Flyvapnet

One of the main characters is missing from that preview. Hence, it's of no interest to me. :animeangr [B][COLOR="DarkRed"]=^..^=[/COLOR][/B]

One of my favorite mangas, which will be released as an anime series later this year, is [i]Highschool of the Dead[/i]. A horrible pandemic breaks out; and a group of high-school students, who initially survive the disease, must cope with its effects upon the general population. You can read more about it at [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highschool_of_the_Dead][b][COLOR="DarkRed"]Highschool of the Dead - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/COLOR][/b][/url]. I'm impressed with the two female-lead characters: [b][COLOR="DarkRed"]Miyamoto Rei[/COLOR][/b] and [b][COLOR="DarkRed"]Takagi Saya[/COLOR][/b]. I've always appreciated strong female characters and these two are exemplary in their intelligence and valor. [CENTER][B][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkRed"]Miyamoto Rei[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B] [url=http://flyvapnet.com/myPictures/Art/Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead/Cover01A.jpg][img]http://flyvapnet.com/myPictures/Art/Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead/Cover01B.jpg[/img][/url] [SIZE="1"][i]Please click on the image to view its full size.[/i][/SIZE] [B][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkRed"]Takagi Saya[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B] [url=http://flyvapnet.com/myPictures/Art/Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead/Cover02A.jpg][img]http://flyvapnet.com/myPictures/Art/Manga/HighschoolOfTheDead/Cover02B.jpg[/img][/url] [SIZE="1"][i]Please click on the image to view its full size.[/i][/SIZE][/CENTER] Check it out! There's action, drama, suspense - and more. Watch for the anime this autumn, too. [CENTER]:animesmil [b][COLOR="DarkRed"]=^..^=[/COLOR][/b][/CENTER]

I'd certainly appreciate less attitude and more collegiality from moderators. Asking for the rationale behind a censoring decision should produce a thoughtful response, not an arrogant "that's the rules, period" cliche followed by even more bossy malarkey. We're not employed here, but we choose to spend time here; hence, a modicum of respect should be forthcoming from those who represent the Web site. :cool: [B][COLOR="Red"]=^..^=[/COLOR][/B]

Also known as the "Gurren School Edition," this official spin-off manga is a fascinating interpretation of Gainax's 27-episode 2007 anime series [i]Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann[/i]. Unlike the anime series and its parallel manga, this "Gurren School Edition" finds the main characters -- Yoko Ritona, Kamina and Shimon -- on a high-school campus rather than a remote desert battlefield. The story was written by Saitsu Ashi and the art was made by Kikkawa Kabao. [CENTER][IMG]http://flyvapnet.com/myPictures/YokoRitona/Miscellany/GurrenLagann-SchoolVersion-Chapter1-Page-001.jpg[/IMG] [i]The front cover[/i][/CENTER] It's fun following Yoko's and Shimon's high-school adventures and those of their friends. They're joined by Kamina and other familiar characters in off-campus scenarios. In one memorable scene, Yoko puts her life on the line in defense of both Nia and Shimon (whom she thinks of as her "little brother"). Shimon is attacked by antagonist Adiane the Elegant, who is attempting to kidnap Nia. Shimon's friends stand and watch, making excuses for their failure to defend him. Not Yoko! She rushes to Shimon's aid and battles Adiane in armed combat. Yoko is shown much more respect in this manga than was accorded her in the anime -- a refreshing change. Still, there's no getting away from the usual sexist male-superiority ambience. Unfortunately, this manga is only six chapters in length; but it's well worth reading! You can find it at [b]AnimeCouncil[/b]. [CENTER]:cool: [B][COLOR="Red"]=^..^=[/COLOR][/B][/CENTER] [color=darkblue][size=1]Sorry, but we don't allow links to downloads on OB. ^^ -Kei[/color][/size] [b]EDIT:[/b] [QUOTE]Sorry, but we don't allow links to downloads on OB. ^^ -Kei[/QUOTE] What's your rationale? That particular manga is not licensed in North America. :confused: Also, it's nice if censorship of posts is at least accompanied by an appreciation of content. Even a cliche helps soften the blow: "Thanks for that interesting write-up!" You don't even have to [i]read[/i] the post to appear grateful that somebody took the time to write it. ;) [B][COLOR="Red"]=^..^=[/COLOR][/B]

Gainax is actually giving [B][COLOR="Red"]Yoko Ritona[/COLOR][/B] center stage again, via what's billed as her "idol debut." It's a corporate turnaround by Gainax and comes as a most pleasant -- though long overdue -- surprise, after the dishonorable and shabby treatment Yoko endured in the anime and manga series [i]Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann[/i]. [quote]....a new Yoko character song-- titled "S.t.a.r.S.," is going to have an animated music video to go along with it, presumably done by Gainax. It's being released in a premium box set called [i]Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Kirameki * Yoko BOX ~Pieces of Stars~[/i]. It comes with a special box illustrated by character designer Atsushi Nishigori, a DVD that includes the music video, the song's CD from seiyuu Marina Inoue, and a 132-page booklet containing new Yoko illustrations....the DVD also has an interview with Inoue.[/quote] [CENTER][img]http://flyvapnet.com/myPictures/YokoRitona/HappyYoko/YokoIdolBox01A.jpg[/img][/CENTER] Below are the two Gainax locations of information on this product: [quote][url=http://www.gurren-lagann.net/yoko/][b]天元突破グレンラガン　キラメキ☆ヨーコBOX -PIECES of SWEET STARS[/b][/url] [url=http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/gurren-lagann/news/0248.html][b]GAINAX NET｜Works｜Animation & Films｜天元突破 グレンラガン｜News&Topics[/b][/url][/quote] As usual for myopic Gainax, there's no English-language option available. But, there's a partial English-language Web site which is taking pre-orders. It's located at.... [quote][url=http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%A4%A9%E5%85%83%E7%AA%81%E7%A0%B4%E3%82%B0%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%A9%E3%82%AC%E3%83%B3-%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A9%E3%83%A1%E3%82%AD%E2%98%86%E3%83%A8%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B3BOX-%7EPieces-sweet-stars%7E%E3%80%90%E5%AE%8C%E5%85%A8%E7%94%9F%E7%94%A3%E9%99%90%E5%AE%9A%E3%80%91/dp/B001V70TA2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1236756467&sr=8-1][b]Amazon.co.jp: 天元突破グレンラガン キラメキ☆ヨーコBOX ~Pieces of sweet stars~【完全生産限定】 [DVD]: オリジナルアニメ: DVD[/b][/url][/quote] It's due out in May, so I've gone ahead and pre-ordered it. My laptop computer lets me change regions back and forth, up to four or six times; and I've not yet changed it from Region 1, so I'm in luck there. On the other hand, I'm not literate in Japanese. Alas! [CENTER][img]http://flyvapnet.com/myPictures/YokoRitona/HappyYoko/YokoIdolBox02A.jpg[/img][/CENTER] In the event, it's great to know Yoko has a place in Gainax's future plans. Let's hope there's no stupid executive meddling this time, like there was with the anime series. I'm just happy to see Yoko [i]on her own[/i] -- being the star she is, unimpeded by male-superiority sexism. Even the knucklehead executives at Gainax finally got it through their thick skulls that [i]Yoko is popular[/i]. Duh! [CENTER]:wave: [B][COLOR="Red"]=^..^=[/COLOR][/B][/CENTER]

Thank you very much, [B][COLOR="Red"]Haku877[/COLOR][/B], for your thoughtful criticisms of my little story. It's the first such story I've written, hence your advice and suggestions are both helpful and welcomed. One of my intentions in writing this fan fiction was to simulate Yoko's inner voice, which would be a stream-of-consciousness phenomenon apt to follow tangents without straying too far from realities of the present. Also, I wrote this in one sitting late at night when I was quite tired; and I thought, "Yoko would be tired, too, having lugged a 35-pound electromagnetic rifle plus a similarly-heavy pack over rough terrain for several hours." I'm presently working on a much longer story, again about Yoko but with one additional speaking character: Kiyoh Bachika. In the anime series, Yoko was all too often pushed aside to make room for less-interesting characters -- [I]e.g[/I]., Kamina, Nia Teppelin, Simon -- so my Yoko fan fiction will compensate by always putting her at the center, with others relegated to the sidelines. For me, it's not about [i]Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann[/i]. It's all about Yoko Ritona, who could easily have been (and still could be) the central character of her own anime/manga series. Thanks again for your supportive reply! :wave: [B][COLOR="Red"]=^..^=[/COLOR][/B]

This very-short story is written from Yoko Ritona's point of view as a soldier in the field. Before she aligned herself with Kamina and Simon from Jeeha village, an unfortunate decision for her, Yoko had already amassed considerable war-fighting experience via participation in combat patrols sent out from Ritona village. Many of these combat/reconnaissance patrols were conducted on the surface. This is one such patrol. [CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]The Soldier[/SIZE][/B] [IMG]http://media-worlds.theotaku.com/10582-593586-20090213040802.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] We've been walking across rocks and sand for six hours now. Combat patrols always move out in the dark here. I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night to prepare. I don't mind soldiering. It's what I want to do, to help end this stupid war. It's what I can do. I'm a good shot. I'm friends with nature and its terrain. I see things before the others and I like to think I'm helping them survive. I'm fit and durable, thank goodness. They've tried killing me and have nearly succeeded on several occasions. They've killed my friends. It's the killing I mind, the wounding, all that blood and screaming, the soul preceding the body into the ground with a sigh. That's unless they're blown to bits right away. When we stop to camp, I check out my equipment first: my rifle first, then my body. It's always dirty. Everything's dirty by then. Sometimes I've blood all over me, but rarely is there a surplus of water. So I stay bloody and dirty a while longer. My name's Yoko and I sweat. Ha! It's a good thing to sweat, sometimes. When there's a breeze the sweat helps cool me off. I don't like clothing all over me. It makes me feel constricted, confined, slow. The word "phobia" springs to mind. So I show lots of skin and I don't care what others think of it. They tell me I'm "a fine specimen of a woman." So be it. I'm a good soldier and the other good soldiers accept me as a peer, even though I'm a young woman they'd rather be screwing than soldiering with. They watch my back and I watch theirs. We're a team. Logic and reason are my friends. They get me through the tight spots, when others panic. I don't panic, I survive. Panic out here and you're dead. Let your concentration slip even a bit and you're dead. The enemy isn't stupid. They're good soldiers, too. We try to kill one another. So much for logic and reason, eh? I don't know why they came here and began killing civilians, many civilians. Many. I wish they'd just go away and never come back. It's my job to encourage them to leave. I've encouraged too many of them already. Did they want to be here? I doubt it very much. You're a soldier and orders are orders. If I was giving the orders, more of us would be alive today. I store those thoughts away for reflection later on. Sometimes the demons come when I'm asleep. They wake me up. They whisper, "We shall be with you always, even until the end of time." They've read the bible! I love reading books, good old-fashioned books with paper pages and hard covers. No chance for that out here, though. After the war, if I still exist after the war, I want to teach children. I want them to be safe, to learn, to learn how to learn. There's always a lot to learn. Most of what I've learned as a soldier I'd rather forget, but not until after the war. My feet hurt. What's new? My joints ache. Sweat helps me remember where all the cuts and bruises are. I keep an inventory. I hope there won't be scars. I want to go to some beach after the war and be rubbed all over with oil. Oh, here comes my friend Ms Libido. Not now, honey. Maybe later, when we've camped. We should have already camped. We passed a good place an hour ago. Walk, walk, walk. We'll be stopping soon, though. I hope. Over there, about two miles away, is a good place for concealment. "Take cover! Take cover!" I shout at the top of my lungs. I saw the flash, just a tiny, barely discernible flash, from that good place for concealment. We hug the ground. Here it comes. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! It's rockets. Concussion, rocks, dirt, parts of rocks, maybe shrapnel -- it all hits me like a whirlwind from Hell. It hurts like hell, too. It'll be 30 seconds until the next barrage. Boulders, a bunch of big-ass boulders, 100 yards away to the left rear. "Boulders!" I shout and point at the same time. "Run! Go! Go! Go!" We run, we go. You can run very fast in combat, even as you can lay really flat. At the boulders we find crevices, holes. We wait. They saw us run and won't waste more light artillery on this hard position. How come I was the one to shout commands? Well, we're all here, so who cares? It's time for an inventory. Rifle, fine, no damage. Body? Let's see. Blood, new blood here. Sharp pain there. "Sound off!" I shout. Nobody's hurt badly. We'll be here for a while and we have water. I'll climb to near the top and keep watch. Out here, we're soldiers. That's all. Maybe we'll go home tomorrow, one way or another. [B][CENTER]~o~[/CENTER][/B] [SIZE="1"][B]Yoko Ritona[/B] is the lead female character in Gainax's 27-episode 2007 anime series [I]Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann[/I] directed (for the most part) by Hiroyuki Imaishi, in the 2007-2008 manga series [I]Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann[/I] illustrated by Kotaro Mori, in Konami's 2007 video games [I]Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Chōzetsu Hakkutsu ONLINE[/I] and [I]NDS Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann[/I], in the 2008 spin-off manga[I] Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Gurren Gakuen-hen[/I] illustrated by Kikkawa Kabao, in Hiroyuki Imaishi's 2008 feature film [I]Gekijōban Tengen Toppa Guren Ragan [Guren Hen][/I] and in Gainax's 2009 premium box set (book, compact disk, digital versatile disk) [I]Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Kirameki * Yoko BOX ~Pieces of Stars~[/I] directed by Atsushi Nishigori.[/SIZE] [CENTER]:wave: [B][COLOR="Red"]=^..^=[/COLOR][/B][/CENTER]

I thank Gainax for having created the character Yoko Ritona; but at the same time I'm very disappointed in the way she was treated during the anime series: continuously demeaned and insulted by Kamina, publicly humiliated and ridiculed in episode 12 via an entirely contrived and completely out-of-character scenario, then pushed into the distant background. In my view Yoko deserved much better -- considering her record of having saved others' lives, having given sound advice (which was ignored once too often by Kamina) and having achieved considerable popularity. Characters interest me much more than themes and plots. I don't look at Yoko as a "fan service" character but rather as a gifted young woman who took up arms against a genocidal occupying military force and fought that enemy with considerable courage and intelligence. Sure, she's got a cute figure; but how is that a bad thing? Her persona -- concern for others, coolness under fire, dedication to prosecuting the war of liberation, savvy circumspection, valorous actions, wise counsel -- is one I find fascinating. Her critics seem to believe the ocean is only knee deep, as they refuse to look past their fixation on superficialities. But at least Gainax had a change of heart toward the end of the anime series, giving Yoko a few cameo appearances and an honorable profession in education as Yomako-sensei. Gainax will soon release a box set (book, CD, DVD) which represents Yoko's "idol debut," so we're sure to encounter the small but loudmouthed anti-Yoko mob as it renews its sexist attacks; but I'm hoping the great majority of those who appreciate anime and manga will already be tired of that clique's monotonous misogynistic mantra. :wave: [B][COLOR="Red"]=^..^=[/COLOR][/B]