impeccable example of how gameplay can be used to further the narrative. She is as crucial to the player as she is to the story, and both aspects of the character work together in harmonious synchronization.” His score? Yet another 10/10. A scan of other sites yields the kind of praise usually reserved for Oscar-winners. There's USA Today, ("spectacular"), The Toronto Sun ("boundlessly rewarding"), The Telegraph ("arguably peerless"), The Escapist ("breathtaking") and Joystiq ("simply cannot be missed"), to name a few. And though a handful of sites stray from such adoration, it’s pretty clear that anyone with a pulse and a console or gaming PC should drop everything and give it a whirl. Shocking? Not remotely.

    Release Date: March 26, 2013
    Genre: First-Person Shooter
    Publisher: 2K Games
    Developer: Irrational Games
    Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, MAC 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Ant-Man Test Footage

Ant-Man Fights His Way Online
 
  • Test footage for the planned Ant-Man Live-Action movie by Director Edgar Wright which was originally shown at San Diego Comic-Con 2012.
  Watch Video  
 

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Despicable Me 2


Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment's worldwide blockbuster, Despicable Me, delighted audiences around the globe in 2010, grossing more than $540 million and becoming the 10th-biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history. In Summer 2013, get ready for more minion madness in Despicable Me 2. Chris Meledandri and his acclaimed filmmaking team create an all-new comedy animated adventure featuring the return of Gru (Steve Carell), the girls, the unpredictably hilarious minions...and a host of new and outrageously funny characters. Despicable Me 2, stars Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Al Pacino, Mirando Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Steve Coogan and Ken Jeong, directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Anime Viewing Schedule for March 23, 2013

Saturday, March 23, 2013
Wood Dale Public Library
"Did you get the message?
Adjacent Meeting Room, 10:15 am to 5:00 pm
10:15 - 11:05    Accel World 14-15
11:05 - 11:30    Rinne no Lagrange 12
11:30 - 12:20   
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 5-6
12:20 - 1:10     
Kokoro Connect 16-17 (end)

1:10 - 1:50        Club Meeting / Announcements 
1:50 - 2:40        Sword Art Online 9-10
2:40 - 4:40        The Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki


10:15 - 11:05   Accel World 14-15
"Begin Combat!"
Accel World
[Source: Wikipedia] In the year 2046, Neuro-synchronization, a technology system that allows humans to manipulate their five senses, has become widespread where people can access the internet and enter virtual worlds. Haruyuki "Haru" Arita is a short, fat boy who due to constant bullying has low-self esteem. To escape the torment of real life, he logs-in to the school's virtual world network where he plays squash alone and always gets the highest score. One day Haru attracts the attention of the Student Council Vice-President Kuroyukihime who offers him Brain Burst, a secret program which allows a person to make time appear to stand still in their surroundings by "accelerating" their brainwaves in the real world. Unfortunately, there is a limit to how many times a person can accelerate due to Brain Burst points and the primary way to get more points is to fight and defeat other Brain Burst users in the program's virtual reality massive multiplayer online (VRMMO) fighting game. However, if a user loses all of his/her points the Brain Burst program will uninstall itself and block all re-installation attempts, thus permanently removing the user's ability to accelerate. Kuroyukihime wants Haru's help as she wishes to reach Level 10 and meet the creator of Brain Burst to learn its true purpose. But in order to do that, she must defeat five other Level 9 users who just so happen to be "The Six Kings of Pure Color", the leaders of the six most powerful factions in the Brain Burst world. For helping him, Haru agrees to help Kuroyukihime not only to repay her but to overcome his weaknesses.
Episode 14 "Arrestation": As Haruyuki, Takumu and Chiyuri discuss what exactly Seiji is, Takumu deduces that the ability Seiji used was probably Physical Burst, a command which accelerates the user's consciousness up to 10 times for 3 seconds, enabling a faster reaction time. However, as his name still doesn't show up on the player list, they attempt to obtain proof of Seiji being a Burst Linker just as as Kuroyukihime heads off on her school trip. Haruyuki beings trailing Seiji after kendo practice which leads him to the girls' shower room; a trap set by Seiji using visual masking to manipulate Haruyuki's nero-linker's field of digital vision. Chiyuri finds Haruyuki and is forced to hide him. The next day, Haruyuki is confronted by Seiji, who admits to the trap and shows him a video taken from a hidden camera he set up of Haruyuki going into the girls' shower room, blackmailing Haruyuki into transferring him Burst Points whenever he wants them. Chiyuri defends Haruyuki, but Seiji plays his trump card: letting the camera be discovered by the school, thereby implicating Haruyuki should Seiji release the video. As Seiji sadistically threatens Chiyuri, Haruyuki charges at him and they both use Physical Burst with Seiji knocking Haruyuki to the ground by means of a feint attack. Seiji then cables with Haruyuki and initiates a duel with him, revealing his avatar, Dusk Taker.
Episode 15 "Destruction": As Silver Crow and Dusk Taker's duel commences, he is able to deduce that the reason Dusk Taker's level is above his, because he doesn't duel, instead threatening other Burst Linkers. Silver Crow is able to initially dominate the match, however just as Dusk Taker's SP gauge fills completely, he uses his special ability: Demonic Command which he uses to steal Silver Crow's Aviation ability permanently, leaving him completely devastated. Unable to fight back, Silver Crow then looses the match and a portion of his Burst Points. Leaving the Accelerated World, Seiji boasts that he won't return the ability until he graduates. Seiji then proceed reminds Haruyuki and Chiyuri about the power he holds over them, forcing them to keep it a secret from Takumu and Kuroyukihime. As Haruyuki tries to keep what happened a secret from Takumu, their friendship is strained. Eventually Haruyuki falls into depression and becomes uncertain about what to do, even contemplating uninstalling Brain Burst. He then goes to the Green Legion's territory since he must still duel to obtain points and enters another match with Ash Roller. However, feeling useless without his wings Silver Crow looses the will to fight. Taking pity on his lack of motivation, Ash Roller takes Silver Crow to the old Tokyo Tower within the Unlimited Field to meet his parent and Silver Crow's predecessor in terms of aerial ability: Sky Raker. 

11:05 - 11:30   Rinne no Lagrange 12
"Flying a robot is like riding a bucking bronco... sort of."
Rinne no Lagrange
[Source: Wikipedia] Madoka Kyouno, a schoolgirl from Kamogawa, is the sole member of the Jersey Club and always ready to help others out. One day, she is approached by an alien named Lan who asks her to pilot a robotic aircraft to defend mankind against an evil force.
Episode 12 "Until We Meet Again, In Kamogawa": As reaction of the Voxes causes a large energy field to appear in the sky, Madoka subconsciously speaks with a strange woman who tells her to follow her own path. Motivate, Madoka regains control of Midori and, along with Lan and Muginami, changes the energy field into a beautiful flower. As Madoka learns that Yoko is still alive, Midori suddenly shuts down and is targeted by Villagiulo. However, he is stopped by the arrival of the Le Garite army, prompting Muginami to leave with him in order to save him. Two weeks following the incident, the existence of alien civilizations and Lan's identity as the Princess of Le Garite have since been revealed to the world and she is due to return to her home planet. Going up to a 'Hill of Vows', Madoka and Lan make a promise that they, along with Muginami, will once again meet in Kamogawa before parting ways. As Autumn comes, Asteria reveals her insignia to Yoko while Madoka receives a letter from Muginami.

11:30 - 12:20     Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! 5-6
"I am the Heretic -- Twintail! Beware my power!"
 
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
[Source: Wikipedia] Yūta Togashi is a boy who, during junior high school, had 'adolescent delusions' (中二病 chūnibyō, lit. "junior high school second grade illness"), believing that he possesses supernatural powers and dubbing himself the 'Dark Flame Master,' therefore alienating himself from his classmates. Finding his past embarrassing, Yūta attempts to start off high school where he does not know anyone, free from his old delusions. This proves to be difficult, however, as a delusional girl in his class, Rikka Takanashi, learns of Yūta's past and becomes interested in him. As the plot progreses Rikka becomes more attached to Yūta, who despite finding her delusions irritating and embarrassing, accepts her. He helps Rikka with a number of things, including founding and maintaining her club and tutoring her. When he joins her on her summer vacation, Yūta learns that when Rikka was very young her father, whom she was very close to, died unexpectedly due to a terminal illness, causing her to fall into her delusions. After Yūta agrees to help Rikka search for the 'Ethereal Horizon' (不可視境界線 Fukashi Kyōkaisen), which she believes will lead her to her father, she becomes romantically interested in him and vice versa.
Episode 5 "Crucifixion of...Hard Study": After scoring a dreadfully low score on her maths test, Rikka is faced with her circle being disbanded if she fails her next one. Rikka tries to improve the circle's status by volunteering to clean the pool but, due to playing around, it backfires, with the maths teacher deciding Rikka will need to match the class average to keep her circle. Yūta attempts to help Rikka study, but she keeps getting distracted. After learning a bit about how lonely Rikka gets sometimes, Yūta offers to come up with an e-mail address for Rikka should she pass her test, using various bribes to get her to study hard. After the maths exam, Rikka ends up scoring relatively poorly, but manages to land just above the class average, so Yūta awards her with a new e-mail address.
Episode 6 "Atonement of...the Innocent": Yūta's classmate, Makoto Isshiki, comes to Yūta for advice after receiving an anonymous love letter, thinking it might be from Shinka. When he comes across Rikka's clubroom to talk to Yūta, he bears witness to Shinka's true nature as she feuds with Sanae. As Makoto is promptly told by Shinka to forget what he saw, he accidentally drops his notepad, containing a ranking of the girls in school. It is soon found by one of the girls and is brought to the class' attention, which Makoto reluctantly owns up to in order to protect the other boys, unintentionally offering to shave his head in apology. After being forced to go through with it, Makoto goes to the meeting point, but the writer doesn't show. Later that night, Yūta is approached by Tōka, asking him to join her and Rikka on their summer vacation.

12:20 - 1:10   Kokoro Connect 16-17 (end)
"It'll be our little secret."
Kokoro Connect
[Source: Wikipedia] The story involves five high school students, Taichi, Iori, Himeko, Yoshifumi and Yui, who are all members of the Cultural Research Club. One day, they begin experiencing a phenomenon in which they randomly swap bodies amongst themselves. As these five friends face many different phenomena at the whims of a mysterious being known as Balloon Vine, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.
Episode 16 "Determination and Resolution": As the gang continue on their presentation without Iori, Taichi makes a bold statement in class in order to quell the rumours surrounding Iori. However, Kaoru Setouchi, a girl who Iori infuriated the other day, is not fooled by this and plots to scheme something as payback. Later, the gang return to the clubroom to find their presentation has been torn to shreds. Despite the others putting it aside and deciding to remake the project from scratch, Iori, believing Kaoru to be responsible, becomes infuriated at her for getting others involved, forcing Taichi and Himeko to stop her in her tracks. After calming her down, Himeko tries to talk to Iori again by sharing some of her embarrassing secrets. Iori eventually breaks down, revealing how, due to all the stress and suffering the Heartseed incidents have caused her, she can't stand to keep up her fake, cheery personality anymore. Himeko responds that she should just live the way she wants to, whilst Taichi mentions he still loves her even if it wasn't her true personality. As Iori asks to think about it, Himeko encounters the group of boys who were responsible for messing up the clubroom, and when she tries to confront them, she ends up being kidnapped.
Episode 17 "Connecting Hearts": As Taichi, Yui and Yoshifumi learn of Himeko's kidnapping via the emotion transfer and rush to save her, Iori remains conflicted over what she should do, but inevitably decides to follow Taichi and Himeko's advice and live for herself. As the others start fighting against the men who kidnapped Himeko, one of them puts a knife towards her. Just then, Iori arrives and manages to use the emotion transfer to get Himeko to safety. Afterwards, Kaoru explains how she was resentful towards Iori for turning down a boy from the Jazz Club that she liked, but never wanted it to go so far and apologises for her actions. Noticing that they have something in common, Iori gives Kaoru the same advice the others gave her and asks her to be friends with her. As the gang make their way home, one of the kidnappers comes at them with a metal pipe, hitting Taichi as he protects Himeko. After Taichi and Iori have a mental discussion via the emotion transfer, where they decide to start their relationship from scratch, Taichi awakens and decides to ask Himeko out, to which she agrees. As the phenomenom comes to its conclusion, Goto is impressed by the gang's presentation and decides to continue moderating both clubs. With Tachi and Himeko now dating and Iori making friends again, the gang enter the new school year with their paths ahead of them.

1:10 - 1:50     Club Meeting / Announcements

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


1:50 - 2:40    Sword Art Online 9-10
"Kirito must beat the game in order to save himself and his friends,
but he must first harden his emotions even to those he loves."
 Sword Art Online
[Source: Wikipedia] In the year 2022, the Virtual reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) Sword Art Online (SAO) is released. With the Nerve Gear, a virtual reality Helmet that stimulates the user's five senses via their brain, players can experience and control their in-game characters with their minds. On November 6, 2022, all the players log in for the first time, and discover that they are unable to log out. They are then teleported to a place where Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of SAO, issues them a challenge; if they wish to be free and log out of the game, they must reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if their avatars die in game, their bodies will also die in the real world. The story follows Kirito, a skilled player who is determined to beat the game. As the game progresses Kirito eventually befriends a female player called Asuna who becomes his partner and lover. After the duo discovers the identity of Kayaba's avatar in SAO, the couple confronts and defeats him, freeing themselves and the other players from the game. Upon returning to the real world, Kirito learns that Asuna is trapped along a small group of SAO players against their will in another VRMMORPG called Alfheim Online (ALO) as a part of a plan devised by Nobuyuki Sugō with the intention of brainwashing Asuna and marry her in an attempt to take over her family's company. Helped by old friends from his time in SAO along new allies, Kirito manages to thwart Nobuyuki's plans and finally reunite with Asuna in the real world. Soon after, Kirito embarks in another VRMMORPG called Gun Gale Online (GGO) to investigate the mysterious connection between the game and deaths ocurring in the real world. He eventually discovers that the cuplrits behind the deaths include former members of a murderous guild he has previously confronted in SAO. After solving the murders in GGO, Kirito is recruited to assist in the development of a state-of-the-art game interface far more realistic and complex than those of the games he had previously played, but he eventually gets trapped in a game called UnderWorld (UW) where the flow of time is thousands of times faster than in the real world and is currently finding a way back to reality.
Episode 9 "Blue-Eyed Demon": Kirito and Asuna flee from the boss room to another part of the dungeon, where they stop for a meal and encounter Klein and the Furinkazan guild. The Aincrad Liberation Force guild, known as "The Army", also appears, visibly exhausted from exploring the floor. As the soldiers rest, their leader Corbatz demands Kirito to give them the map he made of the floor. Despite Asuna and Klein's protests, Kirito complies with his request. Kirito, Asuna, Klein and his guild later check up on Corbatz and his men, only to learn that they are battling Gleam Eyes by themselves, despite Kirito's earlier warnings. To make matters worse, the teleport crystals do not work in the boss room. As the members of the Army are killed off one by one, Asuna, Kirito and Klein charge at the boss to protect the survivors. Not wanting to see more people die, Kirito is forced to use a unique skill, Dual Blades, he has been keeping secret that allows him to fight with two swords. Using both Elucidator and Dark Repulsor, Kirito performs Star-burst Stream, a barrage of deadly slashes to defeat Gleam Eyes, before falling unconscious as his health hits red. Upon awakening, Kirito is greeted by the sight of a distraught Asuna, who announces her intentions to take a break from her guild and continue partying with Kirito. Shortly after the boss battle, Kirito's unique skill becomes the talk of Aincard, which gets him the attention of Heathcliff, the Commander of the Knights of Blood. Not wishing to see his vice-commander leave his guild, Heathcliff challenges Kirito to a duel. If Kirito wins, Asuna is allowed to leave the guild and join his side, but if he loses, Kirito must join the Knights of Blood. Kirito agrees to the terms and accepts Heathcliff's challenge.
Episode 10 "Crimson Bloodlust": The duel between Kirito and Heathcliff is held at an arena where a large crowd has gathered. Asuna warns Kirito to be careful about fighting Heathcliff as he has a unique skill called Divine Blade, which grants him maximum strength and defense. Heathcliff initially overpowers Kirito but the tide turns when Kirito forces Heathcliff on the defensive. Just as Kirito is about to deal the winning strike, Heathcliff mysteriously manages to dodge it and defeats Kirito. Now a member of the Knights of Blood, Kirito is questioned by Asuna about the reason for his strong aversion to joining guilds. After he confides in her about what happened to his old guild, Asuna comforts Kirito and tells him she will protect him. Later, Kirito is asked by fellow member Godfrey to follow him and a seemingly remorseful Kuradeel to the 55th floor dungeons for a skill assessment. As they stop for a break, Kirito notices too late that the water he and Godfrey drank contains a paralysis effect. Kuradeel then reveals he is a member of the Laughing Coffins and his intentions to kill both Godfrey and Kirito, while making it look like they were victims of an ambush. After finishing off Godfrey, Kuradeel attempts to kill Kirito, but the latter is saved by the arrival of Asuna who tracked them on her map. Furious, Asuna quickly whittles down Kuradeel's health until the critical stages. Kuradeel begs Asuna for forgiveness, which was a ruse to get her guard down and disarm her. Just as Kuradeel is about to strike Asuna, Kirito jumps in between them, blocking the attack with his arm before killing him. Asuna feels guilty for what had happened, but Kirito kisses her, and tells her how much he cares about her and how he wants to protect her. They stay at her home for the night. Later, as he sits next to Asuna on her bed, Kirito tells her of a place where they can be alone together and then proposes to her, which she tearfully accepts. 

2:40 - 4:40    The Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki
"How to Raise Your Wolf Kids"
The Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki
[Source: Wikipedia] Nineteen-year-old college student Hana meets a young man who sneaks into her classes for lessons and falls in love with him immediately. They soon start dating. One day, the man reveals his identity to Hana; he is a Wolfman and the only surviving descendant of the extinct Japanese wolf. Undeterred by this fact, Hana invites him to live with her. A year later, when Hana becomes pregnant, she decides not to visit a hospital out of fear that her child would be a wolf. Their daughter, Yuki, is thus born at home on a snowy day, along with her brother, Ame, who is born a year after her, this time on a rainy day. Not long after Ame's birth, the Wolfman suddenly disappears. Hana searches frantically, only to discover that city workers were working to remove a wolf's carcass from a canal. He had died accidentally while hunting to feed the children. Although devastated by the loss of her beloved, Hana resolves to take good care of her wolf-children by herself. However, Hana discovers that living in the city with her children was extremely difficult. Yuki, who is temperamental, often switches between her human and wolf form, creating a lot of noise, making the neighbors unhappy. Child-protection officers have been hounding Hana because her children had not gone for the compulsory immunization program. Making matters worse, her landlord receives complaints that she was keeping pets at home due to the wolf cries made by Yuki and Ame, and threatens to evict her because the apartment forbids pets. Eventually, Hana decides to move to the countryside and stumbles upon a dilapidated house that was virtually rent-free, but requires a lot of renovation work. Most importantly to her, however, is the fact that the nearest neighbor is miles away, and the house is surrounded by nature. Hana gets down to work immediately, repairing the house and later tried to grow crops. Initially skeptical of her at first, the other villagers warm up to her and help her to settle in. One fierce old man who treats newcomers harshly even shows Hana how to grow her own farm. At the same time, Hana tries to find ways to educate her children about wolf survival in the wild. She eventually gets a job as an assistant in a nature reserve to learn more about nature. Meanwhile, Yuki loves the new environment, while Ame dislikes it. One day, Ame finds the will to chase after a kingfisher, but loses his footing and falls into a stream, and nearly drowns. After that day, Ame became a more confident person. Soon, when Yuki and Ame reaches school-going age, Yuki begs her mother to send her to school. Hana agrees on one condition: they must never transform into a wolf in front of people. Although Yuki does not fit well into the school environment initially due to her background, but she soon adapts and makes many new friends at school. On the other hand, Ame does not adapt very well and gets bullied to the point he stops attending school and frequently wanders into the woods behind their house. Later, Hana discovers that Ame was taking lessons from an old fox about hunting and survival in the wild. In school, Yuki's class receives a new transfer student, Souhei who ultimately tells Yuki that she smelled of an animal. Fearing that he would uncover her identity, Yuki avoids him. However, he follows Yuki around the school until Yuki, unable to control herself, transforms into a wolf and scratches him across the ear. Haunted by this incident, Yuki refuses to go to school. However, moved by Souhei's persistence in sending her homework and foodstuff every day, Yuki eventually returns to school, and even became good friends with Souhei. On one stormy day, when Ame's "master" dies, Ame decides to take over his role in the woods, but despite his mother's objections, he slips away without Hana knowing. During her search for Ame, Hana slips and falls down a chasm, but is rescued by Ame, who carries her out of the woods. Before regaining consciousness, Hana has a vision where the Wolfman apologizes to her for the burden she had to bear in raising their children and tells her he is proud of how they have grown. Hana berates herself for Ame's disappearance, to which the Wolfman responds that Ame has found his path in life. When she awakens, Hana finally accepts Ame's decision, and watches in awe as he howls and disappears into the distance as a matured wolf. Meanwhile, Yuki, who was left in school with Souhei, reveals her true identity to him and confesses that she was the wolf who attacked him. Souhei admits that he knew this a long time ago, but he has already forgiven her. Years later, Yuki attends a boarding middle school, making a lot of new friends in the process and despite Ame's disappearance, his howls could be heard far and wide. Meanwhile, Hana continues to live in her old home, happily knowing that she has raised her wolf-children well.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Calvin and Hobbes Animation


A fan-animated Calvin and Hobbes strip. Click here to see the original.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Studio Trigger's 'Little Witch Academia' Trailer

Studio Trigger posted a trailer for "Little Witch Academia," its entry in the Anime Mirai 2013 initiative, a new young animator training project. Director/character designer/animation director Yoh Yoshinari (episode director for Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt) and producer Naoko Tsutsumi (Black Rock Shooter, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt) are leading the project, and Michiru Oshima (Fullmetal Alchemist, BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad, Blast of Tempest) is scoring the music. Under the Anime Mirai program, the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) receives money from the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, and it distributes most of those funds to studios who train young animators on-the-job. 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Amnesia

The Struggle to Remember a Lost Love...
 
  • On one fateful day, August 1, the 'Heroine' (no apparent name revealed) lost all her memories. In order to gain them back and to ease her pain in remembering, she tries to interact with 'him' hoping to live each day as happily as she can, and to make a bright future with him... This story first begins when the Heroine tries to escape a burning building with watchtower. She is later seen sinking in the apse. After the Heroine wakes up, she discovers that it's August 4 and that she has no memories of the people she had known before then. When she is at home, a young boy named Orion, who had already known her three days after August 1st, explains how she lost her memories and a way to help her to get them back. However, if she isn't able to get her memories back, she will soon lose her memories to talk, eat, sleep, and breathe. As the story progresses, the Heroine seems to gain one of her memories back, which is a memory of her and Ikki, who was helping her make the parfait. After the work was done, she and Orion found in her mailbox a picture of her with her face scribbled out. At the end of the episode, a group of girls confront the Heroine saying that she broke their "promise". The Heroine suddenly remembers one of the girls holding a pair of scissors and cutting off a lock of her hair. After seeing that traumatic memory, she faints.
 

Monday, March 18, 2013

Next Club Meeting is March 23, 2013

It's Tax Time! Seeking Legal Advice?
 "Hi, I'm Francis Geraci. 
Tax Attorney."

"For 50 years, I've been at 
the top of my profession."

 "Got the Feds on your ass? Don't worry.
You've got me on your side."

 "I swear that's the third time that car has passed
by this office. I think they're on to me!" 

Come to the Animatrix Network
Not for taxes, but for anime

Wood Dale Public Library
520 N. Wood Dale Road
Wood Dale, IL  60191
Adjacent Meeting Room
Saturday, March 23, 2013
10:15 AM - 5:00 PM

Our next club meeting will be at the Wood Dale Public Library
Large Meeting Room (on your right as you enter the front doors), 
on March 23, 2013, from 10:15 AM to 5:00 PM 
(when the library closes).

There is public transportation available. 
A Metra train-stop is located within walking distance. 

Please note: If you are driving, please park your car 
on the south side of the building (not the front) in order to 
make room for other library patrons.
 
A Viewing Schedule will be posted soon.
 
Hope to see you all there!

(Click on the pics below to enlarge) 

Building Map
 
Regional Map

Local Map