18-09-2003 16:49									#31
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--"The scene when she gets her wings was a bit weird but everything else was normal."

The wings bit is part of what got me hooked. That's just not the kind of thing most anime would even think about, much less address. It was a very well done scene.

You'll have to let me know when you see more of it ^_^

--"Heheh, dance like you want to win was hilarious and brilliantly done..."

The problem is that it's hard to mix comedy and drama well. Not many shows pull it off. As a stand-alone episode, it was good, but fitting it in to the rest of the series is where I have some problem with it.

Wraith
"Yoroshiku, Baby, desu no"
-- Safety ("Risky/Saftey")

	18-09-2003 18:48									#32
	Re: Anime Apolyton Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Originally posted by Wraith Speaking of manga, ADV's put out the first volume of Azumanga Daioh. Sounds like they're doing a decent job so far, although they're over-localizing things. Much of the humor of Azumanga Daioh is very rooted in Japanese culture, so this could be a problem. Still, giving Osaka a Brooklyn accent was probably about as good as that little gag could get.

I forget where, but there was a site translating it that gave her a Southern accent, which seemed to work well.

	18-09-2003 18:50									#33
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Why does this girl need an accent? Does she speak in Kansai-ben or something?

	18-09-2003 19:02									#34
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quote: The wings bit is part of what got me hooked. That's just not the kind of thing most anime would even think about, much less address. It was a very well done scene. You'll have to let me know when you see more of it ^_^

Yes, it was weird in the good way

	19-09-2003 08:57									#35
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--"I forget where, but there was a site translating it that gave her a Southern accent, which seemed to work well."

Not really. She's from Osaka, and the stereotype of Osaka is closer to the US stereotype of Brooklyn than the South. By a long shot. Which is where the joke comes in. Everyone expected her to be brash, energetic, a loudmouth (a lot like Tomo, in other words), but she's really nothing like that at all.

--"Why does this girl need an accent? Does she speak in Kansai-ben or something?"

She's from Osaka (hence the nickname), as I mention above. Her accent really isn't that bad, except when her classmates refuse to let her speak standard. There's a good scene in the anime about this. When she transfers to the school, Yukari-sensei makes her introduce herself in Kansai-ben, even though she first introduces herself in standard.

Wraith
"You know the times you can see the dust in your eyes? I'm chasing it right now."
-- Osaka ("Azumanga Daioh")

	19-09-2003 08:58									#36
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I'm sorta sad that anime has become so popular in the U.S. When it was small, it was this special thing that belonged to just us.

	19-09-2003 09:15									#37
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quote: She's from Osaka (hence the nickname), as I mention above. Her accent really isn't that bad, except when her classmates refuse to let her speak standard. There's a good scene in the anime about this. When she transfers to the school, Yukari-sensei makes her introduce herself in Kansai-ben, even though she first introduces herself in standard.

Okini.

	22-09-2003 01:54									#38
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

This was a Madhouse weekend. I finished off the fansub for Hajime No Ippo TV, which is a series about a fighter's rise to the top of the Japanese boxing world. I guess the last episode was released in Japan in 2002. 76 episodes so far plus one movie.

The series reminds me a lot of Initial D. A formulaic story about a young, humble but earnest prodigy getting to the top of a sport--street racing in Initial D and boxing in Hajime No Ippo. Throw in the girl next door--a childhood friend in Initial D and a former opponent's sister in Hajime No Ippo. A mentor--the protaganist's father in Initial D and the trainer in Hajime No Ippo. Some contemporary Japanese social commentary--teenage girls "dating" older men for pay in Initial D and classmate bullying in Hajime No Ippo.

These kinds of stories are all very enjoyable, if done well, both in Japanese anime and American movies. The series borrows liberally from the Rocky movie series in several places, which was fun. The music style is straight out of Rocky, for instance.

One thing that is interesting is that when made in Japan, these stories seem to include a lot more detail about the sport. Karate Kid only had wax on, wax off, but Hajime no Ippo went into good detail about the different punches used, strategies, some of the history of boxing in the US and Mexico, and how it all applied to the story. The story pacing in Hajime No Ippo is very slow in part because of this. Sometimes a single fight will take 3 or 4 episodes to play out.

All in all, Hajime no Ippo is a great series, for those who can take the slow pacing. I give it a 9.

Last edited by DanS on 22-09-2003 at 02:04

	01-10-2003 00:28									#39
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I guess this is the last Anime Apolyton.

Don't know if anybody here has a high definition display and cable HDTV service, but InHD (two HD cable channels) is running some high definition anime in conjunction with the Anime Network. I can't get it (I'm on Starpower/RCN, which doesn't carry InHD), but currently they're running Spriggan and You’re Under Arrest: The Movie.

http://www.inhd.com/pressReleases/press7_1_03.jsp

I did some research and HDNet, another HD channel pair that I do get with Starpower/RCN, has only run repeats of old Speed Racer episodes--not exactly the thing to showcase HD anime.

Last edited by DanS on 01-10-2003 at 01:20

	01-10-2003 00:58									#40
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Not that anybody here cares, but Yuki Kajiura will be doing the music work to Xenosaga Episode II, rather than Yasonouri Mitsuda. Rather surprising being that Mitsuda did pretty good work on both Xenogears & Xenosaga Ep. I. In any case, Kajiura is apperantly the lady who did .hack//Sign's music, and anybody who has seen parts of the show know that the music was one of the best parts of the series (excluding the bizarre opening number, of course). So hopefully XS2's music is in good hands.

Still, I haven't seen the Kyoto arc, which is supposed to be the best part.

Agree that the OAV is better than the TV series, from what I've seen of it, at least. I will say that from a source I trust- my old roommate- the best part of the TV series in his opinion is the Shimabura arc, which takes place around 10 or so episodes after the Kyoto arc.

I've only watched bits and pieces on the Cartoon Network, but I will say that the dubbing is excellent. Shishio in particular strikes me as the kind of villain I would dislike (not in the good sense) in the Japanese version, but his American voice actor lends the proper balance of menace and charisma. It's only been Kyoto arc episodes I've caught (it's a looong arc apperantly) here and there, and they're enjoyable enough, I guess. I probably wouldn't be able to stand the earlier "random wanderings" as opposed to the actually somewhat plotty Kyoto arc. Not that the plot is much more than a giant excuse for a lot of duels, but whatever. Better than nothing. And there were at least 2 episodes in it that challenged Kenshin's philosophy and thereby made themselves morally interesting, actually.

	01-10-2003 01:09									#41
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quote: In any case, Kajiura is apperantly the lady who did .hack//Sign's music, and anybody who has seen parts of the show know that the music was one of the best parts of the series (excluding the bizarre opening number, of course). So hopefully XS2's music is in good hands.

Not to forget Noir. Of the current composers around, Kajiura is a very good choice.

I wonder if Mitsuda is going to quit composing for games? Maybe it's a good thing, though: Xenosaga's soundtrack, while decent, wasn't IMHO even close to Xenogears's.

	01-10-2003 01:16									#42
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quote: currently they're running Spriggan and You’re Under Arrest: The Movie.

Ooohhh! Spriggan was a good one! Probably a top fiver.

	01-10-2003 01:45									#43
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Mitsuda is working on Shadow Hearts II, along with Yoshitoka Hirota, from what I understand. Being that Mitsuda's contributions to Shadow Hearts were actually kind of underwhelming- Hirota was definitely the star of the show there- I'm hoping he produces something better. Consdiering that Hirota still can't write cheery music properly, and Mitsuda hasn't written a good battle theme in awhile, let Hirota write the dark stuff and Mitsuda write the happy stuff. It'll work out fine.

I agree that Xenogears had better music than XS, but XS was still pretty good on the whole.

I haven't seen Noir. I'm told it's a bit slow, but decent.

	01-10-2003 02:48									#44
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Speaking of Noir, it's just starting this month on INHD.

	01-10-2003 14:39									#45
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quote: Shishio in particular strikes me as the kind of villain I would dislike (not in the good sense) in the Japanese version, but his American voice actor lends the proper balance of menace and charisma.

It's the same guy who did the voice of Spike for Cowboy Bebop. Also did the main character's voice in Big O, IIRC. Great voice actor.

	01-10-2003 16:45									#46
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--"Okini."

I've been rewatching some of this, and I think her accent gets worse over the course of the series. In one of the later episodes Osaka says that something scary happened to her that morning, and Tomo asks her if she woke up speaking standard Japanese.

--"I finished off the fansub for Hajime No Ippo TV"

I haven't watched any of the anime, but I've read a little of the manga. Not really my kind of thing, but I don't normally get into sports anime.

As far as Initial D goes... please refrain from mentioning that one *shudder*

--"I guess this is the last Anime Apolyton."

Latest yes, but last is unlikely ^_^

--"Don't know if anybody here has a high definition display and cable HDTV service,"

I don't, but this is good reason to consider it in the future. I've been planning to get a front projector at some point after I move, but mostly for DVDs. If they're actually airing HD anime...

--"but currently they're running Spriggan"

Uh, okay, maybe not. One of the worse anime movies I've seen. Kind of like a bad Arnold Schwarzenegger movie with a cheap Temple of the Lost Ark rip-off mixed in.

--"You’re Under Arrest: The Movie."

Haven't seen this one, but the OVA and series are pretty good. I think it's fairly old, though, so it's another one that isn't a great candidate for HD.

On the other hand, lots of anime recently has been made in HD. I would absolutely love to see Haibane Renmei in a full HD run.

--"and anybody who has seen parts of the show know that the music was one of the best parts of the series"

"One of"? ^_^

--"It's only been Kyoto arc episodes I've caught"

Interesting. Last I heard anything about it, CN wasn't planning to air the Kyoto arc. I can't recall why not. Guess they changed their minds.

--"Not that the plot is much more than a giant excuse for a lot of duels,"

This is pretty standard for action anime. The only one I've seen so far that I really enjoyed was Hunter X Hunter. The fights are short (most last a couple minutes or so) and there's a real story and interesting characters.

--"I haven't seen Noir. I'm told it's a bit slow, but decent."

I've seen it, and again the music is the best part. It's self-conciously pretentious. They made it a point to not show blood in a show about assassins, for example. The pacing is all over the place; the first few and last few episodes are pretty decent, but the rest can be skipped. They also rely way too much on stock footage; there's one particular flashback sequence that sometimes appears several times an episode.

--"It's the same guy who did the voice of Spike for Cowboy Bebop."

David Lucas (or so it is attributed). He is one of the good ones.

Wraith
"Can't we just break the shell with a hammer or something?"
-- Kana ("Haibane Renmei")

	01-10-2003 18:27									#47
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quote: Interesting. Last I heard anything about it, CN wasn't planning to air the Kyoto arc. I can't recall why not. Guess they changed their minds.

The Kyoto arc was in full swing when I left America at the end of July. I'm kinda pissed I didn't see how it ended.

spoiler(highlight to read): Last I saw, Shishio was on his way to shell the **** out of Tokyo.

	01-10-2003 19:43									#48
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quote: As far as Initial D goes... please refrain from mentioning that one *shudder*

Yes, I can understand how it would annoy you. But it didn't annoy me, and I don't mind watching some B material if it fits the formulas that I enjoy, so it's all good.

quote: I don't, but this is good reason to consider it in the future. I've been planning to get a front projector at some point after I move, but mostly for DVDs. If they're actually airing HD anime...

INHD is in the HD tier for Comcast, Cox, TimeWarner, and Bright House cablecos. Not all locations are served with HDTV for cable, though. I've got a thread going on an HDTV forum for reviews on how Noir looks, which is starting this evening with two eps. I'll let you know how it turns out.

As for the HD material being produced in Japan, WOWOW (their digital channel) airs in HD. I guess anything copyrighted by them is likely to be produced in HD.

With regard to front projectors, I can clue you in, once and if you're ready. I've got an Infocus Screenplay 7200, which is a very nice 720p 16:9 projector. It was pretty expensive, though, so I might not recommend it for the weak of heart (I had buyer's remorse for a while).

	01-10-2003 20:45									#49
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quote: Originally posted by David Floyd What are y'all's opinions on Evangelion? My roommate wants me to watch it, but I dunno...

I liked it, I found the first bunch of episodes hilarious with the others dramatically compelling

quote: Originally posted by Wraith The last two episodes of the series will probably confuse you. Make sure to also watch End of Evangelion.

I'm still

	01-10-2003 23:47									#50
	Tired of ads?

I had no idea what was going on in the last two; always figured I was going to have to find the whole series and watch it through.

I found Boogiepop Phantom's Ultra Edition again at Best Buy and they dropped the price from $106 to $53. I picked it up and was jamming the soundtrack back to work. Pretty damn excited since it's so highly recommended, even if most everyone laid my Spriggan low.

	02-10-2003 19:25									#51
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

Well, I finally got around to watching some episodes of FLCL. Hmmm.
Lets just say its a good one to watch while drinking (heavily).

I still have NFI whats going on, but I must say I'm loving it.

* Skanky Burns pours some black Sambuca and starts episode 3 rolling.

	02-10-2003 20:35									#52
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There appears to be a problem with the sound on Boogiepop Phantom.

It appears to just be with the english dub I was watching while I ate dinner and couldn't read the subtitles. It's nice to see that quality is priority one.

I made it through the first four episodes. I thought initially that this was a standard series. When I was reading the backs of the dvds it appeared that each episode was standalone. After watching the first four they appear to be loosely related. Is the relation happenstance or are we going to have regular characters after awhile, like the ones named in the intro? Also, how many episodes are there? The box set only comes with twelve but I thought I heard somewhere there were more.

	02-10-2003 21:06									#53
	Got spare money?

There are only twelve episodes in Boogiepop Phantom.

	04-10-2003 01:42									#54
	Put an end to popups!

Apparently, Noir on INHD looks like a DVD upconvert. There's e-mail going back and forth with the company about this, so hopefully it will be sorted.

	04-10-2003 04:51									#55
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--"Not all locations are served with HDTV for cable, though."

Well, I'm moving in a couple months. The area has both Cox and Time Warner, so if they're competing they've probably got the HD channels going. We'll see, though. I haven't actually even been planning to get cable. I barely use it.

--"With regard to front projectors, I can clue you in,"

Heh. I'll probably just dive in to the AVS Forum. ^_^

--"I still have NFI whats going on, but I must say I'm loving it"

There's actually a plot going on that gets (mostly) wrapped up. Surprising, given that they admit they were pretty much making it up as they went along.

--"There appears to be a problem with the sound on Boogiepop Phantom."

I seem to remember reading something about that, but I rarely watch the dubs anyway. Check with Right Stuf, they may have a replacement program in place still.

--"Is the relation happenstance or are we going to have regular characters after awhile, like the ones named in the intro?"

There are regular characters. All the events that seem loosely related at first are all centered around a few key events that tie things together. It may take a few veiwings to piece things together properly, though, with the way they jump back and forth between three main points in time.

--"Apparently, Noir on INHD looks like a DVD upconvert."

Hmm. Are these dubbed or subbed?
I have to wonder what the licensing deal covered for broadcasts. ADV may not be allowed to broadcast the original HD masters.

Wraith
- This Space Intentionally Left Blank -

	08-10-2003 01:07									#56
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I just finished the fansub of Chobits last evening.

The series has a lot of downsides, especially in the beginning episodes. Way too many nosebleeds, masturbation jokes, and kiddy porn tendencies (sometimes I wonder about Japanese society...). But I decided to stick with it, since the premise was good--a discarded android with a damaged memory bank is found in the dumpster by a cram school student from the sticks. After about mid-way, it turns into an intelligent discussion about the meaning of love in both android-human and human-human relationships. Sprinkle in some thoughtful portrayal on human alienation in modern society.

Some story loose ends aren't wrapped up, and they relied too much on the android being out of the ordinary--almost supernatural. But overall I was satisified with the ending.

spoiler(highlight to read): What I want to know is who threw her away, when was she thrown away, and why. Why didn't the person who threw her away actually destroy her first?

After the first part, it compares favorably to other sexy robot girl series, such Hand Maid Mai.

quote: Heh. I'll probably just dive in to the AVS Forum. ^_^

Good show.

quote: Are these dubbed or subbed?

Dubbed, I believe.

A question: Is there some forum other than the ones for fansubbing where all of the otaku hang out and I can discussion about some of these series?

	08-10-2003 07:15									#57
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

--"The series has a lot of downsides, especially in the beginning episodes."

All the other ones, too. ^_^ Seriously, though, three recap episodes in a 26 episode series? Not to mention the incredible amounts of filler in the rest of them.

--"After about mid-way, it turns into an intelligent discussion about the meaning of love in both android-human and human-human relationships."

I think it tried to do this, but failed. I haven't read any of it yet, but I'm told that the manga is a great improvement over the anime. If this is the aspect of it you liked the most, you might want to check that out instead. I'm pretty sure it's been licensed.

As far as who threw her away:

spoiler(highlight to read): Okay, I don't recall very well, but I'm pretty sure it was the landlady they were staying with. She and her husband were the ones who originally created the Chobits, or at least were presented that way in the series.

--"Dubbed, I believe."

Thought so. ADV has talked about (or perhaps others have talked to them about) adding subbed shows as well. This shouldn't really be a problem with a VoD setup.

--"Is there some forum other than the ones for fansubbing where all of the otaku hang out and I can discussion about some of these series?"

Lots of them, depending on what you're looking for. Stores like Anime Nation run forums, the Megatokyo forums tend to have a lot of anime discussion, and so on. I normally stick with the Anime on DVD forums unless there's something specific I'm looking for.

Wraith
How can I build a Death Ray if they won't let me have any busbars?

	08-10-2003 22:39									#58
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

quote: I think it tried to do this, but failed. I haven't read any of it yet, but I'm told that the manga is a great improvement over the anime. If this is the aspect of it you liked the most, you might want to check that out instead. I'm pretty sure it's been licensed.

Well, we're talking about human-android relationships. What do you expect? ;-)

spoiler(highlight to read): Re the landlady, that makes some sense. But would a "mother" really dispose of her "daughter" in this fashion? That's what got me confused.

I'll check out the manga. I've never read manga before.

Thanks for the Anime on DVD forum tip. :b

I've just started watching Slam Dunk! on fansub. What's with the thick lip animation? Reminds me a lot of Initial D.

	09-10-2003 05:57									#59
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--"Well, we're talking about human-android relationships. What do you expect? ;-)"

Nuku Nuku ^_^

(This forum needs a smiley with cat-ears...)

(Oh, and that's OVA Nuku Nuku, not Dash or TV)

--"I've just started watching Slam Dunk! on fansub. What's with the thick lip animation?"

Couldn't say. I rarely watch sports anime, and this isn't one of the exceptions.

Wraith
"I can't die now! I have to give my daughter a stuffed fish."
-- Shinesman Sepia ("Shinesman")

	09-10-2003 06:11									#60
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Nuku Nuku? lol.

Well, good thing you said the OVA, because I saw the first couple of eps for TV and it was a real snoozer... zzzz