Of Computer Fans and Replacement Parts...

Ah, what one non-functioning fan can do to a computer...

:anime: Throwing It Down With Yawara!--For Free!

When AnimEigo announced their acquisition of Yawara! last year (hinted at in a rather interesting game on AnimeOnDVD.com's forum), many fans and admirers of the show were caught by surprise. The 124-episode anime, a big hit in Japan and highly-rated by those who have watched, follows high-schooler Inokuma Yawara as she is being prepped by her grandfather to be a judo champion like him, despite her desire to live life like a normal girl. Recently, its licensor provided another surprise, this time in the form of a free preview disc. The disc will feature the first four episodes (sub-only, like much of AnimEigo's titles) and will be available at no cost to either those buying other AE products or those chiefly interested in the discs themselves (there is a $5.00 shipping & handling fee for them, though).

It's a great move by AnimEigo to offer a preview disc of a show like Yawara!. Though it will cost them, the impact is cushioned a bit by the length of the overall show ("Four down, 120 to go") and the increased prospect of potential buyers. When taking that and the adjustable preorder pricing scheme (more preorders, lower price) for the first season box in consideration, AE should be able to absorb the preview disc costs.

For the occasion, I'll be listing this on HardDoor's Free/Low-Cost Anime Guide. It may not be streaming or downloadable, but it is available thru the Internet and it is for free, so I suppose that it counts in the end. The ordering was simple enough, so hopefully Yawara! will be as good as they say once it comes onto my steps.


P.S.: AnimEigo could have done this via digital distribution, but I guess they either didn't have the capabilities/contacts, or they wanted something more concrete like a DVD, which can give the sense of obligation or drive to finish the rest of the series. Not to mention, it can be viewed and traded at any time more easily than by DD. Either way, I like the idea very much and I will be eager to see how good the show is and how it is presented.

:anime: Boo for Bandai Visual USA? One Year's Difference...

A little over a year ago, I made my first official full-fledged post on HardDoor on the emergence of Bandai Visual USA, the American arm of the revered Japanese production studio. Bandai Visual was known for helping create such seminal classics as Gunbuster, Macross, and The Wings of the Honneamise (of whom would lend its name to that of the U.S. firm's label), and as such, expectations were high of the type of series and impact they would make stateside. The high-end job done on their premiere offerings, the Limited Edition re-releases of the first two Patlabor movies, and the potential in creating a strong library of titles showed a great deal of optimism for what to expect from the young upstarts in the future.

:boxing: Boxing Bits ::08.01.07:: -:The Extended Rounds:- x 3

Three weight classes, three titles (or just two, depending on the last one), three bouts...all in one installment of Boxing Bits!

:Sat.07.21.07: Hopkins Out-Masters Winky
Bernard Hopkins defended his belt successfully against Ronald "Winky" Wright, via Unanimous Decision, in a fight that was both entertaining and ugly at times. Hopkins stuck to his usual pattern of starting off slow in the first four rounds and later mauling his opponents down as the fight wears on. Winky was game and the more active of the two, but his ineffective punching (in terms targeting, as both had identical punch stats per round) to Hopkins' more pinpointed flurries aided in his defeat. What also did not help was the class of Light Heavyweight, which no doubtfully had a role in his sluggish movement and pacing in the latter rounds. Hopkins, a poster boy of dedicated conditioning, looked as if he had become a little too comfortable at that weight, as he had a noticeable belly coming in the ring and looked fatigued by the sixth round. However, both fighters burnt off much of that excess fat as the bout went on, looking more like their usual selves at the end. As much action it contained, the fight itself had a good deal of clinching and holding (more from the champion than the challenger) and the actual combat itself looked less than masterful. If this was at middleweight, it could have been a much better fight--and an easier one for both. So if this sort of action couldn't cut it...

:anime: Ouran, Geass Overtake Otakon 2007!

The two biggest properties not to be announced at last month's Anime Expo (or at all, for a while) finally got picked up over the weekend. FUNimation, just two days off from obtaining the license, announced their acquisition of Ouran High School Host Club, ending the endless upon endless speculation of whether the company would be the one to get it or not. The day after, Bandai Ent. made known its own licensing of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, ending the bottomless amount of fearful speculation over whether they or Bandai Visual USA would get it. Both shows have been among the most popular and honored in recent years, so count on them ranking high in the sales department come DVD release time. Additionally, both have two very respected dub houses involved in the English production (FUNi's own in-house studio and ZRO Limit) and Code Geass already has a TV deal secured (Ouran will surely have one in the future). Bandai Ent. also announced the acclaimed, yet lesser known TV series Toward the Terra...

In smaller news, Wendee Lee will be providing the singing in the adored concert episode of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Aya Hirano's performance has always been well-acknowledged, so it will be interesting to hear how her own vocals will do (IMO, she has the potential to sound really good). Also, the revisionist version of the controversial final episode of Gundam SEED Destiny, FINAL PLUS, will be released on its own disc (methinks, it won't make the show any better).

For a full listing of acquisitions, click here.

:boxing: The Match of the Masters:: Hopkins vs. Wright

In the world of boxing, the meeting of the minds of master fighters can be a rare occurrence, indeed. This isn't about a matchup between two top prospects (last weekend's Margarito-Williams), or one between a pair of action figures (the now dually-retired Gatti-Ward. It is not even one concerning merely the biggest names in the sport (Mayweather-De La Hoya). Saturday night will be a night when two of today's greatest practitioners and students of the ring square off in bout to decide who has truly mastered its game and craft.

:boxing: Welterweight Marathon-- 2 KOs and a UD!

The Night of the Welterweights proved to be major one, as Kermit Cintron kicked things off with a devastating one and a quarter round performance, crushing Walter Matthysse with a sick combination. Afterwards in Atlantic City, Arturo Gatti appeared to have been put down for good by Alfonso Gomez, who outgamed and outgunned him for much of the fight. Gatti's dulled reflexes and dependence on boxing (rather than his trademark brawling) made it a rather easy affair for Gomez, in spite of running low on gas in the end (his own admission). After the brutal knockout and fight stoppage by the state's sporting official, he announced his retirement.

The main event also appeared to signal the end of Antonio Margarito's aspirations, as Paul Williams hustled his way to win his WBO championship via unaminous decision. The now-former champ seem too sluggish and slow to providing enough counterpunches, while Williams racked up over 1200 thrown punches over the course of the fight. In spite of having the higher connect percentage and a stronger presence in the latter rounds, Margarito did not do enough to warrant the victory. He been more active in the final round, he would have escaped with a draw and the belt.

But where does this lead the division? Williams could possibly see a date with Miguel Cotto, who would have had Margarito had he been the winner. Cintron himself has seemingly made a full turnaround, as he has jumped ahead of the man who derailed his rise a scant few years ago. And while Gomez is a relative non-factor and Matthysse has to build his way up again, Margarito showed enough in the latter rounds that he can still be a threat to the others--though that "fearful" luster has been officially tarnished.

:boxing: Welterweight Marathon--Thrice the Action!

This past month and the current one has been a near constant showcase of major bouts across the boxing landscape. This weekend, right in the middle of it, plays host to three bouts at the welterweight class, each highlighted by its own individual appeal. Arturo Gatti fights Contender alum Alfonso Gomez in a battle that will surely enthrall brawl fans; Antonio Margarito goes up against undefeated Paul Williams in a highly-awaited showdown that could decide Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s next fight options (or not, knowing him...); and former contender (and Margarito victim) Kermit Cintron battles his way back up the latter against Walter Matthysse.

With so many potentially appetizing fights, who'll be crown the best of the bunch?

Gatti-Gomez could be a barnburner, but if Gatti is still shot, look for Gomez to notch a big upset in NJ. Prediction: Gomez, KO-Rd. 9 (Gatti, like Castillo, is too war-worn now to be much of a threat--especially against a hungry, antsy foe)

Margarito-Williams will most likely be the fight of the night. The latter didn't look to hot in his last bout, and if he has nothing for Williams tonight, he can kiss those PBF fight dreams good bye. Prediction: Margarito, Majority Decision (If he is all that he is made out to be, he will drive himself to deliver a first loss for the dangerous Williams)

Cintron-Matthysse is a bit of a toss-up for me as I don't recall having seen the latter fight. Cintron has looked good as of late (though a bit shaky and rough at times), so it remains to be seen how well he does in this bout. Prediction: Due to my lack of information on Matthysse, I don't think I can properly give a good guesstimate on this bout. However, I'll say this much--if Cintron doesn't win, he'll be in a worse spot than a losing Margarito (well, he could always go into MMA, as he was once challenged to after being spurned to defend the sport of boxing)

HardDoor--The First Anniversary

At this time one year ago, I first launched HardDoor, my premiere foray into the world of blogging. Focusing on my two favorite subjects, anime and boxing, HD was to be my own personal gateway of conveying my thoughts on them and as a venue for trying out new aspects of writing and the such. I wish I could have accomplished more of what I had in mind, yet, I am also very glad to have at least posted this much, and more. I do hope to do even a greater amount of what I have in mind in this second round, so that's another thing to be happy about. :)

Hmm...but what of this "HardDoor" name? Where did it come from and why exactly is this blog called as such?

Well, a while before, there was a certain fighter on a certain show promoting his upcoming match, where he said that the fight would be "Rated H for 'Hardcore!'" However, instead of "Hardcore," I thought to have heard him jumble his speech and say "hard door." I rolled at this, but wanted to check a few sites covering it to see if he actually said that or it was just me.

Apparently, it was the latter.

The misnomer stuck around my head for a while. I still found it pretty amusing and wondered what, if anything, would fit for "Hard Door." Down the line, thoughts of making a blog were ever present in my mind, and with it, a name had to be given to it. One of the first to pop up was, of course, that, and the moment I put two and two together, it stuck. And thus, upon combining both words (and eschewing the once-proposed hyphen), "HardDoor" was concieved...

And HardDoor's still going strong!

Another year and onward...

--HD

:anime: HardDoor’s Directory & Guide of Free, Low Cost, and Legal Anime on the Internet

**THIS POST IS NO LONGER BEING USED TO HOUSE THE DIRECTORY. PLEASE CHECK OUT ITS PERMANENT HOME HERE**

(For the article, please click here.)

Psst…want some free, or cheap, anime on the Internet?

Well, you came to the right spot! A listing of streaming and downloadable content vendors all offering anime for no cost (or just a little one)—and all of it’s legal!

This directory is kept up to date as often as possible, though the layout might be altered in the future. Additionally, all sites are in English, unless noted otherwise.

--NOTE: HardDoor is not affiliated with or endorses any of the sites/services listed here. Please use discretion with anything involving downloading and pay content. HD is not responsible for any of the content listed on any of the sites/services or any issues concerning them. Please take any such problems up with the sites/services themselves.--

And with that…happy viewing!