Sweet Flashy Honey

I have added a new page to my web site. This one for Japanese Live Action Cinema. At present the page is sparse, with only one entry.

The first title I am listing is Cutie Honey. I had the pleasure of introducing this film at the Asian American Film Festival at the Castro Theater in San Francisco. The audience loved it, it was fun to see well dressed adults stomping their feet at the opening animation.

Here is the entry from my new page:

Cutie Honey

Director: Anno Hideaki

Screenplay: Anno Hideaki, Takahashi Rumi

Based on a work by: Nagai Go

 

Kisaragi Honey, Cutie Honey, is an android created by the late Dr. Kisaragi. Honey's special ability is that she can transform to meet the challenges she faces. Now the original story ran in a boy's manga magazine and the creator is known for pushing the limits of respectability. This means he gets more than a bit naughty at times and in the Cutie Honey series this included Honey's clothes vanishing during her transformation sequences, something you also see in the later Sailor Moon girl's TV show, not that you see much in either. Also expect outrageous villains, exaggerated situations and fights, lots of fights as Honey takes on the villains and their minions. This adaptation of the original is extremely well done with stylistic use of computer special effects and great costumes. The director is best known for his science fiction anime work such as GunBuster and Neon Genesis Evangelion as well as directing serious live action cinema. Nagai Go has a camio as the driver of a car Honey falls onto.

 

Order Cutie Honey from The Right Stuf

Order Cutie Honey LiveAction Limited Edition w/Lunchbox from The Right Stuf

 

Handy for writin'

This week I cover an object you rarely see in use today, in fact I've only seen one person pull one out and use it, and that person was an artist from Japan.

This week I bring you information on the:

yatate (portable Ink and brush kit) 矢立

These days with such modern implements as cartridge filled brushes and even that thing called the ball point pen we don't see too many yatate in use.

A suit and fists

I have added another new title to my list of anime recommendations:

Here is the text from the web site:

Salaryman Kintaro - TV series - 20 episodes

Kintaro is the new hire at Yamato Construction. He is a mid term hire, unusual in Japan here most new white collar workers start work as a group in the spring. More unusual is he has not gone to college, in fact dropped out of night school as a teen, and once led a motorcycle gang. But he has been hired as a favor given to him by the chairman who expects him to not last long. However his willingness to work, persistence, openness to others and his occasional use of fists pay off and before long he is given other assignments. Workplace stories are not unusual in Japan but titles about white-collar workers, no matter how unconventional, rarely come out in English.

Note: The chapter breaks are unusual in this one, you cannot skip the opening without being tossed into the middle of the episode.

Cultural Details: Office work, construction industry, nightlife.

Cautions: Made for adults, sex and one rape mentioned, both are not shown.

Order Salaryman Kintaro disc 1 on DVD from The Right Stuf

Ring Time

This week I have an entry suggested by Dan Snyder who recently spotted one of these in Japan.

This will be of interest to those of you who are curious about religious objects and practices in Japan.

This week I bring you the:

chi no wa (large standing ring) 茅輪

Summer Wars

I've added Summer Wars to my recommended anime list.

It is available on DVD and also on Blu-Ray

Here is the description I gave it in the list.

Kenji almost made it into a major math competition and instead expects to spend his summer break just doing his part time job as a low level administrator for the massive international network OZ. Then Natsuki talks him into working for her during the break at her grandmother's house for a few days. But things get complicated and Kenji is not only caught up in a small scheme of Natsuki's but ends up being suspected of being the hacker who cracked the security of OZ. Now things are really getting messed up and lots of people may end up dying.

For Black Lagoon and kabuki fans

In episode 21 of Black Lagoon The Second Barrage Gin enters the Russian restaurant and says: "Souga's Sukeroku has come to play. Now where can I find Ikyu the Bearded?"

Ever wonder where that line came from?

Now you can know:

Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura (Sukeroku Flower of Edo) 助六由縁江戸桜

Utena returns

I have been doing a rather poor job of adding new recommended titles to my web site. On the whole this is not a problem as I avoid putting up works until the release is complete and has proven itself so the list is never current.

I have now re-added a title which I have removed years ago when it went out of print. I now again have entries for the Revolutionary Girl Utena TV series and movie.