I've been away for some time now but I had to at least indicate that I am still around. :lol:

So here's a new blog! And what great news I have for Canadian anime fans. As the title points out, this is dealing with Fullmetal Alchemist (of course) and Death Note. What do I mean exactly? Well the great news is DEATH NOTE IS COMING TO CANADA! After the news broke about Death Note coming to Canada in September, it's finally been confirmed to be coming on Canadian television (YTV) on October 26th, '07. My American friends will also be glad to know that Death Note will also be appearing on Cartoon Network on October. 20th, '07. I don't mind that the US gets it one week earlier than we do in Canada because I'm just glad that we're getting new anime and Death Note to be specific. Considering the time it took to get Fullmetal Alchemist and other anime on this side of the border it's great to see that the popularity of Death Note is allowing us to see this great anime so quickly.

Despite the good news though, there's something that was slightly troubling. Since I know YTV likes to play around with their scheduling from time to time. I realized that only after a couple of weeks. InuYasha and Fullmetal Alchemist were no longer being shown throughout the week. Previously, anime was restricted to airing on Fridays but even though they were reruns I still had something to look forward to in the night before going to sleep and heading out to school the next morning. However, it seems Naruto is still going and has even gathered a spot earlier in the day. If I remember correctly, Naruto now airs at 5:30 and then once again in the Bionix block later in the evening. So I'm assuming that Naruto has received lots of fandom but I remember at the height of Dragon Ball Z's popularity, it also aired multiple times during the week.

That's not the only troubling matter though. Since Fullmetal Alchemist was removed from the weekly schedule, I decided to check and see if any changes were made to Friday's schedule (today). And what I found was incredibly shocking and disappointing - Fullmetal Alchemist was NOT listed to air tonight. Which leads me to wonder what the hell is YTV doing? First they added it to air during the week (this indicating that the series has gotten a great deal of popularity) and then remove it completely. It was insane and made no sense whatsoever. Especially when InuYasha (which finally ended earlier in the year) had been going for so many years, you'd think that'd be the one to go when death Note arrives. Right now, I'm not sure if Fullmetal Alchemist will be coming back but there is hope.

Next Friday will definitely be an exciting day for Fullmetal Alchemist fans as YTV is going to be airing Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa at 9:00pm EST. I may have seen the movie multiple times (I bought the DVD of course) but I'm still going to be watching it. I'm intriguied to see if YTV will do any editing for time and such. They always show the full movies, so I'm confident that all of the film will be shown but I'm just going to keep that in mind since CBC went and heavily edited numerous scenes in their showing of Spirited Away. Honestly, why would you want to cut anything out of such a great film? It was a stupid decision that hindered one of the greatest films of all timein it's first airing in Canada.

I'm hoping after next Friday, Fullmetal Alchemist will return alongside Death Note, and of course the other anime regularly shown including Eureka Seven. It's getting down to the end of the series, only five more episodes left. I can't wait for tonight! Despite that I really hope the arrival of Death Note doesn't mean FMA will be sacrificed.

That's basically it for this blog, school's been great and I'm aware that I haven't been on GameSpot as much which might be a good thing since it's been really glitchy as of late. There's also been another addition to my Fullmetal Alchemist collection! I got the first novel "The Land of Sand". I've only read Chapter 1 so far (there are only four chapters though if I remember correctly). I needed something to read for an assignment. So why bother with something I might not enjoy? Fullmetal Alchemist all the way!

Earlier this year I had posted the contents of my Fullmetal Alchemist DVD Collection. This is just an update on the overall collection I'm trying to assemble.

DVDs

• Volume 01: The Curse (Ep. 1-4)
• Volume 02: Scarred Man of the East (Ep. 5-8 )
• Volume 03: Equivalent Exchange (Ep. 9-12)
• Volume 04: The Fall of Ishbal (Ep. 13-16)
• Volume 05: The Cost of Living (Ep. 17-20)
• Volume 06: Captured Souls (Ep. 21-24)
• Volume 07: Reunion on Yock Island (Ep. 25-28 )
• Volume 08: The Altar of Stone (Ep. 29-32)
• Volume 09: Pain and Lust (Ep. 33-36)
• Volume 10: Journey To Ishbal (Ep. 37-40)
• Volume 11: Becoming The Stone (Ep. 41-44)
• Volume 12: Truth Behind Truths (Ep. 45-48 )
• Volume 13: Brotherhood (Ep. 49-51)
• Fullmetal Alchemist The Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa

No changes in terms of the DVD collection. However, there's a very good reason for this. It seems that FUNimation is now releasing the Fullmetal Alchemist Box Sets. The first one which contains the first four DVDs will be released on Tuesday (Sept. 18th, '07). It's much cheaper and I don't believe that there's going to be a lack of extras since I've been told that they're merely re-packaging the individual DVDs. Which is awesome! I plan to pick that up in the next couple of weeks. The next Box Set's release date is unknown at this point but that's fine. I'll be content with the first seixteen episodes for now.

Manga

• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 1
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 2
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 3
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 4
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 5
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 6
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 7
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 8
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 9
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 10
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 11
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 12
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 13
• Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 14

As you can see I've been keeping up with the manga releases. However I'm still missing the most significant one and that's Volume 1. I can't seem to find it and the libraries around my area are absolutely no help. I hope I can get ahold of it before Vol. 15 which is coming out December 18th, '07.

Books

• Fullmetal Alchemist Anime Profiles
• Fullmetal Alchemist Manga Character Profiles
• The Art of Fullmetal Alchemist The Anime

There are other books for Fullmetal Alchemist including the novels but I don't think I'm going to bother with those. I may get the novels since I've already seen them but as for other books relating to the manga. I'll only buy them if I come across them and have the extra money to do so. The Manga Profiles is the only one I have my mind set on in terms of Fullmetal Alchemist books.

Now if you're wondering about The Art of Fullmetal Alchemist The Anime. Well it's really awesome. The cel-shading is superb and it's just so colourful and detailed. The art is enclosed in a hard cover so naturally it's a bit more expensive than the Profile books but it's most certainly worth the money. Art and FMA fans have lots to love in this book.

Music

• Fullmetal Alchemist OST #1
• Fullmetal Alchemist OST #2
• Fullmetal Alchemist OST #3
• Fullmetal Alchemist Complete Best

I'm so tempted to buy the Collector's Edition of Volume 10: Journey to Ishbal (DVD) to get the third OST. I absolutely love Michiru Oshima's work in the seris. She's among my favourite composers and she's also my inspiration for taking up the piano. *sigh* Maybe one day I can get the OSTs. Fortunately, The Complete Best album is available in Canada. So I'm going to be getting that. Some of those songs were responsible for me getting into Japanese music. Particularly "Ready Steady Go" by L'Arc~en~Ciel and "Tobira no Mukou he" by Yellow Generation. Both of which as well as the other openigns and endings are featured on the album.

Well that's my Fullmetal Alchemist Collection Update. I would've liked to have had more of the DVDs by now but with the Box Set coming out it turns out that everythign's going to be for the best. I still need to get Vol. 1 of the manga and I need to find some way fo getting those OSTs. Anyways, I hope everyone's having a great time at school like I am. Which is a bit surprisingly but I like all my c.l.a.s.s.e.s and everythign we plan to do in them.

As for the matter of my promoting of Japanese music. I'm currently awaiting my turn to take over the air waves of my school. The first song I plan to play will be "Ready Steady Go" by L'Arc~en~Ciel. It's an appropriate song for the beginning of my run and the school year. Not to mention I heard a music teacher in the school was dancing to it when I played it last year. So I suppose that's a bit of fan-service, playing something I've already played but generally a little bit of fan-service is nice. Wouldn't you agree?

In short, The S.O.F. Brigade. This is my new union and those familiar with The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya will quickly notice where the inspiration for the name came from. Additionally, The S.O.F. Brigade can also be looked at as a refernce to The S.O.F. of Eureka 7. Whichever way you look at it both anime are and their respective brigades are great.For now though Haruhi Suzumiya is the iconic character representing the union.

Like I said previously this is my new union. The Fullmetal Alchemist Union's activivty never got to the point where I was content and though there's still news coming in regarding the series. It makes no sense to post it in a relatively dead union. So any news regarding the series will probably find its way to The S.O.F. Brigade. As for the fate of the Fullmetal Alchemist Union. Due to a GameSpot glitch I was unable to close it down. So until I can get GameSpot to close it down it's still opened.

So I guess you all would like to know what the S.O.F. Brigade is all about. Well the main goal is to save the world by overloading it with fun. Promoting intelligent discussion and focusing on three catagories - gaming, anime/manga and music. So basically anyone can join, that is if I let you. The union residents are made up of only my closest friends here on GameSpot or those I wish to build a friendship with. These members recieved invites and remained on my contact list. More than half of my contact list was cut down in this process. And to be honest, I'm quite glad. No offense to anyone tracking me but more often than not I barely knew anything about you.

After all that I still havea Convivial emblem which is just fine. For the few days The S.O.F. Brigade has been up it's been fantastic. The discussions are great, we have something called The Ice Cream Thread, and all of my friends are there! As far as news coverage goes I doubt I'll be writing up any articles but that's just fine because it's really fun when you can come on GameSpot and just relax and have fun with your friends. By the way if you recieved an invite and have yet to join please come and visit the union because we can't save the world and overload it with fun without the members.

Haruhi is quite possibly the hottest guitarist I've ever seen in my life. I hope the second season of the anime has her playing more songs like "God Knows" and "Lost My Music". I'd settle for the bunny suit though.

Currently I'm working towards establishing affiliations with several unions including The Soul Calibur Union, Squre-Enix Experience, The Team Ninja Clan, The Legend of Zelda Union, Liquid Designs and The Farthest Land. Hopefully I can get all of them established by the end of the week. And speaking of this week, school is here again. And in a way I'm a bit glad. I can't wait to start Operation... actually I don't know what I'm going to call it but all that matter if the promoting of Japanese music. I'm going to be taking over the airwaves of my school radio system and blast some L'Arc~en~Ciel, Mikuni Shimokawa, Aya Hirano and various other Japanese artists.

It should be fun to say the least. I also took keyboarding this year. I'm very eager in getting started with that c.l.a.s.s. Hopefully by the end of the year I'll be able to play of the many piano pieces from Michiru Oshima or Joe Hisaishi. Two of my biggest inspirations for wanting to play the piano. And maybe one day I'll pick up a guitar like Haruhi (minus the bunny suit) and experiemtn with that. Anyways, that's basically it. Here's to an uneventful yet overall great summer...farewell.

It's been over a month since my last blog and for the majority of that time I haven't even been around. Well I'm finally back and definitely have a lot to say in this blog. Nothing in terms of a rant or opinion really just great news. First I'd like to start by saying that I finally have a copy of Howl's Moving Castle. I found it a couple weeks ago at FutureShop. Originally I went to pick up Pokemon Diamond but as soon as I spotted Howl's Moving Castle I couldn't leave it behind. Interestingly enough this is the second time where I've bought anime and a game at the same time. Last time it was Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa + Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Perhaps I should start doing that more often since the results are superb. Both A Link to the Past and Pokemon Diamond are incredible games and both movies are also great.

Now speaking of movies. Apparently YTV (Canadian channel, essentially it's our Cartoon Network) found it funny to show Princess Mononoke without any indication it'd be on that night. Unfortunately by the time I found it, the movie was already half-way through which was the case a couple years ago where they pretty much did the same thing. Lucky for me they showed it again and this time I only missed ten minutes. And what can i say? I loved what I saw the first two times and now that I've finally seen the whole thing it's among my favourite movies of all time. It's simply one of the best anime films you'll ever see and like other Miyazaki films - Princess Mononoke defines the word fantasy. Though it didn't have the realistic instances that Spirirted Away had.

One week later from seeing Princess Monoke it seems FutureShop has done it again. It so happens the OST for Princess Monoke isn't as rare as I though because upon searching for Princess Mononoke on the site the OST popped up as well. I was totally surprised, I couldn't believe that it's within myhands and furthermore so is the Spirirted Away OST. The only thing is I'd probably never be able to find them in-store but that's where a pre-paid credit card comes in handy. I just need to get some money which shouldn't be too hard since collectively both would be 50 however I'm probably going to get both the DVD and OSt for Princess Mononoke and later on get both DVD and OST for Spirited Away.

With all the great news surrounding the music of Joe Hisaishi I went to see if perhaps any of the Fullmetal Alchemist OSt's were available since it seems I'm trying to collect everything FMA and Michiru Oshima is another one of my favourite music composers along with Joe Hisaishi, how could I resist? Unfortunately, the results of the search wasn't what I expected. Vol. 10 among the DVDs has a Collector's Edition and along with the extras associated with the Collector's Edition is OST III. The problem with this is that I eventually want to own all the Fullmetal Alchemist DVDs and manga and unlike manga the DVDs are considerably more expensive and the Collector's Edition as you might expect is more expensive than it's original counter-part. So I don't think I'll be able to get the FMA OSTs but I'm not too disappointed. After all I did find the Princess Mononoke and Spirirted Away OSts and quite honestly I wasn't expecting to even get the OSTs for Fullmetal Alchemist.

I'll settle for the DVDs and manga. Speaking of which my FMA collection has grown a bit. No new DVDs but I did pick up Vol. 3 in the manga. I still can't find Vol. 1 and thus have still yet to read the manga. Fortunately the next volume isn't due to come out until mid-December. So I have a lot of time.

Along with the manga I bought the Fullmetal Alchemist Artbook. It's huge and loaded with... well art from FMA. It's awesome and you really get to admire the work that's done with creating art for great anime like Fullmetal Alchemist.

Some final thoughts before I end this blog. I basically just wrote from the top of my head so the flow may be a bit shaky. I promiss I'll put more effort into the next one since it'll probably be focused on one specific topic.

Once again, I'm finally back and it's great to be back. I hope everyone's having a great summer and thanks for reading.:)

Music... it's something you just can't escape from. It's played all around the world. No matter where you're from there is always a sound to be heard that may not only be pleasant to the ears but provide something refreshing, new and perhaps even inspirational. Yup music is a great thing but experiencing music outside of your own country is something in itself. The majority of music I listened to in the past consisted of Rap/Hip-Hop, R&B, Soca and Reggae. And though I still enjoy those genres of sound. I still found myself at one point becoming bored especially with the recent material out of the rap/hip-hop genre. Of course there are a few exceptions but for the most part it was very dull for me.

So what did I do about it? Well as many of you know I'm a huge fan of anime and the music featured in anime. Japanese Rock, Pop and Hip-Hop as well as Orchestral pieces heard throughout anime have now made their way into my music collection and knowledge database. I've been listening to Japanese music for numerous months now and am still enjoying every bit of it. L'Arc~en~Ciel is still probably my favourite band with songs like "Ready Steady Go", "Driver's High", "Link" and "Fourth Avenue Cafe", each providing a variety of musical elements that just sound amazing. And this is relevant in the music of other Japanese bands and singers.

Now I'm far from being the only person who enjoys anime and the music associated with anime and I'm definitely not the only person who enjoys music played in games. The unfortunate fact about music in anime and gaming is that it's often ignored. To some it's just background music that plays little to no role with the anime or games they're viewing/playing, others may notice it but won't care after it's over. Some of them are just overshadowed by other aspects. Oh, by the way I'm not talking about mere theme songs here I'm talking about orchestrals and the music composers behind these great often unnoticed attributes of anime and gaming.

It's such a shame especially when you consider all the things music can do. For those of you who've seen Grave of the Fireflies and payed attention to the music you'd know exactly what I'm talking about. Sure it was incredibly sad when Setsuko died but would it have had the same degree of affect if it weren't for the music playing in the background? I highly doubt it. Music in anime and games aren't just there for background music. It can enhance and bring a whole new level to what you're viewing. The following is a list of my favourite composers in anime and gaming that truly deserve more credit for the great work they've done. I'd also like to note that all four of them are Japanese.

Nobuo Uematsu - He's actually one of the better known composers in the industry and is responsible for growing appreciation of music in gaming. Which is understandable when his work is featured in a title like Final Fantasy but now that he has his own company, the Final Fantasy titles aren't the only ones being treated to his music. Other Hironobu Sakaguchi creations are going to feature his music and the main theme for Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be composed by him as well. And to think he's a self taught musician, guess that's what makes him stand out above the others.

Michiru Oshima - I'm definitely a Fullmetal Alchemist fanboy - I love every single thing about the series and the music is no different. The music throughout Fullmetal Alchemist is absolutely amazing featuring pieces that not only are easily recognizable as a part of Fullmetal Alchemist but music that really enhances the scene. For example, near the end of the movie I couldn't help but feel sad that after everything that happened it seemed that Edward and Alphonse wouldn't be able to reunite. This was largely due to "Sad Resolution - Separation", the name of the piece played throughout the tear jerking decision where Edward leaves all his friends, Winry and Alphonse behind. Fortunately, the movie ended on a good note but that's just one point where her work really shines. Oshima also composed music for the PS2 game - Ico. That, well that's really something special. Combining the great orchestral work of Michiru Oshima with the fantastic graphical quality in Ico - it's one of those games that you'll come to appreciate in every aspect.

Koji Kondo - He's quite possibly the greatest composer in gaming. Why? Well even if you're not a gamer, chances are you've heard the Mario Bros. theme. And though Shigeru Miyamoto is who created Mario and The Legend of Zelda - Koji Kondo is the man who made those catchy, memorable that we've all come to know and love featured in those games. Not only is he one of the most known composers in the gaming in dustry, he's also one of the most unique in the sense that his pieces are very catchy, light hearted and aren't among the cla55ical genre that most Japanese music composers fall into. I don't there's anymore that could be said. Ever since the days of the NES he's remained consistant in his pieces, recreating cla55ics and maintaining the charm of his music.

Joe Hisaishi - If you're not sure who he is, you're not the only one. It seems many anime fans are unaware of who Joe Hisaishi is. Well let me tell you right now, he's one of the greatest composers in the anime industry and the unfortunate fact that he's overshadowed by Hayao Miyazaki is a real shame. Now you may be thinking, Hayao Miyazaki isn't a composer. Well, you're right but Joe Hisaishi is the man behind the music of all of Hayao Miyazaki's best films. Including Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle and many more well known Miyazaki films. One thing that's really special about Miyazaki films is that they define fantasy - they're all creative works that are truly special with a great attention to detail. Hisaishi's music invokes this same kind of feeling. With music that is uplifting, beautiful and overall a musical masterpiece that fits Miyazakio's films perfectly.

Music composers in general deserve much more credit. I think many believe that orchestral music is just boring and perhaps they're right to some extent and the four I mentioned above are merely exceptions. That said, I highly recommend you listen to the great music composed by the four I mentioned and remember the different in s.t.y.l.e from another country like Japan can make a huge difference as to your opinion of a certain genre or perhaps you'll just come to love the music in some cases moreso than their North American counter-oarts.

Aside from what the title says owning both of the following won't result in you having fun forever however I do strongly suggest you buy both of them. 

It is finally in my grasp! The greatest handheld since it's predecessor - featuring the power of two, yes TWO screens! That's right folks I have finally obtained a Nintendo DS Lite! May. 24th, 2007 - Thursday was the great day where I finally experienced the true power of the DS Lite. With the abundance of great titles available it wasn't hard for me to get something good to play. BTW, I forgot to mention that I got the Polar White DS Lite, it's so sleek and sexy. I love every single thing about it and as one of my friends would say regarding his iPod - it's simply "pretty". which is very much repeating what I just said but oh well...it's true! Now on to the games!

The first game I purchased I actually bought a week before buying the DS. Just for the sake of having it I suppose. I've only played it a bit but I can already tell I'm in for something special that'll surely meet my expections. Additionally, it keeps my 'first game for console/handheld' list up. What do I mean exactly? Well simply, I have great luck with the first games I buy for a console/handheld. For example, Donkey Kong Country for SNES. I was a bit disappointed when I got it since I didn't know who Donkey Kong was at the time and was expecting Mario but as we all know, it's one of the greatest platformers to ever be released even to this day.

One of the most notable attributes of Donkey Kong Country was it's graphically achievement at the time. Truly beautiful and New Super Mario Bros. looks absolutely awesome and the high resolution and multiple brightness levels of the DS definitely do well in enhancing the sharpness and really everything visually. One addition I really liked was the inclusion of 3D models, it's blended in so well and looks perfect.

In terms of gameplay New Super Mario Bros. brings me back to the days of the SNES. Just great solid gameplay that's familiar but not old. It's so fun watching Mario get super-sized and literally stomp through the level without a care in the world for the destruction he's causing. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much use of the touch screen technology but I expected that so I don't mind. I love 2D platformers and I think this one will be among my favourite. The mini-games are pretty neat, nothing special but mildly fun.

I guess this seems almost like a review yet I've barely scratched the surface, hopefully I will be able to write up a review upon completion. It'll probably come following exams which will be starting in two weeks for me.

The next game I bought along with my DS Lite was Kirby Squeak Squad. Some of you may ask, why Kirby Squeak Squad? Well to be perfectly honest it was a rather difficult decision. At first I was going to get Pokemon Diamond but when I got to the store - Trauma Center, Elite Beat Agents, Mario Kart DS, and of course Kirby Squeak Squad all grabbed my attention. I had planned to get all of them anyways but which to pick up first was the matter at hand. The result was based on price. Kirby Squeak Squad was a bit cheaper than the rest and fortunately I got the last copy in stock. Also Kirby kicks ass and is like a round, puffy, pink, less threatening iteration of Gluttony from Fullmetal Alchemist.

And I'm very happy with the decision. Though, when I brought my DS to school with me and Kirby Squeak Squad showed up on screen, I was asked numerous times why did I buy Kirby instead of Mario or even worse why did I buy a Kirby game at all. Of course I'm way more knowledgeable with gaming than they are.

Like New Super Mario Bros., Kirby Squeak Squad is a 2D platformer that hasn't done much with the touch screen so far but I'm not complaining. I've already seen a lot of familiar abilities and a couple of new ones that Kirby can utilize when he starts snacking on some enemies. I've been played more of Squeak Squad and it isn't that challenging but I assume that'll change in the later stages of the game and the levels before the ending. One thing I found kind of funny was the way the game starts off. How dare they steal Kirby's strawberry short cake! I mean honestly, what did Kirby do to deserve having his desert stolen? These are truly cruel individuals in my opinion.

The game looks and sounds great, definitely meeting the standards set by previous Kirby titles. The mini-games are good but there's one that I particularly enjoy and that's Speedy Teatime! A bit of an odd name but it's pretty fun and it'd probably be a lot better if I had a couple of friends around who brought their DS. If you're familiar with the mini-games of Pokemon Stadium 2 for the N64 then you'll probably remember Eager Eevee. That's essentially what Speed Teatime is.

It's almost the same thing except there are four items set on a table that is covered. When revealed you may find a slice of strawberry short cake. Be on your guard though because there's also the chance of getting a table of cake-bombs. There are two sizes for each, counting for 2x the regular slice of cake. It's fairly simple, use the stylus to suck up the cake before your opponent (opponents - multiplayer) and fill up your little bar before the other person does. Simply, fun and a bit challenging - which is exactly what mini-games set out to accomplish - good job Flagship (who are no longer going to exsist as their own development studio).

I must say for the short time I've had my DS Lite I've had tons of fun with it and I cannot wait to get more games. I cannot wait to see what's new in Pokemon Diamond and the crazyness of Elite Beat Agents and the difficult surgery of Trauma Center. I also plan to get Kirby: Canvas Curse since it looks to make more use of the touch screens than the two platformers I have now. That said, it feels so great to be played a good ol' fashion platformer. Well anyways I'm off to...DAMNIT! I have to charge my DS Lite already?!? V_V

In the previous blog I wrote earlier today I noted two of the four movies I recently watched that made my favourites list. This blog will highlight the other two films and like before they've both anime films! However these aren't 'Miyazaki Masterpieces' instead one is a part of an anime series and the other is quite possibly one of the saddest movies of all time. And both of them have one thing in common, World War 2. The time of which each movie takes place though is rather different as one takes place before (quite a bit but the vents rising were leading events to the war. So let's begin!

SPOILER WARNING

.::Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conquror of Shamballa::.

That's right, the FMA movie! It may seem like an odd choice considering the movie is a bit lacking compared to the rest of the series however I'm FMA crazy so what else could you expect? The real funny thing about this, is that this is probably the 8th time I've watched the movie since getting it. And everytime except for the first couple I've been assessing each detail, trying to searc for little things. I did find some things but nothing of real significance. As for the movie itself. It takes place two years after the ending of the series, 1923 - Munich, Germany.

Edward had been living with his father and like we saw in the last episode he took an interest in rocketry. Well Edward certainly persued the venture as he's been studying with Hermann Oberth. it's where he met Alphonse Heiderich. Who's l's real world counter-part. They look very much alike though Heiderich is 17 while Al is 13. anyways, the movie begins with both Heiderich and Edward going to a carnival, they end up travelling with a wagon of gypsies after Ed crashes the car. For all the alchemic knowledge Edward has, he just can't understand you need to pay attention to the road. ^_^ Albiet he was telling an unseen story demonstrating a piece of the adventure in search of the Philosopher's Stone. That's actually how the movie starts off.

Now it isn't a throw away scene since an attempt at human transmutation ends up killing the person's who's name I can't spell is sent into the gate but the uranium bomb he carried went to the other side. After the events of the movie that apparently becomes the focus but though the movie wraps up everything nicely the ending leaves a huge hole to fill. Now back to the movie, while travelling to the carnival Noah, a roma women among the gypsies works her magic as a fortune teller and sees that Edward has no home. Surprised after claiming the talent as being unscientific is quickly surprised. While at the carnival Noah is actually sold to a representitive of the Thule Society. A secret organization who are trying to open the gate to "Shamballa".

Noah, reads the mind of one of the men and is terrified as she saw a glimpse of the upcoming attempt to enter Shamballa which is actually Amestris, Ed's home. Running away after the vision, Ed saves her and Heiderich allows her to stay with him and Edward at his house. The neighbourhood is filled with familiar faces with Maes Hughes making an appearence as an officer and he like in Amestris is in love with Gracia however he just has confessed his love as of yet. Like before I don't want to go too fair into the movie but there's one thing you should know, this is a must see if you've seen the series.

One part I'd like to point out that for some reason really got to me was when Edward was going to return to Germany after making it back to Amestris and leaves Al on the other side. It was rather sad to see that, I don't know why but one thing I know attributed to it was Michiru Oshima's great score throughout the movie and that one part the music is what really got me I think.

Overall it's a great movie, it's just a bit unfortunate that it left on such a cliffhanger. And oh yes, Hitler makes an appearence or two but he doesn't say anything, he just looks crazy.

.::Grave of the Fireflies::.

Grave of the Fireflies is one of the greatest movies ever but it's not one you'll want to watch over and over. It's a very sad and depressingmovie. It takes place in Japan, specifically during the firebombing of Kobe. 12-year-old Seita and his little sister Setsuko lose their home and their mother to the attacks. The film portrays the bond between Seita and Setsuko so well despite the tragedies surrounding them. Seita doing acrobatic tricks to entertain Setsuko even though their mother has just passed away, it's truly something special.

Luckily for them their aunt takes them in but after awhile things take a bit of a downfall. As their aunt... well she's a word that I can't say on GameSpot that sounds with a 'B' and ends with an "H". Seita decides to leave and they end up living in a shelter. As bad as that sounds Seita and Setsuko survive each day with a bit of fun. Setsuko even plays house. "This will be the kitchen, and this will be the front door". Throughout the movie Seita acts just like a father would. Similar to Spirited Away and Chihiro you can definitely see the character development with Seita.

The unfortunate part ot the movie is how Setsuko dies. If this weren't an animated film it just wouldn't work at all, you'd have conflicting images of realism. Just before she dies she makes two supposed rice balls out of mud. Who'd want to see a little girl playing with mud in a malnurished state? It's just too disturbing. When she finally dies it's so sad and Seita's memories of them together and their shining relationship among everything else really gets to you. And like Michiru Oshima's score in FMA, Yoshio Mamiya's score is perfect. When you hear "Home Sweet Home" with the climax where no dialogue is spoken it's just really sad and very emotional.

And just to make sure the fireflies are relevant in the movie. There's one point where a whole bunch of them light up the shelter and it's just one of the lighter moments that unfortunately make the ending that much more impactful. The movie is just amazing. Isao Takahata has created one of the greatest movies of all time unfortunately it's one that's so sad and yet so impressive as to all the little things it accomplishes. It's among my favourites but I don't think it's #1.

This one movie actually affected my enjoyment of Howl's Moving Castle especially because I watched it just the next day. There's so much I could write about it, even more than the others because there's so much there. I advise you to see this movie and really try to look for the little things and how Seita and Setsuko interact.

It's not often that in a two weeks time you'll have seen four of your favourite movies. Especially at this time where everyone is rushing to see Spider-Man 3. For me however that's not the case, of course I also want to see Spider-Man 3 but I have no intention on going to see it anytime soon. Why would I wait you ask? Well simply the rarity of viewing four of your favourite movies in two weeks isn't as rare as you might think at least not for me. I'm not a big movie buff or anything so the list is incomplete but no doubt the four movies I saw the past 14-days would definitely be among my favourite of all time. So what these great movies?

SPOILER WARNING!

.::Howl's Moving Castle::.

Based on the book of the same name written by Dana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle is one of the many successful films directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the man behind great titles like Princess Monoke and Spirited Away. The story surrounds a young hatter named Sophie. When the movie begins you are introduced to the rumor of Howl who's a wizard that takes pretty girls away. Sophie however isn't really afraid as she doesn't think she'd be a target unknown to her though she ends up meeting Howl one day while going to see her sister, Lettie at the bakery. Howl saves her from a couple of soldiers who seemed to have some bad thoughts in mind when they confront her. Unfortunately right after it's realized that Howl is being followed and Sophie is now involved. Luckily, Howl charms her with his magic as they walk across the sky bringing her to safety.

Already you can tell this was the perfect film for Hayao Miyazaki.

Later that night, the Witch of the Waste visits Sophie at her hat shop and she puts a curse on Sophie turning her into a wrinkled old lady. Trying tofind a way to get rid of thecurse Sophie leaves home and is met with 'Turnip Head'. After helping him, he leads Sophie to Howl's castle. There she becomes the cleaning lady and befriends those within the castle.

I think that's enough insight on the movie, I advise you to watch the movie to see the rest as I've only given you the beginning of this great movie. So now you might be asking why is it among my favourite movies? Well simply it's a beautiful films that captures the imagination of both young and old alike. Not to mention the charming characters, Calcifer is rather amusing and when Sophie becomes old, she really becomes old. Meaning the way she acts and such. There's a reason why the movie is more known than the book, Hayao Miyazaki has taken Howl's Moving Castle and it made into a c.l.a.s.s.i.c that has everything you'd expect from a Miyazaki written film.

.::Spirited Away::.

Quite possibly Hayao Miyazaki's most acclaimed film yet. Spirited Away is not only one of my favourites but it's definitely one of the greatest movies of all time. Spirited Away's world is beautiful, there's just so much to gaze at. The movie is by all means a fantasy film and you'll easily see how creative Miyazaki's mind can get but there's also a bit of realism in the film, or perhaps the level of detail. Chihiro. the protagonist of Spirited Away begins as a 10-year old girl moving to a new town who more or less deserves a timeout. She complains quite a lot and is unhappy about the movie.

On their way to their new home, Chihiro's father decides totake a short cut, which probably wasn't the best choice as it seemed they were a bit lost to begin with and the road itself wasn't the most pleasnt one to go through. Nonetheless they stop at a mysterious building. Curious, Chihiro's mom and dad enter the doorway/tunnel. Scared, Chihiro relunctantly follows them. Her parents assume what they see on the other side as an abandoned theme park quickly pick up the scenet of food. After tracking it down, they being to stuff their faces. Unfortunately what ends up happening is that they turn into what they acted like, pigs. Seeing this, Chihiro runs away but the grasy plain where they crossed before had become a massive river. Luckily the terrified Chihiro meets with Haku who helps her survive in the spirit world her and her parents have fallen into.

Haku then advises her to vist Kamajii (the bioler man) to get a job. This is one part where you can really see the fantasy aspect of the movie and how unique it is. Enchanted soot balls, carry coal into the boiler to heat the water of the bath house. While there, Chihiro helps one of the soot balls after being squashed by a lump of coal and Kamajii after previously declining her request for work sends her with a young woman named Lin and takes her to Yubaba who ultimately gives Chihiro work in the bath house but in turn names her Sen. If she forgets her real name Chihiro will never be able to return home.

Throughout the film you can see that Miyazaki's attention to details really shines. Such as the way Chihiro puts on her shoes, where instead of a quick placing of the feet, she actually adjusts the shoe like a real 10 year old girl would do. Another aspect is the growth of Chihiro, from complaining about every little thing she becomes tough in a sense, working and completing every task handed to her including having to deal with a supposed Stink Spirit, it was rather funny seeing the reaction from the characters. Which is another great point. Movies are visual yet you can easily get the feeling of scent that is portrayed in the movie by the characters' reactions.

There is so much I could write about both movies, maybe I'll make a bit of an essay for each, fully exploring the movies but for now this will do. I advise all of you to see both of these movies. Personally I like Spirited Away better, if you were wondering. Part II will be coming soon, I would include it here but I don't want to surpass the character limit for blogs.

Who didn't see this coming? after my previous blogs it was easy to see I'm FMA crazy :D Well after some time of consideratoin I've finally formed The Fullmetal Alchemist Union! Now I am aware that there is quite a lot of anime/manga based unions out there as well as The Fullmetal Alchemist Fans Union. However what I noticed in a lot of them is that they're pretty dead or filled with spam. There seems to be very few that are actually worth joining these days. And with my love for anime I couldn't let this stand.

Thank You residentchacho for the great signatures for both myself and FMAU.

The Fullmetal Alchemist Union is of course based on the Fullmetal Alchemist series and everythign associated with it. I believe that there's still quite a deal to talk about regarding the anime even though it's finished in the US and almost finished in Canada. The manga is still going and there are plenty of aspects within the series itself that can provide solid debates and discussions. My goal with the FMAU is to provide both a fun and professional environment to discuss Fullmetal Alchemist and anime/manga in general.

Just because it's The Fullmetal Alchemist Union doesn't mean it has to be your absolute favourite anime/manga series. Fans of anime/manga in general can easily be a part of the community. The news we cover at the FMAU is on Fullmetal Alchemist and things that are happening within the anime/manga industry in general. From the growing exposure in North America to the bigest announcements rocking the anime/manga world!

Here's a couple topics currently being discussed in the FMAU:

Akira Toriyama Opening the Gate into Gaming - Which Toriyama's success in the transition to the gaming industry and how that may attract more anime/manga creators, writers and artists to make the transition as well.

Filler - Discussing Filler as a whole in anime.

And there's still more to come!

So if you have an interest in Fullmetal Alchemist or anime/manga in general then please come by. We're still new and we need some support.

That's right more Fullmetal Alchemist :D As well as more anime in general.

The Anime Channel Comes to Canada

The Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission has approved YTV's appliction for The Anime Channel in Canada. The network will run at least 65% anime and up to 35% "anime-related content." Source: Zannen, Canada

Posted On: Tueday, January 30th, 2007 by the good people at http://animenewsnetwork.com/

I also hope that Fullmetal Alchemist is shown again upon finishing either on YTV itself or the Anime Channel. I plan ot get the channel btw since I do have Digitial Cable :D I'm also considering Razer TV as it has numerous anime airing including Samurai Champloo, Basilisk & Cowboy Bebop. Speaking of Fullmetal Alchemist, the main topic of this blog entry. I recently bought the first of 13 DVDs containing the 51 episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist. Excluding Fullmetal Alchemist The Movie: Conqueror of Shamblla.. I plan to get all of them.

The first Volume of the DVDs include:

Episodes:
Episode 1: Those Who Challenge the Sun
Episode 2: Body of the Sanctioned
Episode 3: Mother
Episode 4: A Forger's Love

Additional Release Material:
Additional Footage - Textless Songs
Trailers: 1. Japanese Commercials
2. FUNimation Previews

Additional Product:
Reversible Cover
Booklet in English - "Text One: Alchemy" - Director's Notes, Production Art, Biographies - Characters, Design Art, Advertisements, Episode Guide, Line Art Gallery

Text/ Photo Galleries:
Biographies - Characters
Image Gallery
Production Art

I got a CD case and I plan to fill it with all 14 of Fullmetal Alchemist DVDs. I cannot wait to get the next one as I've already watched the first and finally heard the 'real' first opening, Melissa by Porno Graffiti. This is because the DVD release includes all the openings and endings in their entirety unlike YTV & Adult Swim which shows only two openings. "Ready Steady Go" by L'Arc~en~Ciel (currently my favourite japanese band) and "Rewrite" by Asian Kung Fu Generation and shortened endings. 

It's quite hilarious that there were at least 3 instances I can remember from the first episode that Edward's height was mocked. Great stuff :lol:

The bolded are the ones I currently own

• Volume 01: The Curse (Ep. 1-4)
• Volume 02: Scarred Man of the East (Ep. 5-8 )
• Volume 03: Equivalent Exchange (Ep. 9-12)
• Volume 04: The Fall of Ishbal (Ep. 13-16)
• Volume 05: The Cost of Living (Ep. 17-20)
• Volume 06: Captured Souls (Ep. 21-24)
• Volume 07: Reunion on Yock Island (Ep. 25-28 )
• Volume 08: The Altar of Stone (Ep. 29-32)
• Volume 09: Pain and Lust (Ep. 33-36)
• Volume 10: Journey To Ishbal (Ep. 37-40)
• Volume 11: Becoming The Stone (Ep. 41-44)
• Volume 12: Truth Behind Truths (Ep. 45-48 )
• Volume 13: Brotherhood (Ep. 49-51)
• Fullmetal Alchemist The Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa

Now even better news regarding Fullmetal Alchemist, besides the fact Ep. 47 "Sealing the Homunculus" will be airing Friday night like always but Volume 11 of the manga is finally out! :D And it's doing quite well.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto Back on Booklist 150

Fullmetal Alchemist volume 11 climbed from #184 to #133, and Naruto volume 12 inched from #154 to #150 on the USA Today Booklist for the week ending January 21.

Posted On: Monday, January 29th, 2007 by the good people at http://animenewsnetwork.com/

BTW those are good positions on the list since they're manga.

So I'll be getting that ASAP. :D So I guess I'm a Fullmetal Alchemist addict as I've previously noted my buying of the movie on DVD as well as the manga and Anime Profiles book which btw I still love :D It's great, if you're a fan then you really need to do yourself a favor and give it a read there's a lot of neat stuff you may have missed within your viewing of the series.

What do you guys think, am I a Fullmetal Alchemist addict? Wait a sec... I guess my name kind of answers that question already, oh well hope you enjoyed the read. :D

One more thing, according to a few sites including wikipedia Edward Elric's btw is on February 3rd (1899). He's be really old now. He was 18 in 1923 in the movie so do the math. :P Edward Elric will be 102 years old next Friday :shock: I plan to hold a little surprise that day for you guys so keep a look out :wink::P:)