An “Up” date (teehee) April 20, 2009

Oh that was so lame…I apologize (you’ll get it later)

Hello everyone. It has been a VERRRY long time hasn’t it. Agh, what can I say…school got a hold of me and all of a sudden…almost a year has passed…

But hey that means I have all the more to talk about right? And boy do I ever…

So let just start off with this:

Soul Eater is over (so sad) but it was fantastic…SERIOUSLY

I can easily say this is one of my all time favorite anime series. It ended up being 51 episodes long and I enjoyed each one of them. As I was surfing the internet, some people were complaining that the ending was kind of a let down. And I have to agree a little bit with that, it was cut pretty short and if they don’t do a second season of Soul Eater there will be a lot of loose ends that will never be tied up. But I actually enjoyed what they did between Maka and Asura (trying not to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t seen it), I thought it was interesting how almost…normal the fight ended you know? I mean it wasn’t a huge Dragonball Z, “it’s over 9000!” ending it was just overcoming adversity the best way you know how.

Anyway, now that it’s over…I’ve been trying to find new things to watch and here’s what I’ve found.

Darker than Black – Another Bones series (the animation company that did Soul Eater) with just an awesome story and awesome animation. Once again the fight scenes were so impressive and I liked how many layers the story has. It’s almost like everyone in Darker than Black was meant to be two faced and we slowly see the other sides of all the characters as the series progresses. Also the concept of what a contractor is and what they do is just so clever and well thought out. One of the coolest character concepts I’ve seen. The series was short though! I hope they do another season!

D.Gray- Man – Okay I literally found this show on a whim. I was in Barnes and Noble about 2 weeks ago, looking for something to read, and of course I was drawn to the manga section. Just browsing around I picked up the first volume of D.Gray-Man because I had heard of it before. And…now I have the first 4 volumes of the manga and have started watching the animated series. Absolutely amazing story concept and the most innovative character designs I’ve seen to date. The manga has a sketchy quality to it that they somehow managed to put into the animated series as well. It’s set in fictional 19th century England/Europe so all of the architecture and backgrounds reflect that. But there are also very modern parts of the show such as the technology/science department.

And last but not least….who’s excited to see Pixar’s UP! (haha you get the title now don’t you). Well I am very excited. I was very skeptical at first because all of the trailers didn’t really interest me. They had an old guy in a floating house and some boy scout who looked adorable but I really didn’t know what role he had in the movie. But they released another trailer semi-recently with new characters and new plot points and It totally peaked

my interest. Carl is revealed to be more than just a grumpy old man, Russell (the boy scout) is so adorable and plays a huge part in the story which adds an interesting dynamic to the film since the two main characters are so different I also love the dog with the talking collar, that still makes me laugh out loud. And the giant tropical bird that mimics everything that Carl does has a great expression.

I am very excited to see more, and I hope it’ll fill me with laughs just as the trailer did. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkqzFUhGPJg&feature=related

You won’t be disappointed!

Well I think that’s about it for today. I hope I can do more updates more frequently (and by frequently I mean with less than a year between them) haha.

Until then! Mata ne!

-Sarah

SquareEnix Branches Out… August 11, 2008

Oh man it’s been awhile…sorry for the gap between posts, working full time can be hard.

So we all know that SquareEnix (in the past known as Squaresoft) is responsible for some of the most classic and well known RPG’s in the history of video games. We expect a lot out of SquareEnix…good graphics, uber realistic fantasy characters, compelling and usually heartbreaking story lines…but what I’ve noticed is that SquareEnix is branching out a little more lately and “spreading it’s wings” so to speak.

First example is SquareEnix’s DS game, The World Ends with You.

Making my way through this game was tough especially with the confusing battle style of having to control two fighters at once but what keeps me going is the visuals. Instead of their usual realistic characters dressed up in fantasy costumes, it’s different. The World Ends with You is all about Music, Style and Fashion. The characters have a 2D vector/comic Look to them that have bold outer edges and bright vivid colors. They aren’t afraid to push the character designs.The World Ends With You is really a contemporary game. It isn’t set in any other place or time in the past, it’s set in present day Shibuya (that’s in Tokyo by the way) and the gameplay and the style of the characters reflects that. It’s interesting to watch the game unfold because SquareEnix has never been this bold before. I like it

Second example is the relatively new anime series Soul Eater.

Yes! SquareEnix has branched it’s way out into animation. I know they’ve done so in the past but this is a major leap for them. It is so good. I have been pushing it on every person I know who enjoys anime because it is just such a fantastic show. Soul Eater is the kind of show that will grab you in from the get go because even before meeting the characters or watching the opening credits you’ll go ‘Wow! I have never seen anything like this before.’ The set designs and character designs are unlike any other anime I’ve ever seen. SquareEnix has really managed to push their limits and surpass their previous boundaries. They’re slowly breaking free of the mold of Final Fantasy that has categorized them for so long. What really impresses me about Soul Eater is the actual animation. I believe that many Japanese anime shows are falling into a category, the category of anime with no real animation. You know what I mean right? Where instead of anything really being animated it’s just well placed cuts and editing magic that make an anime successful, but Soul Eater is something I haven’t seen in a long time. It’s fluid. It’s smooth. The opening fight scene in episode one against Jack the Ripper is perfection.

Perfectly choreographed, Maka’s movements look like an elegant dance compared to her other similiar anime counterparts. And that’s only the first episode, the movements continue to impress as the series continues forward. And that’s what excites me about this series. The story is compelling. The characters are unique and nowhere near perfect. Every character has their weakness and that weakness is easily exploited in the series, (Maka’s lack of self-confidence, Soul’s desire for forbidden power, Black Star’s uncontrollable actions and his bold yet hasty decisions, Tsubaki’s meekness, Death the Kid’s OCD compulsion towards symmetry…etc etc) thus making each character’s triumph even more satisfying. The story is hilarious, this is one of the few shows that makes me laugh out loud: (for a major laugh fest watch Episode 14, my current favorite). The animation is top notch, the design is new and eye catching. Bright colors and almost Tim Burton-esque lines and patterns give Death City an edgy, eye catching sense of Gothic style.

Do I need to say more or do you get it now? GO WATCH THIS SHOW. You will not disappointed, I can guarantee that. Way to go SquareEnix! You have once again exceeded my expectations and have branched out to new horizons.

Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Perfection June 11, 2008

So I had the honor of seeing Kung Fu Panda last night with a bunch of Blue Sky employees and you know….walking into it I didn’t know what to expect. I was hoping that it was going to be a laugh out loud comedy with stunning visuals and something I would go see in theaters more than once….

Boy was I surprised.

It surpassed my every expectation. It was great! Kung Fu Panda was extremely well executed and it was entertaining the whole way through!

So let me start at the beginning… I knew I was going to love this movie the minute the opening scene started because the first 3 to 5 minutes of the movie were 2D animated in Flash. Like it’s recent predecessor “Horton Hears a Who” (another one of my all time favorites), Kung Fu Panda seamlessly integrated 2D and 3D and created a visually stunning scene purely done in Flash. It was spectacular! It filled me with such joy to see that 2D animation is making a come back. If I had pictures of the opening scene I would show you but sadly I do not, when I find some I will post them.

Another reason to absolutely adore this movie: Jack Black. I love Jack Black, he is one of the only actors/comedians who can always make me laugh, but for those of you who find his comedy style so-so or too loud and obnoxious, never fear. Jack Black brought something to the scene that you never thought would come from him…awkwardness. When have you ever seen Jack Black uncomfortable in any situation? Chance are he’s the reason things are uncomfortable right? Well in Kung Fu Panda, Jack Black found a way to make Po the Panda funny and outrageous but at the same time with a sense of humility. He’s awkward and clumsy, he is obviously self-conscious and you can feel that both through the voice acting and the animation. Not only does Jack Black give a fantastic performance but so do all the minor characters and their voice over counterparts: Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Dave Cross, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen all helped make these crazy characters seem real. Dreamworks has a tendency to create characters and get big time actors to play their roles but sometimes they don’t mesh as well as they’re supposed to…but they hit the nail on the head with this one. Dustin Hoffman as Shifu?! A tiny little raccoon like squirrel…thing….who plays the Panda’s Sensei! Perfect!

The animation was stunning. It had its own style, it wasn’t too realistic but it was believable and I like that. Many 3D animators, especially in video games lately, are striving to achieve the perfect uber realism but that quite frankly…is boring. This movie had a style all its own. The environments and atmosphere were very well done and you could see how much time and effort was put into the fur and details on the individual characters.

The one gripe I had with the movie, or rather not me but a fellow intern of mine noticed was that although the story was very well done and was very solid, the term “Dragon Warrior” got very repetitive.

“You’re the Dragon Warrior?”

“I’m the Dragon Warrior?”

“Yes, you’re the Dragon Warrior.”

“No, I’m not the Dragon Warrior.”

“Then who is the Dragon Warrior?”

And so on and so forth….but it’s so minor it didn’t even bug me.

Kung Fu Panda is truly a gem of an animated movie in a sea of wannabes and lookalikes. It truly deserves to be the number one movie in America and I whole heartedly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Up and running! (Finally!) June 10, 2008

Hello there! and welcome to my blog (kandoushita animation)

My name is Sarah and the reason I have started this blog is to share with you the newest and best animated features and series from all over the world.

Currently I have a wickedly cool Internship at Blue Sky Studios (makers of Ice Age series) and I am loving every minute of it. Tonight I plan to do my first official post….on none other than Dreamwork’s latest hit: Kung Fu Panda!

Until then, Mata ne

-Sarah