Anime: Gundam Build Fighters

This series must be taken from a GunPla-maniac or mecha-fanatic's wet dream. Imagine a world where there is a tournaments where Gundam models are pitted against one another. Well, you might say, there is that type of contest already called Build Tournaments. Hold your horses, in this world, that tournament brings those models to life, and engage on battles, on simulated battlegrounds, with laser beams, missiles and stuff that blows up, with you at the pilot's seat. Friggin amazing, don't you think?

This is the world of Sunrise's "Gundam Build Fighters", where GunPla enthusiasts, like the main protagonist, high school student Sei Iori, engage in tournaments where heavily costumized GunPla models are brought to life in an arena which emits "Plavsky particles" (a play into Minovsky particles) which only affects the plastics in GunPla models, brings them to life and also creates the battle environment and the weapon effects therein.

What I love about this series is there are mobile suits from various Gundam series, heavily modified and costumized, and going at it in very well animated and framed battle scenes (I think because the battle scenes are a bit short, so there are no repeat animations or redundant battle scenes and transformations reminiscent of Gundam SEED or Gundam 00).

Although most of the scenes are life-stuffs that I don't give much about, but as the series progresses, you come to care on why some battles or situations turn out the way they are.

Just can't wait till I have enough time to see the series through.

Anime: Nobunagun

I got to hear about this series from the anime discussion group site I'm in. Interest perked by a fellow anime fan's pitch, I decided to give this budding series a shot.

Like he said, the beginning of the anime would fool you into thinking that this is a light, school-life based anime. Things twist around as the story's main protagonist, below average-wallflower type-military otaku-highschooler, Shio Ogura is caught in the middle of an invasion by evolutionary alien life-forms. She then becomes aware that she is a host of the E-Gene, the essence of outstanding individuals from history infused to a certain host of a future generation. The E-Gene also enhances the abilities of the host and materializes their weapon of choice.

The main concept in the series is about famous and outstanding individuals from world history that are reincarnated into hosts in the present day, with enhanced abilites and weapons that are associated with what that historical figure is known for. For example, Jack the Ripper's E-gene host has a large slasher blade, or Isaac Newton's host has a boot that amplifies or induces gravitational forces, etc.

It has an almost similar concept as Ikkitousen (with their megatamas and sharing the same fate and skill of the famous figures from the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" saga), mecha designs that reminds me of Metroid/ Bubblegum Crisis, and the fight scenes of Ninja Scroll all mashed up nicely, together with a kick-ass opening theme "Respect for the Dead Men" by Pay Money to My Pain, packed in this series that is guaranteed to drag you into their world.

Masha releases "Satellites"

Masha, which I think is one of the best sounding experimental alternative rock band to come out of the underground indie scene, has just released their single "Satellites".

Prolific artisan and vocalist, Alvin Aleria, together with guitarists Weak Domines and Paulo Rodriguez, bassist Chris Mercado, drummer Tobs Tobio and synth-sampler specialist Howie Manalaysay dishes out a sort of rock trippy song, leading the listener into a emotion packed ride reminiscent of Kula Shaker's droning grooves, the gritty guitars of Foo Fighters/ Deftones, Incubus' sound experimentation, all wrapped in good old pinoy style rock alternative.

Anime: Strike Witches 2

I only got to know about the second installment of this series in one of my trips to Akihabara, seeing a huge "Strike Witches 2" promo at the side of a whole building. I took on the series with much excitement and hope. But unfortunately, I struggled to watch the first few episodes, and able to finish it a few months after.

Don't get me wrong, it has improved much with its 3D guided animation, more action from the naval forces, battle scenes that rivals Macross, new characters, etc. But there is no new twist or development in the story. Just more of the same old cutesy cutesy stuff, naive characters stayed naive (to think the girls would have known better by now, since they are now supposed to be "battle hardened"). And the new characters were not developed enough to make the viewer care about them. The character design was more unrestrained, showing off full frontal nudity unlike the first series, and more daring "fan service".

In the end, I was disappointed...musch like when I was disappointed with the second season of K-On.