JazzLady22

Does anyone know what's going on with the episode numbers? Subs for episode 8 were just released, even though episode 7 was not. Even when I was looking for raws earlier this week, I could only find "episode 8." Is this just a mistake? EDIT: It looks like episode 7 is only going to be on the DVD, if Anime News Network is to be trusted. Seeing as there are only 13 episodes in the first place, that's a bit irksome.

Episode 5 just further solidifies Spice and Wolf as my favorite this season! The machinations of the [spoiler]Milone Company[/spoiler] are just too exciting to watch. [spoiler]The entire escape plan had me watching very closely to catch every detail. What a nice change, to see anime characters acting smart and making good plans for once![/spoiler] Also nice to see the dynamic between Lawrence and Horo develop further. [spoiler]The argument was very well-done. Poor Horo will probably feel the need to reassert her dominance for a while. Which will hopefully lead to more bailing-out-Lawrence antics.[/spoiler] And in a move I rather liked, [spoiler]Chloe has become an antagonist! I am rarely so happy to be wrong, but I thought she was doomed to the predictable character arc of 'the girl at home.' But I think this is a good use of her character. I do wonder how Lawrence will deal with her when they inevitably meet.[/spoiler] I grabbed the opening single, which I've been listening to on repeat. So beautiful! You're so right about the instrumental version too, Desbreko. Utterly gorgeous. I didn't go for the ending single - too weird for me, too.

Just watched episode 3, and I love how the pace is picking up! The negotiation scene was so fun to watch - poor Lawrence and his bruised ego! Horo continues to be such a fascinating character. You never know what she's going to say next. I'm so curious about the [spoiler]money scheme Lawrence figured out at the end of the episode.[/spoiler] That's another really great thing about this series, that it's a lot harder to guess the next step because of the subject matter. Really keeps you thinking! This is becoming one of my favorites of the season so far.

My least favorite has to be [I]Law of Ueki[/I]. I'm not at all surprised that I haven't seen it mentioned yet; I only knew of it because a couple of my friends got inexplicably obsessed with it. Anyways. This show basically threw whatever idea came into the writers' heads on the wall to see what stuck. I could never decide if it was a huge parody or was trying to take itself seriously, but I didn't stick around long enough to find out.

Since I've read the first volume (is there any more lying around? I've been searching the raw manga communities, but no dice), I'll address some of your criticisms: - You're so right about the music. Looks like the full version of the OP is being released in early February, and I'll be all over that. - I usually expect some loss of character development in the translation from manga to anime; manga in general is a lot more character-driven, and anime has to aim to crowd please. That said, I thought Horo and Lawrence carried over pretty well, though you're right about some of Horo's emotions being better expressed in the manga. I'll have to see more of Lawrence in both mediums before I decide anything, though. - Though it would be awesome if Lawrence had that low, casual drawl that Ginko perfected, I might never stop comparing the two. XD They just had to give Lawrence white hair! - One change I wasn't too crazy about: the anime sort of sexed things up a bit. I didn't really like the addition of the girl who hits on Lawrence in the first episode, since her entire purpose was to go "Lawreeeence I'm a big girl now *flashes legs*" With the other intriguing characters that have been introduced, she feels a bit weak to me, and I hope too much time won't be spent on her. I agree with you about some of the changes in the first episode, but the second episode is a good deal closer to the manga. So you may enjoy that more!

I noticed there wasn't a thread for this anime yet... actually, I seem to be one of the few people watching this series! Anyone else out there watching Spice and Wolf? I looked into it because the light novel series has gotten great reviews. The series, which takes place in a medieval sort of setting, is about an itinerant merchant, Lawrence, who meets a pagan wolf deity named Horo. Horo has been living in a village for hundreds of years, providing them with a healthy crop of wheat each year, but as fewer of them pray to her, she starts to get nostalgic for her homeland in the north. She asks Lawrence to take her back there. The first two episodes were extremely intriguing to me. The only two significant characters so far are Lawrence and Horo, and I'm excited to learn more about them. They're both intelligent, occasionally sarcastic, and definitely have interesting backstory waiting to be explored. While it is listed as a fantasy series, there are no magic or swordfights to be found. Actually, so far, the plot centers around economics and trade, though there's a definite conflict on the horizon considering the constant presence of the church. There are some funny moments, but a distinct lack of SD and sweatdrops, which I found refreshing, personally. The pace isn't slow, per se, but those of you who like your anime action-packed will probably be fidgeting. S&W is heavy on dialogue and discussions. Also, those of you who are uncomfortable with animated nudity might want to note that Horo prances around naked for most of the first episode. It's nothing worse than you'd see in a magical girl transformation sequence. XD I'll be keeping an eye on this one. I've been lacking an intelligent traveling series since Mushishi ended.

I'd been pretty lax keeping up with Bleach, since I read the entire Soul Society arc in the manga, but I watched the last few episodes. And am rather glad I did. ^_^ I'm very pleased with how they handled Aizen's [spoiler]complete character 180. I guess they took that into account when they hired Shou Hayami, who also played Muraki in Yami no Matsuei (another uber-villain.)[/spoiler] One thing did strike me as kind of odd, though... [spoiler]it already did seem weird that Aizen could kick everyone's *** without so much as lifting a finger, but... the anime added some kind of Sailor Moon-esque transformation to go along with it? XD[/spoiler] Also, to what Dagger said: [spoiler]I don't think they'd make Urahara into an outright villain, that would just... make him so uncomplicated. I agree that as of now, he's a morally ambiguous character; he's basically someone who works for his own gain, and if Ichigo and co. benefit from it, great! And if not, too bad. And he better stay that way, too... he's a refreshingly different character from the shounen mold.[/spoiler]

[quote name='Sea Of Chaos666]Yeah I pretty sure your right. [spoiler]Hijikata was the one who killed his parents.[/spoiler'] That's why he is supprised in the anime when he heard the name Ichimura. Right?[/quote] [i]Well[/i], there was a bit of controversy over that a while back, actually, but the man thought to have killed Tetsu's parents is [spoiler]Yoshida, Suzu's master[/spoiler]. Haven't made it onto the boards in a while. :animestun My bad! Although PMK still remains one of my favorite animes. I bought the second and third DVD when they came out and I think ADV is actually doing a pretty decent job with them, even if I still prefer the original seiyuus by far. I love the extras, though!

I agree with QuincyArcher... this episode was portrayed very differently than it's corresponding chapter. *MANGA SPOILER* [spoiler]I mean, the whole thing with this Shinigami guy risking his life for Karin... that DOES sort of contradict everything else we learn about the Shinigami as a whole in the Soul Society arc. That's why it was such a big deal that Rukia risked her life to protect Ichigo in the first episode.[/spoiler] Also, I liked it better when [spoiler]Ichigo managed the "victory" against Grand Fisher on his own, without the appearance of his mother.[/spoiler] However. I think the scene between [spoiler]Ichigo and his father[/spoiler] was handled absolutely beautifully. [spoiler]The, "Live life to the fullest, Ichigo" speech gets me everytime... it's just a really nice moment.[/spoiler] The anime is definitely taking liberties with the material, but I don't think the anime will stray too far from the main plotline. After all, we're getting the [spoiler]Don Kanonoji[/spoiler] arc is next! Which, in my opinion, is the most hilarious arc in the series.

Oh wow, I took my sweet time posting in this thread. *Laughs* Anyways, I've been a Bleach fan for a few months now, and I've read up until about chapter 142 now (including a few raws)... oh, I love this series to death. I love the way they're doing things so far! And I'm thrilled that [spoiler]Urahara (the shop-owner) and Kon (the mod-soul) have shown up already![/spoiler] I've noticed that they made some changes so far, including [spoiler] the aforementioned Karin/Yuzu switch in the first episode, the way in which Orihime's brother became a hollow, and Kon's personality, to an extent - he wasn't quite so violent in the manga! I did love the scene with Ichigo fighting him, though... heh.[/spoiler] Said changes don't really bother me, though, seeing as most of them were probably sanctioned by Kubo Tite (the mangaka) himself; he's actually voicing one of the characters! Six was my personal favorite episode so far (mostly due to Urahara, since he's a favorite of mine... but the preview with Chad was pretty classic, too) but I think all the episodes have done a fabulous job thus far! Quick question for everyone: Do any of you know how many episodes Bleach is slotted for?

Oh dear. I am very late with this. *Laughs* Blame it on sickness and laziness. Anyways, I bought the first PMK DVD and manga about two weeks ago. I have to agree that the packaging is simply [i]gorgeous[/i]! The DVD didn't really have much in the ways of extras, which was rather disappointing, but maybe in later volumes, ne? And here's my opinion on the dub... keep in mind that I am a "bloody purist" when it comes to these sorts of things, so feel free to disregard. It wasn't so much the acting... I thought most of the American VAs did well with the delivery. I particularly liked Heisuke's bit at the beginning of episode four; he manages to deliver the lines with the same energy and insanity as the original seiyuu. However, a lot of the voices just didn't click for me at all, Hijikata and Okita, in particular. This could be me being a total Jouji Nakata and Mitsuki Saiga fangirl, but they just didn't sound right to me. Hijikata lacks the menacing voice he had in the original; heck, he didn't even sound that annoyed to me. Souji, as well, sounded pretty off; I don't really feel the change between happy-Souji and oni-Souji in his voice. He sounds pretty awkward in the role, IMHO. Luci Christian did decently as Tetsu, though! She got more energetic as the disc went on, really... but I would like it if she'd take it down a notch during Tetsu's more serious parts. Also, I'm not a huge fan of the insertion of accents... more specifically, Susumu and Ayumu's kansai-ben becoming Texan, and Akesato's Kyou-ben in the manga is written out into some kind of Southern dialect. Not only that, but she doesn't speak as intelligently as she does in direct translations... (Her line, "It don't hafta be that way," has to bother me the most.) I can't wait until volume two! *Dances*

...I've seen the Saiyuki dub. I can see why Goku might be picked for Shinpachi, them both being short and rather excitable. But I can't help but think it's a little childish for Shinpachi... then again, I'm hearing the Goku-voice in my head, and the VA will be doing something different. And wow! I'm actually not minding the choice for Souji's VA too much. Hakkai has a very mild voice, and I'm sure with the right tone, it'd fit. Although I would have been happier if they'd cast a girl with a lower voice... As for the rest, I haven't seen the dubs. But maybe I should look into it, I'm curious as to what they sound like (especially Suzu, since I loved the way his original seiyuu underplayed his scene in ep. 23...) And yes, Dan Rugh, no more 'Kurogane.' It's just Peace Maker now... that's really too bad.

Great thread idea! ^__^ [B]Naruto[/B]- Possibly my favorite character in Naruto is Hyuuga Hinata. She doesn't exactly fit the archetype of a "strong woman," per se, as for most of the beginning of the anime, she's potrayed as a shy, somewhat weak character who is mostly defined by her crush on Naruto. But [spoiler]during the Chuunin Exams, the episodes where she fights her cousin, Neji, showed her as a very strong, detirmined character. She did get the crap beaten out of her, and eventually lose, but during the fight, you really found yourself cheering for her. I always thought she was cute, but she proved herself to be a good fighter, and strong individual, as well.[/spoiler] Thus, cementing my love for the show. (I'm not fond of Sakura or Ino...) [B]Peacemaker Kurogane[/B]- I agree with Dagger. I love Ayumu and Akesato! Although I'm afraid neither of them get a lot of screentime; Akesato gets less than almost any other major character, but that's redeemed later in the manga, when she gets a more serious and tragic story. The point being, both of these ladies are, arguably, the most unpredictable characters in the anime. Won't say anything else, because Dagger covered it nicely. [B]Fullmetal Alchemist[/B] While this anime has quite a few likable female characters (like Riza Hawkeye and Maria Ross) I'm extremely partial to Izumi, who is Ed and Al's former teacher. Some of the angst surrounding her story arc could be tough to take (then again, this is FMA we're talking about), but simply put, the woman is awesome. [spoiler]She could even hold her own against Greed for a bit, and still, it was her condition that got in the way.[/spoiler] And as I mentioned before, Riza Hawkeye and Maria Ross are very likable, and hold their own in the otherwise male-dominted military. [B]Read or Die, The OVA[/B] Yomiko and Nancy. They're [I]complete[/I] opposites, Yomiko being utterly adorable and Nancy being classy, but both of them are, for lack of a better word, totally badass. [spoiler]The dollar-bill swordfight was possibly the coolest, and most original, thing I'd ever seen.[/spoiler] And that's enough from me for today.

Adora: ^__^ Thank you for the compliments! *Hugs back* Oh, when I said Evil Souji, I meant [spoiler]his "evil twin" that shows up in episodes 16 and 17. The hitokiri boyslut one. *Sncker*[/spoiler] I think what you're talking about is how he acts in battle, with the creepy, pupil-shrunken-ness. Dagger: ...ugh. That summary makes me want to cough up blood, quite frankly. It makes it sound like the second coming of Naruto! Village? Army? Demonic powers, even? It's understandable that people wouldn't know about the Shinsengumi over here, and that they're just trying to make it sound appealing to American audiences. But really, give me a break. And if I'm not mistaken, they took 'Kurogane' out of the title, didn't they? Or did they just shorten it for the press release? Ah, who cares, really? As long as they don't make up subtitles, I'm happy.

[QUOTE=Adora] Hey, do you read Kyuuri High too? [/QUOTE] Actually, Adora, I RP Akesato in Kyuuri High! ^__^ *Still cannot believe that people read it... squeal* [QUOTE=Adora] ...but I'm wondering for anyone who's watched the anime, is it really holding that close to the historical narrative, or does it take lots of lovely liberties (apart from the character designs and humour)? [/QUOTE] The anime is really not that much different from the manga, other than [spoiler]putting in Saitou and Ryouma before Ikeda-ya, rather than afterward, the anime begins with a few clips from Ikeda-ya, rather than the extremely depressing part with Tetsu delivering...something[/spoiler], and adding a few extra things (like Maro, large-croaky-ninja-man, and Evil!Okita) There's really not much deviation otherwise. [spoiler]Souji still has tuberculosis, Yamanami's still hung up over Serizawa Kamo's assasination, and everyone is STILL going to die.[/spoiler] But one thing I'm wondering is, how does SI Peace Maker end? Is it just like the incredibly fluffy and bittersweet episode 24 (complete with the wonderful hanabi sequence), or does it end on a darker note, maybe? Has anyone read that volume?