Oh Michael Bay

Hey, my babies!!!! yes, I'm back after a very long hiatus. I'm so so so sorry. But don't be mad with your Chick. I have decided that I will expanding my blog to include movies that have to do with old cartoon favorites, you know, Transformers, GI Joe, Airbender. Oh, you didn't know about that one, huh, my darlings? Yes, the Last Airbender will be coming to a theater near you next year. My husband and I were having a conversation just two days ago about who would be great to cast for a live action version and my beloved M. Night Shamlayan has already taken the project under his wing. This is going to be good. But that's a blog for 2010. For 2009, let's talk about Mr. Bay.

Oh, Michael, Michael, Michael. What have you done? How could you take a character like Optimus Prime and make him so.....not what I remember? Don't get me wrong, babies, Prime was absoultely savage in the new movie, but where were the rest of the Autobots? Is it me or did Prime never have backup in the cartoons? They came on the scene way too late for my taste. (For those who have not seen the movie yet, I'll try not to spoil it for you.)

Another issue I'm having? Where the hell did the Twins come from? They don't even have names! Now I've watched the animated transformers many times and never have I come across any twins. I'm beginning to believe that Bay created them and if so, who are you to do so? If you make a transformers movie, then do us a favor, Bay, and don't start creating characters. I had thought that you would have kept in mind the real Transformers and not something you thought up on the spot. I'm not saying not to have an original idea, but keep in dealing with plots and scenery, not the Autobots or even Decepticons. Creating new bots just creates drama in the new generation who don't know the transformers like a lot of us "old-schoolers", if you will. You're changing a legacy, Bay, and quite frankly, the Chick isn't cool with that.

Now let's talk about the movie itself. I did like the first one, I'll admit that. Forever and always, Bumblebee will my favorite. I did like how they kept his character the same in the second movie. However, taking his voice away wasn't cool either. I was hoping to hear more from him this time. Loved how Shia's character was literally beat up while Megan was just as pretty as a picture. Girl, come on. I thought you were an actress. You can get dirty for your role. I will admit that a lot of the critics had basis for calling it loud and stupid. Many of the fight scenes were lost due to Bay's erratic camera angling and a lot of the script itself you can't understand because of all the shooting and things getting blown up. Once you understood the plot, it made things a little easier to follow, but looking back now after I've watched it, it seems that Bay and his writers were grasping at straws to make this a credible-sounding plot.

Of course, this is all open for debates. I'm sure all the hardcore fans out there will have much to say on the subject and I'm open to hearing it all. Get at your Chick!

Angst, angst, and more angst!!!

BABIES!!!!!! Did you miss your Chick? Oh, I'm sooo sorry that I was gone for so long. I'm telling you, that's what happens when you swear up and down that blogging would be so easy because life is...so.....slow.... and then BAM! She smacks you in the face with a bunch of invitations you'd be silly to pass up. But enough about moi, babies, let me tell you what I've come across. Now for all my chicks out there, a question was posed to me a while ago asking what I thought was a great anime drama. Now there are great anime action series, pretty good suspense series, ok sci-fi and horror that I will attest to, but drama? As much as I love Sailor Moon, that is not drama to me. Well, maybe Sailor Moon Stars, but that's for another day. In any case, I started researching, went online, found a few episodes of Nana. I remember reading Nana in Shojo Beat when it first hit newstands and I was kinda hooked on it. It serialized for a pretty long time in Beat and the story line got more and more complicated as the series went on. The series isn't even finished yet, the 15th volume is out in May.

Anyway, I start watching....and I am so drawn in I ignore my cell phone. (Oh, the horror!). It's perfect for when you want to forget your own troubles of money, college, boys and watch someone else struggle with it for a while. Can you imagine being 20, finally on your own, moving to a whole new city because of some guy, you get there and he almost immediately starts asking when you're going to move out, having to find a place you can afford while looking for a job, dealing with spending issues, relationship drama, meeting new friends? That's why I love Nana. This series takes all that post-high school angst and frustration and puts it in a format that you can understand. I'm on episode 13, the boyfriend of one of the main characters has just cheated on her, but she doesn't know yet. I'm giving it two more episodes before the ish hits the fan.

Okay, I'm so done!

So I heard a few good things about Le Chevalier D'Eon, but I have to admit that, so far, I am not impressed. There are a few interesting aspects of it, don't get me wrong, but it's a little stilted in the whole demons vs. innocents thing and a knight being possessed by his dead sister's soul when he's battling the undead. I do like the history of this series, France, Versailles, secret societies, gotta love the fashion at that time, 1770s and all. I'll stick with it, see how it turns out. Besides, I want to know what's up with the dead girl in the queen's room. Later, babies. Get at your Chick!

Update, update

So I find myself in front of my computer checking out the animes I haven't watched yet and it's a pretty long list for someone as into as I am. Can you believe that I went this long without watching a single episode fo Welcome to the NHK? Silly me. (And sorry that I haven't been here in a while, babies. With work, school and dating, Chick's got a busy schedule.) In any case, I figured I'd plow through as much anime as I could in a week. I'm already on episode 16 of Berserk and episode 5 of Higurashi No Nako Koro ni. For those who are not familiar with Higurashi, I am telling that this is one of the better series I've seen in a long time. A young boy moves to a rural town where a curse supposedly took place and now the boy's friends may be demons who are trying to kill them. Trust me, it makes for very interesting watching. These little girls,ooo, when their eyes change, baby watch out. It's funny, it's creepy, it's scary, it's just all around good fun anime watching.


And as a side note for all those in love with anime opening and ending themes (Fukari Mori, anyone?), I'm working on getting a good list of sites that either have good mP3 downloads or at least good links to some. I checked out www.animeopenings.com earlier today, but it's mainly videos of the music, just like an actual episode. Anime OP X doesnt have any Angel Santuary, but to their credit, they do have PowerPuff Girls Z. :) Too cute.

The one that made me cry

So I've been on the lookout for this rather old anime called the Rose of Versailles. I came across the name a few years ago in a library copy of manga and art. I read it, but it wasn't even an entire volume, so I have been searching a translated version since then. I have been able to find the manga of Versailles, however they're all in Japanese. Don't get me wrong, I love the Japanese language and I do pretty well in it myself, but having to translate at least 5 versions on the manga that I've been able to track down so far is a feat. So when I found the anime on Kumby.com, I nearly freaked out. Scared my co-worker, too. 40 episodes, 40 glorious episodes depicting the start of the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI and a new character, Oscar Francois de Jarjayes. Oscar is really the main character of the anime and you're gradually sucked into her life as a military officer at such a young age and being there from the start of Antoinette's reign as Queen. As the anime continues, it gets sadder and sadder. The French people start to hate the monarchy, Oscar falls for the same guy that the Queen loves, and just the overall fact of a woman living as a man and commanding a regiment of the French Army, is a powerful storyline. Trust me, this is a great series and yes.....it made me cry. The last few episodes are a tearjerker. You have been warned, babies. 

And while you're on Kumby, check out Golden Boy. One of my friends at work have been nagging at me to watch it. It's a pretty good small series and the main character, Kintaro, is seriously messed up in the head, but he's funny and the series is pretty cute. 

Alright, babies, get at your Chick when you can. Oh, and also, Oni-Con staff.....do better next year. 

Best Small Series

Oni-Con Countdown: 8 days!!!!

So one of my friends who is as big into anime as I am suggested that I do a post on the best small series. Small series? Define small. Most anime series run at least 20 episodes and that, my friends, I don't consider small. Small to me means less than 15 episodes, but don't worry, I did a little research and actually found some great series that don't run all day and all night like Naruto. (Over 200 episodes! Are they crazy!)

Paranoia Agent

Really great series. I started watching this on Cartoon Network about a year or two back and just fell in love with it. It's crazy and just this side of kooky, but it will suck you in and make you wonder if what you're seeing is real or all made up in your head. And that little pink talking stuffed animal is the cutest thing when he's not talking about morbid stuff.

Ninja Scroll

Runs only 13 episodes and believe me, it should have run longer. The TV series, in my humble opinion, is not as great as the movies, but it does give you a better look at Jubei and his personality. You want to kill him sometimes, but just remember.....he'll kill you first.

Hellsing

One of the best action/horror animes of all time. You can not deny that Alucard is one of the baddest and craziest out there. The first season has 13 episodes and the OVA has 4. The OVA is still worth watching, same characters, slightly different story line.

Nightwalker

One of my first series that I actually brought. (Do you see a theme here? I think I'm really into vampires. Twlight, this is not.) 12 episodes and you really are upset when it's over. Shido is one hot little character.

Angel Sanctuary

Only 3 episodes! Drove me up there and into the store. Can you believe that in order to finish a 3 episode OVA, I had to get the 20 volume manga! Don't get me wrong, having such a collection is great for my shelves, but come on! Yuki-sama, please get them to finish that in anime form!!!!

Ahhhh, ok, had to get that out. :) In any case, as far as small series that I've seen, those are some of the good ones. If you want more options, check out these:

Boogiepop Phantom

Black Blood Brothers

Crest of the Stars

GeneShaft (for all the scifi nuts out there)

Grenadier (I'm thinking about checking this one out for myself)

Haibane-Renmei (Might make you cry. You were warned. )

Mahromatic (Really, really cute.)

We'll start with those for now. And dont forget....OniCon!!!!!!

D. Gray Man

Oni-Con Blastoff Countdown:

 

16 Days!!!!

I'm completely loving the D. Gray Man anime series right now. I had started reading the manga and kinda fell off while I was changing states, but I am glad to be able to watch it online. www.kumby.com is a great site I stumbled upon, looking for episodes when I'm too impatient to wait for my Netflix. They have a lot to choose from, even though I didn't see Jubei-Chan. I love that series. A female Jubei? Stop it. Anyway, for those who don't know D. Gray Man yet, it started yet in the Shonen Jump monthlies and of course, Shonen never finished it. But that's alright, it got me a little hooked on the whole Akuma vs. exorcists, good vs. evil, weapons made from Innocence and a twist on a biblical story. Usually I tout the manga more than the anime, but I'm finding the D. Gray Man anime a lot more interesting than the manga right now. It runs over a 100 episodes, but it's worth sitting and watching.