Strange and the vivid

Nobody does it better than Japan when it applies to background painting. This exceptional series: Mushishi, created by Artland (spanning 26 episodes) is an animated series based off the manga by Yuki Urushibara. There is also a live-action version directed by Katsuhira Otomo (Akira).

Devoid of violence or nudity, it is still not recommended for children. With eerie and supernatural concepts of reality, the storyline follows Ginko, a Mushi master travelling across the land investigating strange cases involving "mushi"; ghost-like creatures that co-exist in our world. The format is similar to many North American series formats (Sherlock, X-Files, CSI), each episode serves a self-contained dilemma where the protagonist digs beneath the surface, discovering both answers and more questions.

I've recently found a few episodes online:

Episode 1 : The Green Seat

Episode 2: The Light of the Eyelid (this one really can creep out kids)

Episode 3: Tender Horns

80s lost

Leisure Suit Larry

Ah.. anybody remember those primitive choppy images of prostitutes, pimps, cliché bars, taxi rides and hotels? Originally considered a soft porn adventure, Sierra On-line created a world for Larry Laffer, a balding loser in his forties to... get laid. I remember laughing with a lot of my friends, easily cracking through the questions with a notepad until we were permitted into his sleazy world. That was then. In recent years the gaming industry has progressed far beyond our expectations or nightmares, where murder, theft and whoring are the next generation norm for entertainment. Released in Japan in 2006, a "hentai" rape-based game "RapeLay" made close to $100 million. Although it's now banned from shelves in Japan and pulled from Amazon, the domestic Japanese market is unlikely to fade anytime soon. I won't go into details of the sheer perversion and indecency but it makes me wish for the days of Leisure Suit Larry.

Multi-million toy commercials

So far only Transformers and G.I. Joe have been churned into action packed candy cotton. Can't Hollywood think of anything fresh? They probably can but it's a heck of a lot easier to just make a blockbuster that already has a set market. My question is... what do kids watch? The Saturday morning time slot is a pale comparison to the packed programs of the past. Sure there's Spongebob, but one show can't compare to the explosive creative burst of the 80's where the Smurfs, Voltron, Thundercats, the Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock ruled the waves. I guess the most we can look forward to is the onslaught of remakes coming our way.

Fashionistas & Hollywood

The part of the 80s that I sometimes think... why why WHY BRING IT BACK? The colors, thick theatrical makeup, leggings, jewelry, hair, shoulder pads, neon, silver and acid washed jeans ... it makes my head spin.

Although little kids can get away with wearing absolutely anything... hope to see a few little David Bowie and Madonna outfits this Halloween!

The Asian Invasion

I may have missed the boat (no pun intended) on the whole Korean Wave thing but I've always found it interesting. On this side of the world we occasionally get a peppering of Asian actors (Ken Watanabe, John Cho, Chow Yun Fat) or the mixed brood of celebs (Keanu Reeves, Moon Bloodgood, Lindsay Price). But only recently have I delved further and found some interesting tidbits.

Like all countries, they all have their shiny beautiful people in over the top dramas (American can't throw stones.. hello Baywatch, Grey's Anatomy, Melrose Place). Have no fear however! Seething beneath the plastic wrappings are a growing number of worthwhile stories begging to be watched. Oldboy, a potent tale of rage, 1st shop of the Coffee Prince, a Shakespearean cross dressing comedy of lies (above), and riding the Twilight wave, the up and coming vampire film Thirst are among a few shining stars.

Manga (comic) translations continue to be a common source of storytelling in Asia. For the past decade the west have picked up the habit of translating paper pictures to celluloid. Persepolis, A History of Violence, Batman, and American Splendor are among the best adaptations to date.

Anime is a commonly misunderstood genre that has typically been associated with the perverse underground yearnings of Japan. Prejudice against the medium is finally fading with the momentum of popular kids shows like Avatar the Last Airbender (which is actually animated in Korea) and quality films like Spirited Away.

Want to watch something off the beaten track?

Check these out: Mushi-shi, Samurai Champloo, FLCL, The girl who leapt through time, Graveyard of the Fireflies, Hunter x Hunter, 5 cm per second, Tekkon Kinkreet and My Neighbor Totoro.

It's not just us obsessed with youth pop culture

http://popseoul.com/

http://k-popped.com/

Try an Asian television show or movie?

http://www.mysoju.com/