Dagger

My apologies. Next time, I'll reply more quickly. I'm assuming that you haven't left my world yet (sorry, it wasn't entirely clear >_>). Anyway, I've attached an image of my character; she's the dark-haired girl. [center]**************************************[/center] "You shouldn't know..." the green-eyed boy retorted. As he turned to leave, her fury flared, and he found himself facing a wall which definitely hadn't been present before. Eris crossed her arms. "Don't even think about it," she said coldly. "This is [i]my[/i] world." As she spoke, the people and androids around them suddenly froze, neither moving nor speaking. Time itself appeared to have come to a standstill. The fighter was perhaps an inch or so shorter than Gi'Uen, but she radiated fury, and the strength that lay hidden in her lean body somehow made her seem much taller. He really didn't need this. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he met the girl's angry gaze. "I'm just passing through. Now, if you'll allow me to--" A sudden explosion cut him off. Eris scowled, realizing that she had been too distracted to completely control the flow of time. Apparently some of the bettors had not enjoyed losing their money, and a full-fledged battle was brewing here. She shoved the boy aside as a shuriken shot through the air between them. Before he had time to respond, Eris had knocked him to the floor. "Stay down," she hissed, disabling an attacking android with a series of smoothly delivered kicks. "I'm Eris. You're not leaving here until I understand what's going on."

I own the Descendants of Darkness box set. It's a lovely series, although I suspect that it wouldn't appeal much to those who aren't fans of shonen-ai. The first three episodes are beautifully done, with gorgeous animation and nicely detailed character designs. In fact, watching the show made me think that its creators had poured all of their money into the first story arc, since the quality of YnM's fight scenes decreases somewhat drastically in subsequent episodes. The [spoiler]sword fight between Hisoka and Okita (is that his name?)[/spoiler] is particularly disappointing--I almost couldn't believe my eyes. It's as though the director suddenly ran out of creativity and decided that a [spoiler]poorly animated hack-fest[/spoiler] would increase the audience's eagerness for the show's climactic moments. All of the other battle sequences, however, are more or less satisfactory. Yes, I also adore Muraki. His dark past and sheer sadism combine to make him one of anime's most entertaining villains. In fact, I'd say that he singlehandedly saves the series from descending into utter crappiness, especially during the Kyoto arc. He also provides most of YnM's shonen-ai content, which in my mind is definitely a positive attribute. ~Dagger~

Just for fun, I shall analyze my analysis. [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by oshi [/i] [B]Dagger: March 1, 1988 You are a Pisces, born on the Day of Artistic Sensibility, in the Week of Spirit (the same week as one Eiri Yuki :)).[/b][/quote] Well, that's what I call getting off to a good start. Mention Gravitation, and you've got me hooked. ^_~ [quote][b]You are extremely artistic, bringing out as many details as possible--and somehow making none of the details contradict. However, as is obvious in your interest and talent in writing, you are an escapist (all writers are, if they love it).[/b][/quote] Interestingly enough, I've always wanted to be an author--and I do have a weakness for details, both in writing and in drawing. As a matter of fact, I was pretty startled by how accurate this description of me is. [quote][b]You may make promises that you later regret, and with your emotional personality, it might be obvious that you resent having made some promises.[/b][/quote] This part rings particularly true. I tend to enjoy getting swept away by my emotions, and because of that, I often end up trapping myself in undesirable situations. Amusingly enough, I've been feeling extremely resentful lately--for exactly the kinds of reasons that you hinted at. [quote][b]Also, on a personal note, you're one of the few Pisces people who hasn't made a poor impression on me. You share your birthday with a particularly stunning example of one of those (insert foul word), and I'm really, really, really, really glad to find that you're not like him at all.[/b][/quote] I'm glad that I don't count as one of his kind. ^_^ Thanks for your fascinating (and remarkably accurate) reading. ~Dagger~

When writing poetry, a lot of people tend to over-use punctuation (commas, periods, colons, and so forth). Your work doesn't seem to suffer from that problem. Since line breaks provide the only obvious stopping points in this piece, they acquire added significance. I hesitate to recommend that you divide the poem into sentence-like structures, but an occasional period might give the reader an idea of where to pause and let your words sink in. By the way, I love how the ending and beginning mirror each other. Your word choices are generally excellent, although I was uncertain how to interpret a few phrases. For example, take "The skin next of kin rushing to the surface." If you meant to say "skin's next of kin," then I assume that the substance in question would be blood. If not, then I can't quite tell what you're implying. You have a real knack for subtle alliteration, which makes the poem very enjoyable to read. Lovely work, oshi. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Leh [/i] [B][size=1]How can someone teach you if they don't know how to read and write, huh?[/size] [/B][/QUOTE] I love you, Leh. ^_~ I also love learning. While not all of my teachers are terribly talented or experienced, I don't [i]mind[/i] going to school. There are times when I truly enjoy it. KAOS, if you remain disengaged from your classes and refuse to apply yourself, chances are that you will have difficulty making it through the day. Trust me--attempt to gain a better understanding of the subject material, and you'll find that school becomes not only less boring, but also significantly easier. Do you think that every adult likes going to his or her job? Savor your high school and college years; life won't always be this simple. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by SadClown [/i] [B]If your at all a fan of anime then you wont promote this live action movie thing. Westernizing anything is litteraly rape and just goes to show that despite this idea of cultural diversity and equality that America is famous for, we are a very shallow minded society. Everything has to be dumbed down so we can understand it. The same goes for dubbed anime. Its no longer anime, its just crap. Like dephiling someones work of art. So my opinion of the dub is this; dont bother, go get the subbed (unless its DVD then you should have both...but should only watch the dub). [/B][/QUOTE] I'm a pretty dedicated anime fan, and I don't see what's wrong with making a live-action Evangelion. Yes, the Westernization of the characters' names is annoying, but is that really such a big deal? They're trying to create a commercially viable film--although the popularity of anime is growing, it isn't nearly widespread enough to automatically guarantee that the Evangelion movie will be a box-office success. So I assume any Westernization will be done mainly for the sake of making the franchise appeal to a broader audience. This isn't exactly a new phenomenon; films adapted from books are often quite different from the novels upon which they're based. EDIT: Here's a fairly well-known example. In the movie version of The Two Towers, Peter Jackson practically [i]butchers[/i] Faramir's personality. He's portrayed in a completely different light than he is in Tolkien's trilogy. Personally, that kind of thing concerns me more than simple name changes. By the way, it's "defiling," not "dephiling." I can't call myself a purist, but I'm willing to listen to your position. Unfortunately, you haven't really justified any of your statements. ~Dagger~

I've been taught that love fades neither with distance nor with time. Volumes have been written of its patience, its kindness, the subtleties of a lover's tender touch, and the mysteries which lie therein. Why, then, do I feel my chest grow cold? Why spout pre-scripted words as though love is some kind of splendid play, acted for the benefit of others? Why draw back from what once was sought with ardent eyes and shameless smiles? I don't want your hands, your laugh, and your warmth sends shivers through my skin. The greatest love springs forward into hate, or perhaps an unspoken distaste. I'm ice now, and I don't wish for love to melt me.

I've never been a big Bebop fan, although I realize that the series is truly amazing. This is due largely to the fact that I accidentally saw its last two episodes [i]before[/i] watching the remainder of the show. I later attempted to watch Bebop from the beginning--but after discovering how it ended, I just wasn't motivated to work my way through the rest, especially since so much of it is episodic in nature. The other day, I stumbled across a Cowboy Bebop trailer (it was included on one of my Big O DVDs), and it really intrigued me. I hadn't remembered the series as having such excellent animation, even by today's standards. So, here are my questions. First, has anyone else had my problem (learning all of Bebop's major spoilers before watching it in full)? Second, since I'd like to get back into the show, how would you recommend going about that? ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ElrickOtaku [/i] [B]As it was voted the most popular anime series in Japan, I'd advise all anime-fans, whether they be romance fans, drama fans, action fans or comedy fans to try the SERIES. The movie is for after you've seen the series, and even then it is difficult to like. So, malajusted, I'd suggest you fully research things before you comment on them. And that goes double for mecha anime. [/B][/QUOTE] mal specifically stated that she couldn't justify any of her assumptions about the series, especially considering that she'd only seen the movie. Since you seem to be a big Nadesico fan, it's understandable that you'd wish to defend it. However, I don't think that mal meant to disparage the show, and no amount of research can ever substitute for seeing an anime with one's own two eyes. Lighten up a bit, dear. I hate to go off on a tangent, but those kinds of polls signify very little. I'm sure that Nadesico is a great series; I do plan on watching it eventually. Several of my closest friends have virtually lavished it with praise, and their recommendations mean a lot to me. Yet at one point, Inuyasha was voted the best action anime of all time, which is totally ridiculous. This might be just me, but as I can tell that you're an intelligent and well-read person, your endorsement of Nadesico is a lot more compelling than that of innumerable anonymous Japanese citizens. Back on topic. In your first post, you asked us to mention our favorite episodes. Would it be alright for me to talk about RahXephon, since we all seem to agree that it falls into the same general sub-category as Neon Genesis Evangelion? ~Dagger~

Isn't ADV also re-recording the Evangelion dub? I know this only because I watched an interview with the man who was hired to play Kaworu. He seemed quite excited about being in one of his favorite anime, although I don't care very much for his voice acting. Should I wait until the renewal project is completed before attempting to acquire and watch NGE? ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by maladjusted [/i] [B]O_o How can you feel that RahXephon is superior to Gasaraki when you've never seen it? Heck, I thought Gasaraki was just about a psychic warrior...I had no idea it had mecha in it. *shrugs*[/b][/quote] The phrase "by all accounts" implies that I've read articles which contrasted the two series and stated that RahXephon is better. [quote][b]By far, Gundam Wing beats out most of the names in this list, not by my own opinion [I love Evangelion to death, you hear?], but by anime audiences. I also have no idea why people love the Gundam Wing series, and I've tried numerous time to try and 'get into' the series. I'm not saying the anime is bad, it's one of the most recognized and favorite animes.[/b][/quote] The way I see it, Evangelion's popularity--at least within the serious anime community--far exceeds that of Gundam Wing. While more non-fans may have heard of GW, Eva has a much better reputation. It's famous for its quality and complexity, not its absurdly boring politics and cute male characters. [quote][b]Ok, so there's also the hype of Evangelion vs. RahXephon. I've only seen so much of RahXephon, and I really didn't think much of it. It never got me interested at all in the first episode. I even got wary of it when I saw the 'waterdrop' scene that Evangelion used so much. Needless to say, I'm a stubborn Eva fan, and I always will be. But I'm not going to flame RahXephon to death, the animation and art was awesome, and I respect pretty much every anime [unless it's REALLY bad.]. Maybe it's just not my kind of show. I have yet to see a comparison by someone who has actually seen and evaluated both series, so I'm just waiting around for it to come. Maybe I'll somehow get my hands on RahXephon, sit down, and actually watch the series, but my mind is full of Evangelion right now with the re-makes and director's cut and everything.[/b][/quote] In all seriousness, you should watch RahXephon. I'm going to see Evangelion as soon as I earn enough money to purchase its boxed set. I wouldn't worry about the waterdrop scene if I were you--that same motif is used throughout Revolutionary Girl Utena and numerous other shows, including Boogiepop Phantom. Search Google for "THEM Anime Reviews," and have a look at the group's review of RahXephon; it briefly compares the series to Evangelion. While the writer is obviously an Eva fan, he also seems to be somewhat biased towards Rah, and I'm sure you'd prefer to form your own opinions. Nevertheless, it's a pretty interesting read. ~Dagger~

Hello there, dear. It's always nice to see you around OB. ^_~ [i]Torrential Downpour[/i]: You're quite right to take pride in your work. Each stanza transitions smoothly to the next, and it seems as though you put a great deal of thought into the placement of the line breaks. This poem plays with several variations of a fairly simple motif (fire and water, hot and cold, dry and wet), and it's refreshing to read writing that infuses straightforward ideas and imagery with such emotional depth. Your poetry has the clarity of prose; that may not sound like much, but it's one of the highest compliments I've ever given. Lucidity is a rare commidity in this forum. [i]Scripture, Astroturf, and Thanksgiving Dinner[/i]: Heh, this reminds me strongly of myself. It's another excellent piece--however, it's not quite as polished or focused as the first. Try playing around with some of your word choices and sentence structures. The fourth verse in particular is very powerful, but I feel that the comma after "guest room" interrupts its flow. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Angel_Kagome_2 [/i] [B]:flaming: HEY!!! Dagger. Do you remember me. you probably don't but this is AngelWiN_Kagome. If you were wondering I had a bit of a screw up on the changing the password thing. anyway hey. have you heard that there are supposed to be new episodes. [/B][/QUOTE] Hello there. Yes, I remember you. ^_^ It's said that Inuyasha will begin a double strip of premieres on Saturday, April 24, at 11:30 PM EST. This will obviously occur after Adult Swim takes over Saturday nights. I have no idea what a "double strip" is supposed to be, but I'm assuming that Episode 54 is scheduled to air immediately after Episode 53, or something to that effect. I'm not sure whether Inuyasha will thereafter be shown only on Saturdays, although I'd like to see it re-join Adult Swim weeknights. Its fan base is certainly large enough to merit that kind of time slot. ~Dagger~

This sounds like fun. You're quite multi-talented, oshi. ^_~ I was born on March 1, 1988, which I believe would make me a Pisces. Just give me whatever details you can come up with, and I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it. ~Dagger~

So I approach my fall. Stand breathless in the shadows, Cradled by the sky and earth beneath. Graceless wanderings led me down this path, The aimless crawl to darkness. It curves like female flesh, all broad and Smooth and strong, No rocks to stumble over. I'll pitch forward into flame, as liquid Quenches fire, Tumbling down with heaven's gentle rain.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Hittokiri Zero [/i] [B]"Voices of a Distant Star" is something I highly reccomend [url]http://www.theanimesource.com/reviews/?type=1&id=46[/url] there's a decent review of it there that doesn't have any spoilers, there's also another name the movie goes by but i can't recall what it is. Voices of a Distant Star is actually the translated/english name I believe x___X [/B][/QUOTE] Voices of a Distant Star is [i]amazing[/i]. I bought it on a whim, knowing only that it had been created by a single man (Makoto Shinkai) over the span of seven months. It's difficult to find independent OVAs or films in anime; the genre doesn't lend really lend itself to that kind of work. This makes Shinkai's accomplishment even more impressive. VDS blends traditional animation and computer graphics so seamlessly that its action sequences could easily be mistaken for something from a major studio, such as GONZO. In fact, this OVA outdoes most current TV shows; its quality is closer to that of a theatrical production. In conclusion, Hittokiri has awesome taste in anime, and you should pay careful attention to his recommendations. ^_~ ~Dagger~

I'm [i]incredibly[/i] skeptical about the whole DBZ thing--but what the hell, it's Chrono Trigger. I was actually contemplating starting a CT RPG, so I don't really have any excuse not to join one. It'd be nice if you gave a back story, by the way, because as of now I have no idea what's going on. Name: Magus Sex: Male Description: See attachment. Weapon Preference: Scythe, black magic (such as Dark Matter, a devastating shadow attack that strikes every single one of his enemies). Bio: Magus, a powerful sorcerer, has played many roles throughout his life. He began as a young prince named Janus, 12,000 years ago, but was later thrust through time to the year 600. It was then that he became king of the demons (mystics). While attempting to summon and destroy Lavos, he accidentally returned to 12,000 BC. The adult Magus called himself the Prophet and offered council to his power-hungry mother, Queen Zeal. Despite the fact that he's an expert at using all forms of black magic, Magus is not so evil as he initially appears. His only goal in life is to eradicate Lavos, who separated him from his beloved sister Schala, and corrupted Queen Zeal. All the same, Magus continues to be something of a loner. His utter lack of tolerance for foolishness can cause him to clash with the other members of his party, and his dark past makes him seem quite mysterious. But overall, Magus is an extremely valuable ally, one who will stop at nothing to permanently dispose of Lavos, his life-long enemy. ~Dagger~

[b]Name:[/b] Sarah [b]DOB:[/b] March 1 [b]Location:[/b] Maryland (very close to the District) [b]Describe yourself in one word:[/b] Quiet [b]Occupation:[/b] Student [b]Color:[/b] Light green [b]Food:[/b] Rice [b]Beverage:[/b] Mocha frappucchino (Starbucks) [b]Dream Job:[/b] Novelist [b]Self-Proclaimed:[/b] Geek [b]Ethnicity:[/b] Korean / Polish [b]Dessert:[/b] Chocolate mousse [b]Group:[/b] The Smashing Pumpkins [b]Mac or PC?[/b] PC [b]Nicks:[/b] Skip, Sar [b]Blog:[/b] [url]http://www.myotaku.com/dagger_ix1[/url] [b]Religion:[/b] Agnostic [b]Book:[/b] The Picture of Dorian Gray [b]Collections:[/b] Anime, manga, LotR paraphenalia [b]Sport:[/b] Crew (I'm currently in winter training) [b]Won't Eat:[/b] Mushrooms [b]TV Show:[/b] Just Shoot Me [b]Words to live by:[/b] Anything written by Douglas Adams or Oscar Wilde [b]Addicted to:[/b] The Internet [b]Comic:[/b] Boy Meets Boy [b]Movie:[/b] The Last Samurai ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Dan Rugh [/i] [B]I agree. Android Kikaider: The Animation is a very underrated show. Although it was on Adult Swim, still, most people hated it. It is actually one of my favorite anime out of everything I've seen. People see the drawing style and turn away, not seeing the full potential of Kikaider. Adding to that, Kikaider 01 was a very good 4 episode OVA.[/B][/QUOTE] Android Kikaider has decent animation, and some of its episodes are extremely well scripted. However, I was incredibly disappointed by its ending, which fails to provide the audience with a decent sense of closure. For almost a week after I watched Kikaider's last episode, I remained convinced that I'd missed [i]something[/i]--some kind of uber-significant detail which would explain why its storyline had stopped so abruptly. It's a shame; if Kikaider did a better job of wrapping things up, I might really have come to like it. The show's character designs never bothered me, and I enjoyed its music. Oh well. EDIT: Heh, I completely forgot to mention my original point. Yes, Kikaider is underrated, if only because many people refuse to give it a chance. ~Dagger~

[i]"Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay."[/i]

I thought I'd mention that episode 15, "Song," is [i]brilliant[/i]. I never expected that Hijikata (of all people!) would nearly make me die of laughter. Up until "Song," he's such a serious, dangerous character, and I feel as though PMK's director took a huge gamble by portraying him in a more comedic light. However, I also feel that his gamble succeeded wonderfully--I watched this episode three times in a row, and even then couldn't stop cracking up. Although PMK's plot is unfolding rather slowly, I've really grown to care for its characters. I'm convinced that by the time everything comes together, the deliberate pacing and gradual development will definitely start to pay off. So far I only have one big complaint about this series, and that's Hotaru. She's probably intended to be an annoying character, but my hatred of her is a little bit too intense. I sincerely hope that Okita runs her through sometime within the next two episodes. ~Dagger~

Because the Jewel's magic ultimately consumes whoever uses it (unless the person who possesses its shards also has holy powers, like Kikyo). Also, look at what happens to the demons and humans who increase their strength by means of the Jewel--they generally end up weak, dead, more evil than before, or some combination of all three. In one episode, Miroku and Inuyasha discuss what the consequences would be if Inuyasha used the completed Jewel to become a full-fledged demon. Miroku mentions that not a single person has ever managed to avoid being corrupted by the Jewel. ~Dagger~

[b]Name:[/b] Arciela (Ciel) [b]Age:[/b] 918 [b]Species:[/b] Drow [b]Rank:[/b] Necromancer [b]Clan:[/b] Kai'Belborun [b]Appearance:[/b] See attachment. The symbols on her face and chest are tattoos, marking her as one who uses sorcery on the dead. [b]Weapons:[/b] A glaive, a katana, and her magic. While she is proficient with several different weapons, Ciel prefers to dispose of her enemies through necromancy. [b]Bio:[/b] Because she tampers with the dark arts, Ciel has become estranged from her clan. She is still technically a member of the Kai'Belborun, and her influence increases every year. It is even rumored that she might one day be qualified to join the Council of the Nine. However, Ciel is relatively young (at least in terms of the Drow), and her activities tend to attract fear and revulsion, rather than admiration or respect. Over time, the city's commoners have come to know Ciel quite well, as she pays them handsomely to bring her undamaged corpses. As one of the highest-ranking noblewomen in her clan, she's occasionally called on to carry out tasks which no lesser aristocrat could perform. Easily bored, Ciel will agree to shoulder any duty as long as it doesn't demand an extended commitment. She is one of few nobles who voluntarily ventures out into the territory surrounding the city, searching for a good fight; the Vas'Naurnae are generally more than happy to oblige. Ciel is a mysterious and morbid woman, whose fixation on the afterlife is almost obsessive in nature. She goes into battle with no regard for her own safety, and relishes all kinds of death and destruction. Yet although she might belong better among the Vas'Naurnae, she has a tight-knit circle of friends, many of whom are allied with different clans. Ciel's closest companions usually fall into one of three categories: powerful magic users, indolent noblemen, or eccentric scholars. Intellectual, cynical, and wealthy, Ciel is ultimately something of an enigma. ~Dagger~

My mother was born and raised in Korea. Although she didn't watch anime, she and her friends used to doodle anime-style characters in their notebooks at school (just as I do now, interestingly enough). I'm not sure how much this helps, but a lot of the people that they drew were [i]supposed[/i] to appear Caucasian. When anime first came into its own, it was heavily influenced by Western animation (for example, the old Disney movies like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White). It makes sense, therefore, that some anime characters don't look "Japanese." Bear in mind that most anime eyes don't fall within the realm of physical possibility--in other words, they wouldn't seem right in real life, regardless of whether the person who possessed them was Asian or European. Also, numerous characters have unnaturally colored hair, and I can't think of a single series that bothers to explain why. Shuuichi (from Gravitation) has pink hair, but he's supposed to be Japanese. By now, I think that the size of a character's eyes has come to indicate something about his or her personality. Girls and young children tend to have larger eyes, while villains tend to have very small eyes. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by terra [/i] [B][size=1]But the winner for me remains [i]The Emperor's New Groove.[/i][/size] [/B][/QUOTE] I [i]worship[/i] that movie. While I dislike most of Disney's recent animated films, The Emperor's New Groove is just brilliant. Perhaps I'm biased (I watch Just Shoot Me pretty regularly), but I thought that David Spade did a fantastic job as Kuzco. Besides, who wouldn't love a movie in which one of the main characters is a guy named "Kronk"? If I remember correctly, it didn't do that well in theaters, which is a real shame. ~Dagger~