Grabbed some lunch and then hit the presentation from the Japanese consulate. It was geared towards tourism and could have used some polish for their presentations. However, one presentation, despite some DVD related technical difficulties, introduced me to Tottori Prefecture. Had never heard of the sand dunes there. Might be worth checking out some day.

While waiting to get into that panel, a translator was showing the other Japanese guest band Bespa Kumamero. The guy from Bespa was surprisingly tall. The previous day Jm and I had passed the Kalafina entourage in the hall. After the tourism panel finished, we headed down to the main hall to see if we could get into the Kalafina concert. Was a bit concerned we wouldn't given the packed house last year for the pillows concert.

Found the line moving into the auditorium and hopped in the end; there was a good crowd for the concert but nowhere near as packed as last year. The upper balconies had one small group, and that might have been staff. Opening for Kalafina was the local Video Game Orchestra; they brought a chamber music version of the group as a full orchestra and choir simply would not fit. Good group... would love to see a performance of the full group at some point.

And then it was time for the main act; while Kalafina's music isn't my preferred taste, it was worth it simply to see what their live show is like. They were good sports when reading their prepared English statements and had some fun with the crowd to compensate. The one error they made was not coming back out quickly enough for their encore by Kaijura Yuji. A good chunk of the crowd had already filed out by the time she came on stage. We saw them come back out but decided to head out to the next things we wanted to see.

Jm split off to go to another voice acting related workshop; I headed off to Funimation's premiere of Romeo x Juliet. When it first made the rounds in fandom, I wasn't sure if this would be something I'd watch through. Coming out of the (dubbed) showing, I'm still unsure; it is an interesting spin on the story but really didn't hook me overall. Might wait until a decent sale to pick this one up or try to convince Chris to let me review it.

And that was it; thought about staying for the dance hosted by Bespa Kumamero, but there wasn't anything I really wanted to do to kill the three to four hours until then. I am hoping that the industry will rebound enough to allow the con to book more Japanese industry guests.

Past the line and into... hmm...

Room to breathe

Kalafina and Kajiura Yuki

Tea for... many

ADV & Voice Acting

Premier time!

Good night

Nero presents the major problem I have with the film; based on the rare bits of dialogue he is given, he wants revenge on the Federation for letting his home world be destroyed, effectively dooming his race. Fate has flung him back in time, long before the Federation were powerful and long before the danger to his planet. His grand plan for revenge is to destroy every planet that has joined the Federation. Really? You would not rather share your future technology and knowledge with your home planet thus ensuring their safety and allowing them to enslave all those you feel wronged you?

Also bothersome was the need to make overt references to the past series. It felt too forced, too much "Hey look... we love the old series, and here are your favorite references to prove it!" A prime example is an exchange between Kirk and Sulu; they have just barely met and are on their way to a hand-to-hand combat situation. Kirk asks Sulu what sort of advanced combat training he has had; the reply is "fencing". How much more effective it would have been to remove that line and simply let Sulu brandish his sword. The long time Trek fans would pick up on the reference, and those new to the franchise, the audience this film is ultimately trying to draw, would simply see a really cool, albeit stereotypical, character on screen kicking some Romulan ass.

If I put aside these irritations, this is a decent film that gives the franchise the kick in the pants it needs to hopefully move forward and start exploring interesting ground again. These are not the same characters most of us grew up with, not the same universe we saw them exploring. Hopefully, the next film in the franchise will capitalize and let them reproduce what made the original series endure -- using the future to hold up a mirror to our present.

Despite the urging of many friends, I have yet to become of one Joss Whedon's many followers; Buffy never interested me much despite the presence of Alyson Hannigan. The ads for Firefly never excited me enough to check it out. The only work of his prior to this I sat through was Dr. Horrible. I respect his abilities as a writer, but his work has yet to really "click" with me.

When the ads for Dollhouse first aired, my curiosity was piqued by its concept of a mystery based around a woman whose identity has been stripped and replace with one a client orders. OK, yes... having a scantily clad Eliza Dushku certainly drew me in as well. Would this be the series that converted me to the cult of Whedon?

An intriguing concept

The series opens and introduces us to the character of Caroline, a young woman who appears to have been backed into a very difficult corner. Her only viable option is an offer from a woman named DeWitt; trade in five years of your life to be an "active" and have your slate wiped clean. Flash forward a bit, and we learn who and what the actives are. The Dollhouse provides their clients their ultimate fantasies by imprinting actives, attractive young men and women, with tailored personalities. Each active has had their original personality removed and stored on a hard drive; when not on an engagement, they are imprinted with a naive, childlike personality that is easily controlled.

Most of the initial episodes deal with Caroline, now code named Echo, going out on engagements ranging from baby sitting a depressed pop diva to negotiating the release of a hostage. Over time, we see glimpses that her original personality may not be as wiped as though; we are also introduced to "Alpha", an active that experienced an "episode" that led to a rather bloody escape from the Dollhouse, along with a number of other characters.

Ballard, you so crazy!

What I found to be the weakness of the series are the characters developed, and there is no better example than FBI agent Paul Ballard. From the start, we see him as the laughingstock of the agency, an agent obsessed with chasing what everyone believes is a myth. His obsession grows when he receives a mysterious envelope that introduces him to Caroline and urges him to rescue her from the Dollhouse. But why was he so obsessed and driven originally? The writers did some brilliant things to his character over the course of the season, but it was difficult to connect and care about him without some clue as to why he was willing to persevere.

Many of the characters suffered from this flat, stereotypical portrayal; Topher the geek... Dominic the uptight head of security... the stoic but self-righteous DeWitt trying to keep the Dollhouse running smoothly... The series had thirteen episodes to help flesh these characters out and make the audience care about them, yet it seemed to only push them along to hold up the plot.

Really? That's who Caroline was...

What is worse is that the glimpse into Caroline's past completely turned me off on her plight; she basically got into the mess through her own naive stupidity. This could have been tolerable if they had not reduced her past self to a boring caricature of a young adult railing against corporate greed. Also, her revealed past makes it difficult to reconcile why she would suddenly choose to accept an offer she would find morally repugnant and become a doll.

The bright spots

There were some bright spots in the series other than Eliza's scantily clad, toned body cavorting on screen. Echo's "handler" Boyd is an example that the show can build an interesting character. Boyd is clearly from a law enforcement background, but we know little about why he is at the Dollhouse. He manages to fit in with the Dollhouse yet seem completely out of place at the same time. While most of the staff tread carefully around DeWitt, Boyd feels no compunction about voicing his concerns or doubts about DeWitt's decisions or slipping in a carefully worded remark to make a point.

The other bright spot is that the series seems willing to budget money for a brilliant fight choreographer. Episode six features an amazing sequence between Echo and Ballard; this is what an actual fight for your life should look like -- grabbing anything and everything at hand and using it to take your opponent down hard. Pure, brilliant choreography I have not seen on television other than 24. Ballard gets another brilliant sequence against Boyd in episode twelve.

Will I keep watching?

The key question is if this will remain on my DVR schedule next season. Yes, I am currently assuming it will be back for a second go; not sure it will actually make it through a second season though. Really on the fence on this one; it has done little to change my opinion of Whedon -- good writer, just not for my tastes. If they keep it on after Sarah Connor Chronicles, I'll likely let it record only to see if they reveal more about Boyd. Otherwise, I could let this series pass by without regrets.

After both of Logan's fathers are dead, the pair go on the run right into a montage of the pair fighting through various wars starting with the US Civil War. The slow motion bits worn a bit thin, but this was still a great way to quickly introduce the pair and how their lives have developed. Victor has embraced his mutation and revels in bloodshed. Logan appears to follow out of the bond of brotherhood. However, Logan severs this bond after the secret military unit of mutants led by William Stryker are on a mission in Africa. Stryker wants Victor to slaughter villagers, and Logan decides he's had enough of bloodshed.

The rest of the film centers around the manipulation of Logan by Stryker and Victor for their own purposes. There is a decent amount of action and plenty of comedic touches at just the right moments. The fight sequences are good, but the film falls a bit flat in its pacing. Numerous characters are introduced giving a patchwork feel to the scenes; we have this character in the film, so we need to have a scene with them. Now, a scene with this character... It just did not flow smoothly.

Overall, I enjoyed watching this version of Wolverine's beginning; glad I saw it on the big screen though I don't think I would have missed much if I waited until the DVD with its sure to have added footage.

Synopsis:

A wealthy woman and her son are dead from an apparent hunting accident and suicide. The daughter, Princess Mira Julietta Vesparand, pulls the old Prince and the Pauper maneuver with Detective Conan's friend Mouri Ran. It is up to the great Detective Conan to switch them back and discover the truth behind that fateful day.

Complicating the issue is the wily thief Lupin the Third, and he is after the "Queen Crown" owned by the Vesparand family. When two of legendary characters meet, who will win the day?!

Review (spoilers ahead):

When this cross-over was first announced, I was cautiously optimistic on how well the two franchises would mesh. Master detective versus a master thief... this is definitely a formula that could produce some solid entertainment. After it aired, I found myself in no particular hurry to sit down and watch it. The little promotion I saw of the special did little to pique my interest. I have only a passing knowledge of the Detective Conan series, but this special can be accurately summed up as a Conan story that just happens to feature the cast from Lupin the Third.

Lupin vs Conan... while not an original title, it grabs one's interest by conjuring imagery of an epic clash between two of the sharpest knives in anime's drawer of intellect. Yet, the titular pair do not even meet until an hour into the special; from there, they barely cross paths again until the end where the manage to help each other uncover the truth behind the the death of Mira's mother and brother.

Setting aside the lack of understanding of "versus" by the writer, the story does work well as a mystery and serves as a good introduction to the Conan franchise. You come away with a sense of how the series blends humor into its narrative without slighting Conan's deductive reasoning. As a fan of Lupin, you come away with some decent visual nods to the franchise but otherwise unimpressed by the lack of action.

A man has setup a lucrative trade in human organs for transplants and funnels the profits to a terrorist organization. Some government calls in Duke to stop the flow of money by stopping the flow of blood in this man and his bodyguard JJ. The catch this time is the target lives on an island encased in bulletproof glass. The only possible shot would be to ricochet a bullet off the water of the pool and into the main house. JJ, who just happens to be an Olympic gold medal shooter, assures everyone in elaborate detail that there is no possible angle to do this, and the magic of computers back him up on this point.

I think I have hit upon a solution that would make Golgo 13 slightly more entertaining to watch. Take a page from the original episodes of Urusei Yatsura and fill the 30 minute time slot with two, or possibly more, stories. Gone would be the plodding exposition explaining why the target is impossible and any other MacGuffins needed to fill the allotted time. Instead, you have a tight story that introduces the target, briefly explains the difficulty, and then right to watching Golgo 13 proving them all wrong. Otherwise, you just have episode after episode like this one; 20 minutes of ponderous setup for about five minutes of interesting content.

After a lengthy hiatus, we're skipping ahead three episodes to see what the latest target Golgo 13 is. An agent charged with compiling the medical secrets of powerful people has decided to play every side. He is selling secrets to whoever will pay, and the British government has decided his services should be retired. The catch... they are assigned to protect him until he arrives in Switzerland. Rather than risk sullying their hands, Duke is tasked with somehow breaking through the extensive British security and ensure the medical record on this agent reads DOA.

Unless your brain defaults to "no activity" when Golgo 13 airs, and at this point I wouldn't blame anyone for doing so, you will figure out within the first five minutes how Duke is going to accomplish his goal. This leaves the twist on what the target really is, but that is also telegraphed numerous times during the episode. Skip this one; you won't miss much at all.

Buy it at RightStuf.com
Buy it at Amazon.com

Buy it at RightStuf.com
Buy it at Amazon.com

Buy it at RightStuf.com
Buy it at Amazon.com

I finally managed to carve out enough time to sit down and enjoy the last nine episodes of Macross Frontier in one sitting. While it had its flaws near the end, the series provided a solid, entertaining close. It has to rush to tie up sixteen episode's worth of schemes, back story, and overall character motivation, but it manages to do so without tiring exposition or overly contrived devices.

It is a pity that this series will likely never see a legitimate release in the US; created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Macross, it does not capture the same timeless magic of the original but comes very close. The story does not captivate merely with mecha and female eye candy; it has plenty of that but also provides a solid story and enjoyable characters. Loved this series; one of the better ones I've seen lately. Read on for a more in-depth, spoiler filled breakdown.

Spoilers ahead

Episode 17 - Cool scenes can only be done once...

With an episode title of "Goodbye Sister", it seemed like Ozma was headed for the final sortie in the sky. Ozma reminisces about the past, specifically bringing Ranka into his life, leaving little hope he'll be around much longer. But he and the rest of the Frontier crew have much to do first. Michel asks a Klan Klan, who is dropping ten ton hints about her love for him, for help identifying the mysterious pill he found on Sheryl. Ranka and Alto have a serious discussion about the ethics and purpose of fighting the Vajra. Luca is pulled a bit closer into the inner circle of the Leon and Grace conspiracy. Of great importance though is the revelation that the Vajra are learning how to resist the fleet's weaponry.

A fierce battle rages forcing the SMS to face the Vajra in hand to hand combat. Ozma is particularly charged up to protect the women -- Cathy and Ranka -- he loves. Those that have seen the original Macross series can put this and a previous discussion about pineapple cake together and guess what might be coming up. Ozma returns to the fleet and enjoys a quiet moment with Cathy at Ranka's latest concert. As the repair crew checks Ozma's seat, we see Ozma say that Ranka doesn't need him anymore; pull back and Cathy finds Ozma bleeding profusely.

However, this is only another homage to one of the most memorable scene of the original series if not all of anime. We quickly learn Ozma is recovering in the hospital, and Michel completes the homage by saying it would have been the coolest scene ever if Ozma had died. Indeed, it might have been, but the writers had the good sense to realize you cannot reproduce magic simply through mimicry. The title and the episode rather mean that Ozma has finally realized Ranka is a woman now with her own path to walk. Some might roll their eyes at the Roy Fokker head fake, but this was a solid episode that acknowledges that no one can ever top the original.

Episode 18 - Fame and life are both fleeting

Grace's malevolence knows no bounds; as Sheryl confronts Grace about being Ranka's manager, Grace informs Sheryl that her time as an idol is not the only thing nearing its end. Sheryl has a V (for Vajra) type infection, an incurable infection that will kill Sheryl soon. Michel's investigation into Sheryl's pill reveals the same fact along with a surprise about Grace's past. However, Sheryl's first thought is to keep this a secret from Alto; Michel immediately understands her feelings but tries to nudge Alto to Sheryl without telling him the truth. In the midst of this, the fleet is attempting a dangerous plan for a long distance fold and leave the Vajra permanently behind.

Seems like we might be getting another head fake on the death front, but the episode works well to highlight Sheryl's strength and weaknesses. She does not want to die but realizes she is powerless against the disease ravaging her body. It is hard to imagine the series killing off Sheryl, but the episode does an excellent job of pulling you into Sheryl's emotions.

Episode 19 - Awakenings

The fleet has successfully folded away from the Vajra, and everyone is in the mood to celebrate. However, Ranka is shirking her publicity duties to search for the missing Ai-kun and is dragging Brera along with her. Alto sneaks into the Saotome mansion to visit with a recovering Sheryl. Sheryl states that she is done with singing, a fact Alto has difficulty believing. Brera questions Ranka on why she sings, and Ranka realizes she is singing for one man's love. Meanwhile, Leon is planning to assassinate the president and assume control of the fleet. Cathy and Ozma learn of this when they confront Leon about his other treacherous dealing.

As the sniper takes aim, Ranka runs from the end of her concert towards Alto, ready to confess her love for him. She instead finds Sheryl and Alto together. Luca sees a drawing of Ai-kun and realizes Ai is a Vajra larva. Cliffhanger!!!! Loved this episode as it shows once again the writers understand what made the original series special. Even in the midst of extraordinary events, people still want to find happiness and love. But life is never simple and simply hands you either.

Episode 20 - In the shadow of death

It all falls apart; the Vajra had a large nest inside the Frontier, and everything has hatched at once. Ranka's heart ache pours itself into her song and enrages rather than confuses the swarming Vajra. In the midst of the chaos, Leon succeeds in his coup and assumes command of the fleet. Sheryl finds the strength to sing again.

The heart of this episode is Klan confessing her love outright to Michel, and his realization that he loves her back. This ensures Michel's death minutes later trying to defend Klan from the Vajra. While I never connected much with Michel's character, the mirror his death holds up to the love triangle is poignant. Take a hold of love and happiness while you can; Michel's death may not have the impact Roy's death did, but it still stings.

Episode 21 - Farewell

A desperate battle clears the ships of the Vajra but leaves the fleet with precious few resources left. Ranka decides she can't sing anymore and runs away. She finds a freshly transformed Ai and decides she wants to help Ai find his original home. Her memories have also been slowly returning. She tries to convince Alto to help her, but Alto only sees the Vajra as a threat to humanity. Brera instead comes to Ranka's side and helps her leave the fleet. As she leaves, she finally and tearfully tells Alto she loves him and wanted him to be by her side.

Just a beautiful episode with perfectly matched music...

Episode 22 - Forever and a day

With Ranka's departure, Alto has thrown himself into his work, and Sheryl has thrown herself back into music finally connecting back to her love and passion for it. However, Michel's death makes Klan Klan decide to tell Alto about Sheryl's condition. Alto has the worst luck with women; his mother died from an illness. Ranka has left him for love of a bug, and Sheryl is also dying from an illness. Alto confronts Sheryl, and the pair finally tear down the emotional walls between them. Alto vows to stay by Sheryl's side until the end.

Leon boldly moves against Grace in order to become the only ruler of the galaxy; Ozma and Cathy make it back to the Macross Quarter and inform them of Leon's betrayal. Most of them decide to go rogue and leave the fleet. Alto refuses to understand their actions and stays behind. Another brilliant piece that twists the action and characters together; they simply are not reacting to events. They are shaping them with their actions and finding their own desperate paths. The episode ends with Ranka finding the Vajra homeworld. Cliffhanger!!!

Episode 23 - The board is set

Sheryl and Alto have settled down together and share a romantic meal. Across the galaxy, the Vajra have taken Ranka away from Brera. Her memories return, and she realizes it was her song that brought the Vajra to her colony and destroyed everyone. Grace uses this manipulate Ranka into helping her with her plan.

The Vajra are a collective entity able to communicate across the universe via fold waves. Grace intends to use this power through the Vajra queen for her own ends. Exposition heavy, the episode sets up the final plot points to close out the series. Alto realizes he loves Ranka enough to kill her if she is being used as a tool for the Vajra. Grace and Leon all appear to want to use the Vajra as a tool for control over humanity. Brera learns briefly that he is Ranka's brother. We are setup for the final gambit.

Episode 24 - The pieces march

Here is where the series breaks down a bit for me; we learn that Grace was part of a science team that included Sheryl and Ranka's mother. They were studying the Vajra and their ability to communicate as a collective via fold waves. Ranka's mother contracted the V type virus while pregnant. This left the mother on death's door but with an immunity and a tie to the Vajra collective in Ranka. Grace intends to use Ranka to decipher the Vajra communication protocol, absorb into the queen, and use the Vajra to force humanity into her servitude.

Where the series stumbles is in Leon's actions; he seemingly was going along with this plan though more to control humanity by using the Vajra's power to establish a monopoly on intergalactic travel. However, he seems obsessed with destroying the Vajra completely, something that contradicts his entire actions to this point. Not sure if this is a misunderstanding on my part due to the translation, but I can't make this leap in his behavior.

I can overlook this plot hole though as the rest of the story sucks me into it. Sheryl sends Alto out to save Ranka, but it appears Ranka is trying to protect the Vajra from the fleet. The fleet attempts to jump into Vajra space and forcibly land on the homeworld. As the battle rages, Brera hits Alto's fighter, sending it into a fireball in front of Sheryl.

Episode 25 - An end, a beginning

The Quarter chooses this time to jump into the battle and reveal Grace and Leon's villainous plans. Leon's motivations at this point still bother me; the plot didn't hold together this thread well enough. Alto is still alive and tells everyone that the giant Ranka in front of them is an illusion. The Quarter tears through the illusion and reveals the Galaxy has survived and is another tool in Grace's plan.

Grace has taken over the queen and her power over the collective; Sheryl is on death's door. All seems hopeless until Ranka's true song begins to ring out. She has broken free of Grace's control and turns the Vajra into the fleet's comrades. Ranka also moves the deadly V type virus from Sheryl's brain into her intestines, giving Sheryl the same immunity and power as Ranka. With their spirits united, Alto confesses that both of them give him his wings. The pair sings the fleet to victory.

Skillfully woven into the action are the final bits of exposition that tie up the lingering threads. Ranka's tie to the Vajra enabled her to sing the Vajra love song, her famous "Ai mo Ai mo" refrain. This song drew the horny Vajra to the planet where they first experienced the chaotic human mind. As a collective, they couldn't understand why Ranka would be with such a disharmonious race and tried to save her. But Sheryl's unique voice helped the Vajra understand humanity to an extent.

Bilrer's motivation was to use the Vajra's power to find Lynn Minmei; this didn't work for me either. Just didn't fit his actions across the series. The Vajra leave humanity to their homeworld and fold into parts unknown. Alto finally gets his free, open sky, and Sheryl and Ranka vow to never back down in singing or in their love for Alto.

Final thoughts

Overall, I have few complaints with Frontier; loved the characters and loved the overall story. Brilliant music throughout, great action... It stumbled at times especially near the end, but I can forgive this as it did not have the episode count the original had to develop in. The ending is rushed leaving some of the secrets revealed to conflict with the established character's behavior.

I have yet to read any other reviews of the series, mostly to prevent being spoiled; I would not be surprised though if the end of the love triangle leaves a sour taste in the mouths of some. Alto does not commit his heart fully to just one of them; this works for me though given the development of his character through the series. Both speak to different parts of his heart; Ranka is his hope for a free sky. Sheryl is the self confidence needed to achieve that sky. He truly loves both of them and has finally found the courage to tell both of them that.

Nothing can truly recapture the magic of the original Macross, but this celebration of the 25th anniversary is an amazing reminder of why the series endures. Write a good story and give it characters you can care about; that is how you keep an audience coming back week to week. It will never fully escape its predecessor's shadow but Frontier makes a great case for its own place in anime history. Can't wait to see what they do with the movie...

Eva Kruger is a brilliant and beautiful assassin with a problem. Her recent job involved the head of one of the New York mafia families. Now, the other families want her dead and have hired Golgo 13. But Eva and Golgo shared one remarkable night at sea. When the two meet again, Eva clearly has feelings for Duke, but is there any warmth beneath his cold exterior?

Remarkable... This makes two solid episodes in a row; we finally get a glimpse of humanity in Duke in a bittersweet tale about a past romance with a fellow pro. Until now, we have only seen him as caring about getting the job done; there are no personal attachments, no feelings, just a cold, methodical killing machine. Yet, Duke extends a measure of mercy to Eva; he does not kill her outright. She is given the opportunity to set her affairs in order and have one last stroll through her hometown. Only then does does Duke's shot ring out.

One could say that this was merely a professional courtesy, a sign of respect to a colleague that never tried to harm him. However, one minor detail leads me to believe that Duke felt the closest thing to love he can. When they made love, he was on top, his back exposed and vulnerable. Overall, this was a surprisingly quiet and nostalgic episode, a refreshing change from the series norm. Hopefully, there will be a few more glimpses into Duke's past and psyche. Another rare, "must see" episode.