Believe me when I say I know I'm far from perfect at reviewing.
Take the other day as an example. I was confident, after proof reading numerous times and even using a spell checker that one of my latest reviews wouldn't have any errors when I used a grammar checker.
In the first sentence, I had repeated 'the', and I'd also misspelled the same word twice... even though the spell checker I used didn't pick it up. I died a little inside. With all the typos and slips I make, it's a miracle my reviews are readable.
If you have any advice, feel free to drop me a line. I'll listen/read. I'd much rather that than have the usual 'mass-negative' treatment. It doesn't bother me so much now - I'm used to it - but seeing lots of unhelpfuls doesn't help me improve.
My reviewing style tends to be all over the place. Sometimes I've used structure, sometimes I've simply rambled and other times I've turned what I originally intended to be forum posts into forum post/review hybrids.
One other thing: review ratings. For some reason, around 75% of my votes go the opposite way I intend them to, and I'm not joking. If I find a review helpful, my vote counts as unhelpful, and vice versa. Since there's obviously a bug in existence - confirmed by my friend - it makes me wonder how honest review ratings actually are, what with dup accounts designed for review +1ing and/or -1ing and all...
Also, I have a feeling the votes others cast on reviews posted by me reverse, too. Maybe it works both ways; votes cast by and cast against? That's the most logical argument I can come up for my review scores of late. It seems like I started getting heavy negatives after the bug started, following MAL's masive crash of old.
Reviewing 2 & Scoring:
In the future, the odd review aside, I'm going to put anything resembling a review without structure in my mini-review thread on the forum and, when I have the motivation, I'll go down the structured route with a proper review attempt.
If you're interested, my scoring system is as follows:
10/10 - Masterpiece. Anything I give this score to is worth owning, no matter what the price. 9/10 - This rating means there are a few flaws that stop me giving a perfect score. 8/10 - One or two serious flaws are present. Still worth owning, though. 7/10 - When I go this low, whatever I rated has lots of problems. This rating usually means the anime in question is probably only worth watching once. 6/10 - Although I have dropped a few anime I've given 7/10, I usually rate 6/10 and below when dropping.
Friendship & Love:
For some odd reason, people keep adding me to their friend lists. They don't say anything; they just add me. Most of the 'adds' are 13-year-old girls.
Let me make this very clear: I DON'T LIKE 13-YEAR-OLD GIRLS! THEY ANNOY THE FUCK OUT OF ME!! LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!!!!! JUST BECAUSE I LIKE FINAL FANTASY DOESN'T MEAN I WANT A KINGDOM HEARTS CHAT!!!!!!!!!!!
If you're intent on befriending me, at least start up a conversation. How the hell can we be friends if we don't speak? What, are we supposed to share some psychic, above words relationship or something?
I'm not into the whole 'get 100 friends!' thing. And, if you are, we aren't going to get along. It's a sad but very true fact.
By all means, strike up a conversation with me. I may be an anti-social dick but, from time to time, I like the odd paragraph exchange. Just don't expect me to allow you to be my 'friend' without us talking a bit.
...Basically, show me love or bugger off. It's that simple.
Ass-burgers, Aion, L and Dr. Hill
Many people have got into arguments with me on the internet, mostly for one reason: sarcasm. In real life people have trouble reading me because I keep a straight face whilst making comments that can be taken the wrong way, and people misunderstanding me has carried over to the internet as well. Once people talk to me for awhile, they realize I'm mostly less than serious, on the internet in particular... but before that arguments usually ensue.
The ironic thing about my sarcastic nature is that I have Asperger's syndrome; commonly referred to as 'ass-burgers syndrome' by normal people because it's hilarious (...). For those not in the know, simply put, Asperger's syndrome is a condition which makes a person socially inept, people with it lacking common sense in social situations; not picking up on cues, speaking with an emotionless voice, struggling with mannerisms and eye contact, etc. It also has a negative effect on the reflexes and awareness of a person.
(It's ironic I'm a sarcastic git because people with Asperger's syndrome struggle to detect sarcasm. In my case I think, as well as it being a natural part of my personality, sarcasm is a sort of self-defense system I use to make up for my lack of basic social skills. It makes sense, really - making myself come across as more unfriendly than I am!)
Even though on the internet, with the lack of voices, mannerisms and whatnot it's far easier, my social struggles are still very much present. An example of my struggles is my dislike of small talk, most people preferring to share single sentence conversations. I prefer to express myself as best I can, often with ten+ paragraph messages. I often scare people away unintentionally by being almost too attentive; replying to every part of a message in detail.
Linking Asperger's syndrome into manga and anime, there's one very well known character that has just about every characteristic of a person with the disability, though his issues were exaggerated. The character in question is L of Death Note fame.
Monotone voice? Check.
Zero fashion sense? Check.
Socially awkward posture? Check.
Staring and a lack of eye contact when talking? Check.
Direct to the point of being offensive, showing a clear lack of social skills? Check.
A special internet that, above all else, he focuses on the most, often not sleeping because of it? Check.
Friends? None.
There was once an excellent article which covered L and autism (Asperger's syndrone is on the autistic spectrum), but it's long gone. This page, and the comments on it, is all that's left: http://blog.newsarama.com/2007/03/19/death-note-l-and-autism/
Another, non-anime character I know of that has Asperger's syndrome is Dr. Hill from 'Wire in the Blood'; an excellent (well, the first three seasons, anyway...) TV series about a criminal psychologist helping the police catch those the police struggle to find, Dr. Hill using his insight to get inside the mind those the police hunt. Like L in Death Note, Dr. Hill makes those around him look stupid in comparison, often providing the 'key' required to find criminals.
Dr. Hill is much more realistic than L, and was/is played brilliantly by Robson Green. Rather than being as over the top as L, he's just shown to be eccentric, lacking in social skills and lacking in common sense, despite his intellect. In one episode, because of being too trusting, a woman he turns down accuses him of attempted rape after scratching his face, and he never saw it coming. It's an excellent example of how people with Asperger's syndrone fail in social situations and are easily tricked.
The interesting thing about people with the disability is that, in stories, people with it are more often not portrayed as geniuses; able to think outside the box. This is mainly because of an all intelligence/no social skills stereotype, but it's also due to the fact people with it tend to have one special interest they become obsessed with. If a person with it was to focus 100% on solving crimes, seeing it as more than a job, then it's no surprise that those with it would be pretty damn good at catching people.
There are many famous people rumoured to be on the autstic spectrum. I haven't looked into the matter too deeply, but even I know Einstein and Bill Gates are names that have been mentioned in the same breath as the disability. Whether that means it's a curse rather than a blessing is open to debate, but I'm a clear example that not everyone with it has a high IQ.
...I think I'm all typed out now. I hope you found this overly long wall of text interesting!
General Rambling:
||~Aionic Tonic~||
I started using the name 'Aion' after watching the anime Chrono Crusade. Back when I watched the anime weekly, I loved the series to bits and found Aion to be a fascinating villain, his ability to control others without getting himself dirty leaving me in awe.
'Aionic' replaced Aion back during my FFXI days. At the time I was busy making stuff via alchemy, a potion was involved and 'Aionic Tonic' entered my head. A boring but true story - I wish my name choice had more interesting reasoning behind it!
Just admit it; you'd go gay for Aion. Even though he's a devil, he managed to get his tongue in the mouth of a nun, and I'm willing to bet money that you haven't given your body to God.
As for me personally, I have a dry sense of humour, I'm lazy, I'm awkward and I can generally be a pain in the arse. If you think I'm a bit of a dick then fear not; you aren't alone in the world.
I got into anime when I was around 13-14; not sure when exactly. My first anime series was Star Ocean EX (based on the 1st CD of Star Ocean 2), the result being me ending up VERY disappointed by the experience. However, EX did get me interested in anime and resulted in me watching .hack//SIGN; a vastly superior anime series. I haven't looked back since, downloading and buying a lot of anime over the years.
Yes, Claude; you're the lead in a bastardization of Star Ocean 2. On the plus side, at least you no longer run like a stereotypical gay man. That's something, I guess.
My favourite anime is the brilliant series known as Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. Not having read the novel prior to viewing it and, as a result, not having any book>anime adaptation expectations, it blew me away. The story, combined with the stunningly artistic visuals, made me unable to do anything other than move Death Note down to second in my top ten. Also, on a Gankutsuou related note, I've collected the entire series on DVD (plus the art box) and read the 1250 page novel since finishing the series.
These days I don't watch much. I have a huge backlog but lack the motivation to go through it. I make an effort from time to time to watch some of it, but the number of DVDs only ever increases due to how much I buy.
I also read manga. The amount I've read isn't huge, yet I own something like 400+ volumes. Most of the time, I'm too lazy to read anything. I'm working on getting my manga day count up to half of my anime number.
Does this image make you feel nostalgic? If so, congratulations - you're a Narutard. Go give my manga review a +1.
My other love is the RPG genre, or more specifically PS1 & PS2 RPGs. Final Fantasy VII got me into the genre back when I was somewhere between 9-11 years old, most likely closer to 9 than to 11. I found the gameplay to be stunning back then, me not having played a game that offers the player such freedom before. The feeling of astonishment when I got onto the world map for the first time, after believing the entire game would be restricted to Midgar... magical. It's still to this the day my favourite game and will probably always be my favourite.
After Final Fantasy VII made the RPG genre popular in Europe, we got a lot of RPGs we most likely wouldn't have seen in the UK. I was lucky enough to pick up classics like Breath of Fire III, Grandia, Star Ocean 2, Suikoden II, The Legend of Dragoon, Wild Arms and many more when they first came out. Such wonderful memories... It's just a shame I've become an over-critical bastard since my younger days, unable to enjoy most things without getting annoyed over flaws. Why couldn't I have remained a child forever!?
I'm so fond of Grandia because of its mature humour, clearly.
Sadly, I don't enjoy playing RPGs as much as I used to, finding myself collecting them rather than actually playing them. (The same can be said of anime and manga.) I've purchased so many over recent years, the vast majority coming from eBay, and I've barely played any of them. I don't know what happened to the drive I had when I was younger, it just seems to have vanished as I've aged. It's rather depressing that I can't even find the required motivation to replay FFVII these days...
Talking of my collection, my NTSC PS1 collection of RPGs is pretty good: Valkyrie Profile, Suikoden II, Tales of Destiny, Tales of Destiny II, Lunar: SSS, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, Arc the Lad Collection, Persona 2, Vanguard Bandits and many other less rare titles. Quite impressive, for someone living in the UK.
... I'm going to stop here. I hope that was enough info for people interested/bored enough to read my rubbish. :D
I imagine the above is how people reading my reviews look as they make a desperate attempt to make it to the end.
A most entertaining read. That YoungVagabond is an angry young feller, isn't he?
But I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be agreeing with. You do have a point about the series respective deus ex machinas though; both are equally implausible. It wasn't easy for me to suspend my disbelief over Light just happening to find the notebook, nor C.C. imparting her power to Ledouch.
Coincidentally, I'm currently in the process of selling £45 worth of CDs to an online buyer I've used a few times, and seriously thought about picking up the Death Note boxset with the proceeds. But I can't help thinking that it won't be long before the price falls to around £30... this is, after all, Manga we're talking about.
Based on the opening batch of episodes, I'd say that Death Note annoyed me more, but was also more compelling. Geass is just boring and clichéd. I'm not sure I want to spend another 30 quid to complete the first season, let alone a further 60 on the reportedly shit R2.
As for Shigurui, I'm not really sure why I enjoyed it. Certainly I found the lack of a standard protagonist and antagonist quite refreshing. At first it seemed as though Fujiki was the one we were supposed to get behind, but that changed after he did nothing to stop Mie's rape. Indeed, Iriko was the only one who took her feelings into consideration, and that was one of the few redeeming acts carried out by any character in the entire series. It pleases me that there's no moralizing about right and wrong; Shigurui simply tells a story about a cruel, violent time in Japan's history. And, of course, I did enjoy the style, as well as how you never quite knew what kind of brutality one character would visit upon another at the slightest provocation. Very tense.
You should definitely read Mars; it's supposed to be one of the best shoujo manga ever written. I want a cheap bundle of my own :-(
Well, I just finished Shigurui. That ending... what the fuck? I at least expected the series to cover everything leading up to the events of the first episode, but we don't even see how Fujiki lost his arm. That aside, I really quite enjoyed it, although I'm not sure that "enjoyed" is the right word for such a grim, depressing series. It was mainly the visuals that kept me watching; never before has such brutal violence been portrayed with so much artistic flair. The show was incredibly tense but probably could have covered more ground. Though it should have been obvious, I didn't realize that Shigurui and Texhnolyze were directed by the same guy. No wonder you didn't like it.
I seriously can't find anything to order from Wherehouse. I ended up with tons of crap I didn't really want during the last sale a few months back (Green Green, fer fuck's sake). Thought about Witch Hunter Robin, since that's something I wouldn't mind seeing but wouldn't care if never did, but the total was too much. Figure 17 intrigues me but the fuckers are missing one of the volumes. I'll keep looking.
My backlog? Just from glancing at my shelf I can tell you that I need to watch Infinite Ryvius, Black Heaven, Tenchi GXP, Welcome to the NHK, Dual, Gasaraki, Gokusen, Karas, Abenobashi, School Rumble, Noein, Outlaw Star, Samurai 7, the second half of GTO, the first half of Honey & Clover, and plenty more. Oh yeah, and dozens of episodes of Urusei Yatsura. Some really good stuff in there, actually. Once I finish the final disc of the first Geass set I plan to have one last crack at Texhnolyze, then watch something lighter.
Fix your argos unit up yet? I have this vision of your room covered floor to ceiling with DVDs and books.
Actually I found Black Jack on my own. :P I just noticed that you had reviewed it recently. Not a bad review either so I would have to admit you have improved alot. I dont know how many people spot errors either. Particularly spelling. Since I am not the best speller even in my own language, spell checker is the only thing that saves me from looking like an idiot alot of times. I have to read my stuff several times. Because I usually always find something wrong each time. Sometimes you have to read it hours after you write it too. I find that I need some time usually to see errors.
I am at work alot of times, atleast early. I go in at 5am most days. Since I have been waking up that early for years, I am just up then. Like today I didnt work though. I have all this vacation that I am told I must take before the end of the year or I lose it. I am a bit of an insomniac too. I can never sleep for more than a few hours at a time. Also late at nite and early mornings is often the only time I have for myself. My daughter wont let me sit for hours at the computer or in front of the TV.
I feel good about my entire favorite list. Though if one is to come off it will be Haruhi. Its going to take something pretty amazing to knock out any of the others. If Kimi ni Todoke continues as it is now and doesnt let me down it will be in there. I cant add it yet because its not done. But I have also told myself I wont remove Haruhi until I rewatch it. For whatever reason it feels like I dont like it as much as I remember liking it. I think some of the haters have gotten to me over the years.
Well I love all the FMPs, well not Second Raid so much, but I cant add them both. So when I have FMP it should include Fumoffu as well. It is an odd mix. The first part is random school comedy and then it gets serious. Fumoffu is pretty much all silliness and Second Raid is serious. I am hoping for more, since there is more material but I dont know if I will ever get my wish.
Seto is hilarious. I would say yes it gets better. Seto is random crazy silliness with lots of references to Japanese and American pop culture and movies. Such as Die Hard and the Terminator. Plus it has just as amazing cast of hilarious characters. The male lead is not a complete tool either and hes one of the few harem leads I like. I think you should give it another try. Yes its in a school setting but as more characters get added it really starts getting hilarious. If youve only seen 3 episodes then you probably havent seen Luna, her father which are priceless and then there is Maki. Another title I would like to review someday but I will need to rewatch it for that.
I really liked Code Geass, I think most people like that. But I certainly had strong emotions about it. Characters made me so mad. Like Suzaku and Rollo. I was frothing at the mouth for their deaths.
On my punctuation. I dont do it. I am lazy. The only reason my reviews have them is the spell checker adds them for me. I didnt used to spell check them either outside of the automatic one thats on MAL. Or maybe its built into my browser? :P All my reviews were missing them. It was Tehno who kinda shamed me into fixing it. I resisted it for a while but I didnt used to back up any of my reviews and when they had that big crash back in Feburary I lost like 3 reviews. After that, especially when I had so much trouble rewriting them I decieded I would back up everything and I just saved everything to word and spell and grammar checked all the old stuff too. I only had maybe 40 reviews at the time so it wasnt as big a chore as it would be now.
I dont do political talk. I am a DJ, and I do news and traffic, weather reports. Someday I would like to move out and work in the management of the station. but that will require more work from me and I wont be pursing that until I have older children. As of now I am very satisfied with how things are.
Well thats your problem you dont like shana! I dont understand people who dont like it. Thats why I havent reviewed it yet because right now the only thoughts I can formulate make me sound like a fangirl.
Well not to pat myself on the back too much, but yes I have a voice that sounds good on the radio. I never intended on a career in radio, it just kind of happened, and my voice was the reason for it. Its a long story. But I love my job now as it allows me to work and still be home alot for my daughter.
I dont understand 1). Are you saying my comments have lots of mistakes in them? I dont proofread my comments like I do my reviews. I spell check and read them a couple times before posting. Then I read them even after posting and correct mistakes. My comments I just say them. If I see something obvious right away I will fix it but I dont really care if i mispell something or say somethign wrong. Usually my thoughts are coming out to fast that I make mistakes. Plus I am trying to translate my thoughts into English. Though I am very good in English it still takes work. I dont think in English.
2) I dont invite anyone, so dont feel left out. :P
I wouldn't mind being bored for a bit. I have so many things on the go it's ridiculous. And I'm trying my utmost not to buy new stuff--not easy when certain people keep presenting me with discount codes for certain online stores--so I can make some impression on my backlog of games and anime.
Right now I wish I'd never started Utawarerumono. There's no way I'm going to quit having invested so much time into it, but I feel as though I should be doing something more enjoyable. I just have to grit my teeth and hold out until the end. At least today I experienced my first defeat in battle, though that was more down to complacency than genuine difficulty. The story is just sooooo shit. All the anatogonists are fucking insane idiots, and the numerous slice-of-life scenes are so incredibly tedious. How this game is so highly rated--it averages over 8 at The Visual Novel Database--I will never know.
That's pretty honest of you in that blog entry. I prefer to keep personal issues, well, personal. But maybe it's for the best, because that way people can better understand where you're coming from. It took me a while to not get offended every time you make a barbed comment. Now I just count to three, punch the nearest wall, bandage my hand, and rather than go on a post delete spree, reply in a calm, collected manner :D
Do you have the Stellvia DVDs? I was thinking about picking up the tin from Right Stuf, but I'm almost certain that the show will get on my tits. I hear there's teen melodrama up the wazoo, and I can't be doing with that any more. My-Hime got away with it because it was so dark... then it pissed away all that good will with the worst ending I have ever seen.
So how much stuff do you have left to watch on DVD? The way you've been burning though anime of late, I'd expect your backlog to have been vanquished. And what was it about Please Twins that made you score it lower than you thought you would early on? For me, I couldn't stand all that "we might be relatives/strangers" bullshit, and I recall wondering how they managed to conclude that only one of them could possibly be related to Maiku. Just because only two of them were in the picture? In the end, I think I enjoyed Teacher a little more.
I'll just reply to you here instead in that forum section.
Yeah I'm certainly loving the Kara movies so far. What I really appreciate from this anime the most is the level of detail drawn to these scenes are just phenomenal comparing to the past ones that I've seen (well judging from the 1st two movies). Little things like showing street lights change in the night or when she opens a small carton of ice cream. It's picture perfect, its not even funny.
As for GTO well, hmm how do I explain this, I just didn't like how he's "attracted" to younger girls and I think its a little more serious compared to Golden Boy. Even though its only an OVA, I think 43 episodes is just too long for a show I'm looking for like Golden Boy if you know what I mean (although 6 is still a tad short but oh well). And you even said it yourself, it's a filler-filled anime.
But I really want to say thanks for the help and advice on how to put a background picture on my list and for taking the time to comment as a whole. Arigatou!
Well I guess thats your choice. I just have no interest in watching dubs. I just dont care for someone intreptation of someone elses work. And I am in the industry of sorts. I do voice work (commericals, narration for videos, etc) and I work in radio. Im not an actress though. I have seen some of the Cowboy Bebop dub, its not bad.
The Japanese seiyuu have much the same issues as what yoru saying with the American performers. Many of them get overused because fans want it or get typecast in certain roles. As much as I love Mamiko Noto, Rie Kugimiya they pretty much have the same personalities in every thing they are in.
I would recommend Haruhi alot though. I think you should give it a chance. Sure its overhyped by the otaku's but I dont think its made for them. I really liked it, obviously its in my top 5. I think its one of the must see titles for anime fans because its so influencial.
Well I dont know how many dubs do I have to listen to before I am qualified to comment? I would say I have watched atleast 25-30 series dubbed. I used to watch alot of dubs in the beginning but I have moved away from it and now I wont watch them ever, unless thats the only way to watch it. I am trying to remember what series it was that finally drove me over the edge. It actually may have been Haruhi Suzumiya. Try watching that dubbed and then with the original audio. Its like a totally different program. The simple fact is there is nothing that would persuade me to watch a dub again, ever.
I misspoke when I said they had to sound like the Japanese actors. They do need to fit the role. Often they dont or it sounds like they are trying to hard. If that makes sense. Alot of the time it comes out sounded silly. Take the Negima dub. Chris Ayres plays the 10 year old teacher, and he comes out sounding like a complete fool. Because he is trying to hard to sound like a little boy. It would have been better if they just hired an actor who sounds like a little boy. I know sounding like something your not is acting, but well unless your really good at it (most of these people arent) then you need to get someone who fits the role. Its like casting a film. If your film calls for a 45 yr old woman your not going to hire a hot 20 yr old starlet to play the role.
I would agree with you on your assessment on VA. There are a few really good ones and the rest are a bunch of crap. The pool is so small it seems and we just get the same 10 people over and over in ever series. Most of the people who are doing it have been doing it for years. Its like there is no new talent. And because the companies like Funi, work with the same studios or have their own inhouse dubbing groups there isnt any competition. They arent spending the money necessary to hire enough diverse, good talent and because they have the talent on staff they have to find work for them, even when they arent suited for it. It would be better if they worked with real actors who do more than just voice anime dubs.
I also have other issues with the scripts and translations. I dont ever want to hear someone say big brother ever again. I have lived in the states. I have never heard ANYONE refer to someone as big brother. Those kind of literal translations piss me off. Same as people calling others senior or whatever. If your going to translate it then you need to completely westernize it (replacing nee-sans and sempais with the names) or you need to keep the honorifics in the translation.
I have no problem reading subtitles. I want to see the show in its original format. Anime is Japanese. Its SUPPOSED TO BE in japanese! I think that is the proper context in which to watch it. Regardless of the setting. Its the same reason that I only watch movies in their widescreen format. I havent bought a DVD or even VHS tape before that wasnt in letterbox or widescreen since they started becoming available in the late 90s. I want to see movies in their original language. I dont want to see Friends dubbed in Swedish. So its more than me just being a elitist, since I feel this way on everything.
May not be fair but its how I feel. Dubs are the devil and I hope they stop getting made. Most dub actors sound like they perfected their craft in the porn industry. I cant listen to dubs anymore, unless they are done by real actors. Usually the dubs for Ghibli movies are pretty good. I find the Japanese audio to be far better acted. I think the actors in english try to hard to sound a certain way. And when you compare them to their Japanese alternatives they dont sound like the same characters. Mostly I think its bad writing and translation. When I listen to dubs I feel like I am being talked down too. Like they are telling me this is a cartoon and its for kids you shouldnt be watching it. If that makes sense. They sound like they are catering to kids with unsophisticated dialogue.
The only dub actor I really like is Luci Christian. I thought her performance of Kaname Chidori was as good as the original japanese. That whole dub was pretty good for the most part.
Jaja. Your right. I didnt forget about them but they werent important characters either. Of the main cast only the one girl really had the hots for him and she eventually find her own creepy relationship to pursue once she realized she lost. That almost never happens too. They usually just continue to pine away forever! The extras are mainly PV vids. I found them all on youtube. I like Kotoko so I enjoyed them. Seems like you had very similar reaction over all as me to it though.
Funny, that vid. Thats why dubs suck. I cant even watch them for the lulz.
My average is way below that :P I have been asked to join that club but I have declined.
Aeon Flux is a tweener. I remember that on MTV when I was a teenager. It didnt interest me. It was like the matrix before the matrix. I often see people bring up Avatar too, and its apples and oranges. Avatar is american made to appear like anime or atleast using the classic "anime style". All though I find that it seems to be foreigners who have the problem defining anime. Thats the issue, Japanese call all animation anime, its only us foreigners who see the popular stuff or the stuff that is well known and think thats what anime is.
Uh huh. Well I assumed thats what you meant with houiewaifu. :P Oh my daughter is 4. Closer to 3 when she started watching it. She loves it. She doesnt understand it anyway, she cant read english or understand english let alone japanese. Not that I would force her to endure the english dub. Its not for guys :P
I said he was an idiot for letting twits administer his site. There is a difference.
:P I havent read all your reviews either, so I have not noticed that. That usually applies to new reviews I see. When the first line or near the top says, spoilers may be incoming then I unhelpful it. Because you can write a review and not give spoilers. It also states clearly in the rules when writing a review not to post spoilers. So thats my punishment for not reading the rules. If I saw that in a review I read, I might have -1 it. Sorry! I have said this before though the reviews I have read of yours you do atleast explain yourself. So that immediately puts you in the upper 10% of reviewers just because you understand the review process.
I see your point on Please Teacher, but I dont really agree. And the entire female cast is not in love with Kei. The teacher, the childhood friend and thats it. The rest of the cast has other love interests. Thats what I was saying. There are creepy elements to it. Thats why I only scored it an 8. Though honestly I could see someone scoring it as low as a 6. Though lower than that is being unfair IMO. Well see what you think when you finish.
I have mixed feelings on My-HiME. It was one of my first titles really. Well after I started watching anime again. I was very affected by it emotionally, I thought it had really good drama and even made me tear up at times. I dont think it would affect me as much today. The guy didnt bother me so much either. I think he would now though because I am so tired of wussy guys in anime. The ending was a cop-out too. The go through all that drama and then they kinda wave a magic wand and everything is better again. I was happy for a happy ending but I wasnt. I hate depressing anime mostly but that was one that lost alot for me because it ended happily. If that makes sense. I still scored it pretty high, I think a 9? Maybe an 8. I probably would rate it a 7 or 8 today but I dont go back and change my scores. I always stick with my initial impression as I think thats the most fair.
I dont care that much about stop motion. My fight over it is that this is a site about anime. Anime is Japanese animation. ALL KINDS of animation. Thus stop motion, claymation, cgi, and traditional are all forms of animation. Many of these films I was fighting for were made my legendary animators. These are the guys whos work is responsible for the anime that these Mods hold so dear. I think its important as a historical note to see these films. I think someone who is a true anime fan should want to see these things too. But I think maybe you have to be older to appreciate it sometimes. As you get older these things interest you, or atleast they do me. I think the database should be inclusive. And it pisses me off that people with the power (Mods) are setting themselves up as the sole arbitors over what the content of the site is by defining anime. When its already been defined. And when these people are mostly complelely unqualified to even make the judgement. Since through conversations with them I have realized alot of them have no idea what they are even talking about or even understand what animation is. They are inconsistent and it seems to be that they only consider anime pink hair, boobs, and big eyes. It annoys me. I guess I am someone who likes to take the side of the underdog too. When I see someone not being spoken up for I always feel like I have to jump to their defense. I contribute alot to this site and I want to make it better. But it angers me that it seems my opinion is disregarded because I am not in the clique or good ole boys network of people who get to become mods. Not to be arrogant, but I promise you I am far more qualified than 99% of the current mods. Not that I want to be one, now that I see what kind of asshats I would have to work with. For me this site is about being a fan of anime, and I want it to be a resource for exploring all aspects of Japanese animation. Not just the mainstream stuff.
On that video I posted... well I am not saying its this amazing video from a content side. But it deserves to be listed here. The guy is very talented who did it and its only not here apparently because the guy is an independent filmmaker and not from a massive studio like Gonzo or Gainiax. If those guys had made the same thing it would be here in an instant.
