Saya

Wait what the heck am I talking about, Yomiko Readman... I suppose my real crush is on Nenene Sumiregawa. She's a hell of a lot less clumsy, still manages to be cute (acting), appearance wise she's gorgeous, she's a writer, likes to read (assumed, though occasionally she's seen with a book in her hand), gets irritated easily like me, and most of all... well the VA for her rocks! (I should take this opportunity to briefly say how I hated the [spoiler]new voice actress for Yomiko Readman [/spoiler] in R.O.D. the TV. That was a big turn off too.) Listened to the actress on the extras, she's so amusing; she's exactly like Nenene except she doesn't like to read. For an easy going character they picked the perfect actress! So I'm going to have to say I'm absolutely in love with Nenene, and would probably be in love with the voice actress should I ever meet her (though I better be careful about that, watch next Con I got to she'll be there). :animeswea

[quote name='Heero yuy']Some special trained psychologist can prescribe, but they have to go through, nurse training of doses and medicine.[/quote]Not in New York state or the majority of states within the United States. Recently it has become of some debate whether or not nurses and psychologists have the ability to prescribe psychopharmaceuticals. It has been decided in 9/10 cases that they should not. There is probably one rogue state with different legislature, so by and large this is incorrect (9/10 is even a little too high, but you get the idea). Typically since the Kevorkian problems, this has become a non-issue. [QUOTE=AzureWolf][COLOR=teal]As far as I know, only M.D.'s can prescribe medicines, and so if there's a special type of training, it's the acquisition of an M.D., which would make the psychologist a psychiatrist. In addition, you are confusing psychologist and psychology. A psychologist (specifically, a clinical psychologist) helps others with mental illnesses, in exactly the same manner a psychiatrist does. Yes, psychologists (ones that are not clinical psychologists) can do research and other studies, but when someone (like Tical) says she wants to help other people, that usually refers to the application of psychology. Also, psychology is not only the study of the human mind. It is the study of both mind and behavior (and the study is not limited to humans).[/COLOR][/QUOTE][b]Psychology Playing a Role Over Sexuality?[/b] Coming into the conversation a little bit late, I realize that. I simply wish to confirm what Azure wolf had to say in the quotation above and go into a bit more depth on the subject. Only medical doctors can prescribe medicine. Likewise those majoring in psychology for instance [b]typically[/b] don't become psychiatrists (though going to medical school after a 4 year school can be done regardless of what you major in). Psychiatry is a biogenic field which deals with treating mental illness from a medical standpoint (moreover, Psychiatrists are medical doctors first and foremost who then have schooling in psychology). Psychological perspectives vary quite a bit... not all of them subscribe to the idea that behavior plays a role in the human mind. Likewise not all of them would subscribe to the idea that exploring a person's "mind" is the way to go. For instance, behavioral psychologists often concern themselves with learned behavior on the part of the individual. Behavioral problems are learned problems that have been reinforced throughout the years and thus can be typically treated by reinforcing other responses to any given stimuli. As far as the mind is concerned there are those in the field of psychology who are cognitive psychologists who look at the brain for examples, learning, thinking and so on whereas some psychologists are into the psychoanalytical approach (often thought as Freudian but encompass many doctrines), this approach typically deals with defense mechanisms of the mind as possible causes for disorders. It should be noted that psychotherapists are not psychologists - psychologists vary, one form as mentioned was clinical psychologists (who work with individuals and are licensed to do so, regardless of their psychological approach as previously mentioned). Psychologists who practice a psychoanalytical approach can term themselves "psychoanalysts," psychotherapists are those with schooling in the psychoanalytical field who are not licensed psychologists. Psychotherapy ? simply ? usually consists of Psychoanalytic Therapy, Humanistic Therapy, and Cognitive Therapy? at least those are a few of them. Clinical psychology, as hinted at by those before me, is not the only employment field for psychologists, other fields include Industrial Psychologists in business, and criminal psychologists in law. This is where Azure is slightly mistaking. It goes without saying then that psychologists cannot prescribe medicine. Typically psychiatrists have a "biogenic perspective," as they [b]typically[/b] (though depends on the doctor), think all mental illness is in fact an illness of the body and therefore can be treated through chemical means. Psychiatrists are typically not interested in "deep" mental causes for mental disorders but this depends on the doctor as there are many doctors that combine a biogenic approach with either a psychogenic school of treatment, or a social school of treatment, for example. The bio-psycho-social model is commonly used in mental health to describe a perspective which encompasses psychological causes of mental disorders, social causes, and biological causes as perhaps being the root of the problem. This method is currently in use by the mental health department (again though, individual clinicians and doctors have varying perspectives typically derived from what school of thought they learned under). It also therefore goes without saying that many psychologists do not care about behavior, many do, and many do not care about biological reasons for disorders if they believe any exist at all, many do. But the varying view points mentioned here are only a fraction of the psychological methods/modes of thought and should be regarded as such - for more information on them one can easily look it up in a psychology textbook. Since this is not a discussion on psychology, I apologize for the clarification of terms and schools of thought. However it should be noted that almost all of the schools of thought mentioned here study gender and sexuality. Many of the schools of thought can be mixed and matched (some believe sexual preference for instance to be the result of a learning experience ? for lack of a better term ? gone completely wrong, while other schools of thought consider the emotional impact of specific instances throughout an individuals life and considers them as being a determining factor in the individual?s decision making practice). And still yet another school might say that they are biologically predetermined to have a certain sexual preference I take no opinion at the moment one way or the other, merely presenting some information for curiosity's sake. All of this I hope is food for thought for the reader; certainly one should look into psychological and biological influences over sexual preference should there actually be any at all or whether or not something beyond codified science holds an answer. :) Might stir up some interesting conversations by those versed in such fields of psychological thought for this topic. In the end thought for sake of providing Monster with some relief, I will agree with Aaryanna and James.[quote name='Aaryanna']James is right; you don?t need a name or term for what your sexual orientation is. People get so hung up on the idea that they need a name for what their orientation is that they forget that it?s really about loving another human being.[/quote]Remember psychology and the like only exist for those in need of help beyond consulting themselves: they are meant to aid, the second they begin to hinder just do what feels right. Society also seems to stress coining terms for things... there doesn't need to be a term for it. Be [b][i]confused[/b][/i]. That's the correct term... do what you feel is right and don't do what you don't feel is wrong. Sorry, it's just that damn simple... and at the same time, just that damn confusing. The advice by those who participated in this thread, I believe, is the most sound advise you're going to find.

Hey, recently I heard from a gamer-nut friend of mine that there have been a number of technical problems associated with the 360 (I believe some people are actually being instructed to ship the 360 back to Microsoft for some reason). Does anyone have any sources that confirm or deny this? Haven't been in touch with him since but this friend of mine is usually on target... anyone know anything about it? As far as buying a next gen system is concerned, I'm waiting till all three systems come out before I'm making a decision. In fact, might be buying a used GC in the upcoming weeks in hopes of seeing a Twilight Princess one day *smirks* but beh, all the systems can wait... it'll be good to see them come down in price too... eventually... hopefully. :)

Well I'm going to have to agree with Sandy. A seasoned role player myself (role playing on a few forums as we speak, not this one though), I think the best way of getting a handle on what to do is simply to jump in and start playing somewhere. I'm also not quite sure whether or not you want a pen and paper tabletop RPG or an online RPG, either way expressing yourself properly is key and therefore good writing skills are a necessity. Though again, those sort of things would improve drastically with experience role playing on RPG sites online or RPing with friends. Being a GM (Game Master) is not an easy task at all. It requires a lot of gaming skills (as far as writing descriptively as well as getting "into" a character), but it also requires the ability to handle people well. Well that's just a few tips. Feel free to contact me through PMs if you need any more assistance or if you'd like to see samples for proper role playing (at least as far as online game play goes). In the end proper play means doing what you are comfortable with so long as you can get into and express your character... but of course there are ways of doing it more efficiently. As for this whole competitive play thing, not quite sure... again, I'm an RP nut so I can only help you as far as that goes. Proper role playing is basically acting either through text (online), words (tabletop), or with your body and words (live action). After all, game-system type RPGs are radically different and are only based off similar principles found in pre-made RPGs (such as Dungeons & Dragons). If you RP freeform then you know the text based style I speak of. Again, if you need further assistance from me please feel free to PM me. [b]Note:[/b] If you are interested in role playing a specific system please note most libraries contain many RPG books which you can browse. Feel free to run in with a pen and paper to help get ideas. Like anime style role playing? Check out the BESM line (Big Eyes Small Mouth) for ideas - you need not follow the books perfectly, but it helps form a basis for creating your own RP character in a freeform game and or RPG of your own. If the library doesn't have the books you want, the bookstore will - again I'll gladly give you more ideas via PMs if you'd like.

[QUOTE=Tatsubei Yagyu][COLOR=Navy][FONT=Comic Sans MS] Do you mean that at first, you don't like something because everybody's in love with it? Excuse me...I'm starting to get confused with this discussion... :animeswea :animestun [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]No, I meant exactly what I said (if it came out as confusing, I'll clarify once more). I disliked Naruto the first time around, but after hearing feedback on it perhaps I'll watch it again (or read it for the first time), to make certain whether or not I actually like or dislike it. As for my reasons for disliking it the first time around, I'm sure my prior posts will indicate the concerns I had with it.

[quote name='Nomura']Why don't you just try to like Naruto? I used to hate Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist... Now, I'm like CB alot, and FMA is one of my all time faves![/quote]As I said, I'll try again. Might be opposed to popular belief but I'm a pretty easy going guy... if I hear something is good, and at first I disagreed, sure I'd try it again (it can happen that I completely hate it still, or it might happen that I actually like it). Just trying to get a handle on what exactly I should try (manga, the show when it is released on DVD, etc).

[QUOTE=r2vq]The argument I wanted to make was of your definition of what Anime is. You claim that because Naruto didn't have what you were looking for, it shouldn't be considered Anime.[/quote]Which I said in later posts was a mistake, and how it wasn't fair to hold any anime to the critera of what I like finding in animes and what I don't like finding in animes. Then again of course it was what [b]I[/b] like finding, so I could very well have made such a generalization and would have been well within my right given the fact that I never denied it was a generalization. However again, I did revise that in later posts as I do not think it was fair to[i] not [/i]call it an anime. [quote=r2vq] One thing that I found pretty offensive was how you compared Japanimation to American Cartoons with the purpose of demeaning American Animation. There are American Cartoons out there that have deeper plots, and thicker characters than a lot of Anime out there, but we would never consider them to be Anime. Just as we wouldn't consider these as Anime purely on content, we can't say something that [b]is Anime[/b] to be not, purely on content.[/quote]My intention was not to demean or lower American animation it was merely to point out what I typically like seeing in a Japanese animation and what I often find in American cartoons. I was specifically refering to american cartoons without deeper plot, not as cutting edge animation, and so on. I've seen a few good disney movies in my day (an example)... believe me I know there are some complex cartoons, but all and all they are cartoons. I don't watch cartoons. And yes by and large I do find Japanese anime titles more complex. As far as [b]other films[/b] are concerned I find many movies made from outside the U.S. to be by and large more thought provoking than the average american titles released, but are there thought provoking films here in america? It goes without saying. Do I like some of them? Certainly. Same idea.

I agree with basically everything you said Generic NPC #3, let me just raise a few issues which concern the topic greatly. [quote name='Generic NPC #3']People still don't realize that the problem about the GTA hot coffee issue was largely that it was in the game and the ESRB and hence every one else was never told about it. It wasn't taken into consideration on the rating whatsoever. That was the issue.[/quote]Oh no, that's specifically why I think that is a special situation, it wasn't right on their parts but the game does have an "M" title. That was of course before the popularity of the new "AO" title, so I'd say it was completely fine for when it came out - it is often common place not to release things you can do with "cheats" in a game. And for those that didn't know, cheats are of course designed by the game makers. So was it in poor taste? Certainly, I'm not happy about it either, I just think it went a little too far (officially released or not, you can "unofficially" patch any number of games to do the exact same thing... so was it necessary to make GTA: San Andreas take up the "AO" on one version of their game? Not in my opinion). [quote name='Generic NPC #3']and by the very rules of the ESRB, that hidden stuff has to be shown regardless of whether or not it is normally accessed. We live in the world of modifications and Game Sharks. It wouldn't have been rated M in that case at all and sales would have been affected if it wasn't removed[/quote]Tell ya, this is like the case with the chick from McDonalds who spilled hot coffee on her lap. I think if they released such information it probably wouldn't have made the game be released as "AO." And [b]if it would have been[/b] then they should have made the marketing decision before hand to remove such content to make sure sales aren't decreased. Didn't know that (about the ESRB rules), there you go so again I feel it was in poor taste for them to design the game in such a way. But the result was pulling the game from most stores and re-releasing a game with an "AO" rating. Certainly Rockstar's games in the past have been just as sexual, of course not to the extent of full nudity during the previously only hinted at sex (thanks to Hotcoffee). This action is inappropriate at best... I think the most they should have done is fine Rockstar and made sure that they would never again repeat the mistakes of the past. [quote name='Generic NPC #3']Politicians had been complaining about the game since the originals on PC and Playstation, honestly... but this was the first time anyone really paid any attention because it just wasn't taken into account ahead of time at all.[/quote]I agree, which is why I think this situation was blown so out of proportion... sure I would have been pissed at Rockstar, but mandating them to release an "AO" version plus the recall, it simply stinks of current political ideologies which are better left out of game decision making. Apparently we have Thought Police though ;) Joy. [quote name='Serenayasha'] Yes i agree that parents should check the ratings but you know that most of them won't because they don't care about there kids. if there is going to be more sex in video games they should at least only be should on the internet and given a different rating altogether.[/quote]Who said anything about not caring about their kids? Didn't think that was the issue up for discussion... regardless, poor parenting and not watching your child is hardly the problem of the game manufacturers. Only make such games available on the internet? I think not, beside what good would that do? By the same token you gave us parents who do not watch their children will probably not be watching what they download and play on the internet. I fail to see the logic there... undeniably a poor solution. And by the way, it doesn't follow that parents who allow their kids to play such games in turn must, by default, not care about them.[quote name='Imi'] If you don't liek sex in video games, don't buy video games that have a sexual content in them, same way as you won't see a movie with sex in if you don't like it.[/quote]Exactly my point with the addition of game ratings of course.

[quote name='EVA Unit 100']Don't listen to people who blame Naruto's quality/lack of it on the dub. They're just scared to admit that the Naruto anime isn't as good as it is made out to be in the first place.[/quote]Eep, so there is some disagreement among fans it appears! :) Oh well, truth be told I haven't been able to get my hands on any DVDs yet so I haven't been able to sample the subtitled, but I see what you're saying about the story. Sincerely hoped to like it too, I think the characters look adorable. In manga form, in your opinion, is it any better? (That is to say the overall experience without Japanese or English voices, lol.)

[quote name='Serenayasha']i can understand violnce because everyone loves to see violnce. Sex is going to far[/quote]Erm, might be shocking... don't hold me to it, but a lot more people are probably interested in seeing sex... for what it's worth, lol. I'd say more on the topic but my opinion has been accurately expressed by those who came before me. I don't see what the problem with sex in video games either, and indeed I would like to see it handled with some style or class (not simply distasteful hardcore sex). In the end though the only suggestion I'm comfortable with giving is ensure that age appropriate material falls into the hands of the youth while more mature audiences are allowed to appreciate the games they like. Like Mugen I do not feel that whole incident with GTA was "tasteful" (the patch/mod), but I do think it was taken a little too far. After all, there are a number of games which contain sexual material - in the future better adherence to rating regulations should be conducted and those that aren't age appropriate simply shouldn't have such titles (let the adults unlock it all they damn well want, artistic sex or not in my opinion, as long as it stays in the right hands). I would like to comment on the number of "sex" related posts by individuals on the forums. First Hentai, now this... it seems as though a number of (I can only guess "young") individuals are extremely concerned with such things: that's fine, young or old some people dislike those things being in the public eye. To those individuals I should like to add that there are mature and or shady aspects to mostly everything - it isn't limited to anime, movies, and games. Part of becoming more mature is accepting that such things exist in the world - you might not like them, but they are out there and no, it is highly unlikely that they are degrading any industry (after all, there is a desire for them and not all of us adults who like such things are perverts? as for society as a whole, feel free to argue it in a censorship forum). *Gets off the parental bandwagon for a few more years... erm, with luck* Just my two cents on the matter since it seems to be brought up quite frequently ;P

[quote name='r2vq']Well, that depends on your definition of Cartoons and Anime. From what I can guess, you believe that Anime should have a 'deeper plot' than a the Western Cartoon. If this really is your argument, I have to assure you that Naruto has at least as deep a plot as classic shows considered to be major Anime. Rurouni Kenshin for example.[/quote]You named it, that's usually what I look for in an anime, again though the dubbing bothered me so much that I kept getting distracted from whatever plot it had. If it does get deeper, as you suggest, than I would most certainly look forward to trying it again in its subtitled form if I can find it. As to whether or not I consider it anime, I suppose it isn't entirely fair to not call it anime simply because it doesn't fit both the art form and story-type I typically look for in an anime. I have a tendency to group Naruto in my mind with DBZ and Gundum - the Gundum line (all million of them, heh) have deep plots (more so if you supplement your viewing experience with the mangas), and yet I feel disconnected from them and regard them as... well... childish. I suppose I'm not a big fan of many action animes for that reason and tend to generalize many action animes in the same group. That generalization is not necessarily a bad thing either (as far as generalizations go), there are [b]plenty[/b] of animes out there which fall into that grouping ? many of which I?ve had the unfortunate pleasure of watching over the years - but if Naruto isn't one of them then I surely can't argue with that seeing as how I haven't seen enough of it to determine that. I'll keep an eye open with Naruto... maybe other forms of the show would help me appreciate (and more importantly) enjoy the story, we?ll see. Much appreciate your honest response. :)

All right let me see, my favorite Final Fantasy character(s) *thinks* Well I would say my favorite Final Fantasy character of all time would have to be Cloud Strife followed by Sephiroth. My least favorites would have to be Tidus and then Yuna. Tidus was just plain boring with absolutely no personality (the quirky game elements like, "Would like to be..." and then quickly, "With YUNABYMYSIDE" didn't do it for me either). Does he even care that [spoiler]sin is his father?[/spoiler] wouldn't know. And Yuna who strikes me as [u]brainless[/u] in 10. Some other Final Fantasy characters I like (since some folks listed more than one): [SIZE=1][list] [*] Auron [*] Side chars from 10 - like Braska, other summoners, etc [*]Rinoa [*]Tifa [*]Squall [*]Neo Bahamat (not really a main char) [*]Moogles & Chocobos (all - not really a main char) [/list] [/SIZE] I do also have a special release preview game of Final Fantasy XII but I have yet to check it out, I'm sure I'll have even more favorites there!

I have to admit, I really hate Naruto so I shouldn't be posting here... but I do want to know, is it just me or does the English dubbing really suck badly? Do any Naruto fans feel similarly in regards to the dubbing? I for one know a lot of Naruto fans at my school who love the manga and dislike the anime for the dubbing alone. I figure one of the major reasons they switched to Toonami is because it is a teen show by and large, the audience watching it was not the same mature audience found watching many of the other shows on Adult Swim. I highly doubt it really has anything to do with the shows ratings... actually there are a few official releases discussing the switch if I'm not mistaken, I should try to search the net for it. While the show might have some mature elements it's still a show geared toward teens/young teens. My comments regarding my opinion toward Naruto refer [b]only[/b] to the show, as I hear the manga is pretty good but haven't got the chance to read it yet. Though I do not deny that on a number of occasions I have refered to it being more of a standard cartoon and less of an anime *shrugs* my opinion though, which I gathered isn't shared widely on the forums.

Haven't read a lot of mangas at all but here goes nothing... Actually I like Tokyo Pop quite a bit... pretty cool all and all, Chobits was nice enough though I felt that either the translations were off or the manga itself was a little "strange" seeing the anime was the same, I kept getting a "low budget" feeling, my apologize if I insult anyone but I did actually like the Chobits experience. Ragnarok I would have to say is one of their greatest achievements: downright awesome. Two thumbs up. Dark Horse Comics gets my vote for creativity on accepting Seraphic Feather (Hirouki Utatane's art and Yo Morimoto's story), maybe it wasn't the best but IMO it sure was a good read (in fact I liked it a lot). I'm not sure what else Dark Horse Comics makes as far as mangas go... wish they did more with Seraphic Feather. Viz reminds me too much of Cartoon Network so I tend to stay away from most Viz titles (Mermaid's Scar, Dbz, Gundam I've read and for quick fun they are typically good). But that is a silly comment for me to make seeing as how they have quality releases as well, for instance Ceres which I enjoyed very much (Yu Watase). Most of my friends really love Viz... so I guess since Viz makes a lot of titles it is either hit or miss for me. Honestly though, when mangas say they are 100% untouched and that the story is a direct translation from the Japanese and more "authentic" because they are right-to-left, is that true? (Chobits comes to mind here.) I always figured that was bull since you're reading an English manga anyway (who cares what the origin language was, the second it was translated it only makes sense to me to print it the other way around). More authentic? I always figured the "authentic" thing was just to get younger readers hooked on it because they felt it was more "Japanese." Honestly, Is this not the case, is there some kind of difference?

[quote name='Hug Monster][COLOR=Purple']Perhaps it's because you could actually understand what they were saying back then :animeswea I still like Hypnotize and Mezmerise the most, though.[/COLOR][/quote]See! You admit it, you admit you could understand what they said a hell of a lot better back then. You know, I seem to recall you saying something along the lines of... [quote name='Hug Monster']I, personally, can understand everything Serj is saying.[/quote]See that's a bit strange then. Actually no it isn't actually, I just find it amusing to nit pick these things with you ;) There are a lot of people who like it - I'm not actually trying to start a fight. Some people actually like Serj better... I think it has become a whole different style of music from what it used to be, more metal now than it was (maybe that's one turn off for me). As an ultra side note I used to listen a lot to Pantera (talk about not understanding the words), but eh, not anymore. They're a pretty cool band though, at least that one CD I had with the blue cover was kind of neat... weird music.

[quote name='sakurasuka][SIZE=1']My question- Is PhotoShop REALLY all that much better than PaintShopPro?[/SIZE][/quote] Heh, well I go the other way Stuart... both are excellent programs in my opinion but I prefer Photoshop (running CS2 at the moment and I'm a die hard Photoshop fan). While I find PaintShop pro easier by far, there are many more advanced features I trust Photoshop with handling. I'm really not sure I could go into much more detail beyond that (having no formal training in Photoshop I do what feels right, likewise I do the same with PaintShop). For me, Photoshop and the way you can custom tweak it is right for me (scripts, etc). Again, all about personal taste I suppose ? yeah, try both for sure? I know a lot of people that use both PaintShop for default and Photoshop for advanced editing and/or different tasks (signature creation and avatar creation might be easily done on Photoshop, where as some more advanced works - or even those things if done in a complicated way - might warrant something that handles complex tasks better). Both programs by and large are similar; it's just how each program handles the tasks it's made to perform. [quote name='Sand Dragon']Yet another random question from me. Why is it that when you Show a male Beta (the fish I think I spelled it wrong) a reflection of itself that it goes all freaky and tries to fight itself? Dont they eventually realise that they are really fighting themselfs? EVen though it is fun to watch.[/quote] I have a Japanese fighting fish right here... let me try it. *Jeopardy theme song playing* eep, he almost lost a fin in the battle! [b]Answer:[/b] they naturally hate themselves, all Betta's have self destructive personalities since many of them have similar (yet different) coloration. Too bloody close for comfort for them... they want to be different! So essentially they feel inferior even in their own reflection and try to destroy themselves in utter despair! :animesmil I'm new here, but you'll see, give me enough time I can answer everything. *Touches foreheads* Next! :) *Mood ruiner, since this question is bound to be boring, not fun and self centered* Mm... so, I'm supposed to ask a question now? Does anyone else here use Maya by Alias for high-end graphics, animations, movies, etc and if so any tips for learning the program's ins and outs where it won't cost me much? (Finding it terribly difficult and unfortunately all the guides cost too much).

I guess some guys are just more manly than I am... lol, I don't care if it's a room full of guys, girls, or little hampsters that say "meep" every three seconds: if I'm going to get emotional, well it happens. I mean sure, I won't start bawling, screaming crying with anyone (guy or girl) with me, usually I save that for when I'm alone but simple throat choked, glossy eyes, a little tear or two... I don't see the problem. =^.^=

[quote name='Ralonzo']Oddly enough, Wolf's Rain didn't get me, nor did Cowboy Bebop or Trigun.[/quote] *Nods and hints at big spoiler, so don't highlight unless you've seen the whole series* You know what it probably was with Wolf's Rain? [spoiler]The whole trippy idea with the reincarnation/eternal reoccurrence or whatever you wish to call it. It sort of distracted me a bit too, again I felt for Wolf's Rain though but I can understand if that was the reason.[/spoiler] Kind of gets you thinking or trying to think when you should be feeling, a problem with some animes balancing the two. Cowboy bebop got me though ;)

I'm sorry, I disagree with you. I don't find it very "political" either. I can make some funny political statements too, that doesn't mean that what I'm saying is either cutting edge, or "deep" politically, or for that matter ultra controversial (which they are not). I never really thought System of A Down was anything special quite like that (never geniuses, never ground breaking). I've always just enjoyed some of their songs. I certainly respect your opinion though, it?s just that I find Mesmerize a lot better ? I can actually pick songs and sing the lyrics to them, the singer here sounds like he has gummy bears in his mouth or something. Daron should really do the singing again (believe that was his name, again, not a big fan so I might have confused his name). Oh well, to each his or her own.

This series was originally made for PC (Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche), then a PS2 version was created I believe. War of Genesis III is the most popular game in the series but it entirely in Korean. It is also not wise to assume that because most of the games were never translated to English that they are poor games... it's extremely hard to market RPGs here. Fans note that an X360 release is coming out, Magna Carta 2. We now have (in English) Magna Carta: Tears of Blood. Fans of the series love the game, the problem with it is mostly technical in nature though. Atlus games is known for releasing poor quality games and suplementing it with deluxe box sets (extras, artbooks and so on). The production value of the American release is regarded as being of exceptionally low quality (I would buy the game myself only problem is that it's extremely expensive, if it lowered in price - which it probably won't - I'd gladly get it for the artwork and story, ignoring as best as possible the technical problems). Another technical issue with the game is the horrible fighting system which makes the characters you travel with immobile. The game designers thought this would make battle more interesting, making it more difficult... and it did, but in the process of doing so the game is extremely long and considered to be "not worth it." This battle system is rumored to be a similar battle system being implemented in Final Fantasy XII. Tears of Blood is a [b]direct[/b] port of the Korean version of their game, Crimson Stigmata. Well I'm not quite sure what everyone's tastes are here but the artwork from Magna Carta is done by an artist named Hyung Taekim - widely regarded among anime fans - especially in Korea as extremely talented. The artwork is probably the most attractive thing about the series, although the original Korean game is noted to have an exceptional storyline which made it top of the charts in Korea. The artwork is not neccesarly traditional Japanese animation but mimics it quite a bit (I should note that this is merely an observation - there are plenty of Japanese animes that do not resemble other animes made and so therefore it is also poor to asume that because the style does not look like traditional japanese animation that it is not anime). By and large Magna Carta fans, from what I've seen (and rightly so in my opinion), regard the art as anime. Magna Carta, in Korea, was marketed as a Japanese style RPG. Many players said it damn near rivaled a given Final Fantasy game any day of the week (a big Final Fantasy fan myself I'm a bit skeptical, but from the number of positive reviews I've read regarding the original game's story, it goes without saying that it's quite impressive and handled neatly). Well there you go, hope that clears up some of the issues. If anyone has Tears of Blood I'm very interested to know your response to it as well as the entire Magna Carta line as well as any complaints you may have about the PS2 game and/or comments regarding that. I'm also interested to know if the PC Magna Carta has any unofficial patches which could change Korean to English in the game (again, nothing official was released, but the game is for import sale in the US or through Ebay, simply in Korean so it would be nice to have). Cheers, Persocomblues [b]Official Magna Carta Site:[/b] [url]http://www.magnacarta.co.kr/[/url] * * Site contains some beautiful, big, high res movies too for your viewing pleasure!

[quote name='chobitslover90']huh well i heard the single and it wasnt that good is the rest any better?[/quote] No, in fact, really [b]bad[/b]. They lost all their talent. Wish more could be said but it can't, the CD is just really bad... the System of A Down fans that I know are quite upset by the CD. Mez. was much better =/

I've cried during several (thousand) movies, including animes and anime series... Chobits did have me quite sad to the point of frowning and smiling at the same time, but I do have a lot of complaints against it ( I don't think it was exceptional at all, but it certainly was good... but I suppose I'll save that for another thread at another time). Crying for me isn't necessarily weeping beyond belief, but I do get emotional when watching some titles like Millennium Actress, Wolf's Rain, Last Exile, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, Voices of a Distant Star, YamiBou, among many others. I've yet to watch Grave of Fireflies but it's on my list to see soon. As some know, I literally [B]hated[/B] Tokyo Godfathers, so it did make me emotional... emotional enough to send it back immediately it give it a poor review on review sites. :) Still not over that one. In my opinion the best thing about anime is that unlike most "cartoons" the titles typically bring with it a strong emotional attachment, nice to know such can be done.

Well I?m not all for mushy stuff so I?m not really all too thankful for much of anything, or at least if I am I?m certainly not eating the Turkey because of it. But I suppose I do enjoy Thanksgiving, it?s certainly better than things like Christmas where greedy sobs steal your money and give you cheap gifts in return. Sadly though all the stations are starting with the Christmas shows so soon? *coughs* anyhow? This Thanksgiving I spent at my house like I normally do with family. No family friends attended but it was nice because we have a decent sized family. The fun and games lasted for about 5 seconds in which I tackled my older sister and damn near gave her a broken nose? her response back was beating me to a pulp. Anyhow, what was cool was the food! We had stuffing, corn, and turkey (cranberry sauce, peas, string beans, etc). My mother did the carving (she usually doesn?t know the first thing about cutting anything up let alone cooking), and managed to effectively separate the white meat from the dark. So the Turkey was pretty good, we all got the pieces we wanted to? and well, I had some of my good beer with dinner too (a beautiful bitter IPA I might add). Since no one answered (I don?t think) in the comments section, I?m going to ask here ? does anyone know what tofu Turkey is, or rather, did anyone have this as a turkey substitute for the holidays? Turns out one of my friends (another anime fan, probably somewhere on the boards) had one, though I don?t know too much about it. Now since the house has calmed down, think I?ll be heading off to bed and/or video game playing! =^.^=

R.O.D. the TV is a great series, I'm currently watching it right now - it is a bit on the slow side but being the standard 7 disc release as are most animes, I know it'll all tie up at some point so I stick with it (I'm around disc 4 I believe at the moment). No more slow than say Witch Hunter Robin, and yet still it might turn a lot of people off. The action sequences in R.O.D. the TV are amazing and not to be missed by any anime fan - I truly think it's a rewarding experience watching it, the creativity and art alone is simply great. Again though, it's something you have to dedicate a lot of time to. Not sure if it has been answered yet but there is a Read or Die manga series. Actually there are two spin offs from the movie I believe in Japan, Read or Dream and Read or Die; R.O.D. the TV which is an American only side spin off which is an excellent series in its own right (see my edit for more info on the series name)). Likewise it goes without saying that R.O.D. the TV lives up to its origin, the OVA Read or Die with Ms. Readman. As for the relationship between [spoiler]Ms. Readman and one of the main characters in R.O.D. the TV[/spoiler], it is handled extremely well... quite impressed, realistic in that regard. I've always found the characters in Read or Die/R.O.D. to be realistic even if the story wasn't... again, it adds to the love and flare that makes Read or Die truly amazing. Equally as amazing is the extras commentary on the R.O.D. TV DVDs: first time I'm actually watching (or rather listening) to an anime's commentaries! Delightful to hear them speak about their work on the show (the staff and cast), and how most of the staff and cast had never been to Japan and so that the backgrounds drawn by the artists were actually done spur of the moment, or rather, without any other references other than pictures! Cool stuff! [b]EDIT of Note:[/b] Yeah I checked... there is a manga it is called R.O.D. - Read or Dream, but R.O.D. the TV is [i]not[/i] R.O.D. - Read or Dream and therefore follows a different storyline entirely (mostly same characters, different events). Technically for R.O.D. the TV, R.O.D. does [I]not [/I]stand for anything. [quote name='Hug Monster']I cant help but wonder about the girls being gay. I mean, if they arent really sisters they must be good friends, and Michelle hugs like everyone and after Anita's hug in episode 10 Im just not sure.[/quote]Watch on (edited this after I finished the series) [spoiler]the sisters are not gay, and if they are lesbians such isn't mentioned in the story[/spoiler]. In fact, although I wasn't happy about this, throughout the story they hint at possible things going on with Nenene and Yomiko... [spoiler]well there isn't anything there either. In fact in my opinion that's the only place the series went a little off... Nenene's longing to see Yomiko diminished quite a bit instead of being further explored.[/spoiler]

Hello, I've been playing Guild Wars for quite a while but I haven't gotten on in some time now. My old guild broke up basically so I'm free for play. I have an ascended character for PvE ready to be used for aiding lower level chars if anyone would like the assistance at some point (E/Me fire, recently E/Mo smiting build before smiting basically was nerfed). I can basically play most builds involving Monks, Mesmers, or Elementalists (and any combination in between) for PVP. I have some experience also with Necros in PVP. I typically follow Taliya Tigerclaw (R/W and now R/Mo I believe, ascended) around when I do play, my main PVP chars name is Chrysalis Amralyn so feel free to message me if you ever see me on. ;) If anyone is interested in Tombs/GvG competitions I've also been to the hall and held it for sometime, but my skills might be a little rusty (I have a TeamSpeak server too, TS is essential for Tombs). Tombs I enjoy playing A/shock build in combo with another aftershock earth ele, or heal monk as a last resort. So yeah, message me on there if you'd like or I'll try contacting some of you guys sometime. ~ Persocomblues