Dagger

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by slice [/i] [B]I personally don't like tragic endings in anime/manga. It just depresses me too much. It also seems like people think that an anime CAN'T have a happy ending and still be great. So I want to know what you think. How do you like endings and why?[/b][/quote] Boogiepop Phantom is among my all-time favorite anime. It's a very dark series, one which focuses on murder, inhuman abilities (external disorder) and various psychological issues (internal disorder). Yet despite this, it has a satisfying and fairly happy ending. The natural order of the world is ultimately restored. So while BP is [i]not[/i] by any means a perky show, it doesn't quite qualify as a tragedy.... Well, I could easily argue this both ways, but I think that for now I'll stick with the interpretation presented above. ^_^; In any event, Boogiepop is one critically acclaimed series that also happens to have a happy ending. So is RahXephon (someone tell me if I ought to spoiler-tag that....). Gravitation--which I personally feel deserves a place alongside the best romantic-comedy anime--definitely concludes on a cheerful note, and I suspect that Fruits Basket will as well. All four of these shows, except perhaps for Gravitation, are generally considered to be extremely good examples of their genres. [quote][b]Okay I'll tell you my opinion first. I don't think an ending should be too tragic or too happy happy. I like a mix. Maybe one of the not main characters dies, maybe the main character gets injured really bad. I just hate to see any characters that I am really attached to go. I also think that tragic endings are fairly predictable. Tragic endings just seem to happen more often, and I don't think it is necessarily true to life. Everything doesn't always blow up in your face. Well anyway, I guess that is just what I think. What about you? :bawl: Me no like tragic endings:bawl: [/B][/QUOTE] It would help if you explained which shows you were thinking about when you wrote this. Not to sound overly fatalistic, but happy endings are rather scarce in real life. ~Dagger~

This seems like a very fun thread. My name is Sarah--nice and simple. If you're in the mood to do some extra work, feel free to translate my middle name (Kim) as well. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Heh, this thread is rather timely--today I finally took my insanely difficult English midterm, which focused solely on Macbeth. After re-reading the play six times over the course of my studying (I have a [i]really[/i] tough teacher, so doing that was actually somewhat justified), I've realized that Lady Macbeth's words stand out in a way that few of the other characters' do. She just has a really unique "voice," and her lines are definitely the easiest to identify. About your poem: I love how almost every single line refers to at least one of Macbeth's themes. [quote]Sing your songs of purest joy[/quote] The opening isn't nearly as strong as the rest of the piece. It strikes me as being a little uncharacteristic of Lady Macbeth--even in moments of great personal triumph, she's never exactly exuberant. However, your use of the word "sing" brings to mind the play's frequent references to various kinds of birds, which is a nice touch. [quote]Feel the darkness within your heart Show the warmth within your face Feel the coldness you seem to radiate Be the lovely and kind hostess who gives her home to others Be the calculating murderer who plans the perfect crime Be the wonderful wife who helps her husband Be the merciless voice of temptation in his ear[/quote] Fair is foul, anyone? ^_- I like how you set up this part of the poem, especially since references to coldness and warmth occur fairly often within Macbeth. [quote]Be the rose Be the thorn[/quote] Those lines reflect the plants/seeds/growing motif, which is, ironically, first introduced by Duncan ("I have begun to plant thee and will labor to make thee full of growing".... or something like that. I don't currently have my text with me.) [quote]Be the wine Be the poison[/quote] Simple, but beautifully structured. In Macbeth, wine serves as a symbol for the richness and fullness of life. How fitting that its mention should be followed by a command to "be the poison"--it's almost as though this poem was written by the "murdering ministers" that Lady Macbeth calls upon to "unsex" her and exchange her milk for gall. [quote]But never show your truest face Show only the perfect mask And the world will never know[/quote] The ending of your poem is very similar to Lady Macbeth's instructions to her husband (about concealing his murderous intent from his royal guests). Overall, great job. ^_^ ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Luminaire [/i] [B][color=crimson]1. Tsuzuki and Hisoka from Yami no Matsuei. 2. Melfina and Gene from Outlaw Star. 3. Yuki and Shuichi from Gravitation. Those are my top three. I have more, but three seems enough. Maybe I'll post again later with more. ^_^ ~Lumi ^_^[/color][/B][/QUOTE] Yeah, I thought I'd take this opportunity to compliment you on your excellent taste. I love all three of those couples, and you know what they say--great minds think alike. ^_~ Anyway. I feel that Touga and Saionji (from Revolutionary Girl Utena) would make a wonderful couple. If they'd just get past their mutual resentment, they could easily return to being friends--and I suspect that Touga, with his quasi-predatory ways, would be more than willing to take their relationship to the next level. Saionji may be a somewhat thick-headed, but over the course of the show he seems to learn a little bit about the art of restraint. His desire to defeat Touga is borderline obsessive, and I think that he hasn't quite forgotten how much he used to admire and care for him. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Arch [/i] [B][size=1]I have the same preferences as Wasabi. Inuyasha is my favorite anime, not only of those you have listed, but of all that I've seen. It has it all; romance, action, adventure, and a storyline to boot, although it isn't very complicated. Third is Yu-Yu hakusho. The story isn't incredibly good, but it isn't incredibly bad either.[/size][/B][/QUOTE] Now, this is entirely my opinion, but I don't see very many differences between Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho. Though it was made more recently, Inuyasha's animation isn't particularly outstanding, and both shows consist mainly of a four-person party running around and beating up on evil demons (for the sake of argument, let's just pretend that Shippo doesn't exist, okay? ^_-). Between the two, I like Yu Yu Hakusho much better. This may be partially because I've learned that it ends after 112 episodes, while Inuyasha--for all I know--could easily hit 200. But I also feel that Yu Yu Hakusho actually goes somewhere, plot-wise. Though Inuyasha [i]can[/i] be divided into different arcs, its characters are constantly grappling with the same problems: they acquire new jewel shards, Naraku devises some devious way to steal those shards, Naraku gets stronger, Inuyasha waffles between Kikyo and Kagome, Sango pretends she doesn't have feelings for Miroku, and so on and so forth. After 150+ episodes, this might start to get a little old. A really charismatic, interesting villain can sustain the audience's interest for a very long time. And Inuyasha has numerous fans, to be sure. All the same, I don't see what's so captivating about Naraku--he does perform a couple truly atrocious deeds, but his personality is pretty run-of-the-mill. I like the fact that Yu Yu Hakusho doesn't let its bad guys overstay their welcome. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Wasabi [/i] [B][size=1][color=chocolate]I don't know what you mean by the graphics, or the character's look.[/size][/color] [/B][/QUOTE] When I say "animation," I mean animation. ^_~ More seriously, though, I was referring mainly to the fluidity of the characters' movements (particularly during action-oriented sequences), and the detail shown in backgrounds. Poor character design is something else altogether. ~Dagger~

Heh, Elrick, I'd have to disagree with you on that. Most series-based movies are simply incapable of standing alone. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is rather good, but it relies way too much on action and contains very little character development. Now, for fans of the original show, explicating the leads' personalities wouldn't really have been necessary. But I've spoken with a lot of people who, because they didn't quite love the movie, fail to understand the glory that is Bebop. Films [i]always[/i] have better animation than the series upon which they're based. That's pretty much a given. Yet the television version of CB features some pretty nifty sequences, although the movie definitely looks glossier. On a side note, isn't Endless Waltz made up of three OAV episodes (rather than being an actual movie)? Anyway. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is one of the best TV-based anime films currently available (I'm really, really hoping that the RahXephon movie will also turn out to be spectacular). This is due mainly to the fact that it plays out like an extra set of episodes from the original series; trying to squeeze CB's entire storyline into two and a half hours would simply not have worked. Unfortunately, many anime films are ruined by that disastrous mistake. The theatrical versions of Escaflowne and X are little more than a few hours of empty eye candy, and I was quite tempted to sleep through them. The worst part is that both movies had such potential--there were moments in Escaflowne when I thought, "Hey, this could be really great!" And then it just..... wasn't. Which is why I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing X: TV, as well as the original Vision of Escaflowne series. Both of them have got to be far more compelling than their corresponding films. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Heaven's Cloud [/i] [B]I am just stating that Anno revitalized an old tale(s) and added a new twist just like Disney did (for example, in the original Grimm?s tale, Snow White didn?t fall victim to a poisoned apple, but to a tightly laced bodice).[/b][/quote] Actually, I was under the impression that she fell victim first to a tightly laced bodice, next to a poisoned comb, and finally to the notorious poisoned apple. Although Walt Disney was indeed a veritable genius, he didn't come up with the concept of the apple on his own; it was already present in Grimm's version of the Snow White story. Since I'm a big fairy tale fan, I felt as though I ought to mention that. ~Dagger~

Name: Tybalt Kamina Age: 29 Race: Super Sai.... just kidding. ^_- He's fairly certain that he has some kind of supernatural blood (especially since he hasn't aged a bit since turning twenty), but isn't really sure what. Since Tybalt looks and acts human enough--for the most part--this rarely becomes an issue. Appearance: He's of average height, with gray eyes and long, dark hair that he keeps tied back in a low ponytail. Though a bit on the lean side, Tybalt is rather nicely muscled. He tends to wear dark, earthy colors, and has a peculiar fondness for leather. Abilities: He relies mainly on his psychic powers to hypnotise, maim and/or seduce the enemy. However, if that fails, he can always fall back on archery (which he happens to be extraordinarily good at). Weapons: His mind and a wicked-looking crossbow. Background: As a child, Tybalt was enslaved to a human-hating elven widower. He never knew his parents or siblings. He tolerated the beatings and abuse, and generally internalized his emotions--until, at the age of fifteen, he slaughtered the nobleman's entire household, including his young daughters and infant son. A half-crazed teenage boy would never have been able to take on a full-grown elf, but this didn't stop the widower from fleeing. Tybalt's main reason for contacting Adar is that he wishes to find this elven man and finally slay him. Since this wouldn't exactly endear him to any of the elves in Adar's company (not to mention Adar himself), he generally avoids speaking about his past. Personality: Tidy, calm, and almost infuriatingly logical, Tybalt can out-think nearly any opponent. He also seems to have no concept of personal space, which can lead to some rather embarrassing confrontations. He loves watching people get annoyed, but, with the help of some subtle manuvering, generally manages to stay on everyone's good side. Despite his rampant bloodlust, he's ultimately an agreeable, even-tempered kind of guy. Supporting Characters: None, although he has a [i]lot[/i] of a acquaintences. If you bump into a random person on the street, chances are that he or she will have met, spoken to and/or had sexual relations with Tybalt at one point or another. EDIT: Added my race.... okay, fine, I just threw in a couple lines of equivocation. >_>; ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Boba Fett [/i] [B][color=green]I?ll tell you what kind of ******** discussion this is. It?s one that is fundamentally flawed and influenced heavily by those liberal ********.[/color][/b][/quote] Considering that the rest of your comments are very intelligently and eloquently written (and, as a matter of fact, quite similar to what I was attempting to say), I'm a little disappointed in you for blaming Ryu's warped viewpoints on liberal thinking in general. I understand that her comments upset you, but that's no excuse to lash out at approximately half of the American population. Liberal though I may be, I agree with you whole-heartedly. So please try not to judge all of us for the sins of a few. I'd greatly appreciate it. ^_^ Ryu_Sakura, I'd advise you to work on your own grammar and spelling before you start mocking someone else's. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sara [/i] [B][SIZE=1][i]Castle in the Sky[/i] is a good one. ^_^ When I saw the thread title, I was ready to come in here and yell at everyone for not mentioning Ghibli/Miyazaki, but apparently my distress was unfounded. Heh. And I don't need to be an anime god(dess). I'm quite happy to be merely a member of the Totoro cult. [/SIZE] [/B][/QUOTE] Castle in the Sky is one of my favorite Miyazaki films, second only to the ever-wonderful Spirited Away. I personally feel that Kiki's Delivery Service pales in comparison to those two movies, but all of Miyazaki's work is above average. [quote][i]Originally posted by Megumi momo[/i] [b]If I wanted to fully go out i would have to interduce Record of lodos war Millenium Actress Any of the Dragon ball Z movies(hence Akira Toriyama) NInja Scroll Ruroni Kenshin(the oav's) Robotech GUndam wing Spriggan[/b][/quote] Frankly, I think that attempting to create a list of must-see anime is, at best, a bit silly. Your usage of the term "anime god" really doesn't help. ^_^;; There is so much anime out there, and your choices are limited to a few genres (mainly action and sci-fi). Whatever happened to great romantic comedies like Fruits Basket and Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances)? Your list also seems to be completely devoid of shoujo. I'm just saying that it's virtually impossible for one human being to become acquainted with every single variety of Japanese animation in existence--but without doing so, you can't claim to have compiled the requirements for anime godhood. Whatever that means. >_> ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Ryu_Sakura [/i] George W. Bush, The [strike]President[/strike] Idiot of America. I think that this may have been brought up several times, but today during dinner me and my family had a heated debate on the stupidity of our presidents, which ended up as an Anti-George W. Bush debate, like why he shouldn?t be elected again, why he shouldn?t have been elected at all, and all his faults. Well, just to make things clear, I don?t want this to become an ?All Texans Are Stupid? thread but just one releasing all our hatred for George.[/quote] On the one hand, I'm not our President's biggest fan. On the other hand, it's quite presumptuous of you to assume that a majority of OBers feel some sort of intense hatred toward him. Saying how much you despise Mr. Bush without even giving concrete reasons for your contempt is, to put it simply, childish. It reflects poorly on your fellow liberals (like me). By the way, the conversation you're describing sounds far more like a mutual rant than an actual debate. [quote]Here is my statement, ?He is a badly educated twit who started the war with Iraq for personal reasons, and if he wasn?t elected president none of this would have ever happened (meaning someone wanted revenge on his family).? The reason I added the last part was, because to me and the other politically aware people in my house say that the terrorists are patient, they could wait a long time before making a move, and he was the fault they were waiting for, but I?m not saying Gore would have been much better seeing as though they both have a low intelligence level.[/quote] Badly educated? Excuse me? President Bush went to [i]Yale[/i], honey. I would consider myself quite lucky if I ended up doing the same. And it sounds as though you're stating that terrorists decided to target America because he was elected, which is beyond ludicrous. How can you, a teenager, profess to judge the intelligence of an adult to whom you've never been introduced? I'd say that this is some pretty narrow-minded behavior. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ElrickOtaku [/i] [B]Therefore, focusing TOO much on some of the classic anime films, won't make you an 'anime god', it will just make you limited.[/B][/QUOTE] Indeed. Frankly, I don't even [i]like[/i] most anime movies. They tend to be overly long, and in terms of plotting and character development, many are simply terrible. Just look at the film versions of X and Escaflowne. While movies may tend to have better animation than most TV shows, that's gradually starting to change. Last Exile displays some truly astounding visuals, despite the fact that it's twenty-six episodes long. It might just be me, but I prefer television series and OAVs to the vast majority of anime films. ~Dagger~

[i]"And thus, my Love! as on the midway slope Of yonder hill I stretch my limbs at noon, Whilst thro' my half-clos'd eye-lids I behold The sunbeams dance, like diamonds, on the main, And tranquil muse upon tranquility; Full many a thought uncall'd and undetain'd, And many idle flitting phantasies, Traverse my indolent and passive brain, As wild and various, as the random gales That swell and flutter on this subject Lute! And what if all of animated nature Be but organic Harps diversely fram'd, That tremble into thought, as o'er them sweeps Plastic and vast, one intellectual breeze, At once the Soul of each, and God of all?"[/i]

I went on my first date a couple of years ago--and yes, it involved going to a movie. I can't even remember what film we watched (in any case, it must have been pretty average stuff), but I do recall being incredibly nervous. My apprehension didn't exactly vanish when my newly-minted boyfriend decided to stick his tongue down my throat.... But that's another story. My advice is just to keep your expectations reasonable. When it comes to romance, perfection is quite elusive. And whether you're a boy or a girl, don't [i]attack[/i] someone when you're looking for physical affection. That's just a little scary. o_o; Has anyone else noticed that few people appear to truly be going on dates? I'm talking about kids in general, not just those posting in this thread. It seems as though a lot of teenagers just acquire significant others through... osmosis, or some strange process that has nothing to do with actually taking someone to dinner. ~Dagger~

Funny you should mention this, Vengenceuk--I'm actually the exact opposite. I agree with Hittokiri; most series are pretty straightforward, and an anime's popularity is often inversely proportional to the complexity of its plot. Just look at Inuyasha and Dragonball Z: those shows certainly won't strain your gray matter, but they're well-known nonetheless. I don't watch certain shows simply for the sake of making myself think. All the same, it's my belief that slowly putting together the pieces of a carefully planned storyline is one of life's great pleasures, whether you're watching a series or reading a novel. Boogiepop Phantom is among my favorite anime, and The Big O's twisted ending nearly made me weep with joy. So perhaps my tastes are a little unusual. ^_^; ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by TheGodlyME [/i] [B](HOORAY!! MY NAME HAS COME TO PASS!!--TOOK LONG ENOUGH!!):D I have 2 of those (Armitage, GitS) and I have seen Akira. --I do have to say, though, that I don't think that makes me godly, or even a "big" anime fan...You neglected to name the genre of mecha (which is extremely popular)(I don't really like it, I just recognize it as a major factor). The titles are good, but they are only 3, whereas anime is an entire culture, not just a mere 3 movies. Also, there are many other creators that you neglected (Including Miyazaki--not that I'm a huge fan of them either). I think that having seen these movies just makes me NOT a newbie to anime. I don't even think that having seen those 3 qualify you as a die-hard Otaku--Just a not-newbie. -Good luck with that though... [/B][/QUOTE] *winces*..... Miyazaki is a man, not a collective. Just thought I'd let you know. ^_~ Other than that little quibble, you've brought up plenty of good points. There are [i]very[/i] few titles which I'd be so presumptuous as to call required viewing, and people should see anime because they like it, not for the sake of becoming an "anime god," or a "die-hard otaku." If someone doesn't like violence, then why would he or she [i]need[/i] to watch Akira in order to be considered a true fan? ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by AzureWolf [/i] [B]Gasp, Dagger dislikes the .hack//SIGN series! Blasphemy! ;) "Flat and unreadable," huh? Haha, I guess you also got immersed in [B]The World[/B] and forgot that it is an online game, lacking human complexity. I believe that was the creators' intention to make them appear "flat and unreadable." The fact that Subaru doesn't appear as such in this episode is hinting at something, I'd say... [/B][/QUOTE] That's a good point (one which I certainly wouldn't have thought of >_>). However, weren't .hack//SIGN and Noir created by the same company? The two shows' characters sport somewhat similar eye styles, although I think that .hack's generally tend to look more.... polished, for lack of a better word. Then again, I've seen only seen a few previews of Noir, so I could certainly be wrong. ;P If the same character designer worked on both Noir and .hack//SIGN, I'd probably believe that those eyes can be attributed to his or her artistic style, since they're not unique to .hack//SIGN. Unless, of course, Noir's characters also have to cope with a lot of bottled-up emotion. In that case, I would be more inclined to think that the flat-looking eyes in that series (as well as .hack) were deliberately made to appear somewhat unfeeling. I actually have quite a few questions about how the World works, but I think I'll save those for another thread. Thanks for responding! ^_^ ~Dagger~

Well. Whatever happened to Miyazaki? Although I don't consider myself a deity, I like to think that I'm fairly well versed in the world of anime. That having been said, I haven't seen two out of the three movies on your list (the only one that I've actually watched is Akira). While Akira isn't a bad film, in my mind it doesn't live up to all its hype. It's rather open-ended--to say the least--and I didn't sympathize with a single one of the main characters. Akira's visuals are quite impressive, though, especially when you consider the fact that it's relatively old. I [i]really[/i] liked all the scenes involving [spoiler]moving toys--the idea of childhood being warped into something terrible and frightening really does has a strange sort of power.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Darksbane [/i] [B]I know it dosn't make sense! But I read enough ep. guides to know I would like it! And the reason for asking about a sequel was 26 episodes? isn't that kinda short? although I'll trust you on it ending well. Thanx for answering! [/B][/QUOTE] Most ([i]good[/i] ^_~) anime series--such as X, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Vision of Escaflowne--are about twenty-six episodes long. Some may be slightly longer (Gundam Wing has forty-nine episodes, while Revolutionary Girl Utena has thirty-nine), but many are also shorter. Anything under thirteen episodes is usually an OAV. Although the Japanese don't have quite the same concept of television seasons as we in the United States do, for all practical purposes, a season is generally considered to be thirteen episodes long. The super-long shows, which include Yu Yu Hakusho, Ramna 1/2, and Sailor Moon, are few and far between. Twenty-six episode series are usually much easier to find. I hope that helps clear things up. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Sounds like there are quite a few Marylanders here. Excellent. My house is about fifteen minutes away from D.C. (my school itself is actually located in the ever-lovely District of Columbia ^_~). I can't imagine not living near a major city; my family moved from Montclair, New Jersey--which is very close to NYC--when I was in elementary school. Even though the traffic is horrendous around these parts, I guess I just love knowing that there's always something exciting going on, and that I'll never run out of interesting places to go. Heh, it doesn't hurt that there's a movie theater and a solid block of restaurants directly across the street from my school. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by maladjusted [/i] [B]No, manga and manwha [I don't think manwha will ever really become popular in America][/b][/quote] Really? To be perfectly honest, I don't think that most fans realize that there's a difference between manga and manwha. After all, bookstores place them in the same section, and manwha has the added advantage of reading left-to-right (not that there's anything wrong with right-to-left >_>). Certain manwha--including King of Hell and Under the Glass Moon, as well as Demon Diary--seem to have attracted numerous fans, and their artwork is admittedly superior to that of many popular manga series (anything by Rumiko Takahashi, for example). In my local Borders, Demon Diary is displayed more prominently than Paradise Kiss or even Angelic Layer. I'd say that since a lot of people don't really care about the differences between manga and manwha (assuming that any substantial ones exist), their sales will probably continue to rise together. [quote][b]aren't mainstream, but the sales of manga has increased greatly and you can look around in the mall and shopping areas to see for yourself. Bookstores like Waldonbooks [is that Waldenbooks?] and Barnes and Noble have sections dedicated to mangas, and major electronics stores have huge sections of anime.[/B][/QUOTE] Good point. My mom recently commented on how you could never have bought manga (or manwha, for that matter ^_~) at a normal bookstore when she first immigrated to the States. I recently read a very interesting article in the Washington Post about how one of Japan's biggest exports is simply its pop culture. But.... yeah, I'll stop rambling now. ;p ~Dagger~

Social/age group? I'm a girl, and I'm in high school. Although I've been a fan of anime for many years, I started reading manga rather recently--just this past summer, if I recall correctly. I was never really interested in reading comic books. People tend to think of them as being rather juvenile and focused solely on superheroes, which couldn't be further from the truth, but at the time I didn't realize that. Being the fantasy and science-fiction maniac that I am, I've wanted to read Neil Gaiman's graphic novels for a [i]very[/i] long time. However, their price ended up deterring me. Since I occasionally watch anime solely for the sake of its artwork, I thought that it might be interesting to examine the stylistic differences between anime and manga. I'm now collecting several series (including Chobits, Gravitation, and Demon Diary), and own random volumes of many more (such as Vampire Princess Miyu and Revolutionary Girl Utena). [quote][b]But the most important thing is comparing the enormous recent success of manga with the small and ever-wavering niche of American comics.[/b][/quote] Manga may be growing in popularity, but it isn't exactly mainstream. Although I currently know very little when it comes to American comics, I plan to educate myself about them at some point or another. The Japanese don't have a monopoly on creativity or artistic ability. So, there's your answer. I first became interested in manga and manwha (Korean manga) because I liked the artwork. While I'm not a big fan of the muscle-bound-superhero look that's sometimes found in American comics, both manga and comic books offer a diverse array of artistic styles to choose from. ~Dagger~

That..... doesn't make very much sense. If you haven't yet seen the show, how do you know that you'll even end up [i]liking[/i] Trigun? After briefly Googling the term "Trigun sequel," I think it's safe to say that (aside from a couple of random rumors), no such production is currently being planned. Yasuhiro Nightow--who created the Trigun manga--appears to have personally confirmed this. Although I haven't read the manga, I've watched Trigun several times, and I really don't think that it needs a sequel. The show comes to an appropriately satisfying ending, but doesn't attempt to drag things out (unlike, say, Inuyasha). Why don't you try to see Trigun before deciding that you want it to be continued? Just a thought. ~Dagger~

I really admire you for completing paintings in watercolor, because I have so much trouble with the medium. Perhaps it's because I usually use the wrong kind of paper. ^_^;; Pisces: I'm a Pisces, and this definitely gets my seal of approval. ^_~ Her skin is such a soft, pretty shade of blue, and the little fins (ears?) on the side of her head look very delicate and realistic. Aquarius: Her luxurious hair and dress immediately caught my attention, but the violet flower is also a nice touch. I commend you for making her pose seem natural, since I know it can be difficult to draw people who look relaxed, rather than stiff or uncomfortable. Aries: Beautiful, beautiful colors. So far, Aries is my favorite. Although her horns must have been difficult to draw, you captured their curves with some nice, subtle shading. And her dress is just plain cool. Gemini: This painting is very Chobits-esque, as mal mentioned. I especially like the twins' dramatic, shiny hair. My only complaint is that their brown tights don't really complement the vibrant colors in the rest of the picture. Capricorn: Her sheer top is very pretty. ^_^ I feel that she has knowing sort of expression, with just a hint of mischief lurking beneath her calm facade. However, her mouth seems to be a teensy bit off. Leo: This girl's gloves are [i]fantastic[/i], and her pose is almost perfect (the only part that doesn't seem right is her upper torso; her shoulders and hips look great). I'd flatten her hair a bit, though--it seems to have grown somewhat poofy around the crown of her head. Great work! I like your style and look forward to seeing more. ^_^ ~Dagger~