Typically at GamingAngels we’re pretty PG-13, but many of our audience are adults and from time to time we’ll highlight adult topics. On June 11th, Viz Cinema will be hosting a night called, TokyoScope Talk Vol. 4: Hot Tears of Shame. The host is Patrick Macias, Editor-in-Chief of Otaku USA magazine. He’ll have guests as well.

The panel will explore sex in adult Japanese films. This is definitely a panel for 18 and over only! General admission tickets are $10.00 and can be brought at newpeopleworld.com/films.

“From naughty hot spring geisha, to S&M-addicted salarymen, to the latest bizarre innovations in adult video, this pulse-pounding presentation will give an entirely new perspective to ‘getting it on’ in Japanese film,” says Macias. “We’re planning a trip across the more bawdy sides of Japanese pop culture including memorable moments from such tarnished classics as Zero Woman, Secret Acts Within Four Walls, Watcher in the Attic, and many more. We invite the vanilla and the kinky alike to enjoy this fun and sexy evening!”

Viz Cinema is in San Francisco and is dedicated to Japanese film and anime. The talk will be Friday, June 11 at 7pm.

Now we already had a bit of an idea that the convention was going to take place around this time, however it wasn’t clear if they were going to have a three or four day convention. It will be interesting to see how the focus on the Asian gaming industry will fare with the show as a whole, and also if the attendence numbers will pick up from last year. If you plan on going may want to start saving now!

Via IGN

We’re not sure if this is a new craze in the lands of Nippon (Japan), but there is a publisher who is producing a magazine with lads getting geared up as girls, sporting high heels and pretty tops (like the photo shown). The publisher in question is Ichijinsa, and some of you may know this company to be responsible for producing the “Loveless” manga in Japan.

They also host a regular booth at the Comiket (Comic Market) events held in Tokyo, where they announced the debut of this magazine and are selling telephone cards with images of their “male maidens” on them at the current winter session.

If you think you might be interested in knowing more about this and you know your Nihongo, you can visit the Japanese Amazon page here to buy yourself a copy of the pictured issue of “WAal! boys in skirts” for 1, 500Yen (which works out to be about $16-17USD or $18-19AUD). Or you could consider buying the 2 different issues for 2, 900Yen offer instead.

Is this a new trend, fetish or just a one off occurrence? I’ll be interested to see where this goes nonetheless, but I prefer my blokes in pants for the time being.

(Sources: Anime News Network and Temple Knights)

I wish stores in America would get this excited about a game. Tokyo’s Akihabara stores are getting ready for the launch of Final Fantasy XIII by covering their stores in FFXIII images like wallpaper.

On Japanese blog, Livedoor, you can see various pictures on how the stores are getting ready for the massive sales.

The game is due out in Japan on December 17 and for the rest of us…March 9.

[source via Kotaku]

The TOKYO CREATORS MARKET is an exhibit that is going to take place as of November 21st and end some time in the new year. It features visual artworks from Japanese artists, some of whom (Junko Mizuno, ON ZA LINE, and Kim Songhe) will actually attend the sneak preview party of the show that runs from 6-8pm. This party is invitation only however, so if you would like an invite then you need to sign-up to the email newsletter at www.newpeopleworld.com.

Artists whose works will be on display include:

JUNKO MIZUNO (artwork pictured, right)
Junko Mizuno has a huge following in the United States and is widely known for her provocative and strong feminine imagery. She has published numerous manga comics and will present several 3D wall pieces for the exhibit as another expression of her original style.

KAZMO
Kazmo, screen printer extraordinaire, entertains visitors with kitschy playfulness and dark nostalgia and reminds audiences of childhood, when the world was a blank coloring book ready to be doodled on. Part of the NEW PEOPLE ART Detour, Kazmo is back with a new line of expressive prints.

KIM SONGHE
Kim Songhe, a Korean national born in Tokyo, is known for sculptures made of natural materials and reusable wastes. Currently, she designs shop window displays and creates original made-to-order chandeliers. She says that she wants to bring new life to objects that were almost dying.

MIKITO OZEKI
Mikito Ozeki describes his work as “an ambiguous something with no answer.” The BODY series is commonly depicted as “figures like robots.” By presenting an ambiguous “something” with the distinct clear lines and forms of a paper cutout, Ozeki stimulates the wavering of human values.

NORITAKE
Noritake uses simple lines and combines motifs that have nothing in common. He picks out and draws a portion of an image he finds in his own photos, old magazines, and picture books, as well as adds new elements. Viewers can make their own discoveries while glancing at his images.

ON ZA LINE
The ON ZA LINE design team starts with no specific definition for the end result. They enjoy people’s reactions to their work that are handmade through a lengthy process. Each item is instilled with what ON ZA LINE sees as the true essences of life – sentiments, passion, atmosphere and time.

YUICHI YOKOYAMA
Yuichi Yokoyama delivers his art in the form of comic illustrations often consisting of numerous nameless characters in transit or in action. With a global following that stems from his publications, this is a rare chance to encounter his work on display here in the U.S.

In addition to the exhibition, there is potential for a little bit of a shopping spree. NEW PEOPLE and Bazaar Bizarre S.F. have teamed up and organised for 10 vendors in kiosks stationed throughout the building offering works from Asian and Western artists who have been influenced by Japanese pop culture. The catch is that this opportunity is good for one day only – Saturday, November 21st from 10am to 8pm.

If that wasn’t enough, there is also a TOKYO CREATORS GARDEN. You’ll find pieces on display that have been inspired by artists and craftsmen of Japan, and you are welcome to peruse them or just relax in the sunny and serene environment.

Seiji Horibuchi, the Founder of New People:

“Pop culture serves as a theme with limitless possibilities for artistic expression and we’re very excited to present one of the most unique art shows to come to San Francisco this year,” says Seiji. “Each of these artists is distinctive in their own expression, originality and style. We invite everyone to use Japanese pop culture as inspiration in their own lives and to join us for this special event!”

The TOKYO CREATORS MARKET will be held in the NEW PEOPLE’s SUPERFROG Gallery which is on the 3rd floor of the venue, and you can find the TOKYO CREATORS GARDEN on the 2nd floor. To find the venue, head for 1746 Post Street, San Francisco. For more information, visit www.NewPeopleWorld.com.

The story of Nana is about two women that find themselves on a journey going to Tokyo to start a new life. The women meet accidentally on a train and learn that they are both 20, headed to Tokyo and both named Nana. But that is where the similarities end. Nana Komatsu wants to start her life in Tokyo and be with her friends and boyfriend. She has a cute personality and is dresses preppy/sweet lolita style. Nana Osaki wants to be a singer of a rock ‘n’ roll band and had a heartbreak but is looking to make a name for herself. Nana Osaki has a kickback nature and wears Vivienne Westwood.

The two meet again when looking for an apartment and decide to become roommates. The anime Box set #1 contains 11.5 episodes. 11.5 is a character spoof that is a summation of what has happened.

What I love about it
I am in love with the story of the two. To me, they are an example of two personalities women go through when deciding who they want to be. Sometimes I want to be the strong, rock star that doesn’t let anything or anyone get to me. Other times, I want to be kawaii and make others happy over everything else. The story is easy to relate to. There is a point in our lives where we have to figure out our loves, our careers, create our own destiny. This story allows us to follow two women that are doing just that.

I have read the manga series and am a huge fan of the story. I’m also a fan of the first live action dvd (I have to buy the second!). I was really excited to get the Box set for the anime to watch a new interpretation of Nana. What I enjoyed about it is that it stays true to the manga. The artwork is almost identical and you feel the characters come alive. The Japanese voices are great (I watched with subtitles) and fit the characters well.

What I hated about it
I have to say I was most disappointed with the amount of repetition in the anime. I felt like 5 or 6 of the episodes were merely repeats of the last episode. Many of the episodes traced back to information and even the same animation that was already covered instead of moving the story along. We’d get a flashback to how they met, which I must have seen like 5 times throughout the whole box set. I was incredibly disappointed with episode 11.5 which basically was another repeat of everything that had happened already! The box set could have been slimmed down to half the amount of episodes and I would have gotten the full story. For me the repetition is a huge problem. I’m busy and don’t have much free time, so when I sit down for a few hours to watch anime, I don’t want to watch episodes that re-cap what has already happened. It was so disappointing and I really felt like it was wasting my time.

End Verdict
If you are not familiar with the Nana story, then you should pick this box set up. It’s a great story and you fall in love with the characters. I highly recommend getting the Live Action Nana dvd if you are interested in the story because I felt that was a great representation of Nana and it moved the story along faster.

I do have to say that I’m looking forward to the next Animated Uncut Box Set which comes out on November 24, 2009. I have high hopes that this set will just continue to move forward with the story and not do so much background now that we know the setting. I really can’t recommend the story enough no matter how you get it. Viz Media has done a great job bringing this story to fans and I hope we continue to get titles that resonate with the older female anime/manga fans.

ESRB: M for Mature
Genre: Action
Number of Players: One
Developer: FromSoftware Inc.
Release Date: Out now, Released April 7, 2009

PASS/RENT

When I first loaded this game up, I half expected yet another ninja-themed hack-and-slash game with maybe the occasional hint of plot. I was both surprised and disappointed with what I found as I played. The game brought together the classic ninja moves, like running on walls and epic leaps and combo attacks, and real-time sequences a la God of War.

The big issue with the real-time sequences is their number. Almost every 10 minutes or so of gameplay, you’re guaranteed to get at least one sequence if not more during boss fights. Some of the big finishing moves require you to press a certain button as it pops up. If you mess up during the cutscenes, you have to restart the whole thing. This process can get tiring if you don’t have quick reflexes or good timing, though for those with great reflexes will breeze through them. You get maybe a second to try for a perfect or a couple seconds to get the button at all.

For those like me that love getting achievements, this game has some in all ranges of the spectrum. You get them from finding costumes and other specific items for the first time and for completing the sets. There are some for completing missions withing a specific amount of time or completing a goal. It’s pretty easy for some, so it’s a good 200-500 point bonus on just one playthrough. For collectors, there are a lot of different things to collect like the costumes, Shinobi Moji, and emblems.

The scenery is very nice, though. The buildings look so realistic down to the way things would fall down or crack. The maps are based on actual skyscrapers and building tops in Tokyo. The monsters have unique looks, some of them even look like mutated zombies. The variety of bosses is impressive, each one provides a different challenge.

As far as combat goes, I have to give the developers credit. The combat style is both standard for ninja games and creative. Players get the standard wall running, awesome sword action, jumping and grabbing onto insanely small poles to jump over big gaps, as well as a wide range of weaponry. Your character has a shuriken that has multiple elements which transform it to a Cyclone or Flame shuriken, among other things.

The Todome Attack is a nice little treat. It combines the real-time events because you have to hit the right buttons at the right time, but they provide super-powerful finishing attacks. The Finish Attacks, which don’t pop up and announce themselves like the cut scene ones, also involve punching in a combination of buttons. These are really fun to pull off because they not only provide a quick finish to an enemy, they just look awesome.

Ninja Vision is a feature that is unique to this game. It allows you, the player, to see the weak spots on some enemies, places on walls that you can run on, secret passages, and other information you can’t normally see. While using Ninja Vision, though, you become susceptible to more damage than usual.

Saving is a big problem in this game. Yes, there are checkpoints, but with my experience, every time I went to load up a mission, I would have to start the entire mission over. That ate up a lot of time when I would have to take a break to study or do something else just to come back to having to start the mission I just spent an hour on. I’m not sure if there isn’t a way to save mid-mission, but it’s not easy enough for just anyone to figure out.

If you have a lot of time to play, like during a vacation or something, this game is good for a rent if you really like the ninja game genre. This game consumes a lot of time to get all the achievements and to get through the missions, especially if you want to try and go for completion. If you don’t have much time, then it’s a pass. This is definitely not a game for casual players.

Review product was provided by FromSoftware Inc., and does not affect the outcome of this review.

A special exhibit is being held at VIZ Cinema (or could quite possibly be under the branding of NEW PEOPLE) entitled “Yokai University: San Francisco Campus“. Yokai is a name for supernatural or ghostly creatures in Japanese folklore which range from evil Oni (ogre) to the mischievous Kitsune (fox) or Yuki-onna (snow woman).

The free admission exhibit displays plenty of books, art and more in the lobby. There is also Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints by master artist Hokusai Katsushika (creator of the work Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road), and artwork by yokai manga pioneer Shigeru Mizuki (creator of GeGeGe No Kitaro).

The celebrations will be in place for 2 weeks (beginning October 23rd and ending November 6th), and will feature a free yokai lecture by Tokyo-based writer Matt Alt. Matt co-authored a book (titled Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide) with Hiroko Yoda which chronicles the long-running fascination that the Japanese have with all things grim and scary.  The book is the first-ever English language guidebook to yokai and is published by Kodansha International. Matt will be sharing history and insights on the yokai culture on Saturday, October 31st from 1 – 2:30pm at VIZ Cinema if you are interested, and there will be copies of the book and other yokai themed goodies available at NEW PEOPLE the Store.

If that weren’t enough, there will also be a screening of BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO. Here is a movie synopsis:

After failing the entrance exam and enduring two years of cram school, Akira Abe (Takayuki Yamada) finally is accepted to the prestigious Kyoto University. One day while on his way home with a friend, Akira meets a senior who invites them to a welcome party hosted by his club called the Azure Dragon. At first, the club appears to be an ordinary social group, but the new members soon discover the mysterious 1000 year-old tradition of the “Horumo” battle upheld by the four universities of Kyoto. The battle is fought between 10 players per team who each manipulate an army of 100 spirits (referred to as Oni) to fight their opponents. The members go through rigorous training to achieve fluency in the Oni language as well as learn the indefinable gestures that are required to complement it. Let the battles begin!

If you would like to go see the film, here are screening times for you:

10/23 (Fri) 6:00pm, 8:30pm
10/24 (Sat) & 10/25 (Sun) (1:00pm), 3:30pm, 6:00pm, 8:30pm
10/26 (Mon) (3:30pm), 6:00pm, 8:30pm
10/27 (Tue) (3:30pm) only!
10/28 (Wed) -10/30 (Fri) (3:30pm), 6:00pm, 8:30pm
10/31 (Sat) & 11/1 (Sun) (1:00pm), 3:30pm, 6:00pm, 8:30pm
11/2 (Mon) – 11/5 (Thu) (3:30pm), 6:00pm, 8:30pm

Finally, a word from Seiji Horibuchi, Founder of New People and President and CEO of VIZ Pictures:

“The Halloween season and the beginning of Fall is the perfect time to introduce NEW PEOPLE visitors to a taste of what has been scaring, haunting and tricking people in Japan for centuries,” says Seiji. “Everyone is familiar with monsters like Godzilla, but Yokai University and our theatrical presentation of BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO offer even seasoned fans a crash course in all kinds of new creepy creatures and spirits.”

If you would like to go, you can find the VIZ Cinema situated in Japantown at 1746 Post Street. Happy Halloween everyone!

VIZ Media have let us know that there is a new manga coming out on their VIZ Signature manga imprint named “What A Wonderful World!” by Inio Asano. The manga depicts the various ways in which 20-somethings lives twist and turn, either for good or for bad. Volume one witnesses the transformation of a college dropout who is bored of her everyday routine. Volume 2 is similar in theme but includes (to quote) “cruelty of childhood, the delusion of adulthood, the permanence of death, and how people find a way to remain resolute and laugh in the face of reality”. The premise of the stories appears to be that of young people discovering the beauty of every day as well as coping with the sadness that comes with it.

Candice Uyloan, Director, Brand Management for VIZ Media:

“Inio Asano masterfully captures the essence of youth, and WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! depicts both the exhilaration and frustration felt by a diverse group of twenty-somethings trying to find their place amidst the impersonal urban sprawl of Tokyo,” says Candice. “Fans of everything from Catcher in the Rye to Reality Bites will find this series an impressive and heartfelt read. Asano’s realistic story is ultimately a commentary on how modern life and the choices one makes impact the struggle to grow up and fit in and we look forward to readers discovering this thought-provoking new title.”

Both volumes 1 & 2 of Inio Asano’s “What A Wonderful World!” launch on October 20th, are rated “T+” for Older Teens and are sold separately at the price of $12.99US or $16.99CAN. More info on these and any other Inio Asano titles can be found at VIZ‘s website.