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Five Animated Picks to Enjoy Easter With!

3 Apr

Over the Moon (2020) - IMDbBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Easter is forever tied with a certain spiritual tradition and before being adopted in to Christianity, it was about the rebirth of the land. That is, in a pagan world, people were celebrating the return of Spring! Those who are not religious can still spend this long weekend making merry in front of the television, or go out to enjoy the fresh air.

While I encourage spending time outdoors than in front of the television, those who are immune-compromised don’t have a lot of choice. Here are my picks on what to enjoy at home that doesn’t have to be very preachy about this long weekend. Sometimes it’s just about being able to hug a bunny!

Over the Moon (2020)

Available on Netflix

This heartfelt flick introduces a spunky Fei Fei, who is forever lost. Her mom passed and the last thing the two did together was when the girl was gifted with a bunny. At the same time, she’s determined and believes its possible to get her mom back, but she has to meet the Moon Goddess and make that wish. While her family is able to move on, she isn’t, and builds a rocket to ride on in order to meet the deity.

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Cinderella Switch Vol 4 in Review and Who’s Next in Part 5

1 Apr

Virtual Reality Concert Cinderella Switch Coming to a VR Near You | Cat with MonocleBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Available with the VARK app on Oculus and Quest 2 (VR); regular version on Android, iOS, and Niconico (non VR)

If only Virtual YouTubers existed back in the 1980s, I’m sure EVE from Megazone 23 would’ve endured beyond the golden age of anime. She’d even be ‘upgraded’ with the times. Well, technically, she was an avatar, a computer program designed to keep an eye on the people of Earth on floating cities. Her presence is meant to keep the populace happy, and the virtual idols of today serve a similar purpose. Their celebrity lifestyle is something fans want to follow; Himemori Luna (姫森ルーナ) and Natsuiro Matsuri (夏色まつり) is ) are two beloved video bloggers on YouTube who have a massive following. According to the VTuber Wiki, the number of subscribers to these idols and many more number in the millions. These two are the latest to perform a virtual concert last weekend!

Cinderella Switch -Futari de miru Hololive- cycles through popular virtual idol singers per show and unlike their regular YouTube content, which also puts their life on spotlight, these performances allow fans see them sing from the best seat in the house. The shows are “managed” by VARK Inc, considered a leader in this VR concert industry, and software that’s developed puts viewers into a cartoon.

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This show realizes the two as best of friends. One is sweet and naive, and the other a ball of fire. Their shows are approximately an hour long, consisting of five tracks. Luna’s repertoire was bouncy, and Matsuri’s more varied (her show’s production value is a lot more varied). They sing covers of tunes composed by other artists, ranging from 40mp to DECO*27, and the emotional value is everything I’d expect from a Urusei Yatsura EDM mix-tape. Notable favourites include Ugoku, Uogoku (Chito & Yuuri), Paprika (Foorin) and U&I (Houkago Tea Time).

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Star Wars: A Bad Batch Psychoanalyzed!

30 Mar

STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCHBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Disney+
May 4th, 2021

Star Wars: The Bad Batch will debut with a special 70-minute premiere, and this team may well prove to be the new “Rebels” to join a growing Alliance. That’s my take on this renegade team of Clone Troopers with genetic defects who have broken their programming. They are the only warriors willing to take on dangerous missions, ala Mission Impossible, for the glory of the Empire. This tale takes place in the aftermath of the Clone Wars. Somewhere along the line will be a breakdown of their conditioning so they can be totally independent, true to the spirit of this franchise.

The action is more in line with Fast and the Furious, but for the characters involved. They’re generally well adjusted-well sort of. Whatever’s wrong with their neural pathways can’t be fixed in Kamino since being activated. I’m betting there was subterfuge to cause this group to be what they are. That’ll be revealed in later episodes when we look to their past. Hunter, Echo, Tech, Wrecker and Crosshair aren’t Transformers. They’ve earned their nicknames because each member is talented in their own unique way.  

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Virtual Concert Series Cinderella Switch to Stream Mar 27th!

26 Mar

Anyone who has played Kizuna AI: Touch the Beat on the Oculus will get a different type of experience with VARK Incorporated’s virtual concert series, Cinderella Switch.

This show brings Himemori Luna and Natsuiro Matsuri to many virtual headsets for fans to listen along to. This show takes place Saturday March 27th, 2021 at 9AM CET/4AM EDT/5PM JST. Of course, keeping track it in other time zones is tough unless one has an alarm and reminders in place–but for what’s offered in volume four is going to be a fun time. You’re getting J-pop as its meant–with a 3D laser light show and it’s all digital!

All people have to do is download the software. They’re available on Oculus Quest, Oculus Quest 2, PlayStation VR, Niconico, and on Android and iOS smartphones. 

The cost of the ticket is $43/€35 for a single concert part, with both pieces of the experience being offered when bought together for $80/€66.

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So What’s With the Music in Earwig and the Witch?

18 Mar

Steelbook Edition available to preorder on Amazon USA

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

GKIDS & Shout! Factory
Now Available on Streaming (HBOMax)

DVD/Blu-Ray Release Date:
April 6, 2021

Spoiler Alert

Long time fans of Studio Ghibli’s works will find their decision to transition to CGI jarring. The production quality and advanced character design–the motion of the figures–is just not there. They don’t have the decades of experience other teams (like DreamWorks or PIXAR) have. It’s all new to them. Despite this setback, debuting Earwig and the Witch (アーヤと魔女) on television and the CGI quality doesn’t overshadow the tale by much.

Goro Miyazaki explains his reasoning behind the production design in one featurette offered in this home video release (it comes with a handy checklist of other Ghibli films for completionists to explore). Viewers can decide if his choice is for the better or worse. By mid-act I got accustomed to it and became more invested in the hilarious antics Erica Wigg (Kokoro Hirasawa) goes through with the help of her new pet to become a woman of the house.

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