Anime Today features "10 Questions" with Greg Ayres!
Posted on: Friday, February 16, 2007
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Episode run down:
Alison and Nick are joined by voice actor Greg Ayres for an energetic session of out "10 Questions!"
Starting out this episode with our picks of upcoming anime and manga, is Chad with What’s Hot. Uso Deshou is up next, followed by Kris and Judy with the latest fast food craze in Japan, the Mega Mac. Shawne’s in the mood for love this week, and he’s going to be sharing that love with anime and manga fans everywhere with his latest sale.
Next, listen in on Alison and Nicks' conversation with Greg Ayres and then catch up on the latest contests from RightStuf.com. If you’re into that cross-dressing romantic “mushy stuff,” then check in with Marie’s latest review of W Juliet. Judy-sensei orders some familiar fast food favorites in this episode’s Japanese 101 lesson and then hear what a few of our customers have been saying in their reviews in our online store.
10 Questions with voice actor Greg Ayres!
Personal site: http://www.gregayres.com/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Ayres
Anime News Network: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=7734
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1364905/
What's Hot?
Japanese illustrator and fine artist Yoshitaka Amano is a favorite of anime fans for his design work on the Final Fantasy video game series, on the Vampire Hunter D franchise and on classic Gatchaman. Now, fans will have a chance to delve further into his work with Worlds of Amano, an art book overview of his diverse portfolio that draws from his numerous projects over the last 30 years and includes many rarely seen illustrations. This 156-page collection, originally published in France, is scheduled for its North American debut on March 21st.
Aoi Sakuraba has been in love with Kaoru Hanabishi since their engagement was arranged 18 years ago. So when she learns their impending marriage has been called off, she travels to Tokyo to find him! While he’s impressed by her loyalty, innocence and beauty, he has some rough decisions to make. Accepting her affection would mean returning to his estranged family and to the emotional and physical pain he suffered during his childhood. In the meantime, their love (and their self-control!) will be put to the test when Aoi moves in and Kaoru tries to stay a gentleman! This tale of “true blue love,” featuring both Ai Yori Aoshi and its sequel Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi in their entirety, will be available in a DVD “brick” set on March 27th.
Their mission: To make their way to Planet Graceland before it gets blasted into the afterlife. Their motive: 10 billion dollars in hidden treaure. But of course, these things are never easy. Even if they avoid getting busted by the Feds, getting blown away by Madame Marciano and her squad of goth-Lolita battle babes, AND getting nabbed by the investigator who is hot on their trail doesn’t mean they won’t be done in by their own bombastic bumbles! Join Mister and his misfits for another round of adventure in Coyote Ragtime DVD 2, available with or without the collectible art box, on March 27th.
As a new semester begins, will childhood friends Akari and Hiroyuki become more than friends? Or will they drift further apart? Follow Akari, Hiroyuki and their classmates as they deal with life’s everyday (and not-so-everyday) dramas in the fan-favorite anime inspired by one of Japan’s best-selling games! To Heart, DVD 1: New Feelings makes its North American debut on March 27th!
Tragedy has forced Emma to search for new employment, and a fateful encounter leads to a new opportunity. But years of experience as Mrs. Stownar’s sole maid may have left her unprepared for life and work at a mansion fully staffed with servants! The Kaoru Mori manga that inspired a fan favorite anime is back, when Emma Graphic Novel 3 is released on March 31st.
For more than a century, the Hellsing Organization has been working behind the scenes to protect the British Empire, but their secret weapon may just be as terrifying as the undead “freaks” he battles. Rejoin the vampire Alucard as he continues his missions on behalf of the Organization and his tutelage of former policewoman-turned-vampire Seras Victoria when Hellsing Ultimate DVD 2 is released on March 31st
And as always, you can save 25% when you preorder these great titles and more from RightStuf.com at least 10 days before their release date. Got Anime purchasing club members can save even more with an additional 10% off these preorder prices..
And that’s what’s hot in the world of anime and manga!
The Anime and Gamer's Guide with Kris and Judy
http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/sales/new/megamac/
Shawne's Specials and All You Need Is Anime (& Manga) Clearance
Do you have a case of the winter "blahs?" Does the season of hearts and flowers have you down and out? Well, the dark lord has plenty of love for you - and all you really need is anime. and manga. And, well maybe more of the cool STUF you find at RightStuf.com! And, it's even sweeter when you're receiving a generous, extra discount!
From now until February 21, you can take an additional 20% off our regular sale prices on ALL IN-STOCK items! Just use the reusable coupon code valentine2007 when you check out through RightStuf.com.
And don’t forget, if you’re a Got Anime member, you can stack your discounts for even more savings! What are you waiting for?
To see that products that are included in the sale, just click on the "STUF You Need" graphic on the upper right hand corner of our main webpage. It will take you to a thorough listing of what's currently in-stock and eligible for that extra discount. Keep in mind that because this is an in-stock sale, the items eligible change as we add more inventory in daily from our normal receiving, so check back if the item you're looking at isn't in stock just at the moment, it's possible we have some incoming.
Great deals on Negima! Tired of filling out rebate forms and hoping that you'll see a check in your mailbox? Or maybe you forgot to include something and the rebate was denied? Well, we're going to do the work for you - all you have to do is buy the product and we'll give you the rebate right away - no hassle, no stress, no fuss - we take care of the rest! Check out the great deals on volumes of Negima - your price includes the instant rebate! You save 50% off!
And there always the great weekly product specials on top of both of these offers! Several box sets at 45-60% off! I highly recommend the "Japanese for Everyone" book we have on sale this week for anyone who’s interested in getting started. Plus, you get get both seasons of Gantz for only $24.99 each!
Well, I’m on the verge of collapse after putting in a 24 hour work day - but I wanted to get these savings out to you. Also, I wanted to mention that I’ll be at New York Comiccon this year - and you might want to check out our panel - it may prove to be very interesting.
See all of Shawne's Weekly Specials!
Check out the Bargain Bin!
Right Stuf Contests and Updates
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The nonsense is back… with a vengeance! For our latest Ninja Nonsense contest, we are giving away two of our newest wallscrolls featuring Shinobu and Kaede! Get on over to ninja.rightstuf.com, and fill out the entry form in the “Extras” section before March 15th for your chance to win! |
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We’re resuming our Gravitation giveaways, and to celebrate, we have some new wallscrolls up for grabs! Four lucky winners will be randomly rewarded with either one of two “Bad Luck” wallscrolls or one of two wallscrolls featuring Eiri and Shuichi! Go to gravitiation.rightstuf.com, and click on the contest link for your chance to enter before March 15th! |
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Gainax’s sci-fi action classic Gunbuster will be making its long-awaited U.S. DVD debut on February 20th. To celebrate this much-anticipated release from Honneamise (“Oh-Nay-A-Miss”), we’re giving fans the chance to win one of two copies of this super-deluxe DVD release that features all six episodes spread across three DVDs, plus 30 minutes of bonus clips and a 24-page color booklet all wrapped up in a beautiful art box! Check out our Contests page and get your entry in before March 1st! We’ll be announcing the winners during the next episode of Anime Today! |
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To gear up for our spring release of To Heart, we’ve just launched a brand-new series Web site and a cool new contest! Go to toheart.rightstuf.com, and check out the “Extras” section before March 30th: There, you can enter to win 1 of 3 “three-volume” sets of the out-of-print, English-language version of the To Heart manga! Don’t forget to check out the video clip, grab some avatars and read about this series that is a fan favorite on BOTH sides of the Pacific! |
Marie's Manga Review: W Juliet
Two of my favorite shojo manga just wrapped up last month, and since I’ve already reviewed His and Her Circumstances, I have no compunctions at all about devoting this week to W Juliet, winner of this year’s “absolutely perfect embodiment of romantic comedy” award, which I made up just now.
The plot to W Juliet is simple: sixteen-year-old Makoto Amano dreams of being an actor, but his father insists that he take over the family dojo and teach martial arts instead. After fight after fight, his father finally sets down the only condition under which he’ll allow Makoto to become an actor. If Makoto can manage to make it through the next two years of high school disguised as a girl without anyone discovering his secret, he’ll be allowed to do as he pleases. But if even one person finds out Makoto’s true gender, it’s back to the dojo for the rest of his life. On the plus side, he at least gets to transfer to a new school first.
Naturally, Makoto accepts the challenge, and his first day disguised as a girl at his new school goes spectacularly well. He easily fits in with the school’s drama club, and quickly becomes best friends with Ito Miura, the drama club’s female president and resident tomboy. More comfortable in the boys’ uniform than the girls’ and frequently cast as the male leads in the club’s plays, Miura cross-dresses just about as often as Makoto, if less secretively. Her family even owns and runs its own dojo, though one of her older brothers has already agreed to take it over when the time comes, which leaves Miura free to do as she likes. Miura and Makoto are a perfect pair, so it’s not long at all before she happens to walk in on Makoto while he’s changing costumes. If you can’t guess whether she tattles to his father or vows to help him keep his secret, then you have never seen a romantic comedy before.
Like many good manga, W Juliet starts out with a very basic plot gimmick and then quickly evolves beyond its own premise. Much like Hikaru no Go took an absurdist situation with a gaming ghost and considered it realistically from every angle to create a riveting story, so does W Juliet with its cross-dressing co-stars. Sure, it’s funny, but what kind of effect would gender-bending have on relationships in the “real” world? How would it affect everyday interactions with friends and family? Who finds it easy and who finds it difficult to accept what’s outside of their version of normal?
W Juliet also strikes a perfect balance between comedy and story progression. A story about Makoto racing the rest of the drama club across a swimming pool filled with booby traps - while attempting to maintain his disguise in a skimpy bikini - to win the role of Juliet in the next play is obviously intended more for laughs than plot advancement, but even in the midst of its craziest escapades, the story never forgets itself. Each volume does its part to build to the dramatic conclusion, and the tension just keeps building. Will it be premature discovery or graduation for Makoto? And what will Miura’s multiple black-belt father have to say when he finds out just who’s been sleeping over?
But as much as I love wacky cross-dressing hijinx and plots that actually go somewhere, what really makes W Juliet for me is the way author Emura handles her characters. Each one stubbornly refuses to play to stereotype. Miura is into sports but will still willingly doll herself up for an important date. Her older twin brothers are neither exactly alike nor polar opposites; they’re simply brothers who happen to look strikingly similar. And most notably, Makoto doesn’t freak out about people thinking he’s a girl, nor is there a big personality switch between his two identities. Makoto is simply Makoto, who sometimes wears a skirt instead of pants. Even his role within the story is unconventional: how often does the suave pretty boy get to be the main lead instead of the comedic sidekick or evil romantic rival?
The romance itself is slightly more standard, but no less moving for it. They’re in high school, they’re in love, and they want to be together forever. Expect all of the usual dates to the amusement park and the beach, but without all of the silly forced love triangles. While jealousy turns up as appropriate, Makoto and Miura have a lot more to worry about than if the cute new boy in class will suddenly steal their true love’s heart. Like worrying about what they’re going to do after graduation, or if Miura will even make it that far with her current math grades.
On the more technical side of things, the art beautifully complements the storyline, with delicate lines for the romance and broad, energetic strokes for the action scenes and comedic setups. And at times, it’s really just flat out pretty, which I find it rather difficult to object to. The translation also flows well, with nary an empty speech bubble or awkward phrasing in sight.
While its subject matter is inherently light-hearted and it’s not afraid to torment its characters for the sake of a joke, W Juliet gets surprisingly deep when it comes to the importance of love and dreams. If all that “mushy stuff” is your cup of tea – and I know it’s mine – you’ll find W Juliet a delicious and heart-warming brew.
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