Dagger

[quote name='Delta][COLOR=#95005E][SIZE=1]...we could throw them to some desolate island, give them each a bag with a random weapon and let them kill each other Battle Royale-style.[/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] Nice idea. Actually, you've inspired me--there are quite a few annoyingly pacifistic male leads who would benefit from such treatment, I think. Kenshin is one, of course; so is Vash, and Abel Nightroad (from Trinity Blood) basically fits into the same category, although he does kill under certain circumstances. Can anyone come up with other similar characters? I'd like to see a fight between Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter) and Dr. Jackal (Get Backers), if only because they're both so sadistic. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Jin][B][COLOR=Navy]Best for Kenshin would be any of the guys from Peacemaker or Kyo.[/COLOR'][/B][/quote] I can't speak for Kyo, but I don't think any of the characters in Peacemaker are even close to being Kenshin's equal. Okita and Saito are said to be the strongest swordsmen in the show (at least on the Shinsengumi side of things, that is). But Okita has [spoiler]tuberculosis, which makes him physically weak & unreliable.[/spoiler] Moreover, his fights never last nearly as long as Kenshin's, and it's difficult to assess the true extent of his abilities because he rarely goes up against opponents who are anywhere close to his true skill level. Saito isn't significantly better than Okita, so most of the same principles apply to him. It would be interesting to see Peacemaker's Saito fight Kenshin's Saito, however. [quote][B][COLOR=Navy]I don't recall ever hearing that. Maybe an assumption by yourself, though its a good inference.[/B][/COLOR][/QUOTE] That's why I said it was an indirect implication. ;) ~Dagger~

Let's see. Which would I prefer: a cute, capable, sisterly girl who geeks out over greasy work & metal bolts, or a bland android whose entire purpose in the series is to sit around being obliviously cute? Certain aspects of Chobits (mainly involving Chi) really rub me the wrong way, and I worship Winry. She's a character who could have turned out to be the typical shounen love interest, but she actually comes across as being more of an adopted family member than anything else, and I like that. Her personality is pretty refreshing as well. Nyu >>> Chi, by the way. ~Dagger~

Wow, thanks for the screenshot. Wondering about that had actually been driving me crazy. Now I can sleep more calmly at night. :animesmil As for Yui, I can't say if/where she appears, but I would be quite surprised if she weren't included in the OP--given, as you said, that practically the whole cast shows up at one point or another. Besides, she's so important to the themes of the series that I can't imagine her being excluded if even Kaworu was given a cameo. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Delta][COLOR=#95005E][SIZE=1]Oh there's one actually. "Seven Samurai" is currently on its first run in Animax Asia and it looks really good (read: AMAZING ANIMATION).[/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] Haha, I know--I've already got the first R1 DVD pre-ordered. I should've mentioned that I was being facetious; now I feel kind of bad, since the thread creator interpreted my answer seriously. :animeswea Kaze no Yojimbo has also been made into a (considerably less impressive) television series. The visuals are utterly subpar to those of Samurai 7, but it still has a decent story. It's just rather slow, since it ends up sticking closer to the original movie storyline than S7. [b]Bloodseeker:[/b] The way I understand it, she wasn't specifically asking which good or perfect live-action movies might also make good anime. The question is left open to include films which may have sucked royally for various reasons but could potentially be excellent if animated. To answer in earnest, I would absolutely love to see an anime version of [B]2001: A Space Odyssey[/B] (a live-action remake, on the other hand, would probably fall flat). I'd also be interested in seeing a more faithful anime re-make of the old [B]The Sound and the Fury[/B] movie. Not to imply that either of these films necessarily "sucked royally" (I haven't even watched the latter yet, heh--I just want to see some kind of Faulkner-related anime), but I think both would benefit from the visual/stylistic freedom offered by animation. ~Dagger~

Proposal 1: [b]No[/b] The way I understand it, this proposed amendment would have two main effects: it would change the wording from "before the end of a cycle" to "before the end of the week." This strikes me as being a little dangerous, since it is quite possible that various complications and/or new & unrelated amendments could cause a cycle to last longer than a week. Secondly, the amendment would reduce the penalty for failing to vote in time. While this somewhat ameliorates the potential side effects of what I mentioned in the paragraph above, I'm not really sure how significant such a reduction would be in the long run--if someone is a chronic late voter, he/she will eventually feel the effects of it regardless of whether the penalty is 2 points or 1. Proposal 2: [b]Yes[/b] Spreading the power out a little can only be a good thing. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Ryoko T.D.C.][COLOR=Blue']hey ya'll! i was just wonder'en, what real life movie do you think would make a kewl anime movie?[/COLOR][/quote]Hm... how about Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai? Or perhaps Kaze no Yojimbo? [quote]There are a few setbacks from going from a live-action movie to an anime, first the movie can't really be non-Japanese or else it would be a cartoon and not an anime, which are different things.[/quote] I assume you realize that there have been plenty of anime based on classic Western novels (such as Anne of Green Gables and The Count of Monte Cristo). ~Dagger~

So what did you all think of episode 2? It's probably one of my least favorite episodes in the entire show, for various reasons. But I do like how it obliquely ties into the first episode, and the fact that Mugen actually [spoiler]kills the stereotypical deformed guy. At least Watanabe didn't go for a neat, happy ending.[/spoiler] ~Dagger~

Now I know why he really turned to the dark side: horrible acting and absolutely atrocious dialogue. :animesigh I just couldn't take this movie seriously on any level. I had hoped that it would be better than Phantom Menace & Attack of the Clones--yet while I was disappointed by those films, Revenge of the Sith left me with a far worse feeling because it was much more of a direct prequel to A New Hope (whereas the other new movies seemed somewhat removed from the content of the original films). The first trilogy was deliberately campy, and its humor had more of a sly, self-deprecating tone. Because of that, the somber moments were more poignant and held more meaning. Revenge of the Sith tried too hard to create a serious, weighty atmosphere through and through. Also, super-deep characterization has never been the franchise's strong point, but at least the cast of the original movies had a great deal of chemistry and was composed of likeable character types. Anakin and Padme aren't even well-developed enough to be considered cliches--for me they were less than cardboard cutouts, completely unsympathetic. Also, for some reason I kind of hated the special effects. I'm not one to dismiss all CGI--usually I have no problem with it. But in Revenge of the Sith, as in Phantom Menace & Attack of the Clones, I thought the big set-piece-type effects simply looked off. During some of the battles my only thought was, "Well, this would make a great video game." Did I mention that the dialogue was incredibly painful? I can take some bad or corny lines--heck, the first trilogy was filled with them, but they were delivered in a knowing and comedic manner. In this movie, virtually all of the cheesy lines were meant to be deathly serious. I suppose the actors tried to make the best of a bad situation, but their performances were at best adequate and at worse completely laughable. Excuse me whilst I go cleanse my metaphorical palate with some trashy TV. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Twilight_Kioku']how about Mugen and Kenshin when hes a manslayer? theyre both really good.[/quote] Jin would make a much more suitable opponent for Kenshin, in my opinion. Their fighting styles would mesh more smoothly--and besides, (major spoilers for the end of Samurai Champloo follow, so proceed with caution) [spoiler]by the final episode it's fairly clear that Jin is the stronger of the two. Granted, this could still be considered somewhat debatable... but he was the one who the scriptwriters chose to battle Kariya (which says a lot, I think). And if I remember correctly, Mugen indirectly implies that he has realized he cannot defeat Jin.[/spoiler] As for Spike vs. Vash--well, I believe that Grave (from Gungrave) could beat both of them and still make it home in time for dinner. Actually, I think Spike vs. Brandon (Grave's human form--don't worry, that's not a spoiler) and Vash vs. Grave might work out pretty nicely. Especially since both Vash and Grave come from Yasuhiro Nightow anime. ~Dagger~

On a side note, women did have to come up with makeshift "hygiene products" in "the old days." To build on what Godel said, imagine using a heavy cloth pad or (if you want to go really far back) a tampon made of grass. No, thanks. :animedepr ~Dagger~

[quote name='Bloodseeker']Anime Haruka definitely sounds as different from manga Haruka as the screenshots would suggest.[/quote] Yeah, the RahXephon manga is utterly and totally unlike the anime. Honestly, I found it to be a tremendous disappointment. Not that I have anything against ecchi comedy, but if you're looking for that sort of thing, there are plenty of other places to find it. A story as engaging and well-told as that of the RahXephon anime is much rarer (and therefore not nearly as forgettable). Anyway... there's always the novels, I guess. Maybe those stay truer to the original plot & characters. ~Dagger~

I voted for Haruka. Washu is hardly my favorite Tenchi girl--and like most of Tenchi's supporting cast, she's more of a caricature than a character. It's hard to describe how much Haruka rocks without going into some serious spoilers. Still, I'll try. To give those of you who haven't seen the show a decent impression of her personality, she's vaguely analogous to Evangelion's Misato--at least in that she is at once a mature and controlled professional and also strangely, almost heartbreakingly vulnerable. Of course the two characters are ultimately quite different, but I think they would tend to appeal to the same people. Also, she's [i]really[/i] attractive... and she's an adult woman in both mind and body, whereas Washu has that weird fake-loli thing going on. Bah. ~Dagger~

I'm not totally sure what the original poster wants to know, but I'll try to respond as others have. Speaking for myself, I rarely make blind buys. The last time I picked up a DVD without knowing anything about it was the first volume of Kino's Journey (which actually turned out to be a great purchasing decision, given the quality of the show). But I almost never buy anime DVDs in brick-and-mortar stores, unless I've heard of a really incredible deal that can't be matched online for whatever reason. I just like to plan things out, I guess. When I make pre-orders, I give top priority to shows that I saw partly or fully on fansub, since I know I'll like them (and I feel something of an obligation to spend money on them, anyway). After that comes anime I've heard really good things about--but I usually make sure to hunt down reviews, trailers, cast/staff information and such before deciding to drop money on a series. ~Dagger~

[quote]-I think that Yuka might just earn herself a place in my elite "anime characters that I want to be beat the crap out of" list if she doesn't change between now and the end of the series. Selfish b*tch.[/quote] That's a slightly surprising reaction. I liked Yuka at first, but as the show went on, she started to annoy me more and more. Although I can't say I ever really hated her. Still, it's interesting that you saw through her (so to speak) from the very beginning. [quote]-The doc that had been running experiments on Nana wasn't as bad as I thought he'd be.[/quote] You're referring to Kurama (the quiet, polished-looking guy with glasses), right? He's definitely my favorite male character in the show--although given that the only other main choices are Kouta and Bandou, I'm not sure if this should really be considered a compliment, haha. [quote name='Bloodseeker][url=http://www.elfenlied.net/strips.html][color=blue][u][i]Pretty funny stuff.[/i][/u][/color][/url'] Not exactly accurate, but still funny.[/quote] It's even funnier for those who have also seen Gunslinger Girl. I love the artist's portrayal of Henrietta. :animesmil ~Dagger~

Ah, thanks. I should have thought to look there. :animeswea Anyway, I've got a brief question... does Kaworu ever show up in the OP animation? I keep seeing him--or thinking that I'm seeing him--during the part when the still images start cutting really quickly. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Box Hoy']...I've found that battles where there's a well constructed backstory and motive for fighting do succesful without any traces of god moding.[/quote] And what's keeping you from starting a battle like that in the Adventure Square? The spar-specific sub-forum may have been removed, but sparring itself was never outright forbidden. EDIT: My bad--it's the Adventure [i]Square[/i], not the Adventure Arena. These crazy new names... :animesmil ~Dagger~

[quote name='Delacroix][COLOR=#FF0055][SIZE=1]I have to say that Kuja and Zidane are my all time favourite couple, [SPOILER]even if it would be classed as incest, I guess...[/SPOILER][/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] Much as I love Zidane/Garnet, I have to say that Zidane/Kuja comes as a close second for me. Something about the pairing is vaguely evil and twisted, but that's probably why I like it. Poor Kuja... :animecry: I don't know why, but FFVII seems to be the game best suited for coming up with really bizarre and crazy pairings--most likely because it has a large cast of ridiculously attractive young people, haha. Personally I don't understand Sephiroth's appeal; he has a cool character design and all that, but he's honestly pretty boring in terms of personality, even with his [spoiler]tormented past.[/spoiler] So I can't bring myself to be excited by the idea of Sephiroth-related romance (in fact, I'm of the mind that the phrase "Sephiroth-related romance" has to be an oxymoron of some sort). But once you take him out of the equation, I'm game for pretty much anything other than Cloud/Tifa. It's all good, really. ~Dagger~

I'm not positive that the leaves and petals have a significance on their own, although they do serve as a way to indicate the season. Based on what I've seen, butterflies are a slightly more prominent motif. However, I can explain why [spoiler]so many leaves appeared during the battle in episode 1. Soubi likes to use objects from the real world in combat, even though the fights apparently take place in a parallel dimension (or something like that). Since the episode 1 battle started in the park, he used leaves.[/spoiler] You'll notice that something similar happens during the fight in episode 2, which takes place in a [spoiler]science lab at Ritsuka's school.[/spoiler] Soubi's fighting habits are pretty interesting. He also has a fondness for [spoiler]twisting around the enemy's spells to benefit himself and Ritsuka.[/spoiler] That gets demonstrated really nicely in episode 5. EDIT: I love your new banner & avatar! Potato~!! ~Dagger~

You have no idea how happy it makes me that other people are watching & enjoying this show. Thanks for posting. :catgirl: [quote name='^.^][Color=DarkBlue]One thing I don't understand, is why Ritsuka made Soubi promisee to [spoiler]not make a move at him.[/spoiler'] Is that something that happens often in that world?[/color][/quote] Well, you have to admit that Soubi is pretty creepy from the get-go--and despite being a deeply disturbed kid, Ritsuka is far from oblivious. He's also someone who has a lot of difficulty trusting adults. Even when he does appear to like them (as is the case with Shinonome-sensei and his doctor), he still hesitates to confide in them. Ritsuka wanted to become close to Soubi thanks to Soubi's connection with Seimei--and since grasping at that connection to Seimei was & is so important to him, he also wanted to make absolutely certain that Soubi wouldn't do something which might drive him away. At least, I think that's why he asked for the promise: as a form of insurance. Not that [spoiler]it worked out quite the way he hoped, haha.[/spoiler] I've seen up to episode 5 as of now (I'm planning to watch episode 6 sometime tonight). The show has successfully maintained the high level of quality established in the first couple of episodes. I really like how the director uses small details to flesh out a scene--like (minor spoilers for up to episode 5) [spoiler]how the legs of Ritsu-sensei's butterfly twitched as it died and the way Midori opened his can of soda.[/spoiler] I'm particularly psyched about the upcoming episodes, because they will introduce the two "Zero" pairings--including a character who is voiced by one of my favorite seiyuu (Mitsuki Saiga) as well as a very cool [spoiler]shoujo-ai[/spoiler] couple. Which brings me to one of my other points: the supporting characters in this series are a real delight. I especially like Yayoi, although Kio also has many fans. ~Dagger~

[quote name='Bloodseeker']In that case, I imagine that we'll be seeing new episodes sometime during the August-October-November time frame.[/quote] That sounds good. Not that I don't wouldn't love to see the second half of the show now, but at least this will give the DVDs a chance to start catching up (and as I won't be home till August anyway, it's nice knowing I won't have to worry about getting someone to tape FMA for me during the rest of the summer). ~Dagger~

Well, I finally managed to start catching up with this show. I've had the latest discs sitting in my "to watch" pile for a long time, all because I somehow forgot to pre-order disc 2. Anyway, I'm now up to episode 17 or so, and seeing that much has made me feel completely justified in blindly ordering the series even when I wasn't actively watching it. Gungrave starts off pretty slowly. It's hard to get a handle on Brandon, since he's so quiet and awkward; at first it's much easier to relate to Harry. But both characters end up being well developed. I was deeply impressed by some of the twists that took place toward the middle of the series, like [spoiler]Maria becoming involved with Big Daddy rather than Brandon.[/spoiler] Even though I still had reservations about where the plot was going, that alone immediately won me over. The entire first part of Gungrave steadily builds up to [spoiler]the falling out between Harry and Brandon.[/spoiler] There was so much riding on the episodes that dealt with this event (and in certain ways the pressure was even greater because the aftermath is shown during the first episode). Despite this, I thought the writers handled it incredibly well. I was moved and gratified. It would have been easy to [spoiler]toss Harry by the wayside and make him out to be totally corrupt; showing that he, too, felt a sense of betrayal and grief[/spoiler] added a lot to the emotional fabric of the series. I can't wait to watch more episodes tonight. This show is awesome. :animesmil ~Dagger~

[quote name='Venge']If anymore of these battle scenes are as good or greater, holy hell![/quote] The battle scenes are solid throughout, but the most memorable ones come toward the very end of the series (which makes sense: save the best for last, and all that jazz). Personally I thought Mugen's fight with [spoiler]Sara[/spoiler] and Jin's fight with [spoiler]the God's Hand swordsman, Kariya (almost wrote "The Hand of God" there... I've been watching way too much Hikaru no Go lately, haha)[/spoiler] basically owned everything else in the series--which is saying a lot, as I'm sure you can imagine. ~Dagger~

[quote name='sbrebaby]Sangos love interest is not as vibrent as kagomes. you just want to see kagome with you know who.[/QUOTE][quote=Dagger']There are a lot of Kagome/Inuyasha fans, but those are just people who support the romantic pairing; you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who really loves Kagome (when taken by herself).[/quote] I do believe that my point stands. Rebuttals are always welcome, of course. :animesmil ~Dagger~

[quote name='Shuiri][Font=Garamond] [Color=Red]And, as many others have said, Mugen is strongly reminiscent of Spike. Honestly, I could've sworn they had the same voice actor.[/Color'] [/Font][/quote] That's because [spoiler]they do. It's the same actor, working under two different pseudonyms. There are a number of reasons that VAs do this, but generally it has to do with trying to get around union-related restrictions; it's therefore considered somewhat impolite to publicly "out" a VA, although in most cases the roles he/she takes under an alternate name are pretty much an open secret.[/spoiler] Blacking that out was a little unnecessary, haha. What can I say? I just love spoiler tags, I guess. :animesmil I'm glad that people enjoyed the first episode of Samurai Champloo. It's actually one of the better first episodes I've seen, although personally I think it takes the show a little while to deliver on its potential. But the pacing of the beginning episode is just delightful, and it does such a great job of introducing the main trio. ~Dagger~