Also known as apricotsushi. Anne can be written with the kanji for apricot (杏), and sushi was the most quintessentially Japanese thing I could think of when I was 13, resulting in my goofy, albeit memorable, nickname.
After Square Enix was heavily applauded for the Nintendo 3DS rhythm game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and subsequent Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, some fans mused about the possibility of Theatrhythm-like games focused on different series. Well, apparently Square Enix had the same train of thought, as today they announced the next game in the rhythm … Read moreSquare Enix Announces Theatrhythm Dragon Quest
A self-indulging celebration, or a critical look at otaku consumption practices? “ME!ME!ME!” is a short animation that debuted on November 21st as part of the Japan Animation Expo, a project between famed anime director Hideaki Anno’s Studio Khara and Dwango that showcases young animators. While two shorts came before it, with one more releasing every week until all 30 have been posted online, “ME!ME!ME!” has undoubtedly been receiving themost attention for its striking visual style, catchy soundtrack, and dark themes.
The buzz surrounding “ME!ME!ME!” is almost certainly justified, but when poking around the internet, I didn’t find much in the way of long-form discussion outside of forum threads about what I found to be very harsh condemnation of the specific style of media consumption exhibited by the protagonist of the video. Instead of focusing on my personal interpretation, however, I thought it would be more interesting to kickstart discussion by using this article to attempt to illustrate just how complex “ME!ME!ME!” is.
character art of the protagonist
“ME!ME!ME!” is very much a music video for “ME!ME!ME! feat. daoko” by TeddyLoid, a DJ and electronica musician notable for his contribution to the Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt anime, a series which shares a number of similarities to the short. Directed by Hibiki Yoshizaki, a member of Studio Khara who has previously worked on the anime Yozakura Quartet and Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, and animated by members of the Little Witch Academia animation team, “ME!ME!ME!” is a real star-studded effort. Megumi Hayashibara and Kouichi Yamadera have provided voices, as well.
Before reading on, I highly suggest watching “ME!ME!ME!,” and if you already have, why not watch it again? At the time of this post I’ve seen it about five times, as I found that it moves so fast that it’s extremely hard to pick up on everything the first or even second time though. Keep in mind that the video features many animated naked women in suggestive poses, along with a couple brief but graphic scenes of gore, making it most definitely not work viewing material. I’m being careful of the number of nude/gory stills I include, but be warned that due to the content of the video and in the interest of opening an informed discussion, it’s not possible for me to omit them entirely. I’ve also included a whopping 45 screenshots, so beware that the rest of the post is quite image heavy!
When I first saw images of an updated Sakura Miku Nendoroid on my Twitter feed, I took a look, thought, “Wow, that’s cute!” and promptly forgot about it. I completely missed the fact that in addition to being the 500th Nendoroid release, she’ll be the first Nendoroid to be made in Good Smile Company’s new … Read moreSakura Miku: Bloomed in Japan Nendoroid Pre-Orders Reopen
When Marvelous AQL announced that the PAL release of Rune Factory 4 was canceled in January this year, the door appeared to have closed on the RPG/farming hybrid. Rune Factory developer Neverland shut down in 2013, which was likely the cause of the cancelation, meaning that European and Australian fans may have never gotten to play what could … Read moreRune Factory 4 Finally Comes to PAL Regions on December 11th
I’m extremely excited to announce that VIZ Media has kindly donated one copy of the limited edition Sailor Moon Season 1, Set 1 Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack along with three copies of the DVD for me to give away! It’s perfect timing, really, as my birthday is coming up on the 13th, and what better way to … Read moreSailor Moon Season 1, Set 1 Giveaway!
It’s no secret that the Sailor Moon anime has had a big impact on my life, both as a show that offered female role models to aspire to when I was young and being the impetus for my lifelong love of Japan. Earlier this year, I recorded a podcast dedicated to the franchise, and when VIZ Media announced the series would be coming to Blu-ray this year, I was thrilled. Now that I’ve gotten hold of the Sailor Moon Season 1, Set 1 Limited Edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack, I can say being able to watch the series in its entirety uncut is an absolute joy, but unfortunately the experience is marred by subpar video quality.
I can’t believe the first year of Community Game-Alongs is nearly over! I say “first year” because thanks to the amazingly positive reception my Game-Along survey has had so far, I’ll be continuing these themed gaming months through 2015! The survey is still available to fill out if you’d like to add some theme ideas … Read moreAnnouncing the Doujin Community Game-Along
