Nony

Learning how to sit in [i]tatehiza[/i] is such a pain in the arse, literally. Hurts my knees and thighs too. -3-

I watched the first episode of [b]Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood[/b] earlier. It's kind of confusing, since the whole idea is that this "sequel" will be following along the manga's plot, yet the first episode was something never seen in the manga. It gets clearer later though, and it's actually pretty interesting that the events are happening [i]right before[/i] the events of the first manga. This episode was basically just a way to introduce the audience to the series again (OMG NO WAI) and remind everyone that, "Hey, these characters exist." I think they were also showing off (AGAIN, NO WAI). Anyway, the animation was pretty - heck, really frickin' pretty - and the music that I remember was nice. They kinda overdid it on the "lol ed is short" jokes though. One last comment: Funi's site took FOREVER to load the darn thing. [u]Two hours[/u], people! And I have high speed internet! Man, they must be getting a lot of traffic. Otherwise, I've just been watching [b]Ichigo Mashimaro[/b] and [b]Kanon[/b] through theO's Anime Club. They're... okay. [b]Ichigo Mashimaro[/b] is too much cute for my tastes, but I'll stick with it somehow. [b]Kanon[/b], while still bursting with moe, is a bit more interesting. I just hope it doesn't disappoint. :/

It's quite the pain finding scholarships for this study abroad in Japan thing when I am 1) white and 2) middle class. Gashsplurnit.

[quote name='Kenso'][COLOR=SeaGreen][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]I went on my first roller coaster in like 15 years today.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] Man, rollercoasters... haven't been on one meself in a very long time. And I sympathize with ya as a fellow six-footer. Also, randomocity is fun, but only when it's well-timed. That is all.

Man, there's a lot of good video game music out there. But, for the sake of conciseness, I'll just list one, technically two to three (and people who know me probably know what I'm about to say). The [b].hack[/b] series. This includes the soundtrack from the first four games, [b]IMOQ[/b], and the [b]G.U.[/b] trilogy. First, let's touch on [b]IMOQ[/b]. The soundtrack was composed by BooHooWoo, a pseudonym referring to Chikayo Fukuda, Seizo Nakata, and Norikatsu Fukuda. Any vocals were performed by Tomoyo Mitani. The OST was released on two discs under a Perfect Collection; later a Best of would be released in America that contained select tracks on one disc. [I, coincidentally, own both versions. Guess which one I bought first?] My opinion on the music itself: It's hard to simply sum up what this OST is in a few words, so I'll go over some points instead. One thing that's pretty cool is that, in dungeons and fields, when you come across a monster the BGM simply segues into a more action-like tone, rather than changing completely (and of course goes back once the monsters are dealt with). On top of that, I [u]love[/u] any of the music that deals with Mitani's vocals. That includes things like [I]Aura's Theme[/I] and [I]Macha's Appearance[/I]. There's also one particular track which was, sadly, not included by itself on any of the OSTs. The closest we have is this: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDS3O2EotJs][b][link][/b][/url] Moving on to [b]G.U.[/b] now! This time around, Chikayo Fukuda from BooHooWoo went off and composed the entire soundtrack on her own. Once again, Tomoyo Mitani provided vocals, even churning out some nice credits songs. The music from [b]G.U.[/b] was released in two OSTs, four discs in all. The first one covered the music from the first game, Rebirth, and the second included the rest from Reminisce and Redemption. None of these has had a NA release. Opinion on music: It's definitely different from the first games' sound, and appropriately so. While [b]IMOQ[/b]'s score reflected that more typical fantasy setting, [b]G.U.[/b] goes off into a steam punk type place. So, the music does reflect that, with plenty of electric guitars screeching in various tracks. Some of those... ehhh, I don't like as much. However, a lot of the other stuff, the piano scores, the Avatar fight music, and the credits' themes, are pretty damn cool and worth some fan adoration. Really, some of the best stuff comes from the Lost Grounds. Here is [i]Arche Koeln[/i]: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH7vVzFeSjE][b][link][/b][/url]. Also, one more, a character theme for Endrance: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Dh1iFy1F8][b][link][/b][/url]. In conclusion, what all these soundtracks have in common is they fit their games' setting (as they darn well better) and they're plain fun to listen to. And I'm totally not a .hack fantard, nope.

I definitely have huge interest in Fullmetal Alchemist 2, although I don't know if I'll watch it this season. I loved the first FMA dub, so I may just wait for (quite a) bit to see how the dub cast comes along. But, I will watch it someday. I love the manga, so it'd be cool to see some of the awesome parts animated. As for the other anime up there... I think I'll wait on those too. lol Or at least wait until Shin or Des has seen some of 'em so I can pester them with questions on their opinions.

You cannot escape the Cullenization. It's better to just give up and accept your fate.

[url=http://www.justmanga.com][b]JustManga.com[/b][/url] features a special preview section. You can look at about 16 pages of the first volume of some selected manga for free. Plus, it's not illegal. :D It's a good way to determine if you might wanna buy the series. I've started (and turned down) a couple thanks to Just Manga's li'l library. Although, as far as anime websites where you can watch content legally free, one of the best sites is [url=http://www.hulu.com][b]Hulu[/b][/url]. There's also a few other ways to watch anime free on the web without resorting to fansubs, so if you're also interested in that it's definitely worth exploring.

[quote name='Magus'][FONT="Comic Sans MS"] I'm still on the fence a little bit about the fanservice.[/FONT][/QUOTE] That was something that was hard for me to get over as well. I thoroughly enjoyed Gurren Lagann, but sometimes it's pretty ridiculous. Anyway, what I'm (re-)reading right now is [url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=2411][b]Hana Yori Dango[/b][/url]. I do not know what kind of fangirl devil has possessed me, but it has caused me to not only spend the entire night last week reading it the first time, but also got me to re-read it two days later. I have since then gone over favorite scenes countless times; therefore, I am currently still enjoying its shoujo wonder. One thing that bugged me about HanaDan was the early artwork. Doumyouji looks like [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/Monkey-chan/ugglesdomyouji.jpg][color=red]a frickin' clown[/color][/url] (admittedly I've chosen a particularly horrid picture to show off here, but still). Good thing is, if you compare that to [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/Monkey-chan/itsdomyouji.jpg][color=red]a (much) later picture of him[/color][/url] you can see the artwork vastly improves. In fact, I was surprised to find myself thinking, "Damn, he's hot..." [A rarity in my case; I'm not the type to fangirl over a guy just 'cause he's good looking.]

My very first manga was actually the ninth volume of InuYasha. I was such a 'tard for the show and that particular volume had story which had yet to be introduced in the anime. From there, it went to Ranma 1/2. I had no idea it was so... revealing, especially in the beginning. Funny that my older brother started reading Ranma shortly after I did.

The thing about introducing anime to anyone is everyone has different tastes. If you know their tastes, then you can guess at what they'd enjoy, but if you don't... it could be disastrous. I've never personally had to introduce anime to my friends or family. I've tried a couple times with my dad, since when he thinks of anime he imagines stuff like Speed Racer. So, to combat that, I have used things like [i]Mushi-Shi[/i], any Miyazaki film, even certain Satoshi Kon works. Basically, anything that has 1) a good dub, 2) a premise that is not silly and/or out there, and 3) nothing I think he'd be offended by. Of course, I doubt he'll completely get into anime. But I do sometimes wish I could share my hobby with people I have more contact with in real life, and my dad is one of those cherished'uns. So, I try. In general though, if I were to attempt to get friends into anime, I'd probably introduce them to the stuff that got [i]me[/i] into it. Anime like [i]Cowboy Bebop[/i] and [i]Trigun[/i] are definitely choice material.

I don't really play games much, surprisingly. But, the one I've played enough times that I could beat it within 2 hours or so is Super Mario World. I mean, goodness, back when I first got the GBA version of the game, I would beat the thing every day for about a month (this was due to lack of other games to play at the time). Yeah, pretty much memorized everything after all that, not that SMW is too difficult to begin with. I'd also add that certain levels in Elite Beat Agents and the Ouendan games I can do lickity split. Again, only [i]some[/i] levels.

I like Blood+ actually, and I think Wahlgren did a good job, but... yeah, I think we have enough vampire stories here. Doesn't help anime isn't mainstream to begin with. Anyway, on to topic! Here's pretty much my top five VAs around, starting with... [b]Crispin Freeman[/b] [b]Personal favorites[/b]: Cougar (Scryed), Holland (Eureka 7), Togusa (Ghost in the Shell), Kyon (Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) Honestly, I think Crispin's voice is just perfect for anime. He's been in a lot of anime and, as far as I know, he doesn't try to change his voice too much. Some people find fault in that, but I appreciate his skill in being able to make his voice fit the character nearly every time. Simply put, Crispin's is a voice I enjoy hearing. [b]Shinichiro Miki[/b] [b]Personal favorites[/b]: Allen Schezar (Escaflowne), Crim (.hack//SIGN), Kuhn (.hack//Roots/G.U.) Instead of going on about this man generally, I want to look closer at his role with Allen Schezar. It's interesting because I don't even like Allen. The character bugs the crap out of me. However! Miki's voice is so soothing I can stand it. Plus, Miki fits the flirty type of personality, which is definitely true for Allen, not to mention Kuhn (oh gosh, especially Kuhn). [b]Maaya Sakamoto[/b] [b]Personal favorites[/b]: Aura (.hack), Leaf (Record of Lodoss War), Haruhi (Ouran High School Host Club), Hitomi Kanzaki (Escaflowne) Maaya doubles as both a voice actress and a singer. I like her music a lot actually, but I think she's strongest with voice acting. It's surprising when you watch Escaflowne and hear her as Hitomi (the lead) and then find out that was her first role. For her first job ever, I believe she did a great job and really endeared me to the character. Then, if you look at one of her more recent roles as Haruhi, you see she's quite good at comedy as well. Also, as has been true for all the VAs so far, I just plain like hearing her talk. [b]Kari Wahlgren[/b] [b]Personal favorites[/b]: Anemone (Eureka 7), Fuu (Samurai Champloo), Shino (.hack//G.U.) Wahlgren really has two types of voices she will commonly use: ones like Anemone that are more grating (but not annoying) and then things like Raine from Tales of Symphonia that are more gentle and mature sounding. Frankly, I love both types and yet again hers is just a great voice for anime/games. Honestly, she [i]made[/i] me adore Anemone and Fuu with her work; that's rather impressive. [b]Kaori Nazuka[/b] [b]Personal favorites[/b]: Shino (.hack//Roots/G.U.) I may only be listing one role there, but Nazuka's done plenty of notable roles, such as Eureka from Eureka 7 and Kisa Sohma from Fruits Basket. But, really, Shino is my favorite one she's done (and that I've heard thus far). It's that whole spiel of, "Ohh, her voice just fits the character perfectly and I believe she's really her!" Nazuka's voice was really perfect for capturing Shino's personality type, and I believe you find that being a common trend in most of her roles.

Yesterday I watched a few eps from my currently watching list of anime. [b]Romeo x Juliet, Ep 15 & 16[/b] - These episodes were... average. I guess the show is just in a transition stage right now, simply setting up for something bigger later on. I certainly hope so. [b]Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Ep 8[/b] - It's weird, I like this series and it is funny, but... I dunno, I just can't watch a lot of comedy at once. [b]Code Geass R2, Ep 11[/b] - The amount of breasts in CG amuses me greatly. 'Nuff said.

I believe the reason we're seeing a difference in opinion here lies with the tried (but still true) statement that women are just more emotional and sentimental than men. Although I have never cried from any fictional scene, I can easily see why someone would, so I don't find the reasoning silly. ... actually, wait, I [i]did[/i] cry at the end of Escaflowne. And there's been numerous choke-ups besides that. Anyway, getting back on topic, the one time I always come damn close to crying in a video game is in .hack//G.U. Redemption when [spoiler]Shino comes back and the FMV starts with "You Smiled Kindly" playing and then she tells Haseo, "Blah blah blah, be honest." For some reason, I always choke up at the moment she breathes in/sighs (not sure how to define that right now). Gets me every time.[/spoiler]

Honestly, there's only one that immediately comes to mind right now, and I'm sure anyone who knows me can already predict who I'm about to fangirl about. [b]Shino, .hack//G.U.[/b] - Shino seems like the person I would enjoy being friends with (although perhaps this stems from two years of fangirling her, I'm not sure). She's a kind person, but also seems willing to tell (or hint at) people that they may be wrong. Perhaps for that reason, it'd be better if she was my older sister, hurr. To be quite frank, almost any type of relationship with Shino would be A-OK with me. This feels like a very short explanation too. o_O I'll add more later if I think of it - either more people or more detail for Shino, blah.

I used to listen to this all-female Christian group called Point of Grace when I was younger. For some reason, I really liked them, but going back to their music now... all their voices sound so screechy and [u]do not[/u] mix well at all. Oh, to be 12 and musically naive...

Gome showed me this in MSN, which resulted in me announcing it to my whole family, which resulted in a hilarious situation with my dad. Me: Someone made an Adolf Hitler cake. Dad: An anal paper cake?! Upon pondering just what anal paper could be, my dad proudly pronounces that it is simple toilet tissue. Anal paper is just what they call it in Britain.

Nathan has stood the test of theOtaku's chat... therefore, I approve. :3 LIEK, CONGRATS U 2! *gives you another trampoline*

I'm amused that, upon seeing the thread title, I instantly thought of TimeChaser. He hates Christmas music. :P I, however, love it. Some of my favorite songs include: - O' Holy Night (especially the version done by Dionne Warwick) - O Come, O Come Emmanuel (possibly my favorite; too bad it's never done enough) - Angels We Have Heard On High - Feliz Navidad (ver. by David Crowder Band) And I agree with Drizzt, I'm a sucker for instrumental Christmas songs. I can't stand when someone decides to "pop"-ify a Christmas melody too much.

Yes, I agree, Shin. The opening is really cool, and I'm attracted to Lockon so far. ;) When I heard there was some political stuff in the first few episodes, I thought, "Oh crap!" But, it was surprisingly easy to follow. Heck, Gundam 00 is already much better than SEED. I thought it was interesting how one of the Celestial Being members said something like, [spoiler]"We will unify the world by making them have a common enemy: us."[/spoiler] I don't know that I've seen that take too often in anime (maybe I just haven't gotten around enough yet). Very much looking forward to next week, where apparently Soma comes in. I want to see if I'll like her character as much as I do her character design.

Well, Sir Alla, based purely off the fact that they sell .hack//Roots boxsets when no official ones yet exist on the market, I would not trust them. Although, most of their other stuff, such as individual DVDs, seem fine... ... but, after looking through their soundtracks section and seeing the impossibly low prices on those, there's just no way it's legal.

It is funny how that feeling of suspense disappears each year. Well, mainly, if you make a list, you generally know what you'll be getting. ... still, I do have a list this year. >> Let us begin: Most Wanted Items Wanted Ever in All of Wantdom 1) Tales of the Abyss for PS2 2) Mushi-Shi DVD box-set 3) Love and Peace DVD (it?s a samurai film, by the way) 4) After Life DVD (another Japanese film) 5) Gurren Lagann DVD 1 (dub version) Other Items That Are Also Nice But Not As Wanted as the Most Wanted Items 1) Paranoia Agent soundtrack 2) Jungle Book book By the way, if people want to suggest a couple items (like maybe some anime), feel free. This list ain't the final draft anyway.

The online stores I typically use are [url=http://www.animecornerstore.com][u]AnimeCornerStore[/u][/url] and [url=http://www.justmanga.com][u]JustManga[/u][/url]. The former just has a lot of anime and usually very good prices. The latter is mainly a manga site, yes, but they also sell anime and they offer free shipping on purchases over $40. So, I figure it's a good deal.

[quote name='Drix D'Zanth']You are the first person in a loooooong time to earn my respect with that pick. Brava.[/QUOTE] Heheh, thank you very much. :P Honestly, more people need to give Michael Caine some love. Old people need it too, don'tcha know. And now, to quote a quote... [quote name='Boo'][size=1]Emmy Rossum [IMAGE] To be honest, I have never seen her in a movie yet, though I am still planning to go see Phantom of the Opera sometime soon. Wait? I did see her once. I saw The Day After Tomorrow and had no idea she was in it. I saw her being interviewed in a making the movie thing about Poseidon once upon a time ago, and thought she looked pretty. :3[/size][/QUOTE] Pleeease tell me you've seen [i]Phantom of the Opera[/i] by now? :O In case you haven't, I'll just say Emmy Rossum was fabulous in it and has the loveliest singing voice. Did you know she actually trained in an opera house when she was younger? It definitely showed! And I agree with you on [i]The Day After Tomorrow[/i]; when I was watching Phantom, I kept thinking, "Gosh, she looks so familiar!" It wasn't until later I realized, "Oh yeah, that crappy dooms day movie!" Had myself a good laugh 'bout that one.