Genius Party Beyond World Premiere + Maywa Denki Concert

Maywa Denki gives a spectacular and wacky concert like only they can do, as part of the Japan! Culture + Hyperculture event. President Nobumichi Tosa and company perform their all-time popular Mechatronica concert. Maywa Denki is famous for its musical acts consisting of "nonsense" music machines and toys of their own invention. It is rare to get a chance at seeing this art troupe live, especially outside of Japan. And boy, they don't disappoint, it is quite the experience - a spectacle you've no doubt seen before. And for your education, be sure to check out his interactive manual on how his "instruments" all work here:P Below is a clip from the famous Maywa Denki "Tsukuba Series."


Right after grabbing Tosa's sig, (^_^) I quickly hustled to the "Genius Party Beyond" world premiere. "Genius Party Beyond" acts as a sort of continuation to "Genius Party." This time 5 directors showcase their work with 5 works of animated art. And present to introduce the films were 2 of the 5 directors: Masahiro Maeda (Blue Submarine No. 6) and Koji Morimoto (Memories, Macross Plus)!!

To continue on with the "Genius Party's" general theme of perspective, "Genius Party Beyond" kicks of with Maeda's short film "Gala." The film starts off with a massive meteor of some sort crashing down on a village reminiscent of ancient Japan. After a confusing upbringing, an orchestra of instruments engulf the scenes and we enter an almost "Fantasia-like" realm. Next up was Kazuto Nakazawa's "Moondrive," a comedic story about a group of four on a journey to the Island of Giants in search for gold. "'Wanwa' the Doggy" from what I could gather was a story of a boy's world of imagination. However, the MS Paint-esque method of animation is not so much an aesthetic of mine. Luckily Tatsuyuki Tanaka's "Tojin Kit" and Koji Morimoto's "Dimension Bomb" saved the day. Both spectacularly animated. "Tojin Kit" revolves around a young girl who seems to be concocting some illegal experimentation with the guise of dolls. The subdued and monotone coloring made a perfect blend with the story at hand. "Dimension Bomb" is well done and very unique, as is all the "Genius Party" and "Beyond" works. Set with an awesome soundtrack, it'll keep you guessing till the end. Overall, a nice continuation to "Genius Party."