Although Gears Online focuses on Japanese science-fiction it’s nice to take some time now and then to look at western science-fiction here on GearsBlog. It’s no secret to anime fans that a large number of anime titles are influenced (sometimes quite heavily) by western science-fiction stories. Read more…
Tekkaman Blade II from 1994 is a 6 episode OAV. Set 10 years after the events of Tekkaman Blade, it follows the exploits of a new group of tekkamen serving the Space Knights. Although the mecha designs are nice and it was good to see an attempt at continuing the Tekkaman Blade story, Blade II just didn’t measure up. Poor plot, poor treatment of the setting and lack of the elements that defined Tekkaman Blade made this OAV something I can’t recommend. Read more…
Tags: Tekkaman
I just finished watching the 49 episodes of Tekkaman Blade (1992). This is an incredible TV show and I highly recommend it to science-fiction fans. Tatsunoko Pro was behind this show and, as with Gatchaman and others, they’ve turned out a wonderful action show about heroism and bravery. Read more…
Tags: Tekkaman
Video Daikaiju is a company in Succasunna, New Jersey that sells live-action Japanese movies and TV shows on DVD. I just ordered 5 Godzilla movies from them and I can recommend them for their great product. They have a large catalog full of science-fiction and fantasy movies from Japan with English subtitles. They have every Godzilla movie ever made. Their selection of Japanese TV shows is really impressive but most of these are not subtitled. Alas, my quest for a subtitled copy of Ultra Seven on DVD isn’t over yet.
In order to see Video Daikaiju’s catalog you have to send them $2 and wait for it to come in the mail. It’s a shame they haven’t put their catalog on their Web site yet. Hopefully they’ll take care of that soon. If you’re curious to see any of Toho’s classic sci-fi movies then Video Daikaiju are the people you want to talk to.
When Godzilla first appeared in 1954 he was no joke!
Godzilla fans in the western world have to learn to live with derision. Most of the English-speaking world is familiar with the name Godzilla and see it as a nothing more than a stupid joke. One need only mention the monster’s name and eyes start rolling as if on cue. What can one expect when the venerable New York Times sets the tone with words like this: Read more…
Tags: Godzilla
Did you know that Spiderman fought the Iron Cross Army in Japan in 1978? Did you know he used a giant robot named Leopardon to do it? Marvel Comics is now displaying the first episode of Toei’s Spiderman from 1978 on their Web site. You can see it here (or look at the embedded video below).
Tags: Spiderman
The 80’s are back! Twenty years is not long enough to keep a good decade down. As a person who came of age in the 80’s I naturally feel a hint of nostalgia for that time. This year’s movie line up suggests that I’m not the only one who remembers the 80’s. G I Joe, Transformers and Tron have new movies on the way proving that the toy franchises of the 80’s still have a lot of staying power. Why don’t we see any movies based on the toys girls played with in the 80’s? I guess Rainbow Bright, Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony just don’t have much movie potential. Read more…
Tags: movies
It has always amazed me how Votoms never caught on in North America. Armored Trooper Votoms, a TV series (1983), and its spinoff OAV Armor Hunter Mellowlink (1988), should have captivated American science-fiction fans. Attempts were made. U.S. Manga Corps released the entire Votoms TV series to DVD. Granted, it was subtitled only and not available in English dub but I still don’t get how it didn’t catch on. I bought the DVD box set and was enthralled. It really is an excellent show. I had to use BitTorrent to get Armor Hunter Mellowlink as it has never been released to DVD in North America. Read more…
Tags: Votoms
I’ve finished watching the 26 episodes of Bounen no Xamdou that aired in 2008. According to Anime News Network it isn’t a television show because it first aired on the Internet, making it an ONA (original net animation). It can be a little difficult to find information about the show online as people can’t agree on the spelling of the show’s title. I’ve seen Bounen no Xamdou, Bounen no Zamned and Bounen no Zamn’d. Read more…
Mark Simmons has been well-known in anime fan circles for years as an expert on Gundam. He once maintained a large and in-depth Web site on the Gundam Universe but is now content to maintain Ultimate Mark. Along with Benjamin Wright he wrote Gundam: The Official Guide. He has assisted with the translation into English of several Gundam projects and created the mecha images that have been used for “franken gundams” by online Gundam fans.
Gears Online was able to have an interview with this prominent U.S. anime fan. Read on to learn more about Mark Simmons. Read more…
Tags: Mark Simmons
