Hi there ~ I've been using this website on and off for a long time now. ZeroingZero is the nick of a friend in Maplestory from back in the days. It's a pretty cute MMORPG from Korea that came out in NA around ~2005. A lot of the earlier players quit over the years and it hadn't been the same last I played. I still got memories of the friends, but have since lost contact with most. ZeroingZero was one of them. It happens to also reference one of my favourite characters.
Along with my top 5 anime below (go watch now if you haven't!), other ones I've enjoyed: Angel Beats, Your Lie in April, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Attack on Titan, Baccano!, Spice and Wolf, Sword Arts Online, Darker than Black.
I've also enjoyed Kiba, Chrno Crusade, Gundam 00, Macross Frontier ~ but saw these quite some times ago.
If you have recommendations you think I might like, I'd love to hear them.
Some HxH nostalgia (original series has better OST, but watch 2011 series if you're new)
I know there is no point in replying to this because you already know my opinion by now xD, but I have time and I wanted to respond to some of the things xD; you don’t have to write back on here.
First, I want to say I hate you because I still had to read my previous replies to fully understand what you wrote :p.
. I guess I can relate to Lelouch in that sense, how he had to deal with Suzaku on daily basis while they were childhood friends :P
Code Geass is one of my favorite show too!
I guess we tend to like characters that we relate to.
Also, I find it really weird because if we were to bring reality into a fictional story, lulu’s ideals would seem very aggressive and unforgivable simply because it involves many people to die in the process. Mind you, his whole purpose of doing everything was for his sister—not the world (... in a way, that selfishness is pretty admirable in my opinion). Suzaku’s plan might have been built out of his own stubbornness, but he went down a path that he believed was right for everyone regardless of the fact that his own people hated him for betraying them. Moreover, he killed his own father and felt guilty about it. So in a way, it makes sense to me why he tried ingraining his philosophy into Lulu’s mind :P
…I actually don’t know what my point was anymore because both of the characters true intentions were not known to anyone else but themselves; hence, the reason they were a target of hate.
And a realist is the one that's more likely to change their mind, and you pointed it out that Suzaku was the one that changed at the end, to help Lelouch with his plan. While Lelouch stays true to his ideals and dies lol :p
Lol. But, but, but Lelouch gave up on his ideals many times. The first time was when he tried making a deal with Euphi. Then, when his power went crazy, and he forced her to destroy everything. The other time was when he thought his sister died, and he almost gave up on his own plan until Kallen slapped him or something. The last one was when he realized that his mother and his father’s ideals were worse than his. :P
I saw that you recently finished Monster. I thought I probably would have enjoyed the story more if I had read the manga, since the anime was rather slow in the middle half.
Monster was a’ight. I felt that it was a little dragged on. There was always another person behind the “master plan”. Some of the storyline felt forced. Moreover, it was pretty obvious that Tenma wouldn’t shoot anyone, but the story kept emphasizing the moments when he attempted to shoot… followed by someone telling him he why he shouldn’t. ugh.
yo, I saw that comment lol ;)! I was just a little too lazy to reply :P
Anywho, if for some odd reason you do decide to respond to our previous comment, it might take me quite a while to reply back b/c at the moment i don't have time to write lengthy stuff+ I vaguely remember the convo :p.
I digress, nice hearing from you though :). Glad you're alive :p
” Mika got stuck in this nether world in between, so while she still exists in the physical world, anything she says and does is kind of like a fax”
Thanks for the websites, and this actually makes more sense than the other theories of mika I’ve read. At the same time, we never saw her go to the wire, or anything of that sort. We just saw her spying on Lain the whole time lol
“ Didn't even know some of the references SEL made (few scenes I didn't pause to read up on the texts mentioned) were actual persons/references.”
The only major reference I noticed was the Manhattan Project in which a group of scientist (including Einstein) helped with the research on creating the atomic bomb. They mentioned a lot of things that happened around the early 1900's; I just assumed it was mainly because Japan's dynamic changed after the World Wars, and the bomb.
I can see how the person there is someone "higher" than Lain - if lain is the god of the wired, then perhaps the person that understands her, and gives her the final resolve to do what she did, would be god of the real world...
The madeleine reference is very interesting! I didn’t even notice that in the final scene! For me, the website that stated that the father at the last scene was probably imagined made sense simply because at one point in the story, the father mentioned that they were there to fulfill their duty; we also saw Lain sad because she didn’t want them to leave.
Rating a series/ subjectivity of perfection:
My friend also does not believe I should be giving 10 to anime that I explicitly have said to have flaws and could be improved upon. 10/10 represents perfection. Could have said it was for favourite of favourites but thats aside the point xD.
Funny you mention that because I used to never give a show a 10. I always felt that when I liked something, I had the tendency to blur out the flaws; my favorites are always a 9 because of that. Then I realized that if I based everything on perfection, than nothing would be perfect and every microscopic detail wouldl be highlighted by one person or another. That's why I just give 10's to the unique non-conventional/non linear storytelling. I made a standard for the 10; doesn't mean I think it's perfect. :P. Then again, what does “non-conventional” mean when it comes to shows?
[/u]A piece of artwork by Michelangelo from the Renaissance period may be considered perfection at the time, when you compare it against all the artworks of that time and before. But fast forward 500 years, you have a tons more added to your 'sample size' to set your standard of perfection. So was our standard of perfection during the Renaissance absolute such that it remains the same today. Then we're denying that 500 more years of innovations and human experiences did nothing to change the way we think about said subjects [/u]
You know, I've never really liked Michelangelo's work (except the Pieta). Anywho, during the Renaissance people started using math and science even in their artwork, so there did become a standard of perfection. There was always an "academic style" that every artist had to follow. Then came Picasso. After he was exposed to the African tribal artwork, he basically said: " screw this academic crap, I do art my way" (not his exact words lol). So yes, I agree with you when you say that experience does change the way we view a subject. I believe at one point, the clichés we hate so much were considered amazing (“original/perfection”);
perfection is only as objective as the sample size you're taking into account. When taking everything into account (sample size=all), then this (subjective perfection) is what we consider (objective) "perfection". Then in general, objectivity relies on subjectivity for its definition and thus one the same.
Exactly, I always find myself changing the way I rate things because as my "sample size" increases, my opinion on what is good and bad changes...the same reason why I hate cliches so much.
Random Code Geass stuff:
Your code geass example also want me to go on a tangent about realists vs. idealists (lelouch vs. suzaku, started out at polar ends but as the series developed, the line distinguishing between the two blurred and your example shows that perfectly).. but that's all I'll say xD.
I’m going to go on that tangent and say a little more on this xD. Did you really think suzaku was an idealist? I think I’m kinda an idealist so I understood his character more than I understood Lulu, but the fact that Suzaku wanted to change the system from within never really seemed idealistic. It actually seemed more realistic considering that not everyone would have Geass. :p. I also thought it made sense that he changed his opinion to that of lulu by the end when he killed so many people by acciddent. Don’t feel obliged to reply to this, I just wanted to ramble. XD.
All the other random stuff we wrote about:
We could say we are only as free as we think we are, since we don't even understand how the parts (our cells but going one step further, our atoms) make us who we are.
That’s interesting. I’d like to think we are, but as I watch the news and look at history, that question gets blurry for me. What I’m about to say is probably not scientific at all, but sometimes I feel like our brain has a mind of its own. The way it processes thing is extremely fascinating. What I mean by this is how we observe things, and how our brain observes thing. Even though we don’t want our memories to be manipulated, and we don’t want to be conditioned, it is so easy to make our mind fall victim to that. The example that comes to mind is what happened during the 1970’s: approximately 900 people committed suicide because their leader told them to. They didn’t want to kill themselves, but they wanted to at the same. I don’t even know if this makes sense now, so I’m going to stop.
Into the distant cyperpunk future like SEL or Ghost in the Shell, we may have to think beyond the idea of Darwinian evolution to our species, to something akin to artificial/synthetic evolution. In that world, altering/combing human consciousness wouldn't be so far fetched xD
Ah, the future. This reminds me of an anime called psycho pass. A little difficult to watch for me because it is kinda episodic, but I think I was about 5 episode in long ago. Basically, it was about a system that determines your job, your position, and ultimately your fate. People are automatically put into institution/prison because the systems states that they have the potential to become harmful. Imagine if our daily life was controlled by some sort of artificial intelligence mainly because it knew us better than we knew ourselves?
I hope you don't mind that this is an extremely long post :|
I loved the opening of SEL!
For me, episode 6 was also the turning point of this series. It is extremely slow, and I probably wouldn't have managed to finish it if it wasn't for your opinion. Also, I realized that this is one of those series you have to watch immediately, or else you'll forget everything and you'll have to start from the beginning again. That being said, it left me a little confused. Why was the father there in the very end? Or what really happened to the sister? I should have paid more attention, but I was watching it on my phone.
My opinion: Even after Lain realized who she was, I thought it was interesting that she still wanted to be remembered. She didn't completely erase her existence. Furthermore, "What isn't remembered didn't happen" only applies for *individual* truth. For the characters, those events didn't happen; it doesn't mean it didn't happen in reality. People's sense of reality is different from the ultimate truth (whatever that is). Lain is apparently God, but she doesn't want to take the role. However, by resetting time, she does become this omnipotent being. Lain can change things and can make whatever she wants to happen. At the end, while she was with her other self, they were talking about watching over the people without actually being a part of the world. Hmm... in the last scene, we see her interact with Arisu (Alice) in the real world. Lain is not just a "watchmaker (deist belief)", she involves herself with the world.
As for relating SEL with Freud's Id, ego, and superego, I think Lain managed to get her ego by the end. Our ego helps us rationalize things. Superego (the need to follow society's idea of morality) and ID are two ends of the spectrum. I think when Lain was talking to Arisu during episode (12-13), she gained her ego? She realized not everything she was doing was correct, and not everyone wanted it. She even realized how Arisu was feeling. Lain probably reset time because she acknowledged that people don't need the Wired, and it was unnecessary to the harm those people. She found a balance by taking away her existence from reality, but still remaining in the world (ego).
I'm not really a fan of Freud, but I think Id, ego, superego makes sense. For instance, babies usually have ID. They cry as long as they can until they get what they want. It is part of there survival. We have the ego so we can properly adjust in this society; it balances our wants, and our views on morality.
"With respect to SEL, assuming there is an omnipotent entity that has complete control over a person's consciousness, would rewriting their and everyone else memories of the past constitute a sufficient divergence of realities?"
Again, I think this depends on what we consider truth. I'm going to relate this with Code Geass R2 :p.
Remember when Lulu's father and mother wanted to rewrite the world to a place where everyone from the past would live in harmony? When Suzaku and Lulu discovered that, they both teamed up because they considered that life a lie. They aimed for the future and not the past. But, what made their ideals better than their parents? Memories can be easily messed with, so what's wrong with manipulating it to create utopia? At that moment, for Lulu & Suzaku, the parent's idea was considered false because both Lulu and S. *had* those memories within themselves. Their sense of justice was based on their experiences. If they didn't have those memories, they probably wouldn't even notice what the true reality is. Also, remember when Lulu forgot his past, and lived comfortably with his "brother"?
Have you seen the movie inception? If you haven't, don't click this spoiler
In Inception, some of the characters would go inside the deepest layer of a person's dream to manipulate his or opinion and thoughts. Some people would even get lost in their own dreams, and remain their for eternity: that was because they lost a sense of reality, and found the dream world better. Their dreams became their truth.
The idea of living in a dream doesn't sound appealing, but why?
"Implied in human's self-awareness is free will, right? Imagine if our neurons have free-will..., makes sense if they wouldn't want to stay together in our little braincase, hehe. But then perhaps free will also belongs to a scale similar to self-awareness, that we are not yet truly "free". Just as free as we can comprehend right now since we're the top of that scale."
We *believe* we are free, and that's why we are. If someone were to seriously prove that we weren't free, I think it would honestly change the way we think.
In one way, we could say that our neurons do have free will :p. When we don't use our neurons, it commits "suicide" (neuron atrophy). Humans don't function properly when a bunch of neurons fail to work.
"if we assume things with a high level of self-awareness can't come together to make something greater, then aren't we admitting that humans can no longer evolve?"
My question then would be, I thought humans evolve naturally overtime? If we forcefully decided to connect all the self-awareness together, does that really mean we evolved? If there were to be a malfunction, it would affect everyone (i.e. no one would survive), right.
haha. I had the same problem with Shippuden. The new art bothered me too. And yes, the fillers did get me disinterested :p. Now, I just read the manga to know how it will end xD. (I already saw so much of it; might as well know what the mangaka will do with it).
Fillers allow the anime to stay current. However, when you reflect/ have a retrospective moment, it lowers the quality of a show. And we all know quality> quantity :p. Nonetheless, it is still great for some fans... I guess. -- Hopefully I can catch up to the latest episodes of HxH by the end of June. I want to marathon some episodes again, but I don't have the time now X(.
Thanks for the Neil video :D. He's awesome! I'm gonna try watching Serial Experiments Lain. It seems interesting. For some reason, your thoughts remind me of Descartes. You may know the famous saying: Cogito ergo sum ("I think, therefore I am). Basically, you can't really prove anyone exists. You can't even prove that you exist. The only thing that you can be certain of is that you think. Furthermore, you can't really disprove that you think because in order to do so, you have to think-- you are a "thinking machine", and everyone else may or may not exist.
I believe David Hume's had a different perspective on this. All the philosophers in the world may hate me because I might be interpreting things wrong; I only took one or two Epistemology/philosophy course long ago (and hated it): Anyway, I think Hume's stated that ideas come from impressions. He even spoke about the bundle theory. Basically, an object is not simply an object; an object is a collection of features/impressions/bundle. For example: when you think about the idea of a chair, you are actually thinking about the properties such as the color, size, texture, etc. The same can go for a human. A human can be a collection of basic properties (nose, eyes, mouth, etc).
"What isn't remembered didn't happen," That is an interesting statement. I personally don't agree with it because there are so many things that happened to me, and I don't remember them completely... but somehow those things impacted the way I live.
I think it's fascinating how almost everything has a function (including the neurons, like you mentioned). As for this brain of ours, it's a collection of neurons and glial cell-- but this brain can also be considered an object which creates bigger functions, with respect to the "smaller" task of neurons/neurotransmitters/and-everything-else-that-I-can't-remember. Maybe, the only way we can become self-aware is through things that are less self-aware. If the "individual level" had a high level of self-awareness do you think we humans would even exist o_O?
You brought up so many interesting points, and I honestly don't know how to give a valid reply. My brain is so confused now, but thank you for that! I'll check that series out sooner than later.
Honestly, I still have not figured out all of the subcategories of nen :-|. It is complex, and I think the only way I can remember them is if I rewatch the series multiple times.
When I fangirl over an anime, I kinda don't notice the flaws of it. However, when I do become critical, I find it odd that I can actually accept/ like the negative points of the series as well. Nonetheless, I still feel bad when I point out "flaws" of a show that others may like; I understand why someone would appreciate a series, and I don't want to be the party-pooper. :|.
"Do I blame the studio for their approach to adapting the manga chapters, or should I look more careful at the original source (re-read the manga and re-evaluate?), or is the anime trying to be too literal in adaptation that is to blame?Should they try to be more creative, skip things here and there?"
Well, I think there will always be that group of people that wants an anime to be true to the manga. If it's changed even a little, it’s considered terrible in their opinion. I do understand the reasoning behind that, but I believe things feel differently in different mediums.
For instance, a movie cannot be an exact replica of the book. It's pretty much impossible because of the timing, writing, script, etc. However, it's very difficult for us to detach ourselves from what we already know/read.
I’ll elaborate this by using my Naruto and FMA examples. Feel free to skip this:
Naruto
When I first saw Naruto, I was captivated by the characters and storyline. I remember thinking that it was the best thing ever. I watched almost all the filler, and quite frankly, I enjoyed it. It was only later on that I realized that this show ruined adventure stories for me; I couldn’t even watch Shippuden.. However, if I had to watch the original Naruto, I would! In my opinion, it’s still great regardless of the dragged out storyline, terrible female characters, fillers, etc. It’s simply because I’m attached to it. Also, the Chunin exam was just awesome XD; the writing exam/battles never cease to amaze me.
That being said, I’m glad HxH did not do this. You don’t need to drag a story just so it can follow the manga. The studio did a horrible job with Naruto, and HxH went the better route. Plus, I still kinda resent Naruto because I wasted so much time patiently waiting for episodes that apparently disregarded the main storyline of the series!
FMA/ Fma Brotherhood:
Though I didn’t watch the original HxH, I think FMA is a good comparison.
Ever since Brotherhood came out, there are people that constantly hate on the 2003 version because it's not faithful to the manga. If they separated the series from their love for the manga, they'd see that it has some unique/rare scenes that don't really happen in any other anime (I'm aware that there are numerous pointless episodes here and there). As for Brotherhood, it's considered perfection. I genuinely love it, but if you were to see the first 13 episodes alone, it's extremely fast paced, and quite frankly don't add to the story. After watching the 2003 version, I think brotherhood did not do a great job with the Nina episode. I thought the presentation of Nina’s death should have been better handled in Brotherhood because it was something that affected Ed and Al til’ the very end (the brothers’ even mention her during the last few episodes. (Then again, here I am comparing two [fma] series when I just said we shouldn't compare things :P. how hypocritical of me )
I believe if you’re going to remake a series, do it from the beginning. FMA ‘03 dragged the storyline, while Brotherhood made it extremely fast pace; the most emotional parts were taken out because it was done in the 2003 version. Not everyone is going to watch the original, so why skim important details??
HxH 2011 is trying to be faithful to the manga, and the manga fans…. I think. When they remade the series, they probably assumed that people may not watch the original so they started it from the beginning. Even if it may seem dragged out to me, the manga fans will love the adaptation of the series, and people who don’t read the manga are probably grateful that they can see the authentic storyline without having to read about it.
I think the target audience would have to be the people that love it when studios can create exact replica of a story in different forms (manga/VN/LN --> anime, books--> movies/television shows)--- that is rare,
Ugh. I feel awful. Usually when I’m writing a message, I click the Copy & Paste because that happened to me more than once. Also, since I have multiple tabs/documents open for other purposes, I usually write it in an e-mail form or something. That way, I can take my time; it saves into a draft on its own, and then gets deleted afterwards.
Oh My God! I was only expecting a 2-3 sentence response, but thank you for sharing your well written thoughts on the manga. Thank you. You refreshed my memory, and I liked reading your opinion. Plus, I too have a soft spot for anything that describes brotherhood.
I intended to watch HxH for a very long time, and people on this website convinced me to start. I’m enjoying it a lot, but I’m finding myself taking tons of breaks in between. Usually that doesn’t happen to me when I like a series, but for HxH it happens way too often. I think the problem I’m having with it is that it has these great moments, and then all of a sudden it slows down. I know it’s done in order to develop the characters, but I think I’m getting annoyed by it now. I found Greed’s Island to be a little too dragged out for my own taste, so I was really enjoying Chimera Ant arc. However, I just got up to the Knuckle/Shoot arc. How long is that supposed to be though considering that you thought it was also dragged on O_O ? Even though Killua and Gon are gaining new powers, I can’t help but think how odd it is that those Chimeras (and the pro Hunters) are patiently waiting for them to come before they end up causing real havoc. I hope what I’m writing makes sense because I also feel like this part is getting dragged too. But as I mentioned, I’m still enjoying the series as a whole, and I find the growth of both Killua and Gon to be extremely amazing. Hmmm… now that I think about it, these two characters are developed too much, because the other two aren’t even getting real limelight.
(I think I may also be having a difficult time watching HxH because I don’t really like long (100 ep+)/ adventure stories as much as I used to. If I saw this earlier, maybe I would have loved it even more)
As for 5 Centimeter per second, I recommend the anime mainly because of the background/ scenery. The writer is kind of known for his visuals, and for 5cm per second, the artistic style really does capture the emotion of the story. If you intend to watch the anime, you have to acknowledge that the characters aren’t going to be developed thoroughly, and you have to allow the atmosphere to tell you the story. The message isn’t clear compared to the manga, and that’s what makes it special; it has to seep in to you. However, I personally loved the manga more because that is the style of book I like to read. Furthermore, I wasn’t satisfied with the ending of the movie, and this helped bring some form of closure as it explored the characters/theme even more. I don’t think the manga is completely necessary though, but it was for me. It even made me enjoy watching the anime again.
So, watch the anime first. If you want a little more, then read the manga. If you’re satisfied with the anime, then don’t read it because the manga has a sadder quality to it (which I did appreciate). The anime isn’t as gloomy…it is, only if you look at it through face value. However, I think the title describes the theme of this story perfectly. It takes a realistic approach, and describes the people we meet in life.
Also, at surface value, the anime is similar to Our Happy Hours because the characters communicate through letters :p.
Yeah. I randomly picked it up as well. I forgot about it midway through, but when I remembered--- I got addicted and finished it immediately.
I also like the flashback. I think Taichi grew so much from that event. He will always feel inferior to Arata in romance and skills; there is this complexity to his character as he tries to go beyond that struggle. As for Arata, he isn’t there much. I would like him to grow, but the scenes where he is there, I feel like the karuta events are more intriguing.
It doesn’t help that Chihaya is so oblivious xD. She is so absorbed in her own world and her love for Karuta. Her obliviousness allows the story to progress without melodrama though xD.
I heard Asami Seto’s voice on another anime before, but when I heard it here, I thought it was perfect. And yup, she’s gorgeous too!
ooo, I would love to know your thoughts on Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan after you finish. I’ve read it a long time ago, so I can’t really remember the detail, but I just remember it being emotional and depressing. It is so different from Steins Gate :P. The characters aren't as dynamic, and it has a narrative style; it might be a little different from most of things you watch/read?
Oh that's great. I always love reading the mini text in manga(s). The subtle humor is enjoyable. I have to start reading it again. Since I forgot some of the main points, I started from the beginning.
5 months is a long wait for me; the last time I saw this anime was around December :\. Also, I think the romance will remain nonexistent until the last few chapters lol; i'm not complaining because I don't really like love-triangles.
Yeah, I did read that about Asami Seto; I chuckled when hearing about the karuto addiction. Also, I love her voice! It's amazingly sweet in my opinion. I'm surprised that she's so young too.
I noticed that you're planning to read Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan. Read it. It's a tad romantic/slow-paced. However, it's extremely sad and mature, with a hint of realism. Also, it's short, and can be read in less than a day. Just be prepared that it might leave you with a bit emptiness at the end.
LOL! I don't really trust the anime compatibility thing. It really depends on the genre because I tend to rate them differently.
Chihayfuru :D! It's not my all-time favorite, but it is my current favorite mainly because I really want a 3rd season >_>. I might rewatch it! Despite all its flaws, it was so fun and entertaining.
Did you notice how most of the other characters were drawn ugly, but the main trio were drawn with extreme detail? :P Let me know if the manga is any good. I think I’m still up to the early chapters
Yup, there are 50 states, and all of 'em are pretty different in lifestyle. And yeah, I could probably take a state certification exam, if there are any; however, rules and regulation can vary.
Research is awesome, except the ones that requires you to hand out surveys to strangers (I really hate those with a passion >_>)
Technically summer is at June 21st, but I consider May 22nd summer because that's when I finish school!
noo. Summer is still one week away for me: Finals week *sigh*. I don’t know how you manage to not watch anything for months!? That’s some really good studying habit!
:P. Glad you enjoyed the videos. Don’t worry; no one usually notices the gorilla because we can’t really focus on two things at once. I won’t go into the psychology of it; honestly my brain has died this semester, and I can’t wrap my head around it. I have to refresh my brain before I end up giving you flash information. However, you pretty much hit the nail on the wall for some of your theories.
Psych and law are kinda like oil and water. They don’t get along.. But, you’re absolutely right! Law and science do overlap on some points. The jury loves hearing the testimony of the witness, and believes that to be the best reliable evidence. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is, an eyewitness can lie. As you mentioned, our memory doesn’t really help us (short term vs. long term). It can be easy manipulated by external and internal factors.
There was a famous case were a woman got raped. While she was getting raped, she spent those moments trying to remember every detail about the rapist. She ended up getting a man in jail because she was 100% sure that she knew her abusers. About 10 years later, DNA evidence proved that she was wrong, and the she accidentally got the wrong man in jail :(. Hurray for science! DNA is the most reliable evidence to date.
As for shoe evidence, a forensic scientist once told us that if you’re planning to commit a crime, wear a new pair of shoe that can be found in stores. Lol. The older the shoe is, the more it is likely to have its own individual print.
Yes, insanity plea is done all time. If someone is insane, that means there's no mens rea (criminal intent); therefore, they're not liable for the crime. Some of the people fake their mental illness so they won’t be liable. Unfortunately for them, it doesn’t work out.
Don’t be envious. Yes, I did apply; I got a Priority Waiting List. Haha. I was surprised by that because my gpa was pretty good, but my last-minute art portfolio sucked! They gave me an interview, and it was so awful as well. The interviewer forgot about the meeting, I waited 2 hrs, and then the 10 minute interview turned out to be an hour long. I even realized that I was missing some classes. It was so dreadful. I’m so grateful that I didn’t get in because I was starting to doubt it. Plus, Art Therapy license only works in the state that you graduate from, so I want to make sure that I want to live here forever. I have to figure out my life by mid-summer. Baby steps : ). And congrats to you! Do you like doing research work? You can always be part of the academia world, be a professor, and publish research all day long ;). I wish I knew more about pathology because it really does seem fascinating! If you don’t mind me asking, what are minoring in?
If I remember correctly, Intro to Psy is usually about Freud (ego, super ego, subconscious, defense mechanism, etc), right? Most of the psychology courses I took were connected to law. Example: -Eye Witness testimonies aren't usually correct. Since trials are not done immediately, the memories of the witnesses are not always clear, and therefore mistakes happen all the time. -Also, the police can subconsciously change the views the witnesses have. -The word sanity is a legal term, and does not necessarily mean a person is mentally ill. -The sanity plea is pulled almost all the time, but it only works in few court cases. .... Does this make sense?
There are different number of field to Psy. For some people, biological sciences are delved into (Especially those interested in psychiatry-- psychiatrist are part of the group that can prescribe medicine). I did take a Cognitive Psychology course, and that has been by far my favorite class. I always wanted to take Psychology: Personality, and Child Psychology courses, but both were full when I wanted them, and it's too late now.
As for Art, I dislike European Art because it's all I've been taught. I'm tired of looking at those naked men sculptures by the Greeks too. I like contemporary art better. Yeah, I'm self-centered, and I only care about the people that are living :p (I'm joking... semi- joking)
And I see you're using psychology against me :p. Yes, I like instant gratification-- and I love that marshmallow video xD
Yeah, it been a while since I saw those episodes of Monsters. I like it, but I might actually put it on hold for now. It takes awhile for me to adjust to slow anime.
I don't want to tell you what I plan on doing at grad school because I only told some of my close friends, and I didn't even tell my parents yet o_O. Even writing it on the internet makes me panic, but I'll say it: Art Therapy in the juvenile prison setting (or just children in general). Hence, my random decision to minor in art history.
I just finished applying to a uni yesterday ^_^ .
As for you, how many years do you have left? Are you planning to go into grad school?
This was pretty lengthy, but I hope I answered your questions properly.
Ah, wow! That seriously sounds extremely fascinating!
Me? Mine is meh :\. How do I put this, I'm studying psychology with a tad bit of law incorporated in it. I'm minoring in Art History. To be honest, undergraduate study isn't as challenging when it comes to this (social science). I feel like the real excitement/learning happens at graduate college, after the 4 years.
Oh yes, I'm totally jealous of Mayuri :p. tuturu~
LOL! stop. I'm the biggest productive procrastinator in the history of this universe. I lack real organization… I'm mentally organized :p. I actually wrote that anime schedule (I did one before) because every time I update my mal episodes, it becomes a reminder to slow the horse down :p. I don't think I ever follow it even if I want to. Actually, I already stopped following it properly. Making a schedule forces me to drop the shows.
As for making a schedule for class, I think you should :). I don't bother because it never works out for me. Plus, it's my last semester. I don't know if it will be the most challenging or the easiest; therefore, I'm stressing out. Stressing out makes me procrastinate. Procrastination gives me the energy to watch anime.
All Comments (26) Comments
First, I want to say I hate you because I still had to read my previous replies to fully understand what you wrote :p.
. I guess I can relate to Lelouch in that sense, how he had to deal with Suzaku on daily basis while they were childhood friends :P
Code Geass is one of my favorite show too!
I guess we tend to like characters that we relate to.
Also, I find it really weird because if we were to bring reality into a fictional story, lulu’s ideals would seem very aggressive and unforgivable simply because it involves many people to die in the process. Mind you, his whole purpose of doing everything was for his sister—not the world (... in a way, that selfishness is pretty admirable in my opinion). Suzaku’s plan might have been built out of his own stubbornness, but he went down a path that he believed was right for everyone regardless of the fact that his own people hated him for betraying them. Moreover, he killed his own father and felt guilty about it. So in a way, it makes sense to me why he tried ingraining his philosophy into Lulu’s mind :P
…I actually don’t know what my point was anymore because both of the characters true intentions were not known to anyone else but themselves; hence, the reason they were a target of hate.
And a realist is the one that's more likely to change their mind, and you pointed it out that Suzaku was the one that changed at the end, to help Lelouch with his plan. While Lelouch stays true to his ideals and dies lol :p
Lol. But, but, but Lelouch gave up on his ideals many times. The first time was when he tried making a deal with Euphi. Then, when his power went crazy, and he forced her to destroy everything. The other time was when he thought his sister died, and he almost gave up on his own plan until Kallen slapped him or something. The last one was when he realized that his mother and his father’s ideals were worse than his. :P
I saw that you recently finished Monster. I thought I probably would have enjoyed the story more if I had read the manga, since the anime was rather slow in the middle half.
Monster was a’ight. I felt that it was a little dragged on. There was always another person behind the “master plan”. Some of the storyline felt forced. Moreover, it was pretty obvious that Tenma wouldn’t shoot anyone, but the story kept emphasizing the moments when he attempted to shoot… followed by someone telling him he why he shouldn’t. ugh.
Anywho, if for some odd reason you do decide to respond to our previous comment, it might take me quite a while to reply back b/c at the moment i don't have time to write lengthy stuff+ I vaguely remember the convo :p.
I digress, nice hearing from you though :). Glad you're alive :p
Rating a series/ subjectivity of perfection:
Random Code Geass stuff:
All the other random stuff we wrote about:
You’re comments makes me think a lot xD :)
I loved the opening of SEL!
For me, episode 6 was also the turning point of this series. It is extremely slow, and I probably wouldn't have managed to finish it if it wasn't for your opinion. Also, I realized that this is one of those series you have to watch immediately, or else you'll forget everything and you'll have to start from the beginning again. That being said, it left me a little confused. Why was the father there in the very end? Or what really happened to the sister? I should have paid more attention, but I was watching it on my phone.
My opinion: Even after Lain realized who she was, I thought it was interesting that she still wanted to be remembered. She didn't completely erase her existence. Furthermore, "What isn't remembered didn't happen" only applies for *individual* truth. For the characters, those events didn't happen; it doesn't mean it didn't happen in reality. People's sense of reality is different from the ultimate truth (whatever that is). Lain is apparently God, but she doesn't want to take the role. However, by resetting time, she does become this omnipotent being. Lain can change things and can make whatever she wants to happen. At the end, while she was with her other self, they were talking about watching over the people without actually being a part of the world. Hmm... in the last scene, we see her interact with Arisu (Alice) in the real world. Lain is not just a "watchmaker (deist belief)", she involves herself with the world.
As for relating SEL with Freud's Id, ego, and superego, I think Lain managed to get her ego by the end. Our ego helps us rationalize things. Superego (the need to follow society's idea of morality) and ID are two ends of the spectrum. I think when Lain was talking to Arisu during episode (12-13), she gained her ego? She realized not everything she was doing was correct, and not everyone wanted it. She even realized how Arisu was feeling. Lain probably reset time because she acknowledged that people don't need the Wired, and it was unnecessary to the harm those people. She found a balance by taking away her existence from reality, but still remaining in the world (ego).
I'm not really a fan of Freud, but I think Id, ego, superego makes sense. For instance, babies usually have ID. They cry as long as they can until they get what they want. It is part of there survival. We have the ego so we can properly adjust in this society; it balances our wants, and our views on morality.
"With respect to SEL, assuming there is an omnipotent entity that has complete control over a person's consciousness, would rewriting their and everyone else memories of the past constitute a sufficient divergence of realities?"
Again, I think this depends on what we consider truth. I'm going to relate this with Code Geass R2 :p.
Have you seen the movie inception? If you haven't, don't click this spoiler
"Implied in human's self-awareness is free will, right? Imagine if our neurons have free-will..., makes sense if they wouldn't want to stay together in our little braincase, hehe. But then perhaps free will also belongs to a scale similar to self-awareness, that we are not yet truly "free". Just as free as we can comprehend right now since we're the top of that scale."
We *believe* we are free, and that's why we are. If someone were to seriously prove that we weren't free, I think it would honestly change the way we think.
In one way, we could say that our neurons do have free will :p. When we don't use our neurons, it commits "suicide" (neuron atrophy). Humans don't function properly when a bunch of neurons fail to work.
"if we assume things with a high level of self-awareness can't come together to make something greater, then aren't we admitting that humans can no longer evolve?"
My question then would be, I thought humans evolve naturally overtime? If we forcefully decided to connect all the self-awareness together, does that really mean we evolved? If there were to be a malfunction, it would affect everyone (i.e. no one would survive), right.
:]
Fillers allow the anime to stay current. However, when you reflect/ have a retrospective moment, it lowers the quality of a show. And we all know quality> quantity :p. Nonetheless, it is still great for some fans... I guess. -- Hopefully I can catch up to the latest episodes of HxH by the end of June. I want to marathon some episodes again, but I don't have the time now X(.
Thanks for the Neil video :D. He's awesome! I'm gonna try watching Serial Experiments Lain. It seems interesting. For some reason, your thoughts remind me of Descartes. You may know the famous saying: Cogito ergo sum ("I think, therefore I am). Basically, you can't really prove anyone exists. You can't even prove that you exist. The only thing that you can be certain of is that you think. Furthermore, you can't really disprove that you think because in order to do so, you have to think-- you are a "thinking machine", and everyone else may or may not exist.
I believe David Hume's had a different perspective on this. All the philosophers in the world may hate me because I might be interpreting things wrong; I only took one or two Epistemology/philosophy course long ago (and hated it): Anyway, I think Hume's stated that ideas come from impressions. He even spoke about the bundle theory. Basically, an object is not simply an object; an object is a collection of features/impressions/bundle. For example: when you think about the idea of a chair, you are actually thinking about the properties such as the color, size, texture, etc. The same can go for a human. A human can be a collection of basic properties (nose, eyes, mouth, etc).
"What isn't remembered didn't happen," That is an interesting statement. I personally don't agree with it because there are so many things that happened to me, and I don't remember them completely... but somehow those things impacted the way I live.
I think it's fascinating how almost everything has a function (including the neurons, like you mentioned). As for this brain of ours, it's a collection of neurons and glial cell-- but this brain can also be considered an object which creates bigger functions, with respect to the "smaller" task of neurons/neurotransmitters/and-everything-else-that-I-can't-remember. Maybe, the only way we can become self-aware is through things that are less self-aware. If the "individual level" had a high level of self-awareness do you think we humans would even exist o_O?
You brought up so many interesting points, and I honestly don't know how to give a valid reply. My brain is so confused now, but thank you for that! I'll check that series out sooner than later.
When I fangirl over an anime, I kinda don't notice the flaws of it. However, when I do become critical, I find it odd that I can actually accept/ like the negative points of the series as well. Nonetheless, I still feel bad when I point out "flaws" of a show that others may like; I understand why someone would appreciate a series, and I don't want to be the party-pooper. :|.
"Do I blame the studio for their approach to adapting the manga chapters, or should I look more careful at the original source (re-read the manga and re-evaluate?), or is the anime trying to be too literal in adaptation that is to blame?Should they try to be more creative, skip things here and there?"
Well, I think there will always be that group of people that wants an anime to be true to the manga. If it's changed even a little, it’s considered terrible in their opinion. I do understand the reasoning behind that, but I believe things feel differently in different mediums.
For instance, a movie cannot be an exact replica of the book. It's pretty much impossible because of the timing, writing, script, etc. However, it's very difficult for us to detach ourselves from what we already know/read.
I’ll elaborate this by using my Naruto and FMA examples. Feel free to skip this:
Naruto
FMA/ Fma Brotherhood:
Oh My God! I was only expecting a 2-3 sentence response, but thank you for sharing your well written thoughts on the manga. Thank you. You refreshed my memory, and I liked reading your opinion. Plus, I too have a soft spot for anything that describes brotherhood.
I intended to watch HxH for a very long time, and people on this website convinced me to start. I’m enjoying it a lot, but I’m finding myself taking tons of breaks in between. Usually that doesn’t happen to me when I like a series, but for HxH it happens way too often. I think the problem I’m having with it is that it has these great moments, and then all of a sudden it slows down. I know it’s done in order to develop the characters, but I think I’m getting annoyed by it now. I found Greed’s Island to be a little too dragged out for my own taste, so I was really enjoying Chimera Ant arc. However, I just got up to the Knuckle/Shoot arc. How long is that supposed to be though considering that you thought it was also dragged on O_O ? Even though Killua and Gon are gaining new powers, I can’t help but think how odd it is that those Chimeras (and the pro Hunters) are patiently waiting for them to come before they end up causing real havoc. I hope what I’m writing makes sense because I also feel like this part is getting dragged too. But as I mentioned, I’m still enjoying the series as a whole, and I find the growth of both Killua and Gon to be extremely amazing. Hmmm… now that I think about it, these two characters are developed too much, because the other two aren’t even getting real limelight.
(I think I may also be having a difficult time watching HxH because I don’t really like long (100 ep+)/ adventure stories as much as I used to. If I saw this earlier, maybe I would have loved it even more)
As for 5 Centimeter per second, I recommend the anime mainly because of the background/ scenery. The writer is kind of known for his visuals, and for 5cm per second, the artistic style really does capture the emotion of the story. If you intend to watch the anime, you have to acknowledge that the characters aren’t going to be developed thoroughly, and you have to allow the atmosphere to tell you the story. The message isn’t clear compared to the manga, and that’s what makes it special; it has to seep in to you. However, I personally loved the manga more because that is the style of book I like to read. Furthermore, I wasn’t satisfied with the ending of the movie, and this helped bring some form of closure as it explored the characters/theme even more. I don’t think the manga is completely necessary though, but it was for me. It even made me enjoy watching the anime again.
So, watch the anime first. If you want a little more, then read the manga. If you’re satisfied with the anime, then don’t read it because the manga has a sadder quality to it (which I did appreciate). The anime isn’t as gloomy…it is, only if you look at it through face value. However, I think the title describes the theme of this story perfectly. It takes a realistic approach, and describes the people we meet in life.
Also, at surface value, the anime is similar to Our Happy Hours because the characters communicate through letters :p.
I also like the flashback. I think Taichi grew so much from that event. He will always feel inferior to Arata in romance and skills; there is this complexity to his character as he tries to go beyond that struggle. As for Arata, he isn’t there much. I would like him to grow, but the scenes where he is there, I feel like the karuta events are more intriguing.
It doesn’t help that Chihaya is so oblivious xD. She is so absorbed in her own world and her love for Karuta. Her obliviousness allows the story to progress without melodrama though xD.
I heard Asami Seto’s voice on another anime before, but when I heard it here, I thought it was perfect. And yup, she’s gorgeous too!
ooo, I would love to know your thoughts on Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan after you finish. I’ve read it a long time ago, so I can’t really remember the detail, but I just remember it being emotional and depressing. It is so different from Steins Gate :P. The characters aren't as dynamic, and it has a narrative style; it might be a little different from most of things you watch/read?
5 months is a long wait for me; the last time I saw this anime was around December :\. Also, I think the romance will remain nonexistent until the last few chapters lol; i'm not complaining because I don't really like love-triangles.
Yeah, I did read that about Asami Seto; I chuckled when hearing about the karuto addiction. Also, I love her voice! It's amazingly sweet in my opinion. I'm surprised that she's so young too.
I noticed that you're planning to read Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan. Read it. It's a tad romantic/slow-paced. However, it's extremely sad and mature, with a hint of realism. Also, it's short, and can be read in less than a day. Just be prepared that it might leave you with a bit emptiness at the end.
Chihayfuru :D! It's not my all-time favorite, but it is my current favorite mainly because I really want a 3rd season >_>. I might rewatch it! Despite all its flaws, it was so fun and entertaining.
Did you notice how most of the other characters were drawn ugly, but the main trio were drawn with extreme detail? :P Let me know if the manga is any good. I think I’m still up to the early chapters
Yup, there are 50 states, and all of 'em are pretty different in lifestyle. And yeah, I could probably take a state certification exam, if there are any; however, rules and regulation can vary.
Research is awesome, except the ones that requires you to hand out surveys to strangers (I really hate those with a passion >_>)
Technically summer is at June 21st, but I consider May 22nd summer because that's when I finish school!
:P. Glad you enjoyed the videos. Don’t worry; no one usually notices the gorilla because we can’t really focus on two things at once. I won’t go into the psychology of it; honestly my brain has died this semester, and I can’t wrap my head around it. I have to refresh my brain before I end up giving you flash information. However, you pretty much hit the nail on the wall for some of your theories.
Psych and law are kinda like oil and water. They don’t get along.. But, you’re absolutely right! Law and science do overlap on some points. The jury loves hearing the testimony of the witness, and believes that to be the best reliable evidence. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is, an eyewitness can lie. As you mentioned, our memory doesn’t really help us (short term vs. long term). It can be easy manipulated by external and internal factors.
There was a famous case were a woman got raped. While she was getting raped, she spent those moments trying to remember every detail about the rapist. She ended up getting a man in jail because she was 100% sure that she knew her abusers. About 10 years later, DNA evidence proved that she was wrong, and the she accidentally got the wrong man in jail :(. Hurray for science! DNA is the most reliable evidence to date.
As for shoe evidence, a forensic scientist once told us that if you’re planning to commit a crime, wear a new pair of shoe that can be found in stores. Lol. The older the shoe is, the more it is likely to have its own individual print.
Yes, insanity plea is done all time. If someone is insane, that means there's no mens rea (criminal intent); therefore, they're not liable for the crime. Some of the people fake their mental illness so they won’t be liable. Unfortunately for them, it doesn’t work out.
Don’t be envious. Yes, I did apply; I got a Priority Waiting List. Haha. I was surprised by that because my gpa was pretty good, but my last-minute art portfolio sucked! They gave me an interview, and it was so awful as well. The interviewer forgot about the meeting, I waited 2 hrs, and then the 10 minute interview turned out to be an hour long. I even realized that I was missing some classes. It was so dreadful. I’m so grateful that I didn’t get in because I was starting to doubt it. Plus, Art Therapy license only works in the state that you graduate from, so I want to make sure that I want to live here forever. I have to figure out my life by mid-summer. Baby steps : ). And congrats to you! Do you like doing research work? You can always be part of the academia world, be a professor, and publish research all day long ;). I wish I knew more about pathology because it really does seem fascinating! If you don’t mind me asking, what are minoring in?
There are different number of field to Psy. For some people, biological sciences are delved into (Especially those interested in psychiatry-- psychiatrist are part of the group that can prescribe medicine). I did take a Cognitive Psychology course, and that has been by far my favorite class. I always wanted to take Psychology: Personality, and Child Psychology courses, but both were full when I wanted them, and it's too late now.
As for Art, I dislike European Art because it's all I've been taught. I'm tired of looking at those naked men sculptures by the Greeks too. I like contemporary art better. Yeah, I'm self-centered, and I only care about the people that are living :p (I'm joking... semi- joking)
And I see you're using psychology against me :p. Yes, I like instant gratification-- and I love that marshmallow video xD
Here are some experiments/test on youtube that you might like:
http://youtu.be/vJG698U2Mvo (please count attentively)
http://youtu.be/vBPG_OBgTWg
Yeah, it been a while since I saw those episodes of Monsters. I like it, but I might actually put it on hold for now. It takes awhile for me to adjust to slow anime.
I don't want to tell you what I plan on doing at grad school because I only told some of my close friends, and I didn't even tell my parents yet o_O. Even writing it on the internet makes me panic, but I'll say it: Art Therapy in the juvenile prison setting (or just children in general). Hence, my random decision to minor in art history.
I just finished applying to a uni yesterday ^_^ .
As for you, how many years do you have left? Are you planning to go into grad school?
This was pretty lengthy, but I hope I answered your questions properly.
Me? Mine is meh :\. How do I put this, I'm studying psychology with a tad bit of law incorporated in it. I'm minoring in Art History. To be honest, undergraduate study isn't as challenging when it comes to this (social science). I feel like the real excitement/learning happens at graduate college, after the 4 years.
Oh yes, I'm totally jealous of Mayuri :p. tuturu~
LOL! stop. I'm the biggest productive procrastinator in the history of this universe. I lack real organization… I'm mentally organized :p. I actually wrote that anime schedule (I did one before) because every time I update my mal episodes, it becomes a reminder to slow the horse down :p. I don't think I ever follow it even if I want to. Actually, I already stopped following it properly. Making a schedule forces me to drop the shows.
As for making a schedule for class, I think you should :). I don't bother because it never works out for me. Plus, it's my last semester. I don't know if it will be the most challenging or the easiest; therefore, I'm stressing out. Stressing out makes me procrastinate. Procrastination gives me the energy to watch anime.