AzureWolf

[quote name='Xander Harris']Where can one get untranslated manga at in the states?[/quote][COLOR=blue] XD That's a good one. Yeah, he "bought" untranslated manga. ;) Seriously, though, he just downloads it. He buys only translated manga, and sees no reason to buy the same thing twice. The only untranslated manga he buys is Chrono Crusade. He got the first one somehow (gift?) and realized that the language was "quick and simple," whatever that means. He uses Amazon international (or Japan - [url]www.amazon.co.jp[/url]), and for a high fee, they ship to the states. It's not hard to navigate through the site, and the important stuff can be made into english, but I don't remember how. I don't like the idea of subtitled anime, though. People translate things differently, and no one has the 100% correct translation since it doesn't exist. So you [B]might[/B] start getting the wrong connotations for words. My friend does watch more subtitled anime than anyone (in the world), but didn't mention it when I asked what helped with learning Japanese. Also, he tried to watch untranslated anime and said it was too hard to follow.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]I don't quite understand how it can work for some people and not for others. The DST thing worked (is working) for me. It's a database, and so if it's wrong for one person, shouldn't it be wrong for everyone else? (I'm honestly asking and looking for an answer)[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]My friend has six years of Japanese under his belt. Every year, he has been #1 in his class, which is just freakin' awesome. He said that one of the biggest aids was reading untranslated manga. At first, he would read a manga in english, and then try reading the same manga in Japanese. Over time, you apparently will take a liking to the Japanese version because the meaning isn't skewed. In fact, since last year (or 2 years ago?), he's been only reading untranslated manga and says he understands almost everything. Of course, I'm assuming that you have to have some basic Japanese learned before you can start doing this manga thing. Picture association probably has something to do with why it's more effective than just reading a book? Hope that helps.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Well, you have the right, but not many people are going to put weight on your opinion if you've never been in a relationship. That's not to say your advice would be wrong or even any worse than someone with experience, but people value experience over knowledge.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE]Azurewolf was mad at Dirt for being rude and calling Rider's post stupid, and then continued to critque elfpirate's entire post with quite rude comments *confused*[/QUOTE][COLOR=blue]Haha, you are assuming that I think a stupid post doesn't warrant a rude reply. Stupid posts do warrant rude replies, IMO. But FR's post wasn't stupid, and therefore didn't deserve such a rude reply. I never said elfpirate's post wasn't stupid. :p No hypocritical actions and remarks here. ^^ Anyway... Are women really that "second-class" still in Japan? I really thought it was as liberal as it was here. Also, r2vq, are you saying that's why anime is sexist, or are you just providing reasons for the few animes that are sexist?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Self-explanatory title. I really like standardized tests. As a person who has had 15+ years of education, I know all about the "circumstantial A's" people are so used to getting. However, on standardized tests, there's no favoritism or bias that can be used to anyone's advantage. You don't have, "well, they tried really hard" or "he got an A in all his other classes" to save your butt in standardized tests. You know what you know, or are as competent as you are. It's hard to argue with results. For instance, the SATs are almost a true representation of your college success. Most of the time, those who do phenomenol on the SATs do phenomenol in college, and those that do bad, do bad in college. Of course there are exceptions, what with things like "circumstantial A's" as mentioned above. In addition, it really reflects what education your school is giving you. You aren't just competing with students in your school, but throughout the entire country. It's neat to see how good you are compared to everyone else. There's nothing different in the test for someone taking it in Florida versus someone on the other side of the country in Washington. Your true knowledge or competence are all that separate you. Just my opinion. ^^[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Well, [url=http://www.animefringe.com/]Animefringe[/url] is finally done with their April Fool's Joke. Funny enough, Lunox, their April magazine has [url=http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/2005/04/special/04.php]a special on FMA[/url] that complains about the show rather than praises it (has spoilers). I don't have time to comment on everything (maybe this weekend - if at all), but I thought I'd toss this article in here and see if you can pickup on the problems this person admits to without realizing it. Just a few points I'd like to make: First and foremost, she starts out with the tried and tired "I heard it's great, so why haven't I, the greatest of the greatest otakus, seen it?" Immediately, that's going to put in you a disposition where you're not going to enjoy a show in the slightest. You will be looking for flaws and trying to find a reason not to like it. Why? So you can still be called #1 otaku for not having seen it earlier, as it was a show that wasn't worth a true otaku's time. I could have said that more politely and more politically correct, but you get the idea. Second, most of the article is abstract, consisting of, "things should be like this because they are supposed to be like this, handed down by generations of masters of storytelling." Bull. Solid examples in FMA of why not following the norm is bad would have been better than saying abstract comments. You can't even argue for or against those remarks because she doesn't use examples after making these claims. Last, what examples she does provide have serious problems. The [SPOILER]gate stuff[/SPOILER] was not a deus ex machina (aka "copout"). It's been there since the first few episodes, alluded to ever since the beginning. IMO, this is clearly a case where her flawed disposition kicks in and she desperately manifests a flaw that doesn't exist. With the second example, if you revealed [SPOILER]Envy's true identity[/SPOILER], you would have revealed [SPOILER]Hohenheim and his sins[/SPOILER] prematurely. Again, another scenario where arrogance manifested a nonexistent error. I haven't read it all, admittedly, but I read the last paragraph, which is a complete crock ([B]there are no spoilers in the last paragraph, and I think everyone should read it just to see how ludicrous it is[/B]). This paragrah clearly illustrates the author's insecurity and stuggle to discredit FMA. It was too desperate, though, so she loses a lot of validity right here. IMO, this is an otaku vying for not being the first to discover FMA. You know how those people are: if you aren't the first to get it on your block, then you have to make sure everyone knows it's not something worth getting. Again, that's just my conclusion from not reading all of it, so she could potentially have better points along the road. I honestly do hope the middle of this rant is more tangible and concrete than what it has been so far. Also, it would have been nice to see what shows the author thought were better than FMA, if only to use the same abstract logic she did right back at her. ^^[/COLOR]

[quote name='elfpirate][b']Wow... maybe I'm rude, too, because I was actually pleased that a male would realise what a..."stupid" thing that was to say. *flinches*[/b][/quote][COLOR=blue]You have always been rude (among other things), and I find it increasingly annoying when I see one of your posts, but this time I'm going to say something. [QUOTE][b]Even if it's a debate at present, it doesn't automatically make it an intelligent debate.[/b][/QUOTE] Well, certainly, everytime you post, that becomes more true. [QUOTE][b]As a female, (yes, everyone, I AM female :animesigh lol ) I find it rather offensive for someone to say that I wouldn't bother to improve myself without the pressure of adversity to reconcile.[/b][/QUOTE] Congratulations, you are a female. You want me to throw confetti for you? Do you want more respect for being one? I'm sorry, but as someone who cares not for discrimination, your gender isn't going to make your opinion any more valid in my eyes. No double standards please. Why did you bother to post just now? Why didn't you post earlier? I'll answer for you: because no one was disagreeing that sexism is bad - it was just implied. So you did nothing. Since it was just implied, [B]unchallenged[/B], you had no will to post. However, given the challenge, you now rose and posted. The same can be said of all people. If you don't challenge them, they will sit idly by, wasting away. [QUOTE][b]And the way that it was put was that we should keep sexism alive so that we, as women, have something of a fire under our a**es to become something more than a weak-minded, boy-crazy, dependant housewife or something.[/b][/QUOTE] So he voiced his opinion a bit strongly. That doesn't mean the meaning he was trying to convey was stupid. I'll agree that he said it without being politically correct. But seriously, I find all this politically correct garbage to be a waste of time, although with people like you around, it's a necessity. And for the record, he did refer to both genders, not just females. [QUOTE][b]If someone were to put a stone wall in your path, for instance-- sure, you'd have to work harder to be able to get over the wall. But that doesn't mean that the wall is necessary for you to have been on the path to begin with. You wouldn't say "Hey, look...someone put a wall in that path over there-- now I finally have the willpower and determination to take that path.[/b][/QUOTE]That analogy has absolutely no relevance to the topic at hand. It would work better if you could support your argument using why the person was travelling in the road in the first place. A stone wall would not be the cause for travelling. Tell me, elfpirate, do you wander around aimlessly, or do you go from point A to point B with a purpose in mind? [QUOTE][b]Sexism doesn't help us. It hinders us. And I don't see how anyone can argue with that.[/b][/QUOTE]That's to be expected. If you don't know what you are arguing for or against, it does make it hard to understand the opposing side. Enjoy your dihydrogen oxide or whatever.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Hey, I'm sorry for taking so long, and it might take even longer. =/ Ultimately, if you can wait 2+ weeks, I'll still do this. Otherwise, I hope someone else makes the banner/avi for you. Again, I'm sorry about this.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]I don't fully understand the "it's stealing" argument. While it's obvious who is the stealer is, I don't quite comprehend whom the stuff is being stolen from, and what has been lost/stolen.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]This is so weird! I'm with Godel and r2vq: this just feels blasphemous. I loved the Powerpuffs, but I don't think I'll love them if they're something serious. Certainly, what made the Powerpuff's appealing is definately going to be absent from this rendition. I'm not saying it's going to be flat-out bad, but it's going to pale in comparison to the original. While it may not be a valid comparison to make should they be going for different things (i.e., comedy vs. action), it's certainly going to be the relative judgement most people will pass down and therefore make this version a flop. Just my outlook. A bleak one, but still merely a prediction.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Dirt, why are you so darn rude? I don't see what the big problem was that you had to call ForgottenRider's post stupid. To clarify what ForgottenRider was saying, he was going off on a philosophical tangent, explaining how adversity and inequality are the driving forces for a person to improve him/herself. If there is none of that, then a person tends to not care about self-improvement. That's why the cultural adaptation vs. evolutionary adaptation is still an ongoing debate. While I certainly disagree with FR, I don't think it's a stupid argument.[/COLOR]

[quote name='Baron Samedi][size=1']I have only one other point to make: Suicide is not illegal.[/size][/quote] [COLOR=blue]Really? I always thought it was illegal since they take people into custody and rehabilitation after attempted suicide. Granted, I guess there isn't [i]technically[/i] any punishment for successful suicide for obvious reasons, but I always thought it was written in the books as something illegal. And no, I'm not confusing the religous burial thing with legislative law. I'm honestly not sure if it is illegal, which is why I'm asking.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]I don't know any directors' names, except for Miyazaki (and only because things are always referred to as "Miyazaki's x" or "Miyazaki's y"). Also, I've never noticed a persistent, "directing style" in any animes I've seen. On the other hand, I may be just too ignorant to notice it. Incidentally, I'm now aware of Anno only because of this freaky otaku "blog" I saw on some forum. So, yeah, I can't say I have a preference for any director. I only pay specific attention to Miyazaki because he's mentioned, and that the animation and concept are things you can expect only from him. However, I don't use my knowledge that a film is a Miyazaki film to build any type of prejudice towards the movie before watching it. I prefer to judge everything on its own merits, regardless of how wealthy or great a director is. I'd hardly call myself as true an anime fan as others here are, but I think most anime fans are in the same boat as I. There's little to no information about anime directors here in the states, IMO. Maybe if you actively searched for it, it's there, but most of us do entertainment passively. ^^ I don't know if it matters, but even in non-anime things, I've never noticed similarities in directing (John Woo for M:I-2? What the hell was that?).[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]*checks the script again* Interesting, Lunox, interesting. Indeed, there seems to be an extra space before the last piece of chat. It makes sense if [SPOILER]Envy's last statement was a soliliquy, and the dialogue between Envy and Greed was at a different and earlier time[/SPOILER]. That puts everything into perspective. I never doubted that the script was important, I just didn't understand how it fit into the events in the anime is all. Haha, I wrote a ton of stuff for FMA. I just couldn't resist! There's just so much to say about the series that I didn't want to forget what I cherished the most about it, and so went into great detail about each thing. Then school started... -_- The first thing I did after watching FMA was write a review for it, and it was remarkably similar to yours (only clunkier and didn't flow as well)! That's quite something, haha. I submitted it to theOtaku and it got accepted, so you can check it out over there if you want. Like you said, FMA almost reaches perfection, but doesn't quite get there, so I gave it a 9.5 instead of a 10 - only because there are some arguments about the ending (which I personally loved). ^^; I never bothered to submit anything else because I know I'm forgetting something that I'll regret not putting in. Speaking of which, I liked your review! Funny enough, you did the same thing that I later regret after submitting the thing: I didn't speak of the action sequences at all, even though they are definately one of the highlights. Most technical points go the fight scenes because of how they incorporate Alchemy into the mix. I'd elaborate more, but you get the idea. We're two eggs of the same chicken, Lunox - or however that saying goes. O_o[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Quincy is right (can I call you Quincy?). It seems to me that you are looking at the exception, not the rule. Most animes that aren't centered on love don't have a high frequency of big busts. Tsukihime is an anime with a huge cast of females, and none of their proportions seem out of whack (even if the actual numbers say otherwise). Even something as popular as Naruto gives a respectable, dignified perception of women (Tsunade being the exception. O_o). I also think elfpirate has a point about truths: I've seen women here in New Jersey that put any anime character's bust to shame. *shudders* If anime is showing something that's "off," it's because you can find more "off" versions IRL.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Lalaith Ril, I don't think you should be the one apologizing. You made a mere observation, and someone tried to argue against it - although I still don't get why. Also, I think your observation has more there than elfpirate is willing to admit. I too have noticed that bisexuals are usually more open about sex than other people. Maybe bisexuals have a greater sexual drive than the normal person (I think they call that libido)? That could also explain why some (most?) bisexuals have a preference for one gender, but are still attracted to either sex. I'm not trying to say a strong libido is bad, but it's an interesting idea that sexual drive could be the cause for some (not all) people's bisexual behavior. In other words, so as to not offend someone by some misunderstanding, it could be that some people are bisexuals, and others are bisexuals by a strong sexual drive.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]If you are into using software to help you learn a new language, I highly recommend the Rosetta Stone. While I don't know how good their Japanese version is, I have to say that the Latin version is quite impressive. I think it does a great job introducing a language and forcing you to keep it in your head. Then again, I learned the basics of Latin in school, so I'm not 100% how effective the Rosetta Stone will be from ground zero, but it's something worth trying, or at least looking into.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Is a thread like this even allowed? *sighs* What I think is ironic (but very suitable) is that all five of the "related threads" at the bottom are links to Daily Show/Otaku threads.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Oh, terribly sorry Zeta. I meant no offense. Upgrading the drivers is indeed a great suggestion, but whether or not Lunox has a sound card was a rather strange question is all. ^^;[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]XD Who asked if you have a sound card?! That's an absolutely hilarious question! Anyway, if you can 1. hear sound when you connect speakers to your computer; and (more importantly) 2. connect the speakers to the computer in the first place, then you most certainly have a sound card. You might need to upgrade drivers, but that's easier to explain on AIM (look up OtakuSennen if you are AIM: he knows how to do this). Windows runs programs in the background (i.e., invisibly), which is why it will be helpful to know if the sound comes before or after windows boots. When the computer is loading (B&W, text-only junk), does the sound exist? Or is it only after windows boots up and starts to show the logon screen that the sound comes? Oh, and can you still play music and audio when the sound is there? Do the speakers make the sound when you connect them to anything else (you can connect them to any headphone connection you have anywhere)? From what (little) I can tell, it sounds like a program in the background might be causing it. I honestly have no clue, though. I'm not a tech-head, haha. ^^; But there are a few here at OB, which is why it's surprising that they haven't posted yet.[/COLOR]

[quote name='Lunox][color=darkslateblue][spoiler]One thing that I was just wondering about the film (just random speculation) was whether or not Hoenheim would be in it much. [size=1]I liked him. ._.[/size] But with Ed leaving him at the end of episode 51, I doubt we'll see much of him. :/ I hope he's in it at least once.[/spoiler'][/color][/quote][COLOR=blue]Oh, if [SPOILER]Envy's in the movie[/SPOILER], it's safe to say [SPOILER]Hohenheim[/SPOILER] will be. There's no one else [SPOILER]who would have the resources (i.e., the bones) to take him down[/SPOILER]. Also, [SPOILER]Envy's main goal is to get his dad[/SPOILER]. Even Ed was considered secondary, remember? [SPOILER]Envy saw Ed at the gates and asked where Hohenheim was, and then didn't even notice the dazed Ed after that[/SPOILER]. I too liked him quite a bit. This may sound hypocritical, but I absolutely [SPOILER]loved how Ed didn't just embrace his dad and accept his transgression. His disdain for his dad is still justified. It was the source for not only Ed's turmoil, but Ed's brother's turmoil. The latter was truly unforgivable in Ed's eyes[/SPOILER]. ^^ Two other things lead me to believe he'll be in it. First, I don't think [SPOILER]Edward was leaving for good, just leaving to find out what he can[/SPOILER]. Second, [SPOILER]Hohenheim was talking with some religious people at the end of the series, about this island and how he would be very helpful or something - I don't remember clearly. It just gave off the feeling that the island they were talking about would play a key role in the bridge between the two worlds, and so, if Ed's goal is to get home, that's one place where both father and son have interest in[/SPOILER].[/COLOR] Reasons for editing are what I live for. ^^

[COLOR=blue]Haha, one can really feel your excitement and enthusiasm through your posts, Lunox! I read your spoilers though. It would help in figuring out [SPOILER]if Al H. has a brother[/SPOILER] if we could calculate the age difference. If I correctly remember some of the magazine spoilers, [SPOILER]Al H. is older (and taller) than Ed[/SPOILER]. That means [SPOILER]if Edward jumped into the Edward H.'s body, then it would be an older looking boy[/SPOILER]. From what I remember, it was actually someone much younger, so you can say with surety that [SPOILER]Hohemhein's kid who died while Ed was in him was definately not Al H.'s brother (if he even has one)[/SPOILER]. Another problem with that thought: [SPOILER]there was no one else in the house or under Hohemhein's care when Ed was in that kid's body[/SPOILER]. I'm not jumping to conclusions, but it's unlikely that [SPOILER]the kid was Al's brother. Two points say otherwise: age, and placement[/SPOILER]. Sorry that I'm taking the ninny's way out. ^^; You can still hype about it on your myO! :p[/COLOR]

[COLOR=blue]Lunox, that's quite an interesting phenomenon. Goes right up there with that Dick Parade the Japanese have (it's about fertility supposedly). O_o Wherever the script is from, I feel that it's not something that should be ignored. Also, it's pretty obvious from the script that [SPOILER]Greed was Dante's former lover[/SPOILER]. Regardless of what types of speculations can be made, [SPOILER]bones included, homonculi look strikingly similar to whomever they are based on. Pride, for instance, looks just like Ms. Elric. Envy's real form looked like someone who would be the son of Hohenheim. Last, Lust looked just like the woman Scar's brother loved. Scar even recognized her at first sight[/SPOILER]. So, based on those three alone, it's safe to say that [SPOILER]Greed looks the way his human counterpart did[/SPOILER], and a person like that looks like [SPOILER]more a lover than a relative[/SPOILER]. That's my two cents. Aside from that, I think people are reading into the script way too much. [SPOILER]Envy is, without question, the son of Hohenheim and Dante in homunculus form[/SPOILER], and [SPOILER]this script strongly supports the idea that Greed was created by Dante[/SPOILER]. However, there's not much linking the two facts together, and any link is severed by [SPOILER]Envy looking nothing like Greed[/SPOILER]. Haha, more interesting info, Lunox. I'm unfortunately going to refrain from watching any trailers and details on the movie. I just like having everything about an upcoming feature be a surprise to me. ^^; There's one thing that's on my mind, though: [SPOILER]How could you not realize that Envy would be in the movie[/SPOILER]? O_o I mean, you saw the ending: [SPOILER]he went past the gates and to the other world to hunt down his father[/SPOILER].[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=Adahn]Ever read David Hume? This merely epitomizes the fact that you have little idea of what you so adamantly propose. Your idea of the morpheme is misconstrued in the evidence that you so adamantly propose. My advice: take a Linguistics course.[/QUOTE][COLOR=blue]Ooooo! That was really nice! I wasn't very fond of you before, Adahn, but that really bought me over! Great display of rhetoric: the truth hurts - really bad. XD I'm glad I wasn't on the recieving end of that one. I realize that sounds sarcastic, but it wasn't meant to be. I'm all for Holy Books, but I really did not like that final claim about God being a Creation of Man at all. Was it even necessary?[/COLOR]