adempton

I loved the Gravi OVA. I think it could be just because I wanted more, and it gave me an extra little taste. I really loved the end [spoiler]where Tohma says in English "It's... Gravitation." lol. It's like the corniest line ever, but I just thought it was great.[/spoiler] I think it gave me a chill at the time. ^^; I've been so impressed with the quality of the TV DVD's, I'm really looking forward to seeing the OVA on DVD as well. I saw it a while ago (I still have it on my PC actually) and the video quality is horrendous. Sound was also a little muffled sounding if memory serves correctly. Something tells me the subbing is a bit off as well. Thanks for the heads up on it Dagger, something to look forward to. ^_^ [quote name='Dagger IX1']hopefully this means that Gravi has proven to be a financial success for the company. ^_^[/quote] Hopefully, yeah. I wish for insane success with shounen-ai anime, because naturally I want (need) more to be made. mal, that cheap box set you got was probably some sort of low-quality bootleg or something, no? If that's the case then these DVD's are definitely worth it. I'm such a stickler for quality. o.o ~adempton

Personally, I just don't have the time anymore. Or rather, I don't want to bother dedicating myself to reading a novel with the small amounts of potential reading time I have. When I was younger I read something like 9 novels in a few months while I was out of school. Little reading factory, I was! These days though, I just give in and listen to my mp3 player or play my GBA SP while I'm on the train. But when I look around during my morning transit, the vast majority of the normal (non-trashy) looking adults and classier young people do read books. It is not uncommon for me to be in a car with 75% of the people reading actual good novels during the ride. I think that's a good sign at least. Only a couple of my friends actually claim to read, which is kind of a shame. Most of them are intellectuals in their own respect though, so not reading is by no means a measure of their intelligence. ~adempton

[quote name='Mage15']I know some people and gays are open with their fellings, bu to take it to a level of dressing like a women draws the line for me.[/quote] *nod* And it does for many, myself included. Many gay people are somewhat feminine, but doing that is an extreme. Personally, I used to get angry because of the stereotype it adapts in many heterosexuals' eyes towards gay people. Honestly though, these days drag queens intrigue me. I've never actually seen a performance in real life, but from what I've seen on various gay-themed television it looks like something fun to go watch! Since gay bars aren't my scene, I wouldn't be running into that sort of thing often. I actually saw a drag... king...(?) on "The L Word" (a lesbian-based drama much like "Queer as Folk"). What [I]are [/I] women dressed up and performing as men called? ~adempton [quote name='James']Let's use our brains, people. If you don't like the topic, don't participate.[/quote] *applause* :)

[quote name='`hEvN][COLOR=RoyalBlue']Get Backers should definitely have a second season. The ending is just a bit too quick. I never knew how many episodes there was until one day, when I was watching an episode, it finally ended. I was like O.O and wished there was more of it.[/COLOR][/quote] I wished there was more too, but how long was GB? 49 or 50 eps or something, right? That's quite a bit. They managed to pretty much conclude on two different stories (both based in Mugenjou) quite nicely. But I agree; there was a lot of possibility for more. They kept it very open. I would have preferred complete liberation of Mugenjou or something. My pick for a series that needs a second season is most definitely Gravitation. As it is, it's a small, 13 episode dramatic series. With a series based on something like a struggling band and such an intense problematic relationship, there is tons of room for advancement and different kinds of stories. At the end of the series there could have been many more conflicts and... progression in relationship for Shuichi and Yuki. The ending didn't have to feel as premature as it did. They could have pulled off a 26 episode series easily. And without it feeling old or drawn out. ~adempton

I'm a little surprised that there aren't any BC'ers around! Anyway, I'm a 19 year old male from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I have a large interest in digital media and film, I've went to university for such, Interactive Arts. (I skipped some grade school so I moved out of my parents? house and into the city quite early.) My instructors told me that I have a talent in digital film, so I would like to pursue that more closely. I'm also gay, and I'm grateful that I can be in such an accepting place like Canada. Currently, I'm working at Electronic Arts Blackbox studio in downtown Vancouver. (A branch off of our main studio, EA Canada, which is a short distance away.) I'm planning on continuing my journeys in digital film in my spare time as a hobby, since now I have all the money I need for such equipment. Right now I'm in a prolonged state of moving (this is my fourth time!), so I'm a little worn out. But starting in August I finally get to relax a little and start getting creative! ^_^ ~adempton

[quote name='Monkey_Orange][COLOR=DarkOrange']Well, actually it's more about certain Anime characters as opposed to actually being in the Anime itself. Make sense?[/COLOR][/quote] Makes total sense. I've had maybe 3 anime-based dreams in total. Never placing me inside a specific anime, but meeting or being with anime characters. They were actually kind of scary experiences. (In an oddly good way.) You know how anime in general is drawn? Big eyes and whatnot. It doesn't [I]actually [/I] look real. But it kind of does to me; It's not actually very far off. You see, in the dreams I've had, they've been painfully realistic. Where I could feel the person I was with. They were an anime character... but not. Not real, but not a drawing. It was like a state of "in-between." I was me, but I was in the same state. I wasn't converted to anime or anything. Looking back, and after waking up, I couldn't figure out if I dreamt of real-life characters or drawn anime ones. I was the same as them, and we could feel each other. I barely remember what they were about... I just know I was in some sort of awed state of sensation. Completely confused and mesmerized. Oh my, I'm creeping myself out by talking about it, lol. Interesting thread though, I didn't think anyone else would have actually dreamt about anime. Haha. ~adempton

Well don't start it off with chaos. Waking up in a mall to find monsters "all over the place" would be pretty insane I think. Especially if you just have your character wake up in the first frame, we have no idea who she is, why she's in the mall unconscious, etc. If you want to actually make it suspenseful you should have some sort of build-up. I think it was Silent Hill 1 that started with the guy and his daughter on a road-trip somewhere, and then something appeared in front of the car. So he swerved and crashed. When he woke up his daughter was gone, and he wandered into the town... to find it abandoned. And then he discovered the creepy things that resided there. (I've played the game once, [I]years [/I] ago, so I could be totally wrong.) Even if I am wrong with how that particular game started though, that still serves as an example. You can see how you can have it seem happy in the beginning (while introducing your characters), but then everything goes horribly wrong. Some sort of introduction like that would definitely be preferred. Then later on if you decide to put in that crazy action scene in the mall somehow, at least it'll be a little more exciting because the reader will know who she is and how she got there. It would make for a more interesting read... It isn't a video game after all, it's just based on one. ^^ ~adempton

Well, I got my hands on Gravitation Vol. #1 by Right Stuf. Sadly, I'm a little disappointed. For the record, I've seen this entire series [I]multiple [/I] times on fansub, and it is one of my absolute favorite to date. I think I'm going to get my little dub rant out of the way. Typically I can't stand dubs, so excuse my lack of tolerance. ^^; First, I was extremely relieved to know that Right Stuf got the license to this series, because I certainly did not want it butchered... And they put quite a bit of effort into the US distribution, but ohhh my goodness. I think the first painful part of the dub is Shuichi's entrance. The classic "[COLOR=Magenta]LA LI HO![/COLOR]" is replaced with "Heyaaaaaaaaaaaa" ...[I][B]*twitch*[/B][/I] But I have a bigger beef. Hiro sounds like he as a subwoofer in his throat. His voice is way too deep or has too much echo. I can't stand listening this guy talk. Everyone in the series speaks so close to monotone, I can't help but become insanely bored. (Like during the scene where Shuichi talks about saving the helpless turtle... all life was leeched out of that scene. All life.) Yuki sounds like a 50-year-old nerd. I guess I can't notice such things in Japanese because it isn't my native language, so I really wouldn't be able to say such things otherwise. But it's really painful when you can hear them trying to sound dramatic at a certain point, and they fail miserably. >_< [quote name='Dagger IX1']It's going to be accompanied by a veritable host of extras: a reversible cover, the U.S. trailer, liner notes, an art gallery, Bad Luck profiles, Right Stuf previews and other items yet to be announced.[/quote] The extras really aren't that impressive. It's nice to have them, but I wouldn't have cared if they weren't there. The art gallery is small (at least on this volume), I've seen better bios of these characters, and the U.S. trailer is really badly done. (I probably could have done better...) The linear notes were somewhat interesting, but they didn't contain anything I didn't already know. But the DVD does have its pluses. It [I]is [/I] a DVD, after all. And the video quality is just phenomenal. I was blown away by the clarity of the art. Obviously I know what a DVD looks like, but I've seen the lower-quality fansubs so many times. This was an amazing change. If anything, besides supporting a great anime, this is the main reason to get the DVD's. There is one thing I don't understand though. I really don't have much basis for saying this, but the Japanese track sounds different. Maybe because it's more clear? It just seemed less intense. Maybe Yuki's voice doesn't have as much bass to it or something since it isn't on my computer speakers... I'd be curious to see if anyone else comes up with the same observation. Well, that's pretty much my look at it. I know it sounds pretty cynical, but don't let me degrade it too much. By turning on the Japanese track, my favorite anime is 10x more enjoyable, and on a DVD! It's very worth it. It just could have been a bit better. ^_^ ~adempton EDIT: I just wanted to point out that the Japanese track sounds perfectly [I]fine[/I]. I blame what I said on my computer speakers, since I was running the DVD off of my DVD-ROM. Once I put it in my actual DVD player (even with my cheap sound system) it sounded awesome. Way better than the fansub, even. So worry not, Yuki still has his mysteriously hunky deep voice, and The Rage Beat has never sounded better. ^_^

You're very welcome! I'm glad we helped you talk it out a little. I wish the best for you and your family. And may there be minimal conflict in the future. ^_^ If you ever feel the need, you may contact me via PM. ~adempton

I don't know who is to blame for the arguement, your dad or your mom, but from the sounds of things your mom isn't in very good shape. Personally, I don't let anyone take crap from my dad since he almost ruined my life many times. And I've had to call the police multiple times so I wouldn't be hesitant to do so now. (But thankfully I won't have to since I no longer live there.) I really don't want to see you getting yourself involved in the fight, because if your dad is abusive like mine was, it means you're suddenly going to be on the line. Don't get yourself hurt, but if your mom is in [I]real danger[/I] then it [I]doesn't matter[/I] that your dad will end up in jail for a while. If he harms you/her, then he [I]deserves [/I] to be punished. And that's exactly what jail is?punishment. You are a loyal son, you obviously love both of your parents. But regardless, certain things should not be allowed to occur. Abuse is one of them. But if this cools off, and everyone is calm later on, then perhaps it would be wise for you to sit down with both of them and express how you feel... That you're scared for both of them, and that you're feeling sick because of your nerves, which is largely due to their arguing. And that you don't want anything to happen to them. But if there is an emergency, that's what the police are there for. To protect you. ~adempton

Assassin... speaking from experience here: The second your dad does anything that is obviously wrong, such as hitting you or your mother, it is perfectly all right to call the police. That is illegal and wrong. Physical abuse is not right. But if the fight is just verbal, unless you want to get involved, there isn't a lot you can do, bud. The headphones idea might be your best bet. ~adempton

I like them. I agree that they'd benefit greatly from color. They actually look like pictures that would belong on cards in a CCG. Such as... [URL=http://www.anistop.com/MagiNTCS.jpg]MagiNation[/URL] or something. And that isn't an insult, just an observation. I liked CCG's in my day. ^_^ You'll get the hang of scanning when after you play around with it enough. You can adjust a lot of contrast settings and whatnot to darken your lines and/or get rid of unwanted ones?even without graphic editing software. But try to get some editing software on your computer! You should learn how to use it eventually if you're planning on continuing with scanning drawings. It's great for fixing flaws in the originals! ~adempton

Well you've pretty much decided it for me! I'll watch it. ^_^ Thankfully my friend has all of the episodes ready to go. I bet he'll be happy that I've finally decided to give it a watch. I actually bought a mini mouse pad from Japan off eBay in one of my weird anime merchandise splurges. It looks like [URL=http://i16.ebayimg.com/03/i/01/b1/e1/24_1_b.JPG]this (Click here)[/URL]. It's pretty cute. ^_^ I was getting a little tired from the same old interaction between the Naruto characters anyway, this should be nice for a change of pace. I have a feeling I'm really going to fall in love with Killua. That reminds me, I think I did watch far enough to see Kurapica very briefly. I don't think he was introduced to Gon, but he pulled off some sort of crazy demon move with his fork. Haha, that gave me quite a bit of respect for his character, actually. I think my initial disappointment was just how long it takes to get the ball rolling. Maybe I'll post some comments to the thread after I see more of the anime. Thanks for all the tips Dagger! ^_^ Good point about the lack of R1 release. I'm surprised 4Kids (ugh!) hasn't gotten their dirty hands on it. Seems like something they'd pounce on. I can totally see Gon with the most hideous English dubbed voice ever. 4Kids: "Hey he's young and cute, anyone know a woman with a really annoying high-pitched voice to dub him?!" ~adempton

I had attempted to watch Hunter x Hunter a while ago by recommendation from a friend who told me it had a lot of similarities to Naruto. I watched the first episode or... four. And I wasn't very impressed at first. I don't really know how to describe how I felt. I mean it wasn't [I]bad[/I], but it felt dated. I was vaguely reminded of Dragonball. (Not Z, the first one.) I consider that to be a huge insult to the series so I must stress, "[I]vaguely[/I]." ^^; I saw the initial cuteness, but it just didn't interest me that much early on. Then again, I wasn't really introduced to many of the characters yet... I guess it just starts slowly? I must admit though Dagger, after reading your thoughts I am almost completely convinced to give it another shot and continue from where I left off. Shounen-ai undertones you say? *ears perk up* I didn't notice too many suggestions (er, any at all?) in the beginning. How suggestive does it get exactly? I'm guessing it isn't as forward as Kyou Kara Maou. (Is it? o.o) Well if it has any shounen-ai undertones at all, it must be more than Naruto since that has close to nothing. As far as characters go, I've seen Gon, and that guy in the suit. (Sorry I don't know all of the names since I obviously haven't seen much.) As far as character design, Killua (who I've seen in pics and the intro) seems to be among the coolest to me. ~adempton

[QUOTE=Shi no Tenshi]1. It will help me learn skills that I will need when I leave home. [/QUOTE] Big time. It really sucks if you move out 4 cities away and you have to call your Mom because you have no idea what settings to select on the washing machine in order to not totally wreck your clothes. [quote name='Shi no Tenshi']It does annoy me when my brother doesn't do anything to help around the house. It annoys me when my dad does nothing to help around the house. It annoys me when my mother thinks she has to do everything around the house then bitches at us cause we do nothing. Bloody well ask and we will x_x Point is, no family is perfect just be thankful for what you have.[/quote] Feeling some deja-vu here. Even while I was working the same hours as my Dad (who for the record is a complete idiot on the whole) he would regularly exercise his right to lay on the couch every second of every day that he wasn't at work. Belt out orders for people to grab him a beer... complain if dinner was a half hour later than usual. (And then go on about it for the rest of the night/next morning). And wouldn't even clean up his plate after dinner, but instead volunteer me to do it for him. "He'll help you with that." Like hell I will you disgusting man. Anyway, my Mom was also in the mindset that she was the only one doing anything. Mind you, she did do significantly more than me. The best thing that you could do (and what you all [i]should[/i] be doing for those of you that are still at home) is regularly [i]offer[/i] to help. See your Mom washing dishes? [i]Offer[/i] to dry them. Better yet, grab a towel and just start doing it without asking. After a while she'll realize that you're doing some work too. Don't get into an argument about it. ~adempton