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Something to Watch: Discs

In Movies we get IP Man 3, which completes the story of the man who became a legend in the Martial Arts community for much more than training Bruce Lee. Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon is a documentary you have to see if you appreciate comedy, covering them from the 70s through the 90s. The animated feature film Norm of the North is also being released on disc this week.

In Anime, ALDNOAH.ZERO: Set 4 brings the conclusion of the war between terrestrial humanity and the VERS, and sets the stage for mankind’s next venture to the stars. It is a smart series which doesn’t mind breaking some standard Anime tropes. Black Butler: Book of Circus is season 3 of the adventures of the demonic Butler and the woman he serves. This time they go undercover in a Circus to learn what is happening to the children who disappear when it comes to town. Finally Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories brings season 1 and 2 together in a single boxed set, with all 3 seasons currently streaming.

Vianka

The band Vianka are playing a musical style known as Shimokitazawa Guitar Rock, a neighborhood of Tokyo that rose up and became the center of Japanese Indie music in the 90s, and continues to hold that place today. The first track is Sympathy of Only One, and I find myself loving it as much for the excellent animation work as I do for the music. It was posted at the beginning of March, and is from their first EP under their new name (the band used to be known as Bianca Decided to Die). The second track is Kagome, also from that same EP; sadly they haven’t posted the 3rd and 4th tracks yet. They were featured in an episode of the Colony TV show, which showcases the best musical acts coming out of Hokkaido. They have a live music performance by the band being interviewed each week, but I left it as a link rather than an embed because you have to wade through an hour of interview to get to the 15 minutes of music. Had the interview been in English I would have included it.

Something to Stream: Asterisk War

Season 2 of the Asterisk War is now streaming, with the competition at the Festas heating up. Combat as spectacle, pitting the schools against each other, with the prize going to the last team standing. Our protagonists are facing ever deadlier opponents with each new round, and already within the first few episodes we are introduced to a new school and the mastermind behind them. This one has new episodes each Saturday morning; tomorrow morning we will get episode 3.

New Fantastic Beasts trailer

The new J.K. Rowling story, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, moves the Harry Potter universe forward in time by a generation or two, and the latest trailer shows what Magic in 1926 New York might look like. Personally, I am hoping she dives in and does a new entire series with them, but even if it is a one off I will take it and be grateful. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be on the big screen in November, and I will definitely be in the audience on opening day.