Oh man, my left eye is feeling much better, but I’m still feeling a bit worn down {sigh}. If you’ve been following my daily updates below, you know what I mean. And fast-forwarding with Daylight Saving Time doesn’t help, lol. But no worries. The show must go on! This week, we punch through a new batch of fiery female-slinging anime dramas, a coincidentally-named Mimi-friendly appearance, even more coincidental foosball-flinging ninja angles, some flame-throwing loli-against-loli anti-Mimi anger, as well as a touch of triangular blog-enhancing shenanigans! What? Only 30 images? Damn, this is gonna be a pretty tiny mega-post, haha. But who cares? Just let our five-piece predicament flow through your optic nerves and penetrate your otaku-enhanced brain. Ready? Okay, 3, 2, 1, let’s go…
Part 1 of 5. Anime Watching Update. Damn, it’s been over a month since my last anime-watching update in January! To rectify the brutal situation, here are my latest anime speed-reviews. Four more anime titles-seasons watched and completed since then, for a total of 9 this year.
Vampire Knight – Guilty [6]. My 6th anime title-or-season of the year. Second season, 13 episodes. Ehh, not bad, but kinda slow-moving in its over-dramatized soap-opera introspection amongst all the characters, both vampire and human. Adequate 3 of 5 stars. Here are a couple of dramatic wallpapers.
Yuki in one of her many vulnerable moments.
Yuki lying gently beside Kaname.
Martian Successor Nadesico [7]. Inspired by Lene-chan‘s review post, this is my 7th anime title-or-season of the year. First season, 26 episodes. Once again, not bad, as a multi-textured but more-humorous clone of “Evangelion”. Solid 4 of 5 stars! Here are three amusing wallpapers, lol.
The eccentric crew of the space battleship Nadesico.
The blue-haired Captain Yurika and the child genius Ruri.
Ruri in one of her rare nekomimi (cat-eared) modes, lol.
Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino [8]. My 8th anime title-or-season of the year. Second season, 13 episodes. Entertaining drama but ultimately not-as-satisfying as the original girls-with-guns season. Decent 3 of 5 stars. Featuring the blonde twin-tailed assassin Triela, here are four beautifully-understated wallpapers.
Triela thoughtfully gazes into the necklace of her nemesis Pinocchio (in the background).
Little Henrietta fidgets beside the bear-loving Triela.
Triela poses with her favorite toys, both furry and deadly, lol.
Triela relaxes with her fellow assassins, Henrietta and Rico.
Sol Bianca – Legacy [9]. My 9th anime title-or-season of the year. Sequel season, 6 episodes. Ehh, not too bad. While the first 3 episodes sucked, the last 3 finally improved in its emotion and drama. Inconsistent 3 of 5 stars. Here are two hard-to-find images, lol.
Ah, the awe-inspiring Sol Bianca!
And the all-female pirate crew of the Sol Bianca.
That’s about it! So, at a rate of 9 titles or seasons for the first 10 weeks, I’m currently on pace to hit 45 titles or seasons by the end of the year. Not bad! Haha, maybe I should *cheat* a little by stocking up on quicker two-hour anime films! Nahhh, maybe not, lol. I’ll just whatever I see, whenever I see it, however I see it. Sound good?
Part 2 of 5. The Gunslinger & Mimi. Hehe, oh yeah, speaking of “Gunslinger Girl – Il Teatrino” and Triela, when I stumbled upon Episode 10, I burst into surprised laughter no less than two times! LOL, the first time appeared when Triela began talking to Maria, a girl she would be protecting.
And Maria asked Triela to call her “Mimi”, lol. Instantly, I thought of Angry Mimi and laughed in surprise, hahaha.
Coincidence? Oddly, I could almost sense a similarity between the two Mimis. I wonder if the writers…
Nahhh, it couldn’t be. Could it?
Haha, later in the episode, they played some chess.
Hahaha, isn’t this a perfectly Angry Mimi reaction?
Pretty hilarious, if you ask me! LOL!
My second burst into laughter appeared when they introduced the foosball table! Yup, foosball! Also known as table soccer or kicker, lol. I mean, if you remember my foosball antics last month, you know what I mean!
Yet another awesome coincidence, lol.
And here’s yet another competitive Mimi-esque moment. Finding a way to beat her opponent, hehe.
Haha, yeah, that was pretty funny. And if you didn’t already figure it out, this was favorite episode of the series. Double coincidence with Mimi and foosball. Can’t get any better than that, lol. Can it?
Part 3 of 5. Angles of a Foosball Ninja. The Ninja Legend grows! Speaking of foosball and kicker and table soccer, here’s a bit of an update since my foosball antics last month. Couple weeks ago, back on February 26th, my team earned its first win (best of three games, 5-2 and 5-1) in the Foosball Tournament. Well, during this past week, on March 3rd, my team earned its second win (5-0 and 5-0). Nice! But that’s not the funny thing, lol. Over the past few weeks, it seems my “Ninja” reputation has spread throughout the office to a point where even employees I rarely talk to, already know my foosball abilities! Too funny!
According to the guys who regularly play, my overall speed and left-handed power are what seems to separate me from the rest. I also have a few trademark moves, lol. Like my “payback” move, where I instantly smash a goalie’s kick back into his own goal! I agree, lol. In fact, some of them have already begun to pick up that move, lol. Another move is my ability to score from my left-hand’s five-man offense. Hehe, yeah, I already mentioned that in my previous post. But some have actually wondered if I was left-handed! For those who haven’t seen my previous foosball post, here’s a shot of the office foosball table.
Yup, so the Ninja Legend grows. Sadly, beyond the core addicts, the rest of the office employees are still too slow or too busy to move the tournament along. Oh well, lol. It’s understandable. That’s more fun for us! Which reminds me, check out this *sick* kicker table I found on the nets! Skinnier but twice the length of a normal table! Four players on each side! Sick!
Okay, enough about foosball, lol.
Part 4 of 5. Melancholy of an Angry Loli. Speaking of Mimi-chan, it’s always disappointing when “Anonymous” commenters still find time to ruin Mimi-chan’s cheerful posts with their fruitless poison. Namely, raining on her milestone announcement of her blog exceeding 100,000 hits. Why would anyone take the time to create misery? Who knows? Here’s a screencap of the post.
Next, here’s a screencap and spotlight on the “Anonymous” comment.
While I definitely understand Mimi-chan’s reaction, I also don’t think it’s worth her time to repeatedly react to the poison. My advice would be to acknowledge it quietly then thank the person for visiting. Nothing more. And leave it at that. Without wasting precious time and energy on a worthless provocation. Because everyone else can see right through it and defend Mimi-chan! Right? Don’t let it push your buttons so easily, hehe.
Part 5 of 5. Triangles & Tribulations. Damn, part five already? Yeah, I guess so, lol. Well, triggered by various Mimi-powered rants, as well as the findings from my previous mega-post, I finally decided to exchange blog feeds with the infamously-ecchi otaku blog, Sankaku Complex (Triangle Complex). Yup, finally, lol. First, here’s a screencap of my own blog.
Next, several screen-heights down, here’s my stylish insertion of Sankaku’s blog feed into the center column. Based on Sankaku’s images, I designed the 210×210 square image myself, hehe. Nice, eh?
Finally, here’s a screencap of the “Feed Exchange” page on Sankaku Complex. Pretty cool.
In fact, since installing Sankaku’s blog feed a few days ago, I’ve already seen several visits on my blog coming from Sankaku’s blog! Now that’s pretty damn fast! Hmmm, I guess this “feed exchange” stuff really works, lol. Unfortunately, Mimi-chan seems to have made quite a few “Anonymous” enemies there too {sigh}. Oh well, what can we do? The nature of the internets.
Whew! A few hours later, and I’m finally done! Although, my left eye is starting to twitch a bit again. Argh. But I hope you enjoyed our five-piece batch of fiery female-slinging anime dramas, a coincidentally-named Mimi-friendly appearance, even more coincidental foosball-flinging ninja angles, some flame-throwing loli-against-loli anti-Mimi anger, as well as a touch of triangular blog-enhancing shenanigans! Thank you, Triela, Yuki, Ruri, Mimi, and once again, Triela! And I hope this tinier-than-usual mega-post has penetrated and permeated your otaku-poisoned personality, haha. Just kidding, otaku-purified not otaku-poisoned! In any case, my Trusty Toyboxers, stay outta trouble, okay? Meanwhile, I hope I can finish a new piece of “Momo” fanart for Mimi-chan, lol. Peace. Out.
Hurray Yuki and Kaname! I totally yanked some of these wallpapers. The GSG ones are really nice.
And uh…that’s about all I have to say , really. :)
Also, Triela is probably my favorite of the girls. Some pretty large parts of the manga focus on her.
And arrg I can’t believe I had to type “Asahina” in as a security word. That makes me sad/annoyed.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
I think mimi(the blogger) should have ignore and deleted the first anonymous comment because that person was probably doing it for laughs, which is stupid. why does she have so many enemies?
Nadesico spoiler: JOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Otaku Dan´s last blog post > Bunny Girl Picture Gallery
***Sorry for the delay! Busy busy busy, lol.***
@Kris-chan: Heyyy, what’s up? LOL, sure, the wallpapers are fine. That’s why I added them! But yeah, Triela seemed to dominate the “Gunslinger” sequel, which is fine. Does that mean a third series will focus on Rico? Hehe… Hmmm, what’s wrong with Asahina? When I added that security word, I had “The Melancholy of Haruhi” in mind… >_<; @O-Dan: What's up, Dan? Actually, I'm fine if Mimi-chan didn't delete the first comment. But you're right, she should've ignored it more, and let her supporters do all the defending, hehe. Well, it's a long story, but in a nutshell, Mimi-chan speaks her mind, and is *very* outspoken about certain topics like gender inequality and religious beliefs. Yup, *very* sensitive topics, lol. So she's bound to anger others (like her Mormon classmates) who disagree with her hard stances! P.S. LOL, "Nadesico" Spoiler #2: GAI !!!!!
Wow Mimi’s got a stalker, and not a very nice one at that lol I have to agree though she might of been better just ignoring it altogether…
Ive never really gotten into Gun Slinger Girl even though ive always liked the art and the story seems interesting XD I’ll have to give it a go now, thanks for posting it! ^ ^
taketombo´s last blog post > Tablet Woes
@TT-kun: Yeah, unfortunately, she does. I can’t be 100% certain, but seems to be one of Mimi-chan’s classmates. Which makes it even tougher when closer to home. Fortunately, she’s a fighter and a survivor… Hey, no problem! Definitely give the first “GSG” season a go! As for the sequel, I’ll leave it up to u, lol. ^_^;
Oh, I didn’t realize it was a Haruhi reference. I immediately thought of Suzuka Asahina, since I had just written a review for that. So I was annoyed that I was reminded of it, lol.
The thing with the GSG sequel is that it’s not as dark and simple as the first series. There’s a complete change in the art style, first of all. It’s a little more colorful and cartoony looking than the original. The focus of the show (from what I’ve seen of it so far anyway) is less on the girls themselves, and more on the terrorists and the politics. That’s in the manga, but it was mostly left out of the first series.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
***Careful, TT! Possible “Gunslinger Gun” spoilers!***
@Kris-chan: Ahh, no problem. As long as I don’t get spoiled, I’m okay, lol. {Forgets what he read.} But you’re right, the first season (as I remember it) felt more crisp and stark and musically epic, while the second season gives the terrorists a more justifiably human face…
Which style does the manga match up with best?
I’ve never seen Gunslinger Girl, but have been interested to watch for awhile now. Unfortunately, the backlog is not all that pleasant.
I saw that posts concerning your friend. hahahahaha!!! I am not laughing because I’m demeaning anyone, but I know how it feels. Well, I can’t say for the Anon guy on what ticked him/her off, but your friend shouldn’t feed into that. I understand a post here and there, but any more and it’s just a waste of time. She’s young, so she probably got heated in the moment. Lol, I’m no longer as young as her and I’m definitely a short-tempered person if you leave yourself open and are utterly ignorant. She can try to relax and hit something soft or jump onto COD and knife someone to death. To some extent, I will get pissed and vent verbally then I’ll relax with some anime or play some hack ‘n slash or shooters.
You picked the correct word for the Range Murata Ribbon Girl. She’s absolutely mesmerizing. Poor Jay. My eyes hurt, too. Have you been staring at the comp screen for too long?
Jem´s last blog post > Limiteds to the right and left of me
hehehehe I LOOOVE Vampire Knight. Such a guilty girlie pleasure of mine! I still need to watch Gunslinger Girls, I recently bought the first volume of the manga but I’m afraid to open it up. I just found out that ADV owns that manga series and have it on “indefinite delay”…sigh…
lovelyduckie´s last blog post > Mikuru and Arcueid in Red
@Jem-chan: Ahh, backlog. Mine isn’t that pleasant either, lol. In fact, it’s downright pathetic! Then again, a stack of two-dozen unwatched titles gathering grubby dust is probably *nothing* compared to yours, eh?… Yeah, and Mimi-chan’s “Anonymous” enemies ain’t pretty either, lol. I agree. She could’ve ignored it or made one satisfying reply, but hey, kids will be kids, haha. Huh? Jump onto “COD”? What’s “COD”? {Hops onto Google} Ahh, “Call of Duty”! Hahaha, nahhh, I don’t think she plays those military “punching bags” (to put it mildly, lol). In her case, she might hit the piano or… You know, I don’t quite know how she vents, other than verbally via blog. Hmm. Maybe that’s the problem, lol.
Awww, thanx. Yeah, quite “mesmerizing”. Now if I can only find the time to actually conduct her photoshoot {sigh}… Hehe, nahhh, my eye is fine for now. Assuming my daily computer hours haven’t changed too much, it was probably overly-strong fluorescent work lights plus lack of good sleep. Ah, good sleep. Nothing a lazy weekend can’t fix. And nothing a high-impact “BSG” episode can’t heal… Hah, didn’t I say that Starbuck might be an “angel“? ^_~
@Luckie-chan: Ahh, “Vampire Knight”! The original series was pretty decent, but really? You didn’t think that “Guilty” was too-long or too-drawn-out? LOL, but if you love the vampires, I can’t argue, can I?… Wait. Afraid to open the “GSG” manga? Why? Oooh, I see! Because it’s on “indefinite delay”, u don’t wanna start something u can’t finish, right? Yeah, that would suck. Emphasis on suck, lol… Hey, glad u could spare some time from your house-packing and studies to visit! Awww, so on your last post, does that mean I’m one of your “favorite bloggers“? LOL, can’t be. ^_~
Er uh…I don’t really remember. I’d have to sit down and really compare them all again. Though I think it’s closer to the first series.
Lovely:
You could just have a break down (like I did with both Fruits Basket and Skip Beat) and read the manga online. I don’t suggest it as a substitute, because I think it’s really worth buying. But I got really frustrated with how slowly Furuba is released, and I finished reading the series a year or so ago, but I intend to (and have been) buy every volume when it comes out.
I don’t really know what’s going on with ADV’s publishing division. The company as a whole has been hurting for a while, though.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
@Kris-chan: Ah, that’s good… I’ll feel more at ease if it’s closer to the original anime, lol. But you’re right, and not just ADV. Seems like anime companies in general have been hurting. Or in this downloadable world, maybe just the distributors?
Not all of them. FUNimation seems to be rolling in the dough lately. Redistributing ADV and Geneon titles, buying up licenses left and right. But then they have 2 of the most popular titles (Dragon Ball, Full Metal Alchemist). Viz has the rest (Inu Yasha, Naruto, Bleach, Pokemon), and Viz does very well with their manga division, which is helped along by their publication of Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat.
So honestly, they seem to be doing fine despite everything. ADV, Geneon (the US version has already gone belly up) and Bandai USA seem to be hurting the most.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
@Kris-chan: Ahhh, intriguing! I’d be very interested in the actual numbers and percentages… How does company size and reach play into this? Because while a huge corporation could be hurting compared to a smaller-but-rising company, wouldn’t bigger companies still make more than smaller ones in absolute dollars?
P.S. Hmm, maybe I should name u honorary “walking anime-encyclopedia” of the Toybox? Hehehe ^o^
Nah, I don’t know that much. It’s just my own observations; I pay attention. FUNimation and Viz are pretty much the powerhouses of the American industry. They both carry the most popular anime titles, Viz publishes the most popular manga titles (with some exceptions published by Tokyopop, like Fruits Basket).
ADV just can’t pull its own weight anymore. Newtype went under, and the second magazine they tried to launch (PiQ) only lasted for four months. Their publishing house is beset with delays. Their anime division has been suffering badly, causing them to cancel titles, and give distribution rights to FUNimation. Their cable channel, the Anime Network, is also gone (though still exists as a VOD offer). I think it’s all they can do to just stay in the business. Wiki lists them as the largest anime company in NA, but I doubt that’s true these days. Their best title was Evangelion…and I think FUNi is going to be releasing the new films.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
@Kris-chan: Wow, I feel bad for ADV. They’re one of the oldest American companies, if not *the* oldest. The seeds of the anime invasion in America. I learned that bit when I watched ADV’s first-ever title “Devil Hunter Yohko” and wrote its speed-review a month or two ago. So to hear their woes, it’s sad… So what changed? Just better competition? Or something else?
I don’t honestly know all the details. They started hurting before I really started paying attention. And I don’t have a good grasp of business models and economics. But, you know, the anime industry (in America) is not that profitable. Licensing fees, translations, voice actors, directors, packaging, distribution, advertisement…. It won’t make the kind of money that a block buster movie (like, say, Iron Man) will make. It probably won’t even make the kind of money that a TV series (like Sex in the City or The Office) would make. It’s still a niche market, especially if you’re not Naruto, Bleach, or Dragon Ball. And their title selection…. ADV does tend to license lesser known titles (the Shinkai films, Kino’s Journey, Chrono Crusade, Nadia, Clannad), not necessarily weak shows, but shows that don’t have wide spread popularity (like, as I keep mentioning, FUNi and Viz do). Bandai has the same problem, I think. Bandai really works to get the hard core American anime fan by offering (admittedly amazing) collector’s sets at high prices for shows like Lucky Star and Haruhi Suzumiya. And they certainly have a loyal following, but your casual or average fan probably won’t go for that.
Throw in a dwindling economy, fan subs (although I honestly don’t believe these hurt the industry as much as they think; in fact I think they help to an extent), poor management…. And there are all sorts of things that are causing problems for ADV. Should also note that last summer ADV transferred the licensing for over 30 titles to FUNi, so I’m sure that hasn’t helped (helped save them, but didn’t help bring in the income).
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
So I’m not the only one who suspected the comments on Mimi’s blog were from a classmate right? They just have that certain vibe to them. I can’t imagine that a random internet person would go such great lengths. Well, they usually don’t anyway.
But it does seem like there’s been a lot of internet hate going around recently in the otaku blogosphere. I don’t think I have any (yet) but every so often I get a bad comment on youtube. They’re easily taken care of though.
Those’re some pretty nice VK pictures..and hm, not so sure about Gunslinger Girl. -wry- Girls and guns are probably not my thing, heh. Your workplace seems pretty interesting, what with the foosball tournament..XD Don’t tire yourself out with the Tiger proj! :) And is that a nun on the long foosball table I see?! XD
And yeah, I felt :S when I saw that comment..I guess I’m pretty passive aggressive, but first I’d get really upset (I don’t deal with stuff like that very well), then I’d delete it. And block it. And…just hope I don’t see something like it again. Since CocoTheBean mentioned, I got a few on youtube too, but I know the stuff I posted up there wasn’t very good anyway, so I don’t really mind. :P That reminds me, I should put it on private..
jenn´s last blog post > Maria Holic 10 – Boobs on Her Mind (Even During Exam)
***Sorry again for the delays! Finishing up my “Momo” fanart!***
@Kris-chan: Hmmm, so boiling it all down, the difference might be simple management choices. Classier niche titles doesn’t necessarily translate into higher sales. Probably rarely so. And like u suggested, Naruto and Bleach are mainstream money-making mainstays. Throwing it into a slightly different metaphor, ADV would probably be the PBS of American anime companies, lol. More sophisticated but less profitable. Much less profitable. I just hope they don’t beg for donations! Kidding, lol. Funny though, ADV started out as a hobby, a labor of love to spread the art of anime. Dust returning to dust?
@Coco-chan: Heyyy, Coco, what’s up? Yeah, I think Mimi-chan hinted that Anonymous was a classmate, and I sensed a *female* classmate as well. Didn’t u think so? So yeah. But really? A *lot* of hate? That time of the year? Too cold? Too poor? Lunar orbits? Hehe, I guess I haven’t had the time to surf the nets as much to notice as much hate as other otakus do. I mean, what kind of harmless YouTube videos attract such negativity? >o<; @Jenn-chan: Hey thanx! After all, doesn't help my post to add *crappy* "Vampire Knight" walls, does it? Ahh, that's okay. Some people like vampire-spilled blood, others like girl-wielded guns, lol. No difference, lol. Oh, I've been meaning to ask, what does "-wry-" mean? Is it simply "wry"? Or does it mean "worry"? Sorry if everyone else already knows, lol... Awww, thanx. I'm not gonna faint from the Tiger stuff, hehe. Not yet. But haven't even had time to enjoy some opponent-smashing foosball this week! With or without nuns! Yeah, she definitely looks like a nun, haha... Yeah, I agree. Maybe not delete the comment, but at least not *repeatedly* firing back at the hater. I'd just leave one solid reply to end it. And let others defend me, hehe. I mean, if someone attacked me, I'm sure you'd defend me, right? I think?... But like I asked Coco-chan, what kind of innocent YouTube videos get all these negative voices? I mean, what do u upload? Music videos or something? >_<;
I sensed male for some reason, but then again I’m not so great at guessing gender. I thought this one guy was an 18-20 year old girl for months before realizing he was a 17 year-old dude. >.>;
Hmm, maybe it is because of the moon? You know how they use to say if you slept under moonlight you’ll go crazy. :P
Youtube is huge, so no matter where you go you’ll find your fair share of trolls (aka 12 year olds who think they’re being ~edgy~) I think most of my videos have one or two negative comments on them (if we really want to get specific this has one on the first page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deM3o8okN-s ) Any anime video will eventually get “anime sucks”, short movies with friends will have “you guys are fugly” or ” *racist comment here*”. The list goes on and on. I also had this one guy insist that my Moetan video was official and that I’m a liar. ._. I guess I should be…flattered?
*sigh* I want to make videos again…
<—- Likes vampire-spilled blood (if they’re pretty boys) AND girls wielding guns (if it’s classy). ^_^
[@Jenn] Gunslinger Girl is NOT a stereotypical “girls with guns” anime. Yes, they HAVE guns (Triela is also really good with knives and martial arts), but it’s more about the girls as characters than it is about how well they wield weapons. The fact that they’re top notch assassins is almost an after thought. They do go around killing and hunting down a lot of people, but the focus is drawn to things like: can Angelica pull her weight; can Claes function properly without a handler; can Henrietta ever get Jose to admit he cares for her; will Rico ever be more than Jean’s tool; etc.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
@Coco-chan: Ahh, u could be right. I guess your guess is as good as mine, lol. But maybe that 17-year-old dude just typed in an effeminate way? You weren’t talking to him online while sitting in the moonlight, were u? LOL… Hmm, I see what u mean. Yeah, there’s always gonna a stupid drive-by comment. Hehe, better than a long-winded long-winding rant… But what’s wrong? Why can’t u make more videos?
@Kris-chan: Haha, u always have specific conditions on your anime tastes? Btw, I added “[@Jenn]” to clarify that you’re not replying to me, lol. Cuz I don’t really care much if an anime is stereotypical or not, classy or not, intelligent or not. That’s just me, lol.
P.S. Oh yeah, in my latest Netflix of “Tsubasa”, I decided to switch on the English subtitles for a scene with Fai Flowright. What’s so bad about Vic Mignogna’s dub? Not effeminate enough? ^_~
@Jay-san: They aren’t crappy. ._. Haha! Yeah..-wry- is pretty much a one-sided grin. Some people get annoyed I use it too much. XD Heh you wouldn’t delete ’em, but I would — not worth looking at. Of course I would defend you too, but hopefully you don’t even get them in the first place! :) Well it’s probably not so much really random trolls in my case, but people being mean. Meh, trolls are mean too. -shrugs- Don’t really want to talk about it. -wry-
@Kris: I’d be worried if it was only about the girls and their guns! (Gee…look where my imagination went. XD) I’ll keep it as a possibility when I have enough bandwidth to spare. ^^
jenn´s last blog post > Winter Anime Lookback, Night Watch, and Textbook Spending
@Jay:
You, sir, are imagining things. Or confusing them. I never said I didn’t like Vic as Fai. In fact, I think he does a really good job. But he uses the same voice as Tamaki in Ouran. And something was off. Not a lot off, but it just didn’t sit right with me. It’s hard to explain. I just heard him start talking and went “No, that’s not right at all.”
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
@Jenn-chan: Hehe, a one-sided grin. I get it, lol… Aww, thanx. Yeah, I don’t think I’ve gotten an overly-bad comment yet. Or at least I don’t remember them, lol. Maybe these trolls or kids have too much (negative) energy to burn… Hope you’re doing okay. ^_~
@Kris-chan: Ahh, I see, that’s right. Tamaki. Just trying to think back as best I could. I guess 4-5 hours of sleep for the past 4 nights is affecting me more than I thought! Didn’t mean to offend u. >_<;
That extra long foosball table is the best thing I’ve seen all week. Seriously, that’s amazing. My high school (boarding school) had lots of foosball tables and it would have been great to have that thing. Haven’t played foosball since graduating from college several years ago.
super rats´s last blog post > Sakura Going Home
@SR: Hahaha, despite all this anime, it’s the foosball table that gets your attention? Oh man, this table is nothing. After I showed a co-worker that pic, he came back with an even sicker table at Geekologie, lol. How sick is this?!?
P.S. Hey, thanx, it’s not everyday when a commenter’s rep precedes him. ^_^
Lol you’re definitely one of my favorites I haven’t visited lately. It’s hardest to visit you during this time cause you site doesn’t work on internet explorer (at work) and while I’m home I’m going nuts between packing and homework and (forgive me) but I forget to take the time to stop by! That will all end soon though! I actually didn’t end up finishing Guilty cause I’m waiting for the manga to finish, I want to see the REAL ending first. I have a feeling in my stomach that the anime ending won’t satisfy me.
lovelyduckie´s last blog post > Mikuru and Arcueid in Red
@Luckie-chan: Hehe, awww, you’re too sweet. So have u confirmed that IE *consistently* fails on both my longer and shorter posts? Cuz on my end, IE fails only with my *longer* mega-posts. Sorry for the inconvenience, lol. Yeah, packing your stuff and pounding your studies are infinitely more important. My blog will still be waiting, hehe.
Haha, interesting! So whether it’s “Guilty” or another title, manga is *realer* than anime? Hehe, I guess so. Unless the anime has *no* manga origin, lol. Hmm, would an eroge be *realer* than its anime too? Hahaha. Luckily, I tend to treat every title equally, regardless of origin or reality. Why create artistic comparisons when I don’t need to? ^_~
I think what Luckie means is that the anime (since it finished ahead of the manga) ends differently than the manga’s story. I feel the same way, and have postponed watching Guilty until I get through more of the manga.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
@Kris-chan: Hehe, that’s the point! Anime and manga endings differ almost *all* the time! But why should it matter which is *realer* or *better* or *first*? I typically enjoy both (or all) interpretations, lol. Whether it’s the original “Star Wars” (films, comic, novel adaptations, and special editions), “Hellsing” (manga, anime 1, anime 2), or “Nana” (manga, anime, and live-action, lol). But then again, maybe I’m stranger than most, hehe. ^_~
Yeah, but Hino herself decides how the manga ends; it’s her story. I don’t know how much control mangaka have over the stories of the anime that are adapted from their work, but I doubt it’s very much, if any at all.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
It was actually his artwork and icon that threw me off. It was very purty and cutesy. xD
Oh, I can still make videos. I was just reminiscing for a moment there. :P Thing is, I need to be in the mood to make a video since it takes SO much time, and I haven’t had the motivation to in quite awhile. But I’ve had some ideas floating around my head lately so I’ll probably start making them again.
@Kris: Ah, yes. Sometimes I wonder about that. It’d be pretty sad if they didn’t…kinda like selling their characters. :(
@Jay-san: Haha, it’s okay, just have some pretty bad memories. And man, that super long foosball is real long indeed! In fact, might be even longer than longcat..is that possible?!@ XD
jenn´s last blog post > Koukaku no Regios 10 – Not Really Yaoi Akshun
Sometimes I love the creative differences between the anime and manga and love them both. But that’s rare.
lovelyduckie´s last blog post > Mikuru and Arcueid in Red
Haha. Sorry about that. I tend to scroll past when it’s an anime I haven’t seen yet. Gunslinger Girl is a favorite of mine, but I haven’t yet seen the second season.
***Sorry everyone, finally finished my next post, lol.***
@Kris-chan: Ahh, I see. Yeah, the original artist usually directs the *real* story. Then again, I like *re-imagined* works just as much too! ^_~
@Coco-chan: Haha, purty and cutesy. Yeah, I see what u mean. Especially, if doesn’t have any self-photos, lol. Hey, don’t tell anyone, but I thought Taketombo was a girl for a little while until a girlfriend was mentioned. And even then, I thought this might’ve been a girl-girl situation, so I had to be careful, lol. But eventually, I think I saw someone mention his real name somewhere. Whew, glad I didn’t make too many mistakes!… Ah, videos. Yeah, definitely time-consuming. But not just videos, even my audio broadcasts took time to record, edit, add OP and ED music, compress, then upload. Gahhh! So don’t worry, when motivation comes, it comes. Good luck!
@Jenn-chan: Yeah, ownership is a tricky thing. Especially in such a dynamic, digital and downloadable world. When does one artist’s art end and another artist’s art begin? Money always seems to muck it all up, lol. Then again, many artists need to earn a living like everyone else. Maybe that explains my utter lack of artwork {sigh}… Hmm, longcat? What’s longcat? Well, theoretically, if u create a foosball or kicker table long enough, both ends will eventually meet somewhere on the earth, right? As if our minds couldn’t be blown away further? LOL.
@Luckie-chan: Really? Then do u usually love the manga more than the anime? Hmm, that brings up an interesting question. I wonder. If it’s manga, maybe manga is a general female preference? Because through manga, a reader infuses more of their own interpretations, emotions, and fantasies than merely watching it being displayed for u. A reader controls the pace. But an anime controls the pace for u. And since women like to control… Haha, just kidding. >_<; @Rats-kun: Ah, no worries. I do that too. But seeing that super-long foosball table at Geekologie, they've gotta play with multiple balls, right? I mean, just one ball would be just too freaking boring, lol. If not useless.
I don’t mind a re-imagining. If it’s an actual re-imagining.
Both Escaflowne and Rahxephon have at least three different tellings. Same basic story, but it happens in totally different ways (anime series, manga, movie). That I love.
But often, if the stories are mirrored, and the manga came first, I’d rather read the manga, because that’s the creator’s story.
As an example:
The Fruits Basket anime was made well before the completion of the manga. The anime only covers the first 5 or 6 volumes of the manga story. For the most part it mirrors what happens in the manga. Until the last couple of episodes. Since there was no “ending,” they made up their own. But the ending they created ruins the story completely, and it also prevents a sequel to continue the manga’s story. I can’t really explain why without giving away some rather important story elements. Though I can say that the ending presented in the anime is impossible within the world of the manga.
So I think it’s natural to be cautious about watching an anime that closely mirrors and unfinished manga.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
@Kris-chan: While I enjoyed the “Fruits Basket” anime (5 of 5 stars), my lack of reading the manga doesn’t really matter since I probably won’t start it. So it doesn’t matter if Kyo wasn’t supposed to transform into a higher-level monster or whatever. But again, your example explains the “Hellsing” developments almost exactly.
The first “Hellsing” anime could only follow the manga to a certain point since the manga was only half-completed (about 5 of 10 Volumes). So the finale was totally created from scratch. But I still loved the anime. As well as the manga. Years later, the manga steadily trudged on (Volume 10 is coming soon, lol), and a new “Hellsing Ultimate” began (now up to Part 4 or 5 depending on subs or no-subs, lol) which mirrors the manga even-more faithfully. And I love that anime too!
Like I mentioned before, when it comes to anime interpretations, I guess I’m more forgiving than most. And less cautious or serious than most too. Causes less drama, hahaha. ^_^
No, he does turn into a monster. That’s a huge part of the story. But it was handled poorly. What upset me the most was the very end, in regards to Shigure and Akito. And the finality they gave the series.
When it’s done well, and preserves the characters, etc, then it’s OK. But it really ended with a “we’re screwing up the characters and the story with this ending.” And that bothered me.
Full Metal Alchemist is, of course, going through a similar thing right now with it’s re-creation to make the anime more faithful to the manga.
But, you know, Furuba is one of my favorite manga, and I love it a LOT, so I’m definitely less forgiving, as you put it.
Kris´s last blog post > Suzuka
@Kris-chan: Hehe, I think we’ve determined beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you’re more faithful to the original works, and less forgiving of any adaptations, reinterpretations or reimaginations, lol. Done. Need we say more? ^_~
Oh my gosh, Furuba. -wry- I loved the manga, even though it became a bit ._. dark towards the end…but the anime! Where was the ending! Granted, it’s not as bad as some others I’ve seen, but it was just…flat. Manga was so much more.
I can’t really remember, though, since it’s been ages since I’ve seen it/read it. XD Nonetheless, definitely not one of the best endings I’ve seen.
On the other hand, when an anime is TOO faithful to the manga — like Maria Holic, which practically has the same panels (coloured in some cases), and probably some of the same text…I stopped reading the manga cos I didn’t want to constantly spoiler myself for the next ep. -wry- Will probably pick it up again when the series finishes, though.
Either way, there’s something to say, haha.
Some people would probably say ownership is dead on the internet nowadays. :S Which is pretty sad…and it’s not like people can do much about it, either. ._. True, artists need to earn money — but without riding on the coattails of the original work the doujin were based on, would some artists still get their recognition?
Longcat is looooong. :) http://motivateurself.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/longcat-vs-tacgnol.jpeg
jenn´s last blog post > Kemono no Souja Erin 10 – Selfpreservation Girl
@Jenn-chan: Ah, if I loved the “Furuba” anime (5 of 5 stars!), then I’d probably love the manga too! Sadly, time is always against me, lol. Takes months just to read a 100-page book, gahhh… Haha, what? To spoil yourself in the anime, when u already know the manga story! Being too faithful? That’s kinda twisted in an otaku sorta way, lol. So it’s gotta be different, but not *too* different. Come on, Jenn-chan, really?… As for ownership, yeah, the web has made it so blurry it’s getting so difficult if not impossible to track. Artistic inspiration and originality is pretty tough to own or define or separate into clearly-labelled pieces… LOL, but “longcat?” That’s frakkin’ hilarious!!! Even though I don’t get the connection to foosball (or llabsoof), still frakkin’ hilarious! ^o^
@Jay-san: No, really! XD When it’s comedy…it’s not fun knowing the punchline already, since it’s the people who have the joke told to them who laugh. Heh.
Manga isn’t really hard to read, though, is it? Partly the reason I never really liked collecting it — finished them so fast. -wry-
The foosball table is long, as is longcat. =) Longtable sounds kinda dumb, though, haha.
jenn´s last blog post > 10 Promises to my Dog – Time for some J Dorama
@Jenn-chan: Ahh, I seeee, the punchlines! Oh well, you’ll manage, lol. That’s the life of an anime aficionado. So many treacherous obstacles!
Nonono, has nothing to do with how easy-hard it is to read. But I just don’t have blocks of hours to devote to pure reading. So it’s just a few minutes in the bathroom or a few moments at my computer, etc. Haha, yeah, I only have a few manga series (like “Battle Angel”, “Hellsing” and most of “Genshiken”). Too expensive! Mind-boggling to calculate $100+ for a full series! Instead, I tend to see a few otaku reading them at the bookstores, hehehe… Ehh, “longcat” or “longtable”, both sound kinda cheesy, lol. But I forgive u. ^_~
Time to nag for me ^^
I adore the Manga and really,really disliked the Gunslinger Girl Anime.Ive only seen a few epsiodes and i was disappointed that they had cut back on the drama and focused more on the action.
Maybe my first impression is totally wrong but it looked to me more like a girls with guns anime than a drama about instrumentalisation of little kids of the government.
Ill give it another try if you recommend it
You are getting yourself a Foosball reputation eh?
I wonder if you could beat my Mathteacher ^_^
About those Trolls:
They are totally annoying but the worst you can do is to try to discuss with them.Its a total waste of time.
Thats the reason why im not exchanging feeds with SC.Too many trolls are running loose over there.
Blowfish´s last blog post > Gift Saber Outdoor Shoot
@FlyingBlow: To nag or not to nag, welcome back!
Well, later on in the anime, they do get into the “governmental instrumentation of little girls”. While I’ve never read the manga, I’m sure the pages don’t come with an awesome orchestral and melancholic soundtrack, haha. It’s up to you. But Kris-chan should have a better idea of the comparisons.
Seems so! Since playing 1-on-1 is too easy, and playing the offense in 2-on-2 is too quick, I’ve been hanging on the defensive position more. Besides, it still feels good to score from goalie, haha.
Yeah, trolls. I’ve been fortunate to run into them only rarely. But the few times I’ve seen them on SC are pretty bad, especially over-reacting to one of Mimi-chan’s comments. No point in replying to them. But whether they’re on SC or DC or even Angry Mimi, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t exchange feeds with the site either, lol. >_<;
Hm, I actually got the impression that the second season of Gunslinger Girl was more action oriented than the original. I didn’t think there was all that much action at all in the original. Rather I felt there was a strong focus on the girls as characters.
Kris´s last blog post > Do You Play Animal Crossing?
@Kris-chan: Hmm, it’s been a few years, but I thought there was a pretty good mix of bullet action and character drama… In any case, I should probably re-watch it sometime. As if I didn’t have enough on my list! >_<;