Manga, Anime, and Graphic Novels, v. 2009
Continued from v. 2007.2.
Date: August 12, 2009
Categories: The Universe, Things We like
Friday, 29 March 2024
Life, the universe, pies, hot-pink bunnies, world domination, and everything
Continued from v. 2007.2.
Date: August 12, 2009
Categories: The Universe, Things We like
Thank you, GAPAs!!!! So, back to our list of Death Note characters… Everyone still agrees that L is the best character? Why would I even ask such a question…? *laughs at himself*
*is reading Death Note* Yes, definitely. But…I’m reading Death Note. What you said on the other thread was sort of a huge spoiler. Would you mind putting a *SPOILER* warning when you do stuff like that? Thank you.
Ugh… I’m so stupid… Sorry…
Oh, it’s okay. No biggie. Just…yeah, spoiler warnings. I forget them sometimes too.
I seriously am not looking forward to the Avatar movie. It looks awful.
You mean the M. Night Shyalaman one? Because James Cameron’s isn’t actually based on the TV show, it just shares the name.
Nooo. On the last thread, I was referring to the five main characters. If I included all characters, it would go like this…
1. L (no duh.)
2. Matt (because he’s a gamer and wear’s stripes and… oh, who am I kidding, I like him cause of fandom.)
3. Mello (I like Mello, so sue me. It just annoys me when fanfic writers make Mello seem like evilslavedriver!Mello or overlycaringforMatt!Mello and Matt cuts himself. Yarg.)
4. Light in the state in which he is not Kira but nice.
5. Matsuda (cause he’s an idiot but a funny idiot.)
Yes, I like Matsuda too. But Matt… meh. You never even see his face. Mello… I don’t know. For some reason he just annoys me. But I like him better after *slightspoiler* he gets the scar. */slightspoiler* I like Light like that, too, but *slightspoileragain* whydidhehavetogethestupidthingback?? *endslightspoilier*
Anyone else know L’s real name? I read the trivia book thingy, so I know all their real names.
Hey, I read fancomics and such. Those things influence you. The fangirls gave Matt a character. And Mello… well, he’s Mello. And yeah, he’s better after the event. And Light is just so naive and it’s a bit sad…
“I’m not Kira!” *really is kira* Poor Raito.
I read that! I like L’s real name, for some reason… I like the omake section in there, it was so funny… I turned out with Mello and L.
I don’t like it. I mean, I figured L would stand for something…
Wait, wha? I didn’t actually finish it. The what section? *confuzzled*
Aha. Go finish it. Now. *shoos*
I want to read Death Note.
But I can’t find a copy anywhere.
Wah.
You can read it online. That’s what I’m doing. RQ gave me the link, but you can probably Google it.
4- (Rainbow) Check your local library. It’s a pretty popular manga, so they should have it. If you know of any comic shops in your area, they will probably have a few copies.
Deathnote got boring for me once *spoiler* L dies *end spoler* the story just sort of stops pulling me in.
I don’t really read manga anymore because it is all the same. Okay, so it’s not all identical but I have read a LOT of mainstream manga and it is all so similar. It’s the same with Marvel comics. I stoped reading X-Men (much as I love it) because the ridiculous amount of alternate universes and different time lines gets really, really confusing.
Has anyone read “Gals”? It’s soooo ridiculous. I love it, though. It’s silly fun.
NOOOOOOO!!!! *weep*
Well, I’m excited that the new Hayao Miyazaki movie is coming out in English soon. Disney does own studio Ghibli, correct, and they do a good job of translation, correct.
BUT THE JONAS BROTHERS’ AND MILEY CYRUS’ YOUNGER SIBLINGS ARE VOICING THE LEAD ROLES!!!
Yarg! WTF, Disney?!
*spoilerspoilerspoilerwatchoutthereareSPOILERS TO DEATH NOTE*
I have a list of main character (plus Matt)’s birthdays and deathdays. Here.
Light- February 28, 1986 – January 28, 2010
L – October 31, 1979 – November 5, 2004
Mello – December 13, 1989 – January 26, 2010
Near – August 24, 1991 – —-
Misa – December 25, 1984 – February 14. 2011
Mikami – June 7, 1982 – February 7, 2010
Matt – February 1, 1990 – January 26, 2010
WHAT!? THEY CAN’T DO THAT TO IT!!!?!?! You’re joking, right? about the Jonas brothers and Miley Cyrus’ younger siblings?
They were actually perfect for the characters.
Ok. I want to watch it anyway.
A new Hayao Miyazaki movie?? WOOT!
*sees the rest of Zinc’s post*
…
WHYYYYYYY, DISNEY?!
7,8: No, I’m not! The OC Register had an article about it, and I looked it up online, and, and… *weep*
AHH MY GOD THAT IS HORRIBLE… Why why whyyyyyyyyyyyy?
Okay, people, don’t panic (I should know!). First of all, these kids haven’t even showed any of their acting/voice-acting yet, so we can’t say that they are bad… yet. It’s obviously a little money-making scheme to get the siblings of famous people to become famous too. When you watch the movie, don’t even think of who is speaking. Miyazoki always brings us good dubs, so let’s not expect any less from these Disney-spawns.
I’m sure everything will be fine….
THE JONAS BROTHERS WERE IN NIGHT OF THE MUSEUM 2 AND THE LITTLE CHERUBS WERE THE ONLY CHARACTERS I HATED!!!
?? It’s not the end of the world.
oh also disney does not own studio ghibli but they are partnered or whatever cos disney loves the big bucks lol
Proper capitalization and spelling, please.
Axa’s one of the most long-posting people here, it’s just her style, much like ebeths.
Yes, Axa made a very early appearance. In fact, her blogiversary is tomorrow. She first posted on August 15, 2005.
I thought Miley Cirus was an only child.
Nope. She has at least one brother, who’s the lead singer of Metro Station, AKA ; I don’t know how many other siblings she has.
I saw his picture in a magazine I probabaly shoudn’t have wasted my time on, and he was covered in tatoos and piercings- yuck. I can’t belive Hayoa Miyazaki has to put THEM in is movie.
Oh, and she has a half sister, Brandy.
She has one brother and one sister. I have no idea if she has more brothers or sisters…Sorry.
Hmm I was being kinda rude up there. I just saw it and it was so cute! I really don’t think the voice actors are a big deal but I can understand why someone would be repulsed by the thought of certain aspects of disney in the movie. They did a really good job though!
Ducky- I am a freewheelin capitalization ignorin kinda lady. lol
Eww, Metro Station. Ick. They’re gross. Younger sister of Miley, Noah (?!), is playing the female lead, and Franky Jonas is the male lead.
Her full name is Noah Lindsey Cyrus, so she can be a girl.
13- (Axa) I find Miyazaki film basically the only japanese animey-ish stuff that works well with american actors. I find most animes super weak with american voice actors
WOOCHOO! I just saw Ponyo! I loved it! Especially that song at the end! PONYO! That was another incredible movie bye Hayao Miyazaki!
And seriously, people. The Jonas Brothers were not in it, their little brother was. Just because you dislike somebody’s sibling, why should you be mad about everything they do? It isn’t fair to them to have people’s opinions of them set before they get a chance!
Kagy — For me it depends what it is. I don’t watch that much anime anymore but there are definitely some that sound really off to me in english. It’s more fun in japanese sometimes. I watched Ouran High School Host Club in all its hilarity in Japanese, so the dub sounded really weird to me even though I love all the voice actors they chose.
I see a lot of you guys like Death Note! What other series do you read/watch?
I like Ouran High School Host Club and Death Note too! lol
I like other anime too (tooo many to list) , but my favorite is Naruto/Naruto Shippuden.
My favorite character is Gaara of the Desert (obviously…) :]
16: Good! And I was getting out some stress there, along with real frustration at Disney. At least it wasn’t Metro Station guy. *gag*
I really like french comics. I have not read any that I have found to be bad. There’s just a quality to them that isn’t matched by any other place’s comics. It’s really hard to describe, but they have a great vibe. I just finished “The Burma Chronicles” by Guy Delisle and have just started “The Photographer”.
Last night I saw the global premiere of Takeshi Koika’s new film “Redline”. It was seizure inducing, but fun. Pretty sick animation.
Has anyone read “Misfile”? I’ve just started it… it’s silly fun.
Non-mangas I reccomend, because everyone needs variety:
Escape from Special and A Mess of Everything by Miss Lasko Gross
Thieves and Kings by Mark Oakley (he was my introduction to the world of comics and I just lovelovelove his work, I cannot even express my love for this series in words)
Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks
Blue Monday by Chynna Clugston (sometimes Clugston-Major, it’s for more mature readers)
The Photographer by… I cannot remember (It is a stunning portrayal of afghanastan and the work of Doctors Without Borders/ Medicins Sans Frontiers)
Scott Pilgrim by Brian Lee O’Malley (it’s a sillyfun story set in Toronto about a young man who has to defeat a young woman’s 7 evil ex-boyfriends)
Those are just some suggestions. I highly suggest reading them.
Misfile? I read that online until 5:00 in the morning! …then I never read it again…
Has anyone read Maus? (One and two?)
We have them on a bookshelf in the room I’m in–I can see them from here–but I haven’t read them yet. They’re on my list though.
I read 1.
Danielle got Bleach 1, 2, 3 before me. At least she reads quickly.
Well, cake, she’s right next to me. *strangled*
Mangas–Bleach & Vampire Knight (but not the animes of either, I agree with previous comments, the English dubs never really do them justice).
Other graphic novels–Maus I & II, Persepolis (which is incredible and eye-opening), and the ever-amazing SANDMAN (my definite favorite). I’ve also read V for Vendetta and Watchmen, both of which were excellent.
Animes–only Miyazaki films. Fave = Howl’s Moving Castle, although Princess Mononoke is a close second. And My Neighbor Totoro, just for the cuteness factor
22- Yes. Have you seen Comic Book Confidential? It’s a documentary made in the 80’s about underground comics. Art Spiegleman is in it.
I find that autobiographical, or diary comics vary in quality. Some are really strong and resonate strongly with the reader, but others are really boring and bland. Just because someone has produced a comic, doesn’t mean it should be published. An example of this is 365 days (I don’t remember the author). It was a challenge she made herself to draw a page of comics about her life every day for a year. This is one of the very few comics I have put down and never returned to. It was very dull. Strong writing will save bad art, but good art will never save bad writing. An expert example of this is “Wonderland” which was put out by disney. They art is whimsicle and beautiful, but the writing is bland and unexiting. Nothing much happens that was interesting or compelling. Also: “graphic novel” adaptations of literary classics? Whose idea was this? Why not just read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Willde instead of the adapted version with pictures! I think one of the reason’s I find that book so wonderful is because of how Wilde writes. I think that the popularity of comics nowadays is fulling an overproduction, in many cases, and a lack of excellence.
Speaking from experience, reading a comic-book version of a novel can inspire one to read the real thing, particularly if the book is one you’re not sure about.
Also, following a story in an alternative medium — comics, film, whatever — can give you insights you might have missed from a straight read, especially if the rendition is thoughtfully done. I recently studied a Classics Illustrated version of The Scarlet Letter and found the artist’s interpretation very informative in the ways he implied relationships, themes, motivations, and many other levels of the story through visual cues. Visuals are easier to remember, too.
Okay, DN fans, go onto Youtube RIGHT NOW and look up “l singing.” It’s L’s English voice, singing! *faints* There are spoilers in the vid, tho.
Rebecca- I’ll have to check that out.
I picked up a graphic novel of two of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels (The Color of Magic and the Light Fantastic) yesterday, and started reading it today. We own TCoM and I’ve read it several times, so I notice the lines they’ve left out, but it’s nice. Only partway through though.
I really wanted to read a comic book today. Like, the old batman ones or something. I think I’m going to try to find somewhere I can read them online, if possible… anyone know a good site for that sort of thing?
Also, who here has read the Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman? They are among my favourite books ever and I might even ask for one of the huge volumes (there’s 4) for Christmas and my birthday, and then next year get the other two. They must be terribly expensive… I love them so much though.
I’ve read the Color of Magic graphic novel! Although admittedly only because I accidentally put the wrong book on hold at the library.
Jadestone- I really, really, really want to read Sandman, but just haven’t gotten around to it. Have you read The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?
28- No! I also really want to read them.
Did you read Watchmen? It’s one of my favorite books. I love it so much. The movie both ruined it and was really good, which is strange, but >.<
And you need to read Sandman. Like, as soon as you can. I recommend the huge volumes of collected comics, the coloring was redone and in my opinion is better, and there’s some more detail in some panels. But just remember DREAM IS MY LOVER AND I CALLED HIM FIRST
Forgot to mention, I really want to *write* a graphic novel now. I wouldn’t be able to draw it or anything, but maybe I could get a friend to help me with that because I just really have been intrigued by the style of writing lately. I think I’m going to try an outline sometime… probably just a superhero one (god I love those types so much though, I seriously need to just raid a comic store one day and spend Too Much Money) but I think it’d be a good thing to try.
ZOMFGZOMFGZOMFG
Go look up ‘Secret Agent Man’ by Johny Rivers. NAO.
I’ve heard it before, but… *does not remember very well*
Did you look up the song I told you about? *snicker* “Wherever You Are (I Feel Love)” by Laava. *is still cracking up*
The first line is, “L’s a man who leads a life of danger.” (or that’s what it sounds like…)
Yes, I did. *laugh*
*laugh* I think it’s “there’s,” but…. yeah.
Doesn’t Raito’s last name mean “star?” I remember reading that in vol. 13… making it doubly funny.
yagami is written with the characters for “night” and “god”
his first name is written with the character for moon but read as the english word “light” and romanized as raito
And backwards, it’s “I’m a gay.”
Yes, it is “there’s a man…”
I loved that show.
Awww… *hopes fall that Johnny Rivers is a manga addict who transported himself to the past*
I loved the song, too. My brother’s band used to play it.. A guaranteed crowd pleaser.
I think I heard it ( “Secret Agent Man”) in the movie The Spy Next Door
AAAH KYAA BUNNY STATUE
Okay, I’m done now… *is reading D.N.Angel* *saw giant bunny statue* *freaked*
30 — That sounds like so much fun. One of my friends has a really amazing style that would be so cool for something like this but lollll he’s kinda unreliable. MAN I wish I had artistic ability! Writing the story would be enough though. I think it’d be interesting how collaboration works, just cause authors usually have such specific images in mind and artists don’t want to be stifled.
*ponders*
29- (Jadestone) LOEG is really good. A bit weird and grossitating at times, but deffinitely worthwhile. The movie is related only to the comics in title (they added multiple characters, changed the storyline and certain attributes of Mina), so don’t see it. I have for sure read Watchmen! I really need to reread it because I can barely remember it. I haven’t seen the movie yet. I will need to put Sandman on my birthday wishlist.
30- Flamablamablous! I’m more interested in the drawing than the writing, if truth be told. I’m not very good at expressing what’s in my head through words. I hope you can find someone to help you out.
Hehe. Last year my friend made up a hero(heroine, actually) named Mort
(Morticia) who fights zombies. I tried drawing a few scenes but I epically FAIL at it. I can do the scenes okay in some panels but no people at aaaaall. I just want to do the words >.<
Kagy if we were closer I’d say we should team up, but as it is… alas.
I read the first Death Note! *wants second one from library*
And now I’ve read the second and third ones. L is my favorite character, I think.
Well, duh. XD He’s pretty much everyone’s. Because he’s just awesome like that.
Tokyo Mew Mew/Mew Mew Power is SUCH a cute anime. Sorry, just had to get that out there. I prefer the dub to the sub and the anime to the manga. Go ahead and shoot me now, die-hards, but it’s true.
Oh, and ZoeyxElliot/IchigoxRyou pwns! (No, I seriously wasn’t influenced by any fangirls here, but yes. Fave pairing. Since episode 1. And Elliot/Ryou is kawaii… that’s the closest you’ll get to hearing me go all fangirl, people.)
I agree with the second statement.
YES FINALLY< THIS THREAD YAYYYYYY. ok soul eater, code geass, hellsing, full metal alchemist, death note are awesome animes watch them.
THANK YOU GAPAS< STARTS DANCING EVERYWHERE YAYYYY
I like the japanese dub on the anime and have read Fullmetal Alchemist, Tokyo Mew Mew(Zakuro is fave), Naruto(Temari!!!), and Bleach. I want to read death note.
YAY SOMEONE ELSE WHO LIKES MEW MEW~
Yes. Okay. I am obsessedish. But I’ve moved on to Code Geass… Lelouch=amazing. It’s as good as Death Note.
Ooh. Must read/see Code Geass.
Yes. You must indeed.
I love mew mew! I’m the Lettuce of high school.
Haha, the other day, I was talking with some of my friends, and two of them had started a book club with their friends, and they met twice a week. Then Lauren starts telling me about this one really annoying girl who is obsessed with (umm…. I cant remember his name, that little alien dude who hates Dren? It’s….. Kish? I’ll call him that untill somebody corrects me.) Kish. And I’m like, “Kish from Tokyo MewMew? Seriously?” and they’re like, “Aah! You like that too?” And I’m like “OMG KISH IS AWESOME BUT DREN IS AWESOMER AND ELLIOT IS EVEN COOLER THAN DREN!!!!” and start singing the theme song, “Team up! Are you up for it?” etc, and they’re like, “Eep!” and ran away. And I called after them, “Tell your friend I said Elliot is cooler than Kish!” XD
I have rekindled my obsession with all things Sailor Moon. I’ve been watching English Dub episodes online, music videos, reading Wikipedia and making fan art. It’s just such a great story and a great show.
oh man, have you watched any of the movies? also haters can hate but I love the dub it adds so much to it. meatballhead lol forever
I wonder if I have my old vhs tapes anymore…man I love the first season so much, freakin malachite! now I really want to rewatch them, I would probably appreciate the plot now more than when I was three…
I literally just finished watching Sailor Moon S online and I thought it was great (Luna and Artemis FTW), and they have most of the first season online so I’ve been watching that! And dub is great. I want meatball ponytails.
that one’s so cute! I love human luna! I think that’s actually the only one of the movies that I really liked, sailor moon supers is SOOO creepy..although I probably still enjoyed it since that was the only one I had.
ahaha I was going to ask you who your favorite scout is but I think I know
Mine’s Sailor Mars!
…I’m getting so excited right now, this is hilarious.
Human Luna is awesome (even though her voice doesn’t really match her body, oops xD)!
And yup, I’m a Sailor Mercury fan, and Sailor Mars! I also like Sailors Neptune+Uranus too! Cute couple. I always cry when I watch the scene where they die, it’s so touching and also sad!
I know what you mean! I get so obsessed over this show, I just love it so much. I think that, somewhere inside, everyone does! I first watched when I was six, it was my favorite show!
I loved Sailor Moon as a kid. I drew pictures of myself as a Sailor Scout all over the place. (But the whole thing where the Negaverse agents looked just like regular people freaked me out. Not good for a paranoid six-year-old to watch.)
Rewatching it, I don’t know how I wasn’t terrified! The Negaverse is pretty freakin creepy! I mean it’s cheesy at the same time but still… I never even thought about how they looked like real people…Well I practiced throwing an imaginary tiara enough that I was ready, I suppose
I thought every strange adult wanted to steal my life-force!
I know! ESPECIALLY my best friend’s mom, she looked exactly like Queen Beryl. Right down to the piles of hair! I had to practice Bubble Spray so much that we ran out of dish soap. Then, I discovered actual blowing bubbles, which were much more fun.
We used to play Sailor Moon on the playground, too. And my best friend, who played Sailor Mars, now goes to a Catholic school and works all of the time at her church. Ironic. xD
It wasn’t just me, then? Thank God!
I forgot about this thread.
Sailor Moon was one of those things that I was secretly obsessed with as a kid, but had only seen once or twice. I vaguely remember a human Luna…. Someday I will go back and watch it.
I think everyone loves sailor moon deep down in their hearts if they’ve seen it, anyone who says otherwise is lying
Not lying. Also not enjoying manga or anime. Graphic novels are occasionally okay.
-A
Ok, all DN fans, you may find this tidbit interesting. I am considering either being L or a vampire killer for Halloween. Like, white shirt, jeans, barefeet, hunched over, and *lots of candy*, of course, cuz it’s Halloween. Do you think if I did L I would get extra candy?*winkwink* You know why L would get more candy, right?
oh man, if you do it, please be convincing, cause I’ve seen like 23871204141 L cosplays where the person is like “I’m wearing a white tshirt and making a face, am I L now?”
I think death note is hard to cosplay because there’s nothing in particular that stands out about the characters. light just wears a school uniform and looks like a jerk the whole manga :/
but yay more candy you could get more chocolate if you dressed as mello lol
Hehehe. I’m dressing up as a mime for Halloween, so I now have one of the three parts I need for my Matt cosplay. Danielle says she has a good waistcoat, so that might be taken care of. Of course, I have some money saved up ($57) that will be more than enough for a good waistcoat, in case her’s doesn’t fit. Now all I need are goggles, and if I don’t get them, I’ll use ski sunglasses (hopefully won’t have to resort to that…).
Oh! Yeah! Instead of just Danielle and I as Mello and Matt, Annie and Justine have joined in and we’re doing all the Wammy Boys, with Annie as L and Justine as Near.
Axa: Matt’s probably the hardest character to cosplay as. Danielle and Annie have, erm, tight budgets, so the easier ones went to them.
Good news: Danielle’s waistcoat fits.
yay! I think it’s more fun using “normal” clothes to create a cosplay than ordering specially made things…I got part of mine at Forever 21 once (lol)
I hope it turns out well! Matt does seem harder to cosplay than others.
Yep. I might send some pictures in. Maybe.
176 days until AnimeCon… *dies*
Well, I’m not using the waistcoat anymore. It’s black, and Matt’s is tan.
Also, my hair has gotten longer, so I’ll be getting it cut again sometime near AnimeCon.
162 days until AnimeCon, 45 days until Mello’s birthday, 95 days until Matt’s birthday, and ONLY TWO DAYS UNTIL L’S BIRTHDAY! SQUEE!
*****spoiler*****
It’ssadthatmyblogiverseryisadayafterL’sdeathday.
Hey guys, guys: I promised I would keep y’all updated on the new Inuyasha anime, and you can watch it in all its glory. It’s called Inuyasha: The Final Act, and it’s on Hulu, also watchable from ShonenSunday dot com slash anime.
Okay, two things to comment on, y’all in the manga bubble.
One: When I saw Robert’s post, “You’re on the list, BB! Please don’t dent any more walls,” I nearly fell out of my chair. LABB, anyone?
Two: This made me fall out of my chair. In shock and anger.
DISNEY is doing Naruto Shippuden.
NOOOOOOO!!!
I dunno, there’s some messed up crap going on and especially in shippuden there’s much more violence and so on. good luck to them with edits lol
that’s exciting you’re going to a convention soon! con food is a ripoff, bring stuff from home! but make sure you eat…during anime expo I usually only ate ice cream, bad plan
Death Note game:
Pick 5 Death Note characters, and put them in a numbered list, in no particular order. Then, scroll down.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
~ If 5 found a Death Note, what would en do with it?
~ Is 2×4 a plausible shipping?
~ 3 shows up at your school, as your substitute teacher for the day. What do you do?
~ What is the most disturbing outfit you can imagine 1 wearing?
1) Mello
2) Near
3) L
4) Light
5) Matt
A) Probably use it as a coaster. That’s Matt for you.
B) Not really. They meet only once, but it takes up almost an entire volume.
C) Scream, be really good in class, and give him my oreos from lunch.
D) ….I can imagine Mello wearing almost anything and looking either hilarious or actually good… Near’s clothes.
1) L
2) Misa
3) Light
4) Naomi Misora
5) Near
A. Tell Light that he has it, make fun of him, play cat&mouse with him, then probably kill him…. XD
B. Ewwww, no. Bleh.
C. Oh, God. Run for my life? Scream? Try to grab his Death Note before he kills me?
D) Errrr, jeez. Oh…. Mello’s clothes!
1)Naomi Misora
2)Misa
3)L
4)Light
5)Watari
Erm… give it to L to investigate.
It’s so canon it’s not funny.
Squee.
…let’s go with a tutu.
I just DN 13 as a present from my aunt, and for the quiz, I am most definitely Mello. XD
“I accidentally 93MB of .rar files
what should I do…is this dangerous?”
hahagkdsndg lol i’m dying. my favorite variation: “I accidentally the whole island!” “accidentally what? “the whole island!”
I hope this is what you’re referring to
zinc, what do you think of the way desudesu note ended? I found it hilarious but then again I stopped really reading after volume 6 so yeah. My friends were mad though. I don’t want to spoil anything for other people…ehhhh
Light was so undignified. Near was freaky. And I needed 13 to actually see what the creators were thinking. I actually thought it was something entirely different. >////<
He was, wasn’t he? I think he’s funny so I was amused, but my friends were all like “he should have won!” <— I think this means evil should have prevailed…:lol:
I admit I still expected a certain character to pop up out of nowhere but I guess he really is dead :/ sigh
The creators said that Mello could have survived, and could have won. It’d be interesting to see how he would win. “HEY KIRA! KILL THIS! *shoots*”
Who here has ever read Alice 19th, by Yuu Watase? I don’t read manga all that much anymore…a lot of it is all the same…but Yuu Watase is amazingness in a box.
Anime joke!
You’re so stupid, even Naruto can’t believe it.
Reminds me of “You’re so stupid, even Ripley wouldn’t believe it.”
Brilliant. I must use that.
Even Naruto…? I don’t get it!!! *freaks out* Explain pasterikease!
In the orginal anime, Naruto’s little catchphrase is “dattebayo!” They changed it to believe it. He says it every other sentence.
OHHH! *laughs and falls backward out of chair* I get it!
HAPPY MELLO’S BIRTHDAY, EVERYONE!
Today Mello turns 20 years old.
Shadowfire is reading manga. It has vampires. The good kind.
It’s called Hellsing. Anyone heard of it?
I have. It is the bloodiest, grimmest take on vampires I have seen for a long time. As such, it is incredibly superior to Twilight.
…some of the bloodier scenes still made me feel queasy though.
YES! I have never read it though. My friend is reading this manga called Axis Powers Italia. Also, this one about a rabbi who rides a flying hammer. I don’t know ..
Oh, Hetalia? I’ve seen an episode of the anime. My friends are obsessed with that one.
HETALIAAAA!! I LOVE APH!!!!! *squeal*
I like Japan, England, China, America, Sealand, Switzerland, Italy, Germany… *et cetera*
I’m drawing fanart for it now. :3
North Italy. So. Cute. *squees*
You like England? He’s so…. strange… and his imaginary friends… *snicker*
Oh! OMG! My friend Anna reads that!
Heehee. England’s cool. But China’s so sweet, and Japan too… >(>o<)<
Favorite Hetalia characters, because I am bored: Italy, Canada (who?), England, America, Russia, Lithuania, and many more~ *is obsessed*
So apparently there’s an Australia now! *is half Australian* He should be in the anime.
Did someone say HETALIA?!!! *runs around in circles happily*
I’m completely obsessed with it. I’ve watched every episode they have out and am now working on reading every single comic that has been scanlated on the internet. XD
I love Russia. ♥
Japan kind of creeps me out with his adorableness…
Austria and Germany are amazing.
Yup!
Do you like China?
Mmmmm…. China’s ok (aru)… a little too peppy for me, though (aru)…
China’s so sweet, aru!
“Hmmm… he draws a lot of pictures, but he never writes…” “Here, you can use these. They’re called kanji.” “…. *writing*” “Don’t just make hiragana out of them!”
Russiaaaa! My friends and I drew France and Russia on the whiteboard of the French room once.
I think it is a universal truth that no one can be unhappy whilst reading Yotsuba&!.
i agree with this
+1
So true. *nods sagely*
Has anyone seen Princess Tutu? Besides Fireh and Pseudonym, that is, since Fireh got me addicted and I got Pseudo addicted. XD
And my friend Holly was the one that got me addicted. She posted on the Neophyte thread…. once…. a long time ago.
I saw the first episode only. Typically I don’t go for shoujo anime like that.
Aww, I love shoujo anime. It’s so cute.
And by the way… I got my dad addicted to this show. It is definitely not a normal shoujo anime.
It’s possible my mother and sister saw it. (I got them addicted to anime in general, and now they watch over the top Japanese dramas ALL. THE. TIME.)
But I usually only watch shoujo stuff what my normal dark, angsty fare gets a bit much for me. Maybe I’ll go watch the second episode some other time…But right now my viewing list is just way too long.
I could have watched anything today, but I choose Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. I think I made the best decision ever on my day off.
If you haven’t seen those movies, do it. They’re delightful, and the animation is awesome.
Haha, I watched Spirited Away yesterday. Miyazaki pwns. ^_^
I love Miyazaki!
I’ve seen both. I like Spirited Away, but it’s a bit freaky at first.
So…has anyone seen Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann? SPIRAL POWAAAAH!
I started watching it right after finishing the manga Uzumaki (NO relation to Naruto) The different ways spirals are used in each story twists my brain…into the shape of a spiral! It’s a curse! Oh nos!
Seriously, watching them in that order is dangerous. Uzumaki makes you twitch every time you see a spiral. You never see them the same way again…And then you move to a universe where everything runs on Spiral Power. And spirals are good. It’s a bit like culture shock, with manga genres.
my friends were really crazy about gurren lagan for a while,I’ve only seen a few episodes though. Believe in the me who believes in you!
Uzumaki is supposed to be a total mind twister from what I’ve heard of it.
Oh, Uzumaki is. Do not read it at night. If you are going to read it, read in a brightly lit area surrounded by people you trust without any spirals in the vicinity. Unlike a lot of horror that just fails at being scary, this stuff is spine-chilling.
I was bored and started reading Uzumaki after I found it on TVtropes.
I stopped on the third chapter after I started shaking and my vision went blurry and I was about to have nightmares.
THIS IS A SCARY MANGA. I got to the part where there’s the black hole in the girl’s forehead and it’s eating her body? Then I started freaking out and quit reading it and refused to stop humming for the next hour.
No one likes the Hetalia pairing I like… TT3TT
Ouran High School Host Club, anyone?
I’ve been watching the anime, and while I don’t usually like shojo things, this show is quite amusing!
(It reminds me of the Romantic Musical Comedy RPG… XD )
Ooh! Mememe! I do!
Does anyone like Digimon? It is my life! I’ve watched since I was five, and it doesn’t ever get worse.
Digimon? Wouldn’t be related to the little digital “Digimonster” ‘pet’ I had? Little yellow rectangle with a digital screen with a little monster you raised from an egg?
I think that would be a tomagatchi. They might have made something like that for Digimon…in fact I believe they did, but the merchandise is one of the least important things, really. Digimon is a lot about plot and character development more than popularity. That is, excepting Season 5. That was complete sellout crap.
Oh my, is this a dead thread? Oh well. Has anyone read/watched One Piece? I love it so.
62- I rather enjoy One Piece, if nothing else it’s very entertaining.
I’ve gotten bored with just writing novels, so I’ve decided to learn how to draw manga and create my own!
I already have a sort-of plot and I’m making character sketches! If anybody has tips and/or wants to see them, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Wow, I just found a skit called “Turnabout Death Note”. Basically, it’s Phoenix Wright defending Light Yagami in court. It is insanely hilarious, and I urge all fans of either Phoenix Wright or Death Note to go check it out.
Hello.
I am very, very happy, aru.
On Sunday, I’ll be going to AnimeCon, dressed as Matt, with Danielle as Misa, and Kaila in plain clothes becasue you can’t make a Zakuro costume in a week. (If she did, I would have her make me my cosplay.)
I ordered my wig and it’s being shipped right now. Dan was originally going to be Mello, but her hair grew. I’m still borrowing her waistcoat, and she’s borrowing some of my jewelry.
I’m still in love with APH. Currently, the fanfic I’m focusing on is about Scandinavia in the early 1800s. DenmarkxNorway, SwedenxFinland, slight SwedenxNorway although not really. If you know the history, you know the genre.
Pairings I support (because I am bored, hush):
JapanxChina (NiChu/ChuNi)
AmericaxEngland (USUK/Joker)
GermanyxItaly (GerIta)
SpainxRomano (Spamano)
PolandxLithuania (PolLiet/LietPol)
NorwayxDenmark (DenNor)
FrancexCanada (Franada)
PrussiaxAustria (PruAus)? AustriaxHungary (AusHun)? Still a bit confused about how I feel about the Frying Pangle.
SwedenxFinland (SuFin)
RussiaxUkraine?
EstoniaxLatvia?
I like UKChina with HongKong, and FrUk with the whole “New World Family” vibe.
So Yeah. Don’t like yaoi; I like yaoi.
Video Recs: Soldier Side (both vids); America at the Club; Love Save the Empty; Canadian, Please; Mr. Cellophane; History is now.; Alice Human Sacrifice; etc. All APH.
I’m sorry; I need something to cling to without the internet and Hetalia has inspiration everywhere.
Did you guys hear about the dub? (Vic Micnogna as America, Vic Mignogna as America… or Furansu.) Hopefully, Funimation won’t try to sell it as a kids’ educational show and screw it up. But on the other hand, accents! And Tokyopop will be releasing published manga, and repeat what I said about the anime. I hope they get subs for the movie soon…
Extraextra long post.
I love Uncle Yo’s Naruto Name Song. <3
HMMM SUNDAY i wonder if you’re going to the same one as me? :s mayhap i will see you if you are attending a certain humongous con…
No, it’s actually tomorrow, Axa-san.
My wig is horrible on me… ah well.
Hm, I am also bored, so I shall pick some Hetalia pairings to ship.
America/England – I like both the characters, and it’s cute and has plenty of canon support.
Japan/Greece – See above. Also, KITTIES
Lithuania/Poland – It’s better than Liet/Russia, Liet/Belarus, or Poland/anyone else. And they both mention each other in their Marukaite Chikyuu versions. Aww.
Canada/Ukraine -They’ve never met in canon, but it’s just so cute! And apparently IRL Canada supported Ukraine being independent, and the province of Saskatchewan was made because of the influx of Ukranian immigrants.
… Should I be concerned that 3/4 of these are slash?
… Or that I care about Hetalia enough to ship 4 pairings?
Oh. My. Goodness. There is a thread about anime/manga?! *squeals*
For animes…
1. Princess Mononoke
2. Kiki’s delivery service
3. Howl’s moving castle
4. My neighbor Totoro(I hope I didn’t misspell that)
For Manga:
I like The Letter Bees and furuba. They are both amazing. I also like this one manga called Hibiki’s Magic . I only read the first volume of that one, but as I am a sucker for anything cute, magical, and FUNNY I love it. GUSKS ARE SO CUTE.
Yes!! anime and manga are awesome!! i just did a marathon of howls moving castle, princess mononoke and kikis delivery service!! all awesome animes, all ive watched at least twice!! anyone have manga suggestions for me? i like them with lots of fighting and stuff, like rurouni kenshin. and black jack was awesome….
Letter Bee. It’s amazing. I really like the style, the characters are funny (“Why did you name him Steak?” “Because he’ll taste much better after he’s cooked..”) and the storyline is really good.
It’s called Tegami Bachi, Mika. I used to read it in Monthly Shonen Jump until they stopped serializing it in the magazine.
Trojan: Bleach has some really good manga, but the anime’s terrible. Naruto is much better manga-wise. Franken Fran is good if you’re into horror, and Genkaku Picasso is really interesting so far!
Oh. I have the manga volumes 1-3, and they’re translated, so they have “The Letter bees” on the covers, so yeah…
Mikazuki, ive already read tegami bachi/letter bee (it was great by the way) and Thief of Light, ive already read bleach and naruto up to the current ones (or trying to… reading bleach 428 right now) im not really into horror, but i will probably read a few chapters, and genkaku picasso looks interesting too… i also really like those completely random mangas with interesting story lines, i never thought i would like a manga about doctors until i read black jack, and now i want to be a surgeon!
what is the plural of manga? manga or mangas? mangas sounds weird…
Genkaku Picasso does look interesting. I recently discovered my school’s library has Shonen Jump, and found a few chapters of it. Currently I’m watching Durarara! and attempting to find more Death Note.
And yes, the plural is manga.
What is durarara about? I’m too lazy to google it..
A clueless country boy, Tokyo gangs, and the best way (not) to avoid some very dangerous people. It’s lots of fun.
Cool
There’s more, but I don’t wish to spoil. watch it now.
I will. After i feed my dog, because my mom is throwing things at me (she does that when shes annoyed)…
I watched one episode of Durarara last night. Awesome!! I couldn’t watch any more because I had to do my homework. It reminded me of Gintama, I don’t know why.
This thread is dying? Yes, it is. Well, even if it dies, I still like manga.. *I start talking to myself* Gah! *Is annoyed* I’m not crazy!! Sorry for the triple post…
Revive thyself, manga thread!
Ahem.
I got Another Note(Death Note spinoff novel) yesterday. I have resolved to carry it around with me when school starts again. Why? Because a) it resembles a Death Note, which my otaku side finds amusing, and b) it’s black with a silver skull cross on it, which my trying-her-very-hardest-to-convince-her-classmates-she-is-an-insane-goth side finds amusing.
Revive, Revive, Revive!!!!! So, what are your favorite manga series? Or anime? *kicks thread* *thread breaks* Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
76- I like Candy Candy. Also Death Note.
And of course Pokemon.
But my true favorites are Nodame Cantabile and La Corda D’Oro. They are the BEST. <3 Not very well-known, but they're hilarious.
I’ve read the first few volumes of Death Note, but never heard of Nodame Cantabile and La Corda D’Oro. To Google and away! I really like Kuroshitsuji (The Black Butler), I’m reading chapter 54 right now.
Nice censoring there.
Yeah. Something is wrong with my computer, please ignore below comment. (or delete, maybe, GAPA’s?)
Our autosnip plug-in doesn’t read Japanese. ‘Tis tweaked.
I noticed that but left it alone because it amused me.
I left it alone, too, until it became a subject of discussion. We can always change it back.
I think it’s funny. I also think that’s one of the reasons why the translated manga is titled “Black Butler” and not “Kuroshitsuji”, despite the Japanese name being well-known.
The first few volumes of Death Note was good, I haven’t finished yet. Never heard of Nodame Cantabile and La Corda D’Oro, I will find out shortly! Yay Google! And, GO POKEMON!!
Yes. Pokémon Special really is a great manga, however you feel about the anime or the games.
I have a strong urge to read the beginning of Naruto, again. Even though it has never been my favorite manga…
I actually like the manga better than the anime. I think it works a lot better in that context.
Nodame seems to be one of those series that is extremely well loved by those who like it but kind of unnoticed by everyone else. If that makes any sense…Also I think there’s a drama based on it that’s supposed to be good!
I haven’t read anything new in the longest time :/ the only series that i keep up with has had its publication slowed down to a crawl, which I can only assume is because I’m virtually the only person who reads it (sigh). Kaze Hikaru, if anyone is interested? anyone? no? bueller?
tiger- naruto had a really cool idea before it was inflated to its current corpulence by jump :/ just like bleach and inuyasha is has been stretched far beyond the its narrative boundaries. although rumiko takahashi has a reputation for long series, i think so she’s excused….really, i just have a thing against bleach. YEP.
ugh this actually makes me kind of sad, geez :/ i need to look harder for new series…
I’ve read the beginning of Kaze Hikaru, Axa. And with Naruto, I just gave up eventually, the first few chapters were pretty good though. And Bleach, oh Bleach, it take Ichigo five chapters to say one important thing and uselessly swing his sword .
The drama version of Nodame is AMAZING. <3
also i’d just like to say that the rumors of a remake of the death note movies with zac efron as light please me to no end. JUST AS PLANNED.
Oh, this is back again? Hee.
Still into Hetalia… nothing much else to say. I can’t access new anime much anymore although I’ve seen the first episodes of Fairy Tail and Soul Eater.
Writing and drawing have gotten better! Life is good on the personal front.
My friends made me watch absurd amounts of Hetalia on the sleepover I just got back from. Apparently I am now Greece. Also apparently they’re trying to form a cosplay group.
Guess who’s now jumping on the Bleach bandwagon really late? It’s pretty okay so far, although some of the characters (coughorihimeandichigo’sdadcough) are very irritating.
And, um, now reading Black Butler. ‘Tis pretty.
I like Ichigo’s dad! He gets better as the series goes on, I think. But, yeah Orihime is really, really irritating. (favorite character = Urahara Kisuke)
tiger- haha well that makes two of us OTL
yea, needlessly drawing out a storyline like that is pretty frustrating. the chapters are usually pretty short too. when i still “read” reborn (i put that in quotes cause i really don’t think it qualifies as anything except total insanity but i digress) the chapters could be up to 40 pages long, but nayrudo and its ilk have much shorter chapters. i understand why, being very popular, weekly series but UGH
AniManga thread!
My personal favorite anime would probably be Gurren Lagann. It’s like the anime equivalent to Shakespeare; full of symbolism and hidden meanings so well hidden, you need to use TVTropes as a guide sometimes to catch some of it. The series also has generated a large amount of wild mass guessing to some of the parts, and besides all the aforementioned reasons for liking it, IT’S JUST PLAIN AWESOME!
Some other good animes to check out would include Hitman Reborn, Fairy Tail, Highschool of the Dead, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
And something I’d like to know, why is there so much love for Death Note? The story line is linear, the characters are just barely developed, and I (personally) just find the main character to be an obnoxious and spoiled brat.
MY LOVE FOR GURREN: IT PIERCES THE HEAVENS
I use TVTropes for that purpose with all of the media I watch :). I should watch Gurren Lagann sometime, it’s on my list.
I think part of the reason people(myself included) love Death Note is that it’s so much fun to argue about. Yes, Light is obnoxious. He’s a mass murderer with a god complex, that’s definitely obnoxious ;). But I don’t think it’s bad for that. it really gets inside his head.
Reborn is quite good, if very… weird.
And L!
Well, of course.
GAPAs, may I post a de-linkified link to an article on the Wired website? It’s hilarious in a really rant-inducing way and could possibly prompt a discussion.
If not, here’s a summary: This was written in…2006 I think? The author has noticed the fact that American Born Chinese, a graphic novel, has been nominated for a National Book Award. He doesn’t think this is legitimate, because graphic novels are, in his opinion, not literature. Thoughts?
(The first part of the article is a separate rant about the ridiculous number of songs his friend has in his iTunes library.)
disagree, Watchmen was on Time’s list of Best 100 Books of the century or something to that effect. anyone who tells me that’s not literature obviously hasn’t read it.
I think that people’s problem is that we have books and movies, which both have a defined spectrum from cheap to serious “literature”, but comic books, and graphic novels aren’t judged the same way. Graphic novels are their own art form, which is different from books. To many people, comics are only one level of quality, most likely the low brow super hero comics, and the upper ends of the graphic novel spectrum are ignored because most people don’t recognize their existence. Comics have their highs and lows, just like any art, but these distinctions are not widely recognized. Since our culture doesn’t have any place to celebrate the finest comics, they get shoved into other categories, like books. Nominating a graphic novel as a top book is like nominating the Mona Lisa as a top book. Obviously, it doesn’t fit, not because it is a lesser art form than a book, but because it is a different type of art. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t as valid as books, it just means that we can’t have them compete with books, since thay are a very different type of storytelling.
This doesn’t mean that I agree with the guy though. he seems to be saying that comic books are less important than books, and don’t deserve awards as “literature” since they are a lesser art form, which I don’t agree with. I find it very insulting that comic books are considered below books because they are a different category, and that whether something is literature determines it’s status as a work of art. Our culture needs to recognize that there are a wide range of comics, of varying quality, just as there are books and movies. Watchmen is very much a great work of art, but it can’t be judged as a book since it isn’t one.
also, what’s wrong with having a lot of songs on your ipod library?
Now you can argue whether it should be considered as a novel or as a separate category, but I can see a copy of “Watchmen” from where I’m sitting, and it sure looks like a book to me.
I tire so easily of the “death of intellectualism! the internet is killing us!!! THE END IS NEAR!” spew that anyone over thirty seems to feel the need to write about. I don’t even feel the need to respond to all the obvious fallacies of his “argument” which mostly seems to be “i’m great, who reads comics?”
there’s nothing wrong with having that much music. someone people are collectors. it’s the same as buying books and keeping them.
ooba– too true! no one would say that a harlequin romance negates the value of all literature, and yet the same standard is applied to graphic novels. I think that it is more accurate to view graphic novels on a different plane than novels, but at the same time I’m still glad that they’re recognized by more…hmm, accessible distinctions? As in, I think it’s a good thing for Time or whoever to say “this is a great work, consider it with the respect you would confer a novel” even if it isn’t technically suited to the category.
I think that a large part of the anime/manga fan community is also guilty of the sort of attitude the guy in the article has, in a way…The whole “I don’t read American comics!” thing that I see thrown around a lot :/ When people say that, they are almost ALWAYS specifically referring to Marvel and its ilk, not things like V for Vendetta or American Born Chinese. Additionally, there is a wealth of wonderful web comics that are just as plot driven and worthy of consideration as any novel.
On a mostly unrelated note, today I went to a JAPANESE BOOKSTORE in search of volume 17/18 of Kaze Hikaru and even they didn’t have it OTL
oh the pains of a lonely fandom….
note: not everyone over thirty says that. my point is that people seems to be okay with technological advances until a certain point, when they will suddenly yearn for the days of lore when you bought cds, and then feel the need to ask me if i know what a cd is. DUDE, I GET IT. STUFF CHANGES. don’t make me bust out some bob dylan right now :/
Thank you for your clarification. I’m well over 30 and have NEVER said that. If anything I’ve been railing against the fearmongers since the Internet became available to the general public.
“You’ll be buried by porn!” “Your children will become drooling idiots!” The same sorts of tales were no doubt circulated during the early days of the printing press.
i realized i was making a blanket statement to repudiate a blanket statement! *dead* my apologies! >__>
Technology is always something created and used by people…even with the Watson thing, if anything it’s a triumph for PEOPLE, who used their intellect to make it. sigh….
Psst!… “your.”
Thank you. A bit of a slip ‘twixt thought and deed. Seems to be that sort of an evening.
here’s a de-likified link to the article:
http:// www. wired. com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/theluddite/2006/10/71997
If not, it’s fairly easy to find. Go to Wired.com and search for “The Day The Music Died”.
On another note, I just had an extremely infuriating argument with my brother. I asked him to watch (show, don’t know) on the TV as I wanted to use the computer. He said sure, so I could watch my “stupid Japanese (cake)”. I told him that was a ridiculous judgement to make as he hadn’t actually watched any anime. Apparently he doesn’t have to. I then asked him how he thought it was stupid. He operates on it-just-is logic, so the argument went absolutely nowhere after that.
If only he would actually explain, then I could deduce whether he had fallen into the Animation Age Ghetto or was just operating on his normal method of disliking anything I like. Ah, brothers…
I’m looking for a new manga to read. Any suggestions?
Genre? I have tons of potential recommendations but I’m not sure what you like.
I’m open to anything, really.
MegaTokyo? (I’m kinda obsessed, and always ready to spread the virus, as my friend’s-cousin-who-I-see-once-a-year did to me. XD)
i feel like you would be cool with some old school/classic manga.
idk otherwise, i’m kind of out of the loop with new series :/
durarara is popular-ish right now? …oh hey it’s gonna be on adult swim soon haha *just checked*
you already read yotsuba&! right?
Yeah, I continually read and reread Yotsuba&!.
What sort of old school/classic manga are you thinking of?
maybe like osamu tezuka, and not just astro boy but some of his other stuff (i’m thinking of Buddha, but I dunno. note that i haven’t actually read any i just got the feeling i’m not sure why lol!)
i’ve also heard that uzumaki is the scariest thing in all creation so if you’re looking for something spooky…
ugh i’m kind of disillusioned, actually, it’s hard to find good story driven rather than what i see as mostly situational manga. :/ i dunno.
Phoenix!
Durarara’s one of my favorites, but that’s just the anime, so for manga…
D. Gray-Man is good, I’ve just started reading it and like it a lot.
Likewise with XXXHoLic.
Ouran High School Host Club is hilarious, and if you’re a closet magical girl fan like me Magic Knight Rayearth is kinda sweet.
I could go on, but I’ll leave it at that for now.
ummm probably no one cares but there is going to be a new (ie rebooted) anime for rurouni kenshin and i am maybe crying tears of blood over it because it was my entire childhood. i hope they do justice to the third and final arc of the story because it’s sooooo good
Has anyone read Dororo by Tezuka? It’s just a three volume series, but it’s very good. Read it!
I’ve just started watching Baccano! and it’s brilliant. Extremely, extremely confusing though. Tons of characters+skipping around in time=very difficult to understand.
I recently finished watching a critique of the ongoing financial crisis played out with Monster Duels. I just had to say that.
HAI U GUYZ this thread is kind of dead.
I still like Death Note and Hetalia. During my friend group’s period of Hetalia obsession, we got bored and decided what country everyone was. We have America, Greece, Ancient Rome, Austria, Sealand, and possibly Canada. Sealand doesn’t yet know he’s Sealand and is probably going to kill us when he finds out … :3
But now my friends like Ouran High School Host Club.
Did I mention I recently rewatched Fooly Cooly? I did. It’s such a great show. Now I’m looking for something else to watch. Probably Mushishi.
Update: Mushishi might be my favorite show ever?
Ginko reminds me of you for some reason now.
Ginko reminds me of me as well. We have very similar personalities.
It makes a little less sense than I’d like, but it’s a gem.
The more I watch it, the more sense it makes. The most inexplicable things turn out to be symbolic, and there’s a ton of great foreshadowing.
Ah, I had prematurely written it off as more exciting visually than plot wise, but I’ll give it another go! I did have a strange feeling that things clicked in the end, even if I didn’t know what happened.
So. Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle *rant*, anyone?
Taking up space for spoilers, WHICH THERE ARE STOP READING NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T FINISHED, I really enjoyed the ride. It was emotional, I got so attached to the characters, and for someone who was slightly into CLAMP before, I have been voraciously reading all that I can. So far, I have read:
Wish
Clover
xxxHOLiC (more on that)
Kobato
TRC
and have a passing familiarity with the rest. I haven’t watched CCS, but I did read one of the manga volumes. I’m aiming to watch the sub, but my current computer is… impolite to those endeavours, to say the least.
OKAY SO SO SO
First of all: Yes, Sakura did sleep a lot. I recognize that, after she was an action heroine it’s depressing for the people who grew up with CCS. But Sakura did have some reasons for being asleep, people, stop whining.
AGHHHHH THE DUB WHY YOU SUCK SO MUCH I mean, the anime was awful even with subs, with some of the voice actors and the music being really the only good thing about it. They screwed up the plot MAJORLY (bringing the dead back to life? Fai having healing magic? FAI/CHII?) and the art was dorky and inconsistent.
But the dub. Ohhhh the dub. Vic Mignonga has screwed up any respect I had for him. A bit of a homophobe, eh Viccy? And with the OAVs, which I actually sorta liked? Cut cut cut all the gay away!
Yes, KuroFai is canon. Deal with it. It’s CLAMP. And they’re such a lovely couple, I would still ship them if it was yaoi yuri or het. They fixed each other. And Kurogane cut off his freaking ARM for Fai. Tell me that isn’t a sign of something. Not to mention all the Dragon and Phoenix symbolism.
Speaking of symbolism, TRC really made me pay attention to subtext and analyzing literature. Seeing all the little looks and foreshadowing weaved into the plot, and the underlying meaning of everything done. The defense mechanisms. The easter eggs hidden. Syaoran and Cloney. I’m really happy I read over this series again, because I caught a lot of things I hadn’t before. I’ve started analyzing Death Note and I’ve noticed how much biblical symbolism really is contained in it.
This series had gotten me the closest to crying than anything else I’ve ever read. When Fai’s eye was ripped out. When Fai stabbed Sakura. When Fai’s past was revealed. When Kurogane cut off his arm to save Fai. When clone Sakura was killed by clone Syaoran and his sacrifice at the final battle. Learning what everyone has kept hidden throughout the series. And oh, Watanuki… poor dear…
And holic. I must say I’m a bit disappointed at how the series finished up, but I really loved it for all the folklore and mysteriousness and the life lessons it taught me. Poor Watanuki. And Doumeki. And Yuuko. And Himawari. And Kohane.
Rule 1 of CLAMP: no one shall ever not be angsty. (that doesn’t make it any less sad…)
I’ve really started theorizing for the Horitsuba universe(s) (if Watanuki is Syaoran, shouldn’t he fall in love with a Sakura too? What exactly is Doumeki? etc). For example, how could I have prevented Clow from making the wish that Yuuko wouldn’t die? What would happen to the characters without the distortion? Would Syaoran still exist? I’ve been trying to write a fic, but I’m still too muddled in the thoughts…
Overall, I really enjoyed it. It made me emotional. It was a story about love: romantic, familial, and platonic. It took me through so many journeys. Since then I’ve done a lot of thinking and re-evaluated how I think, which I believe is the mark of a good series. The characters were vivid and I feel as if I know them like I know real people.
Okay okay I’m done now.
So last night I finished watching Puella Magi Madoka Magica. And WHAT. Usually I do not use statements like, “What is this I don’t even” but in this case I think it’s appropriate. That was one of the most painful deconstructions I have seen. That still had a semi-sweet ending. Also, Kyubey must be related to space-faring HPBs. Lop-eared ones. It’s the only explanation.
Has anyone else seen this show?
It’s been repeatedly recommended to me, so I probably will watch it eventually.
Not much tops Neon Genesis Evangelion for painfully deconstructing characters’ psyches in a “what is this i don’t even” manner! I highly recommend it, but be aware it’s a serious approach to exploring psychological damage in an animated setting, not to mention a critique of giant robots piloted by kids fighting aliens.
Seen it. It’s a classic. Totally agree about the ‘what is this i don’t even’ elements., but I’m not sure what I could say that hasn’t been mentioned elsewhere.
…And then I watched the movie.
Speaking of depressing robot anime, have you ever seen Bokurano? I think it’s more flat-out depressing than Evangelion (much of which I couldn’t comprehend), but it’s far less mindscrewy.
SO I’VE HEARD
I BET YOU HEAR LOTS OF THINGS
One of these days I plan on writing an essay on how growing up Muslim after 9/11 affected my opinion of Code Geass.
Let’s see: So we have the girl who’s in love with her brother, who is himself in love with a severed head. A girl stalking him who consented to plastic surgery(overseen by said sister) in order to look like the severed head had been stuck on her body. The original owner of the head is meanwhile managing just fine in a relationship with the guy who did the plastic surgery. And then there are the two guys who are in deep mutual hate with each other. They, of course, are shipped by half the fandom and one of the characters.
Ah, Durarara!! How you never fail to amuse me.
That isn’t the half of it. Crazy romantic pairings, that show has. But I know what you mean. I watched Durarara! because it’s by the same author as Baccano!, which I loved. But I like it on its own merits. I sort of want to read the light novels too, but I’m afraid of having too much on my plate at once. *still has a really long to-watch list*
I finished watching Seirei no Moribito this weekend, and I want to recommend it to everyone. It’s sort of a slow action/adventure. More slow adventure with a few scenes of action, but it’s heartwarming and the characters are wonderful and at 26 episodes it doesn’t take forever to watch. And it’s one of those hidden gem shows that nobody knows about.
I also want to recommend The Legend of the Legendary Heroes. Yes, I know the name is…redundant to say the least, but it was a lot better than I thought it would be given the name. Although the first episode is not in chronological order and not a good one to start out with IMO. My friend and I stayed up late watching it last night. It was great fun.
INDIA INDIA INDIA
WE HAVE AN INDIA NOW!
YESSSS HETAWEEN
I started watching K-On! today. Why have I not watched this before?
Of course, now I just want to play in a band. (-_-‘)
I’ve been watching a lot of anime lately. I finished K-ON!, and Haibane Renmei, and Eden of the East, and I started Natsume Yuujinchou but techncial difficulties have forced me to put that on hold until I find an alternate source. I’m also watching Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, but Funimation is ridiculously slow in putting new episodes online.
I’m considering asking for some Japanese Yotsuba&! manga for Christmas to motivate me to keep studying and practicing so that I can read them.
Natsume Yuujinchou‘s good, reminiscent of Mushishi. But I don’t understand how a show can have such good ending themes but such terrible opening themes. It boggles the mind.
Oh, Haibane Renmei’s good. I want to show it to a friend of mine, actually. And Natsume Yuujinchou reminded me of Mushishi too, or rather the other way around, since I watched Natsume Yuuchiinchou first.
…These anime are all rather slow and sweet and character-driven, though I don’t know about the other ones on your list. Is that just the type of show you go for?
I wouldn’t exactly call Eden of the East or Haganai or FLCL slow and sweet, but I guess I prefer character-driven stories? It’s definitely not a comprehensive list of everything I’ve read and watched, either. Though I will admit I’m probably a bit of a softy compared to most other male anime and manga fans.
Uh, one out of three isn’t bad? I’ve seen Eden of the East, but not the other two. Oh, no wait. I watched two episodes of FLCL before I had to give up and admit that I had no idea what was going on and wasn’t really enjoying it.
The song “21 Guns” reminds me of USUK.
So does Want You Gone, in a less depressing way. “Little Caroline” could be Canada or Sealand.
Has anybody here read Blue Exorcist? Or watched it? A friend introduced me to it and it’s very, very awesome. Yukio is the best.
An anime recommendation that I think would be relevant to many MBers: Squid Girl. It’s squidtastic and surprisingly touches on a lot of actual squid truths (in episode 6, for instance, Squid Girl is shown to be extremely intelligent and fast at adapting, just like real squids).
Has anyone watched Welcome to the N.H.K.? I watched a little bit but it didn’t really grab me, so I was wondering it if was worth continuing with.
Can’t decide whether to ship Japan/China or Japan/Greece.
Now I’m watching The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Why it was broadcast in the order it was, I have no idea, so I’m just watching it in the story’s chronological order instead. Right now I’m on the fourth Endless Eight, and even if it kills me I’m going to watch all eight of them. Once I’m done with this, I’m not sure what to watch. Lucky Star? The World Only God Knows? Nichijou? Baccano!? Akira? Azumanga Daioh? Gurren Lagann? I’m sure I’ll pick something sooner or later. And, no, I don’t have a weakness for moe, what are you talking about, don’t be ridiculous
Watch Baccano, it’s brilliant and timey-wimey and abounds with New York accents.
That Linkin Park song “What I’ve Done” reminds me of Death Note for some reason.
I started watching Hanasaku Iroha today, and I’m finding it quite good. The writing’s great, the characters have some depth, and the art is fantastic. I didn’t see it get much attention, and I’m not sure why. Maybe people thought that “16-year-old girl suddenly moving to a hot spring inn” seemed like a rather cliched and dull premise that would just be another moe clone? It certainly doesn’t seem to be that–everything is pretty high quality. Well, I’ve got twenty episodes to go, so maybe it’s too early to judge one way or the other.
Just finished watching Usagi Drop. It was really well done and cute and touching. But now, after accidentally reading some spoilers, I have to decide whether to never ever even think about the existence of the manga, or go read the manga to see whether they seriously do something so absolutely atrocious. I don’t think anything has ruined a series for me like this.
I feel your pain. Really, I do. I couldn’t even finish the series because of said spoilers. Obviously, I took the denial route.
So Crunchyroll started streaming Puella Magi Madoka Magica this week, for which I am extremely excited. I’ve heard all sorts of incredible things about it–it broke all sorts of records, won an extravagant number of awards, supposedly took the magical girl genre (which has been hashed and rehashed so many times everyone assumed it was thoroughly dead) and completely turned it on its head in an utterly incredible way. It’s directed by the same guy that’s directing the Monogatari series, and the art style is definitely similar, though it seems to be much less fractured and nonlinear in terms of story.
Five episodes into Puella Magi Madoka Magica now. My rating: this show is fantastic. I can easily see why it caused such a stir. It’s just enthralling. I really wish it were next Wednesday so I could watch the next episode.
Oh hey, it’s that thing I’ve been meaning to watch for months. I will definitely do that now.
The first episode was certainly interesting, although I’ll have to keep watching to figure out what’s amazing about it. The art style’s a little weird, but that might just be me.
Akiyuki Shinbo’s art style is extremely unique. You should watch Bakemonogatari/Nisemonogatari–it’s even more surreal, although you don’t get the cool, Terry Gilliam-esque collage animation. I felt sort of the same way after the first episode too, but it seems to keep getting better and better.
It’s mostly just the faces that bug me, I loved the weird collagey bit towards the end. It was really surreal and dreamlike and cool.
I’ve heard of Bakemonogatari. Mostly that it was strangely good. Perhaps I’ll take a look.
The -monogatari stuff is…weird. You have to understand that from the beginning. The light novels weren’t originally intended to be published–the author was just writing them for himself, and so he didn’t try to make them suit an audience. As such, he basically takes some harem anime tropes and blows them to absolutely ridiculous and unrecognizable levels, though there’s plenty more to it than that (it can get extremely philosophical and cerebral at times). It’s a somewhat odd show to watch, because it doesn’t really have one overarching plot, nor is it slice-of-life–it’s a series of plots that range from two to seven episodes, each centered around a different character. It can be uncomfortable to watch at times. Without spoiling anything, I’ll say that one story/character involves a middle school girl whom the protagonist jokingly sexually harasses on a regular basis, and one episode is based entirely on the protagonist brushing his younger sister’s teeth, and it’s shown in a very…well, sensual way. That’s the one that weirded me out the most, I think. As long as you’re able to suspend your disbelief and see these kinds of things for what they are–facetious and part of the shameless sense of humor of the author–it’s extremely entertaining to watch. The art is absolutely great, and the show is done in a jumpy, nonlinear, surreal way. You have to pay close attention to be able to tell what the characters are actually doing and what they’re not. Apparently Shinbo has said that he wants to animate every single one of the light novels. I think the series is selling fairly well, so hopefully he’ll be able to.
Since you’re so enthusiastic and I am generally good with weirdness I think I will give it a try!
Um, I just watched all of it and it was amazing. Really amazing.
Maybe I should watch more anime. Or maybe not. Ack.
Whoops. Piggy, you’re right. Madoka is amazing, and I now have far too many feelings about it.
113- I know, right? Each episode seems to be better than the previous one. It’s phenomenal.
Now for another brief installment of “Piggy Talks to Himself about Anime”. I started watching Nichibros yesterday. It’s extremely amusing. Not quite as surreal as I think I’d like, but it does make me laugh out loud at times. Once I’ve finished this, I’m going to start on AnoHana, which I’ve heard is quite good. I rewatched Kino’s Journey a while ago too. I still have yet to watch the K-On! movie, which I need to do if I can find a good fansub somewhere.
Today I watched all of Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai in two sittings. So many feels…. ;_;
Last night the anime club at my university had a lock-in study break form the finals. It started at seven, and I stayed there until 12:30. We got the opportunity to marathon some of the shows we’d been watching in club one at a time. We didn’t actually get to finish anything, but we got pretty far in Paranoia Agent and Revolutionary Girl Utena. I’m going to try and finish them this summer.
Paranoia Agent is a really interesting show. OK, that doesn’t give a whole lot of detail. It’s got a very unique storytelling and animation style and lots of mindscrew, and I haven’t yet reached the part where everything is explained, if it ever is. It seemed like there was going to be a solution to everything, but then it just got weird again. Some episodes are shown in a video game format, and another consisted entirely of people telling stories to each other. If you like series that are confusing and can’t be understood at first glance, this one’s for you.
I started rewatching bits of Natsume Yujincho because at some point I stopped watching it because it was getting long, and I can’t remember how far I’ve watched. After watching it again, I do have to say that episode 6 of the first season (“Swallow at the Lake Bottom”) is one of my favorite stories in any medium. It’s simple and unpretentious, but it shows such a beautiful set of feelings. I can’t help but think that it would be a classic bedtime story/fairy tale–the plot format definitely fits perfectly.
Hm, now that I’m thinking about it in a more organized way, I think I understand why I had to stop watching this show. The stories tend to all carry the same sort of calm simplicity, and while that’s definitely a good thing, it does become overly sweet in large doses. The fact that there’s 52 episodes now does seem problematic if I intend to watch all of them.
The last Madoka Magica episode comes out in two days, and I almost don’t want to watch it because I have a sinking feeling that it’s going to end horribly.
That’s a vague worry of mine too, but I don’t think it’ll happen because I would’ve seen people complaining about the ending. That doesn’t mean it’ll be a happy ending, but it should at least be satisfactory. Though I think Crunchyroll should’ve opened it sooner–Walpurgisnacht was last night.
Oh wow, it was. *clueless*
hrrrg I just want everything to go well for everyone who’s left.
PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA SPOILERS – ALL EPISODES – PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA SPOILERS – IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED ALL TWELVE EPISODES, STOP READING NOW – PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA SPOILERS – ALL EPISODES – PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA SPOILERS
Just finished watching the last episode. I…wow. I don’t know what to think–it’ll be a while before I get everything straightened out in my head. I think what Madoka did was the best choice. I mean, yeah, the magical girls still have to fight something (wraiths instead of witches), but disappearing after using up some limited power seems to be better than turning into a monster out of despair. I don’t fully comprehend the metaphysics of it, particularly how Madoka continues to interact with the universes, so I’m still fairly confused by it all. I think the main point is that her sacrifice replaced despair with hope, even if Homura’s the only one who can see it. But still, that would be incredibly difficult for Homura–being the only person in existence who remembers what reality used to be like and what Madoka did (except for Tatsuya?). The new relationship between the Incubator and humans is fascinating too. Hopefully I’ll be able to watch the movies that they’re making–the first two are a retelling of the anime series and the third will be a new story. I’m not sure when the first one comes out. Sometime later this year, I think. I might read the several manga series that have been made too, just to see if I can get a fuller grasp on the world mechanics.
This series is like a philosophy dissertation. After taking two finals this morning, my brain’s too tired to get any traction on it. No doubt I’ll rewatch the series at some point; watching it from the beginning with the knowledge that you have after you’ve seen the whole thing seems like it might make some things clear, or open up new areas for consideration.
I highly recommend Soranowoto (Sound of the Sky). The basic premise is that humanity has gone through some sort of apocalyptic-type event and technology has reverted roughly to where it was around the 1930s or thereabouts. The main character, Kanata, joins the military to learn how to play music, at an outpost that’s never seen much fighting even with the long-standing tensions between Helvetia (based on France) and Rome (who speak German). The series starts out pretty gently–mostly cute girls doing cute things. Towards the end, though, it really ramps up the complexity and the emotions, exploring the horrors of war, regret of the past, varying cultural perspectives, how responsibility and guilt work in an army, all sorts of stuff. It definitely went in a different direction than I thought, and it did so with flying colors. In places it reminded me of Kino’s Journey and it occasionally had a Firefly vibe going on as well, what with a tight-knit group of people who were in the military but have been out of war for a while.
So that’s my most recent series. Onto the next.
Is anyone else watching anything this season? My favorite so far is definitely Hyouka. I’ve seen a lot of people complaining that it’s boring. I think I understand where they’re coming from, but I definitely disagree. Yeah, there’s no mechas or fanservice or explosions or fast-paced comedy, but it doesn’t need those. Maybe it’s because the protagonist reminds me quite a bit of myself, but I’m finding plenty to think about while I’m watching it. The animation’s great, of course (as is to be expected from KyoAni), and the studio’s doing a few things I haven’t seen them do before. It’s fairly laid back in its plot and pacing, which suits me just fine. And once you get past the “I’m curious!” surreal sequences in the first episode, the characters seem very well written and thoroughly believable. And it doesn’t rely on introducing hordes of new characters to keep things moving.
The one new thing from this season that I’ve been keeping an eye on is Kids on the Slope. It’s…really good. I saw the first couple of episodes in anime club, but i’ve kept up with even after college let out. It’s got great music, too.
I’ll have to check that one out. Quality music definitely moves things up a few notches for me.
If anyone’s looking for a fantasy show about a traveling peddler and a wolf deity in a medieval European setting, focusing on economics and trading instead of fighting, with supremely written dialogue and banter and a female lead who actually has a brain, try Spice and Wolf. I blew through the first season in two days, and I’ll start on the second season tomorrow. I wish there were more shows that focused on finance and economics, because it’s excellent.
Oh, and you can’t forget about the heart-stoppingly saccharine ED sung in poorly pronounced English. It lodges itself into your brain pretty quickly.
I assume that the finance and economics comes after the fanservice-y bits in the beginning. I heard that it got better later on, but all I did was see the first episode in anime club, and wasn’t impressed enough to go after it. It’s on my to-watch list now.
I also know of one other anime that is focused on finance and economics. C: The Money and Soul of Possibility Control Have you seen it? I described it in post 93 on this thread: “a critique of the ongoing financial crisis played out with Monster Duels”
Yeah, after episode 2 Holo starts wearing clothes and the show starts getting good–the first episode or two are just character introduction, and not very relevant at that. It gets a lot better once it actually gets into its intended style. I haven’t seen C, but I’ll add it to my list.
So a lot of shonen anime doesn’t treat women very well–they’re not main characters, they’re reduced to love interests, they never fight. It’s very boring. Soul Eater does a pretty good job of avoiding all of these. This is one of the reasons I like it. Another reason would be that the anime’s ended already, so unlike SOME SHOWS you don’t have a ton of stuff to catch up to and wait for more to come out on top of that. (Manga’s ongoing) Also, the setting looks like Tim Burton helped design it. And I enjoyed watching it.
Also, I would like to recommend Otoyomegatari (Young Bride’s Story) for your reading pleasure. It’s 19th century Central Asia, and the story focuses on a bunch of loosely connected young women getting married. Um, it’s a lot better than I described it. It’s a fascinating portrait of another culture and time period and the art. Is. Amazing. If you’ve ever spent lots of time looking at historical outfits online, then this is something to look at. I spend so much time just ogling the artwork and admiring the skill in it.
…Seriously, it’s gorgeous.
I just bought Neil Gaiman’s The Absolute Sandman, vol. I *dances* I have the 4th volume and eeee I want them all I’m so excited to get it
Original price: $99
Marked down on B&N website to: $62
then a 15% off coupon
then membership discount+free shipping
then gift cards
total amount I paid: $6.48
WINNING
No one seems to know why, but on Hyouka‘s official site, on the characters page, after all the characters that have appeared on the show so far, designs have been posted for Miku, Rin, Len, and Luka, the Vocaloid characters. I have no idea where they’re going with this, but I’m extremely intrigued.
Has anyone else been watching Tsuritama? It’s gorgeous and colorful and sweet and very strange, and that is about all I can say as I haven’t finished watching it yet.
FantasyFan, I finally got around to Kids on the Slope. The first episode was excellent–it seems like the people who made the show actually know what playing an instrument is like, which isn’t always the case. I’ll definitely watch the rest of it.
shadowfire- Gorgeous and colorful and sweet and very strange sounds right up my alley. I’ll add that to my list as well.
In other news, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to season 2 of YuruYuri, which starts on Monday. It seems like a show I should find unwatchably shallow, but the characters are so entertaining I can’t help but watch it. I’ll also be checking out Kokoro Connect and Tari Tari, which both start sometime in July (I think), and the K-ON! movie comes out on Blu-ray in Japan on the 18th, which means I should be able to find it online shortly thereafter.
FantasyFan, I want to superfluously thank you again for the Kids on the Slope recommendation. I just finished it and it was one of the best series I’ve ever watched.
Tari Tari seems interesting so far–it does sort of throw a lot of characters at you at once, and I’m having a bit of trouble straightening out how they all relate to each other, but I can roll with that. I can’t quite figure out the pacing either; episode two seemed to jump from a typical second episode plot to an end-of-season plot and back. We’ll have to wait and see what they do for the rest of the season, I guess.
Kokoro Connect is pretty good as well. They didn’t dwell too long on the fanservice that’s to be expected in body-switching, so it seems like there’s actually a likelihood of an actual plot and tangible character development. And the characters seem pretty well proportioned, personality-wise, so I’m interested to see what’ll happen with them.
YuruYuri is unabashedly itself, of course, and Hyouka continues to be great. It was a thoughtful touch on KyoAni’s part to keep the swimming pool episode in a mid-season streaming-only OVA instead of a normal episode. Meanwhile, I’m still trying to motivate myself to finish Gurren Lagann so that I can move onto Cowboy Bebop, but I can’t seem to get any traction. I like the series and I find it interesting, but for some reason I just can’t keep with it.
I have changed my Crunchyroll settings to default to Spanish subtitles if available, which is a pretty novel experience. I can’t pay as much attention to listening to the Japanese, but at the same time I’m not just taking in the English automatically without thinking about it. It’s an interesting experiment, anyhow.
That’s actually a really good idea. I didn’t know you could change the language of the subtitles and I will probably lose a lot of my Spanish over the summer if I don’t get some practice in.
And then I can watch anime and it will be educational.
You’re welcome! After a few false starts, I’ve started watching Spice and Wolf, so I should thank you too for the rec.
And, um, if you can’t motivate yourself to watch Gurren Lagann, why don’t you just put it aside for a little while and come back to it later? Sometimes if you take a break and go watch something totally different in a different genre or something, it’s easier to return to the series. That’s actually what happened with Spice and Wolf. I watched the first few episodes, couldn’t focus on it, and eventually decided that it was because what I really wanted to watch was some classic shonen. So I watched all of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, returned to Spice and Wolf, and am watching it at a pretty good clip right now.
…On the other hand, doing this is part of the reason I have so many unfinished series on my to-watch list. So take the advice as you will.
That’s what I’ve been doing with Gurren Lagann. Watch two episodes, forget about it for a month, watch three more, forget about it for a few weeks. I’ll get there sooner or later.
Bit the bullet and finished it. I watched a couple episodes, the plot gained momentum, and I ended up marathonning episode 17 through the end. I’m exhausted, emotionally and physically. Because spoilers, and then spoilers pops up, and spoilers and spoilers get spoilers, and then spoilers disintegrates, and then that last scene with spoilers and the coconut…. Overload. I think I’ll wait a while before Cowboy Bebop. Maybe finishing Spice and Wolf is the thing to do now–some economics should let my brain relax.
I LOVED Cowboy Bebop.
My sci-fi hall had Gurren Lagann night o wednesdays last semester but I always had meetings that night.
IN an agreement with a friend where I watch an anime series he likes if he reads a book I suggest (he doesn’t normally read much), I’ve now completed Ghost in the Shell and Elfen Leid. Both were pretty good (though definitely more mature, don’t look them up unless you are comfortable with some amount of gore/nudity and darker concepts than most anime apparently). I think next he wants me to watch Ergo Proxy which I will probably start sometime soon.
NEW SANDMAN BOOK
IN 2013
I CAN’T
I CANNOT
I HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO CAN
I WILL JUST BE OVER HERE HUGGING MY BOOKS AND SOBBING HAPPILY
MORPHEUS MY LOVE COME TO ME NOW
When Neil Gaiman posted a video explaining that I just sort of sat there making incoherent squeeing noises.
Cowboy Bebop: fantastic so far. I don’t really think comments are necessary.
I have come across one snag in my habit of using Spanish subtitles when possible instead of English: sometimes the Spanish subs are, quite frankly, awful. I used them for the second episode of Kokoro Connect, and I was absolutely lost–people were saying something and then switch to an entirely different subject and I couldn’t figure out whether that was just part of the show or what. Now I’m rewatching it with English subs and listening to the Japanese and I can’t figure out why the Spanish translators did some of the things they did. It’s still confusing (introducing a new character and within five minutes his body’s being inhabited by another new character who apparently doesn’t have a body of their own?), but a better translation helps.
I
Just
Started
Watching
The
Anime
Tokyo Mew Mew
Another muserly sort of anime: Moyashimon. I’ve only watched the first episode of the second (current) season, but just from that I’m already getting the first season and will continue watching the second as well. It’s basically about an agricultural university student who can see and hear microbes which all have personalities and whatnot, but it’s so educational–from the one episode I watched, I know a lot more than I did about soy sauce distillation, alcohol taxation laws, and rice polishing. It’s sort of like if Natsume Yujincho, Spice and Wolf, and The Magic School Bus all got smashed together. I will be watching the first season before I continue, though. For some reason one of the male characters is dressed up as a female French maid–apparently to help a liquor store somehow? I’m a bit lost on that point. But anyway, yes, I approve of any show that unexpectedly educates you. As I was watching it, something did strike me as interesting–the few shots we saw of the campus the show seems to take place on reminded me immediately of the ag campus of the university I attend. I don’t know why. Do all places of agricultural education worldwide have the same sort of atmosphere?
Cowboy Bebop continues masterfully. Such addictive music, too.
K-ON! movie: watched. (I recommend the CoalGuys sub.) Nothing unexpected–the series was never intended to be complex or shift any paradigms, but if moe and sentimental is your goal, it’s the cream of the crop. They portrayed London very well–I recognized not just the locations but the atmosphere. A few times I thought, “I’ve been at that exact spot, and that’s what the light was like there too.” I’m going to have “Fuwa Fuwa Time” stuck in my head for a while, though. Anyway, a worthy end to the anime.
Hyouka is getting ridiculously good now, far better than I expected it to get. Kokoro Connect is having some interesting character development as well.
I am currently in the middle of Endless Eight from Haruhi Suzumiya. When will it end?????
Otherwise, it’s really really good.
Has anyone else seen Tsuritama? It’s an adorable little fishing anime, and I highly recommend it. Only 12 episodes as well! Light and happy, until the plot starts kicking in.
I wasn’t really expecting to like it, but the gorgeous animation and entertaining characters kind of sucked me in. I haven’t finished it yet but I plan to.
Enc (135)- I’m proud to say I watched the entire Endless Eight arc in its entirety. One of the greatest accomplishments of my life.
Zinc (136)- I think I’ve heard of that, but I’ve never watched it. I’ll add it to my list.
I can do nothing but recommend Hyouka and Kokoro Connect. The former has been enjoyable from the start and continues to improve, but what’s really blowing me away now is the latter. Episode six came out today, and it’s getting fantastic–not even close to what I thought the show was going to be. It is dark. Dark and emotional and the characters are fantastic and the antagonist is great. The season’s halfway through now and I have no idea what’s going to happen–not just how the climax will turn out, but what the climax will be, and how we’ll get there, or even what the next episode is going to be like. It is a somewhat intense show to watch, though–it’s one of the few pieces of media that causes me actual emotional distress along with the characters, which, I think, demonstrates the quality of the writing. And the voice acting also deserves an enormous amount of praise; portraying a realistic, emotional character is difficult, but portraying a realistic, emotional character whose personality is inhabiting the body (and vocal cords) of another realistic, emotional character? I couldn’t do it.
I’m still stalled on Cowboy Bebop, and I’ve got the films Paprika and 5 Centimeters Per Second lined up too. G.K. Chesterton and Tolkien keep distracting me.
Finished Cowboy Bebop and watched 5 Centimeters Per Second too. The latter was good–the story was maybe a bit too sentimental, but the art was fantastic. The former…I have no words. Clearly the best TV series I’ve ever watched and one that I will rewatch many times. I guess I could watch the movie too if I felt like it, but the series was so perfect, why would I? I’m still kind of in shock after finishing it yesterday afternoon, wandering around campus listening to “Blue”.
At some point in the future I’ll watch Neon Genesis Evangelion. I’m in no hurry, though.
COWBOY BEBOP
SO GOOD FOREVER
Huh. I sort of vaguely remember watching cowboy bebop, but it was at 4:00 in the morning at a 24 hour film festival (that started the previous noon), and I’m pretty sure that I was asleep for large parts of it, so I don’t remember it very well.
It bears rewatching in an as intellectually awake state as possible.
Another periodic “still in awe from watching something very recently” post:
The final episode of Hyouka aired today. I don’t think any episode of any show has made me swear in astonishment so much–and, just as unusually, at the incredible, subdued beauty of it. The art too is unparalleled. And the final scene? I foresee a lot of people getting upset because it’s “unsatisfying” or something along those lines, but I think it’s a fantastic display of classical subtlety, and I think it would’ve been a travesty to end it in any other way. I don’t think a second season is necessary or justified, though I can easily see a movie being made.
The other shows I’m watching this season will be ending this week or next too. Always a bit of a sad occurrence.
Okay, now that I’ve had some time to digest it, rewatch it, rewatch some other episodes, I’ve done a bit of analysis, specifically in regards to the final scene of episode 22. Not to be read unless you’ve A. watched the whole series or B. will never watch the show. But really, though, you should watch it. It’s fantastic.
HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS
Firstly, and most obviously, the whole thing is literally rose-colored; Oreki, for the first time, wants a rose-colored life instead of the gray existence of energy conservation he’s chosen up until this point. The cherry blossoms, apart from independently being a traditional symbol of a new beginning or a rebirth, also hearken back to the first scene of the first episode, the first day of high school, where Oreki first explains his philosophy. Obviously the repeated symbolism of the cherry blossoms highlights the enormous difference in Oreki’s personality, his desires, his beliefs. KyoAni also chose to have this scene take place in the evening, just before sundown. At first I thought this was an odd decision; surely a sunrise would be more symbolic of Oreki’s renaissance? But I think a sunset fits the situation more closely: the gray-colored period of Oreki’s life is indeed over, but (unlike Chitanda) he isn’t sure yet what his future will be, and so I think it would be misleading to suggest that the next period of his life has already begun. More importantly, the future doesn’t actually seem all that promising, despite it being rose-colored, which I’ll explain in detail in my next point.
Secondly, I found Chitanda’s monologue fascinating. She admits that she doesn’t think the land she’s tied to and the life she has to accept are either beautiful or full of potential. She says the people are old and tired and that’s left are water and soil. Given the population crisis Japan is facing, this is a very real and very heartbreaking reality, and the melancholy expressed in Chitanda’s humble acceptance of a life she doesn’t really want is a microcosm of the entire nation of Japan. Science and business are the only options, and neither of them offers any real promise, as captured by Chitanda’s lack of enthusiasm. It’s somber and it’s inevitable, and yet Chitanda says she wanted Oreki to see it because it’s all she has. Oreki comments, “A powerful old family,” but Chitanda replies, “I wonder about that.” She realizes that, while she is bound to Japanese tradition and doesn’t seem to have any intention of resisting it, the old way of doing things and the long-standing traditionalism is powerless, because of its inflexibility, to address a radically changing world. Even the long-resolved conflict between the north village and the south village still creates problems even though the reasons for the tension are long dead. Because of this rather hopeless and bleak situation, the sunset that Oreki and Chitanda are walking into definitely seems much more fitting than a sunrise, and much more poignant.
Finally, I noticed that Oreki, for the first time that I’m aware of, is pushing a bicycle while Chitanda is not. This is a complete reversal from the first episode and from the rest of the series; until now, it was always Chitanda pushing a bicycle while Oreki walked alongside her. I think this demonstrates clearly both of my previous points: Oreki is now the one who is mobile, youthful, free, full of all the possibilities a bicycle represents. Chitanda, on the other hand, is more resigned and knows she cannot get away from Kamiyama City and from the vicelike grip of the aristocratic tradition she was born into.
In summary, then, this is not a show about mysteries. It is not a show about highschool hijinx or about a group of wacky characters. Hyouka is a lamentation about Japan’s downward spiral as a nation, a resigned acceptance of the inevitable fact that everything has a beginning and an end, and the show offers no possibility of salvation, no exhortations to rage against the dying of the light.
Hm, after rewatching it a bit more I’d like to revise that final paragraph.
HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS HYOUKA SPOILERS
In summary, then, this is not a show about mysteries. It is not a show about highschool hijinx or about a group of wacky characters. *Hyouka* is a lamentation about Japan’s downward spiral as a nation, a resigned acceptance of the inevitable fact that everything has a beginning and an end, and the show offers no suggestion for finding salvation, no exhortations to rage against the dying of the light. Despite that, the final line of the series inserts an odd bit of optimism, some expression of hope that, despite how grim everything seems, somehow something will emerge from the frozen ground and quietly begin to flourish again. Even in the longest winter, “little birds can remember” the promise of a returning spring. Even facing the inevitable, there remains hope for a better future.
SPOILERS DEATH NOTE SPOILERS DEATH NOTE I’M FAIRLY SURE IT’S VOLUME SEVEN SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS DEATH NOTE MAJOR SPOILERS ALTHOUGH OF COURSE IT’S ALL BEEN SPOILED FOR ME THANKS A LOT, INTERNET, AND GETTING THE BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY IN THE WRONG ORDER SPOILERS DEATH NOTE SPOILERS DEATH NOTE
Ohhh my gosh I love Death Note So. Flipping. Much.
But L dies? *gasp* Why? WHYYYYYYYYYY
Because he was basically my favorite part of the series
My favorite part ever. Even my sister agrees. (Although of course she may not be a reliable source of information because she likes Light. Bleh. I don’t like Light.)
I haven’t even gotten to the part where he dies yet. I only just started volume 7. Bleh bleh.
But L was so adorable… aww……….
Okay, there are my rantings.
SPOILERS DEATH NOTE SPOILERS DEATH NOTE I’M FAIRLY SURE IT’S VOLUME SEVEN SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS DEATH NOTE MAJOR SPOILERS ALTHOUGH OF COURSE IT’S ALL BEEN SPOILED FOR ME THANKS A LOT, INTERNET, AND GETTING THE BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY IN THE WRONG ORDER SPOILERS DEATH NOTE SPOILERS DEATH NOTE
L’s death is great, though. It’s not random or anything–it really is Light using the Death Note (and Rem) to his advantage. He was able to predict almost everything that happened during his absence, which is really awesome.
Mental note: since L dies in volume 7, apparently, that means I’m on volume 9. Good to know.
What?? This thread actually EXISTS??? And somehow I didn’t KNOW this???? I mean, I may not like most anime, manga, or graphic novels, but that’s NO EXCUSE!!!!
Oh wait… I did know about this thread. I just forgot about it since I’ve never posted on it…
STILL!
Anyway, I guess I’ll move all my Death Note related posts to here.
Speaking of which, I think I need to take a break from Death Note. I’ve started seeing characters from it every time I close my eyes. *headincinerator* (Actually, this is a fairly common symptom I associate with obsession. For instance, the same thing happened with Doctor Who.)
The problem is I check out Death Note books in pairs whenever I can since they only last a day. And I’d like to read book five before I have to return it tomorrow (I think it’s actually due Monday, but I can’t remember, so better safe than sorry).
Maybe I’ll just read book five and then not read any more for a while…?
Thanks to Piggy and FantasyFan for sticking Kids on the Slope in my brain. I finally started watching it today and the characters are great, the music is wonderful, and the whole escaping-through-jazz-music thing kinda really connected with me. It’s a great show and I intend to finish it as soon as possible.
The other thing I’ve really enjoyed this season is K, which aside from being completely unGoogleable is a fantastic show with great characters and gorgeous animation. If anyone else has watched it tell me so we can cry together.
I watched Tsuritama in anime club. I probably wouldn’t have watched it on my own, but i’m glad I did–it was very heartwarming and funny. I actually watch most of my anime in club now. The problem with that is that we don’t always finish series, so even though we watched Nana last semester I haven’t finished because we are watching a new set of shows this semester. I don’t know if I could watch it on my own though–it’s kind of slow, and half the fun was listening to my friends dissect the relationships on screen. I thought of it like a sociological study. I’m sure I would not have picked up on half the relationship stuff without them pointing it out to me. And the whole point of the show is relationships.
I’ve just been watching a whole bunch of slower anime in general. Has anyone seen Chihayafuru?I think it might fit the tastes of some people on this thread. *hint Piggy* It’s ostensibly about a card game, but that’s really just the set up for the friendship. Or at least so far. I’m only on episode 3.
The other show I’m looking forward to watching in club is Ergo Proxy, which isn’t slow and definitely fits my old tastes better.
Oh yes, Tsuritama was quite adorable! I remember I watched it in two sittings…
It’s just come out that about a month ago Ryutaro Nakamura, director of Kino’s Journey, Serial Experiments Lain, and Ghost Hound, passed away about a month ago from colon cancer at the age of 58. He has for a long time been one of my all-time favorite directors and artists, a man of extraordinary genius and sensitivity. The world’s a darker place for his passing. I think I’ll rewatch Kino this week in his memory. I’m not sure what’ll happen to the project he had been working on, Despera, with Chiaki Konaka and Yoshitoshi ABe–I hope ABe steps in to finish directing it.
In other news, Aku no Hana, despite the enormous controversy its rotoscoping and pacing caused, instantly struck me as a singular masterpiece of the genre. Luckily I had not read the manga and so I was able to watch it without having to compare it to that. It’s a bold move to have so many slow, wordless scenes–all of the walking scenes, for instance–and taking those kinds of risks really pushes it to another level for me. The classroom scene at the end of episode 8 is, I’m fairly sure, the most breathtaking and memorable scene from any show I’ve ever watched. Naturally I have gripes about the last episode, but hopefully season 2 will happen. The continued delays in getting the BDs of season 1 out doesn’t exactly reassure me, though.
What else have I watched lately? Hmmm…. Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku, the little Lucky Star spinoff, was very enjoyable even though the episodes only came out in 240p or worse. I watched a few episodes of Chihayafuru before getting distracted–I need to get back on that. I’ve been working through most of Makoto Shinkai’s stuff too the past couple of months. I watched the first episode of Free!, but I probably won’t watch any more. Despite its ubiquitousness, I’ve yet to get around to Shingeki no Kyojin. It’ll happen eventually, maybe.
Shingeki no Kyojin is a really horrifying wonderful show and if you’re able to put up with a lot of violence it’s very worth it. The story’s interesting, the characters are (possibly too) relatable, and there is some really fabulous animation.
Yeah, the gorey violence is why I don’t watch it, but from the two episodes I saw, it’s easy to see why so many people enjoy it. It’s wonderfully made.
Oh, you watched Free!… Ah aha. That was pretty fun to watch. Also, all the swimming and water was beautifully animated, holy heck.
I’ve been watching the Dangan Ronpa anime. I like it so far, although it feels kind of rushed, and I’m disappointed at how interesting characters keep dying before getting any real screen time. I’ll probably read the LP eventually, since I’m guessing it’s better in this regard.
I’ve been hearing a lot about it. Should I watch it?
I’ve seen it. From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t differ too much from the original game. I,m far from caught up on it but it is a really cool premise and I do like it.
*Poke*
What would anyone recommend for manga reading material for me?
I don’t know what your personal tastes are, but I enjoyed the Death Note manga. I think it actually worked better in print than as an anime, but I’m not very knowledgeable, so take that with a grain of salt.
I haven’t seen the anime, but I’ve heard other people say the same thing.
Heh, I’ve been sucked into the endless void of anime recently… I’m actually not that invested in the new and popular shows like SNK and free so much as I’m into Black Butler, Madoka Magica, and of course FMA: Brotherhood. I’m really bad at catching up on episodes, though.
On Sunday, I started watching Revolutionary Girl Utena (with absolutely not previous exposure to anime other than some episodes of Pokemon when I was little). It’s… really interesting! I want to write essays about this show because it’s so fascinating, and there’s so much to analyze, but I’m less than 2/3 in and don’t even know what the writers did yet. (Well, really, I want to read essays about it, but I don’t know how easy that will be yet). I really, really want to know what happens with… everything.
Has anyone else seen it?
OH yeah! Utena is an anime classic at this point. Don’t look for them just yet, because spoilers, but there are definitely lots of essays out there analyzing Utena, its symbolism, its significance in anime.
Less than 2/3 in, hm? I’m going to sit here smiling evilly in anticipation of your reactions later on. You haven’t seen anything yet.
To be honest, it took me a while to actually like the show. I started watching it in anime club, with other people, and continued it because it was One of Those Shows that everyone’s seen, or at least heard about, and I thought I ought to watch it. It didn’t really grow on me until about halfway through, though. The beginning was slow, and there were all these weird filler-y episodes, but by the end I was glad I had seen it. Perhaps it was because I’m not one for analyzing of my entertainment myself, and Utena’s one of those shows you need to think about to fully appreciate.
Specifically, I just finished the Black Rose arc last night, so really almost exactly 2/3, but it does seem to change a lot. When I first started watching, I thought it was cute, but I was confused because the Internet seemed to think it had all these things to say, and I loved the idea of Utena wanting to be a prince and stuff, but–bodyswapping because of curry. (And there’s some stuff–I bet it probably does have symbolic significance, unlike [probably] the curry, but it doesn’t make sense in the context of what’s happening–like most of the song lyrics, although the phrasing is probably less weird in Japanese, and the… shadow people, although they are funny). But it’s using Utena to deconstruct all these fairy tale tropes, and I really can’t tell where it’s going to go, and I just am really curious about that, because I get the impression there was a lot of thought put into it, and it’s going to be good, whatever it is. But I do agree that it was slow at the beginning, and I love analyzing everything. (Although a lot of TV shows are pretty disappointing in that regard, because I find more underlying prejudices than expert planning). But I liked it; I just didn’t love it until… I’m not sure. At least episode 7, probably later.
Anyway, I’m about to watch more, even though I should probably be doing homework.
…Wow. “The Rose Crest” was amazing.
I… That was literally the best finale I’ve seen on any show.
Aaand I’m watching the movie now. I’d heard it was confusing, but… but… “It’s a big mistake to think you’re the only one who can turn into a car. I’m a car now, too.”
What.
I really don’t know why I keep rereading Uzumaki. It becomes no less horrifying when I read it again.
…damned fascinating artwork…
Has anyone else read the webcomic Nimona? (Or, “does anyone else read,” I guess. It’s still updating. But I just read through all of it that exists today.)
Yes yes yes! I’m following it right now. I absolutely love everything that artist does. It’s such a charming webcomic.
YES! I love it! And I’m still reeling from today’s update, because I don’t know what’s happening in that last panel and also oh, hey, THAT OTHER BIT. A couple of us also talked about Nimona a bit on a newer version of this thread.
Someone (possibly Jadestone, but I don’t really remember) recommended the comic on the Seriously Awesome Comics thread, which is where a lot of webcomic talk tends to go. That’s why I started reading it, and I’m very glad I did!
I found an anime I actually liked! It’s called Lupin III. It’s really funny.
also this thread is older than my shoes.
How about this one?