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The Stream - When It Pours

Also, the location research is fantastic! The Houston Space Center depicted looks exactly like I remember from my childhood family vacation (can anyone who's been there recently attest to this?).

cee-ripes Bamboo, That had to have been what, 61/2 - 7 hours of shows just for this one column? Plus a 8,000 word write up. How long did it take you to get through all that? Good show Bamboo.

When I was a child, I distinctly remember an incident where I drank so much cherry-flavored Icee that I spent an entire night vomiting red, sugary misery.

Space Brothers has been lagging a bit in terms of pace the last couple of episodes. I do like how the director includes little tributes to other movies about space -- the lung capacity testing scene from The Right Stuff and the thumb covering the moon from Apollo 13. I also found the depiction of transport in Houston pretty funny; relying on a bicycle and public transportation in a city built on petroleum would only make sense to a foreign author. My vision of Houston tends more to Peter Riegert's character driving his Porsche down the thruway in the opening of the movie Local Hero.

Thanks for those comments, GokuMew2, but I hope you aren't intending to talk about differences between the manga and the anime in future posts about Uchuu Kyoudai. Personally speaking as an anime-only viewer, I don't care what was in the manga.

Actually if you want to engage in a discussion about this show, I suggest you post in the thread about the show itself.

yuna49 wrote:

Thanks for those comments, GokuMew2, but I hope you aren't intending to talk about differences between the manga and the anime in future posts about Uchuu Kyoudai. Personally speaking as an anime-only viewer, I don't care what was in the manga. Actually if you want to engage in a discussion about this show, I suggest you post in the thread about the show itself.

The anime has been quite close to the manga so far so I don't feel the need to compare them, and I'm pretty sure the anime will be a faithful adaptation. I only posted here about the movie because I remember someone mentioning the movie before and I had said that I would be watching it. Sorry if you felt I posted in the wrong section. (I only post/check threads for articles on the site and not the actual forum itself.)

I'd like to also point out that the places in tsuritama are also based on places in Enoshima. My Japanese friend goes around to locations used in anime and he went to Enoshima last month. You can view the tsuritama locations here.

I have been living in Houston for over 10 years had taken my young cousin to Johnson Space Center last year (or Space Center Houston - not Houston Space Center). Yes, the depiction is fairly accurate. Of course, there are more displays inside the center then what have been depicted. There are also more rooms for films, documentaries, and movies, etc. The place is trying to be kids-friendly so there are models hanging off the ceiling and on display, etc. These are not shown so it gives the center a more sterile feeling than it really is.

In addition, in Ep. 4, they have done a great job depicting the park ("Houston Sun Park" - known as the Hermann Park) and the airport. The landmarks surrounding the Park as shown on Mutta's GPS are completely accurate.

#1 - Kids on the Slope [ep. 1-3]

The smash hit of the season, Kids on the Slope reunites Cowboy Bebop producer Shinichiro Watanabe with acclaimed composer Yoko Kanno, which in anime fandom is not unlike the brouhaha of seeing Guns ‘n’ Roses do a reunion tour. A love sonnet to jazz music, Kids on the Slope is all at once nostalgic and exhilarating. For those who haven't had a chance to watch it yet, the series follows three friends—sweet class president Ritsuko, hoodlum-with-a-heart-of-gold and drummer Sentaro, and the shy transfer student Kaoru. The latter inadvertently becomes friends with Sentaro, who introduces him to jazz, a thrilling departure from the strict confines of classical piano that Kaoru grew up with. As the two cement their friendship, Kaoru finds himself crushing on Ritsuko and dealing with the pains of high school romance.

What's immediately noticeable about Kids on the Slope is the painstakingly beautiful and detailed animation. The animators have gone to great lengths to make sure that everything is lifelike and realistic—Sentaro's drumming matches the incidental music perfectly; when Kaoru plays Debussy, he plays the right notes. No corners have been cut, and it pays off. It's a breathtaking piece of art, and it carries with it an indescribable air—whether it's the subdued color palette or the folksy character designs, the series carries an atmosphere of mid-century nostalgia.

At its core, Kids on the Slope is also a wonderfully feel-good story about friendship. Kaoru and Sentaro are an odd couple, but it's heart-warming to see their relationship grow. There's a priceless scene in which the two are angry at each other, but through a jam session, warm up to each other and end in laughter. It's male camaraderie at its rosiest, and it's hard not to smile when the two begrudgingly fall into friendship.

It's hard to sell Kids on the Slope. It's a slice of life show, which already puts it at a disadvantage amongst the crowd who crave either laughter or action, but it's also hard to succinctly describe why this series is so enjoyable. There's something pleasurable and comforting about watching this series, like drinking Coca-Cola from a glass bottle on a hot summer day; it's not the actual event or action, but the connotation of good memories in years past. Still, Kids on the Slope deserves to be lauded, and I can only hope that Watanabe's name is enough to convince fans to give the series a shot. It's beautiful to watch and easy on the heart, and if you're a music lover, it'll definitely bring a smile to your face.

#4 - Fate/Zero [ep. 14-16]

It's easy to see why Fate/Zero is so popular. Visually, it's spectacular. The fights are eerily beautiful and lovingly choreographed, and it's obvious that the production team wasn't willing to fall back on standard sword clashes. The battles are so unique and interesting that one can't help but sit back and gawk every episode, whether it's between two weapon wielders, two flying machines, or a bevy of monsters. Combined with impeccable sound design and a swelling soundtrack, these action scenes take Fate/Zero to the next level.

The second season picks up right where the first season left off, continuing the Holy Grail War and the events around it. There's a conflict between Saber and Lancer that's been a long time in the making, and even though it's a little nerve-wracking to watch, it good to see the series heading toward the finish line. While it was at times frustrating in the first season that none of the characters were being disposed of, things are definitely getting more serious and I'm more than ready for the show to start crescendoing. It looks like this season is off to a good start.

It seems more based on your personal feelings rather than a general overview.

Do you even know who produced Fate/Zero since your so good at pointing out the producers in Sakamichi no Apollon?
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Did you get the storyline from beyond what's presented in Fate/Zero?

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This has got to be one of the worst previews for a season I have ever, ever read.

Bamboo Dong, what type of research do you use when you do a preview?

It seems more based on your personal feelings rather than a general overview.

You're so good at typing a full list of goodies about Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope)

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But you certainly fail to do a more proper preview on Fate/Zero?

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Do you even know who produced Fate/Zero since your so good at pointing out the producers in Sakamichi no Apollon? ... Dis-APPOINTING.

You definitely didn't dive deep enough in the whole Fate Series and in fact didn't play the visual novel, either. Do you even know anything about the visual novel and where it stands? Do you know where Fate/Zero stands among the viewers compared to Sakamichi no Apollon? What points did you get from Fate/Zero's first season that you didn't like? Did you get the storyline from beyond what's presented in Fate/Zero (obviously not, looking at your preview)?

ANN is good for one thing ... News. Everything else is garbage.

Edit -- Before I even forget, there's even a more mesh-mash across your seasonal preview ... sigh ...