Anime World Order Show # 65 – Gurren-Lagann, Sojitz, and a .50 Cal Rampage

The heavens have been broken through and the US anime industry has been drilled yet again as we officially hit the magic number for syndication! In the news, we’re talking about this ADV brouhaha and Clarissa’s reviewing Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

February 2008 on the Greatest Movie EVER! podcast is Hunt You Like An Animal: The Most Dangerous Month. Various special guest podcasters have chimed in for these festivities, including Daryl, so be sure to check it out. Don’t worry, they won’t take as long to listen to as this episode will.

Introduction (0:00 – 24:50)
We’re kind of behind on these emails. Nevertheless, Daryl sees fit to read one we got several months back regarding a then-newly created Youtube video. Perhaps you saw it. And the response. And the other response. Then we talk about the dwindling Orlando anime scene and brainstorm regarding what our largest anime purchases were. See if YOU can spot the parts of this segment that normally would have been edited out, but this time we forgot.

Let’s News! (24:50 – 1:09:39)
Daryl’s recording was entirely too loud during this and Clarissa’s was entirely too soft, but Gerald’s recording was JUST RIGHT. There’s really only one topic discussed during all this, but in true AWO fashion, it’s every topic: the bizarre scenario regarding the removal from the ADV Films website of most of their newer licenses. Us fans on the ground still don’t know much about what’s happening save for this statement that was released, so all we can do is kick the anime punditry into high gear. Unlike real journalists, pundits don’t NEED facts. Actually, there aren’t very many real journalists left anymore, come to think of it.

Promo: R5 Central (1:09:39 – 1:10:43)
That crazy cat Mike Dent doesn’t want to admit it in public, but he just barely cheated death in the past month and change since the last episode of his show. As such, he’s currently gearing up for the 50th episode of the show. Truly a podcasting milestone! We’d record a congratulatory message to be played at the time, but we keep forgetting.

Review: Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann (1:10:43 – 1:51:46)
Clarissa spirals away with one of the most requested titles people have asked us to review in some time. Witness Gainax’s return to form as we notice that evolution is a mystery, full of change that no one sees. The YJ Stinger can contains a swarm of bees. HnK thugs say it as they please: “hidebu and abeshi.” As they explode out of their spleen, EVOLUTION. EVOLUTION!

The Sonic Soldier Borgman review and the NYAF recap are still to come, but anyone who’s thinking they should rush to post a comment immediately before downloading and listening to the show catches a 138 millimeter round through the dome.

80 Replies to “Anime World Order Show # 65 – Gurren-Lagann, Sojitz, and a .50 Cal Rampage”

  1. Tim, you’re right about 4Kids taking over the KidsWB programming chores (of course you’re right, you’ve likely got some of the trade mags discussing this if nothing else đŸ™‚ ) but it’s a bad move for 4Kids. They’re moving to an even more marginalized market, reducing the eyeballs by a significant number compared to the wide syndi of the Fox Sat KidVid block.

    And since Warner Bros does have that ‘in house generated product foremost’ mandate going on, it could very well be they’re subletting KidsWB just to burn off station contractual obligations prior to shutting it down or rebranding it.

    I do wonder what Fox is going to do. They’re not going to want to give up that Sat. block to local stations. I wonder if they’re going to start in-house program creation again and flood it with ‘reality’ programming geared to ‘tweens and teens.

  2. I have no idea what Fox is planning to do with Sat AM, but I can say that I’m directly affected by the KidsWB > 4Kids transition since the WB show I worked on last year has not been renewed. Instead, I’ll be working on the new Batman series for fall ’08. As far as I can tell, this is now the ONLY show being produced at WB. This is down from about a half-dozen shows they had in production when I started there in ’03. It’s depressing to see what this one-time powerhouse has been reduced to. The fact that they gave up their own block is what mystifies me.

  3. Off topic, but potentially of interest, have you guys heard of “In Bruges?” From what I’ve read, it sounds like the high culture name checking answer to Crank Shoot ’em Up, ect.

  4. finally listened to the entire thing.

    Daryl, I saw Rambo. It was too fucking awesome. Especially when he puts that claymore next to the undetonated missile. When he killed those child killers and rapists it was cool.

    Did you see that commerical before the movie? Son of RamboW. I had to watch Rambo to bring me from the dark edges of being an emo. I will be sure to never get that close again after losing in a speech tournament.

  5. tim: I’m actually surprised they didn’t axe that network sooner. I stopped caring about them after that POS Histeria…

  6. “have you guys heard of “In Bruges?” From what I’ve read, it sounds like the high culture name checking answer to Crank Shoot ’em Up, ect.”

    It’s running/ran at Sundance, and I’m eagerly awaiting the UK release. If you want to see what the author/director’s work is like, you can get a DVD of 2005 Academy Award nominee shorts – his is “Six-Shooter” (also available on iTunes). Or, if you’re really hardcore, you can find a production of “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” and/or “The Pillowman” near you as an example of Mr. McDonagh’s theatrical endeavours.

  7. “Is there any excuse for the extortionate prices on 60s, 70s and 80s shows that surely must have made back their money decades ago?”

    Actually, significantly older shows are much cheaper overall even among Region 2 Anime DVDs.

    Getting all of Genshiken 2 will cost you roughly $300, and that’s for only 12 episodes.

    All of the Cardcaptor Sakura TV series will cost you about $700 for 70 episodes.

    THE ENTIRE Hokuto no Ken, all 190-something episodes including Hokuto no Ken 2 will cost you approximately $1000. Still a huge cost, but much cheaper than Genshiken 2 and CCS on a per episode basis.

  8. “Actually, significantly older shows are much cheaper overall even among Region 2 Anime DVDs.”

    Oh I knew that, but it is still ridiculously extortionate. Just because it’s not as ridiculously expensive as it could be, doesn’t mean it’s cheap. Particularly when you take into account just how cheap DVD production is, and how low break even point would theoretically be on something you have the rights for anyway.

    On Amazon.co.jp, Simpsons Season 2 has a rrp ? 10,290, giving you 1 ep of 1990-1 US TV animation for ? 468. Compare that to the same year’s Goldfish Warning DVD Box release, and you are paying ? 51,980 giving you 1 episode of 1991 Japanese TV animation for ? 963.

    I’m not sure if the obviously smaller pressing run of Goldfish Warning really accounts for that difference in price. If it is, then there is something wrong at the root of the Japanese DVD industry.

  9. Great review Clarissa, though I’m surprised that there was absolutely no mention of what Dave and Joel’s entire GL episode was about: PHALLIC REFERENCES!

    I just might have to go out and buy GL after listening to this. That’s assuming of course that ADV doesn’t go under before releasing it…

    Wow Daryl, your Rambo rant at the end had me laughing like crazy.

  10. > Nia’s appearance would remind them of Nono.

    Nia’s appearance didn’t remind me of Nono, but her voice sure did. As it turns out, both are voiced by the same voice actress (Yukari Fukui)!

    Oh, and I also went as saw Rambo because of Daryl’s (and AnimeNation John’s) recommendation to see it, and yeah, it was really f*cking awesome indeed.

  11. I might be wrong, but I always heard that part of the reason why JP packaged media (CDs, DVDs, etc) tends to be more expensive is because their distribution system is a goddamned mess. It’s an archiac system that’s got layers middle-men making ordering and getting things from manufacturer to store quite costly. (It’s also why people suddenly stumble upon boxes and boxes of rare old games, books, and CDs when cleaning out JP distro warehouses – before computer tracking, it was stupidly easy to lose this stuff.)

    Unfortunately, I have nothing to back me up on this beyond what I heard from a few people while living there :\

  12. quartears said…
    Before listening to you guys and actually buying anime instead of downloading I was like most teenagers not placing any value on buying the DVD. After listening to you guys and getting DVDs I finally felt the power of the extra value. It feels weird to download shows now.

    Still, it’s the new paradigm! Either you’re with it or left in the digital dust!

    I would definitely watch anime on tv after school if they had it on. Even if it is just reruns of Zoids or whatnot. It would be totally awesome if Golgo 13 or Fist of the North Star was on.

    Hell Hokuto no Ken would be the show I didn’t want to miss if I was 12 again and cared about afternoon toonage as it had been.

    But of course, it’s been stated CN took it off due to the ratings being skewered to the very people they weren’t targeting (like me). Face it, our time has passed! (giving me further reason for having dropped out of favor for TV, period, I get better traction online and from vids of what it had been)

    Steve Harrison said…
    I do wonder what Fox is going to do. They’re not going to want to give up that Sat. block to local stations. I wonder if they’re going to start in-house program creation again and flood it with ‘reality’ programming geared to ‘tweens and teens.

    Lord knows my local FOX affiliate is itchin’ to do another local newscast to fill up those precious hours from being taken over by some kid’s show or an infomercial. That’s all it comes down to nowadays.

  13. Aww man, where’s part 2 to this show? I want of hear about Borgman and NYAF. Your audience is hungry.

    Bohonkiss-Haha nice present for my birthday. I also just watched Dream Hunter Rem on there too.

  14. Still no part 2?

    Y’know, if you want your podcast to be popular you have to update often. Yes I know, real life and general laziness but still. Do you want that maid podcast to beat you?

  15. Still no part 2?

    Y’know, if you want your podcast to be popular you have to update often.

    If I wanted my podcast to be popular it would 1. be a video podcast, not an audio one, 2. not be about anime, and 3. not mention the things we talk about 75% of the time. This is not a popularity contest.

    And while I’m at it, stop posting over and over about “when will Daryl review Kodomo no Jikan” or whatever, because that got old weeks ago. That also falls under RAMBO’S LAW, so keep your moe advocacy where it belongs: the CollectionDX forums.

    My colossally-boring NYAF recap is edited. With any luck, it and the Borgman review will go up tonight.

  16. I don’t mind the laziness.

    Yeah dude, calm down. As a matter of fact, if you look at the update schedule in the right way, they’ve still been (sort of) on a weekly schedule for the past few episodes, so you’ve got nothing to complain about.

  17. >And while I’m at it, stop posting over and over about “when will Daryl review Kodomo no Jikan” or whatever, because that got old weeks ago. That also falls under RAMBO’S LAW, so keep your moe advocacy where it belongs: the CollectionDX forums.< No I wanted you to review that and Moetan cause I know you hate it and thus it’d be really really funny. I’m sorry if I was sounding rude. You know I love your podcast. It’s just many of us are having AWO withdrawl. Oh and I watched Root’s Search yesterday. Not the worst anime I’ve saw even with the WTF we end here now ending. It’s from the 80’s so it gets some pints from me. I also watched Dream Hunter Rem as well.

  18. A show idea I would love you guys to talk about would be your personal anime collections.Perhaps you could talk about the titles that are very hard to find or the ones you value the most that may be a interesting topic.As a rapid anime collector myself I would be interested in hearing about the anime you have collected over the years.

  19. In my time we had the ‘watch-the-whole-series-before-making-a-comment’ test, and we watched Dragon Ball and Gatchaman!, a friend of mine has de ‘five minutes of the first episode test’… Gurren-Lagann is the greatest mixture of EPIC and WIN. I absolutely love it!, Gainax dropped out their ‘New World Order is great’ thoughts to support ‘make anything you want as long your intentions are good and you put your soul in it’. Each sequence, each character, each name, everything, is full of symbolism, nothing is gratuitous in this masterpiece. It has everything, romance, action (a lot), great animation, enthralling storyline, and a strong message: be a man.

  20. I realize that this comment is REALLY behind everything but I just wanted to add a thought because I have it. The shows that I go out and buy the DVD for even after having watched the entire series online (and probably having the easy means to simply download it) are the ones that really really stood out to me as something I’d feel like randomly watching farther down the road in my life (and as a 15 year and counting anime fan I doubt this love will end) . That includes shows like Mushishi and Gurren Lagann; shows that really were amazing experiences for me and thus the paying for the physical copy is really still for my own benefit. Just a standpoint/perspective I don’t think you covered however minority it could be.

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