TheResplendent

I think it's great. It looks like a mere sketch but the attention to detail is more then it usually would be. I agree on the chipmunks too, they look realistic. I always enjoy artwork and drawings and the such, despite the fact that i'm horrible at it myself.

I'm half chinese (cantonese) and the other parts are italian and puerto rican. I only really look it when my hair is wet but thats bout it, I don't have the face at all. Whenever people guess my nationality chinese is hardly ever said, heh. I don't know how to speak it or write it though...my parents and i were born in the U.S. I've actually been trying to get more in touch with my asian roots...reading about some history, the artwork, meet some new people (i have like 1 chinese friend). I already love the food though :p

I agree with the qualities of RPG's declining as of late, but that dosen't mean there weren't any good ones or even masterpieces for that matter out in the recent years. There are quite a few gems out for the PS2. FFX was my favorite for the longest time until i played Shadow Hearts: Covenent. SH:C to me is easily the best RPG on the PS2 currently (this is keeping in mind however that i have yet to play Grandia 3 or the second DDS). SH:C came out of nowhere with a very well progressed storyline, interesting characters, a fun and new battle system (a big improvement over the first SH), and the first RPG with a hotter chick than Tifa in it (yeah i'm a big karin fan). It has it's tedious moments, but that can be said about any RPG...getting past them to see the great all around experience the game has to offer is worth it. Shadow Hearts and Shadow Hearts: Covenent are games any RPG fan should get around to playing. I'm currently playing 3, it isn't bad...the characters are great and the story gets pretty interesting toward the middle of the game...but the one thing that annoys me is [spoiler]the puzzles and quests are incredibly easy, to the point where a child could solve them[/spoiler]. Xenosaga is great for story, especially for the fans who don't enjoy too much the constant battling in an RPG since Xenosaga is largely story progression in the form of cut sequences. It starts off a bit slow but it ends up growing on you. The ending sequence is very good as well. The SMT series is another gift to RPG fans on the PS2. Nocturne especially offers a unique and enthralling gaming system as well as a storyline that begs to be followed since very little of it is presented initially. The system of capturing and fusing demons presents you with an almost endless amount of party members, and a gradual build up in power within those demons that may sometimes lead to evolution. With the leveling system though you are almost forced to constantly add new and higher level demons to your party in order to keep up with the main character. The battle system is extremely traditional, nothing out of the ordinary and no complex equipment system either...but it isn't neccesary for the most part. The DDS games from the SMT series are different in the way that they concentrate more deeply on the storyline. I haven't played the second one yet, but the first is worth getting and is probably one of the RPGs that should be on the top 5 "PS2 RPGs to get" list. The only real annoyance in any of the SMT games is the amazingly high encounter rate. Star Ocean: TTEOT offers a very in depth story with a more than full length gameplay with very interesting characters. The battle system is about as far from tradition you can get, and it takes time getting used to, but ultimatley you will find yourself getting into battles because they are fun. There is a great variety of characters and even points where you will have to make decisions because you don't have the capacity to recruit them all. The graphics are incredible, the in battle offers a challenge, the soundtrack carries the gameplay nicely, and the maps are beautiful. It isn't however without fault, theres nothing so bad worth mentioning but it is the game with (IMO) the hardest final boss battle out of the PS2 RPGs. If your into SRPGs, there is a good amount of those out on the PS2, Phantom Brave and Disgaea are ones worth mentioning. Both of which will cause you to rely on their story and battle to get you through. If your a fan of the Dynasty Warriors series of games, the ROTK series is an extreme elaboration on them and offers great SRPG style battle. If anyone else has read the novel of the "Three Kingdoms" the ROTK games (X being the latest one, and it has great replay value) offer an experience that really emulates more than well what it's like in those times as according to the book. The detail is incredible and i can honestly say it takes quite a long time to get a handle on the game fully. Getting off the PS2 subject momentarily. Fire Emblem, Tales of Symphonia, and virtually any LOZ games are worth looking into (all gamecube titles). I don't think i should have to discuss much about the LOZ series and the good word of TOS i see has spread throughout the board already. Assuming most people felt that the era of really great RPGs ended with the release of the former next gen systems, i won't discuss too many PS1 RPGs...but for most RPG fans it speaks for itself that the PS1 harbored some of the absolute best...such as many installments of the great Final Fantasy series (1-9 can be found on the PS1), my second favorite RPG of all time Xenogears...Square's masterpiece that dosen't begin with Final or end in Fantasy, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross can be found on the PS1...Trigger speaks for itself amongst the older RPG fans, it obviously revolutionized the 16-bit RPG and offered a timeless and captivating story. Legend of Legaia, Legend of Dragoon, Lunar SSSC, Lunar 2, Persona are just a few non-square titles for the PS1 that should make every RPG fan's honors list. Virtually anything with the Squaresoft/Square-enix or Atlus brands are worth playing simply by that criteria alone. Some are better than others, and each may have 1 or 2 duds (IMO Saga frontier could have used some work), but the overwhelming majority leads to a good to great experience. But of course they aren't the only ones who can put out a good RPG.

Heh, the first time i played through the game i was buffed out rediculously. I always like doing everything there is in an RPG, all the sidequests etc etc but i had no idea it was going to make the rest of the game easy as hell for me. With 6 of my characters breaking damage limit, and not only that but hitting the max limit over the normal dmg limit and 2 of my characters breaking HP limit along with a ton of other useful skills and a whole lotta quick hits...believe i killed the final boss in 2 hits. I was kind of dissapointed that i ruined the game from the point i continued on [spoiler]into sin[/spoiler]...so i can't really say if any of it would have been challening or not had i not leveled up my chars so much. It did make the battle arena quite easy though....cept for shinryu.

[QUOTE=different ki]At the beginning he was wearing an open shirt. Anyway, there's no proof that the prostitute was actually transsexual either, instead of just a man dressed up as a woman. Something I forgot to mention, Gren doesn't count because he wasn't actually trying to be/look like a woman. There are men who grow breasts naturally due to hormonal problems, that doesn't make them transsexual.[/QUOTE] Well a transexual is usually defined as a human with both gender's genetalia, so in a way that's true. Needless to say it wasn't a natural hormonal increase though.

[QUOTE=different ki]Did nobody notice V.T. from the episode Heavy Metal Queen? He looked like a man, but [spoiler]at the end Spike finds that picture of him as a woman with his husband. He was a female-to-male transsexual. That was the point everyone trying to guess what V.T. stood for - He didn't use his full name anymore because it was a woman's name (Victoria something, I don't remember).[/spoiler] EDIT: Oops, spoiler tags added.[/QUOTE] Hm, i thought she was just a very manly looking woman. When in the episode did they make mention/show a hint of an operation?

My friend sings it's praises all the time, and i will eventually get around to playing it. There's just too many with a higher priority. It's tough to get around to all the games ya want to when your a RPG fanatic, heh. Throw in a college schedule and work and well things get tough to keep up with.

I used to follow this anime more intently then when i used to followed DBZ, that was up until about episode 110-115 somewhere in that range. I missed a bunch of episodes during the fight between [spoiler]Inuyasha and Bankotsu[/spoiler]. I intend on getting the box sets, but so far i've only seen seasons 1 and 2, and im kind of upset that it looks like theres going to be a long wait until they get up to the parts i need to catch up on. And i'm not gonna buy the individual volumes just for those eps either, i'd rather own the whole series when the time comes for that to be possible (in english, it is already possible in japanese). I own all the eps of Naruto in japanese which isn't a prob, but certain animes i perfer dubbed...Inuyasha being one of them. Sesshomaru is def an awesome character, one of my favorites. Hate Koga though...dunno why. He just annoys me.

[quote name='Kenshin XS]Gren from Jupiter Jazz part one and two was a [spoiler'] transexual after being experimented on due to Viscious setting him up.[/spoiler][/quote] There were actually 2 cases. The one your talking about, [spoiler]Gren, who technically is a male, just with an increased estrogen count due to experimentation (as said already) he developed breasts. And when Spike is looking for "Julia" he is directed to a transvestite prostitute named Julius. It wasen't as big of a part but it defintly freaked Spike out.[/spoiler]. As for the concept in general, i find it to be uninteresting because of 2 major reasons; 1. I am a comfortably straight male who does not enjoy watching anything involving homosexual actions though at the same time respect the preference of others to be homosexual as well as the potential interest others may have in it and 2. I would rather watch an anime that can deliver an awesome story with other aspects without a strong aubundance of sexual contents to distract attention from the central storyline. I for one will take sailor mars and venus on top of each other over Spike bent over a chair any day...though i ultimatley perfer my animes to be non-sex based. The obligatory love story or sexual tensoin that fits in well and dosen't culminate over the course of 2 minutes of an episode is fine, it's an important aspect of animes IMO...even a sex scene or two as a result of whatever...but not every single episode.

Most of the anime box sets i get are from amazon or ebay. They are really short on mangas (at least the ones i'm interested in) but i atleast know now how many books come in a volume for each one. I'm mainly looking for the Bleach and Kenshin books, i know there are a whole bunch of kenshin so i imagine that would be more difficult to get a hold of.

Just finished watching the second episode. It seems like it has potential, but i won't exactly put it at the top of my priority list. I gotta agree with the kid's voice being a little annoying too. Watching it def reminded me a bit of FLCL at first. it isn't nearly as goofy though.

Just bought episodes 1-180 a couple of months ago. Just go to ebay, if you don't have any problems with eng subtitles then it's all pretty much the same.

The way i see manga books is the same i see DVDs, it isn't worth watching/reading if its only parts of a greater series. Which is why i only buy box sets when it comes to anime. I was wondering if anyone knew of any places that has deals on manga's sold in it's entirety (Book 1 through whatever last book is) rather then buying them individually. I've searched on ebay and other auction sites and my results have been as succesful as finding every part of the series in the bookstores around here (i.e they haven't gotten naruto book 5-7 or Fullmetal Panic books 2-7 in months). Any help would be appreciated.

Just to get my 2 cents in here, Naruto is defintly something you will enjoy if your into fast paced action/fighting sequences and a large variety of different characters. The music is pretty cool too. You can't go wrong if you invest in a set or two.

Well, not to falsely get anyone's hopes up or anything, but the possibility of there being another FMA movie dosen't seem inconceivable. I wouldn't hold my breath personally, but i do recall a multi-part interview with the creator of FMA (located at one point on AS.com i believe) in which he exclaimed that despite there being a satisfying sense of closure with the entire series as the 51 episodes and movie dictate...theres a chance they may play around with a new storyline. Again, nothing for sure...but I would be interested in seeing a new FMA storyline. Normally i'd be against potentially ruining a good thing, but i have confidence in this series that they could produce another succesful story.

It was a moment sure, but it was more about [spoiler]Wrath wanting what he wanted, and he would just be helping Al in the process. It wasen't out of any particular love for him or Ed. Wrath just had nothing really to live for.[/spoiler]. I would have liked to see the fight between [spoiler]Wrath and Gluttony[/spoiler] in a little more detail but it served it's purpose. Also in the end when [spoiler]Envy finally gets what he wants, which is killing Hoeinheim. It's an emotional scene in a few ways, especially from the perspective of Ed and Envy.[/spoiler]

Witch hunter robin wasen't too bad, it isn't something i'd spend money on though i'd gladly watch it if they put it back on the air.I haven't seen Mad Lax or Please Twins so deciding between the two i have seen, i enjoy Get Backers a lot but in the end it comes down to which story/style appeals to your interest most.

Im a huge fan of MGS, playing 1 the first time through was non-stop exciting because it's a much smarter game then most others at the time, and the challenge factor of it increased with it's numbers IMO, especially with 2 and the masterpiece of the series 3. I understand the lack of enthusiasm for 2 for most people, but the gameplay was second to none and the story contrary to many other's thoughts is well developed though it wasen't as progressive as the others in the series. MGS3's story was awesome and unmistakable. 3 of the deepest characters in any MGS game in Big Boss, Ocelot (young ocelot is awesome, have always been a fan of his even in the other 2), and of course The Boss. I loved the camo option as well, the whole game as a whole was a giant improvement on any negative points the previous games might have had (which in no way is a large amount) and an overall intellegent and captivating storyline. Also i agree that most of the hesitation to come around to MGS2 is because of Raiden. It's hardly a reason to forsake the game however.

Thats an interesting take on it. Most arguments i hear in favor for CN being unfair to animes is due to the amount of time they have cut back on them to make room for the "dumber" (notice the quotes, nobody take offense for this is a choice due to lack of a better term at the current time) shows (i.e harvey birdman, minoriteam, etc etc). Most series have run from start to finish with little or no interruptions. Most of the shorter series like trigun, outlaw star, S-cry-ed, etc. Other series that needed further translation or deliberation due to extended episodes or more seasons were expectedly delayed, much the same as other television shows on any other network. It keeps the viewers tuned in for the next bunch of episodes. But to touch upon a major argument i see around about the treatment of anime's being unjust in comparison to the other shows is CN is appealing to the masses here and while animes may be the preference amongst many it dosen't change the fact that a good portion of the audience is also tuning in to watch these other shows such as most of the sunday and friday line ups. I believe that mixing them within a day's lineup (just for example FMA at 11, Evangelion at 11:30, then venture brothers at 12) is a bad idea but there is neccesity for the other shows because they attract another portion of the AS audience that completes their full statistics. CN cannot just speak to the mature anime fans, nor can it solely speak to the acquired taste humor seekers such as the viewers for these other shows in question. The same goes for fans divided amongst the mature anime section, surely a decision to take off one show for another is bound to cause dismay amongst certain fans. I know i was upset when trigun was first taken off, as well as upset during the time paranoia agent was a permanent addition to the weekday line up. It's the same system, there is a way for everyone to be happy...but the everyone is represented by a greater whole and sacrafices must be made to give the most succesful shows as well as the newer shows as much exposure as they can do they can establish newly popular ones as well as maintain the major favorites. In light of everything, i'd say that anime isn't being treated too unfairly. I enjoy my fill, granted there have been points where i have gotten more of it then currently. But shows being aired now that i still watch (whether it be for the first time or second, third, etc etc time) are FMA, Evangelion, Trigun, Samurai Champloo, and Inuyasha. Not too long ago i watched S-cry-ed as well. I'd say AS isn't doing too bad. But this is also from the perspective of someone who can get his fill of anime from english and japanese box-sets and DVDs.

The movie is definitly very emotional at some parts. I couldn't wait to buy it after seeing episode 51, i got it about a week later and while at the same time i was utterly satisfied with there being closure and piece of mind, i was also expecting a bit more. It defintly got to me though when [spoiler]Al snuck on board the ship inside his old suit of armor and made the mini-speech about how all he wanted to do was be with Ed again, no matter where it was[/spoiler]. Not to mention Mustang's awesomeness is also displayed even further in the movie.

I'd have to catch whenever the replay for the first episode is, it slipped my mind that it debuted tonight on AS, though i have to admit i wasen't very interested based on what i've seen in terms of coming attractions on what to expect. I'm pretty open to anything though so long as it isn't blatantly dumb...i dunno say like bobobo bobo bobobo. My apologies to those who see fictitious promise in that show.

Took me a while to get into it at first, but i love the psychological overtones and how the mental plights of each child is broken down in certain episodes. It's a clever kind of anime that really begs for attention even if people don't know how to give it correctly. I've only seen the first season, i'd like to see whatever else is out there and i wouldn't mind going over the first episodes again since i kinda slacked off during the first few. Not to mention i love Asuka. She got a bitchy attitude, but i got a weakness for fiery redheads. :animeswea

Naruto, Kenshin and Inuyasha are big favorites so it's reassuring to hear what you say. I figured that's what Bleach was about pretty much, i hope the storyline isn't dissapointing. Thx for the input.

Well, i did find breeding chocobos to be tedious so i guess i'm kinda biased lol. But i did enjoy racing them. As for coolest enemy, gotta love those tonberries but the behemoths are badass too.

I actually enjoy the ROTK series for a more accurate portrayal of the novel, plus im a fan of SRPGs. But the empire games for DW4 and 5 really keep me busy, those are fun as hell and i have yet to tire of either. The original versions are best played with a friend, that's how i started off with the games. It is a different experience after you've read the novel, for anyone who is a fan of the game who has not read it yet, i strongly suggest it. Favorite kingdom = Shu - They had the most capable officers, and despite liu bei's inadequacy next to the best ruler of the 3 (Cao cao of course), he commands inconceivable loyalty from now only his people but his generals. And last and certainly not least (in fact, probably one of the biggest reasons i like shu) the absolute brilliance of Zhuge Liang. After reading the novel i'm even more convinced that he is the most intellegent, clever, resourceful, and capable strategist by a far far margin (Guo Jia the closest behind). [u]Favorite characters from DW game (trying not to lose sight of this thread being about the game and not the novel):[/u] Characters i prefer to use: Zhuge Liang, Ma Chao, Zhen Ji, Zhao Yun, Gan Ning, Sun Ce, Zhang Liao, Zhu Rong. Characters i dont prefer to use, but are still favorites: Dian Wei, Cao Cao, Sun ShangXiang, Taishi Ci.