Dagger

I moved your thread from the Otaku Lounge to OB Anthology, which is where this sort of thing usually goes. As is stated in the Anthology's [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=44313][u]sticky[/u][/url], we require all poetry/fiction posted here to be properly rated. Since you did not include a rating in the title of this thread, I'm going to lock it; however, please keep in mind that you are more than welcome to re-post your poem with the appropriate rating. Feel free to private message me or one of the other staff members if you have any questions. Thanks! Thread closed. ~Dagger~

*runs around the room screaming* Thanks for the news! :animesmil Based on the talent pool described in your post, I'd assume that the series has been licensed by Bandai (or possibly ShoPro/Viz, but I'm really [i]really[/i] hoping that's not the case). The actors involved aren't exactly favorites of mine, but I like the director's work; Infinite Ryvius's dub is really stellar, for example, so I think this could have potential. EDIT: [url=http://www.animeondvd.com/][u]AoD[/u][/url] has reported that Viz will release the first Hikaru no Go DVD on 9/27/05. Now that's what I call fast. While I dislike many of the company's practices (bad disc counts, no song subtitles, etc.) I can't help but be excited about the quick turnover. I hope they include the live-action segments. ~Dagger~

[url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/columns/edit-list.php?id=299][u]The Edit List - Paranoia Agent Episode 01[/u][/url] [quote name='r2vq']On the topic of the ending, I can't say I was entirely pleased with it, but it wasn't a disappointment either.[/quote] I watched the fourth DVD pretty recently, actually. I have to say that I liked the ending a lot, and seeing it really improved my opinion of Paranoia Agent. For some reason I nearly always enjoy anime which use that particular plot twist, heh. Or maybe I just have a fondness for [spoiler]cycles.[/spoiler] For me, the biggest "holy ****" moment of the entire series came in the last episode, when [spoiler]a connection was established between Maniwa and the old man.[/spoiler] Which leads me to my question--is [spoiler]"Maniwa" still present as his young self in the new cycle established at the end of PA? Wouldn't that make him the only character able to exist on two different levels at the same time (as Maniwa and as the prophet)? The ED leads me to believe that he may instead be the only character who eventually passes out of the cycle--that is, the Maniwa of one cycle becomes the prophet of the next cycle, and a comparable character comes in to play the role of the original Maniwa while Maniwa plays the role of the prophet. And then the prophet is eventually replaced by the young man who took Maniwa's spot. Of course, if the young Maniwa is shown[/spoiler] during the final scene, I'm obviously on the wrong track. Perhaps I should go double-check episode 13. ~Dagger~

[b]The Gods Must Be Crazy[/b] has always been one of my favorite comedies (along with its sequel, the appropriately named The Gods Must Be Crazy II). It's pretty simplistic--there's a lot of slapstick and fish-out-of-water humor--but it's hysterically funny and actually has a decent plot. It seems rather like something that Douglas Adams could have written, now that I think about it. ~Dagger~

Thanks for the correction regarding the Toonami promo music. I'm also looking forward to IGPX; a little too much CG for my tastes, perhaps, but apparently it has a budget rivaling that of GitS: SAC, which can only be a good thing. As for future series, Eureka 7 is indeed going to own. I'm not totally sure that I'd want to see a TV-edited version of Bleach, though. The show has an interesting roughness to it (in everything from the loud comedy to the violence) that would probably vanish post-sanitization. It's much more of a traditional shounen action series than, say, FMA--but for some reason I think it would fit better on Adult Swim. To me Bleach just has an "older" vibe than most comparable shows, including YYH. Hunter x Hunter, on the other hand, would be perfect for Toonami. It gets rather gory at times, but the really violent parts could be edited/removed without badly harming the show's atmosphere. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Meggido']So in a weird way I actually want to see the rest of the series.[/quote] If you stick with it until episode 8, you will be rewarded with some lovely [spoiler]lesbian action.[/spoiler] Now if [I]that[/I] doesn't get straight guys interested in the show, I just don't know what will. The aforementioned [spoiler]lesbian action[/spoiler] is a big part of the reason that I was so entertained by episode 8. I almost cried from laughter when (all of the following spoilers are pretty minor) [spoiler]Yamato reacted in total shock & disbelief after seeing the size of Yuiko's boobs. Which reminds me--it was so cute how Kouya and Yamato acted jealous of each other's female friends. And of course I was wildly amused by the fact that Kouya opted to wear fake ears (they looked quite realistic!). Let's just say that few things make me happier than anime which are able to incorporate both BL and GL.[/spoiler] Bring on episode 9. More Zero goodness for all! ~Dagger~

Episode 32 was so amazing. :love: When I first heard that Renji was a real fan favorite in Japan, I was quite surprised. He didn't seem like a very charismatic character, and I had been under the impression that he would take a back-seat (so to speak) to Captain Kuchiki. Episode 32 proved me wrong. I found it to be one of the most emotional and moving episodes so far, and it explained a lot about Renji's behavior earlier in the show. What's up with episode 33? The preview made it look like filler. Is it based on a manga side story or something? ~Dagger~

[quote name='Mad Hatter][color=#550000][font=tahoma]I can't help it, Yuki (Kaori Yuki) is an amazing artist and writer. I wish I had a way to contact her by letter. That would be like meeting a movie star or something.[/color'][/font][/quote]Not to get too far off-topic, but her other series and one-shots are also excellent. You should try to check out Count Cain (which is being released in the States as The Cain Saga; the first volume comes out this July), if you ever get the chance. God Child, the sequel to Count Cain, is going to start coming out around the same time. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Jahjahwarrior17']:animeangr She's a computer, not an android, and there is a difference...for someone who read all the manga and saw a big chunk of the anime, you're not very Chobits wise -_-[/quote] Oh, please. Enlighten me: what's the huge, world-shattering distinction between a human-shaped Persocom and an android (read: an anthropomorphic robot)? In describing Chobits to someone unfamiliar with the series, I'd feel much more comfortable referring to Chi as an android or a robot or whatever, because in this context the word "computer" is confusing and only really makes sense once you actually see how they apply it in the world of the manga/show (with Kotoko being a "laptop," and so forth). If that's the only quibble you can come up with, I can only conclude that I must indeed know a thing or two about Chobits. [quote name='Bloodseeker']And mechanical orgasm girl wins! On the afterthought, I wonder if she gets turned on by Chi? She's an android, right?[/quote] I like the way you think. :catgirl: ~Dagger~

[quote name='Dragon Warrior]I fear that the fact is that [b]hardcore Star Wars fans[/b] weren't as pleased with the 3rd episode as [b]fans and nobodies[/b'] were.[/quote] Well, I for one am very far from being a hardcore Star Wars fan. I've always liked and enjoyed the original movies, but I'm probably less of a fan than most of the people who've been posting in this thread, if one can quantify such things. [quote]I did not see really any bad acting, I did not hear terrible dialogue, and I most certainly believed everything was tied together perfectly.[/quote] This is all perhaps a matter of taste, but as an example... [spoiler]During one of the scenes early on (when Padme and Anakin are still all lovey-dovey), Anakin is standing there watching her gaze out the window or whatever. After a few seconds, he starts murmuring, "You're so..." and all I could think at the time was "Oh, for the love of all that's holy, [i]please[/i] don't say 'You're so... beautiful.'" And he did. The exchange that follows (something about her only being beautiful because he's so in love with her, and some stupid quip along the lines of "So love has blinded you?") is so insipid and woodenly acted that--no offense intended to anyone--I honestly have trouble understanding how one could take it seriously. And let's not even get into the infamous "NOOOOO~!!!11!!![/spoiler] I can usually handle plenty of lines with the cheesiness factor of something like "You're so beautiful" or "I have a bad feeling about this" (heck, this kind of thing abounds in the original trilogy, and the latter quote is classic!), but in the case of RotS, I just couldn't swallow any of it. *shrugs* Your mileage might vary. [quote]If you're so picky about the movie, you should be taken out into the middle of the street and beaten with a chair leg and we wish to give you mercy, I shall pour just lava down your pants and not acid.[/QUOTE] And you say you're not a hardcore Star Wars fan? Hm... :animeswea ~Dagger~

For me, it was the first volume of Vampire Princess Miyu. I wasn't that interested in the story, but I loved (and still love) Narumi Kakinouchi's character designs. Eventually I realized that I could just pick up an artbook and be done with it, so I never did buy later volumes of the series. ~Dagger~

Speaking of Escaflowne, I strongly dislike the ED ("Mystic Eyes")--just listening to it makes me cringe. Musically, it just doesn't fit the show in any way, shape or form. I would have greatly preferred something softer & more introspective. Big O's OP is also less than inspiring. As for songs I like, pretty much anything by angela is good by me; that includes Asu e no Brilliant Road, The End of the World and Kirei na Yozora (from Stellvia), along with Shangri-La, Separation, Fly Me to the Sky and Proof (from Fafner). I also love nearly all of Hikaru no Go's vocal music. Two in-show songs that I found particularly memorable are Aozora from AIR--I start to tear up whenever I hear it, which is a little unusual for me (to say the least)--and Toki ni Ai wa, from the Revolutionary Girl Utena movie. ~Dagger~

[quote=ANN]Cartoon Network will be showing off a Summer 2005 Kick-Off Special that includes a new sneak peak of Toonami Lineup with all the new shows as well as returning ones. They showed some anime clips of acquired series of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Naruto, and the Toonami original IGPX as well as more episodes of One Piece and Zatch Bell. The special will show: May 30th at 11 AM, 3 PM, 6 PM and 9 PM; May 31th at 4 PM; June 1st at 7 AM and 3 PM; June 2nd at 7:30 PM; June 3rd at 6 AM and 1:30 PM; June 4th at 8 AM and June 5th at 10 AM.[/quote] I'll probably try to catch the 9:00 special tonight. I've heard reports that Naruto's music was completely changed for the preview, which may very well bode ill for the actual show. ~Dagger~

Wow, I immensely enjoyed the first episode of this series. I had expected it to be a straight-up fighting anime--and obviously it is--but it's also funny and even kind of clever. The interactions between the characters felt very natural (I loved the scene in which the blue-haired girl was teasing that poor man, haha), and I was surprised to discover that Kazuma is actually really likeable and charismatic. Somehow I had thought he would be a jerk. Also, the animation is excellent (so far, at least). So that definitely helps. I'm totally buying s-CRY-ed the minute Bandai decides to come out with a cheap brick--assuming it can keep up this level of quality. ~Dagger~

I haven't seen episode 7 yet... I'll probably get to it sometime tomorrow. I'm kind of wavering on this show now; it significantly slowed down after the first two episodes, and the art seems to have taken a dive as well. The issue isn't the animation--it's just that the character designs often look quite cheap. I guess the lack of detail kind of contributes to that, but in many scenes it comes across as being a low-budget production when chances are that it really isn't. Anyway, I hope future arcs are more interesting/suspenseful than the first one. I saw the resolution of episode 6 coming from miles away. ~Dagger~

The first time I saw the OP, I recognized the style of art, but I'd have been quite hard-pressed to identify it with Gustav Klimt. It would have been nice if ADV had given us actual liner notes instead of just a single-sheet insert. I was pleasantly surprised that they included an interview with the director, though. It's pretty funny that he has trouble grasping the concept of "moe," although I have to say that I sort of sympathize with his confusion. On that note, my copy of the volume 1 plus artbox set [i]finally[/i] came in. I think the box looks a whole lot nicer in person; the hidden vectors on the black background are a particularly nice touch. It just looks and feels high-quality, and I'm grateful because in days past ADV never made chipboard boxes for series any shorter than six or seven discs. I'm rather happy with the dub, too. Most of the characters are appropriately cast, and it's pretty solid right from the start. Kira Vincent-Davis does a good job switching between Nyu and Lucy, and she matches the rough, almost masculine tone of Sanae Kobayashi (one of my favorite seiyuu) fairly well. The character I was inclined to be most critical about--Nana-chan, of course--sounds great. Plus Kurama is voiced by Jay Hickman, who always owns in these kinds of roles, so altogether I'd say I'm satisfied. Yuka comes across as being more annoying than in the Japanese-language version... but it suits her nicely, haha. And good lord, does this show ever look incredible in widescreen. :animenose ~Dagger~

It's not really that you're "out of the loop" or anything. This thread had been dead for a long time before Champloo started airing on Adult Swim, so you can safely assume that many of the people who post here regularly had not previously seen the series. ~Dagger~

[quote name='x kakashi x][COLOR=Olive][SIZE=1]I live on the east coast, and can pretty much assure you that what you're reading is true.[/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote]Yep. During certain parts of the summer, DC's air quality is rated either code red or code orange virtually every single day. Basically, this means that it can be unhealthy (to the point of being quite dangerous, at least for those more at risk) just to step out your front door, much less participate in sports or other outside activities. It's pretty unfortunate. ~Dagger~

I voted for the brat. Of all the girls in R.O.D the TV, I like Anita only marginally better than Maggie--yet in many ways she is the show's central character. Her personality is really well fleshed out; she suffers a lot over the course of the series, but she perseveres and demonstrates surprising courage and strength. I stongly disliked her attitude toward [spoiler]Yomiko,[/spoiler] but it's really hard not to sympathize with her in certain scenes. Her weird relationship with Junior is one of my favorite aspects of R.O.D the TV. And I haven't seen Love Hina. :p ~Dagger~

To me that looks very much like artwork from a game (most likely an ero-game or a regular dating sim, heh). You'll find that many games of this type feature a similar style of artwork, with delicate lines and smooth shading (Tsukihime and Fate/Stay Night are particularly good examples of that). I'm sorry I can't offer a more detailed response, but I'm 99% sure that she isn't a character from an anime, unless it's an anime which was adapted from some kind of bishoujo game. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Syk3']Well, yeah, I'm just saying. A lot of people go into this movie with the previous two in mind and are just looking for something to ***** about. They can't be pleased, no matter how good of a movie Lucas dishes out, because the originals are so inplanted in their brains. You'd think they could focus on the positive aspects of what the movie has to offer, lol..[/quote] Speaking from my perspective, I didn't exactly go into the movie with high expectations--although I was still pretty excited about seeing it. It had gotten fair reviews, so I figured it must be better than Episode I & Episode II. I was disappointed anyway, haha. Anyway, why isn't it valid for fans to compare this film with the originals, or to keep the originals in mind while watching it? Isn't that the entire point? This is a direct prequel, after all. ~Dagger~

[quote name='QuincyArcher']Obviously spoken like a person who has not watched the series...[/quote] Um, wrong. I've seen a good chunk of the anime, and I've read the entire manga multiple times. Obviously I wouldn't have made that comment if I didn't know anything about Chobits, haha. I'm a little offended that you assumed otherwise; no anime or manga is so perfect that everyone who sees/reads it is automatically going to like it, much less its characters. And I'm not the type of person to blindly criticize a series I haven't watched, thanks. [quote]I also have no idea why you threw in the "Nyu >>> Chi" comment.[/quote] Because Bloodseeker compared the two characters. ~Dagger~

[quote name='DeathBug']So...you're mad at the SJ translations for actually being...translations?[/quote] In fairness, not all of them are actual translations. Unfortunately, it seems that some of the English attack names have virtually nothing to do with the original Japanese attack names. I have heard that in the latest editions of the American SJ have begun using the romanized Japanese attack names, while including the corresponding English translations in parentheses. If this is true (and I'd be pleased as pie if someone could confirm it for me, heh), we can probably assume that it's because the Viz/ShoPro release of the anime will employ the un-translated Japanese attack names. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Delacroix][SIZE=1]I didn't know there was a manga, you have no idea how happy I am to find out that there is, I'll have to look out for it. One criticism I have of the story is thus: I feel it has moved along too fast. Maybe it's just me.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]Yeah, the manga is wonderful, and its pace is also a good bit slower than that of the anime. Speaking of the anime, episode 7 really wowed me. The show's background music has been consistently superb (and also contains a lot more variety than that of most other series), but this time around it was even better than usual. I loved the guitar theme that played during Soubi's battle with [spoiler]Natsuo and Youji.[/spoiler] The exchange between Soubi and Ritsuka, in which Soubi [spoiler]hid his injured hand behind his back and refused to let Ritsuka touch him,[/spoiler] was surprisingly poignant. I like how Ritsuka seems to be growing a little more confident, although I'm not certain that [spoiler]getting used to treating Soubi the way he wants to be treated (as a slave, basically) is the best way to approach things or to improve their relationship. Still, it's the only way he can make Soubi start being more truthful & open, so I suppose he has no choice.[/spoiler] The end of the episode really startled me with how funny it was, since most of the previous scenes had been quite grave in tone. I was both cringing and laughing when Kio started [spoiler]squabbling with Natsuo & Youji.[/spoiler] Anyway, apparently the [spoiler]shoujo-ai[/spoiler] couple will finally show up in episode 8. I can't wait! ~Dagger~

I [i]really[/i] hate the word "n00b," haha. Honestly, it just irks me to no end. I must confess that I see no need to distinguish between so-called n00bs and other new members as though they're two entirely different species or something. I can't even say I understand why there's such an emphasis (and this applies to message boards in general, not just OB) on who's new and who's not. That aside, I second what Piro & Charles said. ~Dagger~