January 2024 | Otaku No Culture |

After IDW Comic’s release of Cobra Commander #1, There’s More Than Meets The Eye In Store!

Yo Joe! It’s about time there’s a retcon and reimagining on why Cobra Commander must be feared, and IDW Publishing and Skybound delivers!

Cobra Commander #1 Comic Book Cover Spoiler Alert

The reason behind why I think Cobra Commander ranks as one of pop culture’s greatest villains is because of the performance by the incomparable Chris Latta. Not only has he provided the voice to Starscream in Transformers, but also voiced Mr. Burns when The Simpsons first premiered! Although the personalities are somewhat similar for the first two, the latter is vastly different. And while reading Skybound and IDW Comics’ updated origin story about this character, I can only hear his warcry resonating in the back of my head!

This take written by Joshua Williamson takes what’s from the animated movie–for better or worse–seriously! He’s a renegade and a scientist from Cobra-la, a lost civilization cut off from “the world,” and it leads me to think it’s located somewhere on Earth rather than be another planet. After getting chided by Golobulus, he’s given a chance at redemption. He must build a secret militia, and so begins the first issue.

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With Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open There’s No Need to Be Afraid of the Dark (Again)

After Paper Ghost Stories 7PM, what’s next in this franchise is titled Third Eye Open. Just what will you see here?

Paper Ghost Stories Third Eye Open A new chapter of Cellar Vault Game’s Paper Ghost Stories is here. Titled, Third Eye Open, this latest instalment is guaranteed to chill, and perhaps even cause some gamers to sleep with the lights on. This demo is available on Steam (PC), and will be released to all platforms by Summer 2024.

This award-winning anthology of creepy tales inspired by Malaysian and Chinese myths and culture will unravel even further as gamers take on new challenges. I’ve played the first game (review link) and still have the shivers, thinking back at what I couldn’t accomplish. There were some harrowing moments. And for the latest, there may even be a “Hungry Ghost” component when considering the season.

Paper Ghost Stories Trailer

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A Guide to the Pop Culture 2024 Conventions of the Pacific Northwest

The conventions scene is heating up, and fans have the following to choose from, based on where they’re located.

Small Fan Expo Vancouver Design with Ash and Rogue - Conventions The nerdy conventions season has begun and the Fan Expo brand is pretty much leading the charge. Their Portland show took place earlier in January, and the next show is in Vancouver, BC (Feb 17-19). After that is Emerald City Comic Con (Feb 29-March 3) and at the end of the month is Sakura Con (March 29-31) in Seattle, Washington. I consider those the big three.

There’s smaller sized events such as our own city’s Tsukino Con (Feb 23-25) and in Tacoma, Anime Washington (Jan 27-28)–but what happened to the Capital City Comic Con? Apparently, they’re taking a long break after the 2022 show which took place over the Autumn month. They’re currently involved in separate endeavours to stay busy, and when Cherry Bomb Toys recently relocated to new digs and are still figuring out how to get their National Toy Museum of Canada displays to look sharp, I suspect locals will just have to be patient.

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From Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret to The Sacred Cave, NYC’s Animation First is Headed to a Weekend of Cinematic Wonder

In addition to what’s reviewed and put on the spotlight at NYC’s Animation First Film Festival, there’s also Robot Dreams and The Siren–these adult themed works look worth checking out.

As Animation First in NYC winds down its week long celebration, there’s still plenty to see as the weekend approaches. Not only will there be a spotlight on the National Film Board of Canada‘s French made works, but also there’ll be more feature films making their debut. Regarding the former, there’s eleven shorts (list can be read here) to take pleasure in checking out, and as for what was made available for me to screen in advance, I offer reviews of the following:

Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret

This movie pays tribute not only to the early days of Disney animation but also becomes its own entity. That’s because the Hedgehog (voiced by Guillaume Bats) is drawn and animated much like how Mickey Mouse once looked, as created back in the Steamboat Willie days. While his interactions with the real world may well be a product of the title character’s imagination, what I got out of it is in how the two manage to help each other. The manifestation is right out of a storybook that Nina’s father would read to her every night.

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505 Games is Ready to Rumble with Cyberpunk Themed Games!

Fans of Cyberpunk will be excited to hear about what 505 Games will be demoing at the 2024 Taipei Game Show.

505 Games Video Game Chart Leading video game publisher 505 Games kicks off its 2024 calendar with a showfloor presence with Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and Nivalis at Taipei Game Show 2024, and it looks to be good.

This publisher together with local publishing partners will host developers from Rabbit & Bear Studios and ION LANDS at one of the Asia Pacific region’s premier gaming events this Jan. 25-28, 2024 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

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Just How Dazzling can Alienoid 2: Return to the Future (외계+인 2부) Get? It’s Not Just About Saving the World.

All anyone needs to know about Alienoid 2 is that whoever possesses the Divine Blade can control all the time and space.

Coming to theatres, Jan 26

The sequel to Alienoid is coming to North America, and I don’t think what’s presented will end here. In Alienoid 2: Return to the Future (외계+인 2부), what’s produced feels like an MCU film directed by Michael Bay. Thankfully, those moments are limited to the CGI heavy moments rather than the story at hand.

To expose the aliens masquerading around as humans is tough, no matter what the century, but to make sure they don’t get their hands on the Divine Blade makes for an amusing watch. In order to figure out who is working for whom, it’s best to pay attention.

Honestly, I had to revisit the first film (review can be read here) just to remind myself about what’s important. That way, I wouldn’t feel as lost. Ultimately, the story is really about how Lee Ahn (or Ean) (Kim Tae-ri) will save Korea from an alien threat which pretty much exist throughout much of this country’s history. Her quest to locate this weapon and keep it away from the wrong hands defines this work.

And along the way, she’s not sure if she can fully trust the friends she has made. When they include those who kept her safe when she was young, namely Guard and Thunder (voiced by Kim Woo-bin)–where one of these two robots need repair–life is not easy. And now there’s Heug-seol (Yum Jung-ah) and Cheong-woon (Jo Woo-jin), two magic users who spend their screen time offering up comedic relief. As a result, it’s easy to lose interest with maybe a character or two.

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