because it's cool

I think someone else is going to make the post for Summer Wars (I hope?) and while this isn't really anime or manga related, the following is culture related, so read on.

I'm sure that most of us here have seen/heard of vocaloid, and I find the concept behind vocaloid fascinating. I'm curious about what your thoughts are on this new kind of music, where the voice is completely synthesized and for the purpose of the concert, the "singers" are animated. Would you go to a concert where the actual singer is a computer? Would you wave a leek light stick if you went (personally, I think they're cool)?

Below are some of my favorite vocaloid songs. I've been able to find a couple of them on iTunes, still searching for a few other favorites.

Double Lariat - Megurine Luka


Just Be Friends - Megurine Luka (a very upbeat tempo break-up song)


The World is Mine - Hatsune Miku (about a girl who wants all the attention, but she's really just insecure)


Magnet - Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka (forbidden love...I think? not sure, but it sounds cool)

Summer Wars

Seems we're losing enthusiasm for Wolf's Rain, and it is admittedly a rather slow series. I suggested in the comments of the last post that we take a break from it for a week or two and watch a movie, and I'd suggest the movie Summer Wars. It was recently put out by FUNimation, and though I haven't seen it yet, I'm quite curious. Unless anyone objects, I suggest we watch it in the next two weeks, comment on it here, and then get back on track with Wolf's Rain. Please feel free to post your thoughts on the matter.

Wolf's Rain, episodes 9-12

First, sorry for this taking a while. Life intervened for several of us it seems, but better late than never, eh?

So, in this case, four episodes instead of hte usual two (since it took two weeks to put this up). Bit more to discuss, I imagine.

In these four episodes, we've seen our little pack grow, both in the appearance of Blue, as well as the sort of friendships growing. What do you think of this, particularly how some of the pack (Tsume, chiefly) felt about Blue's appearance and how she is half-wolf? Further, of interest, at least to me, is how, in the Forest of Death, Kiba made note of how their pack wasn't like a normal one, with no real leader. But is this the case? A part of me thinks there is a leader in Kiba, maybe in Tsume as well, as they continue to butt heads, though perhaps not as often as they once did.

And then, there is Cheza. I personally have a hard time believing she's blind, but maybe she is blind in the way we humans see. She is, after all, created from that flower, so she isn't really human. Could it be that she "sees" in a way we cannot? Fodder for thought.

Darcia also clashed with the pack to take Cheza away. It was obvious that he could kill the foursome easily, yet it seemed that his lasers constantly hit just near the wolves, blasting them away, injuring them greatly, yet...not killing. Strange, no?

And finally, we have the introduction of another noble, Jaguara, whose troops invaded Darcia's sanctum, killed his love. What precisely are they after? Cheza? Weird...

Well, discuss away!