areaseven

I feel your pain, MD. Two years ago, I was forced by my friends to cough out $9 to watch Jason X with them.

Last time I was in the Philippines (four years ago), a movie ticket cost P50.00 (roughly a buck, I kid you not). Popcorn and a Coke was also within that price.

Last time I checked out ticket prices here in the L.A. area, matinee was $6.00 and evening was $9.00. It's not the ticket prices that bother me; it's the prices for popcorn and snacks that piss me off.

What GreenGuy42 said.

Saint Seiya ( 聖闘士星矢 <セイントセイヤ> ) TV Asahi/Toei Animation, 1986-1989 DiC/ADV Films, 2003- Directed by Kozo Morishita (Captain Future). Rated 15+ for extreme violence and gore. Based on the best-selling manga by Masami Kurumada. Legend has it that there are warriors called "Saints" that wear special armor and possess the powers of the constellations for both good and evil. One of these Saints is a Japanese boy named Seiya, who has trained in Greece for six years to become a true warrior. His fighting prowess and bravery have earned him the Cloth of Pegasus - an armor that enhances his skills patterned after the legendary winged horse. Alongside a group of other heroic Saints, Seiya must protect Athena, the Goddess of Peace, from the forces of evil. Story: B You could probably call it Fist of the North Star for the younger audience, but Saint Seiya can manage on its own with an interesting plot based on Greek mythology. Characters tend to be very cliché, but that's expected from a fighting-oriented anime. The show has been extremely popular in Europe and South America because its storyline easily adapts to the cultures in those areas. How it will fare in the U.S., however, is a different issue. Nevertheless, it's still better than Dragon Ball Z. Animation: C- Talk about low-budget. Saint Seiya may have been an '80s title, but it looks like it was animated in the '70s. Even during its time, it looked pretty cheap. Soundtrack: B- Fans of '80s glam-rock will dig Saint Seiya's opening theme "Pegasus Fantasy" by Make-Up (though I prefer the Animetal version). Otherwise, the BGM by Seiji Yokoyama (Space Pirate Captain Harlock) is generic '80s music. Sub vs. Dub Saint Seiya features Toru Furuya (Amuro in Mobile Suit Gundam, Yamcha in Dragon Ball/DBZ/DBGT) as Seiya, Yuriko Yamamoto (Fight! Iczer-One, La Mime in Arcadia of My Youth) as Marin, Keiko Han (Lalah in Mobile Suit Gundam, Luna in Sailor Moon) as Athena and Saori, Mami Koyama (Chiyoko in Millennium Actress, Karen in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team) as Shina, Hideyuki Hori (Kyoji in Mobile Fighter G-Gundam) as Ikki, Ryo Horikawa (Kou in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083, Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z/GT) as Shun, Yuji Mitsuya (Dr. Tofu in Ranma 1/2) as Shaka, the late Kaneto Shiozawa (Shin in Area 88, Rei in Fist of the North Star) as Mu, Keiichi Nanba (Junta in DNA²) as Poseidon, Akira Kamiya (Focker in Macross Zero, Ryo in City Hunter) as Argol, and Hideyuki Tanaka (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Riding Bean) as the narrator. ADV's dub is obviously better than DiC's pathetic version (titled Knights of the Zodiac on Cartoon Network), but it still sucks. DVD Extras Review coming soon. The Bottom Line Despite its old age, Saint Seiya has enough punch to make any Dragon Ball Z fan cry. Reference Anime News Network

I'll wait for them to do a B-Wing.

I just came back from RVD's 5-Star Comics (owned by "The Whole F'n Show" himself, Rob Van Dam) at the Lakewood Mall. The store actually has the Rick and Miriya MPC armor for $29.99 each. But here's something you won't believe: the store has the Rick VF-1J on display for a sticker price of $249.99. Rob sure knows comics, but I'd probably have to teach him a thing or two about Robotech merchandise.

Why does he turn purple if a girl other than Mariel touches him?

Hanaukyo Maid-tai ( 花右京メイド隊 ) m.o.e./WOWOW/Pony Canyon, 2001 U.S. Distributor Pending (Wow...ADV hasn't picked this one up yet?). Directed by Yasuki Ide. Not Rated (Suggested 17+). Contains gratuitous T&A, HLA and suggestive sex with a minor. Based on the manga by Morishige (published in the U.S. by I.C. Entertainment). After losing his mother, 12-year-old Taro Hanaukyo journeys to Tokyo to live with his grandfather. But he gets the biggest surprise when he discovers that his grandfather's home is a huge mansion with hundreds of beautiful maids ready to serve him. Making matters worse (at least for Taro, but not for our viewing) is that not only does he inherit the Hanaukyo mansion, he gets the services of all of the maids 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Lucky kid. Story: B- I've seen a lot of anime titles filled with fan service, but Hanaukyo Maids takes the cake. Not as many panty shots as Agent Aika or Najica Blitz Tactics, but Hanaukyo Maids is borderline hentai with all the T&A shots left and right, gratuitous groping, etc. As for the story itself, it's very different from the manga. For instance, in the manga, Taro is 15 years old (as opposed to the anime's 12-year-old). Unlike in the anime, Taro isn't allergic to girls. There are also no triplets in the manga; majority of the maids look the same. Despite not being faithful to the original story, Hanaukyo Maids is still worth checking out. Animation: A- Regardless of all the content stated above, m.o.e. (Steel Angel Kurumi 2/Zero, Rizelmine) did a good job animating this series. Characters are very well-drawn and the 3D effects blend well with the 2D. Soundtrack: B+ The background music is very pleasant and the cabaret-style opening theme is downright hilarious. Cast Hanaukyo Maids features Yuki Kaida (Kurapica in Hunter X Hunter, Shusuke in The Prince of Tennis) as Taro, Rie Tanaka (Chii in Chobits, Saki in Steel Angel Kurumi) as Marielle, Tomoko Kaneda (Chiyo in Azumanga Daioh, Marie in Please! Teacher) as Cynthia/Grace, Moyu Arishima (Misty in Vandread) as Ikuyo, Akiko Hiramatsu (Yukari-sensei in Azumanga Daioh, Miyuki in You're Under Arrest) as Konoe, Hazuki Kagawa as Ichigo, Ema Kogure (Saori in Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden) as Ringo, Yuki Watanabe (Yasuko in Boogiepop Phantom) as Sango, Natsumi Yanase as Nurse Yuki, and Rieko Takahashi (Diana in Turn-A Gundam) as Ryuka. The Bottom Line With all the non-stop T&A and groping in the series, Hanaukyo Maids is an ecchi fan's dream come true. Links Hanaukyo.com (Japanese) m.o.e.'s Official Hanaukyo Maids Homepage (Japanese) Reference Anime News Network

Mahou no Stage Fancy Lala ( 魔法のステージ・ファンシーララ ) Studio Pierrot/TV Osaka/Bandai Visual, 1998 Bandai Entertainment, 2002-2003 Directed by Takahiro Omori (Oh! Super Milk-chan). Rated 7-Up for some mature situations. Miho Shinohara is a care-free third-grader and an aspiring manga artist. One day, she encounters Mogu and Pigu - two lost fairies disguised as stuffed animals. In exchange for staying at her home until they find a way to return to their own world, the fairies give Miho a special sketch pad and pencil that enables her to magical create real objects from what she draws. With the pen, Miho can also transform into Lala, a beautiful teenage girl created from her manga art. As Lala, she is discovered by a talent agency, and so begins her adventures from an ordinary school girl to a model to an idol singer. Story: B+ Fans of Studio Pierrot (Fushigi Yuugi, Yu Yu Hakusho) will be familiar with Fancy Lala's premise - girl meets fairy and obtains magical powers - as it's very reminiscent of the studio's titles Magical Angel Creamy Mami (1983) and Magical Fairy Persia (1984). As a matter of fact, Fancy Lala is an homage to Pierrot's line of '80s magical girl anime. With an excellent mix of comedy, drama and romance as well as a unique cast of characters, Fancy Lala puts Chance Pop Session to shame. Animation: A Akemi Takada's (Mobile Police Patlabor, Kimagure Orange Road) character designs shine brightly in Fancy Lala. The animation is also very impressive for a TV series. Soundtrack: A- The down-to-Earth music by Michiru Oshima (Full Metal Alchemist, Magic User's Club) blends well with the anime along with the catchy songs performed by Reiko Omori. Sub vs. Dub Fancy Lala features Reiko Omori as Miho/Lala, Omi Minami (Hyatt in Excel Saga, Ruri in Martian Successor Nadesico) as Akiru, Atsuko Tanaka (Motoko in Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex, Sayoko in RahXephon) as Yumi, Michiko Neya (Melissa in Full Metal Panic!, Nancy in Read Or Die) as Mogu and Ririka, Shinobu Adachi (Kayla in Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack) as Pigu, Kappei Yamaguchi (Ranma 1/2, Inu-Yasha) as Taro, Hideo Ishikawa (Ryoma in Getter Robo Armageddon, Kintaro in Tantei Gakuen Q) as Hiroya, Mayumi Iizuka (Sora in Escaflowne: The Movie, Nanaka in Magic User's Club) as Anna, Fumie Kusachi (Luffy in Gall Force: The Revolution, Uzuki in Idol Defense Force Hummingbird) as Miki, Yuji Ueda (Keitaro in Love Hina, Abarenbou in Di Gi Charat) as Yoshio, Eiko Kanazawa as Emiko, Kyoko Tsuruno (Sho in Figure 17, Millennium in Lost Universe) as Chisa, Yoshiko Sakakibara (Sylia in Bubblegum Crisis, Integra in Hellsing) as Mamiko, and Noboru Hoshino as Yoichiro. Fancy Lala is best experienced subtitled, as The Ocean Group screwed up big-time on the English dub. DVD Extras: D Nothing but the textless opening animation. The Bottom Line If you're looking for some feel-good anime, check out Fancy Lala. Much like Jem, it's "truly outrageous." Reference Anime News Network

According to his interview on an issue of Animerica magazine, he did some uncredited work on Space Pirate Captain Harlock. Newtype USA says his first work was as a guest mecha designer for Tosho Daimos (which was animated by Sunrise and Studio Nue). Other notable works: Crusher Joe Cyber Formula GPX Dangaioh (Now how can anyone forget that?) Patlabor 2: The Movie (If I remember, he designed the spider-type police Labor.) Armored Core (from the first expansion game to AC3.) Kikaioh/Tech Romancer (Pretty much everything in the game.)

This just in from the Anime News Network:

Animetal Marathon V VAP Records, 2003 Produced by Yorimasa Hisatake. Eizo Sakamoto - Lead Vocals Syu - Guitars Masaki - Bass Katsuji - Guest Drums (from Gargoyle) Track Listing 1. 殺戮ã®å字架 - Cruciform Rack of Slaughter 2. Pegasus Fantasy (Saint Seiya) 3. Toshi Gordian 4. Choujin Sentai Baratack 5. Tri-Attack! Mechander Robo (Gasshin Sentai Mechander Robo) 6. Starzinger no Uta (SF Saiyuki Starzinger) 7. Roller Hero Muteking (Tondemo Senshi Muteking) 8. Midnight Submarine (Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman) 9. 夢ã®èˆ¹ä¹—ã‚Š (Captain Future) 10. Kinnikuman Go Fight! (Kinnikuman) 11. Honoo no Kinnikuman (Kinnikuman) 12. Tough Boy (Hokuto no Ken 2) 13. Yoroshiku Tuning (Yoroshiku Mechadock) 14. Burning Hero (Captain Tsubasa) 15. Touch 16. The Chanbara (Manga Mitokomon) 17. Lupin III Theme (Lupin Sansei) 18. Battle Fever J 19. Ah Ah Denshi Sentai Denjiman (Denshi Sentai Denjiman) 20. Taiyou Sentai Sunvulcan 21. Daisentai Goggle V 22. Choudenshi Bioman 23. Choujuu Sentai Liveman 24. Red Baron 25. Mach Baron 26. ç”·ã®æ“～é’春一期一会～ (優雅貴æ—マサキãƒãƒ­ãƒ³ï¼šã‚¦ã‚½) 27. Gunbaron '77 (Chiisana Super-Man Gunbaron) 28. Ikuzo! BD7 (Shounen Tantei Dan BD7) 29. Tatakae! Dragon 30. 駆ã‘ã‚ãƒãƒ³ã‚­ãƒƒãƒ‰ (Enban Sensou Ban Kid) 31. Ryuusei Ningen Zone 32. Kamen Rider Super-1 33. Kamen Rider BLACK 34. Kamen Rider BLACK RX 35. Gyakuten Ippatsuman 36. Yattodetaman no Uta (Yattodetaman) 37. Otasukeman no Uta (Otasukeman) 38. Zendaman no Uta (Zendaman) 39. Yatterman no Uta (Yatterman) 40. Zankoku na Tenshi no Te-ze (Shin Seiki Evangelion) 41. Tomorrow Never Die Track 13 contains a sample of "Panama" by Van Halen Track 23 contains a sample of "Breaking the Law" by Judas Priest Lowdown New guitarist, new record label, same attitude. That's what Animetal Marathon V is about. After nearly seven years, guitarist Sheja leaves the band; he's replaced by newcomer Syu (who also works with the bands Galneryus and Aushvitz). Animetal also signs with VAP for this release (their first three Marathon CDs were under Sony Music; Marathon IV was under Cutting Edge/avex). Does all this change affect the way the band covers old-school anime and tokusatsu themes? The CD itself is a proverbial roller-coaster ride (especially if you have this playing in your car stereo). Shortly after the intro track, Animetal Marathon V starts with a thunderous rendition of the Saint Seiya theme "Pegasus Fantasy" and leaves you headbanging for the next 10 minutes with songs from Choujin Sentai Baratack, Gasshin Sentai Mechander Robo ("Mechander! Mechander! Mechander Robo! Ra-ra-ra rararara! Tri-Attack!) and Kinnikuman ("M-U-S-C-L-E Muscle! M-U-S-C-L-E Muscle!"). The Marathon then switches gears to slamdancing renditions of sentai, tokusatsu and Kamen Rider themes from the '70s and '80s. Shortly after that, you're taken into a spin cycle of songs from the Time Bokan series until it stops. Animetal then ends the Marathon with their rendition of the Neon Genesis Evangelion theme "Zankoku na Tenshi no Te-ze." While this CD covers songs I'm more familiar with than the last one, Animetal Marathon V has its faults. Marathon CDs are all about non-stop medleys; this one has a lot of noticeable gaps between the different sets of songs. As a result, "Zankoku na Tenshi no Te-ze" feels a bit left out of the entire group, though still powerful on its own. Perhaps given time, Syu can fully adjust with the band and they'll come up with a livelier Marathon in the near future. Animetal Marathon V may not be as potent as the other Marathons, but it's still enough to give any otaku a headbanging experience. Rating: B+ Special thanks to CDJapan. Links Animetal Official Page (Japanese) VAP's Animetal Page (Japanese) Reference Anime News Network Japan Hero

You have the ball, Max.

That was a hard one. Duke Togo drove a Ford Laser (which isn't even an American car!). Time for an easier one. This time in Jeopardy! format: An episode of this anime featured a parody of Beverly Hills 90210.

Glad you're all right, Shawn.

Oh, okay. You got a point there.

I've been out of touch with fighting games for over a year. Who is Griffon Mask?

In Golgo 13: The Professional, what car does Duke Togo drive during the San Francisco chase?

*Waiting for MMX to post...

Crusher Joe

I really don't know, as I don't have the DVD yet. I only have the AonE fansub. Speaking of which, I'm currently playing Wonderful Days, along with Macross Zero, Sailor Moon and other anime/J-Drama fansubs at PC Club Computers in Burbank. If you're in the L.A. area, drop by.

Yeah, I forgot about that. I just haven't seen Crash in over 10 years.

Well, you're not missing much. - The animation quality of Crash is inferior to eps. 5-6 of BGC. - Due to her commitment as a rock singer, Kinuko Omori stepped down as the voice of Priss. She was replaced by J-Pop singer Ryoko Tachikawa. As a result, Priss' character gets screwed up and she betrays us by becoming an idol singer. - No GENOM here. Not even an explanation of what happened to the corporation. Of all the animated incarnations of BGC, Crash is the weakest. At least it's still better than Adam Warren's poor attempt at doing a BGC comic.