Audiences the world over are highly anticipating “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” (Gake no ue no Ponyo), the first new film in four years by renowned animation director Miyazaki Hayao. After a string of films employing digital techniques, Miyazaki, who has vocally criticized mechanization of animation, and Studio Ghibli deliver a fully hand-drawn, visual tour de force. Funding was abundant and the frame count is high, another hallmark of Miyazaki’s crusade against the often fragmented, still “limited anime” pioneered for Japan television. Movement is even more fluid than “Spirited Away.” As is by Ghibli standard, the environments and … Read the rest

It’s been a long wait, but finally moe moe Macross has made it to the big screen. Banzai! Before I get into the review – spoilers ahead – allow me a short explanation. I am writing this on the assumption that no one who watches “Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Diva” will do so for the story. “Macross Frontier” is about characters, so let’s talk about characters. The original Macross is itself an advert for the power of moe – what beats macho mecha and invincible alien invaders is young female idols who wear short skirts and sing. The … Read the rest

The man known only as “Bome,” 47, is the most famous figure sculptor in Japan, well known for his meticulous, even otaku depictions of bishojo, beautiful anime and videogame girls. But critics at their best see talent for what it is, and this otaku is now an internationally recognized artist at the fore of Japan’s $27.5 million figure industry. In honor of Bome’s 10 years in the contemporary art scene, Parco Factory in Shibuya will display an unprecedented 80 Bome bishojo pieces spanning the length of his career.

Bome appeared in the early ‘80s as one of the first amateur … Read the rest