Dagger

Have you ever heard of synaesthesia? [quote=Wikipedia]Synaesthesia (also spelled synesthesia) is the neurological mixing of the senses. A synaesthete may, for example, hear colors, see sounds, and taste tactile sensations. While this may happen in a person who has autism, it is by no means exclusive to autistics. Synaesthesia is a common effect of some hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD or mescaline. Synaesthetes often experience correspondences between the shades of color, tone of sounds, and intensity of taste that provokes an alternate sensation. For instance, a synaesthete may see a more intense red as the pitch of a sound gets higher, or a smoother surface might make one taste a sweeter taste. These experiences are involuntary, are not metaphorical, are not merely associations, and are consistent throughout life, although some young synaesthetes seem to lose their ability by or during adulthood. Depressant drugs tend to increase the depth of the perception. Synaesthesia can even occur when one of the senses no longer functions properly, e.g. a person who can see colours when words are spoken can still see the colours if he becomes blind in later life. Two of the most common forms of synaesthesia are seeing sound or seeing letters and numbers in color. Richard Cytowic wrote a pop-psych book about this condition entitled The Man Who Tasted Shapes. Some researchers and theorists have suggested that synaesthesia may have played a part in early humans development of writing and written literacies. Alternate spellings exist (synaesthesis), and many of those who experience the phenomenon identify as "synaesthetes".[/quote] I thought you might find that interesting, as it has a lot to do with this topic. :) ~Dagger~

On the one hand, this is an interesting idea for a thread and has a lot more promise than the typical "favorite anime character" topic. On the other hand, those smilies are damn scary. I recommend that you read the forum rules, assuming you haven't already. Our general policy regarding favorites threads is that though they are not forbidden, members must follow certain guidelines if they're to remain open. It's quite simple: make sure to adequately explain your choices. Even a brief sentence or two is better than a simple list of names. Thank you for your time. And again, [i]please[/i] do ease up on the smilies. ^_^;; Thread closed. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Angelus_Necare][color=darkred][size=1]Something else I have to say about Dubs is the VA Joshua Seth. He seems to wiggle his way into any role he can find, and has become infamous because of it. I'm not really sure if some people find that as a good or bad thing, I can't tell myself sometimes...[/size'][/color][/quote] I have no idea what you're talking about, haha. Sure, he's had his share of leading roles, but compared to someone like Crispin Freeman or Steven Blum, he's hardly ubiquitous. In what circle(s) of anime fandom is Mr. Seth considered "infamous"? [quote][color=darkred][size=1]I'm surprised no one mentioned the series Orphen, I thought the Voice Acting was very well done. Then again, I'm a huge Shelley Callene-Black fan, so her role as Cleao kept me very well entertained.[/color][/size][/QUOTE] I think the only series I've heard her in is Noir. When I first started watching it, I kept wondering, "Who's this Callene-Black person, and why haven't I seen her name before?" Noir has an outstanding dub, thanks in large part to Ms. Callene-Black (although I would argue that the show's entire female cast is excellent). ~Dagger~

I like Cloud's seiyuu well enough, but he seems to use the [i]exact same voice[/i] for every single one of his characters. This can be at least partially attributed to typecasting, I suppose, but I fear that I'm going to find it awfully distracting. Even while watching the most recently subbed promo, I kept having flashbacks to his past roles. Anyway, said promo was quite exciting. The characters' movements seem to suffer from the usual vague awkwardness native to this kind of CG production, but the action sequences look bloody gorgeous. Maybe it was the fast cuts and camera-angle changes which helped keep that stilted feeling from settling in. As a die-hard Aeris/Aerith fan, I was monumentally happy to catch even a fleeting glimpse of her. Heck, even Cloud looked better in that portion of the trailer--probably a side effect of being near her ever-lovely presence. :p ~Dagger~

[quote name='Colonel Mustang']The only one I know about is Gravitation. I really like it, though does anyone have any suggestions on any others I should read?[/quote] [b]Eerie Queerie[/b] is cute and appealing fluff. The situational comedy gets a little tiresome and repetitive by the fourth volume, but thankfully the creator decided to end the series there. [b]Demon Diary[/b] has plenty of bishounen, assuming that's what you're looking for, although the shounen-ai is entirely implied. There's at least one plot-hole the size of Mars, but I was enjoying the sharp, beautiful artwork and hysterical comedy too much to notice it immediately. [b]Legal Drug[/b] and [b]Tokyo Babylon[/b] are a bit more direct than Demon Diary. Both expertly inject serious stand-alone stories about supernatural occurrences with a healthy dose of well-timed humor. These manga are, in my opinion, among CLAMP's best work. If you appreciate mahou shoujo, you might want to check out [b]Cardcaptor Sakura[/b] as well--it features a good helping of shounen-ai and shoujo-ai undertones. [b]From Eroica, With Love[/b] isn't something I can easily recommend, since I haven't yet read it myself. However, it sounds interesting; the official mini-site is located [url=http://www.dccomics.com/cmx/?action=on_sale&i=2][u]here[/u][/url]. The main character is openly gay, and the manga is reputedly rife with shounen-ai subtext. [b]Pet Shop of Horrors[/b] is somewhat similar to Legal Drug and Tokyo Babylon. Though also devoid of overt shounen-ai, it's long been a favorite of BL fans. All of the above are licensed and at least partially available in North America. If you live elsewhere and/or read unlicensed manga, I can offer other recommendations. ~Dagger~

[quote name='JazzLady22]Anyways, I bought the first PMK DVD and manga about two weeks ago. I have to agree that the packaging is simply [i]gorgeous[/i']! The DVD didn't really have much in the ways of extras, which was rather disappointing, but maybe in later volumes, ne?[/quote] I, too, would have liked more extras--I was a little disappointed that Chrono Crusade got so many fantastic on-disc special features, and PMK simply didn't. At the same time, the liner notes found in the DVD insert contain a lot of interesting information. I particularly enjoyed the written staff interviews, but of everything included, the scriptwriter's side stories were by far what I enjoyed the most. Volume 1 and volume 2 each came with two side stories. All of them were very well written, almost startlingly so, and reading them filled me with a kind of nostalgia. Volume 2's insert includes some fascinating insights. It definitely heightened my appreciation of the show's characterization and Japanese vocal work. On a similar note, volume 2 seems to have more on-disc extras. My favorite was the first "Character Collection," or whatever it's called--it's a fairly short combination of clips, narrated by Tetsu's Japanese voice actress, which indirectly introduces the viewer to his personality. I was expecting something along the lines of "Tetsunosuke Ichimura, fifteen years old, sensitive about his height" and so forth. Instead, the monologue is insightful and nicely written. I wish it had been longer, but I liked it. The Japanese DVD promos are also pretty neat. I didn't realize that PMK had a catchphrase of sorts: "Cut away the darkness in your heart." It sounds cool, haha--they should've used it in the actual show! [quote]Luci Christian did decently as Tetsu, though! She got more energetic as the disc went on, really... but I would like it if she'd take it down a notch during Tetsu's more serious parts.[/quote] I haven't watched all of volume 2 yet, but to me she sounds a lot more natural than in volume 1. So I'm becoming more optimistic about the dub. I'd like to know how you feel about Sannan's voice actor--although I think he's doing an awesome job, his actual voice is almost too bishounen-esque, if that makes any sense. PMK really hits its stride in this set of episodes, and they serve to bring out the show's special charm. Sort of like Gravitation, it's one of those anime that I can watch again and again without being bothered by its faults. PMK just makes me happy. *dances off to finish v. 2* :) ~Dagger~

[quote name='Domon][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][SIZE=1]In all honesty, if you wanna compare mechs to EVA I suggest you compare Rahxephon, [SPOILER]seeing as how the Rahxephon eventually becomes a living being.[/SPOILER] I see it this way, EVA= big mech that has butt kicking powers and Rahxephon= big mech that has butt kicking powers. Personally, if Ayato and Shinji were to get into it I think it might end up as a tie [SPOILER]seeing as how both mechs seem to have a very powerful form when they "evolve". I mean the Rahxephon when fully merged with Ayato is just flat out destructive and I can only assume that the EVAs when going beserk are just as dangerous.[/SPOILER] Although I'm a gundam lover I really have to agree, a gundam would get owned by an EVA unit.[/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] That's a great point, and (in my opinion, at least) a much more valid comparison. [spoiler]In its evolved form, Ayato's RahXephon is virtually indestructible--it even manages to defeat the alternate RahXephon that merged with Quon. So I think a fight between the RahXephon and an EVA unit, in either their first or final incarnations, would last much longer than a fight between an EVA and one of SEED's Gundams.[/spoiler] And for the record, the RahXephon would also be up to the task of owning a Gundam. You'd need a whole fleet of Gundams to even dream of going up against the titular mecha of either RahXephon or Evangelion. ;) ~Dagger~

[quote name='Colonel Mustang']I love Full Metal Alchemist.. It's well.. my 2nd fav anime(peacemaker kurogane comes 1st).[/quote] Hey, another PMK fan! [/off-topic] Anyway, Mustang seems rather cool. He's pretty high up there on my "potential favorite characters" list, despite not yet having received much screen time. [quote name='Monkey_Orange][COLOR=DarkOrange]Hey guys! A friend of mine posted this in another board, but i thought that I'd share it with ya'll : [URL=http://211.1.160.10/1101/nintendo/DS-demo.wmv]A Nintendo DS Orchestra playing "Melissa" the 1st OP theme to FMA.[/URL'].[/COLOR][/quote] How fascinating! I've never heard of (much less seen) that kind of orchestra before, heh. Because Adult Swim is going to play "Ready Steady Go" for all fifty-two episodes, it's been a long time since I last heard Melissa. Still, from what I can tell, they did a great job. I finally got around to watching my tape of episode 5. Good stuff. Every time I see another episode of this show, I start to feel all warm and fuzzy about FUNimation. I only wish I could watch it with DVD-quality video and sound right now, but oh well. I decided to wait for the DVD release of Wolf's Rain; after being spoiled many times over, I realized that was a horrible mistake. I'll follow FMA on Adult Swim if it kills me. :p The violence is creeping in little by little--yay! I could do without the surfeit of motion lines, but at least they've been using the thick, white kind as opposed to the narrow black ones that would in an ideal world be restricted solely to manga. There were some great shots in this episode: the general [spoiler]losing a small chunk of his ear, the cool-character-whose-name-I-forget sending a throwing knife straight through someone's hand, Roy Mustang roasting this week's lame villain.[/spoiler] It always makes me happy to see Adult Swim earning its name. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=MetallicMink]Big yay for the Gravitation manga! I haven't read the real thing yet, just a few scanlations. I hope to pick up some copies this Christmas. ;) I've heard many opinions of the manga, good and bad. Some people I've talked with say the style of the art turns them away. I happen to think its pretty cute art! (But that's just my opinion ^_^) I just love their eyes! :love: Haha, sry. Was I getting OT? (BTW, First post!)[/QUOTE] Welcome to OB. ^_^ For whatever it's worth, the artwork significantly improves over the course of the series. Some of the character designs change as well, but nearly everyone except Shuichi (oddly enough) is recognizable from volume to volume. I don't know which portion of the series you've seen or read, but the first book does have pretty iffy artwork at some points. It's clear that Maki Murakami originally had some trouble drawing faces in profile, and it's interesting to see how she revised and cleaned up her style. I actually love the visual layout and look of the later volumes. I'm particularly fond of screentone-heavy manga, and Ms. Murakami does use a lot of screentone. Happily, the panels are nicely sized and not at all cramped. ~Dagger~

This story is ceaselessly entertaining. And two new chapters in such a short period of time! Suffice it to say that I'm very happy. As many others have mentioned, your wordplay is fantastic, and it's what makes each chapter worth savoring. I'm not always one to read things closely, but you've packed so many clever and funny details into every paragraph that it really forces me to pay attention. I look forward to finding out what happens next. ^_^ ~dagger~

Welcome to OtakuBoards, kinshin1. ^_^ Before posting again, be certain to read OB's [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?][u]Rules[/u][/url] and [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/faq.php?][u]FAQ[/u][/url], both of which can be found by clicking the appropriate links in the blue navigation bar to your left. Introduction topics are not permitted here; instead, we prefer for new members to immediately begin participating in the discussion(s) that interest them best. Separate conversations with friends, acquaintences, etc. can be carried on via PM. Also, bear in mind that double-posting is strictly forbidden. If you have any questions about OB's policies, feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators. Thanks! Thread closed. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Twilight_Kioku]go me, i am now the proud owner of the Fruits Basket boxed set. i have watched 2 and a half episodes. $66 at Best Buy. the Escaflowne boxed set is the same price, so if u want one of the two, i suggest getting it here. by the way, thats a lotta black hilighting up there, lol. lotta spoilers, eh?[/QUOTE] Proper capitalization is (or should be) your friend. ;) Anyway, the spoiler-heavy posts that populate the last few pages of this thread are by and large devoted to discussing recent developments in the manga and how they relate--or, more often than not, don't relate--to the anime. If you plan to follow the manga, I definitely advise you not to read them. However, I don't think reading the spoilers would adversely affect your enjoyment of the anime, because (in my opinion, at least) the latest manga-only plot twists just don't jive with what's shown in the anime. I've started to approach this as though the two series take place in minutely different worlds, and it does make things a lot easier. Of course, you won't appreciate the sheer jaw-dropping power of the spoiler-ed revelations unless you watch a good portion of the anime first, so there you have it. :p Anyway, what you do think of Tohru? ~Dagger~

Oh, how I love Sakura's costumes. ^_^ I promised myself I'd start buying Cardcaptor Sakura before the end of the year... I guess I made it just in time, haha. In any case, now I'm kicking myself for not leaping on this series sooner. It's [i]beautiful[/i]. As I watched the first few episodes, I could not believe that Cardcaptor Sakura is a television series, much less one made in 1998! The production values are really something else; I've never felt much nostalgia for the age of cel animation, but CCS's visuals are so lovely and smooth that I do wish recent shows could look this good. As for everything else--thus far it's just nice and cute (without being annoyingly precious). I can't say I care for Megumi Ogata's "Yukito" voice, which is yet another reason I wish CCS had a quality dub, but oh well. However, I can live with the fact that this anime is going to cost me a lot, because it rocks. For some reason, I've been having a hard time finding good, old-fashioned (to use the term very loosely, haha) [i]shoujo[/i] mahou shoujo series. I'm still vaguely perturbed by the concept of shounen mahou shoujo becoming a genre unto itself. ^_^; ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Boba Fett][color=green]I personally enjoy debate threads in particular, and am probably guilty of dissecting posts in the manner you described. Frankly, that's why I enjoy the Lounge. It's a lot of fun to argue and see what/how others think in regards to issues of varying importance. I like the Lounge the way it is.[/color][/QUOTE] Hardly. If everyone was as reasonable as you, DeathBug and many other admirable debaters, I wouldn't be whining and moaning about all this. It's a certain type of post-vivisection that I have a problem with--you know, when a member picks apart a reply and points to various lines as being indicative of something fatally wrong with the writer's upbringing, life choices, mental state, etc. By all means, you should feel welcome to demolish a poor argument. It's when people behave as though they must demolish the one doing the arguing that I grow irritated. Xander Harris probably did a better job of explaining my gripe than I did. :) ~Dagger~

[quote name='Telperion']Would anyone happen to know if Apple Seed is going to air in the US anytime soon?[/quote] The theatrical release is slated for January 14, 2005. However, I wouldn't hold your breath--unless you live in one of the select cities where it'll be playing (and as of now I have no idea just which cities fall into that category), you probably won't be able to see it on the big screen. I haven't heard anything about Appleseed airing on television, either. ~Dagger~

I've come to hate debate threads--[i]not[/i] because they're circuitous, not because the most enthusiastic participants rarely reconsider their respective stances, not because the same topics pop up month after month. Oh, no... I couldn't care less about those things. What really gets to me are personal attacks, and they seem to be everywhere nowadays. Members go after each other for the most ridiculous of imagined offenses--sometimes, it seems, simply for a person's personality or very existence. It's annoying, it's stupid, and it's extremely off-putting. A debate in which people present and refute arguments is one thing. A debate in which people start delving into their opponent's psychology and attempt to discredit him not by rebutting his evidence, but rather by acting as though his opinion is a direct extension of some deep mental flaw, is an entirely different animal. Am I the only one who keeps seeing the same two or three people hijack thread after thread? I feel certain that most of the members here would rather conduct an intelligent, rational discussion than be right at all costs. So why does this keep happening? I particularly agree with what Sol-Blade said; I roll my eyes whenever I see members (and again, it's only a few people who do this!) dissecting each other's posts ad nauseam. It drives me freaking crazy, and drives me away from the threads in question. Just learn to let it go. :rolleyes: ~Dagger~

Thanks for the information, [SKY KEEPER]. For a while I really wanted to have a Soushi avatar, haha, but I couldn't find any decent Fafner-related scans. So I just threw together something featuring Kazuki instead--actually, that's the last avi I used before making my current one. In any case, I very much like yours. ^_^ I've fallen incredibly far behind in terms of watching Soukyuu no Fafner; right now I'm still scrambling to keep abreast with anime like Monster, so it might be a little while before I can catch up. But for whatever it's worth, I recall thinking that Soukyuu no Fafner had gotten exponentially better with every installment. By episode 11 I was completely convinced that this show could come to stand among the most revered mecha series of recent years (it's definitely the best post-RahXephon mecha anime, that's for sure). ~Dagger~

I love Kaori Yuki's shounen-ai one-shots (most notably Boys Next Door and Kaine). Her fondness for dark, controversial material really comes through in these pieces, and I'd say they're easily among her best work. [b]Boys Next Door[/b] is three chapters long and deals with the relationship between a tormented elementary school teacher--who just happens to be a serial killer--and the young male prostitute who inadvertently witnesses one of his murders. [b]Kaine[/b], which is approximately the same length, focuses mainly on the protagonist's identity crisis. After his twin brother Kaine (who is an idolized rock star) dies, he is forced to take Kaine's place on stage and in the band. It's well worth reading just for the awesome plot twists, but also contains strong BL undertones. [b]Stigma[/b], a full-color story by the manga-ka of Saiyuki, is possibly my favorite shounen-ai manga ever. It's beautifull drawn, with smooth, impeccable artwork that takes the rough, eccentric style she used in Saiyuki and polishes it to absolute perfection. Every single page is a feast for the eyes; color manga are rare and this one is definitely a treasure. The dialogue is lyrical and conveys a genuine sense of desolation. Stimga features a number of complicated relationships--there's a big age gap between the two main characters which might give some people pause. However, their relationship is neither sexual nor purely platonic; this is not something that can be pigeon-holed as a shotacon manga. [b]Legal Drug[/b] and [b]Tokyo Babylon[/b] are by far my two favorite CLAMP manga... personally, I'm of the opinion that CLAMP does shounen-ai and pure shoujo better than anything else, and that the further they stray away from those genres, the worse they get (which is my way of explaining why their shounen titles are so awful, heh). Of the two, I prefer Legal Drug--it's funnier and more fanservice-y; I find its stories to be a little more sophisticated than those in Tokyo Babylon. However, both manga have great comedy and simply stunning artwork. How could I live with myself if I didn't mention [b]Gravitation[/b]? At times I have a lot of trouble taking it seriously, but the humor is priceless and Eiri Yuki is one of my favorite characters of all time. [b]Banana Fish[/b] is an authentic classic and with good reason; it's gritty, violent, and overall feels much more like a seinen title than the type of thing one would normally call "shounen-ai." Because of that, this manga has much wider appeal than something as soap-operatic and silly as Gravitation. Its story is captivating--putting to shame that of many novels--well-researched and intricately plotted. The snappy, realistic dialogue is a true pleasure to read. Some other titles I've enjoyed immensely include [b]Loveless[/b] by Kouga Yun (the manga-ka of Earthian), and [b]Aisareru Hito he Tsugu[/b], which is downright adorable yet somehow never saccharine. I haven't yet picked up [b]From Eroica, With Love[/b], but I have a feeling that it very well may be my next favorite. Yeah, pretty much all of the manga I read are yaoi/shounen-ai. :p ~Dagger~

[quote name='Yoruyonaka']I like manga much better than anime. The animation is often better...[/quote] Manga, by its very definition, does not contain animation. I think the word you're looking for is "artwork." ~Dagger~

Aw, but that's what makes him so cool (or used to, before the manga-Tohma lost his marbles). He's calm, patient and absolutely ruthless. [b]Least favorite female villain:[/b] [spoiler]Maestro Delphine[/spoiler] from Last Exile. I'm not going to bother spoiler-tagging the rest of this post, since people who haven't reached that point in the series simply won't have any idea which character I'm talking about. Anyway, I absolutely despise her. Granted, she makes a great villain--she is completely amoral, almost to the point of being a flat-out sociopath. She experiences no qualms about her actions; cruelty seems to come naturally to her. To make a long story short, she's very, very easy to hate. I can't even use wallpaper featuring her face anymore because looking at her just makes me angry. [b]Least favorite male villain:[/b] Probably [spoiler]Lord Bahbem[/spoiler] from RahXephon. If the series has a villain--and honestly, the characters are so well developed that I have a hard time pointing to anyone else--then it's got to be him. Everything he does is motivated by pure, unadulterated selfishness and megalomania. He doesn't care about anyone, not even [spoiler]Helena[/spoiler]--who despite her inherent unlikeability did sacrifice a lot for his sake. I cheered when he was shot. Of course, Jadeite also sucks. :p ~Dagger~

Um, I wear whatever's comfortable. That means pajamas when I'm in my house and jeans or nice black pants when I'm at school, work and so forth. Based on the amount of time I fritter away at home and/or sleeping, I'd guess that I spend most of my life in clothes that would look very out of place in public (pink pajamas covered in cute little dogs, ancient sweatpants, etc). I don't have much patience with jeans. About four or five years ago I discovered that a brand sold at Target fits me exactly right, so every year I go there to buy a few more variations on what's essentially the same basic design. I suppose I'm just a creature of habit. ~Dagger~

*sighs* I've finally been sucked back in... Actually, I bought the first and second seasons a couple of months ago and have been slowly wading my way through all the introductory material. At first I was just mildly amused--I remembered absolutely nothing of the show, and for at least half a decade the only Sailor Moon-related stuff I owned were a couple of SuperS VHS fansubs (I can't even remember how I got my grubby little paws on those). It didn't help that Jadeite has got to be one of the lamest villains of all time. I mean, really--he was absolutely useless. But when Nephrite came around I started thinking "Hmm, he's a big improvement." At least he could look good while bumbling around getting his butt whipped by a pack of teenage girls. All the same, I was relieved when he finally kicked the bucket (and mildly surprised that his death scene, though unspeakably corny, didn't feel horribly out of place). Zoisite, on the other hand, [i]freaking rocks.[/i] He's pretty, petty and (at the point I'm at, which is a few episodes before Venus comes into the picture) has accomplished more than Jadeite and Nephrite put together. I love his flower petals, his blatant gayness, his jealous fits, and especially how he always relished going out of his way to taunt Nephrite. Of course the most appealing thing about him is the fact that he cries "Zoi!" whenever doing anything that requires the slightest bit of magical or physical exertion. It's too darn cute for words. Additionally, he seems to have relatively good taste in men, and that earns him major points. Oh, and is it just me, or is Mamoru about ten times cooler than that dorky Tuxedo Mask? I prefer to think of them as separate people. :p ~Dagger~

[spoiler]The new shinigami seems to be temporarily out of the picture. I wonder if he's going to become a recurring character? I mean, the fact that he didn't die would seem to point toward that, but I don't really know. I liked episode 9, although I don't understand how the shinigami work, per se--obviously they can sustain incredible injuries and still keep going. Are they able to regenerate at all, or are they just, uh, unusally tough? I'm assuming that the new shinigami's miraculous recovery, coupled with Ichigo's ability to fight the Hollow after having multiple parts of his body impaled, means that shinigami in general are more resilient than humans. Anyway, the Grand Fisher is [i]insanely[/i] creepy. I actually thought the scene with Ichigo's mom could have been handled a little better, but then I'm not a big fan of such things. Kon had some good comedy moments in this episode, and all of a sudden Rukia's eyes have acquired about twice as many highlights... interesting. ^_^;; I hope her tantalizing flashback will be revisited soon, rather than left to simmer on the back burner for a while.[/spoiler] How long do you think the Grand Fisher arc will be in the anime? ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Solo Tremaine][color=#503f86]I'd disagree with this too, if only because I get frustrated with the huge amount of people who bash English dubs. Granted there are some really poor ones, and ones aimed at kids tend to come off worse. But I like all of the English dubs I've seen with the exception of two: Final Fantasy Unlimited and the new Castle In The Sky. Otherwise I'll happily watch English or Japanese dubs. Generally I'll watch an anime first, and if the manga interests me I'll take that out too to see if it differs any. Sometimes I've heard that mangas offer far more information about characters or continue the storyline of the series and will buy them accordingly to see if my favourite characters have any more to them than I already know. It's also interesting to see how the story of the anime could have been subtley different and comparing the two to gain a better insight into characters' motivations and histories.[/color][/QUOTE] It's great to have a fellow defender of dubs. ;) What I find interesting is that my anime and manga collections look very different. The anime I own covers a huge range of genres--everything from sugary children's shows to mind-boggling mecha series. However, my manga is predominantly shounen-ai, with one or two regular shoujo series in the mix. I've never finished collecting a straightforward shounen manga, even those which inspired some of my favorite anime. This has happened in part because I find action sequences to be a whole lot more engaging when they're, well, animated. The best thing about manga is that it's more specialized than anime--the fact that I haven't yet run out of shounen-ai titles to buy, even just picking from those available stateswide, really speaks to this. With manga, I've been able to find a [i]lot[/i] of entertaining series that appeal to my specific tastes. However, ultimately I look for different qualities in anime than in manga. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Readordie]There's...an anime news network? I just know this because I just study this stuff almost religiously. I hit the pause button when watching the credits roll on an anime I have on tape/DVD. Also, all of Kari Wahlgren's roles sound alike(Robin sounds EXACTLY like Haruko...minus the insanity, not to mention how much Raine and Cher sound alike...). I'm obsessed with...Anime...Dubology. The only thing I learned with help was Wendee Lee's many...many names. Oh, and Veronica Taylor also IS Ash from pokemon.[/QUOTE] If you like to keep track of English (or Japanese) VAs, [url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/][u]ANN[/u][/url] is a priceless resource. It contains a vast database of information about nearly every anime ever made, including which voice actors and actresses played which roles in various movies, series and OVAs. As someone who's often just too lazy to read the credits, I love being able to verify stuff online. I actually was quite surprised when I found out that Kari Wahlgren played Robin. To me, Lavie (from Last Exile) sounded very much like Haruko, but her "Robin" voice seemed drastically different. Maybe it was the softness of tone and the character's demure, subdued attitude that fooled me. Either way, I remember being rather impressed by her range. I've never watched more than a few minutes of Pokemon, but I'm sure Ms. Taylor is great in that too. :) In my opinion, the best dubs currently airing on American television or being released on R1 DVD are Last Exile, R.O.D the TV, Fullmetal Alchemist, Paranoia Agent, Wolf's Rain and Yu Yu Hakusho. I've mentioned most of those anime before, but I thought I'd throw that out there in list form just to see who agrees or disagrees. ~Dagger~