INSIDE THE CHAMBER: INTERVIEW WITH BUENO; CREATOR OF GUN CALIBER

Hi everyone. It's Frankie Rodriguez from Comic Book Clash. What am I doing writing for Culture Force? Well, I am a big fan of Anime and Tokusatsu, so I figured I would add to the tapestry that is Culture Force. And we start with an interview with the creator, writer, director and actor of the upcoming Tokusatsu feature, Gun Caliber, Bueno.

1. First, thank you again for this interview. With your infamous trailer, are starting filming this month?

Yeah, we start filming at the end of this month.  We're starting off with the action scenes since those are the hardest scenes to film and take up the most time. 

2. For fans who just haven't seen to gotten the word yet, tell us about this upcoming feature Gun Caliber? 

It's about the everyday life of Gun Caliber, a stubborn, negligent, irresponsible, perverted, alcoholic superhero and takes place in a world where being a superhero is an everyday thing.  Kinda like Mystery Men, No Heroics and Tiger & Bunny.  There's all kinds of heroes.  Famous ones, unknowns, and has-beens.  Gun Caliber is a mix of all three.  Just when he thinks his life can't get any shittier, he's then given a pretty big job by this lady professor where he has to retrieve a radioactive filter called the "Gen-Drive" from a bunch of baddies who want to make Tokyo E-X-P-L-O-D-E!

3. How does it feel holding on to the multiple roles of director, writer, creator & star of Gun Caliber? Do you find it easier to joggle with you wearing all those hats yourself or harder?  

It's definitely harder. Especially when I'm the sole person funding the whole thing.  I have a personal life on top of this and basically have to balance all those roles with your my personal schedule...AND THEN the schedule of all the other people who you need to help me.  Sometimes doing all these things by yourself can be really stressful, but can be rewarding if it all pays off in the end.

4. Now, what about Gun Caliber himself as a character. He obviously is not your typical "boy scout" like many of the Tokusatsu heroes that we know. What insight can you give us about him? 

Although he's a "superhero" he's very reluctant about it, but he enjoys the perks.  Him being a superhero means he actually has more authority than the police and tends to use his status in all the wrong ways.  This usually leads to womanizing, drug abuse, alcoholism and all sorts of scandals.  

For Gun Caliber, being a superhero is just a normal everyday job.  He wakes up, watches TV, makes bad guys blow up, gets a beer, orders some Delivery-Health (a girl prostitute), and calls it a day.

Even though he's not the most ecstatic about the job as a whole, he enjoys the fighting and tends to be a show-off when in battle.  He's got the skill to be a hero, but uses it only when he feels like it.

5. Who would you say are Gun Caliber's main villain(s)? And why are they against our dashing hero? 

 The character and story isn't really established yet so it's hard to say.  If it goes on for a couple more years and we have more characters by that time, maybe then I can answer that question.

6. Do you think all of Gun Caliber's notable vices (drinking, smoking, women) actual help or hurt him and why?

They totally ruin his life.  He's basically become this really washed up superhero because he just likes to have a little bit too much fun.

But it also helps divide him from the typical Japanese superhero.  You see, the Japanese mentality of Tokusatsu is that it's always shot with the intent of selling the toys to the kids.  With this movie, there's no toys to be sold, so I can just go crazy with the idea and make it entertaining in my own style.

7. This is a Tokusatsu project and there are lots of homages that can be seen (like one of the Pink Ranger women dressed as Time Pink) but what got you into Tokusatsu? What are some of your favorites?  

Like all the other kids,  I watched Power Rangers first.  It was a little tacky for my tastes, so I tuned out for awhile, but when I went to visit the Philippines, I saw Kamen Rider Black for the first time.  I didn't know why it was better, but I definitely felt it being better.  I think it was because there were less characters to focus on that it felt like a more gripping story.  I also loved how he'd transform, kick a monster in the face and make them blow up.

I also watched a Keita Amemiya movie called "Mirai Ninja" which was released in the west under two different titles.  "Warlord" and then later on by Streamline Pictures as "Cyber Ninja".  At first, I thought this movie was cheesy, but then gave it a second and third chance and started to like it more and more.  The whole concept of the character Shiranui is totally badass.

As for favorites....frellin' hell...too many to name, but here goes....

Kamen Rider, Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop, Kamen Rider Black, Gen Sei Shin Justiriser, Kamen Rider Kuuga, Powered Sister, Kamen Rider Agito, Garo, Kamen Rider Ryuki, Evolver, Kamen Rider Faiz, Dekaranger, Kamen Rider Hibiki, Choujinki Metalder, Mikazuki, Gekiranger, Shinkenger, Kamen Rider W, Kamen Rider Fourze, Magnizer-1, and Houjin Yatsurugi.

...just to name a few.

8. Starring as Gun Caliber, are you doing your own stunts? If so, how much training have you had in martial arts, stunt work, etc? 

Excluding some instances where both Gun Caliber and Soma (Gun Caliber secret identity) are on the screen at the same time, I'm pretty much doing my all own suit work and stunts throughout the whole movie.  Not because it's a macho thing to do, but because there's no money nor time for stuntmen to double for me.

I honestly haven't had much stunt work in my lifetime and that'll probably never change, but I've been on 3 productions here in Japan.  My first one was a stage show for Lion Maru G where I played as one of the "Shadow" insect Ninjas.  Then I played the role of Kamen Rider Kick Hopper in a stage show for Kamen Rider Kabuto at a run down amusement park.  I also helped out on a night drama called Elite Yankee Saburo where I get slapped in the face by the title character.  I've only got be in front of the camera for action once, but it was a pretty fun shoot.

I have a martial arts background in Jeet Kune Do/San Shou and Taolu (weapon and empty hand forms) in Chinese Wushu.  I'm WAY out of practice though and could really use a coach again in my life...

One thing I wanna clear up is the misconception that everybody seems to have about martial arts and action movies.

Knowing martial arts, does not mean that you can automatically do action.  They are two totally different things and a lot of people who watch action movies and martial arts movies don't seem to realize that.

9. What is your ultimate goal with Gun Caliber? 

I really just wanna make a fun superhero-action-comedy the way that I want to make it.  If people actually follow it, buy the DVD and make it successful, then that's way more than I expected.  I just love movies and Tokusatsu, so if it grows into something more than what it was meant to be, that's just a bonus really.

But hopefully there's enough of a following out there that'll support me enough to make my next Garage Hero...

10. Can you estimate when it will be released? and How will it be released?  Indy theaters? Your website? Youtube? 

I plan on releasing it either sometime at the beginning or middle of 2013.  Its really hard to say if it'll be finished by that time but for now that's what we're aiming for.  The reason for this is because we want to get it around to all the film festivals, sci-fi/anime/comic conventions, colleges, and other venues before we eventually sell it on DVD.

11. If you had a chance to do a dream team up of any Tokusatsu hero & Gun Caliber, who would it be & why? 

 I think it would have to be Tentai Senshi Sunred.  From what I've seen, he'd probably get along just fine with Gun Caliber.

12. Finally, you are about to pitch Gun Caliber as a series to a major cable network (being everyone who is reading this). Give us that pitch to sell us on it.  

"Gun Caliber" shows a side of Japanese superheroes that is not aimed towards a young audience, but instead the children of yesterday who have grown up watching Tokusatsu.  Amidst all the sex, violence, explicit language, drug abuse, and alcohol, lies a character who hides his true desire to redeem himself and the choices he makes to walk down that path.

With interesting characters, stylish action, and funny scenarios, this will not only entertain those who have a love of special effects and superheroes, but for those who just want to watch a fun superhero action comedy.

Thank you again Bueno. 

You're more than welcome. 

For more on Gun Caliber & more, Gun Caliber. Press the link and enjoy. 

J1 An-Ex 4 Review

So what do we know November for? We know it as the month that holds Thanksgiving and as the second to last month of the whole year. But on Friday the 18th, anime fans throughout Philly knew it as the fourth installment of the J1 Anime Experience (J1 An-Ex 4). Returning to the Hawthorne Center in South Philly, hundreds of anime fans gathered to celebrate and enjoy the monthly mini-con once more.





For starters, the game room was (as always) a room packed with contenders ready to duel on the sticks. This time, with the premiere of Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, the chaos was taken up a notch than before. From over-the-top combos to amazing come-backs and even a lawyer shouting "Objection!!!", things got a bit crazy in there. And for the non-fighting game fans, the card game room was packed with players ready to duel in Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon and more. Virtual Tournament Fighters (VTF for short) made its return to the An-Ex, letting players experience the fighting game based dueling that the president of J1 Studios created.



Cosplayers lined up for a photoshoot!



But nothing was more entertaining than the Cosplay Competition. We were greeted with some creative costumes from a Catwoman cosplayer, a Ms. Kreuger cosplayer and a Dr. Stien cosplayer for all the Soul Eater fans. Even though there were no panda sightings this time around, we still had an enjoyable competition.

Finally, possibly the more noteworthy event of the night was the discussion of Anime, from past to present. Held by the president of J1 Studios, he broke down what anime is now in comparison to how it was in its Golden age. From the funny comments - "How many ninjas do you know wear orange jumpsuits" - to the more informative parts, he taught the crowd a thing or two about anime. Overall, it was a great discussion.



The president of J1 Studios schooling fans on anime in the discussion panel.

  For a small convention, the J1 An-Ex brings out a great crowd. From returning fans to the newcomers, the An-Ex continually expands each and every month. And there's always something new that happens each and every month so you don't want to miss one.

J1 An-Ex 3 breakdown.

J1 An-Ex 3, the J1 Studios Anime Experience

It's October now, the month for putting on costumes and running around like children. There is a culture out there that supports this activity, and an event that panders to that culture, but it isn't All Hallows Eve (Halloween) that I'm talking about. It's the J1 Studios Anime Experience! In it's third iteration as an official anime convention, the An-Ex was fantastic and the fans couldn't be happier with the growth! The Hawthorne Recreation Center was filled with tons of anime fans and nerds of all kinds on the eve of Friday the 7th. 

The Main Event hall was as always a major attraction for the evenings. All available tables were filled with vendors selling everything from original art to costume accessories to baked goods and even some BBQ ribs for whoever got hungry (they were good). The head table was there as well, with an energetic Mario acting the host and chatting up anime with everyone that passed. A crowd of cosplayers passed through during the traditional Cosplay Competition, and their custom threads were fantastic!

It's-a me, Mario!

The Game room was another recurring location with the usual free-play of various games and this time an unusual twist. An official Mortal Kombat 9 tournament was held! Many people participated, but only one was the ultimate winner, though 3 of the participants were able to walk away with a fabulous victory prize for their fighting prowess, and everyone had a good time. Adjacent to the Game room was another familiar sight, the Card room, where the room was packed wall to wall with card game enthusiasts, playing impromptu matches of Magic and YuGiOh, and even a showcasing of J1 Studios own fighting-game-style trading card game VTF, the Virtual Tornament Fighter! 

Winner of the Mortal Kombat Tournament

An-Ex also had a Video Room with back to back Anime for the growing audience, including a showing of the new Bleach movie 4: Hell Chapter!

All in all, there was quite a lot to do in the few hours of the Friday evening at a certain Rec Center in South Philadelphia (1200 Carpenter Street). Many people had a good time and many more have promised to return, which they should, because the An-Ex is a growing convention that you know will only get better!

'Ben

PS:
Pictures can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/j1studios

What is Usagi Drop?

Usagi Drop
Writer - Yumi Unita
Director - Kanta Kamei
Production - Studio Fuga
Music - Suguru Matsutani

Going home from his grandfather's funeral, thirty-year-old Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a younger lover. The rest of his family is equally shocked and embarrassed by this surprise development, and not one of them wants anything to do with the silent little girl, Rin. In a fit of anger, Daikichi decides to take her in himself. As Daikichi nurtures Rin, he started to understand the struggle while at the same time the joy of parenting.

The word of the day here is "Sentimentality". Familial controversy and comedic gags related to her legal status as his 'aunt' are put aside early to make room for the real purpose of the story, which is "Child Raising". Daikichi knows nothing about raising a little girl and he must learn, frequently through last minute desperate endeavors, how to do so. Rin on the other hand is a 6 year old girl, not even in Elementry school yet, who is trying to understand the death of her real father while adapting to life under her new bungling guardian. Through all the little firsts and experiences and trials experienced by the duo, a very real father-daughter love begins to blossom. The show really does focus on the little things, to such a degree that it might be taken as an "idiots guide to child raising". Little things you wouldn't think about normally, like immunization shots, enrolling in primary school, grocery shopping, or the troubles of co-habitation.

The animation quality is difficult to swallow at first. The first moments of the first episode lend to the thought "how could something this grainy possibly be good or entertaining?" That thought quickly disappears as both story and animation smooth out into a near-real life quality. The background music is phenomenal, adding to and sometimes setting the sheer emotion that permeates through the entire series.

I still cannot believe how addictively entertained I was by this show. Maybe it was because of the nature of the drama, but soon in I was wrapped in the warm blanket of platonic romance and crying for precious more seconds of familial love. For being the most real-life fiction I have ever encountered I give this show an unprecedented Perfect 5 out of 5.

'Ben

J1 An-Ex 2 Review



(Right to Left) Katara Cosplayer, Gaara
Cosplayer and an attendee striking
a pose.



Friday, September 9, 2011 was the date of the J1 Anime Experience 2 (J1 An-Ex 2 for short), the mini-convention hosted by J1 Studios. A day where hundreds of anime fans came from all sections of Philadelphia to fill the Hawthorne Recreation Center with their love of anime, video games, and all things Japanese. And while hundreds of people came out, there were plenty more that missed out on the second installment of the An-Ex.





So what happened on this month's An-Ex, you ask? Well, for starters, the premiere of REDLINE, a title that has been in development by MADHOUSE studios for 7 years. The movie had the audience in awe with it's crisp animation and insane action. Plus, the president of J1 Studios tested out card game series of his own titled Virtual Tournament Fighters (VTF for short). The card game, which took a lot of fundamentals from fighting games, was well received by the participants who tested it out, some even asking for a release date.

Yet nothing topped the chaos in the video game room. It seems to be an unspoken rule that when you enter in, you must bring your A-game because competition is fierce. Players went at it in Street Fighter 3rd Strike: Online Edition, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 and Super Smash Brothers Brawl, showcasing an intense level of competition.
The main room held the vendor area, where artists displayed their best work for sale. From comics, posters, jewelry, and even Pokeball cupcakes, you could find some unique stuff. This time, the An-Ex was graced with the presence of female wrestling superstar Annie Social, who brought custom-designed T-Shirts and merchandise with her for everyone to buy.

Pokeball Cupcakes, courtesy of one of the vendors in the main room.

The major highlight was the cosplay contest, where the brightest and unique cosplayers showed off their costumes. From a Jigoku Shoujo cosplayer, to an FLCL cosplayer, and even a guy in a panda suit, there were great cosplayers that came out to this event.

The one thing about this event is that it keeps getting bigger and better with every month. And while there's a lot of the same faces that show, there are always new faces that attend with each event. So if you missed this one, show up to the one next month. Because there's always something different and better that happens each month and you don't want to miss out on it.



Cosplayers taking a picture in front of a vendor booth.

J1 An-Ex 1 Review

The Birth of a Convention.

Who can remember being apart of a convention since before it was incepted? Over two hundred people from the Greater Philadelphia Area can make that claim now, as they were the ones to come out on Friday, August 12th, for the opening of the first J1 Studios Anime Experience. Sadly, there are millions of future fans who missed out on this opportunity, but they will be able to reap the benefits of the growth next time and beyond.

Small photoshoot of the contestants in the Cosplay Contest.

In previous instances, the gatherings were known as the J1 Anime Event. A slightly-more-formal-than-someone's-garage setting where members of J1 Studios gathered people who were as into Japanese media as they were, and entertain them with the same. As the popularity of these Events grew, so too did the scope of which the J1 Staff took to expand and further entertain their growing circle of fans.

Cue the Anime Experience. With the inclusion of full blown Vendors, Professional artist guests, seperate rooms, and a small entrance fee, the small gatherings of like-minded fans evolved into a fully recognized Anime Convention.

J1 Staff member Ben manning the J1 Table.

Hundreds of people lined up outside the doors to the Hawthorn Recreation Center in order to partake of the experience. Once inside, they encountered tables selling everything from Onigiri (Japanese rice balls) to action figures to comic books. Artists spread their wares and opened for commission. Dozens of wallscrolls lined the walls, sometimes mirroring the dozens of cosplayers who wandered around. Some anime was playing on a big screen in one room, while several video game tournaments broke out in the next. Many gathered in the main room for the Cosplay walkoff, others stepped outside to listen to the Korean rock band, and everyone had a good time. Not bad for a couple of hours on a Friday.



2nd shot of the cosplay entries for the Cosplay Contest.



The J1 An-Ex may be small, but it's local. Fans who come by get the full experience of the big conventions, but without the full brunt of their big price. The best thing of all is, instead of waiting an entire year for a repeat or spending entire life savings to travel across the country, the An-Ex operates monthly, giving everyone plenty of opportunities to experience the Anime Experience for themselves.



'Ben M.

Otakon 2011 review

Otakon 2011
It is one thing to talk about a convention, or to talk it up like it's the second coming of sliced bread, but quite another thing altogether to experience that truth for yourself. This years' Otakon was no exception. Understand that I have been on the convention scene almost every year since 2000, and have since learned how to look at it all without the veil of awe coloring my perception.
Otakon may not be the best (arguable) or largest (only the second largest) Anime convention in the country, but it is one that I have attended almost religiously since I was first introduced more than 11 years ago. This year was no different, resulting in Baltimore's Inner Harbor being graced with my presence once more. So how is this year different from all others? It is because for the first time, I am attending as Industry instead of a fan.
Otakon, the Otaku (obsessed fan) Convention, was started in the early 90's as a gathering of fans of this strange medium called 'japanimation' in State College, PA. Because of the success of the gathering, the organizers of the gathering decided to do it again the next year, and their fan base grew. In 1994, the crew opened their event as an official Convention and the first official use of the term "Otakon", with an attendance of around 350 people with all of 2 rooms and 4 dealers to its cause. Because of its nearly exponential growth, Otakon moved to the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Maryland in the summer of 1999, where it has occupied the entirety of the Baltimore Convention Center, turnout growing to an unthinkable 100,000 estimated turnstile attendance and some 170 dealers by 2011.
That's alot of people.
With a gathering of fans of any scale, some of them are invariably going to Cosplay, or dress up in a costume resembling their favorite characters. When it comes to large scale conventions, there is an unspoken rule that one is practically required to Cosplay, which turns into mind-boggling 35% cosplayer percentage. 35% may not sound like much, but if you walked down a line of random Convention attendee's, every 3rd person will be in costume! Even moreso for the big cons, there simply aren't any slipshod or patched-together costumes. The effort that goes into the dressing steals as quality. The dedication of the fans to continue to wear said costume, no matter how thick, layered, or heavy it may be, throughout the entire day of 100 degree sunny summer weather! The kind of cosplayers encountered in a con is extremely varied, too. From as obscure and missable as Kintaro Oe (Golden Boy) or Shiina Mayuri (Steins:Gate) to the insanely complicated like Angewoman (Digimon) or Saber (Fate/Stay Night), to the outright functional like Ravage (Transformers) or Angeal (Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII)

As much as a person can spend people watching (I've devoted an entire con or two to doing just that), there was so much more to do or see than one's fellows. On Thursday the 28th, while a large chunk of people (about 8,000) were there a day early to pick up their pre-registered badges, there was a Japanese style Matsuri (festival) on the street outside the convention center. Included in this early arrival activity was a live concert by Eyeshine, a rock band out of California. Regular hours events worth seeing, above the rest of the event which is just as worthy, include an AMV (Anime Music Video) contest-where people splice scenes from their favorite anime to music-: Several Video game tournaments- including Halo Reach, Street Fighter 4, and the American premier of King of Fighters XIII-; The Masquerade -where the best cosplayers perform extremely well choreographed and prepared skits-; not to mention signings from important people in the industry, including the legendary Nobuo Uematsu- the musical composer for the Final Fantasy series!
Let us not forget the Bane of many a Con'ers Wallet, the Dealers Room and Artists Alley. The Dealers room is a warehouse larger than the total square footage of 3 entire football fields, lined wall to wall with booths and tables selling everything a fan could ever hope to see and stuff they would never think of (but desperately want). Scale replica weapons, Resin Statues, Art Books, DVD's and Manga (graphic novels) galore, costumes, wigs, clothing lines, T-shirts, coffee mugs, and even replica Soul Gems from Madoka Magica. Even if one didn't want to spend money they didn't have, there were also large sections devoted to Bandai, Media Blasters, and other less liked licensing corporations who took the opportunity to announce new title acquisitions and other related news!
The other side of the industry room, the Artists Alley, was another humongous room roughly 2/3rds the size of the Dealers Room (more than 2 football fields large!) filled wall to wall with 5' long tables occupied by amateur artists of every kind of ability. From crayon monstrosities to they-make-the-professionals-look-bad to clay sculpting to hand-made plushies of a higher quality than China ever managed to produce. If you even looked hard enough, mainly by walking in with your eyes open because they were that close to the entrance, you could see a table devoted to our own J1 Studios, who had such a successful run spreading the joy that they completely sold out of every single thing they brought!
Several of the downsides to the convention was written off as being "just par for the course", or "you're not a fan if you don't suffer though it", or "it's all part of the convention fun!", even though they really are inconveniences at best and could probably be done better. This includes the reeeeeeealy long lines, such as the 2 hour long line of people trying to even get into the convention center on Friday, the one for people who already picked up their entry badges the day before, because the line to pick up one's badge or even to buy one there is even longer, typically wrapping around the convention center twice. Also, the lines to important events, like Signings or Concerts are just as bad, as one has to get in that line at least 2 hours ahead of time in order to avoid the 2 hour wait for admittance otherwise. Also, sleep deprivation ran rampant, with fans getting an average of 2-3 hours of rest a night, if even that. BO was another factor, as there were a hundred thousand people who were too busy to shower running through those hallways, and it was really really hot that weekend, too.

All in all, Otakon in 2011 was fantastic, as far as Previous Otakon's go. It may be a little too big for first-timers but that never stopped anyone before. Anime Expo, the single largest Anime Convention in the US, tends to hands some of the little things better, like the issue with excessive lines, though Otakon was much more inexpensive to attend. The masquerade was of higher quality than previous years. The dealers room somehow manages to stuff more and more dealers into the same massive crawlspace, and Cosplayers seem to be on a running competition to out-do themselves and each other year after year. If you've ever thought about attending a convention for yourself one of these days, I recommend Otakon, though try to go with a group if it's your first time, lest you be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of nerdiness around you.