Dagger

I'm glad this thread was revived. I recently started in on CCS again after a long hiatus (looking at the date of my last post, it must have been around a year!), and I'm close to finally finishing the first season. I ordered the rest of the show and the two movies as well, so hopefully it won't be more than a couple of weeks before I can dive into the second & third seasons. A quick question about viewing order (sorry if this was answered earlier in the thread, heh). The first movie is supposed to come after episode 35, no? ~Dagger~

[quote name='bellpickle][SIZE=1'](I'm an L fan, by the way. ;))[/SIZE][/quote] Good. L fans unite! :animesmil And I congratulate anyone who manages to follow Viz's release and not get spoiled. You've gotta be exceedingly careful about that kind of thing--for some reason, DN seems to be one of those series that people love to carelessly ruin for others. At the moment, I'm up to chapter 92 (which will be somewhere in volume 11, when the tankoubon comes out). Some spoiler-packed thoughts on the latest developments: [spoiler]Near is ridiculously impressive. Much as I want to favor Mello, I have to concede that Near has the edge on him, intellectually speaking. Not to mention the fact that Mello has essentially disappeared from recent chapters. I think L would have done equally well in Near's situation, however. Speaking of the successors, I had originally suspected (okay, hoped) that the author might kill off Light and have Mikami take over for him, but it's patently clear that Mikami couldn't handle being Kira on his own. He's making mistakes far worse than any Light ever made, even back in the first few volumes.[/spoiler] Right now, what I'm wondering is who [spoiler]will go down first. I would have pegged Near vs. Light and Mello vs. Mikami as being the coming match-ups, but I'm starting to think that perhaps it'll be the other way around. I would have given Mello higher death odds than Near, too, but with all the recent focus on Near, I'm starting to worry about him more.[/spoiler] Light's manipulation of [spoiler]Misa & Takada[/spoiler] is going to come back to haunt him. But I guess it's still too early to rule out a [spoiler]simple catfight... it's amazing how much the addition of a few new characters has made the series infinitely more complicated.[/spoiler] As for the story getting old... there was a certain point during its serialization when the English-speaking fandom went through a schism, with a good number complaining that it had jumped the shark. It'll be interesting to see what newcomers to the series think once they get there... ~Dagger~

I got the first two volumes for Christmas. I enjoyed them quite a bit--definitely more than I enjoyed the first two volumes of Azumanga, to be honest. A lot of the gags in the first volume caught me by surprise and really made me laugh. I do hope they make an anime of it at some point; I loved the fan-made opening that was synched to Soramimi Cake (the Azumanga OP music). ~Dagger~

My favorite anime is [b]Revolutionary Girl Utena[/b]. I won't weary you all by waxing eloquent about it yet again. However, I will mention that the entire thirty-nine episode series is currently being [url=http://centralparkmedia.com/utena/][u]sold by the manufacturer[/u][/url] for $99.95! That used to be the price of a single Utena box set (of which there are three). They're pricing down all of the individual box sets over the course of 2006, but it's still a nice way to get it all in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, the trailer included on that page is pretty horrendous--it's just random, uninformative clips playing over the worst song in the whole show. Bad CPM. *brandishes rolled-up newspaper* Now that I think about it, the three trailers on [url=http://www.utenatv.com/trailers.html][u]this[/u][/url] page are rather good, though. So if you're curious about Utena, watch those instead. :) Anyway, that was my obligatory plug. Other top 10 all time blah blah blah favorites include Fafner, AIR TV, RahXephon, Kaleido Star and Full Moon wo Sagashite (which was recently licensed by Viz--woohoo!). I want to talk about [b]Princess Tutu[/b], though. I can't say that the show is my second-favorite or third-favorite or anything like that, because I still haven't finished watching it. But it's the first anime since Utena to give me the feeling that I'm watching something really... meh, this sounds corny, but "magical" comes to mind. I love seeing Western fairy-tale themes in anime, and Princess Tutu has that to an even greater extent than Utena. I felt ambivalent about the content of the first DVD--simply because I went into it with such high expectations--but the second totally floored me. I almost couldn't believe how amazing it was. The surreal atmosphere, the air of magic & mystery, the dark undercurrents, the [i]fabulous[/i] English voice acting, the sheer elegance and loveliness of it all--pretty much everything in that second disc of Princess Tutu struck the right chord for me. It fulfilled the potential that was evident simply in the opening sequence. Many people have assured me that the show just gets better and better from there. Suffice it to say that I'm dying for the third DVD. Princess Tutu is something to keep an eye on, and unless it goes drastically wrong later on, it's definitely going to be high up on my favorites list. ~Dagger~

Welcome to OtakuBoards. Unfortunately, we don't allow introduction threads. But there's an even simpler way to make friends. Just start posting! :) Before you plunge in, though, be sure to check out our [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?][u]rules[/u][/url]. Among other things, they indicate that double-posting (submitting two consecutive posts to the same topic) isn't permitted. So you can save yourself a little trouble by reading them. Please also keep in mind that OB places an emphasis on post quality. Complete sentences are very strongly enouraged, as is the use of proper grammar, punctuation, etc. If you have any questions, feel free to private message me or one of the other staff members. Thanks! Thread closed. ~Dagger~

There is no 5th or 6th DVD. For better or for worse, thirteen episodes is all you'll get from this series. If you want more Jing-related content, you could always look into reading the manga. Tokyopop has made quite a few volumes available. ~Dagger~

It's cool that you like FMA, but that by itself is not really the best fodder for a discussion. First of all, if you want to talk about anything related to the show, please post [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=39111&page=1][u]here[/u][/url], in its official thread. Secondly, try to work on your post quality a little; at the very least, it'd be appreciated if you would write in complete sentences. If you have any questions about what constitutes good post quality or about OtakuBoards' rules, go ahead and send a private message my way. Thanks. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

This is a Studio 4C production, isn't it? I've heard lots of raving about how awesome they are, but the only 4C work I've actually seen is Mahou Shoujo Tai--which, even though it has its good points, isn't really anything to write home about. 4C has a lot of interesting-sounding shorts, so I guess I should stop dragging my heels about exploring their work more... According to CD Japan, the Mind Game DVD comes with English subs. The regular edition is pretty reasonably priced, for an R2. If it's really that great, I might add it to my order whenever they [CD Japan] start listing the Fafner OVA, which shouldn't take too long. Hopefully. ~Dagger~

I think it's high time to put this topic out of its misery (feel free to discuss the two shows in their respective threads, though). So, without further ado... Thread closed. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Grave Yard']Are you serious its that good? Samurai X was the most beautiful looking anime Ive ever seen to hear PMK is just as good has got me really excited. I think Ill pick up the boxset.[/quote] Well, to clarify, the action [i]when there is action[/i] is quite well done. I was probably a little over-effusive in that post, haha, but I do think it reaches that level at certain points, particularly toward the end of the series. The art isn't nearly as detailed as Samurai X's, on the other hand. PMK is very much rooted in character development--it's almost like a slice-of-life anime, except with the Shinsengumi. If you don't like the characters, you'll have a lot of problems with it. I didn't mind the protagonist, but there are people who find him to be overly shrill/bratty. On the plus side, I think the show works better when you have a lot of episodes at your fingertips... so if you are curious about it, the box set is the way to go. If you're just looking for some really, really beautiful action, [b]Jubei-chan 2[/b] is a better choice. It comes with its share of silliness, but it has pretty much the best swordfights you'll see in anything. There's so much going on in them and they're so fast and fluid that you really have to watch them multiple times to catch everything. ~Dagger~

Just hit "report post" next time, Grave Yard. It's the exclamation point button above each user's avatar. All Beyblade discussion should take place in the main Beyblade [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=13624][u]topic[/u][/url]. Please try to keep the importance of good post quality in mind, as it (well, the lack of it, really) is a bit problematic in that thread as well. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

It depends on one's genre(s) of preference, really. Hammers or sweat drops would be wildly out of place in Monster... Obviously it would be nice if everything had gorgeous animation & artwork. I can overlook mediocre or downright poor production values if the story or characters are good enough, but if I could magically conjure new anime out of thin air, I'd want them to have OVA or movie-quality animation, regardless of length. And I'd want them to be in widescreen. Greedy of me, maybe, but I guess this thread is about ideals anyway. I could mention stuff like action, melodrama, etc., but at the same time, I'm not totally sure that I even know what I value the most. While I get revved up over action-heavy series, my favorite shows really couldn't be described as that. I suppose one thing that strongly appeals to me is the inclusion of fairy tale motifs or themes. Revolutionary Girl Utena and Princess Tutu are two anime that do this incredibly well. At the same time, it's not as though an anime needs that to be good, haha. I like it when series are structured to be thought-provoking and to challenge the viewer's expectations, but not to the point of sacrificing character development or becoming completely incomprehensible. It's hard to reduce that kind of factor to a single "element," though. Going back to what I said at the beginning, what makes a great mecha series is very different from what makes a great bishoujo drama or a great magical girl series. Yeah, it's important to have reasonably complex characters and a reasonably complex story, but I don't think you'll find anyone who'll say he'd rather have flat characters and a boring story. That's self-evident. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Baron Samedi][size=1] Their body, their choice, their life. It isn't [i]you[/i] posing for the camera, so why feel so disgusted about it?[/size][/QUOTE] To make an incredibly silly analogy, I think that it's perfectly within my right to be disgusted if someone else eats a cockroach, even if he/she does it of his/her free will. Speaking personally, I don't care about pornography one way or the other. But I don't quite understand why you say that people who feel differently have no right to be repelled by or on the behalf of those involved in it. ~Dagger~

I'm not sure why, but I really like that one in particular. Maybe because it's easy to imagine Sean's tone of voice--I won't bother with overanalyzing my reaction, though. Anyway, nice ribs. :) ~Dagger~

1. Definitely [url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4443][u]Grenadier[/u][/url]. It's already been fully released by Media Blasters. 2. This sounds like [url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4380][u]Mahou Sensei Negima[/u][/url]. It's twenty-six episodes long and is probably licensed by FUNimation, although they haven't confirmed it yet. I can't remember if there's supposed to be a second season or not... 3. That's [url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=5094][u]Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-Chan[/u][/url], an eight episode OVA. ~Dagger~

This thread is not working out at all. Honestly, I'm kind of astonished that it's gone unchecked for so long. Anyway, to repeat what we usually say in these situations, listing character names isn't sufficient--no matter how long your list turns out to be. It's really important that you give reasons for your choices, or else the discussion won't be a discussion at all. On that note, complete sentences are beautiful and wonderful; try to use them. That mostly covers it. If you want more details about what good post quality insists of, feel free to PM me. Darkartic, I apologize for cutting your thread off prematurely; I merged it because it dealt with the same basic subject material as this topic, and only afterward did I realize that the original topic needed to be killed. You're welcome to create a new thread--just try to set a good example in your starting post. Thanks. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

I've seen most of those movies, but I'm planning to tune in for [b]Whisper of the Heart[/b] and [b]Only Yesterday[/b]. I've heard great things about both of them. Anyway, thanks for the schedule details and the reminder--I'd almost forgotten this was supposed to happen. ~Dagger~

Hey there, Burst_Angel. I'm going to merge this thread with our catch-all Bleach topic, as it's one of the anime listed in our [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=38208][u]Directory[/u][/url] sticky. So the next time you want to see if there's already a thread for a show, that's the easiest place to check. If you really want to be on the safe side, it doesn't hurt to run a search, but it's not like we'll tar & feather you if you don't. To answer your question: I assume he has a widescreen TV? I say this because, as far as I know, no version of Bleach is really widescreen, including the Japanese DVDs as well as the broadcasted episodes. So chances are that he just does wide zoom or something to make it fit the whole screen. Anyway, the basic answer is that he downloads them. But that's where discussion of this should end. Downloading anime (licensed or unlicensed) is illegal, so we don't permit asking for links or asking for explanations of how to do it. Since you seem to enjoy Bleach, though, feel free to dive into the Bleach thread and post away. I'm sure you'll find many fellow fans (myself included) who will be more than happy to talk about the show with you. Cheers. :) EDIT: Double posting is when you make two consecutive posts, without anyone posting in between. Instead of that, we encourage you to just edit your most recent post. ~Dagger~

[b]First:[/b] [QUOTE=Ikillion][COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=2][FONT=Times New Roman]Shiho: " Why is there a tentacle touching me...?" Nao:" Because....I like yuri..."[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] I really almost died laughing when I saw this. My-ZHiME is... well, it's [i]quite[/i] yuri-riffic. And those ellipses? Exquisite. :animesmil [b]Second:[/b] [quote name='celestialcharm][COLOR=DarkOrchid']Nao: And this kids, is the proper way to get rid of you competition[/COLOR][/quote] Fits the picture perfectly. [b]Third:[/b] [QUOTE=Tatsubei Yagyu][COLOR=Navy][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Nao: I'm waiting... [IMG]http://graphics.gaiaonline.com/images/template/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/IMG] Shiho: ... [IMG]http://graphics.gaiaonline.com/images/template/smiles/icon_stare.gif[/IMG] Nao: I won't let you down to you say it. [IMG]http://graphics.gaiaonline.com/images/template/smiles/icon_twisted.gif[/IMG] Shiho: *Sigh* You are my uber mac-daddy woman master...[IMG]http://graphics.gaiaonline.com/images/template/smiles/icon_gonk.gif[/IMG] Nao: Yeaaa...dats wight.[IMG]http://graphics.gaiaonline.com/images/template/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/IMG][/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE] It's not too hard to imagine Nao demanding that, haha. Anyway, you guys came up with some great entries! I had a pretty hard time choosing. :) ~Dagger~

After a long, long hiatus, I'm starting in on the middle volumes. I was amazed by how much the show picks up in the second disc. One more episode and I'll be done with the third; if I feel inspired, maybe I'll finish the whole thing tonight. I honestly don't have many comments to add at this point, although I do have a lot of vague, half-formed theories... I think I'm going to wait till I get through the final DVD, then read through all the spoilers in this thread, then add whatever I have left to add. Anyway, I'm really enjoying Haibane Renmei right now, and I'm eager to see what happens next. Listening to the Japanese version, I realized something I hadn't noticed at all before--Rakka's seiyuu also played Sora in Kaleido Star. It's interesting to hear her in a more subdued role, since Sora is so peppy and frantic. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Avenged666fold']Um isnt anime an abreviation for animation?[/quote] Not quite. I believe it's derived/borrowed from the French word [I]animé[/I], which doesn't directly mean "animation." Anyway, to echo what Stark said, it's the Japanese term for animation. Also, the next time you want to respond one point rather than to an entire post, try snipping your quote. It makes things a lot more manageable. :) ~Dagger~

[quote name='HeartStopper']I totally disagree with you!! The majority of manga/anime fans are male. to attract a male to a certain manga/anime their gonna use a hot chick wearing tight clothes with tits the size of watermelon, no guy wants to read or watch something about some ugly, flat chested chick dressing like a boy![/quote] And yet they [i]do[/i] want to read & watch stuff about flat-chested lolis... hm... Fanservice-y character designs aren't limited to large-breasted women. If anything, the moe trend is more prevalent. ~Dagger~

[QUOTE=Raya][COLOR=#A18A58] [SIZE=1]It was at the height of Rei Ayanami's fame, I think, when 4chan started to replace them "Rei Ayanami" 's with "Donate to 4chan" 's or something like that. Lovely way to take sense out of sentences.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] There was a brief period of time during which the Anime on DVD forums (where mentioning fansubs isn't permitted) had the word "fansub" replaced with "Narutard." Ah, good times. :animesmil ~Dagger~

[quote name='Grave Yard']^^^Im pretty sure this is aganist TOS but I could be wrong.[/quote] Yeah, it's kind of borderline. OB isn't a place to find buyers. But since the OP is really asking for advice, this thread is more or less okay, depending on what direction it heads in. I'm going to edit the title in order avoid leaving the wrong impression. Regarding [b]Lain[/b]... if the first episode bored you, get rid of it as fast as you can. If anything, the rest of the series is much slower and more obtuse, with the exception of the very end. [b]R.O.D the TV[/b] is trickier. The gentle pace of the beginning episodes can turn people off, and some find it hard to get used to the new main characters. For whatever it's worth, though, the character development is actually very good. There are some great (and emotionally shocking plot twists) later on, plus more than a few well-done action set pieces. The dub is also quite strong. Keep [b]Gungrave[/b] and [b]Paranoia Agent[/b]. Hold onto [b]Tsukihime[/b] if you're into vampires, romance and some mystery. It's not a fight-intensive series like Hellsing. If the artwork and the general concept behind the show don't thrill you, it's possible that you'll find it tiresome. It's atmosphere-heavy and can feel slow-paced and/or frustratingly vague. I want to recommend the heck out of [b]Texhnolyze[/b], but it requires patience. I don't think it's as demanding as Lain; I couldn't really take Lain after a certain point, but I found Texhnolyze interesting throughout. If you're interested in the artistic side of anime, I think you should definitely watch it. Even so, I feel obligated to warn you that it just may not be to your tastes. There's absolutely no lightness or humor in it. It's dark, desperate, violent, tragic, melancholy, etc. It doesn't play up its tragedy in the same way as something like Saikano, thankfully, but it is completely lacking in happiness or comic relief. There are small moments of grace here and there; that's all. Taken as what it is, I think it's one of the highest-quality series I've ever seen. It's just not for everyone. EDIT: Gungrave has nothing to do with vampires; Tsukihime is about vampires. Gungrave involves some non-vampire undead stuff, but it's not the heart of the snow. Watch past the misleading first episode before you judge it. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Grave Yard']I just finished episode 10 and this is so far one of my favorite series.[/quote] I'm glad you're enjoying it! This was mentioned earlier, but I wanted to reiterate that you can safely skip episodes 15 through 18--in other words, the entire fourth DVD. Those episodes contain no new material, and you'll probably be a lot more pleased with the show if you jump from episode 14 to episode 19. ~Dagger~