chii’s Anime Snack of the Week: One Pound Gospel

With the passing earlier this week of Dezaki Osamu, I figured it would be nice to feature one of his works. One Pound Gospel is a not very well known title but you should watch it because it is fun. I hope you like boxing or can at least appreciate a good story about it.

Positive Points

• It's got a nun in it
• Pretty funny considering it's about boxing
• The drama that unfolds hits the right spots
• Will probably make you want to watch more boxing anime to see how great they can be

Negative Points

• If you aren't a fan of boxing you may be bored
• Visually it's ok but has annoying lighting
• Might leave you wanting something a little more substantial

Why chii thinks you should watch it

Pay tribute to one of the best anime directors of course! With such amazing titles under his belt like Lupin III specials, Ashita no Joe, and my personal favourite Rose of Versailles, how can you not want to check out an awesome one shot ova like One Pound Gospel. It's a fun story about hard work and determination even if the hero has to be pushed all the way through it. The nun was actually a great pairing with a boxer kid that just didn't care about anything. RIP Dezaki Osamu, you'll be missed.

Further reactions to this OVA:

One Pound Gospel AnimePlanet Review

THEM Anime Reviews One Pound Gospel

chii’s Anime Snack of the Week: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Who doesn't like an amazing little ova about a robot traveling and living along the quiet countryside? Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou gives you just that! What more do you need in an anime? I love robots and watching this will make you love them too! It's amazing just how realistic a robot can act just like a human doing mundane things!

Positive Points

• The pacing and music won't make you fall asleep no sir nope!
• It shouldn't take you almost a week to complete!
• It actually has a sequel that gives you even more!
• All your questions shall be answered in the end!

Negative Points

• It wasn't slow paced enough
• The robot never flashed her boobs
• There should have been more scenery shots
• Would have been nice if it was 50 episodes instead of just 4 because the manga is SO long and there's so much they could have added

Why chii thinks you should watch it

Just trust me and do it....

Further reactions to this OVA:

This is the best review of Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou on the net! Vote for it in the poll to the right if you agree!

chii’s Anime Snack of the Week: Project Blue Earth SOS

Aliens have come to attack earth! OH NOES! Project Blue Earth SOS makes you feel like you are watching one of those old movies where aliens have come to overtake mankind. It has a great retro feel to it along with some great characters and some conspiracies. Go back in time to the 90s and prepare to fight for all humanity!

Positive Points

• Subbed and hilariously dubbed
• Wonderful music
• Awesome characters
• Fun to watch

Negative Points

• Kinda boring at times
• Tries to be too technical

Why chii thinks you should watch it

Well the first reaction I got from it was Detective Conan but without murders and more so tracking down aliens! It also feels like a very childish Giant Robo. What both anime have in common is that awesome retro feel they both give off and this ova gets it done right. If you are a fan of older movies where aliens have come to take over the Earth this is a must see with a modern twist or 2. Oh and with a character named "Dr. Brest" how can you not want to view it.

Further reactions to this OVA:

Project Blue Earth SoS

Project Blue Earth SOS Anime DVD Review

chii’s Anime Snack of the Week: Z-mind

Parody shows are either REALLY funny or completely fail. Some fall in the middle nicely and Z-mind did just that. Mecha parody anime are a favourite of mine so I was excited to take a look at this one that pokes fun at older 70's mecha!

Positive Points

• Subbed and hilariously dubbed
• Parody of super robot anime
• Girls fit for the job

Negative Points

• Hit and miss with the laughs
• Doesn't really end
• One of the most slow paced action series ever

Why chii thinks you should watch it

If you have a boner for old mecha this is a must watch for sure. It's very meh on the comedy aspect I found but when the action gets going it's great. The downtimes are a little iffy at most but overall it's quite enjoyable. The characters are very well done even thought they aren't really fleshed out. But because the characters are good this made the slow slice of life parts of the series to be tolerable. The father especially shines during those scenes. I really wish they continued this little project as leaving the series off on a to be continued made me rather sad.

Further reactions to this OVA:

Z-MIND (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

2000 Watched, So Lets Remember My Anime Firsts

After viewing my 2000th anime being Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Spiral Labyrinth, (a few weeks ago) I happened to come across My anime firsts post over on Mainichi Anime Yume. Very inspired I took the list from there and added some of my own questions. I started thinking right away about what my first were simply because of that post and my chiropractor whom that very night asked me what I did for a living. Not having a job in general I just said "I blog" which of course let to the question "Oh? What about?". I Had to tell him about anime and of course he had no clue what I was really talking about but he then asked "What got you into watching anime?". This question got me thinking all over again about my anime journey in life because I couldn't really come up with anything else other than I had just grown up with it. Remembering these anime is half the fun of these following questions!

Anywho, with that in mind I give you all my anime first that I can remember!

First Anime Watched (English)

This is a toss up since when I was a little kid Fables of the Green Forest & Maya the Bee were shown on TV. So without fully knowing that I was watching anime I had started. The one I was fully aware that it was an anime would have to be Dragon Ball and then of course Sailor Moon.

First Non-Kids Anime

Dominion Tank Police on late night TV. It blew my mind on how awesome it was.

First Anime song Heard (TV size in Japanese)

I would say that Gundam Wing is the winner here.

First Anime song Heard (full version) and First Anime (Japanese with subs)

I first watched Escaflowne on TV so I heard it's "special" English OP only at first. Then my best friend told me that I absolutely had to re-watch the series in Japanese. I wasn't so sure at first why but then he showed me the full version of the actual OP for it and I was sold.

First Anime Obsession

Sailor Moon I'd have to say. I was so tsundere for it at first too which makes it all the more hilarious to me. When Macross Plus came out the obsession moved onto that. Followed quickly by Gundam Wing.

First Anime Franchise-based Movie

Patlabor: The Movie and it ended up hooking me on awesome mecha series ever since.

First Anime Original Movie

Ninja Scroll. <3 Never gets old.

First Character Obsession (Male/Female)

Blue Saphir AKA Sapphire from Sailor Moon for my male obsession hands down. He was part of the Black Moon Clan and I can safely say that I was VERY (link contains spoilers) obsessed with his tragic character. For my female obsession it's honestly harder to remember. I suppose it would be Sailor Mercury simply because of what I stated in her character post. I think being obsessed with Myung and her alter ego Sharron was a much better fit for me when Macross Plus came along. Even the next anime obsession Gundam Wing's Relena was a better choice.

First Anime That Made Me Cry

Grave of the Fireflies hands down. It is one of only 6 titles that have ever made tears flow from my eyes. Anime for some reason has a really hard time making me cry.

First Product Bought (non-video)

I bought Sailor Moon posters from the dollar store. I still have them and one day when I can put them up on the wall again I shall and it'll be awesome!

First Figure

Figures I suppose. All these little Hetalia ones that my boyfriend bought for me for my birthday in 2010.

First Video Collection (VHS/DVD)

VHS is really fuzzy for me since I don't have any of them anymore and they ended up getting stolen at some point during my many moves. I'm pretty sure Dirty Pair was my first VHS find though. DVD wise like I said here it's either a toss up between Macross Plus or Kite. I just for the life of me can't remember the order.

First Manga Read

Battle Angel Alita because I was dating a guy that was very much into anime and helped me get even more into anime at the time. He had every original volume and I read it every time I went over to visit him haha.

First Manga Bought

Chobits but because she had the same name as ME. My nickname when I was an elementary student was chii cause I had a lot of energy like chi! I just rolled with it ever since.

First Convention

Anime North in 2009. I'm very much a convention noob.

First Hentai

Mine would have to be La Blue Girl... I'm sure a lot of other people share this as their first as well.

First Hentai Manga

Bondage Fairies! Might be better not to ask how this came about

First Fansub

This would probably be Ranma 1/2. It was the first anime I watched with my best friend whom had internet at the time and could get anime for us to watch that wasn't on TV.

First AMV Watched

It's actually really hard to remember this but I think it would have to be this one. I've never had the desire to make one but if I did it would so be for Legend of the Galactic Heroes to Muse's Knights Of Cydonia.

First Fan Fic Written

It was a Macross Plus one I'll admit but I'll NEVER let anyone see it no matter how much you ask There's even a Gundam Wing one hanging around somewhere too

First Anime Web Site Made

Hilariously enough I only started my blog at the end of 2009 and it is the only anime thing I have ever done online that wasn't part of something already there.

First Anime Blog Visited

Digitalboy's many blogs I have followed since he appeared before me in 2007. He's one of the only people's opinions on anime that I really give a damn about.

First Anime Site Visited

When I was a kid my mom was dead set against having internet in the house (I don't know...) so I didn't really get into the whole internet thing a lot. Quite hilarious that I didn't really start using the internet till 2000 XD Anyway, in 2002 I discovered a little interesting site called Anime-Planet I didn't join at first cause I didn't understand that you had to join but I lurked around the main site and on the forums for many years. It wasn't till 2005 that I joined and have never looked back. 2005 I would also consider the time where I reintroduced myself to anime after a few years of not watching a lot.

First Anime Dropped

Adventures of Mini-Goddess. I started it with my best friend and thought it sucked a lot. Tried picking it up again later on my own and it still sucked. Tried watching it a few years ago with my boyfriend because we watched all of AMG and he wanted to try it out. Dropped yet again. It was meant to never be watched by me I believe.

First Anime Hated

Green Green wins this title. I disliked it SO much that I couldn't get past episode 3 of the series. Which is ok by me because I know a lot of people that think the same way I do about it.

First Anime Drawing

I only ever drew Sailor Moon pictures because back then I actually loved to draw. My first picture was Luna the cat eating a donut. The second one hilariously is Sailor Mars's Grandpa sticking his tounge out in a YUM kind of way. It seems that strangeness of me still hasn't worn off.

First Cosplay

I dunno if I would count this because I didn't try very hard but last year at Anime Boston I cosplayed (we were on the top floor and it was really hot up there) Yamamoto-sensei and my boyfriend kindly dressed as Tsuchida. They weren't very good but whatever. I really would like to cosplay with a proper costume and all someday but money is a bitch.

Random other fun firsts I remember:

First Long-Running Shonen Series

Of course this would be Dragon Ball. Long before I even knew what a shounen series was. If I went by actually knowing I'd have to say Bleach.

First Mecha Series

Macross Plus. How I love you so.

First Gundam Series

Gundam Wing

First Magical Girl/Shoujo Series

Sailor Moon

First Harem Series

Love Hina. Surprise surprise here lol

First Reverse Harem

Fruits Basket... It was a terrible start into this sub-genre for me.

First Sports Series

Azusa Will Help! I honestly haven't watched a lot of sports anime in general.

First Food Related Series

Yakitate!! Japan. Been hooked on any anime ever since that has anything to do with cooking! Yes that even means the shoujo Yumeiro Pâtissière!

First Series that Messed With My Mind

Lain hands down and then I watched Evangelion now soon after it.

~

So there you have it! Got anymore questions for me? Leave a comment and ask!

Check out this other post that has a whole list of other people's anime firsts as well. ^__^

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