Batibot Will Be Back!

One of the reasons why I'm so happy on TV5 is that according to this Pep.ph website here, TV5 will pick up the Philippines's oldest popular children's show Batibot. For people who grew up in 80's up to 90's will also glad about this. For those who want to know about the show, you can look my blog entry here which I posted last year.

I'm sure nobody will forget the memorable chacaters in Batibot like Pong Pagong, Kiko Matsing and the storyteller Kuya Bodgie. I also hope that original puppet chacters and the original song will return :)

Lucky Star

I first heard this kind of anime which is called Lucky Star around 2008 and I was so curious about it aside from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I also heard that many (or let's say millions) of anime fans that they are excited to see that anime because of comedy and a mix of slice-of-life genre. In the opening theme of the series which I first found it in Youtube, the characters are cute and cartoony plus showing their funny facial expressions. Now when I first saw it in TV5 for real, I realize that their looks can be really deceiving....

The Lucky Star manga was created by Kagami Yoshimizu back in 2004 and published in Kadokawa Shoten's Compiq. It later published in other magazines like Shonen Ace. The anime version was created in the year 2006 by Kyoto Animation. The story tells about the daily life of four girl friends who are both in high school - Konata Izumi, Miyuki Takara and the twin girls Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi.

When I saw Lucky Star in on Philippine TV , it seems that they fell apart when it comes to storyline especially the show was dubbed in Tagalog. It doesn't mean that the dub is horrible than the original Japanese. If you ever watched few episodes of Azumanga Daioh, you'll know what I mean. Of all of the twenty-four episodes in anime, all you can see is that the main chacters meet in school, talk to each other about certain things, making jokes and do hang-out. In other words, they are just a bunch of vignettes. Plus before the ending credit of an anime, there goes a mini segment called the Lucky Channel which adds the taste of comedy and squeaking the fans.

The problem of the many viewers who watch Lucky Star (especially if the a viewer is a manga of anime first-timer) is that they must be familiar in Japanese video games, anime, and other Japanese pop culture stuff so they will understand the conversation of the characters. Else,the comedy will be terrible to them. Aside from less comedy slices and humor, I also think that the main character's personality doesn't change or develop as the episode goes on. Konata Izumi , is a smart and sporty gal who has blue hair and green eyes. Sometimes she can be lazy in school work and instead she likes to play video games every day which is the reason why she's not good at school. Kagami Hiiragi, one of the Hiiragi twins with a long purple hair is a smart, stubborn one but not good at household chores. Tsukasa Hiiragi, twin sister of Kagami who has a short purple hair is the opposite of her sister - nice but an airhead. Miyuki Takara, a girl with pink hair and glasses is intelligent but sometimes she can be clumsy.

As I watch the few episodes of them on TV5, I felt like I've wasted every 30-minutes and I'd rather switch the channel to watch the news like 24 Oras or TV Patrol. There are few things I really impressed about Lucky Star are the music like the opening theme here and the clean artwork design. I also the like the show's impression of making cameo appearances of other anime shows and characters like Sgt. Frog and Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

In the end, I'm quite enjoyed watching the series. It may have a weak plot but I'm interested as well because of their modern culture like anime and manga. Lucky Star is just like the junior version of Azumanga Daioh where a bunch of random high school girls are present and experience situations, either can be fun or frustrating as long as they're friends. It can be a good comedy series, only if you understand the Japan's entertainment culture.

...and The Gang Jumps to University

Did you watch the last episode where the wacky student friends from Lokomoko High went to vacation after their graduation in high school? Yes, it really means they are going to university and enroll Lokomoko University. The title of the show will be call Lokomoko U. According to this Pep.ph website here, TV5 (the station where the original Lokomoko and Lokomoko High aired) announced that they will soon present their new entertainment - oriented shows including Lokomoko U. Not to worry, the original cast of Lokomoko High like Alex Gonzaga, Empoy Marquez, JC De Vera, Valerie Montenegro, their classmates and the teachers will return with their funny gags and jokes that make sure we will laugh of.

Hope they don't add too much toilet humor....

2009 Cover of New Funny Komiks

I guess I'm too late, huh? Infinito Publishing once again released the fourth cover of Funny Komiks last year. Like in the previous issues, inside you will find titles like Tropang Kulit, Kapitan Tog, Dambiboy and his Saydkik Ibok and the return of Superdog. My question is, where am I suppose to buy that issue now that the store I bought the previous issue doesn't have one? I didn't know that just once a year a Funny Komiks issue comes out.

Source: http://komiklopedia.wordpress.com/2007/12/27/gallery-pilipino-funny-komiks/funny1408/

Probably this is suppose to be the next cover of new Funny Komiks from this website http://mengoloid.deviantart.com/art/Funny-Komiks-Cover-142573275. I wonder when the publisher will release future issues.?

Gerry Garcia (1953 - 2010)

photo from Tuldok Animation on Multiply

While I was checking on the internet especially my blog, I recently found out in another Blogger website Usapang Komiks here. I'm really sad about the news. Why? Because the man behind Isko: Adventures in Animasia (1995), Ibong Adarna (1997) and the Panday animated-series passed away due to a heart ailment last February 12.

I don't know if I'm sure about saying this but we lost the greatest Filipino animator who first introduced Philippine animation to the theaters. Up until now, only Filipino animators know that Gerry Garcia is a legendary animator in our country. He even tried to defend his legacy (Ibong Adarna) after he found out in Rated K that Urduja is a first-ever full-length Filipino animated feature film in year 2008. But in the end, it is still in dispute and Gerry Garcia believes that "History is on his side".

For more information, click this article here. Don't forget to check out Tuldok Animation's Multiply website here which contain photos of Gerry Garcia and his last animation exhibit in the Philippines.

Condolence to the families of Gerry Garcia...