Dagger

[QUOTE=Crimson Paine]Thank you. [spoiler]You are right, i found a pic on the net ([url]http://www.designchronicle.com/memento/archives/000164.html[/url]) that shows a picture of Akito as female.[/spoiler][/QUOTE] You're quite welcome. [spoiler]The image that convinced me ([url]http://www.designchronicle.com/memento/images/furuba/furuba97fin.gif[/url]) was actually posted to the same site, so I assume you probably had a chance to see it. I'm starting to wonder whether it would even be possible for the anime to have a second season, given what we now know, as well as the general complexity of the manga's plot. Akito certainly [i]sounded[/i] pretty masculine in the show.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

[spoiler]At first, the plot twist struck me as being pretty ludicrous. But once I calmed down and thought about the possible ramifications, I realized that it provides a pretty neat explanation for Akito's behavior (especially how she treats the other female members of the Zodiac, not to mention poor Tohru). She's incredibly possessive of the male Sohmas... and while that was a huge boon for shounen-ai fans--at least before her gender was revealed--it's not as though Fruits Basket is now totally lacking in s-ai subtext.[/spoiler] I won't be able to hunt down any scans until I get home later this afternoon, but I'll private message you once I attach the relevant images to this post. :) ~Dagger~

In response to your question... [spoiler]Sorry, but Akito is female. This is not a rumor and has absolutely nothing to do with some doujinshi; the latest manga chapters released in Japan (and subsequently scanslated for English/Chinese/etc. fans) confirmed that Akito, though raised as male, is in fact a woman. I can probably dig up proof if you really refuse to believe it, but I'm of the opinion that something so shocking would have been refuted long ago if it were somehow untrue. Recently, I've seen Akito's gender discussed on numerous other message boards, and so far very few people have tried to contest the revelations about her true identity.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

[quote name='Alan][COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial]A few characters are said to return apart from Vincent, but only Cait Sith has been confirmed. Strangely enough, a few FFIX characters will also be making an appearance. A few new screens have been released too.[/FONT][/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] FFIX cameos are always a good thing in my book. Has anything specific been said about which characters will show up? Personally, I'm hoping for Beatrix and Dagger, but I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Zidane again. At this point Square is practically turning into CLAMP--although as someone who gets a huge kick out of crossovers, I'm not exactly in the best position to complain. ~Dagger~

I'm not really sure what we're trying to compare here. Hayao Miyazaki is a famous director (often called Japan's Walt Disney) who deals primarily with beautifully produced theatrical films. Rumiko Takahashi is an insanely popular manga-ka whose series have spawned numerous anime. Anyway--on the manga side of things, CLAMP obviously deserves a mention; I'm not personally a huge fan of their work, but the anime based on CLAMP manga are often [i]very[/i] good. I'm actually shocked that no one has mentioned Satoshi Kon. For someone so young, he's astoundingly talented and flexible. His movies (which include Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers) are brilliant, sensitively directed and touch on a wide variety of different subjects. Moreover, he successfully "crossed over" by creating Paranoia Agent, a recent television series with a deviously twisted storyline and extraordinary production values. I truly admire this director's versatility. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Pumpkin][FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=1]Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien...that anime is so depressing, and too dramatic/realistic, I hated it.[/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote] I also dislike Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, but not for the reasons you mentioned. I found the first two or three episodes very interesting and emotionally gripping. However, after that the series degenerated into a mess of misplaced angst and annoying comedic relief. I simply couldn't stand any of the characters--which is a shame, because the series does end fairly well. Saikano is a good example of an anime that manages to simultaneously be depressing, dramatic, realistic [I]and[/I] quite enjoyable to watch. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Godelsensei][FONT=Courier New][COLOR=Gray]I act like my custom title, if anything, what with constantly having to explain milk bags to Americans and whatnot. Psh.[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] *blushes* Er... what's a milk bag? I'd be a little frightened if everyone here behaved like the people, things, places, etc. from which their usernames were swiped--some characters just weren't intended to be role models, after all. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Kane][SIZE=1']Not only to I find that statement to be grossly idiotic but I also find it to be most offensive. Who are you to say that idea of "Do undo others as you would have them do unto you" is not followed ?[/size][/quote] I apologize for butting in, but I don't see how Sciros's statement was offensive, not to mention factually incorrect. Throughout history, religious beliefs have been used as a justification for all sorts of horrible atrocities--everything from the Crusades to modern-day terrorism. This doesn't mean there's anything inherently wrong with the concept of religion; the problem lies with the extremists who call themselves believers and yet do things which go against fundamental principles of their faith (i.e. when radical Christians bomb abortion clinics). ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Venge]I think that CN had a lot to do with the crapishness of anime today. They cut it up, chop the heck outta the dialouge and usually make the shows seem like it was done by a two year old. Example: I have a DBGT video that was edited to the extreme. It showed NO blood and was rather short (Heart of The Prince, The Five/Three Star Dragon, The One Star Dragon), but my brother had the same episodes on DVD. In the first one, it showed a pile of blood under Vegeta when he had a flashback in the Frieza saga, right before he died...and the frame motion on the video was HIDEOUS compared to the DVD. Due to Funimation and CN, a lot of todays anime has been tooken to the trash bin. I havent really watched Wolfs Rain, Ghostfighter, Fushigi Yuugi, Escaflowne, or any of most of the animes mention here, but like someone said, get the Japanese versions online and you'll see some major differences.[/QUOTE] Escaflowne aired on Fox, not CN; as far as I know, Fushigi Yuugi has never been shown on American TV. Personally, I don't advocate downloading series which are available on DVD--that's clearly illegal and won't help people who care about getting truly high-quality video and audio. You've provided absolutely no evidence to back up your claim that anime today is somehow worse than... well, I actually have no idea what you're trying to compare contemporary releases with. Elaboration would be appreciated. ~Dagger~

Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 was the first series that came to mind when I read the title of your thread. It has decent animation, great characters and a solid plot. This show is also currently being re-released at an extremely low price, so if you haven't seen it yet, I strongly advise you to rent or buy the first set of DVDs. The Read or Die OVA is a bit more recent. It's short and quirky, with fluid action sequences, strong shoujo-ai undertones and very attractive, voluptuous females. One of the main reasons I like ROD is that it features plenty of fanservice but doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence. The main characters make a great team, and the whole thing is so lavishly animated that it looks almost as good as a theatrical film. ~Dagger~

[quote name='iggypopD']The only beef I had with "Cowboy Bebop" waws there were too many filler episodes. There were only 7 or 8 episodes actually about the story. There are too many animes like that. I'm not saying that all epsiodes should be about the main plot, just too many leaves a thin plot.[/quote] I don't think it's necessarily fair to characterize stand-alone episodes as filler, particularly in a series like Cowboy Bebop. Most people define filler as new stories or episode sagas added solely in order to buy time for the show's manga to catch up. Personally I don't have a problem with so-called filler unless it clearly breaks with the tone of the series. For example, the last season of Rurouni Kenshin and the middle episodes of Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water are absolutely [i]awful[/i]. Although Peacemaker Kurogane wanders all over the place, its characters are strong enough to carry everything from fluffy comedic episodes to curiously random mini-arcs. I enjoyed Peacemaker even though it took its time in returning to the overarching plot. If you disregard the side episodes, Cowboy Bebop has a very straightforward storyline. It didn't actually require more than seven or eight episodes to wrap things up. But to be perfectly honest, I do normally enjoy epic, sweeping anime more than episodic stuff. That could be part of the reason why Bebop never totally bowled me over. Godel: Trigun is good. Gungrave is better. ;) ~Dagger~

I'm not sure that kids would have the patience for this show, heh. The first episode reminded me of Koi Kaze--Windy Tales obviously isn't about incest, but it's deliberately paced and has similarly subtle character development. I really love how they animated the wind. While the artwork is deceptively simplistic, I think Windy Tales will look and sound fantastic on DVD. At least for now, it's a pretty good way to pass the time while I await the next episode of Maria-sama ga Miteru. :p ~Dagger~

I can easily imagine [b]Stigma[/b] (a beautiful one-volume manga by the creator of Saiyuki) being made into a two or three episode OVA. It's obvious that a lot of time and love was lavished upon Stigma; the artwork--a more refined, polished version of the manga-ka's readily identifiable style--is stunningly gorgeous and in full, vibrant color to boot. The dialogue is dreamy, lyrical and packed with potent symbolism. Despite its short length, Stigma is among the best shounen-ai manga I've ever read. This story defies categorization. The shounen-ai content is extremely minimal and tastefully done, and I would characterize the relationship between the two lead characters as a very deep and intense kind of love--nonsexual, but definitely not wholly platonic. Though I'm extremely leery of big age differences and anything else which might lead to hints of shotacon, I didn't experience any qualms when reading Stigma (one of the main characters appears to be in his early twenties or late teens, while the other is probably younger than fifteen). Only a really versatile anime studio would be able to successfully duplicate Kazuya Minekura's striking artwork. However, Stigma is a unique one-shot from a popular manga-ka, and I can't begin to describe how great it could be if animated well. ~Dagger~

[quote name='James][color=#707875']Even if you find someone's policies questionable, I think it's fair to say that the mud-slinging in American politics is going way too far at the moment. Bush is basically attacked like I've never seen before -- and he's largely attacked by people who simply don't (and don't want to) understand what his policies are and how they work.[/color][/quote] He's hardly the only one who's suffering from this. I'm not a Kerry fan, but I think it's absolutely despicable that people are maligning his war record. Moreover, polls show that the Swift Boat ads have actually been quite effective--which I find astonishing, considering that they're baseless as well as completely tasteless. Yeah, I know liberals like to jump all over Bush. However, his people have done more than their share of mud-slinging: just look at what happened to John McCain during the 2000 Republican primaries. The Bush team pulled some incredibly dirty tricks back then, and remembering that makes it impossible for me to feel particularly sympathetic when they're on the receiving end. ~Dagger~

I can shower in under seven minutes. Believe me, it takes a lot of skill. ;) I'm more annoyed about Dan Rather making a complete idiot out of himself and the Swift Boat mud-slingers (two separate issues, but equally aggravating) than what Michael Moore did or said however many months ago. If he wants to influence the outcome of the election, he's obviously failing--using My Pet Goat for cheap laughs won't sway anyone, so it's not really worth discussing anymore. As far as I can tell, the seven-minute delay has never been a "huge issue"; it's just something Democrats like to point to when they're feeling resentful. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=\Firestorm]Let me rephrase Triela's quotation again because I reread the manga recently. When the investigator Fermi was interviewing Triela about Elsa, Triela told him "Elsa was totally in love with her handler, Lauro. Most of the kids are." She even admitted "I do have some affection for Hillshire."[/QUOTE] Still, Triela's observations don't contradict the idea that it's an intensely naive and hopeless kind of love. If a handler tried to sexually abuse his charge, she very well might be incapable of objecting. However, this did not ever become an issue in the anime, and I doubt it will be raised in later volumes of the manga. ~Dagger~

Your list must have taken a long time to compile. ^_^;; I appreciate the effort involved here. However, the next time you start a thread like this, try choosing one or two examples of your favorite couples and explain [i]why[/i] you think those two people are so great together. That encourages discussion and looks far less intimidating than a long column of names. Your Gunslinger Girl topic would be a excellent example of the type of thread we like--it's both interesting and thoughtfully presented, with plenty of evidence to support your argument. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators. Thanks! Thread closed. ~Dagger~

I've read the first volume of the manga and seen all thirteen episodes of the (incredibly good) Gunslinger Girl anime. While this series tends to attract a lot of lolicon fans, I don't think the relationships between the girls and their handlers are even mildly sexual. They're called "fratello" for a reason. While most of the girls, even Triela, feel some sort of deeply romantic attachment to their handlers, it's a very pure and innocent kind of love (as befits their age). They can hardly help loving their older "brothers"; their affection, though deep, is largely artificial, the product of extensive brainwashing. As far as I can tell, none of the handlers would qualify as pedophiles--if anything, some of them have great difficulty relating to and dealing with young females. Several of the girls ended up feeling neglected or lonely because they were saddled with cold, distant fratello. ~Dagger~

I was sort of shocked that I couldn't find any threads about this film... if any of you has encountered one in the past, just PM me with the link. The original Ghost in the Shell was a Mamoru Oshii movie which did rather poorly in Japan but went on to become one of the best-known anime in North America. It was later followed by a critically acclaimed television show, Stand Alone Complex, that revolved around the same set of characters while disregarding the events of the film. Innocence, on the other hand, is a direct sequel to the 1995 movie. Both the series and the first movie are excellent anime in their own right, though they may appeal to different people. I'm going to go see Innocence sometime later today. Licensed by Dreamworks' Go Fish Pictures, it opened in twenty-seven cities on Friday. More theaters and cities will be added in the coming weeks. So far Innocence has received extremely mixed reviews--by most accounts it's markedly more philosophical and verbally convoluted than its prequel. Since the main character is Bateau (Batou?), people who want to watch Motoko in action may feel somewhat disappointed. I'm mainly excited about the visuals, which will definitely be fantastic. So, is anyone else planning to see this? ~Dagger~

Cowboy Bebop, while a fantastic series with plenty of replay value, has been overhyped and overrated for years. Don't get me wrong--it's a quality anime and well worth watching. However, Bebop suffers from the same syndrome as Evangelion; a lot of people refuse to even consider the idea that another show might do certain things better. Obviously this would have to be left up for debate, but in my opinion Bebop is hardly the best anime ever made, not to mention the best episodic series... no matter how many fans claim otherwise. ~Dagger~

I seriously [i]cannot[/i] believe that the ban has not been renewed. This should have absolutely nothing do to with politics--it's merely common sense, for heaven's sake. As far as I know, Bush specifically said he would sign a renewal of the ban into law if it ever reached his desk. However, because he didn't directly ask Republicans in Congress to support it, they allowed it to expire. That's hardly heinous, but it's not the kind of manuvering I have any desire to support. For once I wholeheartedly agree with John Kerry: one simply can't talk about rooting out terrorism and then let something like the expiration of this ban slip through the cracks. ~Dagger~

[quote name='inuyasha-sakura][B][COLOR=Pink][SIZE=2][FONT=Comic Sans MS]EHEHEHEHEHE!! BOTH MY PARENTS ARE OBSSESED WITH ANIME,THATS Y I DONT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS ABOUT IT!! :angel: [/FONT] [/SIZE] [/COLOR'][/B][/quote] Welcome to OtakuBoards, inuyasha-sakura. ^_^ Please go read the Rules, immediately stop typing in all-caps and pay close attention to the earlier replies in this thread. It should be pretty clear that other members are putting some thought and effort into their posts; you should emulate their example and do the same. All of your questions, comments and concerns can be directed to me or one of the other moderators via PM. Thanks! ~Dagger~

On the subject of music, Geneon has [i]finally[/i] licensed the RahXephon OST. I don't buy very many anime soundtracks--the last one I actually bothered to purchase was Tsukihime: Moonlit Archives. Much like Tsukihime, RahXephon is one of the few anime whose background music made a tremendous impression on me. I'm sure I've praised RahXephon elsewhere in this thread, but it has an unbelievably well-crafted score, one which really contributes to the show's atmosphere and overall emotional impact. I'll definitely be pre-ordering the RahXephon soundtrack. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=dposse]I am really angry about this! FMA gets pushed back to January,Super Milk Chan on Adult Swim in its Dubbed form, and no Case Closed! I do like Inuyasha on the weekdays with new episodes, but the other stuff is horrible. I guess this is really the end for Case Closed. :( Well, what do you think about this?[/QUOTE] I'm actually happy that FMA is getting pushed back, haha. Now I can just get the DVDs (which should start coming out in January, unless FUNimation decides to delay them) without bothering with the broadcast. I am a bit bemused that AS will be airing the non-Americanized version of Super Milk-Chan; most reviews say the Japanese-language track, not to mention the accurate dub, is hideously unamusing. I guess I'll just have to wait and see it for myself... maybe they didn't want to bother editing the profanity-packed alternate dub. ~Dagger~

[quote name='*GaLxY-GiRl*']I bet Hot Topic is going to start selling it.[/quote] Bingo. Hot Topic recently made a deal with ADV to sell Robotech sampler DVDs. I don't think this indicative of anime becoming "trendy," per se... Hot Topic has always tried to capitalize on '80s nostalgia, and it definitely makes sense for them to sell Robotech-related merchandise. However, I do feel that anime's popularity has steadily increased over the years. [quote][i]... since the birth of bit torrent and the increase in people speeding up their internet connections to dsl/cable, people are downloading anime like there's no tomorrow.[/i][/quote] Yes, but that isn't necessarily a good thing for the American anime industry. Increased awareness doesn't count for much unless the new fans demonstrate a willingness to actually spend money on anime (or at least start watching it on television). I'm a [i]very[/i] casual gamer--yet I'm sure I'd play more video games if they were free. [quote][I]Disney Channel is showing 1 or 2 animes now... Did you know? [/I] :rolleyes:[/quote] Really? I didn't know that. Which series are they airing? ~Dagger~