Anime

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Hey Ricky, were you ever a big fan of Robotech? It was the show that got me into anime back when it debuted on USA Network(I probably dated myself there... lol.), but what pissed me off was that they stopped after the first season ended and never showed the rest of the series.

 

I'm afraid I haven't seen much of Robotech other than a few episodes here and there that I saw when Cartoon Network showed it. I had a friend who was obsessed with it, but he was a sucker for anything with mechs and explosions, so I wasn't sure if it was worth checking out or not. I think the varrying plot lines always threw me off because I Cartoon Network never seemed to show it in order and I was always trying to figuer out who was who and what the hell was going on every time I watched it. Would you recomend it?

 

Hey! Just came back to the board after a long vacation and I find this great thread! Hope I'm not too late in giving my 2 cents in. Here are my favorites:

 

Ranma 1/2 (Nobody's mentioned it, but it's hilarious! Check it out.)

Speed Racer (Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer... Actually his spanish name, "Meteoro" is coolest.)

Gatchaman (or Battle of the Planets)

Ninja Scroll

Akira

Neon Genesis Evangelion (didn't quite get the las OVA, though.)

Ghost in the Shell (fucking great movie!)

Mazinger Z (Nobody's mentioned this one either. Where are all the Mazinga/Great Mazinga/Mazinkeiser fans? Let me hear ya!)

And the mighty Dragon Ball Z.

 

Nah, you're not too late. This thread can never die. Ranma I've seen a bit of, but I've never had the patience to pursue it. I've seen some the TV, OVA's, and Movies, so I know the general plot line, but I'm not really sure where to start in watching the show. Any tips?

 

I'm not sure what you mean that you "didn't quite get the last OVA" of Eva, though. There's no OVA, and by "get" did you mean understand or actually get to see? Could you clarify this?

 

I've heard of Mazinger Z, but never what it's about or what it is, really. Care to fill me in.

 

Lots of DBZ fans here, I can see. I'm not a fan of the show anymore, but it's what got me into anime, so it holds a special place in my heart for nostalgia purposes alone.

 

Hey, anyone heard of Lupin III? I own the movie "Castle of Cogliostro" and I have to say that Miyazaki's genius is underated, if anything. The chemistry between Lupin and Jigen is practically an exact template for Spike and Jet in Bebop, or Vash and Wolfewood in Trigun, or Gene and Jim in Outlaw Star. Just an amazing movie. No wonder Spiellburg loved it so much.

[Guest razazteca]

I mention Lupin III earlier and I own The Mystery of Mamo and it rules.

 

due to copyright and distribution problems the series has be released under several different names.

 

Rupan III

The Wolf

Lupan III

 

As for Robotech I own the complete 1st series on DVD which is the best I think, Macross Sega has always been my favorite. If you like the 1st season then you must MUST look for:

 

Macross Plus OVA, this is by far the best of the Macross universe!!!!!! This is a must own. Set on a training planet for experimental Valkyries, one plane is mind controled the other is a modified traditional Valkyrie. If you like the love story from the 1st season of Robotech then this OVA is for you. The 2 pilots not only fight for a contract with the Ministry of Defense but fight for the love of the pop super star Sharon Apple.

 

Macross II, The Movie is a must rental. set in the future after 80 years after the wars, Zentraedi and Humans are living together in a peaceful state of harmony. A Renegade Zentraedi invade Earth looking for one of their war sirens who fell in love with a news reporter.

 

Robotech Sentanials is a must have its in the Robotech box set 3, I believe, I got it used for $8. This movie was suppose to be a pilot/1st episode for a new series of Robotech but was never released in USA. It answers several questions that were left open in the 1st season, such as what happen to Lisa & Rick Hunter, Max the blue hair guy also returns.

 

Robotech/Macross Do You Remeber Love 1985 is a theatical release of the 1st series, get the japanese versian with subtitles if you can. The English dub versian is called Battle of the Bioniods with actors that sound like Bill Irwin the Croc Hunter.

 

Macross 7 is a series only released in Japan about a rock band.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

I mention Lupin III earlier and I own The Mystery of Mamo and it rules.

 

due to copyright and distribution problems the series has be released under several different names.

 

Rupan III

The Wolf

Lupan III

 

As for Robotech I own the complete 1st series on DVD which is the best I think, Macross Sega has always been my favorite. If you like the 1st season then you must MUST look for:

 

Macross Plus OVA, this is by far the best of the Macross universe!!!!!! This is a must own. Set on a training planet for experimental Valkyries, one plane is mind controled the other is a modified traditional Valkyrie. If you like the love story from the 1st season of Robotech then this OVA is for you. The 2 pilots not only fight for a contract with the Ministry of Defense but fight for the love of the pop super star Sharon Apple.

 

Macross II, The Movie is a must rental. set in the future after 80 years after the wars, Zentraedi and Humans are living together in a peaceful state of harmony. A Renegade Zentraedi invade Earth looking for one of their war sirens who fell in love with a news reporter.

 

Robotech Sentanials is a must have its in the Robotech box set 3, I believe, I got it used for $8. This movie was suppose to be a pilot/1st episode for a new series of Robotech but was never released in USA. It answers several questions that were left open in the 1st season, such as what happen to Lisa & Rick Hunter, Max the blue hair guy also returns.

 

Robotech/Macross Do You Remeber Love 1985 is a theatical release of the 1st series, get the japanese versian with subtitles if you can. The English dub versian is called Battle of the Bioniods with actors that sound like Bill Irwin the Croc Hunter.

 

Macross 7 is a series only released in Japan about a rock band.

Sorry I missed your mention of it, I really am anxious to get more. Is the Mystery of Mamo one of the TV Specials/Mini Movies? I remember hearing the FUNImation got the rights to a bunch of them and is actually doing a really nice job with the translation. I can't wait to get a hold of them.

 

Yeah, according to Nausica.net Lupin III was put on television several times durring the '70's and the TV specials have been shown ever since then up until now. Quite impressive, to say the least. I'm not suprises that it's an institution, though, considering the style and fun atmosphere the show gives off still holds up today.

 

Oh, and Marcross Plus is just awesome. It tells a more compelling storyline with better characters and more intense battles than I've seen in practically any other anime. Just pure greatness from start to finish. I love the music, too. The director (it's late, can't be bothered to remember) did Vision of Escaflowne too, which is another one of my all-time favorites. I would HIGHLY recomend it if you liked the stuff in Macross Plus and want to see more.

 

Have you seen Macross 7? The premise sounds a little campy, but hey, so does a lot of stuff.

[Guest razazteca]

I dont know if Mystery of Mamo is a movie or special but I have the Streamline pictures DVD. There are still tapes out at Hollywood video and Blockbuster by Streamline and Pioneer. Lupin III is the greatest Anime ever!!!!!

 

As for Macross 7 I have not seen it but it can be downloaded on Kazaa or Gnetella. Well it does continue the facination with music just like the earlier Macross series.

[Guest pochorenella]

Hey RickyCoshyu, glad to be of any help. For Ranma 1/2 I guess you really have to try and catch the series very early on to get some sense of what's happening with the transformations and stuff, but most episodes are self-contained so they should be easy to understand. And they're all funny as hell, trust me on this one.

About Evangelion, I was talking about the "End of Evangelion" movie, which left me kind of puzzled. It was bad enough that the ending for the regular series was sort of unsatisfying, this movie was a bit hard to understand (but then, you can say that for the entire series). That's what I meant about "not quite getting it". Sorry for the confusion. Also, I always thought that was an OVA. Am I wrong here?

About Mazinger Z, it's a mecha series, a precursor to those Getter Robo shows (actually, Great Mazinger in his series crosses over with an early version of Getter Robo). Mazinger, Great Mazinger, Grandeiser, and Mazinkeiser (in that order of appearence) all come from the same "family" so to speak. Although Mazinkeiser is sort of "out of continuity". It's really giant mechas beating the crap out of each other, with some funny stuff mixed in. I mention mostly the Mazinger saga, since I've seen that one in its entirety until Great Mazinger's appearance. Mazinkeiser I've seen the first two movies, and Grandeiser I really don't care about, I think he sucks.

There are really not enough good things I can say about DBZ, it's my all time favorite. Super Saiyans kick ass!

I've seen "Castle of Cagliostro" and it's really good. I've watched several Lupin episodes but it hasn't really grabbed me that much.

 

I also forgot to mention among my favorites: Saber Marionette J (anyone heard about this?) and Samurai X (I prefer to call him that.)

 

I hope this helped out a bit, and may this thread continue for a long time. Peace.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

For Ranma 1/2 I guess you really have to try and catch the series very early on to get some sense of what's happening with the transformations and stuff, but most episodes are self-contained so they should be easy to understand. And they're all funny as hell, trust me on this one.

 

Yeah, that was my impression. I've heard the TV series lingers later on, but so does every other extended anime, so I'll deffinately have to check it out. The transformation stuff is quite hilarious.

 

About Evangelion, I was talking about the "End of Evangelion" movie, which left me kind of puzzled. It was bad enough that the ending for the regular series was sort of unsatisfying, this movie was a bit hard to understand (but then, you can say that for the entire series). That's what I meant about "not quite getting it". Sorry for the confusion. Also, I always thought that was an OVA. Am I wrong here?

 

No, End of Evangelion was a movie, I'm pretty sure. I've always seen it listed as that, and Pioneer listed it as a movie when they got the rights. From a personal standpoint, I thought the ending to the TV series was a fitting conclusion, because despite all of the battles with the Angels and Government conspiracy, the main conflict through-out the entire series lies within Shinji. The show is really about the director, Hideaki Anno (screwed up on the name earlier, sorry), who is portrayed through Shinji and all of his personal demons that kept him in depresion for so long. The ending to the TV series represents his strugle to find truth in a cruel and decietfull world and finally stumbling onto that truth, it being that man is not defined by what people percieve him to be, but what he believes he is. At least that's what I got out of it.

 

Which brings me to my next poitn: anyone can get pretty much anything out of the ending, depending on how they interperet it. I think that's the best part about Evangelion, because like all art, it's not what's in the work, it's what the work brings out in whoever observes it.

 

About Mazinger Z, it's a mecha series, a precursor to those Getter Robo shows (actually, Great Mazinger in his series crosses over with an early version of Getter Robo). Mazinger, Great Mazinger, Grandeiser, and Mazinkeiser (in that order of appearence) all come from the same "family" so to speak. Although Mazinkeiser is sort of "out of continuity". It's really giant mechas beating the crap out of each other, with some funny stuff mixed in. I mention mostly the Mazinger saga, since I've seen that one in its entirety until Great Mazinger's appearance. Mazinkeiser I've seen the first two movies, and Grandeiser I really don't care about, I think he sucks.

There are really not enough good things I can say about DBZ, it's my all time favorite. Super Saiyans kick ass!

 

Hmm, sounds interesting. It must be quite long with so many series though. Has the series been released in the U.S. yet? If so, I might be interested in checking out some of the movies to get aquainted with the style and the characters. Thanks for the info.

 

I've seen "Castle of Cagliostro" and it's really good. I've watched several Lupin episodes but it hasn't really grabbed me that much.

 

Lupin III's TV is supposedly consistently good, but can get repetative after a while. Also, it's good to keep in mind how old the show and how many of it's story boards have been stolen and replicated since then. Stuff like Cagliostro still smokes most of the anime I see today, though.

 

I also forgot to mention among my favorites: Saber Marionette J (anyone heard about this?) and Samurai X (I prefer to call him that.)

 

I've heard lots of good things about Saber Marionette J, actually, but I've never seen it anywhere so I haven't gotten a chance to pick it up. Looks like fun stuff, though. Samurai X/Rurouni Kenshin, I have already covered, but suffice to say, it's one of my all-time favorites.

I dont know if Mystery of Mamo is a movie or special but I have the Streamline pictures DVD. There are still tapes out at Hollywood video and Blockbuster by Streamline and Pioneer. Lupin III is the greatest Anime ever!!!!!

 

Hmm, any chance an online retailer caree's it? Personally, I'm awaiting the release of "Search for Haurimo's Treasure."

 

As for Macross 7 I have not seen it but it can be downloaded on Kazaa or Gnetella. Well it does continue the facination with music just like the earlier Macross series.

 

Yeah, there always was a fascination with music of some kind. Macross Plus does a the best job of incorperating it and making it somewhat believable, I think. I remember renting a Macross Movie a few years back where a singer "inspired" the pilots to fight better with her song. I actually liked that movie, but in a campy sort of way.

[Guest razazteca]

that Macross movie was probably Macross II

 

I found Mystery of Mamo at Suncoast video store $24.95, and its a theaterical release widescreen edition of the 1978 movie.

 

the DVD cover has two web sites www.image-entertainment.com and www.dvdvideogroup.com

[Guest EricMM]

Ranma 1/2 the first two seasons are just some of the funniest cartoons out there. Plus it really has some impressive fights. If you see the first episode and don't laugh, I'd be impressed. Also the english dub for this series is actually VERY good. I have seen japanese tapes, and I really consider the english voice actors to be superior. I can't think of any other series where this is the case...

 

Just buy the first season dvd. It's truly worth it IMO.

 

-Eric

[Guest SupaTaft]

I'm a big DBZ fan, but having every damn thing about the show on the internet kinda ruins it when I see the episodes. I've seen them in both English (well all that they've shown) and Japanese and already know how each and every episode is going to go, but still when I see them on Cartoon Network, it still gets me excited. I mark out for Mr. Satan, hero of the world.

Cowboy Bebop has the single coolest theme song ever. I'm still trying to let our jazz band play it. Its called "Tank" for all you with music downloading stuff, it rules.

Hamtaro is nothing more than Japanese work motivation propaganda. Still it makes me want to work work work!!

[Guest RickyChosyu]

that Macross movie was probably Macross II

 

I found Mystery of Mamo at Suncoast video store $24.95, and its a theaterical release widescreen edition of the 1978 movie.

 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was. Fun movie, but very 80's and such. I didn't know there was more than one Lupin III theatrical release. Thanks for the info, I'll have to check it out.

 

Yeah, knowing what happens with DBZ really does take away the excitement. I mean, the show has so many pointless swerves and what-not that knowing about them before they happen just kills the appeal. What's the point of even watching the Freeza saga after knowing the ending?

 

And I really should see Ranma. I just really like the feel of that show.

 

On a some-what-related note, has anyone ever seen Slayers? I've heard good things about it, but I'm still uncertain as to whether I should pick it up or not.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

On a some-what-related note, has anyone ever seen Slayers? I've heard good things about it, but I'm still uncertain as to whether I should pick it up or not.

Slayers ROCKS! I've seen all three of the TV seasons(and caught a few of the OVA episodes with Naga) and I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

 

BUT...

 

If you're not too into a lot of comedy in your anime, then I'd say Slayers isn't for you, though, because that's where it's strength lies(along with all those SWANK spells). I can't really compare it to any other show except maybe Tenchi Muyo(minus the incest) and YuYu Hakushu only it's set in medieval times.

 

One thing that may confuse you if you've never seen the show at all before: The OVAs(and the movies) deal with a younger Lina and she's partnered up with Naga the Serpant(wait til ya hear her laugh...). The TV series all deal with Lina when she's couple of years older and running around with Gaulry(a big blond guy with a sword).

 

Like I said before, I recommend the series without a second thought.

 

 

Oh yeah, Ricky... I forgot to answer your question about Robotech: I'd recommend the Macross Saga(the first 3 box sets or if you're cheap like I am, the first 6 DVDs). The second season which is called "The Masters" is kinda weak and doesn't pick up until like the last four or five episodes.

 

Hope that helps you out some, man.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

Bizzump...

[Guest pochorenella]

My memory must be playing tricks on me, but I just remembered a really great series called Saint Seiya, which I would recommend to DBZ fans that like those drag-out kinda fights that go on for several episodes, with lots of blood, cool fighting techniques and a nice storyline. In a nutshell, it revolves around Zodiac-themed warriors that strive to become the best and be awarded golden battle armor, which would make them more powerful than before. If anybody's seen it, I would appreciate your input.

 

For what it's worth, Here are some shows/movies that didn't quite make it for me, given their sure fire reputation:

Slayers. Didn't impress me much. It was funny and stuff, but lacked something IMO.

Perfect Blue. Great story, somehow reminded me of Basic Instinct (?), and good animation, but I forgot about it fairly quickly.

Cowboy Bebop. Given its reputation I thought it would blow me away, but it didn't. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but not enough to make it one of my favorites.

Blood. Great Animation, but a forgettable story. Been done too many times, and also too short.

 

On the other hand, I re-watched Princess Mononoke the other day, and it just gets better after each viewing. And I just watched Vampire Hunter D and really liked it.

[Guest Doomsault]

Yeah, I've heard good things about Mononoke. Is it that good?

[Guest CED Ordonez]

Mononoke is a pretty good movie. As with all anime, you must watch to see if you like it.

 

Now if you have access to fansubs (or a high bandwidth connection and a good P2P) and you like the Tenchi series, I'd like to pimp a series called Onegai Teacher to you. I just saw the first few episodes and it's pretty hilarious thus far. The basic premise is the new female teacher is an alien, the male student finds out and hilarity ensues from there. It's a short series at just 12 episodes, but I recommend it if you liked Tenchi Muyo at all.

[Guest Doomsault]

One of the best Animes I've ever seen is Iria: Zeram the Animation or something similar to that, good action great characters and an awesome story.

[Guest chirs3]

Ok, not to incite flaming. Early on this thread, some troll posted (the post is gone I think) something saying that all anime is about giant fighting robots or... I forget what else.

 

Anywho, I am a complete n00b to Anime, having seen very little, and I'm also kinda turned off at the dozens of Anime's about giant fighting robots. I've found two series that I really like, Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star.

 

Can anyone point me to more in the same vain as those two?

[Guest razazteca]

My memory must be playing tricks on me, but I just remembered a really great series called Saint Seiya, which I would recommend to DBZ fans that like those drag-out kinda fights that go on for several episodes, with lots of blood, cool fighting techniques and a nice storyline. In a nutshell, it revolves around Zodiac-themed warriors that strive to become the best and be awarded golden battle armor, which would make them more powerful than before. If anybody's seen it, I would appreciate your input.

did that series have characters armor like:

 

Pegisus

Scorpion

Snake

Dove

 

or are you thinking about the Ronin Warriors that focused on 4 warriors who could combined their armor into the White Armor Inferino?

[Guest GenerationNever]

Eh, I think Dragon Ball is a lot better than Dragon Ball Z. Z is mostly about fighting while DB has interesting storylines, characters, and humor. Plus, the power levels after the Freeza saga get ludracrisly high. Having Trunks kill Freeza and Cold so fast didn't really put over the Freeza saga either.

[Guest pochorenella]

Hey Razazteca:

 

To be a little more accurate, the armors were like this:

 

Pegasus

Swan

Dragon

Andromeda

and Phoenix (he wasn't one of the main four, but being Andromeda's brother he helped out a lot.

 

But you got it almost right, so I guess it must be the same. Anyway, it's a great (and long) series. Lots of great fights that seemed to go on forever, and a mithological touch than attracted me very much. Check it out if you can, people.

 

Hey Razazteca, are you mexican? Most spanish dubs (Bebop, DBZ) are done over there, aren't they? Vastly superior to english dubs, if you ask me.

[Guest razazteca]

I am not a mex but I do live close enough to the boarder to receive 2 channels from Mexico with an antanea and have 5 on cable.

 

DBZ kicks so much ass in Espanol, its straight dub without Funmation cencorship crap.

 

As for Saint Seiya I have not seen it since it was on tv back in the 80s when I lived in Japan.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

AlwaysPissedOff: Thanks for the advice, man. I'm not a hugely into comedy, but it's really good for a change sometimes and I really need one after watching so much Kenshin (the third season drags....on....so....painfull....). So yeah, I think Slayers looks really promissing.

 

Anywho, I am a complete n00b to Anime, having seen very little, and I'm also kinda turned off at the dozens of Anime's about giant fighting robots. I've found two series that I really like, Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star. Can anyone point me to more in the same vain as those two?

 

Trigun should be your next pick. It starts off with a little too much emphasis on comedy, but it quickly picks up and becomes very intense. It's quite similiar to Bebop and Outlaw Star with it's episodic pacing, and I would pit it somewhere inbetween the two as far as quality is concerned. Just a really great show overall.

 

Eh, I think Dragon Ball is a lot better than Dragon Ball Z. Z is mostly about fighting while DB has interesting storylines, characters, and humor. Plus, the power levels after the Freeza saga get ludracrisly high. Having Trunks kill Freeza and Cold so fast didn't really put over the Freeza saga either.

 

Yeah, DB doesn't ever lose sight of what it really is or take itself too seriously. At heart, it's a comedy series with entertaining fights with charming, simplistic story lines and characters. DBZ basically takes the fighting formula from the end of DB and draws it way out into a rediculously long and over-done series that loses all it's thrill less than quarter before finally ends.

 

God, I love this thread.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

I missed this one and just had to comment on it:

 

For what it's worth, Here are some shows/movies that didn't quite make it for me, given their sure fire reputation:

Slayers. Didn't impress me much. It was funny and stuff, but lacked something IMO.

Perfect Blue. Great story, somehow reminded me of Basic Instinct (?), and good animation, but I forgot about it fairly quickly.

Cowboy Bebop. Given its reputation I thought it would blow me away, but it didn't. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but not enough to make it one of my favorites.

Blood. Great Animation, but a forgettable story. Been done too many times, and also too short.

 

Personally, I thought Perfect Blue was really well-done and probably one of the best thrillers in any genre. It kept you guessing, the character motivations made sense, and was just a really great movie. To me, just the disturbing nature of it alone made it unforgettable.

 

As for Bebop, I think you were looking for something that wasn't there. The show isnt' mind-blowing in the sense that many animes are. There are no profound messages about life and existance, or imaginative alternate universes that strangely parallel our own. It is profound, however, in that it has almost no set genre, or mold that it caters to. Every episode offers something new and different, yet it never loses sight of the central theme. It's mostly quite simplistic, but everything it does is done perfectly, with the characters being the most believable I've ever seen, and the story being one of the clever in any anime. I think if you watch it and appreciate all the little things that make it great, you'll see the true brilliance of Bebop.

[Guest pochorenella]

Hey RickyChosyu:

 

Your explanations make sense to me. Maybe it's just I prefer action-based anime or stuff like that, given that my favorite is BDZ. And speakind of Dragon Ball, I happened to just by chance see the live-action "movie", and God, I've never seen anything so awful. I'm never gonna get those 60 minutes of my life back. (Sorry for going off theme.)

 

But retaking about Bebop, I still thought it was pretty good. And I did appreciate some of its details, like how each chapter is music-related ("Hard Luck Woman" is a Kiss song and they're my all-time favorite band), Spike's and that other guy's friendship, Spike's shady past, and stuff like that. And the music was okay too. Still, it's not something I'd re-watch over and over again, but if I came across it on TV I wouldn't change the channel.

One thing I can truly say bothered me and I hope you can explain to me is what's the deal with that dog? When he first appeared I thought he was gonna be inmensely important in the long run, but later he just played a part in one chapter and that was it. Did I miss something?

 

On another note, pretty soon I'm gonna watch the Metropolis DVD. My cousin says it's pretty good so we'll see.

 

RickyChosyu, I think you have great knowledge of Anime stuff, definitely more than my casual knowledge, so maybe you can be the "Anime Guru" on the board? Answering tough questions like Sassquatch did/does on the Comic Book Thread? That is if somebody else doesn't step up to the plate and challenges you. Thanks for your feedback, man.

[Guest J*ingus]

Am I the only one who didn't like Metropolis? Maybe it was just the Bakshi-like animation with the squat ugly characters that turned me off, but I just couldn't get into it. The story seemed pretty simple and obvious as well, despite all the people raving about how it would blow my mind.

[Guest razazteca]

if you like Cowboy Bebop then you will probably like Lupan III. Lupan is a master theif always looking for the big score, with the sub-plot of the incompetitent police officer chasing him, and Lupin's lust for his girlfriend which always seems to get into trouble. There are at least 3 movies that I know of that are availible at Blockbluster and Hollywood video, all of which are must see.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Hey RickyChosyu:

 

Your explanations make sense to me. Maybe it's just I prefer action-based anime or stuff like that, given that my favorite is BDZ. And speakind of Dragon Ball, I happened to just by chance see the live-action "movie", and God, I've never seen anything so awful. I'm never gonna get those 60 minutes of my life back. (Sorry for going off theme.)

 

But retaking about Bebop, I still thought it was pretty good. And I did appreciate some of its details, like how each chapter is music-related ("Hard Luck Woman" is a Kiss song and they're my all-time favorite band), Spike's and that other guy's friendship, Spike's shady past, and stuff like that. And the music was okay too. Still, it's not something I'd re-watch over and over again, but if I came across it on TV I wouldn't change the channel.

One thing I can truly say bothered me and I hope you can explain to me is what's the deal with that dog? When he first appeared I thought he was gonna be inmensely important in the long run, but later he just played a part in one chapter and that was it. Did I miss something?

 

On another note, pretty soon I'm gonna watch the Metropolis DVD. My cousin says it's pretty good so we'll see.

 

RickyChosyu, I think you have great knowledge of Anime stuff, definitely more than my casual knowledge, so maybe you can be the "Anime Guru" on the board? Answering tough questions like Sassquatch did/does on the Comic Book Thread? That is if somebody else doesn't step up to the plate and challenges you. Thanks for your feedback, man.

Yeah, Bebop has some great actions stuff here and there, but it's deffinately not an action/fighting anime the way DBZ is. If you're into that sort of thing, I would follow the earlier recomendation for Saint Seya (which is supposed to follow a similiar formula), and see if you like Yu Yu Hakashu, which seems to be VERY similiar to DBZ, from what I've seen. If you want to look into deeper fighting animes that still have lots of action, I would highly recomend Rurouni Kenshin and Berserk, which are currently my two favorites from that area of anime.

 

Well, can't say I'm suprised about the DB movie. From what I saw it looked like it might have the So Horrifically Bad It's Good appeal, but that's not even a guarantee. Is it cheesey enough to watch?

 

Yeah, the Music-related stuff was really great. I recognized a bunch of Rolling Stones tracks in the titles, and of course Bohemian Rapsody. Plus, the scene in Mushroom Samba where Spike encounters the Frog ("this here's the Stairway to Heaven") was really funny. Personally, I find Bebop ideal for watching over and over, because there's just an insane amount of subtle details to be found everywhere. From Spike's various hints about his past, to his on-again off-again friendship with Jet, to Ed and Ein's wacked-out antics, everyone is always dropping off tid-bits about themselves with their manerisms and interactions with each other. With Bebop, it's the little things.

 

Speaking of Ein, I don't think he was ever supposed to be a very big deal, other than adding a comedy element as Ed's "partner in crime" so to speak. He did hack the Scratch Website using a video game counsel, but that was pretty much the only time he had a key role. He was mostly just there to add comedy, I think, although, his interaction with the characters is also used to show them from a different perspective. Jet, for instance, is usually very stoic, but with Ein he treats him like a child and acts very carring. So I think that was basically the deal with Ein.

 

Yeah, I loved Metropolis. Jingus, did you happen to see it in theaters? I did, and I think it actually hurt the experience a lot because the subtitles were so damn hard to read, and I didn't know what the hell was going on most of the time. I think if you see it again, it might help. The plot is actually very powerfull, and I really loved how it looked at Robots being alive from two different perspectives, Tima and Pero. I thought all the characters, while none too complex, where compelling and had understandable motivations for what they were doing. Plus the Ray Charles song at the end is just gold.

 

I wouldn't mind being an unofficial Anime Guru here, although there's plenty I haven't seen or don't know about. I mean, I'm essentially just a really enthusiastic fan-boy, when it all comes down to it. However, if there's no one else who wants the job, I'd be more than happy to give it a shot.

[Guest pochorenella]

Yeah, Bebop has some great actions stuff here and there, but it's deffinately not an action/fighting anime the way DBZ is. If you're into that sort of thing, I would follow the earlier recomendation for Saint Seya (which is supposed to follow a similiar formula), and see if you like Yu Yu Hakashu, which seems to be VERY similiar to DBZ, from what I've seen. If you want to look into deeper fighting animes that still have lots of action, I would highly recomend Rurouni Kenshin and Berserk, which are currently my two favorites from that area of anime

 

Well, I'm the one who brought up Saint Seiya in the first place, and Rurouni Kenshin is also one of my faves, but I've never seen Berserk. I think a friend of mine has it, so maybe I'll give it a try.

 

Ok, so the dog wasn't part of a big deal. They sure fooled me.

 

Metropolis I'm watching soon, I just hope I'm not as dissapointed as Jingus.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Well, I'm the one who brought up Saint Seiya in the first place, and Rurouni Kenshin is also one of my faves, but I've never seen Berserk. I think a friend of mine has it, so maybe I'll give it a try.

 

Ok, so the dog wasn't part of a big deal. They sure fooled me.

 

Metropolis I'm watching soon, I just hope I'm not as dissapointed as Jingus.

Ugh, I'm sorry about that. It's been a long day and my brain is fried, I'll try to pay attention next time. Anyway, it's great to hear that someone else around here is into Kenshin. Have you seen the second season yet? That stuff just owns everything. Berserk I would recomend as somethind different. Very dark, intense, and cryptic, but the characters all make sense and it's all very intriging. You should check it out.

 

Yeah, I can see how you would be underwelmed by the use of Ein. I thought he was funny, though. Remember his discusion with the Cow in Mushroom Samba? Very clever.

 

As for Metropolis, it reminded me quite a bit of Mononoke and Nausica in the way it simplistically depicted a very complex issue. The messages about the power of the human heart are all there, and the characters just have that charm to them that I can't help but love. It's really brilliant if you can watch for the right things and appreciate them.

[Guest J*ingus]

No, I saw Metropolis at home. The movie lost my trust in the very first scene, when the guy is talking in English, but the subtitles read a somewhat different version of what he's saying! If they got THAT wrong, then logically the rest of the movie contains mistranslations as well.

 

The storyline was just standard stuff to me, they just took the plot of the original silent film and then added in some standard Asimov androids stuff. However, my chief gripe with the movie was its visual style, which was a clear tribute/ripoff of Ralph Bakshi. I've never been Bakshi's biggest fan, but at least he redeemed his really, really ugly movies with clever dialogue and interesting characters. Metropolis didn't do that, in my opinion, and I literally had a hard time watching it.