Greek Otaku

Tokyo’s manga ban has been signed into law after passing a final vote, and is set to come into effect in 2011, with Tokyo governor Ishihara crowing that “Japan still has some common sense left after all!”


The ban already passed a committee vote, and as expected also passed a final vote on the 15th – the law stipulates that “voluntary restraints” must begun in April of 2011, with the full force of the ban to come in July.


All the major parties supported the ban – the ruling DPJ (leftist) insisted on a “prudent application” rider but otherwise did nothing to oppose the law as they did with the previous bill.


The LDP (right-wing) proposed and supported the original and current version of the bill. Their usual coalition partners, the Koumeito (the political arm of a Buddhist cult), also supported the bill, leaving only small parties to the left of the DPJ to oppose it.


Once again the motives of the DPJ can only be guessed at – they have repeatedly blocked national bans on possession of child pornography (already illegal to distribute) on civil liberties grounds, opposed the previously rejected version of the bill because it was worded as a ban on “virtual child pornography,” and actually insisted the just passed Tokyo law remove a “duty not to possess [real] child pornography” clause.


However, when the current bill’s wording was changed to ban depictions “promoting illegal or immoral sexual activity” (effectively a vastly more far-reaching ban than previously) rather than “[virtual] sexual activity involving minors” (this version of the ban was clearly targeting loli manga) as in the current version, their previous opposition all but evaporated.


That the law explicitly excludes photographic material can probably be interpreted both as a specific attack on “otaku” culture and an effort to avoid antagonising Japan’s mass media, who obviously would not support any restrictions on themselves but are only too happy to support them on other industries.


The 10 publishers who have boycotted the Tokyo Anime Fair are angry at the treatment meted out to the industry by Ishihara and his cronies:


“The earlier bill was defeated with heavy opposition, and we are indignant that the bill should be resubmitted in so short a time.”


Kadokawa’s CEO has vowed opposition will continue, although just what publishers can do about it is not clear, particularly in light of their evident ineptitude in handling politicians.


Ishihara for his part is crowing over the industry’s defeat:


“It makes sense for this to have passed – Japan still has some common sense left after all!”


In interviews he merely laughed at the industry boycott:


“If they’re outraged about this then they shouldn’t come. They’ll come the next year, for sure.”


Veteran shoujo mangaka Machiko Satonaka speaks of complete betrayal at the hands of the politicians:


“There were representatives who promised us ‘we won’t resubmit the bill without consulting manga and anime producers,’ but they submitted it anyway, so I feel we were tricked. There are many issues with the ordinance, in particular the ‘improperly promote or glorify [sexual activity]‘ passage, and there is no way we can accept this.


In particular, I worry about the future for young mangaka – I hope they will persevere without the industry falling into decline.”

             
 The batteries of Sony’s newly announced “NGP” cannot be changed, purportedly in an effort to stymy pirates who previously used the battery to hack the original PSP models.  
 

One method of hacking the copy protection on the original PSP to enable piracy involved the use of specially modified batteries (the batteries contain additional circuitry as well as the actual battery) – the sealed battery of the NGP is suspected to be part of an effort to make such hardware hacks more difficult.

The combination of a”4-5 hour” battery life and the inability to change the batteries seems unlikely to be well received – and if the 3DS is any guide, a recharge time of some hours can be expected, making the device rather less portable than might be hoped.

Original Seto no Hanayome

Japanese 瀬戸の花嫁
English My Bride is a mermaid
Synonym The Inland Sea Bride, Setohana
Type / Year TV, 26 (ca. 24 Min.) / 2007 (02.04.2007  01.10.2007)
Genre Romantic Comedy
Setting Fantasy, Present, School
Adapted from Manga
Released in Englisch (FUNimation Entertainment)
Companies AIC (Animation Production), avex mode (Animation Production)
Website www.setonohanayome.com/

Plot Summary:
A young boy gets saved from drowning by a mermaid but, according to mermaid law, if a human sees a mermaid's true form, both have to be killed. The only solution to the problem is for him to marry her.
A young boy gets saved from drowning by a mermaid but, according to mermaid law, if a human sees a mermaid's true form, either the human must be killed or the mermaid must be killed. The only solution to the problem is for him to marry her.
 
 

Sony had invited press people to Hilton Hotel in Copenhagen to see the new 2010 Bravia line-up. FlatpanelsHD participated and were able to get a closer look at most of the new Bravia ranges. 
Here we give you the full overview, prices and lots of pictures. Check out the overview tables at the bottom as well to compare the different Sony Bravia ranges. Please note that all prices have been converted from Danish suggested retail prices and may vary in other countries.
FlatpanelsHD will soon receive some of the new Sony 2010 TVs. Reviews will be online soon. Subscribe to our Newsletter to receive an e-mail when new reviews are online. 
http://discover.sonystyle.com/bravia/#/prologue 





















 
 

Original Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin
Japanese Rainbow 二舎六房の七人
Type / Year TV, 13 (ca. 23 Min.) / 2010 (02.04.2010)
Adapted from Manga
Companies MADHOUSE (Animation Production), VAP (Production).
Website www.ntv.co.jp/rainbow/

Plot Summary: Seven teenagers in 1955 have to learn to live together in the same hold in the reformatory of Shio. Confined in a hall where suffering and humiliation are daily, they are waiting for a ray of hope in a dark, incarcerating world. The story follows their life together and how they move on afterwards. 

Opeening 12


"chAngE" - miwa

 
 Ending 23
 
"Stay Beautiful" - DIGGY-MO' 

Original    Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou
Japanese    いちばんうしろの大魔王
Type / Year    TV, 12?  (ca. 25 Min.) / 2010 (03.04.2010)
Genre    Action Comedy
Setting    Fantasy, School
Adapted from    Light Novel
Tags    Ecchi, Harem, Magic
Companies    Artland (Animation Production), AT-X (Production)... [ mehr lesen ]
Website    www.mmv.co.jp/special/daimao/


Story
The story of "love, magic, and battles" revolves around Akuto Sai, a boy who aims to become part of his country's highest order of magicians and contribute to society. On the day he is admitted into the Constant Magical Academy, his aptitude test predicts the following: "Future Occupation … Devil King." Thus begins his difficult school life in which he is resented by his studious female class head, desired by a girl with mysterious powers, and guarded by a beautiful female android.

Seikiginal Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin
Japanese 財団法人 オカルトデザイナー学院
Synonym Occult Academy
Type / Year TV, / 2010 (07.2010)
Companies    A-1 Pictures Inc. (Production,Animation Production,Original Story), XEBEC (Production Assistance) 
Website    www.occult-gakuin.jp/

Original    Togainu no Chi
Japanese    咎狗の血
Type / Year    TV, 1?  / 2011 (2011)
Companies    Aniplex (Production)
Website    www.togainu.tv/

Story

After being devastated in the third World War (known as The Third Division), Japan was divided in two. Several years after the end of the war, a crime organization called Vischio has taken control of the destroyed city of Toshima (formerly Tokyo, Japan's capital city), where they are holding a battle game known as "Igura". The game's main character, a young man named Akira, is falsely accused of a crime. Once arrested, a mysterious woman appears before him, offering him freedom if he agrees to participate in Igura and defeat Igura's strongest man: the king, or "Il-re". The story follows Akira's life in the harsh, lawless Toshima as he fights both to survive and to unravel the mysteries developing around him.

Original    Angel Beats!
Japanese    エンジェルビーツ
Type / Year    TV, 13?  (ca. 25 Min.) / 2010 (04.04.2010)
Companies    Aniplex (Production), VisualArt's (Production)...
Website    www.angelbeats.jp/

Plot

Angel Beats! takes place in the afterlife, and follows the main protagonist Otonashi, a boy who lost his memories of his life after dying. He is enrolled into the afterlife school, which exists as a middle ground(死んだ世界戦線^?, lit. Afterlife War Front)—an organization she leads which fights against God. The student council at the school, led by the student council president and angelstatus quo and serve to fight against the SSS between heaven and earth, where students learn to give up any lingering attachments they still have from life before finally going to heaven. While the injuries or cause of death is gone, those in the afterlife school still can feel pain or other things as they did when they were alive. Otonashi meets a girl named Yuri who invites him to join the SSS—Shinda Sekai Sensen Tenshi, is in charge of keeping the