Sky's No Limit for "One Piece" Third Season!

Originally Posted at Toon Zone 03-01-2011

One Piece Third Season has the show reaching for the sky, which was a relief for both myself and you, the dear reader; with any luck it will save you from another One Piece review filled with the usual load of half-baked sea-faring puns. This time you've got half-baked sky puns instead. How lucky are you?

Before I begin, I must clarify this review was mildly hindered by what I would call a pirate of the Post Office, and the first screener was lost to some m'hearty ho-ho-ho and a bottle of rum bastard. But I have since managed to watch the episodes on the boxset, which in the case of the Skypiea arc is more than necessary.

Third Season Voyages One, Two, Three and Four take the crew of the Going Merry into and through the giant Skypiea arc. As such, I'd say if you're new to One Piece, you really need to get all four box sets to enjoy the full depth of this tale. As I mentioned, the first screener was lost to me, and I did try to start on the Third Season Second Voyage box set, but it was very hard to get into the story from that opening episode. Not impossible, but this is a story that really requires you purchases all four segments.

"So what the hell is the story?" I hear you cry, waving that plastic cutlass and pinging your false eye-patch. Well let me divulge, m'hearties.

After suffering one of the Straw-hats usual rum encounters, in this case, a large ship falling on top of them from the clouds, Luffy gets it into his head that he wants to find Sky Island, a place of legend, a place – unsurprisingly – set high in the clouds. Much to Nami's disgust, the crew seem to go along with this lunacy, and the first box set is very much the prelude to their discovery of this world above the blue sea.

The second box set, contrary to the opinion of those suffering narrative blindness, opens with the crew having reached Skypiea and branded criminals. From here they find themselves thrust into trails and sacrifices in the name of god Eneru.

The third boxset sees the Straw-Hats battling the trials of the priests of Eneru and an all out civil war in the clouds. The Straw-hats go searching for a fabled gold city while having to face off both sides of the civil conflict as well as the god Eneru himself. Finally the forth boxset takes the war onto a new level of epic as the civil unrest gives way to Eneru's sky armageddon resulting in a spectacular conclusion and heart-felt slither of backstory.

It's a rather incredible tale that doesn't tip-toe around theological icons, but neither does it particularly acknowledge any in great depth. The question of whether the people of the sky are angels, or whether Eneru is God, is adeptly handled, used solely as an early narrative mystery rather than explored in any really profound way.

That is not to say the story is superficial nor shallow, nor that the question of whether the crew are up against God is passed by. These questions are neither milked or danced around, leaving One Piece to explore a story arc that Western cartoons might be a little uncomfortable with, but without feeling out of sorts. This is One Piece through and through.

After quite a few light simple stories and story arcs, the return to the epic adventure is welcome. I enjoyed the smaller tales of the later Second Season, particularly after the dense and colourful action of Alabasta, but now it felt like the time to enjoy something deeper. The story of the Sky isn't as politically real nor as emotionally driven as Alabasta, nor does it explore such a rich and complex society, but One Piece's talent is to take the show into different modes without feeling inconsistent. Yes, this story erupts into civil war like Alabasta; yes, it carries the usual mix of absurd adversaries, each a milestone towards the final battle. But beyond that it doesn't follow the same rules.

Simply said, well over one hundred episodes in, closer to two hundred, and One Piece still feels fresh.

How so? It plays with character dynamics for a start, splitting the characters off into less usual groupings: several times we see the groups split into different teams, letting the heroes bounce off each other in different ways. Robin, of course, is the latest crew member and has really had little time devoted to her. This arc gives Robin scope to push on in her own personal tale and get her squarely into some action.

Do we see any real changes to the group? Well, Nami feels a lot more isolated in this arc, fighting against her captain and fate with equal futility. Chopper is depicted as being far more cowardly than before, making even Ussop seem a hero in comparison, despite Chopper's devil fruit powers. If there is any criticism in this story it's perhaps the overly desperate need to keep Luffy out of the action. Alabasta de-powered Luffy by playing him in an environment he had no experience over, and in this story he tends to spend most of it in the wrong place, lost or trapped. One could argue that this all adds to the tension, while others might suggest it creates a feeling of contrivance. This is particularly prevalant in box sets three and four. We're talking large segments of Luffy being kept out of the story. In fact, it was particularly interesting to see Luffy's frustrating vine entrapment on box set four given the forewarning voice actress Clinkenbeard gave us on one of the second season's commentaries. Yes Colleen, now that I've seen it, I share your pain.

Which leads us to the commentaries and the box sets themselves. As always, each box set is neatly presented with one episode commentary and a "marathon" feature for those who like to take their episodes in one gulp. The presentation is simple and effective, though I wish the disk numbers were a little less teeny!

As for the commentaries themselves, they remain lightweight fun. Commentaries by dub teams can be a hit-and-miss affair. The US staff aren't involved in the creation of the show, which limits a great deal of the insight they can offer into characters and backgrounds. But that's not to say these aren't worth listening to, simply that if you've been following the One Piece commentaries you'll be familiar with some of the questions being asked. That being said, with the Skypiea arc being the first One Piece story the US crew worked on, there is some fresh material here for veteran commentary listeners. However, subject matter isn't really the meat of any of these commentaries. It's fortunate One Piece has such a vibrant and candid cast and crew to keep the commentaries entertaining regardless of the topic. I very much enjoyed hearing the perspective of relative Straw-Hat newbie Stephanie Young (Robin) on the Second Voyage set, and the Fourth Voyage set has a great, funny slice of banter between ADR Director Michael McFarland, John Michael Tatum (Eneru) and Colleen Clinkenbeard (Luffy).

So again, One Piece does good. I have to say I never noticed any massive changes in quality between this new arc, given it was the US voice crew's first go at One Piece. It all feels consistent, which is testament to their skills. I listened to one box set on the Japanese dub, and as I've said before, One Piece is one of the few exceptions where I think the dub surpasses the original VA crew. The US team do a fantastic job at bringing these characters to life.

Third Season Voyages 1–4 are a fantastically addictive affair. Buying all four will give you the complete Skypiea story, and in my experience it's watchable for all. If there is one anime that you can probably get friends, lovers and family into, it's One Piece. I have an 84-year-old grandmother who actually watches these screeners! If you ever feel a need to explain your love for Japanese animation to any of those who mildly concerned with your addiction, One Piece is good material to defend your honour! You certainly couldn't go wrong with the Skypiea arc! Humourous, poignant, creative and filled with cliffhangers that have you craving for more. Give in to your reservations. They say every cloud has a silver lining, but the story of Skypiea suggests otherwise. Both figuratively and literally, the clouds of One Piece are pure gold.

An oldie, but still disturbs me to this day...

Mandalorian Dance
by PatrickBoivin

REVIEW: South Park Still Has Its Sparkle!

[ARTICLE written for Toon Zone News - 08-18-2008]

There are some laws you should never try to break. No man should try going faster than light; no dog should be for Christmas. And, of course, no show should continue past a seventh season and attempt to maintain credibility.

But oh no, as with all rules, there has to be one defiant exception; there has to be one pugnacious chap who stands in the corner and refuses to conform to social expectations.

And you can’t really get more defiant or pugnacious than South Park, Comedy Central’s long-running series, which has just had its eleventh season box set released.

For those who have just stepped out of a time capsule from the year 1996, South Park is an award-winning, enigmatic animation comedy that fuses scatological hijinks with clever sociological quandaries, all played out on a smug bed of dramatic pastiche. It stars four young eight-year-old school kids who live in the small snow-coated town of South Park. Beyond this basic premise, everything is very much up for grabs, and anything in our global civilization is a target for mockery.

I must confess it’s a show I’ve always had mixed feelings about. I’ve never been a particular fan of shows that try shock or gross-out tactics. South Park, however, comes with an undercurrent of clever and devious writing that counterpoints the often simple shock value.

Season Eleven is no different. Each episode is sick, topical and surprisingly smart. You may not find all of their aspects funny, and you may not agree with the social commentary, but you can’t deny it's a very clever package that is a great deal deeper than most media outlets would like to presume.

If humor is subjective, South Park is doubly so. As creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone say on the mini-commentary for "More Crap," the episode you’ll probably either love or loathe, some humor you either get or you don’t. In this specific episode Randy’s need to "win" the title of largest defecation ever was not something I found shocking or funny—but I did find how the show used this simple story to send up Bono from U2. Quite often with South Park, if you get past the gross-out factor you'll find a well crafted idea lurking behind it, and this is certainly true throughout season eleven.

Perhaps season eleven's biggest blessing (or curse if you bought it on the standalone DVD) is "ImaginationLand," a three-part story that with its abundance of humorous fantasy pop-icons, smart pseudo-philosophy on the importance of imagination, and usual deluge of silly, sick antics, attains a near-perfect equilibrium.

And the duds? Well for me, South Park fails when it over-focuses on its pop-culture send up. The 24-inspired episode "The Snuke" is just a little too focused on its subject matter to carry its usual dynamic energy, and some of the gags are a little routine for South Park. (Hillary Clinton is yet another female celebrity in South Park to have her genitalia as the gag?) That said, it has a great final Cartman scene that very much twists any sensible message the show was offering. "D-Yikes" again is an episode that falls a little flat, spending too much time mocking 300 than in delivering the gags.

But overall, it's a good season offering all the usual kinds of South Park stuff that I’ve come to enjoy over the last eleven years.

The DVD set is a simple yet effective affair. The box set is neatly packaged and the interactive menus aren’t overtly invasive. Less successful are the ten-minute mini-commentaries that Trey and Matt offer on each episode. On one hand, it’s nice to have concise commentaries devoid of pointless waffle; on the other hand, Trey and Matt are interesting, funny and extremely relevant to the show’s production. Bottom line: the commentaries are very tasty but too short.

I’m a little surprised and perhaps a tad irritated that South Park could remain so good for so long. A show I once predicted to be a passing fad has managed to remain fresh, relevant and, most importantly, funny. I’m not sure how they manage to do it, but I don’t see any real loss of quality in this South Park nugget.

As perceptive as it is childish, South Park is content to stride confidently onward: smirking, farting and ridiculing the world around it, while remaining as ugly and pugnacious as ever.

INTERVIEW: Storyboard Artist Jason Hanks

[Article Originally written for Cartoons Dammit - Feb 08]

Jason Hanks is an animation storyboard artist who has a prolific career working within the art department on such shows as Dr Strange, The Invincible Iron Man and Ultimate Avengers.

JAMES MCLEAN: First of all, for the benefit of the uninitiated, could you explain the roles of a storyboard artist?

JASON HANKS: The main role of the storyboard artist is to effectively convey a script into pictures to tell the story!

Could you tell us a little about your artistic background and by what route you fell into working as a storyboard artist?

I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil! I started to seriously study art at the age of 12 and fell in love with comics.

At the of age 17, my middle school teacher (whom I still keep in touch with) had me meet a friend of hers who loved my portfolio and got me my first job!

I stepped out of the art scene from ages 19 to 22 for one reason or another - but then I met up with my teacher's said friend again and he put me to work on a show called Roswell: Conspiracies for BKN! The rest is - as we say - history! I am very lucky with the work I have had in such a short amount of time. I am very grateful for all of the wonderful people I have met and worked with.

So the motto is to make sure you network as much as you can, right?

Absolutely! Networking is the key in this business! You can be the next Michaelangelo and all but if you don't get your stuff out there for everyone to see and make acquaintances... it just won't go anywhere.

What equipment to you use for storyboarding? Do you always use the same approach?

As far as equipment it's pretty usual stuff. The company gives me the paper, I use a 0.5 Pentel red-lead followed by 0.5 regular lead for the clean-up. Sometimes I will use a thicker lead for close ups (for instance, face-shots) and FG [foreground] elements. I use Prismacolor markers and AD markers for colors and effects. If requested, I'll occasionally use pen and ink. All of this stuff can be found at art supply stores. Oh, and I also use circle and oval ellipses and templates.

You've worked on several animation shows doing storyboard work - how has the work differed between shows, and how does discipline vary from studio to studio?

Every studio has a difference of opinion on how [story]boards need to be done and they most certainly have differences on how tight or loose they want those boards finished! Not to mention how "on model" things need to be. The most recent example of studio differences I have experienced is just how the sheer number of board pages can drastically change your life! Prepare yourself up for a lot of sleepless nights and almost alienating you family [laughs].

Sounds like it can be a little stressful! Could you take us through the process of one of your storyboards assignments?

There was this one time I was working on a show for about 15 episodes and things were working out great, but it was hard work. I was just finishing one storyboard when it hit me - I had just drawn 350 pages in less than a week!! A storyboard artist should understand that a story act of any show will be around 150-200 storyboards.. I wasn't expecting it to be 350 storyboards!

The problem was that if I took any stuff out of the script to cut down the amount of storyboards required I would have been probably booted from the show, so I just sent this monster workload after cleaning up the images the following week. They liked it so much that was I basically told to keep doing large page counts! In short, I had about 10 episodes to go with anywhere from 250 to 400 pages every 2 weeks! Needless to say that drawing was definitely my LIFE on that show! [laughs]

Was your work for the studios more often a lonely experience or a group one?

Oh definitely a group ordeal! We are all in the project together and if one guy slacks the rest of the group feels it! With deadlines to meet, if someone doesn't pull their weight it shows! If quality dips it also puts a lot of strain on the relationship with upper management and then the next thing you know, you don't have a job next season! It can be really scary like that!

Could you give us a quick run down on a day working as a storyboard artist?

First we get the scripts in, then we have a meeting, say, around 10 am to discuss the scripts. Soon it's lunch! After lunch, we finish the meeting on the script. Then we start working on the storyboards. We are pretty much left alone to work after the meeting and the assignments are given out. However that's just the process at the places I have worked. I know other studios can be different.

How do you find work as an animation storyboard artist

Well I work for TAG [The Animation Guild] now which helps me find any work I need, but in the beginning it was WHO I knew that helped me find the jobs. However being lucky with useful contacts can take you only so far because those people won't always be around. The best way is to call around the studio job hotlines and submitting a portfolio. It is a tough job to get into, I won't fool you on that, but if you're good, and you're determined, nothing can stop you doing becoming a storyboard artist!

Does being a storyboard artist mean you have to live near studios?

Well, I am always reminded by one person or another that I should move out to where the work is! A lot of the guys I know have apartments in Los Angeles and fly home on the weekends to be with their families. I did it for a while when I worked for the WB - very grueling at first but, you get use to it. I have been working at home for most of my career and love it. Sure, I would probably get more work If I were closer to the action but I have too much as it is and I am not complaining! Like I said, I am very lucky!

Is it worth it becoming a storyboard artist? Are the hours, graft and stress worth it at the end of the day?

It is!!! I can't think of anything better than telling stories with pencil drawings!

What advice would you give someone interested in storyboarding?

Advice? Hmmmmmm.

• Carry a sketch book - draw everything you see.

• Study your butt off with anatomy and fluidity of movement

• Don't care what others say or think about your work (unless it's your boss!)

• Take the critiques (good AND bad) well. Learn from them. Don't take feedback personally!

Do you need a natural ability to draw fast and accurately or do you think it can be learned?

Drawing fast is only part of it! Making things look like they have form is the important part. I was very slow when I started in storyboard clean-up - 2 pages an hour! [laughs] Now I am up to about 10 pages on average, but I can often draw 12 pages an hour! I'm not bragging, I am just demonstrating that with work, you will improve. It just takes time.

I think anyone can learn to draw. I haven't always shared this opinion, but as I see it now anybody can but it takes certain individuals to LOVE the work and dedicate themselves. Not everyone has that.

I would just like to add that you can do really want to become a storyboard artist - if it is really what you want to do, please, please, PLEASE don't cater to the style of the week disease we see so often in comics and art in general! Please, be yourself! That's not to say you shouldn't learn to adapt elements of what you like about another artist's work. There is a difference between copying and learning. Don't be afraid to try new things and always keep a positive attitude!

If you love to draw - nobody will be able to stop you, no matter what!

James would like to thank Jason for his time.

REVIEW: Mad For "Mushi-Shi

[Article written for Toon Zone News 1.15.08]

It sometimes seems that Japanese animation ranges over a smaller field than you might hope. Fighting. Big breasts. Confused young protagonists. Big breasts. Naive females with big breasts. More fighting. Comical sweat drops, big breasts and some more fighting for the sake of naive women with big breasts.

So if you've had enough of the ka-hooie ka-zookas that litter manga cartoons, come take a gander at FUNimation's Mushi-Shi (or in English, Mushi-Master). I spent the first chapter waiting for the young male protagonist, the silly battles, and the overlarge body bopples to appear. By and large, they didn't, which was a refreshing surprise.

So if it's not about the usual stuff, what is it about? That, it proves, is one of the beauties of Mushi-Shi—you really don't know what you're in for. Even after it starts, the show's enigmatic tone will keep you puzzled but expectant.

Basically, Mushi-Shi is a collection of individual tales centering on the mysterious Mushi-Master, Ginko. The Mushi themselves are a fairly vague entity, but they are, at their simplest, the closest thing there is to life in its purist form: a level of existence that transcends the mortal world and lives somewhere figuratively deep beneath it. Sometimes they are visible, sometimes they are not. How they affect the inhabitants of our world differs from story to story, as they are not one simple strain of life, but a pure form of life that has many facets and faces. They are neither good nor evil, but their existence can be a curse or blessing to those they infect or co-exist with. As a result, each tale in this collection centers on a different dilemma presented by the fusion of man and Mushi, one that often requires the Mushi-Master's intervention to strike a balance between the two. The result is something like a fairy tale, though without the vile enemies or earnest heroes.

Each story has its own special charm. "The Green Seat" (the opening story on volume 1) is a simple yet beautiful tale about a grandmother and grandson. "The Pillow Pathway" is a dark fairy tale with an Aesopian tone. "Tender Horns" and "The Light of the Eyelid" both feature children afflicted by Mushi with sensory damage, but the relationships within the two tales are very different. "The Traveling Swamp," though also the most Ginko-orientated fantasy on the first disc, is about a fantastical lady trapped in the moving Mushi-Swamp.

The third volume is just as consistent as the first at fusing fairy tale, tragedy and beauty in a unique and magical way, with "Inside the Cage," a beautiful yet bizarre tale that binds man, woman, and bamboo into one close knit mystery, possibly being my favourite episode on the two discs. The stories on volume three, meanwhile, begin to unravel some of the mysteries about Ginko, with "One Eyed Fish" pretty much laying bare the foundations of his character. If in retrospect it becomes less enchanting (you'd be Mushi in the head if you can't work out where it is going within the first ten minutes), it remains a poignant drama, and its substitution of tragedy for enigma in Ginko's character is a worthwhile exchange.

The stories don't come with much exposition. I find that adds to the show's magic, but others might be frustrated. Sometimes you just can't keep up: I defy anyone to watch "The Sleeping Mountain" and guess where it is going. And sometimes the questions remain even when the story is over; not everything will be clear the first time round.

The animation is magnificent throughout, with the direction and pace retaining a maturity that is rare in commercial animation. While the art and design is beautiful, you never feel it trying to overshadow the story. Only in "The Light of the Eyelid," when the animation, though still hand-drawn, begins to resemble computer imaging, do the visuals fall out of equilibrium. The music retains a dramatic subtlety, except for the Mushi-shi theme track which, while fairly gentle, lacks the subtlety found in the rest of the show. The Western vocal tracks are also good, with Ginko's VA in particular associating believably with the Japanese character.

Mushi-Shi Volume 1 comes lavishly packaged in a delightfully designed box that can hold the entire season; included also is a postcard and a wonderful booklet that explains in depth some the background and design in the show. Further volumes contain a free postcard and inlay booklet of the same style. The packaging retains the quality of initial starter pack. The interactive DVD mechanics are simple yet effective (as I like it), with two casual interviews (one with the voice actor for Ginko and one with the director), a peek around the production offices, the chance to listen to the opening and closing theme songs without text, and the obligatory trailers. In fact, the only liability is the mandatory single trailer at the beginning of each disk—you'll find no way to circumnavigate it.

I wish I knew more about Yuki Urushibara’s original. Quite how accurate this adaptation is, I don't know. But if the manga have anything near the series' quality (and being the original medium, I'm sure they do), they'd be well worth purchasing.

If you are looking for a gentle exploration of Japanese fantasy, Mushi-Shi is for you: mature in its storytelling yet with a childlike innocence to its content. With a consistent, earthy vision, Mushi-Shi is one of the more unique and enchanting animated series I've seen come out of Japan in a long time.

REVIEW: "Terra"ific Second Season DVD!

[Article for Toon Zone News - 29.01.07]

It’s no shock that Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans was hugely popular. True, its premiere was preceded by the usual fan freakouts, but once it aired, most of the skeptics got down off their soapboxes to watch a rather enjoyable new show. They were joined by a wealth of new fans who were enraptured by the new series’ bright colors, quick wit, and fast action.

The Warner Bros. Animation production was inspired by the long-running DC characters of the same name. The comic book version of the team has evolved over the years, but the cartoon went back to the basics. Teen Titans presented the original lineup of Robin (headstrong hero), Starfire (culture-shocked alien), Beast Boy (metamorph and comedy relief), Cyborg (hip heavy man) and Raven (goth in a cloak). Viewers were spellbound by their turbulent teen dynamics, as well as by the anime-infused visuals and oodles of comedy. It was a different and worthwhile take on the DC material.

Now we’ve been presented with Teen Titans: The Complete Second Season on DVD. No shocks here, either: it has all the episodes from that second season.

And you better get used to the lack of surprises, for there’s little here except those episodes: only a load of WHV adverts and a “Story So Far” montage of clips from previous episodes (and half of those are on the DVD itself). It even lacks chapter stops. This is not WHV's finest offering.

But it’s also no surprise that the episodes on this set are actually rather good. Season two was far stronger than season one, as it had a far tighter season arc featuring a potential sixth Titan: Terra.

It’s a serious story, full of tension, drama and creepiness. Head villain and quasi-stalker, Slade, plans to take Terra on as his new apprentice (he failed with Robin in the first season) and then turn her on the Titans—Terra's new friends. It's quite a dark story, and it’s definitely made more discomforting by the predatory strength shown by Slade himself. He has the stuff that nightmares are made of: he’s unstoppable and unrelenting. His role as a predatory adult male clearly mirrors some of the real-life male relationships kids and teens can suffer. I don’t know if it’s a comfort to those who suffer such parallels in real life to see such a controlling and powerful adult character in a teen drama, but there is something very real about Slade, and that makes the drama all the more powerful. Within that arc, "Betrayal" is a strong character episode, but "Aftershock" is the most riveting.

The stand-alone episodes are functional, though they sometimes seem to strain to find new dilemmas for the group. DC fans will note that “How Long is Forever?” has a guest appearance by Nightwing, and that the humorous “Date with Destiny” has Killer Moth and a guest appearance by Batman Beyond’s Will Friedle. And the Slade-less “Fear Itself” has some genuinely suspenseful moments.

Overall, this is a good, though spartan, DVD. Though this release is a disappointment, the season it showcases is not. Fortunately, season three's set looks like it will be a little more bonus heavy than this one. It would be a shock if it were less.