Dagger

[quote name='rat224']ya i know that is so stuped i think they should put to good shows back on[/quote] Welcome to OtakuBoards, rat. ^_^ Please read the Rules before posting again; there's nothing wrong with writing short replies, but you should at least attempt to use proper spelling and capitalization. Without those key elements, your post may be counted as spam and consequently deleted. ~Dagger~

Over the course of the show, Kuwabara has become progressively less annoying--so I guess it's only natural that he's started to grow on me. However, I do hope that his battle against Elder Toguro won't be any longer than two episodes. One of the things I really like about Yu Yu Hakusho is the fact that few fights end up being stretched out (as they are in most similar series, not to mention any names) or consist of more talking than actual bloodshed. And yes, the ratio of bloodshed to time spent strategizing is quite important. After all, I need to get my weekly dose of shounen violence. :p ~Dagger~

gendou-- Wolf's Rain is currently showing on Cartoon Network (last night they played episode 7, "The Flower Maiden"). And if I recall correctly, the OVA episodes were created a good while ago. In any case, I really enjoyed episode 7. This show is [I]stunningly[/I] beautiful. I'm so glad I'm watching it dubbed, despite CN's painfully crappy video quality--Wolf's Rain is totally worth getting on DVD, if only to see its amazing visuals in perfect clarity. The cel shading is smooth, soft and, during certain scenes, almost radiant. It does a fantastic job of complementing the sharp, detailed character designs. I'm in ecstasy. Tsume and Kiba could not be any cooler, and I like Cheza (Chesa?) very much. Lately, I've started to suspect that [spoiler]Blue is actually a wolf.[/spoiler] Am I completely off the mark? Maybe I should just wait and find out for myself..... ~Dagger~

I love Lacus. ^_^ I could definitely do without her bright pink.... bouncy thing, but generally speaking her personality really appeals to me. In certain ways she reminds me of Aeris (one of the main characters of Final Fantasy VII), and for me that's never a bad thing. I tend to be a little picky about female characters; for example, I have almost no sympathy for Flay (is she trying to set a new record for the number of insensitive comments made in a single episode?), and Natarle is far too fond of rules and regulations. Thank goodness that Lacus is the only one who Kira's blushed at thus far. With that having been said, I hope romance doesn't become a significant aspect of Gundam SEED. I don't think the characters should all be utterly heartless (as they are in Wing), yet I also have reason to suspect that realistically portraying tender emotions isn't this anime's strong point. ^_^; ~Dagger~

[quote name='terra']I also thought parts of it were hysterical, and that the show was able to mix comedy and serious issues with a skill that I found impressive.[/quote] I don't mind the comedy, but it doesn't really do anything for me. *shrugs* I'm sort of a Scrooge when it comes to anime humor in general, and only lately have I been discovering shows that consistently make me laugh (as opposed to grumble like an old curmudgeon and turn off my computer). I found FLCL so astonishingly unamusing that it made me want to jump out the nearest window. Just watching the Happy Lesson and Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi trailers was a painful, potentially traumautizing experience. Thankfully, Scrapped Princess's comedy is less intrusive and more subdued. Shannon's expressions are usually pretty funny. ^_^ [quote]Ah, okay, I have to go now, and that wasn't very well-formulated -- sorry. But it does surprise me a little that you're not entirely impressed. I was tentatively excited after the first few episodes, and by the time I got to the 11th episode I was probably pretty hooked.[/QUOTE] I think I expected it to be more like Twelve Kingdoms (a really serious, dramatic fantasy anime whose main themes are vaguely similiar to Scrapped Princess's). Scrapped Princess is a pretty high-quality series, but I don't feel a rabid desire to continue watching it once I finish each episode. At this point I just want to see more of Pacifica (so cute!) and Shannon (amazingly cool). Is it excessively weird of me to be rooting for them to become a couple? They're not [I]actually[/I] siblings. Still, I'm tempted to wonder whether I've been watching too much Koi Kaze (a highly incestuous anime). ^_^; ~Dagger~

At A-Kon, FUNimation announced the acquisition of [B]Gunslinger Girl[/B]. They will also be releasing several 4Kids series--including [B]Shaman King[/B] and [B]Yu-Gi-Oh[/B]--uncut and in their original language. ADV has licensed [B]Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch[/B], along with [B]E's Otherwise[/B] and [B]Cromartie High School[/B]. They also mentioned that Peacemaker Kurogane, Cyberteam in Akihabara, Getbackers and Mezzo Forte TV would all be coming to DVD sometime this year. Since I haven't watched any of these shows, I have little reason to feel particularly excited about this... I guess I'll wait until the first few trailers are produced and see if any of them piques my interest. EDIT: Oh, and Bandai owns the rights to [b]Dear Boys[/b]. ~Dagger~

Funi made the announcement at A-Kon, and AnimeonDVD was the first website to post the information (as they usually are). 1. FUNimation does not edit anime. Cartoon Network does, but solely for legal reasons. 2. When CN censors Funi's shows, the company [i]always[/i] produces two versions of every single DVD, one of which is fully uncut. I own plenty of Funi DVDs and have watched enough of Toonami to prove this conclusively. 3. Case Closed, Yu Yu Hakusho and Fruits Basket--all fairly recent FUNimation series--have excellent, well-acted dubs. Fruits Basket in particular is a shining example of an anime with a near-perfect English voice cast. I've heard that Kiddy Grade's dub is also rather good, although I haven't watched the show for myself. 4. Like 99% of contemporary anime companies, FUNImation uses true subtitles (as opposed to dubtitles) based on each show's original Japanese script, which makes their DVDs more accurate than any fansub. 5. Saying that FUNimation re-writes scripts and censors their series is evidence of extreme ignorance. Only a few North American distributors engage in those unfortunate practices; Nelvana and 4Kids are the most notorious among them. As a matter of fact, FUNimation recently won the right to produce uncut bilingual releases of previously butchered 4Kids series like Shaman King and Yu-Gi-Oh. 6. Plenty of FUNimation shows (i.e. Fruits Basket and Kiddy Grade) never were and probably never will be shown on TV. The ball's in your court, Godel. ~Dagger~

With my newfound abundance of free time, I've finally gotten around to watching Scrapped Princess (as of now I've seen the first eleven episodes). I like it well enough, but I don't understand why people call this series the greatest fantasy anime ever made. Scrapped Princess focuses on the adventures of Pacifica Casull--a cute blonde girl who is supposed to destroy the world when she turns sixteen--and her two foster siblings, Shannon and Raquel. All three of these characters are incredibly likeable and sympathetic. In my opinion, that's one of the show's biggest advantages... so far only a few minor members of the cast have succeeded in annoying me. The battle scenes are few and far between, but they tend to be fluid and exciting. I can't say I care for the artwork, however, especially when it comes to hair and women's breasts. Although this obviously isn't enough to deter me from buying Scrapped Princess (assuming that it's licensed sometime in the near future), I'm not yet convinced that I want to spend money on it. Hopefully the last few episodes will be good, as I've heard they're something of a let-down. Of course, that assertion might originate from the same group of people who thought that R.O.D the TV and Peacemaker Kurogane ended poorly, so I'll just wait until I see them for myself. ~Dagger~

FUNimation just announced that they've acquired the rights to Gunslinger Girl. I'm shocked (I guess I was expecting ADV or Bandai to get it), but also [I]really[/I] happy that a company has finally picked up this wonderful title. Hopefully Funi will give Gunslinger Girl a fantastic English dub. I have some doubts, because I think that any show with so many young characters and tragic, highly emotional scenes would be difficult to dub, but I wish them the best of luck. Now I can safely delete my fansubs. ^_^ ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Inari]What should people of mixed ethnicity do? ...Dose protecting minority groups increase the equality of the United States? [/QUOTE] Normally the test-taker is instructed to fill in all of the bubbles which apply to him or her. That's what I do, anyway. I don't understand how practices like these serve to protect minority groups (if that is, in fact, what they are intended to accomplish). Could you please clarify this for me? ~Dagger~

Welcome to OtakuBoards, Nathaniel. ^_^ The next time you try to start a series-specific thread, please explain what you like about the show in question. I know for a fact that you're not the only OBer who's seen and/or enjoyed AMG, but I can assure you that your fellow fans won't feel motivated to respond unless you use your opening post to set a good example for them to follow. If you haven't yet had the chance to read OB's rules, I strongly suggest that you do so. Anyway, you're welcome to PM me or one of the other moderators with any kind of question or concern. We're here to help you out, after all. :whoops: Thread closed. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=toddy]my best cards are yata garasu and exodia :p[/QUOTE] Welcome to OtakuBoards, toddy. ^_^ Unfortunately, your post was pretty much spam, and I had no choice but to delete it. OB doesn't have any specific requirements regarding post length (other than the one-word rule, that is), but the least you can do is attempt to write in complete, properly punctuated sentences. If you have any questions about OB's policies--or, for that matter, about the purpose of this thread--don't hesitate to PM me or one of the other moderators. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Godelsensei][COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]Seeing Seguchi [Spoiler]push Taki infront of a car was pretty neat, too.[/Spoiler] : D[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] Yes! That's such a satisfying scene. ^_^ [b]Maria-sama ga Miteru, episode 11:[/b] Watching this was what truly made me into a Marimite fan. Sei is easily my favorite character (though all of the girls are lovely :p), and it really touched me to discover that she hadn't always been so cheerful and easygoing. Her story could have become overly melodramatic, but instead was presented in such a way that I had absolutely no trouble relating to her emotions. Episode 11 also showcases the single best "title moment" I've ever seen. When Shiori [spoiler]pushed Sei away, telling her that "Maria-sama is watching,"[/spoiler] I was just stunned. It's an immensely sad and beautiful moment. Generally speaking, this episode is the main reason that I don't think any fan of shoujo-ai can afford to miss out on Marimite. ~Dagger~

Thanks for your replies. ^_^ [b]RahXephon, episode 19:[/b] In my opinion, almost nothing epitomizes the heartbreaking poignancy of this series better than Asahina's [spoiler]ill-fated love for Ayato.[/spoiler] Episode 19 is perfectly paced and perfectly crafted. When I first finished it, I immediately went back to watch it again and again (rather than moving on to episode 20). Thogh I have some issues with how RahXephon's main love story was handled, I can't find anything to complain about in regards to episode 19, which features one of the most powerful [spoiler]death scenes[/spoiler] I've ever seen. ~Dagger~

[quote name='wrist cutter']Didn't the Chinese believe they were the center of the earth or something of that nature?[/quote] Back in the heyday of ancient China, its citizens were convinced that they were the only educated, cultured people in the entire world. Granted, their civilization was more advanced than that of neighboring countries like Japan and Korea, but it took them a while to learn about the existence of non-barbaric European nations. I don't think totally ignoring race is the right way to go about establishing true equality or whatever. I mean, I'm sure my grandmother would find it irritating if people just completely overlooked the fact that she's Korean. It's a huge part of who she is, and she's really proud of her national/cultural/ethnic identity--especially because she grew up during the Japanese occupation, when people weren't allowed to speak Korean or use their Korean names. At the risk of sounding corny, I feel that some differences should be embraced. To me, pretending that race is irrelevant or nonexistent simply implies that you're uncomfortable with discussing it. ~Dagger~

[quote name='celbertin']Does ANYONE know the answer...? please.. if you know.. answer.. please :D[/quote] Welcome to OtakuBoards, celbertin. ^_^ Unfortunately, since there weren't any responses the first time around, chances are that no one knows the answer to your question. OB does not permit double-posting under any circumstances, so I've deleted your second reply. Please feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators if you have any questions about our policies. ~Dagger~

Ahaha, episode 6 is a work of genius. [spoiler]Poor Wolf. He's having such a hard time expressing his feelings. ^_~ Thank heaven for conveniently placed closets! That joke was hilarious in a sly, wicked sort of way... I could see it coming from the moment Wolfram stormed off toward what looked to be a random wardrobe-like piece of furniture. Speaking of randomness, did anyone else enjoy watching Gunther and Gwendal get high? Gunther's cat reminded me rather strongly of Puss in Boots (Shrek 2's alternative annoying talking animal). Between its mournful expression and the two men's mad giggling, I couldn't make myself stop snickering.[/spoiler] Originally I was convinced that the man who hired Yuuri intended to use him as a model, or something to that effect. ^_^;; ~Dagger~

I think I'll take this opportunity to ask you guys for magazine recommendations. ^_^ I've always been interested in NewType, but it's [i]so[/i] expensive. Granted, you get to preview certain shows, which would definitely help me prioritize my wish list. Since I watch a lot of fansubs, the fact that it discusses anime which are currently running in Japan is also a big plus. Yet I could buy four regular DVDs or a twenty-six episode brick set with the same amount of money, so I'm just not sure that NewType would be worth that sacrifice. If there was a shoujo version of Shonen Jump, I would definitely consider subscribing to it. The only problem is that I tend to prefer violent, dark shoujo like Banana Fish, Les Bijoux and Tokyo Babylon... somehow I feel that such a magazine would lean more towards mahou shoujo and light-hearted titles along the lines of Hana-Kimi. Can anybody tell me more about Animerica? ~Dagger~

I don't know what to say about the music, heh. It's certain high-quality, and fits well with pretty much every scene. The lush sound and techno beats frequently reminds me of .hack... which isn't all that bad, I guess, just sort of distracting until I stop thinking about it. Some of the recurring themes are really great. At the same time, I can't help thinking that the whole choral thing is rather overused. At first I felt that Madlax's personality was a bit incongruous. But I guess it's nice to see a kick-*** female character who isn't shallow and ditzy (or, alternatively, cold-hearted and overly professional). She actually reminds me of Triela from Gunslinger Girl--despite the difference in their ages--and Kino from Kino no Tabi. I'm hoping that she'll end up [spoiler]taking down Enfan.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

Certain episodes of some shows are so well done that you remember them vividly long after forgetting the details of the anime's basic plot. At times, episodes like these serve to redeem an uninspired or otherwise mediocre series. Even when the show in question is undeniably good, there will occasionally be an episode that ends up hijacking practically any discussion of the series. Episode 8 of Fruits Basket (which I blather on about below) is a pretty decent example of this. So which episodes stick out in your mind most clearly, and why? [B]Fruits Basket, episode 8:[/B] Until I saw this, I had liked Fruits Basket well enough, but didn't feel that it was anything special. Learning about Hatori's past really forced me to rethink my opinion of the show. The tragic story and beautiful, haunting visuals reduced me to tears, and only in episode 8 did I begin to take note of Fruits Basket's amazing dub. ~Dagger~

I wish I had spent less time complaining about this show's pathetically unspectacular first episode. That way it wouldn't have taken me so long to discover that the series as a whole is turning out to be pretty darn good. At the moment I've watched five episodes; so far eight total have been fansubbed. In terms of artwork and music, Madlax is a typical Bee Train (.hack//SIGN, Avenger, Noir) anime. I'm personally not a big fan of Bee Train's character designs--they strike me as being unsophisticated and weirdly shaded, with some freakishly thin noses--or Koishi Mashimo's direction. He has a peculiar fondness for minute eye movements and painfully slow panning. However, neither of these techniques is as ridiculously prevalent in Madlax as they were in, say, Avenger. It also sort of helps that Madlax actually seems to have a story. Contrary to appearances, this isn't really an action anime. Focusing too much on the title character's superhuman exploits will probably drive you batty anyway. For me, the anime's rich, music-driven atmosphere and many mysteries are much more interesting than the occasional exchange of gunfire. A few scenes are genuinely beautiful, and the lovely backgrounds make up for the tired character designs. I suspect that I won't like Madlax too much if it continues being so frustratingly cryptic, but hopefully everything will start to make sense towards the end. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Moses']I hear from my friends that RoD the TV series is an awsome anime that does not have the same main character as RoD OVAs. When I heard this I was a little bit unsure of the series but the more I read up on it and hear about it, the series seems to be awsome.[/quote] The fact that there are several new additions to the cast is actually sort of misleading, since [spoiler]Yomiko and Nancy show up about halfway through R.O.D the TV and play very important roles from that episode onwards. Drake makes his first appearance even earlier.[/spoiler] Volume 1 comes out on June 29, in case you're interested. ^_^ I am so psyched about this show's dub. Two excellent early reviews (which deal solely with the English track) can be found [URL=http://www.dubreview.com/fl_rodtv1.php][u]here[/u][/URL] and [URL=http://www.animeondvd.com/news/article.php?article_view=312][u]here[/u][/URL]. The second link also addresses Gungrave, while the first offers a very specific examination of R.O.D the TV, even providing numerous audio clips of the main characters' lines. Though nothing can compare to actually sitting down and watching a couple of episodes, right now I'm really impressed by the English voice actresses' work. They seem totally capable of matching the energy and overall tone of their Japanese counterparts. Nenene in particular sounds [i]perfect[/i]. ~Dagger~

The difference between Bebop and Yu Yu Hakusho is that Bebop has always been shown on Adult Swim; Toonami operates by another set of rules. From what I can tell, the Dragonball series receive less censoring because they're far less bloody. The violence is a bit more "cartoonish," if that makes any sense. CN just doesn't have much leeway when it comes to editing... a giant struggle took place before they were able to show Inuyasha uncut, and several relatively harmless scenes in FLCL drew numerous parents' ire. The company can claim that those anime aren't aimed at kids, since they air on AS, but Toonami is obviously intended for teenagers and children. To avoid litigation and/or breaking the law, they have to censor YYH pretty heavily. I agree with the removal of certain scenes, such as the part during episode 54 that features a brief clip of [spoiler]Kuwabara masturbating,[/spoiler] but I do agree that a lot of CN's edits are rather silly. It's not as though kids can't find incredible amounts of violence on nearly every other channel around that time at night. Nevertheless, this censorship can't be wholly blamed on the station itself... I'm fairly sure that it's either required by the FCC, or necessary to keep parents from flipping out and suing. ~Dagger~

Well, I just watched the first Samurai 7 trailer. I haven't seen Kurosawa's original live-action film, so I have no reason not to feel optimistic about the upcoming anime. Hopefully it'll be more like Last Exile than some of GONZO's recent productions. The CG sequences look very, very sharp. From what I've seen, I feel pretty confident that the mecha in Samurai 7 will be better-animated than those in Bakuretsu Tenshi. Unfortunately, the preview shows almost no completed 2-D animation, instead juxtaposing clips of sepia-toned lineart with brief CG battles. The character designs are reminiscient not only of Last Exile and Blue Submarine No. 6, but also of the recent BONES series Kenran Butousai. I really love that particular style, so seeing it in Samurai 7 made me pretty happy. ^_^ I also thought the music suited the preview very well. It's subtly dramatic, and combination of piano and drums sounds just fantastic. I'm looking forward to watching this anime (which, amazingly enough, is in high-definition anamorphic widescreen). ~Dagger~

Welcome to OtakuBoards, Jade. ^_^ Since we believe that new members should be able to start participating in discussions as soon as they sign up, introduction threads are not permitted. If you read the Rules and FAQ (both of which can be found simply by glancing at the navigation bar to your left), they'll help you understand how OB works. More importantly, they explain what we expect from those who frequent the forums, so once you go through them once or twice, you won't need to worry about accidentally doing something wrong. Feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators with any questions or concerns. Thanks! Thread closed. ~Dagger~