Joshi Kouhei

Joshi Kouhei
(Jiro Matsumoto)

A very surprising manga series that's in your face and rude as heck. As if "Evangelion" and "Akira" had a baby, and was raised with a steady diet of "Platoon", "Apocalypse Now", "Hurt Locker" and "Full Metal Jacket".

In the distant future, where humanity is living in an alternate dimension, a civil war erupts between the migrants and the Earth Forces in their new land. Fighting this battle are pilots manning 18-meter tall "high school girls" made of flesh and metal called "assault girls". The pilots integrate their will into the machines, therefore driving them, but the assault girls have their own behavior and quirks akin to a real, typical high school girl.

For a sci-fi series, it doesn't really explain the hows and whys behind the 'assault girls', but this actually prevents any distraction from the horror and grittiness that is going on in the moment. It does make me wonder, what is the advantage of having flesh and metal fighting robots who act like high school girls, chatting away in their cellphones, yapping about cuteness and fashion, and having them eat giant versions of food, and have normal body functions such as defecating and having menstruation. Aside for that, its a hell of a PTSD ridden ride along with the Hyena unit, as they search for their prey in the middle of a hellish war torn reality.

Aldnoah Zero

An anime and print series from 'Olympus Knights' and A-1 Pictures, its a sci-fi mecha anime where a vassal-type society is born from the colonizers of Mars after they discovered an ancient technology that is vastly superior to Earth's. They then declared separation from the Earth government and waged war with the Terran population. An armistice is declared after the space gate on the moon exploded, sending lunar debris all over the area and stranding the vassals of the Martian empire. But after 15 years of itching for action, a small incident sparked the second war which obliterates most of the planet and the Martian armed forces.

At first glance, the way the story unfolded is common to a lot of mecha genre anime, namely Gundam (the original series), Gundam Seed and Macross. Familiar tales of young kids, barely out of highschool, dragged into an interplanetary war, suddenly aces piloting mechas, ran away on a flying battleship (or carrier) , with a hidden royalty on board, then two young aces slug it out in a final show down.

Animation is well made, especially in the battle scenes in space, where it gives you the feel of a 'Robotech' like engagement, and the surface atmospheric battles gives you the realism of weight and actual physics with the movement limitations on the mechas.

The mecha design is quite close to realism with 21st century technology, with a bit faster movement, erring to the side of what would theoretically works with regard to aerodynamics, mechanical power and utility. No fancy shancy designs that would not give an advantage towards the battle (except for a few elements that seems to be added for 'shock factor'...like in feudal war armors).

Although this anime seems to posses the same plot attributes as other mecha genre anime that preceded it, the development and interaction of the characters, and the choices they make draws you in like a telenovela or drama anthology.

Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi ni te, Kaku Tatakaeri

I wanted to watch this series since I saw some vines about it, and with a short glimpse starting at episode 12, I got hooked immediately. It seems to have all the elements that I am so wild about; wizards, warriors, dragons, inter dimensional travel, cute moe girls, cute tsundere girls, demigods, military stuff, tanks, jet fighters, explosions, guns, military deployments, sieges... this whole series essentially is a big nosebleed fest for me.

"Gate" is about a portal that opened in modern day Ginza, where an army of knights, ogres, monsters and dragons went through and waged war on the humans. After the initial onslaught on the civilians, the military was able to fight back. Caught in the middle of saving the civilians is a self-confessed otaku and JGSDF office Itami. Although with the help of their modern equipment, the JGSDF was able to fight back and occupy the gate on the other side, Itami became a central figure of peace negotiations as he uses his knowledge of fantasy games to maneuver himself around the new surroundings.

As good as an otaku geekout series this was, there were a lot of things bothering me as the series progressed.

One is the obvious similarity of the situation of the occupational forces in Afghanistan and the JGSDF as they occupy a stronghold of the holy mountain where the gate portal is located. The villages around it also developed in the same way as other communities that surround a US base in modern times.

And much of the progress and display of might portrayed by the military is by the sheer advancement of their weapons over the primitive clans and races. The only redeeming fact is that Itami has a moral obligation to be valiant, pure and true to the spirit of inter-gate peace and interactions. Without him, the series would just be a big show of modern age man bullying a more primitive race.

I was also dumbfounded at the scene where the JSDF Special Forces, cut down the CIA-backed Special Forces/ Operators into shreds... along with other Russian and Chinese Special Forces that infiltrated Japan because of the magic word... "oil". Well, I have no proof to disprove that premise... after all, not all Specials Forces capabilities of nations are known. But, man.., talk about floating your own boat.

But all in all, the series is a good watch for its balance of action, slice of life play, comedy, and other fun stuff... after you get past the grim realities of all that diplomatic backstabbing, family back stabbing and a destructive spiral into despair caused by feelings of anger and vengeance.

National Geographic Channel and Fox Channel Philippines launches "COSMOS: A Space-Time Oddysey"

National Geographic Channel and FOX Channels invited media people and bloggers to the advance screening of the first episode of "COSMOS: A Space-Time Odyssey" last March 7 at the Mind Museum, Taguig City. It is the highly anticipated sequel to the "COSMOS: A Personal Voyage" series written and hosted by space visionary Carl Sagan back in the 1980's. The new series tackles how humans develop their concept of the laws of nature and their place in the universe, with contemporary ideas and theories aided with stunning visuals and powerful narratives. The series will kick-off on March 12 at 10pm simultaneously on National Geographic Channel and Fox Philippines.

The show is hosted by popular astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, known to "Big Bang Theory" fans as Raj's friend who apologetically faces off with the guilt-ridden Sheldon. Riding the "Ship of Imagination", he does a very powerful delivery of explaining various concepts and theories of cosmology and astrophysics that anyone with a basic knowledge of the universe can follow it.

I brought along my son to the event because he was going on and on for the past few weeks about how he's looking forward to an upcoming series called COSMOS on the NGC. We were both expecting a sort of symposium about the different concepts to be tackled by the series, but we were surprised as we were treated to cocktails, champagne, and a blissful selection of entrees and pastries by Bizu...in a setup like, as my son puts it, "a kind of party Tony Stark goes to". And when they said we were to watch the first episode at the auditorium, we both were freaking out.

The series also gives a more human side to science and discovery. Of passing the torch of imagination to fuel future thinkers and scientists. Like the story of Carl Sagan leading and sharing a path for Tyson. And how NGC broadened my horizons through their National Geographic Specials series in the 1990s, I hope the same would lead my son with COSMOS.

Boku no Kanojo wa Saibo-gu (Cyborg She)

This 2008 Japanese movie written by Korean director Kwak Jae Yong features Haruka Ayase as the unnamed female cyborg and Keisuke Koide as Jirou Kitamura, the lonesome college student who celebrates his birthdays alone and buys presents for himself on that occassion.

Its a whirlwind romance-comedy drama of some mysterious events concerning a beautiful girl who he spends time with, falls in love, and never asks her name, even it was time for her to go... a cyborg who looks like her that Jirou sends back in time to protect his past self from a disaster, a grandmother who is actually his mother, and a real human girl who looks like the cyborg and falls in love with Jirou because she "experiences" what the cyborg went through by downloading the memory to his chair which runs on the same concept as the chair in Total Recall then decides to go back in time to pursue Jirou (which would explain the opening scene and the two different personalities of that girl, who went back twice to be with him).

Aside from the crappy title translation (Boku no Kanojo wa Cyborg is literally translated to "My Girlfriend is a Cyborg"...what the heck is this "Cyborg She" crap? Me Grimlock...you Jane...be afraid not...dictionary good), utter disregard for the concept of Time-Space theory ("time will heal itself ..." say what? I think you've been sniffing the wrong shit, man), the movie is a pretty decent thing to watch... enjoyable, funny, and with a dramatic epilogue for an ending. And with most of the situations in the movie, it makes you fall in love along with them...to a certain point. I find it hilarious the way the human and cyborg 'she' overcompensates to make herself blend in with that era's society and culture. Her inquisitive nature, and high intolerance to alcohol. Its like Terminator meets Chobits meets Ghost in the Shell meets Time Cop. There are a lot of scenes in the movie that makes you want to fast forward to the good parts, though.

There are also a lot of references that parodies or pays homage to the 'Terminator' franchise leading me to believe that the writer is either a fan of the series or of Arnold, which adds to this film's comedic charm.

Behind the Scenes: Ashley's Playlist

Me and fellow blogger and bandmate Paulo, was fortunate to take a behind the scenes look at the internet TV show 'Ashley's Playlist' which is shown on Thursdays at 10pm to 12am in Flippish, the premiere Filipino Internet TV channel. The show showcases various local solo artists and bands, as well as the musical talent and ability of its host, Ashley Gosiengfiao.

THE HOST

Ashley Gosiengfiao is a well known figure in the cosplay community, stepping into the shoes of numerous anime characters and bagging awards and recognition along the way. Aside for being a model and a product endorser, she is also an active blogger and a budding photographer.

With a guitarist/ gearhead as a father, and an equally talented musician for a mother, Ashley was raised in a household with a deep appreciation for the art of music. As a child, she was, as Ashley puts it, 'bribed' with a Playstation game, so she would attend voice lessons after school, and also took up piano until the age of 7. The love for music began to blossom from her later on as she taught herself to play the guitar at 13 and, while being in various bands throughout her highschool and college life, she was able to pick up a thing or two about playing the drums.

As for the type of music, her videoes always feature her covering a popular tune or acoustic ballad. Although open to a wide range of music genres, she prefers alternative rock, looking up to acts such as 'Up Dharma Down' and 'Company of Thieves'.

THE SHOW

The show concept stemmed from the videos of Ashley singing popular tunes produced in Flippish. While attending a production meeting for her sister's segment, she was asked to make a few videos with them after finding out about Ashley's inclination to music. A concept for the show was then developed after producing videos of Ashley covering the songs 'Super Bass' and '

At the start of every episode, Ashley would cover some songs by herself (both vocals and guitar).

As a person into music, I know how hard it is to study a popular song before performing it in front of an audience. In the show, Ashley covers at least five per episode. A daunting task, remembering all those bits and pieces that makes up each tune and making sure you give a solid performance everytime. She prepares by practicing at least one song a day so she can deliver the songs each week. She does this by picking off the guitar chord by ear (tagalog translation: kapa...kung musician ka, alam mo yun). And in the way she explained it to us, it seems like she has the gift of perfect pitch, where one knows the key of a song just by listening (that is sooo awesome, now I know 3 people who posseses this talent).

And then show continues with performances by the featured artist or band. Most of the time, Ashley would jam along and sing with them. And somewhere in the middle, Ashley interacts with the guests with the flair and charisma of a talk show host, and interact with the viewers via online messengers, forwarding their messages and questions to the featured artists.

The atmosphere in their modest studio is open and fun, with the help of the show's multi-tasking 3 person army of Ms.Maui, Sir Almond and Sir Joey. Its a wonder that they could operate and run the show while attending to the different needs of all the people involved. Sometimes, an idea would come up from either any of them, which is developed in a mere seconds, and then executed and integrated into the program. Now that is what I call a spontaneous and dynamic approach into production.

And, from behind the cameras, you really get to notice the 'grass roots' approach into making the episode possible. While stations that I worked for before invest millions on hardware, today's DIY softwares combined with the latest personal computing hardware ensures a nifty result for the fraction of the cost.

Overall, the show is fun to watch both in the streams, and behind the scenes. With informative pieces about local artists, what's happening around the music community, and the weekly dose of Ashley for all her fans out there in 'Internet Land', 'Ashley's Playlist' is definitely something to watch out for every Thursday on Flippish.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Me and Paulo with Ashley and that evening's guest Anj Sulit and The Out of Body Special

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DID YOU KNOW: If Ashley were a comic character, the nearest match would be Marvel's Siryn. Along with her other talents, she is said to posses the ability, when she's stressed out or pissed, to let out a high pitch hushed scream that creates a feedback effect on the microphones (I would like to see that in action sometime).

Scratch & Transform tutorial by DJ Mastershock

A basic introduction on the 'art of scratch' by fellow Aquinian Alumni DJ Mastershock

I remember back in highschool when I attempted to do this kind of thing using a normal player... much to the dismay of my bestfriend's dad and, at the latest incident, my mother-in-law. I didn't know back then that you needed other stuff connected to it.

Highschool of the Dead

I used to hear about the series 'Highschool of the Dead', but it was only recently that I came around to watch it.

A group of students (with some teacher) trapped in the city that is over run by the undead (referred in the series as "Them"). As the 'monsters'rise up and run over the lives of the living, a different kind of monster emerges from the hearts and minds of various antagonists that are introduced within the story.

The anime series based on the manga by Daisuke Sato and the art of Shouji Sato, it brings about a deep, dark, melancholic storyline as the series progreses.

A sort of Survivor/Harem/Fan Service Overload type of anime with dark overtones as the group of surviving students go through the ordeal of locating their loved ones amidst a zombie pandemic happening around the world.

Along with the abundance of boob, ass and upskirt fan service, the ragtag team of survivors also fit your common stereotypes which a lot of otakus find 'moe'. Take your pick; a blonde bombshell airhead of a teacher/nurse Shizuka, the genius tsundere Saya, the slick and cool sword weilding Saeko, the tough but softie of a 'childhood friend' Rei, and the innocent lolli Arisu. Mixed into the fray is your typical all around good guy Takashi and the gun and mecha otaku Kota.

Takashi tries out one of those new comfy sniper mats

Aside from the tons of eye candy every few seconds, the storyline is a pretty decent one to keep my interest in the progression of the story. You can't wait to see how their adventure progresses on. Character development also takes you through some twists and turns as they appear twisted in some ways.

Semi nude apron covered sword weilding warrior chicks: AWESOME

Although watching only a few episodes, It was enough to make me look forward to watching other episodes.

Vocaloid Live Concert at Tokyo

I was locked up in my house last weekend, mesmerized with the thing I consider the ultimate in alternative reality. I am talking about the 2011(or was it 2010) live performance of Vocaloid Miku Hatsune at Tokyo.

For those, like me, who always heard of Miku Hatsune but never traced who she really is, and here she came from, she is now the top virtual idol from the vocal synthesizer program of Yamaha called 'Vocaloid'.

Derived from the term 'Vocal' and 'Andoid', it is a program that enables composers to make vocal tracks by typing in the lyrics, then changing the pitch. Although the syllabication of the words are not perfect, and the change in tone makes it sound like Auto-Tune, Yamaha packaged a software that is unique and easy to use for hobbyists.

Now, the live concert was not done by voice actresses, or cosplayer lip syncing to a preset program. Its a live band, with a virtual projection, much like a hologram, as a vocalist. The experience was mind blowing. Miku is projected into a translucent film which appears like a hologram, and you can still see the band in the background.

Its a step up on what the virtual band 'Gorillaz' did, and a right push towards well known virtual idols and divas like 'Simone' or Macross Plus' 'Sharon Apple'.

This concert has already played since 2009 and have played in the U.S.

And for you lucky guys at Singapore, a scheduled concert on November 11.

Real Robot Series: Mobility and Maneuverability

I have been a fan of robot movies and robot series since my early childhood. And my interest grew even more with the rise of the 'real robot' or 'mecha' genre during my highschool days. 'Real Robot' mechas are within the space of reality, taking into account existing and practical theoretical technology, with a amped up twist.

The pioneer which led this is new era the Gundam franchise. And with this special blog series, I intend to study the 'real' in the 'real robots' series.

---------------------------------------------------------

Case 1: Mobility and Maneuverability

Mechs come in a variety of form and shapes. Usually borrowing from the designs of nature to tackle issues of mobility, agility and practical construction.

Way back there were MECHAS, mechanized units shaped like lizards, tigers, spiders, etc. This was popularized with Zoids and Multi-MAC back in the late 80's and early 90's. Gundam goes further by embracing the humanoid form from the 'giant robot' series.

You might wonder; "why take the humanoid form as a weapons platform?".

For this case I point out the advantage of propulsion, agility and maneuverability.

Current weapon platforms are based on the same chasis: the axle for land based platforms, the wing for air platforms, and the propeller for water based platforms. These same chasis are also the basis for their propulsion. The humanoid shape, like any other living beings, can use its own body as a means of propulsion, among other things. The appendages are also used for various actions; for utility, movement, etc., while other weapons platform would require a seperate unit, powersource and operator to accomplish the same job.

Vehicular weapon platforms needs a certain space, be limited to a certain speed, to allow then to turn, This aspect of maneuverability is sometimes referred to as 'turning radius' or 'turning speed'. Too much or too little of both can spell disaster, causing the vehicle to stall or topple over. With a humanoid form, maneuverability is aided with the 4 appendages (2arms, 2 legs) and the torso. These parts control or play with weight and momentum to make a body turn on a spot, or turn while it is being hurled into another direction. Its like falling down in a freefall and you turn, just by twisting your hips and throwing the weight of your upper body, you have just changed your orientation without disturbing the direction of your momentum.

The humanoid mecha will combine the agility and the dexterity of the human body with the strength and power of a machine.