Go online and vote! The line-up this year is better than it’s been in years! Actors and Actresses who can actually act, comedians who are actually funny, musical artists worthy of the attention, and movies that each deserve a blimp! Check it out!
KCA has always been a big event for kids. It was the first awards’ show where kids could have a voice in choosing what’s popular according to entertainment geared toward them. Of course, many teens and adults also vote. He he Guilty…
Let’s walk down Memory Lane…
So much nostalgia, I can’t breathe…cough…cough…
Let’s hope the performances are good this year, and hopefully it’s exciting…just as it used to be.
KCA will be held tomorrow, March 29, 2014, 8/7c so stay tuned!
You can also vote for Teen Nick’s Your Choice Awards!
For those of you not aware of my Animejournal at the top of this screen, and my history, I do anime reviews. I’m a big anime watcher and all of the animes people recommend to me, I review and give my opinions on the whole of the anime bit by bit. So if anyone has any suggestions for animes I should watch, leave me a comment.
*READ MY OTHER ANIME REVIEWS AT ANIMEJOURNAL OR GO TO OLDER ENTRIES ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN!*
Yes, I’ve finally gotten the urge to continue my anime exploration. And I have one word to say about this anime: weird. With this review, I will be discussing the story/plot, characters, music, writers (creator), and anime style/genre.
Story/Plot- The story begins with a young, shy woman named Tsukiko Sagi, who was a famous anime designer. The whole issue began when this particular woman is pressured by her manager to create a new character. So while walking home, after she meets an old lady, she is attacked by a boy on gold roller blades with a gold bat who is later called “Bat Boy” or “Lil’ Slugger” in the English version. She is then taken to the hospital. Two detectives, Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa, begin investigating the crime. And boy, this leads to all sorts of other attacks as the private lives of individuals are revealed, all leading in connection to the original victim, Tsukiko Sagi…and her line of work.
I know, that was probably confusing. And that’s basically what you get from Paranoia Agent a big confusing, twisted story, that somehow connects together. Of course, I get it, given the type of mind I have. But less “informed” people will not. In fact, you better have some intelligence, maybe even a slight genius, to be able to understand a story this complex, added with the symbolism that is apparent in this anime. To add, this anime is very short…about only 13 episodes. And it had the nerve to have a cliff-hanger…*sighs* Which makes me mad…but interested. I find the story to be interesting and can easily draw a curious and intrigued mind in.
Characters-The cast is large. Super huge but just for a 13-episode show, and they are all connected to one another in some way, large or small. If someone is talking to someone else, more than likely that someone will become a main character because they will be the next victims…if you even get that…But the main characters are Tsukiko: She is a shy designer who designed this pink dog to help people escape their everyday “reality.” (Boy, the more I type this review, it reminds me of Videodrome..watch that too. It’s not an anime…).
Lil Slugger: This mysterious kid who keeps hitting all the overly stressed and paranoid people with his golden bat and skating away on his golden skates. He also has the ability to grow bigger…and he has braces…
Detective Keiichi Ikari: This guy has some blood pressure issues. And some anger issues.His favorite saying is “If this place is wrong, there’s gotta be some place out there that’s right.” He is more realistic and old fashion. He is investigating the incidents with Lil’ Slugger, but somehow, he gets connected to the events in his own way.
Detective Mitsuhiro Maniwa: The more idealistic and more open-minded detective, he’s most open to all the possibilities. He’s also a bit unconventional in his approach to the investigation. He’s not connected to the events through anyone but his partner, however, he seems quite determined to solve the case anyway.
Moromi: The cute little dog that Tsukiko designed for everyone to escape “reality.
So yea, the characters are actually much more interesting than I am describing. I don’t want to give too much info about them away, because the character development is key to the plot and story. Just remember this: Each character has their own secret life, and each character has their own stress and pressures.
Music-The music is…a bit creepy and eerie. Especially the ending….But it ties in well with the meaning of the story. It seems to express a feeling that we’re all dreaming…the feeling is that everything in the story is a part of how we see reality. It gives that kind of feeling…it’s quite interesting. Someone on youtube described it as “odd, unnatural, not right”…
writer (creator)- The creator, Satoshi Kon, made this after three of his previous films Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers. He said he still had tons of ideas, and so he decided to express those ideas within this 13-episode series. Pretty interesting creator. Some of the things to keep in mind about this creator is the use of 1) Females playing large roles 2) His main characters being at the prime of their fame, to the point they are ready to reject it all 3) This three-partnership idea, where there’s an old person, a younger person, and a little girl. The creator also likes to play with your mind…a little.
Style/genre-The style has quite a realistic touch to it. It’s not over-dramatic. I’d compare it to Myazaki or Pet Shop of Horrors in how realistic it looks. It’s meant to be a shift between reality and the world we “escape” to. I don’t recommend this for kids under 13, and I don’t even think kids under the age of 18 would get this or understand it. The genre is mystery, psychological horror, Satire, and thriller. Personality needed? A really curious person, who loves mysteries, open-minded, and into anything truly mind-boggling.
So that’s my review of Paranoia Agent. It’s quite interesting. Something I would watch again…however, I wish there was more. The ending left at a cliff-hanger….
Today, I came to a resolution: Black people can and do ruin things.
I am African American myself, so I think that it’s fair for me to say this about my ethnicity.
First and foremost, yes, I think a small portion of it has to do with black culture colliding with white culture. Is that not the problem? Since the beginning of time, Asian, Native American, African, and European culture have been distinctly different from one another. But unlike other nations who came into the US to live in a new country, and so they even gave up some of their old country’s ways to adapt, most African Americans didn’t come on their own free will, and so didn’t really want to give up African ways. This made African culture a part of American culture largely because it just wasn’t given up in their hearts or minds, and instead, made an impression on society, just like the Native Americans. Of course, back in the history of America, slavery caused bitterness, and then later prejudice, segregation, injustice, inequality, and racism did as well, which people who have never gone through it would never understand. They would simply say “Get over it”.
But let me tell you why it’s not easy to GET OVER things like that. What if you were forced to be in a relationship with someone for 20 years, and for 20 years they abused you by beating you, spitting on you, calling you names? Just because you were short/ugly/pretty/fat/slow/fast etc? No one here could say they would accept it. Many would say they couldn’t forgive that person. And say for instance you were forced into a nice marriage…is it still not force? What if you loved someone else? What if you didn’t want to be tied down just yet? What if you didn’t want children, but they forced you? But you were still forced to follow the will of someone else? Someone you barely knew? And you were forced to live with that person? And no legal laws could get you out of it? How would YOU feel?
American slavery is similar to the banking system now…the more I think about it…
Anyway, some people can say the following things: 1) Slavery is over and so is segregation 2) Generation today never lived through it, so why should this generation bring it up?
Well for starters, the Civil Rights Movement didn’t end until about 40 or so years ago. Slavery and Segregation lasted over 100 years. That’s 100 years of oppression versus 40 years of freedom. It would take about another 60 years or more before the seed of it is completely vanquished. Many of the people who lived through it are still living today, and teaching their children about what they went through during those times. These are grandparents and mothers who still live today that went through it. My mother was born when the Civil Rights Movement was taking place, and my great-grandmother, with whom I am so close to, went through it. So, yes, our generation didn’t go through it, but it is painful when someone you love has gone through it, and to think about them being treated wrong is hard itself. It will take a lot of action to make up for the mistakes America’s ancestors made. ‘You Break it, you gotta fix it’ America.
And racism still exists. Maybe not at the magnitude it was, but it still exists. Racist attitudes exist. Observe the comments’ section on Youtube while watching videos about “Africa” or even “Salt N’ Peppa”. There ARE white people who truly think they’re superior to black people. There are white people in power who take their racist ideas and try to subtly hold other minorities back.
I have experienced real racism in high school in 2006. My sibling was in a class with a white teacher, who hated Asians, Latin Americans, Islamic, and African Americans/Black people. She would sit all of the people of color at the front of the classroom and would subtly allow white people to sit wherever they wanted. She gave them an assigned seat to cover her tracks in case someone turned her in, but whenever they moved around the room, she wouldn’t say much. But when any of the people of color moved even slightly, she would scold or write them up. She wrote up the valedictorian, a black girl, because she “thought” she was talking, and the girl never EVER said a word!
When white students didn’t complete their assignments, she would give them extensions. But when a person of color accidentally forgot their COMPLETED assignment in their locker, she would count it as an F.
I remember there was one boy who was half Mexican, half white. For most of the year, she thought he was white. But when he celebrated Mexican Independence Day, she found out he was Mexican. Guess what? You know what. She began to treat him differently after that. That’s when he began to realize this.
This woman was so racist, she wouldn’t even ask to see the parents of the minorities on Parent-Teacher conferences, even if the student was failing and poorly behaved! That’s how racist she was. And it was hard to prove that she was racist, too. She definitely covered her tracks.
For me, racism is real. Many people may think that I’m exaggerating or lying. No, it’s real.
I just wanted to add that this teacher also hated Jews and Catholics, so if she found out you were affiliated with those religions, she would also treat them like crap. But many of the white kids in this class didn’t associate with any religions. I can’t imagine if they had…But this made it even harder to prove. We didn’t have the full support of every kid in the class.
So, see? I’m not just a self-hating black person, who is excusing racism like so many of my readers may think. I’m not ignoring issues, and yes, my life matters.
But that goes for in the WHITE community AND the BLACK community.
I must admit, though, that the idea of segregation, discrimination, and racism has really been taken too far among the black race. It has no longer really become about the black race anymore. It’s just about power and money, the ruination of the whole world. It has been taken out of context so much, it isn’t taken seriously anymore. And this makes people ignore when it REALLY happens.
To add, black people have far greater issues than White-on-black crime.
Instead of elevating, coming together to combat our problems so we can combat greater issues, the black race is still in the state it’s in. And yes, we can say it’s because other cultures who came to this country and were able to start their own businesses and ground family businesses. They were able to prosper. But whatever happened to bouncing back up from a crisis? And the new immigrants that come every year who have to start over? There were plenty of black people in the past who were able to make changes and start their own business, and they LIVED in the days of segregation. So what is the excuse?
We can blame gangsta rap, because ever since the inclusion of it, blacks have been encouraged to fight for equality by using their own methods and using violence to do so. However, blacks aren’t fighting for equality against the police for racial reasons nowadays. They are too busy shooting each other.
So who is to blame anymore? If you look at statistics, shall we get a peek, and embarrass this ethnicity? :
Anyone and everyone has witnessed black people having the following problems in the following areas:
1) Crime increases when black people move into neighborhoods. Especially gun violence. Black people also always fight anytime they get together for any event. The Black Expo in Indiana seems to have a shoot-out every year. It’s the reason the Black Expo was cancelled in Chicago. Black people don’t seem to know how to act in public, in private, and they don’t know how to run productive communities without messing it up. They don’t clean their communities, show up for community meetings, or pay taxes or give other donations. The schools also become violent and dangerous, and as much as parents try to move their kids, more than likely it could be your kid causing most of the problems. Drugs are always the main foundation for businesses if there are any productive businesses. This is very true in my own neighborhood.
2) Businesses begin to close down because businesses are afraid of being robbed and killed through gun violence. To add, they are afraid of drama, like fighting, loud and flip-mouth customers, and other disturbances within the community. Plus, the value of the store decreases and people stop shopping in areas where violence is prevalent.
3) Black people are the laziest workers, the least willing to make changes on the job and in relationships, they never want to commit to anything, neither do they want to take up more responsibilities, and often are amongst the least friendly when it comes to people who are different from them. Black people love to complain about their jobs, they complain about who is getting more money, but in the same breath don’t want to do any work and come late in and leave early out. Black people want to deny this, but at every school, job, or other important event, I have experienced the same pattern of behavior. And I don’t know where it comes from, but it’s there.
4) Black people always want to pull racism into everything, which not only takes the joy out of freedom of speech for everyone, but makes people walk on egg shells every time someone of a different ethnicity comes around. And I blame comedians for this one. Anytime a white person does something, it doesn’t make them racist. Nigger is not used as a derogatory term anymore, especially if used like “What’s up, Nigger?” Simple as this: Black people can say it, so can everyone else. But oh no, black people are so ignorant, you’ll hear the ignorant people in the comment sections saying “That’s the way it is, black people say nigga, no one else.” Technically, that would be make Black people racist.
And this list doesn’t apply to ALL black people. But this is the spirit of the neighborhood. This is something that has been prevalent in the city of Chicago, Detroit, Ferguson, and basically, many communities that are dominated by black people.
Black people even tried to pull racism in the Princess and the Frog! They changed the freaking story because BET said it made black people look bad.
As much as I liked the new story, the old story would’ve been far deeper. They should’ve been thankful they made a black princess movie AT ALL. But black people are never satisfied as long as a white person is making the movie. Nowadays, black people have become the most bias and prejudice ethnicity ever. Now, they just hate white people because they are white. It’s sad. Hate the white people who TRULY hate black people. That is NOT every white person.
Maybe they just really don’t trust white people. And it comes from how they are taught by their parents and grandparents, who grew up not trusting white people. And anybody can be easily persuaded by words from loved ones. To add, who can blame black people for not trusting white people? You just can’t tell the good ones from the bad. Still, you can’t go wrong by getting to know someone first and finding what they are about. I’m not saying become best friends, but see what people are about by observing. Sitting back, and watching.
And goodness, why kill your own race with guns and violence and ruin your own neighborhoods? Soon you’re going to kill so many black people, the only people around will be white people (over-exaggeration). Why? You make yourself look dumb because in one breath you say that you hate white people because they treated blacks wrong, but the same people who cried that they hated white people, killed other black people. Contradictory, much? You’re leaving black people into the minority category by killing them off! By robbing and stealing from other black people, you are taking from other black people who are struggling. This happened to me in my neighborhood. I was robbed by OTHER black people. Not a white person, a BLACK person. If #BlackLivesMatter, why didn’t MY life matter in the eyes of this other black person?
And no, it’s not ALL BLACK PEOPLE, as I said before, but it must be a vast majority, because when a group of black people come together, our communities become destroyed.
I will say this: The black race is a powerful race. The darker colors are associated with “Scorpio” or “The sign of power”. With that being said, power is a black man’s tool, and its use or abuse will prove the black man’s worth.
Black people can use their power for good, just as they did in the past when they built the city of Tulsa, or marched for Civil Rights for all Americans, or just as they came together to vote for the first black president. Even in the way they support their music artists and actors and actresses, like for movies like Dreamgirls and Tyler Perry movies, or singers like Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Beyonce. Most of the biggest talents have been supported, sponsored, or produced through some very successful black people. If you are working with a black person, like Justin Bieber is working with Usher, black people will support you, and you are bound to be famous. If anyone wants to get famous, find a black person. Disney really became the icon for teen shows especially when That’s So Raven came out and she started the children’s sitcom trend that continues today.
But when they use their power for bad, woe is the person who is around them, because it can bring devastating and disastrous results.
I conclude this by saying that people of Generation Scorpio may really admire black people and their way of gaining power. But there is a warning for all people of all ethnic backgrounds: Learn to direct your power so that you can benefit everyone and help EVERYONE elevate, not just you, or your mother, or your grandmother, or your best friend, or your “kind”. Until people learn to do that, there will always be problems in the United States of America and in the black community.
Lately another film franchise has been rising among the fans: Street Fighter Legacy the Movie. With the success of it’s recent video games, Street Fighter 4 and Super Street Fighter 4, now the franchise is going to try again with the movie ordeal. And thankfully, this one doesn’t focus on Chun-li, despite my bias towards loving her character almost as much as Ken and Ryu. But this movie is going to focus on Ken, which means one thing: the main character is going to be in it. And hopefully all the characters are in the movies.
This is to rival the Mortal Kombat movie, having a few “famous fans” make the makings of the video game movies. I mean, it makes sense. Why get people who know nothing about the game to make the movie?
This is BoA’s latest song, and it’s pretty awesome! I love her! She’s just not following the mainstream of Japan, and doing the super sexy thing that other people her age exploit themselves and end up doing. She’s about 24 now btw…. Love BoA! I loved her recent album with the Jazz tones, Identity. It was awesome! So check this out!
Namie Amuro’s latest. I think she’s pretty awesome, but she’s just become too mainstream lately for me. But I like this song a little.
Okay, if you don’t know what Tekken is, you probably are not a fan of video games or just very very young. But anyone who group up in the era of video games knows that Tekken is one of the most popular fighting franchises in the USA. Namco’s biggest franchise really. It ranges from a variety of different consoles, mostly the Playstation.
It first came out in December of 1994 and continued throughout the 90s and even the 21st Century to be the third most popular fighting franchise next to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Well, some people got together and decided to make a live action of the series.
Now I’m a bit worried. I hate to bring up all the other recent adaptations, but they haven’t been that good.
Take a look at DBE (Dragon Ball Evolution)….
total crap. The only thing that was Asian or Japanese Anime about it was Ayumi Hamasaki’s contribution to the movie with her theme song “Rule”. Goku was white, Piccolo had a pointless partner, the Dragon couldn’t talk, and it was just too cheesy. And then the scenes jumped so much, it looked fake. Of course, when I heard it was PG I was afraid. You just can’t make a good fighting movie with PG, I’m sorry. And what’s with Goku being in high school? Everything was rushed…but it was to be expected.
Nothing could compare to the EXTREME epic fail Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-li.
This was so bad, only a fraction of people knew about it and cared. This was the worst adaptation ever. Did I mention both the movies mentioned were made by Fox? They are just not good at adaptations. Look at Wolverine…it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as good as the previous X-Men movies. But The Legand of Chun-li was such a dump of crap movie, I almost puked watching it. Not only was the main character, Ryu, not in it, neither was Ken. But that wasn’t the worst part. None of the cast looked like the characters. They didn’t wear the costumes, and they barely fought. M. Bison looked like a Real Estate Agent. He didn’t even look the same. It was a pathetic excuse for an adaptation. And they just totally flucked up Vega. He was TABOO from the Black Eyed Peas! WTF! I was so mad about that movie, I thought about getting my money back at the movie theater. The only one who could even measure was Belrog.And who the crap is Mya supposed to be?
Fox’s problem is they keep trying to compete with Dark Knight and Marvel comic moves who have decided to make them “more realistic”. But comics are different from anime and video games. Marvel and Batman is different. Batman is based off of real crime in New York and Chicago urban cities. Most video games like Street Fighter and anime are inspired from Asian culture. Two opposite paths of thinking.
Then, they turned around and tried to make The Last Airbender, which most people thought sucked, which is what I thought people would say. So, it’s just not in favor of the public yet.
Hopefully, Tekken doesn’t follow the same fate. I see one problem in the trailer already: Christie and Jin….I’m sorry but that is just too weird. It seems like a repeat of some wacked out scenes in Legend of Chun-li. Eddie and Christie, maybe. Xiou and Jin, maybe. But Christie and Jin are on two different sides of the story idea. Sometimes, it just seems directors nowadays just throw anything into a movie, thinking it will sell. But a move like that is enough to make people hate it.
Check out more behind-the-scenes:
There is some hope with the Tekken franchise, despite how Bloodline Rebellion was overshadowed by Streetfighter 4, which is now getting a Super 4. There is a Tekken 7 being released so stay tuned in for that.
These 2010 Bratz dolls are awesome! Just when some people were in fear of the Bratz not being as edgy or outrageous and taking risks like the old Bratz, Bratz Party line was revealed! It really seems MGAE is giving a bit of all the Bratz flavor, from the urban hip-hop wear from the year 2001, to the diversity and beautiful styles of 2002-2003, to the funky, risky, and ecclectic fashions in 2004 and 2005! This is all of what I’m looking for!
Of course, one problem is still the feet. They do look a tad bit smaller, now that I analyze them a little more. I’m kind of getting the sinking feeling that they are trying to compete with the LIV dolls. Even the Moxie Teenz have disappointed me in becoming LIV. Are those dolls really that popular?
I mean, I have had the pleasure of seeing them up close. While the new Moxie Girlz are very cute, though nothing on the Bratz, LIV is only cute in the face. That’s where it ends. The clothes are cheap looking, average, unoriginal….just plain boring. Not a doll collection I’m into. They remind me too heavily of Diva Starz and Barbie and Lisa Frank.
They are too flowery. Talk about a doll collection that lacks edge, it definitely has to be LIV dolls. And Monster High…that’s a pathetic attempt to be edgy. Way to go Mattel at failing with your “Bratz” dolls. They should stick with Myscene. At least it can go past one line. Monster High doesn’t look like it can last past one outfit for each girl….I can see them having the same fate as Flavas….
Yea, but LIV dolls have weird looking bodies. And they say Bratz lacks articulation now. To me, Moxie Girlz even did a better job than LIV at attempting posable bodies. LIV have big heads and faces, long bodies and small feet…not very attractive for me. I knew when I saw them I wouldn’t be collecting them. They don’t stand out to me that much. They look like Mystikats, Zodiac Girlz, and Lisa Frank. Nothing special.
But the Bratz…they are original. Their fashions are hard to imitate because they take fashion risks. The Bratz get their ideas from the urban hip-hop and cutting edge runways, rather than looking at the mainstream pop culture and all the bubblegum looks with all the juicy colors. That’s what turned me off from Moxie Girlz originally…They were just too darn colorful. They were tacky, wacky, and cheesy. The eyes and hair and face were cute, but lacked any individual style, originality, and creativity. Their fashions were also too childish for my tastes, but I didn’t care about that because I knew it was mostly directed to little kids. Bratz have always been way ahead of other dolls in high-style fashion and trends, they’ve always been original and creative with their approach in fashion, and they just look like time and care was taken into the doll, even though it is for kids.
Some companies think that just because something is directed to kids that it doesn’t matter the quality or how it’s made and that kids will like it anyway…that is SO not true. Kids know good quality when they see it sometimes…especially when the material of the clothes keep tearing every time they play with them. And they are especially attracted to pretty and lavish, like they see on TV and internet.
Bratz have it all, for pretty much all ages. They are pretty, stylish, diverse in their fashion and trends, diverse in ethnicity, and just completely risky and creative. They are everything a fashion doll can and should be…Not to mention, with all the movies giving the Bratz personality, their personalities are not very cliche, like you would see with LIV dolls. LIV personalities remind me of Diva Starz. Bratz are more unique and sassy, making them appealing.
Well, the only downside is they’re not exactly “parent-material”…but just about any fashion doll can be a bad influence on children, especially if the dolls are representing teenagers. Kids want to be like their “older siblings”, which is natural. “Soccer moms” should really observe their older daughters and their styles. Bratz is a mirror into what your teens are wearing. So if you want to “improve” Bratz fashion, monitor what your teens are wearing, and raise them not to like pop culture.
Generation Next 