Any anime fans arround?

[Renmazuo]

Hey all, just wanted to know around here if anyone else is an anime fan. Not hardcore watching, just enjoy it from time to time.

I recently managed to pick up Evangaleion (sp?) finally in the thin pack box-set for pretty cheap, 75$ canadian. I also found a show called starship operaters which I think is pretty awesome, only 12 episodes, so not too much watching involved.

I was wondering though, has anybody heard about a show called Gun X Sword? There's some previews for it on my SO, and Hellsing DVD's and I was wondering if anybody has seen it yet even though it's not out here yet, it seems awesome.

Sorry for rambling. ;D

[B0nd07]

Heck yeah!

I'm currently working on getting the complete Cowboy Bebop Remix collection.

As for Gun X Sword, I can't say I know what that is, but it sounds interesting.

[Renmazuo]

I'm right there with you B0nd. I'm working on getting Bebop as well. I can't find Vol.4 anywhere. Do you know if it's out yet?

[WampaX]

TCM was running Myazaki films on Thursdays this month. At least I found out about if on this last Thursday and saw two films I had never seen before, Only Yesterday and Pom Poko.

I gotta tell ya, despite the BNRS* Pom Poko was pretty good.

Only Yesterday was one of those anime where they used anime to do it becuase it would have cost more to film with live actors, not because of special effects (really wern't any) or anything more complicated than location shooting, though. Still a good movie.



* Baffling Number of Racoon Scrotums

[B0nd07]

Renmazuo: Remix 4 was supposed to come out on Tuesday, but Bandai messed up shipping them out like they did for Remix 3. I reserved it at Suncoast and they haven't called me yet, so I don't know when it will be out.

WampaX: I didn't get to see as many movies as I wanted to, although I did get to see some that I haven't seen. I saw (in no particular order) Whisper of the Heart, Pom Poko, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totoro*.

I know exactly what you're talking about with the BNRS. It was weird, but still enjoyable.

*= Seen before, but watched anyway.

[Deleran]

TCM was running Myazaki films on Thursdays this month. At least I found out about if on this last Thursday and saw two films I had never seen before, Only Yesterday and Pom Poko.

I gotta tell ya, despite the BNRS* Pom Poko was pretty good.

Only Yesterday was one of those anime where they used anime to do it becuase it would have cost more to film with live actors, not because of special effects (really wern't any) or anything more complicated than location shooting, though. Still a good movie.



* Baffling Number of Racoon Scrotums

Yeah, the whole thing was great. I wish TCM showed more movies I want to see. I like that there's no commercial interruption. I have to confess that that's really the only anime I like though, and I'm not certain that I really consider it anime. They don't fall into the same conventions. There's a word I'm searching for here that is totally what I'm looking for and totally escaping me. If I remember it, I'll edit this post to include it. Anyway, thats how I feel about anime.

[Azure_Sky]

TCM was running Myazaki films on Thursdays this month.

A while ago, they were screening them here in Aus, but they only showed Laputa, Nausica, Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away. And they were dubbed. Fooie.

Although, speaking of anime, for those in Aus, Ghost in the Shell StandAlone Complex is on SBS at 10pm.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

The TCM Miyazaki festival was a lot of fun. I own most of his films available on DVD here (Pom Poko, Kiki's Delivery Service, and My Neighbor Tortoro being the notable exceptions), but it's always fun to watch them, and it's great to see them get that kind of exposure. I do wish they had spent less time talking to the Pixar guy, honestly... he seems kind of fanboyish...

I think the BNRS is just a feature of the standard depiction of tanuki in Japanese art (apparently the real raccoon dog has rather large testicles). From what I've seen/been told, Pom Poko is actually more mild than some depictions...

[Dr._Weird]

Is "Aus" Australia or Austria?

But there are two animes that I really enjoy. Well, if you count Miyazaki's movies as anime. I enjoy that a lot, and have seen: Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, My Friend Totoro, Castle In the Sky, and I have the feeling there's another I'm forgetting. I own Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa.

EDIT: Oh, and I love Trigun too.

EDIT EDIT: Oh yeah, Kiki's Delivery service. That's the one I was forgetting.

[Vaynor]

Not really an anime fan. Into Inverloch (www.seraph-inn.com) if that counts as anime not really too sure. :P

[Taraz]

Indeed i am... It's all hellsing, black cat and for some odd unknown reason excel saga.. ohh well..

[Kingtut]

I kept forgetting to watch on thursdays. :(

I did get to see mononoke and spirited away.

i watch as much as I can but as I'm broke that's mostly what i can borrow from my friends.

My two favorites are Getbackers and Full Metal Alchemist.

[2000eyes]

im in australia and ghost in the shell is on like every thursday night and there are always anime movies on every wednesday

my favourite anime is ghost in the shell

the movie and stand alone complex

and spirited away, apple seed,castle in the sky, full metal alchemist are good and im not sure if its anime but kiki's delivery service is good too

[starwoof]

Might I recomend an anime known as The Cat Returns? A fun little movie about a girl kidnapped and taken away to the kingdom of cats to marry the cat prince.

I dont understand why people who dont speak japanese watch anime in japanese. Im learning japanese and I can identify when theyre talking about themselves (watashi!) but thats about it. Sure the voice acting might be better, but its still in a language you dont understand.

Fun Fact: Patrick Stewart was Lord Yupa in Nausicaa.

Im currently in the process of renting and watching all Miyazaki movies.

[anphorus]

I'm currently watching Bleach, Naruto and One Piece. i'm pretty mainstream (at least when it comes to subs) really.

My favorite anime has to be Full Metal Alchemist.

I've seen far too many to count really, my Akira DVD is on my PC desk now, actually.

[kriebly]

I dont understand why people who dont speak japanese watch anime in japanese. Im learning japanese and I can identify when theyre talking about themselves (watashi!) but thats about it. Sure the voice acting might be better, but its still in a language you dont understand.
Most English-speaking anime otakus watch anime in Japanese with English captions (aka subtitles), so w^Hthey will understand what is being said.

It gives the viewer the opportunity to pick up some Japanese, and also allows the viewer to see how much English has polluted non-formal Japanese conversation.

Most Japanese dubbing is done with the actors together in one room, so they can converse more naturally. Most English dubbing is done with the actors being recorded alone. (Also, most English voice actors are from Canada, so the viewer is being exposed to the wrong kind of English!)


Im currently in the process of renting and watching all Miyazaki movies.
I've been itching to get my hands on The Little Norse Prince, which I saw part of when I was very little. Miyazaki was key animator for it.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

I'm trying to keep up with Bleach, Blood Plus, and Naruto right now myself.

Anyways, another source of the traditional "subs over dubs" sentiment is that, when anime was first starting to come over to the US, the companies importing it had a tendency to do some rather annoying things to the shows/films.

The sentiment that animation was for kids was still quite strong when anime was first showing up. Even the adult animations (Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Futurama, etc) in the US were generally designed to emulate children's shows in order to generate humor (there were almost no purely adult dramatic/action titles). Because of this, when a company brought an anime over, they immediately began marketing it to children no older than 12. However, in Japan anime is generally accepted as appropriate for a wider range of ages. Also, Japanese culture is more permissive of certain concepts than the US is. Thus, some of these animes contained elements designed for older audiences (often teenage ones) that wouldn't be acceptable in US children's programming. In order to rectify this, the companies would change or eliminate plot-lines, characters, whatever they needed to, in order to make them acceptable. In doing so, they often mangled the story of the show.

Even worse, some of the companies decided that the shows were too "advanced" for their audiences. So they would cut complex elements and simplify the shows - basically, dumb them down.

In addition, the voice acting was often not just different in content, but of very low quality. Several voice actors involved in animes have stated that they were not given any information about the characters they were voicing or the concepts of the shows - they went in essentially blind and had to learn as they went. Add to this the fact that translations were often done essentially literally, with no adjustment to make things more natural for English. It's no wonder that the actors did poor jobs - they were dealing with awkward lines with no direction. Of course, a number of these voice actors were honestly just not very good and themselves were basically in it to make a quick buck. Not a situation at all conducive to a quality product.

So, early dubs had awful voice acting and - even worse - changed storylines. For fans, the fansubs offered the only real way to find out what the show was actually intended to be about. And it got you away from some really grating voice work.

Now, though, official dubbers are generally treating the shows with a lot more respect. The true kid shows - the ones that are kid shows in Japan to begin with - don't mess with the strories as much anymore. The voice-acting is still bleh, but it's about on par with what it is in Japan. They are kid shows, after all.

The real difference is with the more mature material. Cartoon Network's Adult Swim seems to have really kicked this off, as much as it gets bashed by some. The quality of the voice acting has improved greatly and the shows are now being marketed to the audiences they were made for, and thus the plots are largely left alone. In fact, many of the new dubs are just as good as the subs.

The Inuyasha dub is slightly off from the original, but generally it's edited for time rather than content (in Japan, they usually use fewer commercial breaks). The voice acting is pretty much the same quality (some are better in the dub, some are worse, it comes out about equal in the end).

Some others are really well done - FLCL, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex stand out in particular. I've seen all but Samurai Champloo both subbed and dubbed. For the three I've seen subbed, the dub has been just as good in quality and has presented the story accurately. In fact, I slightly prefer the English voice acting for Cowboy Bebop and have no preference for the other two. In these cases - that is, when the voice acting is well done and the show hasn't been messed with - I much prefer to watch the dub. Not only is it less work, the dubbers are now good enough to make small tweaks that actually make the show's themes come through more clearly for English speaking audiences.

For example, in FLCL, some of the characters at one point discuss a particular convenience store that sells a rather obscure soda - Cheerio Pop. In the US version, they instead mention Crystal Pepsi. The change actually improves things for US viewers - they won't recognize Cheerio Pop, but they will recognize Crystal Pepsi, which holds the same place in US pop culture that Cheerio Pop does in Japanese pop-culture. So, this change not only doesn't modify the story, it improves it for US audiences since they'll actually understand the reference.

For GitS:SAC, I really prefer the recent dub. GitS has a ridiculously complex story and the characters are prone to length bits of exposition. It's a lot easier to follow this when I can listen to it rather than read it, especially since I don't have to deal with the occasional fansub translator error (fansub veterans can appreciate this - "mass naked child events" ring any bells for anyone?).

I hope that clears up the historic bias against dubs. Some longtime fans are still prejudiced against them due to prior experience, but I'm willing to check them out in the current climate, since the quality has improved so much.

EDIT: Thought of two more things. First, examples for the story alteration issue. Sailor Moon is notorious for this, especially in regards to Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune's relationship (lovers in the original, cousins in the dub :P). Also, Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind was the victim of a terrible hatchet-job of a dub, to the point that it was renamed "Warriors of the Wind" for the dub release. It was so awful that Miyazaki refused to allow official dubs of his films until very recently, and only under strict terms that prevented Disney from making any alterations without permission.

Also, another point in favor of subs is that, for shows aimed at younger audiences, the voice acting is usually pretty bad in both English and Japanese. However, speaking from experience, for English speakers it's more bearable to watch these shows as a sub. Since one is focussing on reading, and the voice actors are speaking a language the viewer doesn't understand or know the rhythms of as well, it's easier to ignore the low quality of the voicing, which improves the experience of watching the anime.

According to my Japanese acquantices, Naruto and One Piece (for example) are pretty low quality in Japanese as well as in English, but I can ignore it a lot more easily when I'm watching a sub (plus, the shows are aimed at young teens and aren't terribly complicated, so reading the subs is far from taxing).

[WhiteMonkey]

Wow... good post Gorbash.

It largely reflects my opinions, as well as my experiences.

I think you'll find that older generations will generally rather watch sub'd movies, due to the horrid experiences of our youth. I agree though, it's improving. ADV seems to be getting better voice talents, and let's face it, they hit the nail on the head with Bebop.

I thought the dubs on Ranma 1/2 were fine (though I still like the sub more((except for Kuno))). I think that was the first series to really make an effort.

Currently I love watching Rune Explorers and Ruin Soldier Louie. Oddly the dubbing experience on these films varies greatly. Rune Explorers is horridly dubbed. One or two of the voice actors have fair talent, particularly for the rolls given, but the rest are garbage.

Ruin Soldier Louie on the other hand has done a fair enough job seeking voice actors. In fact it's better that way IMO.

However, I'd just like to add that, like Gorbash, I realize that in all the instances where I like the subtitled version because the 'acting is better', it's entirely possible that it sucks ass but simply sounds better because I can't understand it.

BTW. Anybody ever see Lilly Cat? It was surprisingly good.
The ONLY anime my Old Man ever sat down and watched with me.

[WampaX]

I haven't really taken the time to listen to them all yet, but the recently released Giant Robo: The Animation discs have the old sub and a new sub in addition to the original japanese. (the reason for the new sub is for the 5.1 mix)

I'm very curious to see how they compare to one another, but from what I heard of the two english subs, I prefer the original so far. I'm not sure if its because I'm just more familiar/comfortable with it and the changes in the voices both in tone and tember were fairly jarring.

[Renmazuo]

Rune Soldier!?

I loved that anime! My brother only had the first 2 discs, but they were hilarious. Apparently the series goes downhill from there because it gets way to repetative, but I wouldn't mind watching the rest of it.

On Hellsing news, They finished releasing Hellsing signature series (Glad they did that so I could get the series cheap) and now apparently they are going to release Hellsing:Ultimate (I think thats the name). The first bit of the anime is going to be like the first Hellsing anime, but later on it's apparently supposed to follow the manga this time. I can't wait for it. hope they get Crispin Freeman again for Alucard. It wouldn't be the same without him.

EDIT: Oh, very nice post Gorbash

[Akiosama]

Can't believe nobody's mentioned the greatest Sci-Fi anime series of all time... well... series (plural)...

Mobile Suit Gundam, and all its incarnations, especially First Gundam, 0083, 08th MS Team, Seed and Seed Destiny.

Great stuff. Rewatching Gundam Seed and Seed Destiny as we speak.

Also just saw the reworked Zeta Gundam movie, and while the use of both the old footage (from 1985) and new footage (from 2005) is bizzare, it's a pretty good presentation of it.

Also, for any City Hunter fans out there, Angel Heart, the follow up series, is fantastic. Right now I'd say the manga series is better than the anime, since Hojo Tsukasa does amazing art, and it loses a little in the translation, but the anime is pretty good nonetheless.

I watch a lot of different stuff. Air and Kanon are decent, as was Ragnarok and Mai-HiME. RahXephon was trippy but good, and Neon Genesis Evangelion was great up until Ep 22. Tsubasa Chronicle is good for CLAMP fans. Full Metal Alchemist was weird, but a lot of fun, and even Macross 7, which has art as bad if not worse than the original Macross (from 1980), had me hooked. So, unless a series is truly horrible (nothing comes to mind at this moment, but maybe I'm blocking it out), I can watch it. In Japanese, at least.

Anyhow, there's a lot of stuff out there. My tip to you all is to check out http://animesuki.com. It's a BT site that specializes in anime (and it does watch the industry rights to series and pulls their links when the series gets licensed), so it's a great place to see series as they get released in Japan (many groups have a 24 hour turn around time from TV broadcast to posted subtitled production), and series that you might not have seen because they haven't been picked up here.

Anyhow, it's good to see that there are some anime fans here, and that they're not all just hooked on what's playing on TV. That selection is just a drop in the bucket.

My 2 yen,

Watch on!

Akio

[Kingtut]

That is one of the things that I differ from what I see of many anime watchers is that I can't stand to watch giant robot anime.

Anywho...
The reason I posted is i worgot to mention possible one of my favorite animes and that is FLCL. Can't get better than somthing you barely understand after seeing all of the episodes 7+ times and reading the manga. ;D

[Renmazuo]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is FLCL? I swear I've heard of it, but I can't quite remember what it is again.

Gundam. Heh, I like it. I haven't seen too many gundam shows though. The only ones I've actually seen is Gundam Seed, and 08th MS team. Both which were very good. But were kind of similar in terms of story. I'm a fan of the mech stuff I guess. I love to see giant robot's duking it out. I'm also a fan of fantasy as well though. I'm hoping to get the Berserk box set sometimes soon. Thats my favorite Anime ever.

[Akiosama]

Gundam. Heh, I like it. I haven't seen too many gundam shows though. The only ones I've actually seen is Gundam Seed, and 08th MS team. Both which were very good. But were kind of similar in terms of story. I'm a fan of the mech stuff I guess. I love to see giant robot's duking it out. I'm also a fan of fantasy as well though. I'm hoping to get the Berserk box set sometimes soon. Thats my favorite Anime ever.



Check out MS Gundam 0083 - Stardust Memory. That one is, by far, my favorite of all the Gundam series out there. Seed and Seed Destiny (the sequel) are ok as I really enjoyed the mecha designs and the music. Gundam Wing is overrated, but I liked it nonetheless. The others are harder to find and a lot weirder.

As for fantasy, might I suggest:

Record of the Lodoss War
Louie the Rune Soldier (set in the same world as Lodoss)
Ragnarok the Animation
Bastard!
Magic Knights Rayearth
Dragon Half
The Heroic Legend of Arslan

That's a pretty good mix. Rune Soldier, Bastard!, and Dragon Half are comedies, Ragnarok and Rayearth have a distinct CRPG feel to them, and Lodoss and Arslan are more serious titles. (Lodoss, to me, is what a visual representation of D&D is like. I love the spell incantations, the party interactions and the overall feel to the show. And the TV version IS different than the OVA version, and both are good. In fact the OVA version is incorporated into the TV show's plot at times.)

Just my 2 yen,

Watch on!

Akio

[Tharr]

Howls Moving Castle is up for the Oscars.
Spirited Away was very great.
Watching Dragonball Z was the worst anime.
Five hours later a person moves in a fight.
Recap and recap and credits.
Plus how many times must we hear "Its a Gundam."
You think people have seen the robot before.
Akira was okay except always yelling "Akira".
Teen Titans worst song anime in disguise.
Wdding Peach, Boys Over Flowers, and Hello Kitty please save us all from bad girl anime films.
Plus SailorMoon talking cats would Freud be so proud of this anime symbolism issue.
Ronin Warriors then was the awful show.

[Renmazuo]

The problem with that Akiosama, is that I have to have time to watch that all. Between Neon genesis, Gun X sword, playing Onimusha 3, and alot of other stuff. It's hard to watch that much anime :D

[B0nd07]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is FLCL? I swear I've heard of it, but I can't quite remember what it is again.


FLCL = Fooly Cooly

Plot Summary*: Naota is a normal Japanese 6th grade boy (although a little cynical), but when his older brother leaves for America to play baseball, his brother leaves his homeless 17 year old girlfriend Mamimi behind. Mamimi is sending mixed signals and advances to Naota, and he doesn't know what to do about her. But to make matters worse, Naota's world is totally turned upside down when he is run over by a woman on a Vespa. During their first encounter, she hits him over the head with her guitar, which then causes a horn to grow out of his forehead. She calls herself "Haruko" and her presence changes Naota's life to even further insanity.

I hope that refreshes your memory.

*From Anime News Network (animenewsnetwork.com)

[Renmazuo]

Heard about it. But never seen it. Thanks for the refresh though.

[Alarra]

In my mildly uninformed opinion...FLCL is the worst anime I've ever seen. There doesn't appear to be a plot to speak of, you can watch whole episodes and not have a clue what happens. People jump on each other and start screaming for apparently no reason.

I'm a big fan of cowboy bebop, hellsing, gits:sac, evangelion, azumaga daio (i have no idea if i spelled that right), and love hina, however.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Actually, there is a plot in FLCL - a pretty involved one, in fact.

There is a lot of wackiness to wade through first, but it's there. Personally, I really like it - I usually prefer shows like GitS:SAC, FMA, dark and serious shows. FLCL is a nice change of pace for me. Plus, eventually the fact that the show has a surprising number of different layers to view it on catches you. A lot of it's subtle and difficult to catch on the first viewing - really, you have to see it a couple times to really follow everything that's going on. I really like the art style in it as well.

[Ryujin]

In my decades of watching, I've noticed that, even in shows aimed primarily at the kiddie audience, the better-calibre writers & directors often manage to insert a more mature undercurrent to the story that reveals itself in the later episodes, not to mention the double entendres & puns that don't translate to English.

[FreakyM]

Excel Saga, Azumanga Daioh, Rurouni Kenshin, Genshiken, Elfen Lied, 2x2 Shinobuden, Hellsing.. I could go on forever with the list.

Of these, Azumanga, Genshiken and Elfen Lied are probably my favorite three.

So yes, I quess I am an anime fan.
Sadly, my hometown seems to have serious Narutard infestation that is enough to cause insanity after prolonged exposure.

Talking like 1d10/1d100 sanity loss here..

[Nero24200]

How many episodes are in the Evangelion series
I ask because I'm currently buying the DVDs of the series and I'm wondering how many I will have to buy

Edit: I also like Escaflowne (Favourite), Candidate for Goddess, Outlaw Star, Tenchi Muyo, Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex, Haibane Renmei, Princess Mononoke

Edit, yet again: What exaclty is Elfin Leid. I've heard its good but I'd like to know alittle moer about it. genarlly, Animes that are 18s that I have seen are just messed up

Yet another freakin Edit: Genarlly, I don't watch any anime made after Pokemon, because it is usally just battaling monsters. You can tell Anime have sold out to amercan auidences (for starters, the intro music to Pokemon and Bayblade are in English!)

[Ryujin]

How many episodes are in the Evangelion series
I ask because I'm currently buying the DVDs of the series and I'm wondering how many I will have to buy

Yet another freakin Edit: Genarlly, I don't watch any anime made after Pokemon, because it is usally just battaling monsters. You can tell Anime have sold out to amercan auidences (for starters, the intro music to Pokemon and Bayblade are in English!)

The TV series had 26 episodes although, for completeness, you also have to watch the movie 'End of Evangelion' which follows the events of episode 24. Prepare for a bit of head-scratching, though.

Also, the opening music for Pokemon and Beyblade are in Japanese--the English songs are strictly for the Americanized version only. You're pretty much limiting yourself if you think that, post-Pokemon, they're all just about battling monsters as America still is but a subsidiary market for anime.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

The monster battle thing is definitely an overexposed sub-genre - in Japan as well as the US, as far as I can gather :P

Some of the Narutards can be saved... but the big problem I have with them is that they make everyone else who watches Naruto look bad. Remember, they were idiots first and Naruto fans later! ;) (Kind of like Chaotic Neutral in D&D...)

My favorite shows/OVAs, since everyone is listing them, in no particular order: FLCL, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Haibane Renmei*, Last Exile, .hack//SIGN, Escaflowne, 3x3 Eyes, Azumanga Daioh**, Record of Lodoss War, Read or Die, Naruto, and Full Metal Alchemist.

I especially recommend Read or Die if you haven't seen it!

* I still need to see the last 3 episodes of this, though. :-/
** I like reading the manga better, though - the manga is strip style, so each one is a stand-alone gag as well as part of a larger plot. The anime is great, but I'm just used to reading as much Azumanga Daioh as I want in a sitting ;)

[WampaX]

I especially recommend Read or Die if you haven't seen it!

OVA or TV series? I own the OVA, but I haven't seen anything of the TV series, yet. How do they compare?

[Akiosama]

OVA or TV series? I own the OVA, but I haven't seen anything of the TV series, yet. How do they compare?

The OVA.

The TV series is actually Read or Dream, not Read or Die. Funny that.

Haven't watched the anime or read the manga, so I can't help you much there, WampaX.

As for having enough time to watch/do everything you want to... can't help you there; I'm in the same boat...

But enjoy what you can.

My 2 yen,

Game on!

Akio

[The Vorpal Tribble]

http://boards1.wizards.com/images/smilies/twitch.gif

[WampaX]

http://boards1.wizards.com/images/smilies/twitch.gif

I still say there is an anime out there that you will like, Mr Tribble. Not "flip head over heels fanboy mega explosion" for, but one that you will at least "like."

[Akiosama]

Hi all,

For those of you out there who care at all (I'm not sure who you are, but don't be ashamed if you do! ;D), my Top 20 list of anime series, in no particular order:

1. Aa, Megami-sama! (Ah! My Goddess)
2. Maison Ikkoku
3. Kidou Senshi Gundam 0083 - Stardust Memory (Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 - Stardust Memory)
4. Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed/Seed Destiny (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed/Seed Destiny)
5. City Hunter/Angel Heart
6. Lodoss-tou Senki (Record of the Lodoss War)
7. Mai-HiME
8. Shinseiki Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
9. Kidou Senkan Nadesico (Martian Successor Nadesico)
10. Ranma Nibun-no-ichi (Ranma 1/2)
11. Top wo Nerae! (Aim for the Top! Gunbuster)
12. Macross/Macross II/Macross Plus/Macross 7/Macross Zero
13. Trigun
14. Kanon/Air
15. Mahou Sensei Negima (Magic Teacher Negima - my translation of the title, I don't know what the domestic release title is.)
16. Kidou Senshi Gundam Dai-08 MS Shoutai (Mobile Suit Gundam 08th MS Team)
17. Hagane no Renkinjutsushi (Fullmetal Alchemist)
18. Bubblegum Crisis
19. Cowboy Bebop
20. Koukaku Kidoutai (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)

And one obscure one I saw in Japan - it was a bunch of short stories (Japanese language with Japanese captions (my reading is better than my listening)). Had an ok fairytale story first, then went into one of my favorite horror-style anime stories. It went like this:

Girl A likes Boy. Boy likes Girl B. Boy starts to feel like he's being stalked. Then Boy starts being attacked/assaulted (choked, pushed up against a wall from behind, etc.). Boy starts to panic, as does Girl B (don't remember if Girl B got attacked at all or not, but it doesn't really matter). Girl A then presents Boy with a handknitted sweater, and admits that she was the one stalking/attacking him, as she was getting measurements for the sweater in a roundabout and secret sort of way (in her mind). Boy gets furious and tears one of the arms off the sweater.

Then, Girl A runs home crying with the sweater, and begins to obsess over the sweater, saying/chanting "It doesn't fit... It doesn't fit..." Soon after, Girl B is kidnapped and the Boy is told to go to a meeting point to get Girl B back. Waiting there is Girl A, who attacks him for ruining her gift to him. After knocking him down, she branishes a hatchet, and tells him, "It doesn't fit anymore, but I'll fix that." Fade to black, and a male scream.

I was engrossed... and the captions made it far easier for me to understand. (Anyone who thinks that kanji doesn't make Japanese EASIER to understand hasn't studied Japanese long enough, IMO.)

And it's too bad I'll probably never see that show again. It was excellent.

Just my 2 yen,

Game on!

Akio

[B0nd07]

My top 15, in no particular order. Actually these are mainly the first 15 that came to mind that I've seen and enjoyed. I have more I just can't think of them right now.

1. Cowboy Bebop
2. Ghost in the Shell (movies and series)
3. Trigun
4. Outlaw Star
5. Fullmetal Alchemist
6. Full Metal Panic
7. Maburaho
8. Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi
9. Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X)
10. Samurai 7
11. Neon Genesis Evangelion
12. Lupin III
13. Samurai Champloo
14. Inu Yasha
15. FLCL

I'd like to expand my horizons, but I don't get to see much of anything else that's not on Adult Swim. My subscription to Newtype helps a little, but not much. I wish I had the Anime Network...

[Akiosama]

As previously posted, check out http://www.animesuki.com. You'll find less mainstream and newer titles there, and they respect the industry by dropping licensed titles.

Hope that helps.

Game on!

Akio

[rising_dragon]

Yep I'm long time anime fan, no way you tell that by all the anime on my shelf, or the poster, or anime fan art or the....


Currently my favorite series would have to be Fullmetal Alchimest and it's possible my favorite series of all time. Evangelion is now out has thinpack box set you get for around 40 (just I finished buying the platinum eddition). While I'm a fan of Eva I wouldn't call it the greatest anime series ever, the show has it's flaws that have grown over time.

[Tharr]

Paranoid Agent is wacked out show anime.

[B0nd07]

Paranoid Agent is wacked out show anime.


It was pretty weird. You couldn't miss a show or else you'd never get back on track. ...OK, maybe not never, but it's difficult.

[yukina]

here are my favorite anime shows and BOnd07 you rock for typing one of my faves! so here they are
Full Metal Alchemist Naruto Escaflowne Outlaw Star Trigun Inu Yash and Fruits Basket one More Yu Yu Hakusho there are most likely others but these are my favs! :) ;)

[Leon]

I still say there is an anime out there that you will like, Mr Tribble. Not "flip head over heels fanboy mega explosion" for, but one that you will at least "like."

I aggree, i know a few ppl who claim to hate anime yet have seen them watching various things and enjoying it

[Ryujin]

I aggree, i know a few ppl who claim to hate anime yet have seen them watching various things and enjoying it

I've noticed that this particular trend takes a lot of forms, but they all basically boil down to "I hate _____, therefore I'm cool."

[Nero24200]

Oh, I actually hate Pokemon, I've seen half a dozen episodes in hope that is would get better, it didn't

And I've seen beybalde too
Both shows simplified to "Look another, player/trainer/monster user" character goes up, fights, struggles, then overcomes it.
Wow, brillaint, ,I mean really, why watch the same kinda crap already shown here when I can order from the other side of the world for that crap

[Ryujin]

Those are kiddie shows written for kiddie audiences, you know...

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I aggree, i know a few ppl who claim to hate anime yet have seen them watching various things and enjoying it
Anime tends to make me cringe mightily, but I don't 'hate' it. Its kinda like NASCAR. Don't understand how anyone can sit there and watch it, but theres no hate in it (though perhaps a bit of mockery from time to time ;) )

As I've mentioned many times before, I didn't even know what anime was till I was making a list of these particular shows that gave me the heebie jeebies and was told they were all of the same genre.

I also can't stand tea. I'm told there are hundreds of different types, but as for the dozens that I have tried and disliked, it doesn't really seem worth the effort to find 'that one for me'. Such is anime.

Btw, not trying to start an argument. Got an entire thread already devoted to that. All I did was post a twitchy face ::)

[WampaX]

I also can't stand tea. I'm told there are hundreds of different types, but as for the dozens that I have tried and disliked, it doesn't really seem worth the effort to find 'that one for me'. Such is anime.

So its not that you dislike all anime/tea, its that you dislike what you have seen/tasted.

Hmmm.

All I can say is try to garner expert opinions to weed the field down to the anime/tea that most fits what you are looking for. If the suggestions are not to your tastes, then give up.

Going to a shop that specializes in tea and asking someone knowledgeable in the product would be your best bet there (or even find a cooking show on tea, say Alton Brown's Good Eats episode dedicated to tea True Brew 2: Mr. Tea (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9956_17584,00.html))

Anime is a different beast as even approaching a store dedicated to the product will cause your muscles to spasm uncontrollably. ;) All we can do is try to help you narrow the field down a bit. If you don't want to jump off that bridge, I completely understand.

I'm just surprised by your list of favorite movies in that you seem a prime candidate for anime consumption. ???

[Akiosama]

Alton Brown rocks! Check out his 2 cookbooks and 1 gear book if you're interested in his stuff. They're as good as his show.

As for anime suggestions, Vorpal... try giving us some suggestions as to genres of other media (films, books, TV - be specific about likes and dislikes... there are a lot of variations within the major genres) that you enjoy... that way we might be able to help you sort through some of the junk (and there is a lot of junk out there now) and help you find some gems.

Also, don't dismiss Hayao Miyazaki films. They don't fit the norm for anime, and if you like Disney-quality productions (his stories tend to be better but the animation quality is roughly equivalent to Disney at its best), and tend to be easier to accept than most mainstream anime.

I'd be happy to help you find something, if you're so inclined. I'm sure a lot of us here would be.

Just my 2 yen,

Game on!

Akio

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I'm just surprised by your list of favorite movies in that you seem a prime candidate for anime consumption.
My favorite movies ranged from sci-fi to fantasy to modern day thrillers to pioneer suspense. Where do you get that?



I'd be happy to help you find something, if you're so inclined. I'm sure a lot of us here would be.
Heh, no thanks, I don't have the funds to see/get all I already know I like.

[WampaX]

My favorite movies ranged from sci-fi to fantasy to modern day thrillers to pioneer suspense. Where do you get that?

Well, your favorites lean heavy toward sci-fi, with a touch of fantasy and superheroes. I cannot even begin to count the number of anime that are in these genres.

The inclusion of Neverending Story and Shrek 1&2 alongside Gladiator and The Village tell me that you can enjoy different writting styles and maturity levels in your films. Anime has this same diversity, even sometimes within one series or film.

It just seems like there should be at least SOMETHING out there in the vast expanses of animeland that you can watch and enjoy given your broad tastes in film.

Oh, and Akiosama, I have already offered the board's services to help Mr. Tribble find something, but he has declined. Waaaaay back here (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=banter;action=display;num=1129827354 ).

[Akiosama]

Gotcha. I wasn't even on the boards back then, I don't think. ;D

And I'd agree about the funds thing, Vorpal. That's why I try to keep up with the Japan releases (via BitTorrent) and see them before they're licensed. Then my money for the domestic releases is better spent, as I don't buy stuff I don't like. I don't use the internet as a replacement for buying the domestic titles, though. I want anime to continue to come over. Found some gems that I wouldn't have seen otherwise this way.

Each to their own, though. Nothing wrong with avoiding the stuff.

Game on!

Akio

[Renmazuo]

Hi all. Had a day off yesterday (I'm usually not here when not at work ;) )

So I couldn't post about it. But an anime that I'm a big fan of, had a live action movie made out of it (also from the manga as well). A friend of mine downloaded it right away when it came out, but the fan-sub was awfull. But now it has made it over onto our shores as of yesterday!

For those who haven't guessed. I am talking about the movie

Initial D

Yup, it hasn't been mentioned yet. I am a big fan of the show (I don't buy the english editions because of HORRIBLE editing) and have been waiting forever for this to get here. The english dub isn't great, but subtitled is awesome. This is THE BEST movie if you love racing, cause it's not Fast and the Furious street racing crap, but it's mountain drift racing. The movie used the actuall actors to do roughly 60% of the driving. 99% of the movie is REAL. Only in a couple of scenes CG was used. I have not got my copy yet (My london drugs only had one, and my friend got it, even though he owed me >:( they will get more though )

For anyone that was interested in the Anime/Manga. Or anyone that is just a fan of good foreign movies. CHECK IT OUT NOW!!!!


That is all ;)

[Tharr]

Alot of anime is bad on television.
Stick with the classical shows.
It current the best shows are icons.

[Renmazuo]

Alot of anime is bad on television.
Stick with the classical shows.
It current the best shows are icons.






I really don't understand what your trying too say.

[B0nd07]

Alot of anime is bad on television.
Stick with the classical shows.
It current the best shows are icons.


I think I got the jist of that, but I'm not sure. Some anime gets edited quite harshly (i.e. Yu Yu Hakusho on Toonami). But it's usually not too bad.
What, exactly, do you mean by "classical"? And, by "icons", do you mean the show Icons on G4?

Anyway, almost two weeks later and still no word of Remix 4. Suncoast is supposed to call me when it's in, but they haven't yet. I'm going to check there tomorrow/today and see if it's there yet or not. Bandai really needs to fix this problem. It happened with the last two as well.

[Nero24200]

Over here in britain, they've stopped showing most animes, the only ones we get now are kids shows like Pokemon, WHY GOD :'(

[Odd_Thomas]

i enjoy a few animes, one peice, ect

[Winter_Wolf]

Not so much for me these days. I have to take the blame for getting my wife hooked on it though. Inu Yasha, Ranma 1/2, Fuushigi Yuugi.

I recommend GTO, by the way, which my wife actually introduced to me. 40-some odd episodes and it's complete. This, however, is one series which I don't believe would work any other way than as subbed. Just wouldn't be the same in another language.

I also enjoyed Urusei Yatsura (subbed, or you'll want to poke your eardrums out), Maison Ikkoku, and Record of Lodoss War. Okay, so mostly I like that kind of cutesy comedy crap (excluding Lodoss War), but things like naughty tentacles aren't my style. Seen a couple, and it's not the loss of money that gets me so much as the loss of my time in watching the stuff that I want back.

Oh, and VT, you mentioned not liking tea. Do you like coffee? Most people I've met go either/or. Personally I go for home-brewed chai, heavy on the ginger and pepper, no milk.

[Renmazuo]

I finally got my copy of Inital D today. Thank you london drugs!

I'm kind of upset that Cowboy Bebop Remix 4 has STILL not come out yet. However, it hasn't been to bad. I managed to finish Evangelion and watch End of Eva as well.

Samurai Gun no.4 comes out next week. So that'll be good.

[Renmazuo]

Sorry to repeat post (A sin!) EDIT: I bumped this topic because I didn't want to create a whole new one for this request

But I can't always check to see if cowboy bebop remix 4 comes out, if anyone sees it in stores. Wanna post it in this thread ?

much obliged(sp?) ;D

[B0nd07]

Still no word on Cowboy Bebop Remix 4. Bandai really messed something up this time. It's two weeks late.

[Renmazuo]

That sucks, well b0nd, since you would be getting word of when it's going to be shipped, would you post it in this thread?

I just wanna know when it will be in stores, so I can have the money saved

[Ryujin]

AFAIK, due to poor performance in the past, the Bandai American subsidy (BEI) has to take the cautious approach this year by concentrating more of their now-limited resources on titles with greater profit potential.

You'd think this is kind of odd, considering the sheer size of Bandai, but the way Bandai is structured can seem rather bizarre to the layman. For example, the American subsidy has to pay hefty royalty payments to Bandai Visual for most Gundam-related properties, such as SEED, while with DICE, for example, which BEI produced by itself, there are no royalties. Think of Bandai as a Frankenstein's monster where the different parts don't always know what the other parts are doing and the blood vessels don't work too well, either.

[B0nd07]

That sucks, well b0nd, since you would be getting word of when it's going to be shipped, would you post it in this thread?

I just wanna know when it will be in stores, so I can have the money saved


I will do that.

[Akiosama]

AFAIK, due to poor performance in the past, the Bandai American subsidy (BEI) has to take the cautious approach this year by concentrating more of their now-limited resources on titles with greater profit potential.

You'd think this is kind of odd, considering the sheer size of Bandai, but the way Bandai is structured can seem rather bizarre to the layman. For example, the American subsidy has to pay hefty royalty payments to Bandai Visual for most Gundam-related properties, such as SEED, while with DICE, for example, which BEI produced by itself, there are no royalties. Think of Bandai as a Frankenstein's monster where the different parts don't always know what the other parts are doing and the blood vessels don't work too well, either.

That's not just Bandai either. When Pioneer Entertainment was doing their own work and not mainly publishing for other companies, they had to bid like any other company for works put out by Pioneer Entertainment Ltd. Japan. That means for series like Tenchi Muyou, for example, they had to bid against other companies interested in the series in order to get the rights to publish it here, despite the fact that they're both Pioneer companies.

I believe that's why it took so long for Gundam to get here... (Bandai Entertainment USA and JPN work in a similar fashion, I've heard), and one evidence that there are flaws to this arrangement is the fact that the First Gundam TV Series (MS Gundam from 1979), was released here on DVD with no Japanese language track. I was told that the reason for this was that Bandai Japan didn't want to possibly compete with themselves on this particular DVD series by allowing the overseas version to have the Japanese language track. (Basically, if you turn off subs and set the language to Japanese there's little difference between the Japanese version and the American version, region coding aside. And Japanese DVDs usually run around $50-75 USD in price, versus the $25-30 USD they run here in the US.)

For this reason, one arrangement that is nearly universal is that a US company will not release an anime DVD until after the Japanese DVD has been released for a certain period of time. International commerce for this type of product will hurt the Japanese companies, they feel, and region coding doesn't solve the problem. Region free DVD players are a bit more expensive, but they're still fairly easy to come by.

It's bizarre, and stems a lot from the fact that the US and Japanese companies are independent of each other even if the parent company is the same. They even treat each other, in many cases, like an external unit, rather than portions of the same corporation. For the consumer, it leads to delays and other weirdness...

Just my 2 yen,

Watch on!

Akio

[FreakyM]

Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan. Or, "Club-to death-angel Dokuro-chan". Utter insanity in animated form.

;D

[Casualgamer]

There was a point in my life when I really like anime. My enthusiams for it has since declined as I realized the absence of thought in a lot of anime. Thus, in terms, of anime, all I am interested in now is drawing my own to show those other authors how its done!

[Ryujin]

That's not just Bandai either....

It's bizarre, and stems a lot from the fact that the US and Japanese companies are independent of each other even if the parent company is the same. They even treat each other, in many cases, like an external unit, rather than portions of the same corporation. For the consumer, it leads to delays and other weirdness...

Just my 2 yen,

Watch on!

Akio

That's actually a pretty accurate summation of the situation, worsened by a certain...chauvinism on the part of the parent company, especially with regards to marketing strategy; "What works in Japan will obviously work as well in the U.S." This is exacerbated by the fact that the Japanese subsidiaries tend to ignore breaches of contract that they incur, placing the American subsidiary in a corner and more often than not, leaving them holding the bag come time to place the blame.

[That Lanky Bugger]

When you get right down to it, the problem with anime is that companies releasing it stateside are not treating it like the rest of the media we’ve got over here. Instead, they treat releases almost as if they should be prohibitively expensive. Obviously it’s a niche genre so there should be a small cost increase, but the cost involved with actually buying anything is just too damned high. I want to own anime, but I damn well can’t afford to purchase much of it.

The other day while I was in a movie-specialist store I was browsing their anime section while looking for something to pick up. The friend who’d dragged me to the place was dutifully hunting for a copy of Screamers, I think. Anyways, I came across a copy of Irresponsible Captain Tylor. I’d heard good things about the series and thought to myself that maybe I should pick it up… So I grab the set off the shelf where it was filed sideways and look at the front.

I see the price tag. They want me to pay $129.99, before taxes. After taxes this would have worked out to be closer to one hundred and fifty bucks. Uh… Excuse me?

I’m sorry, but am I missing something here? Is there something especially onerous about shifting your content to a foreign market? I can pick up a full season of Family Guy for around $29.99. Other stuff, such as TV shows with real actors and real sets, costs less than fifty. For Anime, I’d be willing to go to around sixty or seventy per season. That seems like a fair price.

Where the hell does this $129.99 come from? It was a four disc set in standard packaging! No mention of additional artwork, an added music CD, or anything like that! Just four DVDs, with the Japanese and English tracks, with the standard option of subtitling.

Don’t get me started on buying anything aside from the boxed sets… There’s a reason I still don’t own any Ranma ½ episodes, despite the fact I love the series and own every English translation they’ve released of the manga: I borrowed one of the Viz tapes off of a friend in high school and I still remember the advertisement at the end of the damned thing… Which basically boiled down to a dubbed tape being sold with two episodes a piece for $24.99 and a sub-titled tape being sold with – wait for it – THREE episodes a piece for just $34.99! Keep in mind these episodes are each roughly twenty-two minutes long, so that makes for a grand total of forty minutes or an hour’s worth of Ranma for those prices.

I invite you all to laugh bitterly with me. That is robbery, plain and simple.

Do the math. The first season of Ranma ½ is roughly 24 episodes (might be a couple more, I don’t remember): That means it would have cost me $299.98 for the first season dubbed or $279.98 for the first season subtitled. Now, if Ranma ½ as an anime series has 161 episodes (pulled from AnimeNfo), that would have made for a total cost of $2011.70 for the dubbed series or a cost of $1877.56 for the subtitled version. That was six years ago, before DVDs were popular. I shudder at the taxes alone on such a purchase, which would wind up in hundreds of dollars range.

Even these days the price is a little bit ludicrous. The Ranma ½ DVD boxed sets cost something like $109.99 each per season. Given that there are seven of them, that’s still a whopping $769.93, and that’s in American dollars and not Canadian… So it might wind up being as much as $139.99 a pop for me. Add in taxes, rinse and repeat the above. It would still cost me well over one thousand dollars to pick up the series.

Don’t get me wrong, I do love anime… but my yearly disposable income should not be torn asunder with the cost of one television series. More to the point, a lot of shops like Future Shop aren’t all that friendly towards new people jumping in to series they sell anime for. I would have loved to pick up some anime there, but they didn’t have any boxed sets or initial episodes. I was given a choice between Series X, Volume 7, or Series Y, with a large selection of Volume 2, 5, or 8, or Series Z with Volume 11 and 12. How does that help me if I want to give those shows a try?

There shouldn’t that much cost associated with the voice acting or the licensing. I somehow doubt that English voice actors are being paid extraordinarily well. The cost of pressing the DVDs is negligible, and packaging can’t cost all that much given most anime is distributed in standard-sized DVD cases with an insert for the cover. I would love to know why companies which produce translated anime are confused when their products don’t sell, given the fact their products cost nearly twice as much as a domestic. When’s the last time you bought a normal-sized CD without any bonus material for $44.99?

It certainly doesn’t help that the companies don’t really do all that much to curtail fansubbing (not that they really could, but still…), so it’s a perfectly viable solution for some people to either just download the stuff and burn it to disc for themselves, or go down to their friendly neighbourhood Chinatown movie store and shell out ten bucks for the first season of Naruto*.

I would like to clarify, of course, that I do buy all my anime legally. I just don’t own that much thanks to the prohibitive cost. It’s pretty much Studio Chibli stuff and some one-offs (like Ghost in the Shell, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Akira, etc), stuff I didn’t mind paying thirty bucks or so to pick up.

*true story: I go down to Chinatown all the time. I regularly raid the herbalist’s shop for the original Red Bull instead of the carbonated stuff and sometimes I pick up some Asian cinema stuff that hasn’t been picked up by a distribution company on this side of the Ring. When I was picking up some of Stephen Chow’s older movies (like God of Gamblers), I saw boxed sets of Naruto Volume 1 (consisting of twenty four episodes or so) going for ten bucks a piece, alongside similarly priced Naruto boxed sets going up to Volume 6 or 7, I think. Other anime was out for sale, too. I was sorely tempted to pick up Bleach Volume 1 (twenty four episodes for fifteen bucks, I might add), but abstained and instead picked up the official manga translation of Volume 1 at the book store for twelve bucks instead.

I think that’s about it for this rant. I think I’ve illustrated my point fairly effectively. It’s too bloody expensive and there are too many options for those who don’t wish to pay.

[Akiosama]

Well those DVDs seen in Chinatown... as I've mentioned about CDs on other threads as well... are most likely unlicensed bootlegs, which in most cases, are produced by companies who aren't paying (or paying very, very little) the companies in Japan for the rights to publish those... Last I checked, the location they're published in does not recognize international copyright law, and therefore the publishing is technically legal within the country, and export isn't policed. Import is policed into the US, but only a few of the shipments ever get caught. That's the reason why you're seeing them so cheap. Also, the packaging is often junk, as are the English subtitles, especially in regards to names, as they often use the Chinese pronounciation for the names rather than Japanese. Further, there is no QA on the production itself... I have seen a copy of GTO where they had the same subtitle script used for 5 episodes in a row.

I understand that anime is expensive here, and I do sympathize. It really still is a niche market. A flooded niche market, but still a niche market, given the huge variety of titles that are being brought over all at once. There are companies that are trying to keep their prices lower, such as Bandai and Pioneer, but for the most part prices haven't changed that much since the industry began.

Further, it feels like the customers who wait get rewarded more than the customers who supoort the products as they are released, as the box sets tend to be cheaper AND often have a collectible goodie as well.

These problems with anime's marketing are just going to do is keep the prices high. Until anime is really accepted mainstream, and it still really isn't despite the exposure it has gotten recently, it's gonna continue to remain expensive, especially if consumers support the other distributions of the material.

I don't agree with it. I know people working their butts off in the anime industry, and I've seen how unfair the competition is against the Asian versions.

And it's not all the fault of the domestic companies. The Japanese aren't making it easy either for the titles to go overseas, given the now global market for media. They are used to inflated (by US standards) prices for their media, since their market is much, much smaller than that of the US. We in the US are lucky to have the prices we do for domestic media because of our large population and are wealth of disposable income...

It's all a big mess, and I don't know if any of the companies realize that the marketing of their products needs as much work as it does. The rough part is that most of the companies are being worked by ex-fans (people who used to be fans and are professionals now) and that means that the skillsets that a typical company needs to run a marketing division may not be as sufficient as they need to be. Goods here cannot be marketed as they are in Japan, due to a number of factors, such as demographics, advertising radius, acceptance, and tastes. It's a far more complex marketing issue than the companies have been currently treating it.

I hope they can figure it out before anime goes the way of the dodo.

Just my 2 yen,

Game on!

Akio

[That Lanky Bugger]

Yeah, believe me Akio: I know precisely that the sets I found in Chinatown were unlicensed. That still doesn't change the fact that they exist...

Though I do think it'd be interesting to see exactly what sort of licensing fees a studio pays to bring an anime series over. I know it's expensive, but I somehow doubt it's thirty-bucks-every-three-episodes expensive. It's probably something similar to the thought process with video games: "We don't have many sales, so we need to charge as much as possible to make the most of the sales", with little or no consideration for the fact that sales might actually increase if the price decreased.

Then again, without access to the books, all of that is pure speculation. Meanwhile, I'll go back to wincing and trying to convince myself that Ranma 1/2 Season 1 is worth the $109.99 price tag.

[Akiosama]

Lank,

You're completely correct that it doesn't change the fact that they exist. However, until that gets under control, whether on the consumer side, legal side, or vendor side, the anime companies will continue to believe they're justified in charging more to make up for pirating. I'm sure it's similar in the video game industry as well.

And I'm not sure if sales revenue would necessarily increase through a drop in prices. That, of course, is the real question for the industry. I figure that most of those who are willing to pay (any price) probably already have, and those who aren't, won't, no matter what changes come into place. So, in the end, something like that might be a moot point for the companies.

And if you think that anime pricing is bad... check out the DVDs for any Star Trek series. Those are produced BY Paramount, and they're still about $100 a season. That seems worse in my book than the Tylor example you gave. (Great series by the way. I just wish it wasn't so expensive. I would LIKE to update my VHS to DVD sometime.)

And, yeah, I don't like Viz's marketing. But IF I were to buy a copy of stuff they have licensed, I'd either get the original Japanese version or theirs before I'd get a bootleg. They and ADV tend to be the worst on price/material ratio. (And they've taken liberties with some of their works, both on the manga side and the video side. Maison Ikkoku got hit the worst, and that's why I only own the Japanese manga and really really really old VHS fansubs of the anime (before Viz ever picked it up) I'm waiting to save up to get the Japanese DVD release to get that series.)

Just my 2 yen,

Game on!

Akio

[Renmazuo]

Yeah, anime is expensive. Thats why I tend to limit what I want to a very small selection. The show has to be super great in order for me to warrant a purchase. Or I just gotta like the premise. I don't mind paying 25 bucks a DVD for three episodes, as long as it's a show I really like.

It hurts. But the gaming industry has gotten a bit better with pricing. The budget conciense people can always wait until a big game goes greatest hits, or they can opt to pick the game up used. Anime fans aren't as lucky.

Hopefully someday soon, things could change :(

[B0nd07]

Well, here's an update on Cowboy Bebop Remix 4.

It still hasn't been shiped yet...one month later...

I'll keep you posted.

[Renmazuo]

Well B0nd, I would complain to whoever is supposed to ship it to you, because I managed to get a copy last thursday.

I manged to find it where I buy most of my anime (pretty cheap too), at London Drugs ( I don't know if it's just a canadian store) but it is available now apparently.

[B0nd07]

Well, I guess I need to look in more places then. :P If it's not yet available in the States yet, maybe it will be soon. I'm still waiting for the local Suncoast to get it, so I can get it for around $10 (coupons, etc).

Has anyone in the US seen it anywhere?


And I've never heard of that store before, so I'd say it's a Canada exclusive.

[Estella]

my fav animes are in this order
1.Slayers
2.Full metal alchemist
3.Bleach
4.inu-yasha
5.Rurouni kenshin

top 5

[sumobrother]

Alucard is very similar to Dracula, not just by the name being backwards. he seems to be one of the first very old vampires therefore should be able to be killed by sunlight. others have never thought about his one true weakness. like dracula, he cant be hurt by the removal of the head, destruction of his brain or heart, silver or a crusifiction. my research in many mythology books, comics, and movies indicates his real weakness WEREWOLVES! (Lycans!) no true lycan has ever fought alucard in the series or manga. one bite from the lycans curse and he'd simply die. i've read and seen many things and it ocurred to me that there were no true lycans in this series. werewolves only weakness is silver so it still is very difficult to get a bite on him unless the lycan is well trained, an aged immortal who can controll him or herself during combat. jusat ad up all the myths, weaknesses in movies, books and comics. it all adds up. in reference to underworld, marvel comics blade, van helsin, etc.
please comment on my theory!
and another difficult adversary for Alucard would be Dante from Capcom's Devil May Cry. son of the demon Sparda. the hybrid human who is the greatest demon slayer ever! he to is immortal and very skilled. lets see Alucard face of against Dantes gun skillz with Ebony and Ivory!
dante and alucard are so similar eith the red coat, dual gun skillz, having an evil side.


my favorite anime for now is hellsing, Naruto, Bleach and pokemon daimond and pearl. inuyasha is a weakling compared to vaizards and tailed demons.

[Mr. Moon]

Oh, oh! I am! *waves hand widely in the air*

I love Naruto and Inu-Yasha, as well as D.Gray Man, an anime my brother reccently introduced to me.

I also kinda like the first season of Digimon. But once the Digimon started entering the Real World, it kinda ruined it for me.

[Ego Slayer]

"03-03-2006" ?!
All I can say is unholyohmygawd.

[Tarnag40k]

out of the ones I've been given to watch (about 20 different series) i'd have to say only 3 interested me

1. Initial D
2. Rouroni Kenshin
3. Agenta Soma

[Xilehxt]

I would consider myself one...

Pretty much omnivorous...except mecha. Exceptions being Evangelion and FMP. Also, recently Code Geass, although that really isn't mecha.

Also, the series that go over 100 episodes...these are pretty much aimed at kids and are repetitive or borrowing storyline from manga. Don't watch those either anymore.

[TheOOB]

I watch my fair share of Anime. Most people who don't like anime just have seen too much DBZ and Pokemon, adult oriented anime with a limited duration is usually much better. Lets see, some of my favorite series are Neon Genesis Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Ghost in the Shell(1st and 2nd GiG), and Trigun.

I find it ironic that most people who say they don't like mecha like Neon Genesis Evangelion, then again the EVAs really are secondary to the characters who pilot them unlike most mecha anime.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Lessee... My top favorite anime series/movies (in no particular order)

Oh My Goddess! (Or "Ah! Megami-Sama", if you prefer the Japanese)
Gundam Wing (overrated? Perhaps. Pretty good anyway? Yes.)
GW: Endless Waltz
Gundam: 08th MS Team (still trying to track down all the episodes...)
Char's Counterattack
08th MS Team: Miller's Report
Princess MononokeThere would be more on that list, but unfortunately I don't have a lot of access to anime. What I've seen of Full Metal Alchemist is good, as is Chrono Crusade, Cowboy Bebop, and the ever-fun Lupin the 3rd. :smallbiggrin:

[Dispozition]

Whee...Another Anime thread! Yay!

@Bond: I can get the complete box set of Cowboy Bebop for $100 AU...I'm gonna do that...In fact...I might do that now...

As for just anime...I enjoy the Hayoa Miyazaki movies and a few sereies that are floating around.

[Musashi-dono]

For an ultimate brain disorder i recomend:Neon Genesis Evangelion and/or Ergo Proxy.If you are into kinky anime and manga try Angel Sanctuary (Yaoi-style of drawing, extremly detaild and good but infernaly kinky).
For a laugh allways:Full metal panic(Fuumofuu) and Golden boy!
For any advice ask me, ill be happy to answer.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Comrade Gorby: Hrm, this one looks brought back from the dead a bit... Also, we now have a seperate forum for Media Discussions (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=24). Any anime discussions should go there. I'm going to move this thread to that forum for historical purposes basically, as I am also going to be locking it as it's been brought back from the dead.

So feel free to join in the current anime (or other media) threads or start a new one, and happy posting!