I’m sure that as many of you began watching anime, you noticed how different it was from western animation. The content and art style are certainly two notable aspects that differentiate this medium from western animation. However, these are not necessarily unique to anime with a lot of western animation now embracing the content and art style. Instead, I want to focus on the differences in animation techniques and how they give anime a distinct feel. In order to explain how the animation techniques of anime are so unique, I first have to explain the techniques of western animation. Looking…
Category: Anime
I was browsing the internet when I came across the trailer for the new Lupin the 3rd film. Titled “Lupin the Third: The First”, it is going to be the first Lupin the 3rd film to be animated in 3D CGI (Computer Generated Imagery). As established in “Discotek Media Spotlight“, I’m a big fan of Lupin the 3rd. Watching the trailer, I felt mostly okay with the style of animation (although I feel that they ruined Daisuke Jigen’s character design) but I still had to question the decision of why this film is CG. I wish to start by saying…
I’m sure that by now it has become clear that I’m not content with merely watching the most recent media. However, it can be difficult getting my hands on older anime shows and movies. While we have seen various distributors such as Anime Ltd and even Funimation dipping into the classics, I want to bring particular attention to Discotek Media. Let’s start with their origins. Discotek Media was founded in 2005, making them relatively recent by distributor standards, with a goal of releasing vintage anime. Since then, Discotek Media have released a vast amount of series, movies and OVAs and,…
There is a question that always frustrates me a little when I’m asked. If something is wrong with me and I go see a doctor, I’m asked “On a scale of 1 to 10, how is your pain?” This is a very important question for doctors to ask but what bothers me about it is that it relies on the patients interpretation of their own pain. A pain of 5 for one patient could be a 3 to another patient. In that same way, I can sometimes feel that is applicable when it comes to scoring media. Scoring media is…
I’m sure that, if you’re an anime fan, the thought of “How does anime actually make money?” has crossed your mind. It’s an understandable question. Starting with a fact that may surprise you, let’s take a look at a list of the TV ratings of animated TV series airing in Japan between October 21st and 27th 2019. If you examine this article, you’ll notice that, while some shows such as One Piece, Detective Conan and My Hero Academia are familiar to anime fans in the west, most of the shows on the list are unfamiliar to western fans. These mainstream…
As has been well-established in “Why I like Anime” and “Why I love Halloween again!“, I am a big fan of both Horror and Animation. It is a shame then how infrequent horror animation is. I know what you’re thinking “Immortallium, are you mad? There are tons of horror animated movies/shows.” However, hear me out. It is true that there are many animated movies and shows that dabble in horror. However, I think there is a big difference between dabbling in horror and embracing it. In the past when I have complained about the dearth of Horror Animation, people have…
It should come as no surprise to you that I am a proponent for collecting physical media whether it be DVDs, Blu-rays, novels, manga etc. In an age where streaming services have rapidly grown and with the rise of eBooks, many people have questioned me on my preference for physical media. Allow me to explain. The first and most obvious answer is that I like to collect. While I can collect eBooks and digital film and TV shows, I feel a great satisfaction from having a physical collection that I can reliably pick up. Apple’s terms of service for iTunes…
I think it’s fair to say that most people reading this will be familiar with the narrative of World War II. The deadliest conflict in all of history fought between the opposing alliances of the Allies and the Axis. These alliances made up the vast majority of the world’s countries and even the nations that remained neutral felt the effect of the war. Growing up in Ireland, the majority of media I consumed were either American or British. These typically portrayed the war in a very black and white fashion. The Allies were heroes who were welcomed wherever they went…
This might seem like a strange topic but I thought I might explain how I got into anime and why it appeals to me. To start off, it is important to state that I have always adored animation. As a child, I grew up watching Disney, Pixar and Don Bluth movies and they had a strong impact on me, showing me complicated themes and evoking powerful emotions in a visually pleasing package. As I continued to grow up, it is no surprise that I got interested in Pokemon (the whole world pretty much was at the time) but I also…
You may or may not be aware that 2019 is the 40th anniversary of the airing of the original Gundam series which debuted on the 7th of April, 1979. This, of course, is a significant milestone and cause to be celebrated by Gundam aficionados and newcomers alike. However, Gundam can be intimidating to many and so I thought I’d give an introduction to the franchise. The first thing to note is that Gundam is a mecha series but, more importantly, it’s a war series with the vast majority of Gundam content taking place during times of war and conflict. The…