Cahoots34

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]I like to think that Muraki (Descendants of Darkness) and Karasu (Yu Yu Hakusho) would make an excellent couple. Both are extraordinarily sadistic and have a tendency to become obsessed with pretty men. They also strive to destroy and/or kill the people whom they love most.... common goals are always important, don't you agree? Together they could have all sorts of evil fun with seemingly innocent heroes like Tsuzuki and Kurama--or, better yet, with each other. ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] Hm, I think Muraki might pair off better with Kurama himself. Kurama's ostensibly rather innocent, (which Muraki would probably find rather attractive, considering his past fixations on Hisoka and Tsuzuki) but probably sadistic enough to appreciate Muraki's kind of 'fun'. Besides, if Muraki and Karasu did date and actually find some sort of mutual affection, wouldn't one or both end up dead? Perhaps in Karasu's case it's no pity; Yuu Yuu Hakusho is, presumably, full of slightly lasvicious stalker type demon things, but the deranged medical technician category is rather sparse, at least in Yami no Matsuei. In that case, we'd have to put Seishirou Sakurazukamori (X/1999) as his substitute, and give Hisoka an entirely new reason to be disturbed by sakura. Actually, that might be fun...

I happen to think that King of Bandits Jing was, well, just bad. I can't even become enthusiastic enough about it to hate it. It was as though Jing, the main character, was _determined_ to be the epitome of the overcliched antihero. No distinguishing deviations from stereotype, standard rebellious attitude (and occupation. Would someone _please_ explain to me why burglary is a proffession attractive enough to have at least one representative in every manga/anime?) with inexplicable underlying compassion... He even had the standard mildly-firightening, incomprehensible black-brown 'hero hair' that protruded at every imaginable angle (but, much to my dismay, somehow managed not to maim his token greedy, womanizing animal sidekick/weapon). The storyline was a rather random series of weakly-connected journeys on Jing's part, most inspired by the consistent, if overly recurring, drive to steal some treasure or other (after, of course, he risked his life to protect the obligatory inspid and generally interchangable female character that predictably, if not plausibly, appeared into each episode). The art, possibly the least of the series' problems, was a bit too surreal for me, although it occasionally provided very innovatve backdrops for suspiciously familiar episodes to play out upon. Overall, it may be one of the most unoriginal series I've ever watched.

Ah, my favourite anime sayings all seem to belong to Duo Maxwell of Gundam Wing: "Great, how did I end up as the bad guy here?" "Damn, I'm gonna have nightmares over this one" "Don't make me seriously mad, if you want to live long." "Stop making me repeat myself, it's bad for my health." Yes, I must admit that I am amused by just about anything that comes out of Duo Maxwell's mouth. [SIZE=1](Except Heero Yuy.) (Alright, that was tasteless, and I apologise. Sort of.)[/SIZE]

As an anime in comparison to all others, it's basically awful. The art is rather poor, the storyline is fairly predictable, and I'm constantly driven mad by the dub voices. As a children's mecha anime, however, compared to the current output of that genre, it isn't _so_ bad. The recent developments- the Unicron saga, in general- mark a significant lift in plot quality that gives enough intrigue and character develpment to distance this anime from somewhat less sophisticated (dubiously plausible, yet in my opinion true) animes like Medabots and Daigunder and whatnot. Oh, and S.D. Gundam. *shudder* Bottome line? It's improving, I should think, and that's a trend I hope to see continue.

Hmn, there _was_ that Christmas-y OAV of Ranma 1/2... It, well... I didn't really find it to be a moment of Rumiko Takahashi greatness; it seemed to be more of a frentic excuse for a cast-wide karaoke session. Ironically enough, this holiday bonanza had to be one of the least-humourous OAVs. *sigh*

Naruto, the one manga that artistically outclassed its anime. I don't know; I love the behind-the-ninja-scenes approach to the series, but it's becoming a very mundane sort of plotline, at least in the 35 or so chapters I've read. (Of course, I was reading solely for Haku and Zabuza for quite a while there, so that may be my problem. *sweatdrop*) My crazed friends tell me that the series becomes considerably more interesting with the inclusion of a YYH-esque Tournament Exam, or something to that effect. Yes, no, perhaps? In any case, do tell me- Am I missing out if I decide to bypass the anime? Or is it a series I should watch _and_ read to get the full effect?

If you've ever been in a Neopets roleplaying guild (of which I am a rather sheepish deserter), you're bound to have your name cropped or skewed _somehow_. (If you roleplay with people who have accounts to the effect of 'karzistakilenith87', you will see the boundless logic in this.) In this way, over 2 years of obsessive patronage I collected Gal, Crow, Winge, Spark and Des, to name the few that still make me twitch. Eugh, [i]Winge[/i] of all things....

Is there any significance behind the title? Even in the admittedly offbeat world of anime, Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNICLE is a bit abstruse.

Heero will never kill Relena. (We pray and we pray, but nothing... *sigh*) Throughout the series, she is instrumental to peace as a figurehead for the people. However, the fact that I haven't shot you yet does not prove that we have a meaningful relationship. (Or _does_ it, dahling?) The very nature of Relena's feelings for Heero--posessive stalking and name-screaming, to name some-- indicate to me that she's more infatuated than truly in love. Blind adoration does not a happy couple make. Heero, on the other hand, is focused enough on his (the colonies', really) goal of peace that he continually protects her and therefore ensures the eventual cease of war under her leadership, as she seems to be the only one capable, idealistic and willing enough to become the deplorably rare breed of selfless politician needed for the job. As an exceptionally emotionally repressed teenager, I doubt that our Perfect Soldier was doing any of the falling in love at first sight which seems to be Relena's lingering affliction. Basic understanding would probably rate above general affection on his list of psychological needs, and playing bodyguard to a sheltered princess who can't decide whether to denounce a gun or fire it is hardly a means of finding any kind of deep empathy. His fellow pilots, however, understand perfectly his most fundimental motications in only the way that comerades can, and even as their own respective types of flawed humans, share many of his basic needs simply by finding themselves pysically and mentally able to function in a role similar to his. That, of course, it why he's paired with them so often. As to these pairings themselves, well, even the English dub makes it fairly obvious that Duo is interested in Heero, even if on the same infatuated level as Lady Peacecraft. Seeing as these two are fairly close to a point that implies possible intimacy, there may be soemthing there, and it would probably work ou well for them. 3x1, though, never clicked for me, mostly because Trowa and Heero struck me as possibly similar enough to perfect dysfunction as a couple. Long and silent evenings, yes... Besides the fact that no matter what the deal would end up being between Duo and Heero (and Relena), Trowa and Quatre are my penultimate ideal of a loving couple. I can't really see Trowa passing up a potential relationship like that to persue the only person in the entire series who may be less chatty than himself. Lady Vice Foreign Minister _is_ misunderstood. She is seen as whiny, idealistic and occasionally hypocritical by a very large audience. In reality, she strikes me as slightly petulant, overly romantic in her view of humanity, and far too naiive and unrealistic to be leading a troop of Girl Scouts, much less guiding warring factions to peace. (The hypocrisy has become a side-issue.) At the start of the series, she's a deluded little daddy's girl with some serious posessiveness issues, but I agree that she grew up at a fanfastic rate throughout the series into something vaguely likeable, if purely for her determination and occasional displays of spunk and brilliance. I hope that this trend continues; for the cast's sanity, if not purely my own.

You watch lots 'n lots of Gundam? How lovely for you. This may give you far more basis for your opinions than my apparently more limited knowledge does, but I doubt it gives you the right to tell anyone what is and is not true of a series. I really don't remember saying there isn't emotion in mecha shows. Infer what you will, but believe that mecha shows are some of the _most_ emotional. Mecha shows often deal with war and combat, and various trying situations. The main focus of many is the reaction of each individuals to these situations, and those reactions are hardly ever unemotional. Perhaps a select Gundam, Zeta Gundam, in this case, would not be as powerful as it could by any stretch of the imagination be without its proper pilot. The real question is whether or not _it could be piloted at all_. If any pilot took the controls, would it still move? a) Whether or not this discussion is meaningful or not is basically irrelevant at this point. This is OT to the nth degree! b) I do actually plan to watch more mecha shows throughout my life. I really look foreward to it, actually. But I don't see what this has to do with the concept that Evangelion _does_ defy genre, at least in my opinon, _because_ no shows relate closely to it. c)Mecha has become a great insult?! Not only am I appalled by the very idea, I've never heard of it. I don't believe that fans are _afraid_ of associating Evangelion with mecha, but instead more hesitant to attach any sort of label to the series. Well, I don't agree with your analysis of the show, but that's obviously to be expected. Moreover, I don't agree with this 'meaning of Gundam' you speak of. I'm not even sure what on Earth it is, and I already can't condone it! I have watched a large part of Mobile Suit Gundam, I don't see the problem with Gundam Wing, and my 'meaning' of Gundam is obviously different than yours. I had gleaned the overall idea that technology can and should be used for the good of all mankind. This is clearly not what you found in the series, and I completely respect that. What's more, I know quite well that there are many shows of better quality and stature than GW. I just don't see their place or point in this discussion. That was a wonderful explaination of Newtypes. Did you know that the original plans for Gundam Wing included the five main pilots being Newtypes themselves? What an interesting similarity. It couldn't possibly be because both series actually found themselves equal in the Gundam name, and therefore some should be given a bit more consideration instead of being relegated to the category of profit ploys? Hm. But I digress. Evangelion isn't a non-mecha series because it's deeper, or more battle-oriented, or whatever the claim may be. It difines itself because it (reportedly) gives more attention to the divinities and their role in humanity's existance than a mecha series, which tends to focus more on the humans themselves as they stuggle to find purpose and security in technology, often as their world falls apart around them. You put it beautifully, "The most important elements lie in the humans themselves, not the technologies." That's your point. It's mine as well. If mecha is truly as deplored as you say, then I think it may be more beneficial to the genre to discuss calmly and in a board where it isn't so rude to post page long analyses of Gundam. Mecha fans are the ones who have to set the example. This isn't the way to do it. Please, create a board on this topic and let those with on-topic opinions reclaim this one. Trust me, it will be a discussion for the ages. As to all who witnessed my shameless self-indulgence in an arguement, I apologise humbly. Hopefully, this topic will be moving soon to another board or PM. In the meantime, please respond or return to the topic as you see fit. Er... thank you.

Recently, I've taken to locking myself out of various places in my house simply so I have a good excuse to dismantle the doorknobs and then 'ressurect' them. I've found exercising ultimate dominion over inatimate metal objects to be _extremely_ good for the ego, and _so_ cathartic. I suppose that my Neopets-leftovers style of punctuation (_ _, * *,/ /, ect.) is another little fetish of mine, something of a badge of pride in my (highly laughable) roleplay boards roots. Even in an age where I can spend 2.37 minutes learning how to italicise, underline and bold in html, I'll still be the one who acts as though she's behind the keyboard of a typewriter, typing frantically away at a Pernese roleplay. *shrugs* Why wait for a mania to set in when you can make your own quirks?

Having completely missed Evangelion and therefore waived any truly weighted opinion in this arguement, I think I'll refrain from fetching my mud and slingin' away. That said, I'd like to try and highlight a very large difference that I find between Gundam (and related) series and Evangelion. Gundam series in particular usually focus on the interplay between humankind and technology. Yes, there are sentient decisions made by machinery, such as Sandrock letting its pilot escape before it self destructed, and the ZERO system itself is a tool that could arguably be deemed understanding of human nature. Yet those words--machine, tool-- imply that these are in essence simply objects, waiting for the manipulation of human heart, hands and mind, regardless of how good or evil the end result might be. Evangelion, to the uninitaiated observer (who actually happens to be a Gundam fan of immense proportions), is far different. The Evangelions themselves can only be used by several emotionally bereft children, as opposed to a Gundam, which will move to the will of whomever may pilot it. In this way, Evangelion is less about questioning the motives of a pilot or mission or even human nature's tendency to perpetually attack and destroy its own kind, and purportedly more concerned with the interplay between humans, the Divine, and the hybrid of both, the human mind. Frankly, from one fan to another, I'm not sure where you're coming from, Qukey. You seem bitter beyond all reason about the status of mecha anime compared to that of Evangelion (and extremely intent upon dragging poor Tomino-sama into this). Would it be too much to ask for all present to simply acknowledge that a)the definition of mecha isn't even the point, here; b) Evangelion is a series that defies genre, and so painstakingly in-depth comparisons to shows that adhere to genre will constantly be fruitless and pointless; and c) whether or not mecha is mecha or Evangelion is a mecha show or whatever it is will _always_ be left to the interpretation of the viewer. I don't think Evangelion is a mecha show, and I don't know if it's truly the best anime on the planet because it's practically incomparable to any other show (besides the fact that I haven't watched it). That's my interpretation, and though I could elaborate for hours, I think that's all that truly needed to be said. (I know many of the examples used above are from Gundam Wing, which you seem to consider a 'side story', but they are the clearest I can provide offhand.)

Heero and Relena from Gundam Wing. She's infatuated, he's chronically uncommunicative, and both of them seem to need the security and stability of an intimate relationship itself more than they actually need each other. Whether or not the feelings are more than one-sided was never _really_ addressed in the show, and even if Relena has enough unrequieted adoration to share, I could certainly see her suffering from lack of response from Heero. Heero himself is far harder to analyze, but something about the rather unhappy state of his childhood and his general lack of self-worth seem to suggest a need for more than a marriage of convenience with an attentive trophy wife. (This is where Duo has the definate advantage over Relena-- he understands what Heero needs because his own needs are the same. Whether either one of them is going to do anything mutually beneficial about that remains to be seen. ;) ) As for Relena, I think it's high time for her to try stalking a new suicidal sociopath. Trowa, perhaps? (Maybe Quatre will share....?)

Hm, I'm a bit skeptical. With about 4 series, 1 spinoff, and a plethora of movies to the Tenchi franchise, it's a bit questionable as to how far a series can expand without imploding. I'd much rather remeber the Tenchi series fondly as the slapstick sideshow that first hooked me onto anime, not a contrived, lamed excuse for a plot (and profit) continuation. What makes this new strain of Tenchi legend different from the countless others? That's what the true test will be.

An anime show, much like the 'ideal' college student, should in theory be exceptionally well-rounded. Of course, in the precarious balance of art, storyline, characterization and overall effect, there's going to be more than a little give and take. A show with unappealing animation will often give the nicest mix of action/comedy/romance/ect. (examples: Ranma 1/2, Yuu Yuu Hakusho), while a more artistically-oriented series might skimp a bit on the general quality of storylines and charactizations (examples: INVU, King of Bandits Jing). So long as the show (or student, whatever the case) can find a point of relative balance between appearance and 'inner' depth, it can usually find widespread approval.

Why is it that male characters are cast with such voices? I know my ignorance is appalling, but I'm having trouble believeing that the ideal adolescent male voice is about a full octave higher than my own. I think Kurama had a female seiyuu in the Japanese version of YYH as well... As if he weren't confusing enough.

Jumbled paragraph of thoughts: It's provided an artistic outlet for the creatively-talented and/or otherwise socially ostracised younglings in America. What other recent fad has inspired writers, artists and hormonal young males collectively on such a level? And of course, the culture is reacting to this by profiting from Japanese animation and atristry techniques, foods, clothing, and anything else that can possibly be sold in a store near you.

Has anyone here ever tried listening to the entirety of Gundam Wing without visuals? Hm, well, it's an experience. Duo's voice is a _perfect_ Northeastern accent...about 2 octaves too low for a 15-year-old. And the rest of the pilots just sound exactly like one another. It took me _so_ long to figure out whether Quatre and Trowa would be talking to each other, or themselves. (This is rather funny when you consider that there are several rather interesting scenes of one [spoiler]nearly dying to bring the other back from the point of insanity. You know, Kodak-moment things like that.[/spoiler]) And all of the fight scenes in Endless Waltz had me believing that WuFei was completley schizophrenic. Needless to say, the only one who ended up crazy after this dub seems to be me. At least Quatre sounds vaguely male in the English dub. This is not the case in Japan.

Let's stand our stereotypical hero next to our ordinary villian. Who has more quirky evil minions? Who laughs in the more spine-tinglingly manaiacal fashion? Who has more angst-ridden issues to paw through in detailed avant-garde flashback scenes (this one really could go either way, I suppose)? The villian! They come along with their own set of trimmings, trappings and traumas to play with, which makes them instantly more complex than your average Good Samaritan. Plus, without a villian, there's really not much of a story to be found. I always found that to be something of a downside.

Inuyasha feels as though Cartoon Network, faced with the overwhelming success of Ranma 1/2 in Japan and imported VHS but wary of airing a show that was both very aged animation and very pronounced lack of shame about its use of cleavage as a comedic device, looked for 'the next best Rumiko Takahashi thing'. In this way, the lesser series overshadows its more brilliant predecessor, due largely to the herd mentality of young Americans and the voracious monetary appetite of the media. Does anyone else get the feeling that Takahashi-sama was under quite a lot of pressure to create another series when Inuyasha came about?

I'm assuming we don't need spoiler tags anymore.... I'll throw in a few for good measure anyway. The thing that intrigued me the most in Endless Waltz was WuFei's defection to Marimaia's side. Taking into account his general depriciating attitude toward most women (for example, Lt. Noin), it makes very little sense for him to have found this 8-year-old girl to be an ideal leader. Therefore, it's only logical to assume that what he really supported were Treize's ideals, isn't it? One could make some very interesting inferences from an emotionally-scarred adolescent boy's abandonment and betrayal of his greatest friends to follow the political beliefs of a far older man whom he spent an entire war fighting against. This, predictably, raises several interesting quesitons, the foremost being, [spoiler]If Treize hadn't let WuFei kill him, would WuFei still have felt the need to support Marimaia?[/spoiler]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Luminaire [/i] [B][color=crimson] So why is it so far-fetched for an 8-year-old girl to want to take over the world? [/color] [/B][/QUOTE] The reason it's so farfetched for this particular 8-year-old-girl to want to take over the world is because she has no obvious legitimate reason for doing so, other than that she is controlled as a convenient figurehead by her conniving grandfather. Her promotiton ideals she doesn't fully understand (ideals that were left her by a father she never met because he let himself be killed by one of her most vital allies) through highly brilliant yet unethical and technically hypocritical means leads me to believe that Marimaia is one of the most tragically misled characters in all anime. (And when considering the general amount of warped ideals in the genre, that's saying something.) Perhaps it isn't _so_ farfetched for an 8-year-old to be used, as Marimaia is, to attempt world domination, but it _would_ be rather remarkable for said child to claim a solid, independent credo for doing so. 8-year-olds, while being sharp as anything, are still generally very impressionable, and this overeager acceptance of Dekim's control and Treize's terrifically abstruse ideals is eventually what proves to be her downfall.

I don't understand how so many people dislike Heavyarms. It's the ultimate weapon of projectile mayhem! As to the arguement that Heavyarms relies too heavily upon its long-range capabilities, it should be mentioned that there _is_ a themal heat-knife built into the right forearm, and that the pilot himself has more skills than enough to handle a mech without ammunition if he needs to. Besides, if the Gundam isn't dependent on its firing capabilities and generaly inefficiant with ammo, there's no chance for a certain blonde to come to the rescue! And _that_ would be a shame. ;)

Being the technologically-illiterate peon that I am, I'm much more of a video girl, myself. _Any_ DVD is, in my opinion, a great annoyance. However, in the few DVDs that _do_ tolerate my frequent rmote-control mishaps, there are far more treats to be found than on any VHS. Maybe anime DVDs do 'suck' compared to other DVDs, but it's really all just a matter of prespective.

I'm sure none of us here poke fun or malice at the things our parents like. Oh, no. It's inevitable that parents and children clash. If everything was harmony and sunshine in the childhood home forever and after, would there be _any_ desire to move away? No. The reason that some parents are so critical of anime may be not only due to the potential innapropriate content, or the simple difference of veiwpoints between generations, but the primal instinct of progentior and offspring to push each other way, thus eliminating the young's dependency on their parents. That's my theory, anyway.