Dagger

I recently read on ANN that a three-episode Mirage of Blaze OVA is currently being produced. Since I'm very interested in MoB and have yet to buy the series, I'd love to hear other fans' thoughts on this news. On a side note, Reflux, most people have pairings--straight, gay, lesbian, whatever--that they find utterly abhorrent. I personally cannot stand the idea of Amon (from Witch Hunter Robin) getting together with anyone other than Robin herself. Similarly, I would have a fit if Touga and Utena (from Revolutionary Girl Utena) became a couple; in my mind, he's meant for Saionji. I find it utterly amazing and just a little sad that hardcore yaoi OVAs like Level C were released in North America long before Gravitation, which by comparison looks no less benign than My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away. ~Dagger~

Media Blasters (the company notorious for bringing us Weiss Kreuz) has acquired three new titles: Giant Robo, Ginrei Specials and, most notably, [b]Gokusen[/b]. I'm so happy to hear this. Out of all the shows I've been following lately, Gokusen is among the funniest and most sophisticated. Hopefully its popularity will rival GTO's once it comes out in North America. MB's John Sirabella also re-confirmed the August release of Here is Greenwood, a 6-episode OVA. ~Dagger~

Yeah... "Hope" sounds a little weak. I am [i]so[/i] sure that [spoiler]Vestemona?s father?and, more generally, the Lauren company?will turn out to be Kenran?s bad guy.[/spoiler] Of course this is no more than a wild hunch, but my experience with shows like Bubblegum Crisis has taught me that when it comes to anime, large corporations are rarely benevolent or, for that matter, anything other than greedy and exploitative. Some aspects of Kenran Butousai bring Peace Maker Kurogane to mind. Its plot advances more quickly (which most people would probably consider a positive attribute), but its character interactions are just as amusing and endearing. I thought Yagami was pretty harsh in his dismissal of Jr. However, that attitude fits in with what we?ve learned about his personality thus far?and he was proven right, after all?so I guess it?s okay. Yet I was surprised by how readily he accepted Gram. Quite an unpredictable guy, ne? (Um?. was it just me, or did Gram actually end up [i]breathing underwater[/i] at one point during episode 3? Am I missing something?) ~Dagger~

As penance for missing the first episode of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, I decided to start watching Gundam X. Although I'm not a big Gundam aficionado, I enjoy well-made mecha anime. Thus far X seems more interesting--or, at the very least, easier to follow--than Wing, but the two series have so much in common that it?s hard to avoid comparing them. The main character, a teenage boy (aren?t they all? :rolleyes:) named Garrod, looks exactly like my vision of Heero and Duo?s illegitimate offspring. Not only that, but his personality is also vaguely like a combination of theirs. The similarity in character designs and general artistic style can be attributed to the fact that the same team was responsible for both Wing and X. However, X?s basic plot brings to mind Final Fantasy IX: a cute, scrappy, talkative thief rescues and falls for a mysterious dark-haired beauty. Yet like FF?s Princess Garnet, Tifa (Gundam X?s female lead) isn?t your ordinary damsel in distress. She?s resourceful, interesting and doesn?t beat about the bush--but seems rather spacey and only speaks when absolutely necessary. In fact, I can?t quite tell whether or not she?s just a total head case. ^_^; If you like Wing?s artwork, you?ll also like X?s. Its animation is far from flashy, yet considering when it was made?shortly after Gundam Wing, if I recall correctly?it?s more than adequate. Overall I think this promises to be a pretty decent anime, with solid characters rather than a groundbreaking plot or fancy graphics. ~Dagger~

Members, pay close attention--this is seriously one of the worst possible ways to start a thread. Master Kakashi, I'd be very grateful if you tried putting more thought and effort into your posts. It takes about two seconds to type a single line that tells us absolutely nothing about the show in question. Next time, you should summarize the series you wish to discuss and provide your readers with a cursory concept of the issues and scenarios it deals with. You're welcome to PM me or one of the other mods if you have any questions, comments or concerns about our policies. With that having been said... Thread closed. ~Dagger~

Dude? [spoiler]freaky stalker girl.[/spoiler] O_o I?m not sure whether I like this turn of events; it could be either funny or just plain strange, depending on how the director handles future episodes. Of course, the ending of episode 3 is very amusing, mostly because of its the pseudo-eerie background music. Aishiteruze Baby does an amazing job of making you become emotionally involved in even the most minor, inconsequential conflicts. I nearly started cheering when [spoiler]the mean girl developed an instant crush on Kippei. That was the perfect way to get her just desserts. ^_~[/spoiler] Thankfully, Kippei?s good looks and willingness to blow girls off for Yuzu?s sake continue to keep this from degenerating into an unrealistic harem anime. Male characters are rarely likeable, genuine [i]and[/i] incredibly attractive, but he?s definitely all three. I?m pleased by the fact that Kokoro?s feelings are made evident through body language rather than bold declarations of love or (as happens surprisingly often in anime) her beating him up every other second. The scene in which [spoiler]she meets Yuzu[/spoiler] is so sweet and, though initially clichéd, quite different from what most shows would lead your to expect. Normally, Kippei would be the one who would come and [spoiler]rescue Yuzu[/spoiler]; it?s nice to see a girl play the hero for once. ^_^ Yep, Aishiteruze Baby has surpassed my expectations. I?m really anticipating episode 4. ~Dagger~

If you want to learn more about Bubblegum Crisis, please post in the official BGC topic. Same thing goes for Boogiepop Phantom. Solo mentioned earlier that recommendations threads are generally shaky ground, and having seen several since becoming a mod, I wholeheartedly agree. As a fan of both of those series, I would be happy to discuss them with you either in their respective threads or via PM (whichever method you prefer). Also, bear in mind that OtakuBoards does not permit double posting under any circumstances. Take a look at our rules if you're confused or uncertain about what I've said. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

By this point in time, it's become clear that April's offerings are something of a mixed bag. I really love Aishiteruze Baby and Kyou Kara Maou, but so far these shows have been light-hearted shoujo comedies--quite unlike the dark, serious anime I normally crave. Fans of disturbing, thought-provoking shows such as Paranoia Agent, Kino's Journey and Boogiepop Phantom basically have two new anime to choose from: Hi no Tori and Monster. The main difference between them is that although Hi no Tori unhesitatingly addresses the harsh truths of life, it does not deliberately aim to horrify. Its antagonists are balanced out by an array of kind-hearted, resourceful heroes. Equally well-scripted and well-made, Monster portrays human nature in a far darker light. The show revolves around Dr. Tenma, a brilliant young surgeon who refuses to take part in the politics and petty scheming that determine how his beloved hospital is run. Ironically, his virtue eventually leads to his downfall. Episode 2 was released last week, and episode 3 should be on its way soon. I expect that Monster's supernatural elements will gain a larger role as the series continues. Its sound effects, artwork and background music combine to create an atmosphere that is both creepy and starkly realistic. It's much too early to tell, but I have a feeling that this series could turn into a true classic. I urge all of you to watch it. ^_^ ~Dagger~

[quote name='gendou ikari']I am somewhat amazed that Fooly Cooly has never( to my knowlege) been discussed.[/quote] Next time, be sure to check the Official Threads Directory before creating a new series topic. Doing this should save both yourself and the mods a lot of trouble. Thank you very much. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Welcome to OtakuBoards, Dark Kakashi. With that having been said, there are a few things I'd like you to keep in mind... 1. Favorites topics are rarely--if ever--permitted. They tend to attract more spam than actual discussion, as is evidenced by this thread's general lack of quality. Only when the creator's original post shows an incredible amount of thought, effort and intelligence do we allow these types of threads to remain open. 2. OB places a strong emphasis on correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Your last reply, for example, is simultaneously too short, off-topic and virtually unreadable. Using proper English will make people pay much closer attention to your opinions and beliefs. 3. We already have a rather lengthy Naruto topic, which is listed in the "Official Threads Directory" sticky. Please check there whenever you feel like creating a new series thread, since our policy is to maintain exactly one topic for each individual anime. I'd also appreciate it if all of you (other than AzureWolf) strove to improve your post quality. Had the replies in this thread been interesting and well-written, I would simply have merged it with our official Naruto topic. Please PM me or one of the other moderators with any questions, comments or concerns. Thanks! ^_^ Thread closed. ~Dagger~

[quote name='darkkikyo']Kenshin and Kouru forever!!! No-one better say otherwise :flaming: :laugh:[/quote] *blinks* May I remind you that this thread has very little to do with Rurouni Kenshin? Hittokiri only mentioned the series in passing, and not as an actual recommendation. So.... yeah. Please read OtakuBoards' rules before posting again, and avoid going off-topic like the plague (or SARs, or mad cow disease--whatever floats your boat). EDIT: Oh, wait. What the heck? Sorry, darkkikyo; I maintain that your post quality could use some serious work, but at the time I hadn't realized why you mentioned Kenshin and Kaoru. Gendo, when you create a thread, you should avoid adding unrelated polls--that's as bad as wandering off-topic. Feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators if you have any questions. ~Dagger~

A huge thank you to Adult Swim for airing allowing me to see this. ^_^ Frankly, I like The Animatrix much better than Reloaded (I never did get around to seeing Revolutions). Back when it first came out, I thought that the first Matrix was a true classic in terms of both action and plot. It just kicks tremendous amounts of ***. I was very dubious about Reloaded, but I wanted it to be good. However, when I walked out of the theater I felt immensely disappointed. No matter how cleverly written, beautifully filmed or intelligently conceived the latter two installments of the trilogy may be, I [i]prefer not to know the details of the story's end[/i]. Does that make any sense? I love The Matrix's mysterious, enigmatic and empowering ending. Maybe I got something different out of the first film than other fans, but Reloaded isn't the kind of sequel I'd been looking for. I didn't think that anything would have been able to match my enormous expectations. And yet The Animatrix does. For one thing, every single short perfectly captures the spirit of the original movie. I always found the world and concepts of The Matrix more interesting than the characters who populate it, so it was nice to see the spotlight on people other than Neo or Trinity. My favorite pieces are probably Detective Story, Beyond and Program. The Second Renaissance reminded me way too much of Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. ^_^; Even as I soaked in the gorgeous animation, I began wondering where I had seen this scenario before. And though machines taking over the world isn't exactly a novel concept, the short's execution and even certain aspects of its animation made it hard for me to avoid comparing it with BGC. Same thing goes for Matriculated--the Runner looks so much like a Boomer! Well, at least fans of The Second Renaissance would definitely enjoy BGC. The voice acting and animation are stellar throughout; I really relished being able to experience such a diversity of artistic styles. For me, The Animatrix succeeds where The Matrix Reloaded does not. ~Dagger~

A few thoughts about the first episode of [b]Le Portrait de Petit Cossette[/b]: Although I really admire some of Petit Cossette's visual techniques, I didn't enjoy it in the same way that I would enjoy something like Boogiepop Phantom or Texhnolyze. For one thing, the OVA goes to great lengths to complicate what is ultimately a very straightforward plot. Petit Cossette's symbolism (some of which comes across as being annoyingly blatant) only conceals the relative simplicity of its storyline. In my opinion, that's a silly gimmick; mindf*ck anime doesn't have to be needlessly complex. The main character's mental troubles provide more than enough fodder for confusion without randomly sticking him on a cross to reinforce the fact that he's a self-sacrificing kind of guy. However, I [i]love[/i] Eiri's seiyuu (she also plays Okita Souji in Peace Maker Kurogane, Tsukasa in .hack//SIGN and Wolfram in Kyou Kara Maou). Generally speaking, the voice acting in Petit Cossette is nothing short of superb... hopefully the OVA will become a little less dense in future episodes. ~Dagger~

I [i]completely[/i] agree about FLCL. Its production values are incredible, and I actually did perceive some deeper meaning in the show's seemingly nonsensical dialogue. Yet though it has many of the hallmarks of a fascinating (albeit very unconventional) mindf*ck anime, I could not bring myself to enjoy it. People always describe FLCL as hilarious and bizarre--but personally, I found it to be remarkably unamusing. And despite the fact that bizarre might be a more suitable adjective, I feel as though the series is self-consciously random and frantic rather than genuinely weird (a la Paranoia Agent). The characters are uniformly unlikeable, and regardless of its reputation, the music isn't compelling enough to make me give FLCL a second chance. This is why I absolutely hate it when fans cite a show's depth, clever allusions, convoluted plot or psychologically twisted characters as sufficient reason to call it "good." Guess what, folks--anime is entertainment. Big O may possess one of the most frustrating, amazing storylines ever created, but that won't make the show's detractors enjoy watching it. Ultimately, you can only judge a series by how much pleasure [i]you[/i] derive from each episode and from the anime as a whole. ~Dagger~

You're definitely improving, Gendo. Keep up the good work. ^_^ In any event, I couldn't help noticing that you'd mentioned Peace Maker Kurogane (which is among my favorite series). I avoided commenting on this show earlier because anything I say about it is bound to be somewhat over-effusive. However, I won't hesitate to second your remarks. PMK is a delightful, well-done anime that manages to strike the perfect balance between comedy and drama. I sincerely hope that it will be licensed as soon as possible--most likely by either Geneon or ADV, which owns the second manga series--and once it comes to North America, I'm sure the series is going to gain a strong following among Kenshin fans. At the very least, it'll attract a [i]ton[/i] of fangirls. ^_~ ~Dagger~

Ciel watched Renier plunge into the fray, smoothly avoiding the golems' thunderous advances. She could think of only one way to assist him, but it would require sacrificing countless Dolls. After a moment the necromancer placed her hands together, smiling; the gesture seemed a mocking counterfeit of prayer. She knew that if he survived, Uthegiliel would be very deeply in her debt. "Come out, children," Arciela whispered, opening her palms as molten pebbles rained down on every side. This place had become suffused with the smoky scent of hell. "It's time to play, my dears." Most of them had been with her for years, sometimes even centuries. They moved faster than any human being could, their limbs a liquid blur, eyes pale and always blank. In terms of sheer numbers, Ciel's Dolls matched the swiftly multiplying golems. Swarming here from every part of her estate, they would never feel pain, never stop, never tire, though the odor of burning flesh billowed to fill the arena. Magma seeped past her feet and Arciela stepped calmly over its glowing rivulets--neither she nor Renier needed to worry about being permanently injured, as her abilities compensate for any burns or stone-crushed limbs. Uthegiliel, however, was now beyond her ability to help. Only he had the power to master the rogue magic. She thrust a bit of power into one of her oldest Dolls, lending him the strength to slam a golem to the ground. It looked absurd, a child flinging his underdeveloped body at a puppet of heat and rock, but her gambit worked. Renier raised a disbelieving eyebrow and quickly dove through the opening in the growing throng of monsters.

Yes, I know I said I'd wait a week. I apologize to those of you who actually wrote thoughtful, funny and interesting replies, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I allowed this atrocity to remain open. There are much, [i]much[/i] higher-quality threads both in the Anime Lounge and OB's other forums. Go ahead and post in one of those. ~Dagger~

[quote name='AngelofDesire']This is insane, Inuyasha has been on forever yet they are continuosly changing the times,,,what is that..X_X :flaming:[/quote] New episodes will be airing in just a couple of weeks. If you want to comment on Cartoon Network's schedule, please take a look at the "television line-ups" thread, which is stickied for members' personal convenience. Anyway, your reply contributes almost nothing to this discussion. In the future, try saying something about the actual show--which is after all the main topic of the thread. Feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators for advice on how to improve your post quality, but that's a step you should take only after reviewing OtakuBoards' rules. Have a nice day. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Thank goodness I decided not to try out Tenjo Tenge. ^_^; I'm pretty pleased with the first episode of [b]Mahou Shoujotai[/b] (that sounds [i]so[/i] much better than the show's English title). It reminds me vaguely of Kiki's Delivery Service, but I suppose anything with apprentice witches would. At this point it's hard to tell whether it will have a stereotypical RPG-ish type storyline or do something more original and different. Some of Mahou Shoujotai's concepts are unique, at least when it comes to anime; for example, the witches seem to operate under a bureaucracy similar to the one found in Harry Potter. While its character designs aren't exactly flashy, I thought the brief CG sequence at the beginning was very well done, and the main character's flying looks fantastic. I'll definitely continue watching this one. ^_^ Despite its many positive attributes, [b]Interlude[/b] kind of upset me. Its artwork, which has the level of detail and quality that I've come to expect from OVAs, is so lovely that I kept watching it despite my initial skepticism and later disappointment. Episode 1 actually starts off really well... I was fully prepared for forty minutes of heavy-handed existential moping accompanied by breathtaking imagery. Instead, it begins with a wonderfully sad, delicate atmosphere--and then completely loses that as the female lead makes her entrance and proceeds to obsess about other women's breasts. There's a time and place for ample cleavage; a seductive woman (such as the doctor in Texhnolyze) can be an incredibly powerful character. Yet Interlude's director plays this for laughs. The bouncing is mesmerizing, but not particularly funny, and it destroys the show's sense of darkness and impending danger. Read or Die incorporates such fanservice better than any other anime I've seen, but it's a much less serious OVA and doesn't even begin to tackle the type of psychological problems found throughout Interlude. I'm about to watch Le Portrait de Petit(e) Cossette. However, what I'm really looking forward to is Kyou Kara Maou 2. Hopefully it'll come out sometime in the near future. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Akiya Debisu']RICHARD COX!!!!!!!!!!!!! :love: :love: :love: :love: he did SOOOO incredibly grat as Inuyasha! He's more famous for it than Yamaguchi Kappei. I think it's quite funny actually[/quote] This reply is rather spammish, dearie. Next time be sure to tell us why you like Mr. Cox's performance, and ease up on the smilies--like many things in life, they're best when utilized sparingly. But disregarding any issues related to post quality, I don't understand why you assume that Richard Cox is "more famous" for being the man behind Inuyasha than Yamaguchi Kappei, an incredibly well-known and easily recognizable seiyuu. He's nearly as ubiquitous as, say, David Lucas. Mr. Cox might possess some degree of renown among North American or dub-only fans... yet overall I think his name commands less respect than Yamaguchi Kappei?s. I agree with you in the sense that Richard Cox is one of Inuyasha?s best VAs; his performance is certainly more nuanced than Moneca Stori's. However, you shouldn?t underestimate Yamaguchi?s fan following or his fame. EDIT: Oops, Solo got here first. My bad. ^_^; ~Dagger~

[quote name='densuke']This new series is going to have to be pretty damn funny - but all it's given out with so far is an undersized teacher, a girl who likes girls and a boy who likes boys. Too soon to tell, but I am not incredibly hopeful...[/quote] Haha, the latter two characters are my main motivation for keeping up with this show... although Tall Blonde Chick's preferences don't exactly match my own. Lolicon, anyone? At least Peace Maker Kurogane did a good job of turning the suggestion of shotacon into a relatively harmless joke, and dropped that particular line of humor before it could grow old. I feel as though Sensei no Ojikan's scriptwriters won't be quite so wise. Kudo's antics are pretty cute, and I like Suetake's seiyuu (who was also, incidentally, in PMK... not to mention a host of more popular shows). Only a few of the jokes actually made me burst out laughing, but I [i]am[/i] normally impervious to anime humor. Sensei no Okijan might be good if it plays up its characters' personalities rather simply assigning one major quirk to each. [b]Pugyuru[/b] is another new comedy series. Its episodes are around five minutes long, if I remember correctly, and it looks surprisingly like a Flash movie. I don't know the history of this anime, but I suspect that it's based on a webcomic or something. ~Dagger~

I'm really disappointed with the post quality in this thread. There have been a couple of decent replies, but overall it's plagued by inadequate grammar and a lack of thought and effort. If I don't see some drastic improvements over the next week or so, I'll have to close the topic. Please explain [i]why[/i] you like the quotes you're about to post. Many of them are inside jokes, and members who haven't watched the series in question won't understand what makes them so funny or poignant. Spend a sentence or two identifying the characters involved (while being careful to skirt around potential spoilers), and just try to summarize the general situation. Thanks for your patience, everyone. I've avoided making specific comments because, frankly, there are too many sub-par posts for me to give each of them an individual response. ~Dagger~

Okay... Kono Mini is now going straight to the bottom of the scrap pile. After the next few episodes are released, I doubt I'll feel even the slightest temptation to continue watching it. Has anyone else seen episode 2? I'm sorry, but that shower scene was utterly ridiculous. Naked girls getting touchy-feely with one another is all very well.... [i]if[/i] I'm in the mood for hentai. There is absolutely no way that this show could work as a sweet sci-fi romance; it has all of Chobits' flaws and none of its redeeming qualities. [QUOTE=densuke][b]Melody of Oblivion[/b] is the other series GAINAX is involved with this spring and I'm betting it is the better one. This anime is willing to deliver some storytelling. Bocca will be one of the most vivid heroes of the season. The plot is lurid nonsense, but at least it is [i]straightforward and dramatic[/i] nonsense. The first episode already delivered some very good scenes.[/QUOTE] While Melody of Oblivion has already proven that it's less absurd than Kono Mini, I have my reservations about the show. If only Gainax had put all of its money into [i]this[/i] series. Anyway, I can live without amazing production values.... and the character designs aren't exactly my cup of tea, but Melody of Oblivion seems interesting enough to let me overlook that. The part when [spoiler]the man and the secretary turn into monsters[/spoiler] was pretty well timed, in my opinion. So I guess I can look forward to witnessing more disturbing moments. ~Dagger~

Haha, that's an awesome opening post. ^_^ I agree with you on every count. Aishiteruze Baby is turning out to be one of the best shows I've [i]ever[/i] seen, and I don't say that lightly. All of the characters' personalities are so natural, so endearing and believeable that I wouldn't care if its plot involved a martial arts tournament or (heaven forbid) busty aliens. Kippei is likeable not only because he has a heart of gold, but also because of his many imperfections. I can't possibly over-emphasize how well Aishiteruze Baby's script captures different kinds of personalities and relationships; the members of its cast (both young and old) feel like real people. That is truly an accomplishment. Watching the series is such a pleasure--particularly after seeing This Ugly and Beautiful World, a show whose characters are incredibly.... well, fake. Their interactions feel forced and fail to stir my sympathy, whereas Aishiteruze Baby plays with my emotions even more effectively than Fruits Basket. As you said, the voice acting in this anime only adds to its appeal. I particularly like the seiyuus who play Kippei, Kokoro, Kippei's sister and, of course, Yuzuyu. ~Dagger~

[quote name='xXchaosfaerieXx']Witch Hunter Robin turned out to be a lot better than I expected! ... But the ENDING!!! The ending killed me.[/quote] To tell you the truth, I think that WHR's ending is very disappointing; it fails in a number of significant regards. After watching the show's fantastic middle arc, I was prepared for an epic, action-packed finale. Yet the last episode's lack of any awesome showdowns is not what bothers me... rather, I feel that WHR's storyline starts to unravel after the true villain is revealed, and never really recovers. Witch Hunter Robin's impact derives in large part from all of the amazing plot twists that occur midway through the show. Robin is shown to be immensely, frighteningly powerful; [spoiler]in my opinion, Zaizen doesn't have the kind of superhuman abilities or forceful personality required to be an appropriate antagonist. He's actually pretty bland, and his motives are terribly cliche. I would rather have seen Father Julian, another Craft user, or even Amon turn out to be the ultimate bad guy.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~