Planet Rinda

     Every generation has a soundtrack that is all their own.  It follows them through their life, ready to remind them of happy times when they were young.  I too, it seems, am a product of my youth.  While I was a big fan of eighties music while I was living it, I never thought that it defined a part of me.  I recall a significant conversation with my best friend about how we weren’t going to be like those “moldy oldies” who sat around decades later complaining that their music was the only kind of music worth listening to.  Yet, decades later, I find myself still enthralled by eighties music.
      It’s not a constant thing.  It’s definitely not the only music I listen to.  Currently, I’m discovering an unexpected infatuation with J-Pop, no doubt linked to my love of anime.  Still, whenever I hear an old favorite or even a forgotten gem from that era of mullets, spandex, torn shirts and MTV, I get happy.  It transports me to a time when I was young, free and the world was wide open for me.  It just makes me feel good to be alive!  I guess that’s what good music does, at least for me.  And I hope that for you, there is a special kind of music that by simply listening to it, it unlocks the child inside and let’s them out to play for a little while! 
      So if you feel like reminiscing a bit check out a few of these things…Here’s a fun quiz on 80′s music lyrics.  Try doing the quiz before you check out these videos that may take you on a trip back in time…

Tribute to the 80′s (Part 1)

Tribute to the 80′s (Part 2)

Tribute to the 80′s (Part 3) New Wave Special

Technorati Tags: music, 80′s music, videos, YouTube videos, 80′s music lyrics quiz, Jpop, anime

     Fullmetal Alchemist is a wonderful anime. It has all the right stuff- great story, lovable characters, lots of action and beautifully rendered art. It’s a modern classic anime. Having begun as a manga in Monthly Shonen Gangan (On a side note, the story continues in the manga. It’s up to 17 volumes so far!), it was adapted to a very successful anime that ran for 51 episodes. The movie, Conqueror of Shambala picks up where the anime ended and concludes the story of Edward and Alphonse Elric.

     If you’re unfamiliar with Fullmetal Alchemist, I strongly suggest that you check it out. It’s truly a fantastic anime. The English dub is widely available, including on television thanks to Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The story of Ed and Al and their journey together is a both a comedic and bittersweet one. Fair warning to those of you who may not have completed the anime series–there may be SPOILERS ahead!

     The movie, Conqueror of Shambala, picks up two years after the final episode of the anime with Ed going through the gate, leaving his younger brother Al behind. Ed has been transported to 1923 Germany. It turns out that our world and the Elric brothers world of Amestris are parallel worlds. The gate joins the two. Ed is living in pre-WWII Germany with the Alphonse from our world. He fears that his Al was killed when he crossed over the gate. While in Amestris, Al is alive and well. In fact, he has body back thanks to Ed’s sacrifice but he doesn’t have any memory of the years he spent with Ed searching for the Philosopher’s Stone. The story takes off from there with both brothers trying to get back to each other. It’s a fun ride! The movie remains true to the spirit of the anime and the conclusion is satisfying. If you’re a fan of the show, go watch this movie!

     Two additional notes of interest–

•  Fathom Events is sponsoring a nationwide anime film festival called Anime Bento. It will showcase four anime movies to be shown in theaters all over the US for four nights. Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shambala is one of these films. If at all possible, go out and support this event. Based on the reception it receives, more anime movies may be shown on local theaters throughout the country! So it you love anime, go to the movies!
•  2xKnight over at AnimeFansOnline is in the middle of sponsoring a giveaway that includes a Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shambala Special Edition DVD, a Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shambala regular DVD, and a musical CD by the voice actor who stars as Edward Elric. All you have to do is leave a comment on that post and tell him about your favorite episode or character from Fullmetal Alchemist. It’s a great giveaway that will run until September 28 so get over there!

Technorati Tags: Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shambala, Monthly Shonen Gangan, Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, anime, anime movie, manga, Fathom Events, Anime Bento, AnimeFansOnline

     DragonCon 2007 is now just a memory that’s softly fading as the hours pass but for the past four days, it’s been a rocking good time for me! I’m home from the convention and I just want to say that, as usual, it was a blast. The anime track was a lot of fun though I think that the powers that be at DragonCon need to realize just how popular anime and manga has become in this country! Let’s just say that judging from the turn-out at the anime panels this weekend, they are definitely learning!

     I had the pleasure of meeting Vic Mignogna, a wonderful anime/game voice actor, a talented musician and an all around incredibly good guy! Vic is well-known for his work as Edward Elric on Fullmetal Alchemist, Dark Mousy on DNAngel and many others.  His roles number over a hundred in different animes and games.  I genuinely enjoyed his panels on Fullmetal Alchemist and Voice Acting.  He’s an entertaining and informative speaker that keeps the convention panels hopping.  A real fan favorite, Vic brings a sense of humor, kindness, and a great love of voice acting, anime and the fans themselves to everything he does.  He’s also a talented musician.  I’ve got the CD to prove it!  If you’d like to find out more about Vic Mignogna, I’d suggest checking out his fangroup the Risembool Rangers or his website!

      DragonCon wasn’t just about Mr. Mignogna and the anime track but they were both definitely major high points for me.  Of course, the costumes were mind-blowing.  (Check out the fan photos posted online if you don’t believe me!)  The cosplay contest was a lot of fun.  The range of anime, manga and games that the contestants drew from was so varied!  Truly, all fandoms were represented!  My personal favorite was an amazing Cloud from Final Fantasy Advent Children!  The DragonCon Parade was also a colorful representation of all genres and tastes.  And while the Masquerade was fun, the hall costumes blew most of those contestants out of the water! 

     The convention was crowded and having it spread out over the three hotels made it difficult to see and do all that I wanted.  But the sights, the sounds, the tastes, the smells and the spectacle that is DragonCon remain extrodinary, astounding and ever inviting!  If you haven’t attended a DragonCon before, I strongly recommend your doing so.  Regardless of what where in entertainment your personal tastes lie, you can find something intriguing at DragonCon.  Probably a bit more than you bargained for!  It’s kinda like that old Chinese curse, “May you have an interesting life.”  DragonCon is very, very interesting!  And I’m so glad that I was a part of it!

Technorati Tags: DragonCon, convention, anime, manga, voice acting, Vic Mignogna, Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, Dark Mousy, DNAngel, Final Fantasy Advent Children, Final Fantasy, Cloud, cosplay, costumes, masquerade, costume contest, Risembool Rangers

     As of late, I’ve become increasingly obsessed with AMV’s online.  This has led me to ponder the appeal of these video gems.  AMV stands for Anime Music Video. They’re the latest entry into a long entertaining history of combining music with film clips that stretches back to the time of silent films.  Most all of us have been raised on MTV and it’s surreal world of three minute miniature movies set to our favorite music.  I think that’s one reason for the rise in AMV’s.  It could also be that the AMV is well suited to our attention spans.  Or it could simply be the wonderful combination of video with music.  I don’t know really.  I simply know that I’m becoming hooked! AMV’s are just a great way to enjoy all the anime characters that we know and love!

      AMV’s are generally made by fans for fans without any official permission.  These amateur masterpieces are made with video editing software and some of the results are quite professional looking.  They generally combine carefully edited anime video clips with music of all kinds.  Some use still images in a slide show format such as scanned images from manga.  The style, the music and the final results are as varied as the anime fanbase out there.  Many are award winning.  Contests for AMV’s can be found online and at most conventions these days.  But be forewarned.  The competition is fierce!

     These two posts by 2xKnight over at AnimeFansOnline really jump-started my latest AMV obsession.  So please check out what he has to say about Naruto AMV’s  and AMV’s in general (including one of my personal favorites Understanding Rukia!).

           So look around online.  Check out YouTube or your favorite video website.  There are a plethora of AMV’s out there.  Here are some of my current favorites…

Best of You
A curious mix of anime and classic MTV video!

Bleach:300th Squad
A wickedly delightful mix of movies and anime!

Naruto-What I’ve Done
A professional looking Naruto AMV!

One Piece AMV – Sail On
A fast-paced thrill ride with amazing editing set in the One Piece Universe!

Prince of Tennis – I’ll Be There For You
Prince of Tennis meets Friends! Does it get any better!

I wish I were a lesbian
A funny & sexy combo of comedy and anime!

Technorati Tags: anime, manga, AMV, YouTube videos, MTV, music, anime music video, Best of You, Foo Fighters, Bleach, The 300, Naruto, What I’ve Done, Lincoln Park, One Piece, Sail On, Prince of Tennis, Friends, I’ll Be There For You, comedy, FLCL, I Wish I Was A Lesbian

     My sixth entry into what is anime will focus on the anime fan community.  Exploring anime can make a fan of you.  But once you become a fan, what then?  Who do you share your excitement and questions with?  Who do you turn to for advice on what to watch next?  Where can you go as a fan and feel like you belong?  The fan community can be the answer to all those questions and more. It used to be that local anime clubs and conventions were a fan’s only options to connect with other fans.  These days, thanks to the Internet, international fans of all kinds can unite in cyberspace.  There are forums, clubs, websites galore out there.  They can provide the anime newbie with direction and advice.  They can provide a home with others who understand your love of anime.  They can also lash out with their own opinions, so be wary.  Explore and discover but keep an open mind.

      Local anime clubs remain one of the gold standards for anime fan community.  There’s a reason for that.  It allows anime fans to connect at a local level.  Weekly or monthly meetings, with screenings of animes, can create close bonds.  But finding an anime club nearby can be tricky.  The Anime Web Turnpike is a great place to start.  They have links to international as well as American fan clubs, not to mention a host of other information for the anime fan.  Meetup.com is another good place to check online for a club near you. Unfortunately, there isn’t always an anime club located near you.  Maybe you’d like to start one up yourself?  There are several resources online to help you that as well.  Ehow.com has some great advice to help you.  ADVFilms and Operation Anime can help fledgling clubs by providing information on new releases and freebies! 

      Conventions are another great place to meet other fans as well as discover what’s new in the industry.  I recommend checking the Anime Convention Nexus for conventions near you.  Conventions can be a lot of fun.  There’s such a festive air about them.  And if you can’t find an anime convention near you, keep a lookout for scifi/fantasy conventions.  These days, conventions rarely limit themselves to a single genre.  The fanbases overlap so much, they’re forced to cater to a wider audience. You’ll find a an anime room and various panels devoted to anime at most larger conventions.  Cosplay, as well, is becoming more and more mainstream.

      Another resource for the anime fan exploring the fan community is the wide-variety of anime forums and websites available on the Internet.  There are so many out there.  And their numbers grow everyday.  My advice is to use your favorite search engine to look around a bit.  Most are devoted to specific types of anime, though you can find some general anime types if you look. 
 
      It’s hard to know what’s the best fit for you until you explore a bit.  It can really be worth the effort though.  Being able to share your love of anime with others who understand is a wonderful experience.  So expand your horizons!  Go for it!

Technorati Tags: anime, what is anime, anime fan community, local anime clubs, starting an anime club, ADVFilms, Anime Web Turnpike, Meetup.com, Ehow.com, Operation Anime, Anime Convention Nexus, anime convention, scifi convention, fantasy convention

     In part five of my continuing series on what is anime, I’d like to touch on the effects that Japanese anime can have on it’s fans. Anime itself can be quite entertaining. It’s just fun to watch! Regardless of which style is your personal favorite, it will slowly but surely expose you to new aspects of Japanese culture. Learning to love anime will undoubtedly stir one’s curiosity about Japan and it’s people. The lifestyle, the language, the history…anime can open it all up. Try watching InuYasha and not wondering about feudal Japan! The wonderful samurai animes like Ninja Scroll and Samurai Champloo have the same effect! They draw you into the history of Japan.

Try watching Ninja Scroll and not wondering about feudal Japan!

     Exploring anime will also expose you to the amazing costumes so common in most animes. They can be anything from the standard Japanese school uniforms and traditional kimonos to the fantastical extremes of the futuristic animes like Ghost In the Shell and Final Fantasy. The fans fascination with such clothing has led to an entire sub-culture of fans who attempt to recreate the fashions of their favorite anime characters in reality. This is cosplay.  Cosplay is, quite simply, the practice of dressing up as your favorite anime, manga, game or film character. Usually it’s for a convention or other such genre event. The detail and skill demonstrated by some of the fans is absolutely amazing! And it’s fun. You get to masquerade as beloved characters, take on their personas for a little while and share in the fun.

Cosplay is for everyone!

Vash the Stampede–Wanted Dead or Alive!

     Lastly, delving into anime, you’ll discover the merchandising that seems to go hand in hand with all entertainment these days. Anime is no exception. Though, personally, I think the products connect with anime are a lot more fun than your standard fare! The toys and models are like the animes themselves, amazing, colorful and unexpected!  The fashion spawned by anime can be as simple as a t-shirt declaring your favorite show or perhaps a bag, my personal favorite! You’ll find something cool for nearly every popular anime out there!

     One final thing I’d like to mention…the snacks! Oh, the joy of discovering anime snacks!! I’ve alredy talked about these delicious goodies before on my post Snack Attack and I’m sure I will again. So I just wanted to mention that as you get more into anime, you’ll find yourself longing to try some of the snacks and exotic foods that are so common among all anime. My advice is go for it! The Japanese palate is very different from the American so you’ll be trying things that simply aren’t our standard fare! You can try to resist but the food is everywhere in anime!

Mizuho Kazami–the siren of Pocky!

Technorati Tags: what is anime, anime, Japan, Japanese culture, feudal Japan, InuYasha, Ninja Scroll, Samurai Champloo, school uniform, kimono, Ghost in the Shell, GITS, Final Fantasy, manga, cosplay, costume, masquerade, Trigun, Vash the Stampede, anime merchandise, anime snacks, food, Please Teacher, Onegai Teacher, Mizuho Kazami, Pocky