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

CANAAN

Official Site: Japanese
Additional Links: ANN Entry, MAL Entry
Video: Hulu, The Anime Network (NOTE: Japanese w/ English Subtitles at both (via Hulu), English Dubbed at TAN (1st two eps. free, the rest for Subscribers only))

For July's Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick, I chose AnoHana, tying it to a review I did for it. I didn't have many positive things to say about the series--chiefly due to the shaky work of screenwriter Mari Okada--despite the show itself being very highly-regarded. For these "Monthly Picks", I try to select titles that are either interesting, notable, have been well-received, or "off-the-beaten-path", but for the most part, I'd rather highlight an anime that was "good", rather than one that wasn't. However, there's the old adage that "another man's junk is another man's treasure". As AnoHana showed, not every show that I dislike is going to be disliked by everyone else, and vice-versa. Of course, that doesn't mean that I would recommend a title that is nearly indefensibly-awful (a la Sword for Truth…well, sort of…), but I don't want to mention just shows that I have found to be good, as you might be able to find something enjoyable in ones that I have not. So I figured, why not recommend another show that I didn't like?

:anime: Final Impression:: Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai. (AnoHana)

This was actually posted on Aug. 28, but since this was originally supposed to be posted as a "Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month"/review hybrid for July, I am listing it as an item for that month, even though it, uh, quite isn't…

Review: Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai. (We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day.)
Alt. Titles: AnoHana, anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

Official Sites: Japanese, English
Additional Links: ANN Entry, MAL Entry
Video: Crunchyroll (Note: First four episodes available to everyone, rest of show available to Subscribers only)

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai. (or "AnoHana", for short) was one of four series spotlighted in HardDoor's spring/summer 2011 noitaminA preview. From its April debut, the 11-episode drama went on to become one of the year's most heavily-lauded series, second only to its biggest star, Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Perhaps it is of little surprise, given that many of the key individuals behind it also made the beloved Toradora!, but so praised has AnoHana become, that it has already cracked the top five of ANN's top-rated anime of all-time. The Toradora! carryover was to be expected, but the amount of praise it recieved took me by surprise. I was looking forward to the series ever since it was announced, so in a rare break from protocol, I sought out a fansub for the series, since it was unavailable through "legal means" at the time (though now is at Crunchyroll). However, after clearing out time to watch the entire 11-episode series in the span of a few days, I could't say that I shared the same sentiment as everyone else.

:anime: Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month:: HardDoor At The Movies! (Part 2)

We're back for Part 2 of our trip to the Hulu Multiplex with three more titles debuting on-screen. One's a big-screen revisit to a popular show, another is a somber classic, and the other is yet another classic film (and a personal favorite), but with a new layer of polish…

HardDoor--The Sixth Anniversary

It's been six years since HardDoor was first started--six already? In just a year since commemorating its fifth anniversary, the blog has hit a number of milestones, such as crossing the 20,000 pageview mark (…though that only counts for the last two years, when stats were first being kept), 100+ pageviews in a day (…ditto), and crossing 3,000 views (and nearing 4000) for one post (I won't doubt that one…kids must love their zombies and big boobs). Readership, as a whole, has more than doubled since this time last year, which is both remarkable and funny when you consider that it has been the least active year for HardDoor since it began in 2006!

Suffice to say, there is no dearth in hyperbole when I say that I have been very busy over the last year with work. My nights have often consisted with me falling asleep at my laptop try to type something up (and trying to type while 3/4 asleep is not fun), though without that work, I would not have had that laptop or the ability to post pictures of latest Madoka Magica box set's arrival. Still, especially lately and over the last month, I haven't had much awake time to watch much anime or boxing, so I have not been able to accomplish a lot of the big things I wanted to roll out for HD's 5th anniversary, but hopefully I can get all of that and my time situated for HD's 6th…

Thank you to all you readers who have propelled all those stats and for reading (and sticking around for) HardDoor. I really don't like delaying so many things, so here's to a more hefty and busy year for HD, too!

To six & s'more…


--HD

:anime: Moonlightin':: @ TeddyChanTastical! - "Anime Highlight: "The Return of Toonami!! (Or Something Very Close to It…)"

While I haven't posted much of anything for the month (with, *cough*, one exception), I did do another guest post at TeddyChanTastical! earlier this month, this one reviewing Toonami's sudden return to the airwaves and its two new shows, Deadman Wonderland and Casshern Sins. Is it the same, good ol' Toonami that we've all have known and loved, or is it something decidedly different? Check it (and TeddyC's blog) out at the link below!

TeddyChanTastical! - "Anime Highlight: "The Return of Toonami!! (Or Something Very Close to It…)"

:anime: Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month:: HardDoor At The Movies! (Part 1)

Okay, this is actually being posted on June 19, but was originally aimed for the end of May. Due to the last couple of months (especially the last one) being absolutely stuffed with work, I've barely had the time or energy to work on the blog or get this posted on time. But, for the sake of keeping with the conventions of this particular two-parter, this is being published as a "May" post, so Part 2 can be published this month and still make this all feel "special" for spanning over two months (it was mostly done last month, so in a way, it still kind of counts…). Hope that makes some sense, sooooo, without further ado…

For whatever reason, for the past few months, a number of anime distributors have been posting full-length anime movies onto Hulu. The vast majority of anime titles on the site are television series and up till now, there were barely any movies to speak of. Since early this year, however, that amount has risen precipitously, and while the selection is still a relative handful, the line-up is no slouch. It's an impressive mix of hot new titles and classics, so HardDoor is marking the occasion with a special two-part Pick!

The Hulu Mulitplex is now open, so let's take a look at some the films they are offering!

:anime: Nice Box, Pt. 2…:: Madoka Magica LE 2 Pics!

I originally received the second pretty box set of Puella Magi Madoka Magica last month, but thanks to a few very busy weeks, I am just now managing to get around to posting the pictures I took of it now (which is actually a second round of shots, since the first batch was marred by a setting sun). Aniplex USA, once again, did a stand-out job with box set and its content. Same items of postcards, a booklet, and posters (two this time around), but the quality of it all is high, as is the presentation that went into the discs and cases. I could certainly question having Mami on the front side of the box as opposed to Sayaka--who is the real star of these batch of episodes, but is regated to the opposite side of the box--but, it does not subtract from the overall impressiveness of the set.

The show's quality shines on both the BD and DVD and the accompanying soundtrack is quite pleasing to ears.  The English dub makes a few, somewhat questionable script choices--one, for example, sort of spells out a subtle, yet big, reveal and another punches up a conversation between two jerks into an overly "street" one that sounded more like it was coming from two stereotypical black thugs than two casually-speaking, callous guys. I got the intent and purpose of conveying them in a "hoodlum"-kind of light, but it was hard not to squirm while hearing them talk. That aside, the dub is a very good and strong one, with the largely inexperienced cast bringing their A-game and the script holding its own and staying accurate and true to the spirit of the great original. And as much as I don't want to single out any one VA, Sarah Williams was simply perfect as Sayaka.

Just one more set to go, and I'm expecting more of the same (which is a good thing, in this case).

:anime: Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month:: noitaminA Titles

© 2005 FUJI CREATIVE CORPORATION (Source: From noitaminA English Site (top image - older version))

As this April marks the first anniversary of HardDoor's noitaminA previews, I thought it was only appropriate to dedicate this month's Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick to the noitaminA titles currently available online! You just might be surprised by which titles have been a part of the block, so let's cut to the chase and get right to it! [All of the series are available for free, BTW…]

:anime: HardDoor's Seasonal Anime Preview 2012 Special:: noitaminA (Spring, Summer)

Hard to believe that it has been a year already since I started doing seasonal previews for Fuji TV's venerable noitaminA anime block. What started off as a one-shot special preview for what looked to be an outstanding spring-summer lineup last April, has turned into perhaps the most popular feature on HardDoor, with that preview and the most recent being the second and third most-read posts here. More or less, it has become something of a regular feature on HD, but that is more of a testament to the continuing allure that is noitaminA's programming. Its pedigree has yielded a deserved amount of attention and anticipation with its varied, challenging (in more ways than one), and often high-caliber quality of work. Even when a recent work, for instance, in GUILTY CROWN turned out to be a rare disappointment for the block, there were still surprises to be found in the sleeper Black Rock Shooter and Thermae Romae.

This year's tandem of spring and summer offerings seems to have brought everything full-circle from a year ago with another very strong selection: one from [C] - CONTROL's Kenji Nakamura, another a returning fan-favorite, one representing a step-up for a studio accustomed to mostly assistance work and fluff pieces, and one particular title being the highly anticipated return and reunion of a famed director and composer duo. So, once again, let's take a look at what lies ahead for noitaminA!

:anime: First Impression:: Nisemonogatari Ep. 7

<--To Nisemonogatari, Ep. 6

Nisemonogatari, Ep. 7 - "Karen Bee, Part 7"
[Crunchyroll] [Crackle] [Hulu]

Sorry for such a long wait. With the importance and amount of notable information in this episode, I got away from the brief summarizations and fell back into a more full review (I slimmed it down since then, but there was too much good info to simply gloss over). That and a number of other factors have led to this coming as late as it has. --HD

Everything comes to a head in Nisemonogatari's Karen Bee arc, and so, straight from last time…

--On Shinobu's tip, Koyomi finally finds Karen, resting in a park. Given her condition, he wants her to go back home, but she is still too angry about Kaiki. As Koyomi won't listen to her, she decides to let off steam by fighting him instead. They engage in an all-out brawl, albeit a one-sided one where karate master Karen pummels Koyomi, who is reluctant to use his vampiric powers or Shinobu's help against her. The fist fighting soon turns into a war of words, as Karen tries to vindicate herself and the Fire Sisters' operations, but Koyomi wants to hear nothing of it. He points out the hollowness in their duty to "justice" and reasserts that they are not "heroes" but "fakes" and children playing a game. Karen, still in belief that that they are doing nothing wrong by helping others,  is hurt by his criticism, but in an embrace is told by Koyomi that despite everything, he is still proud of her and Tsukihi and wants her to leave it to their big brother to fix…