Anime and Manga Thread Vol. 1: Visions of a God

Well, since I got some dual layer DVDs in the mail, I decided to make a copy of my evil My Otome Zwei disc. The copy that I made does not exhibit the chewing noise characteristics of the original, so like I had originally inferred, the original disc's physical structure is inherently flawed. Don't buy it unless you intend on succumbing to the demons inside the disc or if you plan on making a copy like I did.

So, now on to what I thought about the OVA. I loved it! It was a super-condensed-mega-action-packed-magical-girl extravaganza of awesomeness. That may be a little overblown, but that's the first thing that came to my mind while watching it. I really enjoyed seeing all the characters again, and there are plenty of great moments that hearken back to the original series and even back to My Hime with
Kugutsuchi!
Another thing that stood out to me is that the OVA looked really good; the visuals were really sharp and the colors were quite vibrant. Also, I really like the English dubs of My Otome Zwei and its predecessors—all of you naysayers are totally wrong.
 
[quote name='GuilewasNK']They have Magical Shopping Arcade complete w/Tin and Cd for $24.99. really nice price. I thought it was a pretty cool show when I bought it a ouple of years ago.[/QUOTE]
Tempting... but I think I already have the first 2 DVDs. Right now I'm thinking about getting You're Under Arrest Season 2 or Big Windup! part 2.

[quote name='Razzuel']Also, I really like the English dubs of My Otome Zwei and its predecessors—all of you naysayers are totally wrong.[/QUOTE]
Only in Bizarro world would that be considered a good dub.
 
[quote name='Razzuel']Well, since I got some dual layer DVDs in the mail, I decided to make a copy of my evil My Otome Zwei disc. The copy that I made does not exhibit the chewing noise characteristics of the original, so like I had originally inferred, the original disc's physical structure is inherently flawed. Don't buy it unless you intend on succumbing to the demons inside the disc or if you plan on making a copy like I did.

So, now on to what I thought about the OVA. I loved it! It was a super-condensed-mega-action-packed-magical-girl extravaganza of awesomeness. That may be a little overblown, but that's the first thing that came to my mind while watching it. I really enjoyed seeing all the characters again, and there are plenty of great moments that hearken back to the original series and even back to My Hime with
Kugutsuchi!
Another thing that stood out to me is that the OVA looked really good; the visuals were really sharp and the colors were quite vibrant. Also, I really like the English dubs of My Otome Zwei and its predecessors—all of you naysayers are totally wrong.[/QUOTE]

And you were doing so well for yourself!

The OVA is really bad, condensed version of a far-superior TV series.

And the dub in all three isn't very good. If you consider that good, i think you may need to get your ears checked.
 
[quote name='Chibi_Kaji']Only in Bizarro world would that be considered a good dub.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='the_punisher']And the dub in all three isn't very good. If you consider that good, i think you may need to get your ears checked.[/QUOTE]

I've been telling him this for months. Razz has a complete lack of discerning taste on dubs. ... And most other things.
 
[quote name='the_punisher']So, as it turns out, Gankutsuou is really good.

Hmm.[/QUOTE]

Sorry, let me retract that.

Gankutsuou is one of the best series' of all time.
:applause:

18/24 down.
 
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Is the Kurau dub at least good? :p[/QUOTE]

A part of me died when I read that.

[quote name='the_punisher']Gankutsuou is one of the best series' of all time.[/QUOTE]

I didn't think it was that good.
 
[quote name='Razzuel']A part of me died when I read that.[/QUOTE]

Just trying to get multiple opinions, honestly. Since you and punisher had differing opinions on Zwei (and punisher and I judge things similarly a lot of the time), I thought it'd be good to get an opinion from a 3rd party. I'm very picky about dubs, especially.
 
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Just trying to get multiple opinions, honestly. Since you and punisher had differing opinions on Zwei (and punisher and I judge things similarly a lot of the time), I thought it'd be good to get an opinion from a 3rd party. I'm very picky about dubs, especially.[/QUOTE]

I prefer the Kurau dub to the original Japanese version, let's put it that way.
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']That's because you like My-Otome Zwei.[/QUOTE]

My enjoyment of Gankutsuou has nothing to do with my enjoyment of My Otome Zwei. The only reason I like My Otome Zwei is because it's totally awesome.;)

[quote name='PrarieD0G']Just trying to get multiple opinions, honestly. Since you and punisher had differing opinions on Zwei (and punisher and I judge things similarly a lot of the time), I thought it'd be good to get an opinion from a 3rd party. I'm very picky about dubs, especially.[/QUOTE]

I understand, but I am starting to feel like some of you guys think I am the boy who cried wolf. :p
 
[quote name='Razzuel']I understand, but I am starting to feel like some of you guys think I am the boy who cried wolf. :p[/QUOTE]

What would make you say that?

:lol:
 
[quote name='the_punisher']Okay, here are some of my favorites:

Air
Baccano!
Basilisk
Berserk
Black Lagoon
Elfen Lied
Eureka Seven
FMA
Fruits Basket
Great Teacher Onizuka
Gungrave
Hellsing
Jyu Oh Sei
Mai HiME
Mai Otome
School Rumble
Suzuka
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya[/QUOTE]

Saving this list for later. I noticed your post earlier and we seem to have similar taste. I just got done with Death Note (amazing! btw), and will probably start FMA next (have gotten quite a few recommendations for it).

Btw, what's the difference between FMA: Brotherhood and FMA?
 
[quote name='dpatel']Btw, what's the difference between FMA: Brotherhood and FMA?[/QUOTE]

Brotherhood is the new series, currently still airing, and follows the manga much more faithfully. The first series mostly followed the manga at first, but eventually deviated to a completely different direction around the halfway point, since the manga was still ongoing.
 
Ah ok. Thanks. One thing that I need in an anime is one that actually ends (I hate continuing with a series with no end in sight. I like to have some closure on the series).

You said Brotherhood is still ongoing, is it possibly going to end sometime soon, or will it be ongoing for a while?
 
[quote name='dpatel']Ah ok. Thanks. One thing that I need in an anime is one that actually ends (I hate continuing with a series with no end in sight. I like to have some closure on the series).

You said Brotherhood is still ongoing, is it possibly going to end sometime soon, or will it be ongoing for a while?[/QUOTE]

Brotherhood will be airing for at least another six months.
 
[quote name='dpatel']Saving this list for later. I noticed your post earlier and we seem to have similar taste. I just got done with Death Note (amazing! btw), and will probably start FMA next (have gotten quite a few recommendations for it).

Btw, what's the difference between FMA: Brotherhood and FMA?[/QUOTE]

FMA is a complete series by itself, AMAZING at that, and you can watch the entire 51+movie series feeling satisfied. It's a complete story. FMA: Brotherhood is more like a retelling of FMA, following the manga more closely, meaning the two are not directly connected.

Also, i'm flattered you like my taste ;). Yes, Death Note is amazing, as is FMA, and juding by that list, here's the top 5 of my favorites (in order) for action anime:

Elfen Lied
Eureka Seven + Movie
Gungrave
Berserk
Baccano!
BONUS (since i can't leave it out): Basilisk

And slice-of-life/comedy:

Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (a MUST)
School Rumble
Great Teacher Onizuka
Fruits Basket
Suzuka
BONUS (since i can't leave it out): Deserk Punk

Runner Ups (that are also great):
Black Lagoon
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
5 Centimeters per Second (Movie)
Mai-HiME
My-Otome
Jyu Oh Sei


That covers pretty much everything that i've seen that i've enjoyed. I agree with you that i like watched a show all at once, and with the exception of Haruhi (second season finished airing in japan recently i think) and Black Lagoon (3rd season OVA coming), pretty much everything i listed is complete.

That should give you enough to watch for a good long time (i would think).
 
[quote name='the_punisher']Also, i'm flattered you like my taste ;).[/QUOTE]

Lol. Well you said you were an MGS fan, and didn't like Cowboy Bebop for the same reasons I did, so we share a little in common. I think you recommended Death Note, which I loved, so, so far, you haven't let me down. I'll see how it goes with FMA.
 
[quote name='the_punisher']Also, i'm flattered you like my taste ;). Yes, Death Note is amazing, as is FMA, and juding by that list, here's the top 5 of my favorites (in order) for action anime:

Elfen Lied
Eureka Seven + Movie
Gungrave
Berserk
Baccano!
BONUS (since i can't leave it out): Basilisk

And slice-of-life/comedy:

Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (a MUST)
School Rumble
Great Teacher Onizuka
Fruits Basket
Suzuka
BONUS (since i can't leave it out): Deserk Punk

Runner Ups (that are also great):
Black Lagoon
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
5 Centimeters per Second (Movie)
Mai-HiME
My-Otome
Jyu Oh Sei[/QUOTE]

Gratuitous "half the stuff on your list sucks" post. :D

... Okay, so maybe a couple of those don't exactly suck, but they certainly have no place on a high-quality anime list.
 
Are you saying Black Lagoon sucks? Those be fighting words. I can let you slip by with saying the rest suck(But I will say Mai-HIME is a guilty pleasure anime for me).

Bah, I guess I'll miss out on rightstuf's sale 12 days of Christmas sale this year as someone stole my debit card info this year.
 
Suzuka isn't high-quality on the production values side, I'll admit, but it is nowhere near sucking. Definitely worth watching--at least the first 5-6 episodes or so to see whether you like it or not. After talking with Razzuel a while ago, I realized that one of the main reasons I like it so much is because the characters are so realistic (well, realistic as far as anime characters go). There's not always some magical payoff to keep you wanting to watch, but when there is payoff, it seems bigger than anything. To enjoy it, you have to care about what happens to the characters (seems like I've been saying that a lot lately, but it's true). Personally, I haven't seen anything else like it.

I do agree that Mai-HiME is a little on the "meh" side, at least for me.
Wins the award for crappiest ending in an anime ever.
Not awful though, and plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting enough. Yeah, definitely a "guilty pleasure" type show for me too, haha, although I'm sure others will disagree.
 
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Looks like KL is getting trashed, so i'll join in.

I already know that you hate most of them, but what do you have against Jyu Oh Sei? It's not the best anime out there and definitely requires a HUGE amount of suspension of disbelief, but the overall story is enjoyable, especially the latter episodes, and it's made by Bones, so you should have no choice but to watch it anyway :p.
 
[quote name='Chibi_Kaji']Are you saying Black Lagoon sucks? Those be fighting words. I can let you slip by with saying the rest suck(But I will say Mai-HIME is a guilty pleasure anime for me).[/QUOTE]

Yeah, sorry, I hate Black Lagoon. I realize most other people like it, but it was way too nihilistic and shallow for me to enjoy. Most everyone was extremely unlikable, and a good portion of the story arcs were cliche and stupid. The guerrilla maid, in particular, stands out as one of the stupidest ideas in the show, and they tried to play it off very seriously, which made it even dumber yet.

[quote name='PrarieD0G']Suzuka isn't high-quality on the production values side, I'll admit, but it is nowhere near sucking. Definitely worth watching--at least the first 5-6 episodes or so to see whether you like it or not. After talking with Razzuel a while ago, I realized that one of the main reasons I like it so much is because the characters are so realistic (well, realistic as far as anime characters go). There's not always some magical payoff to keep you wanting to watch, but when there is payoff, it seems bigger than anything. To enjoy it, you have to care about what happens to the characters (seems like I've been saying that a lot lately, but it's true). Personally, I haven't seen anything else like it.[/QUOTE]

See, the characters are the *exact* reason I didn't care for it. The linchpin in a good drama needs to be the characters, and Suzuka just couldn't pull it off for me. Aside from being whiners, the characters felt like blank slates - I didn't care what happened to them. I usually enjoy this genre as a guilty pleasure, but I've seen so many shows do it better than Suzuka. You should check out Rumbling Hearts and Bokura ga Ita.

[quote name='the_punisher']I already know that you hate most of them, but what do you have against Jyu Oh Sei? It's not the best anime out there and definitely requires a HUGE amount of suspension of disbelief, but the overall story is enjoyable, especially the latter episodes, and it's made by Bones, so you should have no choice but to watch it anyway :p.[/QUOTE]

That's one of those that doesn't suck, but isn't really fantastic either. Like you said, it's made by BONES, so at least it has that going for it.

Heh, I have no problem with you guys disagreeing with me. I can still see why some of you would enjoy those shows if I strain my brain hard enough.
 
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[quote name='Kirin Lemon']Gratuitous "half the stuff on your list sucks" post. :D

... Okay, so maybe a couple of those don't exactly suck, but they certainly have no place on a high-quality anime list.[/QUOTE]

cbgcomputer.gif


:lol:

At any rate, all I'll say is that not everyone is looking for Shakespeare in their anime. Some want Schwarzenegger or Sandler. I think there is a place for all, and the way we all present our opinion is more important than the opinion itself. Honestly, I don't have a problem with you. You are obviously knowledgable about anime and manga, more than I am (I'm a Star Trek guy by nature), and to each their own I always say, but in my opinion you come off as snarky and superior in your posts quite a bit, almost as if you are making fun of people's tastes and that is why you get backlash. You really don't need that trait at all. For example, while I like Black Lagoon, your posts about why you didn't was very reasonable as far as I am concerned. You explained your point of view concisely and I can see why you wouldn't like it.
 
[quote name='GuilewasNK']At any rate, all I'll say is that not everyone is looking for Shakespeare in their anime. Some want Schwarzenegger or Sandler. I think there is a place for all, and the way we all present our opinion is more important than the opinion itself. Honestly, I don't have a problem with you. You are obviously knowledgable about anime and manga, more than I am (I'm a Star Trek guy by nature), and to each their own I always say, but in my opinion you come off as snarky and superior in your posts quite a bit, almost as if you are making fun of people's tastes and that is why you get backlash. You really don't need that trait at all. For example, while I like Black Lagoon, your posts about why you didn't was very reasonable as far as I am concerned. You explained your point of view concisely and I can see why you wouldn't like it.[/QUOTE]

Oh, I can understand that. Again, when I sound "harsh" on some shows, it's almost always hyperbole, and the snarkiness is never sincere. I have zero problem with you guys enjoying whatever it is you want to enjoy, but all of that is far less fun to say than "BURST ANGEL SUCKS ASS!!". ;)
 
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[quote name='Kirin Lemon']Yeah, sorry, I hate Black Lagoon. I realize most other people like it, but it was way too nihilistic and shallow for me to enjoy. Most everyone was extremely unlikable, and a good portion of the story arcs were cliche and stupid. The guerrilla maid, in particular, stands out as one of the stupidest ideas in the show, and they tried to play it off very seriously, which made it even dumber yet.
[/QUOTE]

I thought the guerilla maid was one of the best parts heh.

But yeah, Black Lagoon is IMO severely overrated. It's got some cool action and is definitely watchable, but has no depth. Worth watching but forgettable.
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']See, the characters are the *exact* reason I didn't care for it. The linchpin in a good drama needs to be the characters, and Suzuka just couldn't pull it off for me. Aside from being whiners, the characters felt like blank slates - I didn't care what happened to them. I usually enjoy this genre as a guilty pleasure, but I've seen so many shows do it better than Suzuka. You should check out Rumbling Hearts and Bokura ga Ita.[/QUOTE]
Fair enough, valid complaints. I felt I could relate to the characters; that's why I liked it. Yeah, definitely want to check out Bokura ga Ita at some point (been on my MAL "To Watch" list as well as my hard drive for a while now, heh).
 
[quote name='Kirin Lemon']Oh, I can understand that. Again, when I sound "harsh" on some shows, it's almost always hyperbole, and the snarkiness is never sincere. I have zero problem with you guys enjoying whatever it is you want to enjoy, but all of that is far less fun to say than "BURST ANGEL SUCKS ASS!!". ;)[/QUOTE]

If you weren't so hyperbolically harsh in your criticisms, and if I didn't always enjoy complete piles of shit, then this place would be even more dry and boring than it already is. ;)
 
[quote name='Razzuel']If you weren't so hyperbolically harsh in your criticisms, and if I didn't always enjoy complete piles of shit, then this place would be even more dry and boring than it already is. ;)[/QUOTE]

We're heroes, you and I.
 
[quote name='tehweezner']
But yeah, Black Lagoon is IMO severely overrated. It's got some cool action and is definitely watchable, but has no depth. Worth watching but forgettable.[/QUOTE]

I agree with this statement. I'm about to start the second season of the show now and I know that as soon as I'm done with it, it's going to hit the shelf and never come back down (that is, until I most likely sell it).

It's a good watch, but isn't anything special.
 
[quote name='tehweezner']But yeah, Black Lagoon is IMO severely overrated. It's got some cool action and is definitely watchable, but has no depth. Worth watching but forgettable.[/QUOTE]
Nothing wrong with that. Sometime some mindless action is a nice thing to have around.

Rumbling Hearts[/B] and Bokura ga Ita.
Click to expand...
And I recommend you don't check that out...
 
I'm currently reading Kare Kano. I watched the anime way back when, and I still remember the shock when they slept together. No had sex in romance anime back then. I love it and Bokura ga Ita, but the male lead in both series are kind of dicks.
 
[quote name='ChibiJosh']I'm currently reading Kare Kano. I watched the anime way back when, and I still remember the shock when they slept together. No had sex in romance anime back then. I love it and Bokura ga Ita, but the male lead in both series are kind of dicks.[/QUOTE]

I haven't read the manga, but I agree with you on Arima being a dick; I didn't like him. He's really selfish, and I thought Yukino would of been better off without him. I was also shocked when they
slept together, but that was because I didn't think it was the right choice with regard to their relationship, and Arima doesn't deserve someone as awesome as Yukino.
 
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[quote name='PrarieD0G']Thanks for the spoiler tags... bastards...

+1 anime spoiled for me. Think that brings the total to around 8.[/QUOTE]

Sorry that you had that part spoiled for you. I refrained from using spoiler tags because it felt like a casual conversation and it didn't seem too revealing.

Anyway, don't feel too glum because there's still a lot in Kare Kano for you to enjoy. I think that some of the best parts of the show are the characters and their interactions; you still know nothing about Yukino, Asaba, Tsubasa, and the others.
 
[quote name='PrarieD0G']Thanks for the spoiler tags... bastards...

+1 anime spoiled for me. Think that brings the total to around 8.[/QUOTE]
That's not even a spoiler. There's sex left and right in romance anime anymore. Beside, the Kare Kano anime sucks because it doesn't have an ending.
 
[quote name='ChibiJosh']There's sex left and right in romance anime anymore.[/QUOTE]

Inappropriate use of the word "anymore" is like nails on a blackboard. I have no idea why this happens so frequently. :bomb:
 
After listening to another great Anime World Order podcast I'm gonna check out all of the iterations of Crying Freeman & Riki-Oh.

Hopefully I'll have some recommendations for others, judging by how ridiculous both plotlines sounded, I'm sure it'll be a very fun ride.
 
[quote name='ChibiJosh']That's not even a spoiler. There's sex left and right in romance anime anymore. Beside, the Kare Kano anime sucks because it doesn't have an ending.[/QUOTE]

If you say so. I'm not really a romance anime aficionado, so I didn't know. Whatever, I'm used to having shit spoiled for me by now, and sounds like this wasn't really a big deal. I'll get over it. :p It's not like a series I was dying to see or anything anyway (like when I had major turning points/endings of Gurren Lagann, Code Geass, Death Note, and Cowboy Bebop spoiled for me.)

On Rumbling Hearts--I'll probably skip it... heard it was too much like a soap opera. Air had too much sentimental drama for me almost, so I don't know if I could handle Rumbling Hearts, haha.
 
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Pretty much any romance anime is ripe with soap opera similarities, KimiNozo (or Rumbling Hearts as people like to call it), Kare Kano, Marmalade Boy. I remember I first saw KimiNozo as a fansub my freshman year of college. I sobbed for like an hour after the first episode.

Everyone had the Cowboy Bebop ending ruined for them, if they didn't see it when it first came out. I had it ruined for me during Otakon 2001, my first con.
 
Well, I finished When They Cry last night. It was fantastic. It has a unique storytelling structure; the story is revealed to you through a handful of short stories. I think it answered the right amount of questions, and it left the right amount of questions unanswered for the sequel. I was completely satisfied. One of the other reasons I love this show so much is that it is fucking insane. It has the most evil, demented, and scared looking, animated facial expressions that I have ever seen. There were quite a few moments that I found disturbing.

Another thing that I thoroughly enjoyed was the English voice cast. The voice actors do a great job during the times of peace, but the voice actors also flawlessly pull off the parts where the characters go insane. These actors had a lot of range during the show, which is exactly what they needed.

Someone better license the sequel because I really want to watch it. I can only hope that if someone licenses it, then they will have Bang Zoom produce the English dub, so that we can have the same voice cast as the first show.
 
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