Anime

Crunchyroll shares list of anime to relax with this fall

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Looking to unwind after a long day at school or work, but can’t think of what to watch? Or perhaps you’re all caught up and need something new. The team at Crunchyroll assembled a list of anime to share for those looking to relax and get comfortable with this autumn season.

Yuru Camp
Nadeshiko, a high school student who had moved from Shizuoka to Yamanashi, decides to see the famous, 1000 yen-bill-featured Mount Fuji. Even though she manages to bike all the way to Motosu, she’s forced to turn back because of worsening weather. Unable to set her eyes on her goal, she faints partway to her destination. When she wakes up, it’s night, in a place she’s never been before, with no way of knowing how to get home. Nadeshiko is saved when she encounters Rin, a girl who is out camping by herself. This outdoorsy girl’s story begins with this first encounter between Nadeshiko and Rin.

A Place Further than the Universe
Scenery that we have never seen. Sounds that we have never heard. Scent that we have never smelled. Food that we have never tasted. And the surge of emotion that we have never experienced. This is the expedition of recollecting the pieces torn apart and sensation left alone. When we reach that place, what will we think? Howling, 40-degree angle. Raging, 50-degree angle. Shouting, 60-degree angle. A wilderness beyond the heavy sea. The furthest south, far from civilization. At the top of the Earth. We will find lights through the girls’ eyes to live tomorrow.

NEW GAME!
After graduating high school, Suzukaze Aoba joins Eagle Jump, the game company that developed Fairies Story, the game she obsessed over as a kid. On her first day as a working member of society, Aoba heads to work swaying in a packed, morning rush hour train. She manages to get to the office building all right but hesitates, wondering if it was really okay for her to take that last step and go inside. That’s when a senior member of staff, Toyama Rin, shows up at work and safely leads Aoba inside the offices of Eagle Jump.

Flying Witch
Aomori, Japan In a land blessed by nature’s bountiful beauty, bizarre things begin to take place. Makoto Kowata, 15 years old, is a professional witch. She left Yokohama with Chito, her black cat, to live in the house of her relatives in Aomori. This is where she begins to train as a witch. Even though Makoto’s powers are still limited to just flying through the sky, she and her second cousins Kei and Chinatsu surely make the most out of each and every day.

Kino´s Journey
“The world is not beautiful, therefore it is.” A story about Kino, who travels around the world with nothing but guns for protection and the talking motorcycle Hermes. Kino travels to many mystical worlds, each with its unique customs and people, and learns about the world through their stories, at times conjuring humor and inspiration or other times piercing cynicism. However, Kino’s own custom is to stay no longer than three days in every town without exception, as it is enough time to learn almost everything important about the place while still leaving time to explore new lands.

sweetness & lightning
Kohei is a single father and high school teacher who lives with his only daughter. A chance encounter brings him together with Kotori, one of his students. The three of them start to meet together to make meals. None of them know how to cook, but they all love delicious food! ”sweetness & lightning” is a heartwarming and fun experience that you’re sure to love!

Tsukigakirei
It’s the third year of middle school. Kotaro, a bookish boy aspiring to become a novelist, and Akane, a track girl who loves to run, meet in the same class together for the first time. They’re put in charge of the equipment for the sports festival and slowly grow closer via LINE. How does Kotaro deal with his growing feelings for her? Meanwhile, Takumi has been in love with Akane since first year, and Akane’s friend, Chinatsu, becomes interested in Kotaro. A refreshing story of young love set in Kawagoe.

Restaurant to Another World
There is a certain restaurant in the first basement level of a multi-tenant building in one corner of a shopping street near the office district. The historical restaurant, marked by a sign with a picture of a cat, is called “Western Cuisine Nekoya.” This restaurant looks completely normal through the week, but on Saturdays, it opens in secret exclusively to some very unique guests. During these hours, doors in various areas of a parallel world open to allow customers of many different races and cultures into the restaurant.

Wakakozake
Murasaki Wakako is a 26-year-old OL that loves nothing more than delicious food and drink. Wakako’s favorite thing to do for relaxation is to go off by herself after work and go to various places to eat and drink, even if she’s never been there before. The moment Wakako is able to taste the pairing between the food she wants to eat and the perfect accompanying drink, the happy sound of “Pshuuu” leaves her lips. Now, then. Where shall we drink tonight? *(available as both a 12 episode anime or a 24 episode live-action drama)

Ore MONOGATARI
Takeo Goda is a giant guy with a giant heart. Too bad the girls don’t want him! (They always go for his good-looking best friend, Sunakawa.) Used to being on the sidelines, Takeo simply stands tall and accepts his fate. But one day when he saves a girl named Yamato from a harasser on the train, his (love!) life suddenly takes an incredible turn! Takeo can hardly believe it when he crosses paths with Yamato again, and he finds himself falling in love with her… But with handsome Sunakawa around, does Takeo even stand a chance?

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge
Adapted from the popular web manga series published by Square Enix, this unconventional, surrealist comedy follows an exhausted high school boy who, despite multiple attempts from his friends, still manages to spectacularly… sleep. Much to the chagrin of the energetic (at times bossy) Ohta, Tanaka is often found in a blissful state of lethargy, possessing the ability to doze off in any situation, especially in mid-sentence!

Eve No Jikan
“Time of EVE” is the latest work by Yasuhiro YOSHIURA, director of “Pale Cocoon” & “Aquatic Language”. The series, produced by Studio Rikka & DIRECTIONS, Inc. released in 2008-2009. A 2013 Kickstarter to fund the global release of “Time of EVE: The Movie” received worldwide support. The Blu-ray features an English dub by Michael Sinterniklaas/NYAV Post & the OST. It also led to the English publication of “Time of EVE: Official Fan Book” & the light novel “Time of EVE: Another Act.”

Yama no Susume: Season 3
Aoi prefers indoor hobbies and is afraid of heights, but her childhood friend Hinata loves to show off her passion for mountain climbing. As young children, they once watched the sunrise from the top of a mountain, and now they’ve decided to take up mountain climbing in hopes of seeing that sunrise again. They have cooking battles with mountaineering gear, climb small hills in their neighborhood, and meet new mountaineering friends as they learn the ropes of the hobby. When will they finally see that sunrise again?

Anime, Videos

Fourth season of Haikyuu!! coming January 2020

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Promotional artwork for season 4 of Haikyuu!!

With the fourth season of the volleyball series based on Haruichi Furudate’s manga Haikyuu!! postponed until January 2020, new artwork and a name for the season was revealed; titled “To The Top” in reference to Karasuno High School making their way to the National Tournament.

A teaser for the upcoming Haikyuu!! Land and Sky OVA which becomes available on January 22nd, 2020 was also released.

Karasuno High School has made it to the National Tournament, but the real challenge is about to begin. Tobio Kageyama joins a training camp, while Shoyo Hinata struggles in dealing with the first years at another training camp but eventually winds up presenting himself at the one Kageyama is attending…

Source: Natalie

The Otaku Culture, Videos

Uniqlo to launch Dragon Ball t-shirt line November 2019

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Following their release of the Manga UT, Sailor Moon UT collections, Uniqlo is coming out with new designs based around Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball for their UT graphic t-shirt line this November.

Uniqlo uploaded a video interview with collage artist Kosuke Kawamura who gives insight into some of his work and designs that are planned for the upcoming Dragon Ball UT collection.

The Dragon Ball UT collection is expected to hit Uniqlo stores and online November 2019.

Dragon Ball UT Collection

Dragon Ball as you’ve never seen before! Coming end of November! #uniqloUT #dragonball #WEARYOURWORLD

Posted by Uniqlo Canada on Friday, September 20, 2019

 

Source: Facebook

In Pictures, Travel

A drive through the French Quarter of New Orleans

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New Orleans ckyline
Skyline of New Orleans with the Superdome.

For the longest time, I’d catch myself dreaming about a visit to New Orleans, Louisiana. Ever since reading about it in National Geographic when I was younger, I was interested in the architecture, the food, the history of this city on the banks of the Mississippi River. The colours of Mardi Gras. The smells of creole cuisine. The sounds of jazz. It was something I thought I’d never get to experience.

When we were planning our drive from Birmingham, Alabama to San Antonio, Texas for San Japan, I asked if we could make a stop in New Orleans on the way back. During the return trip after the convention, we drove into New Orleans along the I-10 and while the initial downpour of rain threatened to ruin our visit into the French Quarter (or Vieux Carré in French) we were treated to the sun and that southern humidity for the remainder of the day.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
A row of graves seen through the back gate of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

Right off the highway exit ramp, we stopped at the venerable St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 for a look around, only to find out you need a tour to access the grounds. At $25 USD per person, we decided to skip the cemetery. Pressed for time (and the darkening skies), we hopped back into the car and navigated the narrow streets, with me hanging out the front passenger seat snapping away pictures on my phone.

Streets in the French Quarter are lined with elegant balconies and galleries (balconies are supported from the building, whereas galleries have pillars or columns from the ground), overflowing with lush greenery and bedecked with flags and banners. With resilient brickwork, weathered wood and intricate wrought iron, each building is unique and beautiful. Much of the architecture isn’t actually French, as it was destroyed during a fire, the buildings we see today were rebuilt during the Spanish occupation using materials and techniques available at the time.

Our drive took us down Conti Street south-east towards the Mississippi River, south-west along North Peters Street, up Canal Street to Chartres Street, back to Conti Street, onto Decatur Street. We meandered around the French Market including Barracks Street and Esplanade Street before returning to Decatur Street and leaving along St. Louis Street.

Rue Conti at Rue Chartres
The intersection at Rue Conti at Rue Chartres

While taking pictures, a number of pedestrians stopped to gawk at the vehicle, some snapping photos, others shouting how awesome it was to see a My Hero Academia-themed car in the Crescent City. And yes, this was where a fan parked their car in the middle of an intersection to grab a few shots of the car.

Sadly, due to time, (and trying to find affordable parking) I wouldn’t get to sample some of the food I’d been looking to try in their home: po’boy, jambalaya, oysters Rockefeller, or beignets. But just getting to see a section of this city with my own eyes, does help fulfill part of a dream, but doesn’t extinguish the desire to return. Perhaps on my next visit, I’ll get to explore more of the mystical city that is New Orleans.

View the rest of our brief trip through the French Quarter in New Orleans on Gallery.

Travel

A road trip across Texas isn’t complete without a stop at Buc-ee’s

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Buc-ee’s in Temple, Texas.

Everything about Texas is big. The state. The food. The hearts of its residents. The drive. Driving across the Lone Star State isn’t complete with a stop at Buc-ee’s, a chain of gas stations with convenience stores, who’s mascot is a beaver wearing a red hat.

In true Texas fashion, Buc-ee’s is massive. The number of gas pumps offered ranges from as few as eight to 120 and above, with gasoline and diesel. There’s no waiting to fill up the tank at Buc-ee’s, but the real treat is inside. Open 24/7, these convenience stores put everyone else to shame in every category imaginable. Buc-ee’s shuns the stereotype of dirty gas station bathrooms; these are clean, comfortable and stocked. If caught between cleaning, stalls have foaming seat cleaner (not that you’ll ever need to use it).

A table overflowing with Buc-ee’s beaver merchandise.

One of Buc-ee’s claim to fame is their beaver nuggets, caramel-covered puffed corn, but they serve much more than just sugary snacks. From the standard jerky and candy bars, there’s also fresh fruit served in cups, drink fountains, and hot meals with grab-and-go tacos and burritos for breakfast to brisket and sausage sandwiches in the afternoon. Orders for fresh baked pastries and other items, including kolaches, are placed from kiosks near the kitchen. Doesn’t matter the time of day.

But there’s more than food and drink offered at Buc-ee’s, some of it necessary for a camping trip or a ride down the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels. There’s barbecues, folding chairs, coolers, hunting equipment, household goods, clothing and souvenirs, not limited to various sized beaver plushes.

Inside Buc-ee’s in Temple, Texas.

Buc-ee’s has locations mostly in the centre of Texas, around Dallas-Fort Worth and out east in the Houston-Gulf area. There are plans for expansion, and the beaver invasion has started, with a location in Robertsdale, Alabama of all places (and one I’ve stopped at).

So if you ever need to take a break and fuel up (both the car and yourself), look for the giant beaver sign. Buc-ee’s has you covered.

The Otaku Culture

An American itasha: Toyota Deku

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If you’re in the southeastern United States, you might pass a colourful 2011 Toyota Corolla. If you’re a fan of Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia, chances are you’ve seen this car – either in person or perhaps online. This is Toyota Deku, an itasha dedicated to the hero-in-training Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia.

Toyota Deku parked outside Funimation’s office in Flower Mound, Texas.

An itasha is a vehicle that is decorated with images from an anime, manga or video game, usually limited to a specific character (but not always). Many cars are wrapped with images of female characters (known as bishojo), and bright elements from their series or games. Originating in Japan, itasha (which translates into “painful car”) are starting to make appearances in North America, and surprisingly enough, there is a large group of itasha in the southern United States.

Tony Okumura, owner of Toyota Deku, is a huge fan of My Hero Academia, and it shows. The hood is decked out with an image of Shoto Todoroki, Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and pro hero All Might. On the sides, there’s a huge graphic of Deku mid-punch shouting “Plus Ultra!”, the motto of UA High School. The details are numerous – the rain guards on the windows feature Deku’s mumbling – ブツ. The rails below the doors include Tony’s name and background – A US citizen of Mexican heritage. Right down to the wheels, which are adorned with decals of Deku’s iconic red boots, and the words “Midoriya” and “Plus Ultra” on the tires themselves.

Toyota Deku parked at the Mississippi Visitors’ Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Owning an itasha isn’t cheap; many itasha drivers put a lot of work and care into their vehicles, not to mention designing the wrap and installing them cost a pretty penny. So far, Tony has spent approximately $2,500 USD on the wrap. Toyota Deku isn’t complete yet, as the roof still needs to be covered, along with additional physical improvements to the car itself. Sponsorship is rare, as most costs are paid out of pocket and any logos included in the design are to give credit back to the creators, publishers, and licensees of the series, rather than a form of endorsement or acknowledgement.

Editor’s Note: Nephrus is a financial sponsor of Toyota Deku.

The design itself was done 100% by Tony. The whole car was drawn in Adobe Illustrator using vector art; vector graphics scale much better than a raster image (there’s no pixelation if you look closely). Once the design was finalized, Tony worked with a local graphics shop, CGS Vinyl, to print and perform the installation. Wrapping began with the hood and progressing along the sides and rear as money became available. The roof design is done, but has yet to be printed and installed.

Justin Briner’s autograph adorns the hood.

Initial reactions to such a vibrant vehicle might sound incredulous or even disparaging, however, that’s not the case. Passing motorists will sometimes match the speed to snap a picture, roll down their windows and wave, or honk their horns. Even when parked at a gas station or other venue, small crowds gather for photos or give props; one fan actually stopped in the middle of an empty intersection in New Orleans to snap a few pictures with their cellphone. So the response to itasha isn’t always negative.

The interior in full display mode at San Japan, in San Antonio, Texas.

Toyota Deku has logged many a mile, travelling south to Matamoros, Mexico, and north to Washington, DC, with all places in between from his home base of Birmingham, Alabama. Recently, Tony made an appearance at San Japan, in San Antonio, Texas. So if you see Tony and Toyota Deku, be sure to give them a wave. Plus Ultra!

You can follow Toyota Deku on Instagram.

Editorials, Travel

Three reasons why I don’t find air travel enjoyable

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Thunderstorm at IAH
A massive thunderstorm halts ground operations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

I’ll be honest, I don’t like flying. Yes, I think airplanes are cool and such, but air travel for me is frustrating, stressful and expensive. I’ll break my reasoning into three pieces.

Stress – Flying, for me at least, is stressful. Having to wait in endless lines at the check-in counter, unprepared people fumbling with their documentation or not having a clue of what they’re doing. Security and customs are another favourite of mine. I won’t argue that we need security to prevent incidents at the airport and onboard aircraft, but the current model is designed to add frustration to an already taxing experience. Yes, I could pay an additional fee for expedited clearance (see below) to make this portion easier, but that’s besides the point. It’s even more frustrating when you grab a bin from the stack and the person ahead of you steals it from you because they forgot to remove their own belt. Come on. Then of course, there’s the waiting. Waiting to board, heaven forbid there’s an issue with the plane or missing crew members, or even weather. There’s often very little information being passed around and what we’re given isn’t always useful. The delay could be three minutes or three hours. And that’s super important if you have connecting flights (or if you want to run to a nearby restaurant for a last minute snack/meal). Want to deplane in a timely manner? Forget about it. Even before the seat belt sign is off and the door is open, others have already unbuckled and jumped into the aisle to grab their belongings. Finally, it’s the aircraft itself. I’m six feet tall, I don’t fit comfortably in those tiny seats, much less in any of those smaller planes, especially the ones made by Embraer. I have to hunch over when boarding or exiting, pull my knees up close and hope that my seatmate isn’t as large or larger than I am. It’s not enjoyable at all.

Expensive – The cost of flying is almost as high as the planes at cruising altitude. You have your base fare, then all the additional fees: airport improvement, fuel surcharges, immigration, security, agricultural, and so on. If booking online, there’s a few airlines that will charge you in Canadian dollars; other will charge you in American funds. Should the exchange rate be less than desirable (when isn’t it), that price of the flight is going to increase. But don’t forget, cheaper flights exist if you don’t mind hopping around the country. Then, there’s fees for checking baggage. Want to clear security faster and not spend five minutes pulling off your belt and removing your shoes? Have your wallet ready! Upgrade from economy to premium economy? That’s more money. You want to buy a snack box, not a meal, a small box that is more cardboard than snack? Better bring your credit card. Now you’re thinking, “Why don’t you just bring all your stuff in carry-on and save a few bucks?” I’m not turning into those passengers who insist on bringing full-size suitcases and claim them as “carry-on”, violently shoving them into a small overhead bin. Please stop doing that. I’ve had my backpack crushed far to often because someone is trying to save thirty dollars by cramming something that’s not portable into a small cabinet. Frugality is sometimes a bad thing.

United Airlines Window Seat
A window seat is my favourite place on the airplane – for the view and a place I can rest against.

People – Granted, many people I’ve flown with were amazing, they made small chitchat, they were quiet when I wanted to attempt some shuteye and sometimes even beyond helpful (such as pulling my backpack down from the bin upon landing so I would be ready to deplane). I love those people. However, there are some, who insist that upon purchasing a ticket, they’re entitled to anything and everything. You know who they are. These are the people who will line up and try and board in group one when they’re clearly group four. These are the people who will bring full-sized suitcases (sometimes more than one) as carry-on and then verbally berate gate agents and flight crew when challenged. These are the people who will bang on the toilet door when you’re in for more than thirty seconds. These are the parents of small children who let them kick seats and pull my hair because now it’s the flight attendants’ responsibility to look after their own offspring. These are the people who cut in line when trying to grab a last minute meal. These are the people take their shoes off and roam the plane barefoot or in socks. There’s more, plenty more, but I could write a small novel on their antics. These are the people that make my flight a few hours of hell.

I know I have made a pretty grim picture of flying, but my recent flights into and out of the United States got me on this topic. However, I must give thanks to the flight crew and attendants for putting up with this on a daily basis. I try to make myself a low maintenance passenger; I don’t get up during drink service, I avoid pressing the call button during the flight and most importantly, I greet the crew with a smile and a friendly “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” each and every time, no matter how bad things are going. I know it seems small, but if I can keep to myself and get a few minutes of rest with my eyes closed, then it certainly is a good flight.

In Pictures

Photos from San Japan XII

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The heart of Texas was overflowing with fans of anime, manga and video games over the Labour Day long weekend for the twelfth annual San Japan. From cosplay to cars, it was a busy three days seeing old friends and meeting new ones. While it was a fun weekend overall, I did run into issues where my DSLR kicked the bucket so there is a noticeable shift in way the photos appear as the remainder of the convention was recorded with my Google Pixel 2 XL phone.


View the rest of the photos from San Japan XII on Gallery.

Anime

YURI!!! on ICE movie delayed

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The much anticipated YURI!!! on ICE the movie : ICE ADOLESCENCE which was scheduled to screen in theatres in 2019 is delayed.

According to a post made on the official YURI!!! on ICE web site, the reason for this delay is to “scale up the content” of the film to provide a more robust final product.

A new release date for YURI!!! on ICE the movie : ICE ADOLESCENCE was not provided but will be shared once a date is settled on.

Source: YURI!!! on ICE web site