Bakacast 5 – Project K-ON!

Hey, guess what’s back! Ritsu, Shamisen and I finally got enough free time to put together another Bakacast. And…uh…this one is a bit of a doozy.

As always, you can download the episode directly, subscribe to the RSS feed or follow us on iTunes.

We start out easy with a short discussion on the possibility of J-Rock bands making their way to Rock Band before launching into a much more involved (and tangential) look at some recent poll results about Cool Japan. Oh, and I guess there’s something about a new Kyoto Animation series.

For the reviews segment, we wonder what the hell is up with Project A-Ko; and if you’ve read Ritsu’s post on the subject, you’ll have a good idea of where that conversation goes (he totally stole my Commando comparison). Also, we weigh in on the merits of K-ON!

Past Masters: Project A-ko

Did you know that without Project A-ko, anime as we know it would not exist?

Okay, so maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. Still, Project A-ko was hugely influential on the 80s-era American anime fandom. It was one of the first non-artsy anime to be successfully imported to the States without being ripped to shreds à la Robotech; therefore, it fulfilled the role of gateway drug for many aspiring young otaku, introducing them to anime and launching their lifelong obsession with Japan that would eventually mutate into the modern monstrosity known as otaku culture. So, next time you’re glomped by a middle-aged 300-pound man dressed as Sailor Moon at a con, you can shake your fist at the sky and angrily scream, “PROJECT A-KO!”

But what’s the history behind this oh-so-important anime? Keep reading past the break to find out!

Continue reading