The Sphere
General Garbage => Tropical Paradise of Hard Shelled Fruits => Topic started by: Wickedly Yours E on Jun 23, 2006, 06:09:51 AM
-
3:23AM is an ungodly hour. God himself takes this moment to SLEEP. Me? I can't. For the first time in a long time, I can't go back to sleep. Why? Because it's HOT. No, not just Hot, or really hot, but it's FUCKING HOT. After Skipping spring, having some cold, Rainy summer days, and generally some weird ass fucking weather, we're now back into the goood-read horrible-old fucking hot Summer weather.
So. With nothing better to do, I've decided to reflect some more on this anime my pal's been showing me......The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I'm now 12 episodes into the series.
My initial prognosis had me thinking this show would be an FLCL repeat with the mind fragging, and sometimes it seems to approach that level, but then it just scales it back from mind Frag to Quirky, and then to Downright normal. It's nice. I honestly like it. I enjoy the more normal episodes I think, much more than that off the wall ones.
As far as an example of off the wall. I finally saw the episode with the Class President revealing her true nature and trying to STAB KYON IN THE FACE. Why? Because she was a Data Mage like Yuki. Now, some seem to call Yuki a Technomage, but I think that classification is wrong. She doesn't use Technology to do crazy shit. She's a Data Entity, and manipulates Data to do crazy shit. Now, By Data it seems to be the surrounding UNIVERSE, but We're splitting words.
So anyway, up until this episode I'm just thinking "Kinda quirky with normal moments Anime." Then this Data Mage Class President tries to Kill Kyon....Just to see what Haruhi would do. There's deeper reasons but we don't care about that. What I care about is the fact that Yuki steps in AND GETS IMPALED BY NO LESS THAN FOUR SPIKES GENERATED BY THIS BITCH, SENDING A SPRAY OF BLOOD ON KYONS FACE. Yuki's Bleeding like a stuck pig FOUR TIMES OVER. It was at that moment I went "HOLY SHIT!" That's the most off-the-wall It's been thus far, Even moreso than the entire Data-Cricket incident. It had a LOT of violence this episode, and a lot of graphic bleeding. A Real shocker.
Then you get to more normal episodes, like the most recent one. A Culture fest. Standard Japanese fair...which got me thinking about America.
My friend posed an interesting question that I didn't think about until I was lying in my bed at 3:00am unable to sleep.
"Why doesn't America have something like that?" That being a Culture Festival. I think I know why.
Japan is a pretty universal country. By Universal I mean that, unlike America, Japan overall shares the same Culture. Sure there's some differences in different regions and all that, but Generally speaking, Japan is one solid culture. Everyone is Culturally Japanese. SO, they celebrate this, in the schools at least, with a Culture Fest, which, if judged by the Anime's I've seen, is really just an excuse for the entire student and faculty body to have lots of FUN.
America can't have that because America is one big mixing pool of Cultures, beliefs, and religions from all over the god damn world. Everybody in America has a right to express their own cultures in anyway they see fit as long as it doesn't involve death or maiming. It's why that, even though we're not perfect and still a relatively YOUNG global powet, we're the BEST DAMN COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
Why does this mean we can't have a Culture Fest? Because we have TOO MANY GOD DAMN CULTURES. If we were to have a Culture Fest, there'd be so many damn Cultures involved that ONE culture would start Bitching about ANOTHER Culture and Then Shit would hit the fan. So, THANKS A LOT AMERICA.
Anyway, back onto the subject of the Culture Fest Episode. I really enjoyed this one because of the Extremely HIGH Quality of Animation, and the relative normality of it. I'm amazed though. The Quality...the sheer quality of Animation on this particular episode is astounding, amazing even. I'm of course talking about when Haruhi and Yuki Are Subbing in for a band. They're both playing guitars, and the animatics of it are.....breathtaking. Especially Nagato, who is a savage beast on that Electric Six-String she got a hold of. There is no general "Blurring": of their hands just doing an up and down motion on the strings. You can SEE THE CHORDS they're playing, the finger positioning, and it's extremely smooth as they change notes and such.
To note: Yuki Fingerpicks, which is very respectable, and plays a Gibson (ACDC Style one I believe, I forget it's name) and Haruhi has a pick.....and she plays a Fender. Girl's got Taste, I'll give'er that.
THe quality of Haruhi's facial animations while she's singing is excellent as well. I haven't seen such good animatics since back in the Days of Batman:TAS...and even then, I'd dare compare this particular Animatics of Haruhi to Early Disney works in terms of quality. It's actually given me hope for the Cartoons of the future. Not much, Not enough for me to start watching Saturday Morning Cartoons again, but a little bit of hope.
As far as Character development goes, it's actally fairly Decent.
Kyon Is the straight man of the group. The Normal man, the Average Joe. He keeps everybody grounded...to a point....and pretty much is the de-facto leader, and has grown into the role as such. Sure, Haruhi CLAIMS to run things, but in truth, Kyon's the fucker behind the scenes keeping everything together. And, he's done very well in influencing Haruhi. He's.....what's the best way to put it....He's influenced her to the point where she can enjoy more NORMAL things, like playing in a band and making really horrible (yet startlingly accurate) student films, rather than go looking for PARANORMAL things.
Case in point, she and the SOS Brigade got into a video Game match with the Computer club...who they'd blackmailed into giving them a computer early on. (Me, as a red-blooded guy who sincerely believes that Asahine's real Age is BEYOND that of a high Schooler? I admit, I find the Molestation she suffers very funny. Shut the Fuck up D, I'll cut your throat out if you say one damn thing you Perv.)
Very funny stuff, especially when Yuki starts learning HOW to use the computer. She Ends up as this Uber-Data-Hacker, naturally, and Turns the tables on the Computer club when they start CHEATING.At the end of the Episode, Yuki also agree's to come to the Computer Club once and a while and mess around. Very Nice Development. She's developing hobbies. I wonder what her Universal Data Entity Big Wig thinks about that.
Asahine, besides the Molestation she suffers at Haruhi's hands, is the most one dimensional character and not at all my favorite. Even Haruhi admits that she's mostly just Window-dressing. That's her entire god damn role in the SOS brigade AND in the Series thus far. Fanwanking for pervs like D. I'm hoping she develops more or something, cause as is? She's very flat, character-wise.
That Esper Guy, who's name eludes me....I don't like him. I don't like him in the fact that he's very mysterious and very little has been revealed about him. Yuki came straight out and said everything she was, plans, and does. This guy....He's very.....suspicious. Like He's got an agenda all his own and WANTS to appear harmless, but is hiding a great deal of things that'll probably end up biting someone in the ass, and hard. He has Character Growth Potential, but it has yet to be really delved into.
As far as the B Cast, that being those that show up occasionally like Kyon's two friends, What used to be the class Pres, and Asahine's friend....Well they're not on the show to be delved into, but they make amusing appearances. After what happened with the Pres, though....THis's made me very suspicious about them.
A Few Theories I have regarding Haruhi and her SOS Brigade:
1: I believe that Haruhi is not the trigger for anything regarding The Esper guy Whatever his name, the Data-Mage Yuki, or the Time Traveling Bubblehead Asahine. They all believe it's her, but I believe it's REALLY KYON. Look at'em. He's the complete opposite of Haruhi. I'm not saying Haruhi isn't causing some shit to go down, but I'm thinking Kyon's got something to do with it too. He's the Normal guy, and that's suspicious.
For instance, the Murder Mystery Two Part episodes. Haruhi would've been QUITE content to spend the weekend exploring that island beach to beach, but Kyon and that Esper Guy were worried cause of her talk of being some crazy "Ultra Detective" and talking about Murder Mysteries and crap. That Esper guy, in cahoots with two other cocksuckers, sets up this Murder Mystery crap to keep'er distracted. I dunno. Seems kinda fishy.
2: Asahine's friend, the bubbly hyperactive long haired one with the black hair. I'm thinking another Time traveler or Data Mage. Either one could be trouble. After what happened with the class President, I'm pretty much suspicious of ALL the "B Cast" players.
3: I believe, failing my first assumption up there, that Kyon and Haruhi are the same person. In soul at least. Two different sides of the same coin, see, and when they're "together", quote unquote in the same vicinity, this is why crazy shit happens. You need two clamps to Jumpstart an engine yaknow.....
-
God lives on the east coast silly...It's 6.23 for him.
-
.......You shaddap. I have at least three hours before D or Tom comes in and adulterates this thread.
-
7:51 am here now. God is wasted in the back seat making out with some 18 yr old chick and we're on our way to tijuana!
-
Actually 7 :23.....I always forget about Mountain Time.
-
A Haruhi fan? o.o
*HUGS* I LIKE YOU!!!!! ^-^
-
I've been hearing alot about this series and have decided to DL it
-
A Haruhi fan? o.o
*HUGS* I LIKE YOU!!!!! ^-^
WHOA now, girl.
-
*Kawaiis*
-
...Ew, IDE.
I'm actually hoping for a Season 2 for Haruhi. AND an English License.
-
IM NOT HPING FOR ANYTHING EXCEOT MAYUBE MEETUING TOM IN REAL LIGFE AND HIS GIRLFFRIEND AND HER FRIND AND TEHN WE ALL GO COSPLAY AT SOME CONVENTUION AND I END UP BABNING THE DOGSHIT OUIT OF HER RFINED WHILE HE WATCHES AND BOTH HIM AND KARY COWER IN FEAR WHILE WATCHING THE SHEER PRETERNATURAL AWEOSOMENESSOF MY STROKE OMN THE ISLAMIC ANIME FAN.
-
Would you still be in costume when you do this?
-
Was he drunk when he typed all of that?
-
He was probably pretending that he was.
-
'Ey. This is a decent show, especially considering where it's coming from.
I'm not saying ALL Japanese Anime is crap. Far from it. I'm just saying, that a lot gets lost in translation, especially when an american company comes along and starts literally YANKING THINGS OUT, thus most anime I've seen is rather gutted. Japanese Anime, the really decent stuff that isn't all mind fraggy, perverted, or just plain WEIRD, I like that. This skirts around the border, which I like even more because it pulls it off really well. You get slices of wacky, serious, normal, and quirky that blend together really well.
ANime I have seen that haven't been gutted pieces of shit:
Cowboy Bebop
Trigun
Hellsing
Urusei Yatsura
Ghost Junction
Mahoromatic (I have issues with this.)
Those Who Hunt Eleves
Those Who Hunt Elves II
Martian Successor Nadesico (And the movie but wasn't very keen on the Movie)
Tenchi Muyo!
Tenchi in Space!
Slayers
Slayers Try
Slayers 3rd one Don't remember the name.
Gundam Wing (OH MY GOD I couldn't STAND that.)
Gundam Wing Endless Waltz (Crazy little Children.)
Original Gundam
G Gundam
Zeta Gundam
Char's Counterattack! (And Just a note on Gundam: STOP DROPPING BLOODY COLONIES ON EARTH. Since when did EARTH become a PARKING LOT FOR COLONIES?!?!))
Disgaea, though now it's been licensed so I can't watch anymore Fansubs...
Big O
Outlaw Star (Loved the gutiar work for the open theme.)
SOME of Wild Arms TV
.Hack/Sign (Kinda weird, kinda slow, but paid off in the end when the chick/guy stopped being a WUSSY.))
.hack/Twilight (Haven't finished it.
Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku
Nuku Nuku Dash
Nuku Nuku TV Series (That was funny shit. The Guitar guy only knew like Two or three freakin' cords though, I kept yelling at the TV. The fucker.)
Azumanga Daioh (I still think it's the Equivalent of Peanuts, only Japanese.)
Robotech
The ORIGINAL Robotech
Robotech: Mospeida
Some of Macross 7 ((Stupid Frippin' Main Character...But a Zentraedi Drummer is awesome.))
Galaxy Angels Seasons 1 and 2, MAYBE 3 I don't remember.
Medabots (I consider it an Anime. Shut up. AND I LIKED IT TOO.))
And of course The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
I feel like I'm forgetting some things though.
Cowboy Bebop, Galaxy Angels, Trigun, Hellsing (Old stuff haven't seen the newer stuff), Big O (Though that comes really close to just plain Weird.) And now the Melancholy rank among the ones I like best. Everything else is okay.
-
Somebody needs a gf asap!
Hey! I don't see Dragonball there :angry:
-
Somebody needs a gf asap!
Hey! I don't see Dragonball there :angry:
That's right, you don't. Good Job Faye!
95% of these were shown to me by a friend.I've only Bought Azumanga Daioh, Medabots, and Those Who Hunt Evles 2.
-
Stuff That I Have Seen! ^-^
Cowboy Bebop
One Peice (NOT THE 4KIDS DUB FROM HELL >.< *weeps* The Japanese is top notch and much more fun!)
Excel Saga
Azumanga Daioh
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Gundam Wing
Gundam Seed/Destiny (unfortunately I saw destiny...*shudders*)
Gundam X (Better!)
This Ugly and Beautiful World (looks pretty, WASTE OF TIME.)
Paranoia Agent (The opening theme still enchants me)
Gundam F91
G Gundam (I only wished they had accents...)
08th MS Team
Evangelion
Outlaw Star
Slayers (Yay!)
Trigun
Keroro Gunso
FLCL
Spiral (halfway through it)
Some of Ranma 1/2
Some of Abenobashi
Sailor Moon (Quiet you.)
Samurai Pizza Cats
Tenchi Muyo!
.Hack/Sign
.hack/Twilight
Half of Magic Knights Rayearth
Full Metal Panic/Fumofuu!
Full Metal Alchemist
Scrapped Princess
Cosplay Complex
Love Hina (Damn Naru...>.<)
Macross Plus
Read or Die
Scryed
ex-Driver
Sorceror Hunters
12 Kingdoms (Loved this! I want to read the novels!)
Escaflowne (series better than movie -.-)
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040
Chobits
Some of Bleach...read the manga. -.-
And I think I got them all...I tend to like things that are either real over the top (Bobobo, Excel Saga both I LOVE) or some romance with comedy. I NEED to laugh if there's angst. @.x
-
It's really funny when a hentai doujin has better quality art than the actual series.
Isn't that right, One Piece?
-
Tom's lady friend might want to chell out Pani Poni Dash!
-
Sailor Moon (Quiet you.)
Best show ever made in the history of ever.
-
That reminds me of a few I needed to add to the list. Thanks' Kary....
R.O.D The Movie.
o8th MS Team
Samurai Pizza Cats...I didn't know this was an anime.
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040...Kinda liked this one kinda didn't....
Shit...I know I'm forgetting more...Ah well.
-
Hey! Samurai Pizza cats was NOT an anime! I used to watch that!
-
I don't see any Akira or Ghost in the Shell on either of your lists. The Rama is displeased.
Good to see Macross though (The Orginal Robotech) that and Voltron where my first real anime experinces. FORM BLAZING SWORD!!!!!
-
Wheee! My turn! :)
Gatchaman, Gatchaman II, Gatchaman F
Gatchaman OVA (God help me....)
Patalirro
Urusei Yatsura
Yoroiden Samurai Troopers
Mobile Suit Gundam
Gundam Wing/Endless Waltz
(Hell, pretty much everything that's been on AS to some degree & previously mentioned)
Doctor Slump
Gigantor
Nausicaa
Lupin III
Ai No Kusabi
Kaze to Ki no Uta
Pet Shop of Horrors
Blood: The Last Vampire
Biohunter
Serial Experiment Lain
Descendants of Darkness
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Gilgamesh
Psychodiver
Twelve Kingdoms
Key the Metal Idol
Appleseed
Texhnolyze
Berserk
Hellsing
Captain Harlock/Galaxy Express
Earthian
Wedding Peach
Fake
Kizuna
Macross
Record of Lodoss War
Vampire Hunter D/VHD:Bloodlust
Tenchi Muyo
Sol Bianca
Legend of Galactic Heroes
Most movie releases (Akira, Princess Mononoke, Metropolis, etc.)
And a lot of stinkers like Darkside Blues & Debutante Detective Corps <_<
-
Of course Samurai Pizza cats is an anime! ^-^
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Pizza_Cats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Pizza_Cats)
Kyattou Ninden Teyandē!!!
And GAH! How did I miss Akira!? >.<
-
Ai No Kusabi
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
-
Hey, I wept openly! B)
-
Blood: The Last Vampire was awesome. I saw it when I was in Iowa on Encore and I just couldn't get enough of it. Did they ever do a sequel? and if not, then why the fuck not? I want to know more about Saya, but we only barely get a glimpse of what she is and was. That thing was far too short.
-
The only sequel that I know of is in manga form.
There's also the Blood+ series, same girl but very different animation and designs.
-
I'll have to look into it, but major changes like that throw me off. It's like having Jason Patric in Speed 2!
-
Blood+ is solid, but it's not for Rama. Unless he's not really Rama, but a Rama clone who has killed the original Rama and taken his place in society. Only then might it be for Rama. Only then.
-
There's a special feature on the Blood DVD that has a guy with a dog picture on his shirt and... the dog blinks at one point. I almost shit myself.
-
^- that was me.
-
Slayers
Slayers Try
Slayers 3rd one Don't remember the name.
Wasn't Try the third one and Next the second one?
Paranoia Agent (The opening theme still enchants me)
I watched this and ended up dissapointed. Mainly with the ending. WTF. Black ooze? A fucking dead dog?
Some of Ranma 1/2
What did you see because if it was the earlier stuff, you're better off not having seen the later stuff. It really starts getting old in the third season, but the first movie, the first and second seasons, and the specials are classics.
Have you seen any of the Mermaid's Forrest of Mermaid's Scar, also based on Takahashi's work?
12 Kingdoms (Loved this! I want to read the novels!)
I bought the first disc of this and really liked it, but that was around the time I started cutting down on my purchases. I really need to write a note to myself to finish this someday.
Escaflowne (series better than movie -.-)
No arguement there, what a piece of shit. And I bought the damn box and everything. Now I have the soundtrack to a movie that sucks ass. Yippee.
I loved the Samurai Pizza Cats. Used to record it to, but I don't know how much of it I actually have left. My tapes are probably degraded too, but now I may look around and see how they've held up, cause I kinda feel like watching it now. Still kinda odd how they kept treating that fox like he was a rat.
]Blood: The Last Vampire
I finally saw this on Monday with the free preview of Encore Action. Beautiful! I wish there was more of it, too.
Has anyone else here seen Birdy the Mighty? I'm almost certain I've mentioned this show before way way back, but I don't recall if anyone else said they'd seen it.
-
Wasn't Try the third one and Next the second one?
Slayers - Slayers Next - Slayers Try, then the movies. ^-^
And I vaguely remember seeing Birdy the Mighty only once. I think it was on Sci-fi Channel...
-
I might as well throw my fur hat in the ring. This is a condensed list of my favorite shows from the past few years or so, excluding anything that's already been mentioned.
Fruits Basket
Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl: Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch
Jubei-chan 2: Counterattack of the Siberia Yagyu
Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu (TV, Deluxe, and Final)
Battle Programmer Shirase
Shinkon Gattai Godannar
2x2=Shinobuden
Beck
Genshiken
Basilisk: Koga Ninpo Cho
Blood+
Futakoi Alternative
Gun x Sword
Honey and Clover
Mushishi
Noein
Pani Poni Dash!
-
Blood+ is solid, but it's not for Rama. Unless he's not really Rama, but a Rama clone who has killed the original Rama and taken his place in society. Only then might it be for Rama. Only then.
There are only 12 Rama models.
And I vaguely remember seeing Birdy the Mighty only once. I think it was on Sci-fi Channel...
I wish Sci-Fi still did their Anime Invasion Weeks, I miss those. That that the Godzilla movie marathon weeks.
-
Damn, no Encore Action Channel either for AniMidnight? :( Not that Macross Plus will make your Friday night.
-
Yeah.... We lost Encore Action to be replaced with Encore West I think. Oddly the Bourne Supremacy is on both Channels.
-
I have all the Encores.
Everytime I scroll through my cable guide I chuckle to myself when I pass by BET Starz.
-
You'd think AZN TV (formerly International Channel) would have some good stuff , but all they show is Patlabor or Fushigi Yuugi. :mellow:
-
Go Fush!!
-
I didn't care for Jubei chan too much. I don't recall why though.
I really like Encore Action, but I think it's for the best that I don't have that channel normally. I watch too much tv as it is. I'd never get off my ass.
-
I poop on your Jubei-disliking ways.
P.S.
The poop is steamy and smells strongly of decomposing vegetable matter. Haha!
-
Quiet. Animidnight also blows.
-
OH. STEAM DETECTIVES. I LOVED that one!
-
I'll give you steam to detect!
-
AS LONG AS I GET A CUTE NURSE TOO. WHERE'S MERLA?
-
In her room, but what does that have to with cute nurses. Oh, snapness!