Dagger

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by XxmagentaxX [/i] [B]Gravitation is going to be so popular when it comes out later this year... Im dreading it. but hey now I can have a better chance of getting my hands on a kumagoru plushie.[/B][/QUOTE] Whoa, whoa, whoa. Gravitation's North American (if that's what you mean by "here") release is going to take place in 2004? I ran several searches online, but couldn't find any Gravitation-related news. I hate to keep bothering you, but could you possibly provide some more information regarding when it's coming out? If you don't wish to venture further off-topic, please PM me. This is obviously very exciting news, and I'd love to hear more about it. ^_^ ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by maladjusted [/i][size=1] P.S.I tried checking out that Voices of a Distant Star thing, but I don't they sell it at any major store...*shrugs* It seemed interesting enough, though, I want to see it now.[/size][/quote] I just ordered my copy online (although I think I've seen it at Borders, too). Despite its shortness, Voices of a Distant Star is really quite brilliant, so you should try to see it if you can. [quote][size=1]P.S.S. [Or P.P.S. Whatever.] I love Orson Scott Card! ^_^. Was the quote from his 'How to Write Science Fiction' book? Just a thought that popped into my head. Er. Yeah.[/size][/QUOTE] Actually, the Card quote is from "Characters and Viewpoint." But I own both of those books, so it was a good guess. ^_~ I think it's safe to say that the basic rules of storytelling apply to every medium in which it's possible to tell a story. Reading manga may not be quite the same thing as reading a novel or watching a play, but the criteria for skillful writing and a strong plot are the same in every genre. You clearly possess the artistic abilities necessary to successfully create a short manga, so all you need to worry about is making its plot as compelling as possible. I'm sure that the final product will be fantastic. ^_^ ~Dagger~

[i]"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing."[/i]

It's interesting how time passes much faster when you're writing than when you're studying. Anyway, this short story/piece/thing is what came out of my procrastination. [center][b]"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow"[/b][/center] You see the sun through the darkness and divisions of your hand. Your fingers outspread to shield light-dazzled eyes, you step back and then back again. This is what happens when you stumble too suddenly from a shadowed hallway, pressing your hip against the door's metal bar, and birth yourself from womb to fire-bright world. It's summer, but the thought of trembling flames reminds you that this heat is little different from the warmth cast by candlelight, or perhaps a fresh-lit bonfire. Your family's fireplace cradles only false wood and violet light (gas-ignited air? You were never strong in science), so you may not have much basis for comparison, unless the sun shafting past your eyelids pierces through to memories of an older, truer house. Yes, you know the one. A sentimental child--you cried when your parents tried to sell it, and smeared your blanket on the floor whenever it grew clean. Now you wonder, what was so reassuring about the scent of dust and ancient dirt? Maybe sunlight can illuminate forgotten thoughts. You see it spill through taut-stretched fingers and burn their edges red. Human skin is such a fragile thing: scrape it and it tears, slice it and the blood beneath leaks forth. You close your hand, holding the tendons tense. As you'd learned in childhood, your palm grows swiftly warm and the scarlet glow seeps through--a line between each tight-pressed digit, bleeding onto a bit of the surrounding skin. By now you understand this light, the strength of the sinking sun. It's a last gasping breath, a fierce heart convulsing to its very end. Feel the life spread through your veins and let the hand fall from your face. Dark and bright combine in day's red-tinged fall from grace. _____________________________________ As always, my heartfelt thanks to anyone who comments. ^_^ ~Dagger~

KotR, this is a beautifully written poem, and I really enjoyed reading it. [QUOTE][color=003333][size=1][i]O' diluted destruction of dominant minds- How strong a single pellet on the scale of life can be. Tipping the blind scales of sanity in either direction is simple. A contemplation of sincerest selfloathing[/i][/size][/color][/quote] The imagery here is simply exceptional. The word "blind" seems to have several shades of meaning; when I first read the line that contains it, I thought of an impassive, blindfolded judge--in other words, I believed that it described the "scales of sanity" as being impartial to suffering. But "blind" also implies that human rationale (sanity) stumbles about in the darkness, easily misled and without a direction or guiding purpose. Since "selfloathing" is normally spelled with a hyphen, I assume that you intentionally merged its two parts. This brought to mind the biblical term "lovingkindness" (often seen in certain sections of the Old Testament), except that "selfloathing" is practically this word's polar opposite, which creates a delicious sense of irony. [quote][color=003333][size=1][i]endears the heart with thoughts of things lost. The beautiful wildflower in a meadow of monotonous marigolds slips through your fingers as easily as sleep overcomes the tired... ...as life is stolen in the blink of a blade...[/i][/size[/color][/quote] "as life is stolen in the blink of a blade" is a very powerful line. Unlike many plays on words, it has a meaning all its own--not only does "blade" replace "eye," but also makes one think of a knife flashing briefly before the fatal thrust. [quote][color=003333][size=1][i]"...as meaning is lost from the poetic lines of a masterpiece... And you are left, longing for the scent of the rare flower. Yearning for the entrancing sight, for the inspiring presence. Substitution is fleeting. Like the grip of some wonderful drug, your mind fixates on the image and memories of the lost, only to assure this is what has been. And never will be again.[/i][/size][/color][/QUOTE] The poem comes to a satisfying, albeit bittersweet, conclusion. Throughout its body, every phrase flows smoothly to the next. This was a true pleasure to read. ~Dagger~

Heh, I'm going to have to watch the entire series at least two more times before I can definitively answer all of your questions.... but here's what I've gathered so far. [spoiler]I don't think that Itsuki Kisaragi is technically Quon's brother by blood. He's actually Ayato's [i]younger[/i] brother--which means that they may be fraternal twins, since they were born in the same year. Then again, Ayato, Itsuki, the blonde (Helena Bahbem), the crazy guy (Makoto Isshiki), Maya Kamina (Ayato's mother) and Quon are all creations of the Bahbem Foundation, which is led by Ernest Bahbem (Helena's boss). So Ayato and Itsuki could very well have been "produced" separately, but by using the same genes. Similarly, Maya Kamina is Quon's younger sister, because once she reached a certain age, Quon was programmed to stop changing and growing. This is why Maya tells Ayato that she didn't techically give birth to him. Watari Shirow (the head of TERRA) is Ayato's father: he used to work for the Foundation as a scientist, and probably helped develop and/or contributed genes to Ayato, which explains why he calls Ayato his son. Helena Bahbem is significant because Ernest Bahbem eventually takes over her body. The way I see it, three different groups are trying to affect how Ayato "tunes" the world--the Bahbem Foundation, TERRA, and the Mulians (led by Maya). The Bahbem Foundation basically plays both sides; it provides TERRA with money and equipment, but also utilizes Mulian technology and clones/creates new potential Mulians (such as Ayato). Ernest Bahbem is tens of thousands of years old. He see himself as a god, orchestrating the events that lead up to the world's tuning, but he has no control over Ayato's free will. I assume that "tuning" the world means setting everything right--at least what Ayato [i]thinks[/i] is right--possibly by making all of the Mulians human, changing past events so as to save some people from death, and altering everyone's memories (including Ayato's). The two RahXephons (Ayato's and Quon's) together have the powers of a god--it's no coincidence that Ayato originally found his RahXephon in the Shrine of Xephon.[/spoiler] Whew, that was tiring. There's a lot more I could say, but I think I'll save it for other posts. ^_^;; ~Dagger~

Conna, I [i]love[/i] this banner. It's the best I've seen from you to date. Your cropping is excellent, and the stock image is crisp and richly colored. The faded numbers make it seem as though the background has the texture of aged parchment. I especially like how you used a simple cross to draw the viewer's attention towards the ".Hack//SIGN" text, which also looks great. Wonderful work--your banner is neither overly simple nor overly complicated, but instead strikes a perfect balance between the two extremes. It might be nice if you added a soft, pale edge to the inside of the banner's border (much like the gentle glow that surrounds the arms of the cross). ~Dagger~

Well, I've never seen DNAngel, and I have no idea what it's about. I do like its artwork, however, so I decided to make a banner using DNAngel images. Whether or not the Pearl Jam quote suits the show's atmosphere--well, that's for you to determine. ^_^;; ~Dagger~

Last Exile would indeed make a fantastic video game. It could be incredibly multifacted, encompassing everything from purchasing the parts to build your own custom vanship to commanding an entire fleet of airships in a spectacular aerial battle similar to those featured in the original show. Perhaps you could start small and work your way up--i.e. begin as a simple vanship porter, then slowly gain more power as you earn money and complete jobs successfully. By the end of the game, you might be supervising multiple ships. This type of video game would only be hampered if it featured Last Exile's main characters, although I suppose it'd be nice if they popped in for an occasional cameo. [quote][b]They already have an Inuyasha fighting game I think for the PS1, but I'm sure that sucks...[/b][/quote] Yes, yes it does. ~Dagger~

To be perfectly honest, I didn't like this movie at all. Perhaps I was simply in a bad mood (I had to go see it after being denied entrance to Matrix Revolutions, but that's a different story). However, I discussed Master and Commander with my parents shortly after we watched it, and they seconded most of my thoughts on the film, so I like to think that my opinion remains unbiased by impatience or irritation. First of all, M&C is just a little bit too long. I have no issue with watching lengthy movies, as long as every minute of screen time is meaningful. Plot-wise, this film simply seemed to wander; I just couldn't tell where it was going or what it was trying to be. I found the friendship between the captain and the doctor to be far more interesting than any of M&C's action scenes. Though they've been touted as utterly brilliant, I don't see what's so special or innovative about its battle sequences. I'm not a film buff. Perhaps truly appreciating this movie requires a greater understanding of its genre and the medium, but regardless of its potential hidden merits, I wouldn't want to see Master and Commander again. ~Dagger~

This is one of your first banners? Nice work! I like the stock image's sepia tones; its dark, subdued palette makes it seem as though Tsukasa is brooding and lends a lovely sense of melancholy to the banner as a whole. The dark, faded background text is a nice addition. However, I do recommend that you clean up Tsukasa's face (for example, don't let the little .hack//SIGNs show through his skin and hair). The picture quality isn't fantastic--which is probably due to the fact that you saved your banner as a GIF--but in this case, the graininess doesn't look too bad. It fits in well with the overall themes of darkness and uncertainty. As for the single bright ".hack//SIGN," I would enlarge it greatly and make it a different color (like ivory or soft brown). Its current greenish-white clashes with the banner's color scheme. Overall, great job. I look forward to seeing more of your banners in the future. ^_^ ~Dagger~

[quote][b]Can you point out someone who can make good banners?[/b][/quote] Syk3, Dan Rugh, terra and Hittokiri Zero all make fantastic banners (OB has many other talented members, but I don't think you want me to list every single one of them). Anyway, it's [i]possible[/i] to create decent-looking banners in MS Paint. That having been said, if you lack the experience or patience necessary to do so, you might want to consider requesting a banner from one of the people mentioned above. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Hacker Kite [/i] [B]What kinda people would not post a thread about the greatest movie ever made!!!![/B][/QUOTE] A couple of PotC threads were created around the time when the movie was first released. So in response to your presumably rhetorical question, we're not "[that] kinda people"..... whoever those "kinda people" are. o_O Anyway. Johnny Depp's performance was, as everyone else has been saying, fantastic. Although I find him attractive, I'm rather turned off by the rabid hordes of teenage girls who, chances are, scarcely knew who he was before PotC came out, and now claim to be Mr. Depp's biggest fans ever. Ripping on Orlando Bloom does nothing for their credibility; they're just as bad as--if not worse than--his followers. Also, bear in mind the fact that Johnny Depp is married, with children. Drooling over him isn't much better than hanging pictures of a friend's dad in one's locker.[/rant] But to get back on topic, I enjoyed watching the movie (I've seen it about three or four times), and I did buy it on DVD. It's very funny, with fantastic swordfights and a memorable soundtrack. I was also quite impressed by PotC's special effects--the Black Pearl's crew looks about as realistic as it's possible for the living dead to be. I like to think that Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom got the short end of the stick; they're probably competent actors, but their lines were generally pretty mediocre (at least compared to Johnny Depp's). Even the best performance can do little for a bad or otherwise erratic script. ~Dagger~

It's quite simple, really. Follow the dolphin--if you haven't seen him yet, rest assured that he'll show up eventually--until you get close enough to catch him. Once you're practically swimming on his tail, just press X (or whatever action is required to grab him; I don't remember exactly which button to use, but it's not complicated). If you aren't very good at navigating underwater, this may take a few tries. Just let the dolphin carry you through the currents, and jump off when you reach a calmer area. ~Dagger~

Meh. Boogiepop Phantom (which happens to be one of my all-time favorite series, just so you know) [i]might[/i] make a good video game, but not if it were purely based on fighting. One of the main pleasures of watching Boogiepop is slowly learning how all of the characters' stories intersect, so I'd like a BP game to include just as many plot twists and puzzles as the actual show. I think that it'd be best if you played as either Nagi or Boogiepop ([spoiler]Toka, not Boogiepop Phantom[/spoiler]), or had the ability to switch between them. Since both get to see decent amounts of action, the game wouldn't have to be purely intellectual. ~Dagger~

[center]"Ode to an Injured Equine"[/center] Though injured equines rarely captivate And zebra colors may seem rather plain, It cannot be denied that he's first-rate. Insanity may sometimes hurt one's fame (Just look at Michael Jackson's current state), But this person cannot fail to entertain And every single chat with him is great. He serves two lords and acts as chef to both. What's that you say--A masochist? Hell no! Don't get the wrong idea; he would be loath To let them touch his weaponry (I hope....) He's worn one master as his face, and that Is all I'll tell you in this humble space.

"Odd" is the first word that comes to mind.... Knowing you, I'm tempted to suspect that this piece is an incredibly subtle (well, maybe not-so-subtle; I can't claim to have any clue) parody of and/or tribute to..... something. Regardless of what you intended it to be, it's quite amusing. I especially like how you incorporated the second person into your narrative. My only complaint is that the frequent switching between present and past tense can be a little disorienting. [quote]It looks like a cattle prod. ?OWWW!!!!? Screamed the actor.[/quote] Right there, for example, I think that "It looked like a cattle prod" or "Screams the actor" would work better. [quote]The crew is running around like chickens with their heads cut off![/quote] A fantastic line, as is the last. Nice (albeit bizarre...) work. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Ah, yet another beautiful banner from Mei. I really like this one; its overall softness is very pleasing to the eye, and the pastel-based color scheme serves to create a gentle, soothing atmosphere. To borrow Sara's words, "simple and pretty" sums it up perfectly. Your avatar is a wee bit grainy, but I get the feeling that most people won't examine it closely enough to notice that. Overall, lovely work. ^_^ ~Dagger~

Yes, I just turned the word "marathon" (which up until now was a perfectly respectable noun) into a verb. ;P I watch most of my anime on DVD; I've lost interest in the vast majority of Adult Swim's series, and I try to avoid over-using Bittorrent. When I do buy a new DVD, I usually go through all of its episodes at once (I marathon them, so to speak). In Japan, however, most TV shows release new episodes on a weekly, bi-weekly, or occasionally even monthly basis. In my experience, certain series benefit from being seen over a very short period of time--i.e. two or three days--but other shows' faults sometimes become more obvious when most of their episodes are watched back-to-back. Here are my questions: When you purchase or rent an anime DVD, do you try to give yourself a few days to absorb each of its episodes, or do you just sit down and play all of them in a row? What do you think each method adds to or detracts from the overall viewing experience? ~Dagger~

To quote Orson Scott Card (a renowned science-fiction novelist): [quote]Blood and gore eventually make the audience gag; sobbing and moaning eventually earn the audience's laughter or contempt. On the other hand, if you make us understand how intensely the character loved before losing the loved one or trusted before being betrayed, then his grief will have far greater power, even if you show it with great economy. If you show a character coping with her pain or grief, refusing to succumb to it, then readers will wince or weep for her. Another rule of thumb: If your characters cry, your readers won't have to; if your characters have good reason to cry, and don't, your readers will do the weeping.[/quote] The shorter your storyline is, the fewer characters you can afford to get involved. Attempting to introduce and develop a very large cast in a short period of time will only end up confusing people. This is where it helps to have memorable names and unique character designs--if all the principle players look alike and are called by similar pseudonyms, no one will be able to keep track of who's who. Don't let the plot get overly complicated. Character development is what enables the audience to care for and identify with a particular person. So when you're writing/scripting a tragedy, the climactic tragic event shouldn't have to compete with a bunch of other drastic plot twists. What I've learned from watching anime and reading manga and books is that strong, brave, interesting, unassuming characters get the most sympathy. Nobility is all and well, but most people won't like someone who sacrifices himself simply for the sake of being a martyr. ~Dagger~

I just saw the first episode of this show, and I can't even remember the last time I was so excited about a particular series. If you like Rurouni Kenshin, you'll probably love Peace Maker Kurogane (it takes place shortly before the beginning of Japan's Meiji Era). Who knows, it might start to fall apart in later episodes--for now, I'll hope that it lives up to its initial promise. From what I've gathered, the storyline revolves around an energetic, good-hearted fifteen-year-old named Tetsunosuke. He wants to join the Shinsengumi, but doing so may ultimately force him to abandon his humanity. While Tetsunosuke is a little bit irritating (and in some ways reminiscient of both Yahiko and Naruto), he does seem to possess a more thoughtful, mature side. The first episode of PMK contains an impressive amount of both character development and action. To be perfectly honest, the action is what really makes this show. Rurouni Kenshin has a few good swordfights (such as Kenshin's first duel with Saito), but PMK's battle scenes--I say "battle" because many of its action-oriented sequences involve multiple people, rather than a mere two opponents--puts them all to shame. Its animation is as good as that of the Rurouni Kenshin OAVs (Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal and Samurai X: Reflection). PMK also happens to be equally bloody and graphic, so despite its young protagonist, this series is most definitely not for kids. Okay, so PMK's action is beyond fantastic, but so is its music. Its soundtrack is incredibly versatile and encompasses everything from guitar-heavy opening and ending songs (I predict that the latter will become just as popular as FLCL's Ride On Shooting Star) to bittersweet classical pieces that perfectly complement the show's more serious scenes. If you've seen or heard of Peace Maker Kurogane, I'd love to discuss it with you. For those of you who haven't, I urge you to acquire its first episode (at the very least) through whatever means possible. ~Dagger~

Greed, like almost every other so-called vice or virtue, can have both positive and negative effects. When it's kept under control (used in moderation, so to speak), people call it "drive" or "ambition." I will readily admit that I'm a materialistic person--having loyal friends and a loving family is obviously more important than having stuff, but being able to buy pretty new things makes me quite happy, thank you very much. Earthly possessions, such as Christmas presents, are basically the icing on the cake. They lose their value when you forget about the essential intangibles in life--i.e. love and compassion. So, a little greed can be good. No one is entirely selfless, and what would ever have been accomplished if people didn't occasionally pursue their material desires? ~Dagger~

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Hack Helba [/i] [B][size=1]I love having breakdowns, Im not sure what trigger mine but I wish I could have them all the time. Great feeling, hard to explain how it feels. I've tried explaining the feeling before to friends and I would just be going on forever.[/size] [/B][/QUOTE] At first I hoped that you were being sarcastic, but after re-reading this, I get the sense that you're speaking in earnest. Helba, having a mental breakdown is one thing; experiencing simple emotional release is something else altogether. Many teenagers find rather extreme ways to vent their rage and sadness, but throwing a tantrum (or, for that matter, dinner plates) does [i]not[/i] mean that you won't be fine and dandy in a couple of hours. From what I understand, actual breakdowns are debilitating, [i]extremely[/i] painful, and continue to affect your life long after you finally recuperate. Maybe you've suffered through some truly terrible situations. I have no way of knowing. But look at what Dan L and BabyGirl were forced to endure. [i]They[/i] didn't have breakdowns. Claiming that you "wish [you] could have them all the time" only serves to mock the pain of others--not only theirs, but the anguish that every victim of a real breakdown must experience. ~Dagger~

For those of you who don't know, Arslan is a brilliant science fiction novel that was published sometime in the 1970s. I purchased and read it rather recently, after learning that it's one of Orson Scott Card's favorite books (Mr. Card wrote Ender's Game, another sci-fi classic). This novel deals primarily with the rise and fall of an Asian conquerer named Arslan, who basically takes over the world and attempts to break humanity down into small, rural, self-sustaining communities. He may be a brutal dictator, but his ferocity shows the most in the strength of his idealism and the hopeless grandeur of his plans for the future. I went into Arslan expecting it to be a book about war, but it's actually based primarily on human relationships. It's written in the first person, and the point of view alternates between two important characters; this makes Engh's prose feel very real and very personal. In fact, the author's hauntingly lovely prose is the main reason that Arslan stands out. Unlike most sci-fi novels, it has no space travel or advanced machinery; there is no technical jargon, no bounty hunters, no brave hero. Here's a short sample of Engh's writing: [quote]I did not know, until he turned away from the four corpses, that I would not be the fifth. Until that moment I had waited, with anxious anticipation and a hollow sickness in the gut, to learn whether I would fight him--and how, if I did not, he would destroy me. But as he turned, slack and satiated, sheer joy bubbled within me, and I trembled like a fountain. Rusudan was dead, and I would live. Nights afterward, when in my agony I dared to tongue Rusudan's name, he leaned the heel of his hand upon my mouth, saying for all time, "That case is closed," and I read in the jet transparence of his eyes that I was absolved of my own sin, called only to suffer for others'.[/quote] I can't even describe how amazed I am by the sheer clarity and beauty of his words. Since I'd never even heard of Arslan until I bought it on a whim, I'm not terribly sure that anyone else here has read it. However, I strongly encourage all of you to do so. ~Dagger~

Sunrise flows like water upon flesh to bless bare shoulders, caressing pallid skin. She can feel the river stir beneath her boat, a delicate shell that rides the rising waves. Her breath is mist and gossamer in winter's icy air. But winter is no more; this row will herald spring, will summon warmth into the drifting water. She is Moses, parting the seasons as her oars part the wine-dark river below-- she is Venus, gliding to glory on a single scalloped vessel. Not naked, though the sun spills soft upon her, Just alone, and calm, And strong.