Welcome, all! I have now been on MAL for over a year and a half. I honestly never expected to stay for that long, considering how many other sites I've visited, signed up for, and never frequented. I've still made little progress in my life, but I'd like to think I'm getting there. (Where exactly? Somewhere other than where I am now would be nice...) Japanese is becoming a bit easier to understand, which is exhilarating at the beginning of the TV seasons. (No sub-group love = no problem :D) While I would like to contribute more to the forum here, the very fact that new posts are made every minute is overwhelming; I haven't devoted enough of my life to The Nets yet.
There aren't many series that I outright hate, except for those that were horribly adapted (.hack//DUSK) or are overly clichéd (Daphne in the Brilliant Blue). I can get into most series fairly easily because I've seen at least a little something from every genre and enjoy making comparisons. I guess that's why my favorite series tend to be original. Also, even though I gravitated toward sci-fi/fantasy shows when I first "started out", I now enjoy slice-of-life series more. To be fair, there seem to be more of that type coming out now than back in 1999 or so. EDIT: I'm getting back to my sci-fi roots. I'm finding that I prefer shows with a dark underbelly and some sense of humor (Soul Eater, Basquash).
I tend to watch anime by myself (not because I watch ecchi shows [which isn't to say I don't] but because it's easier to marathon by myself) but I still find myself searching for groups in my area with which to watch stuff and discuss my favorite series. I guess there's a part of me trying to remain social offline. I recently found a local club that actually has varied interests! Shounen action, shoujo rom-coms, psycho thrillers... Here's hoping it works out better than the last few groups I attended!
Now that I've been here long enough, I'll add some favorites. Let's start off small.
FAVORITE CHARACTERS EDITED MAY 31, 2008
1. Kasuga Ayumu/Osaka – Azumanga Daioh
She wasn't my favorite of the AzuDai girls while I was watching the series (#1 was Kagura, #2 was Sakaki, #3 was Tomo). It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I became a fan. My top favorites have changed a couple of times recently but after rewatching AzuDai, she jumped back up. Why do I like her? She's quirky, cute, and adds a strange level of comedy to any situation. And who could deny the utter awesomeness that is her voice?! That's the main reason Matsuoka Yuki is one of my favorite seiyuu, and the only reason I liked Tsuruya-san.
2. Ayase Yue/Yuecchi – Mahou Sensei Negima!
Once again, not my favorite at the beginning of Negima. I felt a twinge of moe the first time she gave her non-smile, but I don't think it was until her big scene at the school festival that she really caught my interest. It can't just be because she was brought into the spotlight and had her character fleshed out; the same has been done for most of the characters and only one other (Eva) could ever possibly make the list. Yue is unbelievably intelligent for a normal junior-high student, and is also the most philosophical character I can recall in any series. Oh, and she pulls off the moeblob archetype well. Her signature "weird trait" amongst the Negima characters is that she drinks unusually named juice boxes. I can't remember many of them though, since she hasn't had one for at least 5 volumes now. Smile for us, Yuecchi~! 'Mou waratteimasu.'
3. Tendou Nabiki – Ranma ½
Wow, this one takes me back. Back when I first started reading manga, I enjoyed it but I couldn't understand people's obsession with 2-D characters. After all, what kind of idiot would have any kind of feelings for a fictional girl?! *facepalm* I was stupid back then; forgive me. Anyway, I eventually got around to reading Ranma 1/2. A short while into it, I realized that the main character’s sister, who I used to overlook, was likely the smartest and hawtest character in the series. I went back through previous volume and noted that she was also cute and funny. From then on, I cheered for every one of her extortion schemes, despising Kuno as much as she did. (I defy anyone who says she and Kuno are meant to be together) And the second movie was pure love. Those geniuses in the production team treated my Nabiki like the queen she was. And there was swimsuit action! X3 … At one point, I joined a site that made a marriage certificate for me, with a picture and date. As you can see above, I have rekindled my long-forgotten feelings for her with the help of MAL’s Marriage Club! Between all my favorite characters, Nabiki is by far the one I could stay with forever. She’s such an evil genius! <3
4. Maehara Shinobu – Love Hina
For the fourth time, this character didn’t grab me when I started reading Love Hina. In fact, I couldn’t see what kind of writer would have a junior-high student chasing after a college-age guy. (Since reading Negima, that “kind of writer” has been completely revealed to me :P) It was the penultimate scene that got to me; seeing her give up her first love to her rival, just because he wanted to be with Naru more, really struck a chord in me. It was strange to have that kind of feeling toward a girl so young, and I tried to reflect that with all my being by trying to forget her. The final two chapters really changed my mindset, as shy little Shinobu had aged three years. She was wiser. She was calmer. “She grew up. She filled out.” Yes, my favorite character had been secured in mental, emotional, and physical form. Seeing as Love Hina ended up becoming the first series on my all-time favorites list, my crush on Shinobu has still not been forgotten. Why couldn’t Production I.G. have made the last two chapters of LH into an OVA?! I want my legal-Shinobu screencaps! After-thought: It’s strange for me to have considered Shinobu an under-age character back when I first read LH, seeing as how I was only a year or two older than her at the time. Perhaps it was a thought put into my head by Akamatsu; after all, his main characters were over 18, so his readers were given that perspective (despite it having been serialized in Shonen Magazine). Who knows… In any case, I try not to think about her age as much anymore. Does that make me a sick person?
5. Ibuki Fuuko – Clannad
This is obviously a more recent favorite. As such, she may not be an all-time favorite. HOWEVER!!! She is one of the only girls on my short-term or long-term favorites list that I knew I would like immediately. From the moment I saw her in a promo video (a stand-alone version of the OP), I could tell she would be a fun character to follow. (Ignore the fact that she was the youngest-looking character shown in that video. Please.) The moe started kicking in when I saw that she was working on those starfish sculptures with no thought of her own well-being. Her cute scenes and unusual version of common sense made her even more likeable. By the time the emotional part of her story came around, I was already a diehard Fuko fan! I guess that made those next few episodes even harder for me. What really got me later on was that even though she was destined to be removed from the story and forgotten by her peers, she twirled her way back into as many scenes as she could manage. She just wanted to help the man she cared for in any way possible, even through physically impossible means. I guess that’s part of my moe… I look forward to the day Fuko wakes up and gets her true “good end”.
6. Mutou Aoi – Moyashimon
Another temporary favorite! I try not to change my favorites around much, especially since it takes quite a character to catch my attention. HOWEVER!!! That is also why Mutou needs to be mentioned here. From the moment she entered that sake bar and drenched herself in Haruhi-knows-what, she became my favorite character in the series. Every little thing she did after that only added to her appeal: the off-hand way she reacted to the other members' opinion of her, her unusual travels around the globe, and (of course) her heart-wrenching back-story. For some reason, her appearance also struck a chord in me; I think my favorites list, along with mental notes I've made regarding the characters I pay attention to most, are proof enough that I have a thing for girls with long, dark hair. Why didn't I like Ohno then...? Anyway, all this adds up to a surprise favorite in a series I honestly never expected to enjoy so much. Three more things! 1) Episode 8 was awesome! Why hasn't this manga been licensed?! 2) There must be a second season of Moyashimon! I demand it!!! 3) Have you watched Moyashimon yet? Why not?! Go do so now!
7. Morino Ichigo – Onegai Teacher
"Onegai" was one of the first series I got into alone. I didn't see it at a gaming con, my friends didn't mention it to me, it was never on TV... I just saw the manga on a rack at my local comics store and decided to pick it up. In fact, that was also the first time I ever read the word "lolicon". (Obviously, the ending was far different from the anime in many ways.) That, and the utter lack of character development on her part, kept Ichigo from liking Ichigo at all. That being said, her story in the anime was heart-wrenching. "These two characters have the same problem! They're destined to be together! ... What? The boy's alien-teacher-wife is feeling dejected? Why didn't you say so? This minor character can sit the rest of the series out." >.> I guess I shouldn't be surprised; the first episode of a romcom always indicates who the love-interest will be in the end, no matter how many character arcs are included. Anyway, getting back on topic, I was only reminded of my interest in Ichigo recently. Her character model seems to have been copied many times since "Onegai" aired (see: Taiga, Chiaki, etc.) but there's only one original in my mind. Now to correct the problem of never having watched Twins.
My favorite visual novel so far:
Maji-Puri!
Aruku = <3
BANNER COLLECTION
IT'S OFFICIAL!!!
I married Nabiki Tendo! <3 Thanks to Mhia-chan for the lower banner (the good one; the top, crappy one was created by yours truly), and to Kaiserpingvin for officiating the wedding.
Thanks to Vertago and melancholy for helping me claim Ayumu-chan! And thanks to Ariana for writing up the ol' adoption papers!
(Neither Nabiki-chan nor I have any problems, per se; she just wanted to have a child without going through child-birth. Or something like that.)
Thanks also to the "Claim an Anime/Manga Club" (especially Kohikki) for helping me get my hands on what may be the greatest part of the Genshiken franchise (so far): Season 2!
<If you ask nicely, I might let you watch it>
Yue Ayase took the bronze medal in the 2nd ever MAL Cutie Pageant! She has the looks for it, doesn't she? Congrats Yue! You have finally overtaken Nodoka! ^^
Hey! I noticed that you recently finished Genkaku Picasso too. I’m curious what your thoughts on it were? I have to admit I wasn’t too impressed with the first few chapters as they felt too rushed and overly simplified. But as the story went on the “cases” became more intriguing and the resolutions more satisfying. I enjoyed that once a “case” was solved the afflicted character would continue to hang out with Picasso. I guess that was the point right? The ending really impressed me though, unlike the rushed intro, it took its time wrapping things up and bringing all the characters together. I thought it was a nice short read that will remain memorable.
I also finished watching Toradora recently (I remember you recommending it). Wow, that was more of an emotional rollercoaster ride than I thought it’d be. I was banking on it being a straight forward romcom, so the amount of drama was surprising. I admit the level of drama it introduced was a bit too much for me, but I really appreciate that it set out to push the characters to grow. Not long ago I was thinking about how tragic the cute-ditzy high school girl character is. Like after watching Azumanga Diaoh or Girl’s High I can’t help but think of how some of them will survive being in the harshness of the world or the work place. Not that that’s a detriment to those series or anything (I understand that it’s not what they had set out to do), it’s just something that pops in my head every once in a while. So I liked that Tiga decided that she wanted to grow and not be so dependent. Though in a way, the ending left a sour taste in my mouth – after watching all these characters come to such resolute decisions I felt kinda defensive about my own complacency in life. Ah, should they really come to such firm resolutions while being so young? <-me being defensive. Hmm, I’m still not quite sure how I feel about the whole thing, but I do know that it’s been a long time since a series has left me so torn and reflective of my own life.
It would be interesting to know which mythology of the nine-tailed fox came first. I don't know much about it myself, but it does seem as though some Asian myths and stories are borrowed and altered from country to country. Its like decivering the names of the warriors famed in China's "Three Kingdoms" stories. Between Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and English their names can look so different when translated.
I just wanted to offer up a quick recommendation for the manwha series Laon being released by Yen Press. I had been buying it on a whim and finally got around to reading it recently and I have to say I’m really impressed! And eagerly awaiting the next volume! The gist of it is that Laon is a gumiho (nine-tailed fox) who has lost her tails in a bet and must search for them amongst humans. Along the way she meets Tae-ha, a reporter for an Enquire-like magazine who has his own demons to face. His job allows for the two to investigate strange events (which often tie into their own personal searches). The atmosphere of the series reminds me of Pet Shop of Horrors; in that, it has its cute and funny moments but it is also imbued in its own dark mythology. Unlike PSoH, its plot is not as episodic and as the story progresses the hints at a darker background become more prevalent and the story more engaging. The art is also gorgeous and I love the surreal imagery that comes into play from time to time. At only six volumes I’m hoping the ending will live up to the expectations the first four volumes have set.
I know what you mean about anime and manga taking a backseat to life in general. I recently discovered, while examining certain manga titles, that I had put several series on hold during the fall of 2007. This happens to coincide with the semester that I overloaded myself with upper-division classes. After that I’ve found it quite difficult to just sit and read or watch a DVD, I always get the feeling that I should be multitasking, being productive, or meeting some deadline (see what school does to you?!). Now that I’m out of college I’ve been pushing myself even more to finish the titles that I had left unfinished. I’m sure I’m still going to have to push myself from time to time, but so far I’m really enjoying the satisfaction of actually completing some series. So hopefully it’s just a phase for you too. Funny you should mention creative writing as well, as much as I enjoy writing I only ever find myself motivated when there’s a deadline involved. -_-;
Hmm… some US adaptations of manga? You have me interested in the Captain Harlock one (it’s one of those series I’ve always wanted to read/watch but never have). I admit, as much as another friend has been trying to get me to pick up US comics, I have yet to get bitten by the comic bug. I wouldn’t say I’m resistant to it… but like you said, I look at rows of superheroes and my interest starts to drift away. So thanks for the percentages! I’m sure I’ll nibble on a few one of these days…
Ok, just two (sorta) quick recommendations for you:
Don’t Leave Me Alone Daisy – a quirky romantic-comedy featuring your average cute girl and your socially-impaired genius boy. Techno-kun has lived a sheltered life, quite literally, before seeing Hitomi (Daisy) made him want to reenter society. At least superficially, really his one-track mind is set to make Daisy his girl, even if it’s against her will. His possessive nature is a little jarring at times making one wonder how any girl would willingly fall for him. But what I enjoyed most about the series is its brand of quirky, over-the-top humor. In particular I loved the character Yamakawa X, a punk-student who acts out because he’s *desperate* for a friend – but whose traditional family is set on killing him if he veers too far on the wild side (I only wish he had more scenes).
Eden of the East – I won’t say too much about this one (I’m still caught up in the whirlwind of it all). Essentially, this is one long movie (be prepared to want to sit and watch the whole thing in one go). It moves at such a fast and furious pace that it kept me on the edge of my seat the majority of the series. Because it’s so fast moving, I can’t say grew attached to any particular character and it doesn’t answer all the questions it presents – but what it lacks in technical detail and history, it makes up for in just pure fun and adventure.
LOL, I’m glad your friend remembered to bring something back for you! (And, for some reason, the realization that umineko means seagull made me smile)
I actually didn’t know – so Yen Plus will no longer be a physical magazine? I never got around to picking it up myself. I had a hard time keeping up with Shojo Beat after a while, so I figured the same thing would end up happening with Yen Plus. Speaking of Yen Press, I recently finished Cat Paradise by Yuji Iwahara (ie. Chikyu Misaki and King of Thorn [interesting that all three were published by different companies here]). I have to say he’s got a very unique style, both in art and story. One thing I can always count on him for is unpredictability, awesome creature designs, and great “WTF” moments.
Also, I’m really excited by the series Bunny Drop. Apparently I’m a sucker for stories that have adoptive parent/child relationships in them. It’s got its cute side where Daikichi is trying to learn how to be a parent and getting to know Rin; but it also has a mystery/drama element to it as he tries to unravel Rin’s past. More than anything I think it’s the pacing of the story that I enjoy – it doesn’t feel rushed but at the same time the mangaka doesn’t drag plot issues out. The only downside is it’s on a slow release schedule, a volume every March and September it seems.
Hmm, anything new with me? Actually, on a manga related note I had discovered about a month ago that an all-male theater group had done a production of Banana Fish. I think it took me all of a day to decide that I would order the DVD and worry about region coding later (a lengthy learning process I might add). At any rate, I can’t express how excited I was watching my favorite manga come to life (I literally squealed out each character’s name as they appeared). Sure there were some differences here and there – but overall they managed to get just about every iconic scene into the act and stayed true to the story (quite a feat squeezing 19 vols into roughly 3 hours). I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I understood of it (even if a lot of that came from reading the series). Though, there were some scenes where I wish my Japanese was stronger so I could catch some of the jokes/puns that were said.
Ahh, just a prying question, but, why does it feel strange to get into some of the comic series at the store?
What a lucky friend you have! Remind them to bring back some souvenirs for you ;P. If I can get things together in time I hope to go on a trip there next summer myself.
I’ve heard good things of Pig Bride, but have yet to check it out myself. And I’ve have been wavering on trying out Pandora Hearts (afraid that it might be too generic), but it’s good to hear some praise for it. Thanks for the heads up. Also, I looked up Cross Game, I had no idea it was licensed – then again I didn’t realize that Viz’s Shonen Sunday site was up and running. I had checked out their Ikki site when it first started up and enjoyed being able to sample some titles before ordering them. It’s actually a great concept I think – to be able to read the first chapter (or a segment) of a series in order to try it out. Of course other companies may do something similar now and I just don’t know about it. But as far as actually following the release of new chapters – eh, I guess I’m not coordinated enough to remember on a regular basis. On that note, I’m not up to date on Kingyo Used Books or Afterschool Charisma, but I guess I have something to look forward to in their second volumes.
And rest assured, Toradora is on my list of things to watch. Though I do have a question regarding its dvd release – I’ve seen some topics of disc errors or some such and replacement offers. Is there a certain set/disc that I should look for?
I’ve always imagined that working at a comic shop would be a fun job. Or at least that you would be able to meet some interesting people and be in the comic world loop of knowledge. That is a cool observation though! I think the old stereotype of a comic-fan being a young adolescent male is still very prominent, despite the mainstream connections to movies and so forth. Does the shop keep you busy, or are you able to take a peek at some of the comics during lull periods?
Hey, how have you been lately? How’s the anime/manga world treating you? I had to laugh this summer when Rightstuf licensed Utena after I spent all of the previous summer tracking down CPM’s discs. Ah, that’s life for you… And CMX’s demise was tragic – and sudden. Maybe DC decided it’d be best to treat it like a band-aid? Just rip it off the face of the earth all fast like? I guess that’s life too…
I just finished reading the first volume of Kingyo Used Books. What a feel good book it is! I especially enjoyed the chapter about Billy Puck (a series and mangaka I’d be interested in learning more about), and the chapter with the mom who gains a friend through shared nostalgia. I also appreciated the chapter about manga being written in other countries. Many times there seems to be an aversion between “anime/manga fans” and “American comic book fans” about trying the other’s preferred media. Having this chapter point out that basically we’re all in the same boat was really refreshing.
I also noticed that you’re reading After School Charisma too. It has an intriguing concept which caught my attention, and while I was afraid I was setting my expectations too high, I found the first volume quite enjoyable and the plot is showing some promise for a deeper (darker?) story. What do you think of it so far?
I’ve been slow to keep up on the anime and manga front. Goodness I don’t think I’ve ever heard of “Baka to Test,” much less of its US acquisition. Thanks to my brother, I’ve been watching at least one Detective Conan movie a weekend. And three weekends ago I showed him the Magic Users Club OVA. So I haven’t made much of a dent as far as watching new shows, but it has been fun re-watching others. As far as manga goes it seems as though the only series I’m able to keep up with is Black Jack (thanks to its episodic nature). I’ve purchased the first volumes of both Moyashimon and Future Diary, though I’ve yet to read them. Hopefully with your recommendations they can move up the ladder!
It’s funny, now I’m only taking two classes instead of four but I still don’t know where my free time is going!
I’m glad you had a good birthday and got to have some fun with it too it sounds.
Oh, and I know what you mean about being busy! It’s great that you’re getting closer to obtaining your degree, and that your work reflects that. I’m supposed to be taking fun classes along with Japanese, but dang these level 100 and 200 classes are more time consuming than the 300 and 400 level classes I’ve taken. Something’s not right about that… Thankfully, two of my classes this semester end next week.
So despite being busy have you found the time to indulge in any good anime or manga series?
(Ah-ha! For once it didn’t sneak up and pass me by!)
I hope you have a great day today, and I hope that this semester is treating you well so far.
Try not to eat too much cake, and remember to blow out your candles before you dig in.
MALs comment-eating fancies are perturbing indeed. ctrl+a ctrl+c is so tedious.
I heard that dear Witch Hunt will be waiting with finishing the translation of ep 5 once they had played ep 6, just to get eveything right, so there's some extra week or so of waiting to be had over the original estimate ;_; Well, can't complain, it's all in the name of quality.
Kinzô is fun in the anime, but my favourite part is Ohara. She does an amazing job with Beato, I was quite apprehensive at first, but she has blown me away. She can do the pout, the sneer and the cackling mad h-holy-shit-she's-forcing-her-to-eat-WHAT all equally good. As for a better season two, I'd like to see Akiyuki Sinbô doing it, somehow I can see his æsthetic fitting Umineko very well. All curly and art deco frames around reconstructed scenes, and his treasured SCREENS OF TEXT would work well with the red and blue truths. Sadly, it won't happen ;A;
As for the economics here, they're not very much worse off than anywhere else. People are fired, the Christmas dinners are cancelled at poorer companies, and our former social democrat PM paid 200 kronor in taxes out of a near two million tax burden thanks to clever bureaucratic dodging. It's like always, basically. Though things could go pretty bad with the UAE collapse, as many Swedish banks had invested quite some down there.
