Hunter × Hunter is a rather underrated action/adventure/fantasy anime (based on a manga) that I have just finished watching in its entirety. While the general premise of the story is not anything terribly creative, the fantasy elements of the story, especially Nen, are very imaginative and interesting.
I just finished watching Speed Racer, an adaptation of the anime and manga, Mach Gogogo / Speed Racer. Directed by the Wachowski brothers, Speed racer is, IMHO, the best live-action adaptation of an anime / cartoon that retains its original flavour and roots.
The synopsis of the anime is as follows:
So, thanks to a lot of hype, I ... acquired this anime and watched it all in a couple of sittings. I'm a real sucker for anything that revolves around music and the fact that this is directed by Watanabe Shinichirō (director of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, etc., who is known for blending music in really well) with music taken care of by Kanno Yōko (who is a bloody legend), is about as big a recommendation as any anime can get.
A production with Miyazaki Hayao handling the screenplay and his son Goro directing, 'From up on Poppy Hill' has all the qualities of a vintage Ghibli wonder. In many ways, this coming of age story is similar to that of one of my favourites from this studio, 'Whisper of my heart', with a school + home setting, two very earnest and driven young teens, and puppy love. Unfortunately, something is amiss as the finished product does not hit home.
Here are some anime that I absolutely adore and rewatch with regularity. I wish that everyone gets a chance to see them! There are in no particular order.
Today's Song of the Day is a track from the Cowboy Bebop! OST, off the disc titled No Disc. The song is heavy and yet sounds like a decidedly odd pot-pourri of speed metal, surf, punk and pop all mixed together in a batter of parody. The result is quite hilarious. However, the clincher is the lyrics (attributed to Gabriela Robin) which are included at the end of this post.
For the last couple of days, I've been reading a manga named JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It's alright, I guess - decent premise with slipshod execution. But something that I initially perceived as humourous became disconcertingly distracting enough for me to post about it. This certain something is to do with the majority of the character names in the manga being named after western music artists.
Seeing as to how I listen to a lot of classical music, I was asked earlier to identify the classical piano pieces used in episode 12 of the anime, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (a recommended watch, btw)... I'm posting this to help others who are trying to find out the same thing...
The first piano piece played by Eugenie is Rachmaninoff's Piano concerto no. 2.
I just finished watching and reading Antique Bakery, a Josei manga by Yoshinaga Fumi which has also been adapted as an anime. The story revolves around Tachibana Keiichiro, who, one fine day, decides to quit his high profile corporate job to open a bakery.
I've been a huge fan of Nodame Cantabile ever since it was released. I've watched the live-action series, read the manga and also watched series one of the anime. This review deals with the anime sequel, dubbed "Nodame Cantabile: Paris Hen", which deals with Nodame and Chiaki's stay in Paris.
You should probably not be reading further if you are yet to see the first series.
