Sunday, September 25, 2016

Cartoon Sunday: Murder Princess OVA 1 Birth

How's it going my gumdrops? I don't know about everyone else, but Anna is exhausted from the nonstop blogging since last week. I am especially exhausted from hunting all around the Internet for this particular Seinen Action Anime.

While posting on Adult Swim last week, an Adult Swim Helper posted a thread asking us posters about OVA's that could marathon on Adult Swim, during the holidays. Most of us are bored with the network marathoning current shows each holiday.

I completely understand, that Toonami wants viewers to catch up on missed episodes of certain titles. However, every viewer doesn't necessarily like a certain show, that is being marathoned as a recap for viewers. This is mostly a stall tactic for Adult Swim.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood will be premiering sometime next month. Since I only watched episode 1 in English Dub, I am waiting for this show to actually premiere on Adult Swim. 

While others will go into cardiac arrest over Samurai Jack getting a 5th season 12 years later, I am waiting for better shows to replace what is currently on the Toonami block.

Like I said earlier, a Swim Helper wanted us to give OVA suggestions to premiere, during the holiday seasons rather than marathoning more recaps. I suggested Murder Princess. This 6-episode OVA would be decent to air, during Halloween.

Chances are highly unlikely, that Murder Princess will air next month for Halloween. Although, Adult Swim could try acquiring the rights to this OVA for next year. 

Having action and monsters in this 6-episode OVA makes it perfect, since Toonami is now an Action block on Adult Swim.

Considering that I am rooting for this OVA, you may want to know, "What is Murder Princess about?"

Murder Princess English Dub Trailer (2009)

 
Murder Princess is a Seinen Action Fantasy OVA about a bounty hunter (Falis) and a princess (Alita) accidentally transferring bodies, while fleeing the land of Foreland. 
 
The scientist Dr. Akamashi stages a coup d'état in the Foreland Kingdom, which kills Princess Alita's father in the process.

After the king is killed, she flees to find her brother Kaito. While doing so, Princess Alita accidentally knocks Falis off a cliff. The forest guardian beast by the name of Jitterbug killed Alita's entourage of castle guards.

Because Princess Alita and Falis had near death experiences, while they were fleeing the Foreland Kingdom, both had automatically experienced a soul transfer. Once Falis regains consciousness, she realizes that she is in Princess Alita's body, then panics.

This should be summary enough for you. Murder Princess may ONLY be a 6-episode OVA, but it is action-packed. Like I said earlier, I did some major hunting for this OVA. Trying to find the English Dub of Murder Princess was extremely difficult.

From the looks of it, Funimation Entertainment had the dub yanked from YouTube. All the while, the company had no problem uploading episodes in English Subtitles. Leave it up to Funimation to monopolize every Anime in the Anime Industry.

Murder Princess was originally licensed by ADV Films but Funimation Entertainment acquired the rights to this OVA in 2008. 

I believe it was around that time, when ADV Films went out of business. Anyway, here is Murder Princess in Japanese for today's Cartoon Sunday.

Murder Princess OVA 1: "Birth" [English Subtitles] (2007)

Friday, September 23, 2016

It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns Q&A 2016 [3rd Anniversary]


How's it going my gumdrops? Today is the day! It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns turns 3, this year! 

After announcing that I would be publishing another Q&A blog for It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' 3rd anniversary, I seriously expected more questions from everyone on here and social media. 

Were you scared? Unsure where to submit your questions? Had no questions to ask? Do you believe you know everything about me (Trust me, you don't!)? OR Do some of you feel extremely indifferent/apathetic about me publishing another Q&A blog?

Lately, I have considered publishing Q&A blogs once a week besides publishing Song Saturday and Cartoon Sunday blogs. 

However, I try keeping Q&A blogs for It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' anniversaries like today. I consider these Q&A's as "intimate fall treats."

Some friends think they know EVERYTHING about me, when they really don't. I have always been a very complex and multi-passionate person. Sometimes it can be really difficult to decide if I should publish blogs about more different topics on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns, or stay with the current topics.

Before this turns into a long-winded blog of my digressions, here is the Q&A for It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' 3rd anniversary.

Donald Clements' Questions: 

1) Within the blogosphere, who are the people you look up to and why? 

2) How big is your current following, and how has it evolved over the years? 

My Answers:

Donald, these are fantastic questions to have asked me. 

1) Marie Forleo and Tim Ferriss are 2 bloggers and authors I suggest checking out.

Watching, reading, and listening to Marie and Tim will be beneficial to you, if you need self-help, want to become a better writer, blogger, etc. Both are really multi-passionate (like MOI except they are more informative, useful, less moody, and snarky).

You can learn so much from them both, especially Marie Forleo. Marie is motivational and entertaining to watch on Marie TV. I always look forward to a good laugh. 

Meanwhile, I believe I have a little more in common with Tim on different levels. The man is an Anime and Metal fan, which makes him awesome when you are a fan of both. 

Tim Ferriss also has personal experience with overcoming adversity such as dealing with being suicidal, years ago. He turned his life into something positive. 

This is all the more reason to commend Tim Ferriss.

2) My current following is gradually regrowing but it is much like a revolving door.  

Having false support from social climbers, open and closet "haters," and opportunistic friends hurts me and my traffic.

If followers TRIED being more interactive, this would definitely help. I ALWAYS respond to comments day and night.

It has been a major struggle these last 3 years. 

The fact that The Xanga Team was divisive by dumping their money issues into our laps at Xanga 1.0 definitely hurt Xangans, including yours truly. 

The Xanga Team REALLY should've taken out a business loan or so rather than beg us for donations, relocate to WordPress as a platform, THEN make it mandatory to pay to blog.

I cannot count, much less remember all the sites I have joined to generate blog traffic and to rebuild my following over these last 3 years. With that being said, my current following is extremely niche and can be temperamental.

The moment I share my opposing views about something, they leave. If I shared my political views, they would NOT be able to handle it. That's why I stay apolitical.

Danni Darkness Questions:

1) What are the logistics of your website? 

2) What was it like working at a radio station?

My Answers: 

Danni, these are 2 more excellent questions! 

1) Readers/visitors must create an account, read my blogs and excerpts to my short stories, comment, and share them on social media or e-mail to friends.

Meanwhile, I am a 1-woman show. In case you have NOT already done so, you should read last week's Cartoon Sunday blog. 

In the preceding blog, I explained the discussions I had with Jonathan Ian Mathers, last week via Facebook.

Whenever I am working on these blogs, most of my time lately is spent on finding the right picture to upload to this site, in order to capture the topic or theme of my blogs. 

Then, I must decide which links, songs, and videos to share. Afterward, I start blogging.

I work on these blogs, while everyone is asleep in bed throughout the night and early morning. Editing anything always takes the most time. Once I am finished editing, I publish these blogs, type and send out e-mail blasts to all my subscribers, share on Facebook and around the Google Plus communities I have joined.

Sharing around Google Plus takes more effort because I must share my blogs to every social circle to generate page views, traffic, feedback, and followers. It would be so much easier and better, if all my subscribers actually commented on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns and shared these blogs around social media. It's not like Xanga and Blogster where everyone is guaranteed to see these blogs.

2) Since 2002, I have always been a 1-woman show. During Fridays at 4-6pm Central, I hosted All Things Frightening. 

This was while attending and living on campus at UW-Parkside and commuting to Carthage College part-time for Japanese. My show originally broadcasted locally in Kenosha, WI and online. 

Due to FCC regulations, everyone at UW-Parkside's 101.7 WIPZ had to censor music live UNLESS they had a pre-censored CD. 

I usually carried my own CD collections to our campus radio station and played extra albums, that were already on campus.

Sometimes I seriously miss hosting my own radio show. I was able to discover other bands and expose listeners to music, that wasn't always played on traditional radio stations.

Hunter Gibson: Do you have a favorite movie and band?

Answer: Yes, I do and my favorites have always been very broad. 

If only I could narrow them down. As everyone knows, I am a Horror fan hence the Horror page I built with excerpts of my latest short stories.

Re-Animator, the original Carrie, The Crow, The Craft, Child's Play, Beetlejuice, and The Omen instantly come to mind. 

I enjoy movies from several other genres and sub-genres, but I always look forward to watching Horror movies from the 1970's to '90s.

During those decades, Hollywood filmmakers were actually more original and did NOT  remake every movie.

Lately, as for bands, I enjoy... 

Alien Vampires (they are actually an EBM duo), Lacuna Coil circa 1999-2002, Type O Negative, other Goth Rock bands like Bauhaus, Siouxsie And The Banshees. 

Stone Temple Pilots and KoRn from the 1990's were 2 of my favorite bands. So are White Zombie, Stabbing Westward, Gravity Kills, Fear Factory, Arch Enemy, Slipknot, and lots more.

Growing up, music especially Metal was my entertainment and my catharsis. Most people young and old do NOT  realize, that the 1990's had the most music genres and sub-genres compared to now. Today it seems as if Pop and Rap Music have merged and ONLY 1 music genre exists.

There are too WAY many bands to think of from the top of my head. I was already drawing blanks with your questions because I really had to think much HARDER. 

Great questions! Even though there were not as many questions from most subscribers this year, the few I did receive were excellent questions. 

Hopefully, there will be more questions similar to these next year for It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns' 4th anniversary!

What are your thoughts? Did you like this year's Q&A blog? If so, let me know in the comments section below!

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Cartoon Sunday: Neurotically Yours Programming Conflict [Chibisode]

How's it going my gumdrops? Towards the end of last week, I had the opportunity to talk with Jonathan Ian Mathers (You know the creator of Neurotically Yours and Foamy The Squirrel?) on Facebook. 

Those of you, who LOVE Foamy The Squirrel as much as I do, probably want to ask:

What was it like talking to Jonathan Ian Mathers (JIM)?

Honestly, I have no complaints. I respect the man for his individuality and his artistic ability. We need more people like Jonathan Ian Mathers more than ever, this second. Encountering more individualists like ourselves is like stumbling upon a unicorn.

Most people have no idea what it's like to create something of their own from nothing or to be more innovative. Take Hollywood now, for instance. 

Before we can blink our eyes, filmmakers announce that they are remaking and/rebooting classic movies, cartoons, and shows, that really DON'T  need remakes.

This is partly why I stopped investing time and money on watching, listening, and buying most entertainment.

Hollywood entertainment has become nothing other than garbage 98% of the time today. Only fools will waste their money on garbage. You may say, "One's trash is another one's treasure." Today that old saying barely applies anymore.

Almost everything sucks ass. This is not including the A to F-list celebutards. Over the last 12-15 years, those same know-it-all, zealots continuously patronize everybody and act like self-righteous, "political activists" about everything known to man.

Truth be told, those same people really don't care about much of anything or anyone. That is unless money, being pretentious, materialistic, and worrying about their own self-image to us lowly peasants are at risk.

Like I was saying, I like AND respect Jonathan Ian Mathers for his individuality and his artwork. Not only do I like and respect JIM, but I can also empathize with him for being mostly solo for these last 15 years.

While we were talking last Thursday and Friday, we discussed how saturated content creation is today. Everything has turned into a competition. 

Even JIM has problems reaching viewers like he was able to do years ago. This is mostly because we live in a world where everybody MUST  be seen and heard 24/7, almost every animal and person are "famous" now without notice, shallow and self-centered, attention whores must be told they are "beautiful" and "winners," and everyone IS a winner, now. 

Let's not forget about those uproarious "safe spaces."

Because someone uploads and posts pictures of themselves, their pets, and kids EVERY damn nano second, they are "stars" regardless of how shallow and vapid they truly are as humans and animals.

Meanwhile, content creators must overcome indifference from shallow and VAPID people. More original content with words or other forms of art and entertainment, which doesn't pander to mainstream audiences, are mostly underappreciated and ignored.

This is something I have been coping with over these last 3-5 years. INDIFFERENCE. You would be amazed at the number of people I have reconnected with over the years, who pretended to care about how my life has been and what I am currently doing.

The moment I mention the slightest accomplishment, they will typically want some favors, try social climbing because they expect me to be "famous," or assume I am close to FAME, since I have met and interacted with celebrities, politicians, and public figures.

Otherwise, those same people may become insecure, distant, feel threatened, jealous, resentful, make snide and backhanded remarks, and/transfer and project their own insecurities on me.

If not the preceding, I have to endure friend collectors on social media sites because they want an increase in their viewership for selfies like shallow, high school girls. People like that, I have no time for and had to dump a few over the last week to 5 years.

If you seriously don't care about long lost family, friends, classmates, exes, etc. do NOT waste OUR time by inviting yourselves back into our lives only because YOU want to say, that you know and remember us, then pretend we do NOT exist to you.

Since we were previously on the topic of content creation, Jonathan Ian Mathers also mentioned that he is not really skilled with self-promotion and that social media and other sites want money to promote our content. I understand exactly what he means. 

I am terrible with self-promotion and I don't have the money for someone to promote my content.

Self-promoting on social media is a royal pain in the ass. When you are surrounded by indifferent people, including "friends" on social media, it exacerbates the problem(s). 

In addition, Jonathan Ian Mathers and other content creators on YouTube now have to deal with censorship.

Since the time I was a teenager, I have always been anti-censorship. 

You know, if MORE average people and Hollywood entertainers desperately want to be "activists," they should go back to protesting censorship like entertainers did in 1984.

Tipper Gore and the helicopter moms from 1984 are to blame for the censorship we have today. 

It is also Slick Willy's fault, that we have the V-chip in our TV's. Notice which smarmy politicians made CENSORSHIP official?

*cough-cough* Clinton/Gore *cough-cough*

This is about as political I will get on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns. I try to stay as apolitical as possible because most really CANNOT  handle other people with opposing views. All this talk about content creation and censorship is only fitting for this blog.

I believe Jonathan Ian Mathers was intentionally pushing the proverbial envelope with these 2 videos. He is actively exercising his rights to freedom of speech on YouTube. 

Those of you with YouTube channels should be doing the same. Anyway, here is today's Cartoon Sunday.

Foamy The Squirrel "R.I.P. Income: YouTube Ad Revenue Crisis" (2016)

Neurotically Yours: "Programming Conflict" [UNCENSORED] (2016)

Song Saturday: Siouxsie And The Banshees [REVISITED]

How's it going my gumdrops? Sorry about not publishing any blogs last weekend or earlier this week. These last 2 weeks have been rough with sudden changes both on and offline.

In case you did NOT get the last e-mail notification, Horror-Punks.com has now been changed to Horror-Punks.net. Even though I mostly publish blogs here on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns, there were several blogs I published on Horror-Punks as well. Therefore, I will be transferring my better blogs from Horror-Punks.com to Blogger.

Meanwhile, I was forced to postpone Song Saturday, Cartoon Sunday, and 1 of my Q&A blogs on It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns. 

Last Friday, I was in the middle of going to 1 of my 2 doctor's appointments and my mother had to be rushed to the ER. She is feeling better, now. 

However, my mother has been to the hospital at least several times, since September 9th. 

Over these last 2 weeks, I almost had to cancel 2  of my appointments because there is ALWAYS something wrong. Hopefully, today and the rest of this next week will be much better.

Aside from those issues, today is not only Song Saturday, but also Batman Day. 

Batman Day is this Saturday, September 17

I won't sit here and act like I am a HUGE Batman fan, but I did enjoy watching the original TV series based on the comic book superhero. 

This makes me wonder how many people know, that the original actor, who plays Mayor West on Family Guy is voiced by Batman's Adam West. If you did not already know this, you know now.

While growing up during the late 1980's and 1990's, it seemed like Batman became more popular than it was during the 1960's and earlier. Tim Burton directed the first 2 Batman films.

After Tim Burton directed Batman in 1989, there was a ton of Batman merchandise. The Batman bank and earrings, that I got as a little girl are somewhere. That same year was the year when Prince did the entire soundtrack for the movie. 

You may recall, that I mentioned this in my Prince Tribute blog this past spring.

Growing up, I was entertained watching Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns. Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever was the LAST Batman film I had watched.

In fact, I went to see Batman Forever at the theater with a middle school friend for my 13th birthday and it was the last Batman film I liked watching. George Clooney replacing his predecessors (Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer) was reason enough to make me NOT want to go see Batman & Robin.

I REFUSED to watch the other movies because I despise George Clooney with the passion and the reboots seemed too serious. I had no problem watching Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne/Batman because I like both actors. 

Both Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer played quirky and eccentric roles in other films outside of the Batman franchise.

Batman, Batman Returns, and Batman Forever had campy yet brooding tones. The first 2 Burton movies were campy much like the original TV series from the mid-60's. That was what Michael Keaton appreciated about Batman and Batman Returns.

After Warner Bros forced Tim Burton as the film director to step down for Batman Forever, Michael Keaton chose to leave the franchise.  

Then, Burton chose Joel Schumacher as his replacement for directing it.

I remember the original being an R-rated film. Batman Returns was rated PG-13 yet parents complained about it not being "family friendly."

Michael Keaton declined and left the Batman franchise because he felt that the script for Batman Forever was too lighthearted in tone. When you watch the first 3 movies, you can tell the differences in tone. Batman Forever was not a terrible movie. I have yet to see the Batman reboots, which are dramatized origin stories about Bruce Wayne/Batman.

The thought of Christian Bale playing Bruce Wayne/Batman frightens me. Watching Bale play Patrick Bateman in American Psycho made me shudder. 

I still say the man played the role of a misogynistic psychopath/serial killer a LITTLE too well.

Yes, I know Patrick Bateman was only a character in a novel and movie. The fact that there are actually men like Patrick Bateman existing in the real world makes it more terrifying.

Since this is mostly about the Batman franchise and today is Song Saturday, it would be fitting to revisit Siouxsie And The Banshees. A little over 2 years ago, I published a Song Saturday blog featuring this kooky Goth Rock band.

Song Saturday: Siouxsie And The Banshees

Rereading that blog, reminds me of how much I have gone through over these last 3 years with toxic and indifferent people. Don't forget that September 23rd is the 3rd anniversary of It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns. I will be publishing my Q&A blog.

As I was saying, I published a Song Saturday blog featuring Siouxsie And The Banshees over 2 years ago. 

I also forgot to mention that they were featured on the Batman Returns Soundtrack in 1992. Siouxsie And The Banshees' "Face To Face" was featured in the film as well.

Their song played while Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Selina Kyle (Catwoman) danced, during the masquerade ball scene.

Batman Returns "Batman & Catwoman Come Face To Face" Scene (1992)

 
Anyway, here is Siouxsie And The Banshees' "Face To Face" for today's mostly Batman themed Song Saturday.

Siouxsie And The Banshees "Face To Face" Batman Returns Soundtrack (1992)

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Cartoon Sunday: Tokko

How's it going my gumdrops? So, yesterday I mentioned that I spent last week updating previously published blogs from the last 2-3 years. This includes my Horror Anime Reviews from 2014.

In that blog review, I reviewed a variety of Horror Anime ranging from Psychological Supernatural Horror Mystery Drama, Horror-Action, to SciFi Horror. Those 3 types of Horror Anime sub-genres are mostly meant for Shonen (boys), Seinen (men), and Shojo (girls) demographics.

After publishing my Horror Anime Reviews, I gradually published more blogs about those Horror Anime individually. 

However, I NEVER published an individual blog about the Seinen SciFi Horror Action Anime, Tokko. Today you are in luck.

If you never had the opportunity to watch Tokko, before The SciFi Channel rebranded and was renamed "Syfy" and never saw Tokko on its sister network Chiller TV, today's Cartoon Sunday blog will be beneficial. I have spent a lot of time hunting for decent quality videos for this particular Horror Anime but had very little luck.

YouTube is our last resort. Hulu, Crackle, and OTHER online streaming sites, which have Anime in general did NOT  have Tokko on their lists. This surprised me, especially since Tokko had aired on TV a few times.

In case you don't want to scroll down the review I published 2 years ago, I will share the plot of this Seinen SciFi Horror Action Anime once again. In this particular series, it has more Police Procedural and Supernatural themes to it. 

In Tokko, Ranmaru Shindou graduates from the police academy and is assigned to Tokki. 

Tokki is a Special Mobile Investigation Force.

On the same day of Ranmaru's graduation, he meets a half-naked girl, who he constantly sees in his dreams, named Sakura Rokujo. Sakura happens to work for Tokko.

Tokko is the Special Public Safety Task Force, which is secretly within Tokki.

Eventually, Ranmaru joins Tokko mostly to avenge the death of his parents, and to solve the mass murder mysteries for Machida, Japan's residents. 

Because Tokko is a short series, it has a faster paced storyline. It only has 13 episodes, which makes it 1/2 season. The finale felt more like a cliffhanger.

Originally, I streamed Tokko in Japanese 10 years ago. Then, ~ 1 year later, it was announced that The SciFi Channel was airing Tokko on its Ani-Monday block. 

Several years later, Tokko premiered on Chiller TV's Ani-Monday block. I really miss watching Ani-Monday and Anime Wednesday on Syfy and Chiller TV. 

Both networks kept me watching their selections of Anime, which cannot always be said about Adult Swim's Toonami block.

Now that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood will be premiering on Adult Swim next month, this will give me another Anime to regularly watch. 

You gain some, you lose some. Anyway, here is Tokko for today's Cartoon Sunday.

Tokko Episode 1: "The Awakening" [English Dub] (2006)