California Dreamlinering

So it's Fall 2010 Anime season and as I have been in Japan for a few weeks on work and this weekend's Grand Prix, I've been able to catch a number of the new season's shows.

Ever wonder what would happen if Genndy Tartakovsky was allowed to develop a show for Adult Swim (so he could add sex and other adult themes) and he then proceeded to drop serious amounts of acid while developing the idea?

The result I think would be Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt.



I've been watching anime for almost four decades and this is one of the most messed up shows I have ever seen. But that only made it that much more awesome. Take The Powerpuff Girls and add Gir from Invader Zim and mix well with plenty of vodka. I predict this will explode huge in Japan and the US. 

Based on the OP theme and animation alone, Shinryaku! Ika Musume should be the best show of the season:



I expect I will adore this show as it reminds me of Azumanga Daioh and Yotsuba!

Ore no Imouto ga Konnami Kawaii Wake ga Nai looks like the kind of "slice of life slapstick comedy" that tends to suck me in long enough that I become committed to finishing it. And that the girl is the one who is the hyper-otaku is a nice twist, for a change.

Madhouse was given a 747-load of money to animate Iron Man, and it shows, but the story is a bit...weird.

I knew Japanese television censorship standards were lax, but with all the skin they're showing with Yosuga no Sora, what is going to compel the otaku to buy the DVDs and Blu-rays?

 Yesterday we performed the "ultimate load" test on the 787's wings. This represents 150% of the greatest load we ever expect a 787 to undergo in it's entire service life.

The test passed without incident and at maximum deflection, the wing-tips were 25 feet above "level".

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has a nice high-resolution photograph of the test.

A friend brought my attention to this short (three chapter) manga from 2008 titled School Mermaids. It's a quick read and, IMO, well worth the time: link.

In other news, the first 747-8 freighter took to the skies on Monday.

N787BA has successfully made her first flight.





Update - Bad weather brought her home early, but she's now safe on the ground.

If all goes well, the first 787 Dreamliner will take to the skies this week. The window for first flight is expected to open at 10am on Tuesday, however the clear (but bitterly cold) weather we have...enjoyed...the past couple of weeks is giving away to clouds and occasional snow. Since the first flights are made under Visual Flight Rules, poor weather can prevent her from taking off.

Today she started high speed taxi tests, momentarily lifting her nosewheel off the runway.



Picture Courtesy of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Celebrating it as usual with a Mystery Science Theater 3000 marathon.

*woof*

Back home after two months in Japan and one in Italy on work. I was able to take in the remainder of the Formula One season in person, including the amazing new track at the Yaz Marina in Abu Dhabi so it wasn't work every day - just most days.

But on the plus side, Top Gear Series 14 starts in a week. And in high-definition, no less!


Now if only we had Abu Dhabi's weather... 

The last episode aired in the UK about five hours ago and I've completed my second viewing. Not their best recent series (better than Series 11, but not as good as Series 12 or 9). They did, however, save their best episode for last. It was brilliant all the way through.

I'm not sure when BBC America will be showing it. They started Series 12 within a handful of weeks it ending in the UK so maybe it will be soon. I just hope BBC America HD is on our lineup by then (even though Top Gear is not filmed in HD, which is a shame, because the cinematography for the Aston Martin V12 Vantage was magnificent).

Until Series 14 starts sometime this Fall / Winter, I leave you with Jeremy Clarkson's Beat Box:

It's now 39°C (102°F) which is the hottest temperature ever recorded in Seattle. And it's still only 2:00PM.

And to think all of last week I was curing the rain and mid-20's in Tokyo.

Fortunately, my condo has central air conditioning so I at least don't need to worry about melting. :)

Last week the Japanese DVD of the latest Hayao Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli film: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (崖の上のポニョ, Gake no Ue no Ponyo) was released and my copy arrived last week.

I admit to the last decade of their work not really resonating with me like the first decade of their work did. Starting with Princess Mononoke, while I admired the films Miyazaki and the Studio (either under his direction or that of others), they were not ones I had a burning desire to go back and see with the exception of Tales of Earthsea (ゲド戦記, Gedo Senki).

But Ponyo... Ponyo is the Miyazaki I remembered and admired. I'll let Wikipedia handle the plot, but I have to say that I was totally enthralled. I showed it to my 30-month old nephew and he never moved an inch the entire 90 minutes. Joe Hisaishi contributed what was probably one of his greatest soundtracks ever which made the film only that much better.

Walt Disney is releasing this movie in theaters in the United States in mid-August and this may be the film that truly breaks out into mainstream American audiences.