• 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…

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  • Japan 04.03.2009 No Comments

    One of the fun things about visiting Japan is seeing poor English printed in large signs. There isn’t nearly as much poor English as there was during my first visit to Japan in 1991 but there’s still enough to amuse a traveller. A placard inside a car read “Be particular, whatever in your car life.” A soap dish in a Japanese home read “Adams is leading the way to a whole new world of bathroom.” In 1991 there was a car on the road called MU. Underneath, in smaller letters, read “Mysterious Utility.” In Karuizawa, a resort town, there stood a cigarette vending machine that had, in large, bold letters, “How green is my crater.” Can you think of a better way to sell cigarettes? Read more…

  • 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…

  • anime, fandom 01.03.2009 No Comments

    BitTorrent is a great way to get anime. Just download it to your computer and watch at your leisure. No commercials, a pause button – who could ask for more? Almost all anime available via BitTorrent is in Japanese with subtitles but that’s how I watch my anime anyways. If you haven’t tried it yet you really should. The software is easy to download and use and it hasn’t given me any trouble. Read more…

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  • anime 28.02.2009 No Comments

    This has probably been written about before but have you tried Netflix for your anime fix? A while back I was thrilled that so much anime was coming out on DVD for sale. After stocking up on DVD’s I realized I couldn’t afford to keep buying them. Renting them seemed like a good idea but local rental stores’ selection was paltry at best. I turned to rental by mail and Netflix has proven to be a great solution. Read more…

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  • Japan 27.02.2009 No Comments
    click to enlarge

    click to enlarge

    The Kyoto Train Station is the central train and bus station for the city of Kyoto, Japan. Here it is on the map. I’ve been there many times and every time it impresses me. Kyoto Station (it’s official name to the Japanese) is an immense complex. You might be tempted to call it a building but after you’ve been there you’ll drop that word. The complex rises many stories into the air and many stories below ground. It houses a very large train station, a large bus station, a shopping center with many restaurants and countless other things that would take days to explore. The underground section extends over a larger area than the part above ground. As impressive as it is, Tokyo has even larger stations. Read more…

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  • fandom, Japan 25.02.2009 No Comments

    jtown-01

    In October of 2007 I visited Japan Town, San Francisco. I spent a lot of time here in my younger years. It’s a shame I’ve had to stay away for so long. The aromas of fresh Japanese food mix with the enticing scents of incense and other imported items to transport me back to my teenage years when I walked these halls and learned about Japanese pop culture for the first time. Read more…

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  • 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…

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  • Japan 23.02.2009 No Comments
    click to enlarge

    click to enlarge

    When I planned my trip to Japan in 2006 I wanted to visit Kyoto and Tokyo. In the minds of the Japanese, Kyoto is Japan’s past and Tokyo is Japan’s present. Although it wasn’t my first time in Kyoto it was the first time I got to choose where we stopped. On the way to a temple I happened upon a large graveyard by a river. I wish I would have spent more time trying to learn the name of the place. The photos here don’t give a very good sense of how immense the place was. I’ve visited a number of graveyards in Japan during my past trips but I don’t remember seeing one this big.

    Read more…

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  • My brother (left) and I

    My brother (left) and I

    During my May 2006 trip to Japan I had the rare opportunity to visit the memorial of The Great One. Yes, Godzilla. The king of the monsters and an integral component of Japanese pop culture. Godzilla has been one of my heroes since childhood and, in my opinion, no trip to Japan is complete without paying respects at his statue.

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