Today’s episode of the Steampunk Desperado combines two of my passions – steampunk and anime (Japanese animation.) Our favorite historical genre is alive and well in the Land of the Rising Sun. Some of my picks may surprise you! Here for your reference is the Desperado’s list: 10. Steam Detectives9. Appare Ranman!8. Drifting Dragons7. Last […]
Over the last few years, Mrs. Desperado and I have become serious anime fans. On the rare occasions when we can see a new show on the big screen, we jump at the chance. Recently we saw “Weathering With You” a feature-length anime by Makoto Shinkai, creator of the acclaimed 2016 film “Your Name,” which […]
Ghost in the Shell is one of those classic anime movies that seasoned fans recommend to newcomers. Like most anime, it began life as a manga. Ghost’s progenitor was the cyberpunk-themed series by Masamune Shirow which ran from 1989-1990. Its original Japanese name was Kōkaku Kidōtai which means “Mobile Armored Riot Police.” This was the […]
My wife Arlys and I are long-time anime fans, but it’s become difficult for us to find something we like. Like American TV networks, Japanese animation studios produce many series that are maudlin and unoriginal. We prefer shows that are out of the ordinary, generally with a sci-fi, supernatural, or crime element. Recently we encountered […]
Studio Gonzo’s 2003 anime series Last Exile (written and directed by Koichi Chigira) is one of the few examples of Dieselpunk in popular culture. Dieselpunk is Steampunk’s lesser-known cousin, a genre that embraces the technologies and styles of the 1920’s through 1940’s. It’s also one of those rare instances of an anime which serves as […]
In 2008, when Twilight hit the big screen, vampire stories were everywhere. I was getting pretty sick of them. Even publishers wouldn’t buy vampire books. Yet the vampire legend, like the creatures that people it, refuses to die. The Japanese are just as intrigued with the concept and have produced several vampire series in anime […]
I approached this Netflix streaming movie with trepidation. Recently this network funded a live-action adaptation of the classic manga/anime Death Note that drew the ire of fans, myself included. I sincerely hoped this wouldn’t be another proverbial train wreck. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn’t. The Fullmetal Alchemist movie (see my review […]
