Butt Hurt Hollywood.

So folks are extremely butt hurt over Ghost in the Shell being our lead character of Motoko is going to Scarlett Johansson and I sympathize. Nothing against the actress in general. But she already is playing this uber badass character through Black Widow. Hey Marvel, where's the solo Black Widow movie? Maybe a pair-up with Hawkeye and Black Widow and two solo films there. Scarlett's body of work has managed drama, superhero flicks, romantic comedies and even some sci-fi films. Quite few points on Johansson, she is all of 5'3" does a great degree of her own stunts and has the star power to pull off Major Kusanagi.

Do I really look like the Black Widow?

That being said, taking Japan out of a Japanese product seems like a bad move, Hollywood. I understand the risk of doing a series not widely known to John Q. Public unless he is a Manga/Anime fan so I do get wanting a better known actress as an attention grabber but again this creation should stay with Japanese source material and hey nutty idea, maybe snag a few headshots for Asian actors and actresses. 

 Now I know the exact argument could be said about white characters in Marvel have become black is an issue but considering the majority of these characters are white since 1964 and frankly a little alteration isn't a bad thing.  No I did not lose my mind after Idris Elba was made Heimdall because again not a huge ordeal.   Samuel L Jackson isn't white, brunette and gray in his hair.  So what?   Psst, white folk.  It's not the 1930s so accept that characters can swap sexes and skin tones so long as the region makes sense.   The backbone of this story is centrally located in Japan and it would make sense using those locations, people and background for the film.

The biggest complaint among the guys is there are " No big titted Japanese girls to play this role." Fellas fellas let us not be too sexist piggies here. A simple bodice gives the illusion of a stacked girl. Chiaki Kuriyama (Gogo from Kill Bill 1) and Eihi Shiina from Audition and Tokyo Gore Police are but two Japanese young women that could pull of the physicality of the character as well as the look.

Besides we can cast beyond Japanese to find a girl that fits the look of Motoko easily. Given her wirework, choreography and swordplay in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero and House of Flying Daggers Ziyi Zhang could take a shot at the role and she is Chinese. Hell I would love to see Ji-hyun Jun from the live action Blood: The Last Vampire also audition for this role and she hails from South Korea. Need something more current? Pacific Rim's Rinko Kikuchi, an actress that has done live action adaptations of anime as well as been a voice actor for anime.

I just think Hollywood needs a slap in the face, needing to wake up and realize that not every fricking superhero, sci-fi and horror fan is WHITE. No white power, Hollywood. That's bad touch. Do your damn homework, Hollywood. Inspire future writers, astonish the viewers and set the bar high for new productions. 

Hey kids, don't I look a bit like Dolph Lundgren? 

Missing in Anime: Hellsing

Well hello all and welcome to the beginning of the week. I noted I haven't had much anime in some time. Worry not. Already had the 50 lashes implemented. This time around I knew we have a series that paramilitary units dealing with legions of the undead under the Hellsing Organization, yes after the infamous doctor/vampire hunter. With that in mind, there always needs to be an ace up one's sleeve. This is Hellsing.

Best dressed psycho 50 years running.

Based on Kouta Hirano's manga (Angel Dust, Crossfire, Drifters, Deep, Gun Mania, Magic School and The Legends of Vampire Hunter) our series was first broadcast via Fuji TV in 2001 and 2002 then later released in the US in 2003 and finished 13 episodes long. The head of the Hellsing family, a noblewoman Sir Integra Hellsion inherited her position when her father died while she was thirteen. With links of MI5, the royals and even the Catholic Church, Hellsing is aware of too many things of politics and evils.

A competing organization known as the The Iscariot Organization (named after the apostle Judas Iscariot) does not view the Hellsing Organization a valid calling given they are Protestant faith and have been known to associate with vampires willing to stave off their own execution by assisting in taking out their own brethren are natural rivals. Their goals similar courses and even worked together depending on the case by case standing but this wing of the Vatican is charged with the pursuit and elimination of all that is deemed unholy and unnatural... start with the pedophiles there, fellas.

Rat race even catches up with the monsters.

A true trump card of Hellsing's is Alucard, an ancient vampire that Integra has at her disposal as well as a former member the the D11 elite police response unit, Seras Victoria, a fledgling vampire who is subordinate to Alucard. Armed with mystical powers, vampiric abilities and a .50 caliber semiautomatic and even a .454 semiautomatic (twice the stopping power of a .44), our vampire dons a garish red suit, white gloves, shades and inverness coat. With his wicked and sadistic nature he slaughters vampires and other such supernatural creatures for his amusements, bidding his time and living it up. Seras Victoria struggles with losing her humanity, the distain D-11 has for her and her new life as a vampire.

What appeared to be utter chaos actually starts show signs of slight of hand if you will, a power behind the power keeping the D-11, Helling and Iscariot organizations busy busy so evil can make a subtle move about. Can anything be done about it? What is the ancient evil? Will good prevail?

A darker organization known as Millennium has ties to the Nazi party creating vampires through artificial means, airships and advanced firearms. Before the final days of the war, Hitler created order 666 (yup insert Iron Maiden jokes) putting funds and research into supernatural for military purposes.

With all these watchdog enforcement or administrations, it makes you wonder who do these watchmen report to? A gothic tale with modern and classic views on monsters and how humanity can fight against it.

Ah...this could go better.

Anime Week: Blood: The Last Vampire

Welcome back readers of mine for Day 2 of Anime Week.  As promised, I am sticking solely with animated films rather than anything that spawned a series, mini-series or continuation of any sorts.  That in mind, we look at a film based on the manga work of writer Benkyo Tamaoki (The Sex Philes, Tokyo Red Hood and Necromansque) whose work was intriguing enough for director/writer Mamoru Oshii (Urusei Yatsura, Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell, The Animatrix and Assault Girls) a man of anime and live-action movies to push Tamaoki's creature into the medium of anime.  This is Blood: The Last Vampire.

I fight evil with my fishing rod!

David: You SPOILER! Don't ever piss her off again! As far as we know, she's the only remaining original!





Now some of you are probably a bit huffy and point out I have already done Blood: The Last Vampire from one of my many vampire weeks.  Well, simmer down and I would point out that the film previously was the live-action version directed by Ronny Yu (Bride of Chucky, Formula 51, Freddy vs. Jason and Fearless) and while the subject matter is the same, the story varies only slightly.   The year is 1966 in Japan.  A girl name of Saya that looks of all of sixteen takes the subway where she dispatches a man in a suit with a katana that she believes to be a bat creature known as chiropterans.  Because schoolgirls always carry a 300 time folded uchigatana blade in the event of pervs.  Her handler David arrives to deal with the mess and remove the body.  It is eluded to that they may be CIA but never confirmed out right so take a guess.
From Saya's predatory instincts and hunches she tells David that the chiropterans have most likely already evaded Yokota Air Base and with Vietnam on the rise, the airbase is already twitchy enough but they are way out of their depths with beings of this nature.  They will come out of hiding, feed and then sink back into the dark depths and Saya will never have another shot at them so she volunteers to go undercover as a schoolgirl to better patrol the base grounds.  Top that, Buffy.

Saya's just fitting in at school.

Running into the school nurse, Makiho Amano when two of Saya's fellow classmates Sharon and Linda complain about a headache.  Naturally Amano preps the ibuprofen when Saya bursts into the office slicing Linda in twine and wounding Sharon revealing they are chiropterans and of course freaking the ever-loving crap out of Amano.  Saya ends up snapping her sword in the process due to its constant wear and tear and must fight these beasties with a broken blade or whatever is available.  Trust me when I say I think a tire iron or poker from a fireplace would be deadly in this girl's hands is not an exaggeration.   Can Saya defeat these monsters before the SPs wake the bloody hell up or will Japan be shrouded in their eternal darkness for generations to come?

I just had a few fun facts about the film at this time.   Blood is the first completely digitally animated anime from Japan.  Due to a ridiculous time table and money not fully available this was supposed to be a 3 part story but instead got theater distribution instead as a full feature.  The interesting thing about this film is there is no English or Japanese version as at least 3 of the voice actor switch from Japanese to English depending on whom they are speaking to.  

This one manga spawned a series of light novels, a video game for the PSP, an animated series called Blood C to compliment our film of the day but that is another story and time.

Chiropterans secretly bomb Cambodia while maintaining plausible denability..

Grab Bag Week Returns: City Hunter

Good evening and hello for Day 4 of Grab Bag Week!!!   I got started late on this one because I selfishly spent time with my girlfriend.  Yes, boo and hiss!!!   I am sure I am free from the chopping block as I thought what we haven't touched base on in a while was japanimation or anime if you prefer.    Anime as you already may know is Japanese cartoons ranging from something sweet and lovable as Pokemon to adult themed action/horror/sci-fi as Vampire Hunter D.  There of course is also Hentai (NC-17 Adult anime which is sexual scenarios, adult language and adult themes) but that is really not on the menu for discussion at this time... or possibly ever.    This time I thought I would speak of the continuous story of writer/illustrator Tsukasa Hojo's manga (Japanese comic book/graphic novel) City Hunter.  A complex man that fears next to nothing but letting down a client.  He will defend his patron even to the point of his own death, this modern-day ronin defends the cause and consumer willing to stake their life on his skills...  and he is also a bit of a horn doggy. This is City Hunter.

Big Damn Hero.

Ryo Saeba: Mokkori spoilers!!!









Residing in Toyko, the streets can be a dangerous place, not every concern or danger is acknowledged by the police so what can a girl do?  Drop a XYZ note and meet with troubleshooter sweeper Ryo Saeba.  A private bodyguard/detective with excellent martial arts prowess, superb street smarts, lay of the land and expert marksman with a .357 Colt Python.   Aside from the fact that he comes across as a skirt chasing hedonistic pervert that should be on the watch list; when the peril is high, Saeba is at his "A" game laughing in the face of death and offering a myriad of bullets in thugs' way.    The irony that these sort of different aspects of his personality come to light at all are just happy coincidence that all his clients happen to be voluptuous and beautiful women.

Speed line dodge!!

His partner Kaori Makimura manages the business, handles and screens clients plus preps Saeba to "attempt" best behavior but cannot fathom why she puts up with him at all.  With his constant flirtatious mentality towards women, he commonly treats Kaori with respect and idle teasing leading her to believe she is not his type and/or attractive enough.

There is competition in the sweeper business as a rival sweeper named "Falcon" or Umibozu tends to butt heads with Ryo.  They clearly have a history together and while they may not always agree with each others outlooks on life, there is a mutual respect; in spite of the gags that are played on one another.  
Saeko Nogami, a Toyko police detective and daughter of the chief of police is constantly outsourcing gigs to City Hunter as a means to cut down on her increasing case loads, giving him a decent paycheck and the moron keeps trying to get in her skirt rather than just accept he is at best, a competent subordinate to her.  

Hmm, that sounded a bit SMBD there for a second.   The theme of this show is anything from organized crime figures and serial killers to full-blown paramilitary groups having a shoot out with Ryo.  No way to say how the wind will blow.

I had just a few highlights to get into on this particular sensation and then back to it.   A bit of background would establish Ryo grew up in Central America during the civil war giving his a disturbing past as he fled to Japan to team-up with Kaori's older brother Hideyuki Makimura to form City Hunter but Hideyuki was
murdered and his killers taken out, Ryo feels obligated to see no harm to come before Kaori or even pursue her as a potential lover.  An oath he keeps silent from her.

Damnable credits thwarting my every turn!!!