With Japan being one of the biggest fashion conscious and trendsetting countries in the world, it doesn’t come as a shock to see that fashion has entered the world of the manga artist. Back in March, American fashion designer Anna Sui hit the headlines with her limited edition Sailor Moon inspired collection of accessories, from bags, necklaces, charms, earrings and so much more – all adorning symbols associated with Sailor Moon and Anna Sui’s brand name.
Well she is back once again with a whole new collection, but this time she is releasing a mixture of wallets, purses, bags and pouches inspired by the most famous manga creators in the industry. These include Akiki Higashimura (Princess Jellyfish), Ryoko Ikeda (The Rose of Versailles), Mineo Maya (Patalliro!), Rumiko Takahashi (Urusei Yatasura), and Osamu Tezuka (Princess Knight, Unico). From busts and eyes, to key scenes and images from the manga and anime, each item represents a particular moment or person that will not only bring you a feeling of nostalgia, but also one of excitement as you walk down the road looking unique and trendy.
Whilst the pricing is still unknown, if you happen to be in Japan during May or June then here are the locations where Anna Sui’s pop-up shop will be selling the items. Be sure to get them quickly, as they are also limited edition and wont be around for long!
6 – 10 May – Shinjuku branch of Isetan in Tokyo
15 – 28 May – Laforet Harajuku in Tokyo
20 – 26 May – Nihonbashi Nitsukoshi in Tokyo
20 – 31 May – Nagoya Parco
20 May – 2 June – Osaka Lucua 1100
28 May- 10 June – Hikarie complex, Shibuya, in Tokyo.
Plastic Memories is a series that sounded tear-worthy from the very first description I read. And I was right to assume that. The anime is set in a world where humans live happily alongside very human-like androids named Giftia. Giftia are specifically developed for various ‘owners’ requirements, whether it be for work, companionship or to fill a missing family gap, they mean a great deal to those who own them. The problem is, with a lifespan of 81,920 hours (roughly nine years and four months), Giftia do eventually have to be let go. Although they possess very human emotions and personalities, they do not age as a human would. When a Giftia approaches the end of its lifespan, the Terminal Service comes and collects the expiring Giftia, erasing their memories before they begin to deteriorate.
Now, if you don’t find the idea of someone’s nine year beloved companion suddenly being hauled away and shut down to be a sad one, then I’m not sure you are capable of feeling sadness. Within the very first episode of Plastic Memories, we are subject to witnessing the heartbreak of a Giftia reaching expiration. Although it’s more of a bittersweet and peaceful goodbye, it’s extremely touching. It only took this show twenty minutes to get a tear from me and that’s quite an achievement within the pilot episode. The show appears to deal a lot with the characters within, focusing on relationships and bonds and how much one person can mean to another. It really can be quite thought provoking as you watch and evaluate how you would feel in these various people’s lives. Throughout the initial episodes, we come across four very different instances of Giftia and their owners and the purposes they serve to each other. The show is well thought out in terms of making the relationships diverse and making sure the audience is aware of just how real these Giftia are. It’s very absorbing and can be easy to forgot that they only last nine years. When you realise that as you’re thinking up a storm of the attachment these two ‘people’ have, it’s kind of heart shattering.
We see events unfold in Plastic Memories as we follow our protagonist, Tsukasa Mizugaki, as he embarks on his first day working for the Terminal Service. Tsukasa is a very average-Joe kind of character. He’s an eighteen year old college dropout, due to medical reasons of course because there’s literally no other issues in anime… apparently. Although clueless and seemingly useless, Tsukasa is accepted (mostly) into his new job and assumes the role of a ‘spotter’. The Terminal Service works in the format of teams. One human, the spotter, and one Giftia, the marksman. The partners work together as two points of view in order to persuade Giftia away from both willing and very stubborn owners. However when Tsukasa is paired with his marksman, Isla, it becomes clear that not all Giftia are particularly good at their job.
We see Isla within the first literal seconds of episode one, judging purely on her timid appearance, one would guess that she would be a typical quiet and stern type. Complete opposite. Isla is a huge klutz with a plethora of quirks and ‘flaws’. She’s adorably child-like and accident prone, which makes her the perfect balance for Tsukasa, who admittedly, by episode two, was already becoming quite boring and dry. The use of partners, however, does serve the anime well. With multiple teams working within the Terminal Service, the writers clearly seized the opportunity to create both functional and utterly dysfunctional pairings which serves constant entertainment, as well as giving the audience that fun choice of which pairing they like/dislike the most. It’s all about the comparison.
That being said, when comparing Isla to the other, more talented, Giftia in her line of work. It becomes increasingly obvious what the deal is. Without spoiling anything, although I wouldn’t class it as much of a spoiler, the anime dishes out bad news after bad news. Most people won’t believe me when saying it, but when I first saw Tsukasa and Isla meet eye to eye in their opening scene, it didn’t take long for everything else to fall into place. Unfortunately for such an interesting premise, the anime is far too predictable. The surprises are like long awaited guesses and can make it feel almost disappointing as you wait for something amazing to happen. But that doesn’t mean to say that the show isn’t worth watching. For an original series with no previous source material, it can’t be faulted. It’s unlike the stereotypes seen in each anime season and definitely stands out as something different for those who are sick of the usual romance and sports anime. As predictable as it seems, it’s still going to be a series that demands a tissue… or ten.
Since its announcement in May 2012, speculation as to whether writer-director Joss Whedon could do it all again and create a blockbuster sequel to 2012’s The Avengers was rife, along with questions about which Marvel characters would be next to make the leap from page to screen. Avengers: Age of Ultron sees the return of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), as well as introducing some new heroes to the fight to save the world. But has it been worth the wait?
In the fictional Eastern European city of Sokovia, the Avengers team are working hard to break into Hydra and retrieve Loki’s sceptre with their usual gusto. They had it in the The Avengers, but since then, there has also been Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, so presumably someone just misplaced it. With agents of both S.H.I.E.LD. and Hydra switching sides quicker than you can blink, it would have been easily done.
Last shown in confinement being watched over by Baron Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann) during the mid-credits scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it now turns out that twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen) volunteered to be experimented upon by Hydra. Genetically enhanced to become Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch respectively, they seek vengeance on Tony Stark for the death of their family and obliteration of their village by bombs bearing his company name – Stark Industries. Understandably – I think I’d be a bit angry too.
But Age of Ultron is not all action. Similar to the end-credits “shawarma” scene in The Avengers, there are some genuinely heart-warming moments where the Avengers and company just kick back and relax. One such scene happens after a house party at Stark’s to celebrate finally getting hold of Loki’s sceptre, and sees them all come together to play that famous drinking game, “Who Can Lift Mjolnir?” With no winners (or at least none that Thor’s ready to admit), the after-party continues.
It’s in this jovial scene that the movie’s villain Ultron (James Spader) announces his sinister presence, dragging in the first of his many metallic bodies. With leaky parts and a consciousness stolen from J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron replays Stark and Banner’s conversation of an artificially intelligent peace-keeping project to the group before attacking them with controlled Iron Legion robots. Disappearing through the internet, Ultron’s eerie sing-song voice of “I have no strings to hold me down, there are no strings on me” echoes as he enacts his version of a peace-keeping plan: saving humanity from itself by completely destroying it. Great plan, Ultron. Repeatedly bounding over the line between evil madman and pantomime villain (well, he is part-Tony Stark’s personality) throughout the film, Spader’s performance as Ultron is absolute perfection.
The slow trickle of names revealed to be attached to this film have continued flowing right up until its final release. How they found room to add more names to the already ensemble-heavy movie poster without breaking the rules of Marketing 101, perhaps we’ll never know. Rumours ran amok about characters reprising their roles from previous Marvel films, and about brand new characters yet to be seen. While James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) all have short-but-sweet cameos, Heimdall (Idris Elba) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) only appear in trippy, Scarlet Witch-induced dreams.
Paul Bettany, who in previous films has only been present as the disembodied voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., now finally gains a physical form as Vision. Vision’s appearance has up till now been kept a closely guarded secret, with the character represented by a strategic, shadowy blur on the movie’s official poster. It turns out that, like with all mystical objects, it wasn’t actually Loki’s sceptre that held power – it was the Infinity Gem within it. Remember the Infinity Gem from Guardians of the Galaxy? Well, it’s pretty important here, since this one gets lodged in Vision’s forehead. Created as the final vessel for Ultron to occupy and stolen from Ultron by the Avengers, Vision endures a perilous game of pass-the-parcel before being finally activated by Thor’s hammer. With Vision brought in for the final act, adding to the weight of so many characters already, it does feel as though that they need not have bothered with all the secrecy. As a confusing mix of J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron and something not quite either, Vision is yet another omnipotent, benevolent character with a cape. Where will he turn up next? Maybe he’ll come back for another film, but it doesn’t feel like a pressing question.
Hinted at in the trailer, the romantic sub-plot between Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner is unfortunately an underdeveloped weak link in Age of Ultron. Romanoff is first introduced to Banner when she is sent to recruit him in The Avengers for the Avengers Initiative. Once onboard S.H.I.E.L.D.’s helicarrier, it’s not long before Banner transforms into The Hulk and TRIES TO ATTACK Romanoff. And that’s just two of the very few interactions seen between them. There was previously so much geared towards implying that Romanoff had more-than-friends feelings for Hawkeye, thatestablishing Banner as a love interest for Romanoff to get doe-eyed over felt forced and out of nowhere. It’s also a little frustrating that Whedon, renowned for his “strong female characters”, has played this with such awkward footing: within an almost all-male team, Black Widow has proved herself a rich and resilient character, with no need of being neatly paired off with a fellow Avenger.
Speaking of surprise love, Hawkeye now has a wife and children! A little farmhouse with lush acres of surrounding fields is where this bow-and-arrow-wielding Avenger calls home, with wife Laura (Linda Cardellini) and his two-soon-to-be-three kids. Giving more screen-time to Jeremy Renner pays off in magnitudes. Not all of the Avengers are gods or genetically altered, some of them are very human with the exceedingly human ability to die. In the scene with his wife, we get to see what true cost there is for all of the Avengers in continually fighting to save Earth. This exchange gives meaningful weight to both Hawkeye’s pep-talk with Scarlet Witch during the final battle and the direction of the franchise to come.
A deliberate mid-sentence scene cut amusingly signs off Joss Whedon’s fantastic contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Weaving together the already epic plots of comic-book characters into two unlikely stories and carefully nudging the direction of their spin-off films and TV shows, Whedon has been shaping the world like a real-life Nick Fury and has made cinematic history.
At just under two-and-a-half hours long, Age of Ultron is another Marvel bum-number but the action is so cautiously paced that you’d never know. If you do get the chance to see this film in IMAX 3D as I did, do it: every shot is spectacular.
Avengers: Age of Ultron is out in UK cinemas on April 23.
IT’S A HAREM, A HAREM. RUN. IT’S A HAREM. No, I’m kidding. I’m being open-minded this season and branching out. I just hope I won’t regret it. I have to be honest, I was put off by the title of this anime. For obvious reasons, I just assumed I’d be delving into a very flat and boring storyline of boy likes girl but other girl likes boy. Oh and that girl…and that one…and so on. BUT I was drawn in by the artwork for the series, and particularly by the protagonist, Bell. His cutesy white locks and red eyes evoked memories of Shion from No. 6 and Nai from Karneval. Plus, video-game settings are almost always a winner. This first impression proved accurate when actually watching the anime as the appealing art style in the stills carried over into fluid animation well, with a few action scenes showing off what this series could potentially grow into.
So the initial impression created by the first episodes of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is a very Sword Art Online feel, except that the characters aren’t held hostage or anything like that. It’s set in a lovely and lively fantasy game world, and within the first frames of the anime, displaying the bustling streets of the market, I felt pulled into a vast and creative landscape. I just had an instant feeling that, even if I didn’t like the story, I was definitely going to enjoy the design and art aspects. As the episodes progress, a whole wealth of beautifully unique characters are introduced. It’s actually quite impressive to see so many faces brought in so early in a series, adding a nice level of diversity and suggesting possibilities for future interactions.
The story itself is pretty lack-lustre so far. As the title suggests, it’s simply about a boy who wants to pick up a girl in this video game world. The girl is strong and powerful, whereas Bell is pretty much a level one newboid, so despite the dull concept, there’s a nice bit of role reversal. There’s also the problem of Bell and his love interest falling into different ‘houses’ in the game, resulting in a Romeo and Juliet-like premise. Despite his cluelessness about girls, Bell is adorably determined and high-spirited, making him rather amusing to watch. A lot of the time, he’s just a blushing mess, but for the most part it’s endearing: we feel sorry for him, and so want to cheer him on in his efforts.
The only major issue with this series so far is the direction it looks set to head in. The revelation in Episode Two that Bell has a secret skill causing him to grow (in game stats) at a rapid rate strays worryingly into god-mod territory. I fear that Bell will lose his childish, naive charm and instead become an overpowered little nugget of annoyance. Oh, and there are also a lot of boobs (obviously, since they go hand and hand with the harem setting) for those who are interested in that sort of thing.
Ah, the stereotypical anime love story. Cold and careless boy meets overly ‘kawaii’ pretty girl… Nope, scratch that. Ore Monogatari!! is taking that typical told and retold story and turning it completely on its head. With a gorilla-faced giant of a male protagonist and teeny weeny cutie-pie love interest, Ore Monogatari!! has set up a premise of one of the most charming and utterly adorable love stories that could ever be written.
Takeo and Yamato are as opposite as it gets, and at first it seems utterly absurd to expect any kind of ‘romance’ between the big and brash gorilla and the tiny, nervous deer. However as the first events of the series unfold and link the two together, it becomes impossible to see them as anything less than destined lovers of the strangest kind. Takeo meets Yamato during a train ride back from school one day. When Takeo’s best friend (the previously mentioned ‘cool, pretty boy’ type) Sunakawa, directs Takeo’s attention to a ‘sketchy’ looking man on the train, it soon becomes clear that the man is seen to be getting inappropriately close to the high-school bag of nerves, Yamato. Being the knight that he is, Takeo barges over to the suspect, seizes his arm and in return gets a very emotional, doe-eyed ‘Thank you…’ from Yamato. Here’s where the screen goes pink and sparkly and the invisible breeze sets in to create the text-book ‘just fallen in love’ atmosphere. However, things quickly change as Takeo convinces himself that Yamato is actually infatuated with his notorious ladies’ man of a best friend and decides that he will ‘cheer them on’ in the hopes of making Yamato happy. It’s completely adorable and as the viewers, we are all completely aware that Yamato is only interested in Takeo, inducing in us the urge to shout at the screen as we watch Takeo remaining ridiculously oblivious to Yamato’s unfaltering focus on him.
An initial glance at our main man Takeo brings many thoughts instantly to mind. It’s surprising to find that a character so far from the ‘normal’ pretty boy of a shoujo anime is, in fact, the focus of the story, and that’s what makes this series so special. It’s easy to get irritated by the pan water personalities of shoujo’s ‘cool’ boys, so it’s refreshing to see a big, hilarious softy as a protagonist, challenging the norm in a humorous and casual way. The feeling that someone is out of your league, and the belief that they could never be interested in you, is definitely something to which most teenagers can relate, which makes this anime an uplifting, feel-good story that is very easy to watch. Although it is just an anime, it’s a great platform for spreading the message that looks aren’t everything, and that personality often makes all the difference. It’s also a lot easier to notice and appreciate the individual personalities and quirks of each character when not blinded by guessing who’s going to be the next anime waifu or hasbando.
The first two episodes will leave you smiling and eagerly awaiting the follow-up. The art is very light and pretty and the animation is fairly average for this style of anime. With just two episodes to judge from, it’s difficult to comment on pacing: however, with plenty of events and little twists to keep things entertaining, there hasn’t been any filler so far. Here’s hoping that Takeo gets over his naiveté and we get to see one of anime’s weirdest and cutest relationships blossom.
In NetherRealm’s latest entry Mortal Kombat returns to your screen to slice, dice and entice players back into its uniquely gruesome brand of brawling. With every bone-crunching blow it’s easy to realise that this over-the-top arcade style fighting extravaganza is exactly what has been missing from the latest generation of consoles.
As the tenth instalment in the Mortal Kombat series there is a lot to build on and Mortal Kombat X does it well, using the now commonplace energy bar from 2011’s Mortal Kombat, Injustice’s interactive arenas and even the sprint bar from Mortal Kombat 4, longtime Kombatants will be met with a wave of nostalgia in an updated combat system. There is plenty here for existing fans but not so much that it feels inaccessible to new players. If this is your first Mortal Kombat experience it will be hard to be disappointed, and harder not to laugh maniacally when you perform your first fatality.
When it comes to returning characters, the game offers plenty of familiar faces to choose from, including classic Kombatants Scorpion and Sub-Zero as well as favourites from previous instalments like Kenshi. Not only does the game rely on past glories, but there are eight new characters introduced. Many of these characters have ties to previous MVP’s and some, like Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs, mimic their parents’ fighting styles with some changes just subtle enough to warrant a new character. Kenshi’s son Takeda and Shaolin Archer Kung Jin on the other hand feel unique with their incredibly diverse set of attacks, including dual chain-whips, energy swords, bow-staffs and throwing knives. The new additions who aren’t taking their style from a previous fighter are something to be marvelled at. These newcomers come with a massive range of combat styles complimented by the game’s new variation options. Each character has three unique variations that allow fans to change-up their favourite fighter or simply explore the enormous number of fighting styles at their disposal.
In terms of combat the controls are responsive and the range of attacks should please even the most sadistic of gamers. The combos require rapid and precise execution and the fatalities even more so, but in the single player mode learning the ropes doesn’t feel punishing. Returning to the series are the graphic but often delightfully violent X-Ray special moves, area attacks and evasions and the block breaker option can turn the tide in your favour, making for a fast-paced, brutal, but ultimately rewarding experience. The fatalities are as gruesome as ever and are sure to bring about the usual feelings of shock, disgust and complete awe in true Mortal Kombat fashion.
The story mode takes a leaf out of fellow Warner Bros game Injustice, creating a grand interlocking narrative featuring all of the playable characters. It does an excellent job of weaving together old characters and feuds and giving new fighters a place in their world. Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda and Kung Jin are placed as an elite team under the command of Johnny Cage and they are plunged into a world filled with menace, betrayal and magic. At times the plot itself seems a little sickly sweet for the limb-shattering action that Mortal Kombat is known for, with an emotional focus on parents Jax, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade’s family relationships and a budding romance between Jacqui and Takeda. Whilst these scenes can be at odds with the high level of violence, the inclusion of emotional themes widens the scope. Kung Jin’s discussion with Raiden about who his heart desires highlights Jin as the series’ first gay character, and this is nothing short of a definitive step forward for fighting games, and is an example to the gaming industry as a whole. All in all, the dialogue can be sharp-witted, the voice acting is solid and the cutscenes themselves are nothing short of stunning. The result is completely charming and whilst the skin and bones of the fantastical story are not easy to follow, it ends up feeling like a classic fantasy action movie with a heart (although one that might not stay in its chest for long).
The story is only just the beginning, as Mortal Kombat X boasts a wealth of online content from player vs player, survivor and king of the hill modes. In a world where split-screen gameplay is dwindling, fighting games remain a multiplayer-friendly experience, and there is nothing better than taking it to the sofa, battling it out with friends and gawping together at the hyper-violent finishers that you’ll fight to land on each other. Faction wars are also introduced to the mix. All players must join one of five factions and will earn points for their chosen allies in every fight, gaining faction-exclusive abilities, unique fatalities, and becoming able to fight in faction battles. Your faction’s world-ranking can be viewed in real time and also gives daily challenges that can boost your alliance’s status. The Living Tower feature also makes its debut, a set of three player vs computer tournaments that are refreshed hourly, daily and weekly and are set to provide a huge amount of additional content with the promise of rewards if you meet the challenging points targets. In these themed towers unique effects will be active, whether it’s randomly generating tornados to catch both Kombatants off-guard, or added effects like vampirism, there will be much to explore for persistent players.
Since Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance the Krypt has been a staple for the series, developing into a good old-fashioned treasure hunt in which players use their in-game coins to open coffins, corpses and the like to unlock goodies such as concept art, finishing moves and character skins. The exploration is made more interesting by the addition of item-controlled shortcuts and attacks by the areas beasts to invoke a real time event. The Krypt adds an element of light dungeon crawling to the game and offers an enjoyable way to take a break from tearing people apart.
As much as there is to do in Mortal Kombat X, there is also plenty more that is available to purchase as DLC, something which the player is made aware of fairly often. In the character select screen the original Mortal Kombat boss Goro is included, but only as an available to buy icon. Whilst there are more intrusive ways to promote your DLC (I’m looking at you Assassins Creed Unity), it sours your experience when you run out of coins in the Krypt and must grind to find more or pay out in actual currency (£15.99) to unlock all of the game’s pricey Kontent. Skipping levels and easy fatalities are also purchasable options, allowing for simple ways to execute the most complex of death-inducing special moves, or simply the ability to skip an essential fight altogether. Whilst this is nothing new, it’s a shame to see features that punishes the less-skilled players through in-game purchases in a game that takes such a light-hearted approach to its hyper-violent, larger than life gameplay.
Whilst the in game purchases are a disappointing sign of AAA gaming, the rest of Mortal Kombat X offers a stunning action experience and an incredibly satisfying fighting game. It combines the levity of retro arcade fighters, the multiplayer couch-gaming of previous console generations and the sharpness of modern AAA titles to produce a truly special fighting game experience. With so much to accomplish throughout, a unique style in its storytelling, a gore-factor like no other and a multitude of fighting styles to choose from, the latest Mortal Kombat is the definitive all out brawler of its generation and an absolute joy to play.
For many wrestling fans of the late eighties and early nineties there is only one neon face painted and decorated man that runs into their mind when they think of the sport and he is The Ultimate Warrior. Flash forward to 2014 and after a long and tumultuous relationship with the WWE he was now simply known as Warrior. He was also finally back in the company that made him, and he helped make. He was even afforded the ultimate honour of being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame that year.
The perfect end to this dark chapter of his very own tale, but alas in something more akin to the end of a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, several days after his induction and appearance on WWE Monday Raw, this great legend died when he collapsed in a car park in front of his wife following a heart attack. It was a moment so monumental that it attracted news coverage the world over and caused a wave of grief that spanned generations of fans and wrestlers alike.
So what has this history lesson got to do with a DVD/Blu-Ray review you ask? Well shortly after his death the WWE announced that they would be airing a documentary tribute to the superstar on its own subscription product, The WWE Network. Now, nearly a year later, this documentary has finally been released on to home video format with an extra thirty minutes of footage and a whole host of extras.
Image Courtesy of WWE
The documentary itself chronicles the recent homecoming of Warrior to the WWE with a bit of history about how he came to the company and his impact at that time mixed in. Setting the tone for the following ninety minutes, it begins with a statement from his wife recorded early this year. It makes you realise that you will need tissues if you intend to get through this.
The documentary takes viewers on an emotional journey as it mixes in a lot of heartfelt stories and interviews from the people closest to the Warrior, such as his wife, friends, WWE superstars Triple H, Sting, Vince McMahon and to add the emotional knockout punch, his two young daughters Indiana and Mattigan whom he treasured. With interviews shot after his death, this really does help make the documentary unique as rarely, if ever, in WWE history have they shown some of its highest ranking officials this vulnerable. In fact, the scenes featuring the normally strong and tough Vince McMahon welling up will have even the toughest wrestling fans crying along with him.
You are even shown a piece of footage that was shot as Warrior left WWE Monday Night Raw, where he gives what is likely his last ever short WWE interview; a moment that leaves a chill down your spine when you realise this.
As mentioned there is still comment from the man himself, which is is coupled with some footage from not only his family archive, but also footage from the days and months building up to his WWE return. Many have speculated that this footage was to be used as part of a special WWE series looking at his return had he been alive, so its inclusion here helps add a sense of sadness to the piece and at what could have been. It also provides us with a great look at a man finally being able to settle old scores, mend broken fences and as such give him the peace he had long been craving.
This release also has the lovely and heartwarming addition of footage showing the family after his passing and how they are coping, as well as how their WWE family have helped them during their grief.
It is hard not to think that the release of this product is a way of the company making money. But when you consider that the WWE have still honoured the existing contract between them and Warrior so as to take care of his family, you then realise that earnings from this release will in some part be going to his family.
The WWE have done themselves proud when it comes to the extras on the Blu-Ray set. It features a comprehensive collection of Warrior’s legendary and sometimes nonsensical promos and interviews, deleted scenes from the documentary, uncut footage that was used in the documentary, a wide variety of matches from throughout his career and more; so much more. One of the highlights of these extras are a series of interviews with his wife and children about their life together as a family, giving you a rare glimpse into the man he was when away from the ring. It also further helps to hammer home how cruel fate was to take him from the world when it did, as it finally appeared that with his re-connection to the WWE he had everything he had ever wanted. It is safe to say that the content and running time of these extras is actually enough to make it a viable home video release in its own right and worth the extra money to get the Blu-Ray version.
All in all this documentary is a masterpiece (and those are words I do not use often) of storytelling from start to finish and one that takes the viewer on an emotional celebration of this talented pro-wrestler’s life. Looking stunning in HD, it is filmed, edited, scored and constructed brilliantly and as such the viewer is seamlessly guided from emotional moment, to happy moment and back again, without even realising it. It will have you smiling, crying and may even help take you on a voyage of self-discovery through showing the true strength of a person and how it can help you through whatever life throws at you.
This is a release that hands down every fan of WWE past and present should own, and even those who are not fans will find themselves spellbound by it. It is a perfect tribute which shows that the man behind the face paint was a true legend. To quote from this great entertainer’s last televised speech,”What that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in something larger than life. Then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalised by the storytellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honour him and make the running the man did live forever.“
Rest in Peace Warrior.
WWE: Ultimate Warrior – Always Believe Blu-Ray is available now priced £22.99 here.
News about a Death Note musical for Japan and South Korea was first announced in December 2013. Now the upcoming Death Note: The Musical for South Korea have revealed the cast that will be playing the popular characters.
It was announced that Kim Junsu of K-pop boy group JYJ will be taking one of the lead spots, playing the strange yet wonderful character of sweet loving L. This is far from the first musical production that he has worked on as he made his name in the industry by cinching the lead roles in Korean adaptations of Mozart!, Tears Of Heaven, Elizabeth, and Dracula.
He will be joined by Jeong Sun Ah, who will be playing the female lead of Amane Misa. Junsa has worked with her on numerous occasions and she has starred in previous musicals such as Kinky Boots, Jesus Christ Superstar, Wicked.
Park Hye Na whose claim to fame was her cover for the official Korean version of Frozen’s Let It Go will be covering our first death god Rem, followed by Kang Hong Suk who will be portraying death god favourite Ryuk.
Korean musical legend Hong Kwang Ho was announced as playing our main character Yagami Light. Hong Kwang Ho has previously worked on Jack The Ripper, produced the hit soundtrack song Balbum Balbum for the historical drama Queen Seon Deok and became an overnight sensation with his Korean cover of “This is the moment” from Jekyll And Hyde: The Musical.
November 2014 saw a Japanese press conference showing the first line up of actors for the Japanese version of the musical. It spurred a large amount of interest from around the world with producers in New York creating audio demos, which are available on the YouTube channel AnimeLoversHK, with top Broadway stars Adrienne Warren known for her role as Dina from Orange Is The New Black, Jeremy Jordan who played Randy Garrity in the movie Joyful Noise, Carrie Manolakos who was known for her role as Elphaba in the musical Wicked,and Jarrod Spector whose claim to Broadway fame was playing Gavroche in the New York adaption of “Les Miserables”.
With a collection of very powerful singers and actors, along with the release of the demo songs, this is surely going to be one production that cannot be missed. It was noted that the musical will follow the path of the manga rather than that of the anime to release a true to story production. Exciting stuff for the anime, manga, and K-pop world right now. Check out the musical teaser below!
News about a Death Note musical for Japan and South Korea was first announced in December 2013. Now the upcoming Death Note: The Musical for South Korea have revealed the cast that will be playing the popular characters.
It was announced that Kim Junsu of K-pop boy group JYJ will be taking one of the lead spots, playing the strange yet wonderful character of sweet loving L. This is far from the first musical production that he has worked on as he made his name in the industry by cinching the lead roles in Korean adaptations of Mozart!, Tears Of Heaven, Elizabeth, and Dracula.
He will be joined by Jeong Sun Ah, who will be playing the female lead of Amane Misa. Junsa has worked with her on numerous occasions and she has starred in previous musicals such as Kinky Boots, Jesus Christ Superstar, Wicked.
Park Hye Na whose claim to fame was her cover for the official Korean version of Frozen’s Let It Go will be covering our first death god Rem, followed by Kang Hong Suk who will be portraying death god favourite Ryuk.
Korean musical legend Hong Kwang Ho was announced as playing our main character Yagami Light. Hong Kwang Ho has previously worked on Jack The Ripper, produced the hit soundtrack song Balbum Balbum for the historical drama Queen Seon Deok and became an overnight sensation with his Korean cover of “This is the moment” from Jekyll And Hyde: The Musical.
November 2014 saw a Japanese press conference showing the first line up of actors for the Japanese version of the musical. It spurred a large amount of interest from around the world with producers in New York creating audio demos, which are available on the YouTube channel AnimeLoversHK, with top Broadway stars Adrienne Warren known for her role as Dina from Orange Is The New Black, Jeremy Jordan who played Randy Garrity in the movie Joyful Noise, Carrie Manolakos who was known for her role as Elphaba in the musical Wicked,and Jarrod Spector whose claim to Broadway fame was playing Gavroche in the New York adaption of “Les Miserables”.
With a collection of very powerful singers and actors, along with the release of the demo songs, this is surely going to be one production that cannot be missed. It was noted that the musical will follow the path of the manga rather than that of the anime to release a true to story production. Exciting stuff for the anime, manga, and K-pop world right now. Check out the musical teaser below!
It’s hard to believe that three years have passed since we said goodbye to Chuck from our TV screens and, discounting some talk of a movie, everything Chuck seemed firmly confined to the past. Until this week, that is, when we discovered that from April 7th , the show’s original soundtrack would be made available to purchase.
Naturally, we jumped at the chance to get our hands on it, keen to ensure this wasn’t just a cruel pre-April Fools joke. Thankfully it wasn’t, and needless to say, we were thrilled to when our copy arrived.
In this digital music age, it’s become almost unheard-of for a TV series not to release its soundtrack, from Arrow to Game of Thrones, most shows have spawned at least one if not more. We may never know why Warner Bros waited over three years to release one for Chuck, but at least we can be grateful that they got there in the end.
The soundtrack comprises a selection of tracks from the 91 episodes that make up the show’s five-year run, including instrumental music composed by Tim Jones, as well as tunes from the show’s own fictional cover band, Jeffster. The CD features 16 tracks of which 13 are from Jones’s instrumental score and 3 are songs by the Jeffster duo. Those purchasing digitally, however, will get the the added bonus of 2 additional instrumental tracks and 2 more Jeffster songs, bringing the total to 20 tracks.
What was unique about Chuck as a series was its combining of many different genres, resulting in a hybrid story that would no doubt present a challenge to any composer. But if creating a score to bind together these disparate elements presented any problems for Jones, it certainly does not show in the final product. The music moves between dynamic sounds for action scenes, moving and passionate melodies for love and emotional scenes and kooky and crazy tunes for the many other bizarre scenes that the characters found themselves in. In fact, even individually, many tracks manage to capture the emotional range of an entire episode, expertly mixing different sounds over the course of a few short minutes.
Jones’s merging of various musical styles means that the score offers more than just classic orchestral sounds, often bringing traditional instruments together with synthesizers and even some choral vocals (e.g. Track 7 – “It’s not all work”) It may sound like an odd mix, but Jones’s expertise ensures everything fits together perfectly so that the music not only suits the visuals it was designed for, but also works in its own right as well.
One interesting thing is that some of the longer tracks are divided into sections that could have been treated as a collection of separate tracks – so arguably, you’re actually getting more than 16 or 20 songs. Perhaps the greatest sign of the score’s strength, however, is that even now, after this all this time, when you hear it you still instantly picture the characters and scenes it was created for.
Perhaps the best way to describe the Jeffster tracks, on the other hand, is is that they are the best worst covers of classic rock and pop tracks that you could ever wish for. Initially only intended to function as part of a small subplot in the show, Jeffster was formed by the characters Jeff and Lester (Vik Sahay and Scott Krinsky) when they decided to perform at the wedding of Chuck’s sister, Ellie. From there, however, the concept quickly evolved, with the pair going on to perform terrible renditions of numerous songs.
Key to the fun and popularity of these tracks were always Sahay’s and Krinsky’s acting, whether in the the show itself or at live events like San Diego Comic Con, so one might wonder whether or not they work without the hilarious visuals.
Perhaps surprisingly, the answer is yes, and this is thanks in large part to Sahay, whose vocals are so over-the-top that they manage to transcend the cringeworthiness of a bad X-Factor auditions, instead become works of comedic genius. For some of us, part of the appeal is probably also in identifying with the idea of not singing as well as we might like to think we can. The arrangements for the covers are also fantastic as, despite being professionally produced, they have a hopelessly amateurish feel, recreating the sound of a cover band used to making music in garages or basements.
As a series, Chuck was a rare televisual gem, and the music from both Jones and Jeffster! helped play a part in that. Much like the show itself, Jones’s great score is definitely underrated and deserving of more recognition. While it only offers a small selection of the music from the show, this soundtrack provides a great trip down memory lane that’s sure to have fans reaching for the DVD collections to re-live this classic series.
CHUCK – Original Television Soundtrack is available to download or buy on CD from April 7th thanks to VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS.
