Various Questions From a Manga Newbie

[Internet Warfare 0]

It's summer and I have lots of free time so I wanna get back into Japanese comics. I am still new to this, having only read 2 or 3 Gundam 0079 volumes and about a dozen Ranma 1/2 books, so I need some info/opinions/recommendations.

 

Here are some of titles I saw at the local B&N:

 

Dragonball - Dragonball interested me more than DBZ

Dragonball Z - Kind of got into the TV version at the end, is the manga good?

Initial D - Graphic novel based on racing!!!

Love Hina - Looks kind of racy, is the actual story good?

Various Gundam - Which are the best?

Astroboy - classic series, does classic = good?

Rurouni Kenshin - I've had it recommended to me.

Demon Dairy - Interesting idea, any good?

 

Since Ranma I've had a soft spot in my heart for goofy, funny graphic novels and prefer them to the sci-fi serious ones. But a good read is a good read so I'm open to anything. Again opinions on the above and advice on what to get is appreciated, thanks.

[Special K 0]

I would simply reccomend anything by Rumiko takahashi.

 

Battle Angel and Blame! are good. Both are dark sci-fi.

 

Love Hina- I liked the anime about 100x more, though I hear the manga has a more satisfying ending.

 

Stuff like Kenshin almost seems a wash, because it's really close to the anime. Of course, I am fortunate enough to live near a place that rents anime.

 

If you want some good sci-fi manga (that's very different from the anime): Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed, Akira are all extremely good lovely art in all of them. I especially reccomend Appleseed, though it seems it'll never be finished. It's really great. These titles are also relatively (key word: relative to other manga) cheap to collect as they're not too terribly long.

 

Oh, and Nausicaa in the Valley of the wind by Miyazaki (director and artist of totoro, Spirited Away, Mononoke etc.) is quite good, and also only 4 volumes long.

[AlwaysPissedOff 0]

Stuff like Kenshin almost seems a wash, because it's really close to the anime. Of course, I am fortunate enough to live near a place that rents anime.

Actually, the anime cuts out quite a few things from the manga like Raijuta's actual first appearance along with Yutaro(they don't even show Yutaro's dad at all or even reference him), Kanryu having the two guys who failed to capture Megumi killed(although I'm not to sure about this one since I haven't seen the episodes in quite a while), and entire chapters like when two of Karou's former students try to hide in the dojo to escape a gang that was out for revenge against them.

[Damaramu 0]

And Enishi isn't even in the Anime is he?

 

The Kenshin Manga and Anime are totally different from what I've seen.

 

In short.......get Manga because they usually translate it good but don't watch any Anime on TV b/c you might as well be watching a different show.

[Special K 0]

Is the Escaflowne Manga any good? I hear there were 2: one aimed at boys, one at girls. But I love me some Escaflowne anime.

 

I prefer the Kenshin manga quite a bit as well, however, if you actually have access to renting it subbed, it's would seem to be so much more economical.

[Damaramu 0]

I just buy the DVD's......that always works. Though I kind of dropped off on my anime a while ago......I'm getting back into it though. I left the scene when you could only really get Anime on DVD and the only thing on TV was DBZ.

I was the only one that had seen Trigun, Kenshin, Escaflowne, Evangelion, and uncut DBZ with my DVD's. I come back......and everyone's watching them but they're watching the horrible CN versions! ARGH!

I used to be one of those guys that warred against FUNImation in defense of DBZ. There was a website called the DBZ Otaku Alliance and I was a founder of that website. Once I realized they weren't listening and were going to destroy the Anime anyways I dropped off.

[Renegade 0]

The first arc of the kenshin manga is a very long snooze fest (minus the Saito fight) but if you really want to enjoy the two later arcs you have to push yourself to read it. It gets much better after the first arc. Also, the third arc is dare I say even better than the second.

[Special K 0]

It would seem that anime's pretty big business nowadays, and they could get a few decent voice actors. and yet the only anime's I like as much dubbed are Bebop and Ranma.

 

I heard they ABSOLUTELY butchered Escaflowne, running it in a kiddy time slot, removing most fighting, any reference to the 'situation' with Dilandau, and actually cutting like 4 eps total worth of material. How are you going to do that? every single espisode of that show is essential! It was planned as a 2 season long anime at first, which is why it moves so quickly! God, that fuckin' disgusts me. Cause it's such a damn good show.

 

Also, since they cut Gundam (do to some shit about 9/11 and maybe because of lack of interest since the animation's old school) They have decided to translate all this shitty drivel like G Gundam and SD Gundam and not translate Zeta Gundam (the direct sequel which I know for a fact is terrific, since I got sick of the shit and bought a bootleg) Char's counterattack (actually heard they might translate, but fuck it if they miss everything between the beginning and the end of the story.) or some of the supposedly great side stories in the main timeline like 0083. That is boolshit.

 

EDIT: Thank the good Lord that Miyazaki made Disney state that they wouldn't alter a single frame of his work, or we'd 3 musical numbers in Spirited Away and Mononoke would be the part with the cute forest sprited looped for 80 minutes so hey could get a G rating.

 

(Off-topic rant over. sorry)

[Damaramu 0]

Eh.....I just try to ignore Anime on TV these days. I used to get all up in arms over it but nowadays I usually just buy the DVD's and watch it subbed. I actually enjoy the Japanese voice actors over the American's sometimes. Vash The Stampede's voice actor in paticular. I just hear more emotion when it's subbed.

And when someone tries to talk Anime with me I usually ask them what version they've seen. When they say English I'm usually like "Oh...well I don't watch that version. Can't help ya!"

[JasonX 0]

DBZ manga has some major problems in that the manga cuts out a shitload of character exploration moments that are in the anime.

 

DB manga on the other hand is better than the anime because the pacing and writing is much better PLUS the manga (provided you buy the current printing version of DB) leaves all of the pervert humor in the series...

[Damaramu 0]

DBZ manga has some major problems in that the manga cuts out a shitload of character exploration moments that are in the anime.

 

DB manga on the other hand is better than the anime because the pacing and writing is much better PLUS the manga (provided you buy the current printing version of DB) leaves all of the pervert humor in the series...

Well the Manga was made before the Anime.

Akira Toriyama wrote the manga and then Toei went back when they made the Anime and added a lot of the stuff in as filler.

So a lot of the character exploration moments aren't really canon because Akira Toriyama didn't write it, Toei did. And the creator has the final say on what is canon and what isn't. And what he wrote is the true story of DBZ. The filler is just that......filler.

 

Now he was a consultant on the anime and he picked most of the voice actors. That's why I don't understand someone who is a huge fan of the dubbed DBZ saying "Well you can believe that a woman is Goku's real voice but Sean Schemmel is the real voice of Goku!"

Well sorry dude but Sean Schemmel wasn't picked by the creator. Akira Toriyama sat in a room by himself with tapes of the Voice Actors not knowing a thing about them or any of there credentials and read his manga while listening to there voices. He picked the ones he believed fit his characters the best. So in saying that the English voices are the "correct" voices you are saying something factually incorrect. The creator picked who he thought brought his characters to life thus making them the only true voices of the characters.

[Special K 0]

Yeah, it just bugs me. I have access to the single greatest video rental store on the face of the earth, absolutely no exaggeration, called Scarecrow Video. Some people have no access to it besides buying it at like $10 an episode from Suncoast/Amazon.

[AlwaysPissedOff 0]

Eh.....I just try to ignore Anime on TV these days. I used to get all up in arms over it but nowadays I usually just buy the DVD's and watch it subbed. I actually enjoy the Japanese voice actors over the American's sometimes. Vash The Stampede's voice actor in paticular. I just hear more emotion when it's subbed.

And when someone tries to talk Anime with me I usually ask them what version they've seen. When they say English I'm usually like "Oh...well I don't watch that version. Can't help ya!"

Bah, I just don't get people getting that attitude over what versions they watched(although it's understandable for Escaflowne, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Card Captor Sakura). Personally, I just find it pointless since some dubs are better than the subs(IMO, obviously) like Bebop, which I can't stand listening to in Japanese for soem reason.

 

As for the Kenshin dub, it was edited on CN because of the timeslot they showed it on, but the actual unedited dub is pretty damn good. Plus, I like Sanosuke's English voice, anyway.

[Damaramu 0]

I never believe that a dub is better than a sub. A sub is the original and therefore the "correct" version. A dub is just an imitation.

[Damaramu 0]

Let me expand on that.

 

The original usually contains voice actors picked by the creator. Or the company that originally distributes it. Therefore the VA's they pick are usually the one's that represent the character best. Now if they came to America and picked VA's then those would work to. Otherwise they're imitations. I also have never found a dub that I thought sounded better and I think they all pale in comparison to the original on that simple fact.

[BrokenTiger 0]

I agree with that point, Damaramu. It's always felt more authentic with subbed animes....however over in my region (Malaysia) sometimes we get amateurish/poorly translated subtitles, which might affect my enjoyment of it.

 

Having read the DBZ mangas & watch the anime...preferred the manga version easily. The plot would be stretched/drawn out too much in the anime (hence, filler parts)...having said that, I find some of these 'fillers' entertaining.

[AlwaysPissedOff 0]

Let me expand on that.

 

The original usually contains voice actors picked by the creator. Or the company that originally distributes it. Therefore the VA's they pick are usually the one's that represent the character best.

Wait, so the same thing can't be said about the English distributers for the most part?

 

Now if they came to America and picked VA's then those would work to. Otherwise they're imitations.

Wouldn't ALL VA's, Japanese or English, be considered imitations since they are playing a character?

 

I also have never found a dub that I thought sounded better and I think they all pale in comparison to the original on that simple fact.

That's more of an opinion than an actual fact. Just like me saying that I prefer the Cowboy Bebop dub over the sub or me liking Sanosuke's English VA(or Seto Kaiba's from Yu-Gi-Oh!). Hell, another dub I like better than the sub would be the Slayers series because Lina's Japanese actor's voice is like nails on a chalkboard when she screams.

[Damaramu 0]

Well no the Japanese VA's are generally picked by the creator thus making them the "correct" voice because the person that created the characters felt this person should represent them. If the creator hand picked the American VA's then yeah they would be the right VA's to. But as it is they weren't picked by the creator thus they are imitations.

 

On top of that dubs that are put on TV are generally edited and just not translated correctly. I mean not all of them get the "DBZ/FUNI treatment" that turns them into a completely new, show devoid of any of the original shows meaning or plot, but I remain the same on my stance. I do not like any dubs and I will not talk about a show with anyone that has seen only the Dubbed TV version.

[AlwaysPissedOff 0]

If the creator hand picked the American VA's then yeah they would be the right VA's to. But as it is they weren't picked by the creator thus they are imitations.

Alright, so if the creator gives the English company to green light to pick whoever they want(although I'm pretty sure that most of them help out when looking for English VAs for the dub), that still makes the actors "imitations"? Sheesh... This is the thing that irritates me about most hardcore anime fans because they always dismiss English VAs just because of the language they speak instead of their talent at bringing a character's actions and emotions to life.

 

Damn, we sure have dragged this off-topic...

[Damaramu 0]

But that's also the thing. I've never heard an English VA that I thought was better than the original. IMO they're all pale imitations. Now this isn't one of those Kamui "Everything in Japan is better than America!" things b/c I hate people like that. I just really don't like English Voice Actors. Maybe it's a bitterness left over from the hacks that voice DBZ.

And the fact that they like to make fun of the Japanese voice actors and talk as if the English version is the original and the Japanese poorly ripped it off.

That may be my bitterness towards VA's. But overall I don't like dubs and most of them are edited and a lot of them have dialogue totally rewritten to the point that we are watching different shows. That's why I still don't talk to people who are watching it on Cartoon Network. They are watching a different show. A cheap knock off if you will.

 

Now there are some dubs that are straight translations but I still prefer the Japanese version and I don't have the down and dirty on every dub so I prefer to just talk to people that have watched it on DVD and not on Cartoon Network.

[Ravenbomb 0]

Any manga by Junji Ito is good

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll usually watch anime dubbed the first time though, then after that I'll watch it with the subtitles

[Guest Reservoir_Kitty]

I really don't like watching anime in Japanese.. especially ones I've previously watched in English. It's more enjoyable to sit back and watch the show, rather than having to read what's going on. But anyway...

 

I recommend the Kenshin manga, highly, it's excellent.. Priest is a good series.. FLCL, Hellsing, Inuyasha's mangas are great... Trigun manga.. I even dig the Lupin manga. I'm a newbie myself, so I haven't quite branched out fully yet. But those are some good ones to start with, I think.

[Damaramu 0]

I really don't like watching anime in Japanese.. especially ones I've previously watched in English. It's more enjoyable to sit back and watch the show, rather than having to read what's going on. But anyway...

 

I recommend the Kenshin manga, highly, it's excellent.. Priest is a good series.. FLCL, Hellsing, Inuyasha's mangas are great... Trigun manga.. I even dig the Lupin manga. I'm a newbie myself, so I haven't quite branched out fully yet. But those are some good ones to start with, I think.

That's the thing though. Maybe it's just that I've always been at a reading level higher than my peers(could read at a high school level in 4th grade) but I just never felt like I was reading it. It's always been the same as sitting back and watching it in English to me.

[Guest Reservoir_Kitty]

I'm sure it has nothing to do with reading 'levels', at least in my case - I'm an avid reader myself. I just prefer to listen to the shows in my native tongue and sit back and enjoy the animation. It's superb, I'd rather not miss out.

 

It's especially annoying to watch a poorly subbed show and have to try and figure out what the hell they're trying to get across. That's distracting. It's just simpler for me to watch in English. It's what I speak, it's what I know, it's what I'm used to. I like things simple.

[Damaramu 0]

If you get it on DVD then it's not poorly subbed.

And it comes just as simple to me to watch it subbed than watch it in English. I can pay attention the same way and I actually get more out of watching it subbed b/c I hear the original VA's who usually overshadow the english VA's in terms of emotion and just acting ability. I don't understand how it could be a chore or harder to watch it subbed.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Dama, to some people, they can't "dual process"*, as I like to call it, for subbing/dubbing. For some people, they can't sit back and relax and enjoy it whille subbing. Not that there's anything wrong with that, they just aren't able to do it. Then there's people like you who can do so.

 

*"Dual Process" is basically able to do two things such different things and doing them together. Reading and watching at the same time isn't the easiest thing to do (and actually understanding what you are reading and what you are watching). Took me years of reading comics while crossing busy intersections to get it down right, myself.

[Guest Reservoir_Kitty]

It's not "harder" to watch an anime subbed; I said that I prefer listening to the American voice actors, especially if I've previously viewed the show in English. I like the VAs better in English, it's my native tongue, it can't be helped. It's not that I'm a big 'tard and can't multi-task, I just prefer to have things the way I'm used to them. I'm stubborn that way.

 

I'm not one of the hardcore anime snobs that will only watch the subbed shows because they're "so much better" than the Americanized versions. I'm content to sit back and enjoy what I've got. If I have to wait a few months to get one of my favorite animes on DVD, I'll do it. So sorry to rock the boat, heh.

[Damaramu 0]

It's not "harder" to watch an anime subbed; I said that I prefer listening to the American voice actors, especially if I've previously viewed the show in English. I like the VAs better in English, it's my native tongue, it can't be helped. It's not that I'm a big 'tard and can't multi-task, I just prefer to have things the way I'm used to them. I'm stubborn that way.

 

I'm not one of the hardcore anime snobs that will only watch the subbed shows because they're "so much better" than the Americanized versions. I'm content to sit back and enjoy what I've got. If I have to wait a few months to get one of my favorite animes on DVD, I'll do it. So sorry to rock the boat, heh.

I'm not a snob in the least bit. I just don't like the American voice actors. They aren't as good as the Japanese ones. Not to mention the Japanese voice actors are the original VA's.

 

Hey if they dubbed the Ninja Turtles into Japanese and had VA's that sounded nothing like the originals and didn't even capture the same spirit that the original voice actors had then I'd be complaining about them to and saying the I prefer the English versions. I like the original better.

[Lightning Flik 0]

It's not "harder" to watch an anime subbed; I said that I prefer listening to the American voice actors, especially if I've previously viewed the show in English. I like the VAs better in English, it's my native tongue, it can't be helped. It's not that I'm a big 'tard and can't multi-task, I just prefer to have things the way I'm used to them. I'm stubborn that way.

I wasn't saying it is harder. I was more meaning just some people aren't comfortable to doing so, and many times those that are comfortable in doing so usually train themselves in some way to being comfortable in doing so.

 

But in my case, I know a little Japanese (really small amount), I can get what the regular actors say usually by the actual anime, so I don't always have to look at the subs myself. Just my case though.

[tekcop 0]

Any manga by Junji Ito is good

Seconded. I love his work. Anything by Osamu Tezuka is good, too.

 

I've only watched a handfull of episodes of DBZ and didn't really care to much for it, but I'm really enjoying the manga. It's kind of like how old-school american super hero comics should have been... y'know with fighting and stuff.