The Click

December 29 - January 4

Golly gee and gosh darn - 2008 is nearly upon us, almost making it two whole years since The Click has wrought its list-laden vengeance upon the once-peaceful landscape of anime TV-watching!

Typically the end of the year is signified by two things in the entertainment industry, both created so that people can feel safe while on their holiday vacations that they're still guaranteed a paycheck for a measly amount of work: baseless prognostication, and self-aggrandizing "best of the year" picks. Eager as I am to follow trends like a lemming to his frozen doom on the cliffs below, allow me to expound upon things:

BASELESS PROGNOSTICATION: there will still be anime on TV all throughout the year, despite the vocal protest of those who both watch and decry it.

BEST OF 2007: I liked it when G4TechTV in Canada aired Paranoia Agent. I liked that a lot, and I don't even live there!

And now, off I go to sip martinis in the Caribbean and collect my big fat huge The Click paycheck for the remainder of my vacation. Or at least load up on cheap booze and medication until said fantasy occurs. Happy New Year, you awesome readers o' mine!

Naruto
(Cartoon Network)
-Saturday December 29 9:00pm - Episode 126 "Showdown: Gaara vs. Kimimaro"
-Saturday December 29 9:30pm - Episode 127 "The Vengeful Strike! Bracken Dance"

Naruto is both one of the best and worst anime series I've ever seen. Best, because Kishimoto's original manga is one of the better examples of well-written and immensely character-focused shonen action manga out there, and the episodes that slavishly follow the original plot are just as entertaining and thoughtful. Worst, because whenever the anime writers decide for one reason or another to veer off from the original manga plot (movies, OAV episodes, "catching up" to the manga, et cetera), it becomes a horrendously dumb mess. The third Naruto movie is perhaps the worst feature film based on an animated TV series I've ever seen, and I've seen Care Bears 2. The reason, then, as to why I'm highlighting yet another standard week of Naruto premieres is because, sadly, the dreaded "fillers" are just around the bend. This of course won't hamper the ratings much, as, let's face it, kids are pretty stupid and will watch anything. But to everyone else, beware. In the meantime, though, enjoy the last batch of solid, manga-inspired episodes, as Naruto attempts to retrieve Sasuke from the Dark Side with a little help from the most unlikely of allies.

PREMIERES:

Black Lagoon
(G4TechTV Canada)
Friday January 4 8:00pm - Episode 11 "Lock n' Load Revolution"

The erstwhile Black Lagoon Company is in the employ of a very dangerous character, and it isn't long before out-and-out terrorists are hot on their trail. Be sure to watch this while proudly carrying your very special limited edition Twin Towers Victory Silver Dollar(tm).

Bleach
(YTV)
Friday January 4 10:30pm - Episode 43 (Repeats Sat Jan 5 2:00am)

Uryu matches wits and might against the devilish Captain Kurotsuchi, a guy who just so happens to know about Uryu's Quincy powers inside and out. What are the odds? Against it being a very clever ploy for dramatic action, I mean.

Death Note
(Adult Swim)
Friday January 4 10:00pm - Episode 11 "Assault" (Repeats Sat Jan 5 1:30am)

Adult Swim loses the rights to air Futurama after the 1st of the New Year, so they are of course running it until then as much as possible. Which means, sadly, Canada is the only place in North America to get new Death Note for the week. Alas, my American brothers!

Desert Punk
(Starz Edge)
-Saturday December 29 11:30am - Episode 11 "Compromising Positions"
-Saturday December 29 12:05pm - Episode 12 "A Change of Heart"
-Wednesday January 2 12:00am - Episode 13 "Opposites Collide" (Repeats Thu Jan 3 2:45am)
-Wednesday January 2 12:30am - Episode 14 "Kosuna: Fully Automatic" (Repeats Thu Jan 3 3:15am)

I'd be hipper to Desert Punk's puerile vibe if the production values weren't so atrocious - nonetheless! This week has a fierce foursome of episodes, featuring his misadventures with his busty nemesis locked together in a prison, a dangerous rescue mission, a good Samaritan, and more! Maybe.

Gundam Seed Destiny
(YTV)
Friday January 4 9:30pm - Episode 39 "Kira of the Skies" (Repeats Sat Jan 5 2:30am)

Ex-protagonist Kira Yamato proudly leads his battalion to victory against his enemies. But since this is Gundam, there are later Consequences of War(tm) that are discussed.

Last Exile
(G4TechTV Canada)
Sunday December 30 8:00pm - Episode 24 "Sealed Move" (Repeats Mon Dec 31 12:00am)

The nasty, evil, no-good Queen Delphine's dastardly plans literally wind up in smoke and rubble, and Klaus and the rest scramble to plan their next move. As the prophetic 69 Boys once said: "To the left / to the left / to the right / to the right / now dip, baby, dip."

One Piece
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 29 10:00pm - Episode 117 "Already Criminals: Skypiea's Upholder of the Law"

Not having paid the astronomical toll to enter the land of Skypiea, Luffy and his skyward crew are now wanted criminals in a strange cloud land with a powerful, omniscient "King" at their throats.

Pokemon
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 29 9:30am - Episode 509 "Malice in Wonderland!"

Ash and his buddies travel through the looking glass, or perhaps ingest some hallucinogenic Pokemon Pellets or something, and notice the strange things that lie asunder.

Requiem From the Darkness
(G4TechTV Canada)
Saturday December 29 8:00pm - Episode 11 "Funa Yurei - The Marine Spirits" (Repeats Sun Dec 30 12:00am)

On his many travels across the cursed land, Momosuke is advised to return home and forget this nonsense. Of course, he's a rebel that plays by his own rules, so he doesn't. Hijinks ensue!

Tokyo Underground
(G4TechTV Canada)
Sunday December 29 8:30pm - Episode 24 "Reason: Flame of Betrayal" (Repeats Mon Dec 30 12:30am)

Betrayal, my favorite of all highly dramatized actions! And flames, harbinger of destruction! Sounds like a good time to me!

MOVIES/SPECIALS

Transformers: Transform and Roll Out!
(Cartoon Network)
Saturday December 29 10:00am

Now that Transformers has filled Hollywood's eyes with dollar signs aplenty, they of course rushed yet another animated Transformers adaptation out the proverbial door. This is the fruit of that cash-related endeavor, the first few episodes of which have been spliced together in a handy-dandy movie format. I have no idea if this is any good, of course, but judging from the past few Transformers cartoons - which have all ranged from dull to abysmal - I'd traipse with trepidation.

Pokemon The Movie 2000
(Cartoon Network)
Tuesday January 1 7:30am

Pokemon 3: The Movie
(Cartoon Network)
Tuesday January 1 9:30am

Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
(Cartoon Network)
Tuesday January 1 11:30am

Cartoon Network rings in 2008 right: with a marathon of Pokemon movies. I mean, hey - you've got the day off work, your hangover is in full sway, so what better way to wash away that icky feeling than with shrieking, flashing, chattering Pokemon fighting each other!

Appleseed
(Starz Edge)
Thursday January 3 1:20pm

Karas: The Prophecy
(Encore Action)
Friday January 4 10:00am (Repeats Fri Jan 4 11:50pm)

Akira
(Encore Action)
Friday January 4 6:20pm

The rest, eh. You've seen these before, I think. Although, if I were you, I would hurry and buy the nifty 2-disc Akira DVD Geneon produced a few years ago, before it becomes long out of print and prohibitively expensive.

That wraps up this not-quite-as-special-as-you-and-I-hoped New Years' Click! I will of course be around next week for the first official column of 2008! Provided I don't ensconce myself in some sort of cocoon and enter a pupal stage or something.

REPEATS/STRIPS

Ayakashi
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Sun Dec 30 10:00pm - Episode 9 “Goblin Cat, Part 1” (R Mon Dec 31 2:30am, 2:00pm)
-Tue Jan 1 5:30pm - Episode 10 “Goblin Cat, Part 2” (R Tue Jan 1 8:30pm, Wed Jan 2 1:00am, 12:30pm)

Cat's Eye
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Mon Dec 31 9:30am - Episode 35 "The Exposure the Cat's Eye's Secret" (R Tue Jan 1 5:30am)
-Tue Jan 1 9:30am - Episode 36 "The Man Who Knows Hanz" (R Wed Jan 2 5:30am)
-Wed Jan 2 9:30am - Episode 1 "You're a Sexy Thief" (R Thu Jan 3 5:30am)
-Thu Jan 3 9:30am - Episode 2 "Welcome to the Police Station" (R Fri Jan 4 5:30am)
-Fri Jan 4 9:30am - Episode 3 "Watch the Troublesome Devil" (R Sat Jan 5 5:30am)

Chrono Crusade
(Showtime Beyond)
-Mon Dec 31 6:00pm - Episode 1 "Sister Rosette"
-Mon Dec 31 6:30pm - Episode 2 "Contractor"
-Mon Dec 31 7:00pm - Episode 3 "Servants"
-Mon Dec 31 7:30pm - Episode 4 "Sinner"
-Mon Dec 31 8:00pm - Episode 5 "Militia"
-Mon Dec 31 8:30pm - Episode 6 "Jewel Witch"
-Mon Dec 31 9:00pm - Episode 7 "Devil"
-Mon Dec 31 9:30pm - Episode 8 "Puppets"
-Mon Dec 31 10:00pm - Episode 9 "Joshua"
-Mon Dec 31 10:30pm - Episode 10 "Horn"
-Mon Dec 31 11:00pm - Episode 11 "Beast"
-Mon Dec 31 11:30pm - Episode 12 "Holy Night"
-Tue Jan 1 12:00am - Episode 13 "Older Sister"
-Tue Jan 1 12:30am - Episode 14 "Prayer"
-Tue Jan 1 1:00am - Episode 15 "Pursuer"
-Tue Jan 1 1:30am - Episode 16 "Believer"
-Tue Jan 1 2:00am - Episode 17 "Accomplices"
-Tue Jan 1 2:30am - Episode 18 "Four People"
-Tue Jan 1 3:00am - Episode 19 "Atonement"
-Tue Jan 1 3:30am - Episode 20 "Temptation"
-Tue Jan 1 4:00am - Episode 21 "Mary Magdalene"
-Tue Jan 1 4:30am - Episode 22 "Sayonara"
-Tue Jan 1 5:00am - Episode 23 "The Noise"
-Tue Jan 1 5:30am - Episode 24 "Chrono"

Digimon
(Toon Disney)
-Sat Dec 29 5:30pm - Episode 27 "The Gateway to Home"
-Sun Dec 30 5:30pm - Episode 28 "It's All in the Cards"
-Mon Dec 31 8:30pm - Episode 216 "The Return of Thomas!" (Repeats Tue Jan 1 1:00am)
-Tue Jan 1 10:00pm - Episode 153 "D-Reaper's Feast"
-Wed Jan 2 10:00pm - Episode 154 "Jeri Fights Back"
-Thu Jan 3 10:00pm - Episode 155 "Such Sweet Sorrow"
-Fri Jan 4 8:30pm - Episode 217 "The New Team of Marcus and Thomas!" (R Sat Jan 5 1:00am)
-Fri Jan 4 10:00pm - Episode 156 "All Aboard"

Dragon Ball Z
(Cartoon Network)
-Sat Dec 29 10:30pm - Episode 153 "Meet Me in the Ring"

Ergo Proxy
(Fuse)
-Thu Jan 3 2:00am - Episode 5 "Tasogare" (R Thu Jan 3 2:30am)
-Sat Jan 5 12:00am - Episode 3 "Mazecity"

Eureka 7
(Adult Swim)
-Thu Jan 3 1:30am - Episode 17 "Sky Lock Gate" (R Thu Jan 3 5:00am)
-Fri Jan 4 1:30am - Episode 18 "Ill Communication" (R Fri Jan 4 5:00am)
-Sat Jan 5 1:30am - Episode 19 "Acperience-2" (R Sat Jan 5 5:00am)

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Adult Swim)
-Thu Jan 3 1:00am - Episode 2 "Testation" (R Thu Jan 3 4:30am)
-Fri Jan 4 1:00am - Episode 3 "Android and I" (R Fri Jan 4 4:30am)
-Sat Jan 5 1:00am - Episode 4 "Interceptor" (R Sat Jan 5 4:30am)

Inuyasha
(Adult Swim)
-Thu Jan 3 2:00am - Episode 42 "The Wind Scar Fails" (R Thu Jan 3 5:30am)
-Fri Jan 4 2:00am - Episode 43 "Tetsusaiga Breaks" (R Fri Jan 4 5:30am)
-Sat Jan 5 2:00am - Episode 44 "Kaijinbo's Evil Sword" (R Sat Jan 5 5:30am)

Kami Chu
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Sun Dec 30 9:30pm - Episode 14 “Dream Colored Message” (R Mon Dec 31 2:00am, 1:30pm)
-Tue Jan 1 5:00pm - Episode 15 “A Small Step” (R Tue Jan 1 8:00pm, Wed Jan 2 12:30am, 12:00pm)

Naruto
(Cartoon Network)
-Wed Jan 2 10:30pm - Episode 103 "The Race is On: Trouble on the High Seas"
-Thu Jan 3 10:30pm - Episode 104 "Run Idate Run! Nagi Island Awaits"

Oban Star-Racers
(Toon Disney)
-Sun Dec 30 2:30am - Episode 24 "Canaletto's Revenge"
-Mon Dec 31 2:30am - Episode 25 "Unlikely Alliances"

Orguss
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Mon Dec 31 8:30am - Episode 1 "Space-Time Destruction" (R Tue Jan 1 5:00am)
-Tue Jan 1 8:30am - Episode 2 "Lonely Wolf" (R Wed Jan 2 5:00am)
-Wed Jan 2 8:30am - Episode 3 "Pretty Machine" (R Thu Jan 3 5:00am)
-Thu Jan 3 8:30am - Episode 4 "Caravan" (R Fri Jan 4 5:00am)
-Fri Jan 4 8:30am - Episode 5 "Lovers" (R Sat Jan 5 5:00am)

Paradise Kiss
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Sun Dec 30 10:30pm - Episode 10 “Rose” (R Mon Dec 31 3:00am, 2:30pm)
-Tue Jan 1 6:00pm - Episode 11 “Stage” (R Tue Jan 1 9:00pm, Wed Jan 2 1:30am, 1:00pm)

Pokemon
(Cartoon Network)
-Sat Dec 29 9:00am - Episode 508 "The Electrike Company"
-Sun Dec 30 10:30am - Episode 490 "Cooking Up a Sweet Story"
-Sun Dec 30 11:00am - Episode 491 "Oh Do You Know the Poffin Plan!"
-Wed Jan 2 7:00am - Episode 505 "Steamboat Willies"

Remi
(ImaginAsianTV)
-Mon Dec 31 6:00am - Episode 8 "Remi, Lost" (R Mon Dec 31 9:00am, Tue Jan 1 4:30am)
-Tue Jan 1 6:00am - Episode 9 "Grace, the First Friend" (R Tue Jan 1 9:00am, Wed Jan 2 4:30am)
-Wed Jan 2 6:00am - Episode 10 "Unforseen Incident" (R Wed Jan 2 9:00am, Thu Jan 3 4:30am)
-Thu Jan 3 6:00am - Episode 11 "Vitalis' Trial" (R Thu Jan 3 9:00am, Fri Jan 4 4:30am)
-Fri Jan 4 6:00am - Episode 12 "Remi the Little Leader" (R Fri Jan 4 9:00am, Sat Jan 5 4:30am)

Saiyuki Reload
(Encore WAM)
-Sat Dec 29 4:00pm - Episode "Secret Ambition" (R Sun Dec 30 1:00am, 8:00am)
-Sun Dec 30 4:00pm - Episode "Opposite" (R Mon Dec 31 1:00am, 8:00am)
-Mon Dec 31 4:00pm - Episode "Wish"

Saiyuki Reload Gunlock
(AZNTV)
-Sun Dec 30 1:00am - Episode TBA
-Sun Dec 30 1:30am - Episode TBA
-Sun Dec 30 2:00am - Episode TBA
-Sun Dec 30 2:30am - Episode TBA
-Tue Jan 1 2:00am - Episode TBA
-Tue Jan 1 2:30am - Episode TBA
-Tue Jan 1 3:00am - Episode TBA
-Tue Jan 1 3:30am - Episode TBA

Samurai Deeper Kyo
(Encore WAM)
-Sat Dec 29 4:30pm - Episode "The Boy From the Deep Forest" (R Sun Dec 30 1:30am, 8:30am, 1:30pm)
-Sun Dec 30 4:30pm - Episode "Crossing Souls" (R Mon Dec 31 1:30am, 8:30am)
-Mon Dec 31 4:30pm - Episode "Satan Again"

Shin Chan
(Adult Swim)
-Thu Jan 3 12:30am - Episode 6 "Gum is a Good Food to Eat" (R Tue Jan 3 4:00am)
-Fri Jan 4 12:30am - Episode 7 "A Mutha Bleeping Bunny!" (R Fri Jan 4 4:00am)
-Sat Jan 5 12:30am - Episode 8 "The Shin Must Poop On" (R Sat Jan 5 4:00am)

Shinzo
(Toon Disney)
-Tue Jan 1 4:00am - Episode 5 "Kiri"
-Wed Jan 2 4:00am - Episode 6 "Battling Daku"
-Thu Jan 3 4:00am - Episode 7 "Into the Jungle"
-Fri Jan 4 4:00am - Episode 8 "Reptiles"
-Sat Jan 5 4:00am - Episode 9 "Gyasa"

Sonic X
(4KidsTV)
-Sat Dec 29 10:30am - Episode 35 "Sonic's Big Break"

Tenjho Tenge
(Fuse)
-Sat Jan 5 12:30am - Episode TBA

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
(4KidsTV)
-Sat Dec 29 7:30am - Episode 124 "Triple Play, Part 1"