Funimation has released the trailer for the English dubbed American edition of the first of the Rebuild of Evangelion movies, “You are (Not) Alone” which would start in theater this month in the US

Fans who have watched the original trailers cannot help but notice the stark contrast in style between the two, and many are not amused…

The Funimation version:

Original Japanese versions:

The original Japanese trailers basically shows scenes that would evoke memories of the TV series, coupled with the song Fly Me to the Moon, a much appreciated element of the original series.

The US version meanwhile focuses on the giant robot action, making it look rather like typical Hollywood fare…

Indeed, one would be tricked if they never watched Evangelion before had they seen the US trailer without knowing how the original series went.

Source: Gigazine

While i usually prefer to split my reviews into one per day, that is to say… one event day an article, i don’t really have the time now seeing as i’m still rushing around trying to finish my last college report before i end the term. So this Animangaki report will take only one article to summarize and review.  While i like would like to offer a more in-depth review, Animangaki has only debuted for the first time at Sunway UC and to be fair, there aren’t any comparable events that Ican benchmark it to.

More after the jump.

Granted, while there are inconsistencies and weaknesses with how the event was run, let’s face it, every event that I’ve been to has had it’s share of ups and downs.

From my point of view, even for a first-time event, SUAC(Sunway University Anime Club) did a rather splendid job of handling things. Kudos to them. Though there were moments of encounter(with who i shall not mention) which were rather unpleasant, overall, i give two thumbs up to the event organizers and crew. You guys are friendly and willing to help out. Especially the club president, Yvonne, who so graciously spent some of her time talking to me about how Animangaki was planned and executed.

The Good:

1. Very friendly staff and crew.
2. The bands playing at the end of the second day was a very sneaky touch. Nothing like ending your event on a bang(or the riffing  of a guitar, clash of cymbals, strokes of a keyboard, you get the idea).
3. Very good air-conditioning. Aside from ComicFiesta 2008, i’ve hardly remembered an event where i was not sweating buckets just standing still or sitting down. GACC08 comes to mind.
4. As for photographic opportunities go, one of the rare venues where i did not have to depend on my flash. I only used one pair of batteries throughout the entire Day 2 of Animangaki. Comparable events with good lighting condition include CF2008’s outer hall and ACGC 2009 at Tropicana City Mall.

The Bad

1. Better sound system(turn down the dials!). No event i’ve gone to has ever gotten this pat-down. Sound engineering is always complex and it’s hard to fit everyone’s preferences into one single system. Things took a turn for the bad when the bands came on-stage and started playing. IMHO, there isn’t a need to put a mic right next to the drummer’s kit as the drum kit itself generates enough decibels to wake even the dead.
2. Trash collection(thanks to feedback from Dai on this issue). Small bins while being conveniently small, do not offer much trash space. Time to upgrade to larger bins.
3. Surprisingly enough… where were the rules? This is the first event i’ve attended that does not have a list of rules and regs the length of a roll of parchment the length of my arm. I certainly am not asking for more rules to be put into place that literally turns the entire event into an eunuch but i believe certain guidelines on do’s and dont’s should be issued.
4. Emcees that need more experience. Nothing beats experience. You guys did a good job but at times it left me cringing. Maybe take a leaf out of Alfred’s and Shaun’s book? Of course, they’ve done it or a long time so you guys have a long history to catch-up to.

Now I’ve come across a number of complaints from the forumers over at ComicFiesta who’ve been posting in the Animangaki Feedback thread.  A number of these complaints were about the rudeness of photographers who were taking photographs without permission. While unavoidable, and to whose behalf i am certainly not going to and can’t say sorry for, SUAC committee… please take note!

Believe me when I tell you that some of the feedback i have collected includes how you guys have a passion for the event. I hope this continues to whatever other events you may organize or co-organize. Keep it up. This is exactly what we need in the ACG scene today. Certain events have lost their luster and kick, while others have gone on to be even greater as they mature like cheese(or wine!). Don’t be one of those events that have fallen by the wayside or forgotten why they were established in the first place.

You’ll excuse me for saying that I lost interest in the bands after the second band finished but the sound system was getting to me and i went home with my ears ringing. But overall, you guys are great. Hope to see you all again next year or at the next event you guys play at.

Overall score : 4.5/10

Personal Score: 5/10

There are a few glaring issues which prevent me from giving you guys a higher score but after taking into consideration what I’ve read at the feedback threads and after speaking to a few others, I’ve had to revise my overall score to be slightly lower. But as always, my personal feelings are that Animangaki is on a good track to a great event. Keep up the hard work, remember to take in all the feedback and views and to always keep improving.

Photo links are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33603133@N04/

You can find other links by forumers in ComicFiesta Forums here: http://forums.comicfiesta.org/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2602

Visit this link for more information: http://suac.x-tenshi.com/index.php

The event timetable can be found here.

More updates as they come along.

Photos are now up, short sample of nine photos can be found at shrine’s Flickr page here. Else, refer to the bottom of this post.

Preliminary view: An average event in this writer’s opinion. SUAC could definitely do with many improvements though they are on the right-track to a proper/successful ACG event that should be on the local ACG calendar for next year.

Before each episode is aired, these models would be featured for you guys to oogle.. I mean, see. If you have your favourite, then don’t forget to vote for her here. There are also behind the scenes special, showing their FHM photoshoots also to be aired! Information about the contest and also when you can watch the photoshoot are at the Animax’s website.

Shagukan no Shana II will be airing on Animax, Astro 715 starting on 1st July 2009.

The movie, which gained a cult status not only in Japan but all over the world years ago with it’s gritty and sci-fi story was said to have been in plan to be adapted by DiCaprio’s Appiah picture and Warner Bros. The original plan was to create a two parter for this movie.

Fans are still speculating why this project is scrapped considering that as with all Hollywood project, it could have been a real cash cow. One might wonder that as an anime fan himself DiCaprio could not bear to see a bad adaptation after seeing all of those bad ones currently dominating Hollywood. Whatever it is, we hope that it would not be the last

Throughout the entire year that i’ve spent as a writer for Shrine, and having being invited to movie screenings of anime or manga to movie adaptations, I have always TRIED to keep an open mind on what I watch and how I will judge. As both an avid anime and animated movie fan, I have always wished for(no matter how futile) every adaptation that i’ve ever watched to be successful.

Photos of the party are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33603133@N04/

*Warning: MEGA SPOILERS ahead!*

But once again, Hollywood has shaken my faith in its ability to once again ADAPT a popular(if somewhat short) animated movie into the 3D Realm. The animal chosen for sacrifice this time was Blood: The Last Vampire, a story of a war between man and blood-sucking monsters. Of course, expect some story changes throughout the entire movie.

While the story of Blood: The Last Vampire does not contain many plot devices and the character development is minimal at best(anime movie, 45mins long), it does have good pacing and a reasonable standard of animation. Let me start off by stating the differences between the anime movie and it’s real-life spin off.

1. David in the anime movie is replaced with Michael. The actor for Michael is Liam Cunningham.
2. There is no organization known as the Red Shield. It is replaced by “The Council”.
3. There is no character as Alice. The original anime movie has Saya rescuing a doctor at the infirmary.
4. There is no such thing as The Elder.
5. Alice and her father(The General of the Base) do not exist in the anime movie timeline.
6. The live-action movie expands and develops upon certain scenes from the anime movie.

These are just some of the changes made to the story. I’ll explain more as I go along.

Introduction:

We start off by seeing Saaya on a train, alone, sitting across from a man in the same train cab. As per the anime movie, Saaya goes after and kills the man, leaving his body in the space between two train cabs. The train then stops at the next station and David and (I forgot this guy’s name) get on it to inspect the target. The man, Luke(whose name I forgot in the anime movie) then exclaims that the target was not a Chiropteran, at which point Saaya, grabs his fingers and restrains him, after which Michael tells them both to stop and tells Luyke that she is important in The Council. Also, the “Cleanup Twins” arrive with their space-age, death-busting gear to clean up the mess.

The movie then introduces Alice and how she is getting bullied in school because of her being the General’s daughter. She then gets into a pseudo-katana/kendo fmatch with two other students who conveniently happen to be Chiropterans. Incidentally, so’s her Kendo teacher. And all she’s got is a bamboo sword while the other two bullies/Chiropterans are using real katanas.

Long story short, she gets saved by katana-wielding Saaya, who slices the head off the fat bully(not named) and the “Cleanup Twins” arrive to clean the gym shortly after. We then get treated to a stand-off between the military and The Council.

Main Storyline:

At this point, Alice takes off to find her kendo teacher whom she follows into a seedy bar, and voila, every bloody damn Tom, Dick and Harry in it is a Chiropteran! Sweet Mother of God! Needless to say, the action gets stale really fast and the pacing starts to go haywire.

The CG scenes within the movie are also not very well done, with many discrepancies and irregularities. In one scene, Alice’s father is shot by Luke and CG blood splatter is added when he gets shot. However, once he’s lying on the floor, the production team only then decides “Oh, we’ll add real effects to show he’s been shot” and then we see him gripping a bullet wound in the chest.

Like I mentioned earlier, the fight between the Chiropteran horde and Saaya which takes place when Saaya rescues Alice outside the bar leads in the narrow streets. The action is very rushed and CG poorly done. I mean, come on, she melds through the walls to chase the Chiropteran who has kidnapped Alice? Also, with the producer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon involved, there was a lot of “air-staircase” and flying attacks. But we get treated to plenty of bloomer action as Saaya’s skirt flies up more than a few times as she spin-kicks and snap-kicks the attacking horde.

Throughout the entire movie, we are treated to a few flashbacks that attempt to explain Saaya’s background to the viewers. While the fights are impressive(KATOOOOOOOOOO-sannnnnn!!!) the plot is weak. Onigen is explained away as the greatest enemy to Saaya and the person who killed her father. And Saaya’s father was a well-known, renowned samurai who fought against the demons. Demons and  bloodsuckers are used interchangeably in the movie. Saaya is also explained as being a half/half, that is, a vampire/demon with a human soul.

Then there’s…

1.Two afro chiropterans(hilarious fight scene)
2.Onigen sidekick(role not really explained in the movie). He’s cannon-fodder, of sorts. He loses a wing but the movie then cuts to the village.
3.A new 4chan meme.
4.The final death scene.
5.The very ambiguous use of Japanese in the movie. Gianna Jun’s use of Japanese, while correct, is rendered horrid by her slang which  also happens to be dubbed over.

The only scene I liked in the movie was the section where we get to see Kato defending himself from the… NINJAS. YES, NINJAS IN THIS MOVIE! AND THEY CAN MOVE UNDERGROUND!

I mean, come on, we all need a good action, fast-paced movie once in awhile but they’ve thrown the book out with this adaptation. At times, it feels like a B-grade movie production due to the extreme “faking” of the CG inserts and whatever body-suit that they scrounged up from Nightmare on Elm Street. Saaya and Onigen walking on air was also “faked” badly.

I think what the director and producer forgot was that this isn’t a kungfu movie. But the problem lies in the fact that it’s TREATED like a kungfu movie and while the animation film does have things like “vampire” and “monsters” and “swordfights”, it is not at all a flashy “edge-of-your-seat”, “i’m-beyond-godlike” movie.

The ending to the movie also treats us to an unexpected, and I must admit, kind of silly ending. As the animated movie doesn’t really explain much to Saaya’s background and it ends at the Chiropteran attempting to escape scene, the production team had a very open story with which to develop.

We find out in the end that Onigen is Saaya’s mother(and she REALLY does say, “I AM YOUR MOTHER!”) and Saaya then kills her mother(naturally, unlike that pussy Luke Skywalker who thinks, “I know there is some good left in you, Father. BAWWW”).

Why is it that a person, touted to be the most powerful, most evil, mother of all Chiropterans so easily killed in the final scene? A quick fight-scene, then another sword-fight on a tower, tower falls, Onigen on the ground, Saaya about to stab her, Saaya stab her, end of movie. I mean, if they made her out to be as powerful as possible in the movie, which is also seen in the initial fights between Onigen and Saaya, how does she go “Unnff… I are pwned. HURRRR” when a tower falls?

Conclusion:

This movie is fairly disappointing and I am being very generous at that. While a certain amount of liberal storytelling and plot development is to be expected, there are many points at which the plot has so many holes it drains water faster than a colander. The plot is weak and flashbacks are not impressive enough to emphasize, “Oh… so this is how she grew up”. Saaya also comes across as an angtsy teen who never completely got over her rebellious years and the “I-am-your-mother” scene is unnecessary. Once again, the cliches are never really avoided and you can actually expect to know what’s coming.

My score: 3.5/10

There is a video courtesy of The Star.

And as with everything famous on the internet, his song is also famous for being remixed with other, famous internet songs/series/shits. Below are some of the best remixes of his songs with anime ones.

Now I wonder if there’s a Haruhi one out there somewhere…

Anyone that is interested in the taking part in this competition, please contact Suria at 012 345 8019 or Desmond @ 012 380 8019 or Peter @ 012 334 8019 or visit www.mymanga.com.my for more information & registration.

You are cordially invited to,

*click for larger size*

You are sincerely invited to attend a cosplay gathering party on June 10th, 2009 in Cathay Cineplex Damansara. There will be some activities and fun games planned for the night with prizes to be won.

All participants that dress up with any costume will be given 3 movie tickets, so you’re allowed to bring 2 friends along and have fun !

Activities slated for the night:

Best Dress - 3 winners
Fastest Blood Drink - 3 winners(not real blood)
Q & A - 10 winners

So send me a mail or let us know via the forums.

I can be reached at : aoshi[at]hotmail.com | Replace the [at] with @.

Be prepared for a Haruhi vs K-On fans showdown later this season as they vie for the title of Moeshit from each other