Anime I've Been Watching (9/11/2022 - 10/2/2022)

 

Lolita Catacombs is basically just a place for me to ramble about nerdy things, so might as well talk about the anime that I've been watching the past few weeks. I didn't watch much this week though since was busy with music and video games instead, but was watching quite a bit the previous two weeks. MAL history goes as far back as 3 weeks, so guess I'll do these posts like every 2 - 3 weeks, wont be weekly. These will be listed in chronological order of first episode watched, but I tend to bounce between shows. These aren't reviews or anything, just thoughts, and is much inspired by Abra's blogs. I also watched an assortment of shorts and such that wont be listed here.

Virtual Star 2000
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=22561

I found this one awhile back and finally got around to watching it. This was after over a week of being super sick where I was just binging stuff like PriPara, PreCure, Powerpuff Girl Z, and so on, so needed something that was really leftfield to prevent a burn out (if I watch too much of a similar idea/the same thing I will get annoying burn out). Anyways, this was hardly really a show, was mostly just music videos in dated CGI and super cheesy 90s dance music. Old CGI anime are cool, if you want to watch one with an actual story I suggest Malice@Doll. There are some other related anime to Virtual Star 2000 but I haven't watched them yet.

Tetsuwan Birdy
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=566

I used to watch 80s and 90s OVA anime constantly, its been quite some time since then so picked out Tetsuwan Birdy to watch. This was a pretty fun 90s sci-fi show with a space cop and a lot of body switching and stuff. It was weirdly slow for an OVA, but I enjoyed it, also the main girl's hair is interesting with the old Trix yogurt split going on. This anime actually got a reboot/remake in the 00s, but I don't know when, or if, I'll watch that.

Cream Lemon: Lemon Angel
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=3205

Finally watched this, it was in my PTW for a million years. This is one of those short episode shows, but from the 80s, and based on the real world idol group Lemon Angel. I really enjoy Lemon Angel, and I can go on endlessly about kayoukyoku idol pop, but Lemon Angel was quite an interesting group. Back then a lot of idols were still trying to be seen as pure maidens, no boyfriends allowed, you know the drill. Well that wasn't always the case though, as you had erotic idols of the 70s like Reiko Ike and Yukiko Kuwabara, you also had ones in the 80s (though usually not quite as pornographic). When I think of the 80s ones I think Lemon Angel and an armpit fetish idol who's name escapes me right now.

Lemon Angel were interesting as they really tried to appeal to the lecherous otaku market which was really developing now in the 80s. This ecchi anime was created, and a few computer games for a variety of Japanese PCs were developed as well (up into the 90s even!). I have sadly yet to play any of these games, but they look super cool, so some images:

Its pretty neat too how you can see their anime versions are very different in the 80s release as it just barely pre-dated the anime. Anyways though, the actual anime was sadly rather sub-par. Its basically over 30 episodes of just the generic "sad romance" stories found in idol music videos of the period, but with lots of nudity and scenes of the girls masturbating. A few episodes really stood out, like the one that was a parody on ecchi action OVAs of the period, but a lot was just so-so. I mostly watched this here and there over the weeks, a few episodes in the morning, then some scattered throughout the day. Also, if anyone remembers the old DJ Nonstick Cookware mixcloud, a Lemon Angel was/is in my kayoukyoku idol mix on there.

Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai!
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=11763

I actually dropped this one. I was hoping it was going to be like Keijo!!!!!!!! or Ben-To, but it wasn't. Basically its just ryona fetish porn, and that's it. I'm fine with adult anime like that, since a lot will have cool stories, awesome old art, and so on, but this just felt really pointless to watch. I dropped it pretty early on.

Slayers: The Motion Picture
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=536

Slayers Next
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=535

Combining these into one section. I watched season 1 of Slayers earlier this year and absolutely loved it, is such an awesome 90s fantasy show (I live for stuff like this). I tend to watch things in chronological order of release, so next up was the first movie, which is a prequel. The movie was an absolute blast, I really enjoyed it, and Naga is such a funny character that I'm surprised she's not used more in the main anime. Slayers Next is the 2nd season, I only watched a bit, same fun as before but I'm really early into it still. The new enemy girl with the drills is cute. Also this reminds me I really need to play the Slayers Sega Saturn game I have.

Ishuzoku Reviewers
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=40010

This show got a ton of hate when it came out, but I think that's mostly due to newcomers not experiencing a proper ecchi anime yet. This was quite an awesome ecchi anime, I feel over the years the ecchi anime market gradually became replaced with isekai shows, so its really nice when we get new ecchi anime (and them bringing on an ecchi show with a fantasy setting was pretty smart considering how popular isekai are). This is basically a show for folks who like monster girls, so if you liked Monster Musume, this is def worth watching. Also, the main girl is a futanari, super based, and very cool futas are finally entering normal anime world. The show is a pretty intense ecchi show as its a group of goons reviewing brothels, but they weirdly don't have a lot of classic monster girl types, like lamias. There are though like a million different monmusu featured, which was cool.

Mahoutsukai no Yome
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=35062

I still have a few episodes left on this, and I've also been watching MahoYome alongside it. Its a very cool show though, and it tries to do a lot with blending mystical slice of life, drama, romance, and even action (with a pretty decent amount of blood at times). Its doing a lot but totally makes it work, and I really love that some of the episodes gives me some Aria vibes, but like, in the UK and with magic and demons and stuff. I also really love it when anime use real world locations that are outside of Japan, it always gives it such a unique vibe, and I really love the whole English countryside thing they have going on here. I still have to get around to finishing this show, only a few episodes left, but really liking it so far.

Rosario to Vampire Capu2
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=4214

I watched season 1 earlier in the year, and finally got around to watching season 2. I honestly would've stopped watching after the first season, but Kokoa is so cute I had to give the second season a try, and I'm happy that I did as its been much better than the first season so far. I didn't really like the whole pattern and forced drama of season 1, but season 2 so far has done away with all of that and just lets the show be dumb ecchi, just like it should be. Also, watching Rosario to Vampire is part of my mission of finally watching some of the classic ecchi anime that have been sitting in my PTW for a literal decade now. I only have a few episodes left, and it being spooky month is a good time to be watching. Also, I really love that special Halloween-y look anime stuff does, like Soul Eater and such, always has looked awesome to me. Also, VAMPIRE GIRLS ARE ULTIMATE AAAAAAA

Hataraku Saibou Black
https://myanimelist.net/anime.php?id=41694

Remember that show years ago with the loli cells and stuff and it totally blew up for awhile? This is that but dark. I remember watching the first season of the original shortly after it finished airing and it was like, alright, felt very confused to me. I'm very early into this Black version, the dark spin on the concept is quite cool (and also cool that it hearkens back to when anime would sometimes have alternate versions and such, keeping the tradition alive). That said though, despite being so early in, I am already seeing some of the same things that I disliked about the original cropping up, so will see how it goes.

New Himeko Song And What I've Been Working On / Upcoming Projects

 

So, this was a longer gap between posts than I intended, but I've been super busy, so it happens (and likely will happen again lol)

First things first, NEW HIMEKO SONG OUT NOW: https://soundcloud.com/himeko_katagiri/hey-this-isnt-baseball

The song is titled, Hey, This Isn't Baseball, and its part of my upcoming dark lolicore revival album. I've always really loved the dark side of lolicore, and its so uncommon now these days, so that's the whole idea of the album, to remind people that this sound exists (and explore actually making it myself). Technically, I actually started this album quite a long time ago, but I have so many projects it can take awhile for an album to actually reach completion, but this is one of my main focuses as of now as I'm having a lot of fun with it.

A bit about the song, I was playing shitty eroge as I often do, one was baseball themed, and it gave me a wild idea of making a dark lolicore song with a baseball theme. I could hear it in my head so I knew it would work, so ripped some eroge vocals, gathered some baseball samples (organs and SFX), and made the tune. This track was actually made live on Discord, it was fun, might do again (maybe on Twitch even, we'll see). Anyways, I really love how this came out.

As for other projects, I've been back to hyperactive, but a lot of it can't be shared just yet. There's a lot of freelance composition work happening, I made music for an upcoming VRC event (details TBA), am working on another game soundtrack (which is coming out really awesome so far, but game wont be out for two months tops), and a lot more projects, both personal and freelance. There's a lot of upcoming Himeko albums and EPs too, got a lot in progress, and stuff is actually being worked on all the time now. Its really awesome being back in the groove, was burnt out for super long barely making stuff.

Anyways, that's all for now~~

PANTSU SCUM Label Report: September 20, 2022

 So for awhile I was trying to get my PANTSU SCUM project on a bunch of different labels. During that period there was a lot of random labels that would spring up just to die shortly afterwards all the time, and there was a lot that I was planning on sending to that died before I could. With my PANTSU SCUM alias being back in action, thought would do a "label report" post of the labels the project has appeared on. Sadly, 9,001 random noise labels isn't much of a thing anymore, but I will still continue this conquest.

So here goes, the labels that PANTSU SCUM has appeared on as of 9/20/2022 (and also notes if these labels are now dead)

Another Label (RIP)
Archiseztsfew-koū Thirty Records (RIP)
Dirty Lolis (RIP)
Genetic Trance
Horse Dick Records (RIP)
Lolita Catacombs
Lolita Plates (RIP)
Objetivo Nulo Records (RIP? Maybe?)
Rubber Frog Records (RIP)
Self-Released (hey, this counts)
Stiftskirche Records (RIP)
Tirekickerrecords (RIP)
Tsundere Violence
Volamund (RIP)
X Drone X Heart X (RIP)
Yuri Society
5'6" Records (RIP)
ХЛЕБ ДА СОЛЬ REC (RIP)
Гавно (RIP)
Летпав (RIP)
ლ(╹◡╹ლ)

CDR Listening List 2: CDR - EVANGELION WORKS 0.0000000

 

Artist: CDR
Genres: Lolicore, Breakcore
Label: RDC Records
CAT#: none
Year: 2014 (actually on my wife Azusa's birthday)

Years ago CDR randomly mailed me a random Neon Genesis Evangelion OST CD that reeked of cigarette smoke, and this album always makes me think of that. EVANGELION WORKS 0.0000000 is a phenomenal album that just never gets old, I remember I listened to it on repeat when it first released, and have listened to it every few months since then. This album is full of amen loop heavy lolicore full of BGM sampling, I absolutely love BGM samples in lolicore (and used to do it a ton back in the day), so this album really hits a sweet spot for me. What I find really interesting about this album too is how some of the tunes remind me of old Western lolicore artists, like the beginning of Why Are You Stupid ? reminding me of Lolishit's Asuka Langley Soryu with looped Asuka samples and amens (and even sampling the same line, but in different languages), and The Beast's clustered mixing reminded me of some old blasted out LOLI RIPE stuff.

Another stand out to me too is the breakbeat part in King Of Boys Love, the breaks over the Evangelion piano just goes so hard, and I've always loved how CDR will mix a lot of slower breaks into his tunes (which has influenced my own works). Nigechadameda Acid is a really nice change of pace too, an unexpected acid tune that somehow fits perfectly, like how Squarepusher sometimes tosses in tunes like this into albums, really feels traditional to classic electronica. I Feel Sick totally kicks ass too, with all the medical beeps and *the scene* mixed with old-school-style Asuka voice sampling and constant amen breaks. That part in the middle too is such a nice build too despite just being one sound looped, it transitions so well into the more chaotic second half of the song, which is one of my favorite parts of this entire album. Album clears out with Omedetou, which basically feels like a much welcomed reprise of King Of The Hill, I mean, King Of Boys Love.

Overall, if you love CDR's amen heavy stuff, and the Evangelion OST, then this is a must listen. Also, I love the heavy Asuka sampling in this, I know CDR is a Rei guy, but I'm team Asuka all the way; its nice to be represented.

Listen here: https://cdr1234.bandcamp.com/album/evangelion-works-00000000

CDR Listening List 1: floppie / cdr - Psychedelic Trance Express Vol.110

 

Artists: floppie / CDR
Genre: Garage, Trance
Label: RDC Records
CAT#: none
Year: 2015

Ok, I wanted to commit to actually having Lolita Catacombs back, so already doing a post, and already starting the CDR listening list. I've been interested in doing these for quite sometime, and Okosan's one of my music really inspired me more to actually do this. This is probably a pretty random release to kick off the CDR listening list, but its short, only two tracks, so that's why I chose it. I listened to this back when it came out, and again a few years ago, but its been awhile.

The songs aren't actually marked, but I'm assuming this is like Psychedelic Trance Express Vol.108 (released on Tsundere Violence), where its floppie tracks, then CDR remixes. The release is only two tracks, and floppie kicks it off with a really nice techy garage trance tune. This track sounds a lot like it would be in a menu screen for a futuristic JRPG, and being a huge fan of OSTs, it totally slaps. CDR's remix of the song really plays up on the original's older sounding aspects, and their remix sounds like a love song to old trance records of the late 90s; especially with the tempo, minimal drums, structure, and heavy bassline focus. This isn't your typical CDR track, but really shows what the man is capable of and his wide range of influences.

I refuse to put ratings on music, so no ratings for listening lists, but this is a very nice single.

Listen here: https://cdr1234.bandcamp.com/album/psychedelic-trance-express-vol-110

I Rise, From My Crypt, Covered In Ashes And Worms

 

Hey y'all/fuckers, guess this blog is going to go back to being active as a place for me to send out misc. thoughts out into the void and all that. I have decided to bring it back, and to also make this general update post.

I will likely continue the previous operations; updates on my releases, music news, Tsundere Violence stuff, events, show write-ups (now will include VRC and URL shows and not just IRL events), and more. Also, I never actually really did everything that I wanted to do with this blog in the past, such as nerding out about heavily specific topics, similar to Abra's blogs of olde. I know there's Twitter and stuff, but that text limit is a pain in the neck with how I actually like to write/communicate. I also think it would be fun to do some of those listening list things, I will just be doing these casually though, but I think some folks with large discographies that could be fun for me to do that with would be like, Napkin Terrorizer, CDR, Muslimgauze, and all of Tsundere Violence (obviously I heard all of TV and Napterro before, I even have "lost" stuff the public doesn't even knows exists, but would be fun to go back through it all and talk about it).

I also would like to eventually expand the music publication side of Lolita Catacombs into a private release black metal tape label as well; no digitals, extreme limitations, never sold to the public, anonymous artists/bands; would be quite fun I reckon. Anyways, yes, Lolita Catacombs is el back now I guess (inb4 dies again instantly lol).

LC-☠️010: Fumiko Ishino - Eicosapentaenoic Acid

 

You thought this was dead lol
EP release, lo-bit acid
https://archive.org/details/eico-acid