Dagger

Sephy's_Grl, Queen Asuka has already told you to improve your post quality. I can't quite comprehend why you would disregard her warning. OtakuBoards does not allow favorites threads, and yours has gotten off to a particularly inauspicious start. Don't post again until you read our [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?]rules,[/URL] handily hyperlinked by yours truly. They're only a click away. If you have any questions, please PM me or one of the other moderators. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

Do you enjoy Boogiepop Phantom and/or Serial Experiments Lain? Are your favorite shows confusing, dark, original, and basically trippy? In that case, you--like me--might be interested in seeing this series. Texhnolyze is licensed by the anime company Geneon (formerly known as Pioneer). To tell you the truth, I have absolutely no idea what it's about. I've tried to avoid scouring the 'net for information--I'm afraid of inadvertently stumbling across spoilers--but I [i]have[/i] seen a lengthy Texhnolyze trailer. It did an excellent job of conveying the anime's atmosphere and showing off its artwork. Stylistically, Texhnolyze seems similar to Boogiepop and Lain. Its character designs, while realistic, as richly detailed: a true pleasure to watch. Since most of the good new shows this season are around thirteen episodes long, I'm especially excited about acquiring Texhnolyze (which, if I recall correctly, has a total of twenty-two episodes). The first Texhnolyze DVD is scheduled to be released in April 2004. If you happened to download this show before it was licensed, then I'd love to know whether or not you liked it. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Mage15]That would be cool if they did come out with the Yu-Gi-Oh movie, hope to see new monsters and stuff like that on there as well. ~Laters[/QUOTE] Mage15, did you by any chance read what I said about BlackRose's reply? Those same remarks apply to your post. She's a new member, and therefore may not be familiar with our [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?]rules[/URL]. You, however, have absolutely no excuse for spamming this thread. Please don't do it again. ~Dagger~

I [i]love[/i] Demon Diary. It's quite possibly my favorite manwha (Korean manga), although I'm worried that I might dislike its ending. The art is, as you mentioned, superb--but I would expect no less from such a popular manwha. Speaking of which, I'm surprised that you haven't encountered any other Demon Diary fans; I've run into quite a few during my time at OtakuBoards and myOtaku. It seems to be a fairly well-known series, despite (or perhaps because of) its shonen-ai overtones. How many volumes have you read? I recently purchased #5, and am eagerly awaiting the next installment. Raenef is one of the cutest, sweetest, most compelling characters in any anime, manga or manwha currently on the market. While his bright, cheerful personality reminds me of Shuuichi (from Gravitation), Rae isn't quite such a drama queen, and generally avoids wallowing in angst. Eclipse, meanwhile, has proven himself to be equally loveable. Even the story's token women are anything but flat, peripheral characters: Erutis can hold her own against the most formidable of warriors, and Meruhesae is delightfully intelligent and manipulative. All in all, Demon Diary is a hilarious, highly engaging manwha. I strongly recommend it. ~Dagger~

Welcome to OtakuBoards, Shinji. ^_^ Before you create another thread, please re-read our [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?]rules[/URL]. Your post is thoughtless, spammy and will not lead to any kind of intelligent discussion. If you have trouble understanding how OtakuBoards operates, then private message me or any other moderator--we'll be happy to explain things for you. In case you'd still like to discuss the show, our official Fooly Cooly thread is located [COLOR=Darkred][URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=28691&highlight=flcl]here.[/URL][/COLOR] Thread closed. ~Dagger~

Welcome to OtakuBoards, Darius_Stomu. If you'd read our [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?]rules,[/URL] you would have realized that you just posted spam. Please put more effort into your replies; I expect all of your subsequent posts to meet (and hopefully exceed) our expectations, both in terms of content and quality. ~Dagger~

My apologies, Chabichou. I never intended to guilt-trip you or anybody else. But I do feel rather strongly about this subject, and I like learning about others' points of view. Many, many people justify downloading mp3s by saying that the musicians "are probably swimming in money anyway." While this argument [i]may[/i] apply to artists like Madonna or Linkin Park, it doesn't translate well to the world of Japanese animation. Anime, despite its increasing popularity, is still a niche market. I don't know whether the dubbing and DVD business is paticularly lucrative, and I couldn't tell you if ADV and Geneon are less profitable than the average American record company. All the same, I suspect that every single sale helps. The more legal DVDs are bought, the more anime will be licensed and released outside of Japan. Braidless Baka, I agree with your assessment of the importance of unlicensed fansubs. However, I've heard that Western companies don't follow fansub distribution quite as closely as everyone seems to think. I'll double-check this and try to find some reliable sources before my next reply. No, I don't think it's alright to download dubbed episodes solely for the sake of making a music video. If you love the show that much, you should support it by buying it on DVD. ~Dagger~

If you plan on posting here, make sure that you're familiar with OB's [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?]rules.[/URL] I don't want [i]anybody[/i] to talk about how one might download anime, or about where to find the latest shows. Instead, this topic is intended to cover the ethical questions raised by the sharing of free fansubs. As I'm sure you're all aware, downloading music (via any program) has long been the subject of heated debate. And though acquiring illegal mp3s is no less immoral than stealing music from a brick-and-mortar store, people continue to do it. Why? Because sitting behind their monitors offers them a sense of safety; because they probably won't get caught, and because they ultimately couldn't give a crap about the artists' welfare. To put it less politely, most downloaders are motivated primarily by selfishness and greed. People who download fansubs--whether licensed or unlicensed--cannot claim to be any different. But in spite of this, fansubs present a more complicated issue than domestic mp3s. Their distribution may actually benefit the company which eventually purchases the series in question, although this, like many of the points I plan on raising, is highly debatable. I'll kick things off with three simple questions. 1. Regardless of whether or not you download anime, do you believe that doing so is wrong? 2. Do you think that you'd buy more DVDs if you didn't download any shows? 3. Do foreign (not Japanese) anime companies pay attention to the popularity of various fansubbed series? For the record, I [i]do[/i] use the Internet to obtain and watch unlicensed shows. Bear that in mind as you read over my comments, which might otherwise sound overly harsh. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=K. Battousai]Kagome is Evil! Kagome is Evil! Kagome is Evil! Kagome is Evil! Kagome is Evil! Kagome is Evil! Kagome is Evil! Kagome is Evil! :babble:[/QUOTE] In other words.... This post is Spam! This post is Spam! This post is Spam! Have you read OB's [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?]rules[/URL], K. Battousai? If not, I strongly advise you to do so. They explain why your frighteningly repetitive reply is unacceptable--other forums may allow that kind of thing, but here at OB you're required to invest more time and thought in each and every one of your posts. In any event, welcome to OtakuBoards. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Although Azumanga Daioh is advertised as a manga, it might more accurately be called a cartoon. Each volume is a collection of four-panel strips, all of which revolve around a group of ordinary high-school girls. In anime and manga, "regular" teenagers are usually anything but--Yusuke battles demons, Kagome can shoot magical arrows, Kamui has incredible psychic powers, Robin is a Craft user, and so forth. But though the characters in Azumanga Daioh may seem a bit eccentric, they're ultimately quite normal. Ironically enough, its mundane subject matter is one of the qualities that makes AD stand out. My favorite character is probably Kaorin. Her crush on Sakaki is both amusing and adorable, although I suspect that it won't actually go anywhere. If you've read or heard of Azumanga Daioh--well, you know what to do. Discuss away. ~Dagger~

Alright, that's the last straw. I apologize to everyone who actually put thought and effort into their posts, but this topic simply isn't attracting enough quality discussion. Marcus_Beuford, you're not a newbie, and you should definitely know better than to write such a shoddy, spammy reply. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

[quote name='SailorMelina']i would say Sesshoamru....(teehee)[/quote] Welcome to OtakuBoards. ^_^ Before you do anything else, please read our [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?]rules[/URL]. After doing so, you will see that we place a very strong emphasis upon post quality and coherence. Here at OB, intelligence, perceptiveness and general courtesy are valued above all other attributes, including post count and the length of time you've been here. In other words, your one-line reply is less than adequate. Please don't spam this forum again. ~Dagger~

Elijah Wood is certainly good at exuding angst (ever seen Frodo the Angsty Hobbit?), but I think he's a bit too old for that particular role. Besides, as has been repeated ad nauseam throughout this thread, I'd prefer for a lesser known actor to play Shinji. When it comes to current celebrities, however, I can't say that Mr. Wood is a terrible choice. He's just lost that air of youth and innocence which made his earlier movies so appealing. Now that I think about it, Russell Crowe actually looks somewhat similar to Gendo. Physical resemblance clearly isn't the producers' top priority (since they're apparently trying to Westernize the franchise), but I'd personally enjoy feeling a flicker or two of recognition. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=pbfrontmanvdp]I thought the VA's in the dub were just fine in WHR. I espically like Chirs Freeman's voice as Amon the most since hes my favorite VA. I just think he can play any character that has a dark role. Anyway i have a pretty good question. Why are they playing WHR on AS first before they come out on DVD? I think its a pretty good idea since it will probably bring up the amount of sales on people purchasing the DVD's. With that in mind, why haven't companies decided to do this before for the more recent anime series???[/QUOTE] Yes, Crispin Freeman is usually an excellent VA. But there were moments in WHR when I got the sense that the characters' lines had been structured in order to minimize lip-flapping--a noble (if ultimately futile) goal. As I mentioned earlier, certain pauses sounded somewhat forced. Of course, this is all a matter of perception, and I tend to be very picky about dubs. As for your question, ADV (the company that's in the process of releasing RahXephon, Full Metal Panic, Noir, and other popular series) owns The Anime Network, and therefore won't air any shows on AS. Tech TV also has the rights to several series. Meanwhile, CN can't show anything overly violent, expensive or controversial, and their main goal is to maximize ratings. This is why anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Ramna 1/2 will never be a part of Adult Swim. ~Dagger~

While I definitely value fluid animation, I feel that consistent artwork should come first. I've seen flashy, beautifully animated shows whose character designs changed from episode to episode, or even from scene to scene. On a different note, I wouldn't mind Inuyasha's minimalistic action sequences if its protagonists' facial features didn't frequently become misshapen. Some recent series--such as X-TV and Last Exile--showcase film-quality animation, complete with many mind-blowing battle sequences. Even their dialogue-heavy scenes are smoothly drawn and enjoyable to watch. But all the glossy action in the world won't make me love an anime. Likewise, I'm fond of several older, jerkier shows (including Yu Yu Hakusho and Revolutionary Girl Utena). A compelling plot and well-crafted script should not be forgotten in favor of visual splendor. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Nikorasu']Well, unfortunately, I've only seen the first episode, but it was good from what I saw.[/quote] Nikorasu, this is borderline spam. While you write clearly and concisely, your posts (or what I've seen of them, at any rate) are in need of substance. It's great that you thought the first episode "was good," but "good" is a rather relative adjective. Please explain [i]why[/i] you enjoyed watching Samurai Deeper Kyo. I hope you enjoy your time at OtakuBoards. ^_^ I've read several reviews of SDK, although I'm not particularly interested in seeing it. It sounds quite similar to Rurouni Kenshin (which I personally think is overrated), so I'd be interested in reading a comparison of the two shows. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Nikorasu']I've seen the first few episodes. It's pretty good.[/quote] Why is Witch Hunter Robin "pretty good"? All you've done here is state your feelings about the show; you need to provide justification for your opinions. As I mentioned in my wish list thread, I've been very excited about WHR's arrival at AS. I like its unique character designs--they might even be described as daring--and smooth animation. Certain shots in the beginning episode remind me of scenes from X-TV, particularly when Amon first attacks the rouge witch. Speaking of which, Amon is a fantastic (and highly attractive) character. I really look forward to learning more about his abilities. I'm a little bit disappointed with WHR's dub. While it features a whole array of popular and talented VAs, here they all sound rather stiff. It could have something to do with the show's translated script; the dialogue is saddled with slow moments and awkward pauses. Hopefully everyone will eventually become more comfortable with their roles. ~Dagger~

I commend those of you who have attempted to explain why you find certain anime characters attractive, but the majority of the posts here are simply unacceptable. If you'd like this thread to stay unlocked, then please, [i]please[/i] elaborate upon your choices. And while you're at it, try to use proper grammar and spelling. Moving on. Alex Row (from Last Exile) may be stereotypically tall, dark and mysterious, but that doesn't stop me from swooning whenever he comes onscreen. Both his Japanese and English seiyuus are fantastic actors, and I could listen to their voices for hours on end. Even when I first watched Last Exile's opening sequence, I found myself thinking, "Man, that guy looks ridiculously cool." Alex is calm, intelligent, gorgeous, and--when he needs to be--extremely dangerous. What more could a girl want? ~Dagger~

Then don't discuss anime with your parents, Waterflash. That's what OB is for. ^_~ In all seriousness, I know where you're coming from. Many adults have difficulty understanding why their children spend so much money on anime and/or manga. But cross-generational conflict is by no means exclusive to our era. Kids have always fought with their mothers and fathers, and I'm willing to bet any amount of money that they always will. American animation is often much more complex than it initially appears to be. The Powerpuff Girls, for example, incorporates all kinds of subtle, clever jokes which your average fourth-grader simply wouldn't be able to get. ~Dagger~

car·toon [i]n.[/i] 1. A drawing depicting a humorous situation, often accompanied by a caption. 2. A drawing representing current public figures or issues symbolically and often satirically: [i]a political cartoon.[/i] 3. A preliminary sketch similar in size to the work, such as a fresco, that is to be copied from it. 4. An animated cartoon. 5. A comic strip. 6. A ridiculously oversimplified or stereotypical representation: [i]criticized the actor's portrayal of Jefferson as a historically inaccurate cartoon.[/i] In other words, a cartoon [i]by definition[/i] is not geared specifically towards children. While the word has acquired certain implications which it was not originally meant to bear, you should try to keep that in mind. I agree with Asuka; you're overreacting to your family's lack of comprehension. Not everyone can be expected to understand the significance of anime and manga to Japanese culture--and not everyone can be expected to understand that Japanese culture encompasses so much more than just comic books and animation. You may not want to hear this, but a great deal of anime is created for kids and teenagers. There are exceptions, of course, and Cowboy Bebop is among them. Nevertheless, like the majority of Hollywood films, most anime are aimed at an adolescent audience. I personally prefer not to use the word "cartoon," because it makes people think of Scooby-Doo and Tom & Jerry. American animation can be just as sophisticated and mature as the best anime series in existence. So don't try to kill your dad again, okay? ~Dagger~

v7 has arrived! It's finally time for me to whip out my latest banner. This piece features Alex Row, a character from the anime series Last Exile. I blended several screenshots to create that complicated-looking background, and added scanlines to lend it a slightly more textured look. The border is fairly simple, as I didn't want it to distract the viewer from the images of Alex. Anyway, I welcome all kinds of comments and criticism. Thanks in advance for your remarks. ^_^ ~Dagger~

I don't mind the font, although it makes your banner come across as being a bit text-heavy. Anyway, I like how you blurred the area around the girl's head; it really helps to convey Billy's inner anguish. I'm sure you're sick of hearing this, but the banner would be so much better if you chose to create a border. Even your matching avatar has one, after all. I'd recommend adding two thin lines (one dark maroon and the other white, to complement the text). ~Dagger~

Why haven't more people commented on this?? Frankly, I've always been amazed by the quality of your work. First of all, Den's hair looks [i]fantastic[/i]. It's stylish, yet doesn't appear messy. I also love his stance, clothing (you have a real knack for drawing zippers, by the way), and hands. Fingers can be incredibly difficult to sketch, but it seems as though you don't have any trouble in that department. However, as Boo mentioned, his shoulder needs to be somewhat bulkier. I honestly can't think of anything else I'd change--just know that I'm very, very impressed, and I can't wait to see what this drawing looks like in color. ~Dagger~

Short and sweet. Well, sort of. ------------------------------------------------------- "Well," Ciel said softly, beckoning to the Doll that bore Granecourt's head. She stooped to scan the vampire's mutilated face, eyes remaining calm and curious as she pried open his blood-choked mouth. His fangs had pierced straight through his tongue, but that could not have matched the pain he'd felt from Mazukien's burning sword. And though Granecourt's supernatural blood was already growing cold, she decided that salvaging the scarlet liquid would only waste her time. Nodding, Ciel stepped back. "The prize is yours," she told her Doll, and offered it a benevolent sort of smile. "The prize?" Mazukien repeated, gazing at the vampire's corpse with mingled satisfaction and distaste. "What do you mean?" She laid a hand upon the Doll's head, toying with its tar-black hair as she addressed the elf. "Even the undead sometimes have to eat. But there's no need to concern yourselves with that. Let's go inside, shall we? I just brought home a guest, and I'd hate to make him wait."

For everyone who mentioned [b]Witch Hunter Robin[/b] and [b]Azumanga Daioh[/b], I'd also love to see those shows. ^_^ [b]3. s-CRY-ed[/b] Numerous online reviews have stated that--at least within the realm of psychic warfare--s-CRY-ed is second only to X-TV. Any series that can hold its own against such a magnificient show [i]must[/i] be really memorable. s-CRY-ed's set-up is very unique, and I feel drawn to its orginality. Plus, if nothing else, I'm sure that s-CRY-ed has quite a few of the massively destructive action sequences that I so love to watch. Its character designs intrigue me, although the protagonist, Kazuma, appears to be just another version of your usual teenage anime anti-hero (much like Yusuke, Inuyasha, Naruto and Goku). ~Dagger~