:anime: Final Impression:: Wish Upon the Pleiades (Hokago no Pleiades)

Review: Wish Upon the Pleiades (Hokago no Pleiades)

Official Sites: Japanese
Additional Links: ANN Entry, HD's Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month (Feb. 2011)
Video [Free]: YouTube

In one of the more unlikely pairings you'll find on the scene, automaker SUBARU and GAINAX collaborated to make the YouTube exclusive (well, until the inevitable BD/DVD release) magical girl show Hokago no Pleiades (or Wish Upon the Pleiades, in English). At first glance, one can easily detect the monetary input of the production with its Shinkai-esque starry skies, vibrant lighting and coloring, and beautifully-rendered backgrounds. And with its genre trappings, the series is certainly not bereft of lovely character designs or animation work, not to mention a top-notch music production.

But…that's all I can really say about the show.

:anime: Free/Low-Cost Anime Pick of the Month:: Wish Upon the Pleiades (Hokago no Pleiades)

Wish Upon the Pleiades (Hokago no Pleiades)

Official Sites: Japanese
Additional Links: ANN Entry
Video [Free]: YouTube

Wish Upon the Pleiades (Hokago no Pleiades), an animated collaboration from automaker SUBARU (whose name is the Japanese equivalent of the star cluster) and anime powerhouse GAINAX (Petite Princess Yucie, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Magical Shopping Center Abenobashi, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World, Gunbuster), made its anticipated bow onto YouTube this month, and in addition to its untranslated form, an English-subbed version of the show has also been provided.

Comprising of four 5-7 minute episodes, HnP follows along traditional "magical girl" lines, focusing on a young girl named Subaru, who stumbles upon a secret meeting of girls at her school that are moonlighting as magical girls. Just as quickly as she discovers them is she recruited to their ranks as they try to retrieve lost "engine parts"--though an adversary also in search of them stands in their way. Stellar animation--with Shinkai-level visuals--and great music help punctuate SUBARU x GAINAX's gorgeous production.

As often the case with YouTube's content, the videos are free to watch and are available in upwards of 720p in HD. The YT page itself is interesting, in that you can watch the videos via a simple, menu-like layout at the top, or just below it through the usual YT layout the separate playlists (and unlike with the top section, there is a full-screen button with the player). Additionally, the official website also hosts a "goody bag" ZIP-file full of character wallpaper, at resolutions ranging from 1024x768 to 1920x1080, including ones for iPhone/iPod touch devices (click on the third link on the main page with the "ZIP" page icon, or right-click here to save the file). Owners of those iDevices who access the site can find wallpaper for them there.

:anime: Free Anime Directory Update! ::For 02.08.11::

It's been awhile since the last update, which came during the big overhaul and location change last October, but the Directory has received some new entries and a few updates since then. So let's check them out!


[New!]
-:Sites:-
Crackle
--Forgot to put this in the Directory at the time of the overhaul, but it's in there now. I had some trouble finding an anime listing on the site over a year ago, but I managed to finally find one there. The selection is slightly bigger, too (though still on the meager side). But hey, they got some Godzilla films, too. ;)

:boxing: Quick Pick! ::01.29.11:: Bradley vs Alexander

Tonight, the big fight between WBO Light Welterweight Champion Timothy Bradley and upstart WBC Champion Devon Alexander takes place at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan on HBO--but you might not totally get its weight with the amount of people set to attend. But for now, let's set aside the decision to hold the match far away from either man's respective domains of California or Missouri (and thus robbing it of potential ticket sales and good word-of-mouth at either location, or even at Las Vegas or Atlantic City) and the poor attempt at emulating the Pacquiao-Cowboys Stadium dynamic (while known names among boxing fans, neither are crossover stars like Pacquiao and aren't ready to fill stadiums, yet) and just focus on the night's proceedings…

:anime: First Impression:: Oreimo Ep. 8

<--To Oreimo, Ep. 7

The face of a soul shattering into a million pieces…

After a hiatus for "Decade's Best", year-end write-ups, and other postings, HD's reviews of Oreimo pick up right where they left off at with Ep. 8's!


Oreimo, Ep. 8 - "My Little Sister Can't Be Animated"

With Kirino's novel being a success, the publishers have decided to turn it into an upcoming anime. The budding author takes Saori and Kuroneko along with her to the production meeting with the staff and producers, where her giddiness over the show and eager requests are brought down in flames by the hard-nosed screenwriter and reality. After the story is picked apart, ground through the mill, and suggested for alterations--including making the little sister-loving lead into a male--Kirino's spirit is thoroughly crushed.

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

RideBack

Official Sites: English
Additional Links: Tokyo MX Page, ANN Entry
Video [Free]: FUNimation Videos, Hulu, Anime News Network

Last month, I recommended Highschool of the Dead (which was also reviewed last week), Madhouse's adaptation of the manga which prominently featured two subjects not normally (if, really, ever) covered by the studio: zombie horror and heavy fanservice. It was a stark departure for them, even with the sheer number of works they have produced that spread across the spectrum, but it was not the only uncharacteristic title they made of recent. In the prior year, RideBack debuted in January 2009, representing Madhouse's first real mecha-centric work in their near 40-year history. While the subject of robots, in general, is not foreign to the studio (Metropolis, Battle Angel/GUNNM, Chobits), a production with people piloting mecha is not something they have done before (Patlabor WXIII notwithstanding, which more of an investigative drama and bereft of mecha action until briefly at the end). But at the same time, RideBack is not your typical mecha show…

:anime: Final Impression:: Highschool of the Dead

Review: Highschool of the Dead (High School of the Dead)

Official Sites: Japanese
Additional Links: ANN Entry
Video [Free]: The Anime Network (Ep. 1 is available to everyone at the "Guest" level, and Eps. 2 and beyond for those who register, which is at no cost), Hulu

When coming across the trailer for Highschool of the Dead last summer, there were a few things that stunned me about it--none of which involved its content of zombies and big boobs. For one, I was really impressed by it. I'm no fan of the horror genre, much less shows with heavy fanservice, and in both cases, there have been many a cheap and paltry entry. But with HOTD, it was quite clear that a lot of effort went into the production and presentation of it with its stunning animation and color palette, with its intensity pouring out of the screen. Its character designs were easy on the eyes, too, and with all of the frantic action and fluidity, what started as a curiosity over its title became a hot anticipation for a show screaming "greatness" and "instant hit".

So I was also quite stunned to see Madhouse's name pop up during it. It certainly explained the high level of artistry on display, but for a studio that has covered a wide swath of genres, horror (of the zombie variety) and fanservice are two that they have very rarely done. And that they decided to put this much effort into a show with both (and an admittedly/purposefully-schlocky title) was especially puzzling. Not that the studio has a "snobby" reputation, but given their pedigree, one might naturally assume that this type of material would be "beneath them". On top of that, Death Note director Tetsuro Araki and big-time screenwriter Yousuke Kuroda (Honey & Clover, Gungrave, Hellsing Ultimate, Infinite Ryvius) were attached to it, furthering the notion that nothing added up. At least at first glance, as what unfolds is a well thought-out and -presented tale with depth all around--as well as one of the best anime of 2010.

Compare & Contrast:: 2009 Predictions vs 2010 Reality…

As noted in last week's 2010 lookback/2011 look-forward, a surprising amount of the predictions made for 2010 happened to come true during the year…well, sort of. In this addendum to "2010, Fade Out… 2011, Fade In…", we'll be looking back at each of the predictions made at the end of 2009 and how much did (and didn't) come to past in 2010…

2010, Fade Out… 2011, Fade In…

2010 turned out to be a pretty nice one, both personally and for the site.  Much of the first half of the year saw the realization of one of my biggest goals in covering the pattern of dark-skinned characters in anime that have been shot in the head. Aside from the lull in late-summer (writer's block?), everything went fairly well, and the discussion thread experiment, while not a total success (only the ANN one got going), proved interesting. Of course, I would have done a few things differently, but overall, given its scope and size, it went well.

The second half of the year was perhaps the most pivotal for HardDoor, to-date. A completely new design, an improved layout, the start of HD's Twitter page and its integration into the site (a big, big addition itself, begun a month to the day before, and in honor of, HD's fourth anniversary), the introduction of anime reviews, as well as a greater emphasis on using pictures in posts (first tested with "Blacks & Head Shots in Anime") have all been implemented for the blog, which have certainly helped in making the blog more accessible and looking nice, as well as raising its awareness.

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

Highschool of the Dead

Official Sites: Japanese

Additional Links: ANN Entry

Video: The Anime Network (Free for promotion, Pay afterwards for Eps. 3-12 ("Subscribers"). Ep. 1 free for "Guests", Ep. 2 free for those who register, which itself is free ("Registered"))
Free Promotional Period: December 13-31(?), 2010

I was originally aiming for something pleasant and soothing for this month's pick, as it is December and the winter and holiday season is upon us.

And then The Anime Network presented a very, uhh, *nice* gift…

The broadcaster announced last Monday, December 13th, that they would drop the access level from "Subscribers" to "Registered" for each of the twelve episodes of the controversial hit anime Highschool of the Dead (or "High School of the Dead", though I'm going with the original spelling here, which is actually grammatically-correct, too). A tale of high-school students trying to survive in a world quickly overcome by the undead, this mix of zombies-and-boobs has been a polarizing title with its overt fanservice, but also a well-praised one for its genuine horror touches and nods to various entries in the genre.