Dagger

Haha, I was the one who lobbied for the anime-style set. Luckily, though, the most intuitive shortcuts--like :) and ;) and :p--still lead to the older ones, and it's not like any were replaced (to my knowledge). So... er... everyone should be happy. Theoretically. *glances around nervously* Anyway, excuse me whilst I go back to fanning over the new Liquid banner. It gets better every time! (Funny... well, okay, not-so-funny story: I disabled in-text smilies so the examples above would show up, and then tried to add a different one to the end of my last sentence. Time to start taking those idiot pills again. *headdesk*) ~Dagger~

Finally managed to catch an episode of this show. So far, I like it (the opening sequence is beyond hilarious, for one thing). The fact that it both airs and re-runs right after The Daily Show is extremely convenient, heh. I do hope he gets some more people on the show; it's got to be tiring doing the whole thing by himself, and half of the fun of something like The Daily Show is the sheer variety of people who parade through it on a regular basis. So who among you plans to watch or has already started watching The Colbert Report? And if you have... how about giving us your thoughts on it? ~Dagger~

I've seen the first episode and read up on the manga a little. I'm willing to continue, but one aspect of the basic set-up fills me with dread & trepidation. Simply put: I'm fed up with heroes who start off as elite assassins/killers/whatever and then become the world's greatest pacifists (Kenshin! Vash! Abel Nightlord! ARGH!). It even irked me in Get Backers, and Ginji isn't nearly as bad as those mentioned above. I can sort of handle it if they're like that from the beginning of the series... but I just don't know whether I'm up for watching the protagonist start off as one of my favored shounen character types and then slowly become one of my most disliked character types. Therein lies the main pitfall of going in chronological order, I guess. It just makes me want to slap characters like that when they act all perky and comically incompetent. Ugh. The main reason I want to stick with Black Cat is that I can tell already that I'll pretty much worship the ground Creed walks on. That said, can someone spoil me a little (or a lot, whatever's necessary) for the manga? [spoiler]In the manga, has Creed already been dealt with by Train & company? Do they kill him or what? Assuming that's been resolved already, what happens? If not... well, never mind.[/spoiler] It has a nifty visual style, especially given the generic designs and obviously not-so-hot budget. So that's another plus. Oh, and can anyone comment on the female characters? Like, how useful/cool or useless/annoying are they, compared to the female characters in other shounen action anime? ~Dagger~

[quote name='Noside']Another question, Dante's Creepy? How so?[/quote] Mm... it's hard to articulate. I guess it's at least partly the fact that she seems to know a lot more than she's letting on (and also the fact that she and Izumi disagree over something apparently quite important, at least in terms of their personal philosophies). What bothered me most was her personality shift, though--she was all sweet-old-grandma with the boys, but she became very sly and hawkish around Izumi. I don't necessarily think she'll turn out to have an evil streak, or anything like that, but I'd definitely watch my back around her if I were them. :animeswea ~Dagger~

Let's talk about what scares you in anime. It can be really specific (e.g. "that scene from Sailor Senshi XXX when the tentacle monster slithers up out of the black lagoon") or simply a general theme, style of music, camera angle or whatever. Or if you can think of an anime with a Halloween episode (are there any?), feel free to bring it up as well. Just try to explain your choices--it makes the discussion more interesting for everyone. Thanks! As for me, what really pops to mind are a couple of moments from [b]Paranoia Agent[/b]. It's been a little while since I watched the show, so I can't give too many details, but I recall feeling distinctly twitchy during "MHz" (episode 7), in which [spoiler]Maniwa starts to teeter on the brink of both insanity and enlightenment.[/spoiler] The creepy, grating sound effects add a lot to the episode's overall atmosphere, especially when they start building up into a frenzy toward the very end. It was episode 3 that really made me jump, though. In showing Harumi's predicament, the director did a fantastic job of creating a sense of unease. What got me appeared after she really [spoiler]loses it, when she staggers out onto the street.[/spoiler] Right then you're abruptly shown her face, [spoiler]grinning crazily and completely caked with clown-like make-up.[/spoiler] It sounds cliche, but it works beautifully in the context of her situation. Very eerie. ~Dagger~

Because this thread is somewhat redundant (and because, due to its subject matter, it threatens to spin off into about a billion different directions), I'm going to lock it. If you'd like to pursue a more general version of the topic, I suggest posting in the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=50155][u]thread[/u][/url] titled "Would you let an opinion affect you?" Alternatively, if you would prefer to discuss specific issues relating to homosexuality or accusations thereof (both in canon & fandom), it would probably fit best [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=49971&page=4&pp=15][u]here[/u][/url]. If you have any questions, feel free to private message me or one of the other staff members. Thanks. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Baron Samedi][size=1']Well, I frankly don't know what the correct pronunciation of Samedi is, but, really, you should all refer to me in the same manner I refer to me. Hence, I'll accept 'Sam-ee-dee', and only that.[/size][/quote] Haha, for some reason I always pronounced it as Sah-meh-dee. Maybe I'll keep on doing that... you know, just to be contrary. :p I've always had a really hard time with "Desbreko." It shouldn't be a difficult name, but my eyes keep wanting to read it as "Debresko." I'm sure I've typed it that way in a couple of threads, too. [quote name='Imi][SIZE=1']Despite my name being simple, a few people I know have thought it was pronounced like "Ee-mee", whereas it isn't nearly as long, and is merely "Immy".[/SIZE][/quote] Interesting. I thought it was pronounced the first way as well, since to me it looked as if you were referencing the Japanese word "imi." Whoops. EDIT: ULX, I'm one of those people who always figured it was "Zai-on." Wow, this thread is turning out to be quite informative. ~Dagger~

Haha, I was [i]so[/i] confused until I switched back to Liquid. Anyway, I love the theme. I'd been in a sour mood all day, but when I saw this, I had to smile. :catgirl: ~Dagger~

[b]Giant Robo[/b] could use a sequel. I mean, the OVA practically [i]ends[/i] on a cliffhanger, haha. That's sort of an unfair way to characterize it, admittedly, but on the whole it feels like a single arc of what should have been a much longer anime. For comparison purposes, imagine how you'd feel if the only part of Yu Yu Hakusho that was animated was Chapter Black, or if Bleach stopped right after the Soul Society arc. They wrapped it up as best they could have--I just felt kind of gypped for not getting to see the real [spoiler]Big Fire (well, except for the very end, wherein he showed up randomly naked).[/spoiler] This is a good example of a case in which there's definitely more material that could have been used to make a lengthy and solid sequel. Something like [B]Witch Hunter Robin[/B], on the other hand, doesn't need a sequel--it just needs an ending that doesn't, you know, completely suck. :p ~Dagger~

That Voldemort song is so obviously superior to the original. Thanks to [url=http://www1.funimation.com/f_index.cfm?page=news&id=287][u]FUNimation's[/u][/url] quick-and-dirty guide, maybe I'll just take the easy way out and go as Hazuki from [url=http://moonphase.tv/][u]Moon Phase[/u][/url]. This doesn't change the fact that cosplaying isn't my thing... but who can resist the siren call of[I] nekomimi mode[/I]? Not I. And she does have the hair. :catgirl: I saw two spot-on costumes today: Harriet Miers and Valerie Plame (the latter was done by a man, actually). They were hilariously good. ~Dagger~

Greed: Excellent. Greed's [spoiler]true form:[/spoiler] Er... I'll get back to you on that one. This was a very entertaining episode. I love Greed's attitude (mad props to Chris Patton for voicing him with such panache) and how he's kind of set apart from the rest of his kind. He's a little avant-garde, as far as the Homunculi go. The scene in which he reprimanded his underling for not [spoiler]smashing his head off cleanly[/spoiler] was just priceless. But my favorite part was when he casually asked Izumi, "And who the hell are [i]you[/i]?" Her response was hilarious and provided the perfect ending for the first half of the episode. :catgirl: By the way, Dante is starting to get pretty creepy... ~Dagger~

I feel like I'm becoming OB's designated Sukisho hater, haha. But after a certain point I just couldn't enjoy it. The OVA actually left me outraged. Oh, it's not explicit fanservice of the sort that you would find in Girls Bravo or whatever, but it's not like the term refers solely to nudity. The fact is, the entire OVA is just pointless fanservice. It brings a whole new meaning to the idea of "yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi." And it (plus a lot of other stuff that went on in the actual show, but I digress) made me feel like a total fool for daring to think/hope that Sukisho was supposed to have any kind of emotional significance. I'm not complaining about the crack!humor found early on in the show--it worked then, just as some of the more dramatic parts worked fairly well later on. But from my perspective, the whimpering final episode (and then the OVA) completely spit in the face of anyone who tried to see Sukisho in the best possible light and take its serious parts... well, seriously. If that's what the show ultimately was going to amount to, they shouldn't have bothered with the melodrama in the first place. I just found it vaguely insulting. It almost came across as if the writers were snickering to themselves about how little it takes to please BL fans. ~Dagger~

That's because it's an OVA, not a series. Like other Akiyuki Shinbo works, Cossette has an interesting visual style, but at times it's kind of disjointed and incoherent. If you aren't totally captivated by how it looks, you might just be bored. It lacks the sense of fun found in something like Tsukuyomi ~ Moon Phase. Nor does it have Soul Taker's quirkiness. Cossettes [i]is[/i] really excellent in terms of animation and music. Just don't expect it to totally make sense (or draw you in emotionally). ~Dagger~

[B]Whether you're providing a full list or just one or two names, please try to explain your choices a little; this applies across the board. Thanks.[/B] I'll have to demur. There are very few characters that I find appealing in a romantic sense, and most of them come with bizarre life circumstances that make the prospect of romantic entanglements thoroughly unappealing. (I wouldn't have mentioned Ed anyway, but he's a good example--do you really think he has the time for or any interest in love?) Others are nice enough on-screen, but I wouldn't want to have anything to do with them in real life. What I value in characters frequently diverges from what I'd value in a significant other. The nice guys and girls-next-door of anime don't get much love, at least in comparison to the space pirates, vampires, cold-blooded assassins, angsty mecha pilots, demons, crazy samurai, etc., but I'd probably feel more comfortable with taking one of them to dinner... ~Dagger~

BL stands for boys' love. The term encompasses everything from barely-there shounen-ai to hardcore yaoi. Doki Doki School Hours isn't really representative of standard yuri, mainly because the teacher looks like an elementary-schooler (despite being 27), and there are a lot of jokes about that. I'd point you toward [b]Azumanga Daioh[/b] (with Kaorin's thing for Sakaki) for a somewhat better portayal of that kind of one-sided yuri. Actually, if you're interested in a "gentler," non-explicit form of yuri, you should try [b]Maria-sama ga Miteru[/b] (and the second season, Maria-sama ga Miteru ~ Haru). This series is a great example of yuri aimed at females--although in fact, it's so borderline that by turning your head and squinting, you could probably avoid seeing the yuri altogether. The relationships are treated seriously and with delicacy, and the art is beautiful. I really hated episode 1 when I first watched it, but a member here convinced me to reconsider the show, and it's definitely very enjoyable once you adjust to its pace and slightly more old-fashioned approach. ~Dagger~

I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) As far as character designs go, it's hard to choose, but I really like how [b]Peppo[/b] and [b]Mercedes[/b] are drawn. The latter especially seems as though it would have been hard to pull off--fully delineated lips are pretty rare in anime, and hers even more so because they're so pale, contrasting with her dark skin tone. I just thought she looked fantastic during her big entrance scene (the great music & direction there helped too). ~Dagger~

But that's the whole [i]point[/i] of Sensitive Pornograph. It's just straight-up BL porn (as the name suggests, amusingly enough). It's sort of amazing that it managed to have anything resembling a plot in the first place. And it was a short OVA, not a series, so I don't really understand why being composed of two one-shots is inherently a bad thing. Not that I especially liked it myself. I do want to see [b]Legend of the Blue Wolves[/b] eventually, though. :p People who enjoy BL/yuri-ish comedy should get a kick out of [b]Doki Doki School Hours[/b] (Sensei no Ojikan), which will start coming out in early November. Nothing much really happens in the show, but it's decently amusing and follows the same sort of pattern as Azumanga Daioh. One of the male students has a huge crush on his classmate, and one of the female students has a suspiciously adoring attitude toward Mika-sensei, the female teacher. The latter makes me uncomfortable, due to Mika-sensei's blatantly loli-esque character design, but whatever. Both obsessions are played for laughs. ~Dagger~

[CENTER][I][B]Round 3: Elimination[/B] [/I][/CENTER] [B]Participants:[/B] Princess Ai (formerly "Butterfly"), Doc, Kitty, Retribution and Baron Samedi [B]Date Due:[/B] Tuesday, November 1 [B]Dimensions:[/B] 1000 x 700 [B]Theme:[/B] Water [B]The Usual Spiel:[/B] Once all participants have posted their submissions (fulfilling the mentioned criteria), other members will vote. We permit those who are participating in the tournament to vote as well. There will be no poll option ? you will be required to post a paragraph at least four sentences in length, explaining why you voted the way you did. If you fail to type a complete paragraph, your vote will not be counted, and you will receive a PM saying so. I will count & tally votes. Additionally, I've added an updated bracket image (courtesy of SaiyanPrincessX) to my original post in the OBGT general thread. The first bracket is still included, albeit as an attachment. Please post all questions to that thread (rather than this one). Members, please wait until all five participants have posted before attempting to vote. Due to the nature of this round, you will be voting [i]against[/i] someone rather than [i]for[/i] someone--to wit, please make sure you're indicating which submission you feel is the weakest. However, because this is a somewhat more negative approach, it's especially important to be as polite and respectful as possible. Thanks for taking that into consideration. And with that said, good luck! ~Dagger~

[quote name='EVA Unit 100']So exactly what makes a genre about hooking up two girls so much worse than a genre about hooking up two guys?[/quote] Really. The hypocrisy in that is just flabbergasting. It's bad enough when yuri-loving males whine and moan about BL... :animesigh I mean, it isn't as though you have to totally love both yuri & BL if you like one of them, but it's only fair to accord the opposite genre (and its fans) at least a minimum level of respect. On that note, I'm going to go watch My-Otome and revel in the all-new, yuri-rific Chie. Thanks, Sunrise, for transforming my favorite My-HiME character into such a cool and dashing ladykiller. (Plus, she's voiced by Mitsuki Saiga!) :animesmil ~Dagger~

Haha, this is a really cool idea. (And when you do get to see the show... you can post about it [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=43220&page=2][u]here[/u][/url]! ;) ) I don't quite like the background elements in the Gravitation piece, mainly because they don't mesh with Shuichi and the glowy/blurry thing he has going on. As for the drawings, I'd suggest using bolder patterns--both of them have a soft, almost watercolor-ish pallor to them. If you're trying to emulate Gankutusou's style, it would help greatly to use stronger, more recognizable cloth/fabric designs for clothing, as well as some kind of distinct pattern for the hair (more like in the Paint drawing, although the pattern there is kind of weak). Your second picture has a little bit of this, but it's too faded to make much of an impact. And remember that because it's so busy visually, Gankutusou lives or dies by its clarity--the more patterns you use and the more attention-grabbing they are, the more important it'll be for the image to have a certain sharpness and coherency to it. ~Dagger~

Thanks, guys. :) There are some characters who I feel deserve to be legendary, but that doesn't necessarily mean I expect it to happen. That aside, though, I do think [b]Motoko Kusanagi[/b] from Ghost in the Shell, GitS: SAC, GitS: 2nd Gig, Gits: Innocence & etc. will become an iconic character if she isn't deemed one already, especially after the recent GitS TV series (which isn't as "cold" as either of the films). I guess she came to mind first because I'm waiting for the new edition of the first GitS movie to come in the mail, haha. I suppose I'll second those who put down [b]Edward Elric[/b]. FMA really does go so much farther than one would expect from the first few episodes, and it outdoes itself time and time again. His character development carries a lot of the better moments. And dare I mention the [b]Count[/b] from Gankutsuou? ~Dagger~

Save the TV schedule talk for [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?p=685121#post685121][u]this[/u][/url] thread, please. And, as always, try to keep the importance of good post quality in mind. You're welcome to private message me or one of the other staff members if you have any questions or comments. Thanks. Thread closed. ~Dagger~

Episode 55: Also awesome. Yeah, I guess [spoiler]they aren't going to show how Ichigo reached bankai.[/spoiler] Well, I won't shed any tears over it--no matter how they handled it, it would probably have had a negative effect on the pacing. Meh. Speaking of [spoiler]bankai--is the fourth squad captain's bankai completely bizarre, or what?[/spoiler] Color me shocked that so little attention is being paid to [spoiler]Ichigo's fight with Byakuya.[/spoiler] I suppose they'll have a big rematch later or something, but it's surprising nevertheless. Even so, it makes sense that the writers have to focus on the big dogs now--more specifically, THE big dog. I don't really know what to make of Genryuusai; he's like an unlikeable Gandalf. Plus it's just weird [spoiler]to see an elderly gentleman do the whole DBZ power-up thing.[/spoiler] As for the other new battle: I sincerely hope that [spoiler]Yoruichi[/spoiler] ******* owns Soi Fong. I like [i]Byakuya[/i] more than Soi Fong, and that's saying something. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Kaze][font=Times']So where would you rank it among all the GONZO titles, in terms of overall quality? I particulary want to know if it's visually better than FMP, or whichever series you find to look the best. And would you definitely recommend the DVD for purchase? All the praising makes me want to get it.[/font][/quote] Well, it's [i]very[/i] different visually from FMP. As far as GONZO television series (ignoring OVAs and such, like Yukikaze) that I've seen go, I'd say that Samurai 7/Gankutsuou, Last Exile and Saikano are the best-looking, in roughly that order. While Sam7 is smoother than Gankutsuou, the latter's visuals are a lot more immersive. (I'd put Basilisk pretty high on that list... but I've only seen an episode or two, so it might be a bit of an unfair comparison--for all I know there's an animation drop-off later on. But I digress.) In terms of overall quality? Well, even though Kaleido Star is my favorite GONZO series, I think Gankutsuou is more outstanding from an objective point of view (K* has a lot of qualities that really appeal to me on a personal level, though). Gankutsuou is the most innovative and probably the most "artistic" GONZO anime, for lack of a better word. Of course it'd be best to make sure that the psychedelic, patterned look of the artwork doesn't make you feel nauseous or anything, haha. Try watching the Quicktime trailer at the official site (it's an extended version of the site's intro animation). That should give you a feel for how it looks, although obviously it's a lot murkier than what you'd see on a DVD. And sure, I'd recommend the first disc. Since it's still the week of release, you should be able to find it at a good discount somewhere or other. Plus, both Netflix and Blockbuster (online service) have it listed, if you're a renter. I don't want to come across as if I'm hyping this show up as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Nevertheless, it has a great plot (for obvious reasons) and it's an example of something interesting and unique that doesn't just peter out after the first couple of episodes. ~Dagger~

Volume 1 came out today, and (conveniently) my Gankutsuou package also arrived in the mail. Banzai! Geneon really hit a home run with this one; the box is even more ravishing in person. Of particular interest are the on-disc extras, which I definitely do plan to view at some point, although I'm waiting till I finish the first four episodes. Geneon isn't exactly known for including awesome extras, but Gankutsuou volume 1 comes with a Mahiro Maeda interview (!!), a feature showing his storyboards for episode 1, and voice actor commentary. It isn't terribly often that anime DVDs come with extras relating to the Japanese staff, so I'm quite excited about hearing what Maeda has to say about the show. Anyway, Gankutsuou looks just impeccable on DVD. I imagine I'll watch it dubbed at some point, but right now I'm sticking with the Japanese language track. (You know, I'm collecting at least two or three other series in which Johnny Yong Bosch plays the lead character--sure, I think he's a great actor, but enough is enough!) ~Dagger~