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Due to work, the gf, and the dog I had to cut back on watching anime... I used to keep up with Bleach, Naruto and One Piece but I cut back to one due to well life. (when with One Piece still love that show to death) Anyway I'm trying to find where I left off in Naruto. I don't have time to just go through a bunch of episodes trying to figure it out. So I come here looking for help. The last few things that I remember happening the big fight with Sausake and Itachi just happened and Sauske found out the whole back story about his brother. Honestly even if someone could get me within a couple episode of that I'd be grateful. It would just save me time looking for it. Thanks in advance

[center][size="5"][b]The Dragon Warrior Challenge[/b][/size][/center] So, here's the dealio... basically I'm not that big into anime, but the anime I do like I like A LOT. I have a lot of friends who are into anime, and my college campus hoasts a big anime convention every summer, so I get to explore that when it comes around. My friends even try to get me to go to other anime cons in Michigan, but I don't because I really don't fit in. I don't know jack about anime unless it's mainstream in the US like Hayao Miyazaki or Dragonball. [b]My challenge to you[/b], if you choose to accept, is to help me find a dang anime I'd actually like. My friends have tried to toss shows and manga at me, but they never really caught my fancy. I'm pretty picky, I guess, mainly because I can get turned off from too much stereotypical anime-isms, such as... [list] [*]Hyper, large-breasted females with untamed personalities... I'm not gay... they just don't need to be doin' that stuff, and not everyone in the dang universe is that well equipped! SHE'S SIXTEEN! [*]On that note, animes follow kids around too often. It was good to watch Digimon or Pokemon when I was younger, but they actually make fifteen year olds look fifteen. Other animes make thirteen year olds appear eighteen... dang schoolgirls... THEY'RE TOO WELL EQUIPPED! [*]I'm not busting anime's balls here because I can handle a little of this stuff. But if they're constantly sweat-bubbling, falling on their face from surprise, or turning in a cat at random, I'm going to punch a Goku in the Vegeta, if you know what I mean! [*]Plot-wise, I don't think I'll be too picky. You can probably capture my interest better with fantasy and stuff, but I don't mind some sci-fi or even realistic junk as long as it's not an unrealistic plot of a boy who has to go to school at an all-girls school because the boys schools won't let him in, so now he's placed in a bunch of illogical sexual scenarios that give us a chance to see thirteen year old girls with double D's. THEY'RE NOT THAT WELL EQUIPPED! [*]Lastly, and probably most importantly, no shows like One Piece. That kid disgraces pirates everywhere, and being OB's official pirate, I will stab him seventeen times, make him walk the plank, help him back up on my ship, give him food and heal his wounds, befriend him for three years as we go on great adventures making him think I'm buddies with him, then keel-haul his butt all the way to Tortuga and feed him to the big-boobed women that inhabit that deranged pirate town. THEY ARE THAT WELL-EQUIPPED. [/list] Having said all of that in an unnecessarily long fashion, I am still pretty open-minded to television and cinema. I mean, I did sit through the first Twilight film after all (joke drumroll). My interest is just hard to capture when it comes to anime because all in all a lot of it is the same from my understanding; I say this in the sense that it's about fighting, a school, fighting in a school, fighting with robots, fighting with robots in a school, fighting with swords, magic powers (used for fighting), fighting monsters and/or some form of fighting fad like trading cards, etc. It's unfair to say all anime is unoriginal and easily guessed, and anime does have its originality points, but I suppose that's why I couldn't get into some of the more popular animes... simply because they were too much of the same dribble. I even tried Evangelion and couldn't get into the first few episodes (I'm sorry, James. Don't ban me!). Now that I'm done sounding like I'm bashing the whole entire Japanese culture making you all wonder why the hell I've been on an anime-themed forum for over ten years, I will list off some anime that I really like and maybe it'll send you the right signals to help find a decent show or whatever. [list] [*][b]Hayao Miyazaki Films[/b] - Now how unoriginal do I sound? I'm an American who doesn't really watch anime and here I am spouting out first thing the most American-advertised anime films every released next to Pokemon The Movie. I figured because they're so widely known by even the high school jocks who don't know what a Charmander is I'd get it out of the way. He's a genius, and we all know it. His stories are compelling, original, the women aren't all blessed by being well-endowed, and it all seems very realistic. It's also very Americanized, not to insult Miyazaki's visions. These films seem very far from anime, in my opinion, to the point of not even seeming like Japanese animation at all. He bases a lot of his plots off of England culture for goodness sake. [*][b]Lupin The III[/b] - My favorite of these films is, of course, Miyazaki's, but the other ones weren't too bad either. I think I liked the cocky outlaw anti-hero character of Lupin and it was easy to follow. Admittingly, his female counterpart is extremely sexual and "gifted," and more often than not she's more nude than doing the plot any good, I look past her for the other fun characters that inhabit the storylines. Aside from Lupin, his sidekick/second-in-command/whatever is also a humorous and interesting addition to the plots. I'm not much for mysteries, though, so at times these struck out. It takes genius like Miyazaki to really bring out Lupin's pizazz. [*][b]Yu-Yu Hakusho[/b] - I first saw it when it was played on Adult Swim back when rocks were soft. It's fighting... and I know I ranted about fighting... but goodness, it's the good kind. It's supernatural powers, interesting character battles, tournaments, etc. They keep it pretty interesting. He's fifteen in it or something, right? Once again, nobody looks their age. I let it pass in this. Like I said, I'll make exceptions. [*][b]Rurouni Kenshin[/b] - It was good at the start. Then sometime after that pirate woman it started to go downhill. I forget. But either way, Kenshin himself and all the other characters as they developed kept it interesting. I can say right now characters are a big part of how I get into animes. Plus, a story about a guy who just kicks EVERYONE'S butt is always a good ride, right? [/list] If you bothered to read all of this (or any of it even), good for you, and I hope you have some ideas of what to toss at me. I may sound vicious because I'm picky, but I'll still give what you throw at me a shot. I won't shoot it down 'til I've seen a bit at least. Thanks for your times, folks! FUN FACT: Also, on an anime forum, I enjoy that spell check recognizes anime as being misspelled. HA!

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]Oi. This is now the official and apparently final Favorites thread, soon to be easily accessible through the Anime Lounge directory. I stress that you take my example to heart when you write your favorites out. [B]Top Tier[/B] [B]1. NHK ni Youkuso (Welcome to the NHK)[/B] - Utterly dark humor spliced with harsh reality and drama that really accentuates the horrors of society and the brutality of social awkwardness. For someone like me, it?s not only a bit reflective, but almost an outlook onto my future. The show creates the perfect atmosphere of madness to the point that it?s like watching Hell itself. From the freaky and trippy imagery to the winding music and even Satou?s voice actor (this guy needs ore roles!) everything fits utterly perfectly. The entire show carries the feeling of total hopelessness that sinks deep into your soul. [B]2. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)[/B] - What?s there not to love about Haruhi? First of all, it?s absolutely hilarious. Second, it?s a damn good time no matter how many times you watch it and so strange that it?s hard to compare to anything out there. The show has some really deep plots that you couldn?t possibly see coming around the show?s utterly lightheartedness. Haruhi knows when to take itself seriously and when to be funny and alternates between them nearly flawlessly to create some really epic moments. I think the last episode in broadcast order makes for one of my favorite anime endings of all time. Lets not forget the memorable awesomeness that is episode 12 either. The best part of Haruhi, though, is the characters. Kyon is my favorite male lead or narrator ever, and the whole cast is memorable (I actually remember their names!) and fun. [B]3. Shin Seiki Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion)[/B] - It?s been a very long time since I watched this show, which makes me question my own opinion of it, but from what I recall it was brilliant. An excellent blend of drama and action with the perfect dosage of psychology. End of Evangelion was pure excellency. [B]4. Serial Experiments Lain[/B] - In some ways, I feel like Lain is a little forced, because it almost exists just to show you it?s world-view, but at least the show is consistent and focused. From the beginning you know you?re dealing with a psychological journey that transcends just what you see and hear and forces you to honestly think if you want to understand. I think that episode 5 exists just to show you this. I understood most of what I saw in Lain the first time around, but I didn?t figure this one out until I read something about it in the art book which finally explained it. What I find interesting about Lain is that it is dark and deep without being a thriller in any way. The show doesn?t ever try to be cheap or thrill you - as I said, it?s very concentrated. Aside from the well-portrayed themes and way of making you think, Lain also tells a great story. Lain is one of the most human characters I?ve ever seen in anime, and she is so pathetic and pitiable that it?s sad just to watch her even from the very beginning, and her sorrows only grow and grow. It?s rare that I?ve ever cared for a character as much as Lain. I?d have to say this series has my favorite ending of all time, just beating the last 2 episodes of eva (but not EOE) [B]5. Mai-HiME [/B]- Easily one of the most impressive anime I?ve seen and my favorite since Welcome to the NHK. I?d lie to start by saying that, pacing wise, this anime was absolutely superb. In most anime there might be a certain part of the show that was slower or faster that didn?t feel right with the rest, or just an episode or two that were out of place or uninteresting. Mai-HiME never had any parts like that. 100% of the way through it was an awesome, eventful, fun, crazy thrill ride which could compete with s-CRY-ed in the world of over-the-top action/drama that leaves ou glued to the seat and begging for more. My favorite part of this show was most definitely it?s share of ?holy ****ing ****!? surprises. Starting from episode 8(?) and the instant realization that this show isn?t playing around, the action was constantly building and never ceased to amaze or become monotonous. Surprises waited around every corner and even things that you kinda see coming are twisted into something crazy and thrown back at you. [B]High Tier[/B] [B]1. Kino no Tabi (Kino?s Journey)[/B] - this is an anime for relaxation, reflection, and deep thoughts. This is the kind of anime that makes you think, but keeps you entertained without overdoing it. I find it to be increadibly humble at all times and has an air of realism that you just don?t see in dramatic stories. Kino is a great character, and her dynamic with Hermes is always fun. This is one of the rare shows that plays well on all sides of the field. The calmer episodes are all done well, and the fighting scenes are equally great. Almost every episode catches you off-guard at some point with some kind of unexpected twist - some more expected, but others that make you full of shock and surprise. The last 2 episodes are some of the most heavy-hitting I think I?ve ever seen. [B]2. FLCL [/B]- Over the top, flashy, full of references and wacky comedy and absurdity? but simultaneously telling a coming-of-age tale of a young boy and his growth as well as an interesting world-view that keeps the scholars dancing. The ultimate soundtrack and the coolest visual effects, all packed into under 3 hours of high-octane madness. What?s not to love? [B]3. Shoujo Kakumei Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena)[/B] - The things that will stick with me after watching Utena are the characters, the imagery, and the ending. And, of course, that everyone ****s everyone in this show. Seriously. The chicks did the dudes, the chicks did the chicks, the dudes did the dudes. I?ve never seen such a hive of STDs in my life XD Nevertheless, the show had some great characters, detestable as many of them were. I find it funny that I ended up feeling a little sorry for Saionji and Nanami, despite both being such utter pricks at times. In the end, there wasn?t really any character who I absolutel hated? okay, I hate Akio, but then again, he?s the bad guy, you?re supposed to. The show showed all the characters in their serious and goofy moments, so that ou really got to know all of them in every way. I like that each of their individual stories is left open almost entirely, leaving you only with the knowlege of how the characters have grown. In that way, I feel there was a spectacular effort in focusing completely on the characters and not the story itself. What amazes me about Utena is that it can be cheesy, totally formulaic, repeat itself, waste time, and do it all with such utter skill and awesome that I don?t even mind it. That?s what makes the show endearing - while you know what to expect from each episode in that season (a bunch of duels and random Nanami adventures) you still want to see how they?re going to portray it. I also think that the formulaic nature of the series is what strengthened the final saga in a lot of ways. At that point, the plot is all coming together, but it keeps you in total suspense and only reveals it?s hand at the very last minute. There was really no way to predict how it was going to end. And when it did end, it did so with the sort of epic flair I was hoping for. The ultimate sacrifice of Utena and everything about the final stage, namely when the swords came down and destroyed the entire structure was simply awesome. It even had a nice conclusive aftermath that leaves enough to the imagination but still tells you what?s happening. [B]4. Kanon 2006 [/B]- It?s hard for me to talk about this show, since the best impressions are ones first given, and it? been a while since I saw it. Just go [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=56033]here[/url] and read the individual parts. [B]Lower Tier[/B] [B]1. Air TV [/B]- I found this series to be immensely strange and intriguing. I didn?t really like how each character had their own arc and then basically never appeared again, but it gave them time to flesh out each character individually (curse of a game with multiple endings >_

Okay, this is likely a volatile topic so before I even begin this discussion I'll ask that everyone keep things civil and respect one another's opinions. Â Debate is to be expected but no flamewars please. Now then, onto the subject of fansubbing. Â This has always been an issue with certain people but a recent argument between the denizens of [b]2ch[/b] and [b]Sankaku Complex[/b] has stirred my interest in the debate. Â What do the rest of you think about it and where do you stand? Rather than link to either site (due to offensive content) I'll sum up the argument. Â 2ch claims that foreign (mostly American) piracy is harming the industry by stealing profits from the various anime studios, thus making it more difficult for legitimate consumers of their products to acquire them. Â Sankaku counters by stating that they are supporting the industry by creating interest and demand in anime series that have yet to be released overseas. ~ As for me I have to side with 2ch. Â I've never supported fansubbers, preferring to buy officially licensed DVDs. Â Firstly there's a quality issue. Â Subtitles translated into English are usually rewritten to make them more entertaining whereas a lot of fansubs are direct translations that lack the punch of dialogue that's been written by a professional. Â Plus I prefer the English dubbed audio track that you can only get from an anime studio. Â That option, along with all the extras you get with a DVD are well worth the cost of actually paying for my anime. Â It's also worth the wait. Â I don't mind holding out until a series I'm interested in is released. Â I'll admit I'm tempted to check out a fansub "to tide me over" sometimes but unless the industry completely collapses I'll stick to my guns. Secondly there's the principle of the thing. Â I don't believe that fansubbing is supporting the industry at all. Â If someone were subbing and distributing trailers for a show that'd be one thing. Â That would stir up interest in the series, thus creating a demand for it. Â But translating an entire series and then making it available for free viewing does nothing but harm the industry. Â An overwhelming number of people would rather watch a cheap fansub at no cost than buy the DVDs from a legitimate seller. Â And that's what's harming the industry. Â If an anime studio is losing business because nobody is buying their products what incentive do they have to continue distributing anime? Â In the end it's people like me who buy their products who are suffering. ~ Well, that's my two cents worth on the subject. Â I'll apologize in advance if what I've said steps on anyones' toes but this is a pretty big issue in the anime/manga world and one I feel is worth discussing. Â I'd like to know where the rest of you stand on it.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLYjywXyyDI&NR=1&feature=fvwp[/media] It's an old trailer but I figured I'd post it regardless. Anyway, I'll say that I'm quite disappointed so far. Mainly because of the animation. The Wolverine model looks decent I suppose, but I hate how Madhouse uses the black screen with flashes of swipes to make for the action. It ruined the experience for me in Devil May Cry and it just might do the same here. I will check the series out still, but I have no high hopes for it. [strike]Oh Madhouse, you used to be so great when it comes to actual fight scenes (Hajime no Ippo comes to mind). Get it together. Make some of the actual fights look as good as your gunfights or something.[/strike]

A friend of mine showed me an amusing website, [url="http://tubedubber.com/"]Tube Dubber[/url], in which YouTube videos can be dubbed over with the audio from other videos. Being crazy anime fans, the best use of this site, of course, is to combine anime OPs. Let's see how many fun ones we can come up with! [url="http://tubedubber.com/#eZ5MDA9BKeg:8I9HNrwxbJU:0:100:0:0:true"]This is the one my buddy came up with[/url], a combination of [i]Code Geass[/i]' first OP animation with the OP from [i]Hare+Guu Final[/i]. It's scary how well it fits. And my contribution: [url="http://tubedubber.com/#u6PxCIv5wfo:OghSdTqZ8R0:0:100:0:0:true"]A combo of one of the [i]Shugo Chara! OPs[/i] and the OP of the currently airing [i]Rainbow[/i][/url]. Let's see some other good ones! EDIT: I am almost afraid of how well [url="http://tubedubber.com/#7KoL7__Bmyg:mIKRn1dbT28:0:100:0:0:true"]the OP animation from [i]Escaflowne[/i] fits the [i]Haruhi Suzumiya[/i] OP[/url].

So, me and my friend ( username: Anavel Gato) just skipped our senior prom to have a Mobile Suit Gundam marathon. It took us about 17 hours (from 7:40 AM to 12:50 AM the next day), but we actually managed to pull it off. We only left the room during the opening/ending themes (To use the restroom and get snacks.). In fact, we didn't pause once in the course of the marathon :animeknow . Moral of the story: Gundam>Prom :D :D So... does anyone have any marathon stories? Failures or successes...

Has anyone actually seen everything? Not only the series but also the movie? I have and this anime is AWESOME! The characters, the plot twists, and the way there are so many allusions interwoven in NGE! :D

[url="http://i.imgur.com/SQYvo.gif"]My link[/url] [mildly NSFW] this is all i have to offer [color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]I've edited your post and turned the image into a URL. Next time, please link out and provide a warning for content such as...well, that. :[i][/i]P ~Sangome[/font][/color]

Ever since it was first released in North America (sometime last spring), ROD has been one of my favorite anime titles. For those of you who don't know, Read or Die is a three-episode OAV that revolves around bizarre superpowers, secret agents, and a couple of surprisingly powerful rare manuscripts. Although it's fairly violent and features quite a bit of fan service, ROD is no more inappropriate than, say, a Bond film. And despite its oddities--for example, the main character is a bookworm who fights solely by using her ability to manipulate paper--the OAV has a lighthearted, almost cute atmosphere that makes it instantly loveable. Read or Die also has the most innovative and interesting action sequences that I've ever seen. It doesn't hurt that its animation is very smooth, slick, and modern-looking; when it was first created, ROD was (and may still be) the most expensive OAV ever made. This shows in everything from its detailed backgrounds to its sheer originality. So if you've had the chance to watch this and feel like discussing it... well, you know what to do. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Just to throw this one in the game, [b]Shinryaku! Ika Musume[/b] is probably one of my favourite anime this year, not 'cause it would be outstanding in any way but simply because it's so damn funny! Plot: [i] The story revolves around Ika Musume, a humanoid squid who came from the sea to conquer humanity, because of the natural disasters caused in the sea. However, as she destroys the wall of a beach bar, the owners make her work off the costs of the damage and as such a quite interesting plot unfolds. [/i] Here's a pic: [img]http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x244/Felixdw/zero-raws-shinryaku-ika-musume-01-efbc88tx-1280x720-x264-aac-mp4_snapshot_24-15_2010-10-06_22-29-42.jpg[/img] What I especially like about this anime is the original presentation of Ika Musume as clueless girl from the sea, basically learning about the human world and trying to handle things she's never seen before, based on her memories of the sea. Also Ika Musume reveals some funny and pretty awesome powers along the show that make it a whole notch funnier Aaannnd the topic is up for discussion!

I'm curious about a certain anime that was released recently in Japan. An anime about racing called Redline. I saw this trailer for it and it certainly looks pretty. I'm wondering if anybody can fill me in about this anime. This is the trailer: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9fhQVMzlC0[/media]

This is the anime I am most excited about these days: .hack//Quantum! (Me? Excited about a .hack anime? NO!) So rather than try and come up with my own original description, I'll just steal this one from [url=http://www.dothackers.net/quantum.php]dothackers.net[/url]: [quote]"The World" once again flourishes, with over 10 million players playing "The World R:X", set in 2022. In a special Christmas event, three players set out to conquer an "unbeatable" quest: "The One Sin." .hack//Quantum tells the story of a party of adventurers: Tobias, Mary, and Sakuya, with familiar looking Avatars of past players. The OAV will be split up into three episodes.[/quote] Before I go on, here's a helpful video or two to give you an idea of what the heck this looks like. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO6sJOcluHo[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBvsyjFl8lU[/media] Finished watching them? Yes? No? GREAT! Let's move on! So characters! We have Sakuya (the girl with the long twin tails and orange outfit), Mary (long pink hair, little bikini top), Tobias (silver haired bishounen one), Hermit (the cutest little cat thing EVER), Shamrock (blue haired goth loli) and Smith (big golden armored man). These are just as far as we know right now, anyway. Also, the previously posted link has some info on the main trio's offline selves as well, which you see a bit of in the second video. As previously mentioned, Quantum is going to be a three-part OVA series; apparently each episode is about 35 minutes. The first episode will be premiering in Japan later this month on the 27th; the first BD/DVD release is set for late January. Other cool information can be found here, assuming you can navigate around Japanese: http://www.hack.channel.or.jp/quantum/ I'm so so so sooo excited for this. *v* It just looks like something that can [i]really[/i] appeal to a larger audience, not just the .hack fanatics. Quantum can still prove me wrong on that, of course, but either way it's something I'm highly anticipating. And hopefully I've interested some of y'all now! 8D

I just finished watching the first episode of HOTD (Highschool of the Dead) . First off I'm a huge zombie fan so this anime was right up my alley. I can't say there is a lot of depth with the chararters yet. However I really liked the weapons used so far to fight off the zombies. Baseball bats, wooden swords and broom handles are pretty good weapons as long as they don't break. The other main thing is they are in a good location for this outbreak. A school has food, things that can be used as weapons, and is fenced in. As long as they are able to kill off the few hundred students that are enrolled there, it is the perfect place to defend against the zombies. This seems like it will be an excieting series

Um, I hope no one has used this topic... This is my first thread I've done. If it sucks, sorry! Just jot down sad anime deaths and why they're sad! Mine was with Naruto's Haku because he was my fave character. I hate the fact that he had to die so greusomely!

I've closed the [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/index.php?/topic/43941-vote-for-a-new-anime-forum-round-2/"]Vote for a New Anime Forum (Round 2)[/url] poll. One Piece and Bleach got roughly the same amount of votes, which put them way ahead of the other candidates. But there are still a couple of issues I'd love to have your input on. [list] [*][b]Should subforums continue to be anime-only, leaving the related manga thread(s) in Manga Alley?[/b] [/list] This is how we've managed the FMA forum--all FMA anime discussions go there, but the FMA manga topic is in Manga Alley. The downside of this, of course, is that it separates closely related topics according to their media. On the other hand, if we change our policy to allow relevant manga topics in an anime subforum, it could take a lot of activity away from Manga Alley. [list] [*][b]Should each anime subforum cover a single anime or groups of anime?[/b] [/list] Do you think Bleach or One Piece can sustain a subforum? One possible alternative is making a forum for all Shounen Jump-related anime, although this might tread a bit too close to the idea of doing subforums by genre, with we previously discussed and rejected as being too vague. Any other relevant suggestions are welcome, including those not covered by my questions. Also, the choices aren't necessarily limited to just One Piece or Bleach, but they're both reasonable candidates for the time being.

Wish I could take credit for this idea, but I nicked it from [url="http://www.theotaku.com/worlds/someguy/view/174417/anime_summed_up_in_five_words%3A/"]SomeGuy at theOtaku[/url]. Basically you distill the plot/premise of an anime (or simply something recognizable from that series) into exactly five words. I've had quite a bit of fun with this; let's see what everyone else can conjure up! My contributions on SomeGuy's site ... [i]Air[/i]: Everybody has some mommy issues. [i]Akagi[/i]: Mahjong: The sport of sociopaths. [i]Alien Nine[/i]: Little girls fight [S]crime[/S] aliens. [i]Angel Beats![/i]: No questions will be answered. [i]Baccano![/i]: Immortals and gangsters are awesome. [i]Berserk[/i]: Demons are really huge jerks. [i]Big O[/i]: Humans, tomatoes ... all the same. [i]Canaan[/i]: Lesbians are pretty crazy. Yikes. [i]Death Note[/i]: Snot-nosed brat is the leader. [i]Detroit Metal City[/i]: Pop meets metal; hijinks ensue. [i]G Gundam[/i]: The true GAR burns red. [i]Genshiken[/i]: Your life playing out onscreen. [i]Ghost in the Shell[/i]: Cyborgs read lots of philosophy. [i]Giant Robo[/i]: Families are terribly screwed up. [i]Hataraki Man[/i]: Working Man mode saves lives. [i]Higurashi[/i]: When moe goes very wrong. [i]Honey and Clover[/i]: Every college student gets it. [i]Kaleido Star[/i]: The circus is awesome! Sugoi! [i]Kanon[/i]: Sad girls cry in snow. [i]Kare Kano[/i]: Relationships are very serious business. [i]Mononoke[/i]: Demons, ghosts? Medicine Seller wins. [i]Monster[/i]: Saved the killer? Kill him. [i]Nodame Cantabile[/i]: Crazy girls deserve some lovin'. [i]Paranoia Agent[/i]: Everybody goes a bit crazy. [i]RahXephon[/i]: Singing is dangerous. No, really. [i]Revolutionary Girl Utena[/i]: High school as surrealist battlefield. [i]Rose of Versailles[/i]: French Revolution fought with GAR. [i]Saikano[/i]: Girlfriend is robot. Very depressing. [i]Shion no Ou[/i]: The deadliest game of shogi. [i]Simoun[/i]: Any excuse for kissing girls. [i]Spice and Wolf[/i]: Lawrence is secretly a furry. [i]Toradora![/i]: Tiger and dragon: Wonderful pair. There we go. I avoided a few series that might be popular with others, but I wouldn't mind repeats at all. Good series have plenty of ideas available for the distilling, after all.

This thread is devoted to anime that we might have seen during our childhood and can't quite remember now. Â If you have such a memory post what you can recall here and maybe someone on the OB has seen or heard about it. Mine comes from.....,well probably before some of you were born. Â I remember seeing an anime movie about a pair of chipmunks from the city trying to find their way back to the forest. Â I can't recall may details other than their names. The male chipmunk was called Glicko and the female was No-no. Â There was also a movie called Voltus 5 that I remember watching several times. Â And the Thunderbirds anime was also being aired at the same time. Â I don't remember much about them though. Â Â

You know since I've decided to actually stick around here on OB, I figured I start some sort of a thread going. So I thought, "how about we talk about our favorite anime that may not have gotten a lot of exposure, that not many other people have would know about?" I guess I'll get the ball rolling my favorite anime that I don't believe many know about or gave a chance is Fantastic Children, beautiful series. I did try to get more exposure for it on theO with a contest but with no success. Oh well, at least I helped it get it's own category on theO.

so, i just started watching high school of the dead and can't help but looooove all the blood! XD hahaha, i wish there were more zombie anime series out there. ...anyone know of any others that're good? been in a morbid kind o' mood lately >.> must be the approaching deadlines of some papers x_x fml..

I would like to get more titles to read and to watch. I just watched clannad vol. 1 and really liked it. I am also beginning to like reading and watching Rumiko Takahashi. Any suggestions?

[url="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-08-24/award-winning-director-satoshi-kon-passes-away"]Link to the story.[/url] Absolutely awful news. Satoshi Kon was a fantastic director and screenwriter, maybe the best working today. [b]Perfect Blue[/b], [b]Millennium Actress[/b], [b]Tokyo Godfathers[/b] and [b]Paprika[/b] are a great group of pictures, and his one TV series, [b]Paranoia Agent[/b], is likewise wonderful. What impressed me most about Kon was that he really got the delicate balance between telling a solid, entertaining story and simultaneously making his works intelligent, biting social commentary. It's a difficult task that many anime fail at, but Kon consistently got right from [b]Perfect Blue[/b] on. There has not been an official cause of death named yet that I am aware of. Twitter rumors state that he died of cancer, but I'll hang back and wait for more official sources. At the time of his death, Kon was working on a movie, [b]The Dream Machine[/b], which was to be released next year. No word yet on the status of that picture; selfishly, I hope enough of it is completed for the movie to see release eventually. Satoshi Kon deserves one final great movie to be remembered by. RIP to one of modern anime's great directors. Condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

Characters often make a special connection with fans. Some inspire intense love. Others inspire us to cheer them on for their sheer awesomeness. Still others make us facepalm in anger/annoyance/whatever. And then there are those special characters that forge a hatred so strong -- so [i]powerful[/i] -- within those who watch them that it can scarcely be matched by any other emotion. This thread is about those characters. I very rarely reach this point with characters who annoy me, because I don't take most series seriously enough to hate any one character that much. And for the series I enjoy with any sort of passion, the worst characters usually aren't more than a bit annoying. But sometimes a character raises my ire to the point where whenever they appear onscreen, the only thing running through my mind is how I'd like to run them through a blender and dump the remains in a sewer. [center][attachment=14802:KaifunIsAShithead.jpg][/center] The inspiration for this thread is the asshat on the left, Kaifun Lynn, from [b]Super Dimension Fortress Macross[/b] (the woman on the right, Misa Hayase, is awesome, however). I'm not a warmonger; I dislike armed conflict about as much as any other person, and I don't think nations should enter into war unless it is truly justified. But, my god, Kaifun is the very worst type of pacifist, a self-righteous shithead whose rigid, dogmatic beliefs don't pause to bend for silly little things like common sense. He spends the whole series crowing about how the U.N. is fighting a meaningless war against the Zentradi . . . when, you know, it was the Zentradi who attacked Earth first. And of course Kaifun is saved several times by various soldiers (including multiple times by main character Hikaru, who swings back and forth from sympathetic to annoying as hell himself), but he figures why be grateful when you can be an annoying little douchenozzle instead and ***** and moan about the (successful) tactics used to rescue him? He's also a hypocritical snot who has no problem fleecing people for all they're worth, being borderline abusive to his cousin, Minmay (who is a pretty damn annoying character, herself), and taking advantage of group emotions to serve his own needs at the cost of others. (And let me add that Kaifun isn't even a [i]villain[/i] in this series!) Everything he says and does makes me want to kick him in the nutsack until everything within turns to jelly. I think Kaifun is supposed to be a despised character (at least I hope so lol), but man, I probably hate him way more than intended, haha. Whew. Feels good to let that out! How about you people?

If you're a fan of the sci-fi space operas series you've probably noticed certain trends in weaponry that crop up in those sorts of settings. Â You know the ones I'm talking about. Â Stereotypical stuff that seems to be standard issue with space battleships and giant robots. Â Yet after so many years they're still cool. Â I guess you can call them "classics". Â Then there weapon designs that are so original you think to yourself "Darn, I wish I'd have thought of that." They might be designs that as based on scientific fact that give them an air of credibility or they could be a total flight of fancy that still comes off looking awesome on screen. Â This thread is about all the cool toys that shoot, cut or explode and why they stand out in our minds. Â Here are my picks: [b]Beam Cannon[/b] - aka the "Main Gun". Â There's one of these on just about every battleship in every sci-fi series you can think of. Â But despite their commonality there's always that sort of excitement that builds when they're charged up to deliver the final blow that wins the battle. Â Whether it's Angel Links Cherubim Cannon, Wing Zero's Buster Rifle or even the Kamehameha Wave the big guns have a timeless style of their own. [b]Beam Saber[/b] - They are as much a staple of the Gundam franchise as they are of Star Wars. Â Simple yet elegant, an energy beam you wield like a sword. Â The newer series have kept this concept fresh by adding new twists on the original such as beam scythes, beam bayonettes on the end of rifles, beam claws that would make Wolverine jealous and all manner of other energy-based cutlery. Â They even come in a wide assortment of colors. [b]Homing Lasers[/b] - I'm sure there's someone out there with a sound theory as to how these things work but as for me, I'm clueless. Â These are basically lasers that somehow bend in mid-delivery. Â You've all probably seen these. Giant warships unleash a salvo of laserfire from every gunport they have. Â You'd think only the ones being aimed directly towards the target would work but no, even the lasers being aimed straight up somehow curve to fire in the same direction as the rest. Â Weird but cool concept. [b]Holonic Armor[/b] - This is a pretty cool concept from the Zegapain series. Â Armor made of solid energy. Â Basically a forcefield their robots wear on their bodies instead of surrounding them like a bubble. Â It not only protects the frame but can also be reshaped into blades and guns. Â Plus it just looks damn cool. Â [b]Saw Blade[/b] - While beam sabers are cool for futuristic robots the modern day equivalents are usually restricted to giant versions of the samb blades soldiers wield. Â I have to give a solid nod to Full Metal Panic for equipping their Arm Slaves with knives that had built-in chainsaw blades. Â What looks like a serrated edge is actually a rotating saw blade. Â How freaking cool is that? [b]Molly Wire[/b] - From Adam Warren's version of the Dirty Pair manga comes the monofilament (molly) wire. Â It's a spool of wire that's so thin it's practically one-dimensional. Â It wire is suspended in an inert gas that's vented from the knife's handle and lit with a laser. Â The wire could be unspooled to different lengths, making it a sword or a knife as needed. Â And the dimensions of the wire were so small it could practically cut through just about anything with little or no effort behind the swing. [b]Type 2902 Therm/Optic Camouflage[/b] - The members of Section Nine in Ghost In The Shell utilized this nifty stealth technology. Â It bends the light around their bodies, making them invisible. Â That's pretty well-known stuff but in the manga it was stated that the Type 2902 could even disperse the wearer's weight, effectively eliminating their footprints. Â [b]Titan Blade[/b] - The signature weapon of Sechs from Battle Angel Alita: Last Order. Â It features two large chisel-point blades with serrated edges that were forged from "crystalized titanium". Â I'm not even sure if it's possible to crystalize a metal but it sure sounds durable to me.

A new TV series slated to air in the fall has been announced fairly recently. It is called Super Robot Taisen OG: The Inspector. It's going to have quite a nice team of people working on it. The mechanical designers have worked on a bunch of different Gundam series, GaoGaiGar, Godannar, S-CRY-ed, and Macross. Also the seiyuu are pretty known people too, besides having voiced the characters they're going to voice in the show they've also voiced some well known characters in other anime. Like the male protagonist Kyosuke Nanbu's seiyuu played Griffith in Berserk and the seiyuu for the android Lamia Loveless has played Boogiepop in Boogiepop Phantom. Anyway, if you're a Super Robot Wars fan, what do you think of this new series? This is the actual news: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-07-22/super-robot-wars-2nd-tv-anime-confirmed-for-fall This here is the info that's known about it: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=11760 EDIT: I know this is kinda old and nobody responded but I felt I should add the news that this anime WILL be able to be seen by western Super Robot Wars fans. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2010-09-15/super-robot-wars-og/the-inspector-coming-to-crunchyroll It'll be streamed starting October 3rd on Crunchyroll