GetBackers

GetBackers is a manga series written by Yuya Aoki and illustrated by Rando Ayamine. The manga was adapted into an animated television series in 2002. The series tells the story of Ginji Amano and Ban Mido, a pair of super powered individuals known as the GetBackers. The duo operates a freelance repossession service, their job is to recover any lost or stolen item for a client with an “almost 100% success rate” for certain amount fee. The plot mostly revolves around their adventures, often complicated by the pair's convoluted, individual pasts and a mysterious place known as the Infinity Fortress.

Ban possesses two special powers, the “Snake Bite” (his hands have a gripping power of 200kg) and the “Evil Eye” (anyone who looks into his eyes will be locked into a powerful and nightmarish hallucination). Ginji, on the other hand, has the ability to generate thousands of volts of electricity from his body. He was once the fearsome “Lightning Emperor” and the leader of a gang called The VOLTS in the Infinity Fortress. He received the title “Raitei” (literally, Lightning Emperor or Thunder Emperor) because of his ability.

They have some colleague like Hevn, she is the negotiator for the Getbackers, providing them with new, often dangerous, jobs. Even more ironic is that with the GetBacker’s money luck, they often end up getting no pay for any of Hevn’s dangerous jobs. And Natsumi, she was the GetBacker’s first client in the series and because of that Paul was introduced. He is the owner of the Honky Tonk, which is where the GetBackers often loiter and build up their tab. These people share good bonding to Ban and Ginji in their adventures and fights. Also adds happiness and excitement in the story.

Ban and Ginji claim a 100 percent success rate in returning lost or stolen property to its original owner. Their claims are put to the test in the series' first five episodes, as a high-school girl hires them to reclaim her precious handmade stuffed cat; a homeless man requests they rescue his daughter, who’s fallen into yakuza hands; and a wealthy businessman sends them to retrieve a stolen strongbox. The story became more intense when they encounter and fight against some equally talented freelance “transporters” who have been hired to defend the lockbox from the likes of Ginji and Ban. Among their enemies are “Dr. Jackal”, a quick-moving sadist who can manifest razor-sharp weapons out of his bare hands, and “Lady Poison”, a girl with phenomenal chemical weapons and a secret connection with Ban.

Then the next episode would then mainly revolve around the Mugenjou (Infinite Castle) and the battles that Ginji and Ban went through inside it, trying to solve its puzzle and mystery while at the same time saving the friends Ginji had there. A lot of philosophy about existence would surface later.

GetBackers is a lively, colorful series, with a lot of intense, graphic action and nicely animated motion, but the clear sense is that Ginji and Ban are both deeply tragic figures with a great deal of history. Ginji was once a feared gang leader, which leads to oblique flashbacks in which shadowy figures describe him as an “invincible being” and “the emperor of this limitless fortress”. Ban’s connection to Lady Poison, aka Himiko, spawned a complicated grudge that seems to stem from an even more complicated promise. Even the first meeting between Ginji and Ban is briefly hinted at in an explosive-looking scene that sets the stage for intense drama to come.

This anime is a composition of action, drama, romance and comedy. Also it shows good moral value and the importance of friendship. The story has lots of twist and turn that add to its spice.

Hellboy II

Since Hellboy II: The Golden Army it's opening today
I thought it would be nice to have something related to it.
So there...based on a Mignola sketch, but much more simplified.

Update (7-12-08' - 2:41 am)
You are not going to believe what happened today.
I went to see Hellboy II at the Arclight in Sherman Oaks at the 8:30 pm show.
I had a one sheet print out of my tickets, but I thought I get the individual printed tickets when I get there just in case Adriana was late. Adriana was one of my party of five along with Laysha, Laurie and Paul. She is always late.
When I went to do that the operations manager pull me to the side and told me Guillermo Del Toro himself was going to be there for that screening and that he chose those particular seats himself. I guess I got the best seats in the house. We got separate re-assigned seats for that show-time, one on each corner of the theatre, the only unpleasant part of the evening.
So...to make it up to us for the inconvenience they gave us a full refund, a free cool bag full of Hellboy merchandise, including a poster drawn by Mike Mignola, autographed by Guillermo Del Toro, Ron Perlman and Doug Jones.
Oh, and it gets better, we went to dinner at the Arclight Cafe and Guillermo Del Toro and his wife got seated in a table next to us. Obviously we went to talk to him after dinner like the good geeks that we are. He was super cool and nice, very down to earth. Since I'm from Argentina I got to talk to him in spanish and told him I want him to direct my Sci Fi epic Terranova and gave him my last business card. After telling him about our re-assigned seating adventure he even offer to get those seats back to us, because he wasn't going to be at the screening after all. But a lying son a bitch dude that works there said those seats were for the people responsible for the FX in the movie. Whatever...if it wasn't for that I would never meet one of my favorite directors.
We watched the movie and I thought it was awesome. Following the screening was a Q&A with the director. I even got the microphone and got to ask my question.
Like the Simpsons Comic Book Guy would say...best movie night ever!

Fashion Girl

Another girly drawing from back in the day.
I was inspired by my co-worker Shane Glines that day, and I made this sorry ass Shane girly drawing imitation.
All thou, I like the way the jacket texture looks.

Batman Beyond

I was surfing the internet and I bumped into this image.
Ironically I made this myself to advertise the show back in the late nineties.
Since the Dark Knight opens July 18 I thought it was a proper image to post.
And for those cartoon illiterate people Batman Beyond (known as Batman of the Future in Europe, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and India) is an American animated television series created by The WB Television Network in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy.
Batman Beyond began airing on January 10, 1999 and ended its run on December 18, 2001. With 52 episodes and one direct-to-video movie under its belt, the series was then put on hold for the new Justice League animated series.