Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Blog - The Site Says, "Day 6", But My Heart Says, "Day 7"…

Sure, Sochi.ru says that the Olympics "began" on Day 0, but why's that? I could get prelims not really counting, but since the actual team skate competition began that day, that should really be "Day 1". Is this going to turn into a "Year 0" argument, now? I mean, if zero means "nothing" did that day really exist? And when you really look at it--

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All that said, here were the various thoughts and observations for Day 7 (for us rational thinkers) / Day 6 (crazies):

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Blog - Days That Lie Somewhere Between 4 & 6…Or Is That 5?

Be it Day 5 or 4, Feb. 10 churned out a great day of Olympic action!

--The men's 500m speed-skating final was certainly something. First, the Netherlands' Ronald Mulder posted the fastest time in the medal run. Then, his identical twin brother, Michel, bested his time, leaving Ronald to sulk on the bench with his head down in his hands. Right after that, fellow countryman Jan Smeekers topped his time, and Michel was left to sulk on the bench with his head down in his hands. Ten seconds later, however, Michel's time was adjusted, and instead of hitting the time he needed exactly, Smeekers was now off by 1/100th of a second, leaving him the silver medal-winner and a re-delighted Michel Mulder the gold medalist (with Ronald still with the bronze).

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Blog - Day 4/3

Before we dive into yesterday's proceedings, let's revisit the Opening Ceremony, but not because I liked it so much…

Day 2/1: The Opening Ceremony:: Reloaded

--So I understand that NBC removed content from the OC. Some of it important. Again. I was wondering what happened to the Olympic Oath…

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Blog - Days 1-3 (Or is that Pre-day-Day 2?)

As big a fan of the Olympics I have been--enough so to all but shun anime, boxing, and anything else I normally watch--I really have not had the time to get pumped up for either the London 2012 Summer Games or this most recent one in Sochi. Regardless, I somehow managed to watch more of the former than I thought I would be able to, but still never had any real chance to write about it, Twitter notwithstanding (and I was chomping at the bit on the (mind-numbingly stupid) subject of Gabrielle Douglas' (just fine) hair and the-sport-that-was-boxing-in-name-only). I may not have been able to develop the kind of connection I had wanted to with it, but it was a great Olympics, nonetheless.

:random: From Super Bowl to Super Blowout:: Super Bowl XLVIII - Seattle Sinks Denver

I was originally going to post this on HardDoor's Facebook Page, but I thought what I had to write was going to be lengthy, so I am posting here on the blog itself.

When making my Super Bowl prediction, I had chosen the Seattle Seahawks to prevail over the Denver Broncos. I considered them to be the stronger team overall, enough so that I thought that a blowout would not be out of the question. That was strange to think on my end, but given the way the Seahawks' defense had played--from their swarming tactics and speed to the way they totally entrapped runners with their aggressive tackling and pulled them backwards (lessening yards gained), as opposed to tackling forward with their opponent's momentum (and, thus, giving them that extra yard for a first down)--and the potency of their offense (which had yet to operate on all cylinders, but had two weeks to gel and was getting Percy Harvin back), I thought they were a better team on both sides of the ball than their Denver was. The Broncos had Peyton Manning, to be sure, and some good aspects to their offense and defense, but I never considered them to be beyond a "very good" team, however their records. The numbers said they were impressive, but their level of play did not show me they were that outstanding.

:anime: Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month:: Bonus Pick!! - Wake Up, Girls! / - Seven Idols

Wake Up, Girls! - Seven Idols (Movie)
Wake Up, Girls! (TV Series)

Official Site: Japanese
Additional Links: ANN Entries (Movie, TV), MAL Entries (Movie, TV)
Video: Crunchyroll [Japanese w/ English, German Subtitles]

Hey, you thought Dead Leaves was January's sole Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick? Well, we have a special Bonus Pick here with the new anime Wake Up, Girls!(!) The series is akin to a spiritual successor to director Yutaka Yamamato's (Kannagi, Fractale) blossom, a very well-received music video supporting those affected by the 2011 Touhoku earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan. Wake Up, Girls! sees "Yamakan" (who also conjured the idea) and character designer/chief animation director Sunao Chikaoka teaming again for another tale set the affected region, this time in Sendai, where a disparate group of girls--not all of them necessarily being talented--are being joined together as an idol group by a talent agency on the downturn. They hope to creating the next big thing on the scene, but are missing a centerpiece. There is one particular girl they do discover, but she refuses to get back into the harsh spotlight once more…

:anime: Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month:: Dead Leaves

Dead Leaves

Official Site: English (Production I.G Page)
Additional Links: ANN Entry, MAL Entry
Video: Hulu, YouTube

In light of December's Free/Low-Cost Anime (Co-)Pick, KILL la KILL, I was immediately reminded of some people's criticism of or surprise by the fanservice in the show. From Ryuko's outfit (a main critique) to some choice close-ups and antics, some have put off by its brashness. I can understand where they are coming from and am not into fanservice, myself, but in the show's defense, its use has been in moderation and has either been tied to an overall theme, used for unconventional purposes, or in a more lighthearted way, not to mention that it is played both ways (though a relatively few gratuitous moments do exist).

:boxing: Boxing Bits ::01.22.14:: Pascal Beats Bute, Perez Draws vs. Takem

:Sat.01.18.14:

Mike Perez D Carlos Takem

Perez's name has been floated around as a major contender against the Klitschkos, an heir-apparent to the heavyweight crown (post-Klitschko), and was touted as having the eye of Gennady Glovokin, whose trainer he now has on his side. None of those laudables, however, were on display Saturday night following a listless performance against Carlos Takem, with whom had a (questionable) majority draw.

:anime: Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month:: KILL la KILL & Nagi no Asukara (Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea)

Disclosure: Actually posted January 17, 2014, originally scheduled for December 31, 2013 as that month's "Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick", hence the date. My apologies…

While I try to avoid popular titles for Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month (particularly current titles), I may make an exception for those of note (see the Monogatari Series and Little Witch Academia). This is one of those exceptions, as well--only this time, I am highlighting two series that I feel are showcasing the power and potential of animation at its highest level, albeit in two very different ways.

KILL la KILL

Official Sites: Japanese, English
Additional Links: ANN Entry, MAL Entry
Video: Crunchyroll*, Hulu, DAISUKI*, Aniplex Channel
*Multi-language subtitle options available

The first of these is perhaps second to only Attack on Titan as the most rabidly-popular title of 2013: KILL la KILL. From the very moment it was announced, it was certainly the most anticipated title around, and it has not fallen short of that hype since its October debut. It is Hiroyuki Imaishi's first full directorial work at his new studio, TRIGGER, since leaving GAINAX (whose first work was the aforementioned LWA), and true to the sheer creative potential and imagination it possessed, it is as artistically-free as one might hope.

:anime: Final Impression:: A Certain Scientific Railgun / S

Disclosure: Actually posted January 5, 2014, originally scheduled for November 30, 2013 as that month's special "Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick"/anime review hybrid, hence the date.

Review: A Certain Scientific Railgun / S
Alt. Titles: To Aru Kagaku no Railgun / S, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun / S

Official Sites: Japanese [Railgun] [Railgun S], English
Additional Links: ANN Entries [Railgun] [Railgun S], MAL Entries [Railgun] [Railgun S]
Video: Hulu (Japanese w/ English Subtitles, English Dubbed), FUNimation.com


A Certain Scientific Railgun

When jumping into a new series or franchise, it can be difficult to get into it if you are starting off with a sequel or a work later down the line. The same can be true for spinoffs, due to the fact that if a title tries to separate itself from the original or tries to establish its own path, it may still make references or nods to it that may go over the viewer's head (and God-forbid a character from the original shows up with no explanation of who they are or what significance they have…). It is in the midst this where A Certain Scientific Railgun's greatest strength may lie.