Godelsensei

Though the swastika may have had "honourable origins" and the Nazi uniform may be an instantly-recognized symbol of malignance, I still find it inapropriate to use these symbols in media, unless it's directly dealing with Nazis. It's simply a matter of respect--the main character of "Blade of the Immortal" is an okay fellow, and the editors go to great lengths to explain the emblem on his back, but it was irresponsible and disrespectful to all the people who had to suffer in WWII to toss it around like that. It's a symbol of hate, violence, racism, and everything we should be revulsed by. It's a symbol that stands for the erasing of an entire people and treating any one who is different from you as though they were an animal. There are some artistic situations where Nazi symbols can be used artistically to convey a serious message, but "Blade of the Immortal" just doesn't meet that standard. (In fact, it actually assosciates the symbol with goodness and honour, a meaning the world gave up on a long time ago.) Series involving Nazis as Nazis is different, obviously, but these images should never be taken lightly, nonetheless, and I find it disgusting that so many people seem so out of touch with what these images reprisent.

Brilliant. Public humiliation is the clear answer to all problems, at least in part. : D If some one reveals a spoiler and just doesn't care (because accidents happen and people forget important things, sometimes, and there's no sense in being unfair) their avatar should be replaced with a big, red [b]S[/b]. I had the ending of Cowboy Bebop ruined for me while innocently browsing a music thread or something. Jesus. The world is a horrible place sometimes, and I am not about to forgive it.

Hahaha--no. I love stories about giants, little people, and dragon-slaying adventures of magically inclined fellows and ladies...but it's all make-believe. Dragons and other monsters are mostly confused images of foreign creatures, like lions, rhinos, etc... brought back to the homeland and further warped. The assumed their own, fantastical, identity, over time, and are now an essential part of our story-telling culture. 'Sall.

Oh, please. Stop whining--this isn't the Olympics. Besides, if you like your picture, you like it. And since there are no prizes or anything given away for having a high rating--other than more traffic to your myO--there really is no reason for things to be perfectly moral or honest, anyway. I tend to see the whole thing as a way of learning where to improve. And to show off, of course. And it's always nice to know you're doing that at least half decently.

The way this was written made it almost funny. Maybe it was the clear enthusiasm for such an obscure topic. It was definately readable, though alot of it seemed to be a product of pure common sense. (Reminds me of geography class. Pah.) I only mention that because it's a report, and I'm not sure what your teacher expects. Anyway, this is very similar to that whole bit from Questionable Content, with Elen and her Connect-Four-playing squids.

[quote name='AzureWolf][COLOR=blue']I do admittedly hate to read...[/COLOR][/quote] For shame, Azure-jiji, for shame. Anyway, I'd most definately glance at such volumes in stores, if I came upon them. However, I usually don't spring to read translations, as I find them very frequently wooden and, as a result, dull. Wait a sec.. I now remember the fact that I own a copy of "Kiki's Delivery Service", translated into English, complete with original illustrations. It's a charming book, but the [re-]writing practically killed me. So, yeah, I guess I can't deny that I'd readily get into "anime- and manga-related novels". (Though it's kind of the other way around, when you think about it...) I'd never read a book based on a comic, movie, show, etc..., though. Maybe it's just a matter of elitist pride or something, but those things just make me want to kick stuff. Hard.

I don't quite remember what I was thinking when I first created my myOtaku.* However, I do know that I'm an egotistical, self-absorbed, attention-seeking bastard, so blogging is most definately my thing. And, [i]damn[/i], am I glad I settled on TheOtaku.com and its various community features than Xanga or any other sucky thing like that. In the past, I've tried to keep a sort of diary, usually out of boredom, but this never really interested me for very long. I never really knew why I couldn't get into it--I mean, I love writing and have strong opinions--until I started using the internet more and more. Then, it hit me: there's no point in saying anything if no one else is going to hear/read it. So, I did what any self-respecting, loud-mouthed egotist would do: blog. Sure, my blog sucked at first, and it probably still does, according to many sets of standards, but getting other people's responses to my opinions on even the most trivial of things is, simply put, a good time. Being part of a tightly-knit community of self-respecting egotists proved to be an even better time. I think the blog is a very effective and positive outlet, even if it is a poorly-written, yuckily-formatted thing. Writing about your problems, especially when you have people around who are willing to sympathize with them and give their advice/opinions is a great way to relieve stress. You don't have to "know" the people you're addressing, so saying something that might embarrass you or that you later regret wont hurt your real-life relationships. In a nut-shell, it's proactive [i]and[/i] improves your communication skills! What a sweet deal that is. Another thing I've found endlessly enjoyable about the myOtaku community (and I guess blogging in general) is seeing what assumptions people make about you, having just read your writing and seen your layout. I guess I can speak from the same position as Azure, in an abstract way, when it comes to things like this: people get my age horribly, horribly wrong and the same is true of their theories regarding his gender. Only I don't really make a big deal out of correcting them, like he does. : P Though I have plans for a bigger, more exclusive blog for myself in future (not that this is going to happen for a while, most likely), myOtaku will always be my first real experience in blogging and how great the internet can be. Basically...I love you guys...!! ;_; *I swear, when they named it this, the guys in charge must have really had it in for clarity, when it comes to possesives.

[quote name='Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f']Honestly, what point are these freaks, yes, FREAKS, trying to get across? Stop wasting your life and do something productive for once.[/COLOR][/quote] For current purposes, being "Goth" is pretty much a form of dress. How can you automatically assume some one is a "FREAK" and "wasting their life", just because they enjoy wearing heavy eye-makeup and fancy dresses/boots/cloaks/whatever at the same time? It sounds like a comment sprung from fear, if you ask me. Most people who're into the whole "Goth" get-up just seem enjoy the attention it wins them. It can also be a very chic, elegant look, if done right; some of the dresses I've seen both Goth guys [i]and[/i] ladies wearing are simply [i]gorgeous[/i]. Often, the look is accompanied by an angsty, irritating attitude, especially among teenagers, but just a while ago, my mother and I were given directions by a very charming couple with [dyed-]black hair, clothing, and boots when we were not sure where the entrance to this one subway station was.

1. You should know. Geez, that event played host to the stupidest thing you and I have done as a unit ever. Or more didn't do: "Oh, I wonder who this guy walking right past me is...!!!" Pah. a) Aside from not meeting Arvie in person? Well, the shopping, of course, and laughing at crappy cosplayers. And hearing/watching that crazy little man start screaming "Pikachu!" and run around in circles. I can't say that, like Senny, it's my only source of Japanese pop-culture en masse, because that would just be a dumb thing to say, considering where I live. However, it's fun to meet people and tell them their costume is pretty damn cool, though Nabeshin's jacket is actually a shade lighter. (Man, that guy seemed so excited that I recognized his costume, thinking back.) 2. I've been to, like, a boat show or two, I think. But I don't remember those. Also, I've been to alot of Art Gallery/Museum events and am heading to the Art Expo next weekend. 3. For a whole weekend, including the Friday? Probably about $70-80. 4. Hoi, Jesus. As much as I can freakin' carry. o_o I think you'll be shocked at all the crap you see me with after mere moments of being in the dealer's area this year, Arvie. a) Maybe $80? b) $100 or so 5. Well, that depends on the material at hand. I spent about $20 last year, but I'd be willing to spend more, depending on the quality etc... of the work. It's hard to say, because fanworks are not as predictable as official anything. a) $20 b) $20 I'm going to make my costume over the March Break. Speaking of which, I'm surprised you never mentioned cosplaying. : o

I can't really identify which individual factor made me hate the Gravitation anime so bloody much. Maybe it was simply everything? The animation sucked, the voiced sucked, the script sucked... Ahh, gomen. This isn't a "Least Favourite Series" thread or anything, but the Gravi anime really sucks. It was actually pretty funny when one of my friends walked into the room and immediately demanded, "Why do the voices suck?!" That aside, I, contrary to alot of the opinions I've read here thus far, actually feel that making a show a constant bloody mess can make it that much better. [b]Angst[/b] is the fiction equivalent of a lethal injection. It can kill the most [i]sympathique[/i] of characters, plots, and scenarios. Sure, in certain instances, angst can be a great thing, but when it's layed on too thick, it just becomes unbearable.

How old is your brother? Because that could really help people giving you advice as to what series he might like. FLCL is short enough that its boxset could serve as an entire gift. Most anime-watchers I know would appreciate any Miyazaki film they don't already own, regardless of their age. One volume of Comic Party is enough to win a few laughs, even if he was never to complete the series. (It's a great series, at that. I have a totally sweet box that goes with my incomplete set of it, too.) You could even be different and poke around your local comic book shop and find some cool action figures/figurines/toys/plushies. Those can be cheaper than DVDs, anyway.

Actually, isn't it simply that there's more anime on TV lately? Since there isn't as much of a market for shorter, more artistic series on TV, you just see more of the same, childish material. You have to look around a bit more to find the good stuff, because most of it is 1) new or 2) not mainstream enough in theme to warrant being on TV over hereabouts. And when you do find it, it's either unethical or un-cost-effective to attain it.

[QUOTE=r2vq]Maybe I go to a weird school? -ArV[/QUOTE] Nah, my school has Astroboy comics in the library, along with actual paintings people have done of DN Angel characters on the walls. It's those crazy Americans who have all these misjudgement problems, I guess. (And I wear my forehead protector to school, too! But not on my forehead, because we're not permitted to wear hats etc...)

Myrtle Ground nibbled tentitively on the end of her pen as she tried to think of where to start. She was seated upon an ugly couch, located in the school's office. On either side of her were two of the kinds of people she would have expected there: one was sick to the point of being green in the face; the other smelled like a cheap joint. There were a clipboard and sheet of paperupon her lap, staring up at her authoritatively. The latter dared her to write something, but not quite anything. Specifically, it dared her to explain why she had sent a junior sprawling down a flight of stairs. She found this unfair; it had been less than [i]half[/i] a flight of stairs. This protest had not gone over well with the school authorities, however, and she was now stuck here for longer than she might have been. She shifted uneasily upon the yellowing material of the chesterfield, thought for a few more seconds, then put pen to paper in a fantastic dramatization of "I-don't-give-a-shit." [center][i]Becus I can.[/i][/center] Without waiting for any form of approval from the Vice Principal or otherwise, she set the clipboard down upon the office desk and left. She was not aware of how poorly she had misspelled "because", but it probably wouldn't have made a difference to her if she had: she had creative thinking to do. She was making quick, scribbly notes in Japanese when a familiar scent overtook her from behind. Even outside, on a windy day like this one was, it was like being hit full-force by a tacky, yet expensive, [i]eau du toilet[/i]. "Toilet water," she muttered in her first tongue. "What?" "I would appreciate your taking your pot and abrasive body odour very far away from here." She scribbled out one radical and replaced it with another. Translating the whole piece into English would be a pain in the ass. The boy, meanwhile, seemed to interpret her insults as her trying to come on to him. He sat down next to her. "What're you writing there?" "You smell like crap." She continued to write. "That Chinese?" She shook her head. "Looks that way to me." "It would. Piss off." He didn't, however. But he didn't say anything else, either. The two of them sat there, side by side, trying very hard to ignore each other, for many minutes. Eventually, she spoke again. "Alright, what?" Her voice was marginally less hostile than it had been previously. "Did you really push a kid down a flight of stairs?" "I pushed a kid down [i]five[/i] stairs. That doesn't count as a flight. And if you're trying to sell me something, I don't want any." "Well, I guess that is what they teach you to say in health class." "I meant I don't want to buy anything off of [i]you[/i]." She stood up and began to walk away, expecting he would follow her. He didn't. Good, thought Myrtle. Then, looking up, she betrayed an iota of surprise and muttered, "Oh god." And, louder, "I don't want to have to kick your brother's ass, too, you little bitch." Shoving her way through the offending duo, she made her way to fifth period.

[quote name='Xander Harris']chuggin' cases of mountain dew.[/quote] Ah, come on, aren't you supposed to play D&D? How can you do that and [i]not[/i] make a point of drinking ridiculous amounts of Holy Water all in one sitting? Ah, yes, Skippedry...that game is endless fun, yet utterly moronic. I'm not exactly sure what people call it here, though. Something along the lines of, "Let's smack each other's hands at intervals determined by the outcome of a series of rock-paper-scissors games and see who gives up first...!" Another pretty stupid, yet endlessly entertaining, game is Contact Duck Duck Goose. Basically, it's Duck Duck Goose, but, instead of simply racing, you maliciously...redirect your oponent. This involves actually picking them up, if they're small enough, and chucking them. Or just kneeing them in the balls, providing they're a dude, then trampling them to get to the empty space first. This is proof that "old fashioned", "wholesome" games are [i]way[/i] more violent and destructive (both physically and mentally) than video games. Therefore, that Jack Thompson guy, or whatever his name is, can go screw himself.

This story is progressing very interestingly, and I find it quite irksome that you had to go and get sick and not be able to update more. As a tip, try and use different lengths, when it comes to sentences. Don't position two very long sentences, peppered with commas, right next to each other, 'cause it makes the writing seem dragged out. I only noticed this in a few places, though. Good work.

Alot of people seem to feel obligated to conform to stereotypes in order to show "pride" in their culture/race/whatever. They'll associate images they see on TV with their culture, and try and live up to them. However, most people just make jokes about the stereotypes surrounding their race, or ignore them altogether. The extent to which one allows their life to be governed by stereotypes and their race is directly related to the ignorance of the community they live in, their family, and they themselves. I'm white, and I am proud of my [i]cultural[/i] background: I like to relate all those crazy Greek trajedies to modern media and can go on for great lengths of time, when it comes to explaining every plot-advancement in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" However, I have my own individual hobbies, that have nothing to do with my appearance, citizenship, or race: the other day, a classmate of mine actually asked if I was part Japanese. (I don't know how to interpret that one, actually, aside from its being damn funny.)

Life has no inherent purpose--the point, for me, is to make the most of it my 80-or-so years and have some fun while I'm at whatever I decide to do with my life.

[quote name='AzureWolf][FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Seriously, people, lay off him. He's only thirteen. I mean, if this was someone closer to an adult, then I could see how you are justified in attacking him and calling him pansy. But c'mon, he's only THIRTEEN.[/COLOR][/SIZE'][/FONT][/quote] You disgust me. *ahem* Why don't you suggest sending your brother over to his house to play? I mean, it's hardly unreasonable. And, indeed, hate is a strong word and can be used both effectively and stupidly. You can say, "I hate those ******* Nazis," and it would be reasonable. But, "I hate that kid over there," is just kinda sad. (So are twenty year old guys who get a kick out of telling kids to go beat up their younger siblings' friends. Sheesh.)

Rules are important. Rules are what keep a society orderly and civilized; you can judge how far along the path to social development a nation is largely by its people's ability to wait their turn in line. True, some rules can be discriminatory and outdated, but simply breaking them willy-nilly doesn't solve anything. If a rule is silly, it should be dealt with in an intelligent, collected manner. There will be rules that are clearly in need of breaking, like former laws disallowing black people from sitting at the front of busses, but these are typically rare. People need to think more about the motivation behind the rules they're breaking, before they start ragging on "the Man" for imposing them.

It's morally wrong to cheat on your spouse if you're still in a positive emotional relationship, because it hurts that person. It's like betraying a close friend--actually, it is betraying a close friend.

My friends are a bunch of bespecticled, young, Asian men who all get really lousy marks in French and borrow Dragon magazine from me and don't return it for months. And a couple of very cool young ladies, as well. Outside of school, I only really have one very close friend, and a cousin who I discuss North Koreas plan to take over the world with. Online, I don't even know, half the time. O_o There are people on my contact lists I don't remember the origins of, or even what their names are. All I know is I've never met them, IRL.

The first thing I'd do would be to eliminate the Catholic school system, because nobody needs that. I'd put an end to all this ridiculous "Aboriginal Reserve" business, as well. I'd increase the smoker's tax to 500%, and do the same to the original price, then use the money to buy back the highways. I'd put in place a test that all citizens would have to write, in order to be allowed to have children. Any crime involving a gun, along with murder, rape, and, as it's been suggested, any crime involving children, would result in a lifetime penalty. People dying of smoking-induced ailments can pay their way back to health, and stop dragging the rest of us down, too. Immigrants who commit serious crimes, even if they are citizens, are to be deported. Immediately. So as to discourage the abuse of our being a nice bunch of guys and ladies up here. Oh yeah, and blow the hell out of every Walmart.

I live in the most racially diverse city on the planet, and the biggest city in the country. Our hockey team, though comprised of a bunch of obnoxious imported players, always owns the Sens, every season, unless there isn't one. The biggest Chinese mall outside of China is located in my city, along with what must be the world's smallest little Korea--it's a street. Or half of one. Wai. This city is home of the most well-stocked anime/manga store I have ever l laid mine eyes upon or heard of, despite its being damn small and kind of difficult to locate, the first time around. Additionally, the food [i]owns[/i]. (And Azure describes here as way better than New Jersey. Go figure.)

[quote name='Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f']But then a week ago, the it got pretty warm and sunny. The snow shone brilliantly in the sunlight, it was quite blinding. Then later it melted away and we also got heavy rain. Rain in febuary? Weird....[/COLOR][/quote] Ah, Jesus, the snow blindness! The kind of weather that renders one stepping outside, only to scream, "Augh! Mine eyes!" Ski goggles are a beautiful thing, truly. Anyway, the warm week was caused by a warm front from the States. That's why it got so damn smoggy. A smog warning--in winter! Oh well, it's been resting comfortably between negative thirty and negative ten for the most part, as is to be expected. (That's with windchill, of course.)