Dagger

According to an announcement made at the Adult Swim forums, Samurai Champloo (along with Paranoia Agent) will be airing on AS this summer. I could not [i]possibly[/i] be more thrilled about this news. I was sort of worried that Champloo would end up on TechTV rather than AS, but this has laid my fears to rest. I'll be shocked if the series doesn't become a major hit--and now AS has a show they can promote as being "from the creators of Cowboy Bebop" without incredibly misrepresenting things, as they did in countless Wolf's Rain commercials. ^_^;; ~Dagger~

[quote name='EVA Unit 100']After them airing the "Jungle Cruise" episode of Stand Alone Complex, I'm now convinced they'll try to slip in any TV-MA level violence into a TV-14 show as long as the show is neither consistantly TV-MA nor Evangelion (for some reason).[/quote] For whatever it's worth, they did have that special warning before the episode. I must say, I'm almost excessively impressed with AS for airing "Jungle Cruise" relatively unmolested. That was pretty daring. Evangelion was a couple of years ago, anyway; back then I'm pretty sure standards were stricter for every series. And didn't its brief run take place on Toonami? Eh, maybe I'm not remembering this correctly. EDIT: Apparently [b]Paranoia Agent[/b] and [b]Samurai Champloo[/b] are both coming to CN this summer. Let the celebrations begin! ~Dagger~

[b][i]Coming to America -[/i][/b] [b]Princess Tutu:[/b] I've heard great things about this anime, and lately I've been craving a good dose of shoujo. The official site is located [url=http://www.advfilms.com/titles/tutu/][u]here[/u][/url]. [b]Elfen Lied:[/b] One of the best series of 2004, in my opinion, and it's going to look absolutely ravishing on DVD. You can view a trailer at ADV's main page, but people using Firefox might have better luck with [url=http://www.advfilms.com/trailers/Web%20Movies%20QT/][u]this[/u][/url] listing. [b]Kyo Kara Maoh:[/b] A thoroughly good-natured fantasy romp with shounen-ai jokes to spare. It has a surprisingly large male fanbase, perhaps thanks to its silly comedy and unthreatening atmosphere. [b]Phantom Memory Kurau:[/b] I've seen only the first two episodes, but that was more than enough to convince me that BONES (Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess) had hit all the right marks once again. This seems to be a more serious show, with fluid animation and beautiful music. Some others: Fantastic Children, Gunslinger Girl, Gravitation OVA, Kenran Butousai, Scrapped Princess, Kodomo no Omocha, Samurai 7, Tactics, Madlax. [b][i]Premiering in Japan -[/i][/b] [b]Kino's Journey - Nanika wo Suru Tameni:[/b] Kino's Journey (Kino no Tabi) is one of the most thought-provoking and beautiful anime I've ever seen. I can only assume that the upcoming movie will live up to the standard set by the thirteen-episode show. [b]Loveless:[/b] You can't go wrong with cat-girls, cat-boys and a plethora of female-oriented fanservice. Based on a manga by Kouga Yun (who also created Earthian), Loveless is one of the main reasons that 2005 is basically going to be the "Second Impact" of shounen-ai. The series does not yet have an official website, although some lovely character designs have been released. The animation studio in charge of Loveless is J.C. Staff. [b]Haru wo Daiteita OVA:[/b] Haru wo Daiteita is by far my favorite yaoi manga. It starts off as pure, unadulterated smut and slowly, sneakily evolves into something much more moving and meaningful. I don't expect that level of emotional depth from the OVA, but seeing Youko Nitta's character designs in full color and motion will definitely be worth the price of admission. [b]Sousei no Aquarion:[/b] An upcoming mecha series that will probably follow in the footsteps of anime like RahXephon, Evangelion and Soukyuu no Fafner. The trailer is almost too stunning for words; this seems to be a production with respected, experienced staff members and a lot of financial backing. [b]Eureka Seven:[/b] All I really know is that this is another mecha show, animated by Studio BONES (RahXephon, Kenran Butousai). Considering that pretty much everything BONES touches turns to pure gold, and considering how much I enjoyed their other big mecha anime, I have high hopes for Eureka Seven. [b]Cluster Edge:[/b] The character designs are adorable, and it's rumored to be shounen-ai. That's pretty much the extent of my knowledge, heh. Some others: Trinity Blood, Speed Grapher, Pretty Cure Max Heart, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, episodes 18 through 26 of Samurai Champloo, Kyo Kara Maoh season 2, Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid. In my sig, you can find links for a couple of the series listed above. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=JenniKate]That was bothering me too! I've been searching the net and have been reading a lot about the manga. While there are big differences between the manga and the series the characters seem to be heading towards the same fates. From that I've got the impression that it was just easier [spoiler] to have Kanoe disappear than to explain what happened to her [/spoiler] I think I may have to buy the manga to suppliment the series.[/QUOTE] I really want to buy the manga as well, but two things are stopping me... First of all, both of the North American editions are flipped. Secondly, the series doesn't have an ending. It stopped at book 18 about two years ago or so, and I don't want to buy eighteen volumes of a manga that cuts itself off in the middle. One could just pretend that it segues into the anime's finale, but there are too many differences between them for this to make sense (and at one point CLAMP stated they would write a different ending for the manga). But if the manga does seem to be heading in the same basic direction as the anime, I may re-consider picking it up, assuming it eventually comes out un-flipped. I do hope that CLAMP will follow through and finish up X/1999 sometime in, oh, the next five years. But unless they're planning to suddenly tie in some of their never series like Tsubasa and Legal Drug, I see no reason for the huge delay. *sigh* ~Dagger~

[quote name='outlawstar69']Who were your preferences, that you liked better than the others?[/quote] I must admit to really loving Fulle, but he's a second-tier character and a rather deus ex machina one at that. If I did pick a favorite character, it would be him. Of the main cast, I think I felt most connected to Pacifica and Shannon (although he could be incredibly frustrating at times). By extension--as a result of liking Shannon, that is--I ended up becoming fond of Zephiris, or however you spell her name. Chris was also pretty cool, especially in the way he lead his gang. ^_^ ~Dagger~

It's hard for me to remember where else this occurs, outside of the CLAMP universe. That having been said, it's highly possible that you could find some crossovers in the various anime based on works by Leiji Matsumoto. As I'm far from being a Matsumoto expert, I can't really elaborate on this, but someone else might be able to. ^_^;; Another upcoming CLAMP crossover to watch for is Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, based on a manga that re-casts the main characters of Cardcaptor Sakura and also includes a huge variety of cameos (most notably from the leads of Xxxholic). ~Dagger~

[quote name='Syk3]Dear God.. $19.99 at [i]Suncoast?![/i'] That's insane! Every time I've been there, they try to rip you off. >_

Heh... from the way I post in this thread, it sounds as though I cry over works of fiction a lot. What's funny is that I'm usually pretty cold-hearted about that kind of stuff. Because of this, any anime that can bring me to tears is practically guaranteed to become one of my favorite series. The last three episodes of [b]Soukyuu no Fafner[/b] made me bawl like a little baby. They were simply so [i]perfect[/i], and cemented the show's position as my favorite mecha anime ever. Not too long ago, I wouldn't have been able to conceive of any mecha series being better than RahXephon, but Fafner is all that and more. Episode 23 and episode 24 made me break down out of shock, since it looked as though [spoiler]Soushi had been killed. I reacted with fear, rage and tears, just like Kazuki.[/spoiler] You know it's a great anime when your emotions perfectly synchronize with the main character's. What I found most touching, obviously, was the incredible love between Kazuki and Soushi. In the beginning of the series, their relationship was just plain confusing. In the middle, it got even more complicated. In the very end, they [spoiler]finally accepted each other. I can't even describe how happy I was when Kazuki said he would wait for Soushi forever. Their courage and their determination to be together was incredibly moving.[/spoiler] Some other tragic events: [spoiler]Sakura's death, Mamoru's death, Michio's death, Tsubaki's assimilation[/spoiler]... If nothing else, Fafner is notable for being absolutely ruthless to its characters. Man, what an amazing series. I bet the OVA will have me crying too. :p ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=JenniKate][spoiler]Towards the end one of the characters mentions that they've lost Subaru. We then see him in the dream with his sister where he seems to have withdrawn from everyone - I missed what happened to take him there! Was it the battle with Seishiro? [/spoiler] and again at the end [spoiler] at the very end we see where everyone is and how they are, he seems to be alive, but I thought he'd been killed by Fuma - anyone know what's going on there![/spoiler] :D[/QUOTE] [spoiler]After Seishirou's death, Subaru (understandably) went into shock. He was so overwhelmed by grief that he lost his ability to create a barrier field, and basically sank into a kind of waking dream. The desolation of the landscape in his dream world reflects his emotional desolation. I also thought that Fuma had killed Subaru, but apparently the wound wasn't fatal. I'll admit that I kind of wanted him to die--I mean, I love him as a character and all, but what the heck is he suppposed to live for? Not only he is now totally alone in the world, but he is also the Sakurazukamori. I don't know exactly how Seishirou's sakura tree operates, but won't Subaru have to feed it? That can't be too good for his mental health, heh. And besides, Subaru & Seishirou ought to stick together. ^_~[/spoiler] Though I enjoyed the latter half of the series, I felt let down by the very ending (the last ten minutes or so of the final episode). [spoiler]Fuma did not deserve to frolic off happily into the sunset. Hinoto told Kamui earlier that even if Fuma was saved, he would still remember killing Kotori and everyone else. I can't imagine the real Fuma cheerfully playing with birds while bearing those memories on his shoulders. Let all the other survivors live peacefully (although I still think Arashi would have gone psychotic at Sorata's death, and it would have been pretty cool if the world ended); Fuma, however, should have realized what he did and either a) lived an incredibly tortured existence, or b) killed himself. Hokuto's wish regarding Subaru and Seishirou didn't come true--why should Kotori's wish for her brother prove to be any stronger?[/spoiler] One thing I didn't get was what happened to [spoiler]Hinoto and her sister. Hinoto committed suicide, that much I gathered, but what was up with her having split personalities and all? Plus, where did her sister go after learning of her death? After being such an important character, and a major catalyst for the entire conflict, she just kind of disappeared.[/spoiler] For me, the highlight of the series was episode 16 (?), when Subaru and Seishirou's story was resolved. After those two, my favorite character was probably Yuuto--I found his laid-back attitude refreshing and appealing. I thought he was rather underused, and would have liked to learn whether or not he [spoiler]was truly interested in Satsuki.[/spoiler] I never cared for Karen or Aoki, but I went from disliking Yuzuriha and Arashi to rooting for and really loving them. Still, I felt kind of cheated when [spoiler]Seishirou vanished so early on. He was one of the most powerful Dragons of Earth, in my opinion.[/spoiler] But at least [spoiler]Subaru got to play an important role in the very end.[/spoiler] That made me very happy. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=ckime]Right now, we're not planning any extras for the DVD's. The only product with the bonus material is the box with V1 that comes with a bandana. Still, as we go along, we might have more materials to work with and try to come up with some sort of bonus extra later in the series. Glad you enjoyed the Last Exile postcards! Murata's art is NICE. Best regards, Chad.[/QUOTE] Yep, they look great. Thanks for responding. I would have liked extras, of course... but in a certain sense, knowing that I won't have to hunt for stickered DVDs is kind of a relief. ^_^;; My copy shipped out on Friday or Saturday, so chances are I'll get it sometime this week. Not much to say about it, other than the fact that I'm really chomping at the bit. I can't even imagine how great Champloo is going to look on DVD. Music-lovers, take note: Apparently Best Buy is selling an exclusive (?) volume 1 + OST combo. It's the box-less version of volume 1, but the price is nice and low; around $25, I think. As someone who wanted both the soundtrack and the artbox, I wouldn't have gone for this--but for fans who aren't into fancy packaging, it's definitely a steal. I find it kind of odd that these sorts of packs (there were some other Geneon v. 1 + CD deals there recently, I think, and also a full Vandread box set) randomly pop up at Best Buy every once in a while. They don't seem to be very well publicized, so people who pre-order stuff generally don't find out until after the fact. ~Dagger~

Please follow the link Sol-Blade posted. If you'd like to discuss D.N.Angel, you should do it in that thread. And next time, be sure to check the Directory sticky before starting a new series-specific topic. Try to keep in mind that we have fairly high standards when it comes to post quality. A thread that ends up accumulating a lot of off-topic, difficult to read or extremely brief posts is usually locked. Anyway, feel free to private message me or one of the other moderators if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks! Thread closed. ~Dagger~

@Azure: I agree with you about the artificiality of the characters. Normally that kind of cuteness doesn't do anything for me, but in this case I find it peculiarly appealing. [quote name='Altra][spoiler']In the first episode, a girl mentions something about magic to Yukito but perhaps it was another joke on her part? In addition, is his doll string controlled or something else? The mother mentioned something about it but Yukito never clarified as to if that was true.[/spoiler][/quote] Judging by the end of episode 2, [spoiler]Kano wasn't joking.[/spoiler] Of course, the ending was an incredible cliffhanger, so I don't know exactly how we're supposed to interpret that scene. But Kano does tell him more [spoiler]about using magic.[/spoiler] It's hard to discern when she's being serious (if she's ever totally serious) and when she's joking in an earnest, serious sort of way. As for your second question, I have no idea. Because he can [spoiler]do the same thing (sort of) with the stuffed sloth, too, I think he's probably not controlling his mother's doll by strings.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

I agree. The first episode of Yu Yu Hakusho is exceptionally well done--even more so because they tell you about Yusuke's death in the first minute of the show, and yet the wake scene that follows afterward is still surprising and touching. I cried a lot while watching the second half of X TV. But episode 16 is what hit me the hardest--watching it was not terribly unlike having my heart ripped out and stomped on. You know that any episode entitled "Slaughter" isn't going to end happily, haha. Basically, episode 16 revolves around Subaru and Seishirou, and more or less brings their story to a close. Lately I've been reading Tokyo Babylon, and now I'm almost dreading continuing with the manga--no matter how it ends--because episode 16 presents their eventual future, beyond the events in Tokyo Babylon, and I just won't be able to shake that image from my head. Though the ending of X TV and the ending of X/1999 diverge, I'm pretty sure that [spoiler]Seishirou's death[/spoiler] is the same in both the manga and anime. I'm a huge fan of both Subaru and Seishirou, heh. So the incredible irony and tragedy of [spoiler]Subaru becoming the Sakurazukamori really got to me. It was made all the more bittersweet by the fact that Seishirou's love for Subaru (and vice versa) was finally confirmed.[/spoiler] By the time that [spoiler]Seishirou honestly confessed, with his last breath,[/spoiler] I was an absolute mess. But I did think that everything in that episode was beautiful and memorable, if also heartbreaking. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Daermon_Nashabe']I also own Nadia: Secret of Blue Water but I have no idea of its not-well-known-ness. I'm not sure its that unknown.[/quote] In my experience, when people discuss Gainax, there are at least one or two series that mysteriously get left out of the equation (most notably Nadia and Petite Princess Yucie). Fans seem to forget that before Hideaki Anno made Evangelion and Kare Kano, he managed to put together a full-length series without the usual controversial ending. In fact, Nadia has one of the best endings I've ever seen. The original Gunbuster OVA also fits this description--yet unlike Nadia, it seems to be a big fan favorite, and so gets more recognition. But that's just the impression I've received. Another ADV anime which doesn't get enough recognition is [b]Devil Lady[/b]. Despite its flaws, it's a mature and elegant horror anime with plenty of replay value. The ending is a bit over-the-top, but the tragedy of the heroine comes across well. I listed [b]Ai no Kusabi[/b] before, but re-watching it has given me the urge to elaborate. This OVA is perhaps the quintessential yaoi masterpiece. Its animation is realistic and breath-takingly fluid. The darkness of the setting and the plot greatly enhance the story, and the characters are nicely developed by way of their tangled relationships. If it revolved around a straight couple, I imagine that many people would consider Ai no Kusabi to be a true classic. ~Dagger~

Huh? As far as I know, the Eva movie is still in pre-production. The people/companies associated with it don't yet have the financial backing required to actually make the film. Until they do, it'll remain in limbo. However, that is hardly the death knell for all anime-based live-action series and films. For example, there's currently a live-action Saikano movie in development, and James Cameron is planning to make a live-action Battle Angel Alita film. I hope that's a decent enough answer, heh. This isn't exactly my area of expertise. Normally I would close this thread, but with the upcoming Alita movie and such, I think it'll be fine so long as we open up the discussion a bit. Next time, please try to phrase your question a little more clearly. ^_~ ~Dagger~

[quote name='Drix D'Zanth][b]The reason no one insinuated Alexander was gay in the first place is because no one gave a rat's *** back in 300 b.c.[/b'] People today do, and that's a selling point. I wanted to see Issus, I wanted to see the seige of Tyr, I would have loved to see Granicus. I mean, did he even visit the oracle at the temple? From what I've asked my friends; the few battles they show are Gaugamela and his little skirmishes in India and some transylvannian snake charmer pretending to be Olympias. *sighs*[/quote] Okay, now I understand what you were saying before. In that sense, I definitely agree. Well, maybe the other Alexander movie (isn't there another one coming out/in production or something? I don't really keep track of movies too much) will show more of what you wanted to see. Although a two to three hour movie on this topic is always going to have to pick and choose. :/ [quote]I thought you were being sarcastic when I read this, that you were mistaken. Then I read my origional post. I [i]did[/i] write Herodotus... whoops. I actually meant Arrian, and to a lesser extent, Eurimenes. That would mean you bought my first post... which would mean that all the "meaningful research" you "would have" done wouldn't have gotten you a foot in the door. So, what were you saying about Herodotus?[/QUOTE] I think it's only fair to assume that someone is saying what he meant to say. Obviously one of the reasons I didn't want to debate about this is that my knowledge of the time period is pretty sketchy. But, thanks for replying and providing that clarification. I missed your point in your original post, but it makes sense to me now. ^_^ ~Dagger~

I don't have the energy to go back and refresh my memory on this topic or do any kind of meaningful research, but I'm pretty sure there are other reasons that people believe Alexander was bisexual. Anyway... from what I recall (and you sort of hinted at this too, but I'm not sure what you were driving at by mentioning it), the culture in which he lived didn't really ascribe to rigid concepts of "straight" vs. "gay," at least not like we do today. The fact that he took wives, had affairs and spread his seed like any other respectable conqueror is hardly proof that he didn't have relationships with men, heh. This isn't something I want to debate, and I haven't actually seen the movie (although I've read up on it a bit). I have no desire to watch it either, heh--it sounds atrocious. Without having watched it, all I can say is that I was under the impression that Alexander's sexual orientation was addressed in the film, but never became its focus. In one article, the reporter described how the suits involved with the film felt a lot of trepidation regarding the homoerotic content and repeatedly asked the director to tone it down. I just think it's slightly unfair to say Oliver Stone was hankering to work the controversy angle when he was sort of damned no matter what he did. Including a lot of stuff about bi/homosexuality would have turned a lot of potential viewers off, as the higher-ups evidently feared; if he totally glossed over it, people would have called him out on that. On a side note, Herodotus has his merits, but he's not necessarily the most reliable source. :p ~Dagger~

I could have sworn that "seiyuu" is the more common term, so I've edited the thread title accordingly (so as not to confuse anyone). It took me a second or two to figure out what you were talking about, heh. ^_^;; Obviously talking about Japanese voice actors is fine in this context, but if you'd like to discuss English voice actors in depth, try posting in [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=43877][u]this[/u][/url] thread. I also don't know if it's a good idea to mix music with this topic, but I'm not going to meddle with that for now. My favorite seiyuu is [b]Mitsuki Saiga[/b]. She has this amazing deep voice, and she can play male characters more convincingly than most women who specialize in that sort of thing. But she sounds incredibly sexy in female roles, too--it's a shame that she doesn't play too many women. I really relished hearing her as Kei in the second season of Maria-sama ga Miteru, and thanks in large part to her delivery, Chie has become my favorite character from Mai-Hime. Some male seiyuu I particularly love hearing-- [B]Kazuhiko Inoue[/B] [Yuki in Gravitation] [B]Kouki Miyata[/B] [Kantarou in Tactics, Murata in Kyo Kara Maoh] [B]Sho Hayami[/B] [Naoe in Mirage of Blaze, Muraki in Descendants of Darkness] [B]Souichiro Hoshi[/B] [Sky Blue in Melody of Oblivion, Sunao in Sukisho] [B]Takahiro Sakurai[/B] [Susumu in Peacemaker, Haruka in Tactics, Orpherus in Meine Liebe] [B]Takehito Koyasu[/B] [Keiki in Twelve Kingdoms, Yoru in Sukisho] [B]Toshihiko Seki[/B] [Riki in Ai no Kusabi, Takuya in Mirage of Blaze, Ludwig in Meine Liebe] I'll mention the other female seiyuu I like later... I'm a little too tired to list them right now. -_- ~Dagger~

The only pencil boards I'm actively trying to collect are the miniature ones coming with Geneon's release of R.O.D the TV. These pencil boards replicate the artwork found on a set of postcards (or some other type of card) that came with the Japanese DVDs. Recently, I discovered that one of the R2 cards features a lavishly drawn and very revealing image of Junior, the most important male character in the show. This kind of came as a huge shock to me, because anyone who's seen R.O.D or the television series knows that the fanservice contained therein is all about the jiggle (with a little bit of loli on the side). The very idea of an R.O.D-related item having vaguely shota-ish fanservice just boggled my mind, haha. But I'm definitely not complaining. Right now I'm fervently hoping that Geneon will include the Junior-kun picture on one of the remaining pencil boards. If not--well, I'll do everything within my power to get my hands on one of the original cards. :p I don't own any full-sized pencil boards. My meagre collection consists entirely of DVD pack-ins, so they're all slightly smaller than a DVD case. They're fun to look at and display, but after a while I don't really know what I ought to do with them, haha. Mine mostly laze around and collect dust. >_> ~Dagger~

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]What happens at the end of the first DVD? I don't have a perfect memory of what DVD contains what, heh, and I'm curious as to how far you are.[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote] Let's see... well, in the previous episode, Rakka had just started going around with different Haibane and helping them with their jobs. In the last episode on the disc, she heads over to the clock tower with Kana, so it's really the first time Kana becomes a focal character. This isn't spoiler tag material, is it? Toward the end of the DVD, I started to feel like the OP animation was trying to tell me something--but every time I watched it I sort of slipped into this ultra-relaxed mood that totally thwarted my attempts to pick up on little clues (assuming there even are any in the first place). ^_^;; ~Dagger~

I prefer Scrapped Princess to The Matrix--although I've never been a huge fan of the trilogy, so there you have it. But I do really like how [spoiler]the "fake world" revelation completely turns the anime on its head. It's not a cop-out, because Pacifica was the Scrapped Princess in the end. I hate when scriptwriters present a clearly defined situation or dilemma or impending tragedy and then just try to slither out of it. SP's big plot twist, while not unpredictable, at least permitted the show to deliver on its initial promise. What's also interesting is how it differs from The Matrix... SP slowly builds up to the idea that the world they're living in is a construct. The Matrix, on the other hand, uses the idea as a springboard to explore a whole array of other stuff, to the point that it kind of recedes into the background. And in The Matrix, there is a real world outside the false world (a very Utena-esque conceit, now that I think about it). In Scrapped Princess, the fake world existed in more than just people's minds.[/spoiler] The first DVD is coming out in April or something. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing the dub. ^_^ Oh, outlawstar69, I almost forgot to ask--which characters from Scrapped Princess do you like best? Looking back, the series has a stellar ensemble cast, and I find it pretty interesting to see who different people pick as favorites. ~Dagger~

How does the variation below work as an alternative? [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22117&stc=1[/IMG] I was trying to make it (sort of) match this avatar: [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22120&stc=1[/IMG] Thanks for commenting! ^_^ ~Dagger~

Every time this kind of thread comes up, I always make sure to mention [b]Shamanic Princess[/b]. It's a fantastic little OVA with better artwork and animation than most shows made today. It's also a lot darker than your usual mahou shoujo anime, and has plenty of story and style to spare. As for some other obscure anime... [b]Maison Ikkoku[/b] is the only really good Rumiko Takahashi series I've seen. The humor is quirky and infectious; the characters are likeable and well developed. Plus, the plot actually moves forward, which is more than I can say for some of her other shows. [b]Oniisama E[/b] (also called Brother, Dear Brother) is relatively well known among shoujo-ai fans, but beyond that it receives little to no recognition. I was deeply impressed by its seamless plot, complex characters and elegant melodrama. Oniisama E really heightened my interest in other old-ish shoujo anime, such as Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers), Marmalade Boy and Kodomo no Omocha. Seeing [b]Here is Greenwood[/b], another six episode OVA, got me interested in reading the super-long manga on which it was based. While it's just not long enough to include some of the best characters from the manga (such as Fujikake and Watanabe), the OVA's self-contained stories are entertaining and deviously funny. It also makes the perfect introduction to the premise and main characters of the manga. Some other titles (both old and new)-- Legend of Galactic Heroes Detective Academy Q Turn A Gundam Rose of Versailles Ai no Kusabi Master of Mosquiton OVA Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water Angel's Egg Yugo I'll try comment on at least a couple of these later. And nope, I definitely haven't heard of Ge Ge Ge. ^_^ ~Dagger~

A few days ago, I [i]finally[/i] got around to ordering the last four discs of X TV, so I'm really happy that people have started posting in this thread again. I can't wait to see how the series ends (amazingly enough, I haven't been spoiled for this one yet). I assume it's at least a little different from the movie. For those of you talking about the manga: please keep in mind that it's perfectly okay to discuss the manga here if you plan on comparing it to the anime. But if you just want to discuss the manga itself, you should probably find/make an appropriate thread in the Manga Workshop. This thread's title originally included the word "manga," so I apologize if anyone was confused--I created it before the Manga Workshop existed, heh. ~Dagger~

I thought I'd make something to celebrate the upcoming Loveless anime, although I probably won't start using this until the series actually airs (whenever that is). I really adore the source image--I just wish it didn't cut off Ritsuka's cat-ears. ;_; Here's the banner: [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22111&stc=1[/IMG] Suggestions are welcome. I've been thinking of adding a background with faded red text or something; I can't decide whether or not the white background looks too plain. I'll probably also thicken the border a bit. Anyway, I may post one or two other banners here if I ever get around to finishing them. ^_^ ~Dagger~