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R.I.P

Hey there,

Having taken a quick look at things, it seems that the manga is put on hiatus of a sort. Looking over the artist's page (http://www.itplanning.co.jp/index.html), the last note on Vagabond is a notice that he isn't in good health, with a subsequent note that he just doesn't feel up to the task of completing the series right now (though, apparently, there's not that much left). So I guess there won't be any new chapters coming out in the near future.

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No problem, it took me a year after I joined until I finally learned how to do that.

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At first it will feel like the original only a little faster and with some differences. But at about ep 13, the story will completely change and become an anime of it's own. It's definitely faster paced than the original, I don't think every episode is that way.. but most are.
You're talking about the plot aren't you. In which case, the plot is only fast paced in the beginning, I believe.

First off, I sincerely hope not to have hampered you enjoyment by all this.

Next, I fear that you might have missed part of the point. It's not so much that I take offence at certain material because of a possibility that people might start bringing it out of the fictional into the real. What I find fault with is an earlier step. To cite your last comment: 'These people were so focused on the adventure and fight scenes, which was stressed the most, that they practically missed all of the moral questions.' This itself implies that having fight scenes in the first place does not generate moral questions. This frightens me a bit, to be honest: to think that both audience and creators are able to say, 'hey, things getting violent, fun!' without directly asking themselves what's so fun about it.
In truth, this happens everywhere in fiction. Some things are considered to be exciting without the question ever being asked whether being exciting is a proper reason for it to exist and without the question being asked whether this is something one should feel excited about. The problem with TTGL, to my view, is that it is very aware of being wild and exciting to many, yet never seems to ask itself what is so exciting about things blowing up in the first place.

It is true that I am very easily provoked in this manner. Most standard action series are resented to a degree because of its unwarranted focus on violence without a reason. Yet, again, most of this stems from the feeling that I do not see why the creators even felt there was a reason for showing something objectionable without there being some sort of pay-off: most action series, to continue that thought, are completely pointless. Yes, the hero saves the damsel in distress (or whatnot). And? How is this in any way important? And how this justify not asking questions of morality?
In short, TTGL manages to ruffle all my feathers without giving something in return.

Well, as I saw it being stated once: 'I feel sorry for any parent or teacher who would ever have to deal with a kid inspired to insolence by the hubris of this show.' Perhaps the show might be some sort of outlet, but if this is true than I would question, first, whether someone should be allowed to permit himself to have such fantasies in the first place and, second, whether society as a whole should permit itself to allow such an outlet. Instead of telling the little kid that what he fantasises about is morally questionable, we provide him with something that only strengthens the notion that it is normal to have such fantasies.
I am aware, of course, that this mirrors, to some degree, the issue of sex and violence in video games and films. And I understand why people dislike having it there, for the simple reason that there generally is no reason given at all for its presence. It is there to attract an audience, that's all, and this is think is not justifiable: even if it is probably nonsense to state that such additions necessarily lead to deplorable action, it does send the message that the concept itself is quite alright, which is a moral issue.

I have heard a lot about CG and should probably watch it simply to have an idea what everyone is talking about (and notice the references in especially comedies). In particular, it was mentioned that it might actually have a halfway decent background story, which in turn ought to lead to at least the chance of having characters act upon it. When I find the time for it, I'll let you know what I think of it.

Do be aware that villains as a rule tend to need less in the way of justification, as less time and attention is given them. Broad outlines are far more acceptable for a character when it only has some ten minutes' screen time. Not that I would say that TTGL is brilliant in how it portrays its villains. It's just that at least a hint of any motivation is given, whereas Kamina and company lack even that.
Also, while I've often heard about how TTGL was just a wild ride and driven by energy, I failed to see any of that. I just saw a lot characters running around screaming. That is not the type of energy anyone should be moved by: it is the type of energy a six-year-old kid would feel when emptying his toy gun, no more. Moreover, this kid apparently still ranks with the beasts, captivated as he is by destruction without having even a semblance of an idea of what necessitates destruction, what arises from it and how it is justifiable.
It is not that I want a show to be completely logical. 'Logic' would mean that a character simply says 'no' to the offer of an exciting adventure, as logic would state that the chances of winning are simply too small (logic would never buy a lottery ticket, for example), but that would make for a poor tale.
Yet a story needs an underlying reason, an underlying focus that is able to state why the story needed to be told in the first place. If I had to give names to it, I would say that a meaningful distinction can be made between Conviction and Passion. Conviction means acting upon something while knowing both sides of the coin, while being aware of factual and moral consequences, and while being able to defend one's stance even in the face of logic. Passion, on the other hand, is blind and meaningless. It makes for very flat characters and situations and is often morally questionable.

As for Code Geass, it is somewhere on my pile of series I've yet to watch (that pile is a physical one, by the way, and its presence annoys me, so I have a good reason to actually go through it). While I could say that I haven't got around to watching it because I have to see a lot of other things currently nominated, giving a good example as an admin, I have to admit that I went into TTGL knowing that I wouldn't really like it (though really not knowing how much I was going to dislike it) and I fear that the same will apply to Geass. It does seem like one of those shows that is mindless to the point of being an insult.