So the YTV network in Canada has just announced what new series they are going to be carrying starting this fall. The big acquisitions are shows that have already been running on US networks. Some are not really big surprises, but one came as a huge shock. Here are some “highlights” as far as animation goes.

Krypto the Super Dog: A cartoon for preschoolers about Superman’s superpowered dog. Why must this show exist? Seriously, why?

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Originally from Nickelodeon, this is a show that is in an anime style like Teen Titans. I know nothing about it, but have heard some positive buzz.

Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: Well it’s no secret that I like Puffy’s music. I’ve seen a few episodes of this show and it actually has more in common with classic American cartoons than it does with anime. It’s a silly show, but Puffy is a silly band that sings silly songs and does silly dances, so it’s true to form, if a bit overexaggerated. The music of the show is all made up of snippets from Puffy’s music.

Zatch Bell: I saw a subtitled episode of the original Japanese version, known as Gash Bell, before it was licensed. The star of this show is an annoying little boy who was naked most of the time. Needless to say. I had no interest in watching any further episodes of this series. This is one case where I’ll be glad if this show is considerably toned down for TV.

D.I.C.E: Something about Dinosaurs. I don’t know. Haven’t heard anything good about this show.

And the big surprise…

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: ….

WHAT???

You’ve got to be kidding me!

YTV is supposed to be “Youth Television“, and even though they have been making strides towards programming for “an older youth audience“, the Ghost in the Shell franchise is not for ANY youth audience! What are they thinking? What is going to happen with this? Is it going to be cut or censored or rearranged or what? How can they pull this off?

I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great that YTV is picking up this show. More power too ’em and all that. They’re pretty much the only Canadian network that’s supporting anime, even though there are at least 2 other channels that should. But this show… I just can’t imagine it. This is completely out of left field. Whatever happens, it’ll be interesting to see how it’s handeled, and the aftermath!

Special thanks to Zannen, Canada.

Sayonara.

This is what I saw last night.

Yeah, it was a giant concert of just Star Wars music, spanning all 6 episodes, and it was amazing. As great as the music is in the films, there’s nothing quite like hearing it being performed live. Anthony Daniels, sporting a shiny gold jacket, told a condensed version of the story in between songs. He was very clever and funny, and would often embellish C-3PO’s role in the story to make him out to be more of a hero, much to the impatience of the orchestra. It was a really phenomenal show. There was even a choir who did a fantastic job with “Duel of the Fates“.

I didn’t even think of bringing a camera, which I now regret. There were lots of great costumes there. Several Stormtroopers, rebel pilots, Jedi Knights, a Clone Commander, Boba and Jango Fett, and a fully functional working R2D2 with all the sound effects. Most impressive!

The place was packed. I barely saw any empty seats. People of all ages and of all walks of life were there, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. It’s going to be a traveling show, and will be in Cincinnati next weekend, so I totally recommend that any Star Wars fans go and check this show out if and when it’s held near you.

An unrelated note for my fellow animation fans in Canada. Last Friday YTV played the incredible season finale of Justice League Unlimited, but somebody totally screwed up and the first few minutes of the show were replaced by an episode of “The Shopping Bags” (a show that doesn’t even air on YTV), and then some terrible clay animated snail show called “Snailympics“. It was a hideous display of ineptitude by YTV, but I am happy to report that, apparently, they plan on replaying this episode again tomorrow. Second chances like this don’t happen very often, so if you are a fan of Batman, whatever you do, do not miss out on this episode. It’s a brilliant piece of art that brings the entire DC Animated Universe around full circle.

Sayonara.

I bought the Samurai Jack Season 1 and 2 DVD sets recently and have been watching some episodes. I’ve already seen them all on TV, but taking the time to watch them now is almost like a brand new experience. I’m noticing things that I’ve never seen before.

I am thoroughly convinced that Samurai Jack is the greatest cartoon ever made.

At the very least, it’s the best cartoon in the past 10 years, or the best non-comedy cartoon. But besides Jack, what else is there? I love Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond, and Justice League, but these shows are based on established material, and part of what makes Jack so great is that, while it is admittedly derivative of several movies and other cartoons, it’s an original concept. I love anime, but things the budget concerns, merchandising, and muddled plots often get in the way of some of the truly great shows. I don’t like Disney and while I can respect the talents of the individual artists that have worked there, I don’t believe they’ve ever made anything as awesome as Jack. The only thing that I can think of that would be a worthy comparison are the Looney Tunes classics, especially the brilliant “What’s Opera, Doc“. But those are comedies and Samurai Jack is not, and I think that animation should be more than just something to make people laugh.

The only fault that Samurai Jack has is that the story doesn’t really go anywhere. There is no real continuity between episodes. Each episode sees Jack face a new challenge on his way to get home, and when it ends he really isn’t any closer to reaching is goal. But even that I have a hard time seeing as a flaw, because it lets any new viewer jump in and watch any episode without missing anything, and it shows the strength and determination of Jack’s character.

At any rate, Samurai Jack is a modern classic. It wasn’t even that long ago, but I don’t think people realize that when Jack first debuted, nobody had ever seen anything like it. Not only was the visual style unique, but so was the pacing, the way the story was told. Now we take that for granted. It’s often a dark, violent, sophisticated show, and yet it’s perfectly suitable for most children. This is what North American animation should strive to be more like. And people can’t see what I’m talking about, well I’m sorry to say it, but…

You don’t know Jack.

Sayonara.

Well I updated, for whatever it’s worth.

I’ve hardly had any time to work on this stuff, but little by little I finished enough to scrape together an update. So there you go. Check it out, and talk about it here.

I saw Revenge of the Sith on opening day, almost a week ago, and it’s still sinking in. I can’t get this movie out of my head. I could describe it by using words like “powerful“, “intense“, and “overwhelming“, but that doesn’t really go far enough. I can’t even really say “I liked this movie” because “like” and “dislike” just don’t even seem to apply here. There were parts that I loved, but there were also parts grabbed me by the throat, shook me around, and dropped me on the floor. No movie before has ever engaged me to that point. It was the most incredible and emotionally resonant film I have ever seen, and I really don’t like the fact that I am not watching it right now as I type this.

There are other movies coming within the next few years that are from franchises that I love as much as I love Star Wars. There’s the live action Transformers, the CGI Ninja Turtles, AstroBoy, and so on. But even if I live to be a hundred years old, I doubt I’ll ever see anything else quite like Revenge of the Sith. I said that I couldn’t wait to see it. Now, I can’t wait to see it again.

But hey, if you’ve seen it and have a different opinion, I’d love to read it. Tell me what you thought about the movie right here.

Sayonara.

Today is the day. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for since I was a kid. Revenge of the Sith is out, and I can’t wait to see it.

Watching the prequels on the big screen has been an interesting ride, and now that the last of them is here it’s going to be kind of strange knowing that there aren’t any more to look forward to. I know that some of the fussier fans have been disappointed in the prequels so far, but I understand why these stories have needed to be told they way they were and I’ve enjoyed them for the most part. Especially Attack of the Clones, which had everything I’d ever want in a Star Wars movie and has been my absolute favorite of the saga since I first saw it.

I can take a look back at where I was in my life and where I thought I was going at the time each of these prequel movies was released. Using these films as some sort of landmark on the grand scope of things, I find myself in very different situations between movies and winding up in places I hadn’t anticipated at the time. Now here we are at Revenge of the Sith and once again I find myself, for better or worse, at a completely different place in life than where I was for the previous movies. But for as much that has changed, and as different of a person as I now may be, there is one consistent factor that has stayed with me all this time. Something that hasn’t changed, and probably never will. I’m not Yoda, and I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know one thing:

The Force is with me.

Sayonara.