Time For Politics

Yeah, I'm not really keen in politics. If there's one thing I don't talk about in anything, its politics. However as I'm growing up, I'll soon have to realize that the state of government will eventually influence me, my way of living and even our future. Yeah, I don't like to sound like a downright serious preacher, but you'll see when you kids grow up. And you know.... this is probably the first grown-up blog entry I have written in my life.

But thing is I'm not talking about my country's government. You have probably known about the American election for presidency between Barrack Obama and John McCain. Why would I care about the state from another country than mine, here in Australia? Well for one thing, I was born in Hawaii and that makes me American and I have every right to care for the US. More importantly, the United States of America is probably the centerpiece of the entire world. No matter if they love or hate them, every country cares about the US. You can say that America represents everything: freedom, opportunity, unity, love, hate, tyranny, spoiled, powerful. As much as other countries are very powerful and influential, it really matters what America decides and contributes to the entire world. And right now, nothing is more important than the Election between Barrack Obama and John McCain as the decision affects the entire future.

Some of these stuffs I'm talking about may not matter to you yet because the majority of you are probably very young and live in another country. But its best to at least have knowledge about the surrounding of current events and even politics because in the end, you have to know whats best for your future. You'll have to admit George W. Bush did not do a good job as being the Leader of the most powerful nation in the world. People have made of him as being incompetent and idiotic. Yeah for Bill Clinton, he has the humiliation of being labeled as a sex pig, but as least he's not a moron. People call George W. Bush an idiot because he is an idiot. He really did made bad decisions especially with the War in Iraq for what purpose. If by "weapons of mass destruction", you mean "oil". If you suggested that Afghanistan was suspect of plotting 9/11, why attack Iraq? I know Saddam Hussein is evil in Iraq and I know you executed him, but have you found Osama Bin Laden yet, the person who actually plotted 9/11? If you have listen to Al Gore, you know about the dangers of Climate Change. So why are you still going after oil? Lastly Bush can't bring himself to be a strong and confident leader and always look like he doesn't know what he's doing. In the end, its the American people who voted for George W. Bush for both first and second term, which is in a way their fault. You let the idiot run the White House for eight years and managed to f*ck up your country.

In a way, this election is very important. And it is clearly obvious who the best decision is. And no, its not McCain and Palin. As much as McCain has great experience in running the White House, his plan is the same plan George W. Bush employed in his run as President. You can compare McCain and Obama as one of them is dusty old vinyl record with a brand spanking new vinyl record. Aren't these same old ideas are the ones that got America and probably the whole world in a pickle? Ever since Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention, I believe he's the man for the job. I believe we need change and I believe every word he has said. Not that I have no respect for McCain, he looks like a nice guy. And Palin may be a sweet old woman. But they, to me, are not convincing enough to be strong and influential leaders. Already it is not a good sign that anyone can make fun of them because of their traits, ideas and their past. McCain is old as dust and Palin is a moose-killer. I can see people making fun of Obama, but its very rare. And what an ideal kind of president to have for America. Obama could be the first Black President of the United State and he's half Muslim. Thats symbolism of unity and prosperity for you.

I may be wrong and the choice for President may be a kick in my butt, but I know who I want for President of the USA. Don't we all wonder what it would be like if Gore was President? Even though Gore didn't make it as President, he managed to scare the pants off me with his pie charts and his news on Global Warming. His film, An Inconvenient Truth really made people think on how we look after our planet and got everyone starting to take drastic actions. That's more than what President George W. Bush has done. I really hope for the very best of America because as much as I'm home in Australia, my birthplace is America and we all wish for a better future.

So in one sentence: Barrack Obama for President...

Rabbit of Seville

Kids grew up with Looney Tunes. There's no denying it that anyone has seen any fragmentation of Looney Tunes at any part of their lives. Aside from Mickey Mouse cartoons, Looney Tunes were a daily part of my childhood and have seen every antics of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety, Porky Pig, you name it. And if anyone would ask me "What is my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon? What is the most memorable?", I would have to answer "Rabbit of Seville".




Another Chuck Jones cartoon, this one was so much fun to watch and there are so many memorable and clever cartoon gags to have yourself a good time. This is a Chuck Jones cartoon where Bugs and Elmer are just at each other, set to Overture of Barber of Seville. The first part gets the pace moving, but its the second part everything gets to shine. Since I have studied about silent films for my Masters, I became so fascinated by the antics of Chaplin and Keaton and this brings forth my love of silent comedy, everything in time with the tune.



Most would have considered "Whats Opera Doc?" as Chuck's best out of his Bug Bunny cartoon and I would have to agree. The grand scale of color and mood of "What's Opera Doc?" was very epic of that time. I just prefer Overture from the opera Barber of Seville than the songs from Wagner. When it comes to comedy with music, I'm all about synchronization. When a director gets the timing of the comedy right down to the T, I automatically praise him/her as a great director. That is a mark of an amazing director. And hey, thats why everyone knows about Chuck Jones.

Check it out!

My Top Ten: Most Favorite Anime Series

Upon the release of the new Dragonball movie (which is doomed from the start), I began reminiscing my time as a anime fanboy. If cartoons was my childhood, then anime is my teen years. Anime became the IN thing for me back in high school as for every teenagers out there. I would find ways to watch anime shows, old or new on TV or from my friend's torrent downloads. No doubt it was just a phase in my life and I soon lost interest in it during my Bachelor studies. But a few of the anime series have been so influential to me as a storyteller while it was just so awesome to watch. So that said, for this month's Top Ten is for my most favorite anime series in my lifetime.

(Note: this list qualifies TV shows and OVAs)

10.
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION



Probably one of the earliest anime series I have seen, it was a well-developed and action-packed show that isn't just about giant robots fighting giant monsters. Despite my disinterest of robots, this was an exception for me and in fact the real stars of the show aren't the giant robots, but the actual human characters that are piloting those things. Alright, you got Shinji who is very wimpy all the time that you need his father and everyone else to piss him off. Then you got Rei who is just weird, but also kinda cute. Then there's Asuka who is the normal-looking loud-mouthed hot chick and is probably the idol of every fanboy's dream. The characters are developed very well and there are so many elements of Christianity Mythology into the plot of the world destruction. Plus there's so many freaky and weird stuff included into the mix. The ending of the TV series was anti-climatic, which gave the reason to produce The End of Evangelion movie. And that brought a whole new level of serious freaky sh*t.

9.
LOVE HINA



Another early anime series I have watched and my own introduction to the term: fanservice. If you can forget about all the time Naru aka B*tch hits Keitaro into the horizon, this is a very fun, cute and enjoyable show to watch. I mean its every nerd's dream to run a hotel full of cute and pretty, yet weird looking girls. These girls have such weird personalities and interesting back-stories that they brought so many exciting elements into every adventures, drama and romance. I still don't see how Keitaro could like such a girl like Naru. The girl is a total B*TCH! Again, the ending fell out of place if you're counting both the TV series and the Love Hina Again OVAs. And Love Hina Again is again serious freaky sh*t! I mean incest-love, whats with the Japanese?

8.
ONE PIECE



Dragonball was ok and I have no interest in Naruto, but if there's one thing I love from Shonen Jump is One Piece. It brought two things I love that suited my taste: weird characters and pirates. I mean what doesn't promise you grand epic adventures than pirates? The ragtag group of the Straw-Hat Pirates have such interesting characters with very unique abilities with Luffy the Captain being my favorite out of the group. Stretching ability is very rare among the comic and animated world and I'm glad this ability was put to full good use. Throughout the series, there has been so many great story arcs, taking them to weird and wonderful places and meeting up with new and interesting characters and its still going. Only time will tell when the creators will close it up.

7.
TRIGUN



There is nothing so cool than the Wild West. The gunfights, the standoffs, the good, the bad and the ugly. The battle of good and evil in the hot blazing desert with two silver six-shooters. And this is what this show is about. Until you realized its in the freakin future. What kept this show very interesting is the whole mystery and backstory behind Vash the Stampede, the $$60 Billion Bounty. What throws everybody including a bunch of reporters and his pursers is one minute is a total goof and the next minute he is the most serious dark-looking man you ever come across. In addition to the coolness of the series, you have Nicholas D. Woofwoode who is a gun-wielding priest. And carries a giant cross which is actually a freakin huge mini cannon! How awesome is that?!

6.
SCHOOL RUMBLE



This is one very funny and random show. This very much satire every high school romance anime shows out there and the timing and content of the humor is just spot on! Many times where you thought in one episode that it builds up a serious and convincing plot to the series and at the end, it slaps you in the face and tells you "No this didn't happen". My most favorite character in the series is Kenji Harima, who is a total badass poser and is trying to win the affection of the air-head Tenma Tsukamoto. I know how he must feel because I was like that in high school, looking for love and yet I didn't succeed. The humor may be jumping all over the place, but the show is fast-paced, very adorable and just down right crazy.

5.
EXCEL SAGA



Speaking of down-right crazy, Excel Saga is unapologetically insane! This show makes fun of everything about Japan and even a bit of the US. Plus you have a main female character who speaks as fast as a freakin Fighter Jet, a girl who just dies every 15 minutes and an evil villain who can't even conquer one measly city. The list of humor goes from the director of the series resembling Lupin the 3rd to a Power Rangers team blowing up a guy who is just littering to a black afro guy doing the Kamehameha wave. This show is just mind-blowingly crazy! Though you can say the series may lose some steam halfway through the season, but it picks up satisfyingly near the end.

4.
FRUITS BASKET



This is probably the most dramatic anime show I have ever seen. It could have been a funny show about people turning into animals, but the creators have gone real deep by making the transformation as a dark twisted curse. The idea of transformation through a person's embrace from the opposite gender brings up many issues of isolation, loneliness, fear of outcast and the stoic feeling of never being loved. The one person that bring these tortured souls into the light is one girl named Tohru Honda, who represents a different kind of heroine. She's not a tough superpower girl who is wielding a gun, but a simple optimistic high school girl who appears very wise in telling about the values of life. There are many funny moments in the show as well as some heartbreaking times that will make you cry. I almost cried while watching this show. This is a very emotional, yet heartwarming show that make so warm and cuddly like a hug from your loved one.

3.
BECK: MONGOLIAN CHOP SQUAD



I love rock music! And I love reading any story about a band's rise to fame. This presents a grunge look on the rock music industry and aspiring musicians, telling the story of one Japanese band influenced by American rock trying to hit it big in the US. You really feel for these characters as they hit speed bumps and devastating mistakes that could spell the end of the band. Not to mention hating on the jerks that are trying to make the members' lives miserable. You really want this band to succeed. The soundtrack of the series is just great to listen to as many songs ranged from hard rock, to slang-type rap to techno pop. The animation is different from any mainstream anime series and the content of both humor and drama is subtle.

2.
FLCL



This is such an underdog, either you can appreciate it or completely hate it. For me, I freakin love it! At only six episodes, you still get mastery direction, unique animations, dizzyingly crazy fight scenes and one simple yet intriguing story. Its a story of growing up with robots and girls on scooter and features many weird but believable characters that you tend to love them more once you know them like a friend from high school. Haruko is one weird girl, she's spontaneous, adorable and even downright dangerous, which makes ever more an interesting character. The other half of FLCL's success is the soundtrack by the Pillows. When I first watched FLCL, it introduced me to the mighty Pillows and they are now and still one of my most favorite bands ever! The choice of songs from the Pillows fit so perfectly into the show and their music are just awesome! Not to mention having the most awesome closing credits ever in anime.



FLCL is just so close to being number one, but its just slightly beaten by one perfect anime series....

1.
COWBOY BEBOP



This show is just plain cool! You can't never ever get an anime that is so freakin cool as Cowboy Bebop! This show is just perfect! Perfect cast of characters, perfect animation, perfect stories in each episode, perfect dialogue and supremely perfect soundtrack. Yoko Kanno has delivered the most coolest and most awesome soundtrack in any anime show, bringing the mix of smooth and blaring jazz and futuristic space as a perfect match. The cool crew of the Bebop ship features Spike Spiegel, the coolest animated character to ever be drawn on celluloid, Faye Valentine, the tasty buxom femme fatale, Jet Black, the tough-as-nail captain, Ed, the weird computer girl and Ein, the smartest dog around. The show never slows down, bring about the same energy as jazz itself while the actual main storyline brings an intrigue and mysterious feel into the mix, which features a mysterious woman and a cold-blooded killer. The series brings to a solid perfect end that will make you tearful as you watch the closing credit. And you know what I mean. Heck even if I lost interest in anime, I still watch this over and over again! If you are an anime lover and haven't seen this show, then shame on you! Go freakin see the show! Bow to the awesomeness of its series opening!



That is my top ten list! What are your favorites?

Dragonball the Movie: Its Gonna Suck!

When I heard news that people are green-liting the new Dragonball movie based of the mangas by Akira Toriyama, I already knew that its gonna suck, hard and dry. While never a fan of Dragonball, I do enjoy watching from time to time and its fun seeing huge testosterone jocks duking each other out with energy blasts and earth-shattering moves. This series has elements of chinese mythology, weird characters, interplanetary scenarios and hardcore battles where anything is possible. A series like this could never work in a Hollywood movie. Before they released the trailer, the movie was just filled with wrongs. Kid from War of the World doesn't fit the character of Goku, movie sets somewhere like LA, Bulma's hair isn't blue, no Krillin and freakin Piccolo isn't green and looks like a vampire.



The lucky director for this film, is James Wong who have directed such films as Final Destination and The One. Wong may have not a colorful line of works while having been worked on the X-Files and The One, but he managed to hit it big time with Dragonball though I question his choice of music in all of films where most are angry heavy music. Though I can't see Wong directing such crazy actions that the manga and anime of Dragonball have delivered. Even though the fight scenes with Jet Li in the One were kinda innovative and wacky, its still not enough to convince me. And it is still not convincing of all the choices he makes for the story, characters and etc. And I don't care if a Japanese or an American is casted as Goku, but a very convincing actor. And a wimpy kid as Goku is not good!



The one painful stab in the heart for me is the casting of Chow Yun Fat for Master Roshi. I mean come on! Its the legendary Chow Yun Fat! That gun-wielding trenchcoat-wearing badass motherf*cker! He's the coolest Asian ever grace the screen and it breaks my heart to see him in this kind of film! Why Ken why?! It was great to see him in Pirates of the Caribbean, but I was furious that he died a pathetic death (you know what I mean) and never a chance to see him fight as a pirate. Now I fear this is the same thing happening to one of my favorite Asian icons. He's doesn't even look like Roshi! He shouldn't be there doing martial arts and blasting fireballs, but he should be blasting people with a gun! Thats the badass Chow Yun Fat I know from A Better Tomorrow, Hard-Boiled and the Killer!



I know this is a Hollywood stylization of the franchise, but if you're gonna do a Dragon ball movie, its gotta be or at least very close to Dragon ball. Sadly this is one of the latest victims to be raped by the two-faced machine that is Hollywood, where it will find many more anime series to adapt into shameless Hollywood adaptations.



Here is the trailer and pray for its sufferings: