:anime & boxing: Decade's Best…So Far (2007 Edition) :: Introduction

*Gasp!* The first ever "anime" and "boxing" combo topic on HardDoor...even if this isn't a true collaboration of the two...

Ah, it's that time of year. A time when people ponder deeply and formulate lists of what is the best of the best of the past 365(6) days. However, at HardDoor, things are done a bit differently in this respect, as such aspects in anime and boxing will instead be reflected against the entire decade (as it currently stands) and reevaluated with each passing year. Doing it this way is a little more unique among other lists and it would seem pretty interesting to see how the lists evolve as the decade come to a close.

A list of the top anime will be posted first, followed by a list of the top boxers. The latter will come later since more thought will be needed in assessing it (unlike a normally completed work like anime, boxers and their merits are constantly changing with each fight; one fighter may be consider be considered great in one bout and totally exposed in the next, which further leads to a need to carefully judge those in consideration). They will be revealed in countdown order (last-to-first) in set intervals until the best of the best is revealed. Other similar lists may pop up as time goes by, so keep a look out!

--HD

Ah~ 2007, Adieu...

Well, the year 2007 is coming to an end at midnight(and this is only the second post of December! Three papers around ten pages each and two exams will do that to ya... -_-) and it's been quite the ride. Mayweather beats De la Hoya and Hatton, Toney and Taylor lose, Hopkins and Winky finally fought one another, Geneon USA goes down, Kadokawa Pictures USA and a number of big titles (Code Geass, Ouran High School Host Club, Toki Kakeru wo Shoujo) came up (as well as digital distribution) and so forth (can't forget about that "Shocking Punch" either...). It's been swell, but what will 2008 yield?

:boxing: The Battle of the Unbeatens:: Mayweather vs. Hatton

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Ricky Hatton have about three things in common: one, they are, as the title points out, undefeated; two, both are fighting in the same ring tonight for the same title; and three, both are boxers. Outside of that, they are "pretty" different. Mayweather is arguably the faster and more gifted of the two and the most technically-sound, whereas Hatton is the stronger and more tenacious fellow.

:anime: The Attack Of (and On) Digital Distribution...

For HardDoor's first anniversary, the occasion was celebrated with the creation of a web directory/guide leading to free or low-cost anime legally found on the Internet. One of the themes of it and its accompanying article was to show the efforts being made by anime companies and distributors in discouraging the "illegal" downloading of shows, which has been a major source of concern in terms of DVD sales in North America and other regions.

The digital distribution movement has picked up steam over the last year and can found through many means, from video game consoles (Xbox Live) to streaming video web sites. The latter have been on under hot contention, as a number have hosted both fansubs and officially authorized episodes from distributors (and in some cases, ones that were not placed by them). BitTorrent is another such method that is being readily used by both sides as a way of distributing anime. Its way of peer-to-peer interaction that is meant to be less resource-intensive and easier on bandwidth. However, with the sheer volume and the sizes of the video files being traded, these issues are still present.

The Looooong Period... 2007 Edition

Ah, October and early to mid November. Quite possibly the busiest time of the year, with a myriad of papers, work, and exams to do almost back-to-back. Despite all of this, there were still a number of news bits coming down the anime and boxing pipelines. With things settling down a bit, I'll consolidate some of this in a nifty little post...like this one.

:boxing: Back to the Beating?:: Pacquiao vs. Barrera

Super featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera both weighed in at 130 lbs in Las Vegas, the site of their highly anticipated rematch of their 2003 bout. However, just like that fateful Nov. 15 night, that may be as even as the two fighters will be come ringtime.

Pacquiao has been riding high since his signature win over the future Hall-of-Famer, including two KOs over the latter's archnemesis, Erik Morales. Meanwhile, Barrera has bounced back with a win over Morales and two wins over Rocky Juarez before a step-back in a loss to near-Pacquiao-victim-turned-near-Pacquiao-victor Juan Manuel Marquez (the fight was a draw). Pacman's attention have been divided by "extracurricular activities," while Barrera has been slowly steaming over that surprise beatdown a few years ago. Will a battle-worn body hinder The Baby-Faced Assassin, or will his willpower carry him to vengeance over the champion, who isn't exactly the uncouthly wild child he was back then?

Prediction: Pacquiao may be a far better, more complete fighter than he was in 2003, but coming in cold or too confident against a mad Barrera is a fool's game no matter the conditions. The pace will be violent and fast from the start, which may favor the faster, stronger former. This is virtually Pacquiao's to lose, as he should have more than all the tools necessary now to dispatch him in under five. However, if he takes Barrera lightly, as his recent attitude suggests, don't be surprised if the roles change from that night nearly four years ago. Pacquiao, KO6 or KO8 (if off-game, Barrera, MD or early/late round KO)

:anime: When Big Busts Go Bust:: Fanservice Gone Bad (and Good) -[Part3/3]-

Having characters with big breasts or a story with fanservice content may often be indicative of a bad show, but there are a number of works that have gone against this trend. These two are part of the exception.

:boxing: Pavlik KO's Near KO Winner Taylor!

Kelly Pavlik stepped into the ring looking to dethrone middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. Instead, "The Ghost" nearly got exorcised out of Atlantic City.

:boxing: The Prime Motivation:: Taylor vs Pavlik

Injuries seemed to KO more fights than actual boxers in the ring, as a number of big bouts set for September, such as Juan Manuel Marquez-Rocky Juarez, have been either postponed or canceled altogether. Luckily, at least one of them is still raring to go. Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor will lock horns with hot challenger Kelly Pavlik in a contest that has been on the wishlists of many a boxing follower for a long time, tonight in Atlantic City. Two young, undefeated fighters known for their potential, offense, and power, it is a bout that cannot be an absolute "will win" for either. Taylor, though, has not looked spectacular in much of his fights since his first Hopkins match. He has had some glimpses of greatness, but his lack of clean skills (which has deteriorated more with each fight) and lasting stamina have been growing issues, and he has not won many of those fights in convincing or definitive fashion. Despite this, he has won all of them (however contested they have been). Pavlik, on the undercard of Taylor-Spinks, showed many why he has been as lauded as he has been by displaying good skills and strength in a KO win against Edison Miranda--the kind that is capable of taking out the champ.

:anime: Up and Over The Waterfall with Geneon USA:: R.I.P.?

On September 21, Geneon Entertainment [USA] Inc. sent out a letter announcing the foreclosure of their "distributing and marketing operations" as of 5PM PST tomorrow, September 28. Coming as a culmination of the dropped ADV Films deal, all orders from Geneon will be "FINAL" as of Friday and non-terminable afterwards. In addition, all titles with releases past November 6 have been cancelled and With the fate of their production team already sealed as of December 31 this year, the end of Geneon USA as we know it appears eminent as well. I say "as we know it" because it is unknown about what Dentsu is doing, or why Geneon is where it is right at this moment. Things do not look good at all for the subsidiary from all angles. However, the signs still point towards a "licensing arm" reformation and judging from polls on ANN and AoD, people still have a lot of love and faith in Geneon and are looking forward to purchasing their products again should they ever return in some capacity.

On the brighter side of news (depending on your feelings for the group), Bandai Visual USA has announced that their dot-anime web shop will be acting as their "interim retail center" , which become the primary spot to purchase their offerings until another deal elsewhere can be reached (as suggested earlier).