August 2019 | Otaku No Culture

[VFF2019] Quoth the Raven, Nevermore! The Musical Returns to Victoria

Nevermore! The Musical in Victoria, BC Location:
Metro Studio Theatre
(Fringe Venue 3)
1411 Quadra Street

Remaining Performances:
Aug 25 08:15 pm
Aug 28 05:45 pm
Aug 30 10:45 pm
Aug 31 09:30 pm

It’s very rare for me to get to see Nevermore put on by different theatre companies. It was first performed back in 2009 by Catalyst Theatre in Alberta and since then, other versions have popped up. Both gained accolades. Back in 2011, Urban Arts (defunct now) offered a Halloween thrilled spectacle recounting the life of Edgar Allan Poe. This company got permission to perform in the old courtroom in Bastion Square–the oldest part of Victoria–to give this show a special ambience different from a stage production. Because of the set, the life and times of this seminal poet, madman and architect of the macabre was center stage; audiences had the freedom to be either courtroom visitors watching or jurors waiting to cast a verdict on this person’s life.

At Intrepid Theatre‘s Metro Theatre, the 2019 Victoria Fringe Festival version has the benefit of proper stage lighting and a misty setting to give the performance a different vibe. It was more gothic. This version by Hapax Theatre stars Elliott James as Poe, Sasha Moriarty-Schieven as the Mother, Keeley Teuber as Muddy, Lara Hamburg as Elmira, Abby Corpus as Virginia and Ingrid Moore the Whore. Watching the ghosts this author faced as they descended upon him was thrilling. This setting gave a different point of view; we are looking through the looking glass at what Poe faced. Torment came at him in many directions, including us as one spirit appeared mid-audience and descended onto the stage. The people he saw were indeed etheric.

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[VFF2019] Timeline for Homo Sapiens, A Review

Homo Sapiens Location:
Victoria Event Centre
(Fringe Venue 1)
1415 Broad Street

Remaining Shows:
Aug 25 07:00 pm
Aug 28 05:45 pm
Aug 30 05:00 pm
Aug 31 12:30 pm

It’s rare to find an act in any Fringe Festival that is more educational than it is entertaining. Timeline for Homo Sapiens is billed at a T-Edge talk, an irreverent non-academic intellectual redneck look at prehistory. Freeman the Handyman is a street polymath that looks at the growth of civilization through the lens of an amateur anthropologist, biologist and geologist who loves to talk. All the ideas are worthy of a Travel Channel or DTOUR network special. It’s all about alternative theories exploring how we evolved and arrived to what we are today (and what we are doing to this planet). To be offered material much like how Erich von Däniken posits the development of ancient civilizations is a show I had to check out.

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[VFF2019] Battery Operated Boyfriend, An Analysis & Review

Battery Operated Boyfriend Publicity Still Location:
Victoria Event Centre
1415 Broad Street.

Remaining Shows:
Aug 24 4:30 pm
Aug 28 7:45 pm
Aug 31 4:30 pm
Sep 01 5:00 pm

A lot of themes are explored in Giant Nerd Australia‘s Battery Operated Boyfriend, which is making its North American premiere at the 2019 Victoria Fringe Festival. Please check this performance group’s Facebook page for future dates. In what you’ll see is a very in-depth look at loneliness in the eyes of Samantha (Nicol Cabe), a scientist/computer programmer. She lost her beau many years ago and programmed a facsimile of him–an artificial intelligence (Steve Brady) aptly named B.O.B.–to cope. While android technology is unknown in this minimalist sci-fi world, I get the sense that technology is advanced enough to allow for space exploration. Also, smart homes are a lot more common. Continue reading “[VFF2019] Battery Operated Boyfriend, An Analysis & Review”

Cats Never Strayed Far in this Cosmic Tale of Survival

Dark Horse Comics has not “Strayed” off the beaten path, but is featuring a cat by the name of Lou.

Strayed Comic Book Cover

Released: August 14th, 2019
Spoiler Alert

Dark Horse Comics has not Strayed off the beaten path, but is featuring a cat by the name of Lou. Writers Carlos Giffoni and Artist Juan Doe are two-thirds of the team (Matt Krotzer provides the lettering) who crafted a cosmic tale about a kitty who is much more than a familiar to Kiara. She is not a witch, but is rather a member of a scientific team wandering the galaxy. They are a compassionate pair and have little to say in the colony ship they are living in. The military’s plan for how to terraform other worlds for human recolonization is just not right.

We know cats have many skills they cultivated since the days of neanderthal (and Ancient Egypt). If the creators plan on drawing any ideas from these past civilizations in future issues, I will wait in bated breath. I adore cats and know just how important they were back then. As for their role, some people believe they can see into the future and other paranormal things.

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Crowdfunding a Megazone 23

Homo Sapiens By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Before The Matrix, there was Megazone 23. This Japanese original video animation was the first to suggest that people are living in an illusion. This anime is renowned for being one of the earliest influencers not only to similar films made in later years, but it hailed the silver age of anime. Macross (aka Robotech) was released around the same time. Music was a major influence in making Megazone23 just as memorable. While the sound is distinctly 80’s, so was the career of Miyasato Kumi (宮里久美) at the height of her career. She was the voice of the virtual singing idol, EVE.

Sadly, older video releases of this excellent series are out of print. Finding any copy is through either paying through the nose through eBay for a complete edition or waiting for bigger news to release. It was remastered in high definition for Bluray but is only available in Japan. Thankfully, that’s all about to change:

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The Miyazaki Charm is Alive in Ronja, Robber’s Daughter

Ronja The Robber's Daughter Blu-Ray Case — Available to order on Amazon

Shout! Factory & GKIDS
Release Date:
August 20, 2019

Spoiler Alert

Gorō Miyazaki has big shoes to fill. As the son of Hayao, to shift from the career of garden landscaper to animation director can be viewed as extreme but I feel his skills in one world is transferable to another. He’s had plenty of education before working on Tales from Earthsea (2006) and From Up on Poppy Hill (2011). To work on a television series, Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter, shows his transition is complete. The attention to detail put in the background designs served his multi-purpose role well.

This series is based on Astrid Lindgren‘s book of the same name (Amazon link) (Ronia is the original spelling). The seminal character was born on a stormy night. Some may say great things are in store for her as she gets older. Almost like PIXAR’s Brave, this headstrong girl is looking to make her place in the world. Instead, what she finds is an innocent friendship with a young boy from a rival clan.

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