Manga Monday - Princess Tutu

While not strictly Manga, I'm including it because it's one of the most lovely anime I've ever seen. It's a big favorite here. This is not the full song, just the opening to the series. The full song is 4 minutes long and is just as lovely as the short bit used here.

Text: (Romaji)

yondeiru koe
saa me wo samashite
nakigao nugutte
mabushii hikari kigi no tsuyu umareru

dare mo shiranai himitsu no mizube de
odore inochi no pa do du
kyou mo yume miteru
sore wa yasashiku
hageshii nagare ne

doko made tsuzuku rabirinsu
watashi wa yukou nigirishimeru yume

yonde iru koe
watashi ga hitsuyou?
kanashii no mayou no tobidatsu
tori yureteru hana
sasayaku

sayonara namida anata wa suteki yo
odore inochi no pa do du
ashita o yume mite

watashi ga yuku wa sono te ni watasou
egao hitotsu de hora ne konna ni atatakai

dare mo shiranai himitsu no mizube yo
odore inochi no pa do du
asu o yume miteru

sore wa yasashiku
hageshii nagare ne shiwase sagasu
rabiribsu watashi wa yuku no yo

Text: (English)

A voice is calling to me
Now I open up my eyes
Wipe the tears from my face
A brilliant light and the dew on the trees is born

At the secret place by the waterside that no one knows of
Dance the pas de deux of life
and im dreaming again today.

So I find myself gently
drifting in a tempestuous current.
Just how far will this labyrinth take me...
I'll go along, and hold on tightly to this dream...

The full series is available in Netflix dubbed in English.

#PeaceLove&Otaku

Manga Monday - Keroro Gunsou

To follow up with Friday's video of Afro Sargeant (Afuro Gunsou) from Sgt. Frog (Keroro Gunsou) I'm sharing with you my oldest child's renderings of the Keronians. May I present to you:

Keroro Gunsou - Sgt. Frog

Corporal Geroro

Sgt. Major Kululu

Lance Corporal Dororo

Private 2nd Class Tamama

If you want to draw your own Keronians, check out this video:

#PeaceLove&Otaku

Funky Friday

I don't speak Japanese. But this has such a catchy hook that I just can't not share it with you. The clip is one of the endings to Keroro Gunsou (Sgt. Frog) a fun anime about alien frogs (Keronians) coming to take over the Earth (Pekopon). My kids think this is the best show since the history of television. The first couple of seasons are available on Netflix, but the entire run of the show is available at AnimeCrazy.net.

#PeaceLove&Otaku

The Elder Princess Ella Speaks Out

This post is dedicated to my new YouTube series "The Elder Princess Ella Speaks Out". New TEPESOdes will air semi-regularly on whatever nugget of information the Elder Princess Ella desire to pontificate about. Be warned, she can be fairly random but also well-informed. This TEPESOde is about the "Mean Kitty", Sparta. Sparta is a YouTube sensation (as is smpfilms).

Here's the TEPSODE in it's entirety:

Thanks to Cory Williams/Mr Safety of smpfilms for letting us use the "Mean Kitty Song" as our underscore.

YouTube Strikes Again

Ok, so if you know YouTube, you know The Mean Kitty Song. The same guy who did Mean Kitty did this video. I've commented the "innuendo" video a couple of times and I can't get it out of my head. Not for the reason that Mr. Safety had in mind, I'm sure.

I've been pondering whether or not it "crosses the line". I guess it really depends on what the definition of "is" is. One one level it doesn't necessarily bother me. It's just frakking stupid. And that's OK, I guess. On another level, though, for someone who wants a career in filmmaking, it seems like an amateurish cheap shot.

For instance, Quentin Tarantino started out as an indy filmmaker. Love him or hate him, he really knows how to make a movie. He understands the medium and knows how to use it to tell a story. I'd class him with any of the great filmmakers from the last 100 years.

I guess I'm worried that sophomoric humour is what we've fallen to as a society. Are we doomed to a Beavis and Butthead lifestyle? Or can upcomer indy filmmakers - many of whom are stretching their fledgling wings at YouTube - create real art that entertains?