bellpickle

[SIZE=1]In my high school, Honors classes raise your grade by one point and AP classes raise it by two. (So an A in Honors is a 5, and in AP, it's a 6.) Since those points factor into a student's GPA, it definitely has an effect on the colleges' decisions. Also, as Marron347 mentioned, if a student passes with at least a 3 on the AP exam, they get college credit for that course.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I usually buy DVDs only at conventions. I like to save my money throughout the year, and blow it all off at the con I attend annually. Other that that, there were a couple occasions in which I asked the owner of the local video rental store to order DVDs for me, and I've bought anime from Best Buy, but only when I have giftcard or some other discount.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][B]1. If your avatar has a character, what race, age (if applicable) and gender is it? (avatars without characters are neutral or asexual)[/B] Both Japanese, around 18, and male. [B]2. Would you say your avatar is masculine, feminine or both? Why?[/B] Masculine. It doesn't seem to have any feminine attributes to it, especially with the stark color scheme. [B]3. Does it have mature or childish attributes?[/B] Mature, though that opinion is probably influenced more by the nature of Death Note rather than the icon itself. [B]4. What gender and race are you?[/B] Female, Filipino. [B]5. When you meet someone online, unless they specify, do you feel you naturally think of them as white? (Answering yes is not racist - this is much more common than you think)[/B] Usually, yes. [B]6. Do you roleplay? If yes, identify your roleplaying character in terms of race, history, gender and sexual preference (if applicable).[/B] No, though if I ever were to roleplay, my character would probably be a European male. [B]7. Have you ever been mistaken for another race or gender or have been asked due to the lack of detail in your profile?[/B] A couple of online friends of mine assumed I'm Caucasian, but nothing other than that. [B]8. Have you mistaken others for being of another race, age or gender? How many times (if applicable)?[/B] As stated above, I normally assume my online friends are Caucasian, and to my knowledge, I've been wrong in my assumption a maximum of five times. [B]9. What does your online nickname mean or how did you come up with it?[/B] It's a combination of two nicknames some friends gave me. [B]10. Do you think people online tend to correctly guess your age, race or gender most of the time without being told?[/B] Gender yes, but race and age no. [B]11. Do you think people tend to correctly guess your sexual preference without being told?[/B] Yes. (I'm straight, I think, so there's not much to guess.) [B]12. Would you feel threatened if people online knew your age, gender, race or sexual preference? If so, why?[/B] Nope.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]A $615 ball-jointed doll. (As of the time of writing, I'm just under $100 short of saving enough money to actually buy it.)[/SIZE]

[quote name='Avenged666fold']My favorite 3 anime moments are the end of berserk...[/quote] [SIZE=1]D: As disturbing as it is, I must admit, it certainly is memorable. *shudders*[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]When I was very young and had shorter hair, I was often mistaken for being a little boy. ^_^;[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I'm more of an introvert than an ambivert. I've been spacey for as long as I can remember; I can literally spend hours alone with my thoughts without feeling bored or uncomfortable. I'm not shy, at least not anymore, but I often choose not to join in on conversations, unless spoken to directly. (I think it shows, too, since no one accuses me of being shy, yet they [I]do[/I] say I'm quiet.) Alone time is a [I]necessity[/I]; while on a cruise with relatives, a couple cousins of mine tagged along wherever I went, and I literally snuck away while they weren't looking just to get them off my back. And I often avoid social gatherings, especially school related ones, because I don't like mingling, and if I wanted to hang around with friends, I can do that on my own time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]My username is actually a combination of two nicknames; my old-school handle was belldandy3, which shortens to Bell, and an old friend of mine gave me the nickname of Pickle for no particular reason during an AIM conversation. Since the username Bell is usually already taken on most websites, I now use bellpickle, which is obviously less common. Another old friend of mine sometimes called me Beru, the katakana version of Bell. XD My family nickname is Lenny, which was given to me by my grandmother, who apparently didn't like my actual given name. (I swear, it's almost a Filipino tradition to give at least one of your kids a family nickname. Heck, an uncle of mine has multiple nicknames.) As for nicknames I've given out to others, I call a friend of mine Nee-chan. I began calling her by that name to annoy her, and it eventually caught on.[/SIZE]

[quote name='Dagger']The more I see of Gankutsuou, the more I love Franz. The poor guy has to put up with a lot of **** from Albert, and he's amazingly un-self-pitying.[/quote] [SIZE=1]AGREED. It's refreshing to see a character who's loyal and selfless, yet matured and cautious at the same time. And I love the little hissy fits Albert and Franz throw at each other throughout the series; though even during those scenes, it's obvious how much the two care for each other, even if they, Albert especially, rarely express it in words. On a somewhat related note, my vote for favorite character is a toss-up between Franz and Andrea, which I find funny because the two of them are [I]total[/I] opposites. XD[/SIZE]

[quote name='silver_blade][spoiler']When Spike dies--I know it is debatable but I still say he died-- after killing Vicious, he just calmly walks away and says ''Bang.''[/spoiler][/quote] [SIZE=1]I honestly didn't think much of that scene when I first saw it a few years back ([spoiler]Spike's death[/spoiler] just felt flat to me at the time), but after reading your post, I realized that the understated quality of the scene fits in perfectly with the rest of the series, and makes it something of a rarity amongst [spoiler]death scenes[/spoiler]. (Since such scenes are usually over-dramatized in some way.)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Were there any specific scenes in an anime that you found particularly memorable or had a long-lasting effect on you, and of course, if so, why? (If there are too many to name, then simply describe the most memorable or most recent ones you've seen.) Most recently for me was Kino's Journey episode 4, [spoiler]when young Kino escapes from her country, while riding Hermes for the first time.[/spoiler] I think this scene was particularly effective because of the sudden shift in mood--the incredible sense of freedom following such a chilling scene. Of course, the gorgeous music helped accentuate that shift. Another is Gankutsuou episode 18, [spoiler]otherwise known as the episode of Franz's death. Admittedly, all throughout the duel, I had not at all expected Franz to duel in Albert's place (I had a feeling that Franz would do [I]something[/I], but I hadn't guessed that that something would be so drastic), and the shock of it made his death have that much more of an impact on me. Definitely one of the most masterfully executed death scenes I've seen in an anime.[/spoiler] Anyone else? :)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]The problem with most anime settings are that they're either too similar or not similar enough to our world. In any case, I'd take reality any day. While I admit that it would be fun to be a ninja/samurai/gunslinger/sorceress/whatever for a day, I would [I]never[/I] want such a dangerous, both physically and mentally, lifestyle. (For example, not all the villages in Naruto are as happy-go-lucky as Konoha; just look at how messed up the mist ninjas are. Heck, just look how messed up Sasuke and Itachi and Neji and Gaara and...)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I'm planning to watch this, hopefully on IMAX, this weekend. I've seen a couple trailers on the movie website, as well as several commercials on television, and it looks quite intriguing. Also, a few have compared this film to Batman Begins, and in my book, that's definitely a good thing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Most recently, it was Rose of Versailles. I'm always up for a good historical drama, and I liked their portrayal of Marie Antoinette right from the get-go. Unlike many other series, I didn't feel that it started off slowly, and it was able to keep my attention throughout its entirety. The only other anime that's currently coming to mind is Samurai Champloo, which had me thoroughly impressed; it's rare to find an anime with such well animated and well choreographed scenes in the very first episode.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I've watched three episodes of this series so far, and I'm loving it as well! It combines two of my favorite things in anime: world traveling and heavy metaphors/hidden meanings without beating the viewer over the head with symbolism. (I know that Kino's technically traveling through countries, but each country is so different that they may as well be different worlds.) Episode three was especially interesting. I loved the the ironic twist surrounding the "Book of Prophecies"--it says a lot about our tendency to both misinterpret and overreact. I really look forward to watching the later episodes. And I, too, was reminded of Haibane Renmei. Both have similar tones, I think.[/SIZE]

[quote name='r2vq']It's similar to judging American culture by MTV and Hollywood movies.[/quote] [SIZE=1]And from what I've heard, most Japanese [I]do[/I] base their knowledge of American pop culture off of MTV and Hollywood movies. Which is why, aside from President Bush, Michael Jackson is the most well-known American to Japanese highschoolers. (And yes, that info was taken from an actual survey.) As for the topic at hand, it's difficult for me to say. I don't like anime as a whole; as with any other form of entertainment, there are certain series I enjoy and certain series I don't. I think the primary reason I've been an anime fan for so many years is that I'm able to consistently find excellent anime series rather easily; otherwise, I would've lost interest by now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I stumbled upon Memento in the past, while googling Monster, though I can't say that I visit it regularly. Not directly related to anime, but still: Back when I was [I]really[/I] into J-Rock, I read J-Rock blogs daily, and most of them were maintained by people who were either living in Japan or knew how to speak Japanese fluently. I visited mainly because they were not only a great resource for fandom news/reviews, but they oftentimes featured bits of info on Japanese culture in general, things that overseas fans simply wouldn't know. It's been a while since I last visited, though, so I wouldn't know if those blogs are still active[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1][quote name='rAphaEl']Anybody know a manga called "Death Note"? It's a cool manga where the main char named Yagami Raitou (Light) was the bad guy! And I root for him!!![/quote] In the case of Death Note, Light is technically the protagonist, even though he's more of an anti-hero. And even if he [I]was[/I] the antagonist, L isn't exactly the perfect role model either.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Can't say there are any anime characters who I'm physically attracted to as of late, though I'm watching Honey and Clover, and I find Morita to be pretty awesome. He's just so hyper, in a hilarious kind of way. It'd be a riot to have him as a roommate. And I have a borderline obsession with L from Death Note. Because he sits funny. And he drinks tea funny, too. (I guess I find quirkiness to be attractive?)[/SIZE]

[quote name='Retribution][size=1']It's hilarious -- I was reading an article in the Post about him today. When asked what he wanted to accomplish in Torino, he answered "I'm just here for the babes."[/size][/quote] [SIZE=1]They addressed that during his post-competition interview on NBC, and they talked for a good while on how his medal might act as a babe magnet. XD[/SIZE]

[quote name='Ramen_Mido']People really like Dante focusing on a new chacter will turn a lot of people off.[/quote] [SIZE=1]Yeah, and the summary doesn't give us any clue as to how the plot relates to the DMC series. Though, if this novel involves Sparda in any way, then I [I]definitely [/I]wouldn't mind a lack of Dante. XD If there were to be a Lady-centric manga, I wonder what it would focus on? I'm hoping that it'll take place during her childhood, before Arkham was bald and insane. But judging by the story of Dante's volume, that probably won't happen. :/[/SIZE]

[quote name='Ramen_Mido']There are only 2 volumes so I think the second volume might follow Virgil.[/quote] [SIZE=1]I've heard that there will be 3 volumes, with the third one focusing on Lady. At least, that's what the people over at GameFAQs have been saying. (Was that just a rumor?) It's an entertaining enough read, I think. I especially like when [spoiler]Dante DT'd at the end.[/spoiler] What I wonder is how [URL=http://www.tokyopop.com/dbpage.php?page=product&productid=3820][U]the DMC novels[/U][/URL] will turn out.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]Considering that my favorite characters tend to lean more towards anti-heroes and foil characters, pretty much all the time. I even favor characters who have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The most recent example of this would be Andrea from Gankutsuou, who, in a society corrupt to the core, is most likely THE most out-and-out evil person in the entire cast. (With the possible exception of Villefort and Danglars, and even then, those two aren't nearly as sadistic as Andrea.) Yet, I can't help but love him, as sick and depraved as he is. And I like how, after episode 21, his past actions take on a whole new meaning, and at the same time, reveal just how far that man will go to achieve his goals. Great character, I think.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]I can understand your annoyance towards those who enjoy an anime series because it's the "In Thing," but many of the anime you listed simply have mass appeal. If an anime is popular, that fact certainly doesn't imply that all its fans are jumping on the fandom bandwagon. Being a huge fan of Naruto, I can confidently say that most other fans I've met are just that, fans. People who truly enjoy the work for what it is.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=1]The first time around, I watch anime subbed. There are a few exceptions, such as Voices of a Distant Star, which had such beautiful animation that I simply [I]couldn't[/I] focus on the bottom of the screen the first time through. If I ever feel like rewatching an anime, I usually watch it dubbed, just to get a different feel for it. Foreign live-action movies, however, I [I]always[/I] watch in the original language. Watching live-action movies dubbed just feels too unnatural for me to properly enjoy it.[/SIZE]