Anime/IMPORTS you've been watching lately?

[Ignorant nigger dorito]

What anime/import live actions film have you guys been watching lately, I have been watching:
Haibane Renmei
RahXephon
Sai Kano
X tv Eps
Boogiepop Phantom
Battle Royal (LA)
Shoalin Soccer(LA)

[ryucross]

Finished recently:
RahXephon
Azumanga Daioh
Samurai Deeper Kyo
Witch Hunter Robin
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA (1993)
Onegai Teacher

Currently watching:
Initial D
Great Teacher Onizuka
Wolf's Rain (great stuff)
FUCKING NARUTO (manga too)
Gundam Seed

[Baofu]

Finished:

Mazinkaiser

Currently watching/recently bought:

Yuusha-o Gaogaigar
Spiritual Kung Fu
Hero
Hand of Death (aka Countdown to Kung-Fu)

EDIT: I know it's going a bit above and beyond the original topic, but, since I've recently been spending most of my money on comics,

Currently Reading:

Stormriders
Fist of the North Star ME
GTO
Skull Man
Legendary Couple
Raijin Comics
Weapons of the Gods
Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre

[SDShamshel]

Dragon Drive
Naruto
Gundam SEED
Kiddy Grade
Witch Hunter Robin
Juuni Kokki
Azumanga Daioh (again)
GTO
Tenshi na Konamaiki
Ai Yori Aoshi
Haibane Renmei
Gatchaman
Excel Saga (again)
Mazinkaiser (again)
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Evangelion (again, this time all 26 in one sitting)

[boobookittyfuck]

Naruto

Battle Royale

and The Ringu.

Can someone tell me something about Shaolin Soccer?

[blockhead]

list threads oh noooooooo

I'm currently working my way through:
Excel Saga
FLCL
Fruits Basket
KareKano (His and Her Circumstances)

[ryucross]

How are Fruits Basket and KareKano?

[blockhead]

Excellent.

Fruits Basket is sorta Ranma-esque, except the transformation gimmick doesn't get run into the ground like it did in Ranma. Most of the time, the main three cursed characters go entire episodes without transforming once. The plot is pretty standard aside from that, but the characters are what make the show worth watching. They're all very well designed, and an absolute blast to watch.

A review of KareKano I once read described the show as the spiritual successor to Evangelion, and they're absolutely right. It's more psychoanalyzational teenage drama directed by Anno, minus the big robots. Highly recommended.

[VoidStar]

Kiddy Grade, Gunparade March, and Stratos 4 are my latest faves.

I'm glad to see Haibane Renmei on some lists. That is one of the greatest fucking shows I've ever seen.

[blockhead]

Dear lord, not Kiddy Grade. That show is awful. :S

[Sklabah]

Originally posted by boobookittyfuck


Can someone tell me something about Shaolin Soccer?

Yeah, it's about Shaolin martial artists who form a soccer team to promote their Kung-Fu. That's an over-simplification, but know that it has lots of wire-work, crazy sfx involving soccer balls moving at tremendous speed, and teh comedy. Worthy indeed.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by Underkill
Dear lord, not Kiddy Grade. That show is awful. :S

Lemme guess, you gave up two episodes into it? I know it takes a while to develop plot, but around Ep. 9 or so it goes from "fluffy" to "asskicking."

Of course, I thought even the fluffy parts were worth watching, so yeah. :shy

[Shin ATproof]

Shaman King
Naruto
Inu Yasha
Final Fantasy Unlimited



................................

[blockhead]

Originally posted by VoidStar
Lemme guess, you gave up two episodes into it? I know it takes a while to develop plot, but around Ep. 9 or so it goes from "fluffy" to "asskicking."

Of course, I thought even the fluffy parts were worth watching, so yeah. :shy

Actually, episode 1. :tongue

Gonzo, champion of mediocre (but pretty) anime + fanservice show = blegh. But maybe I'll check out some of the later episodes now...

[Mecha]

Gunparade March
I still can't believe it took them that long to make an anime series out of it.
'Course, I'm not exactly sure how well the concept would translate to animated form.

[Garou]

Originally posted by Sklabah
Yeah, it's about Shaolin martial artists who form a soccer team to promote their Kung-Fu. That's an over-simplification, but know that it has lots of wire-work, crazy sfx involving soccer balls moving at tremendous speed, and teh comedy. Worthy indeed. Is there a Shaolin Soccer 2 in the works?

[Misfit]

I'm mostly watching Kinikoman. The Japanese version is so much bloodier and cool.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by Underkill
Gonzo, champion of mediocre (but pretty) anime + fanservice show = blegh. But maybe I'll check out some of the later episodes now...

You can seriously skip like, up to seven--probably eight--if you really want. You'll miss some character introductions, but it won't be so bad if you really can't stand the way the early stuff goes. But after that, man--wow. Slick stuff.

Oh, and:

I still can't believe it took them that long to make an anime series out of it.
'Course, I'm not exactly sure how well the concept would translate to animated form.

Gunparade March anime is inexplicably awesome. It's got a neat story, neat characters, neat action...but for some reason that all combines to be greater than the sum of the parts. There's something about the atmosphere that just makes it rock. Hard.

[Mazarin]

Azumanga Daioh(GREAT stuff)
Chobits(again)
GitS: Stand Alone Complex
Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu(VERY Psychotic, current favorite)
Mahoromatic(see avatar)

AVOID @ ALL COSTS:
M0USE
I have some of the manga. The art is wonderful. The story(ha!) is on the same complexity level as blinking. He steals stuff. Get's sexually molested by women w/ gargantuan breasts, and says no. Meet Love Hina w/ less of a storyline.

I still have Kiddy Grade and Wolf's Rain to watch, but if you like insane anime, watch Jungle Wa Itsumo.

[TODE]

It may be getting passe' to say this, but OMG LIST THREAD OLO

Anyway.

ANIME
Steel Angel Kurumi - Funny series, bought the first volume, then bought the remaining 4 all at once. :D

Excel Saga - Find out how I feel in the EXCEL SAGA thread! :O

Rurouni Kenshin (Toonami) - nice thing to watch every day

Lupin III - all kids...
Inu-Yasha - ...out of the pool

Hellsing - borrowing from a friend, haven't seen yet

MANGA
Shonen Jump's serials
Animerica Extra's serials
Super Manga Blast's serials
Battle Angel Alita: Lost Order
Inu-Yasha
GTO
Blade of the Immortal
Ranma 1/2

[JL tha Infamos]

Berserk and JoJo's Bizzare Adventure (I know, Im behind on the times:sweat )

Also, I really want to watch/read Hajime no Ippo but I cant find it anywhere.

[TODE]

Also, as a novelty, I finally located and bought a copy of Ultimate Teacher on dubbed VHS. WOW is it a bad dub. You'd think the original voice of Piccolo would be okay for Ganpachi, but no.

[EvilNeil]

Shame on all of you.

[TODE]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
OMG LIST THREAD OLO

[Saki]

Ai Yori Aoshi
Onegai Teacher
Tennis no Ojii-sama (Prince of Tennis)
Slamdunk (in Korean)
Chobits
Excel Saga
Berserk
Battle Royale
GiTS: Stand Alone Complex
I My Me! Strawberry Eggs (kaaaah....Amawa is so hawt..)

And a few others....

Oh, and AZUMANGA DAIOH.

Hentai anime:

Bible Black (D-girl fans will like nurse Kitami....who does everything with hers...)

Angel Blade - Masami Obaris recent hentai show. ALL d-girls...no guys in there, whatsoever. DarkPriest should look into this...

Nightshift Nurses - Uhm...well....it has nice artwork.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
Shame on all of you.

Well, uh...can we call it a hybrid, at least? :shy Some discussion did happen!

[CEO of Dragon Punches]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
Shame on all of you.

Have we taught you NOTHING?!

[Frankie Foster]

I feel so alienated. No one has watched what I've watched, and I have not watched what everyone else has watched (exceptions: Shaolin Soccer, Rurouni Kenshin).

I feel like a loner all of a sudden...

[Mazarin]

Originally posted by JL tha Infamos
Also, I really want to watch/read Hajime no Ippo but I cant find it anywhere.

Do you have BitTorrent?

http://www.animesuki.com/series.php/10.html

Best. Boxing game. Ever.

[Cherrn]

Hellsing, Azumanga, Gundam SeeD.

Err... yeah.

[Ignorant nigger dorito]

Is Gundam Seed, Kiddy Grade and Prince of Tennis any good?

[Cherrn]

I like Gundam Seed. It's beautiful, well-animated, has interesting characters and factions.
But then again, it's the first Gundam series I've ever seen.

[coolmandool]

Dear god... just say no to prince of tennis...

i mean it's ok in dragonball when someone powers up for a fire ball - but c'mon IT'S TENNIS! Idiots taking 5 episodes to power up for a tennis shot with the crazy force lines and everything is just.... wrong...

oh and Hikaru no Go is also wrong! - How can ppl 'power up' when playing chess!

[Vic Viper]

Yesterday at my Anime Club at college, I watched this anime that didn't make sense called "FLCL". Gainax was probably on acid when they did this.

[SDShamshel]

FLCL kicks ass. It makes sense (sort of), but you have to watch it twice. All of it. Twice.

It also has what's possibly the best soundtrack ever. the pillows are some of my many gods.

Gundam SEED has its ups and downs. The art is great, but at times it feels TOO digital. The Mobile Suit design schematics aren't terribly interesting until you see them in action (that seems to be the case for most of Ookawara's designs. The RX-78-2 is all bland and "meh" but then you see it do the shield-decoy trick, or defeat the Jetstream attack, and it's like "whoa.") The character designs are lop-sided. The poorly designed characters are really poorly designed and, for lack of a better word, uninteresting, but the well-designed characters are really, REALLY good. Gundam SEED is also the first Gundam series to deal with the issue of racism (no, Earthnoids vs Spacenoids doesn't count).

[blodlizrd]

Currently watching:

RahXephon
The Guyver (Finally on DVD. This was one of the first anime tapes that I ever rented... but Blockbuster never got the rest of the series.)
FLCL
Excel Saga
Berserk
GTO
Inu-Yasha (Not actively, just when it's on TV)
Saber Marrionette J to X (Finally getting around to seeing this one.)

Curently Reading:
Love Hina
GTO
Wish
Onegai Teacher
Shortcuts (wonder when the next issue is coming out... hmmm)

[Sub]

watching:

Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu

After this show I will probably be disappointed by everything I ever watch afterwards.

Naruto
Gunparade March

Anyone wanna tell me what the PS Gunparade game was like? I don't really know what to think about the show at this point. It starts out as a gritty mech show, goes utterly saccharine, then goes back to being a gritty mech show and repeats.

I'm rewatching Azumanga as the DVD rips come out.

[Baofu]

Anyone know when Giant Robo is coming out on DVD? It was suppoused to come out this month!

[Dizzy]

Feh, no one is watching "One Piece"-the best anime show.

[blodlizrd]

Originally posted by Dizzy
Feh, no one is watching "One Piece"-the best anime show.

Has it been released in the US yet? I don't really have the hook up on fansubs...

Oh and add .hack//SIGN to my list of currently watching.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by igcognito
Is Gundam Seed, Kiddy Grade and Prince of Tennis any good?

See earlier comments on Kiddy Grade. I've found it to be surprisingly good, especially once the plot truly begins. I haven't really seen enough of Seed to comment, but Prince of Tennis makes me giggle every time I see it. 'Tis a silly series.

[blodlizrd]

The Prince of Tennis has been in first place on TV-Tokyo (http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp)'s top 20 anime list for quite a few months.

[ryucross]

Gundam Seed doesn't deal w/ racism, it deals with the possible conflict that can occur once genetic manipulation starts occuring.

[SDShamshel]

You're only saying that because you're racist!

Well, yeah, okay.

[Clear Sky]

Wolf Rain, and damn it's good.

What's this Kiddy Grade anime about?

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by Clear Sky
What's this Kiddy Grade anime about?

'Tis an action series, dealing with the adventures of two agents of an interplanetary trading organization in the far-flung future. It starts out as an episodic, rather campy piece, but gets progressively more serious and story-driven as it goes on.

[blockhead]

I saw some stuff on the MM Cafe BBS that I thought was interesting:


Upcoming series:

Kaleido Star - 4/3 - ? - A new Gonzo series.

Ninja Scroll TV - 4/15 - 13 episodes- The TV series.

R.O.D. TV - 4/? - ? - New Read or Die series.


Stuff that is in planning stages:

New Digi Charat

New Noir

Saver Gundam (Set for 2004)


Rumors:

Second Fruits Basket season (*dies*)

Ghost in the Shell 2

Chrno Crusade (the series what spawned Bridget)

[Frankie Foster]

Originally posted by Underkill
Chrno Crusade (the series what spawned Bridget)

Huh? elaborate pls kthx bye

[Sub]

Even if it's terrible (and not in that awesome way that the movie is), I can't wait to watch Ninja Scroll TV.

New Digi Charat: I love Digi Charat and you can call me a fag for that all you want. There's something great about how a character so unrelentingly vicious has become a beloved mascot. If it's like the early, mindfuck episodes I like then I'll probably enjoy it. If it's Panyo Panyo I'll probably kill myself.

As for Noir, I assume they'll introduce a single, MYSTERIOUS new plot element and then proceed to stretch it out for 26 episodes like they did with the last one. Flashbacks, oh gawd.

Oh right, early in this thread Mazinkaiser was mentioned. If anyone's got that from ep 3 on subbed, raw, whatever, man; GET ON THE HUB TONIGHT. I just can't wait for the DVD release.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by Underkill
R.O.D. TV - 4/? - ? - New Read or Die series.

Man, I cannot wait for this. I do hope Yomiko at least cameos in it, though...

[blockhead]

Originally posted by Baby Bonnie Hood
Huh? elaborate pls kthx bye

The female lead (?) of Chrno Crusade sports the same nun outfit as Bridget, and is generally acknowledged as being a major influence in the character design of everyone's favorite video game trannie.

So Bridget's basically the Baiken of obscure manga.

[Nixon]

Originally posted by JL tha Infamos
Berserk and JoJo's Bizzare Adventure (I know, Im behind on the times:sweat )

Also, I really want to watch/read Hajime no Ippo but I cant find it anywhere.

You can't have looked very hard. (http://www.snoopycool.com/manga/ippo/index.htm)

[Mecha]

Huh? elaborate pls kthx bye

Elaborated. (http://www.swordbreaker.com/crusade/images/)

[Frankie Foster]

http://www.highervoltage.net/mb/attachment.php?postid=199443

Wow...















.....she is a she, right? *raises eyebrow*

[Mecha]

I'd say so. (http://www.swordbreaker.com/crusade/images/cc-poster.jpg)

[Vic Viper]

Originally posted by Baby Bonnie Hood
http://www.highervoltage.net/mb/attachment.php?postid=199443

Wow...















.....she is a she, right? *raises eyebrow*

Why does this look like a "Chrono Trigger" sequal?

Anyway, I'm currently watching "Nadesco" and "Scryte" (if that's how it's spelled). And I'm still waiting for Pioneer to release a "Gatekeepers" box set.

Also, I'm planning to go on an anime convention around June.

[Clear Sky]

Originally posted by Mecha
I'd say so. (http://www.swordbreaker.com/crusade/images/cc-poster.jpg)

Wao. Something just doesn't look right with that stomach.

[Saki]

....Why is she so hot...

[yoshi]

Recently finished watching:

Read or Die (So sue me. I never managed to get around to watching the last episode, okay?)

Sakura Taisen the Movie (It's crap. Nicely animated, but still crap. If you feel the need to watch anything Sakura Taisen related, watch the second OVA series.)

Jungle wo Itsumo Hale nochi Guu (Good stuff, Excel Saga-esque psychosis but with a plot... well, sort of)

Ai Yori Aoshi (So sweet it gave me cavities; I liked it anyway)

Kiddy Grade (Turns from fanservice fluff to moderately interesting sci-fi and then starts pulling stuff out of it's ass at the end; average show with flashes of brilliance - I didn't regret watching it, but I wouldn't recommend it to everyone I know - bonus points for having the villain use the SDF-1 against the good guys in the last two episodes)


Currently watching:

.hack Dusk - Twilight's Bracelet (Totally brainless fluff - at least they explained why the two main characters look like the characters from the first .hack...)

Raimuiro Senkitan (Started off a mediocre Sakura Taisen ripoff with some small promise but going downhill so fast my hair's catching fire - stay the hell away from this.)

Platinumhugen Ordian (Punk with a forgotten past gets shanghaied into a program for training giant robot pilots. Really, really slow moving stuff - nice animation, pretty cool mecha, vaguely homoerotic male character designs, I'm waiting to see if it goes anywhere.)

Sister Princess RePure (Shut up.)

Mahoromatic Season 2 (Not even half as good as the original series. Not the worst show I'm watching <that award goes to Raimuiro Senkitan>, but not from lack of trying. Disappointing.)

Hand Maid Mai (Never watched Hand Maid May. Somehow I don't really feel I missed that much. If I'm really bored and desperate for something to dload, I may get another episode.)

Jungle wo Itsumo Hale nochi Guu Deluxe (I am this OVA's bitch.)

Gun Parade March (My favourite current show. The life of high school students serving in mandatory military service against aliens that have exterminated most of the human population <except Japan, of course>. Flips between light, dry wit and teen angst as the JSDF tries to stop the alien advance and the kids pay the inevitable price. Good, if unoriginal mecha and alien designs, nice character designs. A Gundam-esque "war is hell" type show - half the episodes have no fighting at all, instead going over what the kids do in their off time or how they deal with the deaths of friends. Stay away from this if you can't watch shows that don't have at least one fight in every episode.)


Sitting around on cd but not watched yet:

G-On Riders (I watched episode 1 and thought, "Brain-dead but faintly amusing fan service; I'll watch some more." Borrowed some cds from a friend but didn't touch them. Watched episode 10 after dloading it and thought "This is the single worst animated episode of any show I've seen in recent memory." Afraid to watch any more.)

Naruto (I watched one episode of the anime, it was a decent but not spectacular adaptation of the manga. I went back to reading the manga.)

Saishu-Heiki Kanejo (Ditto.)

Psychic Academy (Fanservice, fanservice, fanservice. The anime ended long before the manga - I'm reading the manga so I borrowed the anime from a friend to see how it ended. Haven't gotten around to watching it yet though.)

I My Me! Strawberry Eggs (Is it wrong for me to say that the guy teacher looks hot as a woman?)

Happy Lesson TV & OVA (A guy with multiple - not girlfriends - not sisters - not students - that's right, MOTHERS... oh Japan, is there nothing you won't stoop to for a profit?)

Great Teacher Onizuka (Read the manga, dropped it for a while, heard it got animated and stole 36 episodes on DVD from a friend. Haven't gotten around to watching them yet either.


About the new R.O.D. series:

The new series, Read or Dream (How... lame.) is about three new paper masters, all sisters. Yomiko will appear one way or another in the manga, but nothing said about whether she'll show in the anime.


About the Gun Parade March PSX game:

From what little information I have about it, the game is basically a Sakura Taisen ripoff; turn based strategic battles interspliced with story sessions where you trigger events and try to improve your relationships with the various members of your team - the better your relationship with them, the better they perform in battle.

[Photon]

Originally posted by Baby Bonnie Hood
I feel so alienated. No one has watched what I've watched, and I have not watched what everyone else has watched (exceptions: Shaolin Soccer, Rurouni Kenshin).

I feel like a loner all of a sudden...

Hay that's all of what I've watched too :bigtran

[Frankie Foster]

Originally posted by Mecha
I'd say so. (http://www.swordbreaker.com/crusade/images/cc-poster.jpg)

Ah, that's good to know. Wouldn't wanna spooge to a boy without knowing it :s2hy:

Photon: Well then, that makes two of us. BTW, shouldn't Rave be a game instead of an anime? I mean, it has so many Japanese RPG cliches (kid with bigass sword, attacks with fancy names, cure-all's, etc.)...

[Photon]

Originally posted by Baby Bonnie Hood
Photon: Well then, that makes two of us. BTW, shouldn't Rave be a game instead of an anime? I mean, it has so many Japanese RPG cliches (kid with bigass sword, attacks with fancy names, cure-all's, etc.)...

Well, I've seen Rave only twice. (Plans to continue watching it, and maybe Ah My Goddess too) It does have the RPG-ish feel to it. Well, maybe it's based on a game of some sort.

PS AXN's subtitling of the Rave ending song is comedy gold.

[blockhead]

There are a few RAVE fighting games, although as far as I know the series is based on an original manga. I've played one of the GBA ones, and it's pretty fun.

On an unrelated note, I just finished rewatching the first half of End of Evangelion for the first time in maybe three years. SWEET JESUS, I LOVE ASUKA. "I'll kill you... I'll kill you... I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

[alphastet]

Just got the Battle Angel (Gunnm) DVD and I cant stop wondering why they ever even dubbed that movie. The voices have got to be the absolute worst I have ever heard. They must have let the fat white girls and the greasy skinny guys get to it because it really sucks. And so do the voice dubs for SF II the movie, Lodoss War, Project A-Ko, Akira, and the original bubble gum crisis. Though, Fatal Fury and Vampire hunter D were actually kind of good?!? Thats all the anime I watch as for imports... I think Battle Royale2 should be entertaining because I liked the first one. And kamakazi taxi is pretty good IMO. Foreign stuff is never on par with US films but whatever, all the stuff the US is making now blows ass anyway. I have been looking for a DVD/VHS of the fist of the North star movie (not the series and not the live action movie) in either english or japanese but I cant find it on ebay or amazon. If any of you could point me in the right direction id appreciate it.

[Frankie Foster]

Originally posted by Photon
AXN's subtitling of the Rave ending song is comedy gold.

Damn right; it's so goofy that I just ignore it. It's obvious that Rave isn't one of their better subbing efforts :tongue

Anyways, I've found out that Rave does have a couple of games. There's an RPG on the PS1, and a fighting game on the GameCube. But it seems that these games (both made by Konami) came out after the manga and anime. So I guess Rave is some sort of homage to Jap RPG's everywhere...

BTW, I'm kinda torn between Plue (what the sub says) and Puru (what it really is). Which one do I go with?

[yoshi]

BTW, I'm kinda torn between Plue (what the sub says) and Puru (what it really is). Which one do I go with?

To be even more irritating and bastardly about it, it can also be translated as Ple, which is a translation I've seen commonly for the ZZ Gundam character (actually two characters, but let's not get into that) of the same name...

[McGuirk]

I'm working through GTO and Excel Saga at the moment, waiting for the new stuff to come. Also looking to get all of Steel Angel Kurumi, which is great.

[blodlizrd]

A friend gave me a fan sub of Ebichu.... Very strange yet LOL funny for real. Anyone else seen any of this?

(hehehe Post #100)

[blockhead]

You guys should be Interested In This:

Madman picks up some mad titles (03:32 PM EST):

The folks at Madman in Australia are continuing their own licensing binge and is acquiring a lot of titles for release. What's usually interesting to pay attention to when it comes to them is that they're working either in conjunction with a Region 1 releasing company or sublicensing directly from them, so they can sometimes serve as an early warning sign for what's coming out. Since they license for numerous studios now, it's impossible to say who may have what, but some interesting unknowns have entered the mix according to a thread posted here today:


- Abenobashi - Magical Shopping Street/District
- Azumanga Daioh
- Witch Hunter Robin
- Zaion

[Cherrn]

Yeah, the Azumanga DVD rips got halted :(

[Sub]

I wonder who has it for R1. This is going to be an extremely difficult show to localize.

U GUYZ I HEAR ADV WILL CHANGE ALL THE SUBTITLES TO REFERENCES TO CHRISTINA AGUILERA

Myself, I'm waiting for someone to put out the manga. Hell, I'd like to see commercial manga as a whole get bigger. It's a shame considering so much anime is just the adapted version of a manga and yet there's this huge disparity between the popularity of anime and manga in the US.

[yoshi]

Actually, I think that manga IS getting bigger, if slowly. I've noticed all sorts of variety stores - even ones that don't carry any other form of comics - carrying Shonen Jump now. I was pretty surprised. And Studio Proteus mentioned that Blade of the Immortal: Beasts hit #13 on the Neilsen Bookscan Graphic Novel report in it's first month - and that wasn't even including the numbers of sales from Waldenbooks, who count for 35% of the report's numbers (they hadn't started tracking sales for it at the time). There is some progress being made, although I don't think being able to walk into the 7-11 and pick translated volumes up off the rack will happen any time soon...

As for the difference in popularity between manga and anime... I think it has a lot to do with the output of cash vs. return. A lot of the fans are young and don't have a lot of money. They can turn on the TV and watch anime for free (effectively free, since they likely have service for one reason or another anyway), whereas buying manga is a cash sink they have to keep putting money into.

I'm just glad that some variety is seeping into the market... compared to the first few years of Viz and Studio Proteus, where anything they put out that wasn't a shonen series originally aimed at overstimulated 13 year old males died within 12 issues...

[TODE]

Anime that was really over with the largely-female audience of SakuraCon this year were Fushigi Yugi, Inu-Yasha, and Chobits. There's just something I like about seeing girls into anime, like the companies here really are being successful in their business so that anime/manga will still be here for a good, long time.


chiiiiiii

[Dizzy]

Wish there was more anime like OP and Naruto, I am so tired of "Kawaiiiiii" anime.
edit: and Inuyasha of course.

[Dizzy]

Finally new anime came out that should be mentioned. It's called "Air Master" - first episode is out. Well it's about a girl who is kind of female version of Baki but she uses air technique. Very nice fighting scenes interesting characters. I am horrible at explanation, but i am sure people will mention it later. (few month later=p)
It's a new show so there is not much, except the link to the official site..
http://www.vap.co.jp/airmaster/main.html

[blodlizrd]

Looks like kogals kickin ass...

http://www.vap.co.jp/airmaster/img/mina.gif

Holy crap her tits are huge compared to the other girls.

[Dizzy]

Maki is the only one who is kicking ass, the others are her friends-she meets them in first episode.
They have ending of every girl running and of course Mina too-barely walking with her huge tits and falling down..

[VoidStar]

http://tjtg.mangatranslation.com/index2.html

Scan-lations of a manga called Tenjou Tenge. This manga is truly the essence of HerV: fighting, porn, and idiotic humor all rolled into one. Give it a shot. :shy

[TheSamurai]

Recently I've been watching Naruto, GunParade March, Gundam Seed and Wolf's Rain(my current favorite).

[Sub]

Originally posted by VoidStar
http://tjtg.mangatranslation.com/index2.html

Scan-lations of a manga called Tenjou Tenge. This manga is truly the essence of HerV: fighting, porn, and idiotic humor all rolled into one. Give it a shot. :shy

I second this. I talked about it somewhere before, but I don't remember where. IF YOU LIKED HERV YOU'LL ABANDON IT FOR TENJOU TENGE.

[yoshi]

Majin Devil is a good one too, another one of Oh! Great's works with a supernatural/horror theme. SnoopyCool finished scanslating the series a little while ago.

[Dizzy]

Air master first episode, bit-torrent tho,
http://callatg.com/~asti/bt/aj/


and more Info in English
http://www.animenfo.com/animetitle,1198,ipbrof,air_master.html

Oh, and there is also E's Otherwise-new show, kinda like scryed.

[blodlizrd]

Aight... I picked up some Naruto, One Piece, and Gundam Seed cuz youz guyz said they were good. I'll have to check out Wolf's Rain too now I guess.

[yoshi]

Just watched some episodes of new anime and thought I'd give some thoughts for people wondering what to watch now:

E's Otherwise. Psychic teenagers living in a post-holocaust future rebuilt by corporations and a mysterious organization called Ashurum. Of course, the seemingly benevalent, pro-esper Ashurum which acts as military and law enforcement pursues it's own shady agenda... The main character has shots with wings AND in unwrapping bandages in the opening credits, which screams shoujo series to me, but so far no major concessions to shoujo fanservice that I can see. Graphic quality is okay, actual animation is only about average, story is reasonably unboring and the girls are cute so I'll check out a couple more episodes even though the second episode was all over the place. But do they really have to keep hitting us over the head with how much of a jerk that Chinese guy is?

Airmaster. Giant of a girl who used to be a gymnast lays the smackdown with aerial techniques in streetfights. Very good animation, nice graphic design, not much to say about the story so far but the episode flowed pretty well. Character designs might be considered a bit offputting for those who only like cute girl anime, but they have a lot of old school inspiration (Go Nagai) in their design so I'm all for it. Maki, the main character, isn't the useless type of female lead who stands around screaming and waiting to be rescued or helping people with the power of love... she's the type that makes OTHER people scream and helps them into the hospital with the power of her Air Spin Driver. Awesome. The fights are cool to watch for the techniques alone, even if a lot of what goes on isn't exactly realistic... I'm sick of fights that amount to "opponents power up... opponents trade blows... hero stays standing, opponent falls over" and Jesus Buddha in a disco, this show is the CURE. Airmaster doesn't take itself too seriously, either... watch the ending credits. I now feel like a complete idiot for taking so long to actually get around to watching this show (dloaded it a week ago and didn't touch it till today...). Dizzy called it right. Watch this show or your life is meaningless.

Sakura Wars - Ecole de Paris. Okay. Everyone has a couple of guilty little indulgences. Sakura Wars is mine. It's based on the third game of the series, the one based in Paris with a brand new cast so the Teikoku Kagekidan don't appear for the most part (think they show in the last episode, where Sumire retires). Strictly speaking familiarity with Sakura Taisen 3 is helpful, but not required to understand the story - it's an introduction to how the characters joined forces. Still, some things could have been explained better. First episode was... entertainment. It wasn't as quite as good as the first episode of the second OVA series, but I enjoyed it anyway - your mileage may vary, since I'm a fan and familiar with the series. Nice animation, quick glimpses of all the characters including Oogami at the end. I can recommend it if you like Sakura Taisen or just like seeing a character designed by the the guy who did Ah! My Goddess wiggle her bottom in a tight little kittycat outfit...

Narue no Sekai. Didn't get much out of the first episode... cute doggies turning into one-eyed, four-jawed alien monsters, space ninjas, and a girl who wields a decent baseball bat, basically. Series seems to revolve around the budding romance between a normal high school student and his new alien girlfriend. Decent animation, some strangeness (space ninjas...?), it's all pretty low key and dry, but I'll watch another episode or two and see if it picks up.

LastEXILE. What a neat show. This is what you get when you cross Yoshitaka Abe's character designs with Hayao Miyazaki's airships and throw in a lot of Napoleonic warfare and steampunk technology. The cg airships as a rule aren't going to win any awards for their animation but this show is still great to just look at. Also looks like there'll be a lot of giant aerial battleships being blown out of the sky and poor dumb grunt infantrymen shooting each other full of holes. Can't wait for more.

Scrapped Princess. Hmm. First episode introduces you to the main characters Pacifica (the Princess of the title) and her adopted older brother and sister who act as her bodyguards. An oracle prophesizes the end of the world when Pacifica reaches the age of 16, so the Church and many other people are out to kill her, while her siblings are trying to keep her alive to find out whether the prophesy is true or not. Sword and sorcery stuff - nothing too fancy although the one sword fight scene at the end wasn't too shabby (though short) and I'm interested in the strange patterns that the spells trace through the air when cast (which also appear in the sky occasionally). I'll probably keep watching it for a bit if only to see if they ever explain that or the show of technology right at the beginning.

Matantei Loki Ragnarok. A parody of all the detective and horror shows coming out of Japan right now. Eerie pint sized magical boy detective deals with the supernatural with the help of his scatterbrained bishounen manservant and an ultra genki pink haired schoolgirl who's really into the occult. Serious moments but mostly comedy. I'm looking forward to more.

Stellvia of the Universe. After the Earth suffers tremendous damage when the star at Beta Hydrus goes nova, 189 years later, a young girl heads off to the space station Stellvia to pursue her dreams of... uh... being in space. Looks like one of those cute little 'coming of age' thingies. A fair amount of cg animation which isn't exactly state of the art but is decent. Hyper cutesy chipmunk cheek character designs... and geez, those girls' school uniforms with the little caps... and what's with that guy with the face mask? I'll give it a couple of episodes to see if it's heading anywhere... all I can say is, if you have students training to fly fighter craft... you damn well better use them to shoot something down at some point in the series... and I don't mean target drones or asteroids either.

[G00D-C00L]

Initial D, which kicks ass :)

[Mecha]

Argh. Yoshi's descriptions have made my mind up to start grabbing episodes from the internet again.

Tenjou Tenge owns you all, and then lets the county reposess you. It has a bit of a Kenshin thing going on; it starts out in the future, but there's a really long flashback to the past. Plus, Maya rocks the hizouse.
I need to go out to the local Kinokunia and see if they've got Majin Devil. The descriptions I've heard of it make me quiver with many unprintable emotions.

all I can say is, if you have students training to fly fighter craft... you damn well better use them to shoot something down at some point in the series
Yamamoto Yohko still owns you all. I wish the TV series would get picked up for an R1 release.
..and I can't believe that nobody in Japan has yet seized on the opportunity for a parody shmup show. What with the amount of Treasure-fan-nose-tweaking you could do with Silvergun or Ikaruga; the in-jokes of Psikyo's work, or just play on the fetish element doll system of Dodonpachi Dai-Ou-Jou..

[EvilNeil]

I feel that if we were all as willing to make a bit of effort, the way Yoshi has done here, list threads would be a joy to read, not a pain.

Originally posted by G00D-C00L
Initial D, which kicks ass :)
Your mother.

[Frankie Foster]

Originally posted by Mecha
Yamamoto Yohko still owns you all. I wish the TV series would get picked up for an R1 release.

Present-day girls piloting awesome futuristic warships, with some good ol' long-gone-aliens (Old Timers, Precursors, Xel'Naga, whatever you call 'em...) thrown into the mix. All weird, but still entertaining enough to be watchable.

..and I can't believe that nobody in Japan has yet seized on the opportunity for a parody shmup show.

I can't believe there hasn't been a Twinkle Star Sprites anime yet. I mean, c'mon! It's so perfect for such a thing...

[Cherrn]

I'm into episode 16 on Gundam Seed and I think it's excellent.
The intrigue, the twists, the politics. The whole coordinator racism schtick they have going on is very thrilling.

The characters are somewhat likeable. Kira is the typical boy-hero. A wuss and a crybaby, but he eventually gets into the "I MUST CONQUR MY FAET AND WIN THE WAR" persona after he sleeps with <spoilar>
Lux is annoying, though. God, someone should make an effort to wipe out J-pop.

Some of the animation is also re-used a lot, but it looks excellent.
It's annoying to see a battlefield where 7 different Ginns are destroyed in the exact same fashion, of which aforementioned fashion also appears in the opening sequence.

But it's worth it. And it's free.

[RalphWiggum]

I just watched Hiruko the Goblin that I ordered off of ebay. Its a great b-rated horror flick kinda like Evil Dead in its presentation. The story is about a small village in Japan were the local school teacher unearths an underground gate containing these Hiruko or goblins. Well, all hell breaks loose and the goblins take the heads of their victims and put them on their own bodies! This movie was made in the early 90's so don't expect great special effects. Also, most of the story takes place at night in a school, so I was getting a huge Silent Hill vibe, as the main character had a device that let out a loud static sound to let him know when the goblins were close! Anyway I give this movie a high recommendation. See it if you get the chance!!

[Clear Sky]

Originally posted by Dizzy
Air master first episode, bit-torrent tho,
http://callatg.com/~asti/bt/aj/


I downloaded all of it (226.4 MB), and it doesn't work on any of the applications I have (Divx, Real One, WMP, Vidamp, Quicktime).

Oddly, the first ep. of E's otherwise works fine for me, and yet airmaster doesn't. They use the same codec too.

[Dizzy]

"shrug" i think it worked before..

[Sub]

I second and third what's been said about Air Master thus far. I lost count how many times I went HOLY FUCK during the fight scenes. The story of course isn't developed at this point, every character but Maki is annoying, but JESUS, when that fight with the Mexican wrestler (!!!) started, it was all better.

[Dizzy]

Maki is the sister of grappler Baki, j/k, she is a little bit scary but gotta love how she fights, of course there is some other not bad looking girls except the runt.
Had to watch it again.
And not to forget pantisu shots!

[yoshi]

Originally posted by Clear Sky
I downloaded all of it (226.4 MB), and it doesn't work on any of the applications I have (Divx, Real One, WMP, Vidamp, Quicktime).

Oddly, the first ep. of E's otherwise works fine for me, and yet airmaster doesn't. They use the same codec too.
I can think of three reasons it might not be working right off the top of my head.

1) The Anime Junkies version of Air Master (the only one I know of right now) is in Xvid. You didn't list that codec up there. If you don't have Xvid, obviously it won't run. I don't know which version of E's Otherwise you have so I have no idea what codec was used in that one.

2) You have Xvid, but the codec just doesn't work for you for some reason. I have a similar problem with some versions. Try ffdshow, which emulates the Divx and Xvid drivers using DirectX. It works for me, although I do sometimes have video problems that I have to adjust for.

3) The avi file you have isn't complete. Just because the file reads as being the right size doesn't mean it's actually finished downloading. Because of the way Bit Torrent works, it saves a file the size that the file will be when completely downloaded whether the download is complete or not. So be sure the file is completely downloaded (You only have to try to download it again and save as the file you already have on your drive. If it's incomplete, it will resume where the file left off and if it's complete, it will start seeding the file, in which case you will only upload, there will be no download readout.).

That's the extent of the help I can offer you, really. If it's anything besides the above, you're on your own.

[TODE]

A strange combination, but I've been following the shoujo drama Chance Pop Session and the goth vampire horror Hellsing.

[blodlizrd]

What's Chance Pop Session like? People ask me about it all the time, but I can't bring myself to watch it. Is it good for what it is?

[blockhead]

Geez, TODE, even I couldn't bring myself to watch that one. :x

[blockhead]

On a totally unrelated note, anyone know what the music on the Lain "Bootleg" CD consists of? There's already an OST and a "music inspired by" CD, so what else is there? Is it the soundtrack for the Lain PS game?

[VoidStar]

For those having codec problems with just about anything, I suggest the DefilerPak.

http://hellninjacommando.com/defilerpak/

This codec set solves almost all problems with viewing downloaded anime.

[TODE]

Originally posted by blodlizrd
What's Chance Pop Session like? People ask me about it all the time, but I can't bring myself to watch it. Is it good for what it is? Yeah, I think so. It's the story of three girls, chasing a dream of becoming pop stars. The English dub is great, being a modern ADV production, and while there is plenty of singing, they left in Japanese with subtitles (probably a good move). It's a simple, somewhat predictable story, but the real charm of the series lies in the great art, acting, and terrific music. I also liked the fact that there wasn't any gratuitous fan-service, because you need a break from that sometimes, you know?

So why did I decide to buy this series? Well, at SakuraCon 2003, I answered a trivia question correctly at ADV's panel and they gave me volume 3 for free. Being a 3-volume series, I figured "What the hell" and bought the other two volumes. It's not like it's impossible for a dude to like shoujo. I read the shoujo titles that run in Animerica Extra like Fushigi Yugi, Banana Fish, and Utena.... I don't know if it's worth $90 or whatever, but it's a nice show. Good for what it is.

[blodlizrd]

#1: I never get tired of fan service.
#2: I like some shojo titles as well. This one looked sugary sweet though so I wasn't sure if it was TOO girlie or not.
#3: Thanks for the review! :supergrin

[TODE]

Sure thing. Here are a couple more Chance reviews:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/reviews/display.php?id=424

http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/1685.php

[Mecha]

But you forgot..
http://www.animejump.com/cgi-bin/go.cgi?go=video/chancepopsession
:trannie

[Hama]

I got the first ep with newtype and I thought it fucking sucked!

"Go on honey , become a popstar":bigtran

[yoshi]

More thoughts on new shows coming out of Japan. Remember, your mileage may vary - these are mostly off seeing only the first episode, and lord knows we've all watched enough shows where the first episode rocked and everything else after sucked...

Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Not magical girls. Not idol singers. Not mermaids. But MAGICAL MERMAID IDOL SINGERS. The main character (and presumably the other characters that were shown in the intro) can change from mermaid to human and back again and then into a maho shoujo version of their human form with the power of their magical pearl which becomes a magic wand/microphone with which they SING THEIR FOES TO DEFEAT.
Oh. My. GOD.

Other than that, some of the tunes were okay if you like Jpop.


Texhnolyze
There was a kickboxer that fought a brutal deathmatch. There was a cyborg woman that tried to have sex with him in front of some old guy but got a shot to the face when she tried to poke his eyeball out. There was a guy with a gas mask and a backpack. There was a girl with a freaky mask who eventually took it off to reveal an even freakier stare. There was me realizing that I was 11 minutes into this show and NO ONE HAD SAID A WORD YET. There was a firefight. There was the kickboxer getting his arm sliced off by a yakuza. There was a pool of blood and end credits. There was me thinking "WTF???" And then there was the most incomprehensible 'next episode' trailer ever created.

I have to watch the next episode to make sense of this one.


Wandaba Style
Okay, there's a rich kid with a digital sliderule, Tsukumo, who's trying to be the first person to send a manned expedition to the moon (Because the Apollo moon landing was a FAKE, you know...). There's Kiku 8, Tsukumo's emotionally dysfunctional android lab assistant and test pilot (don't ask what happened to Kiku 1 - 7...). There's self proclaimed 'genius manager' Mi-- (I can't even begin to get into this). And finally, there's the girl band that Mi-- manages, Mix Juice, which Tsukumo has hired to be his new guinea pigs since he just shot Riku 8 into orbit with a giant slingshot ("Oh! I see my sisters!").
Mix Juice is a group of four young women whose musical careers were pathetic failures... so Mi-- brought them together so they could be pathetic failures TOGETHER. The members are:
Fuyude Yuri - Former rock singer. The tough, hot-headed, serious girl who hates idol singers who pretend to be real rock musicians. Which might be more convincing if she weren't a member of a female idol group destined to sing Jpop. The 'straight' girl of the group, which is irony considering her name - and also probably why she's so damn dull (so far).
Akimo Ayame - Former folk singer. Tone-deaf or just a victim of folk music - it's hard to tell at this point. Has all the star quality of a floor lamp. Talks to little green fairies (who look like grinning steroid pumped bodybuilders) that only she can see.
Natsuwa Himawari - Former enka singer. Wears a hideous kimono with a sunflower pattern and godawful amounts of make-up for performances. Likes to rant about climbing the steps of enka stardom. Or something like that. If you don't know what enka is... good.
Haruna Sakura - Former child singer. Cynical showbiz veteran and the oldest member of the group. Wears frilly pink dresses like she's an 8 year old. Currently selling personal items (panties) to lolicon fetishists in internet auctions to make a living.

There's so much room for disaster, but it's like passing by a car accident; I can't help but take a glance at the very least. Decent animation, cute girls, fanservice and Mi-- is good for the occasional cheap laugh. It's not Excel Saga... it's not even Azumanga Daioh... but then what is?


Dear Boys

As soon as I started watching the opening credits, I thought, "Crap... another basketball anime... and this one looks to have bishonen..." But then I noticed... the female characters all look like girls from the G-Taste art books. So I had to watch the whole episode through, of course. Unfortunately, the actual episode didn't live up to anything graphically in the intro. The art wasn't anything to write home about, the animation was mediocre, and the cg work interspersed throughout could most kindly be described as "something an animator's kid did on his home pc". The story's by the numbers too... brilliant young basketball genius comes to a new school and fights to put together the boy's basketball team and bring them to the championship. Of course, to be fair, this isn't the first series to rip off that formula...
That footage of the live rapper in the end credits may have killed a bit of my soul, though. Anyway, I may dload another episode of Dear Boys in a moment of morbid curiousity if I'm bored enough.


Ultra Gravity God Gravion

Not really a new series since it's been out for a few months now but I only checked it out recently. Invaders from beyond our solar system, giant robots, a LOT of maids, and fanservice - LOTS of fanservice. Oh, I think there's a plot in there somewhere too, but who cares... I was hurting myself while watching this until I turned my brain off and just started oohing and ahhing over all the skimpy outfits and mecha. Besides, the show's name makes me feel all tingly.

I could have lived without the guy with the mask, though.

[EvilNeil]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
that there wasn't any gratuitous fan-service, because you need a break from that sometimes, you know?
I don't know you any more.

And thank you, Yoshi for somer interesting reviews. I might grab one or two of some of those based on your fine descriptions.

[yoshi]

Remember my motto: "I watch crap so others won't have to. Then I rant about it on threads."

[EvilNeil]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
And thank you, Yoshi for somer interesting reviews. I might grab one or two of some of those based on your fine descriptions.
OH MY GOD. What the fuck am I talking about? Jesus!

[novaSphere]

My takes:

AirMaster is only worth watching for the ridiculous fight scenes.

Anything and everything else about that show is rather unforgivable in my eyes, especially Renge. :|

Last Exile is probably one of my favorite shows of this season. It's candy for your eyes and it looks like it may actually be going places. I'm a big fan of steampunk myself (primarily influenced/infected from Sakura Wars), and LE had no shortage of Steam-powered technology. I also simply adored the concept of Rifleman duels taking place across gigantic airships.

Jubei Ninpucho (Ninja Scroll TV) is only worth watching, as far as I can gather, simply because it holds the Ninja Scroll name. The Intro Music is rather comical (and sounds like it was done by Kitaro), and the rockin' tunes you hear at the start kinda puts you off. The overall character designs definitely belong in the Ninja Scroll universe, however, even if they're slightly more "modern" in concept. Worth a shot, but don't expect too much from the first episode.

Kiddy Grade is the kind of show you wouldn't have any high hopes for going into it, but would be pleasantly surprised as to how good the show can actually be. Constant fan service with a reasonable plot; you really can't go wrong with it. The show honestly keeps getting better and better with each episode, with few "shit" sequecnes to hinder its progress. However, what shit made its way into this series is quite bad; the highs are high and the lows are low, as someone else put it. Still very much so worth watching.

Get Backers, despite its stupid, stupid name, looks like to have some decent potential, as well. Although all the females are drawn practically the exact same way, the other characters are so filled with distinct style and flavor that it won't come off as bland. The blatant ripoff of Johnny from GGX (Down to the bigass hat, the flowing black trenchcoat, and the giant fucking "J" slashed in glowing shit) serves to let viewers know not to take the show too seriously, but it's still an intresting story about two repo duders with extraordinary powers. Also, they're dirt broke. :D

Oh, and the Sakura Wars Paris OAV episode 2 looks to be incredible. Lobelia is my surpreme goddess, even if she'd probably cut me the fuck up if I tried to shake hands with her.

[Frankie Foster]

Originally posted by yoshi
Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Not magical girls. Not idol singers. Not mermaids. But MAGICAL MERMAID IDOL SINGERS. The main character (and presumably the other characters that were shown in the intro) can change from mermaid to human and back again and then into a maho shoujo version of their human form with the power of their magical pearl which becomes a magic wand/microphone with which they SING THEIR FOES TO DEFEAT.
Oh. My. GOD.

Other than that, some of the tunes were okay if you like Jpop.

.........

I'd say "Now I've seen everything", but some other weirdass anime will probably invalidate that statement :\

Those crazy Japs.....

[Cherrn]

I checked out Tenshi na Konamaiki the other day.
It's a show about a little boy who gets turned into a hot girl by a genie, and all sorts of gender-based shenanigans occur.

I... don't know how to feel about it.

:!:

[Frankie Foster]

Let it be known that the statement "Now I've seen everything" is officially deemed invalid forever.....

[blockhead]

I'm interested in that.

[Dizzy]

me sad airmaster ep2 didn't came out last week ;.;;;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;;;;;.....;

[yoshi]

I bet they're dragging their heels releasing Air Master on purpose, the bastards...

While we're talking about gender bending, I'm currently reading a manga called Pretty Face. It's about a guy named Randoh Masashi, high school senior, captain of the Karate Club and terror of his school. He gets put in a coma in an accident involving the bus he's riding on and wakes up a year later with the face of the girl he has a secret crush on, Kurimi Rina. You see, he was so badly burned in the accident that major reconstructive surgery had to be done on his entire body, especially his face. The doctor (Manabe) rebuilt Randoh's face almost completely from scratch, but didn't know what he was supposed to look like, so he used the picture of Rina that Randoh had in his pocket. Randoh tries to go home to get a picture of what he used to look like but discovers his parents had accidentally been misinformed about his death (they misidentified a corpse) and moved away six months ago. Of course, while trying to figure out his next move, he runs into Kurimi Rina, who starts hugging him and calling him older sister - turns out she and her family think Randoh is Kurimi Yuna, Rina's older twin sister who ran away from home years ago and hasn't been heard from since. Randoh, realizing this is the happiest he's ever seen the girl he loves and moved by Rina's love for her sister (especially when she confesses that she was in love with Randoh but never told him because she didn't think it was fair for her to be happy when she didn't know what sort of suffering her sister might be going through), decides to pretend to BE Rina's sister, Yuna, until he can track down the real Yuna, convince her to come back to her family, and pay Dr. Manabe the 48 million yen he's demanding in medical bills to restore Randoh's original face (he offered to do a sex change and breast implants for free, though) so he can confess his love to her.
Most of the stories revolve around the Ranma 1/2 sort of thing - Randoh trying to maintain his cover while being thrust into uncomfortable situations, like sharing a hotel room with four girls on a week long excursion to the beach or avoiding the attentions of his ex-cronies from the Karate Club who have fallen in love with him. There's a lot of angst as he tries to lead the life of a normal student (as Yuna would have done) and things go horribly awry - he's not above using Yuna's sex appeal (between his looks and his... energetic disposition, Randoh has become very popular in his school...) to try to solve his problems, but nothing ever quite works out for him, so he usually ends up resorting to his fists. It doesn't usually solve the problem (actually, it usually makes things WORSE) but it makes him feel better...
Pretty harmless, brainless fun (Randoh has the BEST face takes. Bar none.) - well, as long as you can deal with the fact that half the fanservice in the series comes from Randoh... scanslations are out there, so if you're interested, start looking.

[TODE]

I recently caught the British import TV program "Black Books" on Comedy Central. Hilarious stuff. Sadly, the DVDs are Region 2/PAL so I'm getting NTSC/VHS thru an auction site.

[blockhead]

Originally posted by Cherrn
I checked out Tenshi na Konamaiki the other day.
It's a show about a little boy who gets turned into a hot girl by a genie, and all sorts of gender-based shenanigans occur.

I... don't know how to feel about it.

Thanks for the recommendation, Cherrn, now I've got a new show to watch. :yay

If anyone else is interested, I've got the first two episodes up for grabs in the hub. Give it a whirl, this show's awesome.

[EvilNeil]

Some of these sound good, but they all have one or two elements that put me off. I've downloaded gigabytes of different series, but whenever I open the file and have a flick through it, I never like what I see, and just leave it alone.

What I'm really after is a show with no brains, no dignity, and no sensibilities. It needs lots of fighting, and boobs, and if possible, a hysterically over-pretentious ending. The genre doesn't bother me, as long as it's not swords and sorcery, and I'd prefer the production values to be at least half-decent.

Does such a show exist?

[Cherrn]

From what I hear, Air Master is all of these (bar the ending).

[SDShamshel]

Sunrise essentially released two recap episodes in a row for Gundam SEED.

Assholes. I mean, I know recap episodes are necessary, but two in a row?

Though the 3rd opening has more animation than the previous ones.

Anyone here seen Alien 9?

[yoshi]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
What I'm really after is a show with no brains, no dignity, and no sensibilities. It needs lots of fighting, and boobs, and if possible, a hysterically over-pretentious ending.

Does such a show exist?

Doesn't almost anything Masami Obari's directed and done character designs for since Fatal Fury: The Movie fit this bill? I stopped looking at his work after I caught the first episode of Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer though so he might have improved since then...

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by yoshi
Doesn't almost anything Masami Obari's directed and done character designs for since Fatal Fury: The Movie fit this bill? I stopped looking at his work after I caught the first episode of Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer though so he might have improved since then...

There was this three-ep OAV thing called Voogie's Angel that he had a hand in. It featured boobs, lots of fighting, and very little dignity, but it became serious (and actually semi-intelligent) in the last episode.

[Zazzarius]

Originally posted by novaSphere
My takes:
Get Backers . . . blatant ripoff of Johnny from GGX (Down to the bigass hat, the flowing black trenchcoat, and the giant fucking "J" slashed in glowing shit)
knowing GG, it could be the other way around . . . when was that show made anyway?

[yoshi]

Very recently, and Johnny's appearence was already set in the original PSX Guilty Gear. So it's unlikely on this one.

There's no need to suspect EVERYTHING... just... almost everything.

[Zazzarius]

Originally posted by yoshi
There's no need to suspect EVERYTHING... just... almost everything. gotta keep your eyes open on such things, y'know?

[TODE]

Originally posted by VoidStar
There was this three-ep OAV thing called Voogie's Angel that he had a hand in. It featured boobs, lots of fighting, and very little dignity, but it became serious (and actually semi-intelligent) in the last episode. Obari only did the first episode, other people did the other ones... shoot, even the character designs are different in the first episode.

Neil, what you are really after is Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer: The Movie. It totally fits the bill. Think Fatal Fury: The Movie + five more girls - cohesive storytelling. Obari even snuck in a nude spread-crotch-shot (if you look hard enough).

[Cherrn]

Originally posted by SDShamshel
Sunrise essentially released two recap episodes in a row for Gundam SEED.

Assholes. I mean, I know recap episodes are necessary, but two in a row?

Though the 3rd opening has more animation than the previous ones.


Yeah, the new opening is the best one so far. Those new Gundams look awesome.

I don't really think recap episodes are all that necessary, anyway. More of a nuisance that anything else.
And I really don't think two in a row were necessary either. All they did was remind me of how much of a whore Frey is, and how much Kira needs to expand his vocabulary beyond "Uh", "Ah", "Fureeey" and "Asulahn".

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
Obari only did the first episode, other people did the other ones... shoot, even the character designs are different in the first episode.

...Point, I'd forgotten about that. And that it was an audio series before an anime, as well.

Well, there's always Cosplay Complex, a fairly brainless two-episode OAV. No fighting or pretentious ending, but it does fit the rest of the bill! (Boobs, no dignity, no sensibility) It's about the moronic adventures of a high school's cosplay club. Amongst other things, it features a rare sort of character indeed: a lesbian pedophile!

...Which probably shouldn't be counted as a point in its favor, admittedly. :wut

[Mecha]

I mean, I know recap episodes are necessary, but two in a row?

..considering the entire SHOW is a recap. :sweat

Although Last EXILE was completely rock-tacular. I get a hint of Turn-A by looking at some of the character designs.

[SDShamshel]

Originally posted by Cherrn
Yeah, the new opening is the best one so far. Those new Gundams look awesome.

I don't really think recap episodes are all that necessary, anyway. More of a nuisance that anything else.
And I really don't think two in a row were necessary either. All they did was remind me of how much of a whore Frey is, and how much Kira needs to expand his vocabulary beyond "Uh", "Ah", "Fureeey" and "Asulahn".

Recap episodes can be helpful when you realize this show's supposed to be watched once a week, there are things that can be forgotten.

There's also the matter of preserving the budget, which is usually why recap episodes are done.

If they did two, they must've been severely short on cash.

[Dizzy]

:yay :yay :yay
Air Master 2 is out..
I think it will make top 5 of my favorite anime shows of all time..

[Cherrn]

If only they'd get rid of all the supporting characters. ESPEIUCKAKLRSAÆLDSKAL RENGE >:||||

[SDShamshel]

they should make airmaster fighting game

wut

[TODE]

I've been watching YuYu Hakusho and Ruroni Kenshin on Cartoon Network, two series that I never thought would broadcast with their original Japanese names. Aside from how good the stories are, it's interesting to see how much they can show of their blood and violence... what's a nice sign is that apparently it's okay to show characters getting drunk on sake now. Remember how in Tenchi Muyo, all the sake was changed to tea?

[Yagami style]

Air master part 3 is out aswell.
BTW did anyone watch Texhnolyze? I did. Whats it about?:confused:

[Dizzy]

D'l part 3 now, i luuuuuuv AM. I want to get that ending song, who sings it btw? I die laughing when i see drunken runt.

I watched Texhnolyze-fell asleep, horrible crack anime. I don't know what the story about it's weird, don't think i want to watch more.

[Internet]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
I've been watching YuYu Hakusho and Ruroni Kenshin on Cartoon Network, two series that I never thought would broadcast with their original Japanese names. Aside from how good the stories are, it's interesting to see how much they can show of their blood and violence... what's a nice sign is that apparently it's okay to show characters getting drunk on sake now. Remember how in Tenchi Muyo, all the sake was changed to tea?

They still never actually SAY tha someone is drunk in the censored versions, they only strongly imply it LOL

[Ari Rockefeller]

My friend and I just got a hold of a nice little anime called Grappler Baki. I didn't believe it when he first told me, but it is awesome.

It's about this short red-headed kid who trains to fight hardcore. He gets in a lot of fights - usually with opponents many more times his size - and semi-regularly beats the shit out of them. What's even more remarkable is that Baki is about 13 years old (IIRC).

The only problem we saw is the translations (he got the subbed version). A great deal of the subtitles are off. Way off. It makes some fansubs looks decent.

Either way, it's a sweet series. Episodes are a little short, though...

[Cherrn]

Holy shit, Air Master is really something. I've never seen a show go so quickly from a fighting anime to a semi-fighting lesbian drama anime.

[EvilNeil]

You just said the magic word.

[TODE]

Originally posted by DO YOU LIKE EROTIC?
They still never actually SAY tha someone is drunk in the censored versions, they only strongly imply it LOL Well, in some cases, saying it would just be like what I call "DBZ audience dialogue":

*Goku dodges Buu's attack*

KRILLIN: He-- He dodged it! :O

There was this one episode of Kenshin, where Kaoru got really toasted... I forget which one but she got the super-big anime cry-eyes going and everything. Great stuff. They didn't cover it by saying it was tea, but I don't think they ever mentioned what they were drinking, either, herk herk.:s2hy:

[TODE]

Another import that I'm just now starting to watch for the first time is another one out of Britian, you might have heard of it, "Monty Python's Flying Circus".


*pre-emptively welcomes himself to 1967*

[EvilNeil]

Welcome to ... oh, never mind. Enjoy it though, it's one of the greatest things ever, and one of my main comedic influences when I was growing up.


P.S. Someone with AIRMASTER 2 and 3 please get in the hub now.

[TODE]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
Welcome to ... oh, never mind. Enjoy it though, it's one of the greatest things ever, and one of my main comedic influences when I was growing up. Yeah, it's been great so far, like a more surreal version of "The Kids in the Hall". I've seen one episode so far, the one with the sketch where aliens are turning men into Scotsmen.

[Bridget]

Rahxephon
Noir
Dr. Slump music
japanese Yugioh episoded
yugioh doujinshi

[EvilNeil]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
Yeah, it's been great so far, like a more surreal version of "The Kids in the Hall". I've seen one episode so far, the one with the sketch where aliens are turning men into Scotsmen.
I've never seen that one. :(

The general attitude tends to be that the early/middle episodes were great, and the last third sucked - so the last third a rarely shown on TV, and while I've tried to catch up over the years with repeats on different TV channels ... I'm still missing a few here and there.

Sometimes I'm tempted to just get one of the DVD box sets floating around.

[EvilNeil]

And having rewatched EVA all the way through again this past week - I can't really see the point of contiuing to watch RahXephon any further...

Unless it has lesbians in.

[TODE]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
I've never seen that one. :( Episode #7. I have a box set of #7-13, out of 7 total sets. So these are probably some of the best ones. I've seen the "Dead Parrot" sketch before because the two troupe members performed it on Saturday Night Live a few years ago.

[Cherrn]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
Yeah, it's been great so far, like a more surreal version of "The Kids in the Hall". I've seen one episode so far, the one with the sketch where aliens are turning men into Scotsmen.

That's the one with the lemon blamanges, isn't it? It's genius! :D

Just wait 'till you see the Piranha brothers sketch. That's probably one of the greatest ones.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
And having rewatched EVA all the way through again this past week - I can't really see the point of contiuing to watch RahXephon any further...

Unless it has lesbians in.

Well, uh, Haruka and Elvy? Sort of? :shy

At any rate, Rah Xephon does have quite a few similarities with Eva, but those struck me as mainly superficial--the direction of the story and a lot of the character relationships were really, really different. For whatever it's worth (not much lor~), I'd say it's worth watching all the way through.

Edited to add: just watched the first three episodes of Air Master...wow, what a weird show! Kinda inspires mixed feelings--on one hand, I love the way the fights are done, and the lesbian subtext is always welcome. On the other hand, Renge is one of the most fantastically irritating characters I've ever seen. I had hoped that the complaints I'd heard about her were exagerrated, but...God, that voice...it makes me want to puncture my eardrums.

[TODE]

Coming out on Tuesday is the last Dragon Ball movie ever made, entitled "Dragon Ball: The Path To Power". It is the 10th anniversary movie, released in 1995 at the time that DBGT was playing on Japanese television, so basically you're getting a fun Dragon Ball adventure with modern animation. I think it's worth getting for the awesome Kamehameha-powerup sequence alone. Also, since this is a Dragon Ball release, and not Z or GT, there's a good chance that FUNimation did not replace the music for the English dub.

[EvilNeil]

I saw that awhile back ... it's not really all that great. It just seemed pointless compressing a lengthy run of DB into an hours' movie, removing good characters and situations and replacing them with ... less good ones.
Originally posted by VoidStar
Edited to add: just watched the first three episodes of Air Master...wow, what a weird show! Kinda inspires mixed feelings--on one hand, I love the way the fights are done, and the lesbian subtext is always welcome. On the other hand, Renge is one of the most fantastically irritating characters I've ever seen. I had hoped that the complaints I'd heard about her were exagerrated, but...God, that voice...it makes me want to puncture my eardrums.
I just saw those too... and like you I'm still very much undecided. I'll certainly agree it's an odd show, the art style is a little strange - and it's certainly not afraid to make it's characters look ugly or weird-looking. The fights were good, yes, but the humour wasn't funny, the emotional bits were bland, and it feels ever so "by the book" in it's structure so far - the flashbacks to a tortured past, the rivals, the making friends ... blah blah.

I'm looking forward to the hentai, though. As long as we get at least one doujin of Maki fucking Mina as they plummet earthwards after a huge jump, I'll be ever so happy.

I will watch a few more though, as I'll always remember how I wrote EVA off after seeing four episodes. Tch.

[Utils]

Angel Blade
Soreyuke Marin-chan Project
Beat Angel Escalayer

All very good hentai. Angelblade is the best hentai ever made.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
I'm looking forward to the hentai, though. As long as we get at least one doujin of Maki fucking Mina as they plummet earthwards after a huge jump, I'll be ever so happy.

...By all that's holy, let something like this really exist.

I will watch a few more though, as I'll always remember how I wrote EVA off after seeing four episodes. Tch.

Yes, I'm not willing to write it off yet either. Even if it turns out to be rather average plot-wise, as long as they maintain a consistent quality in the fight scenes, I'll keep watching it.

What I'd like to see happen is for Kaori to continuously build up until she's as dangerous as she claims she's going to be. That, while not entirely original, would still be rare enough to be interesting. Seeing her give Maki a real fight would be excellent.

[EvilNeil]

Agree.

On a final note, "Air Master" is also worth watching if you're in the mood for a huge, hulking redhead girl kicking the fuck out of a variety of people, with the punch/kick impact sounds stolen from Visco Games' Breakers fighting game. :D

[EvilNeil]

Also again - was that the voice of Ilpalazzo in the second episode? I swear that hooded guy in the crowd sounded exactly like him.

[blockhead]

I thought exactly the same thing... maybe it is.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
Also again - was that the voice of Ilpalazzo in the second episode? I swear that hooded guy in the crowd sounded exactly like him.

It was. I checked the credits, and Koyasu Takehito--the aforementioned voice of Il Palazzo--is a member of this show's cast.

[Bitoku Kishi]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
Coming out on Tuesday is the last Dragon Ball movie ever made, entitled "Dragon Ball: The Path To Power". It is the 10th anniversary movie, released in 1995 at the time that DBGT was playing on Japanese television, so basically you're getting a fun Dragon Ball adventure with modern animation. I think it's worth getting for the awesome Kamehameha-powerup sequence alone. Also, since this is a Dragon Ball release, and not Z or GT, there's a good chance that FUNimation did not replace the music for the English dub.
DragonBallGT's one OAV came after. I don't know if you'd count that as a movie or not though. I tend to lump all the OAVs and movies together in the same category. So I tend to think of that GT OAV as the last Dragonball movie myself.

And I thought that last Dragonball re-hash movie was kind of lame, aside from it looking pretty good technically speaking. It was basically just jamming together a whole lot of stuff that happened in the series into one 90 minute (or however long it was) feature. But it really didn't work out that well in my opinion overall, and seemed muddled and confusing, even for me who's already familiar with the whole original Dragonball series.

[Bitoku Kishi]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
You just said the magic word.
http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0726/ani1.gif (http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0726/index.html)

[TODE]

But, it has a 14-year-old Bulma!

[Bitoku Kishi]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
But, it has a 14-year-old Bulma!
True, but I didn't like the purple hair. I'm just too used to the green. :s2hy:

[Cherrn]

Originally posted by VoidStar
It was. I checked the credits, and Koyasu Takehito--the aforementioned voice of Il Palazzo--is a member of this show's cast.

Shingo and Eddie is Il Palazzo?
Jesus, that's weird on so many levels.

Okay, not really. :s2hy:

[Cherrn]

Has anyone seen this new anime called Firestorm? The official site is here: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/firestorm/

It looks interesting, but on the other hand it could be brain-numbingly boring.

[SDShamshel]

Koyasu Takehito is one of the more prominent voice actors. By that, I mean you'll hear is voice over and over and over again when you watch anime. He's usually the obvious guy when an anime needs someone to be incredibly cool.

Ilpalazzo (Excel Saga, naturally)
Rezo (Slayers)
Aya (Weiss Kreuz)
Mwu La Fllaga (Gundam SEED)
Keiki (Juuni Kokki)
Zechs Merquise (Gundam W)
Takahashi Ryousuke (Initial D)

[EvilNeil]

I find Mr. Satan's VA shows up a lot... in Mr. Satan-type roles, of course. He also voices Bass in the DOA games...

[Yagami style]

Air master 4 is out

[TODE]

Well, I got "Dragon Ball: The Path to Power" last week, and I was most impressed. Everything I like about GT is in this one, only twice as good. Terrific animation, some interesting character tweaks (Bulma's cheery! Android #8 can fly! Young Goku can already blast the crap out of anything!), and I liked the integration of key elements from the first story and the Red Ribbon Saga.

And that last battle where Goku takes on Asst. Black... everything about that particular Goku sequence was endlessly awesome. The English cast brings their A-game to this one, and hooray! the original music is still intact although I was kinda hoping the original Dragon Ball theme was going to be in there somewhere. Regardless, it's still great.

[Cherrn]

Has anyone heard of a Korean anime called "Wonderful Days"? I saw the trailer (http://www.wonderfuldays.co.kr/english/images/button_high.gif ) and it looks absolutely fantastic.

It's supposed to be the biggest and most expensive Korean animation ever, but I've never heard of it until now.

[Blaze]

Yeah I downloaded all 4 preview trailers, it does look high budget, but I think it's being made by an independant studio.

[blockhead]

On a totally unrelated note, does anyone have or know of a place where I can acquire the new Evangelion opening sequence?

[EvilNeil]

*more interested in this than a hundred, thousand Alucards*

[yoshi]

Hmm. Haven't posted anything in a while. Why don't I just mention some stuff I've looked at...

FIRE STORM

Er. Sorta Thunderbirds meets G.I. Joe. In the year 2104, a criminal organization called Black Orchid begins it's campaign of terror against the nations of the world so an international team of peacekeepers, Storm Force, is created to fight them. If the first episode is anything to go on (nowadays I'm not sure it is), the series will deal mainly with the newly formed, elite of the elite, Storm Force Nine and the newly assigned engineer turned ace pilot, Nagisa (Japanese, of course).

The animation is pretty substandard for the most part - the CG animated sequences for the dogfights are decent, but that's about all. I find the character designs vaguely unappealing... I can't quite put my finger on it, I just don't really care for them. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the show's idea of an international team: the token ethnic guy - an African-American, an Australian , a Brit, another American named SAM SCOTT and... Nagisa, the Japanese representative (who, being an anime character, of course has no visible ethnicity). Oh, there's some other crewmembers that run the sub/aircraft carrier that Storm Force Nine is based out of, but apparently none of them were important enough to appear anywhere but in the very last scene when the sub, Ocean Storm, was launched.

About the only three things I found of mild interest were: a) Nagisa's striking resemblance to Kei, the female version of Pulsion from Tech-Romancer, b) the wonky technoform box designs for the new Storm Force fighters, which I found interesting if unorthodox. Not cool, just interesting... and c) the series is apparently based on an idea by Gerry Anderson and John Needham. Gerry Anderson and John Needham were involved in the creation of such shows as Thunderbirds, Fireball XL5, Supercar, Stingray, Captain Scarlet & The Mysterons and Space: 1999, so any resemblance between those shows and Fire Storm are purely intentional.

Fire Storm is pretty mediocre. It doesn't fail spectacularly in any way except in grabbing my interest though. I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt just for the early '70s Japanese sci-fi uniforms, but it's not enough - Supermarionation with anime angst but WITHOUT Supermarionation = me giving this show a miss.


NINJA SCROLL TV

Hmm. Finally watched the first episode. It's okay, I guess. I wasn't the biggest fan of the movie (not compared to some people out there, at least), but I thought it was pretty good. The problem is, I can't help but compare the TV series to the movie at every turn, and it doesn't come off favourably. The villains aren't as stylish and cool as the ones from the movie; they tried to make them freaky but I find them rather dull with the exception of the guy with the unicycle (but to be fair, it's hard to follow a woman who can eject snakes from her nether regions). The plot isn't particularly original. Hell, the female love interest is even a jailbait princess type, a VERY poor substitute for the love interest from the movie. On top of that, they seem to have made Jubei even more of the bland wandering samurai stereotype than he already was...

That having been said, it is a decent action series, and it has demon ninja and samurai, so I'll probably snap up any other episodes I come across. I do find it a rather watered down experience compared to the original film, though.


GAD GUARD

A Gad is a mysterious little black box that, when activated, absorbs metal and machinery and creates a giant robot out of it (actually, they're pretty small, maybe 25' or so). Hajiki is a kid who accidentally activated a Gad while unknowingly delivering it. Now, Hajiki is the (not so) proud owner (?) of Lightning. Of course, people, mainly the ones who were expecting the Gad, are now looking for him...

Well, it sure looks pretty, and the animation has maintained a decent level of quality for three episodes now, but there's not nearly enough action and the humourous bits are so understated that they cease to be humour at all. The 'Iron Giants', which are what the mecha in this series are called, are split between the more common ones found around that are basically glorified construction vehicles, and the ones created by the Gads, which are cartoony things more inspired by Megaman than by Mobile Suit Gundam - personally, I like them.

Since most of the major characters are young (it's hard to say exactly how young... I'll take a wild guess at somewhere between 13 and 16), all the fan service so far has come from either young girls in short skirts, or older women coming on to much younger men. I find I'm starting to take a less-than-healthy interest in the mini-skirt on Hajiki's would-be girlfriend...

It's worth mentioning that most of the BGM for the series consists of instrumental jazz or its bastard children. I don't like jazz much - I rank it somewhere below jpop but above Scandinavian death metal - so I probably shouldn't comment on the soundtrack other than to say it's tolerable, as far as I'm concerned.

There's a lot of stuff in Gad Guard's background that is unanswered, so the series has me watching out of curiousity if nothing else, although it's a fairly slow moving series. It's managed to keep my interest so far, so I'll probably keep following it for now.


NANAKA 6/17

The plot: Nenji and Nanaka are childhood friends since way, way back. They are now 17 and will be moving into their final years of high school. Nanaka has her life planned completely out and spends all her time studying and preparing for exams. Nenji, on the other hand, has become something of a delinquent and spends most of his time getting into fights and telling Nanaka to stop nagging him.

After a particularly nasty argument with Nenji, Nanaka takes a spill down a flight of stairs and is knocked unconscious. Nanaka is rushed to a hospital and she comes to, but Nenji soon discovers that due to her head injury, Nanaka has regressed mentally to her childhood - 6 years old, to be precise.

Nanaka can't understand why she and Nenji are so much older until she remembers an event that occurred after her mother died. She had been crying and Nenji had come to try to cheer her up with a Magical Domiko (a magical girl show she loved back then) toy wand - he waved it around and told her that she was now an adult, so she had to stop crying. Naturally, Nanaka assumes that the spell worked and now she and Nenji are children trapped in adult bodies. Faster than you can say "Magical Domikolu!", Nenji finds himself in the position of having to keep an eye on Nanaka as she attends school and tries to deal with her fellow students who for the most part didn't like the old Nanaka very much (and incidentally, are confused about how she's gone from anti-social bookworm to hyper cheerful dullard, since her father doesn't want her amnesia to be made public).

It's insulin shock inducing sugary sweetness condensed down into anime form. It even has clips from the Magical Domiko anime that Nanaka watches every day, providing Nanaka 6/17 in a round about way with a real mahou shoujo. And yes, I'm going to be hunting down the rest of the series.

If there are any h-doujin for this series, I don't want to know about it.

[EvilNeil]

Obviously the subtle approach didn't work. :D

What's this about a new Evangelion opening sequence, Undy?

[blockhead]

Obviously. :(

There's a new opening sequence for the Renewal version of the series that's currently being released in Japan (remastered video and audio, visual touch-ups, all the director's cut footage... I've really heard great things about it) that's a spoiler-intensive montage of scenes from the series and the two movies set to a full-length version of Cruel Angel's Thesis. It's supposed to be absolutely amazing, which is why I want it... but the jags I heard about this from won't give me a link, and nobody here knows a thing about it, it seems. Wo wo tonite ;_;

[EvilNeil]

That sounds lovely. If you, or indeed anyone here do find it in your travels, please let this thread know.

[EvilNeil]

And yes, if they released the 'Renewal' version in the west, I would happily buy it all over again.

[McGuirk]

They will be, apparently. My brain is still healing though from the second viewing.

[EvilNeil]

Awesome.

A bit of a google search came up with the ravings of some champ or other. No idea how much of it is true or accurate.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION Saikidou/ＮＥＯＮ ＧＥＮＥＳＩＳ ＥＶＡＮＧＥＬＩＯＮ 再起動）. It's about £7 for the "TEST TYPE" DVD (1,500 yen), which is a sampler DVD of including the first remastered episode a new opening, a new sound track (I can't remember what type it is, Dolby 5.1 or something?) and an 'image privilege' （eizou tokuten/映像特典） but I'm not sure what that means. The proper release date is July 24th this year for volume one, which suprisingly includes 4 episodes and not the usual 2. All volmunes will include 4 episodes, except the last three (6, 7 and 8). 6 is 21 and 21', and 22 and 22'. 7 will be 23, 23', 24 and 24'. 8 will only be 25 and 26. There will also be the Theatre version （Gekijouban/劇場版）, which will be REVAIVAL OF EVANGELION 01 and 02. RoE 01 is DEATH (TRUE)^2, the Intermission Time Count （休憩時タイムカウント）, news flashes （特報）, preview trailers （予告トレイラー）, TV spots（ＴＶスポット）, and AR scenarios(?)（ＡＲ台本）. RoE 02 is Air/My Prue Heart, To You （まごころを君に）, preview trailers and TV spots. So basically, the Evangelion movies. There will also be a CD release, featuring karaoke version of Cruel Angel's Thesis and Fly Me To The Moon (残酷な天使のテーゼ/ＦＬＹ ＭＥ ＴＯ ＴＨＥ ＭＯＯＮ） and the Director's Edit of Cruel Angel's Thesis. It's probably more of a promotion item, since those tracks have featured on other Evangelion sondtracks o_O There is also a "Best Album" been released on May 21st. No details on that one yet.

There is also a DVD boxset been released, I think, but no date is given. It will include the entire remastered TV series and both movies, plus another "image privilege" disk. The 8th volume of the Evangelion manga is also out now, featuring the freaky Eva eye. There is a feature on Project [re] in Japanese Newtype, so it will probably be in Newtype USA? When I have the time, I will probably (try to) translate the Japanese sites for more information, mainly for myself.

[McGuirk]

I have no idea what any of that means.

BTW I just ordered some used Love Hina soundtracks from Anime Jungle (in Japan). Was gonna get an Excel Saga CD but it woulda jacked my order up.

[blockhead]

Originally posted by McGuirk
They will be, apparently. My brain is still healing though from the second viewing.

wut

ADV liscensed the director's cut footage, but nothing Renewal-related... unless you've read contrary elsewhere. If so, link plz.

[McGuirk]

Originally posted by Underkill
wut

ADV liscensed the director's cut footage, but nothing Renewal-related... unless you've read contrary elsewhere. If so, link plz.

Whoops. X_X

[EvilNeil]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

*hates self*

[TODE]

I just saw Cowboy Bebop: The Movie in a THEATER. XD

Everything I love about the TV series... but better! Great animation, humor, story, voice-acting (now see why the English VAs are showing up on all these other shows now?).... the fight scenes, hory zen!!

And I got to see it... in a FRICKING MOVIE THEATER! A good one, too! A nice mid-sized independent theater that only charges $2.50 for the large popcorn. Anime is so much better when you see it with a whole room of fans who appreciate it the same way you do.

Undoubtedly the best anime I've seen in years.

[blockhead]

I got the Renewal of Evangelion OP sequence. :D

If anyone wants it and manages to be on DC at the same time I am, it's in my Multimedia folder.

[Utils]

It's basically the same thing right?

[Utils]

I predict three more evangelion special editions before the phase out of DVD!

$$$

[blockhead]

It's "Evangelion's Greatest Hits" crammed into four minutes.

The excessive length takes away a bit of the punch, but otherwise it's pretty cool if you're a fan of the series.

[blockhead]

Watching Asuka and Unit 02 get speared never gets any less traumatic the more I see it.

[Shadow_Devil]

I disagree. Watching Asuka and Unit02 getting speared never gets old, I find that scene and the Rapture one(with the Mass Production/Big Red Lips evas) in EOE to be somewhat liberating and enjoyable.:wut

[novaSphere]

I just downloaded all five episodes of Words Worth, as well as the entire fucking Animatrix DVD rip (minus the extras, totalling at 1.6 gb) the other day.

And boy, were they worth it.

Also, needs more Angel Blade.

[Utils]

Yeah, I'll park myself into the hub.

[EvilNeil]

Originally posted by Underkill
It's "Evangelion's Greatest Hits" crammed into four minutes.

The excessive length takes away a bit of the punch, but otherwise it's pretty cool if you're a fan of the series.
I just watched it, thanks for sharing it (and for staying on the hub while I grabbed it)

I agree, it's overlong - and to me it also seemed rather dull, more like one of those Anime Music Video things than a credit sequence. I suppose it hurts all the more because the original is so perfect - but this extended one almost totally lacked the brilliant direction (music matching actions, motions and effects, onscreen action swelling and fading to match the soundtrack) of said original sequence.

God I've only just finished rewatching the series and now I want to start watching it again. :D


BTW, I'll be sharing it too. The file is 82mb and is called "Full_Eva_OP.avi-link.avi"

[Sub]

Watched the last ep of Gunparade March last night. Without spoiling anything for anybody: I really wish it had been longer. It has a really interesting setup and for its focus to go so narrow, for it to turn into such fluff so quickly is really selling a cool premise short.

The PS1 game, on the other hand, sounds amazing from what I've read about it. I needs to learn me some of that japan-o-language.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by Sub
Watched the last ep of Gunparade March last night. Without spoiling anything for anybody: I really wish it had been longer. It has a really interesting setup and for its focus to go so narrow, for it to turn into such fluff so quickly is really selling a cool premise short.

It was pretty sweet and well-done for fluff, in my estimation, but I agree that a longer series would've been great--Gunparade worked itself up to some pretty damned gripping drama, and more of that would have been most welcome indeed. It was also really good at shuffling between light and heavy moments (best example being episode 6, in my opinion).

[SDShamshel]

I'm looking forward to episode 32 of Naruto where Sakura actually does something.

[Sub]

Originally posted by VoidStar
It was pretty sweet and well-done for fluff, in my estimation, but I agree that a longer series would've been great--Gunparade worked itself up to some pretty damned gripping drama, and more of that would have been most welcome indeed. It was also really good at shuffling between light and heavy moments (best example being episode 6, in my opinion).

I agree with this. As fluffy, light, happy stuff, it works. But starting at about the second half of the series, the focus shifts heavily to Hayami and Mai doing the same thing over and over again until the last story arc. I kind of wish they'd either spent less time with those two to take a look at the other characters and the world itself, or made their screentime more meaningful. When the inevitable did happen, the character development just felt too rushed, even though it was telegraphed from the second episode on.

[P. Dee]

I saw the first episode of Boogie Pop today from a Newtype dvd. I've heard about how cool the mangas were but I never got the chance to read it. Overall, it looks like one of those brain fuck animes and that heightens my interests.

[EvilNeil]

Bump to mention the fact that I've finally seen VARIABLE GEO.

Although I downloaded it ages ago, I kept putting off watching it, and then I found out the DVD was coming out, so I figured I'd get that instead.

And it actually starts off great. A few pages back in this thread I asked for recommendations for the really tasteless, exploitative garbage of the anime world, and for a while VG (or "buwee-gee" as the voice actors say it) fits the bill. It has fighting. It has huge, prehensile breasts. It's gender politics are hilarious. It has laughable characters (all the agressive female fighters are ultra-horny lesbians) and a pathetic story, involving genetic manipulation in a fighting tournament by a sinister company. There really are moments, early on, when I felt that my intelligence was actually being insulted, and it was so great.

And then something happened, I started to warm to the other characters (kunai-throwing kunochi babe = <3), started to get into the story and it branched out and became deeper and more emotive. I liked this too.

And then they fucked it up with a truly spectacularly awful, cop-out ending. Imagine, if you will, the end of the SF2 anime. Imagine that instead of what does happen, that hypnotised Ken recognises Ryu straight away, becomes 'normal' again and the duo leave without fighting Bison. That's how VG ends.

I was totally looking forward to a vicious bout between the two childhood friends, ended finally through the power of (possibly hot lesbian) love, and then maybe a further battle between the main villainess and the heroine. Total let-down.

Still, I absolutely love the main character, I enjoyed the combat, the gratuitous nudity, and was most amused by the whole "loser of the contest strips naked for the world to see" concept - which works as both "omg hot" and "intellectual commentary on society and it's desire for omg hot".

Sort of. Still, I recommend downloading it (I am sharing both small and large versions of all three episodes) if you're feeling particularly classless and vulgar.


I only wish there was more VG hentai. I mean, it pretty much writes itself, the entire cast are perfect for it... but there's hardly anything. Stupid fags.

[Haggard]

Yeah, I actually bought a copy of the Variable Geo VHS nearly two years ago, but I eventually threw it out, along with many sticky tissues. It's obviously 99% fan-service, so I can't really complain about how truly awful it is, but I was really disappointed when I realized that I wasn't going to see the main character's breasts.

[EvilNeil]

Yuka would never allow herself to be shamed like that.



Now, back to trawling the net for VG statues....

[Soft Nugget]

Ayane Kicks High?(Is that the name?) is similar to vg.. without the fan service.. cant remember the name tho... there was a show I remember with a giant man rod that talked had arms and legs and fought fist of the north star style.. its been so long...

[McGuirk]

I bought Variable Geo on tape years ago (along with Sakura Diaries and Strange Love - I wasn't quite an anime fan, but I loved boobies). It was alright I guess, but I think I'd rather get Samurai Shodown on DVD than the rerelease of VG. :trannie

[Haggard]

Soft Nugget, I think you're talking about Ayane's High Kick.

[EvilNeil]

Originally posted by Soft Nugget
Ayane Kicks High?(Is that the name?) is similar to vg.. without the fan service..
And thus without the point.

And you know, it's only just occurred to me who you are, Mr. Nugget.

[McGuirk]

...

Ah crap...I'll let Joey make the horrible wrestling joke.

[McGuirk]

Ah, double post...

Adult Swim (really love their new look) just showed the finale of Bebop for like, the zillionth time. It never gets old to me. Quite possibly the finest 10 minutes in anime exist, from Spike flying towards the Red Dragons, through the end credits.

I had purchased the DVD box set (FINALLY) at a (sort of) reasonable price. Of course, the seller has very spotty feedback. Of course, I never got the box. Luckilly Amazon.com payments are guaranteed, so I get my money back and can continue to lose my hair over finding this damn thing.

Anyway, what do you guys think are some of the most dramatic/greatest/most stand-out moments in anime?

[TODE]

Goku and Vegeta's first "ki-off" comes to mind... just the way it was animated and the great music accompanying really made you believe the Earth's future was at stake.

Wings of Honneamise - The ending. But I'm not spoiling it. :D

End of Evangelion - Lilith-angels orgasmically stab things into themselves

[Hayabusa]

Two recent titles that caught my eye are Scrapped Princess and Technolyze.

Scrapped Princess is an amusing, feel good show about a princess who's going to herald the end of the world when she turns sixteen, so everyone's out to kill her. Great characters, and the action scenes are pretty well done for the type of show it is.

Technolyze, on the other hand, is very cool and very weird. The first episode features about four lines of dialogue, and the main character gets two of his limbs hacked off before lugging them around with him for a day and a half.

Freaky, but cool.

[VoidStar]

Scrapped Princess is awesome.

I've been extremely entertained lately by Asagiri no Miko, a silly little series that can be fairly described as "Azumanga Daioh but they fight demons, too!" It's about a group of high school girls who get roped in by their local Shinto temple. Really funny and cute, and it contains Koma, the best catgirl ever. :yay Best of all, the eps are all 12 minutes, so the files are small(er)!

[EvilNeil]

Originally posted by VoidStar
It's about a group of high school girls who get roped
Damn my unconscious reading-ahead!

[EvilNeil]

Air Master 5 appears to be out. Am sharing it currently (although haven't watched it yet)

[EvilNeil]

Now I have watched it. And it's really good - probably the best and certainly the 'darkest' one yet. It has a great new potential rapist character - who, lookswise reminds me ever such a tiny bit of Basara from the later SamSho games.

I'm also starting to dig the ambiguity of the whole thing - it's not as morally clean cut as a lot of things I've seen - not all the good characters do and say good things and not all the bad guys are completely 'evil', so to speak..

On the strength of this one, I think I'll keep on watching it, for the time being.

[VoidStar]

Originally posted by EvilNeil
I'm also starting to dig the ambiguity of the whole thing - it's not as morally clean cut as a lot of things I've seen - not all the good characters do and say good things and not all the bad guys are completely 'evil', so to speak..

Quite cool. I did definitely get that sort of vibe from Maki earlier on, when she was talking about how she was waiting for someone who could actually threaten her--she's not exactly a Moral Paragon.

I've plugged it before, but for another fighting series with that kind of vibe, check out the Tenjou Tenge manga.

http://tjtg.mangatranslation.com/

[Vic Viper]

Well, the Anime Convention here is two weeks. Hopefully, I could find some rare anime overthere like the "TwinBee" and "Salamander" anime.

[novaSphere]

Grrr. Last Exile just got picked up by Pioneer, which means no more Bit Torrenting episodes. ;_;

[Cherrn]

Originally posted by novaSphere
Grrr. Last Exile just got picked up by Pioneer, which means no more Bit Torrenting episodes. ;_;

Not from Animesuki. The series being licensed doesn't mean you can't get episodes, though. For example, Ninja Scroll TV was licensed after episode 2 or something like that, but AJ are still releasing episodes. I don't think they care at all.

Of course, it's probably 'cause they can't read English, either (O H MOERO!)

[TODE]

I just saw Colorful. It's a six-minute sketch-program that's like Monty Python on crack, except every sketch revolves around panty shots. The DVD has all 16 episodes and a mock-documentary featuring the English voice actors and other ADV personnal... it's pretty fucked-up. Fans of Golden Boy, FLCL and Excel Saga will love it. I think it was Blitzkrieg that had the avatar of Steve, the American tourist who tried to film as many panty-shots as he could find. The opening theme is a hyper-pop tune that features an accordian. There isn't really anything better than that. The English dub is great, probably funnier than the Japanese dub (which I haven't watched yet).

[SDShamshel]

L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R

[McGuirk]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
I just saw Colorful. It's a six-minute sketch-program that's like Monty Python on crack, except every sketch revolves around panty shots. The DVD has all 16 episodes and a mock-documentary featuring the English voice actors and other ADV personnal... it's pretty fucked-up. Fans of Golden Boy, FLCL and Excel Saga will love it. I think it was Blitzkrieg that had the avatar of Steve, the American tourist who tried to film as many panty-shots as he could find. The opening theme is a hyper-pop tune that features an accordian. There isn't really anything better than that. The English dub is great, probably funnier than the Japanese dub (which I haven't watched yet).

I saw the previews for this show, and I couldn't stand it. How dare you taint the names of Excel Saga and Fooly Cooly!

[TODE]

Hey, I thought the preview was ass, too. But the review of it over at www.animenewsnetwork.com changed my mind.

[McGuirk]

If this series was about boobies/cleavage, I'd already own it.

From someone who hated Agent AIKa and was not turned on at all, I'm gonna have to pass on a purchase (it's worth a rental I guess).

[TODE]

Dude, this isn't like Agent AIka at all. That show was basically a B-movie with a perverted cameraman. This show is a collection of short, 2-minute long "sketches" about people who hunt down panty-shots or inadvertantly see them in everyday situations, with hilarious results.:yay

[McGuirk]

I'll download it. Maybe.

Right now, as I try to increase my paycheck this summer, I want to finish Steel Angel Kurumi, Fruits Basket, and obtain the ever-so-elusive Cowboy Bebop DVD Box Set. And I will. Some day. One day.

Ugh.

[blockhead]

New Sailormoon TV Series Announced

The Japanese Sponichi Annex newspaper has reported that Toei will begin airing a live action Sailormoon TV series this October.

Sailormoon creator Naoko Takeuchi seems to have very little involvement in the production as she herself wonders on the official Japanese Sailormoon homepage what the new series will be like, specifically questioning whether the series will be a female sentai show like the Toei produced Abaranger and Kamen Rider TV series.

Source: Natsume Goushin Ryu Dojo

yesssss :spooge

[Hiryu no Ken]

Anime Junkies got in trouble with Urban Vision. (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/editorial.php?id=43) A hilarious read.

"You knew we were subbing, you know people fansub... So why the fuck did you start a DVD company?�h

�gLeave fansubs to fans or do it for free yourselves. All you are doing is getting rich off a series we helped make popular.�h

�gWho the fuck are you anyways to buy a series we were doing?�h

Guess they forgot that if it weren't for Urban Vision, there wouldn't be a Ninja Scroll TV show.

[McGuirk]

I think fansubbing is very integral in the anime community...but once something gets licensed, it's coming out here. There's no need to continue on with it.

[TODE]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but 4Kids Entertainment will be releasing episodes of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh on Game Boy Advance carts, two per cart. Neat.

[tankzor]

Originally posted by Tigard's Own Dr. Evil
I don't know if this has been mentioned, but 4Kids Entertainment will be releasing episodes of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh on Game Boy Advance carts, two per cart. Neat.

That's retarded, yet very interesting. Perhaps this is the beginning of bootlegging anime on GBA:SP?

[Yucee]

Portable Pokemon?

I'll be able to start leaving the house! XD

[EvilNeil]

God, Jungle wa Itsumo okfngxljgnskjgn Guu has the crappest ending ever. It's almost "Evangelion"-like in it's gradual, suggestive buildup and then near total disregard of said buildup in favour of an uninteresting, barely relevant non-event conclusion.

That said, I've yet to watch the four GUU DELUXE things, so maybe they're like the End of Eva. Er... sort of.

[McGuirk]

I saw the previews for this show, and I couldn't stand it. How dare you taint the names of Excel Saga and Fooly Cooly!
I'm such a fucking dick.

We got the Anime Network (JERSEY W00T!) and I checked it out. Holy fucking shit. It's like, me! It's hilariously stupid, like Excel Saga (which I am watching now even though I own it; "What's the deal with that rope?"). Now I know where Blitz got his Stebu avatar.

Highly recommended. I really hope ADV gets other non-ADV shows on it (something I heard they wanted to do). Unfortunately, I have to watch in the kitchen cause it's the only room with a box ("I'LL THROW BLAHLFNMKLSMKL").

[Internet]

Just got Soreyuke Marin: Episode 3.

So I'm up to date on all of the current episodes, it looks like there'll be a 4th.

Here are some screenies.

http://projectk.highervoltage.net/misc/shot02.jpg
http://projectk.highervoltage.net/misc/shot01.jpg
http://projectk.highervoltage.net/misc/shot06.jpg
http://projectk.highervoltage.net/misc/shot08.jpg

Didn't know what other thread to inform the fans of the series in.

[blockhead]

Admin... abuse? Wait a sec, what's going on? O_o

In response to the above post itself: Sore-what? It has fans?

[blockhead]

Someone really needs to fix the trannie smiley! We'll have to ask Red when he comes around for his yearly visit.

[Utils]

A FOURTH? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

[Banned VX]

http://projectk.highervoltage.net/misc/shot08.jpg

This image is wonderful. *sets as wallpaper*

[LOOK AT ME! I'M A BUMBLEFUCK!]

Has anyone made light of how much "Read or Die" is top tier?

Yomiko Readman is the greatest heroine ever.

[hiryuu1115]

Has anyone made light of how much "Read or Die" is top tier?

Yomiko Readman is the greatest heroine ever.

Pioneer just picked up the rights for Read or Dream.

/me swoons

[LOOK AT ME! I'M A BUMBLEFUCK!]

/me swoons

You and me both :o

And is that a pic of Yomiko in as your av?

[TODE]

R.O.D. looks great from what I've read of it. Also, all 3 eps are on one DVD so it's not like there's a huge commitment involved in wanting to see the whole thing.

[LOOK AT ME! I'M A BUMBLEFUCK!]

I just hope the same voice actors from Die did Dream...

[TODE]

....the UK is getting a Toonami Channel.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=3848

:O

[TODE]

.... ADV are getting into the manga game.

"The manga titles will be released in graphic novel format, unflipped, for $9.99. The list of manga licensed for release includes Demon Palace Babylon, Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, Cat Shit One, Dark Side Blues, Full Metal Panic, Ki*Me*Ra, Those Who Hunt Elves, Seven of Seven, Demon City Shinjuku, Steel Angel Kurumi, Azumanga Daioh, Demon City Hunter, Rahxephon Bible, Najica, Gunslinger Girl, To Heart, Figure 17, Happy Lesson."

Yay, Kurumi and Azumanga! But WTF is "Cat Shit One"?

[McGuirk]

You should go to AnimeonDVD.com -warning, uptight anal otaku ahoy!-

From what I remember, it's about Vietnam...with animals.

[TODE]

I go there all the time, but I steer clear of the forums most of the time. Anything of interest usually gets reported on the frontpage eventually.

[McGuirk]

Hope and pray I win that Bebop box contest. :|

On an unrelated note, I tried ramune today. Nice bottle. Don't like the drink.

[Sub]

-warning, uptight anal otaku ahoy!-



Guys. I just want to remind you all that the AoD forum is the place where the fact that the street signs in Evangelion were done over in English was the most hotly debated issue that year and brought in HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS of posts.

Seriously guys. Consider that for a moment. Think about what could happen if you got all that gay together, packaged it and sold it.

We'd be fucking millionaires is what would happen

[LOOK AT ME! I'M A BUMBLEFUCK!]

Guys. I just want to remind you all that the AoD forum is the place where the fact that the street signs in Evangelion were done over in English was the most hotly debated issue that year and brought in HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS of posts.



I don't really pay attention to stuff like that in anime's. I never notice that stuff till someone points it out.

I hope "Macross Zero" is good.