The Gridman Anime Short From Studio Trigger Is "Giant Hero" Bliss

Gridman, the Anti-Virus superhero.

In 1993, the wonderfully cheesy tokusatsu program Denkou Choujin Gridman erupted onto the scene. Each episode of its Brave-meets-Ultraman goodness found the titular hero battling various Kaiju alongside the kick-ass GodZenon and DinaDragon in a digital world. DIC Entertainment soon adapted the series into the short-lived Power Rangers competitor Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad. While I was never a huge fan of the show itself, I've always loved the obligatory toyline and its corresponding mecha designs.

For the recent Japan Animator Expo, Studio Trigger (best known for Kill la Kill) has produced a Gridman anime short that pays glorious tribute to the "Giant Hero" classic. The kinetic animation style is right up my alley, and I can never get enough mecha versus Kaiju battle scenes. You can check it out on Youtube below:

FanArt Frenzy - 14 of My Favorite Pieces of Fan Art From 2014!

2014 Retrospective Edition!

As we prepare to say our goodbyes to 2014, I feel it's the perfect time to dip into the FanArt Frenzy well once more. Below you will find 14 of my absolute favorite illustrations from the year. You're here for pretty pictures, so let's skip the blabber and get right to it!

Three of my favorite Transformers designs: Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge by Golby2

A Look Back at Grumpy Jii-san's Anime Reviews

"Because an old man can watch cartoons too."

I can't tell you why, but I recently thought back to Grumpy Jii-san: a somewhat older gentleman with an almost Santa Claus-like beard that stops to review anime while hiking through the Arizona mountains. It might seem like an unlikely premise for a Youtube channel, but trust me when I say that it's absolutely awesome. Let's look through a handful of examples!

Here's a look at Jojo's Bizarre Adventure on freakin' LaserDisc.

Twitter Reminds Me Of Oldschool Myspace in the Best Way

How could I possibly say no?

When Myspace was still huge back in 1812 (ooh, such original and scathing commentary!) my favorite aspect of it was not in listening to low quality music uploads or keeping up with anyone I actually knew. I had much more fun filling my friend list with endless parody accounts.

There were many wonderfully bored individuals spending their time creating entire Myspace profiles under the guise of characters like Batman, Leon Kennedy, and even freakin' David Lo Pan. It was actually pretty amusing. Even better? More and more began to send me friend requests over time. Aww, shucks. It was a blast while it lasted.

It's not something I ever thought I'd say, but Twitter is actually reminding of Myspace these days. Rest assured, if there's a character or personality you like, you'll often find someone essentially roleplaying as them for all to see. Let's check out a few of my recent finds!

Evangelion Doritos! How Did I Miss These?!

The most natural product tie-in ever.

Why am I only just now finding out that there were Doritos manufactured with Evangelion artwork all over the packaging? These were only recently pointed out to me by Twitter's JapanCinema. Upon further investigation, the Evangelion branded Doritos were originally on the shelves seven years ago! What was I doing with my life in 2007 that was too important to notice such wonderment? Furthermore, why do I want them so freaking bad?

Streamline Pictures' Anime Promo Retrospective

If you purchased or rented any of the anime titles distributed by Streamline Pictures in the early to mid-1990's, you should find this gif immediately recognizable. Whether it was Akira, 3x3 Eyes, or Wicked City, several of their VHS releases opened with a powerhouse promotional compilation that assaulted viewers with a complete sensory overload of gorgeously slick animation set to kick-ass 8 Man After music. I remember it quite fondly. Take a moment to revisit it with me, won't you?

Nightmare Before Christmas, Zelda + Spirited Away, One Piece, and more from Teefury March 18-23, 2014

Alright dude-ladies and dude-bros, here's your preview of this week's $11 Teefury shirts!

My Neighbor Tatt-oro: Six of the Best Studio Ghibli Tattoos!

It is no secret that everyone loves Studio Ghibli. Some folks love it so much that they want to carry a little piece of it with them wherever they go; even to the grave. I'm talking of course about Studio Ghibli-inspired tattoos! Here are six of the best ones I could find online:

Custom Transformers Sailor Moon Toy

Man, check out this custom Transformers Sailor Moon toy from jicco of TFW2005! The toy is of course based on Transformers Animated Arcee, with various alterations such as a detachable back pack, extra articulation for the wrists, and removable bow tie and ponytails. Ah. All of a sudden...we feel so pretty.

Source: Arcee attending 20th Sailormoon Anniversary Party

Vote for the next Dragon Ball Z S.H. Figuarts Release

Courtesy of Tamashii Nations, you can now vote on the next Dragon Ball Z release from Bandai's S.H. Figuarts line:

Choose wisely!

If you haven't checked out the existing figures, they're pretty damn swell, particularly Piccolo. Amazon still has them in-stock if you're interested in taking the plunge:

                   

The Joy of Anime

Bob Ross was an exceptionally huge anime fan, you know. It's a little known fact that he actually designed the first Tachikoma for GiTS. It's amazing really.