JazzLady22

Hmmmmm, I'm thinking you two are right. That was my first impression, anyway. After all, [spoiler]when Tetsu sees Hijikata or Okita in killing mode, it certainly scares him, but other than that, he's okay. When he sees Yoshida in killing mode, he goes into shock. That should be enough proof there. Plus, from what I understand, the Choushuu had much more anti-foreign sentiments, so they'd be much more harsh to someone associating with foreigners (thanks for clearing that up, Dagger!)[/spoiler] As for Suzu, I'm thinking the poor kid has finally flipped. After watching the episode a few more times, I happened to notice [spoiler]that he was carrying something away at the end of the episode. Perhaps a little... erm... memento of Yoshida? Heh heh... *insert overused head pun here*[/spoiler] Suzu's voice actor was, indeed, [I]brilliant[/I]. Those lines might not have been nearly as good said by someone else. It was the way his voice was trembling while talking to Yoshida that just got me. I have a question: you know the pretty song they played at the end of the episode (the one with the violins)? Anyone know what it's called? All the music is pretty good... I wouldn't mind ordering the soundtrack. By the way, Dagger, I knew you'd love that scene. I was squealing so loud at that point! *Smiles just thinking about it*

Oh my gosh! I just saw 23, and there are compliments pouring out of my ears, I swear! It's my favorite, favorite episode ever (other than 'Song', of course)! *Gushes* I love it! That moment with Hijikata and Souji was one of the most well done moments in the series. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a fan girl (although that was a large factor, eh, Dagger?), it's true. [Spoiler]I loved how Kondou, after they were talking business-like for a while, just told him to "go to him." And he was being so sweet and concerned over Okita! I just couldn't stop smiling that whole time. And Toshi [I]smiling[/I] at Tetsu? He's a man of many dimensions, that Hijikata-san. I loved when Tetsu pinched himself! I couldn't believe it either, Tetsu![/spoiler] [Spoiler] Poor Suzu. I felt so bad for the poor kid. After he wanted to help Yoshida so badly, and then the conservatives shut him out! Then when he came back, Yoshida was already dead, and Suzu just started talking to him, and cleaning him off! *Wail* After losing just about everybody, it was absolutely heartbreaking to see him lose the most important person in his life. I hope that, in the next episode, maybe Saya and Tetsu can help him out? I saw Saya in the preview, thank God. I hoped she wasn't going to get shunted off to the side. [/spoiler] But one of my favorite parts had to be with Shinpachi, Heisuke, and Sano, when Sano just throws himself on the other two. "If you die, I'll kill you!" I laughed out loud. What a way to lighten the mood! If anyone can, it's those three. There's so much that they can do with this. I hope they decide to do a second season, or something. There are two seperate parts to the manga-ka: Shinsengumi Imon Peace Maker (which is what PMK is from) and Peace Maker Kurogane, which is still going on. If they decide to make a second season out of the Peace Maker Kurogane manga, I shall be a happy, happy girl. I have much more to say, but first, I need to watch episode 23 again. Later! EDIT: By the way, I'm quite satisfied with the way the fight between Susumu and Akesato ended up. And the exchange between Tetsu and Susumu afterwards was so cute! EDIT #2: (I keep thinking of things to add!) [Spoiler] When Tetsu had beaten Yoshida, and was talking about him killing his parents, Yoshida answered, "What are you talking about?" That really confused me. Yoshida doesn't seem like the type who'd play dumb. There were two things that occured to me at the time: 1) He doesn't remember killing them. After all, killing off defenseless "foreigners" would be a pretty run-of-the-mill thing. 2) It wasn't Yoshida at all, but someone who framed the Choushuu for the whole affair. But there's only one person who might do that, and I refuse to believe it's him. What do you all think? [/spoiler]

[QUOTE=r2vq] So sad what happens to many of them... Mainly Okita-san and Yamanami-san... (What DID Yamanami do anyway?) [/QUOTE] I was thinking the same thing! *Sniffles* I'm going to put this in spoiler tags just in case it gives away the end of the series... [Spoiler] What happened was, Yamanami tried to run away from the Shinsengumi. Hijikata-san sent Okita-san to go get him and bring him back, which he did. When Yamanami got back, Hijikata forced him to commit seppuku... *shudders*[/spoiler] And as for Okita-san... I really hope they keep historical accuracy in mind here, since he [spoiler] lived for quite a few years after Ikeda-Ya[/spoiler]... according to my sources that is. They could be completely unreliable. Well, I haven't really found any GOOD websites, so maybe you could share! Welcome to the forum. We needed some new blood around here... so to speak...

Oh Dagger... *faints* I'm saving that picture into my special folder. You are my hero! *Glomps insanely* You've made a fangirl happy today! Yes, I noticed that [spoiler]Tetsu panicking and screaming for Okita-san[/spoiler] was not there. Maybe in 23? *Shrug* Wow, I didn't even notice that thing with Sano... I'll have to watch episode 1 and 22 more closely and see if I can pick up on some of these things. And speaking of historical accuracy, I've been having some fun brushing up on my Shinsengumi knowledge. I think the coolest thing I've found so far was that Hijikata-san was a pretty secretive guy, and most of the stuff known about him is through his page... Ichimura Tetsunosuke. Cool, huh?

Dagger, how come we always seem to be watching the same things? ^_^ Anyways, a good friend of mine bought me Kino's Journey for my birthday (knowing nothing about the anime, of course, but thinking the box looked cool.) I watched it, and was quite confused, compelled, and pretty impressed. By the way, once you get to episode 4, in a flashback, Kino is wearing a dress with a bow in her hair. So unless she was a very good crossdresser, I'm thinking it's a girl. But up until then, I did think it was a guy. Ah, the confusion. I don't know where Kino is going, but I'm quite interested. I'm going to have to give the rest of the series a look! By the way, Kino is from the same creator as Serial Experiments Lain and Haibane Renmei. Hence, the confusion...

Just watched episode 22. I have to say, out of all the anime I've seen thus far, none of them have actually made me HOLD MY BREATH throughout an entire sequence. PMK has just broken the trend. Time for some fangirl ranting! [Spoiler] Oh my God! My poor, poor Okita! Are they at least going to tell you if he's okay (for the time being)? Coughing up blood is not good... not good at all. And they're just going to leave us there? No way! It's not fair! I have to see what happens! And where is Hijikata-san and everyone else? They need backup in there, darn it! Ohhhhhhh, this is driving me insane! *Pulls out a chunk of hair and screams* [/spoiler] But let's talk about something positive, eh? The animation. The things they did with this epiosde just totally blew me away. I was so impressed withe the whole thing; battle sequences and all. I honestly have no idea what they'll do with the ending. All I know is, this is gonna keep me up all night! Okita fangirls (you know who you are), come and share my pain. *Cries*

I'm wary to label anything as shounen or shoujo, since both genre titles have a bit of a negative connotation. When people say shoujo, I instinctively think of animes with whiny, female main characters who will create complicated love triangles and make me hate them fiercely. When people say shounen, I think of animes that are plotless and needlessly violent. Neither of those sound like things I'd enjoy too much. But when you get down to the actual classifications, I have favorites in both genres. I enjoyed many shoujo titles, such as Fruits Basket. Fushigi Yugi, Yami No Matsuei, X-TV, and Toyko Babylon. Although they are girl's animes, they are a bit more violent then the average shoujo title, with the exception of Fruits Basket of course. And I am watching a few shounen titles as well, like Peace Maker Kurogane, and quite a few others. But like Dagger said, most popular animes defy gender classification. I've talked to equal amounts of boys and girls who enjoy anime like Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, Miyasaki movies, and so on. I think the most popular animes are ones that can appeal to both boys and girls. But if someone were to ask me if I liked shounen or shoujo better, they both have different elements that I look for. Shoujo tends to have characters that you can get super-attached to, and most of my favorites come from the genre. But shounen storylines are more fun, and are generally very fast paced. There's my two cents ^_^

[quote name='Dan Rugh']I was on an FY site yesterday and found out that there is a new manga called Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden. It follows the story of the Priestess of Genbu and her adventure inside the book around the early 1900s. From what I've read it seems like a lot of it is linked to what happens to Miaka and Yui in the future. Anyone know anything about Genbu Kaiden?[/quote] Wow! They came out with a story about The Priestess of Genbu? *Excited* Her story always really intrigued me, but they didn't touch on it much at all. Takiko was mentioned a lot, and the tragic details of what happened to her, but they didn't talk about her adventures in the book, or her warriors for that matter. Yu Watase is writing it, right? I'd be so upset if someone pulled another Eikoden and made something using Watase's story, but not at all up to par with the usual FY quality. [quote name='densuke']Takiko gives off a different feeling from Miaka; she is a bit tougher and warier.[/quote] Well that's a relief. I don't think I could handle another Miaka. I've learned to deal with her, but one is still enough. Plus, there's too many instances where manga artists use and reuse their characters. I can't wait to read some of Genbu Kaiden!

Episode 21, what is there to say? Accursed cliffhangers! They actually expect us to sit here for a week with the knowledge that the next episode is the climactic battle sequence they tantalized us with in episode 1? That's sick, man. [Spoiler] I felt so awful for poor Tetsu, especially after that ending part with Susumu. Which made me pretty mad, now that we mention it. For a few episodes, it looked like they were going to become friends. But Susumu just went a liiiiiiitle too far there, espeically when he suggested seppuku (my jaw was to the floor at that point... heh). It was a pretty shocking sequence altogether, especially when Tatsu went to punch him at the end. [/spoiler] [Spoiler] My poor, poor, TB-ridden Okita-san. That was not a very pleasant sounding cough. As a fangirl, I am quite concerned. Historically, he would have died a few years after the incidents in PMK. But this is historical [I]fiction[/I]. They do what they damn well please. They wouldn't kill him, would they Dagger? *Chibi eyes* [/spoiler] I'm very anxious to see what develops with Suzu as well. At this point, I can't really be sure of what he's doing. And Dagger: yes, Hijikata can be one terrifying dude. [Spoiler] But he didn't kill Masuya, and if he did, it either wasn't on-screen, or I totally missed it.[/spoiler] It's going to be a long wait until Thursday, methinks.

Well, I watched the first episode of Ayatsuri Sakon yesterday, and I have to say that I wasn't really that impressed. The characters of Sakon and Ukon are very intriguing, but they barely did anything for the whole episode! They just sat around and let all the annoyingly cliche childhood friends whine, scream, and faint dramatically. Not my idea of a good time. Plus, the plot was a bit too "slasher movie" for my tastes. It reminded me of too many B-movies I've seen. It has the slasher "no subtlety" thing, where years of backstory can be revealed in a single line of dialogue. But I have to give it some props. It's created a nice, dark atmosphere for it's setting, and instilled a few little shivers with it's first episode. Also, it gave Sakon and Ukon an air of mystery, and made them both characters that might be rather likeable, had you known more about them. I plan to download the next episode, and give it one more chance. However, if the series continues like that, where the protagonist is given nothing to do, I will be very sad that two good characters were wasted like that.

Please, PLEASE, keep this thread alive, people! Episodes 18-20 impressed me beyond reason. They abandoned the usual, comedic approach, and instead offered insight into the real tragedy of the characters' lives and relationships. "Rain" and "The Sky" might have taken place consecutively, but emotionally, they couldn't be more different. In "Rain," they alternated screen-time between most of the characters, generally using this time to show what was going on in their lives at that point, and on occasion reavealing things about the characters' personalities that you never really saw before. I particularly liked the scene between Akesato and Yamanami, it was very touching, and VERY bittersweet, especially if you know what happened to the real Yamanami (historical fiction can be a drag, can't it?) At the end of 18, and transitioning right into 19, they start to really develop a relationship that had only been hinted at thus far: Ayumu and Susumu. [Spoiler] I held out hope that Ayu-nee would survive, personally, so it was even more devastating for me when Susumu found her. I was never the biggest fan of him, but when he really showed how much he cared for his sister, I felt genuinely sorry for him. And when you were offered a bit more insight into their relationship as he was reflecting on something she said to him, you truly understand him a lot better. His scene with Tetsu on the rooftop made me cry. I think the tentative relationship that forms between them in episodes 19 and 20 is one of my favorites so far in the series. [/spoiler] And now, we are waiting for episode 21, especially after 20 was such a cliffie. I think, after this, the focus will start to shift back to Tetsu and Tatsu a bit more. [Spoiler] After all, looks like Yoshida traumatized the poor kid again. [/spoiler] I shall be anxiously awaiting episode 21... *taps foot impatiently*

[B]1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?[/B] Ahhhh, yes, time for my stroll down anime memory lane. The first anime I ever watched, I had a very negative impression of, and that was Sailor Moon. Basically, it was shoved down my throat by a very ditzy, very annoying hardcore otaku. So basically, I figured that anime was for girls who weren't quite in-touch with this thing called reality. Then I was dragged, kicking and screaming, to go see Spirited Away in theaters with a good friend of mine. And I was totally blown away. I was ensnared throughout the whole thing, and I came out raving that it was the best movie there ever was. From there, I saw the Bebop movie with the same friend, and when I found there was a series, I was detirmined to watch it. I didn't actually get to watch CB until much later, but I was introduced to a supposedly similar series called Trigun. And the rest is history. [B]2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?[/B] I suppose so. I have seen enough to be able to decde what I will or will not like. I have gotten to the point where I can watch something, compare it to everything else I've seen, and decide whether or not it's up to par with my standards. For instance, Evangelion. I do not deny that it's a wonderful, ground-breaking, and very emotional series, but despite it's huge fan base, it's just not my cup of tea. I can now comfortably argue with other otakus about it, without feeling like I've committed some sort of blasphemy. But despite all this, my standards aren't really that high. Even though Eva really isn't my thing, I still enjoy watching it on occasion. And I have even been known to make favorites out of series that are considered "not that good." Hey, I even like my occasional SD moments and melodrama. [B]3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?[/B] No, I don't think I would. I needed to get accustomed to anime first with more mainstream things, like Spirited Away, before I could get into the more obscure and original things I'm into now. Maybe I'd enjoy them, but some of the elements of my favorite shows would turn off a lot of people who took them as "cartoons." I'm sure when I began as an otaku, I didn't think that it could be so adult. Plus, most of my favorites are fansubs that haven't hit the States yet. I'd be terrified to try something without it being recommended to me first. But now, I love my gore, angst, bishounen, melodrama, over-the-top comedic sequences, crazy J-Pop, and origianl-yet-cliched storylines. Is it safe to call myself an otaku now?

I just bought the Gunslinger Girl manga at Barnes and Noble yesterday! *Jumps up and down* I haven't watched the anime yet, so I can't really compare them. This series, from what I've seen thus far, is similar to Noir in a way. Although the main difference (and this is what drew me in) is that Noir is pretty much a stylistic, slick type of story, while Gunslinger Girl makes you feel the pain of the girls who have to live in this horrible fashion. I can tell that by the end of this series, I'm going to be reguarly crying my eyes out. I should probably watch this when my family isn't home, so I don't attract stares... Triella is my favorite, too, Goden-sensei! Anyways, more here when I've actually seen the anime.

I would just like to take this moment to point out, one more time, that v7 is completely and totally INSANE. That being said, enjoy my latest poem! (Yes, I posted this on myO) [I]"Life Underwater" We've already established I'm past that, that fresh-faced blankness of an eleven-year old. When you aren't even confident enough not to count the steps in your head, even if it breaks the continuity. It's easier to pretend it ends there, rather than reaching the point where you realize, "What, there's [B]more[/B]? You had nothing to worry about, you never had trouble with skipping stones. I've reached the age where I can't blame it on the waves anymore, as the stone skips once, and sinks without a ripple.[/I] Have a nice weekend, everyone! Criticism welcome, but if you're going to spam up this thread, please leave your e-mail so I can drop you a thank-you virus. ;) Thank you to Dagger and Mimmi for the lovely compliments!

*Clutches all 5 volumes protectively* I LOVE Demon Diary so much! Raenef is just adorable... very meltworthy. In fact, it's one of the few anime/manga/mawha where I love all the characters, good or evil. One of the reasons DD is so great is that at the same time it's telling the story, it's making fun of itself. An example of this is when in volume 5, Chris exclaims dramatically, "After all, this is [I]Demon[/I] Diary, not Cleric Diary!" *Laughs* And you'd have to be completely in denial to miss the raging shounen-ai overtones between Raenef and Eclipse. They have to be one of my favorite couples to date! I'm seriously hoping they get together in the end, although I might not be able to take the cuteness overload... Even though it's been a comedy thus far, it seems to have taken a darker turn at the end of volume 5. Any theories on what might happen?

Ahhhh, my first v7 post. I feel so happy. Anyways, if you know me, you know I'm a big fan of Fruits Basket. As no one particularly cares about my ravings on how good the show is, let's get right down to business. I agree with the majority of people here that Kyo and Tohru are better for each other. There's the simple reason: Kyo has been coming in second to Yuki all his life, and for the most part, he's never really gotten close to anyone. While he starts out as the typical, brash orange-haired anime character, he begins to open up to Tohru as the series progresses. Tohru and Yuki are cute together, but they don't have the emotionally charged scenes together like Kyo and her do. And if you kept a dry eye when [spoiler] they hugged in the last episode [/spoiler], you are heartless. ^_^ And then there's Dagger's point: she was drawn to Kyo from the start because of her personal feelings about the cat of the zodiac, and that created a tentative bond between them in the early episodes. I don't have much time to expand on this, I'm afraid. Anyways, anyone disagree in here and think it should be Yuki?

Episode 15... ohhhhhh my God... :laugh: I can see why it's your favorite, Dagger! That was possibly the most HILARIOUS thing I've seen in an anime. Leave it to Okita to orchestrate a thing like that! Loved the whole, "Okita-san," "Tetsu-kun," "Okita-san," "Tetsu-kun," ... exchange (and then as soon as Hijikata shows up, Okita just prances off and leaves Testu to his fate, hahaha). Poor Hijikata-san. I've watched it quite a few times, it just cracks me up. Ryouma is a scream as well. His random English, his insane mannerisms... the way he and Tatsu interract is just hysterical. On the shounen-ai content: I'm getting some MAJOR vibes between Okita and Hijikata! In episode 17 especially, when Hijikata said that [spoiler]Okita had been in his (Hijikata's) room until very late. *Evil grin* What was going on in there, Toshi? And later on when he was so concerned about Okita... I could have melted.[/spoiler] What a cute couple! As for Suzu's admiration for Yoshida, I was willing to let it go as just admiration, nothing more. That is, until his little speech in episode 13... just a little [I]too[/I] complimentary. I don't think anything is going on, per se, but there's definately something going on in Suzu's head... I just finished 17, and I'm still a tad confused. I still think Okita [spoiler]had some kind of connection with his "twin," because when they had their little confrontation, Okita looked visibly nervous. And that evil lipstick guy was never really explained either![/spoiler] And since I've heard that there are 24 episodes, I'm still wondering where the climax will lead. Perhaps something to do with the opening scene in episode 1? As for Hotaru: If she whimpers, "Okita-sama" one more time, I swear I will run her through myself. With her little "oh-help-me-save-me!" attitude, she's rather hard to like. Although I must admit, it was kind of cute when she drew the picture of the two of them, but even so, if she gets together with him, I may have to commit seppuku... x_x Now that I'm on the same page as you guys, I'd love to have a little discussion. Where should we start?

Hey everyone! Sorry I can't join in the actual discussion, as I haven't seen that much of the show (YET!) But I thought I'd give my opinion. And that opinion is... wow. And I mean [I]wow[/I]. That incredibly inarticulate does not at all sum up the wonderful new love I have found in this series. So far in the four episodes I have seen, I've gotten great action sequences (the first sparring match between Okita and Tetsu comes to mind), an impressive amout of character development you'd be loath to find in many other anime beginnings, a nice gradual pacing (some animes give the first episodes all they have, and save nothing for the end), and a few new crushes for e. Yes, I love Okita. I admit it :) Hijikata is very, very cool, Saya is so adorable I could melt, and Saitou managed to crack me up and freak me out in the same episode! PMK, for me, pulls off things that Rurouni Kenshin never quite accomplished. Things like consistancy in the animation and storyline. Don't get me wrong at all, I love RK to death, but sometimes it tends to feel a little episodic. I like when animes have a more or less solid flow. And as for the art, I haven't yet noticed one time where you might think, "Did the artists take a vacation?" Although there is no villain truly defined yet, the episodes of PMK I've seen so far all seem to have purpose behind them other than just character introduction. I am truly psyched about this anime! Now, if episode 5 would only hurry up...

Wow! You're all too kind, really! And yes Mimmi, it's [i]me[/i]! Haha. Okay, now do you all mind if I post another one? This one's from a while ago. Comments or edits appriciated. Thankee very much! [i]Scripture, Astroturf, and Thanksgiving Dinner I never could understand the purpose of Astroturf on your front steps, the marble leopard in your living room. Sitting in front of the fireplace, wondering why you'd put a nativity scene there. I warned you Santa might step on it, but when have you ever listened? You whispered in my mother's ear as I didn't touch my turkey or sweet potatoes. Picky eaters unheard of in your household. You wondered why I prefer to watch TV alone, lock the doors whenever I enter a room, eat popcorn after just having dinner. You think I stare at your porcelain Christmas village for hours at a time because there is something wrong with me. I can't comprehend why you don't think your grandson's bride is pretty, or why the framed Psalm in the hall outside the guest room makes me think of anything but greener pastures. You don't understand why I stay up in the kitchen so late. Why I'm never ready for Foxwoods at 4:00 AM. You wonder what I could possibly do by myself for that long.[/i] Have a good day!

Good luck everyone! [U]General Awards[/U] Overall Member of the Year: James Male Otaku of the Year: Syk3 Female Otaku of the Year:Queen Asuka Staff Member of the Year: Semjaza Azazel Funniest Member of the Year: Dragon Warrior Most Opinionated Otaku of the Year: Poison Tongue Most Likely to Be Here in Two Years: Adam Best Newbie: Dagger IX1 Best Oldie: Shy Most Likely to Become a Staff Member: AzureWolf Most Improved Member of the Year: Baron Samedi Favorite Banned Member: Taylor Hewitt Thread of the Year: Kill Adam Silliest Thread of the Year: I?am?lone [U]Random Awards[/U] Avatar Award (Best Avatars Overall): Semjaza Azazel, Signature Award (Best Signatures Overall): Sara Best Location (Best Specific Location): Drix D?Zanith, Best Otaku Couple: Queen Asuka/Piromunkie Best Looking Otaku: Babygirl Otaku Clique of the Year: OtakuBoards Yaoi/Shounen-Ai Club Best MyOtaku: LazeChibi [U]Otaku Writers[/U] Poet Laureate: KarmaofChaos Writer of the Year: Solo Tremaine Orginal Story of the Year: OB: Enter the Net Role-Player of the Year: Arcadia Brawler of the Year: Harlequin RPG of the Year: Kill Adam [U]Social Otakus[/U] Otaku Social Member: James Entertainment Otaku: Dragon Warrior [U]Otaku Anime[/U] Otaku of the Year: Dagger IX1 .hack//SIGN Member of the Year: AzureWolf Dragonball Guru of the Year: PiroMunkie [Strike]Digipeep of the Year:[/Strike] Gundam Member of the Year: Hitokori Zero Yu-Gi-Oh Member of the Year: Solo Tremaine Least Disappointing Yu Yu Hakusho Member: Dagger IX1 [U]Otaku Gamers[/U] Otaku Gamer of the Year: Semjaza Azazel Nintendo ?Mario? Award: Shinmaru Sony Award: Dan X-Box Award: PoisonTongue PC Gamer of the Year: DeathKnight [U]Otaku Artists[/U] Best Graphic Designer (Banners, wallpapers, etc.): Syk3 Best "Traditional" Artist (Drawings, paintings, etc.): Sara [Strike]Best Spriter:[/Strike] [U]Series Otaku[/U] Series Otaku Member of the Year: Semjaza Azazel Square/Enix Member of the Year: Desbreko PokéPlaque (Pokemon): Lady Katana The Triforce Award: Desbreko

Okay... I write a lot of poetry for my creative writing class, and I usually like to get my stuff edited before the final draft. But most of the editors in my class are idiots, so if you guys could give me suggestions on what to change, I would love you forever. Keep in mind that these are free verse, and don't rhyme. If you tell me 'It doesn't rhyme,' I might cry. [I] Torrential Downpour I just had to get outside for one minute; to feel the cold, pouring rain on my burning skin. It's always too hot in that house. Today you insisted on leaving the windows closed, and the fire stoked, like you couldn't feel the heat radiating off your own walls. And I hate to say it, but you're stifling me. Endless talk about the men in your life, Your 20-something boyfriend, your married fling, your ex-who-so-desperately-wants-you-back. Then your rapturous babbling is cut short by the sound of the phone, and you wave me away to attend to more urgent matters. When we were younger, we were the only people in our world who mattered. We'd run barefoot in our city that always rains, never feeling the cold on our shoulders. Until you started preferring the warmth of sunny weather, and left me to evaporate. [/I] Yes, I posted that on myOtaku, but I'm proud of my work, even if it's not good. I'll post some more of my work on here, but I'd like to see if anyone [I]replies[/I] first, heh.

Hmmmmmm... I can't say tragic endings are my favorite, but they're the ones that have a real impact. I'll remember the ending of Cowboy Bebop ([spoiler] with both Spike and Julia dying in a Romeo and Juliet-esque way... VERY powerful ending to the series [/spoiler]) a lot better than the ending of, say, Fruits Basket, ([spoiler] where Kyo gains acceptance from the girl he loves, and Akito is a little less evil and bitter, and everyone is in a good mood ^_^ It's cute, actually! [/spoiler]). I love both endings and series, but the former sticks out a lot more. On the other hand, there are tragic events that strike you in a different way. I recently watching most of Fushigi Yuugi, and when [spoiler] Nuriko, my favorite character, was killed, [/spoiler] I cried harder than I ever have in an anime, and I haven't been able to watch the rest of the series yet. Knowing that [spoiler] there's about 20 episodes left without him [/spoiler] is a little more than I can take. :bawl: But it was realistic, and it actually hurt to watch, so I guess that's an achievement on the part of the writers. Plus I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it. Personally, I'm happiest with endings that give you closure, yet leave things more or less up in the air. Things aren't alright yet, but they eventually will be.

I marathon. Most DEFINATELY. When I buy an anime DVD, I try to see how fast I can finish it, no matter how long it takes. For example: I got a Fruits Basket DVD at a Christmas party with my friends, and they were all episodes I hadn't seen yet, so I was detirmined to watch them. I got home around 10:00 at night, and immediately sat down and wacthed it straight through. It took about 3 hours, and it was a school night. But if I'd stopped halfway, I wouldn't have slept well anyway wondering what happened. It made it even worse that it was the last few episodes. And my Escaflowne box set is coming in a few days, and there are tons of episodes I haven't seen. I'll want to watch them all at once, so I might have to wait for this weekend to watch any of it, even if it comes tommorow. I watch the opening credits sometimes, if they're really good. I watched the Cowboy Bebop opening, as well as the Gravitation one. But I rarely watch the closing, because I'm anxious to get to the next episode.

Hmmmm, I think that [B]Cold Mountain[/B], [B] Lord of the Rings: Return of the King [/B], [B] Lost in Translation [/B], [B] Finding Nemo [/B], [B] Big Fish [/B], and [B] Mystic River [/B] all have a legitimate shot at being nominated. Of course, that's too many films, but I couldn't pick one over the other. Someone mentioned [B] The Last Samurai [/B] earlier. It was a great, enjoyable movie, but just not Oscar material. I agree that it borrows way too much from Dances with Wolves, and it didn't really do anything groundbreaking that you hadn't seen before. The other movies listed above did more than just entertain. And no one more than me wants to see an LOTR win on Oscar night. But over hard hitting, realistic dramas, it doesn't stand much of a chance in the voters eyes. But I'm looking forward to a nomination, and maybe a win, for Peter Jackson.

Hmmmmm... well, I never get sore on a mat, but I get sore on those big plastic boards... from the impact I guess/ I agree with AzureWolf, the previous DDR game was a little hard to do because of the odd synchronations. But the steps were fairly simple when you wanted more of a challenge, so all in all, it wasn't my favorite DDR game. I like DDR Max 2 a lot more! The songs are a lot catchier, although for the life of me I can't even remember the title of one of them. All I can think of is Healing Vision from one of the older games... "Hold steps"? Now are those the ones where all the arrows are kind of blended together, and you have to jump and stay on it? I find those a bit easier than being hit with 4 different directions at once. Bottom line: The game is more challenging, and the songs and backgrounds are better than the regular DDR games, and DDR Max one. I like very much!