Shinmaru

I am not necessarily going to push super hard for shows I nominate, mostly because I am much more interested in watching shows I haven't seen before, but I'll throw out nominations all the same. Anyway, whilie I've been thinking about licensed shows to watch, my first nomination isn't going to take advantage of the new rules -- I'll be backing [url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=8192][b]ef - a tale of memories[/b][/url]. It's a 12 episode series following three main stories among a variety of characters. The overall story is well done, and the characters develop beautifully, but the real reason [b]a tale of memories[/b] stands above other shows is that the visual storytelling and direction is off the charts fantastic. The show is produced by SHAFT, so think of the style as (sort of) like a dramatic [b]Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei[/b]. If that description leaves you skeptical, well, I defy anyone to not fall in love with the show while watching it.

Oh, nice, this is a good idea. Why the hell didn't we think of this earlier? Haha. Anyway, I wholeheartedly encourage all anime fans at OB to attend the Anime Club meetings -- if you've had an account at theO for more than 45 days, then you should be able to get into the chat no problem. I have had lots of fun with the club ever since it started, and it has exposed me to a lot of shows I haven't seen before. :)

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]*Points to his post which mentioned 00bama is mentioned first* Damn spoiler tags.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] lol, yeah, I saw that after I caught up in [b]Gundam 00[/b] and went back to read all the spoilery posts. Anyway, now that I am caught up, I can join in on the weekly discussion! Yay! [spoiler]I am happy to hear Kati has (presumably) gone AWOL from A-Laws. She's been my favorite of the women since she first appeared, so huzzah. Don't know about her joining Celestial Being, though; guess we'll have to see to what extent her view of Sumeragi was colored by what side each was on.[/spoiler] I still don't like Saji, but it is nice to see him actually standing up for himself and fighting for what's important to him. I [i]really[/i] hope [spoiler]Louise doesn't end up killing him, more for her sake than his. Poor girl has gone through enough in her life. (It's kind of amazing what a turnaround her character has made. Sooooooooo annoying through most of season one, and now she's awesome. Jeez.) Andrei can go die, though. What a ****ing tool.[/spoiler] Also, [spoiler]lol @ all the subterfuge against Ribbons. I hate the little bastard, so I am quite enjoying Regenne and Wang Liu Mei defying his plans (even though I am sure he has more aces up his sleeve).[/spoiler] EDIT: Oh yeah, I LOLed hard at the end when everyone was, like, naming off people that are important to them, and then Tieria is all, "Veda" and Setsuna says, "Gundam." Man, that is hysterical. Doubt it is meant to be funny, but still.

[quote name='Dagger']Haha, oh wow, if [url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-02-04/kadokawa-shoten-reportedly-says-april-haruhi-is-rerun][u]this[/u][/url] is really the case, it just might be the best way they've trolled fans to date. ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] KADOKAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA[/Colbert] Time to go back to waiting for a concrete announcement of the second season. :(

I am not as familiar with Wakamoto as I'd like to be. He's in [b]Baccano![/b] for just the one episode, and I've been watching the [b]Code Geass[/b] dub so much lately that I forget how everyone sounds except for Jun Fukuyama as Lelouch. Anyway, more from me! [b]Shinichiro Miki[/b] [b]Notable Roles:[/b] Lockon Stratos ([b]Mobile Suit Gundam 00[/b]), Kurz Weber ([b]Full Metal Panic![/b]), Baroqueheat ([b]Hatenkou Yuugi[/b]), Tetsu ([b]Saikano[/b]) I mostly know Miki for playing characters who are sly flirts but are also hidden badasses. He's always a lot of fun in these roles. Lockon is my favorite character of his -- with that performance, you get the feeling his slyness is a cover for the anger he feels about [spoiler]his family being killed and his desire for vengeance due to that[/spoiler]. Weber and Baroqueheat are outrageously fun. Weber flirts with everything that has a skirt and a long pair of legs (and is hilarious while doing it), while Baroqueheat reserves his advances for Rahzel (but is also hilarious while doing this). Tetsu is the one big departure from the norm I have heard from Miki. He is mostly a serious guy, but he has a tender, loving side that cares deeply for Chise -- despite the fact that [spoiler]she is a weapon[/spoiler] -- and that also wishes to see his wife again. [b]Mamiko Noto[/b] [b]Notable Roles:[/b] Kotomi Ichinose ([b]Clannad[/b]), Shimako Toudou ([b]Maria-sama ga Miteru[/b]), Anna Liebert ([b]Monster[/b]), Kazumi Aihara ([b]Kyo no Gononi[/b] OVA), Kotori Monou ([b]X[/b]) I've heard complaints that her voice sounds [i]too[/i] cute, but I like her voice (well, when she's not in a role obviously manufactured for moe *cough* Haruka Nogizaka *cough*). Her voice is comforting to listen to but also has a sort of spacey quality to it that some roles pick up on more than others. (Most notably for me, Kotomi, who is a true, blue space cadet.) My favorite Noto role is Anna, because it is cool to hear her play somewhat against type as a woman who could kill you at the drop of a hat (although Anna is plenty emotional and not pure, 100 percent badass). [b]Mamoru Miyano[/b] [b]Notable Roles:[/b] Light Yagami ([b]Death Note[/b]), Setsuna F. Seiei ([b]Mobile Suit Gundam 00[/b]), Tamaki Suou ([b]Ouran High School Host Club[/b]), Death the Kid ([b]Soul Eater[/b]) Maybe a trendy pick, but I don't care -- I like the guy a lot. He's proven to be a versatile seiyuu, with a bunch of wildly varying roles, and his voice always fits the character just right. I'd never imagine the same guy would be capable of playing Tamaki, and then playing Light, and then playing Setsuna, and then playing Death, but there you go. In terms of acting, he always hits the right note (lol), whether it's the goofiness of Tamaki or the dramatics of Light. Miyano's also has a pleasant tone to it: Like Yuichi Nakamura, he just [i]sounds[/i] really cool. I'd love to have his voice too.

[quote name='Indi'][FONT="Arial"][COLOR="Indigo"][B]Who is it?[/B] Shinmaru [B]Why are they nifty?[/B] [URL="http://www.theotaku.com/worlds/moebooks"]The Books of Moe[/URL][/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE] Well, now I [i]have[/i] to write another part to it, don't I? I haven't been as active on here as I would like (outside of the Anime Lounge, anyway), but hey, I'll contribute. [b]What is it?[/b] Anime [strike]Lounge[/strike] Central [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] No matter where I go to discuss anime on the Internet, I inevitably come crawling back to Anime Central because it is an easygoing, familiar place, and I can jump right in to just about any discussion. I wish the place were a bit more active now that I am more active with my anime watching, but oh well. [b]Who is it?[/b] Desbreko [b]Why is he nifty?[/b] Despite infecting OB with [strike]the scourge of the Internet[/strike] Caramelldansen, Des is someone I am proud to call one of my best online friends. His Anime Club on theOtaku.com is one of the highlights of my week (up to your discretion whether that is a sad thing or not), and I have watched a fair amount of shows on his recommendation. On top of that, Des is just a good guy in general and fun to talk with [strike]when he's not coding[/strike]. [b]Who is it?[/b] Sangome [b]Why is she nifty?[/b] I've had a lot of fun randomly spazzing with 'Gome about various things in theO's chatroom. She's also had a positive influence on my anime watching -- she got me excited about [b]Mobile Suit Gundam 00[/b] and [b]Code Geass R2[/b], and I watched [b]Tales of the Abyss[/b] and [b]Higurashi no naku Koro ni[/b] on her recommendation. 'Gome is quite nifty, in my book. [b]Who is it?[/b] Dagger [b]Why is she nifty?[/b] Because her word is the Word of God for me in terms of anime recommendations (don't know if she'd be embarrassed to hear that, haha), and she is my [b]Lost[/b] spazzing partner. Dagger is niftiness to the extreme. [b]What is it?[/b] [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=59449][b]New Members: Introduce Yourselves Here![/b][/url] [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] Yes, it was technically made in 2007, but in 2008 it remained a good place for newbies to let themselves be seen by the wider community. Anything that makes new people more welcome is good. [b]What is it?[/b] [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=59011][b]Until Proven Guilty: The Court Records of Ace O'Turney, Ace Attorney[/b][/url] [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] One of the more amusing OB stories in a long line of them that followed the legendary [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=33457][b]OtakuBoards: Enter the Net[/b][/url]. I've enjoyed reading each chapter, and I hope Ace is able to find the time to continue it soon. [b]What is it?[/b] theOtaku.com's chatroom. [b]Why is it nifty?[/b] Because it has made me a ton of new friends. :) (Maybe more nominations to come later.)

[quote name='Ikillion']So has just about everyone forgotten about Good ol 00 or are you just too shy to post?[/quote] I would post more, but my preferred subbing group is also slow as molasses, so I am stuck at ep11 while everyone else is at 17, haha. Things are starting to heat up again where I am at, with [spoiler]Tieria finally revealing the existence of the Innovators to Celestial Being (good man) and Saji and Louise realizing they are on opposite sides of the war.[/spoiler] Can't wait to see where all that goes. Also had fun reliving season one last night while watching four episodes of [b]Gundam 00[/b] on the SciFi Channel. [spoiler]Lockon's death[/spoiler] still hits as hard as it did when it happened on first watch. Damn. I also totally forgot that [spoiler]Lockon mentions Lyle before he dies.[/spoiler] And Ikillion: 00bama is fantastic. Legit lol there, good sir. :) Just for fun, my 10 favorite characters: 1. Lockon Stratos ([spoiler]Neil Dylandy version, although I do enjoy Lyle so far[/spoiler]) 2. Graham Akre/[spoiler]Mr. Bushido[/spoiler] 3. Tieria Erde 4. Ali Al-Saachez 5. Setsuna F. Seiei 6. Sergei Smirnov 7. Allelujah/Hallelujah Haptism 8. Kati Manneqin 9. Soma Peries/[spoiler]Marie[/spoiler] 10. Hong Long (just for the pure badass potential he has) Honorable mentions: Patrick (for the lulz), Sumeragi (who honestly looks better when she covers up lol), Haro (the little guy [spoiler]shouting Lockon's name again and again[/spoiler] really hammers home that scene)

As I've watched more anime (in higher volume and closer together), I've finally started recognizing certain seiyuu no matter what character they are voicing. Of course this means I have developed a few favorites from those I recognize; I am sure everyone else has their favorites, too, so I wanted to make a thread where we could all honor the voice actors we love so very much. Criteria for fandom can be whatever you want -- caliber of acting, awesomeness of voice, a great range of characters you enjoy, etc. Feel free to include any actor of any language, too. This thread is definitely not limited to Japanese or English VAs; if you enjoy, say, a Spanish VA or a German VA or whatever, then tell us! Pictures are welcome, too, but I personally won't be including any, haha. Anyway, I'll kickstart the thread ... [b]Tomokazu Sugita[/b] [b]Notable Roles:[/b] Kyon ([b]The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya[/b]), Takumi Mayama ([b]Honey and Clover[/b]), Subaru Sumeragi ([b]X[/b]), Hideki Motosuwa ([b]Chobits[/b]) I like how smooth his voice is and how he can go from composed to intensely angry and sarcastic and then back again in a fraction of a second. Hideki was my first exposure to him, but I don't really remember much of [b]Chobits[/b] -- I became more of a fan of his after seeing [b]Haruhi Suzumiya[/b]. Nothing against Crispin Freeman, who is a fine VA, but Sugita [i]is[/i] Kyon, no questions asked. His sarcasm is perfect and a joy to listen to; I don't know how anyone could not laugh uproariously while listening to his narration of "The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina." His role as Mayama sealed my fandom -- he's so fantastic, and Mayama is such a difficult role because of his tricky relationships with Ayu and Rika. [b]Keiji Fujiwara[/b] [b]Notable Roles:[/b] Holland Novak ([b]Eureka Seven[/b]), Shuuji Hanamoto ([b]Honey and Clover[/b]), Ali Al-Saachez ([b]Mobile Suit Gundam 00[/b]), Ladd Russo ([b]Baccano![/b]) Fujiwara is the seiyuu who got me more interested in researching roles. I like that his characters share the innate intensity his voice commands, although they are all different types of characters (well, Ali and Ladd are somewhat similar). Holland is my favorite Fujiwara character -- he really nails every aspect of Holland. His frustrations, his anger/jealousy, his love of Talho, his devotion to Eureka, his strength, etc. Fujiwara is just too great as Holland. He also makes a wonderful psychotic villain. His Ali Al-Saachez is a great random burst of chaos, violence and lust for war, and Ladd is just crazy fun. [b]Yuichi Nakamura[/b] [b]Notable Roles:[/b] Tomoya Okazaki ([b]Clannad[/b]), Graham Aker ([b]Mobile Suit Gundam 00[/b]), Ikuto Tsukiyomi ([b]Shugo Chara![/b]) Nakamura just has a ****ing cool sounding voice. I wish I sounded like him. In [b]Clannad[/b] he has the sarcasm of Kyon, but the role is more emotional, and he hits those notes whenever it's required of him. Graham is just a hot-blooded, insanely awesome pilot bursting with FIGHTING SPIRIT~! He's probably my favorite Nakamura character just because I get to hear him shout awesome things and be super GAR. Ikuto is a cool customer; it's fun whenever he messes with Amu's head, although it can also be sort of creepy at times. lol Anyway, enough blathering from me. Have at it, everyone!

[quote name='Blitz_Kid']Does anyone know when the second season is going to get started? I hope that it would be release soon. So any idea when is the release date?[/QUOTE] KyoAni has been throwing out hints for a second season for [i]forever[/i] now, but as far as I know, no concrete release date has been announced. At the earliest it will be released during the Spring season, but I don't know how likely that is.

[quote name='necrojesta']I just watched the first episode yesterday (as i'm writing this). it looks kind of like a school comedy/ romance type thing but with an emotional twist and so far is looking very interesting can't wait to see the rest!;)[/QUOTE] I certainly hope you enjoy it! I remember thinking the first two episodes were OK, but nothing incredible, but the series takes a quantum leap in quality starting with Fuuko's arc. It's a wonderful story that has been in my top 10 since it finished. [b]~After Story~[/b] has just kicked into high gear after ep13. With eleven episodes remaining, I unfortunately must doubt that [spoiler]Tomoya and Nagisa's married life will be full of nothing but happiness.[/spoiler] :(

I thought they were objecting to the existence of the Korea character and how that character is treated, even though that character apparently isn't in the anime. Haven't read the manga, so I don't know how offensive the character is, but I doubt it is really that offensive. Dagger or anyone else who has read [b]Hetalia[/b] feel free to correct me if I am incorrect, though. xD

[quote name='Blitz_Kid']I watch some gundam series before and it was Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam: The 8th MS team, and Gundam Seed and a old gundam show, forgot whats it called. Well I haven't even thought about watching another gundam anime yet. So what gundam series is good and popular right now?[/QUOTE] The one 'Gome mentioned, [b]Mobile Suit Gundam 00[/b]. Its first season is airing on the SciFi Channel right now, and its second season is airing in Japan. [b]Gundam 00[/b] is my first taste of Gundam, and I like it a lot -- good story, good characters and tons of great action.

I've caught the first episodes of [b]Asu no Yoichi![/b], [b]Kurokami[/b] and [b]Marimite 4th[/b] since my last post. [b]Asu no Yoichi![/b]: I enjoyed it. Not amazing, or anything, but it could be a decent fish out of water tale. I think what appealed to me most is how earnest it is overall. After watching so much dark stuff lately, it's nice to see something with a relatively light tone, haha. [b]Kurokami[/b]: Much better first episode than I expected. Show definitely looks great so far, and the fight scene in the middle is [i]killer[/i]. Tough to really judge the characters right now, but the story seems as if it could be decent. It at least is offering up some decent mystery. The first episode also establishes firmly that [spoiler]the viewer definitely should not get used to minor characters, because they could die at any moment.[/spoiler] Yikes. [b]Marimite 4th[/b]: Fun episode, and full of [b]Marimite[/b]y awesomeness. Touko definitely steals the show in this. I love how eager she is to play a guy, haha ("Touko's male debut is here!"). It's pretty amazing that I now like a character who annoyed me so much when she first appeared. Touko for Yumi's petite soeur plz.

I've watched the first episodes of [b]White Album[/b], [b]Minami-ke Okaeri[/b] and [b]Maria Holic[/b] so far. Here are some quick thoughts! [b]White Album[/b]: Solid first episode that mostly sets up the situation between Touya and Yuki. I'm glad Touya is a somewhat off-kilter, goofy character -- he'll obviously have his drama-filled moments with Yuki later in the series, but it's good that he isn't super serious and emo. I like Daisuke Sakaguchi as Touya's best friend, too; it's a lot different from Sunohara from [b]Clannad[/b], which is the role of Sakaguchi's with which I am most familiar. Music is damn good as well. I like both the OP and ED a lot (which is somewhat rare for me), and obviously Aya Hirano and Nana Mizuki can both sing, so their roles as idols are completely believable. [b]Minami-ke Okaeri[/b]: Kana cracks me up whenever she's onscreen. I loved her helping Uchida with her romantic life, and then telling Chiaki about "matchmaking," only to later not realize that Fujioka is her destined husband. Oh, Kana. The cold way she spoke to Takeru (and his reaction to it) is also hilarious. I hope the ending is an indication that there will be more Hosaka this season; the one big problem I had with [b]Minami-ke ~Okawari~[/b] is that there wasn't enough Hosaka. [b]Maria Holic[/b]: I am sure I would have found this funny before, but it's 1,000 times funnier after watching [b]Marimite[/b]. I love that Kanako is basically Yumi, if Yumi were one step below being a blatant pervert. Mariya-sama (I see what they did there) is pretty funny, too, in a cruel sort of way, and I [i]love[/i] Matsurika. Whenever she spoke, I imagined Kana as an evil, emotionless maid, and it cracked me up. I hope Ishima shows up more in subsequent episodes, because I agree with Kanako that she is pretty cute. >>; Add in the trademark Shinbo crazy visuals and crack speed pacing, and this is a damn good debut episode.

What did you think of [b]Blood Simple[/b]? I have to admit, your comment about people other than movie critics not liking it surprised me, since I believe it's a damn good movie (and I am far from a professional critic lol). It's not completely original, but it's tense, has a solid story and is interesting the whole way through. I think any director would be happy to have [b]Blood Simple[/b] as his or her debut.

[b]Citizen Kane[/b] is an excellent movie. The thing that surprised me the most about it is how lively, energetic and friggin' [i]entertaining[/i] it is. I've seen some backlash against it charging that the movie is just a "film for film lovers," and I really don't get that. It's revolutionary and important to film history, yes, but aside from that it's also a hell of a story that anyone could enjoy. [b]Office Space[/b] is of course hilarious. The slow motion montage of destruction always cracks me up the most, especially when David Herman's character just obliterates the printer. Can't wait to see your thoughts on the rest of the movies throughout the year! Hope it goes well! :)

So, now that a lot of shows have finished, what were everyone's favorite shows? Here's my list: 1. [b]Toradora![/b] 2. [b]Gundam 00[/b] season two 3. [b]Clannad ~After Story~[/b] 4. [b]Shugo Chara! Doki[/b] 5. [b]Chaos;Head[/b] 6. [b]Kannagi[/b] 7. [b]Kurozuka[/b] 8. [b]To Aru Majutsu no Index[/b] 9. [b]Kyo no Gononi[/b] 10. [b]Hyakko[/b] 11. [b]Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka[/b] [b]Will watch later:[/b] [b]ef - a tale of melodies[/b], [b]Mouryou no Hako[/b], [b]Michiko to Hatchin[/b], [b]Tales of the Abyss[/b], [b]Skip Beat[/b] [b]Dropped:[/b] [b]Ga-Rei Zero[/b], [b]Yozakura Quartet[/b], [b]Shikabane Hime: Aka[/b] [b]Toradora![/b] is an easy No. 1. Great cast of characters, a well built story, excellent comedy, etc. Ep13 of the series is also the best single episode I have seen this season -- a perfect end to the current story, with very emotional payoffs. Everything 1-9 I enjoyed and had no regrets watching all season. [b]Hyakko[/b], while amusing, is just decent, and [b]Akane-iro[/b] is terrible. I have no idea why I finished it.

A new season is almost upon us! There are fewer shows that interest me compared to the fall, but there are still series that at least sound as if they'll be solid. For reference, here are a couple of winter previews: [b][URL="http://that.animeblogger.net/2008/11/28/that-winter-2009-anime-preview/"]THAT Anime Blog Winter Preview[/URL][/b] and [b][URL="http://www.animevice.com/news/the-2009-winter-preview/145/"]Anime Vice Winter Preview[/URL][/b]. [b]Shows I am definitely interested in watching:[/b] -- [b][URL="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10200"]Maria Holic[/URL]:[/b] Yes, yes and YES. Akiyuki Shinbo + SHAFT + insane story? Damn right I will be watching this. At the very least this sounds as if it will be chock full of gender-bending hilarity and really dark humor, which is right up my alley. This is my most anticipated show of the season. Hopefully it delivers. -- [b][URL="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9210"]Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th[/URL]:[/b] I recently burned through the first three seasons of [b]Marimite[/b] and enjoyed them, so I'm definitely looking forward to this. I actually think the show has improved with each season, so it will be interesting to see if this iteration improves on the excellent third season. Even if does not, more Yumi/Sachiko, maybe more SEI~!, more Yoshino, etc. will be quite fantastic. -- [b][URL="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10388"]Minami-ke Okaeri[/URL]:[/b] Everything people told me caused me to be wary of [b]Minami-ke[/b]'s second season, but frankly I enjoyed it almost as much as the first season. Sure, the art is not as appealing, but the humor and characters are almost on the same level (the only major negative is that Hosaka gets the shaft a bit). I have confidence that this season will continue to deliver the great comedy and character interaction the first two seasons displayed. -- [b][URL="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10179"]Hetalia Axis Powers[/URL]:[/b] The premise of the show sounds interesting and funny enough -- the fact that the episodes are eight minutes each sold me even more. This show should be good for some bite-sized fun. [b]Shows I am partly interested in watching:[/b] -- [b][URL="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10262"]Kurokami[/URL]:[/b] I could see this going either way -- it could be a good action series like [b]Kurozuka[/b] (although it went wayward by the end) or it could be incredibly disappointing like [b]Shikabane Hime: Aka[/b]. As always, though, I will need a good fix of action, and I am hoping this will be able to deliver. -- [b][URL="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10134"]White Album[/URL]:[/b] Aya Hirano is one thing this series has going for it, and the fact that the protagonist starts off with a girlfriend is somewhat interesting, as is the fact that the characters are all college students. Anime takes a bold step out of high school!! Haha. Seriously, though, if done well, this could potentially be a good, interesting romance/drama series. What is everyone else going to watch?

[b]Black Lagoon[/b] is definitely a good shout. For comedy and romance, you can't go wrong with [b]Honey and Clover[/b]. Its comedy, romance and drama are all top notch, the show looks great and the voice cast is excellent. The characters are all written very well, too. Mileage will vary, of course, but I ended up liking all of them in the end, and the show definitely does not go the easy route with the romance, which makes the characters much more complex and interesting.

[quote name='TwistedChick'][B]Kurozuka[/B], though very keen on flashbacks, is intriguing me to no end. It's just coming out, and I've only seen the first 4 episodes, but it definitely caught my attention right away. The episodes don't drag, that's for certain. Tidge bloody, but what are you gonna do?[/QUOTE] I've seen eight episodes of [b]Kurozuka[/b] so far, and I still think it is pretty good, but I think [spoiler]the move away from the ancient Japanese setting hurt it. The first couple of episodes after the time leap are still excellent action-wise, but I was not as entranced by the story as I was earlier in the series.[/spoiler] However, the series seems to be righting the ship now -- Kurou's relationship with Kuromitsu remains as fascinating as ever, and the action is still top-notch.

[quote name='Meggido']Firstly I must say [spoiler]God damn I want them to hurry up and save Nanami. However the trailer for next week suggests that they don't have to. I'm not sure but speculation on my behalf suggests she may be released so N.O.Z.O.M.I. can try and get their hands on Taku.[/spoiler][/quote] I agree with this. There's no way [spoiler]Takumi rescues Nanami -- he'd go to pieces. Either Nanami is superpowered enough to escape, or NOZOMI has something up its sleeve and allows her to leave (the latter is more likely, I think).[/spoiler] [quote]Secondly lets move onto this ep. Lots of revelations for Taku, as well as for the audience. [spoiler]He finally discovers Rimi is a giglomaniac and to an extent what involvement he has. I'm sure that equation hasn't appeared yet in the series but it forms such a core basis now. I wonder how N.O.Z.O.M.I. got their hands on it. It's also interesting that Sena and the ending suggests that with the creation of that equation the world split down two or more paths (reminds me of Chrono Cross)[/spoiler][/quote] At least this episode has made Rimi's motivations [i]slightly[/i] clearer. I am a bit more convinced than I was before that [spoiler]she really is on Takumi's side, and by extension, I am also a bit more convinced that Shogun is on Takumi's side (although the ending helped with that as well, haha). Clearly there are conflicts between her and the other Gigalomaniacs -- she seems to get along with Kozue, but she's at odds with Sena (who is probably more concerned about revenge than saving the world at the moment) and Ayase (for reasons unknown). I'm not [i]completely[/i] sure that Rimi is on the side of good for those reasons, but then again, those same suspicions could be turned upon everyone else.[/spoiler] [quote]Also a couple more revelations about Sena and Ayase. [spoiler] Ayase torture at the hands of N.O.Z.O.M.I. (speculation on my behalf) suggests that maybe Nanami has been put through something similar all so they can get data. I'm also not sure which 5 they've got data from. While Taku is definite for being one they haven't analyzed I believe Yua might be the other one they haven't obtained data from. I first thought Rimi or Kozue but then it sort of clicked since Yua seems to be flying under the radar.[/spoiler][/quote] It's definitely either [spoiler]Rimi or Yua who NOZOMI has not sampled. I'll actually agree with you and say it's Yua who NOZOMI has not caught yet; I don't think she'd suspect Takumi quite so heavily if she knew of NOZOMI's existence.[/spoiler] [quote]The final thing is the revelation at the end [spoiler] Shogun and Taku are one and the same? O.o That was a surprise and I assume that comes from the divergent paths in time. At the same time It explains why Rimi is so attached to Taku and to Shogun. They are the same person so her feelings reflect on both. However I wonder what she means when she says worse things will come if he awakens. While she doesn't want Taku to awaken, Shogun wants him to. This also opens more questions about how Taku is involved with the New Gen murders. Is Yua's original analysis in ep 2 correct?[/spoiler][/QUOTE] That is pretty crazy. Also, [spoiler]the nurse is really creepy in that scene. Her muttering about the Church of Divine Light has me convinced she's a NOZOMI plant. But back to Takumi and Shogun ... if they are indeed from divergent timelines, then I wonder how Shogun was able to travel to Takumi's timeline? He caused that weird alternate dimension time thing a while ago with Takumi, so he's obviously more powerful than he appears. Maybe part of why Shogun wants Takumi's powers to awaken is that he thinks what happens to Takumi won't be the same as what happened to him. Divergent timelines = different people. Perhaps Shogun thinks that where he (presumably) failed, Takumi may be able to succeed.[/spoiler] EDIT: Random thing. Now that we know [spoiler]Rimi is a Gigalomaniac, what do you think of her relationship with Takumi? She could have easily created a delusion to fool Takumi and what's his face that they have been friends forever (pretty much everything the series has shown us implies this is the case). She still feels close to Takumi, clearly, but while Takumi is grateful Rimi stuck with him, there might be a sense of betrayal once everything sinks in.[/spoiler]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']Well I finished up [B]Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion[/B]. It wasn't my favorite, but I did enjoy it. I have the second season ready to go, but I'll probably wait until finals are done next week before I get around to watching it.[/QUOTE] If you liked [b]Code Geass[/b], then might I suggest [b]Mobile Suit Gundam 00[/b]? [b]Gundam 00[/b] has all of [b]Geass[/b]' strengths (good action, prettiness and a crazy story), and also has a great cast of characters (don't know about you, but I couldn't stand, like, 90 percent of [b]Geass[/b]' characters by the end of the first season).

As a recent convert to the awesomeness of [b]Black Lagoon[/b], I approve very highly of this. There are still [i]tons[/i] of things that could potentially be explored (Eda's [spoiler]connections to the CIA[/spoiler], Rock [spoiler]completing his transformation into a hardened pirate[/spoiler], more of Dutch in general!!, whatever else in the manga that has not been touched by the anime, etc.), so there'll be tons of fun to be had in the new season.

lol, Tieria's douchery is more amusing than annoying to me. He's so weird. I guess Setsuna's douchery is on a more normal level where you're put off by him and think, "Man, that guy's a prick," whereas Tieria makes you think, "Man, wtf is [i]up[/i] with that guy??" Then again, my opinion of the guy(s) could always change -- I am only four episodes in, after all. Upon rewatch, the two students whom Setsuna snubbed annoyed me a lot more than they did when I first watched the episodes, haha.

[quote name='Meggido']Secondly I want to refute your first point Shinmaru. The detective is not in fact a [spoiler]Giglomaniac. This is simply because he can't see the sword until Sena real-boots it, at the same time when she disappears after destroying the Nozomi technology he is unable to see her leave.[/spoiler][/QUOTE] That makes sense. Consider my point refuted, haha.