Dagger

[quote name='r2vq']Though, Dagger-dono I thought you said the Anime was licensed? And JazzLady and I had our hopes up and everything. ;_; heh jk jk.[/quote] ^_^; I'm still pretty confident that ADV does have the PMK anime, but since they accidentally let it slip in a press release intended to promote something [I]entirely[/I] different, we probably won't hear anything about the series for a while. [quote name='Adora']For example, even though I love Tokyopop for being a darling and doing a good job on the Saiyuki manga...[/quote] The accuracy of Tokyopop's translations varies greatly from editor to editor. Popular series like Tokyo Babylon and Saiyuki are generally treated well; lesser-known manga/manwha sometimes get the short end of the stick, at least when it comes to things like packaging and print quality. So far, ADV's covers and color inserts appear to be as good as or better than the majority of Tokyopop's. Fans have been disappointed with some of their first few releases (such as Azumanga Daioh, which we discussed earlier in this thread), but I expect them to improve greatly by the time that PMK comes out. At the very least, I think they plan to release all of their manga unflipped. EDIT: Whew, my info was correct. ADV [i]has[/i] licensed PMK (along with the sequel to Full Metal Panic! and a couple of other series). ~Dagger~

I'll comment on your other pieces later, but for the moment I thought I'd mention that the first Peace Maker BG is absolutely lovely. I've been trying to edit the text out of that image for [i]ages[/i], and you did a splendid job of cleaning it up. The wallpaper looks sharp, clear and beautifully simple. Fantastic work, m'dear. Now I have something nice to watch as I slave away at schoolwork. ^_^ ~Dagger~

From what I've read, ADV Manga only owns the rights to Peace Maker Kurogane, [i]not[/i] SIPM. Chances are that they've licensed the anime series as well... but so far no one has been able to confirm this, and the company is choosing to remain mute. I'm sure ADV would like to pick up SIPM; they really, really want to establish a firm foothold in the Tokyopop-dominated world of North American manga. Perhaps there are problems on the Japanese end of things--I have no idea. :/ ~Dagger~

Gundam SEED is starting to drag a bit... but since these beginning episodes are mostly exposition, I suppose that's to be expected. I'm definitely looking forward to Saturday night; it looks as though the main conflict will start to get underway as Athrun faces [spoiler]accusations of treachery.[/spoiler] Speaking of which, I feel [i]really[/i] bad for him. Athrun's position is much crappier than Kira's (at least in the sense that he's the one who feels a duty to attack, whereas Kira merely has to defend his comrades and stay alive). I love the Zechs/Char clone's English VA. His voice is smooth and very pleasant, and his accent sounds impeccable, regardless of its authenticity or lack thereof. ~Dagger~

[IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19067&stc=1[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Kino's Journey [b]Title:[/b] Kino [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19070&stc=1[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Kino's Journey [b]Title:[/b] Kino [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19068&stc=1[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Kino's Journey [b]Title:[/b] Kino [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19069&stc=1[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Kino's Journey [b]Title:[/b] Kino [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19071&stc=1[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Kino's Journey [b]Title:[/b] Kino [IMG]http://home.ripway.com/2003-9/24633/kino6.jpg[/IMG] [b]Category:[/b] Kino's Journey [b]Title:[/b] Hermes

Well, I have great news for all of you FMA fans. [quote name='Anime on DVD']According to the PS2 site on IGN, FUNimation announced Full Metal Alchemist at E3 this week. "Funimation will handle distributing the Fullmetal Alchemist cartoon in North America -- a cartoon that has already sold 51 episodes to Cartoon Network for an October air date." According to those who were at the conference, there has been no mention of which flavor of Cartoon Network it'll be on (Adult Swim or Toonami) while the disc release is apparently slated for January 2005 in the now becoming traditional method for FUNimation of the single disc and starter kit method.[/quote] From what I've seen, Full Metal Alchemist would probably be very successful on either Toonami or Adult Swim--and when it comes to Saturday nights, the two time blocks are virtually indistinguishable. I think a lot of people expected FUNimation to license FMA (especially since they'd already registered a FMA-related domain name), but it's nice that we've received some kind of confirmation. EDIT: Here's a [URL=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/513/513178p1.html?fromint=1][u]link[/u][/URL] to the IGN article. ~Dagger~

sublime, I distinctly recall reading passages (from either PoA or OotP) in which Harry mentioned that he could see why Sirius had been considered handsome when he was younger. And during his time at Hogwarts, Sirius was supposed to have been [i]devastatingly[/i] attractive. It's not as though I want him to be an Orlando Bloom clone, for heaven's sake--I would have been perfectly satisfied if they took an older, relatively good-looking guy and simply starved/beat him up a bit. The actors who play Snape and Lucius Malfoy suit their roles so perfectly that I don't see why Sirius' physical appearance should diverge from the general image created for him by J. K. Rowling's choice of words. I also can't picture Gary Oldman having once been a womanizing schoolboy. At least the children still look like their characters. :/ ~Dagger~

[quote name='maladjusted']Jesus, FFVII doesn't even really have a canon couple.[/quote] Heh, that's why you don't see anyone having these kind of heated debates about FFIX. :p A talented fanfiction writer can make even the craziest scenario seem plausible (Vincent/Cid is a pretty good example of this), although heaven knows I've never read any decent Sephiroth/Aeris fics--which is a shame, because that pairing has [i]so[/i] much potential. Personally, I'd like to see more variations on Aeris/Tifa/Yuffie... I don't even care about the couple's specific configuration, since I'm a fan of all three characters (especially Aeris), and Yuffie is just too cute to be left out of the equation. If people can match her up with Vincent, then surely the idea of Yuffie/Aeris or Yuffie/Tifa isn't terribly far-fetched. Sephiroth/Cloud is a pretty popular pairing, but I've always been more interested in Cloud/Zack or Cloud/Vincent. Anyway, fans have absolutely no excuse to flame "non-canon" FFVII pairings. Think about it! Cloud has the option to date four different people: Aeris, Tifa, Yuffie (I think) and [i]Barret[/i]. Cloud/Barret? That's utterly insane, and it's [i]in the game[/i]--along with cross-dressing, Cloud acting like a total Tenchi clone and dialogue which can be twisted to support just about every single couple under the Costa del Sol sun. (What does this have to do with anime? Well, Final Fantasy VII is connected to Kingdom Hearts. And if I recall correctly, there's an official KH manga currently being distributed in Japan. It's a stretch, but I'd like to pretend that we aren't going totally off-topic. ;)) ~Dagger~

Yeah, this is a [i]really[/i] broad question. I guess I'll talk about some of my current favorite characters (many of whom, by a peculiar coincidence, happen to be cute young boys). For the moment I'm going to avoid mentioning anyone from R.O.D TV, simply because the show has so many fantastic male [i]and[/i] female characters that I just wouldn't be able to pay all of them the tribute they deserve. [b]Dio Eraclea[/b] from Last Exile: He's clever, conniving and very talented at playing the innocent bystander. His fixation on Claus makes the series that much more entertaining (and serves to satisfy my inner fangirl). Within the very same episode or scene, Dio can act like a serious threat as well as a harmless flirt. [b]Toboe[/b] from Wolf's Rain: What can I say? The kid is just ridiculously cute, and I love his personality. He reminds me of Junior (a character in R.O.D TV), although Toboe seems to be more rambunctious and outgoing. [b]Beppu Yugo[/b] from Yugo Negotiator: When I watch this anime, I can't help being amazed by the title character's resourcefulness, intelligence and sheer coolness. He's attractive in a calm, laid-back kind of way. It's too bad that nearly all of Yugo's cases appear to involve undergoing some sort of torture. ^_^; ~Dagger~

[quote name='Cahoots34']Seriously, _is_ there a CLAMP series without shounen/shoujo-ai?[/quote] I'm probably not the best person to answer this question, but I'll see if I can think of something. Chobits has some random yuri-esque undertones, primarily in scenes featuring [spoiler]Dark Chi.[/spoiler] Since I gave up on the series after volume 5, I don't know whether or not the girl/girl cuddling ever becomes an important aspect of its storyline. ^_^; Miyuki-chan in Wonderland is pretty much a moot point; I haven't heard any mention of shounen-ai or shoujo-ai implications in xXxholic, so that might be a potential candidate. Let's see... how about Angelic Layer? ~Dagger~

[quote name='Dreamseer Oona']With the TV series, granted it followed the storyline MUCH better, but holy MOLY was the art ever terrible![/quote] Seriously? X-TV is a pretty lavish production; it has some of the highest quality, most beautiful artwork I've ever seen, and its animation certainly isn't anything to sneeze at. The lovely shading, the detailed character designs, the shiny digital-ness of it all... *sputters into silence* I suppose that--at least to a certain degree--this a matter of taste. All the same, it cannot be denied that the technical aspects of X-TV are consistently superb. I don't buy that much manga, but for me CLAMP's works usually end up being hit or miss. Gohou Drug and Tokyo Babylon are a true delight to read... yet ultimately the anime version of X/1999 appeals to me more than the incredibly (some might say excessively) long manga. ~Dagger~

After watching merely [i]one episode[/i] of Gantz, I've developed an incredibly deep loathing for its main character (Kurono). He's a cynical, horny coward. I could probably deal with that if the show's script didn't force his thoughts to serve as a kind of constant narration, something which for the most part ends up sounding shallow and annoying. This guy makes Shinji look like Beowulf. On the plus side, I'm sure Kurono will eventually become a more likeable hero. It's just that right now I seriously can't stand Gantz; I'd much rather see a show like Monster, whose male lead is realistic but courageous and kind-hearted. ~Dagger~

[b]Eerie Queerie[/b] makes the perfect replacement for Demon Diary. It's hilarious, heart-warming and packed with shounen-ai; the first book alone contains more obvious BL content than all seven volumes of DD. I haven't felt this enthusiastic about a shounen-ai manga since I started reading Gravitation. ^_^ [b]Hana-Kimi[/b] and the unflipped edition of [b]Banana Fish[/b] are the next items on my wish list. I saw a small portion of both these manga in the Viz spring preview compilation (which is currently available through Suncoast, and totally owns the Tokyopop sampler). ~Dagger~

This is really fantastic information, and I'm sure any fan of Shingetsutan Tsukihime will be interested in reading it. However, OtakuBoards does not permit double-posting [i]under any circumstances[/i] (I'm sure I've told you this before... -_-). I may keep your replies separate simply because merging them would result in something absolutely gargantuan and difficult to follow... I'll probably need to consult with the other mods before making any kind of final decision. The next time you want to post material that must span multiple replies, please wait for another member to respond rather than double, triple or quadruple-posting. If you're really in a hurry, try PMing one of the mods or someone you know who is a fan of the show(s) in question. Chances are, they'll be quite happy to post so that you can have your say afterwards. -------------------- I was pretty satisfied with Shingetsutan Tsukihime's plot. Only one character (Aoko) seemed blatantly out of place, and considering that the series had a limited amount of time in which to tell a rather complicated story, it did a decent job of keeping things understandable and relatively consistent. Of course, I watched Tsukihime for its beautiful music and unique atmosphere, and I didn't learn about the game until I'd finished the show. So I guess it makes sense that fans of the game would be somewhat disappointed with the anime. I liked the characters very much, particularly Shiki; I have trouble concurring with your comments about his personality. I just don't see how the show's creators could possibly have done more than hinted at his.... er, schizophrenia (which they definitely did). It would have distracted from the central love story. From looking over what you've said, I get the impression that the Tsukihime anime could easily have encompassed thirty or forty episodes. How long would you have wanted it to be? ~Dagger~

o_O The same theory occurred to me as well! Of course, for a few moments I [spoiler]automatically thought it was a glitch in the Matrix or something... damn deja vu. I assume the trio died as the building was being torn down, but that doesn't explain why they didn't receive any noticeable wounds (unlike the guy who jumped in front of the train).[/spoiler] Watching episode 8 forced me to re-examine the similarities between this series and Boogiepop Phantom. The fact that it's relatively unconnected to the remainder of the show and has no obvious place on Paranoia Agent's timeline (we don't know how long it's been since [spoiler]the fake Shounen Bat[/spoiler] was killed) brings BP's loosely episodic structure to mind. As in BP, innocence and death are both powerful overarching themes. However, episode 8 is creepy by virtue of its dark comedy; Boogiepop is just plain... well, creepy. The script remains deathly serious throughout all twelve of its episodes, which is totally not the case in Paranoia Agent. Satoshi Kon directed Tokyo Godfathers, right? I haven't rented it yet, but I know something about the movie's basic plot, and I can't help believing that this episode was meant to satirize its set-up. Frankly, I can't come up with any other reasons for Paranoia Agent abruptly crossing over to comedy. Moreover, both episode 8 and the film revolve around [spoiler]a group of three main characters--an old man, an energetic young girl and a gay guy.[/spoiler] That just can't be pure coincidence. ~Dagger~

As many of you know, the frighteningly spammy Yu Yu Hakusho forum was removed sometime during the transition to v7. We haven't had a single YYH topic since then. Since Cartoon Network finally announced plans to air the series in its entirety (and since the Dark Tournament arc will soon conclude), I thought now might be a good time to start some kind of Yu Yu Hakusho-related discussion. It's probably safe to assume that most casual anime fans will have heard of or encountered this show, but I'd be happy to provide some kind of summary if anyone doesn't know what it's about. Out of all the seemingly interminable shounen series I've watched--which admittedly isn't many, as the genre doesn't appeal to me very much--YYH is easily my favorite. It originally aired from October 1992 to January 1995, and is approximately 112 episodes long (making it considerably shorter than DBZ and Naruto). Like those shows, YYH eventually settles into a tournament-type format; since such plotlines tend to be terribly unsuspenseful, I suspect I'm not the only viewer who watches the anime primarily for its characters. Its animation is at best somewhat servicable, but rises to the occasion when truly thrilling moments are called for. To tell you the truth, I have trouble explaining why I like this show--it certainly has its share of drawbacks. I guess I'll just try to talk about a couple of YYH's positive attributes, foremost among which are its pacing, its comedy and its dub. Unlike comparable series such as Inuyasha and the aforementioned DBZ, Yu Yu Hakusho almost never drags. Even the most significant battles rarely last more than an episode or two; better yet, adjacent fights usually differ greatly in terms of length and outcome. The female cast members are competent, resilient and interesting. I [i]really[/i] appreciate the effort that went into making them strong and well-rounded characters, since there's very little I hate more than weak, overly whiny women. As is the case with Fruits Basket, YYH's Japanese and English VAs do not always match up perfectly. However, the acting in both languages sounds so natural and compelling that I have to give FUNimation a lot of credit for putting together a top-notch dub. I particularly love John Burgmeier's portrayal of Kurama; his voice is nothing like Ogata Megumi's, but somehow he really makes the character his own. It definitely doesn't hurt that Yu Yu Hakusho is a very funny anime. Its comedy tends to be delightfully irreverent--or, barring that, satirical and utterly absurd. Hiei's one-liners are simply classic, as is the episode that introduces us to Puu. I admire YYH for simultaneously featuring a ridiculous demigod like Koenma (who is just impossible to take seriously) and treating the death of a major character with sensitivity rather than black humor or melodrama. Anyway, I can't wait to see more of Karasu tomorrow evening--even though I already own that particular match on DVD. >_>; ~Dagger~

Save your creative energy for custom titles; I think I can safely predict that the feature you mentioned won't be implemented anytime soon (assuming such a thing is even feasible). DDG did a good job of explaining why it's so impractical. ~Dagger~

Yasuhiko, FMA digisubs are quite easy to acquire. If you don't know how to download them, just PM me and I'll try to respond as soon as I have a spare moment or two. Several months ago, I downloaded the first episode of Full Metal Alchemist and thought it was utterly atrocious... probably because I was in a foul mood and expected the series to be some brilliant work of genius. This afternoon I decided (in a minor fit of procrastination) to take a look at episode 2. To my own surprise, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. The background music is pretty good--a bit cliched during some scenes, but borderline haunting in others--and Edward makes a fantastic main character. He's just so easy to root for. However, I still have little reason to think that the anime will be anything spectacular.... it's not nearly as funny as Yu Yu Hakusho, and the action has absolutely nothing on Get Backers (another 52 episode series) or Peace Maker Kurogane. On the other hand, Ed is awesome. I love his facial expressions. ^_^ The plot's dark undertones definitely appeal to me, so I'm hoping to see more... er, disturbing stuff. I suspect that I won't have any problems with potential filler, considering that I didn't mind all the random craziness in PMK. You know, I sort of feel as though the first two episodes are a mildly crappy Kino's Journey rip-off. Obviously the plot is heading somewhere entirely different, so I can't complain all that much, but certain moments gave me a powerful sense of deja vu (I could swear that the exact same priest appears in both shows!). ~Dagger~

I've flipped through the first volume of the Get Backers manga. It has great fanservice (for both girls and guys!), but I didn't find it particularly funny or appealing. The television series is an entirely different matter; I'd only downloaded four episodes before it was licensed by ADV, but I really liked what I'd seen. Once it's released on R1 DVD--which will presumably take place fairly soon, since Get Backers is a pretty popular anime--I plan to start working my way through the rest of the show. I have a couple questions for those of you who've watched Get Backers in its entirety. Does the quality of the animation remain consistent throughout the series? I don't really care about that kind of thing so long as the characters stay on-model, but it'd be nice to know what kind of action I can expect from later episodes. Also, without giving too much away, were you satisfied by the anime's finale? It seems as though most series nowadays either fizzle to an end or just stop without providing any proper closure. ~Dagger~

Godel, have you seen the television series? It's mind-bogglingly great--everything that R.O.D would have been were it not for certain time constraints. Like the OVA, R.O.D TV is packed with tasteful fanservice, classy humor and a healthy dose of slick, creative action. Its character development is absolutely superb. Even Maggie, who I initially ignored, has turned out to be much stronger and more capable than her behavior in the first few episodes seemed to indicate. The romantic elements are [i]slightly[/i] stronger than those in the OVA, yet sadly that isn't saying much. As a matter of fact, the only new character I have difficulty rooting for is Hisami. She's cute, but anime isn't exactly lacking in adorable young girls. Normally I'd be all over a potential shoujo-ai pairing... I guess the problem here is that I really, really love [spoiler]Junior, and between the two of them, I think he'd be much better suited for Anita.[/spoiler] Hisami's shy personality and high-pitched voice just don't do anything for me; if one disregards the fact that she happens to be [spoiler]in love with a girl,[/spoiler] she's basically a stock character. So far the only scene in which I felt any sympathy for her was when [spoiler]she had to tell that boy why they couldn't be together.[/spoiler] But these are pretty minor complaints... overall, R.O.D TV is awesome. I can only hope that I won't find its ending disappointing. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Queen Asuka][SIZE=1']This thread is almost two years old. If you want to start a topic on this series, please start a new thread if there hasn't been one made already. You can check by looking in the Anime Directory. Posting in threads that are this old (where the post quality) is atrocious. How in the world do you people even FIND these things?[/SIZE][/quote] [quote name='Dagger IX1']As a general rule, try not to bring back threads that are over thirty days old. An entirely separate anime music topic sprang up, became several pages long and was subsequently closed in the time since this particular discussion died out.[/quote] I think that covers it pretty well. Noelmvilla, you revived so many ancient topics that I was eventually forced to merge them (in order to avoid cluttering up the Lounge with a slew of recently closed threads). If you neglect to read the rules and continue pulling stunts like this one, I can assure you that you won't be active here for long. ~Dagger~

As a general rule, try not to bring back threads that are over thirty days old. An entirely separate anime music topic sprang up, became several pages long and was subsequently closed in the time since this particular discussion died out. Izumi, your posts could stand to be a bit longer. At the very least, they shouldn't be totally dwarfed by the lyrics in your signature. Keeping that in mind, please take a look at OtakuBoards' rules before writing another reply. Feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators if you have any questions about their content. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Aurus']So, are DVD's out in the US yet, or will I have to be sneaky and watch it on TV?[/quote] Volume 1 was originally supposed to come out on June 22, but for some reason Bandai recently announced that its release would be partially delayed. The regular disc will still hit stores in June, but the limited edition artbox set has been bumped back to July 6. I'm going to hold out for the artbox. However, if you don't care about that kind of thing, it might be easier to wait until June than to stay up late and watch (or tape) the series every Saturday. ~Dagger~

For a slow-paced series, Juuni Kokki is remarkably addictive. I picked up the second DVD several days ago and ended up watching it much more quickly than I'd originally intended. I'm really glad I decided to start purchasing this series--at five episodes per disc, it'll cost about the same amount as X-TV (which is only half as long!). Many of the reviews and summaries I've read compare Juuni Kokki to Fushigi Yuugi. Having never seen the latter, I can't offer a proper response to densuke's comments. However, as I continue working my way through Juuni Kokki, I'll be on the lookout for hints of Confucianism--it'll be interesting to discover whether or not the show places an emphasis on filial piety. ~Dagger~

Jeez, being a fan isn't all about knowing trivia. That kind of attitude won't get you anywhere, and it certainly doesn't give you bragging rights. There will [i]always[/i] be someone who owns more R2 DVDs, limited edition pencil boards and little figurines than you do; there will always be maniacs who download Inuyasha raws the instant they're released (without knowing a single phrase of Japanese). Generally speaking, these type of people need to get a life--not because they love a certain show or anime in general, but because they often look down on those who don't keep up with all the latest digisubs or pre-order R1 DVDs up the wazoo. You are not your post count, you are not your computer, and you are most certainly not your DVD collection or (heaven forbid) the size of your backlog. Learn to appreciate anime without condemning those who have just begun to watch it. And on a side note, it's "Tetsusaiga," not "Tetsugaia." Ah, the irony... Anyway, I'm less than impressed by CN's new episodes. I stopped enjoying this show sometime in the middle of its second season, but I guess I'll keep on watching it--if only to kill time between Gundam SEED and Wolf's Rain. >_> I feel as though Inuyasha is becoming exponentially more powerful with a minimum of actual effort. The sheer scope of his new abilities basically makes the rest of the cast look useless. Miroku can probably still hold his own, but Sango and Kagome might as well stick to the sidelines from now on. I mean, how could they possibly aid someone who's capable of levelling mountains? ~Dagger~