Tag: Hipster Hotline

Hipster Hotline: To You, The Immortal (manga)

Post author By Redgeek
Post date January 28, 2018
No Comments on Hipster Hotline: To You, The Immortal (manga)

to_you_the_immortal_1_2

From the creator of A Silent Voice (Oima Yoshitoki), comes To You, The Immortal. The story of an immortal…that’s meant for you?

To You, The Immortal is about a being able to take the form of anything, most notably those who die.

This is a character driven story. It’s not about saving the world, at least, not yet. This is the Immortal’s story as he/she/it learns about the world and its inhabitants. It’s mostly told through the people around the immortal until we reach a point where the immortal understands the world enough to follow along in its POV, but we still get to see the goings on with certain people connected to the immortal. Like I said, this is a character driven story.

Tags Hipster Hotline, manga

Hipster Hotline: Kingdom (manga)

Post author By Redgeek
Post date January 27, 2018
No Comments on Hipster Hotline: Kingdom (manga)

shin00

Kingdom isn’t exactly a hidden gem but it deserves to be as popular as Naruto or any other high profile shounen series, even if its officially a seinen series.

Kingdom is a retelling of the Warring States period that lead to the formation of China. It has all the good trappings of a battle shounen but in a historical setting with interesting heroes and villains. Oh! And, it’s a bit more violent, and by “bit” I mean a lot of dismembering. LOTS! This is a war manga that doesn’t shy away from war. It’s not overly gratuitous but, again, dismembering.

Tags Hipster Hotline, manga

anime Hipster Hotline

Hipster Hotline: Baccano! (anime)

Post author By Redgeek
Post date January 26, 2018
No Comments on Hipster Hotline: Baccano! (anime)

baccano00

Take a story, fill it full of diverse characters in the American 1920’s, add a supernatural element and throw in some mystery. Then, chunk it all in a blender. That is Baccano!

Baccano is the out of chronological order tale of…people. Yeah, it’s lots of characters doing stuff. But, what they’re doing and who’s doing it is what makes the series fun. Gangsters, immortals, manic murderers—the show by design is crazy, but sometimes crazy works. And Baccano works.

Not going deep about the characters, mainly because they’re so many. It can—no, it is confusing (at least during a first-time viewing), but chances are you’ll find a character or five to fall in love with. Again, the story is all over the place but you get the since the creator wrote the story out linear and broke it apart so if you really wanted to piece it together it’ll make sense. This is all about enjoying the ride (no pun intended), a ride that wonderfully knows when and when not to take itself seriously. On the subject of fun, Isaac and Miria will become your spirit animals.

Tags anime, Hipster Hotline

Hipster Hotline Manga

Hipster Hotline: Gakuen Babysitters

Post author By Redgeek
Post date January 7, 2018
No Comments on Hipster Hotline: Gakuen Babysitters

Gakuen_Babysitters_volume_1_cover

Another slice-of-life manga done right.

Gakuen Babysitters is about Ryuuichi and Kotarou, two brothers orphaned after the death of their parents in a plane crash. Taken in by the principle of Ryuuichi’s high school, her only condition is for Ryuuichi to work at the school day care center for faculty kids, and now Kotarou.

What makes Gakuen Babysitters work are the different characters and variety of stories. Like Baby & me, we start things on a serious note but slowly Ryuuichi and Kotarou rebuild their lives, seeing them interact with a ever growing cast of characters. We do get callbacks to their tragedy and some sad moments here and there but this is generally a lite series dealing with personal issues and conflicts but nothing too intense.

Ryuuichi is a bit bland but he’s mostly used as the straight man to the antics of the daycare kids and the more eccentric older characters. Every character in the series so far has been enjoyable. From the serious Hayato to the ever lazy Usaida, characters come in all shapes and personalities. And once again, like Baby & Me, the manga isn’t afraid to focus on other characters if there’s a story to tell, keeping the series fresh and interesting. Special shout out to Saikawa, the best butler since Bruce Wayne’s Alfred.

If you’re looking for an adorable slice-of-life series that’ll put a smile on your face, give Gakuen Babysitters a read. Here’s hoping the anime adaptation premiering this month is just as good.

Tags Hipster Hotline, manga

Hipster Hotline Webcomics

Hipster Hotline: Bastard (webtoon)

Post author By Redgeek
Post date December 30, 2017
3 Comments on Hipster Hotline: Bastard (webtoon)

Jin-Seon-Bastard00

Bastard!

N-no, not you. Bastard is a web-comic thriller about Jin Seon, a high school boy with a secret, he helps his father kill people. Jin doesn’t like being an accessory to murder but what can he do? He was hurt badly as a kid so his body’s weak. And, he’s not the most socially adept teenager in the world, though, he can fake it if he wants. In any case, Jin wants to stop his father from murdering people. But, death loving daddy is starting to realize Jin could become a threat to his psychotic tendencies. It’s a cat and mouse game where the loser doesn’t get a continue.

Bastard puts the thrill into thriller. The struggle between Jin and his dad slowly escalates throughout the series, never letting up. We see Jin’s desire for independence and discovering romantic love. Jin is actively trying to lead a normal life but dad is constantly in his way. Seems like every step he takes Jin falls back two and I love it. Jin’s dad holds all the cards and seeing him manipulate Jin and everyone around him is amazing and horrifying.

Tags Hipster Hotline, Webcomics

Hipster Hotline Manga

Hipster Hotline: Baby & Me

Post author By Redgeek
Post date December 23, 2017
No Comments on Hipster Hotline: Baby & Me

Baby & Me is the slice-of-life story of elementary school student, Takuya Enoki, and his younger brother, Minoru. Their mother died in a car accident so it’s up to Takuya to take care of Minoru while his dad works. Becoming your brother’s nanny while still dealing with your mother’s death is not easy for Takuya. He knows he’s missing out on the carefree life his classmates have and Minoru isn’t always an easy kid to take care of. Takuya is a good child but the stress of dealing with this responsibility is told very well. He gets mad, frustrated—it’s nice to have a main character who isn’t unrealistically positive. It’s a bad situation but he does his best to handle it, for better or worse.

Tags Hipster Hotline

cartoon Hipster Hotline

Hipster Hotline: Reboot

Bob00

I don’t how to approach this. Well, let’s start by getting the general stuff out the way.

Reboot is a great series. Sure, the computer animation doesn’t hold up, especially in the first season, but the plot is fantastic. Well, it starts getting really good in the second season. What I’m trying to say is Reboot is original, groundbreaking, and entertaining.

Reboot is the story of a world inside your computer called Mainframe, protected by a Guardian called Bob. He fights you, the user, in video games, and also computer viruses. Oh, boy! Oh, boy! Oh, boy!

*coughcough*

Anyway, like with most Hipster recommendations, it’s all about the story. Reboot is a show not afraid to be funny one episode, serious the next, though mostly it’s funny. Reboot is telling a story, and bad things happen to people, bad people even win sometimes. Things get crazy and our heroes have to handle it. Actions have consequences, weight to them. I’m painting a much darker picture of the show than I think it is but too many kids shows don’t deviate much from a standard formula. Bad things happen and by the end of the episode everything is as it was. Since I was a child I always hated when kid shows treated their audience like idiots. Reboot doesn’t do that. That’s why I love it.

Characters learn, grow, change because of personal experience. And, yeah, the villains seems one-note in the beginning, but they, like Bob, Dot, Enzo and the other regular cast are evolving. It’s amazing how Reboot starts as simply a standard cartoon with a CGI gimmick becoming something more, something its creators slowly build into a complex world full of dangers, we the audience as well as the protagonists, take for granted as minor grievances, but, in reality, are capable of causing great destruction and misery.

Tags cartoon, Hipster Hotline

Hipster Hotline music

“The Night Begins to Shine” (Teen Titans Go)

Post author By Redgeek
Post date December 16, 2017
No Comments on “The Night Begins to Shine” (Teen Titans Go)

cyborg00

Teen Titans Go is decent. I remember trying to get into it during its first season and bailed, but I have watched some funny clips and episodes on YouTube since then. It’s a gamble. You may get a funny episode or a clunker. In my opinion, the show is best watched on YouTube where fans post the best moments of the series. Alright, with that out the way, let’s talk about “The Night Begins to Shine”.

“The Night Begins to Shine” is an 80’s rock styled song made in 2005 by a band called B.E.R. It was the focus of an episode about Cyborg’s love of it. Gotta say, he’s not wrong. I like this song. I REALLY like this song. It’s so good I thought it actually was made in the 80s!

I haven’t been this infatuated with a cartoon song since Spongebob Squarepants’ Sweet Victory episode. Well, not counting Futurama’s Robot Hell song, but that’s more for adults. Can’t count anime or kids movies either, I guess. Point is, “The Night Begins to Shine” is a great song if you’re in the mood for 80’s rock. It’s, honestly, too good for Teen Titans Go. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Side note: After a little research I learned “The Night Begins to Shine” hit the Billboard charts earlier this year and it was covered by CeeLo Green and Fall Out Boy. Does that still qualify it as hipster? Well, it didn’t hit the Top 20 and I’m recommending the B.E.R. version only, so I’ll allow it.

Tags Hipster Hotline, music

Hipster Hotline

Hipster Hotline: Power Rangers Hyperforce

Post author By Redgeek
Post date December 12, 2017
No Comments on Hipster Hotline: Power Rangers Hyperforce

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Never thought I’d put anything Power Rangers related on the hotline but here we are. Power Rangers Hyperforce is a Dungeons & Dragons type show on Twitch about five Time Force cadets from the year 3016 on a quest to stop a mysterious organization from causing destruction. All while trying to not screw up the time/space continuum.

I’m no expert D&D player, never played it all actually. My RPGs have all been in video game and book forms. I’m reviewing this from that and a podcasting perspective. It’s a show requiring imagination. If you like Power Rangers and are willing to let your mind’s eyes do the driving, you’re in for a good time.

You can either watch the show live and interact with other members of the audience via the chat room, or, if you don’t subscribe to Hyper RPG, watch the episodes a week later on their YouTube channel. That’s where my podcasting side takes over. Each episode is over two hours long, so you can watch the video or just listen while doing other things. The creators know this and even have episodes on itunes. Basically, you enjoy the show however you like.

The story is good but it’s helped further by the great cast. Each ranger player is entertaining and able to think on their feet, er, butt, resulting in some good improv. And the show’s GM (Game Master)is good too, but, again, I’m not a D&D expert. Having Paul Schrier (actor who played Bulk in MMPR) as Hyperforce Yellow and the occasional guest ranger from the TV show gives the RPG show cannon street cred, making it genuinely feel part of ranger lore.

If you like D&D, Power Rangers, or podcasts, give Hyperforce a watch/listen. If it stays on track it’ll only get better from here. It’s morphine time! …*sigh* I always get that wrong.

Tags Hipster Hotline, power rangers

anime Hipster Hotline

Hipster Hotline: Colorful (anime)

Post author By Redgeek
Post date December 8, 2017
2 Comments on Hipster Hotline: Colorful (anime)

mokoto00

I need a hug.

Colorful is an anime movie released in 2010 about a boy, Makoto Kobayashi, who dies but gets another chance at life inside the body of a boy who committed suicide. With no memories of his previous life, Makoto picks up where the boy left off, seemingly surviving his suicide attempt.

This movie hits close to home. While I never attempted suicide I have thought about it in the past and I certainly been bullied and had an overall lonely school life. It was hard to watch at some points. While not bullied the same way as Makoto, I had my share of bad experiences. But, it wasn’t about the bullying as much as feeling things would never get better. That the normal attitude of most people was constantly set to Uncaring Asshole. Why is the world like this? Why can’t I have a friend? Will things always be this way?

Colorful can’t answer give you solid answers, nothing can. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t, but what the movie does is allow people to see that if you want your life to change, you have to change. A little perspective goes a long way, and if you can focus on being a better you, maybe, something good will happen. It’s not easy, but it is possible.

We learn over the course of the movie about the boy who committed suicide, his family, and why he killed himself. It’s a slow build that keeps you watching, even throwing in some unexpected twists that I won’t even try to touch on. This is a movie best watched knowing the bare minimum. Now, before you dismiss the movie as a bummer fest, there are hopeful moments. You’re rooting for the main character. Yes, the story gets dark, but that means when good things happen it’s that much more meaningful.

Colorful isn’t a movie trying to give advice how to stop bullying. It’s about hope and forgiveness. Life isn’t simple, or maybe it is and we make it complicated, I don’t know. All I know is that this is a great emotional movie deserving of anyone who felt they didn’t belong or just wanted a friend. The highest of recommendations.

Tags anime, Hipster Hotline

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