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If you’ve been checking my blog in the last two days, I’m really sorry about the crazy layout changes >.> I just wanted to switch to something that was more… How do I put this delicately? Parallel with my mind. Apparently, I’m in a crazy godzilla-like state. Nice.
I missed out on a lot of stuff over vacation: Skip Beat! Volume 16
Just finished watching Skip Beat! Episode 11, and I realized: I’m really not into the Anime. The portrayal of Anime Kyoko is a little too annoying to handle =/ She kind of freaks me out a little bit. I know. It’s sad because I really do adore her but I’m not going to lie to you: she’s just not as likable. She’s still really cute and very entertaining to watch but there are a lot of scenes where I find myself cringing, just waiting for the show to be over. I skipped-viewed through most of this episode (it’s not one of my favorite arcs) but I stopped just in time to watch the interaction between Ren and Bo. It was the cutest part of the Anime thus far!
I have a ton of awesome screen caps from these episodes that I need to post up but I gotta go to sleep because I’m hitting up the gym again tomorrow T.T On the bright side, I got in a great workout this morning. Not so bright side: eighteen hours later will give me that nice, achy burn in my thighs. WhOo! PAIN! Anyway, here’s a few of my favorite screens =) This is the best part about Skip Beat! having an Anime: beautiful and utterly ridiculous screen shots!
More to come =) Especially reviews on new Skip Beat! FanFics, awesome Skip Beat! FanArt, and jaw-dropping Skip Beat! Wallpapers. Fans have been busy this winter! Not that I mind. On the contrary ♥ It’s all the better for me. I might be behind on my Skip Beat! news, but that just means there’s more of a smorgasbord for me to enjoy! Hurrah! ♥
I apologize in advance. This is a pure rant. I think I’m decently pissed off.
After compulsively checking my email for new reviews, subscriptions, and spam, I’ve learned that Crunchyroll has officially started its Anime Membership enrollment plan. Why wasn’t this marked as spam? Oh, right. I have an account. Damn.
Hi LyL!
As you may know, we recently got permission to show Naruto Shippuden, Gintama, Skip Beat!, and Shugo Chara on crunchyroll starting January 8th. Besides offering it for free to everyone, there’s a premium Anime Membership you can get for extra benefits! Benefits include early access (streaming these shows the same day it airs in Japan) and exclusive High Definition quality streams (better quality than most downloads). Check out a sample here~ Crunchyroll is the ONLY PLACE on the internet to offer this — No other website will have exclusive early access. If you preorder today, you can get a special discount and lock in a low price! Click here for more details.
If you don’t watch these shows, don’t worry, we’re adding more in January – we just haven’t announced them yet ;P
Getting the Anime Membership supports anime industry — a large portion of the proceeds goes back to the creators of all these awesome shows. With your help, we can get more and more shows!
Thanks for your support! Preorder today! ;P
~shinjiP.S. You can also get this as a Christmas gift for someone, or ask your parents to get it as a gift for you! =D
Oh, cool! A portion of the money goes back to the creators! Really, not the distributors? … The actual creators? Very cool. Of course, I have no way of verifying that. Aside from making me feel like it was written by a 12-year-old trying way too hard to be my friend, I admit, I was a little bit curious. Same day airing? Cool. HQ Streaming? Not so much. With so many online services offering HQ for free, it didn’t seem like that much of a deal. Oh, and the 720p resolution would look a lot better if the video size was the same size as the 480p. But yes, it is HQ and anything HQ is very tempting to me. I checked out their prices and it looked pretty decent until:
Compare at what? Oh, @&)*! Regular pricing. Ok, maybe you don’t care. Anime at $7 a month, especially compared to $13/month, maybe not so bad for some people. So, sign up. Not me. You.
How can you pay? What if you don’t have a credit card? Quote: “Don’t have a credit card? Pay by mail with money order or cash!“ CASH? FACK, cruchyroll. What the hell?
Never mind that it reads like a SCAM SCAM NIGERIAN EFFIN’ SCAM, I have to say that a lot of the content and services offered on Crunchyroll seems to be targetted at a younger audience with a good number of adults who don’t know how to BitTorrent (don’t be insulted, you know it’s true). Most DECENT places would insist that you don’t SEND CASH in the mail. It’s like, they emailed this KNOWING hundreds of little 10-year-olds are going to take out $7 and stuff it into an envelope and ship it out in the EFFIN MAIL just to watch Naruto with NO guarantees that they’ll actually get their subscription.
Yes, <sarcasm>maybe the little brats deserve it if they’re stupid enough to do it in the first place</sarcasm>, but isn’t it a little bit wrong to ask for this in the first place?
Psst. In case you haven’t heard yet, Skip Beat! Episode 8 is out =p
Chihiro Skip Beat 08 Bittorrent
Enter the arrival of the Love Me section’s newest slave! I mean, recruit! Kotonami Kanae! Huzzah! Have I mentioned that I hate their perfectly timed “cliffhangers?” Yea, -.-; I just want to watch all of the acting scenes now. And by now, I mean, now.
It’s about that time. Anime = Screen Caps = Beautiful Colored Pictures = Wallpapers! Well, here they are! Here’s some of the best shots from Skip Beat episode 7, so I did my part, now you do yours! Use the screen caps and make me a wallpaper! >.> Ok, ok, what I really meant was: make us all wallpapers! =D Right-click and save!
There are a lot of things that bothered me about the Skip Beat Anime, but I was hoping that it’d be worth my time if I stuck it through to the acting scenes, the heart of the Skip Beat! Manga, and I’m glad to say that it was worth the wait.
From the onset, I was immediately reminded of an older Anime style, less focused on movement and art style and more focused on storytelling, gags, and things of general amusement. It’s not bad, considering how wacky/zanney the Manga is, but I have to admit, I was still hoping for something more. Then! After three episodes, Kyoko gets all hardcore on Ruriko’s ass and her first real chance to act. That moment, the moment they left all the gags, heightened the tension, and concentrated on Kyoko’s being, was the first and only moment where I actually held my breath watching Skip Beat!
I’m not saying that the Anime is bad; it’s not. It’s just obviously not everything I hoped it would be. But I was pretty happy with how well the outdoor tea ceremony scene was drawn, written, and produced. Hell, Ren actually looked decent for once! Surprise. He actually looked like the Manga version of Ren! (Yea, I can totally count the number of times that Ren was actually drawn well on one hand, and I totally know that’s not a compliment to the show, but hey, at least we know that they’re capable of doing it.) AND, kudos to this episode! I finally started liking Ren’s voice actor after this scene >.> It didn’t always feel like he fit the part, but in this scene, I really enjoyed listening to the hard edge and dark tones of his voice.
Speaking of voice actors, I thought that I didn’t really have an opinion of them. Heh. I mean, I kinda started watching this with an open mind, so it’s not that I love or hate any one of them, but one thing that drives me mad is that weird distant-faraway digital sound effect that they put on the voices whenever one of the characters start thinking. Dude, seriously. It would’ve been OK if you’d just shown the characters gaping, or not speaking, and let their voice play just normally because, surprise again, audiences are SMART. Sure, I guess you have to distinguish real voices from thought voices from demon voices and it just might get too confusing, but if you’re good enough with the script, they’ll figure it out! It’s FAKE and PLASTIC and ANNOYING as hell >.< One issue I seriously have a problem with.
Blurbs: Drawing could be better. Animation/movement seriously sucks, but I can deal with it. One thing I LOVE is the music. The music for tension, memory, intimate moments (especially the piano tune played in the hallway where Kyoko realizes she’s an empty shell and Ren helps her stand)–all fantastic. I can’t wait to get my hands on the OST. Oh, I was strangely pleased and sad that they left out certain parts of the Manga (you can’t keep in everything, I know, but it was either significant to me or I pay way too much attention to the Manga): They left out (1) Yukihito “thinking” how well Ren and Kyoko get along together but that’s ok, because it would’ve interrupted the nice scene between Kyoko & Ren and (2) the photographer/paparazzi coming to ask questions about Kyoko’s outift which was sad, because then we would’ve seen Ren’s hardcore stare unwittingly “protecting” Kyoko’s reputation.
Hate:
1. Thought Voices
2. Animation
3. Mediocre Drawings
4. Over the top comedy
Love:
1. Music (the ending is really growing on me)
2. Ren (yes, this counts)
3. Tea Ceremony (seriously, seeing Kyoko doing the tea ceremony well was such a treat!)
I hope it keeps getting better. I would die of happiness if all of the Skip Beat! Anime was serious and somber and filled with amazing breath-taking art (the art was obviously pain-stakingly drawn in this scene compared to any of the scenes thus far) with moments of subtle but obvious humor (like in Mushi-Shi! the Anime O.O I’m watching it for the first time EVER and the art is SO beautiful, I could gush for days! And it’s FUNNY. It’s not all funny, because it’s actually crazy serious and mysterious and people DIE but YES, it’s actually really, point blank, in your face kind of FUNNY. The kind of funny that would work perfectly for Skip Beat! … at least sometimes) but sadly, I guess it’s just not meant to be. The Manga’s really wacky and zanney and etc., so it makes sense why they did things the way they did, so I really shouldn’t complain BUT we’re talking about my dashed hopes and dreams, mmk?
Still, after all’s said and done, this scene was a treat. And I hope to see many, many more like it.
I don’t know what’s worse: that I haven’t had the time/desire to rant/rave about how much I love/hate the Skip Beat! Anime, or that I didn’t to do it before it got officially licensed. Weird, right?
… Ok, it’s good news for the Anime, in the way that it’ll get more viewers from the American intended audience, but it’s pretty bad news for anyone with my mentality. When you’ve been haunting the Internet for the best quality in video and subtitles for the past ten plus years, and 7 out of 10 times, you get stuck with something below subpar as an official release, it’s just hard to get excited when you hear that something’s been licensed. And Skip Beat? Licensed? It’s only been seven episodes! At least wait until half the season’s over, would you?!
But no, I guess that’s just way too much to ask. At least Chihiro’s going on until episode 14 or so, so there’s something to look forward to. Some might say that their subtitles aren’t exactly spot on, but they’re fast and the video quality is excellent, so that’s not too bad. And, if you’re that much of a Japanese stickler, Ureshii & Yoroshiku take a little bit longer, but their subtitles are beyond excellent.
The controversy that’s come up a lot in the thread is CrunchyRoll. To be honest, I’ve never really paid attention to CruchyRoll, not because it isn’t a formidable source of fodder for the Anime glutton, but because… well, I hate the interface. It’s really not pretty to browse through, but the people are interesting (if not eccentric) and there’s a lot to be seen there. Apparently, CrunchyRoll is working with TV Tokyo to stream new subbed titles online immediately after broadcast.
I have no idea how this is even possible, and like some people have already brought up, I don’t even know how that’s even legal…
Look here, from the Chihiro Skip Beat! Announcement thread:
Makoto Sawatari says:
November 20th, 2008 at 6:15 pmThe whole Chrunchyroll idea sounds I little naughty illegal don’t you think.
Lets have a look They don’t offer licensed products they just distribute things that are not licensed until someone tells them to stop.
I wonder do the donation really goes the the anime producers as it says. in the donation window before download. the other problem is that when I download episode form their site and that anime get really licensed (by adv anime or Viz media whatever) will this copy on my computer be legal ? and stuff I will look deeper in that problem and may be wrote a longer statement for now I will be happy if we formed some kind of discussion here
And also, quoted from Crunchbase:
Crunchyroll is a one-stop video shop for all things anime. The site has a large collection of anime content that can be viewed for free with viewers being subject to banner ads. Crunchyroll also has an extensive collection of Asian video content including music videos, dramas and game videos. A large chunk of the video content is copyright infringing, which has scared off potential buyers like Viacom.
Users upload their own content to the site, but Crunchyroll offers users access to the same video at higher quality if they make a monthly donation. This puts them in hot water in regards to the DMCA since the DMCA only protects sites from copyright liability if users upload content. Offering the same video at higher quality means that Crunchyroll probably uploads their own copyright infringing content.
Another interesting fact is that Crunchyroll founders are currently employed at HotOrNot’s San Francisco office and have asked to remain anonymous. On the Crunchyroll site, the founder claims to be a college student who is “still figuring out what to major in”.
The site has raised $4M from Venrock.
This may be the new model in video streaming–it sure works with me, Hulu, and television–but websites like these always made me feel so oily. Like, nasty oily greasy inside. There has always been a weird, but honorable method of introducing and distributing new Anime on the Internet. A give and take method–we give freely so you can take freely. Dedicated fans give up their time and energy and talents to provide Fansubs, so I think they have a right to get angry when others take their work and try to profit off of it.
In the same way, websites that require payment in order to get access to the good stuff, while the good stuff is usually “created” and given so freely, makes me feel so angry greasy. (I said greasy! >.>) I don’t mind Hulu and their high quality streaming in return for a few ads, but it still feels… wrong… when it comes to Anime.
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Man, I’ve totally been on a screaming rampage lately, haven’t I? I can’t help it! Who really can? Skip Beat! Chapter 129 Raws are out on the Skip Beat! Crunchy Roll forums (link courtesy of sayami12 from the LJ Skip Beat! Community) and! And! Skip Beat! Episode 1 is actually posted on YouTube!
Manga Link
Anime Link
BitTorrent: Skip Beat! Ep. 1
YouTube: Skip Beat! Ep. 1a, 1b, 1c
I am not nearly hardcore enough (or, should I say that I am too hardcore?) to watch/read the Anime/Manga until the translations are out. I think I’d totally go nuts if I had the raws and there was this one part that I really, really wanted to know and I still had to wait for the translations… I’m definitely one of those “watch/read at your leisure” fans, because it’s gotta be worth the wait. It’s gotta be, right? Right?!
As I’m typing, I hear tons of Internet FanGirls screaming through my computer speakers. Yea, I’m sure the Anime’s going to be great. I can hardly wait to see it! *Sits on my hands and waits for the subs!* Someone tell me when they’re out!
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MediaFire Download: Skip Beat! Anime Promo / Trailer Clip
Original Link: My-Cartoon.tv Skip Beat! Promo Clip / Trailer Clip
I’ve been pretty much mum on this topic since the announcement because I still don’t know how I feel about the Skip Beat! anime. I know there’s tons of people that’re really excited about it, and all, but I guess I still have a lot of reservations because there’s just so many things that could go wrong with the anime. I mean, how well can you balance the comedy and the drama that is Skip Beat!?
Regardless of my feelings, it’s down to crunch time! Empry just posted a link to the Skip Beat! Promo Clip / Trailer Clip, and it’s set to premiere October 10, 2008! [Edit: October 5 in Japan, and October 10 in Taiwan! Thanks Wija-chan!]
So, naturally, I watched it. And I hated it. Was it just me, or are all of their faces too straight in all of the wrong places and too sharp in all the right ones, and what the heck, why does everything look so round? Is it really just me?
Well, yes, it is just me and my inability to watch something in the wrong aspect ratio. So, I watched it three more times, until I couldn’t stand it anymore. Then, I ripped it, converted it, and changed the aspect ratio so I wouldn’t think about it anymore. Here’s a download link to the right aspect ratio, if you’re interested LOL Finally, getting over the drawing style, I really tried to take a look at the animation (which, with any typical anime, is decent but not great, great), the music, and the overall style that they’re going for… It’s “ok.” It’s all, “Ok.”
I think I’m going to be Ok. I’m getting pretty excited, what, with everyone blogging about it, ranting and raving, and the new Skip Beat 129 Chapter coming out soon. Shoot, and all of the new forums poppin’ up and FanFiction! There’s going to be moar FanFiction!! Cough.
I’m still very tentative about it. Yep, still crossing my fingers and wishing my heart out that the anime totally exceeds all of my expectations, so I can keep going with my Skip Beat! obsession, but very excited. Of course, the manga’s still good so I can stick with that, but why can’t we have it all?
Much better, right? Am I right? She looks so cute and adorable (no wonder Ren fell for little innocent Kyoko!). I think I’m going to like how they do the more soft/subtle scenes. Shock.
Can anyone else taste the angst? No?
Shotaru, coming back just for the pudding, then Ren comes on TV so Sho leaves in a hurry. You can to hear a very evil/angry-sounding Kyoko screaming and cursing at the TV after Sho’s gone LOL It’s almost perfect!
I actually kind of like Kyoko’s voice actress (yay, cookie points!), she plays the soft side and the demonic/neurotic side pretty well. I’m sure I’ll get used to her fast enough. I still don’t like how Ren’s drawn =( Not enough of that detailed-line goodness that Nakamura-sensei always complains about. But hey, it’s anime. What can you do? Watch and wait, that’s what. I’ll be watching it. Will you?
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So! As long as I can remember, there has always been one persistent question, stubbornly haunting Skip Beat’s dedicated group of fans: “Will Skip Beat! ever become an Anime?” The resounding answer is: Yes! The Baka-Updates Manga Forum, The Scrumptious Anime Blog, and A Geek By Any Other Name have quoted Moon Phase as the source, and yes, it has been VERIFIED that there will be a Skip Beat! Anime!
Like with anything else that I love that becomes an adaptation, I’m anxious, but still tentatively excited to see the result. I cannot, for the life of me, imagine an exceptionally well-done adaptation of the Manga because Skip Beat! is so incredibly hilarious and serious all at the same time, that it’s hard to believe it can be done!
There’s also a Taiwanese Drama adaptation that’s in the works and I can’t seem to raise my hopes for that one, either. It probably has something to do with the fact that I really want it to be as well executed as Nodame Cantible (the Japanese Drama), but I don’t expect it to fall any where near that quality. It’s really sad; I really like Nodame Cantible for its balanced combination of story-telling, humor, acting, and depth, so much so, that I can’t really imagine anything else captivating me like it did.
Well, we shall see. As always, the Skip Beat! Fans are torn into several parties over this issue. You can see the love-hate relatonship at the Baka-Updates Manga Forum and the Skip Beat! Yahoo! Mailing List as well =) I get the gist of both sides, but it’s fun to watch people get riled up over something that’s definitely going to happen =)
Anyway! There’s no doubt that the Anime is coming! I can only cross my fingers and hope that it really takes my breath away when it gets here. Listed below are the people and studio that have slated to work on this project:
Director: Kiyoko Sayama (Pretear, Princess Tutu, and Vampire Knight)
Studio: HAL Film Maker (Princess Tutu, Pretear, and Boys Be)
Series Composition: Sekijima Mayori (Angel Sanctuary, Clamp School, Petite Cossette)
And if anyone is interested, here’s a link to the Skip Beat! Drama CD, where you can hear a voice actress playing Kyoko, and you can dig around YouTube for some more clips yourself–I know there’s one of Ren somewhere! I have no idea whether they’ll be the same voice actors for the Anime… but, hopefully, we’ll find out soon. In the Manga, there’s an author’s section where Nakamura-sensei really gushes over the Drama CD and how she feels so bad for the voice actress playing Kyoko’s part because Kyoko’s so insane! =D I’m glad the humor’s not lost on her. I’ll see if I can find it and I’ll add an excerpt from the book.
Thanks to Golden Meliades for the heads up =)
