Anime Peace Maker Kurogane

[Dagger]

r2vq-- All of ADV's releases are uncut. They occasionally take liberties with the English dialogue (for example, Saiyuki's dub is a lot more racy and suggestive than the original version), but to my knowledge they never alter an anime's actual footage or use dubtitles rather than proper subtitles. American companies tend to get a bad rap simply because of the horrific things that Nelvana and 4Kids have done to series like Shaman King and Cardcaptor Sakura. :/

Anyway... there's a possibility that Peacemaker may be edited for television, since it's probably going to air on The Anime Network. However, the DVDs will definitely be uncensored. ^_^


[quote name='JazzLady22'] I cannot wait to buy my lovely, shiny box set. If I'm not mistaken, ADV is the one with the great art boxes? *Twitches with joy*[/quote]

Well, that depends. Geneon and Bandai usually have the best art boxes; some of ADV's are good (Full Metal Panic, Noir) and some are pretty iffy (Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, RahXephon). Certain fans [i]loathe[/i] "flimsy" boxes... I don't care too much either way, but I won't buy one unless it looks attractive enough to merit the expense.

EDIT: Apparently the first (sort of...) volume of the manga is set to come out in October.

~Dagger~

[Adora]

[quote name='JazzLady22]By the way, Adora, Itou is a nasty, nasty man. [spoiler']He seems to like his Hijikata submissive, which rather disturbes me. The dog collar fantasy will give me nightmares for a long, long time. Fan... *twitch*[/spoiler][/quote]
Oh god I know. He better leave my Hijikata alone, or else I will gouge those freaky eyes out with a stick & [spoiler]get Saitou to summon Yoshida back and have Suzu's pet skull chew his balls off while the Brain minces his wang through a sausage-making-machine[/spoiler] (/Hijikata fangirl protection mode).

Hey, do you read Kyuuri High too?

On a historicity note, the whole manga kinda spoils that anyway, no? I don't know how they start the anime, but the start of the manga has [spoiler] much older Tetsu being asked by someone (could be Hijikata with a haircut, since he survived the longest out of all of them) to deliver an important message, and the line that the Shinsengumi "were just washed away by time" accompanied by panels of gunshots and bloodied hands lying around[/spoiler]. I mean, I know a little investigation into history kind of explains [spoiler]Souji's cough & Yamanami's angst as well[/spoiler], but I'm wondering for anyone who's watched the anime, is it really holding that close to the historical narrative, or does it take lots of lovely liberties (apart from the character designs and humour)?

Sorry for all the spoiler useage, I just don't know how much people around here have read/seen, or how the anime compares to the manga (I am so anime-deprived).

[JazzLady22]

[QUOTE=Adora]
Hey, do you read Kyuuri High too?
[/QUOTE]

Actually, Adora, I RP Akesato in Kyuuri High! ^__^ *Still cannot believe that people read it... squeal*

[QUOTE=Adora]
...but I'm wondering for anyone who's watched the anime, is it really holding that close to the historical narrative, or does it take lots of lovely liberties (apart from the character designs and humour)?
[/QUOTE]

The anime is really not that much different from the manga, other than [spoiler]putting in Saitou and Ryouma before Ikeda-ya, rather than afterward, the anime begins with a few clips from Ikeda-ya, rather than the extremely depressing part with Tetsu delivering...something[/spoiler], and adding a few extra things (like Maro, large-croaky-ninja-man, and Evil!Okita) There's really not much deviation otherwise. [spoiler]Souji still has tuberculosis, Yamanami's still hung up over Serizawa Kamo's assasination, and everyone is STILL going to die.[/spoiler]

But one thing I'm wondering is, how does SI Peace Maker end? Is it just like the incredibly fluffy and bittersweet episode 24 (complete with the wonderful hanabi sequence), or does it end on a darker note, maybe? Has anyone read that volume?

[Adora]

[quote name='JazzLady22']Actually, Adora, I RP Akesato in Kyuuri High! ^__^ *Still cannot believe that people read it... squeal*[/quote]
*mad insane squeal* OMG! I want whatever crack you guys are on sooooo much! *hugs you like mad* and I lurrrvvveee drunken Akesato, and the hilarious-as-all-hell therapy sessions. And of course *giggle squeal* whenever Souji gets sent to the Dean's office to get "punished" XD. AND SKANKS! SKANKS IS LOVE!

You guys rock my world! I end up doodling Kyuuri-fanart in the margins of my college notes! Someone commented in my Japanese-Lit class today that they liked my Itou-bought-a-present-for-Hiji-san doodle even though she had no idea what it was (and damned if I was going to tell her XD). You've warped my fragile little mind...

Oh, and I did [url=http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/7086715/]this[/url] a while ago too.

[quote](like Maro, large-croaky-ninja-man, and Evil!Okita)[/quote]
Ehhhh, isn't Maro [spoiler] the guy Suzu buys from Death Row in Kurogane manga? Y'know, giant guy with a massive sword, never really see his face who chopped up the Dirty-Old-Man & now hangs around with Suzu & The Brain (the two little catboys- ie two halves of the one brain)[/spoiler] and [spoiler] Evil Souji is always hanging around, just waiting for the boy to pick up a sword. That's why he doesn't carry one with him when they go shopping/ aren't on duty and he gets called girly by Sano & Shinpattsan[/spoiler] That's why I love him. Such a dark little uke... I mean fellow... :D

[quote][spoiler]Souji still has tuberculosis, Yamanami's still hung up over Serizawa Kamo's assasination, and everyone is STILL going to die.[/spoiler] [/quote]
Haaiiii, though in the manga [spoiler]I don't think Souji's thang becomes apparent til after the Ikeda Ya incident (which I'm fairly sure is the end of SI). From the scanlation I am feeding my obsession with, I'm up to halfway through vol 3 and there's been no mention of it... though it has appeared in the Kurogane scanlation in passing, that I'm also reading at the same time[/spoiler] (I'm sure you can guess the head-bguck that I went through reading regular-slightly-screwy-but-still-sane-Suzu in one and then, well, [spoiler]Skanks-on-crack[/spoiler] in the other...moral of the story: don't read anything and read the sequel at the same time X_x).

[quote]But one thing I'm wondering is, how does SI Peace Maker end? Is it just like the incredibly fluffy and bittersweet episode 24 (complete with the wonderful hanabi sequence)[/QUOTE]
I haven't read it, but from some scans I've seen, [spoiler]yes, yes indeed it does. Though from the same site I got those scans I was more paying attention to the ones where Hijikata is going ga-ga over injured Souji *melts*, and the ones before that where Souji and Tetsu dispose of you-know-who[/spoiler] so I may have been a bit too distracted to pay close attention to the boring bits.

Heh, my post looks like an octopus came all over it...

[r2vq]

o.o

Wow.

Welcome to OB Adora!

I think we are getting our scanlations from the same site. ^^

In the anime we are given clues to Okita's [spoiler]sickness[/spoiler]. For example, when Ryouma visits the base, or when [spoiler]evil Souji[/spoiler] is there we witness the [spoiler]coughing of a sick man.[/spoiler] But it's only explained afterwards. :'( Poor us had to find out ourselves.

One more thing... I didn't really understand this sentance.
[quote][spoiler] Evil Souji is always hanging around, just waiting for the boy to pick up a sword. That's why he doesn't carry one with him when they go shopping/ aren't on duty and he gets called girly by Sano & Shinpattsan [/spoiler][/quote]
Does that mean [spoiler]Evil Souji[/spoiler] has duty with Sano and Shinpattsan? o.O Or... [spoiler]Evil Souji doesn't wear his[/spoiler] swords either? :\ If you could clarify that would be great. :)

-ArV ph43rs 7h3 f4ngur|z.

[Adora]

[quote name='r2vq']I think we are getting our scanlations from the same site. ^^[/quote]

Eeeh, well, the site I visit for scanlations was different to the site I got some of those spoiler piccies from. The spoiler-piccies were just from a fansite where someone had done a few small scans of them n stuff (are we allowed to name-scanlator-names around here or is that a no-no like on some manga/anime sites?).

[quote]Does that mean [spoiler]Evil Souji[/spoiler] has duty with Sano and Shinpattsan? o.O Or... [spoiler]Evil Souji doesn't wear his[/spoiler] swords either? :\ If you could clarify that would be great. :)[/quote]

Heh. Actually, I think I was probably just being dramatic. Or maybe I just haven't read far enough into the manga yet. That's just what it seemed like to me [spoiler] because he says he can't control himself when he gets into a fight- even practice or training- and so far everytime I've seen him with a sword in the mangas, he's gone a tad nutty, or at least had the Evil-Souji look about him at some point[/spoiler]. Like [spoiler]when Ryouma first shows up in Kurogane, in the compound, he's just coming off duty, but then they er, "greet" each other and yeah... old Oni-eyes comes out[/spoiler]. Or [spoiler] when you first meet Hajime Saitou in the manga, and they're facing off in the compound, though he doesn't actually attack him, he's got that freaky-look about him[/spoiler]. Maybe it's got to do with the actual [spoiler]holding of a sword[/spoiler] rather than just having one, but the on-duty-uniform kind of prevents that temptation, when otherwise, when just shopping n such, that prevention wouldn't be there for him not to [spoiler] grab the blade and start crazily chasing evil black cats and such[/spoiler].

But yeah, I probably need to read more of the manga before I make these kinds of assumptions (if only the scanlators would work faster!).

[Dagger]

Here's a snippet from ADV's latest press release.

"About Peacemaker:

This action-packed film is beautifully animated by the talented team at Gonzo Digimation (Final Fantasy: Unlimited and Full Metal Panic!). Fans of Samurai X are sure to enjoy Peacemaker when they notice the heroic similarities between the two main characters.

Tetsunosuke Ichimura had always been a runt, the smallest, weakest kid in his village, but after seeing his parents murdered by a dangerous and evil assassin, Tetsunoke vows to become strong enough to avenge his parents' deaths. Now, at only 15 years of age, he has made up his mind to join the army in order to gain that strength? but what he doesn't know is that the army he's chosen isn't a normal army at all! Now a frightening choice awaits him; to achieve his revenge, will Tetsunosuke be willing to forsake his very humanity for demonic powers? The roads to vengeance and hell may be one and the same in Peacemaker.

ADV Films announces a fall 2004 release for Peacemaker."

Uh... that summary is basically [i]packed[/i] with inaccuracies, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. ADV happens to be the company that placed the Gunslinger Girl manga under the category of action/comedy, and from what I've heard, its translation is pretty accurate despite that glaring error. ^_^;;

I guess they're planning to release the anime and the manga around the same time, but fall 2004 seems a little too soon. Don't get me wrong, I'd be wildly happy if ADV actually managed to get the first DVD out by then. However, they've set (and, more importantly, missed) ambitious street dates in the past.

~Dagger~

[JazzLady22]

Adora: ^__^ Thank you for the compliments! *Hugs back* Oh, when I said Evil Souji, I meant [spoiler]his "evil twin" that shows up in episodes 16 and 17. The hitokiri boyslut one. *Sncker*[/spoiler] I think what you're talking about is how he acts in battle, with the creepy, pupil-shrunken-ness.

Dagger: ...ugh. That summary makes me want to cough up blood, quite frankly. It makes it sound like the second coming of Naruto! Village? Army? Demonic powers, even? It's understandable that people wouldn't know about the Shinsengumi over here, and that they're just trying to make it sound appealing to American audiences. But really, give me a break.

And if I'm not mistaken, they took 'Kurogane' out of the title, didn't they? Or did they just shorten it for the press release?

Ah, who cares, really? As long as they don't make up subtitles, I'm happy.

[Dagger]

[quote name='JazzLady22']And if I'm not mistaken, they took 'Kurogane' out of the title, didn't they? Or did they just shorten it for the press release?[/quote]

Yeah, that was probably requested by GONZO. R1 licensers just don't have much control over those types of name changes (i.e. "Hundred Stories" becoming "Requiem from the Darkness").

As long as Peacemaker can still be abbreviated to PMK, I shan't complain. ^_~

Frankly, it sounds as though someone at ADV pulled the summary out of his or her *** after reading a poor translation of the original Japanese blurb... which [i]does[/i] refer to losing one's humanity and becoming a demon. The press release is pretty poorly written, and fails to clarify that the Shinsengumi members' demonic powers are figurative rather than literal.

~Dagger~

[Adora]

[quote]"About Peacemaker:"[/quote]

*gouges her eyes out with a spoon* That summary made baby Sihnpattsan cry! *snickers at the mental image*

[quote]Oh, when I said Evil Souji, I meant his[spoiler] "evil twin" that shows up in episodes 16 and 17. The hitokiri boyslut one.[/spoiler] *Sncker* I think what you're talking about is how he acts in battle, with the creepy, pupil-shrunken-ness.[/quote]

Ahhh now I get you. Sorry, heh, I have to confess, I haven't seen the anime yet, but I am hanging out for it. PAL territory + No broadband= teh suck.

Eh, let's hope they don't do too bad a job (like the bastards who changed by Weiß Kreuz to "Knight Hunters"... goddamnit).

[Dagger]

[quote name='Adora']Eh, let's hope they don't do too bad a job (like the bastards who changed by Weiß Kreuz to "Knight Hunters"... goddamnit).[/quote]

That would be Media Blasters... although when it comes to Knight Hunters, the quality of the source material is also somewhat questionable. ^_~


[quote]Sorry, heh, I have to confess, I haven't seen the anime yet...[/quote]

You know what to expect, right? I've encountered a lot of PMK manga fans who were pretty disappointed by the anime. Personally, I love it like none other, but GONZO played around with the original storyline and characters in ways that annoyed some people and just made others angry. :/ If you approach the television series as a separate work (rather than one that strives to slavishly imitate the corresponding manga), I think you'll have a better chance of liking it.

~Dagger~

[Adora]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']You know what to expect, right?[/quote]
Of course. No anime is exactly like its manga, as no movie is exactly like its book. :)

And you shut cher mouth about Weiß Kreuz!

[Dagger]

An ADV representative released the Peacemaker dub cast list earlier today (a good portion of it, anyway--Ryouma, Heisuke, Yamanani, Akesato and Daddy Ichimura were not included).

[B]Tetsu:[/B] Luci Christian. I haven't personally heard her play a male character before, but she's a damn good voice actress. Her previous roles include Kaname Chidori (Full Metal Panic!), Yukari Tanizaki (Azumanga Daioh) and Satoshi Imamiya (Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi). Like Tetsu, Satoshi is also a young boy, and Ms. Christian's performance in Abenobashi has received a lot of praise.

[B]Tatsu:[/B] Vic Mignogna. Tatsu is totally unlike most of his past characters (such as Kurz Webber from Full Metal Panic! and Mamoru Torigai from RahXephon). It should be interesting to hear him play such a worrywart. ^_^;;

[B]Toshi:[/B] Mike MacRae. Gauron (Full Metal Panic!).

[B]Yoshida:[/B] John Gremillion. Jin Kunugi (RahXephon).

[B]Kondou:[/B] John Swasey. He's been cast as a middle-aged or elderly old man, usually with some bizarre personality quirk, in everything from RahXephon to D.N. Angel to Chrono Crusade. That aside, Mr. Swasey is a pretty versatile actor and will probably be able to capture Kondou-san's personality.

[B]Suzu:[/B] Kevin Corn. Young Makoto (RahXephon), Daisuke Niwa (D.N. Angel).

[B]Saizo:[/B] Monica Rial.

[B]Saya:[/B] Monical Rial. Saya and Saizo were played by the same Japanese seiyuu, so it makes sense that Peacemaker's English director would choose to duplicate the distribution of roles. Interestingly enough, this won't be Ms. Rial's first time playing a young mute girl.

[B]Sanosuke:[/B] Jason Douglas.

[B]Shinpachi:[/B] Greg Ayres. His other characters include Kaworu Nagisa (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Son Goku (Saiyuki) and Mannen (Pretear). Mr. Ayres will voice Satoshi Hiwatari in the upcoming D.N. Angel dub.

[B]Souji:[/B] Braden Hunt. Cho Hakkai (Saiyuki).

[B]Susumu:[/B] Chris Patton. He just happens to be one of my favorite VAs. He has previously provided the voices of Ayato Kamina (RahXephon), Sousuke Sagara (Full Metal Panic!) and Sasame (Pretear). Judging by his perfect portrayal of the smooth-talking but cold and emotionally scarred Sasame, Mr. Patton wil make a fantastic Susumu.

[B]Ayu-nee:[/B] Christine Auten.

[B]Saito:[/B] Rob Mungle.

~Dagger~

[Dan Rugh]

Figures I'm not familiar with most of those voice actors.The guy who did Kaworu and Son Goku... hmmm... I hate Goku's voice from Saiyuki. Maybe he won't be so annoying in PMK, playing Shinpachi. The other VA I know is Luci Christian in Abenobashi. I'm not sure about her as Tetsunosuke since I've only heard her speak with a southern (supposedly Osakan) accent. Hakkai's VA as Okita Souji is good, I guess. Hakkai's English VA isn't quite as girly sounding as the Japanese VA in PMK, though. As long as Suzu and Susumu have excellent English voice actors , I'll be happy. Those two are my favorite characters. And Saizou better still say "poogi poogi"!

Are they really dropping "Kurogane" from the title? That's terrible terrible news if it's true.

[Okita]

I'm not familiar with most VA since i usually watch all shows in sub, though I've a chance to see saiyuki and dub (and of course *sudder* dragonball z *shudder*) Anyways, I actually agree with Dan that Okita would fit Hakkai's VA, he has just enough unisex in his tone to pull it off (though I think Okita's voice in THIS series would fit a girl VA better...)

[JazzLady22]

...I've seen the Saiyuki dub. I can see why Goku might be picked for Shinpachi, them both being short and rather excitable. But I can't help but think it's a little childish for Shinpachi... then again, I'm hearing the Goku-voice in my head, and the VA will be doing something different.

And wow! I'm actually not minding the choice for Souji's VA too much. Hakkai has a very mild voice, and I'm sure with the right tone, it'd fit. Although I would have been happier if they'd cast a girl with a lower voice...

As for the rest, I haven't seen the dubs. But maybe I should look into it, I'm curious as to what they sound like (especially Suzu, since I loved the way his original seiyuu underplayed his scene in ep. 23...)

And yes, Dan Rugh, no more 'Kurogane.' It's just Peace Maker now... that's really too bad.

[Dagger]

I think that ADV dropped "Kurogane" from the title because they plan on using the original R2 DVD covers (which look magnificently cool). The Japanese logo contains the word "Peacemaker" in English, so they just decided to leave it unaltered and abbreviate the show's name for the sake of consistency.

~Dagger~

[Okita]

Wasn't there some kind of legal technicality behind the use of the name? from what i've heard the whole reason it was change in the first place was due to some bankruptcy business and preventing of lawsuit....

[Dagger]

Well, Best Buy [i]finally[/i] shipped my copy of volume 1. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I first started watching Peacemaker. Anyway, here are some thoughts on the different aspects of this release. ^_^

[B]Packaging/extras:[/B] Let me begin by saying that the collector's edition set looks simply sublime. The optional artbox is easily the most attractive one I own. The DVD itself comes with a clear keepcase and a reversible cover (the opposite side features a gorgeous shot of Souji and everyone's favorite pet pig). While the on-disc extras are pretty minimal, there's a high-quality insert with two side stories penned by the show's main scriptwriter and some additional short staff interviews. The first volume of the Peacemaker Kurogane manga is packaged with the artbox.

[B]Video:[/B] Not as lush and smooth as that of some other recent GONZO anime (such as Last Exile and Yukikaze), but still a heck of a lot nicer than the fansubs. Although there are some irritating gradient issues, that's hard to avoid with digitally animated shows. Anyway, the crappy shots in episode four thankfully got cleaned up for DVD.

[B]Dub:[/B] It's something of a mixed bag. My favorite characters all sound spot-on; I think Mike McRae makes an even better Hijikata than the original Japanese seiyuu, and after some awkward moments in the first episode, Braden Hunt does a brilliant job of duplicating Mitsuki Saiga's signature Souji giggle. There are times when his voice sounds a tiny bit strained, but I was really listening for that sort of thing, so take whatever I say with a grain of salt. Luci Christian initially seems a bit uncomfortable in the role of Tetsu--while her tone is about right, some of Tetsu's early outbursts lack oomph.

However, I [i]love[/i] Suzu's VA, and Chris Patton absolutely nails Susumu. One of the most compelling reasons to watch Peacemaker dubbed is that ADV went the extra mile to localize the Choshuu accent. Susumu only has an accent when he is thinking to himself or when he is unable to control his anger, which adds a whole new dimension to his character--one that most native English speakers, myself included, would totally miss if watching the anime in Japanese. Tatsu's VA is manages to sound perfectly natural even during high-energy comedy sequences; he's just great.

All in all, I loved revisiting this series. Bring on volume two!

~Dagger~

[JazzLady22]

Oh dear. I am very late with this. *Laughs* Blame it on sickness and laziness.

Anyways, I bought the first PMK DVD and manga about two weeks ago. I have to agree that the packaging is simply [i]gorgeous[/i]! The DVD didn't really have much in the ways of extras, which was rather disappointing, but maybe in later volumes, ne?

And here's my opinion on the dub... keep in mind that I am a "bloody purist" when it comes to these sorts of things, so feel free to disregard.

It wasn't so much the acting... I thought most of the American VAs did well with the delivery. I particularly liked Heisuke's bit at the beginning of episode four; he manages to deliver the lines with the same energy and insanity as the original seiyuu.

However, a lot of the voices just didn't click for me at all, Hijikata and Okita, in particular. This could be me being a total Jouji Nakata and Mitsuki Saiga fangirl, but they just didn't sound right to me. Hijikata lacks the menacing voice he had in the original; heck, he didn't even sound that annoyed to me. Souji, as well, sounded pretty off; I don't really feel the change between happy-Souji and oni-Souji in his voice. He sounds pretty awkward in the role, IMHO.

Luci Christian did decently as Tetsu, though! She got more energetic as the disc went on, really... but I would like it if she'd take it down a notch during Tetsu's more serious parts.

Also, I'm not a huge fan of the insertion of accents... more specifically, Susumu and Ayumu's kansai-ben becoming Texan, and Akesato's Kyou-ben in the manga is written out into some kind of Southern dialect. Not only that, but she doesn't speak as intelligently as she does in direct translations... (Her line, "It don't hafta be that way," has to bother me the most.)

I can't wait until volume two! *Dances*

[Dagger]

[quote name='JazzLady22]Anyways, I bought the first PMK DVD and manga about two weeks ago. I have to agree that the packaging is simply [i]gorgeous[/i']! The DVD didn't really have much in the ways of extras, which was rather disappointing, but maybe in later volumes, ne?[/quote]

I, too, would have liked more extras--I was a little disappointed that Chrono Crusade got so many fantastic on-disc special features, and PMK simply didn't. At the same time, the liner notes found in the DVD insert contain a lot of interesting information. I particularly enjoyed the written staff interviews, but of everything included, the scriptwriter's side stories were by far what I enjoyed the most. Volume 1 and volume 2 each came with two side stories. All of them were very well written, almost startlingly so, and reading them filled me with a kind of nostalgia. Volume 2's insert includes some fascinating insights. It definitely heightened my appreciation of the show's characterization and Japanese vocal work.

On a similar note, volume 2 seems to have more on-disc extras. My favorite was the first "Character Collection," or whatever it's called--it's a fairly short combination of clips, narrated by Tetsu's Japanese voice actress, which indirectly introduces the viewer to his personality. I was expecting something along the lines of "Tetsunosuke Ichimura, fifteen years old, sensitive about his height" and so forth. Instead, the monologue is insightful and nicely written. I wish it had been longer, but I liked it. The Japanese DVD promos are also pretty neat. I didn't realize that PMK had a catchphrase of sorts: "Cut away the darkness in your heart." It sounds cool, haha--they should've used it in the actual show!

[quote]Luci Christian did decently as Tetsu, though! She got more energetic as the disc went on, really... but I would like it if she'd take it down a notch during Tetsu's more serious parts.[/quote]

I haven't watched all of volume 2 yet, but to me she sounds a lot more natural than in volume 1. So I'm becoming more optimistic about the dub. I'd like to know how you feel about Sannan's voice actor--although I think he's doing an awesome job, his actual voice is almost too bishounen-esque, if that makes any sense.

PMK really hits its stride in this set of episodes, and they serve to bring out the show's special charm. Sort of like Gravitation, it's one of those anime that I can watch again and again without being bothered by its faults. PMK just makes me happy. *dances off to finish v. 2* :)

~Dagger~

[Colonel Mustang]

I'm a die hard Peacemaker Kurogane fan as well, Love ya Soji & Mr.Hijikata.
I'm planing to get the DVDs and Manga for X-mas.

Please tell me where could I get the Soundtrack I love the music (It sounds like FLCL to me, I own that ST)
I love Hey Jimmy!

[Dan Rugh]

I got around to seeing the English dub of PMK when I was home for Thanksgiving break. They had episodes 3 and 4 On Demand. I have to say that the dubbing is awful, in my opinion. None of the voices fit the characters.

--Tetsu doesn't have the umph that he had in the Japanese track.
--Okita Souji... ugh... it sounds so unnatural.
--Shinpachi had a very annoying voice... sounded like someone I've heard before, but I don't remember.
--Don't get me started on Susumu. He was my favorite character of the series and they flat-out ruined him. ADV needs to realize that southern accents DO NOT work.

Well at least I can always listen to it in Japanese.

[Retribution]

I just bought the Peacemaker mangas last night. I read the first one, and about a fourth of the second one. It's a really cool series, although sometimes the events in the manga are hard to follow, especially since the cells are really small.

I sure hope things speed up, because there's virtually no combat at all. The manga so far has consisted of plot build-up. Maybe the anime is better. ::shrug::

[Dagger]

One thing to keep in mind is that the Peacemaker Kurogane manga is actually the sequel to an earlier series called "Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker," which is currently unlicensed. The anime covers most of the events that take place in Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker but mixes in some bits from Peacemaker Kurogane as well. So in a certain sense, the PMK manga can also be viewed as a sequel to the anime.

All hell breaks loose in the second half of Peacemaker Kurogane v. 2--it's quite bloody and symbolizes the start of a long downward spiral for most of the characters in the series. As many of them are based on real historical figures, and as many of said real historical figures died very tragically, I expect that this manga will not have a positive ending. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how you and others react to [spoiler]Sannan's[/spoiler] death. I found it very moving, but I had already become well-acquainted with the character through reading parts of Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker and watching the Peacemaker anime.

If you're enjoying PMK, I recommend watching the anime--if only to gain a greater understanding of Suzu's character. PMK doesn't explain why Suzu is the way he is. Though Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker isn't licensed, the anime does an excellent job of laying down the basis for [spoiler]Suzu's transformation into a total psychopath. Prior to becoming utterly insane, he was a very sympathetic and likeable character, as well as a great foil for Tetsu.[/spoiler]

The anime isn't exactly action-packed, though. The action it does have is great, but for the most part it's more of a slice-of-life series. At the very least, you should definitely try to rent or buy volume 7 (although that won't be coming out for a while). It will contain some of the most stunning swordfights you'll see in any television anime.

~Dagger~