Daft Punk the Movie?

Yep, there is a Daft Punk "movie", but at the same time, not quite.

Interstella 555

Interstella 555 is a film produced by Daft Punk in collabortion of Toei Animation.

The plot of the film is simple, 4 band members (pictured above) are abducted from an alien planet to Earth. They are then brainwashed of their alien memories and made to look like humans. Back home, an alien strives to bring back the band members back to their home country.

I know that wasn't a too detailed of a plot, but I do not want to focus on it as there is a deeper meaning of the story. I'd rather have you experience the whole film yourselves. The full movie can be found on Youtube. I've embedded the video here in case you really wanted to watch it right now.



But what makes this whole film unique is that the whole film, is a "musical", where Daft Punk's album, "Discovery" is played throughout the whole film. In addition, there is no dialog whatsoever within the film, and besides the album being played, occasional sound effects can be heard.

The animation itself is done by Toei Animation. It features an 80's style of animation, but a very refined version. (Note, this film was released in 2003)

Nevertheless, this film should be a real treat, especially to Daft Punk fans.

I do not own or take credit for all of the above images and videos, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

Have you seen this film? Do you like Daft Punk? Any similar films out there?

Summer Feast

In lieu of marking the end of summer, we marked it as a pre-celebration for a friend's birthday.

Hot Pot!

 My friends and I went out again, this time to celebrate an upcoming birthday. This outing, we visited two restaurants, the first being "I Cook Buffet".

Contrary to the namesake, there is no buffet during lunch time. Instead, they offer you a set combo in which you can customize things such as the soup base and meat.

The food was nothing special, thinly sliced pieces of meat plus random greens and a few more random fish balls. And of course, our favourite condiment, some weird salty peanut sauce. /sarcasm.

Peanut Sauce?

So you may ask yourself, why is the peanut sauce gone? Did we use it all? Yes we did, but we didn't consume it. Instead, we decided to pour all the sauce into one pot and boil it. Boy was that a bad idea, the fumes that emitted from the pot was deadly and could be sniffed from miles.

Service was mediocre at best. No,  for where I live, most restaurants are Chinese owned/operated so their English may not be perfect. This one is no different. Not only was their English poor, the employees seemed clueless about the menu as if they were new to the job (maybe they were).

Anyways, we decided to head back into familiar territory for dinner, Sushi on 7.

We ordered the usual: salmon & hokkigai & butterfish sashimi and a few maki rolls. Most of the sashimi seemed fresh, but some of it wasn't thawed out enough.

But we also got something different this time, the spider roll. The spider roll consists of avocado, roe, imitation crab stick and deep fried soft shell crab.

The spider roll

Dragon roll and sashimi

In general, Japanese AYCE in our area are decent, but not spectacular in any way. We've gone to a few AYCE, but this one seems the be one with consistent quality.

How is your experience with AYCE places? Have you tried hot pots (or shabu shabu) before?

UFC 134: Silva vs Okami

What better way to end summer with a bang, Silva vs Okami.

UFC 134 at HSBC arena

Finally back in Rio de Janerio, Brazilian fans are in for a treat. Probably the best pound for pound fighter, Anderson Silva will have a rematch against Yushin Okami. Anderson Silva has not lost a single fight since 2006, to no other than Okami which was by disqualification due to an illegal up-kick.

Other main card fights include Brendan Schaub vs Antonia Rodrigo Nogueria. Although Schaub did not win The Ultimate Fighter 10 (lost to Roy Nelson), Schaub has seem to found his place in the UFC as a young and skillful fighter, earning him a fight with the veteran Nogueria.

Also on the card, Mauricio Rua vs Forest Griffin. After Rua lost his light heavweight title to Jones, he has a chance to prove himself against Griffin.


This should be one heck of an event, especailly for the ones at the HSBC arena.
For those that want to watch the preliminary fights free, you can catch them on Facebook, Spike TV and Rogers Sportsnet.

I do not own or take credit for all of the above images, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

Do you think Silva will keep his title? What do you think of Silva's illegal upkick? Any predictions for any of the fights?

Shaft Inc.

But wait there's more!

The logo of Shaft Inc.

To those that may have been expecting a non-anime post, please accept my sincere apologies as today is no different.

I'd like to introduce today, Shaft. An animation studio that has either done the animation for many series or at least had their hands deep in others.

The main ones I want to bring up are: Sayonara Zetusubou Sensei (Finished the first series) and Bakemonotargai (I'm currently on episode 10).

If you've read some of my anime related posts, you know that animation quality is a huge factor for me when watching anime and material done by Shaft never disappoints, but aside from quality is their style.

The most prominent feature is that Shaft may use "real life" images for effect such as someone's face or body part. You can see this below, which is a screencap from Bakemonogatari.

The use of "RL"

Another technique they use is written words/kanji. Sometimes it is used in conjuncture with images or it is simply written out as is. Screenshot is from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

Kanji used in conjuncture with other images

Another method, although common within many anime series is references to animes or known products.
Another screenshot from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.

Haruhi referenced in the top right.

The last thing, although I don't have pics for it is the opening sequences of Bakemonogatari. For many shows (not just anime) you'll hear a theme song and a sequence of pictures or video clips that go along with it and for most series, the song and clips only change once or twice. But for Bakemonogatari, these things change for every story arc. The opening sequence will be directly related to the main character of the arc the anime is currently focusing on.

So for that, I applaud Shaft for their quality and effort of animation.


I do not own or take credit for all of the above images, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

 Any animes done by Shaft you enjoy? What cool techniques have you seen done in animes or tv series?

Steins;Gate

But summer hasn't ended yet and I still have another series to share.

The main cast of Steins;Gate

This one was a close one. When I say that, I meant that I was close to dropping this one due to the animation quality (see previous post). During the first few episodes of this anime, the quality of how the characters (mostly the face and eyes) were drawn were done very poorly but what kept me going was the concept of the plot.

Steins;Gate the anime came out in April and is still ongoing (set for 23 episodes which mark the finale on Sept. 7).  It features: Okabe, a self-proclaimed mad scientist, Mayuri, a girl who is portrayed as innocent and pure, and Itaru, an otaku and a "Super Hacker". The three of them (but mainly Okabe and Itaru) work on quirky inventions. They eventually create a microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past (dubbed D-Mail). As they explore the their device, they discover SERN, an organization that researches time travel, but SERN doesn't want anyone else to have time travel capabilities so Okabe and friends must avoid capture.

While trying not to spoil anything while explaining the plot, I've pretty much summed up the first 10 episodes or so. During those 10 episodes, we see Okabe recruit new members and trying out more experiments. But more importantly, those 10 episodes help develop each character into deep and possible likable characters.

I really can't guess how this will end as the series up until now has been full of twists and turns so I await the finale (and thankfully, it ends before school starts).

I do not own or take credit for all of the above images, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

Have you watched this series yet? How do you think this is going to end? Any animes you liked and want to share?

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai

It was inevitable, keeping with my namesake I had to go through a few anime series before summer ended.

The main characters of Ano Hi.

This series came out in April and finished airing in June by A-1 Studios. During the last few months of high school, a lot of my friends were talking about this one and given my free time over the summer, I gave it a try.

So why didn't I jump onto this series earlier? Well, I essentially stopped watching anime for 1 or 2 years just due to the quality of material that was coming out. Most animes were either just full of fan service (w/o a good plot) or had poor animation.

Luckily, a few episodes into Ano Hi, I was amazed by the animation quality and the tight story line. The plot is fairly simple. A group of 6 childhood friends drift apart over the years after Menma, who used to be in the group dies from an accident. Jintan (in the red t-shirt in the above picture) is a shut in (essentially a NEET as he hasn't been in school for a semester) when one day, Menma (the girl in the one piece white dress in the picture) appears to Jintan. Menma supposedly appears because she has a wish that needs to be fulfilled before she can rest in peace.

As Jintan tries to find out what her wish is, the 5 childhood friends get back together. As we witness the 5 friends interact with each other and deal with the re-appearance of Menma (although only Jintan can see and hear Menma) the true emotions and characteristics of the 5 other friends are revealed.

This is an 11 episode series and has a satisfying conclusion. This anime is filled with drama and deals with multiple love triangles. All I can say is get some tissues ready because it gets emotional at times.

One of my favourite tracks from the anime

I do not own or take credit for all of the above images or videos, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

Have you watched this series yet? If you have, what's your opinion of Yukiatsu? (I personally hate his guts")
Any of the upcoming anime series of Fall 2011 look interesting?

Back to School Laptops

It's that time of year again, on for this year, my supplies list includes a laptop.

For the past few weeks, I've been browsing various laptops, and so far, I've come up with 3 laptops that may fit my needs.

The Asus A53SV-XN1

1.) Newegg.ca - ASUS A53 Series A53SV-XN1 Notebook Intel Core i5 2410M(2.30GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory DDR3 1333 750GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
ASUS A53 Series A53SV-XN1
Price: $750.00
CPU: Intel Core i5 2410M(2.30GHz)
RAM: 6GB Memory DDR3 1333
GPU: Nvidia GT 540M
HDD: 750 GB (7200 RPM)
Screen: 15.6"
Res: 1366x768 

The MSI FX620DX-256US

2.) Newegg.ca - MSI FX620DX-256US Notebook Intel Core i5 2410M(2.30GHz) 15.6" 6GB Memory 640GB HDD DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
Price: $730.00
CPU: Intel Core i5 2410M(2.30GHz)
RAM: 6GB Memory DDR3
GPU: Nvidia GT 540M
HDD: 640 GB (??? RPM)
Screen: 15.6"
Res: 1366x768

The Asus A53SV-XTI

3.) Buy the ASUS A53SV-XT1 15.6 Laptop Computer at TigerDirect.ca
Price: $770.00
CPU: Intel Core i7-2630QM 2.0GHz
RAM: 4GB Memory DDR3
GPU: Nvidia GT 540M
HDD: 500GB (5400 RPM)
Screen: 15.6"
Res: 1366x768 

I guess the differences are the CPU (i5 2410 vs i72630, and the ram, 6 GB for i5 vs 4 GB for i7, and the HDD 5400 vs 7200). Anyone care to comment on these things?

I do not own or take credit for all of the above images and wideos, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

Which laptop out of the 3 would you choose? What laptop do you use? Any recommendations for any specific laptop or brand or specs?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Just two days ago, Valve officially announced that a new Counter-Strike will come out.

It is said that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will be out in early 2012. Not much is known about it yet (besides for the few that play tested it) but there will be new characters, maps, weapons and map updates to some of the more popular maps such as "de_dust".

If Valve were to make a sequel to CS:S, it would be now. Even though CS:S is 7 years old, it is still going strong and it seems like a great idea to capitalize using a sequel instead of letting the light burn out.


Are you excited by the news of a new "Counter-Strike"? What FPSs are you playing in the mean time?

Life Sized De_Dust?

Keeping with my seemingly unintentional "video game" themed post for the past week, there is hope that a life sized de_dust will be created!

De_dust, a popular map in the FPS, "Counter-Strike"

I know for some, this is old news (early June to be exact) but for me (as I just found this out) is pretty exciting news. Aram Bartholl is or will be the man responsible for this ambitious project measuring 115 x 110 x 15 metres. But for now though, he has a 1:250 scale model made out of plastic (see below). The final 1:1 piece will be created in full concrete with no colour or textures.

The 1:250 scale model

Bartholl's intention is to create both an art piece and a "walking museum".

Bartholl has worked on various projects such as the "Google Map Project:"

Making landmarks look like "Google Maps"

I do not own or take credit for all of the above images, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

What do you think of this de_dust project? Would you have chosen something else to better represent the gaming culture?

Atom Zombie Smasher

A unique zombie game that forces players to strategically manage resources instead of just pointing and clicking.

Gameplay screenshot of Atom Zombie Smasher

For those that did purchase Humble Bundle #3, I recommend giving this one a definite try. For those that are interested but didn't get the Bundle, you can download the demo (On Windows, Mac and Linux) on Blendo's website at http://blendogames.com/atomzombiesmasher/.

For starters, the above screenshot doesn't do this game justice because the game cannot be summed up in just one picture. The gameplay is an ongoing management frenzy of an ever changing circumstances. The object of the game is simple, either kill all the zombies (or Zed as they are called in this game). To aid you in your mission, you are given a helicopter to evacuate civilians and certain mercenaries. These range from infantry soldiers, mines, dynamite roadblocks and more. The strategy comes in when you realize that some of these mercs aren't always available (if you play without mods) and you have to make due with what you're given. This is definitely a game where you need to pick your battles and know when to surrender.

Replay value in this game is definitely high as the "terrain" is always different and you can always experiment with different combination of mercs.

You can get this game now from Blendo or on steam.


I do not own or take credit for all of the above images, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.


Have you played Atom Zombie Smasher yet? How is it?

Humble Bundle #3

It's not too late yet, you have one last day to get Humble Indie Bundle #3!

The original 5 games of Humble Bundle 3 (2 more have been added)

This will mark the 3rd pack of indie games where you pay what you want. This is a great chance for people to support indie developers and charity!

As added bonuses, 2 additional games have been added to the bundle (Steel Storm & Atom Zombie Smasher). But they aren't done yet, if you pay more than the average purchase price of Humble Bundle #3, you can get the 5 games included in Humble Bundle #3. That's over 13 games for a great bargain.

You can also link these games to your steam account, especially if you want to do those achievements.

Don't miss out, you can get it at http://www.humblebundle.com/

I do not own or take credit for all of the above images, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

Have you played any of the games? What indie games have you enjoyed?

Most Memorable Television Commercials

Today, I present you the top 5 television commercials that seem to be stuck in my head (probably due to repetitive or unique marketing).

5. McDonalds

I don't care what channel I'm watching or what product they're now advertising such as their new happy meal the the "McRib" it just sticks to my head. They just seem to be everywhere.

4. Old Spice

Probably one of the first commercials that I've seen that successfully utilized social media and the viral element of marketing. But it seems like Isaiah Mustafa (the actor in the commercial) got more popular than the product itself.

3. US Army & Marines

There's strong, and there's army strong.

2. Corona

Most of them are very interesting, but in combination with the frequent broadcast of them, they become stuck in my head.

1. Dos Equis

The Most Interesting Man in the World, need I say more?

I do not own or take credit for all of the above images and videos , if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

Which commercial have you seen is your most favorite or most memorable commercials?

Welcome to the NHK

As some of you may or may not know the meaning of NEET as my blog title, I can certainly tell you where I came up with it.

Well let's go back to the blog title. It's not just a play on words, but NEET actually stands for "Not Employed, Educated or in Training" and that is exactly what this anime revolves around.

Released back in 2006 for a running of 24 episodes, follows Tatsuhiro Sato. He is a hikikomori (someone that has withdrawn from social life and lives in a degree of confinement) and has been unemployed for several years. In addition, he is a university drop out.

Luckily for Sato, he meets a myserious girl, Misaki Nakahara who says she can cure Sato of his ways. She makes Sato sign a contract which obligates Sato to meet Nakahara every evening in a park for a discussion/lecture on his lifestyle.

I probably made this anime sound boring but you have to watch this. I think I actually finished the series all in one day because I found this so touching.

And as with other animes I recommend, this one also has a fantastic OST.
You can check out the OP of this anime in the video below.

Round Table does some fantastic music

I do not own or take credit for all of the above images and wideos, if you would like them to be taken down, please message me.

Anyways, if you've watched it, what's your opinion on it? How long can you watch something in one sitting?