AzureWolf

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Does it really matter if it goes on Toonami or Adult Swim. Also, when is Toonami? All I see now is Miguzi, which is like, very, very out-of-sync with the rest of CN. [quote name='Dagger IX1']Some of the big groups have dropped it (and kudos to them from doing so). [/quote] May I be so bold as to ask what you are implying here? Are you saying that the altruism of fansubbing is immediately removed the moment a series is licensed, or are you just saying, "Good for them, because now they are in less possible trouble than those who won't stop and therefore can continue to bring us other fansubs." [QUOTE]In a way, this may end up being a test of the current incarnation of fansubbing... If, for some bizarre reason, the show doesn't do that well in terms of DVD sales and whatnot, it'll be crystal clear that digisubs can have a noticeable negative impact on the industry.[/QUOTE] Well, it's a complex situation, one that isn't as simply solved like that. For me, most things I see on TV aren't worth buying because of just that: they are on TV, so I can watch it there. Why bother buying it when I'm paying for Cable already and getting my money's worth? Ok, my dad is paying for Cable, but we're still paying. :p Next, anime DVDs, as you may as well know, are very annoying SOBs. They are noticeably foreign for anyone living here. First, you have only five episodes on the first DVD, and then, successive DVDs can have to as little as TWO episodes. Yet, they all cost the same! They know people who buy anime are going to buy all or nothing, so they squeeze one or more DVDs than necessary. Now, let's compare that to what domestic DVDs are like here. You get an entire season on one DVD (about 24 episodes?). That's WAY more than a mere five episodes, and exponentially larger than two. Time-wise (how long it takes to watch), that's ten times as much for 10 dollars more (at the most). 1152 minutes worth of a show (usual) vs. 100 minutes (MAX)... I'm tempted to say "screw it" to anime DVDs sometimes... Now, publicity... My God, I didn't even know that AppleSeed was airing in theatres until it was mentioned here. And I posted about it on myO! Thankfully, the DVD release three days earlier made sure I wasn't going to bother going anyway. That was such trash, but that's another story. To give a more prominent example, Escaflowne deserved recognition and popularity. What the hell happened? I saw it fansubbed (VHS). But when it was on Fox, it was so boring and tedious. I don't fully understand why either, but I know it had something to do with how abrupt the episodes felt along with how the atmosphere was cut from the series. C'mon, anyone in their right mind thinks Escaflowne deserved more than a mere glance. But, because it was so unpublicized and known, it flopped and was cancelled before completion. Going back to the DVD thing, I'm most likely not going to buy Naruto. I want to buy it, but if it's released like other anime series, I don't think Naruto is worth 500+ dollars. Dragonball Z was released like that, and I've never heard of people actually owning the entire garbology. On the other hand, if Naruto is boxed by seasons (there are like, five seasons so far), then that's more than doable. Provided that the most per DVD is 30, instead of the usual 20. Last, Naruto is going to have a kiddie fanbase. I just know it. Kids don't have money, and if it's going to be released with 100 DVDs, no mother in their right mind is going to buy it. Just a side-note: I should also point out how much Viz's translations suck. Senny is a refugee from the manga experience, so he can explain it best. I'm still confused how they managed to pull "Art of the Doppleganger" from "Shadow Clone."[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']Best "reason for editing" note ever. "Gao" power! ^_^[/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Haha. I was actually considering using my banner as a link to her picture saying "Gao," but the banner I have right now looks like I stole it from someone else unless you see version 1 (in fact, I asked the guy to put his tag there when requesting it). Anyway, moving back on topic: [QUOTE]One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the increased popularity and wider distribution of fansubs doesn't really correlate to increased revenue for American anime licensors... The market is almost saturated. ...I would not pre-order nearly as many different series if it were not for fansubs... even if I haven't seen the anime in question myself, fansubs basically ensure that [i]someone[/i] else has, and so it's much easier to find pre-release reviews and opinions to help me decide if/when I want to buy the R1 DVDs. As an example, anime that aren't fansubbed end up seeming obscure once they're licensed, even if they're fairly recent... So I'm much more hesitant about purchasing these series than I would be about a show that has already won over... [a] fanbase.[/QUOTE] While I know that fansubbing has no direct correlation to licensors' profits, I think your own experience says it best: fansubs help licensors get an idea of what will hit and what will miss. It's a demographic that other types of shows (and even anime itself in its motherland) can't use. So, if Company X is planning on licensing something, they can see how the series fared over in Japan. In addition, they can also check out how popular the series is download-wise. There may be a huge contrast, if the anime has something that's partial to Japanese viewers and no other persons. Going further, if they felt compelled to, they can determine from what country most of the downloaders of "anime Y" are. Also, is it licensed anime that is being saturated, or is it anime itself (i.e., even in Japan)? Of course more and more anime series are being licensed because of the increase in popularity, but I've noticed more and more (generic) anime series are being made. [QUOTE]Unfortunately, people who download fansubs, love them, and are thereby inspired to buy more R1 DVDs often seem to be in the minority.[/QUOTE] I'm not sure what you just said here, but I think you are saying people who download fansubs tend to not buy DVDs since they already can get the anime for free. I'd argue, if they are that cheap already, what would compel them to buy any anime if they couldn't d/l it? If they don't see it as something worth their $$$ in the first place, would they put some cash down just because they can't obtain it otherwise? I imagine, if they are like I am with certain things (not anime - I buy that stuff like it's crack), then the answer is no. [QUOTE]Have you read the Cnet article on fansubs? I found it very impressive; I thought it was surprisingly balanced and well-researched.[/QUOTE] Care to give a link (or at least a summary)? I haven't heard anything from Cnet, even though I visit Download.com regularly, haha.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]OMFG! What a brilliant idea! I think confusion with genders may be [B][U]the biggest problem[/U][/B] facing OB to date! It is imperative that this issue be dealt with post-haste! *recomposes himself* Ahem, so yes, the idea is nice. Maybe you could just use the sex symbol thing. There's like, room where our name, status, title, and custom title are (could be next to the status symbol or the status symbol itself). And if anyone has trouble keeping track of which symbol means what, just remember: Men want it to grow, women want to cut it off. :D *dodges barrage of tomatoes*[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='CHW']Assuming that the 16 year old hasn't been intimate with anyone prior to getting her license or turning 16 for that matter.[/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Wouldn't that be a Mobile Virgin instead of a Virgin Mobile? :p Anyway, Verizon is still synergetic. I always think it's slang for Event Horizon, which probably makes the name seem better than it actually is. Sure, they may have nothing to do with black holes, but their wireless communication devices do have a tendency to make you feel like you are being sucked into one ("can you hear me now? Hello?! May-Day! What?" *blip*).[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]I have to disagree with Morpheus, because I believe that more licensing is an effect of whatever caused the rise in anime's popularity. That is, because anime became more popular and more people wanted to see anime, more anime was licensed. Do you get what I mean, Morpheus? It's an interesting way to think about it, but why would companies just blindly license stuff that could just flop? QuincyArcher brings up a very good point. I would have to say BitTorrent is strongly responsible for anime's increased popularity and the increased activity and number of fansubs available. Think about it: [B]how many of you actually used UseNet or IRC to grab releases?[/B] *does nothing* [B]How many of you got into anime d/ling because of BT?[/B] *raises hand* Those were very elite/selective (I've never even used IRC, haha), and because of the way Kazaa and other popular distribution programs worked, they were never a viable means to spread the anime love. So before BT, website downloads were the only way to reach the masses, which, as you might realize, would be a costly affair. I've been following a myriad of stories about P2P and distribution. Of the most interesting was that of the powerful shadow networks in place for transforming one file into a million files in less than an hour. It explained how futile it would be to use things like Kazaa or LimeWire for mass-distribution, as it was only after the file became a million-fold large that those types of distributions would become viable. Of relevant note, however, was that BitTorrent was an exception, and didn't need this shadow network to achieve similar results. Another article also mentioned that BT is a phenomenon which has had the most benefit/influence to the anime community. How cool is that? Anime has made the most/best use of BT. :p[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='tiffanyxii][FONT=Trebuchet MS']Do you think anime influences you as a person?[/FONT][/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Of course. Being a (fairly) active member of this forum is proof enough that anime affects me. [quote name='tiffanyxii][FONT=Trebuches MS']Why is it that more and more western viewers are interested in anime?[/FONT][/quote] I like to think that it has nothing to do with Occidental vs. Oriental trends. Rather, anime is at (or approaching) its golden era, where the true classics that will be used to define anime will be manifested. Sure, you can say that the golden era is past us with Eva being so old, but is that it? Eva is all anime's golden era churned out? That's not a golden era then. Show me a myriad of great shows in one point in time, and I'll show you anything but the past.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='Lore][color=#ff6600']Interesting, no?[/color][/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Actually, it kind of kills what coolness the term had. I mean, it sounded all "synergetic" and hip, but now I'm always going to think about what it means and just say to myself, "Gah, that's so lame. It's the equivalent of a cell phone company naming themselves 'Cell Phones Co.'" So thanks, Sara, thanks for destroying a dream.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]I just beat the game today (or was it yesterday? God, what a bad memory I have. >_

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]@DarkHayden: The name of the song is Aura, and it sounds like the regular version of the song. I mean, it's been a while since I've listened to anything Kajiura... Maybe I should do that again. Good times, good times... But anyway, it's in the first soundtrack of .hack, so it shouldn't be too hard to grab. @GrandTheftWatto: Haha, consider it a plothole. I mean, there's a theory behind it that's revealed in the games, but there's no physical connection. Noir is the only anime from Bee Train that (I'd argue) has no plot holes (maybe Avenger, but you're stretching it there).[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='Xander Harris']So, uh, can I get arrested for buying it then? *hopes there are no government agents reading the boards*[/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Haha, no, you can't get arrested. You are considered a victim of bootleg, rather than one guilty of commiting any crime. In any case, you bought it once, no need to buy it again unless you have the urge to have all legitimate/valuable versions of your anime. Escaflowne was so promising, but at some point in the series, it completely changed in an unwelcomed way and just sucked from that point on.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]The server is being moved. It never hurts to check out theOtaku, haha. Otherwise, I would have just kept trying to get on.[/plug]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Wow, that was surprisingly good. I mean, how interesting can an ice cream-based murder be? You respond with a surprising answer with an unexpected result. It was all in the characters, and that's why such a seemingly simple concept worked so well. I liked the narration: smooth flow with a touch of cynism. There were a few typos. Admittedly, I should have kept track of all of them as I came across them so you could fix them easily. But yeah, that wasn't a big deal, (although I think it made the dialogue confusing at one point). Anyway, while the twist at the end was very nice, it did seem rather abrupt. Not the punchline, but the "it was coming" feel of it. I know you did flesh it out quite a bit throughout, but I don't think it was enough. Do you know what I mean? Like, [SPOILER]you used the scene with the main character's boss to hint at it, and Felix was a bit cynical about his job. Heck, you even had him cringe when Joelene mentioned that he'd be doing it for the rest of his life[/SPOILER]. Even with all of this, I don't know why, but it did feel like you didn't hint at it enough. Does that make sense? Also, I found myself very anxious when I had to go to the next chapter/post/act and read the narration/setting paragraphs. You know, the parts when Felix isn't narrating. I don't know if that means you made a very enjoyable character to read/experience through, or that the intro paragraphs were boring. So, take that comment as you will. Anyway, it was a very nice murder story with a refreshing ending. I really did not see that coming! I like how you put some irrelevant conflict and resolution to mislead us into thinking other people did it. Also, it was very consistent: the pacing never drops (except at the opening of each act, as stated before), and the ending is very abrupt and seemingly out of place. However, if you look back at the clues (that can be seen my spoiler part), it is very suitable. Hope that made sense. I wouldn't be surprised if people discussed this thing to great lengths after reading it. It's very possible. I recommend it to anyone. You haven't read anything like it before.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='James][color=#334366']Let it go. It's okay. ^_^[/color][/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]*scratches head* Alright, alright, I guess I just like to stick to things 'till the end (and I was just hoping you would say that you enjoyed the discussion in some small way :p j/k). I have a lot of respect for the mods, and I know they wouldn't do anything intentionally negative. *refrains from asking what "uber-PC" means*[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Well, what was up with all the "dorky" comments? That was rather uncalled for, IMO, as I think there have been much worse threads that weren't closed. [quote name='James][color=#334366']Why let such a small thing bother you? Just ignore the links if you don't like them... The only way I can see someone disliking the linkage is if they are feeling put out that they can't see the forum themselves, as if someone is waving something in front of their face. But I don't think that's the intention and even if it was, it's a really silly/lame issue to even worry about.[/color][/quote] I'm just saying, when it happens once or twice, I barely take note. However, if it keeps coming up, it becomes a nuisance (again, I was just asking "why," and then did not like Shy's initial way of putting it). Think about it: take a group of friends or acquaintances. Now, imagine that they start mentioning something and only talk about things on a vague and brief level whenever you are around. It happens once, then twice, but you of course brush it off as nothing much. But if it keeps happening, I really find it hard to believe that it won't irk you in the slightest. Why do they feel the need to still bring it up when you are around? Just as a person with curiosity, there must be a reason a topic is repeatedly brought up, and probably worth knowing about. (I'm NOT saying the thread that started this is worth knowing: I'm just illustrating why it would be annoying and so unwelcomed) Also, I don't consider this discussion serious. If I'm treating it less casually than it should be, I really would argue that you and I have both seen much poorer discussion topics than this. (And truth be told, I consider OB a good place to practice writing and debating - regardless of how trivial or revolutionary the subject matter) [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]*nods* God, Drix, this is the same exact thing that happened in the other thread I abandoned, and it's getting pathetic. I'm not even going to bother going through the whole "self-talk" you posted, just enough to reveal the slippery slope. [quote name='Drix']So you are implying that because it doesn?t receive community input or recognition, it shouldn?t receive public praise? (Interesting, since the nifty fifty didn?t seem like broad, or majority-driven public praise, but a mixture of focused, valid opinions being selected by a select group of people.) That?s interesting? So do you think a director shouldn?t receive an academy award because the cast and crew didn?t have ?input? in the script of his movie? [/quote] Your rhetorical question is clinging to an almost nonexistent connection to what you quoted. In fact, you are jumping into ethics, which is too relative for you to work with (since I made a statistical argument). I realize you are trying to poke my opinion on this whole matter, but unfortunately, I'm working with a statistical frame, so opinions are a moot point, haha (READ THE REST OF MY POST BEFORE REPLYING - THERE'S FURTHER ELABORATION!). Do I think a director should recieve an academy award? The answer: IT DOESN'T FREAKIN' MATTER. You are arguing with yourself, making your own flawed logic. I'm assuming this hypothetical director produced something, had something to show for whatever he did behind the scenes, and actively announced what he was doing. The public [U]directly[/U] sees the final product of what he's done, and so can deem it worthy. It was put into the public eye, and recieved public recognitiion. I'm not seeing the point of answering this very off-topic question, and how, if at all, it matters to the topic at hand. Can't you just address what I said instead of trying to derive a meaning that is nonexistant? You are trying to say I have an opinion on the matter, and funny enough, manifest my opinion for me. Look at my posts again: I never stated my opinion on how I feel about moderators having their own boards - implicitly or otherwise! (I actually did explicitly, but showing you will only prove my point more painfully, since it's not what you said my opinion was) You are genuinely arguing with yourself, or you just don't realize that you are Red Herring through my entire post. [QUOTE]You have to understand the function of the moderator lounge, coming from a former moderator. It?s just an easy to use resource that facilitates the job. It?s influenced almost exclusively by content that is widely open to other members in the normal OB. The moderator forum merely works as an intermediate between mods and more powerful administrators, and vice versa. As James and Shy already stated, it?s quite underwhelming.[/QUOTE] Right after this paragraph, you quote me saying the same exact thing you just said and try to play it off like it's not there. What the hell is your point? When did I say otherwise? I think you aren't reading anything correctly at all, or are purposely making very obvious Red Herring evasions. I know using a very objective and sound frame like statistics makes it hard to find faults to work with, but that still doesn't justify manifesting your own holes and then claiming them to be mine. [QUOTE]Doesn?t really sound like there?s a real problem here. Sounds to me like you?re looking for one. What could you be justifying, or proposing to change? Sounds like you?re perturbed that you can?t see the moderator forum and this is your reaction?[/QUOTE] Like the two paragraphs above, you quote me and ignore me, and then just start bantering on your own. I already said, OB should work how it always has, and there's nothing wrong with it. That does NOT mean I want change, as complicated as that apparently seems. Reiterating everything for you isn't even worth the time. Go back and actually read what I said, instead of finding some key words and attacking them in vain. Sounds like you are perturbed that you can't argue directly, only being able to use Red Herring techniques to merely sound right. Perhaps a grudge against me drives you to desperately seek an argument against me (grudge for what)? However, it's not working. You aren't worth my time. You've proven that to me. I graciously stepped aside the first time you did this fallacious and flamboyant garbage, but you did not yield. I'm never going to bother with you. Like the first time around, I'm just going to disregard your posts from now on (consider this post the only exception). I recommend you do the same.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] Anyway, now that I'm through that drivel for good, time to address the real replies. [quote name='James']Azure, I didn't think it was possible, but that reply out-dorkifies your last one! Wow.[/quote] :therock: Are you, like, doing this on purpose or what? Also, I don't know why you think considering something and it's cause (that probably took the total thinking time of a minute at most) equates to having too much time on one's hands (the most time was probably spent trying to form words for what I was thinking). Does it really matter what I choose to discuss in my free time? "To each his own." Last, I think you misunderstood my point: I'm not envious, haha. I'll elaborate in my reply to Shy's post. [QUOTE=Shy][size=1]...Rather, you feel that as a community we should all have equal access to the boards themselves... ...You as a member should not feel insulted by the staff forum, especially since they can't even see the thing. ...If I were to complain about how cumbersome the moderator control panel was, would that also be upsetting?[/size][/QUOTE] Well, I just want to clarify your first sentence here. I'm not saying that the community should have equal access. I'm saying things should remain the way they are, but moderators shouldn't mention or state things about private mod stuff anywhere in this community's eyes. Otherwise, it seems pointless to make it private (but I do want it private - just not private AND in the public eye). Did that make sense? Aside from that, everything else you said (that I didn't quote) hits the nail on the head. And yeah, linking to a thread everyone can't access does get annoying based on how frequently it happens: once, twice, on a myO blog entry?! O_o The irking begins... And again, I just want to restate that I have no qualms with the moderator forum. I'm not envious, and I'm really not sure why that thought came to anyone's mind. I was just talking about linking to private parts to OB, haha. So, yeah, your last statement pretty much makes the a very good point. I just really didn't appreciate how often the thread kept coming up (being linked). It was like, someone opened pandora's box, and everyone else started participating. I wasn't curious at first, but if it gets linked that much, of course my curiosity and annoyance will multiply. But it wasn't really a big deal, I just wanted to know why it was so. In short, I see what you mean, Shy, so you don't need to elaborate any further. But just for my edification, you didn't notice the... "overlinking" of that one particular thread around theOtaku - or just didn't consider it "overlinking?" (btw, my main reason for starting this short discussion was to converse with you, since it has indeed been a while, haha)

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Well, offline, life's been grand because I know how to solve my problems, and I'm not sure how many "real" online problems one can have (and whether or not the essence of the problem being online forgoes its ability to be real). So, yeah, I'm willing to admit that it's a dorky thing to talk about (*glances at Soda thread*). At the same time, I think the topic's more valid than seeking advice on a Jerry Springer-esque love dilemma (for an online forum, that is). And besides, I never said it was a problem. It's more of a minor nuisance. Kind of like bumping into people in a crowded area: it's not a problem unless you start exaggerating the situation. So, at its worse, my gripe is a mere nuisance. I asked why some mods linked to a private part of OB, and Shy responded by saying that linking to private threads is fine because it's just like every other part of OB. I didn't like that answer. If it's true and that was the reasoning behind the linking, so be it. But I didn't like that, and I feel that if that was the rationale, it was not wholly sound. I don't really see why it's all THAT dorky. Still, it is kind of an off-topic discussion, and if you feel it's not a noteworthy thing to talk about, there's little I can do from you closing the discussion, heh. If you are referring to me calling the private parts of OB aristocratic, that's not a bad thing (I love aristocracies, btw). In fact, I consider it a very good thing, and exactly how things should be. However, I think they should stay separate, and that things that are private have no justification in recieving public recognition (unless you consider "because we can" or something a justification). That's all. Also, the nominations and award things (the 2004 and 2005 ones) aren't the only places I've seen a link to the thread. (Hmm... I thought I edited my post to say that the Venn Diagram has the same number in the mod section and overlap...)[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Shy, if you go by the premise that the moderator exclusive sections of the forum are as just as much a part of the OB community as anything else, the rest of what you say works perfectly. However, this is the point where we disagree. We don't even have to delve into philosophy, or jump into abstract and very obscure concepts in search of the meaning behind "community" to point out the discrepancy between moderator specific parts of OB, and the rest of OB. That is, we can stick with tangible facts, especially statistics, which is also as objective as you can get (so that's two birds with one stone). We can agree that a community is a set of people "communing" together for whatever reason. So, to say that a part of OB (that only lets a fewer number than the total amount of those that makeup the community) is "as much" a part of the rest of OB isn't statistically sound. In fact, you've lost the community and have created another, aristocratic community that just makes up a part of this community (think Venn Diagram, with the mod section having zero and the overlap having the # of mods). Not that I'm saying things shouldn't be like that, mind you. I'm just saying, I'd argue that the parts that are alienated to most of OB are not very much a part of OB. Of course I realize that there's a connection between OB's community and OB's adminstrative areas, but in the sense of community... (isn't even going to do "The Weakest Link" reference). Also, just because most moderators selected the thread in question doesn't really show bias. Rather, it points back to the statistical differentiation: do you really think it was bias, or that most people couldn't see the thread and therefore the community couldn't choose it as a noteworthy thread? *looks back* Bleh, even doing something concrete made it sound all vague. I'm just saying, how can you consider something as much a part of the community if the most important part of the community (rats, getting philosophical), the members, are not privy to it?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]*shudders at OB's crashing, along with it's ability to some how remove my copied text* Ok, I'm going to say this bluntly: I don't like your latest piece. I think you should stick with more physcially-sound ideas. I have no clue what you are trying to convey in this artwork, and while I'm sure some person who has a masters in B.S. could pull some meaning from it, I can't, so I'm saying there is little that can be derived from it. Whether or not you care (since you already said you yourself don't know what it's supposed to mean) is up to you, heh. The only saving grace, IMO, is the B&W: it works with whatever the feeling of the work is. But all in all, I think you work best with things that you are most familiar with. (I seriously wrote this much better and less blunt before, and so I'm sorry for how rude this version seems)[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Actually, Eva Unit 100, I would like to see more of Pilot Candidate. It ended so abruptly. While it was obvious that the story wasn't going to go anywhere special, the story was very incomplete. It didn't even finish starting, nevermind concluding, haha. But anyway, I think doing sequels is a big no for this conglomerate (hehe, Mishima Conglomerate... brings back bad memories). Think about it: the moment you do a sequel, you will split the existing fanbase into those who believe the sequel was loyal to the original, and those that felt the other way. So, in my opinion, trying to draw attention by building on a previously established fanbase is a bad idea, especially considering the previous animes Itouchu made. So, I'm guessing there weren't a lot of other anime companies rushing to Time Warner, haha.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='Semjaza Azazel']The whole "team" thing that OB has its mods split up into is pretty much a good indication of that, actually.[/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Out of curiosity, which part of the team decided it'd be fun to constantly leave a link for members to click on, only to be informed that they don't have the privilege to see the link. I'm talking about the constant reference to the [B][U]Deal with this member[/B][/U] thread, which hasn't stopped popping up in one form another, in one person's blog or at the awards thingies. It's like, "Dude, you gotta see this thread," and then you click, and it's like, "Oh, wait, that's right! You can't! Ahahahaha!" It's annoying, and I don't think it shows maturity on the side of the moderators. While I'm not targetting any mod (or any set of mods), I thought since this thread is moderator-related, I'd just bring that up. I'm just curious why a clearly private thread is being brought up in public areas. Isn't that like, a violation of privacy or something? Even if it's that darned good, it should be mentioned in private rather than public. It shouldn't be dangled in front of those who can't see it.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]That was touching, but... yeah... I've only been to one convention, and it was a mostly video game one. It was Ubercon III, which happened over the summer. My roommate motivated me to go. I didn't cosplay or anything, but there were quite a few cosplayers there. Also, if you wanted, you could just watch an anime marathon for the entire day on the fifth floor. I checked it out momentarily. It was a very nice suite, but I didn't see the point of coming to a convention to sit with people and watch something that's widely available. Moving on, there was this dealer who sold real weapons that were based off of various fantasy things. I think he had a few anime-related things as well. Oh, and BESN (Big Eyes Small Nose - an anime stereotype thingy) was available for RPGing, and I saw quite a few people playing it. Ubercon was primarily about RPGing and non-electrical forms of game playing, but there's a growing amount of video games for the events. [B][U]Anyway, the best things that happened to me:[/U][/B] I got to see independent film-making at its best. There was this relatively successful "The Gamers" movie that these people made during college, and now they are going to scale it up to Hollywood level with the sequel. We got to sitdown and chat with those guys, and it was quite interesting. For cutting corners, their work was quite impressive. I won the Soul Caliber II tournament there ("raped," according to my roommate). I was shaken up really bad after every match, though. =/ I get too nervous when it counts, haha. The most rewarding aspect (aside from the $62 worth of tickets) was shutting the tournament coordinator up. God, the WHOLE time, he would boast about how the second-in-place from yesterday's tournament was invited back (top 3 were invited back, but only the 2nd place guy came), and that he's here to take the title he justly deserved. It was like wrestling... Boasting and trash-talking is fine, but this guy would play favorites as well, giving him the bye (bi? you know, a free win to the next round) every time. And then he made sure he was the last guy I faced. The guy before that was closer, because he pulled off a few ring-outs on me. When I finally fought the guy, it wasn't anything spectacular. Here's a little advice: don't ask "is there anyone who can beat this guy?" if he's in second place. Why? Because there's a reason he's second and not first! Oh, and the best part of Ubercon III was meeting Tycho and Gabe of Penny Arcade fame. We got to talk to them. ^^ It was quite fun, haha. They are pretty leisurely guys, and I got an autographed shirt and drawing. Double w00t. I had a minute to talk with Gabe, but that was it. I must have looked like a rabid fangirl, just standing and staring, haha. Oh, and one of the funniest things (paraphrased): "How did you come up with the Fruit-F###er?" ~Someone "Let's just say, there's a folder on my computer that no person should ever see..." ~Tycho[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]*looks at listed anime* Cyborg009? Kikaider?! Ah geez, it's screwed already! I really think the whole thing is going to flop - if not all of them, then definately the first product/series. I am very interested to see what they are coming up with, though. Also, is this just a financial joint process? That is, this big thing called Time Warner is just funding Itouchu's vision for an anime? Or is it more like a joint venture (a group effort) to create anime? Secondly, speaking from a gamer's perspective, I don't know if a lot of money is going to equate to anything great, especially if the company's previous... "successes" were not all that noteworthy. I doubt having more money is going to address the genuine problems with those series. In fact, were the biggest problems with their previous anime series really ones of animation, sound, or something that is proportional to the amount of income? Not really: they were secondary to the terrible story, plot, and characters.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Right, the list could go on forever, until everyone lists anime series that everyone knows about, alongside ones that are a disgrace to the medium. I always thought the incentive of this thread was to list [B]good[/B] anime series that aren't well known, rather than any anime you can find in a list or database. [B]Serial Experiments Lain[/B] is SO known. I really have to argue about some of the anime series that were brought up, as I think people are starting to put in just any anime they like, regardless of how well-known it is. Just to build on [B]Greenwood[/B], the DVDs have the neatest thing (yeah, I bought it after being inspired by this thread - no, I haven't watched the rest of the series). There's a three-part reunion thing where the voice actors start back up a Greenwood radio show. It's quite funny and amusing, haha. As for [B]Iria[/B], I remember that being like the first controversial anime for me (how sad is that?!). I mean, look at her: tightly clad clothes, and then the scene with the breasts. I was shocked they could do such things, haha. But overall, the series was an interesting trek into the Sci-Fi universe. I don't remember any specifics, aside from how depressing the atmosphere was. I recommend it, heh, but it's nothing spectacular.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]*nods disapprovingly* Foreshame, Dagger, foreshame. I can't believe you would make a thread just like that. Where's the supplemental information I'm used to seeing? Who are these two companies, and what were their previous products (anime or otherwise)? I think this is a neat topic, but I've never heard of either company (too lazy to google as well), and add the fact that I have no idea where they are planning to go with it. That's very pivotal: they say "TV series," so it's obviously going to air on a channel. Which channel they choose could make or break them. So, do you have more info for members to sink their teeth into? :p[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='Lore][color=#ff6600']Bad joke aside, I still have no idea what you meant.[/color][/quote][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Bleh, that's what I get for joking, haha. In fact, reading it back, I see how confusing it is. Just skip to the next paragraph after "Interesting. I see where you are going with this." and it'll make more sense. I was just answering your rhetorical(-ish?) questions with a joke, but I managed to make it sound like that's where I thought you were going with your idea. *cough* Moving on... [QUOTE][color=#ff6600]Whoops! When I wrote "Reki" there, it should have read "Rakka." ... I'm not sure what you're asking for. [/color][/QUOTE]No, that was pretty much it. You hit the nail on the head. That's all I was asking about. Haha, I was wondering why you kept bringing up Reki since it's obvious how young she was when she first arrived. So anyway, I was just worried about how the AoA thing was still possible since we had Rakka to consider, but I see that you already had that in mind (Reki, Rakka, it's all good). [QUOTE][color=#ff6600]*massages temples* I don't really know. Catch me on AIM some time.[/color][/QUOTE]Yeah, sorry for pestering you so much with my inquiries on Christianity. It's just that I can't seem to ask these questions to anyone else without a hostile response, as if my innocent questions are a guise for attacking the religion. So, if you don't mind, I intend to bother you anytime I have a Christian thought, and I have already learned (and unlearned) a few things from you. [QUOTE][color=#ff6600][spoiler]... I think that refers to having faith in Christ. The idea is that Purgatory is for Christians who still have sin "debt" to work off. [/spoiler] Obviously in Haibane Renmei, we aren't dealing with a [spoiler]Christian[/spoiler] environment in the firt place...[/color][/QUOTE] Oh, you are spoilering it for a good reason, haha. Anyway, I see... I'm not sure why you turn the tables around in the following paragraph, though. Why isn't it a [SPOILER]Christian[/SPOILER] environment? Why it can't be considered as such? [QUOTE](Spoilerific Paragraphs, Containing a Good Deal of Coherent Material)...[/QUOTE]Alright then. That addresses my request for further elaboration, haha. That was quite interesting. Thanks for putting it into perspective. While I easily noticed the townspeople's hospitality, I don't think I ever saw it as anything relevant. It's good that you picked up on that, as I do see how it pertains to the [SPOILER]Purgatory[/SPOILER] theory. In fact, your [SPOILER]dual-nature[/SPOILER] corollary is strongly supported by it if you think about it (or you already did think about it, since you were the one to bring the interactions between the townspeople and the Haibane up). [QUOTE](Series of Nifty Rhetorical Questions Leading to a Good Point)...[color=#ff6600] Okay. My thoughts (which I believe you have heard before) on the topic of [spoiler]sin-bound Haibane[/spoiler]: [spoiler]It involves guilt. My original thought (which unfortunately was shattered *shakes fist at Official*) was that Haibane unable to forgive themselves became sin-bound. However, the Official flatly said that you cannot forgive yourself, you must receive forgiveness.[/spoiler][/color][/QUOTE]Haha, that's quite funny. Yeah, this was the first thing I asked you about relating to Christianity, if you remember. Rather, whether or not some kind of similar concept existed IN Christianity. Anyway, continuing to quote you... [QUOTE][color=#ff6600][spoiler]Rakka also becomes sin-bound. When does this happen? After Kuu leaves. She's hearbroken about the loss of her friend, first of all. And (this is the bit where I start getting all philosophical) She remembers thinking how she thought [i]no one would miss her if she were gone.[/i] (Am I correct in thinking this is a throwback/piece of memory from her former life?) Experiencing her own sorrow at the loss of someone dear, she now realizes that this was very wrong (and even selfish) for her to think. She realizes that she had hurt someone, and feels guilty. (This is also why I originally thought Rakka, too, had committed suicide.) This is the point when her wings begin turning black.[/spoiler][/color][/QUOTE] Right, right. This is great stuff right here, and I think, at least for Reki and Rakka, this is the key point of it all. I do believe I was asking you about the crows, haha. But more importantly, I really enjoyed the level at which they basically [U]proved[/U] that [SPOILER]killing yourself is a selfish act[/SPOILER] (I enjoyed emotionally, mind you, not happily enjoyed). And yeah, without a doubt, [SPOILER]that was a fragment of her former life[/SPOILER], unless you do have a shred of doubt (if so, tell me why! - more tangents and ideas abound, haha). Most importantly, you realize this topic brings a very important matter to the table (of course you did, otherwise you wouldn't have brought it up), one that also supports the [SPOILER]dual-nature[/SPOILER] concept. Again, what about the crow? [SPOILER]Rakka saw it as someone from her past life trying to bring her back (and trying to stop/save her at the beginning). Also, the crow was responsible for Rakka's... transcendance through the black wings[/SPOILER]. With those two points, I think it's a valid thought that [SPOILER]the crow has some relationship to the real world. So, people who are embodied by the crow, or have some link to the people alive[/SPOILER], easily makes a valid argument for your proposal. On last thought: [SPOILER]those that the crows are related to? Are they people who are still living, or people who have died and moved on[/SPOILER]? Huh, huh? I'm very interested where you can take these questions, haha (don't feel compelled to if you don't want to or something). [QUOTE][color=#ff6600]Aaaaand...I have more to say, but I'm nearly going to be late to class as it is, so further ramblings shall have to wait.[/color][/QUOTE] O_o; I never thought I'd be saying something like this, but you have an over-active mind. That was a lot of stuff for me to take in at one time already, and you had more to say. Insane.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] Sorry for making you wait so long (in internet time, four days is quite a long time). :p