We started out our lovely Guy Fawkes Day with an explanation from our resident cruise director Misato:

"Guy Fawkes and other conspirators tried to blow up a British Parliament Building in 1605. After being apprehended they were convicted and beheaded in 1606. November 5th is now celebrated as the anniversary of the plot. It is also celebrated as a national day of thanksgiving by setting bonfires and burning Guy Fawkes in effigy."

Here she was careful to note: "By the way, they burn a scarecrow, not a person."

Misato learned about this legitimate British holiday in a romance novel. (You never know where you are going to find useful information). Kasumi had learned about Guy Fawkes Day as a child in school.

Both Shinji-kun and I thought this was a strange concept for a holiday, but being the people that we are, will not pass up a chance to celebrate. I asked what one does to decorate and celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, which Kasumi was more than helpful in educating me in, where she filled me in on what she does:

"Well at our house we don't burn the effigies...we make little marshmallow men and let the kids gather around a toastie fall fire and roast them singing Guy Fawkes Day Carols. For extra fun there's the Guy Fawkes Gingerbread men and be sure to hang the Fawkes wreath on your door. It's a good thing."

Shouryu was also able to share with us some of his memories on the subject as well as a rhyme:

"I have fond memories of celebrating Guy Fawkes Day during my youth in England. Of course, as I recall, using the term "Guy Fawkes Day" is far less common than simply referring to it as November the Fifth (much in the same way that the majority of Americans don't say Independence Day...we say The Fourth of July).

"It was pretty cool lighting off fireworks (which was also customary...dunno why...but everyone did it), and the towns often pick a large open field (a school playground once served our site) to burn the massive scarecrow. I swear, one year, that thing had to be fifteen feet tall! (Of course, when you're six, everything looks bigger than it is.)

"I leave you with a terribly corny rhyme I learned over there...

"November the Fifth has come and gone
But thoughts of it still linger
I ate a sausage I'd held in my hand
Has anybody seen my finger?

"(Actually, they didn't use the word 'sausage,' but rather, 'banger,' which, if you didn't know, is how Brits refer to fried, tubed meat products.)"

And with that, I conclude one very strange holiday report...

It was almost two weeks ago from the time that I write this. The question was posed to those of us at the Fan Forums: "Who didn't know what Swedish Fish were?"

I knew what they were - it was no mystery to me. They were a common sight in the various bins in mass candy stores in malls across the United States. Usually my trips to these confectioners lead me to the bins containing the various flavors of Jelly Bellies, on which I usually procure a pound or two of my favorite variety. (Dr. Pepper has superceded cappuccino recently, while pink grapefruit and chocolate pudding remain old standards that inhabit the bag.) On my last major Jelly Belly purchase (in Dallas), a handful of young ladies from the Skywriter Colorguard Corp decided it would be fun to steal the bag and play Keep Away From the Grad Assistant. My own fault, I suppose, since I insisted on carrying the bag on my head. It was an easy target...but I digress.

I have been to mall candy stores in many, many places. Los Angeles, Dallas, Colorado Springs, Denver, Baltimore, Washington DC, Selma (it's in Alabama), New Orleans, Reno, Tucson, and of course El Paso and Las Cruces. Swedish Fish are a common, common site. More often than not, they will be found in the gummy section of the sweet shop, surrounded by sweet and sour versions of worms, strawberries, peaches, bears, sharks, cherries, letters, numbers, and soda bottles. (I confess that I am a rather fervent fan of Hairbo gummy cola bottles as well...preferably in the smaller size as to allow plenty of mouth room to chew.) The fish themselves often come in two separate bins, one for assorted (red, orange, yellow, green), and one for the red variety. Being a driven person, I have always noted their existence, but had never sampled them. When I shop, I tend not to browse, but rather I know what I want, get that, and leave.

But the question had been posed. A website had even been posted, citing Red Swedish Fish as an evil, addictive force. My curiosity had been sparked. I journeyed to the Mesilla Valley Mall and made my way to the sweet shop. Candy Craze, despite being located in what many would call a small town (approximately 90,000 people), is by far, the most clever at marketing their candy. In just about every other candy store, the feel is either rustic and woody (almost westernish), or overly happy and rainbowish, with bright blue or red walls, or some other annoying color. Not Candy Craze...the store is WHITE - floors, counters, walls, ceiling. It looks absolutely sterile, and the lighting inside is brighter than any other store in the mall, and the contrast is made stronger by the white decor. It is the CANDY that provides the only color, and as a result, your attention is drawn to the candy, and the candy alone. If you are distracted, it is by another kind of candy. In the far left corner is a bin that is remarkably red. It is filled with Swedish Fish. With a suspicious mind, I pick up a sack and move straight for the bin.

The sack is filled with half a pound of Red Swedish Fish and a few of the previously mentioned cola bottles, costing me just under three dollars. As I left the confectioner, I reached into the sack to retrieve one of the fish. It was not quite the same as any gummy candy I had encountered. Rather than simply being pliable and elastic, it was actually simply ... jam-like, but with a slightly toughened exterior, no doubt from air exposure. A moderate push with my thumb would disfigure the fish, and rather than return to its previous shape, it would stay disfigured. Enough playing, my tongue whispered to me. And so I bit into the fish gingerly.

As I chewed, the flavor revealed itself to me. Somewhere in between artificial strawberry and artificial cherry, but not simply sweet...rather, tangy...almost spicy. Wanting to continue the evaluation, I dropped the other half of the fish in mouth as I neared the mall exit. Another fish had been consumed by the time I had gotten to my car, and by the time I walked through the front door of my apartment, half the bag had been inhaled. I realized that I was now in trouble. I set the sack near the television and did my best to ignore. But daily, it called to me, and at least two were consumed each night.

Four nights ago, the bag emptied. Three days ago, I purchased a full pound of Swedish Fish - three quarters of which are red. The green are fairly satisfying, and the orange are good as well, but the yellow are fairly unpalatable. But still, it is the red ones that draw me. Even now, as I write this, I am eating them. And God help me...I don't think I can ever stop myself.

Anime Fans Upset

As many of you know when you try to get to the old Anipike site you are sent instead to the American Cancer Society. This has caused a large number of calls to be directed to that charitable organization, and it isn't about donations. Fans have evidently been less then flattering when contacting the ACS. The folks at Anipike have been contacted about this and wish everyone to know that the ACS did not steal their domain. The problem is that there is a DNS error running through the system and they are working on getting the problem fixed. This might be a good opportunity for anime fans to drop a small donation to the American Cancer Society.

Anime Toonz CD Hits 3,000 Mark

The Anime Toonz CD soundtrack featuring Kikuko Inoue has sold about 3,000 units according to Jelly Bean representatives since it's release last spring. They are hoping for future releases featuring other well-known artists. However, production and release of these could be some time down the road as the company is hoping first to break even on this first project.

Can You Say Pokemon?

Downtown New York City may never be the same. Located at 10 Rockefeller Plaza (48th Street between 5th and 6th Ave.) a 13,000 square foot retail store is opening for all you Pokemon fans. They will be carrying a large amount of exclusive merchandise available only through the store and on it's website, Pokemon Center.Com. In fact 40% of the stores 2,500 items can be obtained here.

The store will offer a vast array of sound and light shows and life-size robotic Pokemon characters in its windows. It will also have a gaming room, where customers can try out the latest Pokemon games on both Nintendo's GameCube and Nintendo 64 platforms. The store will also feature an "Ultra Pokedex," a giant-sized screen and control pad that enables users to obtain information about all 251 Pokemon characters.

Bits and Pieces

* Pioneer has announced that it will be releasing one of the Card Captor Sakura movies next spring. There is no information as to which one.
* Cartoon Network has announced that the Tenchi Muyo OAV and Tenchi Universe, plus Big O will be returning to the Toonami line-up in December.
* Fox Kid's has announced that it will be dropping all animation offerings from Monday to Friday after December 31st.
* Pioneer has announced a delay in the Tenchi Muyo Pretty Sammy DVD release that was scheduled for February 12th. No new date has been given for release.

DVDs:
12/1 Bubblegum Crash
12/4 Sakura Diaries Collector's Edition
12/4 Video Girl Ai
12/11 Dragon Ball Z 29: "Frieza: Namek's End"
12/11 Robotech 9: "Masters: Counterattack"
12/11 Robotech 10: "Masters: The Final Solution"
12/11 Robotech Box 5 "Masters: Robotech Legacy"
12/18 Big O
12/18 Nadia, Secret of the Blue Water 5: "Nemo's Fortress"
12/31 Otaku no Video

VHS:
12/18 Dragon Ball Z 69 dub: "Majin Buu: The Hatching"
12/18 Dragon Ball Z 70 dub: "Majin Buu: Atonement"
12/18 Nadia, Secret of the Blue Water 5 dub: "Nemo's Fortress"

Graphic Novels:
12/7 Gundam MS Gundam 0079 Vol. 1
12/7 Inu-Yasha Vol. 10
12/14 Dragonball Z Vol. 7
12/14 Utena Vol. 1
12/21 Gundam MS Gundam 0079 Vol. 2

Magical girl stories can get a bad rap sometimes. True, sometimes they deserve it (case in point- DEVIL HUNTER YOHKO), but we can't just let the bad ones turn us off to the genre as a whole. Although they're often too melodramatic, too predictable, or too simple, magical girl stories stay around for a very simple reason- they're just right.

Really. Amidst the serious dramas and the cutesy cartoons, magical girl anime is a comfortable, engaging median for girls (and even a few brave guys) who want to read a story where the good girls win, the bad guys lose, a couple people die and there's an adorable, improbable pet to cuddle in between.

One of my own personal fantasies involves bounding around my neighborhood, wand in hand, clad in an elaborate, colorful costume, beating the crud out of whatever monster comes my way (and, occasionally, some of the boys at school). However, since it is highly unlikely I will ever happen upon some magical amulet or something of the sort, I enjoy losing myself in the exploits of the Sailor Scouts/Senshi, Pretty Sammy, and, best of all, the girls of Magic Knight Rayearth.

I especially enjoy this last one because of the fact that the girls- an out-of-touch technical genius, a shallow popular girl, and an idealistic tomboy- are both powerful and powerless, in control of their destinies and guided by fate's blind hand, and you feel it right along with them (plus they're so cute you could eat them with a spoon). The girls are groomed throughout the first half of the story to become "Legendary Magic Knights", only to find that, in the end, they're supposed to be something far less cheerful and much more tragic. You feel shocked, confused, even outraged by the "trick" ending of the first season, and every bit as jumbled as the characters themselves do. This is what good storytelling is supposed to do, and it can only happen with an excellent story.

One of the advantages to magical girl anime is that, when the going gets tough, the tough take a snack break ("More tea?" "Why, thank you!"). The informal, almost distracted style dictated by the genre allows the authors to break a truly tense moment and scratch really melodramatic scenes (except for the required "Battle Royal" at the end, which must serve as a climax), thus enabling the reader to experience a story can be best described as a "romp", while sometimes managing to get a point or two across in the process. But maybe the most overlooked virtue of magical girl anime is its engulfing tendency. In stressful times like these, fantasy is one of the best ways you can lose yourself- try forgetting your troubles and sinking into a story where all the wars can be solved with a kiss, a smile and a flower. You'll thank yourself. Besides- How can you go wrong in a world created by a marshmallow with bunny ears?

I'm sure this will draw the ire of some fellow board members, but I think I'll write on it anyway: Sailor Moon.

Okay, I heard that.

Truth be told, I'm willing to bet there are plenty of people on the board who know more about this topic than me, or at least more than they're telling. Heck, I'm not even completely sure if Sailor Moon is supposed to be one word or two. No, I don't know about what happens in which season or n what order, or anything of that complicated nature. All I've been able to gather is the sum amount of a couple dozen episodes on TV, two movies, a couple volumes of manga, and way too many websites.

But, it was Sailor Moon, however, that did drag me into anime, and I wouldn't be here writing this if it wasn't for that.

At the mention of seeing episodes on TV, I imagine a certain degree of infidelity has been betrayed. Yes, I have heard that North American syndication has done worse to other series, but, I tend to live by a certain rule as far as anime goes: I take what I can get. I won't be picky with sub vs. dub, whatever's in the store is good enough for me. Blasphemy? Maybe.

Anyway, on with the story. I was in middle school at the time I saw my first episode. As much as I liked it, I wasn't hooked... despite my tendency to add "¡Viva Sailor Moon!" to the end of my essays in Spanish class. My teacher did have a sense of humor, in case you were wondering.

Just as I started to watch regularly, the show got cancelled. Of course. Well, okay, it didn't exactly get cancelled, but it moved to Cartoon Network, which my town's cable service didn't supply until recently. More on that later.

On the whole, I will admit the show has faults and great faults at that. First and foremost: its repetitive plots. The episodes in each season basically tend to be clones of each other. If you aren't committed to liking this show, you will grow bored awfully quick.

The second problem I would like to address: why is it that the Sailor Scouts seem to be powerless until Tuxedo Mask shows up? What's the message this is giving us? That women are powerless without their men? Please. I'd hate to think that this is what they're trying to get young girls to think.

Truth be told, I do like the show. And on my denim jacket, amidst all the buttons for The Clash, The Jam, The Who, Devo, and others, I still have a Sailor Moon button.

But hey, don't listen to me. Form your own opinions.

KasumiTen

Misato
misato@animeinfo.org

Asuka-chan
asuka@animeinfo.org