Netflix Produces Anime

If your like most people, Netflix has become the top streaming Internet viewing source. It has also become a producer of original programming especially in Anime. The Knights of Sidonia is an anime acquisition by Netflix with sole licensing for streaming. It was first released in Japan then release in the U.S. a month later probably so we had all the episodes available. It is a manga by Tsutomu Nihei who is also the artist for Blame!, NOISE, and Biomega.

The Knights of Sidonia is about the future of the humans where Earth was destroyed by alien beings called the Gauna. Sidonia is their ship and is a piece of Earth where inside humanity resides.  The people have been in space for a thousand years and have been genetically engineered to photosynthesize, are asexual, and the youngsters are trained as pilots to combat the foe.

The hero is a low-born youth, Nagate who has lived with his grandfather underground. The series follows him as he navigates through Sidonia's culture and his inevitable recruitment as a pilot. As the series unfolds we learn more about him and about the original citizens of Sidonia.

I would recommend this fast pace anime but it's not care free, funny, it can be very heartbreaking with the deaths of Nagate's fellow pilots.

Another Netflix anime series that I really enjoyed is The Devil is a Part-timer. It's a funny anime about the Devil King (Sadao Maou) who is from another dimension called Ente Isla where he is moments away from conquering the world when the Hero arrives and foils his plans. He and his General Alciel are caught in a vortex that transports him to modern day Toyko. He soon realizes that he has no magic in Tokyo but his ambitions are the same take over this new world. It's not until he has to live among the common folk that he starts having feelings that he's never had before. He cares what happens to them especially Chiho Sasaki who is a fellow employee at McDonald's fast food restaurant. With his personality for domination he becomes a conscientious employee and he works hard for his pay. General Alciel (Shiro Ashiya) becomes the house caretaker with duties of grocery shopping, making dinner, and still on the Satan's beckon call while on a budget.

Meanwhile the Hero (Emi Yusa) is also in modern day Tokyo and is following Satan. She can't believe he has changed his ways from Ente Isla. She is quick to temper, suspicious, and has a job as a call center agent.

There are other characters that are pieces of the ensemble that become friends. The dichotomy of the characters from Ente Isla are shown with them working together in modern day. The Hero sees the irony of their life as they struggle with the day to day business in Tokyo.

Psycho-Pass is another anime I would recommend. It's set in the future of Japan where your psyche is measured daily by monitors on the streets of the city. The system is called Sybil.  There is a range that registers the individual as normal but if the number gets too high that person is now deemed dangerous to society is either locked up or terminated on the spot with a gun the police carry that changes power from stun to death. The main character is Akane Tsunemori, a rookie cop who also has a perfect psyche no matter what her emotions are. The force is made up of people with perfect psyche and enforcers who are used as police dogs. It's that adage of "It takes one to know one" is why these people are enforcers. Their criminal mind can profile the ones their after. Akane, is that caring individual who has feelings for an enforcer,  Shinya Kogami who was once a police officer but his psyche went too high. He thinks like a criminal and is also a "Dirty Harry" type that takes things in his own hands 

I'm hoping Netflix buys the rights for the next seasons of these animes.

Crunchyroll watching anime and Japanese drama

I have really getting into watching anime but it was difficult to find the right source to watch them through.  Netflix has only a small amount of anime and most are older or only has a few seasons. My daughter told me about Crunchyroll where she watches anime on her PC.  I found the Crunchyroll app for iPad to be a wonderful source for watching anime.

Crunchyroll started as an online site for Asian TV in 2008 where fans uploaded their favorite shows this was during height of the free downloading without the licensing.  The owners of Crunchyroll on a trip to Japan were able to convince the largest anime publisher, TV Tokyo, with an offer of direct streaming of Japanese shows. They expressed to the publisher that there was a large fan base in the US who were willing to support the anime industry.

Payment through subscriptions or through adds for free members are distributed on the anime that the viewer watches. Lets say you watch only Naruto then that show will get all the percentage from your subscription or through the ads. In the article I read, it didn't say how much goes to the publishers but it must be good for Crunchyroll has over 40 simulcasts this season. It has become international with less than 50% of total members and there's a gender split of 50-50 among the users.

The Crunchyroll is PC and iOS friendly, just login and you can watch anime anywhere. Once on-site, it's easy to navigate. On the left side is Home, Anime, Drama, search, and settings. On the top of the page, navigated through buttons for popular, simulcast, updates, A-Z, genre, and seasons. The is home where the anime in your que are and your past anime history. 

I really recommend Crunchyroll for viewing the lastest anime coming out of Japan.  

Crunchyroll article- Otaku Journalist blog@http://otakujournalist.com/where-your-crunchyroll-dollars-really-go-an-interview-with-the-ceo/

Image-http://www.pakman.com/investment/crunchyroll-acq-by-the-chernin-group/

Hunter X Hunter, anime

In the last few years I have been really interested in Anime, Japanese Animation. I watch them because of the content, humor, and the Japanese language is interesting. I watch either in subtitles in English or English dubbed. My recent find is Hunter X Hunter watched through Crunchyroll app on iPAd.

Hunter X Hunter is about a young 12 year old boy, Gon who wants to be a hunter like his father. When Gon finds out that his father isn't dead, he sets out to become a hunter. Gon want to find his father so he can ask the question, "why did you leave me?"  The Hunter exam is brutal but along the way  he meets other applicants who become his friends. Each boy hass their own reasons for taking the exam to be a hunter. On a boat to the island Gon meets, Leorio and Kurapika. They inadvertantly join up and save a sailor who goes overboard during a storm. Because of their joint effort they pass a test to go to the next step of the Hunter exam. They later befriend another boy, Killua who is the same age as Gon. 

The first 20 episodes are of the Hunter Exam.  Crunchyroll has 120 episodes for free. 

Hunter X Hunter started out as a manga (Japanese Comic) in March 3, 1998 in Shuesiha magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump. The series is illustrated and written by Yoshihiro Togashi.  Yoshihiro Togashi came up with the name of the manga while watching a variety show, Downtown on the television. The host would repeat his words to get a laugh from the audience. There are 340 chapters published in chapter collection in Japan.

I recommend this anime for all ages who love adventure stories with humor, action, and drama.

Image- copyright Yoshihiro Togashi

Anime Fullmetal Alchemist-Brotherhood

Anime, Japanese cartoons and Manga, Japanese comics, have been very popular in my household for many years. I was introduced to both media from my daughter but I never explored them till now. Through the years, anime has been talked about whenever my grown children are together, even my grandson has his favorites. Cruising Netflix for something different to watch, I started watching Fullmetal Alchemist-Brotherhood. What's amazing about this manga/anime is that is was written and illustrated by a woman, Hiromu Arakawa.

Fullmetal Alchemist is about two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric and they can wield alchemy.  Alchemy is using the earth's crust energy to metaphysically change matter or called Transmutation. The main creed goes that you can't make something from nothing, it's an even exchange and you can't bring anything back from the dead. These two boys try to use alchemist circle to bring back their deceased mother and in the process, one lost his body and the other lost an arm and a leg. Ed, uses alchemy to put his brother's soul into a suit of armor and Ed got automail prosthetic limbs.   They then meet Izumi Curtis, who becomes their sensai, teacher in alchemy and in martial arts.

Ed is then recruited by the military and has to pass an extensive exam. Upon passing the test, King Bradley the Fuhrer gives Ed the symbolic title of Fullmetal. He is the youngest alchemist. The brothers learn about the Philospher Stone and about it's power so they go in search of the formula. But what they find in their research quite horrific.

The made up country is Amestria and is a military state so the alchemist are a line of defense because of their abilites of transmutation.

There are 64 episodes which each are 24 minutes long. The series is a continuating saga of the brothers and the other characters.  I'm over half way through the series. Fullmetal Alchemist is such a well written anime and well illustrated that I have gotten hooked.