Cel Shaded Jason Yadao

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Christmas comes early for anime club

The turkey and all the fixings have been eaten, the cheap TVs and DVD players from day-after-Thanksgiving "doorbuster" sales have been stashed away, and PlayStation 3s and T.M.X. Elmos are being bid up to obscene prices on eBay.

Yes, this year's Christmas season is under way. And in the spirit of the season comes word of Oahu Anime Explorer's annual Christmas party, the group's last gathering of the year. The party is Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. at GS Studios, 320 Lewers St.

Planned activities include games of Pictionary and a "last man standing" trivia game, along with the debut of the "Anime Idol" karaoke contest. (Oahu Anime Explorer members do love their karaoke, after all.)

A tradition from the days of the old Japanese Animation Society of Hawaii, the gift exchange, also will continue at this year's party. Attendees are asked to bring a gift worth no more than $5 and to refrain from bringing perishable food items or dated items like calendars.

Cost is $15 for members, $20 for guests; to sign up, visit oahuanimeexplorer.com ...

Random plugging

Giving an average family -- and a rather dysfunctional one, at that -- the task of defending Earth from alien invaders seems like an interesting concept on which to base a 12-episode anime series.

The problem with "The Daichis: Earth's Defense Family" (available on three DVDs from Geneon) is that the whole dysfunctional family dynamic overshadows most of the other mysteries presented throughout the series -- who commissioned the Daichis? Where are these aliens coming from? Who's the green-haired girl who watches the Daichis?

A helpful tip to would-be anime producers: If there are 15 minutes left in the final episode and 95 percent of the plot threads remain unresolved, something's wrong ...