Dagger

[quote name='Mamma Vash']i WOULD LOVE TO VISIT A COUPLE OF ANIME WORLDS---TRIGUN, BECAUSE THE WESTERN SETTING IS ACTUALLY A SIMPLE WORLD-- HARSH BUT SIMPLE. AND INUYASHA BECAUSE LIVING IN A VILLAGE SURROUNDED BY TREES, IN A LONG PAST ERA WOULD BE SO DIFFERENT.[/quote] For the love of all that is good and holy, please avoid typing like this in the future. Your fingers should not even dream of straying near the dreaded Caps Lock key. But on the plus side, your post quality is quite nice (if one can disregard the shouting -_-). Thanks in advance for editing the reply quoted above. ^_^ [color=hotpink][size=1]Amen, sister. *QA*[/color][/size] lita, I'm glad to see that you're starting to concentrate on using proper grammar and spelling. Just watch those unnecessary capitals, okay? Prismatic Tears, I would greatly appreciate it if you added some much-needed commas and periods to your latest post. As of now, the whole thing is one gargantuan run-on sentence, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who might find that difficult to read. ~Dagger~

[quote name='UltimateX']Hey!!!!!! Since som1 is gonna give me the link and stuff for CC. Now lets start talking about it more.[/quote] [quote name='Miss Tori][color=hotpink][size=1]Welcome to the OtakuBoards! All I'm asking is that you please read the rules, watch your spelling and grammar, and try to speak in complete sentences. Thank you! *QA*[/color'][/size][/quote] Excuse me? You [i]completely[/i] ignored Queen Asuka's comments, and I'd hate to think that any member would blow her off so casually. Consider your post deleted. If you require a more detailed explanation of your transgressions, please feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators. Thanks. ^_^ [quote name='Hittokiri Zero']Has that been released in an official press release yet -_o?[/quote] Yep. You can read the press release [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=37837][u]here[/u][/URL] (scroll down to my most recent post). ~Dagger~

[quote]Well, since the PMK anime is fairly popular here, so ADV could changed SIPM to Peace Maker Kurogane so as not to confuse some of the fans and increase their sales. If that's the case, I wonder if they have access to both parts on the manga, or just SIPM.[/quote] That would make sense. I really hope you're right. ^_^ [quote name='JazzLady22']What kind of errors were in Azumanga Daioh, Dagger? I've never read it myself, so I wouldn't know... but there's plenty of room for mistakes in PMK. I'll just have to cross my fingers.[/quote] The problems all have to do with shoddy editing. One of the Azumanga girls comes from Osaka, so they decided to give her a Brooklyn accent. I wouldn't have minded this if not for the fact that her speech patterns are totally inconsistent. Sometimes she says "fuhgeddaboudit" every other word, making the text bubbles pretty difficult to read; sometimes she speaks with more clarity than the manga's most intelligent characters. Several of Azumanga Daioh's strips revolve around an English teacher named Yukari. ADV changed her subject to Spanish--but later she complains about teaching [i]English[/i]. The students are also shown struggling with English when they encounter foreigners, which makes the whole Spanish thing seem somewhat irrelevant. While I understand that it's difficult to convey the meaning of certain jokes when the entire manga is in English, I wish ADV's translators had been more careful about their choices. On the plus side, ADV Manga's releases appear to have higher-quality covers/paper than those of Tokyopop or Viz. [quote]I was also surprised to see that characters like Saitou and Ryouma didn't actually show up until PMK.[/quote] You know, I've noticed a lot of manga purists complaining about those kinds of changes. I don't know enough to decide whether some of them were ill-advised or not, but the anime just wouldn't be the same without Saitou or Ryouma. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Since they announced it at the last convention, we all knew that ADV had licensed the Peace Maker Kurogane manga (along with numerous other series). But the company just put out an official press release, and I thought I'd quote some excerpts here for whoever might be interested. [quote=AnimeonDVD.com]ADV MANGA ANNOUNCES A WHOPPING 37 NEW ACQUISTIONS HOUSTON, March 30, 2004-ADV Manga today announced that it has acquired 37 new manga titles. With titles aimed at every age in many genres, this acquisition reflects ADV Manga's commitment to a diverse publishing line with something for everyone. The titles included are: Peacemaker Kurogane by Nanae Chrono. At the violent last gasp of Japan's shogunate, a group of swordsmen called Shinsengumi protect the city of Kyoto. Their newest member is a boy named Tetsunosuke Ichimura, who is about to be drawn into a dangerous web of violence and intrigue. About ADV Manga Specializing in Japanese and other East Asian comics, illustration books, graphic novels and more, ADV Manga is the publishing division of A.D. Vision, Inc., parent company of ADV Films, Newtype USA, Anime Network and more. Founded in 2003, with nationwide mass-market distribution, ADV Manga is poised to dominate the explosively growing U.S. market for imported graphic novels and related published materials.[/quote] On the one hand, this is really exciting. It would be fantastic to actually have my own copy of the manga. But I'm also starting to get a bit confused.... ADV's summary makes it sound as though they're publishing Shinsengumi Imon Peace Maker--yet as far as I know, they only have the rights to Peace Maker Kurogane. That seems more than a little counter-intuitive, especially since the television show focuses on the events of SIPM. ADV's chances of licensing the anime are admittedly somewhat slim; however, I'd expect them to at least give it a cursory shot. What worries me is the fact that ADV Manga is a fairly new company, and fans have already complained about its treatment of popular titles like Azumanga Daioh. I don't want similar errors to be made with Peace Maker Kurogane. ~Dagger~

[quote name='r2vq]In the Manga Peace Maker Kurogane, after Ikeda-Ya Toudou Heisuke came accross [spoiler]a bunch of black cats and a little boy dressed and acting like one.[/spoiler'] Since the site has not release the next scanlated chapter I don't really know what that plot is about... hmm... But it seems mysterious no?[/quote] I really need to start keeping up with the Peace Maker Kurogane manga. Although I've seen scans from the section you're referring to, they were untranslated and so I had no idea what was happening. ^_^; If PMK is ever licensed, it will definitely go to Geneon, which--fortunately for us fans--happens to be one of the better American distributors. This company's current series include Last Exile, X-TV, Trigun, Serial Experiments Lain and Hellsing; it also owns the rights to fan favorites like Gungrave and ROD-TV. Geneon series are typically dubbed by Bang Zoom! Entertainment (X-TV, Witch Hunter Robin) or Animaze (Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star). Although most of my favorite VAs are affiliated with FUNimation, I have to admit that either Geneon studio would treat PMK quite well. Regarding voice actors.... I can see Crispin Freeman (Alucard in Hellsing, Touga in Revolutionary Girl Utena, Amon in Witch Hunter Robin) as either Hijikata or Yoshida. Okita would be highly difficult to cast, but I'd love for Steve Cannon (Kamui in X-TV) to play Suzu. That man is the king of angst. Dave Wittenberg (Subaru in X-TV, Sora in .hack//SIGN) might make a fantastic Susumu. ~Dagger~

[quote name='mirokulover9][font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=darkorchid]Did u kno that they`re puting new episodes on in April?:cool: [/color][/size'][/font][/quote] Welcome to OtakuBoards, mirokulover9. ^_^ In the future, you should refrain from double-posting. Our [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?][u]rules[/u][/URL] should make it clear that doing so is strictly forbidden. As your replies were rather spammy, I chose to delete both of them; next time, please work on writing more thoughtfully and clearly. Thaaaaaank you. ~Dagger~

Yeah, PMK definitely ended on a good note. ^_^ I also loved the part when Hey Jimmy started and [spoiler]I saw that they weren't going to play the normal ED animation.[/spoiler] I can't wait to watch the series again. [quote name='JazzLady22']So, now that we have the complete package, we can really get down to discussing the show. Where do we start?[/quote] Hmm... I think I'd like to talk about the "magic" mini-arc. Many people dislike it, but I actually thought that all of the supernatural occurrences were pretty interesting and cool. The subplot simply ended too abruptly, even though it [i]did[/i] had some continuity (as provided by the perpetually reappearing black cat). Speaking of which, does that cat remind anybody else of a malevolent Kuroneko? ~Dagger~

[quote name='ReFlux]Oh, Maladjusted of all people knows why I have reverted to hating Gundam Wing so much. The biggest thing is the fact they tried selling out the series just to get female fans with pretty boys without personality and a tendency of seeming a bit [b]yaoi[/b']-esque.[/quote] That isn't quite the right word; "shounen-ai-esque" would sound both more benign and more appropriate. In past times, yaoi referred to anything beyond deep friendship and undying loyalty, but most people now use it as a euphenism for male/male hentai (which is definitely [i]not[/i] a part of GW canon). [quote]And the Gundams are indestructible and unreaslistic.[/quote] Until I see giant robots galumphing to and fro, I'm going to think that all Gundams, Evas, mecha, etc. are thoroughly unrealistic. [quote name='densuke']Expecting OAV series to provide high production values is unrealistic IMO. TV series have to provide much more in order to catch and hold the attention of a broader audience. OAVs are sold to fans of a manga, game or TV series and do not have to reach very far in order to please them.[/quote] I don't watch that many OAVs, but I was under the impression that companies tend to spend a disproportionate amount of money on them (disproportionate, at least, when compared to the average TV show's cost per episode). I guess this assumption stems from the fact that my favorite OAVs--including Shamanic Princess, Samurai X and Read or Die--are notable for their stunning animation. [quote]Game-based series almost never provide much fanservice.[/quote] Meh.... Memories Off 2nd has a bit of fanservice. Most of it is cheaply done and doesn't seem to fit in very well, which is why I complained. :/ ~Dagger~

Although I love the color scheme in the second piece, I feel a little ambivalent about the comets... they may be too intense. The first version is subtler and perhaps a bit better balanced, but it's also borderline abstract; I'm not sure if that's the look you were going for. Either way, I'm highly impressed by your versatility. This artwork looks totally different from anything I've seen from you thus far. ~Dagger~

*laughs* [i]Au contraire[/i], Godel-chan, you may insult PMK to your heart's content. I've seen it catch plenty of flak at other forums, so nothing you say could possibly be shocking enough to incur my undying wrath. In any event, you've been forced to put up with my distinct lack of enthusiasm for Naruto. ^_~ *hides arrows* DBZ simply makes me feel bemused. I cannot comprehend why it's so darn popular; my attention span is admittedly very selective, but I'm unable to sit through more than a couple episodes of repetitive fight scenes and.... um, bulging muscles. Yeah, the muscles really get to me. The show isn't particularly suspenseful, either--which makes it an utter bore to watch (even while exercising!). ~Dagger~

"The requested URL [url]http://www.deviantart.com/view/6142120/%3C/a%3E[/url] was not found on this server." Perhaps you could try editing that link...? :/ ~Dagger~

*blinks* Well then. Ryoko, babe, you've been an active member of OtakuBoards for well over half a year. This isn't really a terrible transgression, but by now you ought to know that we require all topics to involve [i]some[/i] degree of thought. I can't see how a picture thread (particularly one in which all you have to do is identify the anime with which your image is associated) could lead to a meaningful discussion. If you have any questions, please PM me or one of the other moderators. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

I decided to make this thread after seeing the first two episodes of Memories Off 2nd, a [i]horrible[/i] OVA. Learning that it was based on a dating sim did nothing to deter me; after all, other game-related series (such as Shingetsutan Tsukihime and Kimi ga Nozomu Eien) have done remarkably well. I didn't expect Memories Off 2nd to provide anything more than pretty artwork, high-quality animation and some decent fanservice. It fails miserably in all three regards, and its storyline and characters certainly won't win any awards. Yet Memories Off 2nd isn't ridiculous enough to inadvertently become a comedy, so I was stuck with an hour of insipid, boring "drama" and high-pitched teenage angst. What a waste of bandwidth. Anyway, try describing the worst movies/shows/OVAs you've had the misfortune to experience. Hopefully, doing so will prove to be both entertaining and therapeutic. Just remember not to attack others' choices (although you should feel welcome to offer some polite commentary), since such things are purely a matter of opinion. ~Dagger~

Let's not forget about the anime powerhouse A.D. Vision. Although this company's products are usually released to mixed reviews, ADV is only just beginning to explore the world of manga and manwha. They've proven that they're willing to learn from their mistakes; the later volumes of Azumanga Daioh, for example, contain fewer errors and are much more fan-friendly than its first installment. Current ADV series include Full Metal Panic, Gunslinger Girl, the aforementioned Azumanga Daioh, Figure 17, Steel Angel Kurumi and Louie the Rune Soldier. ADV also owns the rights to Chrono Crusade (which will sell very, [i]very[/i] well), Peace Maker Kurogane, Mythical Detective LOKI RAGNAROK, To Heart, Pretear and many other manga. It looks to me as though they're attempting to capitalize on their domination of the anime DVD market. If ADV's strategies work, Tokyopop may end up having some serious competition. A good deal of the manga I buy is shounen-ai... and as far as I can tell, Tokyopop is the only company that offers a significant amount of it. This could change sometime in the near future, since Viz recently licensed Yami no Matsuei, and Media Blasters plans on distributing Skyscrapers of Oz. ~Dagger~

I don't know much about this manga, but I began downloading it after seeing Verykawaiineko's latest post in the "new manga/manwha" thread. Since we have similar tastes--particularly when it comes to shounen-ai--I thought I'd give Gohou Drug a shot. ^_^ Let me begin by stating that CLAMP never really had the power to impress me. While their artwork is certainly second to none, reading Chobits was something of a chore and X/1999 just didn't draw me in. Gohou Drug, however, could easily become one of my all-time favorite series. Its character designs are [i]marvelous[/i], combining gorgeous, CLAMP-esque detail with the kind of delicate lines more commonly seen in manwha. For some bizarre reason, this manga reminds me vaguely of Gravitation. The main character, a seventeen-year-old boy named Kazahaya, is every bit as hilarious and adorable as Shuuichi (thankfully, he's also much less spastic). I have no idea where it's heading in terms of storyline and such.... for now, I'm content to simply sit back and enjoy the fanservice. ^_~ Could anybody tell me when Tokyopop plans on releasing Gohou Drug? ~Dagger~

Hey there, Fallen. ^_^ I've re-titled this thread in order to accomodate discussion of both .hack//SIGN and the various game-related OVAs. With that having been said, please put more effort into future posts; your grammar and spelling are impeccable, but you should usually try to write more than one or two lines. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or another moderator. Thanks! ~Dagger~

Some interesting information about Paranoia Agent: Masashi Andou, who used to be part of Studio Ghibli and contributed to famous films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, was in charge of its character designs. I can definitely see this; certain people in PA bear a slight resemblance to minor characters from both of those movies. The smooth, high-quality animation serves to highlight such similarities. The show's script writer, Seishi Minakami, also worked on Boogiepop Phantom (that explains a lot, heh). I sincerely hope that I can (a) get my hands on episodes 5+, and/or (b) wait patiently until Paranoia Agent is released here in the States. By the way, the eyecatches are super-awesome.... yet another point in PA's favor. ^_^ ~Dagger~

I hadn't really considered it until now, but this show has many things in common with Boogiepop Phantom, which happens to be among my favorite anime. If you haven't seen Boogiepop, you should definitely check it out. Paranoia Agent's storyline is more linear (not to mention far less convoluted), and it uses flashbacks judiciously rather than liberally. Yet as is the case with Boogiepop, each one of PA's episodes seems to focus on a different main character. These people are connected to each other in a number of obvious and not-so-obvious ways. More importantly, both shows revolve around a string of serial attacks. The perpetrators (Shounen Bat and Boogiepop) appear to strike at random, moving unnoticed through the city until they encounter their next victims. And although Shounen Bat isn't quite an angel of death, he too has evolved into a figure of near-mythological proportions. Paranoia Agent's artwork is smooth, polished and occasionally caricaturish, while Boogiepop's aims primarily for a stark kind of realism. But the characters in each look refreshingly normal and human. I guess what I'm trying to say is: despite the fact that PA was obviously influenced by Boogiepop, it remains a unique and fascinating series. I really enjoy comparing the two shows, since they're outstanding examples of their genre and of anime in general. ~Dagger~

I've never seen a topic like this before. ^_^ The ideal kawaii girl is sweet, considerate and uncomplicated. Others may see her as an airhead or a ditz, but her selflessness more than makes up for any astounding lack of brilliance. Although mental intelligence is not once of her salient characteristics, she's very wise about most emotional matters--except those involving her own heart. People love this girl because she refuses to be discouraged and never succumbs to angst. Her patience, innocence and unflagging optimism appeal to both women and men alike, making her seem special despite her lack of unusual talents. Examples: Tohru (Fruits Basket), Saya (Peace Maker Kurogane), Yumi (Maria-sama ga Miteru) Ah, the badass guy: my favorite type of character. He may or may not have a heart of gold... either way, it's imperative that he rarely reveal his true feelings. Intimidating, aloof and untalkative, he is generally the best at what he does--a true professional in every sense of the word. While he usually specializes in combat, he may have other skills. The badass guy can be distinguished by his love of solitude and tendency to look down on others; caprice can sometimes spur him to act kindly, but he is best known for his intolerance and icy demeanor. Examples: Yuki (Gravitation), Amon (Witch Hunter Robin), Alex (Last Exile), Hijikata (Peace Maker Kurogane) 0ber0n and maikiratori, I was quite surprised to see who you'd selected as your favorite badass men. I suppose that Spike might fall into that category, but Vash and Kenshin are [i]far[/i] too kind-hearted. Same goes for Yuki.... and Kyo is really just a wannabe, heh. ^_^;; ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Rainier]Well I dunno what happened to my ArgolisDragon account, but why isn't the same action being taken against Deathbug. He's going around acting like a hotshot and yet while someone is screwing around with my account, Deathbug is just ignored. Figures this place has a staff that relies on favoritism to make their decisions. Anyway, I didn't flame him, I posted my opinion. --------- To be on topic, all I gotta say is that Yuugiou better shape up soon in terms of its metagame, or it'll be run over by Duel Masters.[/QUOTE] If you have a problem with Solo's decisions, please express your dissatisfaction via PM (rather than dragging the discussion further off-topic). It seems to me that Solo's original post was aimed at everyone--and as he verified this shortly afterwards, you shouldn't have felt singled out or threatened. Try not to take these kinds of general comments so personally; Solo did [i]not[/i] ignore Deathbug's behavior. In fact, he made it quite clear that his warning had not been directed specifically at you... I don't see how else one could possibly interpret his remarks. Neither Solo nor any of the other moderators is capable of altering a member's account status, so he obviously did not "screw around" with your previous username. Again, I'd like you to save off-topic disagreements for our handy-dandy private messaging system. Thank you very much, and have a nice day. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Episode 24!! *goes into hysterics* It's nearly midnight and I'm running on four hours of sleep, so this post may degenerate into incoherent fangirl yelpings if I attempt to write at length. With that in mind, I'll just tell you that I adore PMK's ending, which conveniently leaves things open for a continuation. ^_~ Tetsu and Saya are [i]ridiculously[/i] cute, both by themselves and (better yet!) in close proximity. Nearly every second of this episode is poignant, hilarious, or some uber-touching combination of the two..... [spoiler]SUZU STILL CARRIES AROUND YOSHIDA'S HEAD! How many days have passed since his, erm, unfortunate demise? Shouldn't the darn thing have started to decompose--or, at the very least, smell rather foul? Okita's near-complete recovery seems to indicate that he had plenty of time to rest and heal.[/spoiler] Hehe, Tetsu's going all [spoiler]Kenshin[/spoiler] on us now. Because episode 24 gives Saya and Ryouma the screen time they deserve, I can't complain about secondary characters being neglected or overlooked. And the [spoiler]conversation between Susumu and Tatsu[/spoiler] is absolutely [i]priceless[/i]. The artwork, of course, continues to look marvelous.... You know what? I really can't think of any complaints. Parting is such sweet sorrow. ;_; ~Dagger~

[quote name='outlawstar69']Trigun doesn't have the enthusiatic following that NGE does, nor the depth of said anime, but I think that it's workable. It's an example of a good anime in my opinion, and most of the characters look like people (aside from some of the Gung Ho Guns, of course). What do you all think about that idea, or any other good candiates?[/quote] Nice question. After all, this thread wasn't intended to focus totally on Evangelion. ^_^; I assume that you're referring to [i]non[/i]-Japanese live-action adaptations, in which case the size of Trigun's fanbase shouldn't make a significant difference. Neon Genesis Evangelion may have an "enthusiastic following," but the Eva film can't rely on anime fans alone; its creators must market it to the general public if they're to have any hope of turning a decent profit. In my opinion, Trigun would become a sure-fire hit more readily than Eva.... because it borrows heavily from sci-fi novels (primarily Dune) as well as traditional Westerns, its subject material might seem more familiar to American audiences. The show's lack of Eva-esque depth also makes its storyline easier to compress and comprehend. As for other good candidates, [b]Big O[/b] is the first series that comes to mind. It already has a certain Western sensibility, and I can easily imagine a Big O movie being able to duplicate Minority Report's sleek, stylish atmosphere. Most of the main characters look fairly normal, which I suppose is an added bonus. mal: After seeing Gollum and the oliphaunts in action, I've decided that WETA's skills are quite able to meet our expectations. CGI is CGI, and I suspect that living creatures are more difficult to render realistically than machines. ~Dagger~

My, my. Considering that Cartoon Network has historically aired the dregs of anime, suicide does not belong in your equation. There's no need to cry about lacking Rurouni Kenshin or Inuyasha; save your energy for buying DVDs and downloading the latest fansubs. With a decent Internet connection, you'll always have access to a large supply of anime. Anyway, these complaints can't lead to much discussion and would therefore belong better in a blog (be sure to check out our popular sister site, myOtaku.com). Please put more thought and effort into your future posts... and while you're at it, take a look at OB's rules. Feel free to PM me or one of the other moderators if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you very much, and welcome to OtakuBoards. ^_^ Thread closed. ~Dagger~

Samurai Champloo is receiving [i]incredible[/i] amounts of hype. If the show turns out to be anything like Cowboy Bebop--and even if it doesn't--I'm sure that it will become extremely popular. With people like Mr. Wantanabe behind this project, we can expect groundbreaking animation and a brilliant soundtrack (if nothing else >_>). I already love SC's character designs; they have a unique, understated kind of realism and look immensely... cool, for lack of a better word. It seems that spring promises to be chock-full of fanservice. In addition to the shows I mentioned in my first post, there's also [b]My Hime[/b], a series that has something to do with voluptuous teenage girls and their overly mobile skirts. It may involve fighting, possibly of a fantasy-esque nature, as I glimpsed a sword or two during the recently released preview. So while I don't have high hopes for My Hime's character development (and I'm certainly not expecting any subtle commentary on the truth about human nature and whatnot), it'll probably be sufficiently entertaining. At any rate, its artwork is certainly lovely. ~Dagger~

Ciel glanced slyly at Uthegiliel, hoping to provoke his curiosity. ?And what?s a battle without a proper audience? I?d be greatly pleased if you chose to watch us.? He agreed, following her through the narrow doorway?narrow, at least, to his new form; by ordinary standards it would have appeared rather grand. This vampire seemed vaguely familiar, though he could not have said what aspect of the fair-haired man summoned fading memories. In any event, it would serve him well to see how Arciela?s powers had grown over the past few years. She led them to a large outdoors arena, eyeing Renier even as she and Uthegiliel traded news about their clans. Though the necromancer?s hands swung gently at her sides, her shoulders looked slightly tense. Politics had prevented Ciel from sparring for several horribly tedious weeks, and she was aching for a challenge. ?I believe I?ll start with this,? she informed the vampire, sliding an elaborately etched glaive from a nearby rack of weapons. Long, sleek and perfectly balanced, it stood almost a foot taller than she. ?Why don?t you take a seat, Uthegiliel? If there?s anything you want . . .? He glimpsed eyes glittering in the darkness beyond the outer wall, and nodded to show his understanding. Her power was strong enough to suppress the stench of undead flesh, but it would take a great deal to make him seek the Dolls? assistance.