Fullmetal Alchemist Meet-Up

Sat, 12/02/2006 - 12:21pm by lola

Veg out with friends on Friday night at the next Animanga Club on December 8th at the Malletts Creek Branch from 7-8:30 PM. We’ll be watching Fullmetal Alchemist, eating lots of Pocky, and testing our knowledge of the show/manga.

We may even try a little alchemy of our own. No, not turn lead into gold but possible put Mentos into diet coke and make a fountain flame of our own. There will also be a mystery craft that will definitely spice up your Fullmetal Alchemist costume.

All good things must come to an end

Wed, 11/22/2006 - 6:25pm by joy k

One of the most popular manga in the U.S. is Fruits Basket, the story of Tohru Honda and her friendship with the rich and mysterious Sohma family.

After 7 years and 136 chapters, the manga has finally concluded its serialization in Japan; the final chapter was published in the magazine Hana to Yume on November 20th. While you’re waiting for volumes 16-23 to reach the states via Tokyopop’s translations, why not watch the excellent anime adaptation? It’s twenty-six episodes long, spread over four DVDs, and covers events (with a few differences) from the first six volumes of the manga.

Fruits Basket, Vol. 1 (Episodes 1-6)
Fruits Basket, Vol. 2 (Episodes 7-12)
Fruits Basket, Vol. 3 (Episodes 13-19)
Fruits Basket, Vol. 4 (Episodes 20-26)

Trust and Betrayal

Tue, 11/14/2006 - 2:08pm by joy k

The Meiji Restoration (1866-1869) marked the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan. The two part OVA Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal is a story set during that tumultuous era. In the shadows of Kyoto, Himura Kenshin works for the Choshu revolutionaries as their best assassin. But a chance meeting with a mysterious young woman named Tomoe leads him to reconsider his choices.

Samurai X is gorgeously animated and features some of Japan’s best voice actors, including Mayo Suzukaze and Tomokazu Seki. It’s based on events from volumes 19, 20, and 21 of the manga Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki, but unlike the manga, it’s aimed at adults rather than teens.

If you’re interested in reading more about this historical era, the library also has some great nonfiction books about it, such as Inventing Japan, 1853-1964, The Making of Modern Japan, and The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori.

Book lover fights crime!

Tue, 11/07/2006 - 6:37pm by joy k

The protagonist of Read or Die isn’t exactly your classic secret agent. Yomiko Readman is a mild-mannered substitute teacher who has a habit of spending every last cent she earns on books. But, as a monster quickly discovers when it tries to steal one of her books (which she hasn’t even finished reading—the horror!), she can put up a pretty good fight with her special skill for using sheets of paper as weapons.

Yomiko’s talent brings her to the attention of the British Library Special Engineering Force, which is investigating a rash of thefts involving rare books. Can Yomiko and her colleagues uncover the mastermind behind the thefts before their sinister plan comes to fruition?

Youmacon is here!

Wed, 11/01/2006 - 8:48pm by joy k

Youmacon, “Metro Detroit's first and only anime con,” is being held this weekend, from November 3-5, 2006 at the Hilton Detroit/Troy. The full programming schedule has now been posted on the con web site. Be sure you don’t miss the featured guests, who include Caitlyn Glass, voice actress for Winry in Fullmetal Alchemist, and Matt Hill, voice actor for Kero in Cardcaptor Sakura.

Don’t worry if you missed pre-registration--on-site registration will be available!

Edo-era Japan + Hip-Hop = Samurai Champloo

Tue, 10/24/2006 - 3:05pm by joy k

Samurai Champloo follows the journey of an unlikely trio through Edo-era Japan. After Fuu, a young waitress, saves Jin and Mugen, two wandering swordsmen, from execution at the hands of a corrupt magistrate, she ropes them into becoming her bodyguards during her search for the mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers.

“Champloo” is an Okinawan word that means to mix or to blend, and that’s exactly what this series does: it combines historical detail and samurai swordplay with music by Japanese and American hip-hop artists. The show’s creative use of anachronism goes well beyond the score, influencing everything from the characters’ attitudes to their wardrobes.

If you’ve already watched the series, you might also be interested in the companion manga.

The Music of Yoko Kanno

Wed, 10/18/2006 - 7:11pm by joy k

We don’t often think about the composers behind the music of our favorite anime series and films, but many of them just wouldn’t be as wonderful without their memorable scores. Yoko Kanno is one of the most accomplished composers of music for anime tv series and films. She’s perhaps best known for her music for the Cowboy Bebop tv series and film, but she’s worked on many other projects. Some of the other anime in the library's collection that feature her music are:

Escaflowne: The Movie
Macross Plus (film)
The Vision of Escaflowne (tv series)
Wolf’s Rain (tv series)

Steampunk Anime

Thu, 10/12/2006 - 9:51am by joy k

Are you a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist wondering what to watch next? Consider checking out some of the other steampunk anime—stories set in an alternate past with advanced technology, or that combine magic and machinery—in our anime dvd collection:

Steamboy
Last Exile
Howl’s Moving Castle
Escaflowne

Anime fans, mark your calendars!

Tue, 09/19/2006 - 3:27pm by joy k

Youmacon, “Metro Detroit's first and only anime con,” is being held November 3-5, 2006 at the Hilton Detroit/Troy. Featured guests include Caitlyn Glass, voice actress for Winry in Fullmetal Alchemist, and Matt Hill, voice actor for Kero in Cardcaptor Sakura. There will be panels, cosplay, gaming, and more.

Pre-register by September 30 and save, but don’t worry too much if you miss the date! On-site registration will be available as well.