July 27, 2011 Politics and Mecha Why you can’t have one without the other Sci-Fi in Anime Looking at the worlds of science fiction summer 2011 through a Japanese lens Anime Reviews Check out Ergo Proxy, Working!!, and more Mecha Edition MECHA EDITION TSUNAMI 1 Letter from the Editor Hey readers! Thanks for reading this In any case, I’d like to thank Ste- magazine. For those of you new to ven Chan and Gregory Ambros for Tsunami Staff this publication, this is Tsunami their contributions to this year’s is- fanzine. It’s a magazine created by sue, and Kristen McGuire for her EDITOR-IN-CHIEF current and former members of Ter- lovely artwork. I’d also like to thank Chris Yi rapin Anime Society, a student orga- Robby Blum and former editor Julia nization at the University of Mary- Salevan for their advice and help in DESIGN AND LAYOUT land, College Park. These anime, getting this issue produced. In addi- Chris Yi manga, and cosplay fans produce ar- tion, it was a pleasure working with ticles, news, reviews, editorials, fic- my fellow officers Ary, Robby, and COVERS tion, art, and other works of interest Lucy. Lastly, I want to thank past Kristen McGuire that are specifically aimed towards contributors and club members who you, our fellow fan, whether you’re made the production of past issues NEWS AND REVIEWS an avid otaku...or someone looking possible, and all the members that I Chris Yi for some time to kill. ...Hence the had the pleasure of getting to know word “fanzine.” and meet in my lone year as Editor- WRITERS Greg Ambros, Steven Chan, Chris Yi in-Chief, and in my two years as a This year, I decided to give Tsunami club member with Terrapin Anime a sort of “TIMES Magazine” look. I Society. Contrary to appeareances, MANGA ARTISTS thought it’d look nice and classy, and I’m glad to have gone down to the Kristen McGuire I hope you see it the same way. Un- Hornbake Library at College Park, fortunately, since I can no longer be Nonprint Media Services, in a dark- TAS PRESIDENT an officer if I am no longer an under- ened classroom...watching and dis- Ary Widdes graduate at UMD (I graduated this cussing anime with my fellow club May with an English degree), this members on Sunday nights for a few TAS VICE PRESIDENT will be the first, and last, Tsunami is- hours before sitting down on oc- Lucy Qian sue I’ll have the pleasure of working casion with them for a late meal at on. China Cafe, along Route 1. TAS TREASURER Robby Blum Even worse, the future of Tsunami Readers, thank you again for read- fanzine seems in doubt. All four of ing this fanzine. Whether you’re an the past club officers (President Ary otaku, a former/current member of TSUNAMI c/o Chris Yi Widdes, Treasurer Robby Blum, Terrapin Anime Society, Tsunami BOX 110 STAMP STUDENT UNION UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND Vice President Lucy Qian, and my- contributor...or, perhaps, someone COLLEGE PARK, MD 20742 self) are unable to stay on as officers with little to no experience in the [email protected] (because of graduation, grad school, world of anime, manga, and co- etc.). Only one new officer has been splay...such as myself, I hope you Tsunami is a publication of the elected, and that man is Matthew find some sort of pleasure in reading Terrapin Anime Society (TAS) at the McDonald, the new president. Mat- this year’s issue of Tsunami fanzine. University of Maryland, College Park. Reproduction in whole or in part without thew will see to it that the club stays Enjoy! express permission of TAS is strictly intact next year...and, hopefully, at prohibited. All images are copyright their a later time, a new Editor-in-Chief Chris Yi respective owners. shall be appointed to take my place. Editor-in-Chief 2 TSUNAMI SUMMER 2011 10 16 Contents Letter from the Editor 2 News 4 Racial controversy over Akira adaptation, Supreme Court decision regarding violent video games law, Hatsune Miku at Anime Expo, and more Features A Few Good Men in Metal 10 There is more than meets the eye when it comes to mecha anime. Explore the role that politics plays in the mecha genre. By Greg Ambros An Inside Look at Sci-Fi in Anime 16 Sci-Fi isn’t just about the world of mecha. Take a closer look at key elements and themes of science fiction found throughout works of anime, past and present. By Steven Chan Reviews 24 Ergo Proxy, Working!! (1st season), Fractale, and Dennou Coil (1st half) Manga and Art 28 Artwork by Kristen McGuire Enchanted By Kristen McGuire 30 MECHA EDITION TSUNAMI 3 News Otomo © Katsuhiro images Akira and all related http://jfilmpowwow.blogspot.com Akira - - http://twilightsaga.wikia.com, Pattinson - http://jollypeople.com, Timberlake - http://mysticallabyrinth.blogspot.com, McAvoy Images: Anime Hollywood “Whitewashing” Akira? Anger might be appropriate Chris Pine from Star Trek (film), Anime fans supporting an Asian when anime fans see Hollywood Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line) cast may be able to take some sol- attempting live-action adaptations and Justin Timberlake (bottom ace in the fact that the producers of influential anime films, like left) fromThe Social Network. In (one of them being Leonardo Di- Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira (1988). response, Takei supported “Don’t Caprio) are taking Akira’s produc- Unfortunately, it goes the same Whitewash AKIRA,” a petition on tion seriously, as evidenced by the way when Hollywood supposedly Facebook that people can sign to talent mentioned above…in addi- discriminates on the basis of race, let Warner Bros. know that they tion to the $140M-$200M project- which is how Star Trek (TV) actor prefer Asians to be cast as the lead ed production budget. As for fans George Takei and others felt when actors. who don’t support this live-action a “short list” of actors rumored for adaptation at all? Although direc- the two lead roles became public. Oddly enough, shortly afterwards, tor Albert Hughes (The Book of Eli) Warner Bros. is being accused of Keanu Reeves (technically part- is no longer attached to it, Warner “whitewashing” their live-action Asian) became involved in talks to Bros. is aggressively looking for adaptation of Akira with Cauca- be in the film. However, they fell someone to replace him. It hopes sian actors, while avoiding Asian through, and the producers went to produce the movie this year or ones. The “short list” includes back to the actors they previously early next, and make a total of two Robert Pattinson (bottom right) looked at. From Hollywood’s per- films, covering each half of the six- of Twilight, Andrew Garfield from spective, it’s possible that the pro- volume manga series. …And shift The Social Network and the up- ducers were simply thinking about the plot from Neo-Tokyo to Neo- coming Spiderman reboot, James getting the best, young acting tal- Manhattan. McAvoy (upper right) from X- ent on their lists, and not about Men: First Class, Garrett Hedlund race. However, on the other hand, from TRON: Legacy, Michael Fass- if there was ever a time to have Sources: Collider, Comics Alli- bender (also from X-Men: First an Asian cast, wouldn’t it be for a ance, Deadline.com, Wikipedia Class, plus Inglourious Basterds), movie like this? (online) 4 TSUNAMI SUMMER 2011 Games ™ Supreme Court favors video games industry Video game fans won a big case cessively violent video games to eo games] communicate ideas News last month. The US Supreme children and teenagers under the through familiar literary devices Court ruled 7-2 in favor of the age of 18. Retailers would have and features distinctive to the video games industry when it faced fines of up to $1,000 for medium. And ‘the basic prin- took a second look at a pro- breaking this law. The Supreme ciples of freedom of speech . posed Californian law last April. Court reasoned that video games do not vary’ with a new and dif- Signed by Governor Arnold are protected under the First ferent communication medium.” Schwarzenegger in 2005, this law Amendment: “Like protected banned the sale or rental of ex- books, plays, and movies, [vid- “This was a bad law to begin with. …It could have effective- ly made ALL games M-rated games, because publishers would have been rightly nervous about “under-labeling” their titles and facing the wrath of the state... A cartoon plumber lands on top of an anthropomorphic mushroom and crushes it to death? Hmmm. Better label it “M”. Ken Levine Creative Director and Co- "Unfortunately, the majority of founder of Irrational Games the Supreme Court once again put the interests of corporate Sources: IGN, CNN, LA Times America before the interests of our children. As a result of their decision, Wal-Mart and the video game industry will con- tinue to make billions of dollars at the expense of our kids' men?- tal health and the safety of our community. It is simply wrong that the video game indus- try can be allowed to put their profit margins over the rights of parents and the well-being of children.” California senator Leland Yee (Dem.), author of the proposed law Images: Mario - http://www.iconspedia.com, Peach - http://www.giantbomb.com. Super Paper Mario © 2007 Nintendo/INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS. © 2007 Nintendo/INTELLIGENT Mario Paper Super - http://www.giantbomb.com. Peach - http://www.iconspedia.com, Mario Images: MECHA EDITION TSUNAMI 5 Manga/Convention JManga.com unveiled at Comic-Con News Watch out, manga scanlation sites…the Digital Com- text.