Giving Up On DVDs, But Not, I Hope, The Industry

Update: Thanks to something brought to my attention in the comments, I see that I need to get new sources for some of the info in this post (I apologize for publishing this rushjob but I’m trying to make a post-a-day quota. Won’t happen again.) Do read the comments, though.

Needless to say, the anime industry in the US has changed a lot in the ten years I’ve been buying DVDs. For the holidays, I got Canaan—the complete series—on 720p blu-ray for about 30 bucks—the price I would’ve paid at Suncoast for a single volume of anime five or so years ago. Thirteen-episode shows used to come out on four releases totaling over $100—now they cost $30 and come in thinpacks. 26-episode shows used to be on six to eight DVDs totaling nearly $200, whereas now they’re usually in the $50-60 range.

Otakon 2010 Post One: The Haul

I’m gonna be segmenting my Otakon coverage, partly because the thing as a whole is so massive, and partly because I want the sense of accomplishment from writing an Otakon post tonight without the incredible amount of work it’d take to do it all at once. So first up, I’ll start with the easy stuff: my haul.

Here's all of it together~

Finish or Fail 4 – Canaan Teaches Me An Important Lesson About Love

If you’ve been reading me since last September, you may remember that I was fanboying pretty hard about Canaan, and then suddenly stopped. As a matter of fact, as of the first 7 episodes, I was considering Canaan a ‘surefire favorite’. After two more episodes that weren’t quite as great, I was not deterred from loving the show, and yet somehow, I stopped watching it. Ghostlightning maintains that he will ‘never forgive me’ for not finishing the show when I’d convinced him to watch it to the end even though he didn’t like it. Why did I stop? That, my friends, is a matter of love.

200 (+) Anime Worth Taking With Us Into the Next Decade

100 Characters For 100 Otaku (Part Eleven: 50-46)

The eleventh post in “100 Characters For 100 Otaku.”

We are now over halfway through “100 Characters For 100 Otaku!!!” The crazy idea has come to life! I’m sure you’ve noticed after yesterday’s bunch that we’re really getting into the heart of my favorite characters!  I’m still getting more and more passionate about my subjects as we go! Now, let’s dive in to 50 through 46!

Canaan vs. Black Lagoon: A Battle of Battles – Don't F This Up (1)

A post in the “Don’t Fuck This Up” series. In reply to comment number 8, by Ghostlightning.

Canaan and Black Lagoon are without a doubt two of the most badass gun-slinging action anime ever produced. The two series have some similarities such as their high production values, dark urban setting, mostly female-dominated action, and, of course, boatloads (u-boatloads, even) of violence. That all said, the action scenes in both shows feature very different choreography from one another, which I will now explore.

Canaan 9 – A Bump in the Speedway

This image is a pretty good representation of this episode as a whole. As awesome as Yun Yun riding in Hakko’s lap ought to be, and as cute as that blush is, no one’s really smiling or excited about it. Think of Yun Yun sitting in Hakko’s lap as the awesomeness inherent in watching Canaan, and the cuteness of the blush as the highlights of the episode, but the worried expressions and furrowed brows as the general disappointment in a subpar episode. Once again, my partner No Name joins me to discuss the ups and downs.

Canaan 8 – Now With More Lesbian! (A Studious Observation!)

Okay! This is my first Canaan post, and I’m trying to blog it episodically from now on! So far, yuri anime Canaan is by far my favorite show of 2009 (though admittedly, it’s the only one I’ve seen more than 6 episodes of!) Every episode is a total blast, and it’s definitely the best action show I’ve seen since Baccano! So today, it’s episode 8 time, and I’ve brought back regular co-host No Name to help me through it! GET SOME!