Dagger

[quote name='Kenshin DX][COLOR=Blue]Ok.... What I was getting at was what do people think about [spoiler] Ls death and how will Near fill his shoes[/spoiler'].[/COLOR][/quote] Well, to phrase it in a relatively spoiler-free way, I think that fans who say things like [spoiler]"Near isn't a worthy successor to L" or "Near will never fill L's shoes"[/spoiler] are not only over-simplifying things but perhaps also missing the point entirely. One can't really blame them for this, given that this is simply the way that things are set up toward the beginning of the second arc, but I do feel that people who insist on framing the situation this way even later on in the second arc are denying themselves the chance to appreciate the way the plot develops. They don't have to [i]like[/i] the second arc; one can appreciate something without liking it, and the second arc just doesn't get enough credit in that regard. One of the interesting things about [spoiler]L's death is that it really makes you scramble to find a sympathetic character. It's the event that should have reduced the story to a simple fight of good versus evil. But no matter how you feel about Near, ethically speaking, I think it's difficult to root for him in the same way that a lot of people liked to root for L. In fact, in much of the second arc, it's difficult to root for anyone. This took some of the shounen excitement out of the story but also ultimately made it a more sophisticated work.[/spoiler] That's just my view, of course. :) ~Dagger~

The other day, I got [b]Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria[/b] and [b]Okami[/b]. I'm extremely excited about VP2, even though I haven't played the first game (and probably never will, unless I manage to befriend someone with a PSP). Now that I know it can be played in widescreen, though, I may put it off until winter break so that I can take advantage of the nice TV at home. When I get it, FFXII will meet the same fate. I didn't realize that Shadow of the Colossus had the same option until I had already started playing it on my 4:3 TV. Since it's a fairly short game, though, I guess I can always play it again at home if I end up really digging it. It does kind of irk me to know that I could experience the colossi in widescreen glory if I just waited a little longer, but the only other games I have on hand are Jak II and Okami, as mentioned above, and I'm not in the mood for either of them at this point. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Kenshin DX][COLOR=Blue]My bad I got confused. Anyway does anyone else feel that [spoiler] That Ls death was kind of a downfall for the series?[/spoiler] I mean he was a genius and was a perfect rival for Light. Near is suposed to[spoiler] be Ls succesor[/spoiler] How do you think that will work out?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] What kind of answer do you want for this question? I mean, how far have you read? Are you looking for spoilers, or are you only seeking speculation from people who are at the same point in the series as you? Many readers do feel that the second arc is lower in quality than the first. I disagree. It's less shocking, certainly; how could Ohba have kept our astonishment at the same level as before without resorting to cheap tricks? But I don't think there's some kind of huge divide between them. If you go back and re-read the beginning after finishing the series, the foreshadowing is actually stunning. The two halves of the story complement each other. But if you're looking solely for more of that pure mind game goodness, then you very well could be disappointed. I'd suggest trying to keep an open mind about it--don't let your opinion be determined solely by what everyone else seems to be saying. ~Dagger~

The end of Xenosaga III made me feel horribly depressed and empty. Luckily, I had Shadow of the Colossus on hand to fill the void (and it's pretty much exactly what I was in the mood for after the headache-inducing, plot-intensive hijinks of Xenosaga). I started this evening, so I've only just beaten the second Colossus, but I can see why it's supposed to be so much fun... it's like they simply cut out all of the annoying stuff between boss battles. I'm generally rather terrible at games that require jumping around and climbing and such, haha, so I suspect that this game will last me quite a while. Definitely more than the ten hours that it would take for most other people, at any rate. :p ~Dagger~

I almost fainted during the scene in which [spoiler]Henry started giving out orders to Ethan and company.[/spoiler] That was [i]awesome[/i]. Anyway, I just learned about [spoiler]Skinner boxes[/spoiler] in Psychology, so this episode was in some ways very timely. But remembering that and seeing [spoiler]Sawyer and Kate get put in them[/spoiler] added tremendously to the creep factor for me, especially when [spoiler]Sawyer got all excited about figuring out the trick to getting food.[/spoiler] I like [spoiler]nutso Jack[/spoiler] much better than [spoiler]regular, goody two-shoes Jack.[/spoiler] I also may or may not be getting a wicked crush on [spoiler]Jack's dad.[/spoiler]

[quote name='Fasteriskhead]Man, all's I know is that if this thing isn't as good (or at least in the [i]neighborhood[/i'] of as good) as every anime site on the web has been claiming it's going to be for the past, oh, three months, I feel like I should personally go over to each one of them and correct them on their mistake.[/quote] It sounds like you're not familiar with the manga. In that case, it'll be very interesting to see your take on the story as it's presented in the anime. I'm hoping that the anime will be able to correct some of the manga's occasional pacing issues. Anyway, I quite liked episode 1. It only covers the first chapter (?) of the manga, but surprisingly, it didn't feel slow to me (and the end of the chapter made for a great stopping point). [strike]Tamaki[/strike] Miyano Mamoru does a decent job as Light, which is a very good thing, given that at least 50% of the series will consist purely of him soliloquizing. The production values are very high, and the director--whoever the hell he is--knows how to pull out all the stops when it counts, which is something that I definitely have a weakness for in anime. Because of my extremely high expectations and my love for the manga, I wasn't totally sold on the anime version until the eye-popping [spoiler]writing scene[/spoiler] (I don't know why I'm tagging that, but whatever) toward the end of the episode. Earlier on, I had been a little bothered by the relative dearth of music. But then that sequence came out and completely owned me. My god. The OP & ED have great visuals and okay music. The songs will probably grow on me over time. ~Dagger~

To catch those of you who are unfamiliar with the story up to speed, let's begin with Viz's somewhat lame but nevertheless adequate summary of the manga. [quote][I][SIZE=1]Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and bored out of his mind! But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal... or his life?[/SIZE][/I][/quote] Anyway. The Death Note anime started airing in Japan today, and saying that I've been looking forward to it would be quite the understatement. I haven't watched the raw yet, but once I do see it, I'll update this post (or post again, whatever) with my impressions. I'll reserve any final judgments until then, but it certainly looks as if Madhouse has really blown this one out of the ballpark. For now, at any rate, here are a few relevant links. [url=http://randomc.animeblogger.net/2006/10/03/death-note-01/][u]Episode 1 screencaps[/u][/url] [url=http://www.designchronicle.com/memento/archives/death_note_ep01.html][u]Episode 1 screencaps & impressions[/u][/url] [url=http://www.ntv.co.jp/deathnote/][u]Official site [JP][/u][/url] [url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=o6fjn-AfRDE][u]OP sequence[/u][/url] I'll edit in others as more sites post screencaps and the like. As for the episode count, the number that gets bandied about most often seems to be 37; apparently this might only be referring to the first arc, though. So it's all a little nebulous. ~Dagger~

I'm SO pissed that I missed last week's recap; apparently [spoiler]it was narrated by Henry![/spoiler] It doesn't seem to be on iTunes, either. :( Not much else to say, since I'm not going to read your spoilers just yet, but I'm champing at the bit for the season premiere. ~Dagger~

I (finally) sat my butt down and watched the last two DVDs. Good stuff as always; although the 2nd Gig was better overall than the first season, I think the climax of the first season made more of an impact on me than these final episodes. I have a hard time not feeling numb in response to the whole concept of [spoiler]an impending nuclear threat,[/spoiler] and the show is written in too detached a manner to surmount that reaction. Which is all very ironic, but no matter. The best part of the last episode was when [spoiler]Kuze asked the Major if she had anyone she could open up to, and the camera cut to a shot of Batou propping up the metal cross-beams. All of the parts with those two talking face to face were great, even though this was thanks to the body language and not really what they were actually saying.[/spoiler] However, I didn't like the fact that it was never quite made clear [spoiler]how much they knew/remembered about each other.[/spoiler] At least I don't think it was; it'd be great if someone could contradict me. On a different note, [spoiler]Gouda's death[/spoiler] was [i]so[/i] satisfying. I almost laughed when I saw it, because I immediately found myself thinking of how much fun it must have been to write and animate. [spoiler]Rolling eyeballs... mm.[/spoiler] Anyway, I'm confident that SSS will be excellent, and I hope that [strike]the token bishounen[/strike] Proto at least gets a cameo in it. :p ~Dagger~

When I went to the store to pick up Okami, I noticed a survival horror game called [url=http://www.atlus.com/ruleofrose/][u]Rule of Rose[/u][/url]. I didn't buy it, given that I knew absolutely nothing about it, but something about the cover and the vaguely Lord of the Flies-esque description on the back (cruel, dominant children) really drew me in. So I poked around online when I got home, and the general consensus among reviewers seems to be that the combat system is not so hot, but the storyline and atmosphere are outstanding. Since I've never played a game in this genre before, I have no basis for comparison, but I'm beginning to think that Rule of Rose might be as good a place to start as any. I keep seeing comments about the excellence of the storytelling, which for me would probably be sufficient to balance out any weaknesses in the gameplay. Anyway, I've got a lot of other stuff to play before I can even think about going back out there and actually buying it, but if anyone else here is interested in it or has already started playing it, I'd love to see your thoughts. ~Dagger~

Sorry to be commenting kind of lamely, but that was great. Almost as awesome as the hot incest. :animesmil I think what I really like about this is that you're don't make any compromises about portraying people's online personalities. Obviously, there's a certain degree of exaggeration involved, but that doesn't obscure the fact that your jabs are mostly rooted in reality. Though that's what makes the story funny, the nature of your comedy is illuminating rather than cruel. Anyway, this part had me in a fit of giggles: [quote=Charles]Chibihorsewoman: I notice thou art wearing thy favorite pair of socks! Alex: [aside] My patience wears thin because of these-- Fasteriskhead: Stupid cocks--[/quote] I also loved the bit about becoming Thane of Hardwired. [QUOTE=Charles]Now, will you two leave or will you join your friends, swimming laps in the River Stix? Now, what say ye?[/QUOTE] x Stix o Styx ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=vegeta rocker] So have you ever purchased something uber geeky that you knew totally wasnt worth it but thought it was awesome anyway?[/QUOTE] That's not quite the same question as the one in the title of your thread, wouldn't you say? :p My geekiest purchase(s) would probably be my anime figures. I swore to myself time and again that I wouldn't get into figure collecting, and although I haven't quite sunk to that level yet, the fact that I own any at all is kind of worrisome, haha. The first figure I got was [url=http://www.tmpanime.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1462][u]Alvis Hamilton[/u][/url] from Last Exile; I bought [url=http://www.tmpanime.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1587][u]Henrietta[/u] [/url] from Gunslinger Girl a little later. I also have a set of some nice [url=http://www.hlj.com/product/ALT20502][u]Last Exile trading busts[/u][/url] on order, but that's it for the foreseeable future. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Sho Ayori']When's Episode 3 coming out in Europe? I've wanted it since I began playing Episode 2, though I haven't played the first one. But the storyline and characters absorbed me into it, and I liked the battle system. I know what the whole story's about but waiting for episode 3 is really getting to be a drag.[/quote] I don't think a European release date has been announced yet, but Episode I would be a great way to kill time between the two games. ;) I really do recommend snagging it--it's much longer than Episode II, and it's a lot of fun. Although you can probably get by just fine without playing it, some of the sub-plots that have come to the forefront in Episode III will seem more meaningful if you've already been through Episode I. (I'm specifically referring to the stuff about [spoiler]Virgil and Kevin,[/spoiler] neither of whom get much screen time in Episode II--[spoiler]Virgil's[/spoiler] identity is never mentioned at all, and I don't think [spoiler]Kevin's[/spoiler] name came up more than once or twice, if even that. It's also fun just to think back on the events of Episode I while playing Episode III, such as how [spoiler]Virgil called out Febronia's name during his death scene[/spoiler]--stuff that didn't have much significance in context suddenly starts making sense, and it's given me an appreciation for how deeply the writers planned the story.) I just started Chapter 6. I am endlessly intrigued by [spoiler]Kevin's[/spoiler] new role in the story, and so far the whole [spoiler]sequence in the past[/spoiler] has been cleverly executed and very, very interesting. [spoiler]It's a nifty way for them to gain the ability to revive KOS-MOS.[/spoiler] Plus, it was great to find out how [spoiler]Virgil and Febronia[/spoiler] knew one another. If I play Episode I again, I'll have to keep an eye out for whether there are any direct hints about [spoiler]Virgil remembering Shion.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

[quote name='Lunox][color=dimgray'] I disagree. I always prefer the original version rather than the dubbing, even if I fear the dub first.[/color][/quote] Freudian slip? ;) [quote][color=dimgray]Right now I'm thinking of [i]Howl's Moving Castle[/i], where Calcifer makes "mah" noises while eating eggshells. No matter how I look at it, it would just be akward to replace that with an English expression such as "yum". It's just a cultural line.[/color][/QUOTE] I actually [strike]MSTed[/strike] watched Howl's earlier tonight, and Billy Crystal just makes gobbling noises. It works quite well, really--his performance is one of the better ones in the dub version because it's so confident, although it's quite different from the Japanese performance (insofar as I even remember the Japanese version). Anyway, this theory has some merit to it. Paradoxically, though, I think that it tends to stop working once one becomes aware of it. ~Dagger~

If we can extend the definition of "movie" to include mini-series, the last three movies I watched were [b]Cyrano de Bergerac[/b], [b]Pride and Prejudice[/b] (the BBC version), and [b]Gone with the Wind[/b]. I've seen Cyrano before, but the wordplay seems fresh to me every time. I could never claim to be a movie buff, [spoiler]"O, that this too, too solid nose would melt"[/spoiler] has got to be one of the greatest lines of all time. That whole scene is just unbelievable. We actually didn't end up watching Pride & Prejudice in its entirety, since it's six-something hours long and we were all pretty tired, so we saw a good chunk of the beginning and then skipped around in search of the good parts while rhapsodizing about the dialogue and acting and so forth. My previous experience with the BBC version involved VHS and an iffy TV, so I was shocked by how gorgeous it looked on DVD. The DVD version really brings out the beauty of the cinematography and helps put it on an equal footing with the (also excellent and more recent) film version. One has Keira Knightley; the other has Colin Firth. I defy you to choose between them. As for Gone with the Wind, it was my first time seeing it, and it went by surprisingly fast, given that we watched it in one sitting. I haven't seen many dramatic older movies, so one thing that interested me was how much the acting and dramatization (including the way they framed and brought out important moments, etc.) reminded me of the melodramatic way that things tend to be staged in older anime, even though said anime were made decades after films like Gone with the Wind. It's really almost as if anime underwent the same evolution in terms of directing, writing and acting (from theatrical to more naturalistic), yet later on and in a shorter time period. But I digress. ~Dagger~

I bought [b]Xenosaga Episode III[/b] and [b]Shadow of the Colossus[/b] in one go, but it may be a while until I start playing the latter, since I think and hope that Xenosaga is going to occupy me at least until FFXII comes out. I am looking forward to it all the same, though. It's been a while since I played a non-turn-based game other than Kingdom Hearts. Hopefully I won't be awful at it; my puzzle-solving skills are traditionally terrible, and it sounds like most of the monsters in it are essentially giant puzzles. I can't say too much about Xenosaga Episode III yet (well, not too much other than [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=55236][u]this[/u][/url], heh). But I'm very excited about advancing further in it, and it already seems like a more polished production than Episodes I and II, which is the way it should be. I don't know whether or not the story will end up seeming rushed, but I'm certainly not going to make any definitive judgments about its pacing before I've finished experiencing it for myself. As long as the characterization doesn't suffer in the process, I don't mind if things unfold faster than they did in the past. In any case, it'll be interesting to see if I can spot the places where it was censored for violence. ~Dagger~

I just finished Chapter 1, so I reserve the right to take back anything I say here (in speculation or otherwise), in case it ends up looking spectacularly stupid later on. :p Anyway, I'm already getting a great vibe from this game. The character battle system basically combines the battle systems from the first and second games, but it also adds some new stuff--so attack zones are gone even though Break status is still a possibility (for both the PCs and the enemies), and tech attacks are back (yay!), but you have to spend ether points to use them. The one thing that makes me a little leery is the fact that you have to save up Boost points to use special attacks (which are different from tech attacks). After using Boost so heavily in Episode II, it's going to be a little weird using it mainly for stocking instead of for constantly cutting in line. On the other hand, it's convenient that the Boost gauge fills up as you attack, since so many turns had to be spent stocking in Episode II, which made even the easy battles pretty long. Anyway, it makes me happy that there are cool individual attack names and so forth again, since I virtually never used Episode II's double techs. I've only been in two ES battles so far, but I was really rather impressed by how they looked. I wonder whether [spoiler]they're all going to be in space or in the air; that gave those two battles a dynamic visual quality that I can't imagine being replicated if the machines were grounded.[/spoiler] In any case, I'm thrilled that ES battles now give the characters experience points--that's going to make it so much easier to level up, and I think it'll let me enjoy the ES campaigns more. It doesn't seem as if you can switch co-pilots around, as in Episode II, although I haven't take much of a look at it yet. At least they have MOMO with Ziggy; that pleased me. I think that people (like myself) who had complaints about the character design changes for Episode II should be very pleased with the designs in Episode III. If you have a clear save file from Episode II, you can even [spoiler]put Shion in her old Vector uniform.[/spoiler] Facially, the designs are more nuanced and sophisticated than those in either of the first two games--I suppose they have more of an anime-ish appearance than in Episode II, but at the same time they also look a lot more human and expressive, so you don't get the creepy blank stares from Episode I. I'd say to look at Jin and MOMO for the best evidence of the improvements (seriously, MOMO just became [i]gorgeous[/i]), but KOS-MOS fans have only to glance at the cover to see how much more attractive she is than in Episode II. I've heard that the music is a lot better than that of Episode II, and while it's a little early to judge, Episode II's music was pretty horrid. So I think anything different would be a big relief at this point. On the one hand, the minor cut-scenes (I don't know how to describe them--the ones with the visual novel style talking heads instead of full animation) seem pretty cheap and are coming a little too hard and fast for my comfort. On the other hand, it is kind of fun to momentarily pretend that I'm playing a bishoujo game or something, haha. Additionally, the real cut-scenes look a lot lusher and more alive than in the previous games. Hopefully all of the key plot developments will receive that treatment. About the prologue: [spoiler]Yeah, everyone knows that it isn't really a Xenosaga game until you can make Shion prance around in her swimsuit.[/spoiler] And as for Chapter 1: I have decided that I like [spoiler]Margulis. He will never attain an Albedo-esque level of coolness, due to being less mentally unhinged, but I can totally see him teaming up with the heroes at some point.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

About character exploration and so forth... (you may not want to read this if you haven't finished; it's just about the general direction the game takes, but some might consider that a spoiler.) If Xenosaga were still going to be spread out over six games, I would have absolutely no problems with the fact that the second game, and even the first game as well (to a lesser extent), [spoiler]takes Junior as its main character.[/spoiler] Because there's only one game left to wrap up the story, I'm a little worried about [spoiler]the other characters getting shafted in comparison.[/spoiler] That said, though, the storytelling in Episode II was fantastic, especially toward the end (which was, as far as I'm concerned, phenomenal). They really plumbed the relationship between [spoiler]Junior and Albedo,[/spoiler] and the latter went from being one of the most annoying characters in the series to one of the coolest and most likeable. Granted, the [spoiler]twincest[/spoiler] vibes were a little weird, haha, and so was the final scene [spoiler]with Albedo being lifted away by Realian angels,[/spoiler] but I'm not really complaining. It was good stuff all around, and [strike]I might even have teared up a little. Just a little[/strike]. Anyway, back to the ending. I loved how, in the scenes during the credits, the characters totally ignored the [spoiler]GIANT FRICKING GNOSIS that just swallowed the original Zohar.[/spoiler] But whatever. Overall, the last few scenes were supremely exciting, not to mention a huge tease for [spoiler]chaos fans like myself. I did appreciate how they began and ended the game with him, though.[/spoiler] The second to last battle is a lot quicker and easier than the final battle in Episode I--[i]if[/i] you have [spoiler]Last Revenge[/spoiler] equipped on at least two of your party members. I certainly wouldn't have been able to manage without it. As for the last battle... [spoiler]yeah, I don't know why they went through the motions of making that an actual fight in the first place, but it was kind of fun to play with Junior, since I didn't use him very much in the rest of the game.[/spoiler] I'll be starting Episode III first thing tomorrow, that's for sure. I cannot wait to find out [spoiler]who the hell chaos is.[/spoiler] Plus, I want [spoiler]Virgil and the rest of his hooded buddies[/spoiler] to start showing their faces. ~Dagger~

I really really hope you didn't just spoil me for how it turns out, Nekova. :( I didn't look under the tagged parts of your post, but it's quite easy to read into the un-tagged parts and come away with what is probably the same conclusion. So I hope I'm wrong. Anyway, I'm getting close to the halfway mark, and I kind of hate to say it, but Tsukushi is acting pretty stupid, bless her little heart. [spoiler]Lying for no reason (she doesn't owe Tsukasa anything right now; she hasn't even responded to his confession yet!) is not appealing in a character whose best traits are her bluntness and her ability to stay true to herself.[/spoiler] Silly girl. Rui is kind of an ***hole, bless [i]his[/i] heart, but I loved the timing of [spoiler]his return from France. That was totally awesome. Oh, the drama...[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

If you like shoujo romance, you should probably read this. If you like love triangles, you [i]must[/i] read this. Parfait Tic is, to paraphrase Wiki, a comedy-drama about the high schooler Fuuko and the two cousins (Daiya and Ichi) who live in the apartment above her. On most levels, it's well-executed but not innovative: the heroine is extremely likeable in an everygirl sort of way, and the comedy is basic but effective, if you go in for that sort of thing. The art serves its purpose prettily. Where Parfait Tic excels brilliantly, though, is in manipulating the reader's emotions. It makes it damn near impossible for you to chose one pairing and stick to it (seriously, I dare anyone to try). I almost don't want there to be a resolution because I'd hate to see either Daiya or Ichi get left behind. A lot of shoujo series make it easy for you to predict the (romantic) ending within five pages. You'd have to be a real prophet to pull that off with Parfait Tic. At the beginning, you'll make some assumptions about how things will proceed, and pretty much all of them will be dashed as the series goes on. It's just awesome like that. Anyway, yeah, go read Parfait Tic (tragically, it's unlicensed, but it seems to have a pretty nice fanbase despite that). And if you've started reading it already, tell me who you're rooting for and why. I tend to lean toward Ichi, but it's still incredibly close. :catgirl: ~Dagger~

Despite the character design changes and its comparative shortness, Xenosaga II does a great job of continuing & deepening the plot of Xeno I. I was especially impressed by how it fleshed out the character of [spoiler]Albedo, making him a sympathetic and tragic figure without turning him all gushy and gooey, as some stories are wont to do. He's deliciously unrepentant--but viewed in the light of his past, his very murderousness becomes poignant.[/spoiler] In general, my favorite part of the game was [spoiler]running around in Sakura's memory.[/spoiler] Which is not to say that I've finished yet--as in Xenosaga I, one of my main complaints about it is that although it's easy to breeze through while barely leveling up, the normal enemies become quite frustrating toward the end. What's irritating is that this doesn't show that you're unprepared to fight the bosses--it just means you'll have a harder and more annoying time getting to them. I'm sort of stalled right now, in part because of that, but also because I want to get more skills before the end. My favorite party is chaos, KOS-MOS and MOMO; although MOMO's low HP results in her dying more often than the other characters, she's absurdly powerful after Break/Down/Air if you remember to cast the right elemental attribute on her. Being able to change characters in the middle of a battle is a real godsend, though. On the whole, I just wish Xeno II were longer. The ES campaigns are fun, but I'd like them better if I also had more opportunities to run around with my characters and rack up those skill points. ~Dagger~

[quote]All average teenager Tsukushi Makino wants is to get through the rest of her time at rich, snobby Eitoku High and graduate. But when the F4--a group of wealthy, influential, good-looking bullies--go after Tsukushi's friend, everything changes. Can a girl from the wrong side of the tracks survive high school?[/quote] That's the description you'll find on the back of the DVD case. But when you get down to it, HYD is the quintessential shoujo love triangle, with the principle players being Tsukushi and two members of the F4, Tsukasa and Rui. It's very melodramatic and very addictive (at least for me, haha). Right now I'm up to episode 9 or 10 and will hopefully see more quite soon, Netflix willing. I figured I'd present my thoughts on the show by keeping tracking of which guy I root for and when. Episodes 1 - 4: Rui. On a shallow level, I find his character design much more appealing--but in these episodes also brought out his quirky charm (for instance, I loved the scene in which he bought a tiny cake just because it was cute). Tsukasa just came across as a goofball. I think it's interesting how they balance Tsukasa and Rui's roles by making Tsukasa the "adversary"--because at least initially, that antagonistic chemistry gives Tsukasa his main advantage. If Rui were the F4's leader instead, then it really wouldn't be any contest. Episodes 5 - 8: 50/50. Tsukasa won major points with me during and after the [spoiler]kissing scene,[/spoiler] (which, by the way, used the amusingly dramatic classical music to fabulous effect). But then he utterly lost them when he [spoiler]"snapped" and semi-forced himself on Tsukushi. That whole sequence was absolutely ridiculous--and pretty unbelievable, as far as I'm concerned. I just can't find him to be scary in the slightest. Granted, this is partly the fault of his seiyuu, who seems unable to pull out a convincingly pissed-off voice, but overall he came across as being a spoiled brat.[/spoiler] Rui's disinterested comments are, as far as I'm concerned, much more cutting and effective than any of Tsukasa's tantrums. Episodes 9 - ?: For the time being, I've gone back to Tsukasa. The [spoiler]party[/spoiler] scene did a great job of proving that he and Tsukushi do play off one another rather well. You have to give a guy some credit if he [spoiler]lets you throw up on him. How romantic.[/spoiler] I also don't like this whole [spoiler]Shizuka going back to Paris[/spoiler] situation. That sets things up for [spoiler]Rui settling on Tsukushi while Shizuka is gone, only to find that he still cares about her when they encounter each other once more.[/spoiler] I'm going to be wary of fully supporting Rui before that's resolved. (

[QUOTE=Mariskah][COLOR=Navy] Oh and poison is great too because those stupid snails think my garden is just for them![/COLOR][/QUOTE] Not to go off on a crazy insect-slaying tangent here, but snails are fairly similar to slugs, right? *waits to be shot down* Anyway, we usually get slugs out of the garden by laying beer traps. See, slugs [i]love[/i] beer, so what you do is take old margarine tubs or something of similar dimensions, bury them so that the lip of the container is exactly at ground level, and fill them with beer. The slugs rush over to drink it, fall in, drown in it and die happy. I don't know whether this would work as well for snails, but it might be worth trying just for the fun of it. :) ~Dagger~

The basic question: What inventions have inspired you to glance up at the heavens (or wherever) and thank the person who came up with them? For me, one of the big ones is definitely ant traps--you know, the kind that have inviting little openings and poisoned bait stored inside them. I really, really hate ants, and being able to guard every corner of my room against them leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Plus, the traps are very effective. I was planning to create a nice template for the format of this thread by describing the traps and then talking about the dude or lady who invented them, except that either I suck at finding information online or the name of the doer of this noble deed has been lost to time. Or it was just a group-designed, corporate kind of thing. Anyway, I'm sure you all will fare much better than me, so say a little about your invention of choice. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Tatsubei Yagyu][COLOR=Navy][FONT=Comic Sans MS] I wonder why they were only showing it in Texas... :rolleyes:[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] It was shown in lots of other cities toward the end of August, actually. I guess those were removed from the list because they aren't as recent. ~Dagger~