Wind powered walker

You probably have seen the videos going around of Theo Jansen's impressive wind powered walking machines. If you haven't check them out.

 When I saw the the videos I remembered I had seen a kit you could get to make a functional scale model of one. It turns out there is more than one model kit. 

Theo Jansen's Mini Beast

Theo Jansen Mini Rhinoceros

These are part of the Gakken Otona no Kagaku series of build it yourself projects which include many more items.

A Scoundrel Profits From Doing Good

I have added the kabuki play Kōchiyama by Kawatake Mokuami to my recommended title list. This play is part of a larger work and is the basis for a scene in The Scandalous Adventures Of Buraikan. If you like kabuki you will love this one. The DVD is region free and has English voiceover narration.

Scandals and Blood

I have added two movies to my live action recommended listings.

The Scandalous Adventures Of Buraikan based on a kabuki play by the great Kawatake Mokuami. The movie is not available on video in the U.S. except for streaming on Hulu. However the region 2 DVD does have subtitles. 

Lady Snowblood Based on the Koike manga. This film had a major influence on, and is in heavily referenced in, Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. Alas the AnimEigo release has gone out of print.

Emma: A Victorian Romance

I have just finished viewing the Emma: A Victorian Romance anime TV series. I have now added it to my recommended anime title listings. This is a title I greatly enjoyed and is an example of the type of storytelling that is possible in animation but rarely done outside of Japan. If you like romance, Victoriana, London or just a good gentle tale this one is worth checking out. The original manga was serialized in Comic Beam, a monthly manga magazine aimed at men but with a solid readership among women.

The Right Stuf sale on Stone Bridge Press books

Through March 2 The Right Stuf has a sale on Stone Bridge Press books, including the hardcover print edition of The Anime Encyclopedia 3rd edition, all 1200 pages. Other great titles include 70 Japanese Gestures, The Dorama Encyclopedia, The Gundam novels, several books by Frederik Schodt and many more.

Check out the sale, order over $49.00 and you qualify for free shipping.

Michiko and Hatchin

I have just added the TV series Michiko & Hatchin to my recommended title lists.

Michiko is trouble traveling on the road, Hatchin is a small girl with an abusive foster family. Then one day Michiko breaks in and tells Hatchin to come with her to search for a man from both of their pasts. So begins a tale of adventure, crime, and a growing bond between a woman and a girl set as a life on the run, or is it in pursuit? The location is a rich one set in a landscape reminiscent of Brazil with the contrasts between rich and poor, the criminal and the law abiding. Yamamoto Sayo, the director, is perhaps best known for her directing the TV series Lupin the Third: Woman Called Fujiko Mine.

The Garden of Words

I have just added Shinkai Makoto's excellent feature The Garden of Words to my recommended title lists. This is a title I highly recommend to fans of good cinema.

The location where most of the story takes place is based on Shinjuku Park and I was actually able to reconstruct in my head the route taken by the main character from having walked it myself.

The Garden of Words