Shinmaru

lol bump Haven't dabbled too much into this, myself, because it's such a time suck, but I did go through a couple of Let's Plays for games I am unlikely to ever play in my life. The first was for [url="http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Snatcher/"][b]Snatcher[/b][/url], a game Hideo Kojima worked on that took a lot of clear inspiration from [b]Blade Runner[/b]. Definitely a fun read, overall, and [b]Snatcher[/b]'s story is pretty good, as well, full of that amusing paranoia that is par for the course with these stories. Also watched [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmQfUy5CBAc"][b]Xenogears[/b][/url] out of curiosity, although this one was on mute a lot of the time . . . the guy's normal voice is all right, but his voice acting got on my nerves, and he didn't have much interesting to say otherwise. I mostly wanted to experience the story, anyway. Just to go on a bit of a tangent, [b]Xenogears[/b] must have been simultaneously an awesome and supremely frustrating game to play at the time of release. The game's story is pretty damn good and must have been mind-blowing at the time of release; it actually pushes the envelope a lot further than [b]Final Fantasy VII[/b], to the point where there seems to have been questions at the time as to whether the game would actually see release in America due to the relatively maturity of its themes and content. But that complex story is the game's downfall, too, because I guess the game got its budget slashed partway through the project, so a good portion of the second disc is narration -- entire scenes that actually could have been played are narrated by the characters. It's ridiculous. And then there's the anime cut scenes (by Production I.G!) that look [i]really[/i] cool and have this awesome [b]Evangelion[/b]-esque feel to them . . . but the voice acting is kind of meh, and the actual dubbing itself is awful; it's like an old kung fu flick, where characters will keep right on talking even though there's nothing coming out of their mouths. Really shoddy work.

I think the Anime Network is streaming it (though not for free), and Sentai licensed it for DVD, although I don't know when it will be released.

That's kind of vague information to go on. Are there any specific types of anime you usually like? What are some of your favorite series?

lol, yeah, if the fanservice bothers you, then definitely don't continue the series, because that's like half of it right there. Trust me, what you see in ep1 is only the tip of the iceberg.

Speaking of, I'm not sure I want to know what Madara was doing to Nagato's corpse.

[quote name='Phenom' date='22 September 2010 - 03:35 PM' timestamp='1285194932' post='700695'] I really should try the Professor Layton games since I like the Phoenix Wright series (only played Justice for All and Apollo Justice) and that game looks like it actually has some replay value. [/quote] Yeah, you should definitely give the [b]Professor Layton[/b] games a shot if you like the [b]Ace Attorney[/b] games. The focus on puzzles is a bit different than the murder mysteries in [b]Ace Attorney[/b], of course, but they force you to use your brain in similar ways. Plus, the [b]Professor Layton[/b] games all have cool characters, stories and style. These point-and-click adventure-style DS games are the only games I really look forward to these days, haha.

[quote name='Anoel' date='17 September 2010 - 08:02 PM' timestamp='1284778930' post='700603'] [font="Comic Sans MS"][color="#800080"]No one seems to have heard of Mononoke. And I'm not talking about the Ghibli movie. I have a big crush on the Medicine Seller, and the artwork is really pretty. And there's a little mix of whodoneit in there... A truly amazing series, if too short at 12 episodes. One of my recent favorites.[/color][/font] [/quote] [b]Mononoke[/b] is a damn good series. What surprised me most about it is how accessible the series is -- even though it's so steeped in Japanese mythology and folklore, you don't really need to know that much about it to enjoy [b]Mononoke[/b]. The show also has one of the few moments in anime to legitimately creep me out ([spoiler]the shot in the final arc when the female reporter is on the train tracks and helplessly watches the train speed toward her[/spoiler]). [quote name='Ordus' date='20 September 2010 - 01:17 AM' timestamp='1284970675' post='700635'] [font="Comic Sans MS"][color="#4169e1"]I'm not sure about "under-rated" but Futakoi Alternative is one of my favourite more obscure anime!! ^^ Kinda got that random FLCL vibe going which I love. As opposed to the standard Futakoi which I'm not such a huge fan of, sort of a harem anime but with twins (not much of a selling point if you ask me v_v) There's also some badass animation in Alternative (my animators eyes never turn off x_x) [/color][/font] [/quote] Haha, that's a hilariously common story, I've found -- people generally seem to despise [b]Futakoi[/b] and love [b]Futakoi Alternative[/b]. I should give the latter a shot one of these days.

Recently finished [b]Professor Layton and the Unwound Future[/b] after the game arrived on my doorstep Monday afternoon. (Yes, I basically played it non-stop with breaks for sleep and food. So glad it came my first day off!) I was actually sort of disappointed with the game around the halfway point, because the story is (seemingly) predictable and easy to figure out, and the puzzles aren't [i]that[/i] tough ... but, of course, I should have known that there would be plot twist after plot twist soon enough, and eventually the story would turn completely upside down. Sorry I doubted you, Prof. Layton! Anyway, yeah, once you get past the midpoint, the story is [i]really[/i] good with maybe the best ending in the whole series. (Though I can see some fans being kind of mixed about it.) I think the game nails the puzzle difficulty, too. There are plenty of tough puzzles that had me thinking for a good while, but nothing that is near impossible as long as you're flexible. (Which I wasn't a lot of the time, sadly. ) Also, can't believe I didn't notice until near the end that both Yuri Lowenthal and Liam O'Brien voice characters in the game. I haven't heard Lowenthal put on a British accent before, so that's sort of understandable (I noticed it was him once he shouted, haha), but O'Brien's voice is embarrassingly easy to spot, so lol @ me. Favorite part of the game, aside from the climax, is [spoiler]the Don Paolo reveal and him teaming up with Layton for a brief time[/spoiler]. Awesome.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpxwGiwB7oU[/media] Fandub video is all I could find, but this is the best fight from one of the most down-to-earth [b]Gundam[/b] series -- [b]08th MS Team[/b]. No special powers; just average mecha and pure piloting skill. This is what happens when a bonafide ace pilot goes up against solid, lucky soldiers.

Don't have any clips to share for them (they all seem to be AMVs), but all the dogfights in [b]Macross Plus[/b] are amazing. So much intense, high-speed action with planes that actually function as [i]planes[/i] instead of nigh-invincible death machines.

I wasn't huge into [b]Ergo Proxy[/b] myself. Too often it lets itself be consumed by its ideas and what it wants to say, and the actual plot is pushed into the background. Sometimes the ideas are interesting enough for this to work, but most of the time I just found it to be obnoxious.

Finished [b]Nadesico[/b] a while ago and enjoyed it; still haven't watched the movie yet, however, although I have it on hand. Anyway, I loved all the satire in [b]Nadesico[/b] (the Jovians [spoiler]basing their whole society and moral values on [b]Gekigangar[/b] had me rolling[/spoiler]), and all the serious parts are generally good. All the story elements the show pulls out of its ass later are a lot of fun as well. After that I watched [b]Beck[/b], which I also liked a lot. Definitely a lot of fun for anyone who likes rock, although I wish there had been a bit more variety with the songs the titular band plays throughout the series. Also didn't like the OVER 9000 still shots in each episode with characters talking over them, but I guess Madhouse blew the budget on the music, haha. Pretty good coming-of-age story for the most part, though, and the story took a direction near the end that I never expected . . . it probably could have been tied up better in the end, but I think the manga was still going by the time the anime finished, so hey. For a while now I've been on a Universal Century [b]Gundam[/b] kick -- watched the [b]Mobile Suit Gundam[/b] compilation movie trilogy (pretty good, and I'm told it's the ideal way to take in the original series), rewatched [b]Gundam: 08th MS Team[/b] (still really good, and the [b]Gundam[/b] that is probably closest to an American war flick), [b]Gundam 0080[/b] (LOVED it, although it's depressing as hell) and I'm currently watching [b]Gundam 0083[/b] (OK so far) before rewatching [b]Zeta Gundam[/b] (yes, I watched [b]Zeta[/b] before seeing the original; I'm not always known for my brains).

[quote name='Zombie_Nosh' date='26 August 2010 - 12:24 PM' timestamp='1282850673' post='699891'] It is heartbreaking news. The anime community has certainly lost a great man, and not even in his 50's. He really was a visionary. Tokyo Godfathers and Paprika are two of my favourite films, anime or otherwise, if recent years. He was working on a new feature when he passed. I wonder will it be released? Apparently it was pancreatic cancer that took him. [/quote] Yeah, it has been confirmed that Kon died of pancreatic cancer. He left behind some [url="http://www.makikoitoh.com/journal/satoshi-kons-last-words"]final words[/url] that were translated recently ... let's just say it was pretty dusty in my room while I read them. Kon left the world in an incredibly dignified way, with his head held high.

[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.

Recently watched the great/horrible OVAs [b]Mad Bull 34[/b] and [b]Angel Cop[/b], both famous for their hilarious English dubs by Manga Entertainment. Of the two, I prefer [b]Mad Bull[/b], mostly because it would still be entertaining in Japanese due to the world being so thoroughly insane, while [b]Angel Cop[/b] would just be depressing and stupid. But they're both worth watching in English; [b]Angel Cop[/b] in particular has some lines that are infamous in the world of bad dubbing. EDIT: Also, should you decide to watch either, know that both are chock full of swearing and extreme violence, while [b]Mad Bull 34[/b] has a lot of sex. And now I'm watching [b]Martian Successor Nadesico[/b], which has surprised me a bit by being more serious than expected. Not that it hasn't been funny, but I expected the scale to tip more in the direction of comedy and parody, and there has been a surprising amount of drama so far. (The end of ep3 is a harsh tearjerker, and the beginning of ep4 is a stomach punch.)

[quote name='Shy' date='04 August 2010 - 04:46 PM' timestamp='1280965595' post='698864'] This is great news. I'm gonna get married so hard tonight. Maybe twice. It's my right! -Shy [/quote] I wish I could rep this post!

Finished [b]Macross 7[/b] and all its accompanying OVAs ... and, yeah, not a good series at all. Just when I got used to the goofiness, it turned all serious to me, and just ugh blahhhhhhhhhh. So very bad. If I weren't determined to finish the [b]Macross[/b] canon, then I never would have watched it; heed my advice, and never see it! That is, unless you are crazy like me. Speaking of finishing the [b]Macross[/b] canon, though, I did recently do that with the completion of the [b]Macross Zero[/b] OVA! It's pretty good -- great looking dogfights, although the ships have this plasticy CG look that bothers me. The story has kind of a [b]RahXephon[/b] feel to it, too, with it influenced by Mayan culture, and very mysterious and having a tendency to hold its cards close to its chest. There are bits and pieces of humanity's interactions with the Protoculture revealed, but not so much as to make anything definitive. And the ending . . . kind of strange, but whatever. I enjoyed it overall. And now I'm rewatching [b]Macross Frontier[/b] with Des. I remember thinking the beginning episodes were OK when I first watched [b]Frontier[/b], but now I love them. So many [b]Macross[/b] references I'm catching now; it's so much fun!

[quote name='CaNz' date='29 July 2010 - 10:28 AM' timestamp='1280424488' post='698219'] I know what you're thinking... some may guess that martial arts movies wouldn't be my thing... and you would be right... but this clip is definitely the most enjoyable fight i have ever witnessed. it only gets better and better so watch the whole thing. oh... and you need sound for this masterpiece [center][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxkr4wS7XqY[/media] [/center] [/quote] This isn't even the craziest part of [b]Undefeatable[/b], if you can believe that. The rest of the movie is far more insane. And it isn't even the craziest movie Godfrey Ho made! That would be [b]Ninja Terminator[/b], which is quite possibly the best terrible movie ever.

[quote name='Heaven's Cloud' date='27 July 2010 - 06:11 PM' timestamp='1280279463' post='698068'] [color=indigo]My vote for worst anime in Alien Nine. I only made it through three episodes, but those three episodes nearly made me swear off anime altogether. I'm still not 100% sure what the story is about...I get the feeling that the main character is supposed to be hunting aliens. Apparently this requires her to merge with another alien and then roller blade around her school while wielding a lacrosse stick. As bad as the plot is, the art is worse. It is truly so bad that it is hard to tell apart the girl characters from the boy characters. The artists also seem to have an obsession with knee pads. Weird. Trust me, Alien Nine makes Naruto look like fine art. It is easily the worst show i have ever see...I'd rather watch Dr Phil.[/color] [/quote] Haha, I actually like [b]Alien Nine[/b] and think it has some interesting things to say about growing up, but at the same time, I can easily see why someone would dislike it. As a narrative, it is a total mess; I've never read anything about the behind-the-scenes development of the OVA (assuming that information is even out there to be read), but it's difficult to tell how much of the story's choppiness is intentional, how much is the fault of the creators' incompetence and how much may have been limitations set by the producers. Not having read the manga makes that task that much tougher for me lol. Regardless of who is at fault, there are definite issues with how the story is told -- if you didn't like the first three episodes, then you would have HATED the ending. Or, rather, the conclusion, since it's not really much of an ending at all. It's difficult for me to answer the question of this topic, because I don't think I've ever completed a truly, out and out, mind-crushingly [b]bad[/b] anime. I've exaggerated the faults of some incredibly average shows in the past -- [b]Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka[/b], [b]White Album[/b], [b]Munto[/b], [b]Ookamikakushi[/b], etc. -- but really, they're just your average TV garbage. Probably the worst I've finished is the [b]X[/b] movie, but even that is kind of fun in a totally trashy way, even if it makes absolutely no sense and is completely stupid.

[center][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKlucE-5nIM[/media][/center] I'm still laughing.