eleanor

[i]Yes, a good book is much better than any television show. But that statement contradicts your post somewhat considering that the most renowned literature is beautifully simple and straightforward at a glance yet contain boldly complex undertones when you read between the lines.[/i] Now, I don't think things have to be complicated to be good. I won't try to explain anything, it was really just a side comment. I'm not going to say I know the inner workings of Walt Disney's mind, but I doubt he was trying to make all of those references. He changed things to suit the movie that was for kids. Would a tightly-laced bodice appeal to kids and their mothers? Ok, an apple doesn't really do much, but it's better than a bodice when it comes to kids' movies. And I do now know why so many people are thinking I'm saying anime is so much better than American cartoons. I'm [i]not[/i]. I'm just saying that anime has more of a history of being more complicated intentionally than American cartoons. If I can't rely on Evangelion since Hideaki based it off this Greek myth, I will say that more anime have more complicated plots that have been researched and created by minds today rather than most American cartoons. I don't know much about Disney, but I really don't think Walt Disney cared about the connections; he was just trying to make good movies. What about Looney Toons and old Saturday morning cartoons? Some people will think anime is 10,000 times better than American cartoons, and in terms of plot, it can be. It's just that bit of anime and that bit of Western animation that can really battle it out. Will people recognize Evangelion and say it's confusing? Yes. Will people recognize Snow White to full of metaphors and symbolism. A few. Unlike anime, Western cartoons do not purposefully show plot complications and hidden meaning like anime. Anime just decides to blast it all at you, while other will just keep it hidden. Do I still think anime like Evangelion and BP was developed in a more purposely intellectual and is still more complicated in terms of plot? Yes. Western cartoons can be really stupid, and so can Asian cartoons. Western cartoons can be filled with symbolism and other things, and so can anime. I just think anime actually shows it, or at least tries to. But I have my very good favorites that are Western cartoons, too. I'm not going to write anymore after this. Anime was adapted from Western cartoons, they developed the art style further in their own ways [ex: expression, huge eyes, whatever.] and took a more risque turn. It can be complicated, and I think it's more straightfoward than Western cartoons, but sure, I believe that Western cartoons can be just as complicated.[/size]

[size=1] I don't know about Disney or anything, but I'm not saying anime is the only animation medium that can be complicated. In terms of plot and story development, more animes has more complex elements that most Disney movies and cartoons. Symbolism and metaphors might be found every minute in Disney movies, but their plots are simple enough. And you have to add that almost every Disney movie is based off of a story already written down or passed down by word of mouth. Disney does not simply make this stuff up, people did that a long time ago. Case in point, Snow White vs. Evangelion. Snow White was a tale, an old one, that Walt Disney decided to make a movie out of. Hideaki Anno dug up all that stuff from religious documents and decided to jumble it all into an anime series. Think of all the mainstream American cartoons, versus anime like Boogiepop Phantom, Evangelion, .hack//SIGN, etc. that were popular in Japan. Come on, Simpsons VS. BP. Which one has a more complex PLOT? Yes, most animes are bunch of fanservice stupid things like...hamsters rescuing the day or whatever. Yet the few anime that actually have more interesting plots are definately above most other cartoons. And this is excluding pictures and comics, since I have no interest in American comics whatsoever and wouldn't know what I was talking about at all. I don't know, this argument can be a load of crap for what I know. And then there's my anti-argument, since out of millions of anime titles, only about 30 are actually good. And we all know a good book beats everything mentioned here. :p[/size]

[size=1] Nice job for the rough draft, and the shading is pretty smooth. ^_^. The guy's body seems very stiff and uncomfortable, and would lookd better if you tried to make his body in the position or awe or something. I would try and concentrate on more detailed looks at water and trees, since at some places the branches look like a spider's web rather than entwined tree branches. Good luck, anyway.[/size]

[size=1] Your second banner is, in my opinion, better than the first. But, your second one looks [i]slightly[/i] unbalanced. I'm guessing you were evening things out by using the text and the head, but the middle part seems too long. I don't know if this will help, but making the banner shorter in length might make it seem...not so bare. *shrugs* Great job with the graphics, though.[/size]

[size=1]The drawing is very well done, and I hate acrylics [hate to use it to paint a shoe.], but great job. At first I thought the girl's hair was her wing, and then wondered if it was really her hair or her wing, lol. Good job, anyway. But... If your whole final is based around using perspective...to be blunt, it doesn't have much of it. *shrugs* Did you try to use the difference between the color schemes of blue and red to balance it out? It would be very nice if the middle part sort of blended the two together, althought very subtle. And with the girl's shirt and hair...Well, I don't even know what you were trying to achieve with balance, anyway. =_=[/size]

[size=1] Some animes can be very confusing, but it's one thing that sets anime apart from other types of cartoons. Some of the plots seen in anime are very deep and intellectual, and not the usual simple one that make all ends meet. But just because a plot is confusing doesn't mean that it's good. Sometimes if it's [i]that[/i] confusing, you should rewatch and reflect on what you just saw. I never really do that [I would hate doing that, really. :p], but I guess it helps some people.[/size]

[size=1] Studio Ghibli has put out many great movies, mainly ones made my Hayao Miyazaki. I dunno...[b]Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Monoke[/b]... and there are probably more that I've forgotten. I believe that Miyazaki took part in the making of [b]Grave of the Fireflies[/b], which is an excellent anime by itself. Probably one of the most moving anime movies that are around today. [b]Akira[/b] was huge, but I think it's been toned done by today since there were so many other animes that depicted things just as vulgar and grotesque later on. I don't know, really, but maybe the reason [b]Akira[/b] was so popular was because it was the first of its kind.[/size]

[size=1] Hm...my first manga? In sixth grade, I became unhealthily obsessed with DBZ, and I freaked when my friend bought some DBZ mangas. She went to the mall with me and took me to Waldenbooks, and I looked around. I really didn't know any other anime but DBZ back then, but I decided to get the Evangelion manga because it looked interesting and I couldn't find the DBZ ones. Needless to say, I found Evangelion to be awesome, and then continued my obsession with illegal downloading and internet scouring. Hm. Well, I've come a long way. Right now, I'm an eigth grader at 13 years old, and not a [i]complete[/i] loser. No, manga and manwha [I don't think manwha will ever really become popular in America] aren't mainstream, but the sales of manga has increased greatly and you can look around in the mall and shopping areas to see for yourself. Bookstores like Waldonbooks [is that Waldenbooks?] and Barnes and Noble have sections dedicated to mangas, and major electronics stores have huge sections of anime. Not mainstream, but closer to becoming as popular as american comics. Well, actually, I have no idea of the number of people who still regularly buy American comics. Not anybody I know, anyway. [i]The Japanese don't have a monopoly on creativity or artistic ability.[/i] I wish, lol. But really, you're right, because the only reason the awesome amateur artists out there are usually Japanese or whatever is because anime and manga are a big part in Asian culture. I will say that anime definately has much more creativity than most American comics/shows. It may just be their culture, I have no idea. [/size]

[size=1] The quality is pretty grainy, I can't see it well. Oh well. The picture itself is very good, along with the shading. Well, I don't know if this is because of your scanner or just you, but coloring is very choppy, and you can see exactly where you changed the direction. It's better to just keep everything smooth. Great job, though. ^_^ [/size]

[size=1] Most recent anime I've watched, so I decided to make a thread about it. I'm not too pleased with the scene in every episode where either Chocolate and/or Tira turn into those fighting machines wearing skimpy outfits, but anyways...I love Carrot. ^_^. He was the first person I noticed with interest when I watched the first episode. So very typical of me, though. :p I like the plot line, it's pretty solid and clear, and and I particularly like the expressions Carrot give every now and then. The fighting scenes aren't that much to me, but it's better than many animes I know, so I'm not going to complain. I've only seen the first four episodes, anyway. *shrugs* Anyone else seen it?[/size]

[size=1] Nice flower background, Sara, it was actually the first thing I noticed. *laughs* They're all very elegant and pretty. ^_^ Her wrists look a bit chubby, but it's no big deal. What I like most, though, is her hair. You can actually see every single strand, as opposed to the chunky versions you see in many mangas and anime. Hope to see more of that [i]and[/i] your pictures.[/size]

[size=1] Your drawing has its little mistakes, but overall it's a very nice piece of art. Though I would suggest trying to study other animes and their, well, ears, and try to draw it similiarly. If your going to use cel-shading on coloring, though, I would suggest more around the nose are on the face and some shading on her clothes. Other than that, great job. ^_^. P.S. I commend you on the face drawing, because for some reason, I cannot draw faces striaghtfoward. They're always at and angle of some sort, and when I do draw them striaght, they look at a bit deformed. O_o. Anyways, you did an excellent job on that...the eyes are perfect![/size]

[size=1] I've never seen an anime where [i]other[/i] anime shows are included in the plot. Very interesting. ^_^. Nice story introduction [or whatever you want to call it], but I would reccomend trying some new techniques. You will learn so make the ruler your very best friend, lol. I have yet to witness someone who has the talent to draw perfectly straight lines without some kind of straight edge. I guess you can distinguish the density between water and blood, since you drew it pretty thick, but if it were me, I would probably examine and study the art of other mangas and try to find out how professional artists draw rain and blood. Splattered blood is a very tricky thing to draw, it's evil on beginning artists. Really, all I need to see improved is design-quality. You know what they say, practice makes perfect. :p It's nice to know there are more artists trying their hand at making original mangas, and don't get discouraged by flames and stupid bits of insulting comments *glares at certain people*. Every artist has his/her beginning, and some people are too afraid to post pictures in the first place, so good for you. Good luck on your manga![/size]

[size=1] *raises eyebrow* Like I said, even if you have the free time to actually go wherever you want on the internet, you're not going to die of not going on anime sites. School computers are meant for research and school activites.[/size]

[size=1][QUOTE][i]Originally posted by OtakuSennen [/i] [B][color=midnightblue] For a while Mr. Chisholm (The teacher) had us trying to stay away from the style of anime- He wanted us to have a wide array of styles under our belts, and he wanted us to use them. Then he learned that we're only good at drawing manga, and he gave that ideal up. [/color] [/B][/QUOTE] You'll only get even better at drawing cartoons if you grasp the idea of drawing realistically. Anyways, the reason your school blocked anime sites is probably because they're paranoid about hentai or porno, or whatnot. I'm not surprised, either, because the last time I used a school computer, a hentai ad popped up right when I openend up Internet Explorer. School computers aren't for having fun on anime forums while your supposed to be doing work, anyway. Well, some teachers might let you just do anything if there's nothing else [i]to[/i] do, but you're going to die.[/size]

[size=1] There's already multiple Zelda mangas in Japan, but I do think it would make a good anime if done right. I own two of the Zelda manga books, based on the storyline of Ocarina of Time. If they made an anime off of those books, I think the show would be awesome. ^_~. Well, that's my call.[/size]

[size=1] Uh...trying to find that stupid, giant hurricane in Wind Waker. I swear I think I spent two hours searching for it, and I still haven't been able to find it. O_o. I got a massive headache right after, so it didn't help much.[/size]

[size=1] I really don't like Kaname, I don't know why, I just don't. She give me the impression of a hyper teenager who bounces around with PINK TENNIS SHOES insulting Sosuke every moment she gets, and she can't control herself at all. Wait, she [i]is[/i]. Dagger, the last time I saw Kaname on manga cover, she was wearing a two-inch skirt while bending over, holding this random strip of paper or whatever, so I'd have to agree with you on that part. [/end rant] I watched parts of Full Metal Panic after my friend Andrew kept on insisting that it was the best anime show ever and that I had to see it. Frankly, I don't like it. Heck, I don't even like the actions scenes. I don't like mecha-battle scenes for some reason [except for Evangelion, even though they're not really machines.] I forced myself to watch another episodes, but to no avail, it was no good. The whole romantic situation is unoriginal, and I will have to say that I don't like the art style. It's shallow, but I usually dislike watching an anime with an art style I don't enjoy... unless the anime is good enough to make me forget about the art style. *sighs* Maybe it's just me and the lack of episodes I've really watched.[/size]

[size=1] :D Yay, I'm Capricorn! O_o. I guess I'm supposed to be evil...with goat horns. =_=. Anyways, I think it's a wonerful idea. I especially like your Gemini interpretation, the girls remind me of Chobits. I've never really worked with watercolor, so I can't say much, but I like the colors. Your color schemes are really great, and it all matches very well. Awesome job, here.[/size]

[size=1] You will find that many people vote negatively on MyOtaku fanart pictures even if they're actually very well done. It might be jealousy, an obsession to becoming one of the 'Top Ten' or something. *shrugs* Personally, I like the picture. The only 'problem' I see is the area between her knees and hip doesn't really distinguish where the legs are. But other than that, it's a very good picture. ^_^.[/size]

[size=1][QUOTE][i]Originally posted by pbfrontmanvdp [/i] [B] My only question is [spoiler] if it is a combination of Rye, Misato or whatever why did the creators pic Asuka's physical form to be the one to start the new earth?? I would have thought for sure it would of been Misato since Shinji was closer to her then Asuka is. [/spoiler] [/B][/QUOTE] And that is why no one will ever truly understand Evangelion. ^_~. I think Shinji actually was romantically intersted in Asuka during the series, even though she [i]was[/i] very arrogant and mean towards him. [/size]

[size=1] A lot of people think that the coolest part is when Jing fuses his owl-thing, but that's actually the part I don't like, lol. I usually dislike it when people mix CG effects with hand-drawn animation, so that's most likely it. MetalSonic: It sucks that they don't have a soundtrack, though.[/size]

[size=1] Sara, you have a very distinct style when drawing, and I love it. I'm not going to nag about my personal preferences and dislikes on your pictures, but your pictures are very enjoyable. ^_^. Your pictures are very clean, and it seems you have a grasp on using cel-shading correctly. I especially like the higlights in the hair of the one you drew with your gray markers. Hope to see more![/size]

[size=1] Getting proportions correctly when drawing tends to be the hardest thing artists get past when they start out. All I can really offer to you is to broaden the shoulders for this picture. For future pictures, though, it helps if you study the human body. The head is never supposed to be bigger than the width of one's shoulder's, and then again should never be too small. What I suggest is to draw very simple sketches of a human's body without the head, and then after you've drawn the outline, draw in the head's outline making sure that it is NOT bigger than the shoulders. After you get the hang of it and receive a good idea of bodily proportions, you could try again. At the very least, you should draw the head first, and then make sure the shoulders are bigger than her head. That's all I can think of, anyway. Good Luck![/size]

[size=1] Yes, I know there's a huge possibility that LoTR won't be going home with Best Picture. Ocars tend to choose movies that have deeper meaning, and like Semjaza Azazel said, fantasy-genre movies are usually just looked down upon in that sense. But I think it has a very good chance at winning Best Director. Or maybe I'm just being stupid.[/size]