2023 | Otaku No Culture | Page 57 Of 61

Blue Thermal Promises to Fly High in March!

Blue Thermal will make its home entertainment debut on Blu-ray and digital download from Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory, following its theatrical release.

Shout Factory
March 14, 2023

From the renowned animation powerhouse Telecom Animation Film (Lupin III movies, Orange) and director Masaki Tachibana (Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Princess Principal, Barakamon) comes a captivating new anime adventure, Blue Thermal.

Produced by Telecom Animation Film, this movie directed by Tachibana from a screenplay written by Tachibana and Natsuko Takahashi (Farewell, My Dear Cramer), is the long-awaited feature film adaptation of author and creator Kana Ozawa’s popular manga series which ran in Shinchosha’s Monthly Comic @Bunch Magazine for many years before being published in five book volumes.

This artful and beautiful coming-of-age movie captures the tension and excitement of a young college student who joins the school’s aviation club flying for the first time, as well as the beauty and exhilaration of the aerial scenery as seen from the pilot’s seat. The film’s theme song “Blue Thermal” and the song “Beautiful Bird” are performed by the popular Japanese piano rock band SHE’S.

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Are The Three Investigators Trapped in Descent of the Dragon? They Need Help From Elsewhere….

Based on the trailer, The Three Investigators: Descent of the Dragon makes the team even younger, as tweens, and remains faithful to the core foundations of what made this series great.

The Three Investigators are back and in this reboot subtitled, Descent of the Dragon, the cast has changed. From American to German talents, the reasoning is because this popular book franchise didn’t wane by much over the decades in other countries, whereas in America, it’s been largely forgotten. It’s sad, as I grew up on these books over Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.

The last two feature films were released back in 2007 (Secret of Skeleton Island) and 2009 (Secret of Haunted Castle). These adaptations of the novels aren’t hugely successful, and perhaps that’s because Terror Castle was the book title rather than film, which may have led some to not realise a sequel was made. Although much time has passed since then, 2023 marks the possible return of the series at least in Germany. In that country, this film is titled Die Drei ??? – Erbe des Drachen.

With Sony Pictures local division involved, I’m hopeful it won’t remain a regional release for long. Fans can reach out to this studio through social media to ask for a wider release. I didn’t notice until information about this film was brought up recently on Reddit, and I feel they deserve a new life back in the country where the story was first penned.

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Is The Really Loud House Absolutely Needed? Weighing In 10 Episodes Later.

After ten episodes, The Really Loud House is showing some semblance of enjoyability. We have tales that don’t always focus on the hijinx Lincoln is up to.

On Nickelodeon and YTV
(Please check local listings for showtimes)

Catching up with The Really Loud House during the winter break was tough. This series debuted back in November of 2022 and I had reservations. What I really wanted was a better output of the cartoon series than this live-action version. And although a new season is promised, it won’t be coming soon.

Not everyone will like the fact this adaptation tries too hard to be just like the animated counterpart. All the wigs and turning an otherwise beautiful family to their drawn version doesn’t really work. A handful of performances are even spot on; Out of the entire cast, Brian Stepanek stands out as the least zany. His approach isn’t as over the top emotional as the drawn version, and somehow he channels just the right amount of pathos from his toon persona to real life.

Even though some of that magic is gone in this adaptation, I see the direction is no different from the classic sitcoms, namely Brady Bunch and Saved by the Bell. Somehow, I managed to continue watching past the cringe worthy first four episodes. It’s mostly about Lincoln Loud (Wolfgang Schaeffer) who sometimes break the fourth wall and his best friend, Clyde (Jahzir Bruno). The latter is one of the few voice over talents making the transition to the reality show. The side stories concerning his sisters are just that.

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When Carmilla Arrives on a Dark Horse During Lunar New Year!

Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla gets a modern Chinese spin by Amy Chu and Soon Lee.

Dark Horse Comics Berger Books Imprint
Spoiler Alert

Amy Chu and Soon Lee’s reinterpretation on Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla is all kinds of wonderful. Not only do we get a modern interpretation from a Chinese perspective but also Lee’s auburn design on the pages where it flashbacks, alluding to the original prose, is beautiful. Here, the vampire is named Violet, and the place she makes her base of operation may be named after the famous vampire we all know.

Here, Athena is a social worker wishing she can do more for those struggling to survive in Manhattan. Her life is okay, but it seems something is holding her back. When one of her patients turns up dead, she investigates in true Kolchak fashion and what she finds in that nightclub goes beyond simply confronting some pimp. She becomes enamoured, and as a lesbian herself, she understands what’s going on. But after meeting Violet, there’s more than meets the eye not only about this seductress but also this nightmare that soon unfolds.

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Is There Room in Secret Space UFOs? Apollo 1 to 11 Gets Re-Examined!

Secret Space UFOS: Apollo 1 to 11 is set to reveal some dark answers to the mysteries when it comes to digital April 2023.

Uncork’d Entertainment continues its love for outer space with Secret Space UFOS: Apollo 1 to 11 and the mysteries that they hope to uncover will be streamed April 2023. Darcy Weir is no stranger to the subject with his past works about UAPs. From Secret Space UFOs: NASA’s First Missions to Volcanic UFO Mysteries which we at otakunculture.com reviewed, what he reveals offers something regular series doesn’t always say.

From the Press Release:

The UFO phenomenon has been recorded far beyond the boundaries of Earth with hundreds of sightings during the Apollo missions 1-11. James Fox, Darcy Weir, Mike Bara and Richard Dolan discuss this hidden history of UFOs in space and structures on the Moon. A history of NASA’s early Apollo missions as astronauts endeavor to set foot on the moon and go further in space than any man has before.

“Another fascinating, eye-opening documentary from Darcy Weir, SECRET SPACE UFOs : APOLLO 1-11 is one of our most anticipated non-fiction releases for first quarter, 2023”, said Keith Leopard, President Uncork’d Entertainment. “You’ll be absolutely intrigued by the findings in this film, and what Fox, Weir, Bara and Dolan reveal. The truth really is out there, it seems.”

Says Weir, “I have spent the greater part of the past decade researching Apollo era UFOs and anomalies reported by our NASA astronauts. With the help of fellow filmmaker James Fox (The Phenomenon), I was able to unpack an entertaining and profound experience regarding those early Apollo space missions.”

Secret Space UFOS Apollos 1 – 11 Trailer

Dancing with Inu-Oh on Home Video!

Inu-oh can be religiously enjoyed for the experience that it is not only in cinemas but also at home with this release.

The home video release of Inu-Oh is here! Not only can I finally learn about Masaaki Yuasa‘s thought process, but also learn more about the elements I didn’t notice in my early viewing. Instead of reviewing the entire film again (it can be read here) with this additional knowledge, what I’ll explore is the bonus material. This filmmaker has been on my radar since discovering Lu Over the Wall; on television, he directed Devilman Crybaby.

After he named one of my favourite bands, Queen, as a key influence, I knew I was dead on with one musical montage in this film. He also explained why American and the history of music’s greatest moments are important to the crafting of this film. From The Beatles to Jimi Hendrix to Michael Jackson, a signature moment was actually snuck into the work, and that alone is enough reason to watch Inu-Oh multiple times. Not only can fans seek these frames out, but also they can listen for it too. Although Hendrix’s moment is with an action and we are told where it is, I have to search for the other easter eggs.

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