The usual crew for these things is me and my buddy Rob Robinson (yes that is his real name). Rob and I had planned to hit this screening as far back as last week. Unfortunately Rob got hit with a mystery illness, my bet is on Smallpox but since his workplace hasn’t been quarantined that option is looking smaller and smaller. So with Rob KO’d by the mystery illness I was car less and not going to the screening. This was a big letdown as my buddy Keith Sizemore was also tagging along. Keith is a man of few words but when those few words are spoken look out!

Friday Night:

My pal of the moment Mike Davis is dying to get out of Bowling Green, Ohio, seems the non-college college town is driving him crazy. He’s an anime fan and has a car and volunteers to drive IF someone foots for gas. Keith agrees and we are set for the ride to mystical Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Saturday Morning:

I give my buddy Dan Bryan a call to see if he wants to tag along. Dan is a frantic destructive ball of energy confined to a mortal body, a good man to have if you need a wall demolished or an army wiped out. Problem is young Dan wakes up at 4a.m. everyday to get ready for work and doesn’t go to bed till around Midnight on a good night. You do the math on how sleep deprived the boy is. This is the exact conversation as I recall it…

James: So what ya doin’ today Danno?
Dan: *grumble*
James: Well me and some of the boys are planning to go to Ann Arbor. Wanna tag along?
Dan: Nah, I’m gonna try and catch up on some sleep
James: Yah, that’s a good idea actually. You need the rest
Dan: What time are you guys leaving?
James: I thought you were gonna stay home and sleep?
Dan: The only thing on TV to fall asleep to is “The Island of Doctor Moreau”
James: Meet me at BGSU Campus BA Building and we’ll figure it out from there!

Dan is forsaking sleep, Keith is along for the ride and young Davis is driving. We all pile into the car and head out to Ann Arbor. We arrive at 4pm with an hour to kill. When we hear what they are showing first our free time becomes a full 2-hour break. Why? Because none of us want to sit through the pain of “Hana Yori Dango”. I can handle most shojo but I got some guys who aren’t ready for this, I mean Dan is all about the destruction and explosions, Keith is a nut for samurai stuff and Davis… well you put it in front of him and he’ll watch it but he ain’t ready for Shojo.
2 hours to kill means a trip to Wizzywig, that fun little store packed to the rim with anime music, toys and other goods. Dan gets all glassy-eyed when he sees the Hawk Soldier Gutts action figure. Keith is trying to find the “Rurouni Kenshin Best Songs Collection” and Davis is drooling with delight over his new favorite anime “Initial D”. Me, I’m broke. The boys make their purchases and now it is time for food. It has become ritual for me to hit New York Pizza Depot in Ann Arbor every time I go. They have the best Pizza in the whole damn NW Ohio/SE Michigan area. Even after all our time in Wizzywig we still end up with 30 minutes to kill. Dan is all about Harry’s Army Navy Surplus. Keith concurs in his wordless yet gruff way and me, I’m all for it because I can price equipment for my armor. Little is bought as we are totally in awe of Harry’s. Davis checks his watch and we run back in time for the first show we dare watch!

Love Hina TV Episodes 16-18

My opinion of “Love Hina” has been expressed on this board one time to many. I made the mistake of lending episodes 1-15 to Davis 6 months ago and he’s wanted to see more ever since. Dan, being a MAN will not sit through a romantic comedy without squirming. Keith is unimpressed. The episodes are all horribly mediocre and contrived. Dan sums up “LH” so simply that I’m stunned it never occurred to me before.

“Dude it’s a one joke show. It’s all about the guy who likes the girl but keeps getting smacked around because he is a clumsy dumbfuck” – Dan Bryan

With that one quote my eyes are open. My dislike for “LH” stems from the fact the slapstick gets in the way of the story instead helping it along. The show is a one trick pony. The cast is so busy trying to mack on each other and beat up the main character that it feels like an over gimmicked “I Love Lucy” episode.

We all discuss this as we await “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Prequel”. Now this I was looking forward to. The original OVA series for “Jojo” had huge gaps of story missing. So the original animators got together and filled in those gaps. The animation is excellent and the show strives for a much more horror vibe than the previous series. The 2 episodes were tense and the animation quality was high. One of the better releases of the last 5 years.

Dan liked this “Jojo” much better than the first series, he liked the mood and animation. Davis had a little trouble following it but dug it. Keith fell asleep.

Dinner Break hits so the gang and me hit “Underground Comics & Games”. I lament the current issue of “The Authority” as Dan flips through “Masters Of The Wild”, the latest AD&D expansion book. Then we hit the arcade. I swear I have never seen so many people playing “Dance Dance Revolution” in my life! Dan found “crisis Zone” and began shooting things. E, I played “TRON”.

We hustle back to the screening and get good seats for the final show of the night “Initial D” TV Episodes 18-20. The more I watch this show the more I get sucked in. That is saying something because the show is about auto racing and I HATE auto racing. These episodes were great with main character Takumi (aka the big lug) taking his Toyota 86 against the Impact Blue team and their Sil Eighty. Really cool drift racing ensues. The last episode they show is a total bummer as supporting character Iketani has his shot with hottie Mako and blows her off thinking that she is in love with someone else. What’s really killer was her proclamation of “I want you to be my first man”. That’s gotta hurt!

The boys all loved “Initial D”, especially Davis, the racing freak that he is. Dan liked it better this time than he did back in November mainly because he didn’t have to sit through 10 hours off other material to see it (Don’t what I’m talking about? Go read “Road Trip Report #3”).

I’m eagerly awaiting the US release of “Initial D”. That along with “GTO” will be the first Tokoypop purchases I will ever make.

Overall a good night was had by all. I always forget what a great town Ann Arbor is; it is the college town that Bowling Green should strive to be. Bowling green is just so friggin’ awful!

The drive home was nice easy as opposed to the breakneck warp barrier shattering speeds Rob is used to driving. We all discuss the shows (except for Dan, he… surprise! Slept the whole way home).