Skip navigation

Category Archives: Anime

Moominvalley (Moomin) – ムーミン – وادي الأمان

 

“ The Moomins (Swedish: Mumintroll, Finnish: Muumi) are the central characters in a series of books and a comic strip by Swedish-Finn illustrator and writer Tove Jansson, originally published in Swedish by Schildts in Finland. They are a family of trolls who are white and roundish, with large snouts that make them resemble hippopotamuses. The carefree and adventurous family live in their house in Moominvalley, in the forests of Finland, though in the past their temporary residences have included a lighthouse and a theatre. They have many adventures along with their various friends. In all, nine books were released in the series, with five picture books and a comic strip being released between 1945 and 1993.” (www.wikipedia.com. June, ’11)

I’ve first watched the Arabic dubbed Japanese Anime version of  ”Moomin - وادي الأمان” when I was around 13 years old. At that time, I didn’t know that the Anime was originally based on a Swedish-Finnish graphical novel, but for some reason I’ve felt the difference between Moomin anime and the other Japanese anime story plots. Being simple and unique is what made the Moomin Comic/Anime to be so special!

Moomin has been made into many TV series and films but my favorites are the Japanese anime sequels (Two different casts Arabic dub) that were made in the early 90s.

Recently I’ve started reading the complete comic strip of Moomin by the Finnish novelist Tove Jansson. Simply, it’s a piece of art!

Now I’m planning on watching the Arabic dubbed anime film of  ”Moomin: Comet in Moominland” and also playing the Nintendo DS Game!

Ohayocon – おはようーコン – أوهايوكون

“Ohayocon is a convention focusing on Japanese pop culture, including popular anime and manga fandom. It is traditionally held during the month of January in Columbus, Ohio. Ohayocon was first held in 2001 in Cleveland, Ohio, moving to Columbus in 2003. Ohayocon derives its name from the similarity in pronunciation between “Ohio”, where the con is held, and Ohayo (おはよう, Ohayou), which is Japanese for “Good morning”. With its continued growth, Ohayocon has become the largest winter anime convention in North America.” (Wikipedia, 2011).

I know this is an outdated post, but I’m still interested in blogging this new experience of mine! Back in January 28-30 this year, I FINALLY had the chance to attend a true and real Anime Convention. It was held at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. When I’ve first registered for this convention, I didn’t expect a lot but to be honest, the convention exceeded my expectations! The panels were running all day long, many different things to do there. It’s not only Anime, besides Anime (recent & old school Anime), there were video games panels, Manga panels, Voice actors/actresses panels, board games panels, cosplay contests, Japanese movies panels, etc.! I was spinning around like a crazy trying not to miss any of the good panels. The place was well-organized, comfortable and the facilities were just perfect. Attendees were so much fun so going alone wasn’t an issue at all. I’ve created an album of the cosplayers that I liked the most. I didn’t cosplay though but it was really fun looking around at the professional cosplayers there. The bazaar was just a place to burn money, I was lucky enough to find the original Blue Seed complete dvds boxset. I guess no one there, especially from the younger generation, knew how precious this boxset is!

Domu-kun – 童夢くん -نصف بطل

 

“Domu-kun (نصف بطل) is an anime series based on a manga by Shotaro Ishinomori, which follows the adventures of Dome Shinjo, a 10 years old boy who is son of a deceased legendary player of the Yomiuri Giants. From his father he inherited the love for baseball and his great abilities for such sport, although his mother and his older sister try to avoid that he practices it. In fact, his father, before dying, had time to teach him a magical shoot. Dome, after his mother gave him the glove his father used, he makes that shot in a training session of the Giants and is contracted immediately. With the support of the veteran players of the team, this young player will, from this very moment, make the Giants become unbeatable at home and none of the main batters of the Japanese professional league manages to end with his magical shot. Although that does not apply to the games played away, as Dome is just allowed to play at home, in the Tokyo Dome in which his father was consacrated (and the place by which he did chose such name for his son). When the veteran captain of the Dragons manages to bat his shot, it seems that the young boy is finally and definitely defeated, but then he invents another magical shot. New rivals, but also friends (such as Melody Norman, an American girl who disguises herself as a boy because women can’t play baseball), will appear in scene, until the arrival of the mysterious Don Carlos, a Spanish ex-bullfighter who plays for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and had an old rivalry with his father.”  – Wikipedia

The first time I’ve watched this anime was in early-mid 90s. Ever since I’ve learned and liked baseball but unfortunately baseball is not a popular game here in Kuwait. In other words, no one plays it! I had to buy bats, balls and gloves from Europe. Fortunately, a friend of mine and my younger brother were also interested in playing the game. The way we played it was more like a practice rather than an actual game! Had fun though. The other story that’s associated with (نصف بطل) is the laserball, a ball that captures the speed that the ball was thrown at. In one of the episodes Domu’s friend buys him a laserball as a gift and it was my first time to hear/know about sucha ball. First I was like this laserball doesn’t exist in reality, but later and for some reason I had a doubt hope that it does exist and I must at least search for it. Searched in London and Japan, but couldn’t find it! Many years later, I’ve found the ball being sold in KUWAIT!!!!!

If you have watched the anime and would like to know my team, I’m Hanshin Tigers, Ganbare Taigasu~

The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee – 昆虫物語みなしごハッチ – مغامرات نحول , بشار

“ Konchuu Monogatari: Minashigo Hutch is a 1989 remake of the 1970 classic anime series The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee, sharing its original Japanese title.

The show follows the original series’ main storyline, and tells the adventure of a young bee who searches for his missing queen bee mother. Like the 1970 show, this remake is notable for its sad and cruel scripts, often featuring the deaths of the protagonist’s friends.” (Wikipedia & Anime News Network, accessed June ’10)

This anime was continuously aired on arab TV channels and for a reason it’s no more aired! Here I’m pointing to part I (مغامرات نحول، بشار) not the newer one (سوار العسل).  I still remember watching it during the invasion on the TVchannel of Saudi Arabia around 8ish AM with siblings and cousins! The anime was sad, as well as the invasion…

Tetsujin 28-gō – 鉄人28号 – رعد العملاق

      

              “Tetsujin 28-gō, is a 1956 manga written and illustrated by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, who also created Giant Robo. The series centred on the adventures of a young boy named Shotaro Kaneda, who controlled a giant robot named Tetsujin 28, built by his late father. The manga was later adapted into four anime TV series, the first in 1963. It was the first Japanese series to feature a giant robot. The 1963 series was later released in America as Gigantor. A live action motion picture with heavy use of computer generated graphics was produced in Japan in 2005.” (Wikipedia, accessed March ’10)

Then there is the 1980 and 1992 Tv anime serieses. My favorite, and the favorite of most of the arab fans, is the 1980′s (Shin Tetsujin 28-gō) as it was dubbed into arabic. The dub was really good performed by mostly lebanese voice actors/actresses خالد السيد from جونكر  and وفاء طربيه from رانزي المدهشة, and many others. Their arabic pronounciation is perfect besides it’s relevant to the plot and storyline unlike other recent dubs that I don’t want to btother in bringing it up here for now…Tetsujin the 80′s Tv series is my age, I’ve watched it in 80′s and I’m watching it again now, liked neither the 60′s nor the 00′s versions of it, 70s-80s are always my favourite in anime.

           Now there is a 1:1 (18 m) Tetsujin 28-gō statue in Kobe, where Mitsuteru Yokoyama was born. Unfortunately, it’s from the 50′s manga/60′s anime, not the 80′s shin Tetsujin 28-gō, but it’s still good. Hope to see Astroganga (アストロガンガー جونكر) and (الثور الأسود) somewhere in  Honshū soon!

  

City Hunter – シティーハンター – سيتي هنتر

City Hunter (シティーハンター), the 80′s shonen jump manga and the anime. I’ve always wanted to watch it but for some reason didn’t like the art. But now after giving up on whatever anime/manga is being produced, since early 20s ’til  now, I’m going back on anime archives to see if I can watch something that I’ve left behind. So yes, now I’m more interested in City Hunter!

Excuse me fans for saying this, but I’m gonna watch it for two reasons, first, I liked the live action movie City Hunter (Jackie Chan) and the other reason is that I liked the generation that City Hunter was produced in… and yeah, its OSTs are good too! No offense…at least ’til I watch it!!

Igano Kabamaru – 伊賀野カバ丸 – كابامارو

“Igano Kabamaru (伊賀野カバ丸, Igano Kabamaru) is a Japanese manga created by Yu Azuki. The eponymous protagonist is a naive young ninja from the Iga province called Kagemaro (absolute shadow), nicknamed Kabamaru (hippo’s mouth) for his insatiable appetite. After the death of his strict grandfather and ninja sensei, Kabamaru moves to Tokyo with one of his grandfather’s acquaintances. The plot deals mainly with Kabamaru adjusting to an urban lifestyle after spending a childhood in the mountains and how he finds himself caught up in the rivalry between two private schools.” (Wikipedia)

Kabamaru or نينجا المغامر   as how it’s titled in arabic, is one of the big anime hits in the 80s in the middle east, it was dubbed into Arabic by a Lebanese dubbing Inc. شريف وحيد, where وحيد جلال then وليم عتيق as Kabamaru and الفيرا يونس as Mai.

In 2003 , I’ve ,by chance, found that there is a new manga series of the story which I didn’t really like in terms of art and the very extended story of it, but it’s good to continue watching/reading it though. Furthermore, there is a movie (life action) titled ” The Ninja Boy Igano Kabamaru” and it is based on the original manga! I guess they’ve done a great casting on that as shown in the preview (opening credit). Now, Igano Kabamaru, the movie, has been already added on my to-watch list!!

Gundam – ガンダム- غاندام

      An 18-meter-tall (59-foot-tall) 1/1 scale RX-78-2 Gundam model, from the first Gundam anime series (1979), was built at Odaiba’s Shiokaze Park in July.  It’s located  just close to Gundam Big Expo convention which was held in August ’09 in Tokyo.

My cousin was visiting  Japan in July ’09 and he got the chance to see it. Unfortunately, as it was announced, the model will only stay for a couple of months before it’s totally removed from there! On the other hand, Tetsujin 28-go statue is still being planned to be built in Kobe, the birthplace of its creator, Mitsuteru Yokoyama. Hope Astroganga statue will be planned to be built too soon ;)

Doraemon – ドラえもん – دورايمون.

           ”Doraemon is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko F. Fujio. The series is about a robotic cat named Doraemon, who travels back in time from 22nd century to aid a schoolboy, Nobita. Doraemon has a pocket from which he produces many gadgets, medicines and tools from the future. Although he can hear perfectly well, Doraemon has no ears: his robotic ears were eaten by a mouse giving him a series -long phobia of mice!”(Wikipedia)

Doraemon was first published on manga in 1969-1992, the anime started in 1974 and it’s still ongoing. I personally like Doraemon, and I was glad to know that Japan’s Foreign Ministry appointed Doraemon as the nation’s first Anime Ambassador :D

Go Nagai – 永井 豪 – غو ناغاي – Is Visiting Kuwait!

      “Go Nagai, is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy and horror. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating the seminal works UFO Grendizer, Cutie Honey and Mazinger Z in the 1970′s.”

Mr. Go Nagai will visit the middle east in October, he will be visiting Jordan, Kuwait and Egypt!!  I’m glad to be nominated to be one of the coordination team members for this event. The event will be held on two days  the 10th and the 11th of Oct. ’09. The 10th will be exclusive for VIP “LIMITED SEATS”, to have the opportunity in attending the VIP event you should register with Mr. Wael Abdulsamad ‘cos you need to pass a certain contest/draw managed by him under the supervision of the Embassy of Japan. For the second day, 11th of Oct., the event will be for PUBLIC, everyone can attend. So you don’t have to contact Mr. Wael Abdulsamad for a registration to attend the second event. However, the attendance will be taken in a FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVED basis, the capacity of the hall will be approximately 330-350. Anyhow, more details will be announced during Aug. and Sep., so if you’re really concerned just contact The Embassy of Japan in Kuwait or email Mr. Wael Abdulsamad (dizer-go@hotmail.com) for further information.

Special thanks to the Embassy of Japan in Kuwait for hosting this event and for the opportunity in meeting Mr. Go Nagai  in JAPAN KUWAIT!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 67 other followers