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hey guys~
Big things are happening on the site as we get closer to the new year! There's the upcoming DRAMA MEMBERSHIP and the increasing number of bands that are resurfacing back on site!
For more info about the drama memberships you can click HERE and for more about the music, you can click HERE! Let us know what you'd like to see and we'll work as hard as we can to get it up on site for you! |
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Written by K.A.Wakamatsu
Thought to be all but extinct, we assumed that Asian music had gone the way of the dinosaur on CR. However, good things don't stay gone for long. As CR evolved into the legal streaming site it is today, music found a way to resurrect itself back from the dead and back onto CR!
 Music made its triumphant return when Morning Musume jumped on board with CR and made a promo video giving a huge shoutout to the fans and users. Their arrival on site, signaled in Glay and, shortly thereafter, Dir En Grey concert giveaways, as well as the reappearance of their library pages.
Now, 5 more bands have been added:
MUCC - are a Japanese rock (J-Rock) band formed in 1997. The band's name, decided upon by guitarist Miya, was originally the name of a character from a Japanese children's program Ponkickies. The band is also known as 69 from a play on words, since six-nine can be pronounced "muku" (六九) in Japanese.
 Vamps - is the name of the band formed by HYDE (L’Arc~en~Ciel) and K.A.Z (Oblivion Dust).
Girugamesh - is a Japanese metal band, formed in 2003 from Chiba. The name is derived from the ancient king Gilgamesh. Members Satoshi, Nii, Shuu and Ryo make up this metalcore/hard rock band.
Vistlip - is a Japanese visual-kei rock band that formed on July 7, 2007 and is currently signed to Delfi Sound and Marvelous Entertainment.
 Hangy & Angry - is a Japanese pop duo created in 2008, consisting of former Morning Musume members Hitomi Yoshizawa (Hangry) and Rika Ishikawa (Angry).
I don't know if it's safe to say that music is back on CR, but hopefully this slow and steady increase of music back to CR is not just an upward trend but a permanent reality. I'm sure I can speak for many of the users out there - who like me - with bated breath are patiently awaiting the day when all our favorite music will return.
My guess is as good as yours when that day will come. But if things are going the way they are, then we can all hope it's coming sooner rather than later. That said, though, just hoping, sending out positive thoughts and warm fuzzies will do as much good as trying to stop a pack of rabid dogs with a Nerf gun. Some may call it being jaded, but I call it being realistic.
Be proactive. Show some love and support, or at the very least give one of their songs a go. Should you discover something you like, well then it's all gain to you. Should you not like it: whatever. At least you tried and can say that you tried.
Let's make sure music stays on CR. For good this time around.
Written by M.Harajima and Rikun
 For the uninitiated, Asura Cryin’ is a light novel series by Gakuto Mikumo which recently received an anime adaptation at the end of September 2009. Our protagonist, Tomoharu Natsume, has just moved into a new home as a result of his mother getting remarried and leaving him. He was looking forward to enjoying a peaceful life until a mysterious woman hands over a silver trunk that belongs to his brother, Naotaka. What looks like a plain silver trunk is actually desired by quite a number of people and upon opening it, we see nothing but a dark liquid seeping out and turning into the Asura Machina. This machine is an anti-akuma weapon that Tomoharu becomes in charge of since he is the owner of it which gives him a significant role in the help to save the world and those that are close to him.
You would think that the ability to control a supernatural, demon-slaying machine would be enough, but Gakuto Mikumo throws in other elements to up the ante. Three years prior to the start of this series, Tomoharu was involved in an airplane crash which took the life of his childhood friend Misao Minakami. Now she appears as a ghost to him, and once more her soul is the source of the Asura Machina’s power. If that wasn’t enough for you, we also have Kanade Tatsuki the demonic miko and their mentor Shuri Kurosaki who can store weapons in her mechanical limbs.
 As for the setting of all the action, would you believe that most of the activity happens within the school? Throughout the series, students and groups within the school are involved with the overarching threat of another apocalypse, whether they are fighting for or against the threat. And you read that correctly, I said ANOTHER. Apparently the world was already destroyed once and our heroes must do everything in their power to stop it from happening again to their present world.
Already in the second season, about halfway through, we are still anticipating what is about to happen with the unexpected encounters and fight to prevent the 2nd world from being destroyed and protecting it from the akumas. Episode19 begins the introduction of finding out the truth about his brother Naotaka. Even though his friends have met him and Tomoharu speaks to him over the phone, he comes across his brother’s grave one day and as he’s discussing this to his friends, there is a call from Naotaka, his supposedly “dead” brother. To reveal more would defeat the purpose of watching the series, so I would strongly advise to do so in order to fully comprehend everything that has just occurred.
 This is just a glimpse of the twists and turns that happen in this series, and it can only get crazier from there. To say that Asura Cryin' has just about everything you can expect from an action fantasy series is an understatement. The complex system of power and the various beings that populate the school are classic elements of a well thought out world, and it shows within this anime. Where else can you say there’s an anime that’s a mix between supernatural battles, giant mecha, and a school drama to boot? There is much that is also left in mystery, such as the reappearance of the mysterious woman, the role of Naotaka Natsume in this grand scheme of a plot, and overall what sort of unknown dangers our heroes will face next. It is certainly a lot to take in, but there’s no need to fear. If you want your dose of shonen action in a different flavor, then give this a try. It may not be Shonen Jump incarnate, but it’s unique enough to stand out in its own regard.
 
Written by MasakoX
 Believe it or not, the topic is rarely referred to in anime. Sure, there are plenty of self-referential series such as Genshiken that peer into the world of otaku culture in modern Japan...but the majority of the female characters in such shows look down upon the nerds and consider them third-rate scum for a plethora of reasons (How could you like something that isn't real?..or...That just WOULDN'T HAPPEN in real life!) the list goes on!
Yet despite that, in recent times, there have been shows that not only convey tolerance from the fairer sex towards anime, but nigh on total acceptance and in one case, as far as I know, a complete role reversal. My first experience with any type of female anime fan was from the cult series Otaku no Video in which Ken Kubo, a middle-of-the-road kind of guy, is dragged reluctantly into the world of anime and is mesmerised by what he sees. In the small circle of friends he quickly gains, the sole female member is often seen in cosplay or wildly talking about the latest shows and the information behind it. It was nice to see, but it could've been so much more developed. Over time, there have been shows such as Doujin Work and to a lesser extent, Genshiken, where the female presence in 'otakudom' has been acknowledged. Seriously, if you've been around a convention, you KNOW there are female anime fans. But one day, I stumbled across a show which not only pleased me but completely embalmed me with a new feeling of faith towards the genre I know and love.
 Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, penned by Yusaku Igarashi, is a show where the main character is an anime fan and is very knowledgeable about the subject, but there are two key differences. The first being that this character is a social flower and extremely popular and secondly this character is a GIRL. Because of her popularity and her peers' derision of anime and anything to do with it, she is petrified about anyone discovering her hobby (hence the name of the show). Unfortunately, someone does, leading to many hi-jinx to ensure that her secret remains just that with the added twist of sexual tension with the main male protagonist. I know this sounds like a typical angst vehicle show but hear me out, this show has something behind it. Usually otaku are shown as social recluses with personal issues with the outside world and general cynicism with society as a whole. Also, they have few other talents or interests which has led them to turning to anime and becoming the person that the show has created.
 However, Haruka is the complete opposite. Granted, she is a little clumsy and she knows it, but she is a virtuoso on the piano and has won many awards for it which has gained the respect and acceptance of pretty much the entire student body of her school – girls want to be her and guys want to be with her. As you could imagine, there would be an amount of pressure to keep it that way and keep your skeleton well and truly looked in the closet. This is a great contrast to another recent anime, Lucky Star, where Konata, the female otaku, is also very talented and pretty much excels at everything she tries out albeit with little actual desire to do well in said fields (This is demonstrated hilariously in the sports day episode!). The key difference between Konata and Haruka is that Konata is loud and proud of her pastime and pretty much doesn't care what other people think so long as she herself is happy.
The sheer contrast between these two shows and their leads denotes the directions in which female otaku can take themselves. One is to either shut themselves away and merely watch from afar; and the other is to let it all out and generally not give two hoots about social protocol concerning the matter! You have to feel sorry for Haruka; a past experience of people discovering her true interests traumatised her to the point of reclusion. But on the other hand, you have to sort of feel sorry for Konata; by wearing her colours on her sleeve, she has automatically alienated a certain chunk of society and made it difficult for herself to find contacts outside her comfort zone. In both cases, anime has made it harder for them to be social butterflies; it's just that one of them is in denial.
Now I know this may be a depressing way to end an article, but this is the way women are considered in Japanese culture. The female term for otaku, fujoshi (loosely translated as 'rotten girl'), merely exacerbates this supposition. Truth is, female otaku have got it tough in Japan unlike Western audiences which are more equal, in terms of gender.
So for all the female otakus out there: celebrate and be proud of your interest in the anime medium. Moreover, be happy that you can enjoy the Japanese entertainment without the strict social norms and pressures!
Written by Kashikomarimashita
 A young man is sitting with a young woman. He is trying to talk to her, it seems whatever it is he wants to tell her is rather important, but as he speaks the music drowns out his voice. Soon he realizes he is dreaming. As he awakens, he sees his dream girl on TV. After watching her for a moment he also notices that he has slept well past his expected time of arrival to his job. The young man is Toya Fuji, the young woman is Yuki Morikawa. I always give my anime a little freedom to be strange and hard to follow in the first few episodes, but as the series progresses on I expect it to come together like one of Shikamaru’s finely crafted plans. For fans of shoujo style anime or those situational relationship simulation games, you will appreciate the finely crafted planning and storytelling.
The first and most obvious aspect about this series that fans can appreciate is the visual presentation. It’s almost like watching our characters thoughts play out on the screen as little phrases appear here and there throughout the episode. This seems a bit strange at first but as the series moves along, you begin to enjoy these little appearances for their mood setting values as well as their ability to further the character development. This coupled with the love songs that play throughout the series, and its watercolor style openings and endings give it a unique presentational value.
 Fans of shoujo-style love stories will also appreciate the story that’s being told here, which is clearly the substance of the series. You follow Toya Fuji throughout many strange situations with a few different females. Toya seems to have a bit of an issue making up his mind on which woman who is going to be his leading lady. If only I could be so lucky as to have more than one female interested in my attention! Toya seems like he is trying to leave no stone unturned here, or at least test the water to see whose company he enjoys more. While he is not a man whore, I think he, like many men has a slight fear of commitment, however he dearly wants the woman he is most infatuated with to be the one who earns his commitment.
On the other end of the spectrum we see these different ladies some of whose lives revolve around the female pop idol music industry in Japan. This is of course a very demanding industry and viewers are treated to an up close and personal view of just how demanding and unforgiving such an industry can be. Many of the girl’s time is quite consumed by this lifestyle they have chosen and you later on even see one who smacked around quite a bit before being locked in a broom closet for not showing up to a concert. With such a busy lifestyle it makes it difficult for Toya to have time with the woman he wants to earn his commitment.
 Because there are only a few episodes available at this time, there is little to build a foundation around, however in the few episodes I did watch, I found that among that which is mentioned above it also does a great job of painting a picture of simple moments that in most cases mean nothing to anyone but a killing of time from point A to point B, but they can drastically change when you think that someone is slowly stealing your heart away, moments like sharing cheesecake at a part time job, sitting back to back to each other enjoying the stars, cleaning up the kitchen or my personal favorite putting the cats outside. Normally these meaningless tasks mean nothing to us, unless someone is starting to run away with your heart. As more episodes become available, and we see how the story plays out, White Album has the potential to do just that. Run away with our hearts!
Did you know that Hayao Miyazaki co-directed a portion of the episodes in the popular TV series, Lupin III? Not only that but in 1979 he went on to direct his first feature film titled Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro which is regarded by most as the best Lupin III movie to date.
Asura Cryin' 2 (c) GAKUTO MIKUMO / ASCII MEDIA WORKS / RAKUKO SEITOKAI, Naruto Shippuden ©2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO / 2007 SHIPPUDEN All Rights Reserved., Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu ~Purezza~ © YUSAKU IGARASHI・ASCII MEDIA WORKS/『NogizakaHaruka no himitsu Purezza』committee, White Album ©PROJECT W.A., Shugo Chara ©PEACH-PIT,KODANSHA/Shugo-Chara! Project,TV TOKYO, 11 Eyes © Lass‧虹校考現学部 2009
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