Cartoon Sunday: The Gaffe Grant Wonley Made At A Bar In Ireland

How's it going my gumdrops? Did you enjoy celebrating Saint Patrick's Day yesterday? Hopefully, you enjoyed celebrating such a festive Irish holiday safely and NOT at the dangerous expense of others. 

Other than sleeping in and doing the usual chores yesterday, I had nothing personally special planned. Does watching Black Clover, Stardust Crusaders, and Naruto Shippuden on Adult's Swim's Toonami block count? 

Speaking of Saint Patrick's Day, Black Clover, and Toonami, it was a tad disappointing to discover, that Adult Swim planned NOTHING special for the block's 21st anniversary.

What would've been more logical? How about marathoning a series titled, "Black Clover" on Saint Patrick's Day for Toonami's 21st Anniversary? Hmmm... Such a hard decision there. 

Considering that Cartoon Network originally launched the Toonami block on Saint Patrick's Day 1997, it would've been more logical to celebrate the block's 21st anniversary and Saint Patrick's Day with a Black Clover Marathon. 

Yes, I know there are those Toonami fans STILL ranting about Black Clover being chosen over My Hero Academia for Adult Swim's Toonami block. Some are those same Toonami fans from last year, who are still ranting about One Piece being removed from the Toonami block and being replaced with Tokyo Ghoul.

 

RANT: Toonami Fans And Their Incessant Crying

Either way, you gain some, you lose some. 

Even though Saint Patrick's Day is over now, there will still be a few more Irish themed blogs I will be publishing and re-sharing with you all for this month. There are ONLY 2 more weeks left in March. Hopefully, you have been enjoying these blogs this month. 

Originally, I was going to share the link to Episode 1 of Black Clover today in English Dub. Then at the last minute, I changed my mind. Instead I thought I would share this hilarious animated documentary by Grant Wonley. 

It is always best to learn about foreign countries, their cultures, customs, religions, and especially their social environments before visiting them. I have been saying this to friends and other people for the last 16 years. 

People cannot always say and do whatever they want, whenever they want to whoever they want. This is especially when they are in foreign countries as VISITORS. 

Grant Wonley's short animated documentary is a hilarious depiction of the time, when he visited Ireland. Wonley recounts the time, when he made a gaffe at a bar in Ireland.

The Gaffe Grant Wonley Made At A Bar In Ireland (2016)

Thank you my gumdrops! Don't forget to like, subscribe, share, +1 on Google Plus, and leave your feedback in the comments section below!

Cartoon Sunday: Bleach's Pilot

How's it going lurkers? Last week, I read about Adult Swim shafting Bleach. 

The Anime is inching towards its series finale, in a matter of 4 more episodes. Dragon Ball Kai will be Bleach's replacement and the network isn't planning on syndicating it.

Adult Swim NEVER aired Bleach's OVA's and the "Shinigami's Cup" shorts. The network has only premiered 2 Bleach movies. 

Meanwhile, Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, Ghost In The Shell, etc. have been played up the ass beyond a decade. 

Bleach has been a perennial Adult Swim Anime, since 2006. It premiered in Japan 2 years prior. 

Before Adult Swim re-branded late Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings as "Toonami," Bleach and other Adult Swim Anime had better treatment. 

Now that the "Toonami" branding exists on Adult Swim rather than on Cartoon Network, the commercial breaks are longer. This is along with the rest of us viewers having our intelligence insulted by watching some patronizing CGI robot and his talking computer patronize us ADULT VIEWERS about not being a "hater." 

In between patronizing adult veteran viewers, Toonami follows it up with predominantly Shonen Jump Action Anime, American Cartoons for prepubescent boys, and video games.

Okay, I will watch Shonen Jump Action Anime, but I do NOT give 2 flying fat fucks about all that other useless, patronizing, bullshit.

I understand that networks must air commercials. Most networks including Adult Swim need money. However, I am NOT some prepubescent boy watching Adult Swim. The Toonami sycophants will justify, that Toonami paved the way for Adult Swim, Anime, etc. Yes, that's close enough.

All the while, NOT every Anime viewer watched everything on the original Toonami. Toonami was NOT every Anime fan's "Gateway To Anime."

Some of us older Anime viewers began watching Anime YEARS before Cartoon Network was ever created. It was not until Sailor Moon, that I began watching Cartoon Network's Toonami. 

Then, I stopped watching Toonami, until Naruto premiered in 2005.

In 2005, I was in my college senior year. I still didn't care about a CGI robot and his talking computer introducing shows and video games to me. All I cared and still do care about is watching my shows. I became more interested in other Adult Swim Anime.

Fooly Cooly, Full Metal Alchemist, Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, and Ghost In The Shell were certain shows I did NOT watch. 

The preceding Adult Swim shows never held my interest, and their Otaku/Weeaboo sycophants at 2 of my colleges aggravated the hell out of me. Anime fans of said ilk made other fans (including me) feel ashamed to love Anime.

They acted pretentious and immature about liking Japanese animation and culture. Those are 2 main reasons why potential fans refuse to like Anime.

I always read and hear about us Bleach fans being annoying. Honestly, I find those fan bases I previously mentioned to typically be really annoying.

There will always be those few stupid and obnoxious fans, who ruin a movie, show, or music genre for everyone.

Like I was saying, I originally watched Adult Swim for American cartoons, which were specifically for adults and other Anime. Scryed, Case Closed, Bleach, Trinity Blood, Code Geass, and Death Note are only naming some of my favorite Adult Swim Anime. 

After all those shows and several others ended, Bleach still premiered in America every Saturday night for these last 8 years.

Bleach's finale is approaching yet Adult Swim refuses to re-air the series from the very beginning, after it ends. The network over played all those other worn out shows and continues to do so. Talk about pandering and with double standards!

Even if Adult Swim refuses to re-air Bleach from the beginning, the network could at least air its OVA's and other movies, before shafting it and us Bleach fans for Dragon Ball Kai. 

Don't even get me started on those obnoxious Dragon Ball fanboys and girls. I am sorry, if you are a fan and happen to read this blog, but the Dragon Ball fans are WAY more obnoxious than us Bleach fans.

Throughout the last 8 years, I have enjoyed watching Bleach because I was able to sympathize and empathize with the characters, including the protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki. Originally, the series was about him.

In the beginning, Ichigo Kurosaki was a 15-year-old high school student, who could see ghosts/spirits. This included his ability to see the Shinigami (meaning "Death God" in Japanese), Rukia Kuchiki. She had to transfer her Shinigami powers to Ichigo, in order to save his family and friends from Hollows.

Hollows are soul-eating spirits.

Then, Ichigo and Rukia began solving mysteries in regards to Hollows. Later, the other Shinigami, Renji Abarai and Byakuya Kuchiki (Rukia's brother-in-law) retrieved Rukia and returned to the Soul Society with her.

Rukia was suppose to be executed because it was illegal for a Shinigami to transfer his/her powers to a living person.

Long story short, Ichigo and his friends rescued Rukia. Eventually, Bleach progressed into numerous arcs.

I can sympathize and empathize with Ichigo mostly because he has the ability to see ghosts. I am always amazed, that some religious zealots do NOT  believe in ghosts. 

I can understand Atheists not believing in ghosts. Although, I NEVER understood why certain religious zealots (generally speaking and acknowledging other religious groups) don't believe in ghosts. This can most definitely be said about some Christian zealots.

We are praying to spirits. How can we NOT believe in them?

Before I started having my own premonitions and getting death warnings from ghosts, as an adult, I always believed in them. 

I know cynics and skeptics will read today's blog, roll their eyes, and say, "Whatever! You're crazy. It's all in your head." No, this is NOT  "all in my head." Sometimes ghosts visit me, in order to prepare me for a death in the family or another person's death.

Last Sweetest Day for example, a ghost's shadow appeared outside my bedroom window. Suddenly, it dissipated into thin air! The day after, 1 of my great-aunts died from Breast Cancer. On October 19th, it will be 1 year since her demise.

So, this Cartoon Sunday, I have Bleach's pilot both in Japanese with English subtitles and in English dub.

Can you or can you not handle watching Anime in Japanese with English subtitles? The choice is yours. 

Anyway, here is Bleach from the very beginning.

Bleach Season 1: Episode 1 "The Day I Became A Shinigami" [Japanese] (2004)

Bleach Season 1: Episode 1 "The Day I Became A Shinigami" [English] (2006)

Let me know what you think!

Cartoon Sunday: Anna H's Gateway To Anime (Robotech)

How's it going lurkers? Last week, I learned that Swimnami acquired the rights to Dragon Ball Kai. Most DBZ sycophants and zealots are surely rejoicing, while some of us Swimnami viewers cringe.

When Toonami originally launched on Cartoon Network in 1997, I refused to watch Dragon Ball Z. In 1997, I was 15 years old.

Most animation I watched, during the 1990's as a teenage girl were a part of MTV's Liquid Television Animation and Cartoon Sushi blocks. The blocks consisted of Beavis And Butt-Head, MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch, Downtown, Daria, Æon Flux, The Maxx, and MTV's Oddities: The Head.

It really was not until Cartoon Network premiered Sailor Moon, that I started watching the Toonami block. I was originally exposed to Anime in the 1980's as a toddler, when Robotech premiered on local TV networks.

Robotech In Japan (1982-1984)

During the 1980's, Cartoon Network never existed. Millennials and Xennials my age, as well as Gen Xers WERE exposed to Japanese animation years before the Dragon Ball franchise. 

Of all the franchises, Adult Swim chose to placate the Dragon Ball fanbase and fandom by purchasing Dragon Ball Kai. 

Buying Dragon Ball Kai was the only way to stop nostalgic zealots from throwing their toddler tantrums. The portions I have seen of Dragon Ball are racist and generic-looking in illustration. The franchise is also just as obnoxious as its zealots and sycophants.

Most DBZ zealots have this tendency to hold that franchise on a pedestal, as if it's the best Anime to ever exist. 

The zealots from the Dragon Ball franchise don't seem to grasp that they make some other Dragon Ball fans feel ashamed to be fans of the franchise and Anime in general.

I understand that DBZ was their so-called "Gateway to Anime." Meanwhile, there are adults like me, who watched other Anime long before the Dragon Ball franchise existed. As I already said, Robotech was my "Gateway to Anime" during the 1980's.

In fact, Robotech was originally 1 of very few Mecha Space Opera Science Fiction Romance Anime to be televised in America. 

Once Sailor Moon premiered on Toonami, that was when I became more invested in Cartoon Network and its Action Animation block. Otherwise, I didn't care about Toonami.

Before watching Sailor Moon and the Toonami block, I watched The Sci Fi Channel (before it became The Syfylis Channel). 

The Sci Fi Channel aired Anime films such as Akira and Project A-ko, for examples.

It was not until my college junior year that I started watching more Anime, which was mostly on Adult Swim. 

Throughout the rest of my 20's, I watched and streamed 100's of Anime both on TV and online. 

Cartoon Network and Adult Swim typically overlook better Anime. Even though I still watch Anime in my early 30's, I don't watch nearly as much anymore.

Nowadays, most of my time is spent on juggling social media sites, blogging, watching other shows outside of Japanese animation (not that I did not already), and of course managing It's Not All Gumdrops & Unicorns, when I am not sleeping and job hunting.

Last week, I located Jason DeMarco on Stalkbook Facebook. I personally sent him a message about potential Anime that are worth premiering on Adult Swim's so-called Toonami block. Did he get my message or not is the burning question.

The following are 8 Anime that I suggested to Jason DeMarco:

1) Ghost Hunt (Supernatural Shojo)

2) Hell Girl [all 3 seasons] (Horror Shojo)

3) Vampire Knight (Horror/Romance Shojo)

4) Black Butler (Historical/Dark Humor Seinen Action)

5) The Hellsing franchise [both Anime series and OVA's] (Seinen Horror Action)

6) Kaze no Stigma (Shonen Action)

7) Tenjho Tenge [including the last 2 episodes] (Seinen Action)

8) Another (Seinen Horror Mystery)

Speaking of Robotech, I happened to find the series online. If Robotech wasn't such a complex Mecha Anime, I would explain more about it. Rather than me explaining the series, you can read about it for yourself. Anyway, this Cartoon Sunday, I present to you Robotech.

Robotech: The Macross Saga "Booby Trap" (Pilot)

So, what was your so-called "Gateway to Anime"?

Cartoon Sunday: The Powerpuff Girls' Too Pooped To Puff

 How's it going lurkers? It is Cartoon Sunday. Just in case some of you didn't already know, Blue Exorcist will be premiering its English Dub next Sunday on Adult Swim. It's great, that it will be premiering sooner than expected. 

Originally, Blue Exorcist was supposed to have been premiering, next month. Had it been MY choice, I would've premiered it much sooner rather than premiering that shitty Space Dandy Anime. 

Okay, I understand that Space Dandy is a Seinen Comedy Anime, but it's stupid and obnoxious. I would love for Blue Exorcist to air before or after Bleach as opposed to waiting until 12:30 am on Sundays to watch it. 

If I were in charge programming for the Swimnami Toonami lineup, here's how I would've scheduled the shows:

10:30 pm Naruto Shippuden

11:00 pm Bleach

11:30 pm Blue Exorcist

12:00 am Black Lagoon

This would've been a better arrangement on Swimnami Toonami than what Adult Swim already has on their schedule. I have no respect for Space Dandy or One Piece. They're stupid and annoying shows, not to mention money wasted. Space Dandy alone was catching a lot of flack weeks before its world premiere. 

I don't know about everyone else, but I can think of other Anime from Japan, that can afford to be world premiered. Space Dandy wouldn't have even made the list UNLESS viewers love having their intelligence insulted.

Meanwhile, it still would be refreshing to have Shojo and Josei Anime on this Toonami rebranding, as well as some other female animation. Like I have said in the past, since Adult Swim chose to acquire Cartoon Network's reject cartoons for boys, they also could've acquired The Powerpuff Girls. 

The Powerpuff Girls had a history of being on the previous Toonami block. The cartoon was originally meant for the adult demographic. Believe it or not, The Powerpuff Girls has a lot of hidden messages and pop-culture references, that Generations X and Y will understand. 

Most diehard fans of The Powerpuff Girls franchise are still complaining about its reboot from last month on The Powerpuff Girls' Stalkbook Faceboook page. The fans are not a far cry from staging a revolt against Cartoon Network. That's how upset they are over The Powerpuff Girls' reboot. 

Since it's Cartoon Sunday, I decided to share another mini-epiosde from The Powerpuff Girls. I would love to share the cartoon's "Reeking Havoc" and "Super Zeros" episodes, but there aren't any episodes re-uploaded to YouTube. 

Instead, I chose to share the video link to The Powerpuff Girls' episode, "Too Pooped To Puff." In this episode, The Powerpuff Girls go on strike because Townsville has become lazy, entitled, and overly dependent on them to the extent, that they have the girls doing their own jobs for them. 

Click on the following video link:

The Powerpuff Girls "Too Pooped To Puff" (1999)

Cartoon Sunday: The Powerpuff Girls' Bubblevicious

 

How's it going lurkers? Once again, it's Cartoon Sunday. Remember last week, when I mentioned the promo Adult Swim aired, during their so-called Toonami block?

The network premiered a promo called "The Ladies of Toonami." I wanted to share the promo on here last week, but someone did not upload it to YouTube, until more recently. I re-watched the promo on YouTube.

The Ladies Of Toonami Promo: (2014)

Then, I read both the comments both on YouTube and on Adult Swim's forum. 

What is the verdict for "The Ladies Of Toonami" promo?

Most saw "The Ladies of Toonami" promo as a joke because most of the female characters are from Shounen Anime with damsels in distress and emotionally weak female characters. If you don't know what I mean by "Shounen," in Japanese the word means "boy." Whenever Cartoon Network and Adult Swim both premiere Anime, it's typically for boys and occasionally a series meant for men. 

The Shounen Anime may have physically strong female characters, but they are always emotionally weak and/or they are damsels.

Before last week ended, Adult Swim announced that the Seinen Action Anime, Black Lagoon would premiere in late March on its Swimnami Toonami block. I currently have nothing bad to say about Black Lagoon because I have yet to watch it and would like to keep an open mind.

Every time I was about to watch the series, I always ended up doing or watching something else. On the positive side, Black Lagoon is a Seinen Action Anime series, which is meant for men.

Seinen Anime has more mature content than Shounen Anime. It is only fitting for Adult Swim to premiere actual animation for its ADULT viewers. If only Adult Swim would premiere some Josei Anime (which is meant for women), that would be fantastic.

Black Lagoon Trailer: (2006)

If necessary, Adult Swim could premiere The Powerpuff Girls on its Swimnami Toonami block. After all, Cartoon Network used to air The Powerpuff Girls on their Toonami block.

Original Opening For The Powerpuff Girls: (1998)

Years ago, The Powerpuff Girls appealed to both genders of different age demographics. 

The cartoon is so popular that Christian Bale, who played in American Psycho and the Batman Begins franchise, sang The Powerpuff Girls' ending theme song in an ABC News interview.

Originally, when the cartoon was made, it was a short meant for the adult demographic and was called "Whoopass." Because Cartoon Network liked the show so much, it was aired for the younger female audience.

The content was toned down and the cartoon was re-named "The Powerpuff Girls " by the late '90s. The cartoon was on Cartoon Network for several years and won Emmys.

Last week, Cartoon Network premiered The Powerpuff Girls' reboot.

Opening For The Powerpuff Girls: (2014)

Honestly, I was highly unimpressed. The Powerpuff Girls' illustrations recently changed.

When the original series was created during the '90s, their signature illustrations were meant to resemble 1950's futuristic art quality, as opposed to the more recent CGI appearance. The reboot's animation quality is so bright, that it has a glare; The art quality is so bright and blinding, I could barely focus on The Powerpuff Girls' reboot premiere.

I reiterate, The Powerpuff Girls' reboot is VERY hard on the eyes.

Luckily, the original cartoon still airs on The Boomerang Channel, which is affiliated with Cartoon Network. 

Recently, my grandmother has been bored with what's airing on TV and wants to watch cartoons. This is besides watching her usual national news and televangelist channels. 

Since my grandmother wants to watch more cartoons, I got her into watching The Powerpuff Girls on a nightly basis.

Considering how much I have mentioned them in today's blog, I decided to share a classic episode of The Powerpuff Girls. This episode is "Bubblevicious."

Bubbles is the cute and innocent blonde, who everyone loves to underestimate as a Powerpuff Girl. Blossom is the leader and level-headed redhead out of the 3 sisters. 

Out of the 3 sisters, Buttercup is the mean and feisty brunette, as well as the tomboyish lemming, who loves taunting and bullying Bubbles. 

Anyway, "Bubblevicious" is mostly about Bubbles proving that she is "hardcore," when it comes to fighting villains. Click on the following video link:

The Powerpuff Girls Season 1 Episode 9: "Bubblevicious" (1999)

Christian Bale Partially Singing The Powerpuff Girls Ending Theme Song:

Cartoon Sunday: Noein Outtakes

How's it going lurkers? Last night, I watched Bleach and Naruto Shippuden on Swimnami Toonami. As I watched Bleach, I noticed that Swimnami Toonami showed the entire season opening like they normally did for these last 8 years.

After it became 2014, Swimnami Toonami chose to remove the opening and go straight to the episodes. 

Throughout most of this month, Adult Swim did this to every show on their block EXCEPT  for that God-awful flop, Space Dandy. If Space Dandy wasn't world premiering every weekend and had Adult Swim NOT  invested in airing that Seinen Action Anime, I highly doubt they would've removed every show's opening. The block may have aired Bleach's opening, but it still did not air Naruto Shippuden's.

Although, Shippuden's ending was surprisingly aired. Adult Swim's viewers, including yours truly complained to them about removing every show's opening except Space Dandy's. This may seem trivial to most people, but Adult Swim has no respect for their viewers.

If Jason DeMarco and his loyal band of sycophants expect for Space Dandy to be their next cash cow like Bleach and Naruto, they are delusional.

Japan does not care for Space Dandy's Manga in particular. That is why its Anime contains ONLY  13 episodes compared to the typical 20 + episodes, if not perennial episodes like other Anime genres and sub-genres.

Just like the American audience dictates American shows and their seasons, the same applies to Japan and their audience.

Also, I noticed that Swimanmi created a new promo for their block. The latest promo is about the female characters on Swimnami, which is once again, more bullshit. The promo is a facade about "women's empowerment" by promoting physically strong yet emotionally weak female characters from Shonen Jump Action Anime on their block.

Last weekend, I e-mailed both Cartoon Network and Adult Swim my previously published Cartoon Sunday blog about them being sexist networks. Over the last few years, I've said this MANY times both on and offline, as well as famous filmmakers/screenwriters such as Kevin Smith.

Anytime Cartoon Network and Adult Swim will cancel any animation because they don't want to acknowledge their female demographic, that speaks volumes. We are only calling spades, "spades."

On a much lighter note for today, I stumbled upon 4 outtake videos from the SciFi Romance Adventure Anime, Noein. It used to air on The SciFi Channel's Ani-Monday block in 2007.

Noein is a very complex series to watch, which can be very confusing to casual viewers. It has themes consisting of time travel, quantum physics, and parallel universes. Only Haruka Kaminogi can control every parallel universe.

As you watch this dubbed trailer in English for a better understanding of Noein, please bear with me.

Noein Trailer (2015)

 

 

Listening to this English Dub promo makes me cringe. I say this because of the announcer's pronunciation of the words "Manga" and "Noein." 

After studying Japanese and listening to other people mispronounce Japanese words, you will understand what I mean.

Even though I have not bought the DVD's for Noein (I only watched it on The Sci Fi Channel's Ani-Monday block, years ago), 4 disks consist of English dubbed bloopers by the voice acting cast are featured on the DVD's. I watched Noein's bloopers years ago and thought they were hilarious. 

With that being said, here are Noein's outtakes for today's Cartoon Sunday.

1) Noein Outtakes Volume 1 (2006)

2) Noein Outtakes Volume 2 (2006)

3) Noein Outtakes Volume 3 (2006)

4) Noein Outtakes Volume 5 (2006)