Saturday 30 November 2013

Week Four of Mecha Month. This is the end.

Well it's been 30 days of hardcore Metal on Metal action. It started strong and ended with an even bigger BANG. 30 days have just flown by and now i have to plan for Mecha Month 2014...

Day 23-27 Saturday-Wednesday 23-27/11.)
The final week started with the second part of GAOGAIGAR episodes 26-49 (Sorry i have spent the last few post saying it was 50 eps long.) I will say that the inter-net was right Part Two is a lot better than the first well... i should say episodes 36-49. These episodes were so good that i have forgiven the the first 6 DVDs... OK almost forgiven them. But i did enjoy these episodes. The story picked up speed and things became so epic in scale once they went into space. The biggest surprise for me was that the GaoGaiGar mech never really got an upgrade after the half way point in the show. Most shows of this type would of had the main characters mech go through a major upgrade or he would get a new more powerful mech to pilot. But this does not happen here. If anything all he gets a new back pack.... So if you have never seen it or if you have never seen it all the way through then i highly recommend that you do see it.

Day 28 Thursday 28/11.)
Now i was in the home stretch only three days left. On the 28th day of Mecha Month i watched Macross Do You Remember Love. This was a retelling of the Super Dimension Fortress Macross TV show... kind of... It's a movie set in universe. This means that if we were characters in the TV show we would of gone to see this film. It is a very interesting look at the show and most of the designs we have in the later TV/Movies that would come later took many of the design ques from this film. It is also one of the best looking animated films i have seen and if you haven't seen you NEED to. Also the music is fantastic. I know i'm reiterating myself but if your a macha fan... No... if your an anime fan.... No If your a fan of animation you should see this movie at lest once.

Day 29 Friday 29/11.)
OK this was the last day of the animated Mecha and i watched Voltron Fleet of Doom. It is the movie based off of the animated TV show Voltron Defender of the Universe. It's a team up movie of the Lion Force Voltron and the Vehicle Voltron. I have seen Voltron as many times as i have seen Transformers and i will admit even-tho i l ove Voltron the animation is not great. but there is something about watching five robotic lions coming together to form a giant robot that lets me just say "hey... i know this is bad but i don't care.."


Day 30 Saturday 30/11.)
This is it day 30 the 30/11/2013... The last day of MECHA MONTH!!!! and what better way to end the month than with watching the live action movie Pacific Rim. What can i say that hasn't been said before... Well... I love this film i put it on and i'm there i'm in the moment and i enjoy it. I enjoy watching it and pointing out where and what influenced this film. But.... but i have problems with this film. Don't get me wrong like i said i like this film. My problem is that it plays out like a clip show or  to be more precise a retelling of a 25 episode TV show but without the TV show. So you have characters come in and then we never see them again even though in the scene just before we're told how important they are. Or we;re told how good or power full the other Mechs are but we only see them in ONE fight then they are gone.... So you are a where that something is missing from the film but if this was a 25 episode TV show we would of seen all of this and i am more interested in the bits that are missing than i was with whats on screen. But what is on screen is all kinds of AWESOME!!! And everyone needs to see it and we need a sequel or a trilogy. There is so much that can be done in this universe and i can't wait to see what's next.

Well that is it Mecha month is over and i can how take a rest. believe it or not it is a tough thing to do spend every day of a month watching something it takes dedication. There were times when I couldn't be bothered or i had a bad day at work and all i wanted to do was come home and sleep... But i had a DVD to watch... So that could of been five episodes of a show or a two hour movie... heck it's hard when you have to go out and when you get back you have to give time to this one thing. Maybe i am just getting old and grouchy... Jez i'm 33 and i am all ready old and grouchy... That can't be a good thing. But this years Mecha Month is over and i have a year to get ready for next years celebration of all things MECHA! and who knows maybe some of you who read this blog will join me in taking part in MECHA MONTH!





Sunday 24 November 2013

Week THREE of Mecha Month... and it has become very hard!!! Come on GAOGAIGAR!!!

So week three of Mecha Month came to an end and i am beginning to get all mechard out... I've hit a wall and now i'm in the middle of a rut but i have one week left so there is light at the end of this tunnel. I think it comes down to having to watch 10 discs of an anime that taking way to long time to go anywhere.

Day 16-17 Saturday - Sunday 16-17/11.)
Coming out of the high i was on with the end of GETTER ROBO i took the weekend to watch the EPIC, CRAZY and it will put hair on your chest cause you are a MAN... Gurren Lagann Movie 1&2. 
The first film is a straight retelling of the first 13 episodes of the now classic tv show. If you are going to watch anything i have mentioned then go find Gurren Lagann. It does not matter if its the 26 episode tv show or the 2 movies but you just need to see it. Trust me you will not be sorry. Where the first film feels very much like a clip show the second movie really delivers. It is a telling of the last 13 episodes but they have thrown in a lot of new animated stuff that was not in the tv show. This help to matte it a little more easier to understand as the ending is a little out there!!! (no where near as confusing as the Evangelion ending)  So go out there gather all the spiral energy you can and WATCH IT!!!

Day 18-22 Monday - Friday 18-22/11.)
So started the 10 day GAOGAIGAR marathon... these five day we spent watching the Season One boxset which has five dvd. It is a show that dates back to 1997 in Japan and was the Last of a series of shows call Brave hence the King Of Braves Gaogaigar title. The Brave series was a follow up/spiritual successor to the Transformers cartoon. When that ended in the late 80's Takara wanted another cartoon to boost toy sales but Hasbro didn't have one so Takara and Sunrise created its own show and with it a new toy line. I have often heard that the first half of the show was mediocre and it does not pick up till the second half of the show. Well so far that seems to be the case the first 25 episodes are very meh not bad or anything but at the same time not very good. i hope the next 25 episodes are better. My biggest complaint is that the story is not moving at a quick enough pace. Apart from that the animation is ok it's your typical mid 90's stuff and the Mecha design is really nice so apart from the pacing i have nothing against it. Also how can you be angry at a show when one of the main villeins is called PIZZA!!!
But i do feel that 50 episodes is to long for this show. but it will be over next week as i head in to the fourth and final week of MECHA MONTH.

In other news.
I had tickets for the showing of the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who at my local cinema. I have been a fan of Dr Who since i was a kid watching the 5th, 6th and 7th doctors on TV. 
The special episode The Day of the Doctor. was great i was not disappointed with it. It was great seeing David Tennant back as the Doctor and i really enjoyed seeing it on the BIG screen. But i was a little sad we didn't have all the doctors on screen at the same time like in the Five Doctors. which by the way is a favorite episode.  
Tho i am annoyed at myself for missing the last five minuets as i had to go to the toilet... 
Let that be a lesson to everyone.... Go to the toilet before you get your ticket and never get a Large drink.... 
But i am sure it will be repeated on BBC 3 or 4 and youtube will have the ending so i will see it. 

Saturday 16 November 2013

Week TWO of MECHA MONTH.... GETTER ROBO WEEK!!!

Mecha Months carries on and i come to the end of Go Nagai Madness. Also some surprising news of a new Mech toy coming out in 2014... So a quick update, a nice short post.

Day 9-11 Saturday-Monday 9-11/11.)
GO NAGAI MADNESS!!!... Continued this week with the last 3 discs of New Getter Robo Armageddon. This is a Awesomely Epic show and i wont do any bad puns... but i will say what if you like super robots this is a must see.. Also Shin Getter 1 is one of my favorite Getter Robo designs... Love the Bat Wings... 


Day 12-15 Tuesday-Friday 12-15/11.)
To bring Go Nagai Madness to a close i watched New Getter Robo a 13 part Ova. It an alternate universe So it is not tied in to the other Getter cartoons. And you just have to love an anime where the lead character at the end goes off to find God and punch him in the FACE... 
With Friday being the last day of Go Nagai Madnessi can't think of a better way to end... Maybe i should watch Shin Getter VS Neo Getter... 

As for the surprising news it was announced that Evolution Toys are going to release a Dai X form the classic Go Nagai show X-Bomber. Or Star Fleet as it was called in the UK. This came out around the same time as Tarrahawks (Gerry Anderson) and was a big part of my childhood. Instead of animation it was done using marionettes just like Thunderbird's. And who can forget the Brain May classic theme


I picked up the region 2 DVD box-set earlier this year and with the news of a new toy coming out i will have to put it on the list for next years Mecha Month...
For more information head on over to Collection DX.


     
  

Saturday 9 November 2013

Mecha Month Week ONE. Day 1-8. Transformers, Patlabor, Mazinkaiser and Getter Robo.. Oh and FLASH GORDON!!!

So That's week one of Mecha Month over with. I am going to try to keep this a weekly update on how the month is going. So at the end of each week a new post on what i have watched and so lets get started with Day One.

Day 1 Friday 1/11.)

I got home from work and went straight for Transformers 1986 animated movie. I love this movie it's very well animated and has an AWESOMELY EPIC soundtrack. And the 86 movie has some of the most quotable lines in any kids movie. I was riding the crest of a wave so i went for the Season 3 episodes Five Faces of Darkness parts 1-5 followed by Dark Awakening and ending with The Return of Optimus Prime parts 1&2 and just because it was one of the best animated episodes Call of the Primitives. So around 5 hours of Transformers goodness... A lot of this was helped by the fact i had finally gotten around to opening a few boxes...


Day 2-4 Saturday-Monday 2-4/11.)
Patlabor.... I love Patlabor its a OVA, TV show and 3 Movies about Giant Robots but it's not about Giant Robots. It is a Real Robot Show set in a future (1999) that i want to live in. The OVA and the first Movie are robot heavy with the second being a thriller in the vain of a Tom Clancy book. Think of the second film as a cross between Patriot Games meets Gundam.... 
Over the 3 days i watched the new Blu ray of the first OVA that i got at the Expo last month and the first two movies. The OVA is a great introduction and sets up the world and characters. The Blu Ray looks amazing and i hope we in the UK (MVM i'm looking at you) get the TV show on blu ray as well. 
The Movies were the new-ish remastered editions that came out a few years ago. They were done by Honneamise (which i think was Bandai Visual) They were remastered and redubbed. They look some much better than the old Manga Entertainment release form back in the 1990's. Though i can't help but miss the old dub. Some of the new voices just don't sound right to me. And Lets face it... It is one of the best designed Mecha ever.


Day 5-8 Tuesday-Friday 5-8/11.)
It may only be the fifth day of Mecha Month but it was day one of GO NAGAI MADNESS!!!!... This is a sub season within Mecha Month. It began with the 7 part OVA Mazinkaiser which is a follow up to Mazinger Z (I think... the timelines to these shows are all over the place) then it was on to the 3 part Mazinkaiser SKL. 
Mazinkaiser SKL... It's what you get if Dio and Man O War gave birth to a Giant Robot... Its Heavy Metal meets heavy metal's (sorry very very bad pun) 
That took me up to day 7 and for the last day of the week day 8 i started the Go Nagai/Ken Ishikawa's New GETTER ROBO Armageddon. 
The Getter Robo animes are among some of my favorites, from when i first saw Getter Robo G that was dubbed and released as Starvengers in the 1980's. (It was part of the Force Five cartoon in the west.)Both this and Mazinkaiser are Super Robot shows and you can tell they bring new meaning to the saying suspension of disbelief. I will talk more about it in Mecha Month week 2 post...

Ok and now Flash Gordon...

So i guess by now your getting tired of all the Flash Gordon news but this is the last one i promise . well for a while at lest... 


So on the Sunday me and two friends had tickets for a screening of Flash Gordon at the Prince Charles Cinema in London. Now you know i love this film and i have never seen it on the big screen and i am so happy i did. It was great. The picture was nice a clear and the surround sound was great. Queen at the top of their game. It looked so much better on a big screen Just epic... and How HOT was Princess Aura (Omella Muti) I'm gona say it now Give me Princess Aura over Princess Leia in a metal bikini any day of the week. 
The cinema was packed and everyone laughed when it was funny or when a classic quote was spoken. Though the dude sitting a few seats to the right of us was laughing at everything no matter what the hell was happening on screen???  
But a good time was had by all and just looking at the December program guide i have to say i maybe going back there a few times... Indy trilogy.... very tempting... Ghostbusters double bill.... My friend ask if i was a member of the cinema .. i guess i may need to become one.

So that is it for Week one. The only thing of interest i have up coming is a screening on the 23/11 of the 50th anniversary Dr Who episode The Day of the Doctor. Should be good and it's in 3D. It will be a nice day out with the family. In other news Star Wars episode VII is pushed back to a Christmas release in 2015. But i think i will be posting more about that stuff nearer Christmas at the moment it's all about Mecha Month.