Category Archives: Recs & Reviews

Rec: “arigatou” by Namie Amuro

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: December 12, 2011

It’s been quiet around here, thanks to my own annual, work-related holiday rush. Hopefully, that’s going to change this week. In the meantime, how about a non-holiday holiday song, courtesy of Namie Amuro? “arigatou ＜thank the world for LOVE… gift song for 2011＞” is the official title of this track, and in addition to releasing [...]

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Rec: Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Season 1

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: August 15, 2011

For a long time, when asked what distinguishes Gundam from other mecha series, my standard, only half-joking answer has been: “It’s not truly a Gundam series unless one side threatens to drop a colony onto Earth and/or someone dons the ‘Char mask.’” While those two plot staples don’t take place during its episodes, the first [...]

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Rec: Super 8

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: June 14, 2011

There are summer popcorn movies, and then there are summer popcorn movies that are likely to hold up upon repeated viewings. I saw SUPER 8 this past weekend, and I suspect it will fall into the second category.

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Review: Descendants of Darkness, Vol. 1: Vampire’s Lure

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: January 5, 2011

Detective Asato Tsuzuki is handsome, has an insatiable sweet tooth and consistently exhibits a freewheeling attitude that drives his coworkers nuts. He’s also deceased.

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Happy Birthday, Osamu Tezuka!

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: November 3, 2010

Today is the birthdate of Osamu Tezuka, the “father” of modern anime and manga, as well as the creator of favorite series including Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Black Jack and many, many others. Since I shared this link via Twitter a few weeks back and via the work account earlier today, it only [...]

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Rec: Record Collection by Mark Ronson & the Business Intl

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: October 25, 2010

Mark Ronson’s Version CD never really fell off of my playlists, so picking up his latest, Record Collection, was a no brainer.  This time around, instead of the retro brass, he went Old Wave with the theme. “Bang Bang Bang” kicks things off, and if you like this song, you’ll love the rest of the [...]

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Review: Gasaraki, Vol. 1: The Summoning

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: August 11, 2010

Yushiro is not a normal 17-year-old. The youngest son of the powerful and influential Gowa family has special capabilities his relatives are determined to unleash — no matter what the sacrifice. This is something made very apparent in ADV Films’ first DVD installment of Gasaraki, a 26-episode television series, lushly animated and produced by Bandai [...]

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Preview: What Is the Animatrix?

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: August 11, 2010

One of the most interesting features on The Matrix Revisited was a jam-packed, five-minute segment on the upcoming Matrix anime project, dubbed “Animatrix.” Primarily narrated by Matrix producer Joel Silver and Animatrix producer Michael Arias, the piece adds details to what is already known about the project:

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Review: Strictly Ballroom

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: June 9, 2010

“All the world’s a stage. . .” Since the dawn of motion pictures, few have taken Shakespeare’s words more to heart than Australian writer and director Baz Luhrmann. On the heels of special edition-style releases of his other works (William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet and last year’s hit Moulin Rouge), it is only fitting that [...]

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Review: The Spanish Prisoner

By Alison L. Roberts | Published: June 9, 2010

Don’t talk to strangers. When you travel, never agree to carry a package for someone you don’t know. Money is the root of all evil. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. They say all clichés and sayings are based on at least a kernel of truth. If only we’d pay closer attention. The [...]

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