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When They Cry Part 2 Review

Luke Halliday
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When They Cry Part 2 Review

When They Cry Part 2
Tag line: When the Cicadas cry.
Produced by: Geneon Universal (US), Siren Visual (AU)
Run time: 300 minutes over 13 episodes
Language: Japanese, English
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery
Release date: 20/5/2011
Available for purchase at Siren Visual Online Store ($44.95)

Overview:
In what appears on the surface to be a cute little girl drama series, turns out to be something comparable to Twin Peaks and even Elfen Lied, you have When They Cry or to those hard-core otaku out there Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni. A series that takes brutality and hysteria to the next level. What you have here is not for the weak. This is an anime that doe not have mercy for either the characters or the viewers.  This is no-holds-barred anime at it’s finest.

Story:
When They Cry tells the tale of a town brought to the brink of insanity. A cursed town where time is of a different nature, and murder is rampant. The series piles on mystery after mystery. With each question answered a new question is posed and the plot-thickens. This collection concludes the first season of the series (which has spawned multiple sequels), in a fairly satisfying manner whilst leaving room for a sequel (which it already has recieved).

This particular collection features the Time Wasting, Eye Opening and Atonement chapters, with each taking up several episodes. I particularly found the Time Wasting chapter to be the most interesting as it laid a lot of the ground work for what was to come. The Atonement chapter provided a satisfying end and gave an explosive (literally) conclusion to the series as well as hope for the towns peoples future.

Hit me baby one more time!

Without going into to a great ammount of spoilers it’s worth noting; time and the effect it has on a person is a central part of this series. With time and other problems plaguing the town not treating these characters too fairly, things begin to spiral into insanity with some extremely depressing and gruesome occurrences taking place.

The downfall of this all though is that at times the horror is laid on too thickly over the cutesy characters which can be quite jarring to the viewer. Overall the series storyline is one that will definitely keep you both entertained and guessing, whether it’s going ultra-violent or twisting the plot, it’s definitely a strong part of the series.

Characters:
The characters are all very well written and each embodies the insanity and isolation that the series world forces upon them. The only negative to be said about them is that they all generally fall within the stereotypes of the genre. I personally found the little girl characters to be extremely stereotypical and in turn became difficult to empathise with, as they each are simply just cute yet with a dark side.

However the characters themselves are good enough to not be entirely pulled down by being slightly stereotypical. Partly due to the brilliant writing of the series as well as the great voice work from the voice actors. With both dub casts doing a great job with the characters.

Seven days… Oh wait wrong number.

Artwork:
The art style of the series is suitably grim with a juxtaposition of cutesy moe characters. This both works and doesn’t work simultaneously. It works in that it provides quite a large amount of shock value at witnessing what is taking place with these cute characters doing horrible things. It doesn’t work in that it can feel incredibly jarring to those who aren’t adjusted to such ultra-violence, particularly from cute little girls. However, this is all extremely distinctive and does make When They Cry stand out from the crowd.

The animation is brilliant with a fair amount of detail placed into the character movements with only a few clunky looking scenes (particularly when someone is thrown, it looks static to some extent). Thankfully the animation is generally well done and brings the characters to life wonderfully.

I don’t think we want to know the origin of this blood…

Audio:
When They Cry’s soundtrack is relatively decent, with a great deal of good tracks. The only let down on the soundtrack is that it is essentially nothing more than stock music for this kind of series. The tracks are what you’d expect, eerie, moody and in some scenes poppy.

The opening theme is very good though and perfectly sets the mood for the show, being an ominously creepy tune, featuring a mash up of cute and freaky imagery in its video. The singer’s voice sends a chill down your spine as she repeats the same line as though she were stuck in a loop (clearly to signify the state of time in the series). The ending theme is equally good and also featuring equally creepy imagery.

As I stated previously all the voice actors on both audio tracks (Japanese and English) where absolutely on their game with this series and showed the characters the delicate care they deserve (even if the characters don’t show the same care to each other). The audio work all-in-all was very good, apart from the less than stellar background music which was simply expected and a little bit average compared the the opening and ending songs.

Special Features:
As with all Siren Visual releases to date, When They Cry does not feature a significant amount of special features apart from a nice slip case and a few trailers for their other releases. This is a continual problem with Siren Visual releases that often let down the overall experience of the collection.

I personally would have liked to see some commentary or production art at the very least. But I have grown use to Siren’s releases featuring little to no special features so I can’t say I expected anything more from them.

Hopefully in the future Siren will include more special content and features to their releases, as their is little reason to stick around once the final episodes credits roll, other then to rewatch it. Only time will tell.

How did you manage to get a flash light stuck in there!?

Conclusion:
When They Cry Part 2, is a great conclusion to a great series. However it is a difficult anime to recommend as it features high amounts of ultra-violence and imagery that can be considered frightening to many. This one seems to be tailor-made for the hard-core otaku crowd with very little lee-way for the mainstream audience. Despite this it is an overall great series and is definitely a sight to behold.

I give When They Cry Part 2:

8-0-capsules-out-of-10

 

Rift Cleric Video

Benjamin Webb
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In an affront to opinions everywhere, Trion have taken it upon themselves to dispel the belief that Clerics everywhere are weaklings.

In this video for their flagship MMORPG, Rift, the Cleric class of this game looks as though it can pack a bit of punch as well as healing. As a player of Rift, I can attest to the awesomeness of the Cleric in the hands of the right player. So if you’re interested in Rift or Clerics in general, be sure to check out the video embedded below.

Make sure you check out the Official Website for more info.

 

Driver: San Francisco Car Reveal 1974 Ford Gran Torino

Benjamin Webb
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In the latest video from Ubisoft for their upcoming game, Driver San Francisco, comes a reveal of a car within the game.

This car is the 1974 make of the Ford Gran Torino, which for Ford enthusiasts would be a very notable vehicle. The trailer also shows off other vehicles from makers like Chevloret, Ford, Dodge and Pontiac. Adding to the video is some classic Starsky and Hutch style police chase music, which makes it incredibly entertaining to watch.

Discover the lengendary and classic cars appearing in Driver San Francisco in this video, featuring the 2006 Ford GT, 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS, 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, 1986 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, 1974 Ford Gran Torino, and 1971 Pontiac Lemans. Driver San Francisco will release on Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii September 1st 2011.

Be sure to check out the Official Website for more info.

Cow and Chicken Season Two Review

Kyle Moore
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Cow and Chicken Season Two Review

Cow and Chicken Season Two
Genre: Animation/Kids
Producer: Cartoon Network
Platform: DVD
Running Time: 286 minutes
Year: 1998
Price: $24.95 (Buy Here)

Overview

After breaking out of the animated showcase, The What A Cartoon Show, and standing on its own two feet for a successful season, Cow and Chicken returned with a second season. With the same cast of characters, same outrageous animation style and same bizarre plot lines; it was apparent by season two that Cow and Chicken had created a foothold in 1990’s animation and would emerge as a seminal series that would go on to influence a variety of other Cartoon Network animated series.

Plot

Rather than bore you with a tedious re-write of a plot overview, it is best if you read the review of Cow and Chicken season one to get an idea of the shows basic plot. Rather than just retell the plot, which at its core has not changed, the series is after all still about Cow and Chicken, I will look at the subtle ways the plot has changed. The format hasn’t changed from the first season; the show is still broken up into three segments, one of which is I Am Weasel. I think the problem I have with the plot of I Am Weasel is that except for I R’s jealousy of Weasel, the series has no consistency. In every episode both characters are rivals in some random profession. As a result, the jokes are always based on I R trying to foil Weasel. At least in this season The Red Guy adds an extra element, even if he is an over the top instigator fueling the flames of an already heated rivalry.

Cow and Chicken on the other hand, is full of consistency, to the point of repetition. I was a little disappointed to see that the episode Orthodontic Police managed to slip out of season one and into season two as well. Not to mention small in between episode segments where Chicken flies a bee or Cow makes a trampoline out of her tongue. Watching the season from beginning to end, or at least watching episodes in close proximity to each other, the use of repetition is obvious. While I have noticed that even animated series as big as The Simpsons reuse scenes, Cow and Chicken don’t seem to try and hide their recycling under new narrative, it is just out there in the open. However I am sure watching the episodes over a reasonable time span would help avoid this issue.

Characters

Throughout season two, Cow and Chicken stay much the same as in season one. While the two characters grow and their relationship is stronger and we learn more about them, their personalities are pretty consistent. Season two reveals some interesting character developments in terms of minor characters though. The characters of Mum and Dad have a few jokes revolving around the fact that they are both just legs. In the episode ‘Cow and Chicken Reclining’ Chicken pulls the top half of a man and woman out of a cupboard to which Cow comments “my science project”. A few other gags like the parents portrait above the bed being just of legs, and their feet on the pillows when they are asleep in the same scene poke fun at the fact that they have no upper half. While it might be weird, these jokes really work despite their ridiculousness. Perhaps because they have no upper halves, the writers seem to throw in a lot of gender confusion jokes. While the mum wears a dress and the dad pants, there seem to be a lot of jokes that are along the lines of “it made a woman out of your mum and me”. It’s an odd character development, but a development nonetheless, one that appears countless times throughout season two.

The biggest character changes in season two come in the form of character cross overs. I have already mentioned how The Red Guy appears in I Am Weasel now as an instigator character, essentially the same character he plays in Cow and Chicken. As well as this, Weasel crosses over into Cow and Chicken in an episode where Cow falls in love with Weasel after watching him on television and then pulls him out of the TV and into her world. Little cross overs like this work well, especially considering that up until that point I Am Weasel seemed mostly irrelevant to the series as a whole.

Audio and Visual

Season two definitely had an improved animation style. While the visual aesthetics of Cow and Chicken relies on really outrageous images, I felt as if season two pulled this off while at the same time avoiding the little off-model character poses that season one seemed to have. There is nothing overly spectacular about the visual styling of Cow and Chicken: it is quintessential of 1990’s Cartoon Network animations and works well within that framework.

In terms of the sound, voice actor Charlie Adler does another amazing job voicing almost every character on the series, with an amazing range in pitch and emotion spread across each character he voices. Despite this, I still can’t help but think that Cow and Chicken is a little too loud: there seems to be an awful lot of yelling and screeching in the series.



Conclusion

In terms of writing, I think Cow and Chicken season two is an improvement over the first series. While there are some lazy movements, such as a complete reusing scenes without changing the context of the narrative, these can be glossed over in terms of an over all improvement of story. I Am Weasel still sits oddly within the framework of Cow and Chicken, despite the few cross overs between them, and the jokes in that section wear rather thin. There seems to be more of an emphasis on improved animation style, which works well for the series, especially in pushing some of their really out-there jokes. A bit more of an emphasis on the minor characters, who mostly just serve as one-hitter jokes also works well for the series, as just Cow and Chicken might get a bit monotonous. Overall I would say I prefer Cow and Chicken season two to the first season, and can see why it held such influence over the Cartoon Network throughout my youth.

Newest Dead Island screens and pre-order details -Zombies are comin’ so nod ya head

J. Bradshaw
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Pre-order bonus content is awesome, and today, an email graced my inbox with its presence that detailed some pre-order extras that you can have.

If you pre-order Dead Island from Amazon.com, you can receive a a bonus digital art book, which has concept art (the images below are examples) and a “fat tourist dude with a camera” picture, plus much more. Pre-order the game here.

The email also told us how to deal with Zombie Thugs in-game: “Burn their asses.  There is nothing more f*****g lol than taking a burning weapon and smacking a Thug with it and watching him totally burn to a crisp while freaking out about being on fire.”

And that about sums up the awesomeness that hopefully shall be Dead Island. Are you excited yet?

Dead Island is out on September 6 in North America for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

 

New Ninja Rescue Stages Coming Out Soon

Kyle Moore
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With over 85,000 downloads of the iPhone puzzle game, Ninja Rescue, developers Althi have rewarded their fans with the announcement of new levels. The original game consisting of 25 levels will now be joined by another 25 puzzles. This time around, Ninja Pig will need to test his skills in a new arena, a pirate ship. The new pirate themed levels will include new items to help you solve puzzles such as breakable wooden blocks and Ninja Pig’s new ability to fly using the help of a balloon. The upgrade will be coming out soon, but no exact date is set as of yet. In the mean time, download the original 25 levels for $1.19AU/$0.99US here, and check out our review Ninja Rescue here.

Nintendo Zone on the 3DS in action

Philip Federico
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0

While I was in Japan and walking though Yodobashi Camera (a huge electronics store similar to Best Buy in the US and Harvey Norman in AU) I spotted a huge sign that said “Nintendo 3DS Station” (shown above) and about 20 Japanese people standing around in the sectioned off area all quietly but actively playing with their 3DS and Nintendo DSi’s.  Everyone one of them connected to the Wi-Fi access point allowing them to browse the Internet, play online or access the new Nintendo Zone for the 3DS.

As my 3DS is a PAL AU model it didn’t have the Nintendo Zone icon on my 3DS dashboard.  But as soon as I took my 3DS out of sleep mode the Nintendo Zone button appear and was ready for action.  Without wasting anytime I whipped out my trusty iPhone and started taking photos of this new and exciting feature that we probably won’t ever see in the land of the hopping mad Kangaroo’s and killer Koalas.

So basically, the Nintendo Zone is a “SPECIAL” Wi-Fi point that will allow your 3DS, DSi and DS to download and play original content “IF” it’s available in that specific zone. (in this case Yodobashi Camera) You can also check whats new in terms of latest release titles, download trailers, and also just go through and take a look at the online user manual just in case you’ve forgotten how to use your 3DS.  You can also use the wireless features to browse internet and also access the online store to purchase games. (Something I took advantage of as I really wanted to get my hands on Super Mario Land, and The Legend Of Zelda – Link’s Awakening DX on the Virtual Console). To make one thing perfectly clear;  the Nintendo Zone will not work using just any run of the mill Wi-Fi access point (eg Home Wi-Fi). These Zones are setup specifically at these locations so that you can hopefully get to experience the original content that is available in that store or establishment.

With that being said enough typing, so sit back and enjoy the the video on what the Nintendo Zone looks at Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara.  ** Please note menu’s and all content is in Japanese **

Debut F1 2011 trailer surfaces

Jack Joly
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Codemasters have released the first gameplay trailer for F1 2011, this year’s version of their F1 series started last year with F1 2010.

This first gameplay trailer for F1 2011 gives an insight into some of the enhancements in the game when compared with last year’s. The trailer shows on-track and off-track action, because like the first game, F1 2011 tries to simulate a F1 driver’s life outside of racing with interviews and press meetings with certain sections tactfully put in place. The trailer serves to highlight the improved garage, paddock, pit lane and cinematics that further immerse the player into the life of a Forumla One driver.

F1 2011 will be released September 23rd 2010 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC with handheld editions to follow.

Madman’s September DVD Lineup!

Kelly Teng
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This year has already been incredible for Madman releases, and September promises to be even better. With a focus on how truth and tragedy can influence culture, September 2011’s DVDs ranges from drama to television to comedy to heartache. We’ve picked the best of the bunch for you here below.

Snowtown

Disenfranchised  teen, Jamie Vlassakis, lives with his mother and two younger brothers in a small, low socioeconomic housing community in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.  Longing for an escape from the ugliness and the malaise that surrounds him, when Jamie is introduced to his mother’s charismatic new boyfriend, John Bunting, a friendship immediately begins to blossom.

As John assumes the father-figure role that the family so desperately needs, he soon becomes a mentor to Jamie, indoctrinating him into a world of righteousness, bigotry and malice that will escalate into the events that will become Australia’s most notorious serial killings.

Release date: 21st September 2011

Heartbeats

Highly regarded French-Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan has achieved an insightful and unique voice in his first two films I KILLED MY MOTHER andHEARTBEATS. Beautifully stylish and imbued with a youthful freshness, they mark the arrival of an impressive and exciting new talent.

Loosely based on his own challenges coming out, Dolan’s I KILLED MY MOTHER focuses on the experiences of protagonist Hubert as he drifts through the mysteries of adolescence – artistic discoveries, illicit experiences, the opening-up to friendship, and ostracism.

HEARTBEATS is the story of best friends Francis and Marie, who seem to have it all: good looks, youth and style in abundance. But one night they both fall for the gorgeous Nicholas, and soon find themselves declaring war on one another for Nicholas’ love, threatening the friendship they once considered indestructible.

Release date: 31st August 2011

The Missing Person

Starring Academy Award-nominee Michael Shannon, THE MISSING PERSON is a classic hard-boiled film noir, full of straight-talkin’ PIs, scotch-swillin’ crooks and loose and lethal femme fatales.

Shannon is John Rosow, a private detective hired to tail Harold Fullmer, on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles. Persuaded by a large reward, Rosow is charged with bringing Harold back to his wife in New York City against his will. Ultimately Rosow must confront whether the decision to return Harold to a life that no longer exists is the right one.

Release date: 31st August 2011

Fear of a Brown Planet Returns

After a season of critical acclaim and sell out shows, comedy duo Fear of a Brown Planet bring their tongue-in-cheek irreverence to your living room in their first ever DVD! Tackling the topics of immigration, race relations, and the War on Terror head on, FEAR OF A BROWN PLANET RETURNS promises uncompromising, ruthless and cheeky entertainment, and guarantees to be more fun than a night in Guantanamo. Leave your prejudice at the door.

Release date: 31st August 2011

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie: Awakening of the Trail Blazer

Featuring the first-ever appearance of alien life forms in the Gundam saga, this long-awaited theatrical event is a mind-expanding adventure through the solar system and beyond!

2314 A.D. The new government of the Earth Sphere Federation is carrying out a program of peaceful reconciliation, and preparing for the appearance of the Innovators who will lead the human race into a new era. But the return of a derelict Jupiter exploration ship marks the beginning of an unprecedented crisis. What are the alien entities known as Extraterrestrial Living-metal Shape-shifters? What do they want? And will Setsuna F. Seiei and his fellow Gundam Meisters be able to answer these questions before humanity is wiped out?

 

Release date: 14th September 2011

Watch the L.A. Noire Reefer Madness Vice Case trailer now!

Kelly Teng
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Watch the L.A. Noire Reefer Madness Vice Case trailer now!

Sometimes, I go back and play L.A. Noire just for a little extra entertainment and because, well, I just miss Cole Phelps. We won’t have to wait that much longer to get a little more of Detective Phelps and our favourite partner Earle, though – Rockstar has released a trailer for its latest piece of DLC, the Reefer Madness vice case.

The Reefer Madness vice case occurs when Phelps is working with Roy Earle on the string of drug cases around Los Angeles. When the two detectives get a tip off about a local drug dealer, they investigate it. What begins as a shoot-out turns into something far more sinister, and Phelps and Earle discover one of the city’s biggest narcotics rings.

The clip shows more wonderful fast-paced action, and I have to say I’m delighted there’s another vice case. In comparison to homicide and arson, vice felt far too short (even with The Naked City DLC). It’ll be nice to have another case about drugs to solve and to see some more of Earle – plus, we all love to interrogate and investigate crimes, don’t we?

This case is the last of the content to be released that is available for free on the Rockstar Pass, and will be available for download on Playstation Network (AU$6.95, NZ$7.90), and Xbox Live (320 MS Points).

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