Decided I'm going to talk about and review the Anime's I have seen, starting with a master list of all I have seen from when I started watching them from the mid-90's till' now, and then talk about them, however there are a few that in hindsight are just bad or watched because I was bored and my early teenager self had no idea that I SHOULD NOT be watching this *cough sailor moon /cough*.
To avoid unnessasary cluttering of additional threads on a whim.
(*) To be finished watching.
Master list (X/5) as Score: 1 is Terrible, 2 is Poor, 3 is Okay, 4 is Good, 5 is Excellent. -------------------- Transformers (4/5 because of Nostalgia) Pokemon (1/5) Digimon And a few spinoffs until i got bored. (3/5) Gundam Wing (4/5) Dragonball Z (3/5) YuGiOh (4/5 in Japanese) Inu Yasha* (3/5) Escaflowne (5/5) Ruruni Kenshin (4/5) Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (4/5) The Darker and Edgier version. Beyblade* (2/5 won't finish it) Jackie Chan Adventures (5/5) I'm including it Damnit, don't question my authority! YuGiOh GX* (4/5 Pretty damn funny in English) The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (6/5) Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (6/5) Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (5/5) Death Note Season 1 (5/5) Death Note Season 2 (4/5) Naruto (3/5) Naruto: Shippuden (3.5/5) Fullmetal Alchemist (4/5) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (4/5) K-ON!* (4.5/5) Negima* (3/4 might improve if I watch more then 3 episodes) Elfen Lied (5/5) Shojou Sect (3/5 P /W P) Trigun* (3/5) Dragon Ball GT* (3/5) SCRYED (4/5) Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (4/5) Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY (3.5/5) Afro Samurai (5/5) Afro Samurai: Ressurection (5/5 don't hurt me Samual L Jackson!) Akagi (5/5) Ranma 1/2* (3/5) Mushishi (6/5) Bleach (4/5) ANYTHING BY HAYAU MIYAZAKI (5/5) Earthsea by his Son (5/5) Avatar The Last Airbender (4/5 bad first episode) Azumanga Daioh* (3/5) Interesting but losses points to animation style) The Twelve Kingdoms* (?) How do you praise only seen 2 episodes. Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl* (4/5) Compelling plot. Noir* (4/5) Candyboy (5/5) Axis Powers Hentalia (3.5/5) Not very good but makes up for it with historical in jokes... and violence! For the sake of completeness anything else by Studio ghibli (5/5)
Animes to watch or in progress.
Noir Sketchbook fate-stay night Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl The Twelve Kingdoms Negima Ranma 1/2 K-ON! Naruto Shippuden Inu Yasha Azumanga Daioth Animal Crossing
Animes I absolutely refuse to watch ever on pain of death. AND I MEAN IT! File under Hype Backlash.
-Neongenesis evangilon or whatever its called. -Any new Digimon Spinoff. -any new pokemon spinoff. -Slayers. Little 10 year old casting Ultima from FF6 wtf? -Sailor Moon.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Higurashi no naku koro ni 5/5
Edit: Strange somethings wrong with the edit button so I can't add more that I forgot to the list.
Currently I am watching on youtube "Lucky Star" which is pitched as "Seinfield on Crack" considering it features a PC game and anime obsessed Otaku as a main character AND a girl to boot allows me to side step by usual rules of avoiding shows that resort to animation shortcuts to gain cheap laughs.
:ninja edit: yeah they just showed a short seen where the PC gamer Otaku (Kagami?) spent Study week blowing off her homework procrastinating to play an MMORPG instead. A girl after my own heart!
[ September 03, 2009, 12:11 PM: Message edited by: Blayne Bradley ]
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Dude, you are missing out. Evangelion is actually quite good. One of my favourites next to Cowboy Bebop.
Elfin Lied might be too violent for me. I read the manga. So many heads were rolling.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I heard that Evangelion team couldn't figure out a proper way to end the show so they settled on making as vague and confusing ending as possible to misdirect the viewership to get out of actually have to come up with something intelligent, I think its called a "Gainax Ending". This makes me somewhat unwilling to invest into something that the writers gave up on, and Wangst gets annoying after a while.
Maybe on of these days in the future but really, christian cross shaped explosions? C'mon get real.
I appear to have hit a wall of the "Four Point Scale" where only TWO animes I've reviewed scored less then 3, though then again to be fair Anime's have to try somewhat hard to suck.
More on lucky star I really like "Bitch In Sheeps Clothing" Akira Kogami though I much prefer the bitter/angry side of her though shes funny when she's acting like Krusty the Clown "off camera".
Poor girl, she needs a hug.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
OK, but there are the movies to consider too. And the ending is pretty straight forward and makes sense to me...
Plus, you're totally missing out. It's just... COOL. Especially my favourite episode. Love that episode. So... GOOD.
Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
I'm not big on Anime, m'self. Granted, though, I haven't seen all that many. But of the five or so I've seen, Evangelion is easily my favorite. I was also satisfied with the ending; shoot, I loved the ending. It's only 26 episodes. I think it's worth at least checking out, and if it's not your cup of tea, you can always stop watching.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
quote: I heard that Evangelion team couldn't figure out a proper way to end the show so they settled on making as vague and confusing ending as possible to misdirect the viewership to get out of actually have to come up with something intelligent, I think its called a "Gainax Ending". This makes me somewhat unwilling to invest into something that the writers gave up on, and Wangst gets annoying after a while.
Maybe on of these days in the future but really, christian cross shaped explosions? C'mon get real.
Actually, your first paragraph is completely false.
They infact had perfectly logical (for a certain definition of logical) plans for the ending of the series.
However, thanks to certain... things they had done earlier in the series, such as scenes that went far enough to bother even the Japanese censors, they had their budget cut.
In other words? They ran out of money, which can be seen in multiple places even before the last two episodes.
Of course, some of those places happen to have turned out really well. For example, the minute long elevator scene. Yes, it's practically, like, four frames of animation throughout an entire minute, but it was nevertheless incredibly effective at getting the tension between the two characters in question to their breaking point.
However, yes, they ran out of money, and had to settle with something artistic instead of something with a big budget.
Incidentally, the movie ending, The End of Evangelion, is basically, as seen from certain behind the scenes info, was basically the ending they originally planned.
Only expanded, 'cause they got the budget to make a movie out of it!
Anyway, the tv version ending has some flaws, to be sure, but it's nevertheless really, really interesting, and worth watching for its own sake.
Besides... hype backlash? Really? You're really the sort of person to avoid something because some people say it's good?
Meh. Do as you will.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Also: As for Slayers. If you're gonna complain about a little girl casting ultima, and speak of the premise (and that isn't even the premise!) as being silly... I can easily do the same.
Some douchebag kid in a poorly paced mecha story gets an eye that makes anyone do what they tell him? wtf.
Some kid gets a notebook that lets him kill people? Really? C'mon, gimme a break.
A Jackie Chan story? That was American, and doesn't even fall under the vernacular definition of anime!
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by 0Megabyte: Also: As for Slayers. If you're gonna complain about a little girl casting ultima, and speak of the premise (and that isn't even the premise!) as being silly... I can easily do the same.
Some douchebag kid in a poorly paced mecha story gets an eye that makes anyone do what they tell him? wtf.
Some kid gets a notebook that lets him kill people? Really? C'mon, gimme a break.
A Jackie Chan story? That was American, and doesn't even fall under the vernacular definition of anime!
Puhleeze, there's a huge difference between a 12 year old GIRL being able to summon seemingly at will a handful kiloton NUCLEAR WARHEAD worth of destructive power and a different teenager getting a perfectly explainable At-Will Spell Like Ability to cast "geas" on any one person once. Dungeons and Dragons allows the latter NOT THE FORMER.
Magic A is Magic A, I value consistency and plausibility in how magic or at least the Applied Phlebotinum is managed, it doesn't matter if its magic or explained as sufficiently advanced science as long as it is consistent, semi plausible, and does not absolutely SHATTER suspension of disbelief.
Also I KNOW jackie Chan Adventures doesn't count in the same venecular, I just felt like on a whim including it as I liked it very very much so sue me.
A Death Note could easily be an Greater Artifact that casts the equivalent of "momento mori + Wish" on its victims.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Magic A is Magic A:
quote: Generally speaking, in fiction it's often more important for the themes or tropes to be consistent rather than being actually logical (e.g., Our Monsters Are Different for supernatural stories). Breaking the fictional universe's rules is normally considered a Plot Hole and can anger the audience, even if it would make total sense by the rules of the real world. Replacing a frequently used (if arbitrary) causality for a new one can be just as irritating.
For example, although the Harry Potter books focus a lot on the characters in school, very little is actually explained as to how spells work. However, so long as they're consistent, it appears academic; the audience doesn't quibble with the details as long as the fictional world remains internally coherent. Only if seemingly inconsistent details pop up does the Willing Suspension Of Disbelief start to fail.
This trope seems to be more common in anime, since an anime series will generally have most, if not all, of its various physics (both magical and mundane) mapped out beforehand. American series tend to work on an episode-by-episode basis, which means that consistency is often one of the first casualties (This is, for example, what you'll find most Trekkies to be complaining about). Ironically, this means they avoid the trope because they're too busy making use of other tropes.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
To be more specific a DM worth his salt will say "no" if you attempt the former and ban you if you attempt it by abusing the rules of the system to exploit it via "Pun Pun", the latter a DM I would imagine is possible most won't allow it but those who would who are worth their salt would insist on you sacrificing orphans or selling your soul or some such in order to acquire it, something that Lelouch for all intents and purposes did.
While having a Greater Artifact dropped into your lap is not something that would happen in a standard campaign it is something that could be made into the makings of a good campaign.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
As for anime/manga that one has read... God, has it really been over a decade since I started this?
Lemme see if I can list them all... (good luck, me!)
Sailor Moon Robotech: (Macross) (Southern Cross) (Mospaeda) Speed Racer Ronin Warriors Mobile Suit Gundam ^-- 0083: Stardust Memory ^-- 0080: War in a Pocket ^-- 08th MS Team ^-- Char's Counterattack ^-- G Gundam ^-- Gundam Wing ^-- Gundam SeeD ^-- SD Gundam Irresponsible Captain Taylor Dragon Ball Dragon Ball Z Dragon Ball GT Voltron Battle Athletes Victory Ruroni Kenshin Tenchi Muyo! Tenchi Universe Tenchi in Tokyo Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in Love Tenchi the Movie 2: The Daughter of Darkness Blue Submarine #6 Bubblegum Crisis Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 Baki the Grapplier Birdy the Mighty Akira Tekken: the Movie Street Fighter 2: the Movie The Vision of Escaflowne Digimon (up to third season) Pokemon Outlaw Star Big O Zoids: New Century Zero Zoids: Chaotic Century Cardcaptor Sakura .hack//SIGN Cyborg 009 Hamtaro The Prince of Tennis Excel Saga Cowboy Bebop Inu Yasha Read or Die Yu Yu Hakusho Candidate for Goddess Lupin the Third Shin-chan Neon Genesis Evangelion s-CRY-ed Samurai Champloo Ghost in the Shell Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (and Second Gig) Detective Conan Astro Boy Eureka Seven Blue Gender Blue Seed This Ugly Yet Beautiful World Elfen Lied Gunslinger Girls Hellsing Hellsing: Ultimate Last Exile Mahou Sensei Negima Jiburiru: The Devil Angel La Blue Girl Kikaider Inyouchuu Reign: The Conquerer Paranoia Agent Serial Experiments Lain Please Teacher Please Twins Noir Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (and second and third seasons) Revolutionary Girl Utena Full Metal Alchemist Higurashi no Naku Koroni Gurren Lagann Petite Cosette Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Afro Samurai Trigun Trinity Blood Death Note Code: Geass Witch Hunter Robin xxxHolic Clannad Macross Zero Macross II: The Movie Tsukuyomi: Moonphase Black Lagoon The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya FLCL Lucky Star Samurai Seven Getbackers Azumanga Daio The Super Milk-chan Show Wolf's Rain The Familiar of Zero Mnemosyne Ma Go Ochiru Yoru Cambrian Blood+ The Place Promised in Our Early Days Gungrave Paprika Bleach Highschool of the Dead Mirai Nikki Berserk Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit Beat-to-Death Angel Dokura-chan Doraemon Monster Rancher One Piece Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Zatch Bell (sadly) Galaxy Express 999 Superbook (yes, that was an anime. I checked) Full Metal Panic Aquarion (enough to know I didn't like it, anyway) Chobits Ragnarok Ouran High School Host Club Ai Yori Aoshi Iria: The Animation Arimitage: The Third Dai Mahou Touge Appleseed Dominion Tank Force Patlabor Grave of the Fireflies Gunsmith Cats Karin Kodomo no Jikan Mai-Hime Tokyo Godfathers Princess Mononoke Spirited Away Mon Colle Knights My Neighbor Totoro Saikano Bokurano Saint Saya School Days Shaman King Slayers (only a little) Sorcerer Hunters Those Who Hunt Elves Voices of a Distant Star Martian Successor Nadeshiko Project A-ko Kiki's Delivery Service
...
And yes, I'm fairly certain I'm missing at least a dozen series, not counting movies I can't recall.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Yeesh. That was 166, if I counted right. Also not counting second seasons with different names, but instead counting them as the same as the first season.
That... is kinda cool, actually.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
quote: Puhleeze, there's a huge difference between a 12 year old GIRL being able to summon seemingly at will a handful kiloton NUCLEAR WARHEAD worth of destructive power and a different teenager getting a perfectly explainable At-Will Spell Like Ability to cast "geas" on any one person once. Dungeons and Dragons allows the latter NOT THE FORMER.
Magic A is Magic A, I value consistency and plausibility in how magic or at least the Applied Phlebotinum is managed, it doesn't matter if its magic or explained as sufficiently advanced science as long as it is consistent, semi plausible, and does not absolutely SHATTER suspension of disbelief.
Also I KNOW jackie Chan Adventures doesn't count in the same venecular, I just felt like on a whim including it as I liked it very very much so sue me.
A Death Note could easily be an Greater Artifact that casts the equivalent of "momento mori + Wish" on its victims.
As for the whole "shattering of disbelief" you don't seem to get my point.
Have you watched Slayers? Do you know the rules of the setting? Have you bought into them? No more than, in my example, I bought into the concept of a Death Note. Do you not see that point?
Besides, how do you even know it isn't consistent for a 12 year old to have that kind of power in that setting?
Do you know how the setting works? Do you know how they set up their magic? Do you know how she, specifically, got the power she obtained?
Or are you just dismissing it from the start?
And if you are, you're going to need to be consistent.
Talking of the D&D you seem to love sooooo much, let's take the Eberron campaign setting:
Within it, a 12 year old girl is the pontiff of a continent-wide religion, and is, due to that, an 18th level (using 3.5 rules) cleric.
Are you going to dismiss that, and Dungeons and Dragons with it, since it allowed something so SHATTERING to suspension of disbelief?
Or, are you going to argue, if you know the setting, that the other circumstances make this exception to what would normally be noted completely sensical?
If you do do that? You'd best be prepared to stuff it when it comes to Slayers as well, since, considering it has it's own rules, and the character is the main character (and how many main characters are just THAT SPECIAL, and break the normal rules? I can count as many of them as I can count anime series I've seen, and that's even easier than that first task)
Oh, right. And furthermore, and this is the important part?
Slayers ain't D&D. It doesn't follow the rules of D&D. And why the heck are you limiting your imagination by the ruleset of 4th edition D&D anyway?
Just because D&D doesn't allow it does NOT mean it doesn't make good storytelling. D&D has nothing to do with this, and your pointing out that it doesn't follow rules it never said it was following was rather nonsensical.
Nor does most television with fantasy elements.
Please try and understand that.
quote: Magic A is Magic A: (tvtropes copypasta)
This isn't all that helpful. Put things in your own words, please.
quote: To be more specific a DM worth his salt will say "no" if you attempt the former and ban you if you attempt it by abusing the rules of the system to exploit it via "Pun Pun", the latter a DM I would imagine is possible most won't allow it but those who would who are worth their salt would insist on you sacrificing orphans or selling your soul or some such in order to acquire it, something that Lelouch for all intents and purposes did.
...what does the game-balance of a specific (not even anywhere near the only!) pen and paper role playing game have to do with the storytelling choices in a medium of storytelling, and further a setting that doesn't even pretend to follow the rules of said game, again?
Oh, and before you answer, the answer is: Nothing at all.
You're not playing Slayers, either alone or in a group of people who need to be balanced at least somewhat reasonably.
It's a tv show, man.
Here's the dirty little secret of a story: The rules don't mean a damn thing. The only thing that matters, is if it works. And if a story working properly means throwing away a rule, then you throw it away.
quote:While having a Greater Artifact dropped into your lap is not something that would happen in a standard campaign it is something that could be made into the makings of a good campaign. Puhleeze, there's a huge difference between a 12 year old GIRL being able to summon seemingly at will a handful kiloton NUCLEAR WARHEAD worth of destructive power and a different teenager getting a perfectly explainable At-Will Spell Like Ability to cast "geas" on any one person once. Dungeons and Dragons allows the latter NOT THE FORMER.
... why do you insist on this D&D analogy, since neither of these stories fit the rules of 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons in the first place?
D&D's rules, what's fair in a game, is irrelevant for anything but playing D&D.
And really, if a DM told you that your campaign had, as it's villain, an unexplainably powerful little girl with the power to use incredible destructive magic unknown since the creation of the world, which could level cities and possibly lead to the world's destruction, and you had to find a way to defeat this magic, since if you met her you'd totally die, don't tell me you'd say "That's not possible! I'm not playing in such a game that COULDN'T POSSIBLY HAPPEN (in a world of unlimited magic!) because it's not in the rulebooks! No 12 year old girl could possibly have that power, no matter your excuse!"
But that is not the point, nor should you dare make it the point.
The point is... these aren't board games.
And if you wanted, I could poke holes in the rules of 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons, too, and show where that doesn't make sense.
We could start with At Will, Encounter, and Daily powers, and how magic knows the difference between a twenty minute long battle and two separate battles in twenty minutes, with a ten minute rest between them, to begin with...
Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
To Mega, all I know is that I saw plenty of goodies, like Samurai Champloo but also saw Hamtaro.... and La Blue Girl. What an odd place it must be inside your head.
And to add to the D&D poking, for a game meant to be about personal creativity and imagination, why do so many nerds buy all the books just so they can confuse thier games and extend every smaller point with rules and regulations? I buy books and games when I want someone elses ideas, when I was in high school I created my own game, making it as intricate and tailored to my friends as possible while working off of my story and system. D&D 3 was fine, and I'll never know why they made the fourth.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I think your massively missing my point Mega. As if you weren't even running towards it and if the point was in a different country altogether.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Right lets try again to explain this, I like D&D, so I judge the consistency of an anime based on "how close it can be recreated within the rules of D&D" not the end all be all but if an anime has magic then that will be one of my yardsticks.
"Within it, a 12 year old girl is the pontiff of a continent-wide religion, and is, due to that, an 18th level (using 3.5 rules) cleric."
Secondly, don't mention Eberron it doesn't exist, and even so you would actually have to provide proof that this character in the supposed setting is ACTUALLY 18th level and even then proves my point about consistency, Eberron sucks because it is not consistent.
So it doesn't matter if an Anime is a TV show and not D&D or even meant to follow D&D I WILL however make the comparisons between them to see how consistent it is, much like Yahtzee comparing two different albeit only vaguely similar games.
The quote from Tv Tropes IS helpful you must read through it, it is possibly next to impossible to rephrase it in any way easier to understand and with examples.
"Here's the dirty little secret of a story: The rules don't mean a damn thing. The only thing that matters, is if it works. And if a story working properly means throwing away a rule, then you throw it away."
This is terrible reasoning and would lead to a terrible show, the rule should not have existed in the first place if it could not be adhered to.
Also I hate 4th edition so make fun all you want, "At will" is a reference to how spell like abilities work in 3.5 edition at will meaning a powert hat can be use unlimited as opposed to SLA's that can only be used X many times a day.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:I like D&D, so I judge the consistency of an anime based on "how close it can be recreated within the rules of D&D"
Man, wouldn't it be bizarre if you judged your dinners by the same yardstick?
"But there's no entry for fresh salmon in the equipment list! You don't -- you don't understand! This can't possibly exist!"
Seriously, Blayne, judging a story by the consistency with which its fictional universe adheres to the largely inconsistent D&D ruleset is probably not the best way to identify quality stories.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Achilles Heel:
"To Mega, all I know is that I saw plenty of goodies, like Samurai Champloo but also saw Hamtaro.... and La Blue Girl. What an odd place it must be inside your head."
Ha ha ha. Indeed. My mind is a boiling pot of weirdness.
Now, those aren't necessarily what I liked. Just what I saw. And I started watching anime around age nine or ten, starting with Sailor Moon (well, Sailor Moon was the first one I actually recognized as such.)
And for a long time, I just watched whatever I could find on digital cable or the Sci-fi Channel.
Speaking of which, I remember one didn't put on there!
Green Legend Ran
I'm sure more will come to me.
But yes. My mind has an interesting collage of different stories stuck in there. Beware, though, for I'm in school to make films.
So this eclectic set of genres are all swimming deep inside of me while I make them. Yes, everything from Hamtaro to La Blue Girl, as you so cheerfully pointed out.
But Cowboy Bebop, Serial Experiments Lain, Samurai Champloo and Evangelion are there, too!
Incidentally, doesn't the Boondocks feel like the creator really liked shows like Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop sometimes? It feels like that to me.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson:
quote:I like D&D, so I judge the consistency of an anime based on "how close it can be recreated within the rules of D&D"
Man, wouldn't it be bizarre if you judged your dinners by the same yardstick?
"But there's no entry for fresh salmon in the equipment list! You don't -- you don't understand! This can't possibly exist!"
Seriously, Blayne, judging a story by the consistency with which its fictional universe adheres to the largely inconsistent D&D ruleset is probably not the best way to identify quality stories.
Shush I can't let my parents find out I'm on to them...
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
quote: Right lets try again to explain this, I like D&D, so I judge the consistency of an anime based on "how close it can be recreated within the rules of D&D" not the end all be all but if an anime has magic then that will be one of my yardsticks.
Even as a yardstick, it doesn't make sense, except as a cute parlor trick, like you see on the Wizards of the Coast forums.
"how do I make a character that has powers similar to, say, Kakashi from Naruto or Ichigo from Bleach? Lol"
While fun, if you're really into that, that's not what you're doing.
You can't use the rules of a system designed as a game as a yardstick for a tv show. In fact, you can't use the rules of a particular tv show as a yardstick for the rules of any other tv show, especially when it comes to magic?
Why?
Because magic isn't real and thus follows none of the rulesets so the only, only, only thing that matters is that it feels like it makes sense within the context of its own world and not in the context of any other.
Besides, Dungeons and Dragons was designed to be played, once again, while these television shows have not been designed with the goal of characters of equal power level, fairness, and mutual fun for the characters. Because that's not the point, because it isn't a game.
quote:Secondly, don't mention Eberron it doesn't exist, and even so you would actually have to provide proof that this character in the supposed setting is ACTUALLY 18th level and even then proves my point about consistency, Eberron sucks because it is not consistent.
...what?
Really? That's fairly infantile. Perhaps I only claim there's only two Alien movies from time to time, but that's just a joke, and not an argument tactic.
As an argument tactic, that's just childish, dude. It's stupid.
Okay: Let's be clear, then.
What rules in 3.5 edition Dungeons and Dragons say that a child cannot, under any circumstances, gain levels faster than the norm?
Secondly, and this is more important: The rules aren't there to rule everything. D&D is a game about imagination, and if something would make things more interesting or fun, but break the rules, you know damn well that as DM I would allow it, because fun is way more important.
If you wanted to play a 12 year old, and the campaign's adventures lasted only a couple years at best, of course that 12 year old would end up a level 18 or whatever you call it.
As it is, the entire ruleset of Dungeons and Dragons is about exceptions.
If someone uses an area effect spell, you have to roll a reflex saving throw (in the case of something like a fireball) to see if you dodge it. If you do, you take half damage.
However, there is an exception to this rule. If you have the feat Evasion, and you succeed your reflex saving throw, you take NO damage.
And that's not consistent at all with the previous rule!
Yet that's how the entire game is. Read the Rules Compendium, and notice how they point this out specifically.
4th Edition is the same way, of course.
You have rules. Then you have magic that breaks the rules. Sometimes, including the rules it needs to follow.
Of course, you still didn't answer my question. If I was your DM, and I told you that, due to MAGIC, there was a 12 year old with phenomenal destructive power, and put the campaign's point around stopping her, would you abandon it, because THAT'S NOT IN THE RULES, regardless of any explanation I might give?
Of course, the real point is, and look here for the real point of this particular bit:
The game isn't consistent to begin with! The rules are arbitrary! Human beings made them, and they're both flawed, and decided them based on numerous factors including tradition, and, most importantly, Dungeons and Dragons' ruleset is not, in any way, the be all and end all of the rules of anything but an actual Dungeons and Dragons game, and even then, the first rule is that the DM can make whatever her wants, house rule however he wants, to make the game fun, and damn the rules!
That's the FIRST RULE.
quote: So it doesn't matter if an Anime is a TV show and not D&D or even meant to follow D&D I WILL however make the comparisons between them to see how consistent it is, much like Yahtzee comparing two different albeit only vaguely similar games.
Heh. Boy, you ain't no Yahtzee.
Regardless, though, you don't even know the rules of Slayers to begin with.
Or tell me, what ARE the rules of magic in Slayers?
If you can't tell me, then... how can you compare the rules if you don't even know them?
Furthermore, this is a rather poor yardstick. You used D&D's inconsistent and muddled rules to dismiss a series you haven't seen, because it does things that you don't think, in error, can be done well in Dungeons and Dragons.
That's just going too far, you know? That's just... silly.
Especially since when shown an example of the same darn thing in Dungeons and Dragons, you say it doesn't count. Even though it does, you're just dismissing it in a silly manner.
(Btw, borrow a friend's Eberron Campaign Setting, for the 3.5 edition, and look through it, on the setting information for the nation of Thrane. The Silver Flame, their deity thing, has a speaker, basically a pope. It chooses whoever it wants to be the next speaker, and gives them power. It chose a 12 year old girl, Jaela, to become the current one, and gave it's GODLY power, which is allowed, btw, since godly power can do things like that, to said girl, giving her the power of an 18th level cleric. So, she has those powers, and is in all ways 18th level, until she dies.)
quote: The quote from Tv Tropes IS helpful you must read through it, it is possibly next to impossible to rephrase it in any way easier to understand and with examples.
Let me rephrase it easily:
Rules don't have to really make sense, they just have to, if stated, not be broken, without a good reason.
Sounds fair.
Where did Slayers ever give the rule that 12 year olds couldn't have incredible magic power, again?
D&D makes it hard, but that doesn't count, because Slayers isn't D&D and it makes no sense to apply Magic A's rules to Magic B's.
quote: This is terrible reasoning and would lead to a terrible show, the rule should not have existed in the first place if it could not be adhered to.
Um, no.
Look, when using fantasy or science fiction, having simple, easily explainable rules for the things beyond the norm are for one purpose: To get the audience to accept it. To make the audience feel not "oh, this is real!" but instead "oh, this makes sense, even if it's fiction."
And just like in D&D, a ruleset designed around exceptions to the rules, the rules in any tv show can easily be broken, if it serves the story.
"Oh, no one who isn't a guy can pilot AWESOME THING"
"But wait, in a strange new development, character A, who IS A GIRL, can indeed pilot AWESOME THING! How is this possible? What does this mean for the characters? Is there some other power at work here? Find out next time, on AWESOME THING Z!"
Even your Magic A is Magic A thing allows for that, and a very large number of stories use it. Including stories you like, kiddo.
Heaven help you, though, if you read Order of the Stick. God help us all, because though it mostly follows the rules of 3.5 Edition Dungeons and Dragons, it doesn't feel the need to follow them religiously, due to storyline concerns.
I wonder if you'll claim "but that comic's terrible, then!"
quote: Also I hate 4th edition so make fun all you want, "At will" is a reference to how spell like abilities work in 3.5 edition at will meaning a powert hat can be use unlimited as opposed to SLA's that can only be used X many times a day.
...why the heck are you referring to it by a specific 4th edition term, including capitalization, then?
Oh, never mind, this part isn't important, just a weird nitpick.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
There's beginning to be a whole lot of stuffing words into my mouth, and a whole lot of assumptions on things, and a whole lot of still not quite understanding what I am trying to say so I'm not entirely confident if continuing this particular discussion is worth my time other then I have an opinion and I am sticking to my opinion.
But to nitpick.
#1. I do read and have read the entirety of The Order of the Stick several times over and bought "On the Origin of PC's" and "Start of Darkness" so yes I do read and love Order of the Stick, saying that because it doesn't necessarily follow the rules of 3.5 ed ergo I hate it is unnecessary insult into my character and I would like your apology.
#2 "why the heck are you referring to it by a specific 4th edition term, including capitalization, then?" I very clearly explained this, in the very line you quoted!
For example in 3.5Ed in the Epic Level handbook is a monster called "The gibbering orb"
"Spell-Like At will—Two stolen spells or spell-like abilities per round. Caster level 27th, save DC 16 + spell level. "
It uses "At will" and what do you know so did I!
#3 Broken rules on good shows usually have some form of foreshadowing that the rule CAN be bend/broken in the first place or the wording of said rule could allow the scene in question, bad shows are BAD because they do so willy nilly there are things called "Plot holes" for a reason and in the very Tv Tropes article says and explains my reasoning on this.
#4 I never got far enough in the series to ever find out how the rules worked BUT the first 3 episodes were (that were watched by my local anime club) were terrible enough because of many other just as important reasons for me to never watch it from bad animation to terrible plot. Even if that show/setting allows for preteens to wield nuclear powers for some reasons the ability for her to effortlessly use it seemingly at will and without some sort of corrupting effect or draining of her stamina in ANY WAY determined able in the first episode did not endear itself to me.
#5
"Heh. Boy, you ain't no Yahtzee."
-.o How is this pertinent? Examples are examples sly barely hidden ad hominids I hardly see their pertinence. Also I did make my own fairly funny review video of a book so there.
I am not saying that "pfft its not exactly how it works in DnD it sucks!" Of course not, but I am saying that there is a certain consistency in D&D the Ur Example of RPG's that I did not see in the show that is at first glance meant to channel RPG influences.
I was more like "Hey cool its an ability seen in D&D" as an example of how I felt premises for Code Geass and Death Note were cool for me. I am dissing Slayers because I have in my mind a certain opinion on how I want to see magic work in ANY given show within "parameters" the closer it is to PnP D&D or Dragonlance to be specific the happier I am kinda like XKCD's purity scale for the Sciences.
I did not like Slayers partly because I found the idea of a preteen girl wielding godlike power without any form of negative feedback or effort to strain my disbelief that along with OTHER perfectly valid reasons decided not to watch the show, that and she killed a Black Dragon. Big Nono, it wasn't doing anything wrong you monster!!
#6
I just don't really like Eberron, it has 2 things and only two things that I like about 1) it plays around with alignment rules. 2) Drow aren't KOS if they step into an urban center allowing me to play a Drow wizard and powergame its +2 Int and 11 + CL spell resistance.
Beyond that its a settings that tries to be steampunk and doesn't really pull it off for me, so I don't really see the point of playing it outside of Dungeons and Dragons Online (which I got into the beta for ^-^)
#7 In D&D to answer your point its perfectly fine if you say "My character is 12" I do it all the time albeit differently often playing 20 to 30 year old Drow characters as spell casting prodigies and end up as the "youngest" archmage "ever", so I'm not opposed to that BUT in a campaign if a character is say 12 or 16 and you get to level 20 you gain that experience at roughly the same rate as everyone else. From level 1 to 20, its extremely unlikely a DM would let you rp a 12 year old character if the campaign was say starts at level 20 you would need to justify it in a way consistent with the other characters.
In short, its my opinion, I may have weird ways of justifying my opinion but nonetheless it is still my opinion, to parrot your words from a different thread "I do not have to watch it if I don't like it" and you do not have to read or agree to my opinion if you do not want to.
Also I don't want to ever watch Evangelion because it seemed to be the only Anime my local club could EVER seem to talk about and seemed to take pleasure in rewatching the same damn first episode every meeting I got tired of it and refuse to ever watch it ever again in protest.
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
Blayne... I realize you're entitled to like whatever, but I must say I am really confused by how you think "similarity to D&D rules" is a remotely appropriate yardstick to measure anime by.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
If it makes him feel any better, he can imagine that the planet Slayers occurs on has years four times longer, and that physical maturation is four times slower. Ta-da, the twelve year old is now forty-eight, and wholly acceptable as a super powerful magician!
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
Or maybe you could think of her as a monster instead of a PC. Especially in fourth edition where the rules for monsters (including human adversaries) are completely different for PCs.
By the way, Blayne, did you have a problem with Heroes for the same reason? (I'm talking the first season here). I realize Peter Petrelli isn't 12, but his mutation easily could have triggered then.
Posted by krynn (Member # 524) on :
so many replies. i just saw the list in the first post. some that were missing that i think should be watched are:
Welcome to NHK Darker than Black Serial Experiment Lain Twelve Kingdoms (one of my all-time fav's) Outlaw Star Hunter x Hunter (Naruto has stolen SOOO much from this is sick, but i still like both, the same woman who does Naruto's voice also does the main char of HxH) Cowboy Bebop and it's movie
EDIT: HxH also was out before Naruto. it seems like a niche fan following now, but ask anyone who liked HxH before naruto came around and they will say HxH is better. Damn Togashi for taking those crazy long hiatus breaks.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by Raymond Arnold: Or maybe you could think of her as a monster instead of a PC. Especially in fourth edition where the rules for monsters (including human adversaries) are completely different for PCs.
By the way, Blayne, did you have a problem with Heroes for the same reason? (I'm talking the first season here). I realize Peter Petrelli isn't 12, but his mutation easily could have triggered then.
Because his mutation or power isn't magic? He has Applied Phletonium, completely different.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by Raymond Arnold: Blayne... I realize you're entitled to like whatever, but I must say I am really confused by how you think "similarity to D&D rules" is a remotely appropriate yardstick to measure anime by.
I think this is more of a matter where the English language breaks down and is simply impossible to explain in words how I feel about the subject.
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
quote:Because his mutation or power isn't magic? He has Applied Phletonium, completely different.
There comes a time in a man's life when he realizes he is arguing about the distinction between Magic and Applied Phletonium.
In all seriousness, I understand that magic needs to follow rules in order to be believable, but I see nothing wrong the with the notion that just as we have people who are child prodiges at math or music, in a world where magic is real you can have someone ridiculously talented at magic.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I stand by my original statement, that girl there Akira Kogami needs a hug.
Posted by manji (Member # 11600) on :
quote:Originally posted by 0Megabyte: (Btw, borrow a friend's Eberron Campaign Setting, for the 3.5 edition, and look through it, on the setting information for the nation of Thrane. The Silver Flame, their deity thing, has a speaker, basically a pope. It chooses whoever it wants to be the next speaker, and gives them power. It chose a 12 year old girl, Jaela, to become the current one, and gave it's GODLY power, which is allowed, btw, since godly power can do things like that, to said girl, giving her the power of an 18th level cleric. So, she has those powers, and is in all ways 18th level, until she dies.)
Technically, Jaela has the powers of an 18th level cleric while inside Flamekeep, within the vicinity of the Silver Flame that is the center of their faith. Otherwise, she has the powers of a 3rd level cleric.
I think the point of the setting was to have all of the powerful good characters be restricted in what they could do. For example, there's a 20th level druid in the setting, but he also happens to be a tree, so he doesn't move around much. This means there's a lot of powerful enemies for good PCs to fight against, but no real powerful allies for the PCs to lean on, and thus no "Elminster effect".
Anyway, carry on.
[ August 03, 2009, 03:09 PM: Message edited by: manji ]
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Episode 5 of Lucky Star and its really growing on me, Kagami is awesome, and the show acually Did the Research on MMO terminology and what not and was authentic.
Its especially funny that her teacher is in her party on whatever MMO they play. You can imagine the conversations.
About 4 minutes or so in.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
manji: Yeah, I know. But the restrictions weren't the point. The point was the level of power, even if it was limited.
But yeah, that's still a good point about the character.
Posted by Threads (Member # 10863) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: Elfin Lied might be too violent for me. I read the manga. So many heads were rolling.
I'm watching it now (finished episode 5) and it's been pretty violent to say the least. I've read on various forums that the manga is better than the anime but I haven't read the manga so I wouldn't know. So far, I really like Lucy but dislike Nyu (I know that they're different personalities of the same being). Nyu hasn't developed much and I'm hoping she'll become more interesting in later episodes.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Except shes not really a character though, shes just an oblivious mute who wants to get fondled up.
Posted by Threads (Member # 10863) on :
That was my point but in milder terms Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by Threads:
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: Elfin Lied might be too violent for me. I read the manga. So many heads were rolling.
I'm watching it now (finished episode 5) and it's been pretty violent to say the least. I've read on various forums that the manga is better than the anime but I haven't read the manga so I wouldn't know. So far, I really like Lucy but dislike Nyu (I know that they're different personalities of the same being). Nyu hasn't developed much and I'm hoping she'll become more interesting in later episodes.
So they didn't leave out all the boob squeezing? There was a lot of that. I loved the part in the Manga where Nyu
spoiler?
learned to talk better and someone was dressing and she saw her bra and thought, I want to feel those. Funny! Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Now in the proper thread.
So anyways Lucky Star:
Lucky Star strikes me as a very fun Anime to watch, fun in the way that you can almost feel yourself havng fun with the cast, this is compounded if you can get some of the injokes like Aye Hirano Adam Westing as herself and her being the voice actor for Konata who cosplays as Suzumiya Haruhi who Aye voice acted as well!
Then there's the fun Otaku filling where Konata is a video game and MMORPG fanatic displaying many of the characteristics of the North American geek and with said groups study habits as well.
Where this goes from funny to awesome is how the writers really really really!! Did their research, sure some of the description shots of them "playing" an mmo seems incorrect the dialogue between the characters is spot on!
That and this series seems to thrive on seinfielding conversations and pulls it off pretty well can't judge it on the actual standards of Seinfield as after all its been a while and 90's humor wears off for a while, so as a refreshing difference for example having the principle cast talk about the proper way to eat a chocolait filled pastry seemed downright hilarious as you only expect it to last 5 minutes but goes on for about half the show! In different ways with minor breaks for other jokes.
Its almost like watching an animated version of your own life in an anime club but rather then say in my life experience which had 40 people here we have a situation where its more like 4 to 8 people so you got a more close knit character dynamic.
So you have Konata whose your standard video game otaku, then we have Kagami who does like games but not to Otaku levels preferring side scroller shooters and apparently the fans see some les Yay subtext between them though I haven't found anything yet. Kagami is pretty cool shes a tsundere but probably the more complex character of the four, Miyuki is the standard aaah moe cute girl whom I don't particularily like so far she just exists to explain advance concepts shes basically foil for the other three and then theres the fraternal twin of Kagami whom I forget her name which says a bit she seems a smaller version of Miyuki and just exists to soften the atmosphere and provide cheap laughs.
So we come back to Konata and Kagami whom have the better dynamics.
Then in the 4th wall segments "Lucky Channel" that plays at the end we have Akira Kogami and Shinsui or something or other, a standard strait man to be victimized by Bitch in sheeps clothing Akira which is an interesting dynamic and extremely funny as its a satirical poke at Japanese pop idol sensations as Akira "on screen" is this cute genki girl with a high pitched voice persona but "off camera" shes apparently a chain smoking deeper voiced jerk who feels threatened by anyone "cuter/more popular" then her whose been in "showbiz" since she was 3. She gives off the Woobie vibe for me and I have the urge to give her a hug when she gets bitchy dunno why, probably because shes only really like that because shes essentially been abused and possibly her life ruined to provide cheap entertainment to the masses so she'll probably be burnt out soon.
Though the Anime seems to if I read correctly understate her popularity, the manga apparently treats her a bit better.
The shows opening theme is completely nonsensical lyrically but is nice to listen to seems to be the next hare hare yukai in terms of its dance.
The only thing I dislike about the show is its animation style which i dislike on principle in any anime as it feels like a shortcut, a way to cut corners and save money, they can do better!
But for once I will not begrudge them points for it and will give Lucky Star 5/5 for being so good IN SPITE OF its animation quality that it deserves the extra mark.
Then again there's an argument to be made had it been a more detailed animation style might have been 6/5 Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Syn: I don't remember that scene in the series, because she didn't really talk too much until near the end.
After the point where the anime veered away from the manga.
I got a strange feeling from Elfen Lied. It's like they tried to put in too much haremness than seemed to gel well with the grim story.
I mean, well, ANY harem genre aspects felt a little too much, considering it was a story about genocide, hatred, sorrow, and the rage within us all.
As for Blayne:
"Also I don't want to ever watch Evangelion because it seemed to be the only Anime my local club could EVER seem to talk about and seemed to take pleasure in rewatching the same damn first episode every meeting I got tired of it and refuse to ever watch it ever again in protest. "
Well, the first episode isn't really a good representation of the meat of the series. It wasn't quite as high quality, to begin with, was too slow paced, and even the guys who made it were dissatisfied with it.
Furthermore, those guys sound annoying. Why do you let them have power over you by avoiding a good series in protest, even though you haven't seen more than one episode, one of the weaker ones in the series?
By your own man, and watch it on your own terms.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Well I just finished watching Gurren Lagann per Puffy Treats suggestion (where is he these days?) and I've got to say it went places I've never seen other shows go. I mean that in a good way. Also the last few episodes involved the most epic scale fighting I've ever seen. Lets throw galaxies at each other, and replicate the big bang as an attack, YES PLEASE!
The drawing was beautiful throughout, and shortcuts were alot more minimal than most shows I've seen. Nobody in the cast was safe from death, and they actually had public displays of affection, YOU NEVER GET THAT!
All in all it was well worth the investment, it had a fantastic combination of humor, action, and emotion. Also the episode that takes place at a bath house may have been the funniest anime episode I've ever seen, I could not stop laughing.
No score, just watch it.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Part of the reason I liked Gundam Seed was that the heroes actually get laid during the show in contrast to Gundam Wing where apparently the writers was "no good at male-female relationships" according to WordOfGod.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Part of the reason I liked Gundam Seed was that the heroes actually get laid during the show in contrast to Gundam Wing where apparently the writers was "no good at male-female relationships" according to WordOfGod.
I don't want my characters to simply get laid. I'd rather that people normally develop feelings for each other, and act on them. I haven't really watched much Gundam Seed so I can't say whether the show delivers or not.
I know Asians in general think public displays of affection are a pretty big no no, so I understand why anime is not too big on hand holding, kissing, etc. But it gets ridiculous when two characters have been working together for years, clearly have feelings for each other, but they still for some reason resort to embarassing each other in public as their outlet when they are around other people, ala Inuyasha.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
To be fair there is a bit of a moral dissonance between the two characters, one is from 21st Japan the other from 15th century? I hear reference to a young Oda Nobunaga in the show (though the first time they see an Oda its someone else).
Which was a bit surprising as Kagome almost acted like he was some sort of hero which is surprising as many historians I see picture him as a brutal monster, though I myself from raiding Taiko see him as a genius who made hard choices for the greater good of Japan.
But I'm off topic.
Ranma 1/2 had the same problem, but then again I was willing to tolerate that because frankly I liked Shampoo better then Akane so I was perfectly willing to see them drag their feet on it in the hopes they'ld eventually pair Ranma with Shampoo (obviously they won't).
I'ld have to think back on it of which Animes had couples who actively displayed affection, I think there was a few.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Anyway, Blackblade:
Yeah, Gurren Lagann was pretty darn fun, honestly. It's pretty much the anti-Evangelion, when you get down to it.
The ending battles got more and more ridiculous. First, a giant robot piloting a bigger giant robot.
Then, said bigger giant robot piloting a moon sized giant robot.
Then, an even bigger giant robot, the size of a galaxy...!!!
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
There a series that does that, I think its called the "Lensman" series of scifi novel.
Posted by Threads (Member # 10863) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: The drawing was beautiful throughout, and shortcuts were alot more minimal than most shows I've seen. Nobody in the cast was safe from death, and they actually had public displays of affection, YOU NEVER GET THAT!
*****Minor spoiler*****
I agree. Episode 24 was pretty intense. I can't remember any other show/movie where so many named characters were killed off that quickly.
I was a little worried when the first story arc ended because I wasn't sure where the show was going but I ended up enjoying the second story arc even more. I thought the writers did a great job with Simon's progression. However, I was disappointed that they didn't develop Yoko more. I found her temporary role as a teacher to be pretty vapid.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Blayne, lemme guess: You just got that name off of tvtropes, and have never read it, am I right? Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
As long as we're discussing Anime, I'm enjoying this Dragonball Z Parody.
Edit:
Language warning on that video.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by 0Megabyte: Blayne, lemme guess: You just got that name off of tvtropes, and have never read it, am I right?
The trope is called "Lensman Arms Race" and pretty much all Humongous Mecha anime's have the trope where you have some pretty standard and plausble mechs at the beginning and everything grows the the absurd over the series.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: ... I know Asians in general think public displays of affection are a pretty big no no, so I understand why anime is not too big on hand holding, kissing, etc.
Kinda.
It is changing surprisingly quickly in China at least and its weird. Especially in Hong Kong you'll see plenty of stuff that North America is too "traditional" to accept and vice versa. Sometimes they won't be stuff that you would really expect.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
So as not to clutter up the boards with a new thread, I'll just put my newest thoughts here:
So, I was watching some episodes from first season of Code Geass the other day, and an odd thought struck my mind:
"My God! The first season really did things right!"
Incidentally, the episode I was watching was the one where Lelouch apparently learns C.C.'s real name, and uses it. (Only for the audience to not get to hear it, which I found an amusing little trick.)
It's odd to think of, though. Thought the first few episodes of the first season had some annoying pacing problems (I wanted to see the fighting and intrigue, not scenes in a freaking high school!) it actually seems to have gotten pretty good, and seems to have had a decent pacing: Zero and the Black Knights slowly increase their power, and battle the Britannian forces in relatively small, but ever growing engagements where Zero's tactical skills could be best used as a field commander.
In comparison to the second season, where things just got... muddled. Sure, I still ENJOYED the second season, but going back to the first season, I remember why I liked the show to begin with: They still promised to actually reveal cool things, the pacing wasn't nearly as bad, and the show was simply entertaining, with much fewer, though still numerous, characters.
Second season just went crazy with so MANY characters, plot twists, and... ahh, well, it was a trainwreck, but at least it was an enjoyable one.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
My only and I mean this seriously only issue with Code Geas is that it really gets a bit hard to swallow Lelouch's horrendously bad luck, its like the second he almost wins some sort of deus ex machina kicks him in the balls, a extremely pretty well executed kick in the balls with the best of intentions but in the end of the day you are still walking funny!
Oh gawd how I hate Suzaku. Oh sure its probably because we see things from lelouch's perspective that we sympthasize with him but dear god I hate Suzaku regardless, hes a hypocrite, hes dangerously naive, he suffers from Chronic Backstabbing Disorder! I don't hate him for being a "bad character" I think his characterization is "good" but as a person I extremely dislike him.
Posted by Launchywiggin (Member # 9116) on :
I'm curious if you've added Cowboy Bebop to your "to watch" queue, Blayne. I'm not a huge anime watcher, but it's been my favorite of the ones I've seen. I had thought it was one of the "obvious" or "popular" animes, (otherwise I would have never seen it).
Also, much in the same way "Watchmen" is in Time's top 100 novels of all time, I'd rate Cowboy Bebop in my top 10 TV series of all time. GREAT music.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I have a hard time watching shows/movies/etc where Earth has been/will be destroyed and I think something similar happens to Earth, can't explain it but same reason why I've never seen more then an episode of Andromeda.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
The best reason i think for why i like Bleach is because they don't waste time with filler, their filler in the Anime anyways tends to be considered canon in the Anime, as for example the characters from the Bount arc still make an appearance in the later seasons.
This latest arc with the Zanpactou rebelling is pretty awesome.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Some other good series:
Yu Yu Hakusho Full Metal Panic (and Fumoffu) Read or Die Gun X Sword Trigun Wolf's Rain GunGrave Big O Baccano Black Lagoon
[ August 26, 2009, 01:15 PM: Message edited by: umberhulk ]
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
You like Bleach because it doesn't waste time with filler?
Granted, the large amounts of filler aren't completely ignored later, unlike some shows.
But regardless, the show has some SERIOUS pacing problems after the first season. I mean, really, with the number of characters they have, it seems that the plot moves not an inch forward every episode. Can't stand such things. The shounen DBZ-esque formula, especially when coupled with huge casts, really just doesn't cut it for me anymore.
Well, Mahou Sensei Negima is forgiven, but I think there are ulterior motives for my forgiveness there...
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Okay umm, generally I don't usually venture into fanfiction, Since 90% of it is crud but I think I might very well change my mind now.
I started reading a fanfic webcomic series called "Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi", I used to watched the series PPG as a sort of Guilty Pleasure as it was genuinely funny I discovered this comic on TvTropes so I started reading it at around 11 PM and found myself looking up at the clock at around 5 am and found to my horror that I was horribly behind on sleeping.
It basically takes a number of characters from a number of shows and makes one mega crossover webcomic fanfiction story and works to make them darker and edgier.
I am not adverse to bringing western animation to an anime discussion thread but feel that since the art style is animesque it deserves a mention.
Currently reading "Grim Tales" a spinoff by the same authoer by Vinson Ngo aka "Bleedman".
They are worth a read and are pretty awesome, the characters are believeable and "in character" give or take their implied backstory development, Dexter from Dexter's Lab is cooler though at a price that I found rather tear jerking and didn't cue evil laughter from myself as I had for so long expected of such circumstances.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Currently watching Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Its pretty effed up and I'm only in the second episode.
RUN AWAY KID! RUN AWAY!
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I DONT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING THATS GOING ON!
Hes supposed to be dead! Why isn't he dead!
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Okay umm, generally I don't usually venture into fanfiction, since 90% of it is crud but I think I might very well change my mind now.
Is this a deliberate attempt at the funny, or do you just not know about Sturgeon's law?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by King of Men:
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Okay umm, generally I don't usually venture into fanfiction, since 90% of it is crud but I think I might very well change my mind now.
Is this a deliberate attempt at the funny, or do you just not know about Sturgeon's law?
That was what I was precisely referring to. The fancomic made me decide to look into the recommended 10%.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Sigh.
Anyway, I have Higurashi. Fun, fun series. For some reason it makes me rather manic and giggly watching certain scenes. But then, I do tend to have a rather morbid sense of humor.
You should hear me talking about the plot of the Seventh Seal.
But yeah. You'll get it. Eventually. Sort of. Just enjoy the ride.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
It also makes me manic and giggly, MST3K mantra and all, "Oh your screwed now boy" all the times ive said it so far I should be rich if i got a dollar each time. The shows not bad so it wierdly follows enough of the horror tropes that somethings are comfortingly predictable and thus funny and creepy and scary at the same time and Im still not understanding, first its 4 years now 5...
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Currently reading Misfile a very interesting animesque webcomic. Currently taking a break from Higurashi as it harder then I thought to read subs and a webcomic at same time.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Finsihed my archive binge, back onto Higurashi, I started writing up a chart to see if I can catch some kind of common thread or key difference, the scenario seems to keep changing and new people introduced each chapter though so its hard.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Okay here's what I have determined so far:
Keichii seems to be fulfilling the same role as Satoshi who disappeared sometime before he arrived and seems to be slightely before he dies in each arc to be doing roughly the exact same things th same way as Satoshi.
The Cotton float festival happens each time.
Seems that Keichii is in each arc introduced to new characters but seems to know them without introduction in the subsequent one with exceptions such as having to be reintroduced to the Policeman.
The Cameraman and the lady who gangs out him ALWAYS seem to get killed (Although they don't seem to be dead yet in #3, correction cameraman has died).
It seems a different scenario each arc, seems a different character of his friends is involved in some sort of far flung plot.
Still figuring things out.
Damnit, just when I thought I was about to figure something out I get my feet pulled out from under me. Damnit.
[ September 01, 2009, 11:23 PM: Message edited by: Blayne Bradley ]
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Is that actually a 15-18 year old girl walking around Japan with a loaded weapon? Or is it a water pistol?
Okay its an airsoft pistol and never used hurry for tvtropes!
[ September 02, 2009, 02:27 AM: Message edited by: Blayne Bradley ]
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
AHA! It is like the Endless 8 loop from Haruhi.
edit: YAY! EXPLANATIONS!
[ September 02, 2009, 05:17 PM: Message edited by: Blayne Bradley ]
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
My god it is like Endless Eight, with Rika constantly for a hundred years repeating the same 2 week interval.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I'm completely drained and there's still Higurashi Rei.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
I loved the first season of "Code Geass"
Watching the second one now... not so good Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I actually started with the second season it was just about the same as the first.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Okay review time, Higurashi no naku koro ni.
A challenge to review as Hatrack's TOS prevents me from swearing for emphasis but I will give it a shot. Awesome awesome anime though when you watch it keep in mind you will not be able to figure most of it out until the relevent answer arcs... in the second season but anyways.
Firstly its a mind screw anime and possibly the best one I have ever seen with the possible exception for Lain, lets just say they are competing neck and neck, Higurashi probably wins from simply being longer and yet keeping the same density of mind screw.
The plot goes and beware spoilers that the anime operates on a groundhog/alternate timeline loop where the characters essentially repeat the same month again and again until one of the characters can finally get a happy ending, lets just say "Decoy Protagonist" and leave it at that. Probably the minimum yould need to understand why each story arc begins and ends the way it does. Essentially each story arc with three main variations begins roughly the same with Maebara-keichii moving into the village and making friends with everyone and then every starts to end badly and then ends even worse.
So why is it a good anime? Its genuinely scary nearly every moment in the horror parts are high octane nightmare fuel although the transition between the "humor" slapstick segments and the horror can be heard with an almost audible clunk this works to the anime's credit to where it worked against "F.E.A.R". Accompanied by the occasional moment of true heartwarming at times until its brutally ripped away from you again and again and when you think it couldn't get worse... it does.
An anime that can is both obviously scary but also genuinely depressing and profound when you stop to think about it, and just how bad it is for some characters is truly heart breaking. The murders are gruesome and the plot so dense that I had to draw out a chart to keep track of things but in a good way as it was because I had to do so I could try and genuinely wanted to try solving the mystery in between arcs not because I needed it to figure out what is happening right now, while it is impossible to fully figure it all out you can at least hazard a few pretty good geusses and get somewhat close to it all.
I'm told that there is a visual novel series of games that the series is based off of which would be awesome to get.
A genuinely great anime that you will need to watch both seasons, Ni and Kai to fully get if you haven't already with a bunch of side stories in Rei to further your enjoyment.
5/5
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
There's another anime by the same group showing right now -- Umineko no naku koro ni. You should check it out.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Gah! Could be wrong but I think Rika may or may not be losing all of her memories of the whole 100 years ordeal and Hanyuu might disappear, the lines are ambiguous but I hope it isn't so.
Other question, Hanyuu was around and corporeal in the last bit of Kai but went back to I geuss the spirit world in Rei why she do that and how come no one notices -.- Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
*Thread hijack*
I still wonder if anyone knows any good visual novels that aren't just porn...
Blayne? You seem to have a knack for ranting endlessly about stuff I happen to also like. Know about Fate/stay night, or any other visual novels?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
the visual novels for higurashi appear to be good and fill in more of the story thus far with extra arcs. But I've never read any, also I have yet to muddle through fate Stay Night.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Muddle?!
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by 0Megabyte: Muddle?!
The Nasu verse is HUGE.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
Some REALLY good Sci-Fi shows you should watch:
Heroic Age: My favorite Space Opera. It has what I consider the best soundtrack of any anime I have seen. It just came out here in the US a few months back.
Noein: Deals with space time and physics. A group comes to another dimension/ time line to find a girl that could save their own dimension. Very enjoyable
Ergo Proxy: A post apocolyptic anime. Very dark and serious. Think I Robot meets Wolf's Rain (If you have seen that anime)
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Seen Noein, it was awesome, very Higurashi-ish in some elements.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Huh. I just found the word count of the visual novel I'm reading.
Over 800,000 words, total. No wonder I've been reading awhile. It really IS that long.
...this thing is significantly longer than War and Peace...
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
War and Peace is a pocket book, Ive had it fit in my pocket, any harry potter book past book 3 is large inho, with any one of Hubbards Mission Earth averaging those and beating them in some cases, 2.8 million words.
I wonder where I can find Higurashi's visual novels.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Seen Noein, it was awesome, very Higurashi-ish in some elements.
Maybe I didn't give that show enough time. I watched 3 episodes and got bored.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Well of course Hubbard's Mission Earth is 1.2 million, I'm aware.
However... I'm not reading that one, now am I? Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Any idea where I can find the Higurashi no koro ni visual novels? Supposedly the visual novels/games provide more information.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Um... I wouldn't be able to link you to anything, but there are surely some places you could look quite easily.
Use google like I do, hint hint.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Keep in mind, it's one thing to ask "what do you think is good" and another thing to ask "where can I find it?"
I mean... you've used a search engine before, right?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
You obviously haven't as there's no english ones currently out.
currently im forced to buy the Japanese first game and use a fansub which only covers 1/4.
[ September 12, 2009, 03:59 PM: Message edited by: Blayne Bradley ]
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Its so cute you think that. I'm in an anime club with one of the people in a group that translated them Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by fugu13: Its so cute you think that. I'm in an anime club with one of the people in a group that translated them
Doesn't help me does it if its not on the internet?
the visual novel/game Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is not availiable in english anywhere in full I looked and MangaGamer has yet to release their localization of it yet.
The only fansub I have found has only translated 1/4 of it. If you have a link provide it, otherwise the random works of a random university club is not my concern or helpful.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Is it wrong of me to ship Hinata and Naruto because of eugenics? Seriously Byakugan + Determinator/Lots of Chakra thats gotta be a good combination.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Just saw Studio ghibli's Lupin III Castle of Caligoristo and its damn awesome and funny.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Reading a dark Higurashi-like manga Mirai Nikki.
Its awesome.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Yandere alert!
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
rented pom poko, castle in the sky, and gunslinger girl.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
damnit, gunslinger wasnt a movie but second volumn of a series.
Currently watching Samurai Champloo, pretty good. I love the part with the sumo beatle wrestling.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Is it wrong of me to ship Hinata and Naruto because of eugenics? Seriously Byakugan + Determinator/Lots of Chakra thats gotta be a good combination.
No. I think it would be wrong of you to ship Neji/Hina for that reason.
I read a hilarious fanfic once that had the couples paired up based on eugenics.
Sasu/Hina: Sharingan+Byakugan Shika/Saku: Brains. 'Nuff said Lee/Tenten: Taijutsu
I'd probably add:
Neji/Ino: Lie-detector + mind-reader Naru/Tema: Dunno. Just makes sense to me. Huge chakra reserves and summoning capabilities.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Tema...? Temari? The girl with the wind fan? I must not have seen something but all I've seen her do is have a few different wind attacks.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Just finished When They Cry season 1 with the Mrs. I gotta say, I really don't like that method of storytelling, it's impossible to say what REALLY happened because as far as the show's concerned any of those things could have happened.
And criminey it took forever for it to go anywhere. There were maybe three episodes where I was like, wow that's pretty intense, but there were so many other episodes where it's like "Oh look, here's a story that isn't going to go anywhere and it will abruptly end."
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I spent about a week or so watching it, at least your not waiting on each episode.
The point is by the end of season 1 we know its a endless 1 month timeloop (like Endless 8) I actually drew a chart and kept track of the plot details.
Its based on visual novels so its divided between question arcs and answer arcs that explain everything.
I think about 50% of the plot you can figure out from the first season.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Tema...? Temari? The girl with the wind fan? I must not have seen something but all I've seen her do is have a few different wind attacks.
Yes, and let's compare this to what we've seen the other Naruto women do:
Tenten: Get her ass handed to her on occasion. Sakura: Well, okay, she did beat Sasori with Chiyo's help. But as far as eugenics go, she's got nothin'. Ino: Be a hindrance more than a help while fighting Kakuzu. Hinata: Jump out in time to get the crap slapped out of her by Nagato.
Let's face it; ALL of Kishi's women are underdeveloped. At least Temari can summon. At least she can actually win a battle on her own now and then. Plus, Naruto and Temari both have the fact that they're children of past Kages going for them.
I'm just musing, here. I would never actually ship Naru/Tema.
[ September 26, 2009, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: PSI Teleport ]
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I've never seen her abilities though past the Chuunin exam does the anime go more into her detail?
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Are you asking me to spoil you? While still a genin, Temari beats Tayuya, the sound kuniochi, by herself. And she does it using a jutsu that tears down an entire section of the forest. IMO, you'd have to be a chakra powerhouse to pull that one off. And that battle is in the manga. And, yes, we see that she has an animal summoning.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by PSI Teleport: Are you asking me to spoil you? While still a genin, Temari beats Tayuya, the sound kuniochi, by herself. And she does it using a jutsu that tears down an entire section of the forest. IMO, you'd have to be a chakra powerhouse to pull that one off. And that battle is in the manga. And, yes, we see that she has an animal summoning.
I've seen as far as I think the battle vs Hidan and the other guy in Shipuuden and lost track of it from there, I simply forgot that she fought one of those mutant ninjas.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Ah. Sorry if I sounded condescending in any way. I just assume everyone in the world is as obsessed with Naruto as I am. Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: I spent about a week or so watching it, at least your not waiting on each episode.
The point is by the end of season 1 we know its a endless 1 month timeloop (like Endless 8) I actually drew a chart and kept track of the plot details.
Its based on visual novels so its divided between question arcs and answer arcs that explain everything.
I think about 50% of the plot you can figure out from the first season.
It's just not worth it to me.
Besides, the next Samurai 7 dvd came in the mail, and I just finished watching it, I'm pretty happy with that series so far, and I know it has to get better.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Then your losing out on an awesome thriller horror series. It speeds up along during season 2.
Also, all of those things in the first season DID happen its a timeloop when Rika dies she with Hanyuu goes to a different parallel world at the beginning of the month, the events just transpire elsewhere... or do they? As Keichii and Co get flashes to the events of previous arcs.
There's just something tragically awesome about a series that has a 9 year old drinking wine to get drunk to drown her sorrows.
To me I like long running series in the 50 episode range.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Baseball episode in Champloo! With surprisingly good english.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I reiterate that ANYTHING and EVERYTHING produced by Studio Ghibli is automatically a good movie, they might not always hold my interest through and through but damn they are good.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
You and I have very different ideas of what is "good." In terms of entertainment, I tend to think that "good" means "entertaining," at least to some degree.
But I've never made it through a Studio Ghibli release, or, if I have I don't remember what happened. Weird? Yes. Fantastical? Sure. Good? Ehh...I'd have to beg to differ.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by PSI Teleport:
You and I have very different ideas of what is "good." In terms of entertainment, I tend to think that "good" means "entertaining," at least to some degree.
But I've never made it through a Studio Ghibli release, or, if I have I don't remember what happened. Weird? Yes. Fantastical? Sure. Good? Ehh...I'd have to beg to differ.
I am defining good as they are objectively good movies in terms of genius and filmaking. For example Tranformers is a bad movie but entertaining, Ghibli films I consider to be Good films though some are more entertaining then others.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
I'm just saying that, in order to be classified as "good" in my eyes, a movie needs to be well-made and interesting.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Just finished off Claymore. I was dissapointed, but I'll check it out if they keep the series going.
Samurai Champloo is watchable but pretty overrated.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Good luck describing what "objectively good" means when it comes to art, Blayne.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Watching Zero's Familiar a sort of Harry Potter meets.... D&D? Its pretty good, its funny and has the usual speculative Modern Urban and Fantasy crossover appeal that I've usually daydreamed about for years, ie what happens when a normal kid gets teleported into a fantasy medium magic setting? Oh and what happens when certain modern armaments end up transported with him? Awesome, thats what.
Seeing a Zero-sen fighter kick dragon ass made my day.
Gonna watch Full Metal Panic when its down downloading and will rewatch from the beginning InuYasha as I realized that the main female leads in both is voiced by the same person who did Mion/Shion in Higurashi.
Also gonna take a look at Kannagi as the idea of a Nun kicking criminal ass is too good to pass up.
Also gonna watch Boondocks (although western), its funny as hell.
Rented the Bebop movie, Blood the vampire and something or other.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
It doesn't meet D&D. It's just Harry Potter meets harem anime. D&D doesn't enter into Zero no Tsukaima/The Familiar of Zero at all.
One word, though: Horsewhip.
That's how you know the tsundere has too much tsuntsun. When she starts whipping the object of her affection with a whip.
Well, I mean, I see a lot of BDSM in Louise and Saito's future, but still...
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
well the mentions of bugbears and other specifically Wizards of the Coast IPs does sorta show you where the homages are going to. They have quite a bit of blink and you'll miss it moments.
Currently I have two alltime favorite scenes so far 1) the Zero-sen fighter kicking ass and 2) when in the second season when Siesta and Valliere crawl into the same bed and mistake each other for Saito.
Les Yay Hilarity Ensues.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Bugbears are not WotC IP. They are a classic monster of legend. Seriously.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
So? I only saw them in the Monster Manual, its not like I wiki up every creature down the list to figure out their roots. As far as I know someone got drunk and came up with the idea.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Now on the other hand I am increasingly impressed by the growing Machiavellian nature of Princess Henrietta. I'm actually reading 'The Prince' and whats happening isn't too far off.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
The cowboy bebop movie is ****ing awesome.
I need to finish gungrave.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
I mean, it's on your precious tvtropes! How could you forget something so important?!
Yes so? Doesn't negate what I say to be shoutouts.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Look, it's obviously fantasy inspired, but really, show me all these D&D shoutouts. I didn't see them, and I rather liked the series.
Even if there are a few shoutouts, that's a far cry from "equal parts Harry Potter and D&D". It just isn't anything like it.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by 0Megabyte: Look, it's obviously fantasy inspired, but really, show me all these D&D shoutouts. I didn't see them, and I rather liked the series.
Even if there are a few shoutouts, that's a far cry from "equal parts Harry Potter and D&D". It just isn't anything like it.
I said its "Harry Potter meets... D&D" the '...' was to signify I was clawing at the air looking for the Y factor you didn't really have to jump on the phrase to correct me.
In any case I remember a reference to bugbears, orcs, dragons, griffons (proper griffons), fireball, etc to me it looked like a shoutout like Final Fantasy I was shouting out to D&D.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Now there's a Gimli reference! (Tolkien but still)
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
YES! A GERMAN 88 FLAK ANTI AIRCRAFT GUN! YES!
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
That's possibly the first incontrovertible D&D reference yet.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: That's possibly the first incontrovertible D&D reference yet.
huh? No, I was just saying a German 88 showed up in the anime and used to destroy a golem, which is awesome.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Which is clearly a D&D reference. Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Which is clearly a D&D reference.
Actually if you broaden the definition to include that Polish Warsaw Uprising tabletop rpg which probably has an 88mm....
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
The whole scene in Full Metal Panic with the whole Bonta-kun riot squad scene is just so adorable. In a manly way of course...
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
hrrm, okay so I'm watching Full Metal Panic and is it just me or did Mithril commit like 3-4 separate acts of war against the Soviet Union in under like.... 2 months as a false flag operation to boot pretending to be some United Nations task force, a task force that to my understanding would need to be permitted by the UNSC and the UN Military Staff Committee, the latter hasn't met or had a single meeting since 1947 and the former... well one of them members IS the Soviet Union who most certaintly would not appreciate an armed incursion within their borders without permission in a blatant violation of their sovereignty.
Whats the use of the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads and active ICBMs if you dont use them as a deterrent to prevent this bullshit?
heck, where was the USSRs bloody SAM defence system when the VTOL aircraft and two really large transport planes outright flew in and landed at a Soviet airbase!?
Gah!? 2060's as well with the Soviet Union allegedly fully funding its R&D and military industrial complex to boot, this scenario makes LITTLE sense.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I AM IN DESPAIR?! THE WORLD IS MAKING ME DESPAIR!?
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
No, I'M in despair! overinflated fanboys who discover formerly funny memes two years late are leaving me in despair!
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Incorrect, its called Mementic Mutation. And its still funny. If you didn't want me latching onto it now then you should've made sure to get me hooked onto the anime two years ago.
For reference to those who don't understand, the anime the quote is from is "Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei" or "Goodbye, Mr Despair" its hilarious and kinda has that "triped out on drugs" look some earlier tim burtonesque cartoons had.
Basically the teacher Nomori Itshuki is depressed, the world has left him depressed. And wants to hang him and almost does it until interrupted by a yandere genki girl who quickly complicates the matter and it turns out is his student in the homeroom class he teachers.
And it turns out everyone else in his class is psychotic and crazy from depressed attention seeker at "best" to...... well yandere "one day goin' snap and murder everyone" genki girl.
Has a hilarious shoutout to Death Note its blink and you'll miss it where Yogami actually signed the teachers name into it but Didn't succeed in keeping him dead!
Hilarious.
Oh and the teacher has a stalker.
~jiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Slightely annoying that I have to pass about every 10 seconds to catch the background snark.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Man. Tripe on drugs would be pretty horrifying.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
tripped?
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Blayne:
Here's the thing. It's two years old, we (by we I mean the anime community who keeps with the times) have heard it, then we heard it overused, and now it's tired and old.
Yes, it's a meme. But there's also such a thing as an overused gag, and the despair speech has definitely become overused.
I can think of another overused running gag, and incidentally it consists of yourconstant reference to tvtropes as your Bible. .
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
except do a gag long enough it comes full circle and is funny again, y'know crossing the line twice.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
You're referencing the wrong concept.
And though I threw lots of snark in my last post, I was also being serious.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
You cant have your cake and eat it too.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
I'm not.
I'm just pointing out, in the language I figured you'd know best, what you keep doing.
It isn't working, obviously, as you haven't learned enough decency to ever say "oh, sorry about that." No, instead you argue even the stupidest minutia, even if it's with an 11 year old.
And the worst thing? You're usually WRONG about the minutia, too!
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
"decency"!? **** off.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
How funny that it's the word decency that pisses you off most. Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
Not to mention anime usually shies away from the f-bomb.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
BlackBlade: That's mostly because there isn't a comparable word in Japanese. Words that have the same literal meaning don't have nearly the same connotative meaning (which is usually why "the f-bomb" is used). Indeed, anime uses Japanese cuss words all the time, with one notable exception (the one really, really dirty word in the Japanese language -- which does have an approximate equivalent in English, that is also usually avoided).
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
fugu13: I'm well aware there is no direct translation for that word in Japanese, there isn't one in Chinese either. Anime uses cuss words, it's true, I know alot of them, but the f-word is different in that you don't really hear them saying something to the effect, "That is so effing annoying." That type of word does not exist in Chinese or Japanese as far as I have seen.
Posted by sylvrdragon (Member # 3332) on :
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: You cant have your cake and eat it too.
No you can't. The cake is a lie. ::rim-shot::
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: ... "That is so effing annoying." That type of word does not exist in Chinese or Japanese as far as I have seen.
Well, maybe not in Mandarin. I think Mandarin swearing is pretty limited, possibly due to its use as the language of the court (but thats just my theory) In Cantonese, there is a character that is a pretty good translation. It gets pretty decent use too.
屌
Diu (Cantonese) Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Indency! I am in despair! Indency on forums has left me in despair!
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
Man, sometime I forget how awesome Cowboy Bebop is.
I mean, sure it's overrated (or atleast overachieved) but still.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I saw the movie for it, it was pretty nifty, I totally see how Keanu Reeves could do the role, they're almost the same person.
Posted by umberhulk (Member # 11788) on :
I don't agree (on reeves)
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mucus:
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: ... "That is so effing annoying." That type of word does not exist in Chinese or Japanese as far as I have seen.
Well, maybe not in Mandarin. I think Mandarin swearing is pretty limited, possibly due to its use as the language of the court (but thats just my theory) In Cantonese, there is a character that is a pretty good translation. It gets pretty decent use too.
I've actually used Diu and heard it used numerous times, I'd forgotten about it. But it's still not used exactly as F***. You can use it say F*** you but strictly speaking, there's no literal way I've seen for F*** off or F***ing morons. I've always gotten the impression that the Cantonese came up with Diu after they encountered English and wanted to have an equivalent word. I think Cantonese culture lends itself more to boisterous, frank, and rude manners of speaking, not trying to be disparaging, I love Cantonese culture. But in anime, and perhaps I just need to see more shows (I doubt my wife would agree with that assertion) colorful language isn't really that much of a feature. It seems like in those shows the swearing is mostly constrained to the equivalent of "Damn it!" or "Shit!" I feel like in Japanese culture, swearing alot makes you less intelligent and therefore less enjoyable to readership/viewership. In English we go in the other direction where we try to find eloquent and off the wall ways to swear, thus making people laugh at the contradiction. Quintin Tarantino films frequently employ this device.
In mandarin，
滾開 is almost always rendered in English as "F*** off!" But literally it means "roll away." The phrase has just become generally understood as the rudest way to get somebody to go away. As a missionary I don't think it was used on me once, that's how rude it is. It's slightly less offensive cousin 走開 is usually translated as, "Get lost."
I remember watching Kung Fu Hustle and one of the characters says something like, "My name is X and don't you forget it!" For some reason the subtitle writer decided that since the line is said aggressively that it ought to be stated "My name is X and don''t you F***ing forget it!"
Swearing just doesn't feel as developed in Chinese as it does in English. Also, with this post I think I broke my record for swears in a post, which previously sat at 1, to 12.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: I think Cantonese culture lends itself more to boisterous, frank, and rude manners of speaking, not trying to be disparaging, I love Cantonese culture.
*shrug* I think its true. Cantonese is definitely much less politically correct and more developed in terms of swearing. I am told that many of the dialects of Chinese are actually much more developed in swearing than Mandarin, with few sounding more flowery.
quote: 滾開 is almost always rendered in English as "F*** off!" But literally it means "roll away." The phrase has just become generally understood as the rudest way to get somebody to go away.
We have that too. The quickest example that comes to my mind is in Stephen Chow's God of Cookery, in the intro several variants of that are used.
quote: I remember watching Kung Fu Hustle and one of the characters says something like, "My name is X and don't you forget it!" For some reason the subtitle writer decided that since the line is said aggressively that it ought to be stated "My name is X and don''t you F***ing forget it!"
Hmmm, it depends. I can't remember for Kung Fu Hustle exactly, but Stephen Chow's films were always filmed in Cantonese first and then translated via subtitles to English. Mandarin is also a translation from Cantonese, but we've watched his movies and the traditional subtitles don't always match the simplified subtitles.
In other words, the English subtitles might actually be more correct in this rare instance since swearing is often stripped out when going from Cantonese to Mandarin.
quote: Swearing just doesn't feel as developed in Chinese as it does in English.
Hmmm, I don't think so. I think watching any early period Stephen Chow film would quickly disabuse one of this notion. There are a great many Cantonese swears which have no valid mapping in English and thus get crammed either into sh** or fu** when translated.
Swearing is a pretty natural development since much of Cantonese comedy is based on wordplay with a lower emphasis on slapstick as in the West.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
Also, for the group as a whole, this is amusing viewing with a short section on Diu in the second half.
Thats almost a scene from a novel.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Oh man just me randomly flipping through the Umineko no naku koro ni manga but it seems even crazier then the anime.
[ November 03, 2009, 03:03 AM: Message edited by: Blayne Bradley ]
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
...I'm pretty sure you aren't allowed to do that, Blayne.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
No law against it in Canada.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
It's called the user agreement, Blayne. You had to agree to it to become a member of Hatrack.
To reiterate:
"You agree, through your use of this service... not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or by this BB."
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I really really really want to see a fight between Akagi and Yami Yugi in Mahjong, through in that Saki girl from that other mahjong anime as well.
Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :
I dunno if this has been mentioned already but there are plans to remake Akira into a live-action film. It should be good, I remember the first 10 minutes of Akira to be some of the best I have ever seen in cinema.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
oh Akira, for a second I thought I saw "Akagi", akira is the scifi mind screw thriller right?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Anime's I've finished watching:
Kannagi (3.5/5) Not epic, not bad, but alright. Gai Rei Zero (4.5/5) Pretty good. Umineko no Naku Koro Ni (4/5) Good adaption but obviously has its own issues. Higurashi (4.5/5) Awesome but has pacing issues. Genshiken (5/5) Entertaining, has english dialogue, and captures the Otaku life beautifully. Halo Legends (5/5) Tis' Halo how can I not give it a perfect score? Full Metal Panic (4/5) Great anime but has a few disbelief issues.
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
quote:Originally posted by SoaPiNuReYe: I dunno if this has been mentioned already but there are plans to remake Akira into a live-action film. It should be good, I remember the first 10 minutes of Akira to be some of the best I have ever seen in cinema.
I don't know. I just read they cast Leonardo DiCRAPIO (see what I did there?) in the film. If it has him I will probably not watch it. I have bad memories of Dragonball: Evolution
Edit: He is producing the film, not acting in it. If you had the choice who would you cast as Tetsuo and Kaneda?
I'd cast:
Kaneda: Channing Tatum (Just because I know he could act like a total bad-a$$)
Tetsuo: Joseph Gordon Levitt
[ March 26, 2010, 01:06 PM: Message edited by: Geraine ]
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
I actually like Leonardo as an actor quite a bit. I think Akira was a phenomenal development in terms of bringing anime to a feature movie level. It was the natural expression of art given a good hefty budget. It was a shock to Americans who had largely never seen an animated format deal with such mature themes. The setting was relatively unconventional and interesting.
The plot started out intriguing, but throughout the movie and until the very end it was a slowly unraveling train wreck. A train wreck carrying a cargo of garbage.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Never seen Akira but I think there were a few older ones who did a good job, Akira tends to be the introduction to more mature anime.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
...yes, that's what he said.
Anyway, woo hoo, the return of the anime thread.
I finally got a copy of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Pretty good, when I can actually watch it in order. What do you guys think about it?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I like the Russian opening theme.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
I'm sure you would.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
currently watching Durarara!! which is I think one of the best serious anime's I've seen, easily up there with Code Geass, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Haruhi Suzumiya as the top 5 anime's of all time hands down.
Durarara has an ALL-STAR cast so its like watching Light Yogami whose best friends with Shouta Hikasa from Battle Royale II on cordial terms with Mr. Despair whose being chased by an angry Itsuki Kuzuimi Wildy and Coyote fashion with Leleuch vi Britannia fallen in love with Xia Yu Lan and thats ONLY A HANDFULL OF THE MAIN CAST WOOOOT! SQUEEE!
And then there's the premise (as if the seiyu's weren't already enough to get every Otaku ever to watch) which is some kind of blender mix of rule of cool meets slice of life meets irish folktale basically a irish headless horsewoman lost her head (literally!) and thus lost her memories (though still knows what she is, who she is, and what she does and what her powers are and what they can do) and journeys to Japan to find her head.
What makes this awesome is how they handled this and having a huge cast of characters by presenting with great detail that every one of the main characters are yes in turn their own character with their own lives and friends who coincidentily meet each other in the city and through these coincidences drive the plot (or is it?) kinda like in Heroes except they manage to fit a lot more action and character interactions in a single half hour episode then Heroes does.
Like yes we have our sorta fantasy element in a setting that is otherwise very much grounded in reality and realism but it works so well it lives and breathes this show I get the distinct impression that everyone is 'real' in their own degree.
And then there's the oh so glorious action where Daisuke Ono's character flinging vending machines at Despair's character trying to kill him only to be interrupted by a Scary Black Russian guy who casually jumped down 7 stories to catch the vending machine!
It has to be seen to be felt.
Go go go go go go! What are you standing here for? Go watch it! Now!
I'm going to go and scrounge up the light novels now and keep reading.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Were you the same asshole who made quips about me never gonna make or form human connections because I happen to like watching cartoons and anime?
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
And yes, yes you were, you delurked apparently for the sole purpose of flaming me in my own thread and upon rereading your posts and after a meeting with the Doctor I had a few months ago realize that you were being entirely a disrespectful whiny little douche towards people with full blown or a variant (like me) of Aspergers Syndrome.
Care to go away you whiny cancerous little blight?
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Let it go, Blayne.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
As long as he stays in his corner and I stay in mine.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Dude, it's the Internet. There are no corners. You cannot feasibly put "limits" on his interaction with you. You can only choose how you personally respond to what people say.
You can choose to be a mature adult, or you can make the wrong choice.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I was being funny there, since its fairly obvious that yes the internet has no corners.
What time is it where you live.
Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :
Time to grow up, perhaps?
Posted by Papa Janitor (Member # 7795) on :
Blayne, knock off the profanity/namecalling/personal attacks.
Lanfear, returning after nearly a year to post that? Show some class.
--PJ
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Reading "Liar Game" manga and its almost exactly like Kaiji basically both are about absurdly high stakes games of chance where the goal is to find strategies to win and give you an upper hand, YuGiOh and Saki while good game series(s) themselves rely too much on either supernatural powers or absurdly unlikely luck respectively which make anime/manga's such as Akagi, Kaiji and Liar Game very refreshing for their seriousness. (not that Akagi doesn't sometimes violate this too but at least his luck is more believable)
Am I part of the "misaimed fandom" if I find the games player really really fun?!
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No law against it in Canada.