Raiyuu

I've predictably fallen head-over-heels for this series after very few episodes. I'm an absolute sucker for great big mysteries (Hell's Gate, Contractors, Dolls ... I'm reminded of Tokyo Jupiter in Rahxephon) and subtlely handled super powers (it's nice that they haven't explicitly explained Hei's power yet, and that none of the Contractors start scraps with "fear me, for I control gravity!"). What's most interesting about it, and what sets it apart from the thousand and one other Trigun/Bebop clones out there, is Hei's double-faceted character. [spoiler]He's your typical goofy, likable guy that eats loads of food but suddenly gets incredibly serious in battle. So far, so Vash the Stampede. Except the serious, uncaring, soulless side that appears when he puts on his coat is the real him, and it's the goofy guy that's the assumed persona. The main character of the series is essentially an utterly reprehensible lying scoundrel that worms his way into people's (so far, exclusively women's) affections purely for the sake of the job, then discards them without remorse.[/spoiler] I want to see how they deal with that in terms of character development ... I kind of want to see him stay like that till the end, just because it hasn't really been done before, to my knowledge.

[quote name='Nerdsy']"There was a female pope, that's why there are chairs with holes in them at the Vatican!"[/quote]That one's actually true, heh. I know a few people with divorced or separated parents, and honestly I wouldn't have ever guessed if they hadn't dropped mentions in conversations about "going to my dad's for the weekend" or whatever. Though as soon as it does come up I always have an awkward moment where I don't know what to say, but saying nothing usually makes that moment pass... Basically I mean that from an outsider's point of view, there doesn't seem to be any common superficial maladjustment caused by divorced parents. Obviously it affects the child in some way or other, but not in any way that you can tell just from talking to them. Ramble, ramble.

Welcome to OtakuBoards, oscarX. Double posting is not allowed here. You'll see I've merged your two consecutive posts into one. If you want to add something and no one else has posted yet, you can use the EDIT button. I also snipped down that quote a bit - there's no need to quote an entire massive post, just trim it down to the bits you're replying to. Finally, your post quality is below OB standard. Just look around at some of the responses to your posts and you'll see the kind of quality we expect. Capitalisation, punctuation, correct spelling and grammar, all are a must here. I suggest you take a look over our [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?][u]Rules [link][/u][/url] - I assume you haven't already, since you've broken a fair few in your first thread. Hope you enjoy your stay at OB, Raiyuu.

[spoiler]The Loli-cars are jealous of all the attention Aizen's giving to Inoue instead of to them[/spoiler]. It was set up a few chapters ago. As for Ulquiorra, his arrogance is a fatal flaw. Way back in the Conquistadores mini-arc, he decided Ichigo posed no threat and left him be. He could have kicked Ichigo's head off and nipped Aizen's problem in the bud, but he was over-confident of his own assessment. If that had been Grimmjow, he'd have killed Ichigo [i]just to be safe,[/i] which (from the bad guys' point of view) would have been the most sensible move. Now Ichigo [spoiler]shows up in Hueco Mundo with new powers and Ulquorra can't be bothered to finish him, [i]again[/i][/spoiler]. That habit is really going to bite him eventually. If Grimmjow pulls a Renji and joins the good guys then KT better justify it [i]hella[/i] well, because I don't think it's in character at all, no matter how insubordinate he acts towards Aizen.

Yeah, I'm not bothering with the novels unless a professional English translation is published. I'm content not to spoil the series for myself. Potential explanation: Kyon: Umm, Haruhi ... [spoiler]Itsuki's psychic, Mikuru's from the future and Yuki is a magical alien robot[/spoiler]... Haruhi: Dummy, Kyon! You think all those espers, time travellers and aliens are just going to fall in my lap?! Are you trying to throw me off the scent? Aha! Are the espers controlling your brain? They can't be far away, let's go before they escape! etc., etc., etc...

[quote name='Sandy][spoiler'](where was the "x years later" text?)[/spoiler][/quote]The conversation at the beginning ([spoiler]Near, Mello and Roger[/spoiler]) was 2007 - tagged on the end of the first arc chronology. Then the very next scene ([spoiler]Near in the President's office[/spoiler]) was 2012. I don't think any of the sub groups translated the date - in fact, I think one of them pasted their speech subtitles right over the date, which could be what's confusing - but 2007年12月 is pretty clearly December 2007.

Well, autism's a sliding scale. You might know quite autistic people and he might have been very autistic. It certainly doesn't sound like schizophrenia - if he wrote graphic stories about shooting people, gave women trouble on campus and was very withdrawn, if anything going on a shooting spree is consistent with his character. He doesn't seem to have swung violently from normal or happy to crazed shooter, like you would expect of a schizophrenic - he was basically the shooter type all along. Of course, it's very easy to look back after the event and say 'there were so many signs, why did no one notice?'.

Oi, Ikillion. Leave Man-Faye out of this. S/he's like the Godwin's Law of caption competitions, after all :p I'd make this post less spammy, but I'm dropping till next round because I am lame at captioning.

Of course, the one question chrono order doesn't answer is whether or not Kyon follows through on his decision at the end of the final broadcast episode - [spoiler]to tell Haruhi about all the aliens, time travellers and espers she's surrounded with[/spoiler]. Given her continuing obliviousness in the 'later' episodes (man, this is confusing), the potential for another series and the fact that the universe didn't implode or anything, you have to assume he bottled out, or she took it as a joke or something. Any different theories?

Scrambled order wins because: -The last episode is a climax and not a fade-out. -The revelations about Yuki, Mikuru, Itsuki and Haruhi are paid out gradually instead of landing on your head in a huge, weird-shaped lump. -There's an extra episode in the middle of the murder-mystery two-parter, and that's just cheeky. But Dagger, it is worth watching in chrono order - some things make more sense and it gives the series a really different aesthetic overall. I just wouldn't recommend chrono order before broadcast order, which is why I'm cross with Kadokawa.

Neutra likes to tell anyone that's listening that he's the strongest. Ergo, he isn't. If he was number one he wouldn't need to run around looking for strong people to prove himself against. Conclusion: Neutra is full of hot air.

[b]Othello[/b] is my board game of choice. I think you crazy American types call it [b]Reversi[/b] - it's the one where you trap your opponent's tiles between two of yours and flip them over to your colour. I used to be quite good at it. You don't have to think quite as many moves ahead as you do in chess. But I haven't played for ages and recently my new MacBook has been beating me at it repeatedly. I'm trying to get good again but I need a human opponent!

[quote name='Lunox][img']http://xs414.xs.to/xs414/07155/fatnerd1.gif[/img][/quote]Lol. His shirt says "lard". Am I a Japanophile for knowing that...?

A study conducted in England recently suggests that alcohol is a much, much more harmful drug than cannabis, in terms of addictiveness, immediate effects and potential long-term damage. They were trying to take into account every aspect of 'harm' when comparing drugs, so the way people act when under the influence is also a factor. Large groups of drunken people can cause significant harm to themselves, one another and innocent bystanders, while a bunch of stoners are unlikely to damage anyone unless they try and drive. I think they also considered the fact that alcohol is legal and therefore can be consumed in much larger quantities.

Wait, you mean they're releasing the DVD episodes in [i]chronological[/i] order? That'll really mess up the pace of the series, not to mention taking away one of its more nutty features.

[quote name='Sandy']#9 has got to be He-Man (from Masters of the Universe), but it isn't an anime, so perhaps it was a trick question?[/quote]Actually, I saw that one and immediately thought [b]Haruka[/b] from [b]Mai-HiME / Mai-Otome[/b].

[quote name='Boo'] don't like people that see every girl between the age of thirteen and forty as a potential person to have sex with and actually say so to me. Especially if they're social retards themselves, would never be able to get the girl and use all kinds of different/made-up words while trying to say "I want to have sex with that girl".[/quote]You know what's even worse? When they [i]aren't[/i] a social retard. You know. Those guys that see every girl between thirteen and forty as a sex partner [i]and can actually get them[/i].

They are drugs, technically. Just not illegal or recreational drugs. A drug is any substance that alters the way the brain or body works - any pill prescribed by the doctor (unless it's a placebo) is a drug. It's just sad that the very word 'drug' has so many negative connotations.

Sorry, we've just had an email from the Australian police telling us to place a lockdown on incriminating forum posts. Who am I to argue with the long arm of the law? [b]Thread locked.[/b]

Death Notes never 'stop working', regardless of ownership changes or whatever. Which means [spoiler]the Note Light took from Rem's remains is his now - actually fully owned by him, without attachment to any Shinigami. Also, if I remember the details of the swap in the woods, Higuchi had Jealous'/Misa's Note (so that's the one now in police custody) and Light's old Note - Shido's originally, though that's not relevant yet - is now with Misa, attached to Ryuk. All that shuffling had to take place so that Misa could make the eye deal again with Ryuk[/spoiler].

My plan is to spend this summer working - preferably doing some theatre or nightclub lighting, but I can't afford to be [i]too[/i] picky - and earn enough money that I can go to Japan for an extended period [i]next[/i] summer, when I've finished my degree. Also, [url=http://www.playfestival.co.uk][u]Play Festival 2007[/u][/url]! Just to indulge my pyromaniac side.

Do you mean people that falsely claim to be qualified instructors, or just people that claim they know a martial art and don't? Because if I take it as the latter, it sounds like you just find these people on the street and challenge them to spars. Which (forgive me, O wise sensei) doesn't sound plausible so much as it sounds like the plot of [i]Street Fighter[/i]. :p

To expand on what Lunox said: people who use internet abbreviations in real life make me all twisted up inside. Saying "Lol" is a paradox, guys! You clearly aren't laughing out loud at all, because you're [i]saying "Lol"![/i]

I'm forced to agree. Yes, Light declares himself a god, but to many fans, Light is the villain of the series. Half the beauty of Death Note is that it allows fans to pick a side - it explains both sides' philosophies and lets you make up your own mind. The other half is that it constantly questions both philosophies throughout, forcing fans to question their own concept of morality. Soul-searching is always a worthwhile pursuit, in my opinion.

I doubt we'll get reinforcements. If anything, this arc is tending towards [spoiler]a sound defeat and retreat by our heroes. Chad's down, Rukia's down - and unlike the Soul Society arc, as far as we can tell they're just being left where they are. I can't see the Espada bandaging them up and throwing them in jail. And if Ulquiorra is half as powerful as it's been hinted he is, Ichigo has his work cut out, helpful hacks from Nell or not[/spoiler]. If Hueco Mundo is suddenly overrun by Vizards or Captains it'll be a bit *yawn*. The good guys need to lose this one, so they have more invested in the winter war.