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.

Monday, June 30, 2014

Knights of Sidonia

KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA
The first Netflix original anime series, Knights of Sidonia, based on the popular manga series of the same name, follows Nagate, a low-born youth in a society of genetically engineered refugees who escaped the destruction of Earth one thousand years earlier and now occupy the massive ship Sidonia. When Nagate's talent as a pilot is revealed he becomes one of Sidonia's elite defenders against the Guana, shapeshifting aliens bent on eliminating humans from existence.

All 12 episodes of the epic KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA series will premiere July 4 in all territories Netflix is available.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Boxtrolls - Movie Trailer

BOXTROLLS
The film tells the story of an orphaned boy named Eggs (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) who was raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors called the Boxtrolls. The Boxtrolls are targeted by an evil exterminator named Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley), and Eggs has to save his family from Snatcher.
09 - 26 - 14

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Doctor Who - Disney-style

“She wished for a prince. She got thirteen.”

That’s the very much Disney-like tagline which shows artist Stephen Byrne's rendition of Doctor Who companion Amy Pond surrounded by all 13 incarnations of the beloved Time Lord — not forgetting the TARDIS.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Anime Viewing Schedule for June 28, 2014

Saturday, June 28, 2014
Wood Dale Public Library

Need... Anime... Now...
Main Meeting Room, 10:15 am to 5:00 pm
(Click on links to view Video Previews)

10:15 - 11:05    Noragami 9-10 [Video]
11:05 - 11:55    Nagi no Asukara 10-11 [Video]
11:55 - 12:45    Captain Earth 5-6 [Video]
12:45 - 1:35      Nisekoi 7-8 [Video]
1:35 - 2:15        Club Meeting / Announcements [Video]
2:15 - 3:05        Wizard Barristers 8-9
[Video]
3:05 - 3:30        Chaika the Coffin Princess 1 [Video]
3:30 - 4:45        Coppelion 11-13 (end) [Video]

 

ANIME DESCRIPTIONS ARE BELOW -- See the explosive final episodes of Coppelion! We start a new series entitled: Chaika the Coffin Princess --

10:15 - 11:05    Noragami 9-10
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 9 "Namae": Daikoku and Kofuku only allow Hiyori to come through the borderline so she can cleanse her blight, stating that Yato will die unless Yukine receives punishment by ablution. Although Daikoku manages to enlist the help of Mayu, he struggles to find a third Regalia to help perform the ablution. Rejecting the thought of calling on Nora, as she might kill Yukine, Hiyori goes to Bishamon's shrine to request Kazuma's help. As the three Regalias get together, they discover Yukine's back is covered with phantoms and begin their ablution, in which Yukine must endure pain until he confesses to his sins, or otherwise transform into a phantom himself. Yukine admits his crimes and expresses his jealousy of the living and his envy of what they have. As Yukine's condition worsens, Hiyori and Yato calls out to him, reminding him that they are his friends, and the name Yato gave him is that of a person's. Hearing this, Yukine apologises for all the bad things he had done, allowing the ablution to be successfully carried out. With both Yato and Yukine back to normal, they both feel thankful towards Hiyori for saving their lives. Meanwhile, Nora has awakened a god named Rabo, who has a grudge against Yato.
Episode 10 "Regarded with Hate": As Yukine takes up a part time job at Daikoku's food stand to help repay what he stole, he and Hiyori hear from Miyu about how Tenjin banished one of his regalias for stinging him with blight. Meanwhile, Tenjin informs Yato, who finally contemplates fulfilling Hiyori's request, that he may be able to fix her problem if he cuts his ties with her. On New Year's Day, as Yato and Yukine fight a group of phantoms, Hiyori, who was on a shrine visit with her friends, is lured out by Nora, who sends her own phantoms to chase after her. As Hiyori is saved as the phantoms are dissolved by dawn's sunlight, Nora informs her about Rabo and his desire to kill Yato, telling her to stop existing. After Yato and Yukine manage to defeat all the phantoms, they catch up to Hiyori, only to find she has no memory of who Yato is.

11:05 - 11:55     Nagi no Asukara - "A Lull in the Sea" (Episodes 10-11)
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 10 "The Saltflake Snow Falls and Falls": Hikari is informed that according to Uroko, the Sea God's power is weakening and thus the saltflake snow will keep falling and cooling the world until it freezes, possibly killing all humans in the surface in the process until his powers renew and the world is restored to its former self. To avoid this fate, the people undersea will enter into hibernation and the villagers will gather for a banquet on friday, entering into a fasting period after that until the hibernation begins. Believing that the only way to please the Sea God and prevent this catastrophe is to perform the Ofunehiki, Hikari convinces Uroko to let him and his friends go to school until the time for their hibernation and they revew their effort to make it happen. During the banquet, Manaka is distraught upon the current situation and when she finally finds a sea slug with a red belly, she makes a wish for it. In the next day, Kaname approaches Chisaki and confesses his feelings for her.
Episode 11 "The Changing Times": After Kaname's confession, he and Chisaki accompany their friends to school as if nothing had happened. After their fast begins, the people of Shioshishio's Ena gets thicker in preparation for their hibernation, thus the children need to ressuply it with water more frequently while on surface. Fearing that they might never see their friends again after their sleep begins, Hikari and the others start eating again to delay the process. Meanwhile, Akari and Itaru make plans for their marriage while the fishermen asks Hikari to help them perform the Ofunehiki to please the Sea God and stop the cold. However, Iroko claims that their efforts at that point are futile but Hikari insists that they must do something. Assisted by the rest of the city, the children make their preparations for the ritual, but apparently it will happen in the same day the sea dwellers will start their hibernation. However, Akari asks the others to have her replace the offering, claiming that after pleasing the sea god she will return to marry Itaru with his blessing. After the others agree with her request, Chisaki, following Kaname's example decides to confess her feelings for Hikari as well.

11:55 - 12:45    Captain Earth (Episodes 5-6)
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 7-8)
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 8-9
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    Chaika the Coffin Princess 1 
Plot Summary: [Source: Wikipedia] 5 years ago, the 200 year war between the alliance of six nations and the Gaz Empire comes to an end when Emperor Arthur Gaz, the Immortal Emperor of the Gaz Empire, is finally killed by eight warriors known as the Eight Heroes. After the war, the Empire's lands were divided by the alliance who later formed the Council of Six Nations to bring peace and order to the land. In the present, Toru Acura is a former Saboteur (乱破師サバター Sabatā?) who lives with his sister Akari. Toru is unable to settle in this peaceful era as his Saboteur skills are useless and sees no meaning in his life. While out foraging at the forest, Toru encounters Chaika Trabant, a white haired Wizard (魔法師ウィザード Wizādo?) with a white headband and a coffin, saving her from a man eating unicorn. Seeing their skills as Saboteurs, Chaika hires Toru and Akari for an important task; to steal the remains of Arthur Gaz from the Eight Heroes. Chaika reveals she is actually Princess Chaika Gaz, the Emperor's daughter, who managed to escape during the end of the war and wishes to find her father's remains, which were divided amongst the Eight Heroes as his body part emits strong magical energy, so he may be given a proper burial. However, the trio will face difficulties with the Post-War Kleeman Agency's Gillette Corps, who are tasked in capturing Chaika as they fear her existence will gather Gaz loyalists and the rebirth of the Gaz Empire as well as the power in Arthur's remains might reignite a war. Not only that, they must also face other groups, lead by girls who also claim to be Chaika Gaz. Thus begins Toru, Chaika and Akari's journey throughout the continent.
Episode 1 "The Girl who Bears the Coffin": While foraging for food in the forest, Saboteur Toru Acura encounters Chaika Trabant, a white haired wizard with a white headband who carries a coffin. A man eating unicorn chases after Chaika which Toru hold off the beast using his Iron-Blood Transformation before Chaika kills it using her magic Gundo sniper rifle. As gratitude, Chaika buys Toru lunch only to be mistaken by his sister Akari Acura of slacking off. Meanwhile, Alberic Gillette and his men from the Gillette Corps meets with Roberto Abarth, a war hero who fought against the Gaz Empire five years ago and asks Abarth an item he acquired from the war but is told to leave. Elsewhere, Chaika hires the Acura siblings to steal an item in Abarth's mansion. As Toru, Akari and Chaika sneaks into Abarth's mansion that night, they are caught by Abarth himself who mistakes them for thieves hired by Alberic to steal his item. As he's about to use his magic to eliminate them, Abarth is shocked when he recognizes Chaika. 

3:30 - 4:45    Coppelion 11-13 (end)
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.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Legend of Korra returns June 27 with Book 3

The Legend of Korra
Book Three: Change
Debuts on Friday, June 27th at 7pm on Nickelodeon. You’ll get a ton of Korra that night, as the first two episodes of Book Three air from 7pm-8pm ET/PT, followed by a special bonus presentation of the third episode of Book Three, “The Earth Queen", at 8pm.*

There will then be a break for the Fourth of July holiday, before new episodes resume in the show’s regular timeslot, Fridays at 8pm, beginning July 11th.

“A Breath of Fresh Air”: After the events of Harmonic Convergence, Avatar Korra discovers that her decision to leave the spirit portals open has unexpected consequences. Wild spirit vines have overgrown Republic City and Airbenders are suddenly popping up across the four nations.

“Rebirth of a Nation”: Korra, Tenzin and Team Avatar search for new Airbenders in an effort to recruit them and rebuild the Air Nation. Meanwhile, a band of sinister criminals are organizing to hunt down the Avatar themselves.

If you're looking to catch up on The Legend of Korra, or just watch the awesomeness again, you can see all of the previous episodes, for free, for a limited time at Nick.com. Special interviews and exclusive content are also available to see there as well. 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Chicago chosen for new Star Wars Museum

The Force is with Chicago...
CHICAGO (AP) — "Star Wars" creator George Lucas announced Tuesday that he has picked Chicago to host his much-anticipated museum of art and movie memorabilia, in a major victory for the nation's third-largest city.

San Francisco and Los Angeles also had sought the museum. Lucas said in a written statement that he hopes to open the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in 2018.

"I am humbled to be joining such an extraordinary museum community and to be creating the museum in a city that has a long tradition of embracing the arts," the statement said.

The selection was somewhat of a surprise, given Lucas' close ties to California: He is a native of the state, Lucasfilm's visual effects division is based in San Francisco and the headquarters for Lucasfilm and Skywalker Sound is across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County.

But Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushed hard for his city. And Chicago was always given a good chance at the Lucas museum, in large part because Lucas' wife, Mellody Hobson, a prominent businesswoman, is from Chicago and the city closed down Promontory Point along the Lake Michigan shore so the couple could host a star-studded party to celebrate after the couple's California wedding.
For the Lucas museum, Chicago offered up a slice of real estate along the lakefront that's near other attractions, including the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum of Natural History. At the same time, San Francisco suffered a setback when it rejected Lucas' first choice of a location near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Emanuel has long been trying to portray Chicago as a global destination. Throughout the decision process, a spokesman for Lucas praised the city for the attention it heaps on culture, architecture, innovations and education — some of which are the themes Lucas' museum will seek to promote.

"Chicago's a great city. We have a tradition that resonates closely with the way George Lucas has described his museum, as a museum of visual storytelling," said Gillian Darlow, CEO of Polk Bros. Foundation and a co-chair of Chicago's site selection task force. "He wants to help inspire other people, especially kids, to have bold visions the way he did."

Emanuel met with reporters briefly Tuesday evening at City Hall to announce the decision. "I can't thank George and Mellody enough," Emanuel said. He pledged to work with the community to develop plans for the museum.

Meanwhile, Tuesday's news really didn't come as much surprise in San Francisco after a board rejected Lucas' proposal to build the museum near the Crissy Field, a former U.S. Army airfield in the Presidio. The board then offered Lucas a second site near a digital arts center.
"We are very disappointed to see Mr. Lucas go to Chicago," said Sam Singer, a spokesman for the park. "The Presidio Trust turned down his concept for the main location, but we immediately offered him a second locale.

"He never responded back to our generous offer."

Singer said Lucas' team called Tuesday afternoon with the decision.

San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee said in a statement that he hopes to continue working with Lucas and his foundation on "other endeavors that will help educate the young people of the Bay Area, his home."

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Next Club Meeting is Saturday, June 28, 2014

Woo Hooo! It's Summer! And...
Next Club Meeting is this Weekend!

Wood Dale Public Library
520 N. Wood Dale Road
Wood Dale, IL  60191
Main Meeting Room
Saturday, June 28, 2014
10:15 AM - 5:00 PM

Our next club meeting will be at the Wood Dale Public Library
Main Meeting Room (on your right as you enter the front doors), 
on June 28, 2014, from 10:15 AM to 5:00 PM 
(until 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 below for maps