Akihabara Electric Town

新世紀エヴァンゲリオン Neon Genesis Evangelion

I'm currently re-watching this classic.

Serial Experiments Lain

What happened in Puella Magi Madoka Rebellion? 何で Spoilers in post!

Since I got back from Hiroshima (I'll upload more photos and will talk about my experience on getting a feel of the city in a future post, I'm currently typing this up)! I finally finished watching the Puella Magi Madoka Magica movie trilogy.

I really enjoyed these movies! These movies had very beautiful visuals.

Akemi Homura is a strong character, I have a connection with her. She's moving. When  finished watching the third film rebellion I was left with a puzzled look! 何で?! What happened??

I ran to the internet to read fan theories! This article was very interesting!  I found the plot twist with Homura challenging Madoka the goddess of the universe, becoming a demon creating the world the way she wants it, was amazing. I loved this and made the film alot more dramatic and meaningful. She processed Madoka Kaname.

Studio Shaft the animation studio behind the Puella Magi Madoka Magica series and the Bakamonogatari series have unique characteristics to their anime. Loving the Bakamonogatari references seen especially in the third film. Hitagi Senjougahara (One of my favorite characters in anime :)) the main lady from Bakamonogatari really came out through Homura which was a nice touch!

 Reminds me of Ayanami Rei's creepy moon smile from Neon Genesis Evangelion TV Series

Quite Hitagi Senjougahara. :p

The above scene of Mami she looks very lost. That is the feeling I got from it. 

I had so much questions and came up with my own analyses. When I saw the battered Kyubey, I laughed and thought, Homura finally got what she wanted. There was no need for her to be in this world anymore.

In the past she kept on going back time to save Madoka from being a Magical girl. Her emotions for Madoka were very strong she was able to become more powerful then the goddess, becoming a demon, opposing Madoka which the above article mentioned. Homura created her own universe. The final scene of the film sums everything up. Madoka living an ordinary life with her family, unpacking from living in America for 3 years. Kyoko walking in her school uniform with Sayaka, Mami walking happily with her friend and company Charlotte being very happy. Madoka in her universe didn't want Mami to be alone. Then we see Homura dancing smiling on the edge of a cliff, we see a battered Kyubey and Homura with a smile dances off the cliff, disappears. Then "The End" comes up in different languages, this is the End.

That's my take on it anyway. :) 

I could be completely wrong here. Go watch the films for yourself and see what you come up with!

Puella Magi Madoka Magica the series and films have so much artistic dept and meaning. I have a feeling like the Neon Genesis Evangelion fan theories I'm going to be reading alot on what happened! Being a big Evangelion fan I have found it difficult finding an anime that lives up to it, an anime with lots of spiritual meaning, artistic depth and Puella Magi Madoka Magica has given me all that. I highly recommend anyone who enjoy deep meaning and art house cinema to watch the films and series. I also really like the animation studio Shaft.

Pharrell Williams - It Girl

This song "It Girl" really appeals to me as I came across this song when I read a controversial article about it. The video has been produced by visual superflat artist (who I am a fan of) Takashi Murakami who has won global recognition portraying anime as a pop contemporary art with the Superflat movement. While browsing the Superflat art movement I came across Murakami's book Little Boy: The Arts of Japan's Exploding Subculture which I would be very keen to read. Other Superflat artists worked on this video such as Mr., who directed this music video and artist Fantasista Utamaro. 

I really think it is amazing a well known singer teaming up with a Japanese anime artist and releasing a music video in the anime style. Sure we had seen anime creep up in the mainstream in the past with Hatsune Miku appearing on the David Letterman Show, Avril Lavigne releasing a music video dedicated to pop icon Hello Kitty, also anime has not only popped up in the music business but in Hollywood movies such as Pacific Rim, Kill Bill and with the Matrix.

This video isn't just your generic anime style but in a style that is "otaku" and one thing that stands out and yet perhaps controversial. The video displays beautiful and cute girls who somewhat come across as characters from the Lolicon genre and the video portrays dating sims. I can see this video perhaps causing disturbance but the video in my opinion is very beautifully done, with gorgeous magical visuals, with elements of "moe" (see Patrick W. Galbraith's The Moe Manifesto) and quite clever depicting reference from Otaku culture, it doesn't just come across as a stereotype of "kawaii" there is something more deep here. Also according to wikipedia the Album "Girl" where the song comes from has been described as a "feminist" album.

The theme of the album is an attempt by Williams to eliminate what he sees as an understandable degree of uncertainty over what his attitude to women actually is. Referring specifically to his controversial collaboration with Robin Thicke and TI, 'Blurred Lines', he notes that with its "questionable lyrics, and the nature of the aesthetic of the video, it's easy to get confused about that." So 'G I R L' is him trying to put the record straight.

There's an imbalance in society, in my opinion," he says, "and it's going to change. A world where 75 per cent of it is run by women - that's a different world. That's gonna happen, and I want to be on the right side of it when it does."

Source - http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/we-heard-pharrells-new-album-this-is-what-it-sounds-like#fm9SbDQ0zMks3pyB.99

As I am a big anime, manga fan and a cosplayer interested in otaku culture I try not to be biased. However The NewYorker wrote up an interesting article on how this music video could come across as controversial which I would recommend to read if you want to look at both opinions.

Sure watch the video yourself and make a judgment! I would be eager to hear peoples' thoughts on this.

Interesting Watch

I spend my Friday night watching this documentary which I watched awhile ago and found it very interesting. I also drank a beer. It is a good watch if you are new to the con scene. We are all one big happy family! ^^ I am proud to be working at cons.