I like Anime. Got hooked on it 15 years ago in college, when my friend Tadashi kept giving us tapes of My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service... a bunch of 'em, anyway. In Japanese.
But I didn't care, because it was so good. He knew I was something of an artist (at the time) and was pleased at how much I seemed to appreciate them. He also made some great compilation music tapes as gifts, but that's beside the point.
Anyway, in the age of Netflix and DVDs, there's a lot out there. Hard to keep up with, even.
My kids still enjoy the Pokemon stuff, and (say what you will) it's still beats the heck out of Barney or Caillou.
Stuff I can reccommend:
Princess Mononoke (bit gory for the kiddies) Castle in the Sky Spirited Away My Neighbor Totoro Kiki's Delivery Service Gundam Wing (haven't gotten my hands on the last half of the series, yet, but I loved the first half)
There are lots of others, too.
Now, I'm catching up on Yu Yu Hakusho through Netflix. We all watch it together. I'd give it a PG rating for violence and the occasional mild curse, Like Gundam Wing. Can't reccommend it enough. The characters are cool and the tone is mostly light.
Was recently thoroughly obsessed with Night Walker, Midnight Detective, but not many of them were made. Netflix has it. It's great, but a bit bloody for the kiddies. More than a bit, really. It's about a Vampire, so what do you expect? Similar in some ways to Vampire Hunter D, butthe setting is essentially modern, not post-apocalyptic.
Now on to another subset of Anime... Fansubs. This is where people who like a given TV Anime take the time to translate, subtitle and share, usually with the understanding that if it is ever licensed, they remove their work from public consumption. So far, I think most of them have been careful to do this because they want to keep the demand for new anime in translation high.
I have been sucked in by an Anime that is now playing on TV in Japan: Gankutsuou. Basically, the story is The Count of Monte Cristo, erm, in space. Part of the intro is done in French, even. The animating style is very different, but I like it, and I have always loved the story. Love, bitterness, revenge... with just a smidge of hope and the poissibility of redemption. *sigh*
Anybody else seen, heard of this? Any Anime you'd like to reccommend?
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Haven't seen, but Escaflowne and Cowboy Bebop are classics.
Posted by Olivetta (Member # 6456) on :
I enjoyed Cowboy Bebop. I saw Escaflowne the movie and didn't care for it so much. A lot of anime are set in high school or with high school aged characters, which is cool. I just hate the really static female characters. Make me nuts.
Haven't seen Inuyasha yet, but that's next, I think.
Posted by bunbun (Member # 6814) on :
Yu Yu Hakusho cracks me up. For sheer hilarity, I recommend Angel Sanctuary.
I have to say, I prefer movies, just for script clarity and animation. Millenium Actress is one I saw recently and liked, and Blood remains a favorite. I really like Vampire Hunter D, and the sequel Bloodlust.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
no no no no no The series of Escaflowne is MUCH BETTER than the movie... The movie was a good excuse for extra YK music and worth it for that sweet song they played through it, but other than that, meh. It's all about the series which is 90 times better. The series has EVERYTHING in it... well, just about... Check out the SERIES!!!!!!!!
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
The greatest anime of all time is "Neon Genesis Evangelion". The. Best. EVER.
Another great classic is "AKIRA". And even older, "Robotech". A great one that's been on Adult Swim but I just got around to watching it is "Wolf's Rain". VERY good.
A personal favorite is "Big O", also on Adult Swim. Kind of a watered down version of "Evangelion".
Posted by Olivetta (Member # 6456) on :
Will do. I'm totally taking notes. Escaflowne SERIES... Blood...
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Oh yes... some more classics that you should watch:
"Robot Carnival" "Lensman" "Vampire Hunter D" "Captain Harlock" "Express 999" "Project AKO" "Do You Remember Love" the progenitor to Robotech
PS> But if you never watch anime again, make sure you watch Evangelion!
[ March 08, 2005, 10:31 PM: Message edited by: Telperion the Silver ]
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Gah, the Escaflowne series is worth it for this one, sweet disturbing excellent scene.
I should watch it again. I have the videos... except for 8. A friend has that.
I second Evangelion. Great anime. A classic.
YES YES YES!! GE 999 was my first subtitled anime! Also, there is Macross plus to consider too.
[ March 08, 2005, 10:38 PM: Message edited by: Synesthesia ]
Posted by Olivetta (Member # 6456) on :
We have Akira on Laser disc *snort*
I also loved Gravitation (which I think is too yaoi/shounen-ai to ever be shown on TV , even Adult Swim). Liked the fansub of Yami no Matsuei much better than the dubbed US release, called Descendants of Darkness-- and you can't even get the last story arc on Netfllix (it was the best one).
We started watching NGE, but didn't really get into it, for some reason.
Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
Cowboy Bebop is indeed a classic. My other two favorite anime are Video Girl Ai and Gundam SEED (which now has a sequel series in progress, called SEED Destiny). That's my Holy Trinity of anime.
Other anime I've seen (all or part of):
- Kare Kano (A very cute, funny romantic comedy.) - Serial Experiments Lain (Trippy. That's all I have to say.) - Maria-sama Ga Miteru (Very cute series - I've only seen some of it, but I liked it.) - FLCL (It will start you off saying "What the...?" - and you'll never stop saying it. The series has its funny moments, but some of the humor is a bit too crude for my taste.) - Spirited Away (Miyazaki is cool - what else can I say? ) - Gundam Wing (Not one of my favorites. I mostly watch it for Duo, who is awesome. ) - Voices of a Distant Star (A very short, poignant movie about separation. It has amazing visuals, too.) - Excel Saga (Also not one of my favorites. It's very random and confusing, and the protagonist screeches constantly, which gets a bit irritating. But it has an, er, amusing ending song. ) - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (I only saw part of this, but I liked what I saw and want to finish it at some point.)
That's all I can think of at the moment...
~Jane~
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
zechs and trieze and noin. It is ALL about Zechs and Trieze and Noin.
Posted by narrativium (Member # 3230) on :
I've been watching Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Fullmetal Alchemist on [adult swim], and they're both excellent series. Unfortunately, only the first volume of FmA is out, so if you want that one, you'll have to wait or go with fansubs.
I also recommend Last Exile, although I only have the first volume. And I've heard only good things about Texhnolyze, but I haven't seen any of it yet.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
I recommend "Fullmetal Alchemist". At first it seems like a typical adventure series, but as it progresses the story gets really good. It deals with some deep philosophical and emotional stuff, there are some major surprises, funny moments, sad moments, and lots of action, and great characters. I haven't seen the english dub that Cartoon Network airs, so I don't know if it does the original Japanese version justice.
I also recommend "Gundam Seed" and its currently airing in Japan sequel, "Gundam Seed: Destiny" If you're not familiar with Gundam, it's sci-fi/mecha stuff. A good recently ended series is "Soukyuu no Fafner". It's a lot like "Evangelion"
Other good currently airing shows are "Naruto", and "Bleach". "Trigun" is also a classic.
Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
Nope, it's all about Duo.
"THE GOD OF DEATH IS BACK FROM HELL!"
(edit: That was directed at Syn.)
[ March 08, 2005, 10:45 PM: Message edited by: JaneX ]
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Soudns better in Japanese But dang if I know how to say it... except for Shinigami. Posted by narrativium (Member # 3230) on :
Yes, every time I think Fullmetal Alchemist is getting too cheesy or sappy, it turns around and springs another surprise. That's what has kept me hooked.
Posted by Human (Member # 2985) on :
Neon Genesis Evangelion? Personally, I find it waaay too obtuse, and Shinji way too whiny.
Now, if you want a GOOD giant-robot-with-high-school-boy-pilot anime...watch RahXephon. It's like Eva, but...coherent, has a lead character that you can stand, AND the ending actually makes sense. And is happy.
Oh, by the way, I second Last Exile. Good story and really fricking beautiful animation.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
Human, if you like giant-robot-with-high-school-boy-pilot anime find fansubs of "Soukyuu no Fafner" aka "Fafner in the Azure".
Posted by HesterGray (Member # 7384) on :
I love Voices of a Distant Star! We watched it in my 2-D animation class and the story about broke my heart and the visuals were breathtaking.
So, literally, that would mean it took my heart and my air, and I guess now I'm dead.
Anyway, the music is also beautiful. I just had to buy the soundtrack. Yes, a soundtrack to a 30-minute movie. I think the soundtrack is about 26 minutes.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Everyone seems to hate Shinji. I never understand why.I sort of like him. He's rather realistic as a boy who wants his father's approval and love. Plus, the woman who did the voice for Haruka in Sailor moon did his voice.
Posted by Human (Member # 2985) on :
Everyone hates Shinji 'cause he's not a hero, not really. He's just a kid who got thrust into a really bad situation, and hates it, and complains 24/7 about it. While that may be realistic, in my opinion, it's not a good lead character for an action series.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
It's kind of more interesting that way... Steady stable heros are so boring.
Posted by BelladonnaOrchid (Member # 188) on :
Lots and lots of anime goes through this apartment between my room mate and me and my husband.
I love Princess Mononoke, I had a scene from the movie set as the background on my computer for awhile-it was of the little forest spririt with his head cocked to the side. Spirited Away was also really good.
I am also a recent fan of Full Metal Alchemist and GitS:Stand Alone Complex. I can't wait to see the next episodes of those series...and I'll even have to admit that I have an Inuyasha fetish. I get upset when I realize it's not on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
Yeah-Cartoon Network is generally on in every room of the house.
Evangelion was cool, although I had to watch it twice to completely catch everything (as I was knitting while watching it). I'm still not certain I understand what happened in the last episode of it. I also kinda thought that Shinji was a wuss.
Rick and I bought Millenium Actress at Wal-Mart. I remember thinking that was a sad movie for some reason, but I think I keep mixing up the plot of Millenium Actress and a book I read awhile back called Memoirs of a Geisha. I'll have to go watch it again to remember why I thought it was sad.
Edit to Add: Recently a manga/anime that I've gotten hooked on is Rurouni Kenshin. Any thoughts on it?
[ March 08, 2005, 11:21 PM: Message edited by: BelladonnaOrchid ]
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
GITS is good. A bit slow, but good. My friend loves Kenshin I think. I also like the angsty yaoi Bronze/Zetsuai. Good music. It inspired one of my stories.
Posted by narrativium (Member # 3230) on :
If you're interested, Anime On DVD is a good site for news and reviews.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
quote:We started watching NGE, but didn't really get into it, for some reason.
You STARTED?? OH my dear! My beloved! You need to finish it!!
Evangelion starts out like a throwback to Gungam, but slowly episode by episode breaks down into the most powerful, psychologica, painful, beautiful, and religious story!
I might start off slow or not to your taste... that is only to distract you from the really horror that lurks down down in Terminal Dogma.
And as for 999, that blonde girl has been used many times in other anime...Angel from Big O, Spike's love from Cowbow Beebop, that gal from Lupin the Third...
[ March 08, 2005, 11:46 PM: Message edited by: Telperion the Silver ]
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Blue Sub Six is another interesting one. It was one of the first to try and use CGI with animation... doesn't look nearly as good as some of the later attempts but the hand drawn animation is really good. As is the plot.
It's only a 4 episode mini, but the last couple episodes really rock!
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Dude, neet. I never even thought of that... Cool
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Telp, the character design for each of those characters is similar, but Leiji Matsumoto actually uses that same character in a few more of his stories. I know that in his other series which is right now escaping my mind (edit: Queen Emeraldis) features the SISTER of that character and refers back to her. I really respect his style and whatnot.
As someone who is tentatively planning on writing an extensive academic essay on manga, I have to recommend that if you like anime and are even marginally interested in comics, you should take a look at the manga based on the animes you like. Often they're a lot more sensical (it's a word) and much more beautiful.
As for the anime I'm freaking out about right now, it's been for a while Escaflowne, Shaman King, and Fruits Basket, which I recently saw and absolutely loved. As far as I've seen so far, the manga is much better than the anime.
I love Utena as well, despite the freakyness. It happens to be the first series I ever watched, which is possibly part of the reason I love it so much.
Haibane Renmei is totally beautiful, and it's a breakthrough in an interesting way, since it was a series made from a manga that wasn't actually published through conventional means, it was published through a small press in small quantities.
Another series for which the manga is much better than the anime is Please Save My Earth. The first few times through, the OAV makes not terribly much sense. But the manga makes it all a lot more clear.
Olivetta, I just bought Nightwalker! I hadn't seen it in the longest time... I haven't had a chance to watch the second DVD. I wrote a fanfiction for it, wayyyyy back when. Ha ha.
Yet again, seeing all of the people who are fans of anime, I recommend we get together a Hatrack anime con. It would rock.
[ March 09, 2005, 12:54 AM: Message edited by: Ryuko ]
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
WOO HOO! I WAS ABOUT TO MENTION HAIBANE RENMEI.
It kept making me cry. I really could not help it.
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
SHHHH... I haven't seen the end.
And check your email.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Got it ^^
Posted by St. Yogi (Member # 5974) on :
Just when I was going to post an anime appreciation thread someone beat me to it
Recommendations:
I can recommend watching Trigun in japanese. This show is absolutely awesome! Especially the second part of the show. From episode 10 onwards.
I recently downloaded Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. I watched about half of it, and I'll probably finish it today. Beautiful animation, but a bit slow.
I'd like to add my voice to the "NGE is awesome" team. This is the show that got me into anime in the first place.
Anything and everything Miyazaki.
Akira.
Cowboy Bebop. Fun, exciting, everything a show needs. Beautiful music.
Naruto! This is the most fun show ever. Especially the first 50 episodes or so are great, but after that I noticed a drop in animation quality and everything so I stopped watching. That was around episode 80-90, but I started reading the manga instead.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
YES! Trigun! Another one that made me weep. Wow.
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
I like Cowboy Bebop, some of the gundum series, ghost in the shell, full metal alchemist, detective conan (can't think of the american name) is ok, inyasa, wolf's rain, blue gender, magical shopping arcade abenaboshi was pretty funny, and some others I can't think of right now.
Posted by Olivetta (Member # 6456) on :
A Hatrack Anime con? Would definitely rock.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who fangirled Night Walker. Shido was just... guh.
Syn... Shinigami *sigh* I hated that they translated it as "Angels of Death" when they dubbed Yami no Matsuei. I mean, culturally it just isn't the same.
Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
quote:A Hatrack Anime con? Would definitely rock.
omgYES.
~Jane~
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Mark your calendars for next year...I can hear the wheels turning.
-Trevor
Posted by narrativium (Member # 3230) on :
Both require Quicktime.
Posted by Vána (Member # 6593) on :
Another one I'd like to recommend (I see lots of my favorites in here already) is Azumanga Diaoh. It's about a group of girls going through high school. It's very fun and light - not my usual anime style, but I really fell in love with it.
Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
I've never seen the anime version of Azumanga Daioh, but I've read the manga and thought it was hilarious. I love Osaka. Especially her obsession with Yumi-chan's pigtails.
~Jane~
(edit: Yeah, I can spell...)
[ March 09, 2005, 11:53 AM: Message edited by: JaneX ]
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
I was really interested in this topic until I relized it said "BiWeekly Anime thread" and not "Bi Anime thread". Now I find that it holds no interest for me.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I'd just like to point out how I'm not making a "Bi-Curious Anime" Dobie.
Funny thing, how a person can know that Dobies are incredibly annoying, and yet still occasionally have the urge to make one.
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
I was thinking Hobbes should make a BiWeekly Annie dobie thread.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
Come on people. Ruroni Kenshin? GREAT show. I love that one above all others. Shaman King is very good, and Yu Yu Hakusho is very funny, but it has a good story line as well. Those are only the "newer" ones. All of the Dragonball series' will be classics. I liked them when I was younger, but not so much anymore. Ugh, too much to wrtie a little blerb about every anime I watch. I'll jsut list them.
Ruroni Kenshin Yu Yu Hakusho FLCL Inuyasha Shaman King Dragon ball(DBZ too) Trigun All of the Gundams Cowboy Bebop etc..
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Anime...blah. Some of it's okay, but I just don't get the hype.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
I'm getting really into Wolf's Rain. It's been airing on Adult Swim for a couple years now, so I'm a bit late to the game... but it really does rock!
The Nobles are my favorite anime people ever! ...gothic overlords of the Earth that use techno-wizardry... *drools* Sign me up baby! Down with those nasty wolves!
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Mmmm... bi anime... Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
*seconds Telp*...yay for shounen and/or shoujo ai.
~Jane~
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Actually, Little_Doctor, Yu Yu Hakusho is a lot older than Rurouni Kenshin. Though it did air slightly earlier than RK on American TV.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
True, true. By new I meant the ones that I have been watching recently. But you are correct.
Posted by Emily W (Member # 7504) on :
Did anyone else get a chance to catch Appleseed in theaters? It might still be playing if you live near a big city. I highly recommend it.
One of my favorites is Grave of the Fireflies. Has anyone else seen it? Appleseed Posted by Olivetta (Member # 6456) on :
Almost done with the Yu Yu Hakusho series, and I would sooo have Kurama's little fox-spirit babies. Love Hiei, too. The human characters are hit or miss, but I like most of them, too.
Saw all of Gankutsuou, and it is pure CRACK. Differs in major ways from the Count of Monte Cristo, in that it rejects the Christian themes of forgiveness and so forth. Plus, I don't remember 'Andrea Cavalcanti' being quite that pronounced and incestigator in the book. Aaaaanyway...
Wolf's Rain, also full of tasty crackness. Wolves passing as human and stuff, plus some bits about luna flowers and the Flower Maiden that I don't get after only four episodes, but, hey. Music by ... Yoko ... aw crap. *sigh* That same woman who did the Cowboy Bebop music who is utterly fantasic and I love her but can NEVER REMEMBER HER NAME! "Stray..."
Lurve it, so far.
Still carry a slight torch for Shido, he of the Midnight Detective. But, alas!
JaneX, what is the difference between shounen ai and shoujo ai? I'm dense.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
YOKO KANNO! She is so darn COOL. Gods, I wish I could MARRY her!!! She's got some of the best soundtracks ever, check out the music for Ghost in the Shell stand Alone Complex. Plus, Wolf's Rain is filled with dishy animated men.
Shounen ai= romance between boys, shoujo is girls... It's different from yaoi or yuri which is more graphic.
Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
Since we're endorsing anime, I'll refrain from embarassing myself too badly and just mention Samurai Champloo on the Toon network.
Done by the same fellow who did Cowboy Bebop and features the voice of Spike in one of the lead roles as well as guests by both Jet and Faye.
Fun stuff, great animation but very violent. You have been warned.
-Trevor
Posted by Olivetta (Member # 6456) on :
I know, I just love her music! Every series she's done something for has had a different sound, a different flavor. Her music is textured and cool, or poppy or moving or whatever it needs to be. Amazing stuff.
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
I haven't had a chance to see it yet. Maybe sometime soon.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by Olivetta: I know, I just love her music! Every series she's done something for has had a different sound, a different flavor. Her music is textured and cool, or poppy or moving or whatever it needs to be. Amazing stuff.
Yes, that is what makes her SO COOL. And she has no sense of genre whatsoever, she just ads whatever fits like a painter or something And I SAW her in NY on several occasions, but did not get her autograph which was sad... she did not answer my synesthesia question straight, but, ah, well.
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
Currently watching through the original Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama, the pre-Z stories.
Man. Funny as all get-up. I know DBZ gets a bad rap, and not having seen any of it, I can't say much about it. But the original Dragon Ball is pure hilarity.
-
I also have begun, on recommendation, Fruits Basket, and have in my posession Now and Then, Here and There, which also comes highly recommended.
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Series wise, In the past I have completed and enjoyed NGE very much, as well as Cowboy Bebop, Kare Kano, and Lain. FLCL I'd need to see again to judge, and Escaflowne I enjoyed, but never finished.
Posted by Avadaru (Member # 3026) on :
My roomies and I watch an episode of Samurai Champloo every night. We don't own a TV, so I didn't even know it was on Cartoon Network, but it's a great series so far.
Posted by memory_guilded (Member # 8092) on :
I LOVE anime.
I highly recommend Escaflowne. But my other favorites include Rurouni Kenshin (a series about a wandering swordsman who vows to never kill again), Fruits Basket (a simply adorable series about a family who turns into members of the Chinese Zodiac, too cute!) and Trigun. The Twelve Kingdoms is a lesser known anime, but I absolutely love it. It's about a girl who is whisked to another world via storm. The storyline and the creatures are fantastic. I also love the series Gensomaden Saiyuki. The animation isn't fantastic, but it's entertaining as hell.
I also love Card Captor Sakura. Judging by the list of anime you've seen and enjoyed, I think you'd like this one. It is CUTE-AS-HECK.
What else? I wouldn't recommend DBZ for the simple fact that watching the series from beginning to end will bore you to tears. If you're going to watch DBZ, watch it on Cartoon Network where they'll most likely air the most exciting episodes. Not that I'm not a DBZ fan, I LOVE DBZ!
Evangelion is overrated. I don't dislike the series because of Shinji, either. What I find great about anime is that you actually give a crap for these cartoon characters, but the cast of Eva did nothing for me. I also dislike the kind of animes that try too hard to have plots that are multi-layered. It's just too confusing, and it makes me lose interest.
Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
Yoko Kanno is AWESOME.
~Jane~
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
Yes, but Joe Hisaishi is the shiznitz.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
For a very very much darker feeling, I recommend Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (I believe that's the full title). Everything else has been mentioned Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
I have a couple more to reccommend now, and some thanks:
Thanks to those who rec'ed Ghost in the Shell and Wolf's Rain (the ending to that one was kind of inscrutable to me, but I liked it).
I also really enjoyed Witch Hunter Robin, though the hubby gave up on it after four or five episodes of it's obviously flawwed morality (she's a craft user, which makes her different from the witches they hunt... how?), which it turns out is a really big part of the over-arching plot. Just took it a looong time to get there.
I have found that I love Fullmetal Alchemist but it isn't all out on dvd yet, so please, no spoilers.
We just started renting Samurai 7 because the hubby thought it looked good (he loves the Akira Kuwasawa original and sees most retellings of it). It's a Gonzo production, and they did another one that we really enjoyed, called Gankutsuou, a Japanese re-imagining of The Count of Monte Cristo (without all that pesky Christian forgiveness stuff ).
Thank you all for your cool rec's. I'm looking forward to getting Fruits Basket but the trailers looked a little, ah, fruity for me to sell the hubby on it. We'll see.
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
I just got My Neighbors The Yamadas and Howl's Moving Castle . The Yamadas are the funniest thing I've seen. Picture the Simpsons as done by Miyazaki. Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
I loved Howl's Moving Castle, even though it made minced meat out of the original story, which I a) really liked and b) thought made more sense.
It was just sooo pretty!
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
Anime I'd recommend that I've seen:
Cowboy Bebop Spirited Away Ghost in the Shell:SAC Wolf's Rain Fruits Basket Samurai Champloo Rurouni Kenshin (up to episode 50 something, then it goes downhill) Azumanga Diaoh
Evangelion is the most controversial anime from what I hear, and after watching End of Eva and despising it when everyone else loves it, I understand what people mean by the controversy.
I've heard good things about Samurai 7 and will watch that eventually. Love Hina was fun but a bit too hormonal. Same thing with Sousei no Aquarion.
Read or Die is also pretty good. The concept of paper "manipulation" was pretty cool.
I generally don't watch series that have 80+ episodes because that implies low production values and incredibly drawn out conflicts and storylines. Because of this, and the fact that I don't like the main character, Naruto doesn't make the cut. Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
My top ten:
Evangelion AKIRA Wolf's Rain Cowboy Beebop Ghost in the Shell Vampire Hunter D Robot Carnival Trigun Big O Robotech
I would include Aeon Flux, but I'm not sure if that is considered anime or not. Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I just bought all of Yu Yu Hakusho off of Ebay. Hope it arrives soon, I have yet to see anything past the Dark Tournament.
As for Witch Hunter Robin, I never saw all of it, but it didn't hook me like so many other animes have. I'd be willing to give it a seocnd chance if it were out on DVD (which it is), if it were cheap (I'm not sure about that) and if I had money to blow (which I don't).
Full Metal Alchemist however is fantastic. It picks up steam and never really loses it. I won't spoil the end, except to say that it's weird, but good. Though maybe not entirely satisfying. There is a movie that just recently came out that deals with what happens afterwards. Olivet, are you watching it with the Japanese audio, or the American dub?
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
I found the ending of the FMA movie to be fairly satisfying. I wasn't disappointed with the ending of the series either, possibly because I knew that a movie was coming that would be the real ending.
Without spoiling anything I'd say that it's bitter-sweet, which pretty much fits with the theme of the entire series.
Overall, FMA is just excellent in my opinion Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
I'm getting the dvds from Netflix as they come out. The next one is available sometime in May. *whimpers*
The last bit I saw, I think, was the Humunculi getting Wrath -- the one with Ed's arm and leg. It amuses me that they are named for the seven deadly sins, 'cause when anime borrows Christian themes or symbols, I have this urge to quote Inigo Montoya.
I've been watching FMA with the English dub -- even though I despise dubs, generally -- because I watch with the hubby when he's half working and can't watch the screen.
I saw half of Gundam Wing (the other half wasn't available on Netflix for some time) and Yu Yu Hakusho with the English Dubs, because the kids watched with us and could not yet read. I would sometimes watch the subbed versions later by myself, but I have learned to tolerate the dubs.
It seems to me that some of the dubs are not as bad as, say, the English dub of Akira and a lot of early dubs.
The English dub of Yami no Matsuei was so horrible, I died. Of embarrassment. Because I had rec'd it based on the fansub. *wince* It was cool that the silly-looking characters had this serious voice in the Japanese (at least more serious than in English). Also, Netflix does not offer the fourth story arc, whichwas the best, I think. (You get some idea how the bad guy got that way, and you realize he has at least one friend who genuinely cares for him, who is not a bad guy.)
So what am I missing by seeing the dub of FMA?
Posted by calaban (Member # 2516) on :
Bleach is my current favorite series.
Naruto is another I like. Both of them are engaging, although they follow the typical anime series propensity of replaying half the previous episode to save money, ahem, I mean bring you up to speed. They are also for generally younger audience.
Off the top of my head a list of my favorites include Akira, Robotech, Appleseed, Ghost in the Shell and Mononoke.
I wish I was Vash.
I think that english subtitles are the best way to watch anime. I'd rather listen to a foreign language than most of the voice actors they get to do these films. I especially like listening to both Japanese, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
Anyone remember a series with the main character named Gutz, who carries a big sword? Like FF7 big.
Ahah! Sword of the Berserk!
Good, although it contains many adult themes.
edit: for great justice.
[ April 10, 2006, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: calaban ]
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
I'm watching "Basilisk", right now. Newish anime (was aired only last year, in Japan) about Ninjas (albeit for older public if you compare it to Naruto). Very, very good.
Posted by xnera (Member # 187) on :
quote:The English dub of Yami no Matsuei was so horrible, I died.
Word, word, word. I was watching the specials on the disc (a trailer, I think) and it was in the English dub instead of the Japanese voices. I was cringing and screaming "MAKE IT STOP!!!" So, so horrid. Totally RUINED Hisoka.
I haven't heard the English voices for FMA. Perhaps I will watch a bit when I get home. Just watched disc 8 last night. May can't come soon enough.
I'm pretty sure Lime likes Fruits Basket, so maybe your beloved will like it too, Olivet. It can be silly, but I really love the story. It's one that I've really taken to heart.
I'm a huge Read or Die fan. Might be time to rewatch that, actually. I just adore Anita, with all my heart. And I love that it's women-centric, and that they all have different body types. Gotta love powerful women. Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
Ear: I love Azumanga Daiho!
One of my RL friends calls me "Osaka" (and, umm.. means it as a compliment..)
Pix
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
quote:Originally posted by The Pixiest: Ear: I love Azumanga Daiho!
One of my RL friends calls me "Osaka" (and, umm.. means it as a compliment..)
Pix
I like the "spacey" girl, she's so much like me when I'm tired. Allllll over the place...whooaaa...
Posted by Juxtapose (Member # 8837) on :
Not sure if someone mentioned Lain yet. Good stuff. Creepy.
Ninja Scroll! I've only seen the first movie though. Definite adult material in this one.
I liked the first thirty or so episodes of Naruto. The series has gone to 150+ so far. They do truly excellent combat animation occaisionally, so I keep watching, but I've lost all hope for the storyline.
You might want to try and find a place to download Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Decent plotline with the best fightscenes ever. You need flash 8 to view the website.
Air is cute, funny, and smart. I haven't finished the series, but I liked what I saw.
Golden Boy, if someone had described to me, I wouldn't have been interested in. But it's only a six-episode mini-series. So I tried it and it's awesome. Sexual themes in this one, but not gratuitously so.
I'll just add my vote for Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, and FlCl. The Cowboy Bebop movie is awesome too.
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
We tried Lain and gave up before the story really even started. Say, about five or six episodes in. It made us sleepy. I've heard from reliable sources that it is good once it gets going, though. So I believe you.
Cowboy Bebop is the coolest.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
Ear: That would be "Osaka" =)
::watches the floaters in her eyes::
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
I have watched those before! Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Has anyone seen Mr. Stain? I love this little show.
Personally I think the English voice actors for FMA are ridiculous. Winry's voice makes her sound like she's in her late 20's or early 30's in the English dub.
Plus I think the English dub does nothing to capture the range of emotion shown in the Japanese version. To be honest I rarely watch anything in the original Japanese, but after watching the entire series in Japanese, and then listening to it later in English, it doesn't even compare for me. In particular, Ed's character is changed entirely with the English voice. The range of emotion in the Japanese is much better if you ask me.
The only anime I can think of off the top of my head that MUST be viewed in the English dub is Trigun, and at that, only because the voice acting done by Vash is so friggin awesome.
I think I'd almost toss Yu Yu Hakusho in, because the voice acting done by Yuske is so good, but it's offset by how ANNOYING Kuwabara is.
I really like the voice acting in both Gundam Wing and G Gundam in the english too. Heero's monotone voice I think does a good job of portraying him as cold and calculating, which makes his emotional scenes all the more poignant and surprising. Duo's glib arrogant confidence comes through nicely as well, as does Quatre's goody goody sentimentality. I also like Traise Kushrenada's cool, calm, aristocratic demeanor. I've never watched it in the Japanese, but the Japanese deliveries tend to be too rough to capture much of the emotion described there.
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
I totally do not think Winry's voice sounded partiicularly old at all. I usually don't like female voices in the original Japanese because of the whole ear-bleedy thing so many of them do.
But agree about Kuwabara. *shudder*
They have Mr. Stain episodes on the FMA discs as "extras". We've enjoyed them so far.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
[ April 12, 2006, 02:44 AM: Message edited by: Telperion the Silver ]
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
What is the song being sang in the credits? It's catchy....might eliminate that MahnaMahna song from my mind.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
It's a techno version of "Country Roads".
[edit] Original by John Denver.
[ April 12, 2006, 04:28 AM: Message edited by: Telperion the Silver ]
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
By whom? I've never heard the song before.
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
Gawd, those AMV Hell vids are hilarious. Some are too edgy for me (nobody touches GotF).
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Add Porco Rosso to my list. It's like everything cool about Miyazaki films with a dash of crack. The boys loved it, we loved it. Nash only saw about 20 minutes of it and swore he had to own it immediately.
We also saw Steamboy recently. It was good visually and all, but fell a little flat anyway.
Posted by xnera (Member # 187) on :
quote:It's like everything cool about Miyazaki films with a dash of crack.
Oh my. Immediate addition to my Netflix queue is in order!
About the FMA voice actors: I've been too tired when I get home to pop in the DVD (insane hours at work past two days), but I looked up the actors online to see if they'd been in anything else. Nothing I'm aware of, but... I don't know, I'm so used to Japanese women voicing young/teenaged boys that seeing this studly guy voiced Ed in the English dub made me go o_O. I can't help imagining that the voice would be deep, and all wrong. I see Al is voiced by a kid; while that may make the voice truer to the character's age, like Lyrhawn said, I'd worry that some of the emotional quality was missing. I should be home at a decent time tonight, so hopefully I'll have a few minutes to check it out. I'm interested in hearing how it compares.
quote:The only anime I can think of off the top of my head that MUST be viewed in the English dub is Trigun, and at that, only because the voice acting done by Vash is so friggin awesome.
I am so, so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way! I loooooooove Vash's English voice actor. I'm not sure why I watched it in English in the first place (I'm guessing because it was one of the first anime titles I rented?) but I'm glad I did, because he really is superb. Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
There's a copy of Paranoia Agent at my Best Buy that tempts me everytime I walk into the store. That was such a great show. The suicide episode was comic genius.
I have to say that FMA is one of the best dubs I've heard. I liked it alittle less once I got my hands on the Japanese audio, but I can still enjoy it whenever I'm up late and catch it on tv. Now, I got really frustrated trying to download episodes of Naruto so I was excited to watch it Adult Swim, thinking they'd be continuing their streak of shows with great voice work. I'd like to say I was disappointed, but I wasn't...I was horrified. I gave it a half-dozen chances but the voices have ruined the show for me. This is one series I don't think I'll ever see. But then again, hearing how it falls apart later I don't regret it too much.
I just heard that Bleach will be coming to Adult Swim in September. I'm really nervous but I'm praying the company in charge gets the voices right. There's a couple of friends I would love to turn onto the show but they're new to anime so dubbing has been doing the best job of converting them so far (thank you Miyazaki and Disney!)
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
quote:Originally posted by Juxtapose: I liked the first thirty or so episodes of Naruto. The series has gone to 150+ so far. They do truly excellent combat animation occaisionally, so I keep watching, but I've lost all hope for the storyline.
Juxtapose, listen to me very carefully:
Don't lose faith in Naruto! from episode 136 to present (180) have been total crap because it is filler material. The anime was too close to catching up to the ongoing manga that it's based on, so the producers had to come up with a year's worth or boring nonsensical garbage that doesn't advance the plot at all, just so that they could stall and have enough material to adapt for the next year or so. I read the most current manga chapters, so I can tell you that once they start following the manga again the story actually goes somewhere.
Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
There's a new "Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society" movie that's coming out this year. Looks interesting.
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
The voice of Ed doesn't sound like an old guy to me. Al does sound like a kid, but it is kind of interesting hearing this young voice come from that big suit of armor.
Voice actors... I was really fond of this guy's voice. I swear, I could listen to him speak for quite some time and be perfectly happy not even knowing what he was saying. Too bad he's dead.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
My all time favorite voice actor isn't from Anime, it's John Huston, who was the voice of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings cartoon animated movies. He's always been the voice of Gandalf in my head whenever I read LOTR.
I don't think Ed sounds older in the English version, just different. I prefer the Japanese. Both Al's are good.
On a separate note, I bought all 32 DVDs of the Yu Yu Hakusho series off of Ebay. They were used, but I got them all for $125, which is less than 25% of what they SHOULD have cost. I consider it a deal, and I'm excited to see all the stuff past the Dark Tournament that I've never seen. I also got the two Yu Yu movies.
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
My Neighbor Totoro
Barefoot Gen
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Okay, dudes. Sorry to bump this but i didn't want to make a new one.
I have some new recommendations to add, and I figured you guys might, too.
Thank you to those who rec'ed Samurai Champloo. I'm only about 10 episodes in, and I love it sooo much. We have to pick and choose which episodes we let the boys watch, though. Quite a lot women getting sold to brothels in that one.
I've also rather gotten into Death Note though it is a bit predictable (you know that one character or another has some impossibly convoluted trick up their sleeve in every single episode), but I love it for teh uniquely creepy style and the fact that the golden boy (named Light, for goodness sake) is the mass murderer, while the creepy-looking loner is good guy.
At least so far. Please no spoilers! It is slow to come out on Netflix, and I cut it off for a while but now I'm catching up.
The boys are big Naruto fans, and I approve (though I get a little worn out if I have to watch too much of it with them).
Now that Avatar: The Last Airbender is over, I confess my love for it. I know it is American, but it still has strong Anime roots.
I watched some Blood and some Bleach, both of which were interesting until I failed to see them in order and was utterly lost.
Anything you guys want to recommend?
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
*cackles maniacally*
I might have a few things to mention
I'll see about working up a list . . .
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
Gurren Lagann! Studio Gainax's extremely funny yet extremely involving affectionate parody of shonen fantasy action. It celebrates how cool such shows can be while poking fun at the innate silliness of it all.
It also makes you care deeply for broad characters who really shouldn't come off as real, but do.
Posted by Achilles (Member # 7741) on :
Well, I got Bender's Game yesterday, but I'll be watching it tonight.
Yeah!
Posted by Lanfear (Member # 7776) on :
Well, after browsing three pages of this, I'm very glad
Death Note finally got a mention.
It is far and above my favorite anime. I'm not as well versed as some, that's for sure, but some of my other favorites
Rurouni Kenshin Akira Count of Monte Cristo (Ganku... something or other)
Death Note has such a dark style, that's so refreshing compared to the poppy lightness of most typical animes.
I watched Yu Yu back in the Cartoon Network days. Is it worth revisiting with a Japanese dub?
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
Oh, and The Twelve Kingdoms, the epic fantasy story of a Japanese schoolgirl who falls into a magical alternate world, but finds no bishonen love interest waiting there.
Shocking, I know.
But seriously, excellent world-building, great characters, gorgeous animation, and a plot that keeps one on one's toes.
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Oh, Bender's Game is vastly superior to Beast with a Billion Backs which was fun but uncomfortable in places.
We've seen it a couple times already. They really have fun with dungeons and dragons and LotR and stuff.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
I like Bleach if only merely for the Samurai-epic of it, lacks realism so I get kinda sad, at least there is some attempt at strategy in the fights and not whomever is "Over Nine Thousand".
Naruto Manga is faster paced, my only problem with it is the slowness of the series (the anime) and the damnable filler. I like it more then bleach for its greater attempt at strategy, I like both thanks to some adherence as i said above to "rules" to how things go.
Although I think Bleach has too many characters. Do I care about the blond haired guy with the Hook sword? No way. Gimme more of Toshiro darnit.
Death Note is "Great" for the first half, the second half is "Good" but definitely downhill from the first. I think they missed some excellent opportunities for ingenius story telling for DN and instead jumped the shark.
Monster was Great.
The Tales from Earthsea anime adaption was interesting.
What I want to see? A Anime adaption miniseries based on Harry Turtledove's "Days of Infamy" he gets the Japanese dialog spot on I was like "This could be 2 Anime characters talking!".
As well as a Anime Dungeons and Dragons themed series that actually sticks to D&D rules. (With a clear distinction of "Wizards" who study the Art and "Sorcerors" who learn through experience and instinct)
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
quote:Originally posted by Olivet:
Anything you guys want to recommend?
Fullmetal Alchemist is probably my favourite anime series of the last decade. I mentioned why on the first page of this thread.
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Agreed. We loved that one! but since I mentioned it before I didn't do it again to avoid redundancy.
Still, it deserves a mention because it was great all the way through. Many anime start strong and end up with major head-scratchers. It must be a cultural thing. I keep telling myself that Wolf's Rain would have made sense to me if I were only Japanese.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
What the hey dude, I mean you get some points for mentioning "Totoro" and "Spirited Away", but not "Porco Rosso" and "Pom Poko"?
Edit: Adding "Castle in The Sky"
Posted by BelladonnaOrchid (Member # 188) on :
I love Bleach! It's just a fun sort of super-epic anime. Death Note was fantastic, and we watched it religiously when it came out on Adult Swim.
An anime that I like (sorry if it's already been mentioned) is Elfen Lied. It's not really child appropriate as it has a couple of shots of nudity, but it's a really tragic sort of anime. It's short, too. Something like 12 or 13 episodes.
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
Adding also "Nausica of the Valley of the Wind", "Howl's Moving Castle" and Lupin III.
Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Most of Miyazaki has already been put forward on past pages.
Lanfear, I loved Gankutsuou!
I'm taking notes...
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
I've been hearing REALLY good things about Samurai 7. It's approximately 23 episodes and it's a retelling of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Apparently it takes place in feudal Japan but with some steam punk influences. It's drawn by the same studio that does Full Metal Panic. I want to check this one out.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
I like most of the series that have been mentioned, but I'm a much bigger fan of the "slice of life" genre of anime. My favorites are Lovely Complex and Genshiken. And I did love the original Naruto , but Shippuuden is absolutely horrible. (I still love the manga, though. )
A silly, interesting anime is Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei . Very odd. And a classic great is Jungle wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu. Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
Oh, cool. I think I may just print this out...
I LOVED Samurai 7!!!
Posted by T:man (Member # 11614) on :
Samurai seven was awesome!
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
I recently watched Ergo Proxy (one season, 23 episodes) and I loved the hell out of it. Be warned, though, it's intense, and deep as hell. I enjoyed it more than GitS, and that's saying something.
I saw both the subtitled Japanese and English dub versions, and the voice acting was spectacular in both versions. Very little if any was lost in translation.
I liked the first half of Death Note, though the manga is better, IMO. FMA is a great watch and a great read too. Don't much care for Naruto, Bleach, or One Piece, though to be fair I didn't give them much of a chance.
If you want to bawl your eyes out, I suppose I'd reccomend Saikano, though be warned, It's depressing as hell, and deals with very mature themes. Definitely 16+, in my opinion.
I read Air, and I liked it. Haven't seen the anime.
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
I am going slightly crazy for an anime called "Shugo Chara." The second season just started and nothing has happened yet (the animators seem almost scared to do a filler.) But otherwise, its loads of fun. Its a classic magic-girl anime with a theme about following one's dreams and being true to yourself. It embraces the beloved cliches and challenges the stupider ones (the heroine is not some lovable, klutz.) A girl who appears aloof and cool to her classmates secretly wants to be just a cute, confident girl. One morning she wakes up to three colorful eggs in her bed who each hatch into a magical personality that reflects on aspect of her dream-self. They also bestow her with magical powers and she fights to protect the dreams of others while still trying to discover her own course in life.
I also discovered the anime version of "Twlight" sans vampires. Its called "Itazura no Kiss" (It Started With a Kiss.) You just want to smack some sense into the heroine and beat the hero for being such a jerk...and yet its oddly addictive. A girl writes a confession-letter to the smartest, cutest boy in school who rejects her without even reading it. Back at home, an earthquake destroys her new home. Her father tells her that an old friend has offered to take them in and...dum dum dum...his son is the boy who rejected her! Craziness ensues!
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
quote:Originally posted by Olivet: Oh, cool. I think I may just print this out...
I LOVED Samurai 7!!!
Just watched it with the Mrs and my brother, I'm definitely intrigued. Posted by manji (Member # 11600) on :
quote:Originally posted by PSI Teleport: I like most of the series that have been mentioned, but I'm a much bigger fan of the "slice of life" genre of anime. My favorites are Lovely Complex and Genshiken.
Then, I'm going to have to mention Lucky Star. I guess you could say it's similar to Azumanga Daioh.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
I still need to watch Lucky Star. I only watched the first episode and I know that never works with anime, but I haven't been able to muster up the interest to watch any more. I'm sure it gets better as it goes on. And I do like Azumanga Daioh.
I'm going to try Itazura na Kiss which Shanna suggested. I really like the shoujo anime. But I prefer the ones where people actually get together, at least eventually.
Forgot to mention: Initial D but it may have been mentioned earlier in the thread. It doesn't get much better than fun guys and car races.
Posted by Trent Destian (Member # 11653) on :
I'm currently viewing an older anime called Touch based of a manga of the same name. Read the series to completion and now I'm moving through the episodes like an addict.
Has anyone else heard of this anime/manga?
Posted by manji (Member # 11600) on :
quote:Originally posted by Trent Destian: I'm currently viewing an older anime called Touch based of a manga of the same name. Read the series to completion and now I'm moving through the episodes like an addict.
Has anyone else heard of this anime/manga?
Yes, it's by Adachi Mitsuru. He has a couple of other baseball series, the most recent called Cross Game, serialized in Weekly Shounen Sunday. He doesn't do much else besides romantic-comedy-sports manga. One of his series that seemed to break the trend was Niji Iro Tougarashi, an Edo period manga.
After a while, you notice that he's been drawing the same story for almost thirty years.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
I'm watching Itazura na Kiss right now. It really is like Twilight! I'm cracking up at the similarities. "He's seventeen but he doesn't like girls at all!"
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Ponyo was kinda cute movie. Catchy music.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
Anyone else notice there was alot of poisonous species depicted?
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
I've been dying to see it. It's already playing over here? Ack. Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
More like raining... over here.
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
)![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
![[Grumble]](graemlins/grumble.gif)
Personally, I find it waaay too obtuse, and Shinji way too whiny.![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
![[Laugh]](graemlins/laugh.gif)
![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
Now I find that it holds no interest for me.
![[Evil]](graemlins/evil.gif)
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