New Dirty Pair manga in Japan

The Lovely Angels, Kei and Yuri are back, appearing in the pages of Monthy Comic Ryu. Let the chaos, destruction, and cheesecake ensue!



As an early supporter of anime, I can't describe what a relief it is to see these two icons return. By now the animated adventures of The Dirty Pair are widely known but disregarded by the contemporary anime fan, seeming clunky and dated. The reality however is that these two characters pushed the media's limits early on, with swashbuckling sci-fi tales laced with violence and sexuality. As an 80's preteen absorbed with ROBOTECH and Voltron, The Dirty Pair served as a proper white rabbit leading to years of discovery via VHS tape trading networks like the CFO.



Apart from a Joji Manabe Doujinshi I once flipped through, the Pair never quite looked this sleazy, which is understandable given the current state of the anime industry. Frankly, I can't understand what took so long for this series to happen. Kei,in particular, looks to have received the biggest makeover. It might not be "wolf hair", but at least it's not Dirty Pair Flash.

I predict that this incarnation will be successful enough for the inevitable anime adaptation, and then this and every previous generation of anime fan will know the madcap glory of The Dirty Pair!

Olympic Report 2010

At first I was worried about the raunchy conditions, worries that were almost confirmed by the Men's Snowboard event. Then I realized that it was snowboarding, and that with snowboarding it's totally acceptable for Olympic calibur athletes to be flopping around on the course like drunks. Ah, Snowboarding... snObOardNING.... Skiing ...I'll never get it. Actually, this years Olympic coverage has warmed me up to Women's SNBX, were the athleticism seems to be in spades. Skicross didn't impress me either.

So this time around, Body Miller avoids the Beaster and comes through. I like the man, although I get the feeling he's that guy they're trying to represent in those MCDonald's commercials which claim that Olympic athletes are lining up for McNuggets.

The U.S. Women's Ski Team isn't being hurt so much by a supposed popularity contest as it is being hurt by sculpted eyebrows. I'm also not sure I should feel like I'm eavesdropping, in a reality TV kind of way, when a hopeful faces his/ her event standing, so I just leave the room. The microscope is what is stressing out the athletes.

So far I've enjoyed the coverage and events. Too bad the great conditions are in the east this year. I'll expect to find lots of newbies on the slopes in the coming weeks.

Super Shogun Stormtrooper

Here's a little bit of super coolness to brighten up your day. This news is so awesome that it's become my sole purpose in life for the immediate future.



Super 7 has announced the Super Shogun Stormtrooper, a fine tribute to both George Lucas and Go Nagai, two creative luminaries from the '70's, operating on polar opposite sides of the world, forever dominating the imaginations of generations of children young and old. Whatever your leanings, this classic Shogun Warrior/Jumbo Machinder reworking has the confidence and style to stand proudly along side either Jumbo Kamen Rider or Kenner Bionic Big Foot. Maybe you like both types of toys; Super Shogun Stormtrooper is quite likely to mix it up a little so that things on the shelf could start to get freaky. The infamous "Toy Pirates" even went as far as to create a new website in his honor.



Is it normal to have a sexual response to a toy?



The blaster doesn't shoot red missles, which sucks, but it comes with a foil sticker sheet for the things belly!

All in all, Super Shogun Stormtrooper appears to be an instant classic, and even at $300 a pop, getting one is going to take some luck.

Doritos wins Best Superbowl Ad

An instant classic. Apparently there are "groups" out there that have a problem with this one, but I can't imagine how. Maybe there's too much truth to it, I don't know. I just love the kid.



Now, you know who I do NOT like? The fucking e*trade baby. That spot jumped the shark after the second or third entry, but people love it. I cannot understand the appeal of a narcissistic, gloating, philandering piece of shit yuppie, even in the form of an articulate baby. Maybe it's the articulate baby thing that bugs me, since that gag is ancient. In any case, I'm usually very thoughtful concerning the subject of abortion, but in e*trade baby's case I'm saying it's not too late. Anyone have a coat hanger? I would be happy to stomp the little prick's bourgeois head in myself. "Milkaholic?" No, a new low.

Kaiju brick-a-brack

The always entertaining Sci-Fi Japan has posted it's findings on the current state of collecting Bandai vinyl Godzilla toys. If you're into it, there aren't many surprises as you've probably been scooping up these things lately on the cheap. Not a good time to be speculating, that's for sure. In any case, it's good to see someone take another stab at the valuation of these somewhat obscure collectibles.

While I'm at it, here is a great spot currently running in Japan that highlights the fun of daikaiju eiga, which JapanProbe.com has dutifully posted on YouTube:

The Original Dancing Traffic Cop

God rest Vitor Cianca's soul. The original dancing traffic cop has passed away at 92.

When I was a little kid I remember going downtown to visit my dad at work and being enthralled by Officer Cianca's routine. That was the guy on TV! Cianca made a real impression on not just the country but the world. Countless imitators emerged, which is the most sincere form of flattery there is. Do you think your local dancing traffic cop is cool? He or she probably is, but they are merely followers. True greatness is leading, and that's what Cianca did, both literally and figuratively.

Check out this old home movie and see the style. No Fred Astaire clowning here. Unfortunately you have to imagine the syncopated whistle blowing.



My condolences and thanks to the family. It's something to make total strangers smile, especially after your gone. This guy truly lives on in memory.

The Imai Files

I think this one actually came in on the 12th Day of Christmas, too! Of course, I'm just getting to it now....

Roger Harkavy and his anonymous friend will go down in Otaku history as two of the coolest archivists on earth for bringing the rest of us this small treasure trove of pre-production and concept sketches from the clssic anime series "Mospeada" and "Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross." By now, one wouldn't be a well informed fan of anime if one didn't recognize these titles as the basis for the second and third installments of the classic localization "ROBOTECH"



These files were once the property of toy/ model maker Imai, and are the product of the design firm ARTMIC, two names synonymous with 80's anime. Apparently, Harkavy and Mr.? couldn't find a publisher willing to take on the project, so they simply created a detailed pdf file complete with notes and translation, and sent it off into the internet void for us to enjoy free of charge. The resulting Imai Files is a 108 page look back at two of the most influential chapters in anime's early bid for an American audience, that also manages to somehow capture that moment in time during the shift from "Super Robots" to "Real Robots." Bravo!



In another sense, the arrival of this electronic file (instead of a book) speaks volumes on the state of the anime industry. That no one would pick this up as a property probably has more to do with Imai and ARTMIC being long gone and legally obtuse organizations, rather than any lack of interest on the part of fans. I wonder if they approached Harmony Gold with this idea. If the rights to these illustrations are anything like what's going on with "Macross" then this production is more than we could expect. This would have sold as a book, and in fact there is a new book covering "Mospeada" just published within the last year, however, maybe it's not selling well enough. It also can't help that "SDCSC" really only has a fan base as "ROBOTECH: The Masters," but then again, that doomed program is only reflected in ten or so pages, compared to the hundred+ sketches of Ride Armor and Legioss. Frankly, the nature of this material is of highly specific interest, and getting a licensed publication in the rights hands in the current anime climate would've been a tall order. After all, robots don't sell as well these days. Maybe if it were a bunch of sketches of Rook, Mylene, and Annie...








Whatever your position on "scanslations" may be, with the advent of "The Imai Files" it becomes a more legitimate practice. Now, when money hungry U.S. Licensees finally back off completely and the anime/manga industry reverts back to it's original, Japan-centric mission statement (i.e. becomes interesting again,) Western fans will have a sturdy model by which to continue the decimation and enjoyment of the form. The future of the hobby has just begun thanks to a healthy dose of the past.


*****
Update 2/23 Thanks to Roger for chiming in and clarifying my wild speculations. See his comment for tremendous insight into this great project. Thanks again Roger!