Some Non-Theories About When The Lord Will Return

Credit: Sojin

Some Non-Theories About When The Lord Will Return


More like nonsense theories. Shoot, the cockeyed armageddon fantasies the rapture bunnies espouse can be pretty ridiculous. So I'll just list three of my ideas for when JUDGEMENT DAY arrives.

1. Faster than light drive - It is my "theory" (dementia) that Heaven, hell and the universe (The "level" we're on.) are one and the same. We're "resonating" too slow to perceive the universe as Heaven and too slow to experience it as hell (Or Cleveland.).

Once a faster than light drive is developed, God will bring down the curtain and give us our respective verdicts. After all, I doubt He'd enjoy tripping over all those spaceships in Heaven.

2. The Infinite Improbability Drive - A variation on the above that I'd been inspired from watching The Hitch Hikers' Guide to the Galaxy (Book by Douglas Adams.) an '80s English sci-fi miniseries (Not to be confused with the much later movie of the same name.).

According to the book/series, the Infinite Improbability Drive would enable one to travel through or for that matter, be in all points of the universe at once. I don't think God would stand for that. There's room for only one transcendent being in the universe and he's it. Hence, Judgement Day to commence.

3. A "world brain" - This occurred to me from watching the anime Serial Experiments Lain, a real mind bender of a show. The program is a master mix of urban legends, theology, conspiracy theories and other "curious" stuff.

In one episode, collective human consciousness is discussed. Something interesting might happen if enough "compliant" minds on the planet equaled the average number of synapses in the human brain. Could a "world mind/brain" result?

In the "Tower of Babel" story found in the bibles' Book of Genesis (Chapt. 11, verses 4-9.), God confused all of then mankind in their speech making so they could not understand one another. The now various peoples banded together in their respective language groups and separated one from another.

This was done to prevent mankind from going "too far, too fast".

If enough souls could become "compliant" (Be it ideology, mental conditioning, "Mark of the Beast" or whatever.) would that overcome the language barrier thus getting around the "limits" set by God and create another "Babel situation"? It's interesting that the LaHaye/Jenkins Left Behind series of books had its' own "bablefish" set up for Christians of diverse languages to speak directly with one another.

Truly a reason for Christs' return.

The above is NOT to be taken seriously. Just some ramblings off the top 'o my head. This is what comes from too much time on ones' hands. So are some Hal Lindseys' and Tim LaHayes' whackness for that matter.

Jus' sayin' ...


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. You don't have to click on this link or use any faster than light or Inifinite Improbability Drive if you see articles under this. It means you're already there.

Steins Gate: What the Hell's Going On! ... And Why Should I Care?

We all knew someone like this in school. And we
all wanted to beat the krap out of him. Still do ...

Steins Gate: What the Hell's Going On! ... And Why Should I Care?

Folks have been saying for several years now, that I should be giving this one a look see. I tried and ... well ... after two and a half episodes, I ditched it.

Now, I've nothing against shows that make me think. The Ghost in the Shell franchise, Serial Experiments Lain and several others are favorites of mine. What I don't like are shows that make me think ... that I have to take lots of notes in order to keep track of all the double/triple headers going on at once.

All I know from this mess is SOMETHING is going on with time, a microwave oven and a cell phone ... And that everyone is excited about ... something.

Not to mention the main character, a one Rintaro Okabe Kyoma Hooin whatever, is a LOUD, obnoxious, annoying jerk. That and a paranoiac as well. Pretty much the same reasons I don't care much for Trigun or Irresponsible Captain Tylor. Characters like Vash and Tylor get on the nerves. So does this show.

Jus' sayin' ...


Wikipedia article on Steins Gate here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Christian Anime: Any Out There?

Christian Anime: Any Out There?

There seems to be very little Christian Anime out there. Aside from The Flying House/Superbook it's next to nonexistant. What MIGHT come close is still way off the mark & most of it you wouldn't dare think of showing to a church group.


Apocalypse what the ... ! Asuka & Shinji contemplate the huge remains
of Rei/Lillith & Armageddons' aftermath in End Of Evangelion.

The Evangelion franchise: This is about as close to the book of Revelation as an anime gets. The fanservice (Even without the Gainax bounce!) is over the edge. The Kaballa is thrown in for good measure as well as turned on its' head. The violence & psychosexual weirdness are over the top in End of Evangelion. And nowhere in that dark "vision" is Christ to be found.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: As much as I find the thought of the second coming personified in a whacked out guitar playing girl wearing a Playboy bunny outfit intrigueing ... well. Yes, she is God ... Yes, she is the center the universe orbits about ... Yes, she ... But ...As the theological ramifications could be beyond devastating ... One might want to leave this to older & wiser theologians.

Has trouble enough getting herself together let alone the world.
At times makes Cthulhu look cuddly.

Serial Experiments Lain: A head trip if there ever was one. All you really know is that the physical extension of an all powerful entity dwelling on the net (And all other forms of communication.) is trying to reconnect with itself. She's more than human while her other non/extra-human half has problems relating to the "real" world. So how do they get back together in a unified whole & set the world straight?

Along the way we run into conspiracies, urban legends, various belief systems & other wheels within wheels. Best NOT to figure it out & just enjoy the ride instead. Something for the Ecumenicals.

Fresh from the Third Crusade, Dante' cntemplates
wether he's in a genuine anime or a "faux ami"

Dantes' Inferno: I watched this at the suggestion of my brother, a great believer in Netflix. Seems it was sent to him by mistake but he & his family took it in anyway. Running across it at Half Price Books, I snapped it up.

Now I've not yet read Alighieris' book. But I have the feeling it doesn't read like a Dungeons & Dragons adventure as this flick does. I swear, it's as if the script writers wrote as if they were slinging many sided dice! "Pierce the heavens with your mighty scythe!" No ... wait! That's supposed to be a drill & from another definitely non-Christian anime at that (Though the Yoko Littner character in that one can be a "religious" experience in & of herself!).

I also think the book doesn't have Beatrice running about butt nekkid all the time either.

Take it from me ... You DON'T want to make a deal with this kid.

Hell Girl: At least one side gets mentioned & the consequences of messing with it.

At mid-nite, the Hells' Correspondence web site appears. Enter the name of the one you hate & the title character takes him/her to you know where (Cleveland!). For a price ... YOU! ... When it's your time to check out (Paper or spastic?).

The first season was pretty good, though the first four eps followed the same plot. Second, not so good. The third, well ... they pretty much jumped the shark by the end of the second ...

A quick shot of how Yuri Nakamura views God. From the attempt to trick
Kanadae into leading them to Him in the Angel Beats OVA/Episode 4.5.

Angel Beats: Catholics might like this one. Purgatory is a humungous high school boarding academy where young folks who had less than satisfactory lives come for a breather & unload spiritual/mental baggage ... Which would be great if it wasn't for this faction of ungrateful dead lashing out at God in their one sided war against a percieved angel. Kind of hard to attend class with all that shooting/racket going on.

One can only wonder ... If getting "killed" there results in your coming back, then what's the point in fighting? Towards the end they find it's not God they're fighting but their own inner demons thus keeping them from passing on.

The literally self doubting Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost In the Shell.

Ghost In the Shell (movie): Title character more machine than woman & self-doubting wether there is still a soul in that construct she inhabits, hence the title. I like the biblical reference about midway & at the end tying things up (1 Corinthians 13:11 & 12.).

The haibane of Old Home greet the new arrival.
L-R: Hikari, Kana, Kuu, Nemu, Reki, & Rakka.

Haibane Renmei: This is as close to Christian anime as one gets & I dearly love it. It's also the only one on this list I would feel comfortable showing in church (Unless someone in the congregation gets bent out of shape over that VERY brief bit of artistic nudity in the opening credits.).

Set in a semi-rustic, central European-like "purgatory" of simpler living, where souls sort out their reason for being there. Explores the consequences & bondage of the state of sin we are all under.

Think of Angel Beats without guns & the conflict being even more inner instead of external. As in Angel Beats, God is actually mentioned (Last episode.) though only in passing.

I can't really think of anything else. Maybe the folks at Beneath the Tangles can come up with something. Maybe they could even find something edifying in High School of the Dead ... Hmmmm ... probably not.


Neon Genesis Evangelion: OOOOO! Goodies In the Mail! here.

The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya parts 1, 2, & 3.

Wikipedia article on Serial Experiments Lain here.

Wikipedia aritcle on Dantes' Inferno here.

Wikipedia article on Hell Girl here.

Angel Beats: Not a Haruhi Clone here.

Wikipedia article on Ghost In the Shell here.

Haibane Renmei: One Side of the Equation here.

Beneath the Tangles Christian anime blog here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Interesting Search Words #22

Interesting Search Words #22


      Searching search words from searchers searching on the searchable net.


1. haruhi suzumiya & yuki nakamura - It's actually YURI Nakamura.

Despite any SUPERFICIAL similarities in character design, they're
altogether two differents shows. L-R Haruhi Suzumiya, Yuri Nakamura.

... Though it would be really kool if they combined the two.

2. azumanga daioh red raccoon dog - I always thought the impromptu team outfit using the mens school uniform was a clever idea.



And again I say ... Tall IS beutiful

3. haruhi internet - I thought the god of the net was Lain Iwakura.



"There is nothing wrong with your television set ...
I ... am in control."

4. hell girl hentai - Sounds like the title to a really bad anime ... or a really great girl punk band.

5. sailor moon characters - here's an alternate to the illustration in Interesting Search Words #21.

As I said before in Interesting Search Words #21:
Excellent character design, TERRIBLE show.

 

6. dr strangelove cosplay - Let's see ... suit 'n tie ... dark glasses ... frizzed out hair ... heavy black rubber glove ... crap eating grin ... and ... Oh yeah! ... A wheel chair.

7. demotivational white chicks - Yes ... they can be.

8. ai enma in fire - Actually ... The fire is for ... YOU! If Rei don't get you first.

Not exactly FOX NEWS is it? Ai Enma as a news correspondent
in Season 2, Episode 13 of Hell Girl. Darn rubberneckers!

9. rei ayanami fantasm - Ah yes ... The girl of your adolescent dreams ... or nightmares.

"Oooo! ... He's CUTE! ... I think I'll tang him!"

      Well that's it for now this week & a half. Ya'll keep those requests coming, see ya ...


The Head Trip of Haruhi Suzumiya pts. 1, 2, 3.

Angel Beats: Not a Haruhi Clone here.

Azumanga Daioh: Too ... Much ... Cute here.

Mini reviews for Hell Girl & Serial Experiments Lain here.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Oooo! Goodies In the Mail here.

End of Evangelion: This Is (Really) Disturbing here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

End of Evangelion: This Is (Really) Disturbing

                                End of Evangelion: This Is (Really) Disturbing

                                                                by

                                                                    Jay Agan

      I have seen the future. Not even the children were spared! Well, two of them anyway. Fascist Femme & Wonder Wimp. After seeing End of Evangelion, I'm still trying to decide wether Hideaki Anno is one of animes' greatest creative geniuses or a stark raving nutjob. Probably both.

      I bought the two Rebuild movies (Evangelion 1.11: You Are {Not} Alone & Evangelion 2.22: You Can {Not} Advance.) back in May at Armagedicon 6 in Columbus, Ohio out of curiosity. I understood the original series, Neon Genesis Evangelion (AKA Diary of a {Very} Wimpy Kid) to be full of theological whackness thus my interest was piqued. I've always been curious over theological concepts & anime has its' share of renditions. Serial Experiments Lain is more than interesting & The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is flat out funny. But the Evangelion franchise ..... ?

      I originally steered clear of the franchise as I felt the "giant robot" sub-genre as overdone in general & the Human Instrumentality Project repelled me. The thought of the ultimate goal of the good guys being the destruction of mankind was a turn off. When I found that most of the protagonists had no knowledge of that & were being used as pawns in an orchestrated scenario/sick game by various factions of "do-gooders", I thought I'd give it a try.

      After viewing the first two Rebuild flicks & finding I couldn't wait for the other two (Evangelion 3.0: Q You Will {Not} Be Released & Evangelion 4.0: Your'e {Not} Going Anywhere Either, Buddy.), I had to find some temporary cloture, thus End of Evangelion. Yeah, some "missing chapters" & no Mari Makinami but what the hey, huh?

      End of Evangelion is a two chapter replacement for the last two (25 & 26) of the original series. The last two left a lot of fans cold & Anno made this later for theatrical release. Fandom wanted a Grand Finale & Anno gave it to them. Right ..... between ..... the ..... eyes.

      Is it a thoughtfully crafted study of the dark side of the human condition or a horrendously warped dementia of a trainwreck? It's up to the viewer to decide. I'm thinking it may be a thoughtfully crafted dementia of a trainwreck. It's either horribly wonderful or wonderfully horrible. I couldn't tear my eyes away from watching it & can't stop thinking about it. It made me question my salvation (Just kidding, but you get the idea.).

      The first scene is totally uncalled for. You'll know it when you see it, nuff said.

      "I'm so f----d up!"

      Yes Shinji. You certainly are. (Someone! Quick! Beat the snot out of him!)

      The government's gotten wise & is out to destroy NERV. Unfortunately they're playing into SEELEs' hands & are just as much dupes as are 99.99% of the NERV staff. They thought they were defending human existance from a quasi theological/ extraterrestrial menace ..... which to all appearances they were, but for the fact the war was a smokescreen for the eventual gathering of all human souls into a vast construct of collective nonentity, the end of conflict, pain & loneliness: Oblivious Nirvana wether you want it or not (Thanks a lot you well intentioned, homicidal humanitarians!). Caught between SEELE & Gendo, the military & NERV duke it out with NERV getting the worst of it. It's Terminate With Extreme Prejudice, including the kids in callous disregard.

      Axisgrrl (Asuka) is hidden away with her Eva unit & later forced to battle the JSSDF forces along with nine mass production Eva units (Which are later used as catalysts for Third Impact/  Instrumentality). She's outnumbered & "killed".

      After confrontation & death of Ritsuko, Gendo preps Rei for implementing instrumentality only to have her turn the tables on him. Not willing to be "used" by him she initiates the process on her own & merges with Lillith, the captive giant "angel" kept prisoner in the lower levels of NERV base.

      Through all this, Misato is busy prodding & kicking Wimpy Boy into action. She eventually dies in the attempt after "motivating" him in another way.

      "That was an adult kiss. We'll do the rest later."

      Whoa!

      Moving along, we're stuck inside Shinjis' head, a mass of montage & introspection as well as "S&M" with Asuka & whine, whine, WHINE! He finally explodes & tries to strangle her. Snapping out of his dream he then heads out in his Eva unit for battle only to end up as part of the festivities to follow: Third Impact, Instrumentality, the rapture on steroids & PCP.



Artists' rendition of the Lillith-Rei construct readying the Black Moon/egg
for the gathering of all human souls on Earth. Beutiful, if you don't think
too much about what it is.

      
      Interesting how Lillith-Rei breaks down resistance in gathering souls. She knows the desires of each & everyones' heart & resistance is futile. AT fields (The force holding soul & body together.) break down, bodies disolve to the primordial soup (LCL) & all the souls of humanity are gathered into the Black Moon/Lilliths' Egg. The Earth is covered in the entitys' spreading overwhelming AT field with cross like explosions accompanied by billions of individual pixie-ish screams of terror & cries of joyous delight. The end of all human existance. The beginning of ..... What?

      There's also some of the most "horrific" psychosexual imagery I've ever seen in an anime. Not meaning to take the Lords' name in vain, but ..... Oh ..... my ..... GOD!

      All this accompanied by Komm Susser Tod (Come Sweet Death), its' "Hey Jude"-like melody/beat enhancing (?) the surreal weirdness. A fun, happy call to suicide.

      Back in Shinjis' head, he's discussing the matter with Rei & later his mother (Whose soul is imbued in his Eva-unit.). He decides to reject instrumentality causing the deterioration of Lillith-Rei & the releasing of humanitys' souls.

      We're left finding Shinji on the sand with Asuka lying beside him, the gods blood stained ocean beating its tidal rythym on the shore. He decides to pick up for real from where he left off mentally & tries to choke the life out of her, but can't bring himself to finish it.

      I love happy endings, don't you? By the way. What happened to the penguin?

Hope you'll excuse the profanity (I didn't make this.). This pretty
much sums up the reaction of many who have seen End of
Evangelion.

      As I've sorta kinda hinted at, I'm not sure I like this flick or not. It's certainly compelling. The few friends I have will be more than happy to attest to the fact that I'm a disturbed individual. I certainly didn't need this. As it is, I'm now stuck with End of Evangelion in my head. I can only wonder what 4.0 will be like.

      I'll leave with the tender last bit of dialogue uttered by Asuka to Shinji before the credits roll:

      "How ..... Disgusting!"

      Ain't love grand?


                                     Article copyright © 8-12-2011 Jay Agan
      
     
      End of Evangelion Pt. 1 here.
     
      Third Impact English dub here. Lower quality picture.
     
      Third Impact with Japanese subtitles here.
     
      Komm Susser Tod/End of Evangelion "music video" here.

      Neon Genesis Evangelion: OOOOO! Goodies In The Mail! here.
     
      On the Rapture, Third Impact, Armageddon & All That here.
     
      Expert Predicts Third Impact to Hit May 21! here.     
     
      Evangelion 2.0: I Can (Not) Get Into This here.

      Go to Main Page here.

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Upcoming Animes. Well, Not Really. Pt. 1

                                          
                                          Upcoming Animes. Well, Not Really. Pt. 1
                                                                          
                                                                       by
                      
                                                                         Jay Agan


  1. The Melancholy of Haruhi Hirohito- She didn't mean to set the world on fire but that's the way it turned out. As usual, Hideki Kyon gets the blame.

  2. Surreal Experiments Lain- Just gets weirder & weirder.

  3. Cowboy Boogie- Young Jack Spiegle is on the run from organized crime & hasn't a clue as to why  they want him dead. Hiding on Earth at his his great uncle Doohans' salvage yard, he gets in contact with a husband & wife private investigation team on Mars. The two former bounty hunters (Personal friends of a deceased uncle Jack never met.), throw in & help with his problem.
    
     Along the way, Jack falls head over heels (Sometimes literally!) for a singular, loopy, red haired, data tech genius/entrepreneur. And what's up with that strange little dog of hers?

  4. Outlaw Superstar- Melfina has disappeared under more than mysterious circumstances. Gene, Jim, & Gilliam set out to find her. A certain beast babe, & an even more certain asassin for hire, join in with their own agendas for locating her.

     Fred breaks down & marries Reiko, finding out how "the other half" lives.

  5. FLCLSMFT- Alien babe on a Vespa, looking for a lost "boyfriend", whacking folks over the head with a bass guitar. And she's a heavy smoker.

  6. The Place Promised In Our Early Days But the Politicians/Economy Blew That to Heck & Gone- Title pretty much says it all.

  7. The Angel Beats of Haruhi Suzumiya- The fate of not just the planet, but of the entire universe lies in the hands of the mentally bonked leader of the SOS Brigade. Yuri Nakamura, leader of a rival school "club", & still having it in for God, takes matters into her own hands. Chaos ensues..... more so than usual.

  8. Paranoia Insurance Agent- Pay him but he will hit you anyway.

  9. 5 Centimeters Per Hour- The real long version. You know. The "directors' cut".

  10. Needless- Yes, I know. It's already an anime. An apt title for just about 90% of anime, don't you think?
                                              
                                                 Article copyright © Jay Agan

Upcoming Animes. Well Not Really. Pt. 2

Upcoming Animes. Well Not Really. Pt. 3

Go to MAIN PAGE.
                                                   
                                                 Article copyright © Jay Agan

TV Animes I Got: Mini Reviews

                                                                       by

                                                                          Jay Agan                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
                                                                     Outlaw Star

       Gene Starwind & the crew of the aforementioned ship (who is also a crewmember) search vast reaches of space for a vaguely defined treasure known as "The Galactic Leyline". Not only having to contend with various factions of government, pirates, & assasins, each member of the crew has his/her own reasons for finding it.

      I disagree with those saying this is a sorta/kinda not as good alternative to Cowboy Bebop. An apples/oranges  comparison, I like the series for its own merits. One of which is Aisha, the beast babe. She kicks posterior! Oh yeah. Watch out for Fred.

      Rated 13 up.

      "Better Get Ready!"

                          The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (AKA Goddess Whackjob)
     
      A multilevel theological/metaphysical/sci fi satire. Title character just happens to be God (or at least a god). She may not know it but certainly acts like it! Various friends/factions (some with special "talents") endeavor to keep her from finding out. Otherwise the universe is in the tank.

      A fun head trip that actually has you thinking. Evangelicals viewing this will be forced to rethink their positions. Not!

      Rated 13 up.

      Vox Haruhi. Vox Dei.

                                                         Serial Experiments Lain

      Perhaps it should be titled Surreal Experiments Lain. Another theological/sci fi mind bender about a young lady coming to a startling realization: She's the physical extension of an all powerful entity existing out on all electronics & telecommunications, including the net. The "Wired" becomes the weird as the viewer is toured on various aspects of theology/metaphysics,  technology, history, conspiracy theories, UFO lore, & self awareness conceptivity.

      Anyone coming away from this thinking he's "got it" is only fooling himself. I've viewed it several times & still don't "get it" though I enjoy the process. You come away with what you take from it.

       Rated 16 up.

      "You don't seem to understand......"

                                                                     Hell Girl

      A Wednesday Addams/Penny Dreadful type not only takes one there but gives 'em a taste of it beforehand. Here's the deal: Pull the red thread off the straw doll & she'll take the one you hate to you know where. For a price. Which happens to be your soul when you kick off. Is the jerk worth it? YOU decide. I'd sooner get back at someone by "taking it out in trade" than spend eternity in "the other place" (Cleveland?). When you see the flowers comin' at ya, DUCK!

      Rated TV14 V.

      "This is vengeance. And I am to ferry you to Hell."

                                                                      Gunbuster

       I don't care for giant robot shows but this is an exception. Short early Gainax 6 ep series starts off as a parody then turns serious. Seems mankind is only a virus to the "organism" we call the galaxy & the colossal insectoid "space monsters" act as antibodies. The "virus" disagrees & is determined to survive. This, & the added factor of faster than light time differentials, make for an intrigueing show.

      Rated 16 up.     
     
      "Hard work & guts!"

                                                                     Kinos Journey

       It's not the destination, it's the getting there. Title character & sentient motorcycle travel from place to place  spending 3days/2nights taking in the locals strange ways. They're either hostile or weird in some way. The "Then Came Bronson" of anime. By the way, Kino's a girl.

      Rated TVPG V.

      "The world is ugly, therefore it is beutiful."

                                                                   Gunsmith Cats

      Gun store owner/marksman Rally Vincent & her bomb making little buddy, Minnie May Hopkins are bounty hunters in 1990s Chicago. The 3 ep mini-series finds them contending with gun runners, a corrupt BATF, an anti-gun politician, & a rogue Russian agent in a plot to transfer guns, drugs, money, & pass more restrictive gun laws. The NRA & Tea Partiers would love this show as do I.

       Animated violence, strong language & mature situations. Parental guidance suggested.

       "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."

                                                          Otaku no Video (Fan Video)

       Gainaxs' mini 2 ep series is a self parody of their beginnings. Two guys set out to be the greatest super fans of anime/manga & go full bore into the business end of the hobby. With theatrics/melodrama along the way, they fulfil their dreams beyond their wildest imaginations. Best viewed when leaving out the superfluous live action parts.

       Brief nudity, adult situations.

                                                            Full Metal Panic: Fumufu

       Young mercenary Susuke Sagara has a double assignment: Watch over a future resource named Kaname Chidorie & finish high school. First part's easy enough. The second? Not so easy.

       Brought up in the hyper-military shadowland of the Mithril merc organisation, he has no idea what normal civilian life is about. Even the most mundane situation could be interpreted as dire or deadly & he acts accordingly. Part of the joke is though he's  supposed to be watching over Kaname, she's working way overtime covering for him & preventing the school from being destroyed.

       A master of covert ops, Susuke thinks he's doing a great job in concealing his position when in fact he stands out with all flags flying. Everyone notices he's heavily armed but never arrested (This is Japan after all.). His bearing/demeanor is beyond atypical. Destruction & collateral damage are mysteriously paid for along with a generous donation to the school.

       Tried watching the original series that led up to this one  but contains too much giant robot stuff for me to take. Fumufu by itself is a great watch though. Watch this one if you want to know what this "fumufu" thing is. Has something to do with "the Pokemon effect".

      Rated TVPG V.

      "I don't follow but it's not a problem."

                                                                         Stratos 4

      Fifty years from now, Earth will be going through a period of heightened comet/meteor activity. The second of the two stage defense system of the Cosmic Emergency Managment Agency, is the Meteor Sweepers. This division is composed of pilots & cadets flying planes as old as I am now (TSR80 & YAK28s), blasting comet fragments before they impact.

      Mikaze Honjo must get past personal difficulties & work with her team mates as they save the Earth. This, along with two subplots (An X-Files type & a lesbian subplot that turns out NOT to be a lesbian subplot {trust me on this}.) make for an interesting series.

      Rated 16 up.

      "I'm going to outer space!"

                                                       Mezzo Forte/Mezzo DSA

       Kick-butt babe Mikura, Pops & Harada, are the Danger Svc. Agency. A hand to mouth trio of gun toting troubleshooters taking on all sorts of risky jobs. As such they deal with gangsters, assasins, an alien, & a corrupt, lolita complex afflicted police chief. That VW takes a beating too.

      Forte is a two part "series" involving gangland infighting. DSA is a 12 ep series with several story arcs, & a subplot of a little girl idolizing Mikura & her problems with bullies & asserting herself.
    
      Forte rated 16 & older. DSA rated 15+.

      "Reach for the sky if ya wanna live long enough to eat dinner!"

                                                                     Area 88

       Shin Kazama is a mercenary pilot, but not by choice. Railroaded into flying for an at-war mid-eastern country by a "friend", he must serve out his contract before being let go. If he survives that is. Two motivators are to wed his fiance, & kill the aforementioned "friend".

      70s era story also features a veritable circus of war planes for the military history buff. Two previous movies cover the same ground, the second being the better of the two.

       Rated TVPG.
                                                                 Black Lagoon

      Four anti-heroes, a Nam vet, an electronics/computer genius, an "abducted" business negotiator, & an ultra foul mouthed, trigger happy, uber babe form the Black Lagoon Co. Operating out of a lawless area of southeast Asia, they'll do any job for anybody if the price is right. Gang/Mafia infighting, pirating/theft, smuggling, killer nuns (redundant), & incestuous vampire kiddies  (What?!). All this & more in Black Lagoon. Everybody but the Creature shows up (Why not?).

     Warning: Not only is this show ultra-violent but  the F-bomb is uttered almost 300 times in the series. Not for kids. Rated 16 up.

                                                Dirty Pair OVA/Dirty Pair Flash

      Girls 'n guns! Babes'n Bullets! Collateral damage! Horrendous loss of life! My favorite semi-homicidal, girls 'n guns, anime duo. Kei & Yuri (code name: Lovely Angels), a pair of "trouble consultants" for an FBI-like organization: The Worlds' Welfare Work  Assoc. (3WA). (The "Americanized" comic book version from the early 90s, by Adam Warren & Toren Smith got me hooked on the franchise.)

      If a case proves too tough for the locals, the 3WA sends agents on request. If it's these two, watch out! Dirty Pair is their unofficial nickname (wich they hate) as their missions tend to get out of hand. Civilizations wipe out, & whole planets have been known to melt when they're around. The central computer (An Apple?) always clears them of any wrong doing. I suspect the Dirty Pair are a cynical governmental form of population control as they're quite good at keeping the numbers in check.

      The Dirty Pair Flash reinvention is supposed to be about a couple of young ladies bearing the same name a century later, but we know better.

      The three (original) Dirty Pair movies, Flight 005 Conspiracy, Affair At Nolandia, & Project Eden, I rank in that order. Have every intention of getting the original 28 ep TV series when it comes out on disc.

       OVA rated TVPG V. Flash rated 15+.

       "It's not our fault!"

                                                                 Paranoia Agent

      Is he for real? A figment of someones' imagination? A figment of a figment, maybe? A warped 13 ep series about mass hysteria, urban legends, rumors, & yes.....paranoia. Woooooooo!

      Who is Lil' Slugger, this assailant on inline skates wielding a warped ball bat? Where will he strike next? And .....who's next? You? Me? The guy down the block? Owwww! That hurt! A lot! Strangely, I feel relieved about it. Ahhhh!

      Rated 16 up.
                                                                      Cowboy Bebop

      The best for last. The one. The only. THE anime essential. This is the anime, not only for fans, but for those who don't like anime. It's that different.

      The sponsers told the makers they didn't care what was in it as long as it had spaceships. This gave the studio latitude other creators can only dream of. Bebop is great not only for what it has, but also for what it doesn't. The vast majority of "tropes", cliches, & stereotypes are absent (No giant robots! Yay!). What ones there are, are downplayed, or as in the case of the Ed character, turned on its head (At times literally!).

      Jet, Spike, Faye, Ed, & Ein are itinerant bounty hunters cruising our solar system doing what they do. Set to great jazz, story arcs, some excellent stand alone eps & interesting characterisations, make for great viewing of a very atypical anime. The movie should be watched between eps 23 & 24 for continuity.

       Rated 13 up.

      "Whatever happens, happens."

      "You're gonna carry that weight."

      "See you in space..... cowboy."


      Disclaimer: Ratings are what were on the respective disc cases. Discretion is up to you.

      Next Time: Anime Movies I Got: Mini Reviews.

Article copyright © Jay Agan

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