Dagger

No worries. :) One thing to keep in mind is that while some companies do the dubbing themselves (such as FUNimation, who dubbed Fruits Basket, and ADV), others have separate dubbing companies do the work. As an example, Koi Kaze is a Geneon anime, but it was dubbed by New Generation Pictures. Not all Geneon anime are dubbed by NGP--some are dubbed by other companies, such as Bang Zoom and Animaze. Naruto is a Viz anime, but it was dubbed by Studiopolis. I'm pretty sure it's their first Viz series, although they've done work for other companies in the past (Marmalade Boy, GTO, Kaze no Yojimbo, etc). ~Dagger~

zoshu, it's a bit disingenuous to present 4Kids-style dubs and fandubs as the only options (even if that wasn't your intent, that's how it came out). The vast majority of dubs--like the vast majority of anime releases in general--are uncut, uncensored, etc. 4Kids' work forms such a small percentage of what's out there that it would be completely negligible if they didn't have the rights to some well-known series. ~Dagger~

"When Mom Jokes Fail" wins at everything. That said, MySpace makes me leery, but I'll go take a gander at your page. I didn't even realize that Slackers In Slacks had an official site (aside from the new MySpace thingie, I mean). Goes to show how observant I've been lately... :animeswea Anyway, keep up the good work! *pumps fist* ~Dagger~

I think the idea of an "improv dub" is actually pretty interesting, but it would have been better to try out the idea with a show that was a parody/comedy series to begin with. Anyway, though, I'm relieved that you didn't mind what I said. Steven Foster (the Ghost Stories dub director) has been responsible for some really excellent "straight" dubs in the past. Of course, he's also the guy who worked on Milk-Chan, and he's kind of notorious for incorporating minor script alterations (like the extra cursing in Saiyuki). So maybe he prefers to have that kind of freedom. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Raya][COLOR=#790A43] [SIZE=1]Oh, one more thing: Sub, dub, raw, whatever. As long as it gives me the creeps, I'd hit it.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] That's the problem. The ADV dub is a total cesspool of gay/Christian/Jew/etc. jokes. It's almost completely divorced from the content/spirit of the sub script. I wouldn't have minded nearly so much if they had also included an accurate dub (as was done for Super Milk-Chan)... :animedepr But I'll stop harping on that now, haha. ~Dagger~

Ghost stories sub = :) Ghost Stories dub = :( I don't like what ADV did with the dub. What makes it particularly irritating for me is that a lot of people excuse the improv dub by ripping on the original version of the show. Well, gee--it wasn't originally meant to be funny, and it's not some kind of Japanese Scooby-Doo. I really want to give a good braining to whoever first came up with that simile. I was excited about Gakkou no Kaidan before I learned about its special treatment. It's from a director whose work I enjoy (Noriyuki Abe), and in addition to him, it shares a couple of other cast members with one of my favorite mystery anime, Detective Academy Q. It even features similar character designs. At the time, I'd read a lot of positive comments about the series in general. In fact, I don't ever remember seeing anything negative being said about it. Then people started watching the dub. Some of them loved it, and some of them didn't. And only then did people start to claim that the sub version sucks, which is irksome but not surprising, since 1) the dub and sub target audiences couldn't be more different, and 2) it's the only possible way to excuse taking such liberties with the dub script (or lack thereof). It completely baffles me when dub fans embrace this kind of approach. How long have dub fans been trying to show that they're just as "serious" as sub fans, that they value the original story just as much, that they, too, place an emphasis on accuracy? I just don't get how someone can take that attitude and then turn around and praise Ghost Stories. Anyway. Absolutely none of this was aimed at you personally, of course--I just wanted to get it off my chest. I hope it doesn't seem as if I'm trying to hijack your thread. ~Dagger~

Since Des isn't on at the moment, I took the liberty of trying what you suggested, Petie. It doesn't seem to have made a difference, unfortunately. ~Dagger~

The fillers are similar to Death Note? How so? If that's the case, I may find myself watching them after all... :animestun ~Dagger~

I like HMC quite a bit, but the impression I've gotten (mainly from various online reviews and discussions, mind) is that it isn't as well regarded as its two most recent predecessors, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. That applies to anime fans as well as critics in general. The most common complaint is that the plot seems to be sloppily thrown together. I disagree with that, with one major exception--the sub-plot with the [spoiler]scarecrow prince[/spoiler] should have been eliminated. It feels like a weakened hold-over from the book, and it adds virtually nothing to the story. Worst of all, [spoiler]his transformation[/spoiler] comes out of nowhere. I didn't object to this as much before I watched the subtitled version. After I watched it, I realized that the line in the beginning [spoiler]in which some bystanders mention the missing foreign prince[/spoiler] wasn't present in the Japanese language version. I guess they added it to the dub for the sake of coherency/continuity. Normally I would be really against that kind of thing--and I still am--but I have to concede that I would be much happier if the original script had included it. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Lore][color=55555][font=trebuchet ms]Dammit Drix, what did I just say? :p[/font'][/color][/quote] Oh, come on. He [i]must[/i] have done that on purpose. :animesmil ~Dagger~

About Miyu: It's been theorized by some that she's [spoiler]the same Miyu who appeared in My-HiME.[/spoiler] Now, that would require some seriously incredible writing to pull off, but it's an interesting prospect to entertain. Even if she's a different version of the original character, like everyone else, she could still be an [spoiler]android.[/spoiler] An Arika theory: I'm not yet sure whether or not I espouse this, but more than a few fans seem to believe that Arika is [spoiler]some kind of perfect-Otome construct, since she had no negative reaction to the nanomachines, and she partially materialized in episode 1. Of course, that would require the old lady being wrong about her identity.[/spoiler] And about Rena: In episode 17, [spoiler]she appears, albeit very briefly. It looks almost as though Schwarz is using her as ammo. Maybe a Schwarz-controlled Rena replica or something will appear in a future episode.[/spoiler] As for episode 17: Holy mother, [i]this[/i] is what I've been waiting for. Nonstop excitement and ***-kicking. Plus a subtle but nifty Haruka & Michiru (from Sailor Moon) homage from Shizuru & Natsuki. Working backwards, the episode 18 preview makes me fear for [spoiler]Aoi.[/spoiler] It also appears as though [spoiler]Miyu[/spoiler] will be playing a bigger role. Maybe she and Arika will finally be able to meet up again. I was wondering how they were going to get [spoiler]the handkerchief[/spoiler] out in the open, but that whole sequence was choreographed beautifully. From the moment that [spoiler]John Smith outed Erstein, it was obvious that some bad stuff was about to go down. Even so, I was in suspense when Sergei dove in front of Arika. As Nina made her contract with Nagi, I was wondering whether they were just going to shove Erstein in the background and resolve the situation with her in the next episode--but those two different threads came together with a vengeance. I loved Arika & Nina's expressions at the end.[/spoiler] Plus, there was [spoiler] Youko's reunion with Midori and Reito/Rad.[/spoiler] So much happened! Any ideas about the significance of the small blond girl who keeps showing up from time to time? That is, the one who [spoiler]stole Nina's pendant[/spoiler] way back when. A moment of silence for [spoiler]Ers-chan...[/spoiler] EDIT: Oh, and something VERY interesting that I didn't notice until I glanced back through a few screencaps... in the scene when [spoiler]Natsuki appeals to Shinso-sama (Fumi), the words that show up seem to be "Otome-type Highly Advanced Materializing Equipment." [b]Hi[/b]ghly Advanced [b]M[/b]aterializing [b]E[/b]quipment is where the HiME in My-HiME comes from.[/spoiler] Do I smell a connection, or are they just trying to tease us? And if the blue star really is [spoiler]the Earth, could the mystic red star in My-HiME be Arika's planet?[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

Let's not. This is a message board, not a chat room; there'll have to be a little more structure involved if you want to strike up a conversation about something. Please keep in mind that OtakuBoards emphasizes post quality; having good post quality basically entails expressing yourself as coherently as possible. This helps keep things from degenerating into spam. It would probably behoove you (and your friend) to check out our [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?][u]Rules[/u][/url] and [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/faq.php?][u]FAQ[/u][/url] before continuing. If you have additional questions, you should also feel free to private message me or one of the other staff members. Thanks. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

Demon Dende, this thread dates back to 2002. No more necromancy, please. While series-specific threads can be revived regardless of how old they are, that doesn't apply to general topics. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

OB is hardly the only decent forum around. But the struggle against spam and whatnot is fairly visible here, so you can't hang around for too long without getting the idea that good post quality is something we value. There are two forums aside from OB that I post at regularly. Both are moderated less strictly. They can afford that, though, because they tend to attract older members (sorry if that's not politically correct enough, but it's true). As a result, a thread can start off with a flurry of fun one-liners & other banter, flow quite naturally into a heated debate with lengthy, well thought-out replies, and then go right back again in an instant. I love that kind of atmosphere--it's casual and relaxed, but people don't mind delving into serious topics, and it's hard to get away with BS. I like the way things are run here, too. Despite the fact that--every few months or so--someone decides to say that OB is going down the tubes, I think things are on the upswing. They always have been on the upswing, in my experience. And I don't feel that there's anything elitist about preferring coherent posts to l33t-ridden gibberish. Assuming that using big words lends you an intellectual advantage (or validates your views) is what I'd call elitist. ~Dagger~

Sneaking in under the wire... [b]Remadi:[/b] She's done a lot to keep the Manga Workshop's BL/shounen-ai/yaoi thread alive, and for that I am grateful. More than that, though, her posts help bring an almost astonishing level of quality into said thread. And anyway, she has good taste. [b]r2vq:[/b] How could I add my nominations without giving Arvi a salute? It used to be a relief to read his posts in otherwise iffy AL threads, and now he's a (very deserving) mod. [b]Eva Unit 100:[/b] Whether we're vehemently arguing or vehemently agreeing, it's always enjoyable to have discussions with him. He has a level head on his shoulders, and the strength of his opinions makes debates a lot more exciting. [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?p=708410#post708410][b]Bleach:[/b][/url] Because really, who would ever have guessed that a thread about a shounen action anime could go on for so long with so little spam? I'm still somewhat taken aback by it. Even if half the posts (mine included) are mainly detailed explanations of just how sweet the latest fight was. ;) [b]OB Members Who Don't Watch Anime:[/b] You guys are what make this place more than just another anime/manga-based forum, and I daresay you bring in a lot of much-needed intelligence. Three cheers for diversity. [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27][b]The Anime Lounge:[/b][/url] I'll always love you. Even if no one else does. [b]Charles:[/b] Pretty much the only person around here who can pull off image posts with panache. To be honest, I still find him intimidating, but in a good, "Wow, that guy is awesome" kind of way. People who weren't around when he was an admin don't know what they're missing. ~Dagger~

Just got volume 12 (rather early, thanks to TRSI!). Ash is going to have to do some major leveling up in order to even dream of facing [spoiler]Blanca, who is considerably more formidable than the likes of Yau-Si.[/spoiler] I don't really know what to make of [spoiler]Blanca...[/spoiler] In truth, I want to like him. But I get the feeling that he's sublimating certain issues into his treatment of Ash that he, as an adult, should have been able to work out on his own. Their conversation toward the end basically amounted to: [spoiler]"I was doing what I thought was best for you, even though I had an inkling of how much you cared for Eiji. Now I see that you really are serious about him. So... um... good luck?"[/spoiler] It'll be a huge milestone for Ash if he can [spoiler]take down Blanca, but at the same time, I'd hate to see him go through that. And his future prospects become increasingly grim with each new installment of the series.[/spoiler] I'll be shocked if Banana Fish doesn't end with [spoiler]either him dying, Eiji dying, or both.[/spoiler] I'd ask how many volumes it is in total, but I almost don't want to know. It could keep on going forever, and I'd be happy. The plot twists in volume 12 served to hammer home the point that [spoiler]Ash values Eiji over everything. His almost-suicide scene was very shocking.[/spoiler] As if to make up for that, there was a lot of comedy earlier on, with some great snappy dialogue. Depressingly, volume 13 won't be out till April. :( ~Dagger~

Really? Wow! That means I can probably finish it as soon as this weekend. Thanks for the clarification. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens. :) ~Dagger~

Mushishi is still airing in Japan right now, but ultimately it's supposed to be a full twenty-six episodes. It's a kind of drama/horror/supernatural series--it's actually difficult to pin down, as you can't really characterize it as Anime X, but on crack or Valium or your poison of choice. I can't think of many anime that resemble it in either spirit or storyline. I guess its atmosphere and structure aren't too far off from what you'd find in Kino's Journey, although that's where the similarities end. Certain scenes also bring Princess Mononoke to mind, thanks to their quietly riveting beauty and the fact that the show is more or less steeped in nature and Japanese folklore. ([url=http://www.hooverdam.net/crap/ondrugs.html][u]Speaking of drug similes...[/u][/url]) Anyway, the main character is a traveler named Ginko. He's a Mushishi, which is an expert on supernatural creatures known as Mushi. Mushishi is mostly episodic, although there are occasional references to previous episodes and at least one recurring character (besides the lead). Some Mushi are benign, while others cause problems for humans. In the latter case, Ginko intervenes. Mushishi is a subdued but gorgeous-looking show, with strong production values and a powerful sense of mystery. The animation reminds me of Victorian Romance Emma. Not a huge amount happens in any given episode, but it manages to avoid feeling slow, and the restrained background music is very effective. The episode stories are memorable; some are downright haunting. I don't have high hopes for it being licensed anytime soon, but that would be wonderful. I don't think there's been anything like this in recent memory. ~Dagger~

Speaking of marathons, I stopped at episode 59; since then, I've been trying to hoard up on episodes, with the intention of later marathoning from that point to the end. I thought I mentioned Martin (wow, it's been a while--I hope I got his name right!), Eva and all the stuff concerning them here, but I guess not. Must've been another forum. Anyway, Martin became one of my favorite characters in the series almost instantly. And his presence meant that there was a lot more [spoiler]psycho!Eva to go around. Somehow my liking her didn't end up being a fluke; maybe it was the incongruity present in her drunken slob persona, or her delicious bitchiness, or her surprising humanity. Honestly--before Martin came into the picture, I was all but shipping Tenma/Eva.[/spoiler] Yeah, it sounds weird to talk about shipping in conjunction with anything Monster-related, but bear with me. Half the reason I took a break from Monster when I did was because I was terrified that [spoiler]something awful would happen to Eva and/or Martin.[/spoiler] I guess that's what prompted me to cut myself off even after a semi-cliffhanger. To be fair, the show really does benefit from being marathoned; I learned that when I tried to catch up on it after being away for much of the summer. Only four more episodes before I can dive back in (thanks, Soldats!)... it's still supposed to be 78 total, no? ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Retribution][size=1] I really hate the cold, and I love the heat, so the climate is alright. I just wish it'd snow a bit more, so that we'd get a few days off.[/size][/QUOTE] Yeah. Cold weather is pointless unless it brings snow with it, but then again, it's hard to hope for snow when it's warm... ~Dagger~

If you want to know how to submit an article, just head over [url=http://articles.theotaku.com/submit.php?][u]here[/u][/url]. It's fairly self-explanatory, although I'm sure there are plenty of us who would be willing to help you if there's anything you don't understand about the submission process. If you want to know how to write an article that will be accepted, that's a little harder to explain, because it's such a broad question. Using proper English is fundamental, of course, but if you're in search of more specific guidance, it would be best to ask more specific questions. ~Dagger~

Yay, victory! So... should we both post a picture? Either way, here's mine. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/DaggerIX1/neko.jpg[/IMG] Never has the :catgirl: smilie been more appropriate. I wish I could have gotten a cuter screencap of neko!Sakura, but oh well. From left to right, the characters shown are Kero (the little yellow creature), Sakura and Tomoyo. ~Dagger~

There is no more OTRFK manga. The [url=http://www.yaoi-manga.com/titles?n=34&t=94][u]page[/u][/url] I assume you got that from says "Only the Ring Finger Knows - The Novel" right at the top. And repeats it again above the Author/Artist information bar thingie. :p It's a continuation of the manga series in the sense that it carries the storyline further--but it's still a novel (with occasional illustrations by the manga artist, Hotaru Odagiri). ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Simplicity][COLOR=Teal] [spoiler]BTW, there's a part 2 to this magna called: OTRFK: The Lonely Ring finger...coming out soon....if you want to find out more here's a link: [URL=http://dmpbooks.com]Yaoi [/URL], they are the publishers of some yaoi books.[/spoiler][/COLOR][/QUOTE] As a general note, "The Lonely Ring Finger" is the first book in the series of novels upon which the manga was based. It covers the events of the manga, but it also goes past them. I just thought it was probably important to mention that it's a novel rather than a graphic novel, so people don't expect one thing and end up being surprised by getting the other. Your wording was a little ambiguous. ~Dagger~

Since my last post, I've started in on the fifth disc. Barring unforeseen developments, I should finish S this weekend. Chibiusa is downright likeable in this season; I especially enjoy the increasingly mature interaction between her and Usagi. In some of the episodes I watched recently (mainly the ones covering Chibiusa's budding friendship with Hotaru), I felt gratified to see them getting along. At times Usagi's attitude was so soothing and mature that I half-expected Chibiusa to start having little visions of Usagi as [spoiler]Neo Queen Serenity.[/spoiler] I don't have much of an opinion regarding Hotaru, at least not at the moment. Anyway, it's nice to see Sailor Pluto back, and I'm so glad that [spoiler]Haruka & Michiru haven't kicked the bucket yet.[/spoiler] But is it just me, or is Pluto's special attack [i]really[/i] creepy? :animeswea ~Dagger~