Manic Webb

Okay, help me out. [spoiler]Was Spike's poem the same poem he told that one girl the night Drusilla sired him? I think it had the same made-up word ending it.[/spoiler] I wasn't expecting a happy ending to the series (heavens, no), but this was a pure shock to my system. I'm on the edge of my seat, sitting closer and closer to the screen, getting ready for something big to happen, and you can imagine my surprise when [spoiler]Wolfram and Hart sent out a legion of demons (and a dragon) out to kill them, and the episode ends abruptly before the final fight of their lives even begins[/spoiler]. Crazy stuff. Crazy stuff. A little disappointing, but (and I give the writers this much credit despite their flaws) I didn't see it coming. It was rushed, though. Very rushed. This episode would've been 10 times better if it had been stretched out, say, over the span of 10 episodes. I especially loved [spoiler]Illyria beginning to come to terms with her feelings for Wesley. I'll be frank with you. I had a hunch she loved him. It probably has a lot to do with her mind being meshed with Fred's, but still. Also, I wanted to see more of the new Connor. All of the memories of the old Connor, with the personality of an average college student. It's not often you get to see him crack a joke... actually, I don't think he's ever cracked a joke in his tragic little life. Yeah, they should've shown more of Wesley's magic fight. Actually, they should've shown more of everyone's fights. What did we get? A shot of them walking into the room of demons they were assigned to kill, and a shot of them standing over their demonic dead bodies. I'd like to know how Spike's fight went, wouldn't you? And Illyria's fight. And Lindsey's. In fact, the only fight we got a good look at was Angel's. "Their blood flows through me"? Jeeze, even I knew Angel was going to bite him after he said that. In my humble opinion, Angel should drain the blood of more of his enemies. He never seems to have a problem with that, even if he can't take them in a fight. Alas, poor Lorne. I knew running with Angel's crew would take its toll on him, and he's finally had it. It's sad to see him go out like that, but the guy is a performer, not a fighter. You can tell he wants to do the right thing, but this was all too crazy for him. It's really something to see, because nobody else in the Buffyverse has ever walked out on the team like that before. They've turned evil (Faith, Angelus, Cordelia, Wesley), ended a messy relationship (Angel, Riley, Anya, Oz), died (Anya, Doyle, Cordelia, Fred), but they've never just [i]abandoned[/i] the group.[/spoiler] All in all, a good episode. But like I said before, it woud've been a whole lot greater if it had all taken place over the course of [i]several[/i] episodes instead of one.

I never watched this show, but only because it relied exclusively on sex appeal and a corny-as-the-cob premise. It just didn't seem that interesting. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie (daughter of singer Lionel Richie... yes, she's black) are two rich, spoiled, snobby girls. I'm not going to deny that. I will, however, say that they're not quite as snobby as we want to think. They did, mind you, want to move to a rural town and live "the simple life" for a period of time. They even were willing to give up their designer clothes the whole time. Fox wasn't having that, but it's the thought that counts. They know they're rich and pampered and wouldn't give up their expensive lifestyle for anything, but they're willing to admit that. Doing this crappy reality show isn't going to change their way of life (party, party, sex tape, sex tape, party, sex tape, party, party), but it might give them more respect for people with less money or less "in" than them.

[quote name='Harry]The episode on wednesday is not the season finale, it's the [b]series[/b'] finale. There is no next year's season premier.[/quote] I'm well aware. I actually referred to the series as being cancelled in the same post. As for me saying "season" instead of "series"... force of habit. I tend to say "final season finale" or just "season finale" even when a show has been cancelled. I made the reference to an imaginary next season because Joss commented that the cancellation would have no effect on this season's finale, and they would continue with little or no changes in the script. Meaning this series finale was probably going to be written with another season in mind-- one that will never happen.

I bought a Ricky Martin CD. You know, the one with "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Shake Your Bon-Bon" and "Cup of Life." Don't look at me like that. You liked "Livin' La Vida Loca" too. Admit it. It was a very catchy song, and I loved singing along to the Spanish lyrics. Then I realized the rest of his songs were unnaturally boring. Yes, [i]unnaturally[/i]. I've been trying to hide and get rid of that CD for years, but it seems to keep popping up all over my room. Under the bed, in my sock drawer, amongst my tiny videogame collection. I've been screening CDs before I buy them ever since.

I doubt Spike will be the one to go. There's a limit on how many times a person can die and come back to life... unless you're Buffy or Darla. And Spike's the kind of character that, if he dies, won't stay dead for very long. That, and isn't he already just a corporeal ghost? I think it's interesting how Illyria came off as such a "big-bad preparing to strike" during her portion of the season, but she's probably not going to pay a big part in the finale at all. She's a loose end that, thanks to an unexpected cancellation, may never get tied. I was looking forward to them fighting her and it ultimately ending in some sort of climactic finale to end all finales. Eh, but she just proceeded to be a pain in Wesley's rump. I'll give the writers this much: Illyria's role in the show is all but predictable. I'll have to agree that I think the "death" might be Angel's. My guess is that it'll end with his death and won't show him shanshuing into a human. I wouldn't be surprised if the rebirth of Liam (Angel's pre-vampire name) was going to be saved for next year's season premier. One thing I'm almost sure of, though, is that this finale will have bitter-sweet written all over it. Angel has yet to have a season end with a real "happy ending" and I don't think this season will be any different.

I find it funny how people say that Britney had a cleaner image a few years ago. Yeah, if by that you mean during the Mickey Mouse Club. Watch Britney's "Baby One More Time" video. Can you honestly be [i]that[/i] surprised when you see her in a flesh-colored suit today? It's not like we couldn't have seen this coming. She wasn't exactly squeaky clean when her first album came out. Remember, she [i]did[/i] give lap dances during her first tour. That's not to say she's a slut. We know nothing about her sex life. In fact, the general public was led to believe she was a virgin up until she cheated on Justin (how long ago was that?) a year or so ago. Simply put, Britney is all eye-candy. She's giving her fans something to look at. That doesn't mean she's actually having as much sex as her videos imply. Throughout the 1980s, Prince dressed like a woman... but he was a heterosexual man. The image sells. That's not to say she's sexy. "Sexy" is relative. Eye of the beholder and all that. I don't find her sexy. So my answer to the question at hand: neither. Britney had the potential to be a decent singer, but she screwed up bigtime when she bought the song "Baby One More Time." The song was originally written for TLC. You can tell by the way the words "baby baby" keep repeating and how Britney sings like a bad T-Boz impersonator. And that's where she went wrong. She started singing like T-Boz, which she can't even do correctly. She used that singing style for song after song and she sounds like crap. If you listen to Britney before the record deal (MMC, local performances, ect.), she sang in a completely different style. And it had the potential to sound better with training. Granted, it wouldn't have been [i]good[/i]. But it would have been [i]decent[/i]. I'll give her credit for her dancing ability. She's good. She should've been a professional music video back-up dancer... or an exotic dancer. :p As I said before, Britney is eye-candy... and not even very sweet candy, at that. To me, she's like candy made with a sugar substitute. It starts off sweet and good, but, ugh, the after-taste! You're either going to finish eating it because you have little choice, or you're going to get rid of it and never buy a piece again. My best advice is to ignore Britney's music if you don't like it. That's what I do. I have to bring up Christina Aguilera. People say she's gone over the sexual/slutty deep end. I think that it was all a plot to alienate her younger female fans, so she wouldn't have to worry about being a role model to little girls too young to know better. She went to an all-new extreme when she released "Dirrty," but she's actually toned it down by quite a bit since then; not by a lot, but just enough to allow herself to do whatever she wants without as many parents getting on her back.

[quote name='Harry']Totally Spies is like totally cool. Also it's been on toonami forever. The big question is when are new episodes of JLA. I miss it so much :([/quote] Not knowing just how sarcastic that post is/isn't, I'm going to respond to it in utter confusion. Totally Spies was never on Toonami. Cartoon Network previously had it strategically placed immediately after the Toonami block ended. This timeslot probably brought on fairly high ratings, which would explain why Cartoon Network sponsered new episodes. Justice League will air the season 2 finale sometime this summer, followed closely by the premier of season 3: Justice League Unlimited (which will feature a much much larger cast than before).

[spoiler]I think Volume 2 played a great balancing act with Volume 1. With Volume 1, you've got a ton of action, blood to all extremes, and a fair amount of character developement. With Volume 2, however, you've got loads of backstory, all of which plays an important part in the movie as a whole. You get a glimpse of Bea's training, her interaction with Bill, and exactly how it all went down at a little chapel in El Paso. You also see that Bill wasn't in his right mind when he called in the rest of the Deadly Vipers and regrets what he did to her. He's also a very good dad.[/spoiler] Okay, time to pick out my favorite moments... [spoiler]Bill's family! Finding out Buddy was his brother was an odd surprise. It makes you wonder if Bea was going to kill Buddy immediately, or if she was going to pump him for info. Hm. Turns out Bill was raised by his mom and a Latin-American pimp. That's was interesting to find out. Was Bill's mom one of whasisname's girls, or just a friend like Bea said? B.B. wanting to watch [i]Shogun Assassin[/i] before bed. That is so precious. I have to admit: I knew The Bride's name toward the beginning on the movie. When Bill was talking to Buddy, he said her name and, as usual, it got bleeped out. However, I used my limited lip-reading ability to see that Bill only said one syllable and moved his lips in a "B" or "P" motion. I just assumed he was calling her "Bea." The short classroom segment when Elle first says her name was a funny touch, by the way. Am I the only one who laughed when Elle got her other eye ripped out? Come on! The way she was flinging around the trailer... it was funny! Or maybe I'm just twisted... Bea's introduction to Pai Mei. He was such a jerkoff. She'd only said "Master" and he insulted her Mandarin. But hey, what do you expect from a man who took offense to a monk who didn't notice his greeting? Why did Buddy tell Bill he sold his Hanzo sword? Did he think someone would've come after him if anyone knew he still had it? God knows Elle stabbed his back like a Brutus with PMS.[/spoiler]

Take your opinions to the other Miguzi thread... [url]http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=37896[/url]

[quote name='friday 13']personaly i think it kicks a**e :devil:[/quote] This thread is just vague enough to [i]not[/i] prompt any discussion. I'm afraid I'm going to have to close it. If anyone wants to start a Death Metal thread, I suggest they do so using a lot more than one short sentence to start it off.

Seeing as how I didn't reply in the last 10 "your username" threads, I figure I might as well join-in on this one. First of all, the rumors are false. I'm [i]not[/i] manic depressive. I don't care [i]what[/i] my therapist says... Well, Manic is a character in the short-lived, very unpopular Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon, [i]Sonic Underground[/i]. In that show, Sonic met his long-lost triplet brother (Manic the Hedgehog) and sister (Sonia the Hedgehog). They formed a rebel force to stop the evil Robotnik, while secretly under the guise of a local rock band called Sonic Underground. Manic was the drummer, had super-fast hands, used to be a pick-pocket, has ear piercings, and spikey hair. He was just a well-designed character and my favorite on the show.

Hanson is back. So? From what I've heard, Hanson (who, thankfully, I can now tell are all-male) get a little bit better with every album they release. If they luck-out, they might just de-categorize themselves as a "boy-band" and just be called a "band." I heard their new song as well. Not my cup of tea, but it's a lot better than some of their earlier work. And like Amibasuki said, they actually write, produce, and perform all of their songs. I give them the proverbial props. If you like their song, don't beat yourself up over it. If you're afraid you're friends will make fun of you for liking it... Well, I'm not going to lie to you-- don't let them know.

[quote name='phattmasterdj']90% of music lovers listen to pop music and such.[/quote] You know, 30% of all statistics are made up. :D I like to think that there are a lot of people out there who still have respect for the greater bands of the 80s. Sure, not many of them are under 30 years old, but there are a few of us out there. I don't even listen to a lot of rock, but I still have respect for bands like Queen, Guns and Roses, and the like. I feel like I sort of [i]have to[/i] listen to some of their songs, for the sake of knowing who they are. I, for one, hate it when older people tell me that I don't know [i]real[/i] music. It's fun to toss out a few fun-facts about bands who were popular before my time, just to see their reactions. And you know the cliche; (paraphrased) you have to know where you've been to see where you're going. I love The Darkness. Their stance is that they're rebelling against the current music scene by not sounding over-rebellious (like most bands today). They give a thumbs-up instead of the middle finger, because [i]that's[/i] a rebellious act in today's rock scene. :rolleyes:

Well, there's already a Hellboy thread... [url]http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=38409[/url] This is essentially a "vs" thread. If anyone wants to go start a Walking Tall thread (if there isn't one already), go ahead. This thread is closed.

This example of shameless self-promotion is closed. --EDIT-- Transtic Nerve has informed me of a possible (series of) scam(s) in this specific ebay auction... [quote]- "rare" guitar picks which can be found in handfuls at places. All of which are overpriced. - X-Japan VHS looks like it was a copy made by the seller and then they printed out their own cover. - "Origin of HIDE" CD - Yokosuka Saver Tiger Vol.1 is a bootleg CD - shipping for a guitar pick is $5-$7? You can ship them in envelopes for less than a buck.[/quote]

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']Another concern I have is Kate Beckinsale's horrendous "Romanian" accent. Holy crap is it bad; it's different in every scene they show in the trailers. I hope it won't ruin the film as much as the seemingly shoddy special effects will.[/quote] Holy crap. That was supposed to be a Romanian accent? I didn't even notice she was trying to change her accent. Honest truth. I saw several trailers and commercial spots for this movie over and over and over again at my job (I'm one of those people who stop you in the mall and show you movie trailers) last month. The more I watched it, the more I realized the special effects are [i]nothing[/i] to look forward to. Since this film is also going to squeeze in about 3 or 4 popular monsters as villains, I have a strong fear that the story is going to be a bit rushed. That is, unless they somehow make a big connection between Frankstein's monster, the Wolfman, and Dracula. But if I could sit through [i]The 13th Warrior[/i] (a story that was good in novel form, but sucked much lollypop as a film), then I think I can enjoy [i]Van Helsing[/i]. That, and I'm already a fan of vampires and semi-fan of Mr. Jackman. Didn't Hugh Jackman also co-star in [i]Swordfish[/i] alongside John Travolta and Halle Berry's obscenely expensive breasts?

[QUOTE=Albane]I just heard a rap song that (hold on to your hats) I actually liked. It was "Airforce Ones" from Nelly. It's just really catchy and I had it stuck in my head for most of the school day. Then once I got home I listened to Korn and that replaced "Airforce Ones".[/QUOTE] See now? You found a nice rap song about liking a pair of shoes. And they say miracles don't happen... Don't ask me who "they" are... I've always thought 50 Cent was overrated. He's a decent rapper, but he's got more image than talent. [i]Way[/i] more image than talent. Banks is actually the better member of G-Unit. 50's popularity brought them into the spotlight, but Banks' actual talent is carrying them. Even then, I don't think they'll stay in the spotlight for much longer. Jin is somebody whose album I'm looking forward to. He has skills, but I fear he's being backed-up by some hit-or-miss producers (Swizz Beatz). But I hear he's hiring some actually [i]good[/i] producers, so that's relieving. Anybody know when his CD releases, anyway? Or has it already and I simply didn't know?

[QUOTE=Albane]I personally hate every type of rap/hip hop that I've ever heard. Although rap fans think my excuse for hating that type of music is really lame. It's just that "rap" isn't my kind of music at all. I can't stand to hear some guy singing about "popping a cap up some one's ***** or about raping some women. See? Rap's just gay in my opinion. Bands that I [B]do[/B] like are: Ill Nino Killswitch Engage MushroomHead Slipknot Metallica Seether Cold Evanescence Korn From Autumn to Ashes Seven Dust Powerman 5000 The Blank Theory Nothing Face Type O Negative RA Spineshank Led Zepplin Murder Dolls The Offspring The reasons I like these bands is that they're fun to listen to and rock is perfect for relieving stress. Plus, since I'm a guitar player myself, I can definetly respect bands like Metallica, RA, Led Zepplin, ect.[/QUOTE] We respect your not liking hip-hop. It's not your thing, whatever. However, not all rap is about rape or murder. Granted, gangsta rap is what boosted the general genre's popularity during the 1990s. But today, most mainstream rap is more "user friendly." That's like me saying I don't listen to rock because I don't like listening to people whine and complain about their "father issues" constantly. And we all know not all rock is like that, and I even listen to a little of it. But that's for another thread...

I think you should (in risk of sounding cliche) put a little more effort into your posts. I know you have to have more to talk about than that. Let us know what you really think.

[quote name='Petey']I must say, I was very impressed with the execution of the video. It seemed to harken back to when Michael Jackson had a healthy and meaningful music career. In one shot, Usher was dancing in front of a very nifty light/smoke effect. Reminded me a lot of Jackson's one video from a long time ago. The name escapes me. And I was very pleased to see no women jiggling and gyrating. It was very refreshing to see actual dancing in a hip hop video. In fact, as I watched the group dancing, I kept thinking Early Jackson Videos, primarily the Ghosts one.[/quote] Usher has a reputation for dancing like Michael Jackson. With the exception of one music video that looked like a "B" action movie ("Nice and Slow"), all of his videos involve choreographed dance sequences. [quote]Another time, on my way home from school, when there was absolutely nothing on any of my regular classic rock stations, I flipped on Q102, just because I needed some music. Eminem's new song featuring D12, I think, was on. Can you tell I have no idea of the specifics of the hip hop genre? lol. But anyway, in an Eminem song, I expected rampant racial and ethnic slurs, sexist statements, etc. But My Band was pretty devoid of them, or maybe I just didn't hear them. If Eminem can keep going in that direction, I think he'll keep his current audience and even gain more respect from other marketshares. I am one of the staunchest critics of his music and messages, and could never find any humor in his previous material. My Band, however, it's funny without being crude. That's a major positive, I think, when it comes to selling records.[/QUOTE] You know, Eminem rarely (if ever) releases his more controversial material as singles. You'd actually have to buy one of his CDs to hear some of the stuff people complain about. His singles are usually his more toned-down songs. D12's singles are always silly and relatively inoffensive. I don't know what their other songs usually sound like, though. "My Band" is actually a D12 song; Eminem just happens to be the Justin Timberlake of the group-- be damned if we know who the other members are.

[quote name='ReFlux][color=green][size=1]I am a huge fan of real hip hop music, the lively stuff with a semi-positve message or the funny stuff. My favorite EmCee's are Frog One (THUG soundtrack) J-Live (THUG Sountrack) Quassimoto (THUG Soundtrack), Ludacris, Missy Elliot, Outkast, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Wu Tang Clan, Lloyd Banks (who now has an album of his own), 50 Cent (Banks is better, but I like him okay), and Jin (just a funny guy).[/size'][/color][/quote] I haven't heard of Frog One, J-Live, or Quassimoto, but I will check them out ;) I do like everyone else you named (with the exception of 50 Cent. Overrated, I says). Most newer and younger artists don't have a feel for older hip-hop, and their songs tend to lack that true spirit. That's why people like Fabolous come off as overly shallow. People like Missy, Jay-Z, and Kanye are either so old that they've been around since old school hip-hop, or they try to bring back a classic & soulful feel to their music. I recently picked up Kanye West's CD, and it blends the perfect amount of commentary and humor. In fact, even the songs that come off as shallow "money and hos" songs on the surface, are meant to be ironic. His current single, "All Falls Down," even goes as far as to say that people to talk about their money all the time are just insecure. Took me a while to catch that, though-- too busy watching Stacy Dash run in slow-motion. :) Wu Tang has really been lacking lately. With the exception of Method Man (who is more godly than Jay "Hova" Z in my book), the group's solo projects haven't been that good. Even one of their recent group projects wasn't that good. Like ReFlux said, they've been below par since ODB went to jail. And don't get me started on his recent name-change and move to Rocafella.

I really don't like to talk about the subject of Jesus' appearance, but it looks like a heated discussion has started that I must inject myself into for the sake of injecting myself into it. :rolleyes: Let's remember that there's a distinct difference between race, ethnicity, and color. Ethnicity refers to the way one was raised, while color is one's... skin color. It's already been established that Jesus was not Arab, as that ethnic group hadn't even made its way to that area yet. He was Jewish, plain and simple; descended from Hebrews. The only real description the J-man is given, is that he wasn't extraordinary-looking. He looked like Average Jeeze. So he probably wasn't exceptionally darker or lighter than the average person. Thing is, even if Jesus had been full-out Roman, he still would've had at least an olive-like skin tone. He could've been pretty light, but not white to the degree of, say, Ireland or Holland. So I doubt he was white, but I'm not going to the extreme to say he was ebony black. Considering the times and location, I think it's pretty fair to assume he was a more (for lack of a better term) "sun-baked" tone of brown.

You might want to take this topic to the "Miguzi" thread... [url]http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=37896[/url]

I haven't seen the movie. I don't plan to. And here comes my reasoning that will no doubt get debated... From what I've heard and read, the movie focuses on the death of Jesus... not so much his actual deeds. I really see no point in focusing on his death... Okay, so there's the whole "died for the sins of man" thing. Still, I don't want uneasing death scenes and brutal torture to have to reinforce my Christianity. I can't go see this movie as a Christian (despite me being one), because watching an actor reinact Jesus' death isn't going to make my faith any stronger. If I ever do decide to see this movie, it's going to be out of pure curiosity. But since I dislike being disgusted by gorey acts in film, I don't see myself seeing The Passion. Maybe when it comes out on video...

Bruce Timm is a genius. I think we can at least partially agree with that. He has done the best on-screen adaptation of Batman I've ever seen. His designs for [i]Batman: The Animated Series[/i] were great, although he was a little limited by the Batman movies when he designed Catwoman and Penguin and other characters. Luckily, he remedied that in [i]The New Batman Adventures[/i] (aka Gotham Knights). [i]Beyond[/i] was a good series and an interesting look into the future. My only problem with it was that its continuity with the greater DC Animated Universe doesn't leave much room for Tim Drake or Babs-as-Oracle to appear in future episodes of Justice League Unlimited or whatever new series they decide to come up with. The new [i]The Batman[/i] will take place outside of the normal animated universe, so that'll leave them with a lot of room to be creative. I'm a little too used to Timm's artwork, so it'll take a while to get used to the designs used in this series... much like how I got used to Murakami's new Robin design for TT.