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Submarine 707 Revolution ( サブマリン707R ) View Works/Group TAC/Aniplex, 2003-2004 Geneon Entertainment, 2004 Directed by Shoichi Masuo Rated 13-Up for violence and mild language. Based on the manga by Satoru Ozawa (Blue Submarine No. 6). To combat the terrorist organization known as "USR", eleven countries combine their naval forces to form the Peace-Keeping Navy (PKN). However, all hell breaks loose when Admiral Red and his USR submarine UX crash the PKN's inaugural ceremony and destroy majority of the fleet. At the last minute, when the UX lands the final blow on the aircraft carrier Apollo-Norm, the obsolete Japanese submarine 707 (a.k.a. "Snapping Turtle") appears from out of nowhere and sacrifices itself to save the PKN flagship. Six months later, Captain Youhei Hayami is called back to duty to lead a new group of recruits and captain an all-new 707 in the war against terrorism on the high seas. Story: A- In the past, anime titles involving submarines had the tendency to do what most submarines do: sink rock bottom. Super Atragon was a snoozefest, Silent Service reeked of plot loopholes, and Blue Submarine No. 6 was all eye-candy and no substance. Not the case of Submarine 707R. While the plot is minimal, the characters grow on you, especially the protagonist Hayami and the antagonist Red, along with their respective families. In terms of underwater action, it's not Das Boot or The Hunt For Red October, but Submarine 707R is still one hell of a ride. Animation: A- Submarine 707R's opening sequence is a nostalgic monochrome montage directed by Hideaki Anno (Gunbuster, Neon Genesis Evangelion). The overall animation in the OAV series is outstanding, despite some imperfections. For example, there are some instances where the 3D graphics look out of place with the digital 2D animation. The cel-shaded submarines look good, but need more detail, as they still look brand new during battles. Character designs by Minoru Murao (Last Exile); mechanical designs by Kazutaka Miyatake (Macross, Gunbuster). Soundtrack: A As with anything you watch, a soundtrack is needed to increase the intensity of any scene. Wave Master does a good job supplying an excellent orchestral score for this title. Sub vs. Dub Submarine 707R features Ben Hiura as Hayami, Hiroshi Yanaka (Celestine in Ah! My Goddess: The Movie, Tetsuya in Mazinkaiser) as Nango, Kensho Ono as Kenji, Akira Ishida (Athrun in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Kaworu in Neon Genesis Evangelion) as Goro, Daisuke Sakaguchi (Shonen Bat in Paranoia Agent, Uso in Mobile Suit Victory Gundam) as Senta, Unshou Ishizuka (Guld in Macross Plus, Jet Black in Cowboy Bebop) as Admiral Red, Hideo Ishikawa (Ryoma in Shin Getter Robo, Hayami in Re: Cutie Honey) as Suzuki, Yasuhiro Takato (Artemis in Sailor Moon) as Yamada, Yurika Hino as Catherine, Emi Shinohara (B-Ko in Project A-Ko, Makoto/Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon) as Miyuki, Yumi Sudo as Ayumi, Shinichiro Miki (Allen in Escaflowne, Kurz in Full Metal Panic!) as Arthur, Aya Hisakawa (Skuld in Ah! My Goddess, Haruka in RahXephon) as Yuu, Makoto Tsumura (the new Tetsuwan Atom, Captain Blue, Jr. in Viewtiful Joe) as Ai, Sawa Ishige (Tanpopo in Dokkoida!?, Paiway in Vandread) as Kei, Ai Nonaka (Shima in Stellvia, Beauty in Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo) as Rei, Misa Watanabe as Barbara, Mami Kingetsu (Miharu in Gasaraki, Nagisa in If I See You in My Dreams) as Alicia, Keiichi Sonobe as Ulron, Kazuya Ichijo (Ken in Street Fighter Alpha) as Doryanski, Ayano Takami as Gödel-B, and Hideyuki Tanaka (Agito/Guyver III in the Guyver, Woody in Mobile Suit Gundam) as Guilford. The English dub by Bang Zoom! Entertainment is actually worth listening to. DVD Extras: A- (Limited Edition) The Limited Edition DVD comes with an exclusive English DTS 5.1 Surround track plus production staff interviews, 3D demo reels, art gallery and promotional trailers. The Bottom Line Better story, superior animation and an excellent soundtrack are enough for Submarine 707R to literally blow Blue Submarine No. 6 out of the water. Links Sony Music Entertainment's Official Submarine 707R Homepage (Japanese) Geneon Entertainment's Official Submarine 707R Homepage Reference Anime News Network

Well, it seems that everyone's been taking this 3D animation a bit too seriously. Here are my $0.02: Toy Story. The one that started it all. Still ranks as one of the best. A+ ANTZ. An okay movie, not really a memorable start for PDI/DreamWorks. B- A Bug's Life. Not as good as Toy Story, but still loads of fun. B+ Small Soldiers. Haven't seen it yet. Is it any good? Toy Story 2. More fun than the first. Always worth watching over and over again. A+ Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Promising animation is marred by a half-assed script. D+ Shrek. PDI/DreamWorks finally strike it rich and stick it to Disney and Pixar. A+ Monsters, Inc. For the first time ever, Disney/Pixar lose to the competition. B Finding Nemo. Fish are friends, not food. And this film is up there with Toy Story. A Ice Age. Haven't seen it yet. Shark Tale. Haven't seen it yet, but I know it completely pales in comparison to Finding Nemo. Shrek 2. PDI/DreamWorks have the competition praying for mercy from PUSS...in boots! A+ The Incredibles. The only animated movie this year to stand toe-to-toe with Shrek 2. A+ The Polar Express. What exactly were Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis thinking when they blew $160 million on this Christmas flop? D+ Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas. Mickey and friends go 3D. Is nothing sacred?!? Popeye. Lions Gate Entertainment is bringing everyone's favorite spinach-eating sailor into the 3D world. And it looks pretty horrid. Madagascar. PDI/DreamWorks' next project. Ben Stiller is more of a jackass than a lion, though. CARS. Looks very promising, so far.

My picks: Best Wrestling Promotion (if not WWE): WWE Worst Wrestling Promotion: NWA-TNA RAW or SmackDown!?: RAW - no other choice... Best Wrestler: Chris Benoit Worst Wrestler: (tie) Triple-H, John Bradshaw Layfield and Batista Best Tag Team: None Worst Tag Team: Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree Best Diva: Stacy Keibler Worst Diva: Trish Stratus Best New Wrestler: Eugene Worst New Wrestler: (tie) Gene Snitsky and Mordecai Most Improved Wrestler: Shelton Benjamin Least Improved Wrestler: (tie) Randy Orton and Batista Best Finisher: (tie) Crossface (Benoit) and Canadian Destroyer (Petey Williams) Worst Finisher: (tie) RKO (Orton) and Pedigree (HHH) Best Entrance Theme: "Line in the Sand" by Motorhead (Evolution) Worst Entrance Theme: (tie) "Take What's Mine" by Mercy Drive (Orton) and Jeff Jarrett's NWA-TNA theme Best PPV: WresleMania XX Worst PPV: The Great American Bash Best Match: Benoit vs. HBK vs. HHH (WMXX) Worst Match: Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (WMXX) Best Feud: Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle Worst Feud: Evolution vs. anybody Best Commentator: None Worst Commentator: (tie) Jerry "The King" Lawler and Tony Schiavone Best Wrestling DVD: Chris Benoit: Hard Knocks Worst Wrestling DVD: None so far... Best Wrestling Game: WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW Worst Wrestling Game: None, really

Well, it seems that Jemstone is correct about not buying the Shrek 2 DVD, as a new boxed set is out now in stores. Titled Shrek: The Story So Far, the boxed set includes Shrek and Shrek 2 (both in anamorphic widescreen format), plus Shrek 3-D and a fourth bonus disc. Depending on how much I'll get on this week's paychecks, I might pick up the set at Target for $39.99. Shrek: The Story So Far

As the year 2004 comes to a close, let's vote for the best and worst of the year in the world of professional wrestling. Best Wrestling Promotion (if not WWE): Worst Wrestling Promotion: RAW or SmackDown!?: Best Wrestler: Worst Wrestler: Best Tag Team: Worst Tag Team: Best Diva: Worst Diva: Best New Wrestler: Worst New Wrestler: Most Improved Wrestler: Least Improved Wrestler: Best Finisher: Worst Finisher: Best Entrance Theme: Worst Entrance Theme: Best PPV: Worst PPV: Best Match: Worst Match: Best Feud: Worst Feud: Best Commentator: Worst Commentator: Best Wrestling DVD: Worst Wrestling DVD: Best Wrestling Game: Worst Wrestling Game: Below is a "cheat sheet" to save time instead of looking up WWE.com. Otherwise, go directly to the RAW or SmackDown! roster pages. Most Likely Best WWE Candidates Billy Kidman Booker T. Carmella DeCesare Charlie Haas Chavo Guerrero Chris Benoit Chris Jericho Christy Hemme Dawn Marie Eddie Guerrero Edge Eugene Kurt Angle Maven Miss Jackie Orlando Jordan Paul London Rhyno Rob Van Dam Shelton Benjamin Stacy Keibler Tajiri Torrie Wilson Tyson Tomko William Regal Most Likely Worst WWE Candidates Batista Carlito Caribbean Cool Eric Bischoff Gene Snitsky Heidenreich Jerry "The King" Lawler Jim Ross John Bradshaw Layfield Jonathan Coachman Josh Matthews Kenzo Suzuki Luther Reigns Michael Cole Randy Orton Ric Flair Shawn Michaels Spike Dudley Steven Richards Tazz Theodore R. Long Triple-H Somewhere Between Best and Worst Akio Al Snow The Basham Brothers Big Show Brock Lesnar Christian The Dudley Boyz Garrison Cade Goldberg Hardcore Holly The Hurricane John Cena Kane La Resistance Lita Mark Jindrak Mick Foley Molly Holly Paul Heyman Rene Dupree Rey Mysterio The Rock Rosey Shannon Moore Stone Cold Steve Austin Trish Stratus Undertaker Val Venis Victoria

Take it away, UN Spacy.

No kidding. An update from TOPWRESTLING.com:

I find that rather unusual, as ADV does deal a lot with Pioneer LDC (now Geneon).

Time's up. The answer is Keroro Gunso. Next question: In Cowboy Bebop, what is V.T.'s full name?

Time's up. Next question: An alien bent on conquering the Earth ends up stranded by his race and finds himself living in the haunted basement of a family home and spending most of his time assembling Gundam model kits. Which anime is this?

It just looks like that. I'm thinking of replacing it with either the Corvette logo or licence plate decal from the Revell kit. BTW, as I'm planning the finishing touches to my Tracks custom, I'm thinking of repainting the shoulder missles. What color should I use?

Bah. Personally, I think the RSX is overrated; not to mention ugly compared to the previous-generation Integra. NSX all the way.

Wow...what a lousy PPV. And I'm actually awake to give out the results. WWE Survivor Series Results Sunday Night Heat Opener La Resistance def. Hurricane/Rosey via Au Revoir. WWE Cruiserweight Championship - Fatal Four-Way Spike Dudley def. Rey Mysterio, Chavo Guerrero and Billy Kidman. WWE Intercontinental Championship Shelton Benjamin pinned Christian. SmackDown! Elimination Eddie Guerrero's team def. Kurt Angle's team after Big Show pinned Angle. Undertaker made John Heidenreich rest in peace. WWE Women's Championship Trish Stratus def. Lita by DQ after Lita bloodied Trish outside the ring with a steel chair. Trish might be out of commission with a broken nose. WWE Heavyweight Championship JBL def. Booker T. with the use of the title belt. RAW Elimination 1. Chris Benoit by Edge after HHH landed the Pedigree on Benoit. 2. Batista by Chris Jericho via kick to the head. 3. Gene Snitsky DQ'd after bringing in a steel chair. On the bright side, Maven bloodied him up real good. 4. Maven by HHH, since Snitsky knocked him out with the chair. 5. Y2J by Edge. 6. Edge by Randy Orton via RKO. 7. As HHH set up the Pedigree, Orton reversed it and landed the RKO to score the win. Winner: Randy Orton At least HHH doesn't win, but what does this mean for RAW for the rest of the month?

Aside from "Triple-J", here are three other reasons to stay away from NWA-TNA's main events:

No. Williams starts the move with a setup similar to a powerbomb, but does a sunset flip with his opponent's head clamped between his thighs. And instead of landing it into a sunset flip pin, he turns it into a piledriver. The maneuver takes about 1.5 to 2 seconds to execute.

After nearly two years of bashing the organization, I've actually found a reason to tune in to NWA-TNA: Canadian cruiserweight Petey Williams and his unbelievable finisher:

Ball's on your court, JELEINEN.

My vote goes to Gunbuster. A lot of giant robots and mecha have used Samurai armor as the basis for their designs, but Gunbuster is the best-looking of all of them.

America...America... America, F*CK YEAH! Comin' again to save the motherf*ckin' day, yeah! America, F*CK YEAH! Freedom is the only way, yeah! Terrorists, your game is through, 'Cause now you'll have to answer to America, F*CK YEAH! So lick my butt and suck on my balls! America, F*CK YEAH! What'cha gonna do when we come for you now! It's the dream that we all share, It's our hope for tomorrow... F*CK YEAH!

Guess that was a tough one. The finishing move is called "Air Spin Driver". Next question, Jeopardy!-style: The story of this anime begins after a distant supernova wipes out majority of Earth's population.

I have it myself and I see no problems with it. If you thought Donkey was annoying in the movie, wait till you see the main DVD menu. Aside from that, the single-DVD release is loaded with lots of extras: - Far Far Away Idol - The cast of Shrek 2 duke it out on a talent contest hosted by American Idol's Simon. You decide who wins. - Cast and production staff interviews. - Technical goofs. - Production notes. - Interactive section for kids - Fiona's Jukebox, Sing Along with Fairy Godmother, Find Puss in Boots, Rescue Fiona (trivia), Counting Crows music video. - Trailers - Madagascar, Shark Tale and Millennium Actress.

Thanks. Though the actual product has some blemishes on the paint job and decals, the project turned out to look better than I expected. I painted the car body portion only. In car mode, you'll see that the front license plate cover and mirrors remain unpainted. I purchased a can of Alclad II Lacquer Chrome for Lexan[TM]. If you spray directly on white plastic, you'll get an aluminum silver finish. The trick is to spray the wheels gloss black. Let them dry and make sure they're clear of dust and debris. Once you spray the black wheels, you'll get a shiny chrome finish. I'll work on the wheels as soon as I figure out how to properly remove them.

Autobot Tracks (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Commemorative Edition) I finally got my Tracks at Target this past Saturday, but I felt that the metallic blue finish was a bit too bright. So I decided to go pick up the following supplies: - Testors Model Master Custom Lacquer System Royal Blue Pearl 1997 - Testors Model Master Custom Lacquer System Ultra Gloss Clearcoat - Revell 1/25 Corvette Z06 Commemorative Edition - Tamiya Masking Tape - X-ACTO Knife - A4-size Cutting Board - 1 can Rockstar Energy Drink I could've finished the job days ago, but it was raining intermittently here in the L.A. area. But today, I managed to put five hours on this project. Later this year, I'll go further by repainting the engine bay and chroming the wheels. In the meantime, enjoy the pics.

I guess not everyone's seen RahXephon yet. Bähbem was carrying the novel The Wizard of Oz. Next question: In episode 1 of Air Master, what is the given name of the finishing move Maki did on Lucha Master?