#010 Read Naruto Manga 546 while listening to “Loud Noises”

Recently I have been surprised by how much gangsta rap fits Naruto’s storyline these days.  The obvious reason is because Bee, his newfound partner and mentor, literally raps in the story.  But also the violence, bravado, and anger of gangsta rap fits the characters of all the legendary fighters, both alive and undead, that face each other in the current arc.

Two weeks ago was a departure with the melancholy yet uplifting Lost in the World by Kanye West.  However, last week was a return  to  form.The perfect song to listen to on repeat while reading Naruto Manga 546:

Loud Noises by Eminem featuring Slaughterhouse, from the recent “Bad vs. Evil” album.  A song about confidence and power, the song’s constant screaming and bass bangs are a perfect backdrop for the earth-shattering techniques used by characters on both sides of the battlefield.

#009 Read Naruto Manga 544 while listening to “Lost In the World”

The perfect song to listen to on repeat while reading Naruto Manga 544:

Lost in the World by Kanye West.  A song about  alienation, about a young man cut off from his country and culture, but having fought with the “litte nightmares of the self”, he finds his light, and uses it to ignite the Nation.

Lost in the World in Wikipedia:

#008 Make an Enhanced Version of ANNCast 04-16-2010 “OveraChivers”

Just finished making another enhanced podcast version of the Anime News Network‘s ANNCast like I did last week.  This week, as some of you may know, I am actually the interviewee at the end of the episode.

Download it below.

Answer to JooJooBee’s Comment from ANNCast Interview Post

Hi Everyone.  Thanks for the great comments on the ANNCast post.  Joojoobees, one commenter, asked a very good question that is one of the million dollar (in this market, maybe I should reduce that to hundred dollar -_-;; ) questions that even many people here in the Tokyo Anime Industry don’t agree on the answer to.  I’ll post the question and the answer below.  Btw, my answer is not the end-all-and-be-all – just my own opinion from my own very limited (5 years) experience here in Tokyo.

(Updated!)#007 Make an Enhanced Version of ANNCast 04-08-2010 “Diabolical Ruh-minations”

Certain podcasts really deserve to be made into enhanced podcasts.  Making a podcast enhanced adds chapters to the podcast allowing you to see pictures and sometimes even click on links to take you to webpages relating to the topics you’re listening to.

The Anime News Network’s ANNCast is one such podcast – being able to see the screenshots, titles, dvd covers, and pictures of the myriad characters, titles, and artists Justin and Zac and their guests talk about makes the conversation so much more accessible, and adds a buttload of value, if I do say so myself. (No more “What was the name of that anime I heard them talking about the other day?” because the dvd cover will stick out in your memory.)

So to say thank you to the guys for putting me on this week’s episode of ANNCast, I made an enhanced version of last week’s episode with Brian Ruh. Get it below.

Interview on ANNCast 04-15-2010

Just finished an interview with the Anime News Network’s ANNCast.

(Click here for the iTunes Link)

The topics were mostly about the state of the Anime industry and my research on said topic. I forgot how much fun it is to talk about the topic with English-speakers, and with people with similar (Western) aesthetic senses. I’ll be on high for the rest of the day, if not the week.

Three regrets though:

#006 Make a “Shutup ~ Go To Hell” One Piece Music Video

Just finished reading Ch 572 of the One Piece manga while listening to “Shut up ~ Go To Hell” from the Sengoku Basara OST Blue cd (track 7.)

We should make an AMV using that song and scenes of Luffy and Ace growing up, fighting each other, fighting together, and ultimately saving each others lives.