Cosplay Boy Of The Week #9 (Kyon)
/This week's Cosplay Boy of the week is Kyon. I know this is a female cosplayer but she really nails Kyon look.
Read MoreThe Green Hornet Trailer
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Well The Green Hornet trailer is finally released. Many were skeptical with Seth Rogen playing a hero since he usually a comedy guy. However I can actually see him doing this role pretty well. From the trailer you might think he is playing it safe, however let's judge when the movie is released.

Geeky Cakes
/As my profile says Cake Or Death? I love cakes especially if it's geeky. I went on the net and did a Google search of some geeky cakes. Here are some cakes I found. Of course I will start off with Ouran High School Host Club. I love this cake it's looks delicious. All the main characters are on the cake.

A Full Metal Alchemist cake with Ed shirtless. Either way this looks like a cake Otaku girls must take a bite out of. I love the icing on the cake.May the force be with you. This is a very cool Star Wars cake. The Chewbecca cake and Stormtropper is well done. Chewbecca is a nice chocolate cake and Stormtrooper a good vanilla.
Dragonball Kai OST Vol 1 Review
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I finally had the time to check out Dragonball Kai on Nicktoons this weekend. I must say that I' am very impressed with the show. I' am even more impressed with the OST. Dragonball Kai OST Volume 1 consist of 36 tracks from the show. I really love the soundtrack because it stayed true to it's DBZ OST roots. In fact I find the Kai soundtrack better orchestrated then the DBZ in certain areas. For instance the battle themes I enjoy much better. However this isn't a compare and contrast review of the soundtrack. You want to know is this soundtrack worth buying correct? Well the answer is yes and no. Yes it's worth buying because the music is absolute pleasure to hear. It's not worth buying because the length of most the songs, only last about 1 to 2 minutes tops.
Kenji Yamamoto is most known for his composition on various videogames such as, "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption," "Advance Wars: Dual Strike" and the upcoming "Donkey Kong Country Returns," brings us his TV scored effort. He doesn't disappoint with stand out tracks like, "Over The Star ~Piano Ver.~", "Win Tough Fight (Guitar Verison)" and "The Formidable Warrior, The Saiyan,"are some of my favorite tracks. Yamamoto makes an effort by staying true to the Japanese Dragonball sound. However he leaves enough room to compose something original for us to enjoy. To put it simply he put his stamp on it. Each song captures an emotion, or describes a characters mood. Kenji really delivers on that factor of describing the scene. My disappoint is like most Anime OST, the the opening theme song and ending song is in TV size. Sorry fans you will have the buy the single to "Dragon Soul."
Final Grade B+ Dragonball Kai OST Vol 1 gets a B+. It's a fun soundtrack to listen too, that stays true to the Dragonball sound. However the short length in songs makes it a hard buy. Dragonball fans should at least check it out. Check out the stand out tracks below.
Over The Star Piano Verison
Win Tough Fight! ~Guitar Version~
The Formidable Warrior, The Saiyan
Kenji Yamamoto is most known for his composition on various videogames such as, "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption," "Advance Wars: Dual Strike" and the upcoming "Donkey Kong Country Returns," brings us his TV scored effort. He doesn't disappoint with stand out tracks like, "Over The Star ~Piano Ver.~", "Win Tough Fight (Guitar Verison)" and "The Formidable Warrior, The Saiyan,"are some of my favorite tracks. Yamamoto makes an effort by staying true to the Japanese Dragonball sound. However he leaves enough room to compose something original for us to enjoy. To put it simply he put his stamp on it. Each song captures an emotion, or describes a characters mood. Kenji really delivers on that factor of describing the scene. My disappoint is like most Anime OST, the the opening theme song and ending song is in TV size. Sorry fans you will have the buy the single to "Dragon Soul."
Final Grade B+ Dragonball Kai OST Vol 1 gets a B+. It's a fun soundtrack to listen too, that stays true to the Dragonball sound. However the short length in songs makes it a hard buy. Dragonball fans should at least check it out. Check out the stand out tracks below.
Over The Star Piano Verison
Win Tough Fight! ~Guitar Version~
The Formidable Warrior, The Saiyan
Dancing Zombies
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Zombies don't just kill you. They don't just go searching for brains. From time to time they like to get down. Here is some dancing Zombies. Of course Michael is the best dancing zombie.

Justin Fandubs The Dark Knight Scenes
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I decided to finally go ahead and try to see if I' am close with my Dark Knight voice to Christian Bale's. I think I went a little too deep. I had a blast doing the voice for this. I do not own The Dark Knight. This is fandub for your enjoyment. Tell me what you think. Between Bale and myself either way Batman needs Halls.
Otakus & Geeks Origins (Justin's How I Became A Gamer)
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On the first part of the origin story. I explained how I became and Otaku and why I love anime. In part 2 I will explain how I became a gamer. Enjoy.
How did you become a gamer geek?
It's pretty interesting that I'm a gamer. My family really isn't true fans of technolgy. Actually till this day some of my family members still aren't cool with technology. When computers were getting big, my family was still using the typewriter. I still remember some of my homeworks I was typing up on a typewriter. My family would just say "We don't need a computer boy the typewriter is just as good." Anyway it wasn't until my brother requested the NES for Christmas, that my family became more tech friendly. My father and brother would play the NES all the time. I started gaming at the age of four, and yes I did more than press buttons. My first games were, Super Mario Bros, Duckhunt and Wrestlemania. In Super Mario I would used Ligi since he was the youngest. My brother would play with Mario. Duckhunt I was too young to be good at it. However I was a master at Wrestlemania. I would use Hulk Hogan the most. I really have to thank my Dad for making me a wrestling fiend in my younger days. However that is another story.
My gamer geek didn't really kick in until I got Sega Genesis for Christmas. I remember Sega Genesis came with Sonic The Hedgehog (which is still my favorite Sonic game). I also so had Batman for Sega as well. I would game nonstop at least 9 hours a day, until my mother put a stop to that. My mother was strict when it came to education, so I wasn't allow to play Sega until the weekends. I really have to thank my mother for that, because if I was allow to play games everyday I would be the worst gamer ever. I mean in regards to attitude, plus it showed me that you have utilize your time wisely. It thought me that you can't get wrapped up in entertainment, so thanks Mom. Till this day I only play games on the weekends. If I do play games on the weekdays, it's only about for an hout. However when I game on the weekends, it's usually an all day thing.
How did people treat you as a gamer geek?
My gamer geek was embraced more than my Otaku side. All the guys played videogames at school. It's funny everyone had a different system. I had Sega, my friend had SNES and my other friend had Gameboy. We would go to each other's houses and play them all.
Are you more of a gamer geek now, than you were as a child?
I was more of a gamer in my teenage years than my adult years. I still play games, but don't have much time as I would like too. I'am an old school gamer. I still find myself playing Genesis, Playstation and Dreamcast.
How did you become a gamer geek?
It's pretty interesting that I'm a gamer. My family really isn't true fans of technolgy. Actually till this day some of my family members still aren't cool with technology. When computers were getting big, my family was still using the typewriter. I still remember some of my homeworks I was typing up on a typewriter. My family would just say "We don't need a computer boy the typewriter is just as good." Anyway it wasn't until my brother requested the NES for Christmas, that my family became more tech friendly. My father and brother would play the NES all the time. I started gaming at the age of four, and yes I did more than press buttons. My first games were, Super Mario Bros, Duckhunt and Wrestlemania. In Super Mario I would used Ligi since he was the youngest. My brother would play with Mario. Duckhunt I was too young to be good at it. However I was a master at Wrestlemania. I would use Hulk Hogan the most. I really have to thank my Dad for making me a wrestling fiend in my younger days. However that is another story.
My gamer geek didn't really kick in until I got Sega Genesis for Christmas. I remember Sega Genesis came with Sonic The Hedgehog (which is still my favorite Sonic game). I also so had Batman for Sega as well. I would game nonstop at least 9 hours a day, until my mother put a stop to that. My mother was strict when it came to education, so I wasn't allow to play Sega until the weekends. I really have to thank my mother for that, because if I was allow to play games everyday I would be the worst gamer ever. I mean in regards to attitude, plus it showed me that you have utilize your time wisely. It thought me that you can't get wrapped up in entertainment, so thanks Mom. Till this day I only play games on the weekends. If I do play games on the weekdays, it's only about for an hout. However when I game on the weekends, it's usually an all day thing.
How did people treat you as a gamer geek?
My gamer geek was embraced more than my Otaku side. All the guys played videogames at school. It's funny everyone had a different system. I had Sega, my friend had SNES and my other friend had Gameboy. We would go to each other's houses and play them all.
Are you more of a gamer geek now, than you were as a child?
I was more of a gamer in my teenage years than my adult years. I still play games, but don't have much time as I would like too. I'am an old school gamer. I still find myself playing Genesis, Playstation and Dreamcast.
Cosplay Girl Of The Week #17 (Revy)
/This week's Cosplay girl we go to the Black Lagoon. Revy is our choice this week.
Read MoreSins & Punishment 2: Star Successor Review
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The original Sins and Punishment was released almost ten years ago. It was held as a cult classic, and one of the most entertaining games of it's time. 10 years later Sins and Punishment returns with a sequel. Does the sequel hold up to the original? Or should we be forgiven for our sins for buying this game?
Story - The story follows Isa Jou and a girl name Kachi. These two kids are on the run from the Nebulox. The Nebulox are a group of enhanced human beings, that need Kachi for some reason. Isa Jou and Kachi ship crashes on the way to their destination. From there the story doesn't get in depth into the ending. The story is the most weak part of the game.
Gameplay - Sins & Punishment 2 falls into the category of Rail Shooter. You have four different control options to play with. The Wii Mote with the Nunchuk, Gamecube Controller, Classic Wii Controller or the Wii Zapper. I used the Wii Mote. I found it to be more easier and more fun. You aim with the Wii Mote and shoot with the B button. By taping the B button you also can perform a Melee attack with your sword. This a great use for Boss battles and objects that come flying in your direction. The flying objects you will be able to deflect back to the enemies. The Z button is to evade or roll. Trust me you are going to be best friends with your Z button when playing this. The A button is used to charge your gun. When the gun is fully charge it will release a huge bomb shot. This comes in handy when you are being overwhelmed with enemies.
The levels are absolutely amazing and fun to play. Set piece after set piece will leave you on your Wii for hours. The levels are challenging and you will die a couple of times, if you are just shooting. This a rail shooter that brings you loads of enemies at once. Gamers stay on your toes. If you have an extra Wii Mote then have a friend join you in the fun. The game also includes a online leaderboard. I like that edition because this game as a nice arcade feel to it. The boss battles are pure epic. It takes a great deal of strategy to defeat them. First you will have to find out their weakness. Then you will have to figure out what weapon is more effective to kill them. I found out that the charge shot with A button does a lot of damage. However the boss fights are not a walk in the park, evade will be your best friend. The gameplay is solid and the controls work wonderful for this rail shooter.
Gameplay Video
Graphics - The graphics is one of the best on the Wii period. I'm really shocked that with so much going on in the game at once, that I didn't experience any framerate issues. Everything is pure detail from the environment and the backgrounds. The bosses look amazing. My favorite level graphic wise is the underwater level.
Sound - The sound is pretty basic. The voice acting is a hit or miss depending on the characters. The music is not really memorable but it does the mood of intensity.
Replay Value - This game you will want to play over and over. With different levels, leaderboards and great co-op. You will be returning to Isa and Kachi for a while.
Final Grade A- Sins & Punishment 2: Star Successor gets an A-. This is a must own Wii game. Great gameplay, great graphics and a wonderful fun ride. The only shortcomings were the story and some of the voice acting. To not buy this game will be a Sin that you will need to seek forgiveness for to the gaming Gods.
Story - The story follows Isa Jou and a girl name Kachi. These two kids are on the run from the Nebulox. The Nebulox are a group of enhanced human beings, that need Kachi for some reason. Isa Jou and Kachi ship crashes on the way to their destination. From there the story doesn't get in depth into the ending. The story is the most weak part of the game.
Gameplay - Sins & Punishment 2 falls into the category of Rail Shooter. You have four different control options to play with. The Wii Mote with the Nunchuk, Gamecube Controller, Classic Wii Controller or the Wii Zapper. I used the Wii Mote. I found it to be more easier and more fun. You aim with the Wii Mote and shoot with the B button. By taping the B button you also can perform a Melee attack with your sword. This a great use for Boss battles and objects that come flying in your direction. The flying objects you will be able to deflect back to the enemies. The Z button is to evade or roll. Trust me you are going to be best friends with your Z button when playing this. The A button is used to charge your gun. When the gun is fully charge it will release a huge bomb shot. This comes in handy when you are being overwhelmed with enemies.
The levels are absolutely amazing and fun to play. Set piece after set piece will leave you on your Wii for hours. The levels are challenging and you will die a couple of times, if you are just shooting. This a rail shooter that brings you loads of enemies at once. Gamers stay on your toes. If you have an extra Wii Mote then have a friend join you in the fun. The game also includes a online leaderboard. I like that edition because this game as a nice arcade feel to it. The boss battles are pure epic. It takes a great deal of strategy to defeat them. First you will have to find out their weakness. Then you will have to figure out what weapon is more effective to kill them. I found out that the charge shot with A button does a lot of damage. However the boss fights are not a walk in the park, evade will be your best friend. The gameplay is solid and the controls work wonderful for this rail shooter.
Gameplay Video
Graphics - The graphics is one of the best on the Wii period. I'm really shocked that with so much going on in the game at once, that I didn't experience any framerate issues. Everything is pure detail from the environment and the backgrounds. The bosses look amazing. My favorite level graphic wise is the underwater level.
Sound - The sound is pretty basic. The voice acting is a hit or miss depending on the characters. The music is not really memorable but it does the mood of intensity.
Replay Value - This game you will want to play over and over. With different levels, leaderboards and great co-op. You will be returning to Isa and Kachi for a while.
Final Grade A- Sins & Punishment 2: Star Successor gets an A-. This is a must own Wii game. Great gameplay, great graphics and a wonderful fun ride. The only shortcomings were the story and some of the voice acting. To not buy this game will be a Sin that you will need to seek forgiveness for to the gaming Gods.
The Smurfs Teaser Trailer (Why God!)
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What smurf of smurfs is Hollywood doing? They are smurfing me in my black smurf hole. Smurfing smurfers. I can think of ten things wrong with this movie. But it's pretty obivious when you look at the trailer. Here is the plot from Yahoo.com: The movie begins in the same era, but the Smurfs' arch-enemy Gargamel (played by Hank Azaria) invades their village and sends them running. According to director Raja Gosnell ("Scooby-Doo"), some of the Smurfs stumble into a secret part of the forest where "there's a magical portal that transports them to Central Park."
Lost in Manhattan, the Smurfs -- Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, Brainy, Gutsy, and Smurfette -- find a couple of human friends (Harris and "Glee" star Jayma Mays) who take them in. They look for a way home, but Gargamel also crosses into our world to track them down.
Smurfs Trailer
Lost in Manhattan, the Smurfs -- Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, Brainy, Gutsy, and Smurfette -- find a couple of human friends (Harris and "Glee" star Jayma Mays) who take them in. They look for a way home, but Gargamel also crosses into our world to track them down.
Smurfs Trailer

Soul Eater Monotone Princess (Wii Import Review)
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Why do some Anime games suck so bad? Correction with exception of "Ghost In The Shell" and some "DBZ" games. Anime games have not lived up to expectation in the gaming world. I manage to play Soul Eater Monotone Princess for the Wii. It was released 2008 in Japan, with no signs of a release date in USA. Should you sell your soul to play this game?
Story - I don't understand Japanese so here is the description from PlayAsia.com
Wandering souls, the time for salvation has come.” the strange man declared to the crowd in the dead of the night. And all who have attended this meeting disappeared. A mass disappearance of people is prompting action from the death angel academy as the teacher has assigned the task of investigating the case to his students. However, upon investigating the incident, Mako and her friends came upon white, masked creatures and agents who have been gathering souls. Predators usually devour souls they have gathered, but these agents who called themselves hatchers of the demon's egg are gathering them for unknown purposes. Soon, our beloved cast realized that the scheme behind the agents and the appearance of the white masks are far more dangerous than any other assignments the academy has ever set for them.
Gameplay - The gameplay is truly a headache. I have no idea what Square Enix was trying to do. The A button is used to attack with one of your three characters. You can use Maka Albarn, Death the Kid & Black Star. Each character has a different wide range of attacks. By using the pressing the A button and the Wii more you will do a special move. The Z button is control the camera angle, but good luck doing that. The camera angles in this game are horrendous too me. It doesn't respond well and good luck when it comes to battles, because it's a chore getting the camera angles to work. The B button is used to locked on the enemy, this actually works well unless you're fighting multiple enemies, because with the camera angle will not show you who is coming behind you. The A.I. is joke, especially in the earlier missions. The enemies just stand there and let you hit them. The boss fights range from easy, to normal and some are hard. However it's not really challenging and the missions are repetitive. A warning to those who don't know Japanese. The game is heavy on dialogue and really drags the game. I must've of been waiting for 10 minutes just to play the next mission. I was pressing the A button for a while to skip dialogue. Overall the gameplay is repetitve, clunky and just boring.
Gameplay Video
Graphics - The graphics on Soul Eater looks like it could of been on the PSP. The graphics are average at best. I wouldn't even consider it Gamecube stature. There are no lag issues, but there are a lot of pixel images. I just didn't like how they try to capture the Soul Eater world.
Sound - The sound is really good. They make use of the original Japanese voice cast and have a great opening song. The music is cool but nothing special.
Replay Value - Unless you are a die hard Soul Eater fan, this game is only a one trip ride.
Final Grade D+ Soul Eater Monotone Princess gets a D+. This game is just to boring, frustrating and clunky. This is a game strictly for the die hard fans. I found the import price at 30 dollars, but play at your own risk.
Story - I don't understand Japanese so here is the description from PlayAsia.com
Wandering souls, the time for salvation has come.” the strange man declared to the crowd in the dead of the night. And all who have attended this meeting disappeared. A mass disappearance of people is prompting action from the death angel academy as the teacher has assigned the task of investigating the case to his students. However, upon investigating the incident, Mako and her friends came upon white, masked creatures and agents who have been gathering souls. Predators usually devour souls they have gathered, but these agents who called themselves hatchers of the demon's egg are gathering them for unknown purposes. Soon, our beloved cast realized that the scheme behind the agents and the appearance of the white masks are far more dangerous than any other assignments the academy has ever set for them.
Gameplay - The gameplay is truly a headache. I have no idea what Square Enix was trying to do. The A button is used to attack with one of your three characters. You can use Maka Albarn, Death the Kid & Black Star. Each character has a different wide range of attacks. By using the pressing the A button and the Wii more you will do a special move. The Z button is control the camera angle, but good luck doing that. The camera angles in this game are horrendous too me. It doesn't respond well and good luck when it comes to battles, because it's a chore getting the camera angles to work. The B button is used to locked on the enemy, this actually works well unless you're fighting multiple enemies, because with the camera angle will not show you who is coming behind you. The A.I. is joke, especially in the earlier missions. The enemies just stand there and let you hit them. The boss fights range from easy, to normal and some are hard. However it's not really challenging and the missions are repetitive. A warning to those who don't know Japanese. The game is heavy on dialogue and really drags the game. I must've of been waiting for 10 minutes just to play the next mission. I was pressing the A button for a while to skip dialogue. Overall the gameplay is repetitve, clunky and just boring.
Gameplay Video
Graphics - The graphics on Soul Eater looks like it could of been on the PSP. The graphics are average at best. I wouldn't even consider it Gamecube stature. There are no lag issues, but there are a lot of pixel images. I just didn't like how they try to capture the Soul Eater world.
Sound - The sound is really good. They make use of the original Japanese voice cast and have a great opening song. The music is cool but nothing special.
Replay Value - Unless you are a die hard Soul Eater fan, this game is only a one trip ride.
Final Grade D+ Soul Eater Monotone Princess gets a D+. This game is just to boring, frustrating and clunky. This is a game strictly for the die hard fans. I found the import price at 30 dollars, but play at your own risk.
Otakus & Geeks Origins (Justin's How I Became An Otaku Story)
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As I stated on Twitter the team will be giving our readers a glimpse into our world. The site is going to be taking a more serious tone. Before we start tackling the serious issues. I thought I share you with a 3 part origin story. The first two are fun and the third will reveal more about me. My hopes for part 3 is to uplift other geeks who are still in that situation. Well here is the story of how I became an Otaku.
How did you become an Otaku?
My brother used to watch "Dragonball" on Channel 11 in NYC. It used to come on around 5:30 am. Besides "Robotech" that was the only Anime I ever knew at that age of 7. I really didn't know the difference between cartoons and Anime. I was watching shows like "Thundercats", "Rugrats", "Darkwing Duck", "Superfriends", and "The Real Adventures Of Jonny Quest." Just to name a few. However what attracted me to Anime was the mature themes of the shows. "Dragonball" and "Robotech" had something that "Jonny Quest" didn't. These shows had more heart and a better story. Even at a young age I was always attracted, to stories that had real human emotions. Characters that had obstacles or personal issues such as love, death and insecurity. The stories is what hooked me to Anime. I remember always waking up early to catch the next episode of "Robotech." Sadly Channel 11 stop running Anime shows in the morning. That is when I started watching the Sci-Fi channel's Anime Block.
On the Sci-Fi channel, is the first time I watch "Akira." When I first saw "Akira" I was blown away and feel in love with it. The animation, the story and that cool ass bike that Kaneda rides (I still want that bike). Just like any young boy what I really love was the violence. I loved every minute of Tetsuo's rampage especially when he turned into the giant body parts. It just blew me away. Sadly Sci-Fi stop airing Anime soon after. Then I had to actually buy import Anime VHS tapes. Yes I said import VHS tapes. My friend and I would go to Jamaica Ave and buy all the DBZ movies they had. For only 5 bucks a tape can you really beat that? Plus DBZ was no where dubbing Broly yet. I would also watch Anime on the International channel and that was without subtitles. I didn't care all I wanted to do was study the animation, try to figure out the story and get to know the characters. Trust me younger readers when I tell you this. You have it really good, when it comes to Anime. Anime is everywhere now. In the early 90's it was hard to get Anime. It wasn't that popular in the USA or at least near my area.
What do you love about Anime?
What I love about Anime is that it brought me to another culture. It introduced me to J-Pop, J-Rock and other forms of storytelling that I didn't know. If you watch Anime, chances are you will read Manga. I remember it took me five minutes to realize I was reading the Manga wrong. I have a huge respect and love for the creators over there in Japan. The way they do their storytelling and how they approach a character is so unique.
How did people such as friends, family and classmates treat you as an Otaku?
I only had one friend at that time who liked Anime. A lot of people didn't get it. Many people thought I was some African American kid trying to be Japanese. At that time mostly everyone was focusing on the boy bands. This was also the time period where I was getting my ass kicked at school. Yeah getting bullied was fun (will explain that in part 3). Anime was kind of a way for me to escape that and a tool to explore my creative power. It wasn't till Toonami when people consider me cool. I loved Toonami but also hated it. You know the feeling you get when you have a gem, then others discover it and it's not a gem no more? That's how I felt about when Anime became huge in the USA. My classmates would come up to me and say "Did you see SSJ Goku?" I would laugh and say "Did you see SSJ 2 Gohan?" I was always ahead of everyone in Anime. When they were watching The Cell Saga, I was watching GT.
Are you more of an Otaku today than you were yesterday?
I'm more an Otaku today because there is endless material to watch and study. There are Anime's and characters that I haven't seen yet. I want to know these characters and see what issues they have. I want to see what makes them tick or what makes them happy. As a writer and soon to be author Anime plays a big inspiration for me. I will be studying Anime till the casket drops.
As an Otaku what is your favorite genre? How did you get into it?
My favorite genre is the Mech/ Sci-fi genre. For some strange reason I'm drawn to Mechs. I think it's in my blood, since my Grandfather was in the Air Force. Ever since I was little I've had this desire to fly. You'll find out in part 2 that I' am a natural pilot in flight games. I got into Mech because I love the ability to control a huge cyborg and destroy stuff. Plus "Robotech" really made me love Mechs. I also feel that the Anime's that focus on Mechs, have a better conflict, love story and emotional build up. There is always something going on in Mech Anime's.
Finally what were some of the challenges of being an Otaku?
Growing up I just had to face the ignorance of the people who didn't get it. People would say to me "Oh how old are you again and your still watching cartoons?" People didn't understand why a lot of us love Anime and Manga. I also had to deal with my own culture calling me a sellout. "Oh you trying to be Asian, you need to be more Black." "I guess this means you only going date Asian girls now." Finally the big Otaku stereotype. "You like Anime, eww your a pervert." I had to explain to people time and time again that Anime is not Hentai. Other than that I had no real challenges of an Otaku. However being a geek overall I had some hurdles which you will read in part 3.
Thanks for reading part 1. Next is part 2. How I became a Gamer/Movie Geek.
How did you become an Otaku?
My brother used to watch "Dragonball" on Channel 11 in NYC. It used to come on around 5:30 am. Besides "Robotech" that was the only Anime I ever knew at that age of 7. I really didn't know the difference between cartoons and Anime. I was watching shows like "Thundercats", "Rugrats", "Darkwing Duck", "Superfriends", and "The Real Adventures Of Jonny Quest." Just to name a few. However what attracted me to Anime was the mature themes of the shows. "Dragonball" and "Robotech" had something that "Jonny Quest" didn't. These shows had more heart and a better story. Even at a young age I was always attracted, to stories that had real human emotions. Characters that had obstacles or personal issues such as love, death and insecurity. The stories is what hooked me to Anime. I remember always waking up early to catch the next episode of "Robotech." Sadly Channel 11 stop running Anime shows in the morning. That is when I started watching the Sci-Fi channel's Anime Block.
On the Sci-Fi channel, is the first time I watch "Akira." When I first saw "Akira" I was blown away and feel in love with it. The animation, the story and that cool ass bike that Kaneda rides (I still want that bike). Just like any young boy what I really love was the violence. I loved every minute of Tetsuo's rampage especially when he turned into the giant body parts. It just blew me away. Sadly Sci-Fi stop airing Anime soon after. Then I had to actually buy import Anime VHS tapes. Yes I said import VHS tapes. My friend and I would go to Jamaica Ave and buy all the DBZ movies they had. For only 5 bucks a tape can you really beat that? Plus DBZ was no where dubbing Broly yet. I would also watch Anime on the International channel and that was without subtitles. I didn't care all I wanted to do was study the animation, try to figure out the story and get to know the characters. Trust me younger readers when I tell you this. You have it really good, when it comes to Anime. Anime is everywhere now. In the early 90's it was hard to get Anime. It wasn't that popular in the USA or at least near my area.
What do you love about Anime?
What I love about Anime is that it brought me to another culture. It introduced me to J-Pop, J-Rock and other forms of storytelling that I didn't know. If you watch Anime, chances are you will read Manga. I remember it took me five minutes to realize I was reading the Manga wrong. I have a huge respect and love for the creators over there in Japan. The way they do their storytelling and how they approach a character is so unique.
How did people such as friends, family and classmates treat you as an Otaku?
I only had one friend at that time who liked Anime. A lot of people didn't get it. Many people thought I was some African American kid trying to be Japanese. At that time mostly everyone was focusing on the boy bands. This was also the time period where I was getting my ass kicked at school. Yeah getting bullied was fun (will explain that in part 3). Anime was kind of a way for me to escape that and a tool to explore my creative power. It wasn't till Toonami when people consider me cool. I loved Toonami but also hated it. You know the feeling you get when you have a gem, then others discover it and it's not a gem no more? That's how I felt about when Anime became huge in the USA. My classmates would come up to me and say "Did you see SSJ Goku?" I would laugh and say "Did you see SSJ 2 Gohan?" I was always ahead of everyone in Anime. When they were watching The Cell Saga, I was watching GT.
Are you more of an Otaku today than you were yesterday?
I'm more an Otaku today because there is endless material to watch and study. There are Anime's and characters that I haven't seen yet. I want to know these characters and see what issues they have. I want to see what makes them tick or what makes them happy. As a writer and soon to be author Anime plays a big inspiration for me. I will be studying Anime till the casket drops.
As an Otaku what is your favorite genre? How did you get into it?
My favorite genre is the Mech/ Sci-fi genre. For some strange reason I'm drawn to Mechs. I think it's in my blood, since my Grandfather was in the Air Force. Ever since I was little I've had this desire to fly. You'll find out in part 2 that I' am a natural pilot in flight games. I got into Mech because I love the ability to control a huge cyborg and destroy stuff. Plus "Robotech" really made me love Mechs. I also feel that the Anime's that focus on Mechs, have a better conflict, love story and emotional build up. There is always something going on in Mech Anime's.
Finally what were some of the challenges of being an Otaku?
Growing up I just had to face the ignorance of the people who didn't get it. People would say to me "Oh how old are you again and your still watching cartoons?" People didn't understand why a lot of us love Anime and Manga. I also had to deal with my own culture calling me a sellout. "Oh you trying to be Asian, you need to be more Black." "I guess this means you only going date Asian girls now." Finally the big Otaku stereotype. "You like Anime, eww your a pervert." I had to explain to people time and time again that Anime is not Hentai. Other than that I had no real challenges of an Otaku. However being a geek overall I had some hurdles which you will read in part 3.
Thanks for reading part 1. Next is part 2. How I became a Gamer/Movie Geek.