SAO Live-Action TV

Sword Art Online! Also known as SAO, it is a franchise in Japan similar to Harry Potter and like Harry Potter, it is a franchise with its foot in various media. Starting out as a series of books, it became an anime, anime movies, manga, video games, and now…a live-action television series!

What’s more is that it is going to be an American TV series!

American independent production company Skydance Television just announced it got the global live-action television rights for the SAO and is now planning to launch of a live-action television series based on the main SAO story. Usually, plans like these die in development hell but it seems Skydance is on the fast-track, especially if the upcoming live-action movies of Alita: Battle Angel and Ghost in the Shell are successful.

Honestly, I’m kind of surprised at this news. A live-action television series based on a Japanese franchise that is about a group of gamers trapped in a virtual-reality, massively multi-player online (MMO) world where they can died for real? Sounds like a stretch, but I hope they can do it and make it a success. 

WoT TV Series

After a long legal battle that took forever, a Wheel of Time adaptation is in the works. Harriet McDougal, widow of writer Robert Jordan, announced that Wheel of Time TV series is indeed in the works.

One of the most recognizable and popular fantasy series of all time, Wheel of Time is a massive epic that tells the story of Rand Al’ Thor, the Dragon Reborn, and his quest to stop the Dark One. No word yet on who got the series or when it will be shown, but with a sprawling cast of characters and Rand going mad halfway through the story, I am hopeful it will be as good (if not better) as HBO’s Game of Thrones.

In fact, this announcement coming so soon after it was announced Game of Thrones is ending may be a sign, but that could just be me. I just hope whoever gets it don’t screw it up. 

An Adult Non-White Nancy Drew

Remember Nancy Drew? The beloved teenage detective, some called the original teenage detective, is returning to TV. American network CBS is working on a show but for modern audiences. 

Some differences has already been decided on; this Nancy Drew won't be white and she will be in her 30s!

What!? That's my immediate reaction when I read the news. A Nancy Drew that's not white? An adult Nancy Drew? I was never a fan of Nancy Drew but...why? I mean I can understand that this gives the network free publicity but if you're going to change the race and age of Nancy Drew, why not just call the character by another name? 

I mean Nancy Drew doesn't have any special powers or abilities right? She're just a good detective, especially for a teenager. A good adult female detective just doesn't have the same draw, whatever she's called. There's just many shows like that currently on TV.  

Wrong Winner At Miss Universe 2015

WTF? I, like many people throughout the world, had that reaction when I heard that the host of the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant uh...misread the winner? One live TV!

Host Steve Harvey announced Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez, as the winner of the Miss Universe Pageant. Then, a few minutes later, he admitted his misread his cue cards and announced Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach had, in fact, won the crown.

Not to kick a dog while it's down but WTF?

I read that host Steve Harvey is a comedian; well he must have mixed up his work because this was one hell of a joke. Yes, there's pressure but come on. How in the world could you possibly make such a mistake? Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach won't mind too much but you have to feel for Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez. She must be feeling terrible.

For host Steve Harvey; mistakes happen but sorry man, this was a big one. Stick to your day job as a comedian; no more hosting job for you.

Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs

Saber Rider...and the Star Sheriffs in the sky!

Decades after first hearing the theme song, I still remember with great fondest the opening track of "Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs". For those of you too young to remember, "Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs" was a Japanese anime series called Star Musketeer Bismarck.

Set in a distant future where humans have spread into space and have started to colonized planets, the series is about the Star Sheriffs who maintain law and order in this "New Frontier" of man. The series was a cross between the space and western genre similar to "The Adventures of The Galaxy Rangers", and it straddle that line pretty successfully.

However it never became a big hit in Japan but was successful enough for American companies to take notice. A company called World Events Production (WEP) took the series to America, and it became a hit. It was easily my favorite anime when I was younger.

So when I heard that there's a Kickstarter campaign to make a video game out of the series, I was excited. Originally announced in 2010, I thought the game was vaporware. It might still be, but at least now it has a small chance of getting out of development hell.

Good luck guys!

Game of Thrones Coloring Book

You guys heard if a coloring book called “Secret Garden”? If you don’t, then let me tell you “Secret Garden” is an immensely successful coloring book…for adults.

Yes, you read that right. There are coloring books for adults and one of them, “Secret Garden” is so popular it has been translated into 22 languages and has sold more than 1.4 million copies. Absolutely totally ridiculous! I mean coloring books for adults? Primary school children are ashamed of coloring books and a coloring book for adults had sold 1.4 million copies?

Then I heard that they are going to publish a Game of Thrones-themed coloring book.

Yes, the fantasy juggernaut from George R.R. Martin will now have a coloring book, one aimed firmly at adults. Suddenly, I get it. A coloring book based on the “Song of Ice and Fire” saga makes sense for adults with all the nudity, violence and death.

If you are telling me I can get to color Ned Stark’s execution, Jamie Lannister’s hand getting chopped off, or the Red Wedding, then I am in! 

China's Breaking Bad

Sometimes facts become fiction, and sometimes fiction becomes facts. This seemed to be the case in China when Chinese police busted a drug gang and discovered a former chemistry professor as the "cook" of the gang.

A 50 year-old former university professor named Lu had "a set of recipes for producing methcathinone”, a drug similar to methamphetamine, which he provided to dealers for sale throughout China. This has amazing parallel to the TV show "Breaking Bad" where the main character, Walter White, was...a former professor who cook and sold "crystal meth",

No word yet on whether Lu was inspired by Walter White, but considering how close they mirror each other, maybe Chinese producers will be rushing to produce the hit show. Hell, they can even put "based on real life events" on it!  

The Last Season

With "The Voice" being the premier singing show for the past few seasons, it comes as no surprise when US television network Fox announced that "American Idol" will end after 15 seasons.

The music talent show has produced stars such as Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert and Carrie Underwood, and for a long time was the show to watch. Not anymore. Honestly, the show outlived its welcome a few seasons ago and it’s about time the show called the curtains.

One good thing is that "'American Idol' will get a farewell season with its producers promising a "season-long celebratory event" that will pay tribute to past seasons of "amazingly talented contestants". In short, we will probably see past winners and people made famous by the show showing up.

Good going to great! I was never much of a fan of the show but a farewell season is reasonable considering how important "American Idol" was once upon a time. Besides, it’ll be fun to see Simon Cowell back scolding contestants who don’t cut it. 

Are There Too Many Superhero Projects?

Yes, hell yes! I never thought I’ll be saying this but I’m suffering from comics overload here. There are just too many superhero shows and movies!

On TV currently, there’s Arrow, Flash, Agent of SHIELD, Peggy Carter, Gotham, Powers, and Constantine. Upcoming superhero movies include Avengers 2 (coming out next month), Superman/Batman, Ant-man, Fantastic Four, Captain America: Civil War, X-Men: Apocalypse, Deadpool, Suicide Squad, Gambit, and Doctor Strange. All these movies by the end of 2016!

Outside these movies, there’s various (almost countless) upcoming television projects going around. Daredevil, (Luke) Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Defenders, iZombie, and SuperGirl are all awaiting their turn on the small screen. 

And that’s just the Big 2! Outside DC and Marvel, Valiant just signed a major mutli-movie/TV deal and independent projects like Supercrooks are also to be rumored to be in the pipelines. There’s also Heroes, Hancock 2, Kick-Ass 3 and (if they can get Angelina Jolie) Wanted 2.

How many projects is that? One too many in my view. Hollywood and the comics industry need to be careful and don’t go kill the golden goose.

Now This Should Go Viral!

I think everyone by now would have heard about the ice bucket challenge. The funny challenge where you dumped a bucket of ice on yourself for $100? Well, if you think that’s funny wait till you hear what the Japanese are doing!

9 adult movie actresses are going to have their breasts squeezed by fans for a 24 hours charity event loosely translated as…"Boob Aid"! Yes, I'm serious. Not only that, the "Stop! AIDS" event will be televised live on adult cable television and has been going on since 2003!

Now why can’t a “challenge” like this go viral? Seriously, if something like this went viral, it would make the successful of the ice bucket looks like a drop of water in the ocean. The “Cop A  Feel” challenge? Now that’s something every male would want to do. 

Why Is Breaking Bad Still Up For The Emmys?

The 2014 Emmy nominations were announced earlier this week and while I agree with most of the nominations, there is one thing which make no sense to me. The way it is decided which show qualified for the awards.

Now this is not a knock on the award or it's nominations. For example, I have no problem with Game of Thrones earning 19 Emmy Award nominations; I disagree but can understand why Tatiana Maslany did not managed to score a nomination for her great work in Orphan Black; but I can't understand why Breaking Bad still up for the Emmys?

Don’t get me wrong, it is a great show, but I remember quite clearly that when Anna Gunn won for “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series” last year, it was announced that it was the last season of Breaking Bad. Now I admit I don’t quite get the how and why America like to “spilt” their show’s seasons nowadays but I do remember that when the Emmys were given out last year, Breaking Bad was already over.

So why is Breaking Bad still up for the Emmys again? Can someone in America help me understand this?