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Happy 2010!
I know I mentioned this on our front page, but I wanted to thank everyone who has stood by CR through all the changes that have gone on over the past year. Moreover, I wanted to thank every single one of you who helped make CR what it is today! We wouldn't be here without you. I'm looking forward to all the new improvements and additions coming soon to hopefully make this year better than the last! |
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Written by M.Harajima
 Happy New Year! Prospero Ano Nuevo! Akemashite Omedetou! Whatever language you say it in, it all means the same. :D
What a year it’s been! It’s hard to imagine that one year ago, we started on this journey only to see it take us far beyond our wildest dreams! Thanks to all of your support, we’ve transitioned into becoming the largest streaming site for all types of Asian content and have been able to bring you more than half of the anime simulcasts from Japan.
It could’ve stopped there, but it didn’t. Throughout 2009 we’ve continually been adding to our live action section by pumping in hundreds of Korean, Chinese and Japanese dramas, Chinese kung-fu movies and Japanese horror flicks. Recently we added even more Korean dramas in conjunction with our all-access premium membership for those who LOVE both anime and live action.
CR has also started to introduce music back to the site with the additions of artists like Morning Musume, Hangry & Angry, Glay, Dir En Grey, Vistlip, Girugamesh and MUCC. We’ve had tons of giveaways and just a few days ago, we scored FIVE pairs of tickets for the SOLD OUT Utada Hikaru concert at the House of Blues in LA on 1/19 to give exclusively to our Crunchyroll fans!
Along with the continuing titles:
We just announced our new winter simulcasts this past week and have managed to, again, score over half of the anime simulcast content! Check out the new titles that join the lineup for winter 2010 season right here:
 Chu-Bra (Monday 8 am PST)
Nayu is a twelve-year old girl who enters a private school at the top of her class. Her classmates are quickly shocked to discover that on the first day of school, she announces to the whole school everything there is to know about adult lingerie.
Now, it is time for the panty revolution to begin...
 SO-RA-NO-WO-TO (Monday 10 am PST)
"There is no happiness in the world.
There is no joy. If anything, it is a dark and needy world.
However, that is just one state of the world...
There are beautiful things, filthy things, harsh things, and even enjoyable things...How you take them will be up to you."
 Omamori Himari (Thursday 9 am PST)
"Yuuto Amakawa comes from a long line of demon-slayers. Orphaned seven years ago without a single living relative, he has been protected and been able to live life as an ordinary high school boy – until his sixteenth birthday when his protection charm wears off. Just as he is about to be in real big, demon-packed trouble, a mysterious catgirl named Himari appears and pledges her allegiance to him, promising to protect him forever."
 Durarara (Friday 11 am PST)
Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Mikado Ryugamine is a young man who yearns for the city like no other. At the invitation of his childhood friend, Masaomi Kida, he moves to Ikebukuro and enters school there. Masaomi tells Mikdado about some dangerous people in Ikebukuro to watch out for.
There are two in particular, a brawling champion named Shizuo Heiwajima and hobbyist information broker Izaya Orihara. And then there is a mysterious organization of unknown origins known as Daraazu. On his first day headed into the city, Masaomi sees a jet black motorcycle being driven by a headless rider. From then on, a series of random attacks and events begin to occur on the streets of Ikebukuro, and a group known as the Kikinada Gang arises as Ikebukuro begins to crumble."
 Cobra (Saturday 8 am PST)
His name is Cobra. He is a pirate alone on his own, pursued by the Pirate Guild, with a bounty larger than no other in the universe placed on his head by the Galactic Patrol, and he has disappeared for three years. Rumored to be dead, Cobra has changed his face and has been living a peaceful life. But then, one day he is told this tranquility will no longer last. Along with Lady, his beautiful cybernetic companion of Martian origin, they blast off into space in the Turtle, Cobra's favorite ship, looking for endless adventure.
 Hanamaru Kindergarten (Sunday 10 am PST)
"Welcome to Hanamaru Kindergarten! Here, you will find that everyone is super genki and full of beans, and that every day is fun, fun, fun!
Anzu loves Mr. Tsuchida, the homeroom teacher. Cheering her on is her friend, the brainiac Hiiragi and the pure-hearted Koume.
The pupils do things like slightly off-base love attacks or sleuthing around outside the school.
Although the three of them are occasionally scolded for their antics, the three of them are quickly growing up. For them, these adventures from the heart are followed by afternoon naps – everyday."
Written by Rikun
I know its been awhile since we did this, but with all the titles being released and craziness of Crunchyroll going on, we've become a bit distracted! So, by popular demand, we promise to continue on with the Best Meme's list until we hit that #1 Meme! So, jumping back on track, we’ve hit the midpoint of the countdown now, so it’s time that we take a look at what’s considered one of the older internet memes in anime.
Though it may not be as popular nowadays as it once was, it has left a significant impact on the fandom.
At #3, it’s Loituma Girl (aka the Leekspin):
* * * * *
 Circle back to April 2006, when YouTube was still a fairly young site and there were other ways of showing off videos on the net. One person thought to create a simple flash animation where they take a couple of frames from the Bleach anime of Orihime spinning a welsh onion (though most English speakers mistook it for a leek) and superimpose it with a stanza of an old Finnish polka sung by a quartet known as Loituma.
The result became a sensation. The reasons for its popularity are vast and varied, but the repetitive nature of the clip combined with an almost never-ending song caught the attention of thousands of fans who could simply leave the flash running for hours on end. As for what the lyrics of this stanza of the Ievan Polka actually meant, it turns out it was merely scatting with nonsense words that had never appeared in the original folk version. The simple nature of this meme also made it subject to many fanmade parodies that would replace Orihime with another anime character that would be spinning something else similar to the leek. Not surprisingly, the quartet Loituma actually got a resurgence in interest due to the popularity of the song. Another music video called the Holly Dolly Song featured a remix of the Ievan Polka with a cameo from the “Loituma Girl”, slightly altered due to copyright reasons.
However, the most significant of all contributions that Loituma Girl has left on the anime fandom can be found within the popular cast of the Vocaloid software. Before their mascot Hatsune Miku was released in September 2007, the Yamaha company decided to release a demo track to show what she was capable of. Because it was such a popular meme at the time, they decided to use the song clip from the Loituma craze and created a chibified image of Hatsune Miku holding a welsh onion to compliment the demo. Unwittingly, this image had permanently associated welsh onions as Miku’s signature item as well as turned into an independent character all in herself, Hachune Miku. It looks like Miku has Orihime to thank for this facet of her character!
Although this meme has faded into obscurity due to its relative age, its overall impact in the fan community cannot be ignored. What would have happened if this particular meme didn’t catch on? Perhaps Miku would be wielding something else aside from a green onion, or maybe it would be another character doing another repetitive thing that would catch the attention of millions. Regardless of why it was popular or what it could have been, the Leekspin has cemented its place as one of the most memorable anime internet memes to date.
Tune in next time, where we see viral marketing at its best. Oh Kyoto Animation…
Written by BasouKazuma
 This week I've interviewed AHTL (aka Hugo), who's been a Library moderator for the site since June this year. Rumor has it that he *was* 20 years old, from Norway and liked long walks on the beach but this information is unverified since AHTL was unable to be reached for comment. Library moderators are in charge of approving, disapproving and organizing the informational Library pages on the site. If you have any questions or concerns about the CR Library, feel free to drop a line to Library mods such as AHTL!
* * * * *
BasouKazuma: Hello AHTL, let's start off with a simple question. Why did you agree to be interviewed?
AHTL: It's more of a "Why not" case, saw no reason not to be interviewed. The knife in my back helped too.
BasouKazuma: Shhhh, don't mention it and you won't have to worry about it. Hopefully I'll be able to make you regret being interviewed.
AHTL: Ehm... Yeah. <_<
BasouKazuma: So how's the Library Mod life treating you? Interesting? Boring?
AHTL: It's good, feels satisfying being able to help Crunchyroll get a good library. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so if I see something wrong (Misleading information, bad grammar/spelling, not looking good etc, bad quality on the avatar) I want to fix it.
BasouKazuma: That's cool, are there any interesting mistakes you've come across?
AHTL: Well, the most amusing is probably from before I became a library moderator. When an anime had the information about fences, instead of the actual info.
And another had about Xena the Warrior.
BasouKazuma: Haha yea, that was probably our screwed up system that pulls information from wikipedia. Sometimes it pulls the wrong information.
AHTL: Perhaps.. Most of the time it's just incorrect image, lack of source and such.
A bit amusing when people submit rather colourful submissions, where the use of purple, red, blue and others are a bit excessive. In such cases, I usually contact the user who submitted it, and tell them how it should be done.
BasouKazuma: What do you occupy your time with, when you're not on Crunchyroll?
AHTL: Work, study, music and gaming mostly. I enjoy biking a lot, even during winter. Now and then I organize a film/gaming night with my friends, or just watch some film/anime with my house mates. I enjoy reading quite much; books and comics alike.
BasouKazuma: Have you played any good games or read any good books lately and if so what were they?
AHTL: Well, I've completed Borderlands not too long ago, currently playing Dragon Age: Origins and some older games, like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadows Of Chernobyl and Thief: Deadly Shadow (Third in the series).
BasouKazuma: Borderlands was fun but not too much re-playability and the server system sucks for multiplayer.
AHTL: Borderlands was quite enjoyable as a RPG shooter, amusing puns and references in the quests and what people said to you. The ending didn't live up to my expectations though. Overall a nice time killer. Played most of it together with one of my house mates.
Haven't tried playing it online, so can't really comment on that.
BasouKazuma: Basically one person hosts the game and if they leave, everyone gets booted abruptly and you lose whatever wasn't saved last but yea, let's not bore the readers with our rants lol.
AHTL: Sounds annoying.
BasouKazuma: Let's see, do you go to school and/or have a job?
AHTL: I have a part time job, originally 30% - but due to Christmas and other circumstances I've worked for more like 60%. I study on my own, so I don't go to school. Studying sociology, maths and physics. Trying to study C++ and philosophy, though that is more of a side-project.
Never been good with maths, or studying on my own, so it is a challenge I need to conquer. Luckily, I'm getting help from a friend's father, who incidentally is Norway's youngest person to become a professor. In Maths no less.
BasouKazuma: Some people need the structured environment of a school to study but I think studying on your own is more useful, unless the teacher is really good.
AHTL: I fell completely behind at school, when it came to maths. Teacher wasn't too much help as well. The other subjects went well enough. English being my best subject, with some other subjects right behind.
BasouKazuma: Well hopefully you'll be able to catch back up.
Are there any shows on TV that you are currently watching?
AHTL: Not really, never been much of a TV person. I blame the commercials. Though, I am trying to watch Dexter.
BasouKazuma: Dexter is good, though I think the first season was better than the others.
AHTL: Really? Only gotten to episode 4 so far, liking it quite much. From what I've heard from others (Read: Another forum I visit), the series gets better after Dexter has resolved his issues with his father or something like that. I don't recall exactly.
BasouKazuma: Well there's a lot more sex in season 2, maybe people liked that a lot.
At any rate, was there an any movie, released in 2009, that stood out for you?
AHTL: Good question, the only one I can think of right now is The Hangover. It was (luckily) completely opposite of what I expected. It had me laughing so hard, I got tears in my eyes. I should really get around watching more films.
BasouKazuma: Hangover was good so that'll be your recommendation for the readers, do you have any movies that you would tell people to stay away from?
AHTL: Only ones I can think of, though I haven't watched them, are 2012 and Ninja Assassin. From what I've heard, 2012 was a waste of money. In Ninja Assassin, the best stuff happens before the title even appears.
I just remembered that I was supposed to watch Caroline. (Only got it because it's related to Neil Gaiman, creator of The Sandman, my all time favorite comic)
BasouKazuma: Oh that was my next question. >_>
New question, are you psychic?
AHTL: I have certain powers, yes. My strongest is to manipulate electronic devices. Was at a friend's place once, each time I came into the room where his computer was - it just turned itself off. I was eventually banned from entering that room.
BasouKazuma: Psh anyone can do that. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
AHTL: Hm.. Superpower... Tough one.. My favourite "superheroes" are Deadpool, Wolverine, The Sandman and The Swamp Thing...
Maybe cell regeneration.. Though it would be great being able to heal others.
BasouKazuma: It's a good thing you didn't watch the Wolverine from this year.
AHTL: On second thought, I watched Wolverine. And I raged/cried when I saw Deadpool. I must have forgotten it out of sadness.
BasouKazuma: * Add it to the list *
Be sure to not watch Wolverine, 2012 and Ninja Assassin people!
AHTL: Yeah, won't miss much by avoiding those.
BasouKazuma: Back to the Crunchy roll, have you ever eaten one?
AHTL: Sadly no, but I've had sushi twice. Ate it once with my Ninjutsu team, was quite enjoyable.
BasouKazuma: Your assignment is to have a crunchy roll by the end of the week.
AHTL: But I'm going away! Can't it be next week? : <
BasouKazuma: Only if you get a note from your parents.
AHTL: Does it count if I make a fake one?
BasouKazuma: Sure, so next week it is.
AHTL: Excellent!
BasouKazuma: Have you been keeping up with any of the series on the site or are there any ones that you've already watched which you would recommend to others?
AHTL: Newest would be SHANGRI-LA, yet to finish it though. Most of the series I've watched, that are on CR, are not available in my region though. ^^
BasouKazuma: What series that is not currently on the site would you like to see made available here?
AHTL: Ghost in the Shell, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Bakemonogatari, Black Lagoon, Nijuu Mensou no Musume (Also known as Daughter of Twenty Faces), Ergo Proxy, Speed Grapher and FLCL. Though, any anime is good. The more the merrier and better for Crunchyroll. That's what I think. ^^
BasouKazuma: Good good, those would be nice additions. Who on the site do you find yourself talking to the most?
AHTL: Ezgi (Kippu), weila, mizocutie, Aeokaze and some other users.
BasouKazuma: Out of those people who is your favorite??
AHTL: That's easy, just check my profile. : )
BasouKazuma: Checking profiles is for non-lazy people.
AHTL: Too bad for the lazy people! :P
BasouKazuma: Fine nevermind, do you have a good relationship with the people on the site?
AHTL: I'd think so, the responses I get are mostly positive. The only time I've gotten 'hate mail', was some time ago when I teased someone for not really making sense.
BasouKazuma: What sort of questions do you get the most?
AHTL: For the most time it's related to the library. Though other questions have been related to how to make some of the "codes" work on CR, and then you have the more personal ones, related to music, wallpapers and so on.
BasouKazuma: If there was anything you can tell everyone before messaging you, what would it be?
AHTL: Read the rules and the information that is in the stickies on the main forum. It doesn't take long, and it solves a lot of issues. Though, if you're not really understanding something still, there's no reason to hesitate asking. Better to ask, than not to, and do mistakes.
BasouKazuma: Thanks for you time AHTL, do you have any final words? *Applies more pressure with the knife*
AHTL: Submit more changes to the library, don't be afraid of the mods and send me some chocolate please.
Did you know that the longest running OVA series was Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (Legend of the Galactic Heroes)? This series is noted for it's sophisticated storyline that breaks the norm of standard Anime series that revolve around intergalactic space conflict and has 110 episodes spanning from 1988 to 1997 which doesn't count the movies and 2 follow up series.
Naruto Shippuden ©2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO / 2007 SHIPPUDEN All Rights Reserved., Yumeiro Patissierre © YPPC, All Rights Reserved, Cobra © 2008 BUICHI TERASAWA/A-GIRL RIGHTS/GUILD PROJECT, Erin © NAHOKO UEHASHI·KODANSHA /NHK·NEP, Chu-Bra ©Yumi Nakata EFUTABASHA^CHU-BRA Partnership, So-ra-no-wo-to © Paradores/Aniplex/ 1121, Omamori Himari ©2009 Miran Matora/Fujimishobou/Omahima Partners, Durarara © Ryohgo Narita/ASCII MEDIA WORKS/Ikebukuro Dollars/MBS, Hanamaru Kindergarten © YUTO/SQUARE ENIX, HANAMARU KINDERGARTEN COMMITTEE, Orihime and all likeness of Bleach © Tite Kubo/Shueisha, TV Tokyo, dentsu, Pierrot
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