Kingbeast's Lair

Summary

Welcome to the third annual Lair Awards. It is again time to pick through the fumbles to uncover some critical hits. This year I will not be changing the format.

Here is how the 2012 Lair Awards will work. There will be four categories: Best Anime, Best Read, Best RPG, and Best Session. To be eligible for an award the product must have been reviewed in the calendar year by me on the blog. There were a TON of great products released in 2012 but if I did not review them they don’t count. Also note that I often review products that are quite old. A product is eligible for an award if I reviewed it in 2012…period…it does not matter when the product was actually released.

The envelopes please!

Best Anime – Samurai Jack Season 2

Picking the winner for this category was difficult. I watched three animated features that I thought were very good. Here is a list of the three that stood out with some comments and links to the detailed reviews. These are presented in alphabetical order.

• Mushi-Shi – A rare series that merits buzz words like serene, exquisite, and enchanting. A true joy to watch.
• Patlabor The Movie – Classic giant robot movie with action, investigation, and drama. Off the charts set of extras in the limited edition DVD set.
• Samurai Jack Season 2 – Season 2 has some of the best episodes in the entire run. The three that really stand out include XVII (The Scotsman), XIX (Lone Wolf And Cub), and XXV (300).

When I was considering these entries I thought about each one then reread my reviews. They all have some amazing content but Samurai Jack Season 2 raises to the top of the pile because of some superior episodes. The Scotsman episode (XVII) is probably my favorite episode of Samurai Jack. Every time I watch it I fight to stay seated on my couch.

Best Read – No Winner!

Houston we have a problem! I realized a bit too late the I did not have any print media reviews this year. Wow…this is something that I must address in 2013. I read some wonderful stuff in 2012 that just did not make it to the blog.

Best RPG – The Widening Gyre

The award for Best RPG was easy this year. Bill Keyes really hit it out of the industrial park with his steampunk genre book for the Hero System called The Widening Gyre. The amount of coverage and the high quality of the writing make this one a real winner. The Widening Gyre should be considered THE steampunk sourcebook for Hero. (I just heard today that Bill is contemplating a version of The Widening Gyre for Savage Worlds. That would be great. )

In this section I also wanted to mention a blog post that I did called One Patron’s Guide To Crowd Sourcing RPGs. I think this is my best blog post on the site for 2012.

Best Session – Spirit Storm Session #34 – Vault Of The Dragon Kings

I had a lot of fun gaming in 2012 and I was able to blog about many of them through the session reports. The sessions that I blogged about in 2012 included Sessions #34-#35 of Spirit Storm and Session #1-#8 of The Armitage Files. After reviewing all of these blog posts I decided the my favorite session was Spirit Storm Session #34 – Vault Of The Dragon Kings. The massive climactic dual between Avatars Of The Great Tree and Sunscratch in Cragspine’s body were just a blast. Every PC really shined in that adventure. Highlights included Cillian taking on his dragon form for the first time, Oren’s crushing blow on Sunscratch’s skull, Bilby’s acrobatic prowess, and Po’s powerful curses.

If I had to pick a second favorite it would be The Armitage Files Session #6 – Travelling Side Show Freaks. The roleplaying and depth of investigation in this session is really wonderful.

Please reply if you have any comments.

GAME ON!

I decided that it might be fun to start a new Christmas tradition at Kingbeast’s Lair. Since this is a time of giving and since I love reading gift lists I thought it might be fun to present a list of the RPG, anime, and fun read related offerings that are currently on my gift list and a list of items that I think would make great gifts for the geek in your life. For each list I will limit myself to one RPG, one anime series or movie, and one fun read.

My Wish List

Here is a brief summary of a few of items on my Christmas list this year. I really hope I get some of these under my tree. If any of my regular players are reading this then I want to remind them how much work I put into running games…I could really use something to keep me motivated…hint hint.

Agents Of Oblivion by Reality Blurs
Agents of Oblivion is a setting for Savage Worlds and True20 by the folks at Reality Blurs. Here is the elevator pitch from their site:

Ready for horror-fueled espionage action? Agents of Oblivion wants you!

The pages within are graced with everything you need to play the style of spy game you want to play from “The Company Line” where every nightmare and conspiracy you can imagine is real and you can wield the powers you need to drive back the darkness to “Spy versus Spy” where you can take things on in a gritty brutal fashion.

Agents Of Oblivions was a nominee for 2012 ENnie Award for Best Supplement. The other things that look interesting to me is that it is run with Savage Worlds, which I have been itching to run, and it features spies and monsters. What is not to love about espionage and horror! Here is a link to the product page on the Reality Blurs website. They have copies at Noble Knight Games at this URL for $24.95.

Rin: Daughters Of Mnemosyne Complete Series by FUNimation
Rin is an adult anime series that looks to be full of sex, violence, and mystery. Here is the story blurb from the FUNimation site:

Rin Asogi is an immortal private detective with a thirst for vodka and a talent for attracting things that go bump in the night. In a series of nightmarish vignettes spanning sixty-five years, Rin’s lush body is sadistically pierced, blown up, and mulched to a bloody pulp. The fiend behind her tortured existence is Apos, an eternal being obsessed with sacrificing Rin to Yggdrasil, the tree of all life. While Rin struggles to unravel the secrets of her endless agony, Apos lurks in the shadows, eager to tear into her ripe body and devour the memories of her countless lives. Rin’s no stranger to the realm of the dead, but her next visit could last forever.

I has received some good reviews and the preview material on the FUNimation site looks excellent. Here is a link to the Rin site at FUNimation.com. You can get copies at RightStuf at this URL for $24.99.

Black Fire by Hernan Rodriguez
Black Fire is a very interesting graphic novel published by Archaia. I don’t have any experience with Hernan Rogriguez but I love almost everything that comes out of Archaia and the summary on their site looks really interesting. Here is a synopsis from the Archaia site:

Black Fire is the story of two soldiers in Napoleon’s army retreating from his disastrous campaigns in Russia. Separated from their unit by a Cossack attack, they stumble across an isolated Slavic town, where strange and bizarre doings are afoot. The ancient town is deep, forbidden territory, the prison of a dark monster-god out of Slavic legend and nightmare, which seeks to use the newcomers to escape. This is an historical horror story in the vein of HP Lovecraft and Brotherhood of the Wolf.

Monsters and Napoleon’s soldiers!?! SOLD! Here is a link to the Archaia product site for Black Fire. You can pickup copies on Amazon.com at this URL for $18.96.

Wish List For That Special Person In Your Life

Here are just three of the items on my bookshelf that I think would make great gifts. Note that two of these entries have not yet been reviewed on Kingbeast’s Lair but may be reviewed next year.

Never Unprepared by Engine Publishing
This is a new book full of advice for GMs of any system. Here is the blurb from the product site:

Whether you’re new to game mastering or have been running the same campaign since 1974, Never Unprepared: The Complete Game Master’s Guide to Session Prep will help you prepare for games faster, avoid common pitfalls, and have more fun in the process. To our knowledge, this is the first book entirely devoted to the process of prepping for tabletop RPGs.

Ten years in the making, Never Unprepared is award-winning author Phil Vecchione’s epic rock ballad to game prep. A project manager and veteran game master, he draws on extensive experience to present flexible systems for developing or optimizing your own unique approach to game prep. Phil’s work has previously appeared on GnomeStew.com (silver ENnie Award winner for Best Blog, 2010 and 2011) and in Eureka: 501 Adventure Plots to Inspire Game Masters and Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any Roleplaying Game.

You can pickup copies at Noble Knight Games at this URL for a paltry $17.95.

Mushi-Shi by FUNimation
Mushi-Shi is a wonderful anime series that follows a mushi master known as Ginko. Stories are heart warming and deep. I did a complete review of the series with tons of details at this URL. Highly recommended.

Atomic Robo by Red 5 Comics
Atomic Robo is a light pulpy comic that is a joy to read. The stories are well written and the artwork is just beautiful. Here is a blurb about the first trade paperback:

In 1923, Nikola Tesla’s career is in its twilight… until he unveils a robot with automatic intelligence – ATOMIC ROBO! After decades of dealing with all manner of weirdness, Atomic Robo and the so-called Action Scientists of Tesladyne become the go-to defense force against the unexplained! See ROBO take on Nazis, giant ants, clockwork mummies, walking pyramids, Mars, cyborgs, and his nemesis, Baron von Helsingard, in his first trade paperback graphic novel. This edition collects the hard-to-find, sold-out, debut issues of Atomic Robo #1-6, complete with cover gallery, pin-ups, concept sketches, and bonus stories.

Another cool thing about Atomic Robo is that there will soon be an RPG for the setting produced by the brilliant folks at Evil Hat Games. (Here is a link to the RPG site that you can watch for updates.) You can get copies of Atomic Robo at this URL for $18.95 on Amazon.

Merry Christmas everyone!

[FYI. If any of my players are still reading this post I was just kidding...it is a joy running games for you gyus. ]

-== What is it? ==-

Patlabor The Movie is a science fiction story set in a Tokyo that feels just a few years ahead of today. The movie was released in 1989 and is set in 1999. Patlabor tells the story of a group of police officers that try to unravel a plot set in motion by a brilliant computer scientist known as Eiichiro Hoba. The primary set pieces of the story are giant robots called “Labors” that the people of Tokyo use primarily for construction. Patlabor is actually part of a franchise that includes three movies, a TV show, and a manga. The first Patlabor movie stands completely on its own. Mamoru Oshii (Urusei Yatsura, Ghost In The Shell) directed the movie, Kazunori Ito penned the move, and the mecha were designed by Yutaka Izubuchi.

Patlabor has some robot violence but there is not any bloodletting. The movie contains no nudity and little to no adult content or themes. Patlabor is rated “13+” at RightStuf.com and I think that rating is accurate.

I purchased the Limited Collectors Edition boxed set from RightStuf.com during one of their sales. This edition includes the movie, a second DVD with many extras, plus two books. The movie itself is 83 minutes long.

-== What I Like ==-

The crux of the story in Patlabor is about the power of technology and the cost that it incurs when not kept in check. In the movie, just like in modern Japan, Tokyo Bay is being slowly filled in to facilitate new buildings. In Patlabor this redevelopment is being done as part of a government program called the Babylon Project. The story unfolds with the apparent suicide of a Eiichiro Hoba, a famed Labor programmer, and his “statement” against the Babylon Project. The story in Patlabor is not too complex and feels dated in several places but it is very well conveyed. Clues that the protagonists uncover are intuitive and clean. The trail of clues in Patlabor logically move the various characters along their main plot threads. Patlabor does not have gaps in the plot that can sometimes happen in foreign science fiction animation. The flow of the story is crisp yet does not feel hurried. This is a well crafted script.

The mecha designs by Izubuchi are wonderful. Construction labors look like they could have been build by Caterpillar. Police Labors have light bars like modern day police cars. Even though light bars on police mecha may sounds bit hokey I think it really nice design choice.

Background artwork in Patlabor is exceptionally strong. As the Babylon Project is an important part of the story these scenes are critical in conveying the motivation of Eiichiro Hoba. There is a particular scene in the movie where two detectives are investigating old residences of Hoba’s for clues. Instead of speaking the director runs a very moving piece of music and simply shows the detectives making there was through destroyed buildings, climbing down into sewer trenches, etc. This section of Patlabor conveys a key point of the story. The destroyed buildings show what technology and expansion can do to a city. More precisely they show how beautiful homes can be ravaged by the need to advance technology. It is a masterful bit of storytelling and movie direction.

The extras in the Limited Collectors Edition are extensive. Here is a high-level overview of the extras:

• Yuuki Masami Speaks – The writer of the Patlabor manga speaks about the focus of the story.
• 1999 Tokyo Image – Discussion of the Tokyo 1999 cityscape as presented in the movie. The narrator discusses how modern redevelopment is starting to close around Tokyo Bay like in Patlabor.
• Silicon City – A segment on technology and how it is utilized in Patlabor.
• Labors – Discussion with designers about the Labors. They mention intentional references to assembly lines and how they wanted to convey that feeling to the audience. They also discuss how Labors are treated like personal computers (PC). In PC the OS is what makes a Labor your own.
• Design – More discussion around the design of the primary characters.
• Sound & Music – A segment about the composer and sound in Patlabor.
• Ending – An overview of what the producers wanted to convey in the movie.

The two books in the Limited Collectors Edition package are awesome. The first book is called Patlabor The Movie Storyboards By Mamoru Oshii. It includes over 290 pages of black and white storyboards. Each page has 5 storyboards. These storyboards are incredibly detailed. Next to each hand drawn storyboard are handwritten notes from the director. At the end of the book are a set of abbreviations used by the team. The second book is called Patlabor The Movie Archives. This book is 180 pages and in full color. It includes background on movie, discussion of themes, a detailed staff list, maps, sketches, interviews, movie posters, promo material, etc. Both books are just fantastic and really make the Limited Collectors Edition package exceptional.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The main theme of Patlabor is a bit dated. Technology gone amok due to a computer virus is not really that novel these days. In 1989 is would have been more relevant.

-== Summary ==-

Patlabor is a wonderful movie with action, investigation, and drama. The Limited Collectors Edition boxed set moves what would be an above average product into something that all anime fans would be proud to display on their shelves. With the low $19.99 price tag at RightStuf.com you owe it to yourself to get a copy of the Patlabor The Movie 1 Limited Collectors Edition.

You can get it from RightStuf.com at this URL for $19.99. That is such a great price on this wonderful boxed set. Why you are at RightStuff.com make sure to also get a copy of Patlabor The Movie 2 Limited Collectors Edition for the same low price.

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Mushi-Shi is an anime TV series marketed by FUNimation. Mushi-Shi originally aired from October 2005 through June 2006. Hiroshi Nagahama is the director on the TV series. Voice actor Travis Willingham does the acting for the main character in Mushi-Shi (aka Ginko).

The series focuses on the travels of a Mushi Master known as Ginko. Mushi are ethereal spirits that are in touch with the primal forces of nature and the essence of life. Most people cannot see Mushi at all. Ginko can see Mushi and even attracts them if he stays in one place for too long. Since Mushi can be dangerous Ginko is often on the move. His uses his considerable Mushi knowledge to help people deal with Mushi that they may be encountering. Mushi-Shi is set in ancient Japan. The exact time period is not defined.

Mushi-Shi is a hard anime to classify. I think I would classify it as a drama with horror elements. The episodes are primarily episodic in nature. There is really no overarching plot in the series. Some of the memorable side characters make appearances more than once in the series but even this is kept to a dull roar. Ginko is the only character that shows up in every episode.

There is no nudity in Mushi-Shi and very little violence. Any violence in the series is performed off screen or with shadows. There are some adult themes but even these are scarce. Mushi-Shi is rated “14+” at RightStuf.com and I think that rating is actually a bit high.

I purchased the standard edition Viridian Collection version of the DVD set. Mushi-Shi is comprised of 26 episodes that cover roughly 625 minutes of content.

-== What I Like ==-

The stories are the star of Mushi-Shi. They are well paced with nice twists at just the right moments. Each episode shows an extreme attention to detail. Characters and subplots will venture into and out of an episode at precisely the correct times.

The animation in the series is fantastic. Character animations in Mushi-Shi are exquisite. Clothing is detailed yet not overstated. The field of expressions shown by the characters is kept simple. It really works for the series. As Mushi are creature of life a lot of care is taken with background, weather, and shadows. The backgrounds in the series are lush and really draw you into the world. More than once I paused the DVD on a shot of the environment. Shadows in Mushi-Shi are intricate and reflect a lot of depth. As some episodes have a horror theme there can be a lot of dark scenes. This is some top notch animation.

The music in Mushi-Shi really adds a lot of depth. The opening credit piece is lilting and haunting with a vocal feel that reminded me of Tori Amos. The end credit music different for every episode! This allows the director to convey emotion that really sticks in your mind well after viewing. The effect makes one ponder what was just watched.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The biggest drawback to the collection are the extras. There are only extras on last DVD in the set. Here is a list of the extras in Mushi-Shi with some comments.

• Commentary On Last Episode – Instead of a commentary on the last episode this is really an interview with Travis Willingham. Although mildly interesting the commentators do not talk about the episode at all really. It is a poor implementation in my opinion. I would much rather have had them conduct a live interview for 20 minutes instead of calling it a commentary.
• Manga Page – The original artwork and manga pages are fine.
• Studio Tour – The Mushi-Shi studio tour was VERY strange. None of the employees are smiling. For some reason they are all very serious and stoic. Another strange thing is that their animation studio was in an old house that looked like a cave. I actually felt sorry for workers after watching this extra.
• Director Interview – The interview with Hiroshi Nagahama is also kinds of bizarre. The director explains that the world of Mushi-Shi is the highlight of many stories. He goes on to talk about the music. During the entire interview he never smiles! He also speaks in very soft tones. I actually felt that this interview made me NOT want to watch the show.

The extras are the only reason Mushi-Shi is not getting 10 out of 10 paws. Believe it or not I might have liked the series even more is there were NO extras at all!

-== Summary ==-

Repeat some buzz words that define this series for me. Serene. Exquisite. Touching. Enchanting. These are not common when describing media of any kind let alone anime. If you are looking for stories to feed your id then look no farther than Mushi-Shi. I cannot recommend this series enough.

You can get if for $17.93 at Amazon at this URL. RightStuf has it for sale at this URL for $17.99.

I give it 8 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Samurai Jack Season 2 collects episodes XIV through XXVI of the iconic animated series. In case you have been living under a rock, Samurai Jack is an animated series about a Japanese samurai who travels to various places where a demonic entity known as Aku holds power. This series of episodes initially aired from March 1, 2002 to October 11, 2002. These were produced by the Genndy Tartakovsky. Samurai Jack was a landmark series for Genndy that won four Emmy Awards. Phil LaMarr does the voice acting for Jack and Mako does the voice acting for Aku.

There is essentially no nudity in the series and very little sexual references at all. There is violence but it is directed primarily at robots, monsters, and serious bad guys. Samurai Jack is not rated at RightStuf.com but I would probably give it a “13+”.

I purchased the standard edition version of the Samurai Jack Season 2 DVD boxed set. Each episode of the series is 22 minutes in length. There are a few extras in the package that will be discussed below.

-== What I Like ==-

The stories in Samurai Jack are really what makes it an iconic show. Some stories have tons of action and other are more serene. Either way they are heartfelt and often full of surprises.

Season 2 contains some of the most memorable episodes of the run. Here is a list of the episodes the I would individually rate at 9 or 10 out of 10 paws!

• XIV – Jack meets a race of creatures who can jump really great. After the creatures teaches Jack how to jump he teaches them how to defend themselves.
• XVII – In this episode the Scotsman enlists the aid of Samurai Jack to rescue his wife. This might be my all time favorite episode of Samurai Jack. It is so funny that often I have to stop the DVD player to guffaw. One of the extras in the boxed set involves the episode producer pitching the episode with the team. It is hilariously funny and well worth watching. A wonderful extra.
• XVIII – Jack encounters a village killed by mysterious robots. The entire event is an elaborate trap for the samurai. Lots of great plot twists involving Extor, a scientist.
• XIX – Jack enters a village that reminds him of his hometown. There is a joyous childhood romp through a wheat field that is followed up by a scene where Jack watches a warrior at a bridge that inspires him to be a samurai. The warrior on the bridge is a direct reference to Lone Wolf And Cub. It ends with Jack receiving words of wisdom.
• XX – In this episode Jack meets three monks climbing a mountain who tell him about a great reward at the summit. After a difficult ascent Jack is rewarded with renewed faith. A wonderful tale.
• XXII – Fierce lion warrior hunters are approached by Aku to hunt Jack. This episode is filled with tons of great cat and mouse action. The lions are expertly voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
• XXV – Jack comes across Spartans defending a mountain pass ala 300. Awesome fight scene with Jack against the King.
• XXVI – Frantic episode of Jack against a gang of bikers after hurting his feet. Silly but really well done.

Unlike many of the products I review this DVD boxed set has some wonderful extras. There is an episode pitch for XVII (see above for details), as well as a commentary on XXV, and a very funny bio of Genndy. The bio really surprised my with the humor and details. Well worth watching.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

Even though Season 2 has some of the best episodes in the entire run it does have a couple of losers. Episode XV has three smaller vignettes with a two-headed snakes and fairies. The story with the two-headed snake is not new and quite a let down. The other episode that I did not particularly like is XXIV. This episode is a tribute to Alice In Wonderland. It goes so far to have Jack lose his clothes and end up with an outfit that resembles Alice’s. Unlike episode XXVI this one is silly in a not so good way.

-== Summary ==-

Samurai Jack Season 2 captures arguably the best season of an award winning series then throws in some stellar extras. Avid Jack fans should pick up this set. People who have not seen Samurai Jack should rush over to Amazon and buy it for only $8. My gosh that is low. This is a fantastic show that should not be missed.

You can get it on Amazon.com at this URL for a PARLTRY $7.97!!! Jeez loueez!

I give the collection 9 out of 10 paws.