Looks like Crunchyroll is on a roll here. This time, they will be streaming Catblue: Dynamite, though I'm not sure if the movie will be available for download (whether for pay or not) from the site. I have talked about this fun CG anime before...

Hopefully, this me reporting on series showing on Crunchyroll reported by Anime News Network won't be what this blog pares down to. I'll try to get a proper post up at some point...

I was just thinking of Eve no Jikan (Time of Eve) when I saw this announcement on Anime News Network:

Crunchyroll to Premiere Time of Eve in English/French

posted on 2008-09-23 15:48 EDT

1st 2 acts of Yasuhiro Yoshiura's sci-fi anime to debut online on October 2

The Crunchyroll video-sharing website and the media production company Directions, Inc. have announced that Crunchyroll will premiere Yasuhiro Yoshiura's Time of Eve (Eve no Jikan) anime series in English and French in North America and Europe on October 2. Yoshiura and Studio Rikka — the creators of the Mizu no Kotoba and Pale Cocoon anime — developed this "non-hard science-fiction" story about everyday life in a future Japan populated by robots and life-like androids.

Soichi Negishi is your basic mellow guy who wants to sing pop love songs and be a kindergarten teacher. The fact that he has problems with a lady friend named Yuri Aikawa is rather cliched, but the real problem is that he lives a double life as Johannes Krauser II, song writer and front man of the becoming famous death metal band, Detroit Metal City, where the title of this OVA and the manga that spawned it comes from. What could have been rather stale romantic comedy is pushed aside by the over-the-top ridiculousness of Krauser, his band members, and their music.

Set on the Eastern Front of World War II? Interesting.

Features a katana-wielding Russian girl? Well, that is slightly different.

Produced by Studio 4°C? Now you have my attention.

Nazi zombies? Wait.... let me try that again: Nazi zombies?!? I'm sold!

Studio 4°C is working with the Russian-Canadian animation company Molot Entertainment to produce this World War II action OAV series.

A couple of things to note.

Eve no Jikan

Being that I have enjoyed Yasuhiro Yoshiura's previous work that I imported it from Japan, you would think that I would be paying better attention to his newest work when it is finally available for me to watch it. Fortunately, Martin was on the ball and wrote up his impressions of the first 15 minute episode.

How did I take the first episode of the ONA Eve no Jikan (Time of Eve)? Well, it really shouldn't be a surprise that I thought it was an enjoyable short episode that hints of greater things to come. It definitely has its links from Yoshiura's earlier short, Mizu no Kotoba (Aquatic Language), including the reference of the Three Laws of Robotics from Isaac Asimov's Robot Series books1

I'm definitely going to try to keep a better eye out for new episodes as they are released.

Tweeny Witches

I had ordered the first three volumes of this series with a silly name (titled Mahou Shoujo Tai Arusu in Japan) for a couple of reasons: I'm a fan of Studio 4°C, the animation production company behind the series, and I found it to be a damn good anime. I am currently rewatching the series for the fourth time now, though this time with the English dub, which I find to be fairly well done for the series. I can't wait to get the fourth DVD when it comes out as it is an OVA that contains episodes that I haven't seen yet.

Eugene Woodbury has a pretty nice discussion about the storyline and proclaimed that "Tweeny Witches is the un-Harry Potter, getting right everything it gets wrong." I do see his point, though I think he's being a bit harsh on Harry Potter. I do agree that the moral complexities and plot twists in Tweeny Witches are much better and more believable than those in the Harry Potter books.

And finally, I'll have to do a recommendation of Tweeny Witches to Fledge. Despite the unusual animation style2 and the Tim Burton-esce storyline and world, I think it might be pretty close to his own tastes.

1. 1. I had recently read I, Robot, with no small thanks to Mizu no Kotoba's mention of the Three Laws of Robotics. I don't know if actually reading the books will bring more insight into the Eve no Jikan series, but it sure wouldn't hurt.
2. 2. with "distinctly substandard" character animation, according to some. I like the character animations myself; my beef with the technicalities of the series is with direction: I think there's way too much off-screen dialog and action, and the series often skip forward without any transition. These issues are discussed in Anime News Network's review of the first DVD.

I know this is pretty much last-minute info, but I was informed by a reader named Chris a few days ago about Catblue: Dynamite being screened at Comic-Con this year. I couldn't go because of work conflicts, but maybe some others would like to see this rather strange (and enjoyable, IMO) CG animated movie for themselves.

There's also performances by Mimi, apparently in costume as Blue.

Here's the full press release that I've received, with information and times about the screening and performances:
Mimi: Meow!

MEDIA ALERT
CATBLUE DYNAMITE
at 2008 Comic-Con International San Diego

>> Catblue Dynamite screening!
>> Mimi to perform live!

WHAT: “Catblue Dynamite”
from Romanov Higa, director of the highly anticipated “Appleseed:
Genesis”
WHEN: Friday, July 25th
11:25 p.m. (due to adult language)
WHERE: Anime Room 25-C

Set in a stylized version of the 1970s, “Catblue Dynamite” is an action adventure anime about Blue, a principled mercenary who is half-human, half-cat and all female. When two drug couriers get mixed up in gang warfare over a mysteriously important Frank Sinatra tape they unknowingly received from their boss, Blue uses her feline attributes, her ability to shoot a gun with her tail, and her connections with the afterlife to save the day.

WHAT: Japanese pop sensation Mimi performing live
WHEN: Every day of Comic-Con International, July 24th-July 27th
Check at booth 3245 for specific times
WHERE: Organic Hobby, Booth #3245

CONTACT:
Yosh Kambe
(310) 907- 6902
kambeyosh [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] jp

For more information, please visit:
http://www.organic-f.net/blog_product/anime/catblue.htm

Though I've seen some quick write-ups from some lucky bastardspeople who got to see (and meet) Makoto Shinkai at the BFI in London, Martin was another of those lucky bastardspersons who got to even shake his hand and wrote about the experience at Nakama Britannica.

A new member at Cherry Blossoms Falling1 had pointed out an interview of Makoto Shinkai on the Electric Sheep Magazine site, the first I've seen since Shinkai released his Five Centimeters Per Second last year.

What interested me most was the real reason Shinkai did without color in Other Worlds and She and Her Cat:

1. 1. Please ignore the banner there. If you don't know what I mean by that, don't worry about it...

I just watched this documentory titled THE RISE AND FALL OF ANIME FANSUBS. Here you go:

PART 1

More parts and my opinions after the cut.

Well, this is very promising:

And so is this.