Otaku America

[QUOTE=pbfrontmanvdp]True it may be a complete waste of the DVD capacity, however I don't believe that has much to do with the content of the anime itself. For it only having 2 episodes per DVD, I get them for about $12.99 a pop so thats fairly reasonable. Most anime DVD's that I have purchased are between 3 & 4 episodes (sometimes 5 depending on how long the series is) priced at on average about $24 (ranging from as low as $19.99 to $29.99). The price is at least reasonable so I don't consider that a downside. The 2 episodes per disc. making there be a total of 12 DVD's in all my be inconvient, but it only takes 30 secs. to change from one disc. to another. Therefore, I don't see a downside to this aspect of the show either. However, the one downside I do not like goes along with the whole 2 episodes per DVD. Having to wait another month for another DVD to come out and having to wait around a year to watch the whole anime when for most 26 episode series only take about 5 to 6 months is annoying. However, none of these really go along with the content of the series and therefore wouldn't stop me from purchasing it since I find it to be a rather great series so far. Oh and about what [b]Dagger [/b]said since I just saw your post right after I posted this one, I should have probably done the same and waited for the box set to come out. I didn't really want to wait for the box set to come out since when i bought the anime my roommates really liked it and this anime sort of got them into considering purchasing other anime series. I agree with Dagger that waiting for the entire series to come out and purchase it all at once is your best bet.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=DarkRed]The only reason they're $12.99 a dvd is because you get half the capacity of what a dvd is capable of holding. If the dvd's contained 4 episodes it would be around $24 depending on where you buy it. The inconvient part is that these 2 dvd sets come in regular dvd sizes. ADV should at least created a thinpak conversion for Gantz to save us some space. Yes, unless you have a 6-dvd disc changer it's inconvient to have to remove the anime disc from the dvd player, put it back into the dvd case, open the next dvd case, put it in the player, wash & repeat. I watch anime subbed then dubbed + extras, and upon my third viewing I analyze it. Which explains why the 2-dvd setup is inconvient to me or maybe I'm just lazy. I do hope ADV releases a Gantz complete collection in thinpak form like they have done with Rahxephon & Full Metal Panic.[/COLOR] :sleep:

[COLOR=DarkRed]From what I've seen without spoilers; GUNxSWORD is about a mysterious man named Van (looks like Spike from CB) who is searching for a man who sports claws on his right hand (a la Vega). When one day she meets with a young girl named Wendy who is currently searching for her brother. The young girl follows Van into a city called Bridge City and find out from a group of locals that Wendy's brother is walking with the man Van is searching for. From here on out, they both set on a journey that sets them in the Futuristic Wild West. It has a storyline that is similar to that of Trigun's and carries the soul of Cowboy Bebop. Van carries a gun that turns into a sword which also has the power to summon a mecha. Yes, a mecha. He also wears a suit similar to Brandon Heat from Gungrave. The animation & style is the mixture of both Trigun & Cowboy Bebop so if you're a fan of both these shows, I suggest you check this out.[/COLOR] :animesmil

[QUOTE]As of right now I've seen up to episode 8 and I can't wait for the next DVD to come out in May[/QUOTE] [COLOR=DarkGreen]That's the main reason I stopped watching Gantz. ADV is only putting 2 episodes per DVD. Reasons on why it's inconvient: [list] [*]Complete waste of the DVD's capacity [*]Switching DVD's in & out of the player is a hassle [*]Takes up space [/list][/COLOR] :cussing:

[quote name='stormie']I need to make a cosplay outfit of Quistis from FF8. This is my first time making a cosplay outfit so I'm a little lost. I'm in Germany so my resources are a bit limited. Any suggestions would be a great help. Thanks in advance.[/quote] [COLOR=Navy]Just try & match her:[/COLOR] :catgirl: [IMG]http://www.divideby0.com/photos/2003/JTAF/pics/DSCN4639.JPG[/IMG]

[QUOTE=FlamesFirebrand]So this saturday I have $30. I have 2 choices I can buy 2 More dvds so Iam closer to my please teacher collection. or 4 Ramna 1/2 comics.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]I'll be getting Steamboy Collector's Gift Set tomorrow at Bestbuy or DeepDiscountDVD, so I suggest you get that.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=Dagger]I really liked the first episode; it was pretty stylish and had just the right amount of action. Subsequent episodes bored me, though--the writers continued mucking around with (annoying and cliched) side stories instead of plunging straight into the main plot. The art bothers me because I love the character designs, but they aren't always executed quite as well as they could be. I might give the show another look when FUNimation brings it out on DVD; for now, however, I can't say I feel as though I'm missing much. Especially when there's much better GONZO fare to sample, like Basilisk (also licensed by Funi). ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy] Funi licensed Basilisk!!?? Another anime butchered. Basilisk is a syck-ninja anime and it's now licensed by Funi, the studio responsible for releasing edited versions of DBZ? Where's Geneon when you need em?[/COLOR] :animecry:

[COLOR=Navy]I have this love/hate thing for Naruto. The characters are great but the way the story progesses in the anime is poorly done. My major complaint are the unnecessary flashback scenes and there are a substantial amount of them. Flashback sequences should only be used to tell a character's past, motivation, and a backstory. Instead most of these flashback sequences are just there to fill up the alloted time slot. I would recommend Hunter X Hunter over this, even though Naruto does have its moments.[/COLOR]

[quote name='Aerain']Man, this anime looks awesome, I really hope it lives to my expectations. Anyway, it sure looks dark. I haven't read the manga but I hope it's about vampires.[/quote] [QUOTE]I really liked the first episode; it was pretty stylish and had just the right amount of action. Subsequent episodes bored me, though--the writers continued mucking around with (annoying and cliched) side stories instead of plunging straight into the main plot. The art bothers me because I love the character designs, but they aren't always executed quite as well as they could be.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=DarkRed]I don't think the writers were mucking around. The very first episode alone tells you most of this anime is going to be heavily involved with politics. The way they portrayed Peter Pan & Neverland in one of the episodes was nothing short of brilliance. Trinity Blood is a deep sci-fi-political vampire romp. To the Otaku, the word "cliched" doesn't exist because everything after the Holy Bible is cliched. With all the film classes I've taken, the analytical part of my brain never turns off. Essentially, Trinity Blood is certainly the thinking man's anime. This isn't Hellsing or Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust, this is something purely politically based with a lot of Holy Bible influence. Like all Gonzo titles the animation goes to a straight 11. The art style is dark & realistic and fits the show perfectly. I don't watch Trinity Blood for the action, I watch it for the supernatural-politically based story. Highly recommended![/COLOR]

[QUOTE]There is no way that's accurate. A company can't afford to pay every artist they employ six figures.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]The simple fact is, it is an accurate estimation and not some made up number. Any major animation studio can easily pay their artists a 6-figure wage. Production I.G. pays [B]all[/B] their artists over $150,000 DOLLARS. To the topic creator, I suggest you email Production I.G. because they're looking for artists. Just make sure you have what it takes. [/COLOR] :D

[COLOR=Navy]Unless you work at Gonzo or Production I.G., the average salary should be around $125,000 a year. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I've seen 26 episodes including the OVA's and I must say this show is such a huge disappointment. This show was so promising until the big plot holes starting showing one after another. The only good episode in this shounen fighter is the first one. After that, the animation got lazy and started using Samurai Deeper Kyo's style aka stills with streaking flluid. Most of the characters including the main ones felt extremely empty. This also ties to the plot holes because you have characters who have an illusion to play a role but in the end they just turned up razor-thin. This show is so horrible I would place it right next to Ninja Resurrection. Highly recommended for torture. :animeangr [B]EDIT[/B]: I suggest you read the manga instead.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=Tatsubei Yagyu][COLOR=Navy][FONT=Comic Sans MS]To those of us that have seen the outtakes, my favorite one is one of the last ones: Blacksmith Dude: You leaving? Gatsu:... Blacksmith Dude: *Singing* Don't get yourself killed! Ahem... Priceless...[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]My favorite one is this, Guts: Who wants to jerk me off? Soldier crowds: A cheering uproar with all their hands raising. LOL.[/COLOR]

[quote name='Dagger']I'm almost positive that Tenjho Tenge is seinen. At least, the magazine in which the manga is serialized (Ultra Jump, if I recall correctly) is a seinen magazine. In terms of shounen fighting series, I was thinking more of stuff like Flame of Recca (which you mentioned), Bleach, Law of Ueki, Inuyasha and Get Backers--to name a few random examples. [/quote] [COLOR=Navy]Yes, the manga is different and is sadly edited my DC's manga comic line CMX. For instance, minor-spoiler coming up. [spoiler]One of the girls(Maya, Aya), I forgot who because they look like twins, dies in the manga but in the anime she lives.[/spoiler] The manga is equally seinen & equally a fighter. The show though, has been trimmed down to become more of shounen fighter with a little bit of fan service. Tenjo Tenje has been mentioned in huge fighting game forums such as Guilty Gear X, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, etc. The manga is more of a mature version of the anime. So I would say that the anime tailors more along the lines of Yu-Yu-Hakusho/Street Fighter Alpha than Inuyasha or Get Backers. I categorize my anime different from others. Take shounen anime for example I could break it up into 5 different catagories. [Quote]I may have been wrong about the identity of the protagonist, heh. I'm thinking of the young blond kid with the tufty hair who's played by Junko Takeuchi. Honestly, I don't recall much about the episode which I saw other than the fact that I heard Mitsuki Saiga's (Phantom's) voice while flipping channels and kept watching it because I wanted to see if she would have a major role. :animeshy: ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] Actually, I believe I stated my sentence backwards. What I meant to say was, I thought Ginta's voice was that of Naruto's and Phantom does play a major role in MAR but I hate to spoil it for others. :catgirl: Is there anyone else out there that has seen this? [/COLOR]

[QUOTE=Dagger]I recently saw a random episode of this on TV... the fact that I still have trouble distinguishing between it and Erementar Gerad probably bodes ill for both shows, haha. As for MAR, the only thing which really attracts me about it is its vocal cast; I like the woman who plays the lead character (she's also the voice of Naruto from Naruto and Gon from Hunter x Hunter, so she's a shoo-in for this kind of role), and the person called Phantom is voiced by my favorite female seiyuu. So what sets this apart from other anime in the shounen fighting genre, Otaku America? ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]That's interesting, I didn't know that. I thought the voice of Naruto was actually the voice of Ginta. What's this actress' name? MAR isn't in the shounen fighting genre, it's in the shounen fantasy adventure genre. Shounen fighting is like Tenjou Tenge. I've seen thousands of anime(dvd/vhs,tv,fansubbbed) and I've never encountered anything quite like MAR. Sure there are a lot of similiarities but this anime is just as different as a shotgun is to an AK-47. You've seen a random episode and I can see why you think there is nothing special about it. I think you saw an episode where Princess Snow is in it? Everything in this anime is just so headstrong and to be honest with you IMO, everything sets this apart. The closest thing that I can resemble this to is Flame of Recca without the bad qualities. This is the anime I've always dreamed about. An epic fantasy adventure which takes place in a world that only a teen can dream of. If the director didn't create this, I would have (only if I knew how to animate). :blulaugh: I can't really say more because my words can't comprehend this show's greatness![/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkGreen][BIG EDIT] [/COLOR] [COLOR=Green]Sorry, my post was off-topic. [/COLOR]:sick: [QUOTE]I don't think editing is like 'spitting in someone's face'. Like I said in a later post; trying to market something for kids that needs such heavy editing seems stupid, which was why I was objecting to the cigarettes in the first place. Had they chosen a different anime series to distribute instead of One Piece that didn't contain so much 'offensive' material in the first place, it wouldn't matter. Like Saito's toothpick cigarette, it's just a case of common sense with knowing which bits to edit to make the anime seamless and not-too-obviously chopped up.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]Common sense or not anime shouldn't be edited. Children read the Holy Bible everyday and it contains massive amounts of violence that it would be any anime to shame. What if someone edited the Holy Bible by altering God's words? Surely, God would cast a hellfire. It's like replacing a cop's 9mm bullets with pellets to shoot down the criminal. Altering a manga or anime in any kind of form is absurd and uncalled or. I'm also not speaking of anime translated from the manga because what works chronologically with a manga might not work chronologically with the anime & vice-versa. I have to watch Tengo Tenge now.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=SilentSecurity]Will Anime die with our generation? Looking back at my parents generation I see all the old pointless comedies that were popular at the time and are now forgotten. Will some of the Animes we love now be forgotten in the next few generations. I remember my father talking about the andy griffen show and how it was so popular back then. In the future will our generation of Anime be forgotten. Now some of the real popular old shows are still on the TV land channel, but those are the real popular ones, what will happen to the unpopular Anime, heck what will happen to the popular Anime. Some of these shows are too good to be forgotten. POST OR REPLY BY -Wes- OF THE SSF.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]I have to reply to this dumb question. Anime is growing larger and larger everyday. Why would anime die in our generation? That's like saying, will movies die in our generation?[/COLOR] :laugh:

[QUOTE=Solo Tremaine][COLOR=#503F86]That is something I can actually understand. Having characters smoking, good or bad, and regardless of whether the kids' parents actually smoke it's going to promote it in some way, and I completely abhor smoking. You're speaking as if everyone's going to start anyway, which isn't something I agree with. Having drink in animes aimed at kids is one thing, but cigarettes is another. I know this argument begs the question 'Well, how can you be for one evil and against another?', but I just disagree with smoking more than I do with drinking (so long as it's in moderation).[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]I highly disagree. Just because someone smokes a cigarette in an anime doesn't mean the tobacco company is behind it. If you see an anime like One Piece and a pirate is using a gun, doesn't mean it promotes guns in some way. It's the viewer who is responsible for what he does. It doesn't matter if a person is sensible or not, humans aren't perfect and it doesn't matter if you know that. The simple point is, if a child chooses to smoke because one of his favorite anime/cartoon character does it, his the one at fault. Therefore, editing is just a disgrace to the original creator's intent. Editing in general whether it's aimed at children or adults is just plain stupid. I remember watching Kenshin on Cartoon Network, and they replaced Saito's cigarette with a toothpick. Did this guy just have a thanksgiving dinner? The worst part is, Saito throws down his toothpick and tries to put it out like if it were a cigarette. Nothing should ever be edited in anime. If I created an anime and a viewer watches it for the first time on Cartoon Network and sees a guy shoot another guy and blood doesn't come out, the viewer is going to ponder, WTF? Editing as a whole sucks for the entire manga/anime industry. It's the creator's ambition to get his vision out and to have a distribution company edit something in it is like having someone spit in your face.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=Slightly cynica]I dunno about you, but I feel that the anime I'm watching is more authentic if it's subbed. (tho reading the subtitiles is a pain....especially when they talk real fast) Dubbed sounds cheesy and most of the voices are recycled. I much rather like Subbed the Dubbed :cool:[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy] I prefer to watch both. Dubbed voices aren't cheesy and are NEVER RECYCLED. A lot of actors that do the dub have to retake several times just to match the emotions and lip-synching. Recycled voices are impossible, so I don't know what you've been watching, maybe flashbacks? :rolleyes: Both dubbed & subbed voices can be cheesy, depending on the anime. I don't find one better than the other. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]I enjoy all types of anime except hentai, any anime that includes the gay culture, and anything with excessive violence for the sake of excessive violence. *Cough, Ninja Resurrection.[/COLOR] :animeangr

[QUOTE=SilentSecurity]Maybe they are there so you have someone to dislike, you can't love all the characters after all. ~Rod~[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]I agree with this statement. There will always be annoying brats if the anime is never serious. Anime like Jin-Roh don't even contain any annoying characters. On the other hand, Sakura-chan from Naruto completely pisses me off. I know she will play a greater role soon but for now she just gets in the way.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Navy]Have any of you seen this show? It's from the creators of Flame of Recca. I've only seen 7 episodes and it's such a refreshing show to watch. I'll explain briefly and avoid story spoilers. It is about a high school student named Ginta who has been dreaming about a fantasy world for years. When one day a mysterious person uses his dimension ARM to show Ginta the way to his fantasy world. This fantasy world is called MAR-Heaven which is filled with beauty. In this world there are special magical items called ARMS. They look like rings, bracelets, necklesses, & weapons. There are many different ARMS and they can basically be used for anything. The ARMS I saw included, Guardian Arms, Weapon Arms, Darkness Arms, Dimension Arms, etc. Guardian Arms for example summon a guardian beast & weapon ARMS take shape of a hand-wielded weapon. There are all sorts of interesting variety. So when Ginta enters Mar-Heaven he realizes his physical attributes are increased. In the present-day world he wore glasses, in this world he takes them off because his eyesight has been vastly improved. He has incredible strength because Mar's gravity is lighter than the present-day world. Ginta basically looks like Naruto with Super-Saiyan hair. In this world he encounters a sorceress named Dorothy & accepts to go on a misson with her to find a very, very rare ARM. After a battle Ginta discovers the ARM, a very mysterious ARM that plays a key role in Mar-Heaven. That's all for now, I don't want to go to deep until people on this board have seen it. It's a fantastic heart-warming show full of laughs. If you're into romantic-fantasy-adventure type anime, then this is the show for you. This show is showing too much promise something I rarely see these days. The animation uses a blend of 2D & 3D animation. If you find the 3D animation weird, it's not, because the creators intended it to be that way. The 3D animation looks like a watered down version of Appleseed's graphics but it fits the show so naturally. This show is just full of excitement and laughs. This anime is pretty fast-paced, a lot of story is explained during the 7 episodes that I watched. From what I've seen and what I'm predicting ahead for the show, is that this show is already better than Flame of Recca & Full Metal Alchemist combined. This show is that great[/COLOR]. :animeblus

[quote name='Cyriel']Okay, I must say that I completely disagree with you on Berserk. When I started watching it, I thought it was one of the corniest, horribly-drawn things ever. I don't know, I thought that the plot line was stereotypical and boring. I thought that Gatts was annoying, and just way too macho. I mean, really, they made him win anything and everything. [/quote] [COLOR=Navy]LOL, You do know this was created in 1997 correct? The animation to this very day actually looks better than half of the anime's released from 2000-2005. The old-style coloring they used was brilliant and matched the mood for this dark-ages tale. The stills they used were perfectly executed, like they were ripped off the manga. The production budget was low but it also made perfect sense to use superbly detailed stills to capture the dynamic and intensity that is portrayed in battles, especially if there is a large assembly of enemies attacking at once. The plot line was sterotypical, LOL. Do you even know what the story is about? I've seen hundreds of anime and I haven't never seen one similar to Berserk, period. There is no balance in evil or good going on and this isn't the battle to save the world from evil itself. I know, I know, that's what you thought. Also whoever tries to say Berserk story isn't original, please I challenge you to explain what is going. Not even the manga is complete. I've read the import manga up to vol. 28, and I still see no end to this story. [/COLOR] [QUOTE=Cyriel]Also, the animation was so...poor... I don't know if that's the way they wanted it, but when fighting sequences are just repeated..and repeated..and repeated....... You get the idea. The music was actually good. Yes, very good music. And the outtakes were funny too. I don't know, I've heard that the anime gets better as the series progresses, but I got so sick of the first couple episodes that I stopped watching it. Should I continue? Not to mention, I heard the ending was..gory? or very..not suitable for young children.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]I believe they wanted the animation to look like that and also they had no choice because of its low budget. I haven't seen one repeated fighting sequence. All the stills were different, as well as the animation. Unlike Samurai Deeper Kyo which uses stills to portray their action sequences with such a high budget. I would proudly rate the animation an 8 compared to Last Exile's 10. You should continue watching it because this is truly an epic tale where there is no end in sight. After you're done watching it, I suggest you start reading the manga at Vol. 13, from there you really know nothing matches Berserk when it comes to storytelling. Ken M. also stated that he would like to contiune a 2nd season but he believes there is not enough story in the manga yet. I know a 2nd season is going to come out because the ending is the perfect setup for it. Just look at Ghost in the Shell & Ghost in the Shell 2, nearly a decade apart from each other. Also since the 2nd half of Berserk is completely 18+ the series might come in OVA form, unless it becomes censored like Gantz which I doubt. [/COLOR]

[QUOTE=r2vq]Yeah, DBZ is trash. But I like the older series, Dragon Ball. And the age of an Anime will affect it a lot. Newer Anime is directed towards you, older Anime isn't. When the movie Batman came out, it was given Four Stars. Some thought it should be "The Movie of the Decade." But when comparing it to Batman Begins, it just doesn't stand. Batman Begins has a much more solid storyline, fight scene, and characterization. The reason for that is because a different generation expects different things. This is also why I don't think Akira should be considered overrated.[/quote] [COLOR=Navy]Well, if you read the actual comic books that showed Batman's ultimate weapon which is fear himself, you should have realize that the first Batman movie sucked. All Batman movies sucked until Batman Begins came out. Batman Begins actually felt dreadful and real. Yes, Dragon Ball is way better than DBZ and actually makes chronological sense. I also believe Akira isn't overrated. The director told a 20+ volume manga story into a 2 hour plus movie, outstanding indeed. Most would argue a tv show would favor Akira, but that's why the manga exist. If Gantz was censored in Japan, than Akira translated into the TV show wouldn't work, an OVA would most likely be suited.[/COLOR] [QUOTE=r2vq]The manga was based off a legend. And Sasuke04 has a good point. "[b]Dragon ball is good while your ten years old.[/b]" Remember not only the target audience's perspective, but their age. The series was meant for children and was good at delivering for them.[/quote] [COLOR=Navy]The manga was based off a legend? How so? If the children were indeed the targeted audience why is it edited? I prefer children to watch something that won't make them stupid, like Sakura: The Cardcaptor. I give props though, to DBZ for having 60 milllion + fans around the world. The thing that makes me ill is that, if DBZ is that mainstream that makes complex anime look like ants to the general public.[/COLOR] [QUOTE=r2vq]It wasn't meant to be something sophisticated like Ghost in the Shell. It was what it was supposed to be. I think the mangaka was great because the angles he used, the details he put in, and the way he differentiated between characters, [b]all with a deadline[/b] displayed such detail and care that should've taken four times as long as it did. I also say that it doesn't translate well into TV. This is because in the manga, scenes showing a character's face is common. Talking is common. Shots showing one frame of action is also common. It actually flies by pretty fast. The anime, though, chose to keep these scenes and shots. They made each episode long and tedious with lots of talking and not much movement from each character. Thus, what worked well in the Manga didn't work at all in the Anime.[/quote] [COLOR=Navy]You have a very good point. I don't mind watching mindless anime at all but they could do without leaving giant plot holes that 3 year old's can spot. [/COLOR]

[quote name='asian_tofu']I saw this anime last year when I was still hyper and obsessive about anime(mainly Inuyasha, go figure)...and sort of still into those simple, humorous types of anime. I just got into Evangelion and am exploring Full Metal Alchemist,which both were totally worth my 20 dollars (I get my anime cheap and NO I don't buy bootlegs and/or used). The only downside was that there weren't any English subtitles (ah! So that's why they were so cheap...) or dubs - but they did have it in Chinese. I got the gist of it since I can read some Chinese, but back to Lain.[/quote] [COLOR=Navy]Yes, you bought bootlegs. Evangelion would never cost $20 and Full Metal Alchemist Vol. 5 hasn't even been released yet. That fact that they didn't come with English subtitles only makes your statement ignorant. It had chinese? Bootleg![/COLOR] [quote name='lcrisler']I got the two-disc set on Amazon (it makes my heart BLEED everytime someone mentions the high price of anime! I regularly get series that people pay $200 for for $40 or less. And it's on less discs, which takes up less space and isn't wasteful! Amazon, people! Trust me!)[/quote] [COLOR=Navy]A 2-disc set on Amazon means a bootleg. Also you bought the disc at the Amazon "marketplace," not actually from amazon itself.[/COLOR] [QUOTE=Gamebeast]I recently started watching this show and am now on layer 08. I noticed Lain does not have a plot "line" but rather a plot "void". What i mean is that anyting can come from it. How ever you perceive or intrepert it that is what it becomes. For instance, at the beggining i didnt know what the wired was then i thought it was the internet. But now, with the "melding" of the "wired" and the world. I know beleive the "wired" is not only the Net or eletrical appliances, but it is every electrical interaction from the synapsys the brain to the static on your TV screen. Its truly an amazing show. If anyone has seen this show and has any feeling on it, please reply to me. Thank you.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy] I saw this show back in 1998. I barely remember it but I do know it had a "plot line," and not a "plot void." The word "plot void" only comes from the minds of people who don't understand the anime. I've seen this show only once and it was back in the late 90's but I'll try and remember. For those who are comparing The Matrix to Serial Experiments Lain, they are very similar indeed but Serial Experiements Lain was created in 1998, 1 year before The Matrix was introduced. I saw this series subbed and my SEL dvd's are collecting dust. I need to re-watch it dubbed so I can explain it better. I'm going to use Paranoia Agent here because it's the only clear way I can explain what's going on in the show. Alright, everyone in the world of Serial Experiments Lain is either depressed, bored, or crazy. So they find a way to excape their ordinary lives by going into the Wired world (Just like in the internet world of Ghost(soul) in the Shell(body)). Just like in Paranoia Agent, the characters are just trying to find a way to escape, and when Lil' slugger whacks a person, their life restarts. In Serial Experiments Lain it is a little similiar. Instead of the people getting whacked, they drop out of the real world and create new lives for themselves in the ethereal world (Wired). However, when they enter the real world, there are these mysterious beings who call themselves the Knights of the Calculus(not sure, if I remember the name correctly). These Knights are a collective group that control the wired world. These Knights play games that actually kill people in the real world. So, after Lain teachers herself to use a navi, she starts becoming aware of the Wired. When she digs in deeper she realizes that the Wired world actually has life & death consequences in the real world. That's why her "real" family show no emotions because of what is happening to them in the wired world. Since Lain is the first and actually one that realizes what is happening, she forces all her emotions into the Wired world only to materialize a different version of herself. In reality there is really only one "Lain." There is no two different Lains. There is only one Lain who actally doesn't know what she is, she starts asking questions she shouldn't have. The other Lain isn't actually Lain but a poweful Knight who is behind all the pranks going on. So, she sacrifices her happiness for the sake of her friends and families. Since she is the only one who can break the boundaries of the wired and actual world, she seeks out the Knight's order and eliminates them all. Only to leave the actual apparition who is behind it all, sorry I forgot his name. This guy apparently thinks he his God, but Lain makes him realize that he has no actual power in the "present-day world." He only has the powers to manipulate everything in the Wired world. So when this guy tries to materialize himself in the present-day world, he his crushed by Lain who now realizes that she has the power to materialize in both the wired and present-day world. Read my first sentence of this paragraph again and it leads to her deleted her own image in everyone's minds. I haven't seen this show since 1998 so I can't remember how to explain what memory is in this world. What I remember though is that she isn't "GOD." If I could remember what memory in this world stood for and saw the series again, I can explain everything that no one understands in this anime. The only reason she was able to reset everyone's memory was through the wired world. Memory in the wired world, are words or rumors, if I remembered correctly. Since the two worlds are intertwined by fate, she can actually restart events before they even happen in the real world. That's all for now, I have watch Trinity Blood, Marchen Awakens Romance, & Otogizoushi.[/COLOR]

[QUOTE=r2vq]DBZ started out as Dragon Ball. And although the anime involved a lot of wind blowing, I think the Manga was pretty well done. Actually, I think Akira Toriyama was a great mangaka. The series just doesn't translate very well into TV. Also, remember how old it is. It [b]was[/b] a phenomenon back in the eighties.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Navy]It really doesn't matter how "old" an anime is. DBZ is a perfect example of anime trash. I find it hard to believe that you say the series "doesn't translate very well into tv?" From the very start, the manga itself is poorly written. In other words both manga and anime are terrible.[/COLOR] :animedepr