Sunday, March 2, 2008

Taking a Break from the OPs
I've got a couple more bunches of OPs to post, but I'll take a break for now, give everyone a breather =P

So, today is supposedly, very likey the final arrival date of Version Vibrant. I'll be sure to keep checking all day so I can register the Watercooler as soon as possible. When I've done that, I'll send everyone a PM with the page link ^^

I was pleased to finally be able to order a CD I've been looking for, Empires Never Last by Galahad. Great British neo-prog band, and sadly one of the lesser-known ones. The online store I normally order from had no plans to stock the CD because they failed to negotiate with he band on price. But I was told where I could find a copy, and sure enough I was able to find it.
If you'd like, listen to this live cut of the song TERMINATION from the band's DVD.

Oh man... I nearly died laughing today while watching Top Gear. For any of you who don't know, Top Gear is a British show about cars. They talk about and test cars, they have a segment where they get a celebrity to drive a timed lap around a track, and they also do the most insane, wacky things you could think of to do with cars and take on a bunch of challenges.
The episode today had each of the three hosts turning an average car into a stretch limousines. They put each one through a list of challenges, and then each had to pick up a celebrity and chauffer them to an award ceremony. Needless to say, it pretty much ended in tears.
It's been a long time since I laughed that hard, and I was worried I might bust a lung thanks to the damn infection. It's left me quite sensitive o_O

But this whole limo thing has to be seen to be believed, and I managed to find most of it on You Tube, so take a look for yourselves and be prepared to laugh your asses off =P

PART 1


PART 2


PART 3

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CosmicSailor: Yipe, that doesn't inspire confidence o_O Yeah, maybe we should call tomorrow and see how it's going...
I tried watching Paranoia Agent when it was on Adult Swim, but it failed to impress me as I hoped it would. I think the only other title from Geneon I'd be tempted to try getting is Black Heaven.

Raina: I wish I had more clothes, but clothes shopping is very problematical for me. It's a miracle when I find something I like that fits.

Master Hiko: Let's hope you can see those Top Gear videos ^^
Heh, I would be tempted to hit the computer, but afraid I'd make it worse.

Allamorph: I have a PC, not a Mac. So if there is a magic set of keys I could've pressed to fix it, I don't know what it is o_O Let's hope the repair guys do.

Shonigoneyes93: Check out Hell Girl and Kurau if you ever have the chance, they're both good shows ^^

TwistedCyberChick: I didn't even realize the Kurau OP had Spanish subs =P I was just looking for the best quality OP out of all the ones people have uploaded.
And thanks for saying I have good taste in anime ^^ I'll take ego-boosting whenever I can =P
Glad I could solve a musical mystery for you ^^

Tsubusa: I don't have the energy to get pissed off right now =P But it's very late, maybe I will have the energy after I've slept ^^
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Saturday, March 1, 2008

Favorite Anime OPs #2
Well, now I know why the new NHK and Kurau DVDs weren't in the store when I went to get them last weekend, and why a bunch of titles have been missing from ADV'S website. For the full story CLICK HERE.

Looks like they've been rescheduled for release next week, 3/04. Let's hope this new information is accurate.

Not much happened around here today, except laundry. I usually end up doing mine and my Dad's laundry every Thursday or Friday, because I run out of clean clothes pretty fast.

And here is the second batch of OPs from some of my favorite anime...

HELL GIRL


KEY THE METAL IDOL


KURAU: PHANTOM MEMORY


LE CHEVALIER D'EON


MERMAID FOREST

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Raina: Thanks for sending all the emoticons for me to copy to the MSN on my laptop =3

CosmicSailor: Um, no I havent heard any news. What news? *gets worried now*
I'm glad I have pretty much everything from Geneon I want, except the shows I was getting at the time they went under - Black Lagoon Season 2, and the rest of Higurashi and the Hellsing OVA.
Your computer never seems to like videos. I'd get that checked out maybe.

Iruka Sensei: Yeah, I'd like some positive news about what they can do for the computer. We tried spending the minimum amount of money for those upgrades, now we gotta spend more to repair it D:

Allamorph: Yeah, Yuu is a very important character in the story, he has an integral connection to both the (anti) hero and the villain. You should finish the show when you get the chance =)
Ergo Proxy is one of my big favorites, but it is definitely one that a lot of people won't get and could give up on in frustration. It's firmly in the Serial Experiments Lain camp - very cryptic and with a lot of philosophical jargon thrown in. It's got a wonderfully dark atmosphere, and it's the kind of challenging anime I love. It's less pure entertainment and more of something to exercise your brain.

Ryosuke Forever: That sucks. If you didn't finish it, find some way to. I demand you watch the whole series! XD
Oh yeah, the D'eon OP is one I could listen to over and over =)

TwistedCyberChick: I absolutely ADORE Haibane Renmei. It is for sure my irriplacable #1 anime. It's just a beautiful show, short but sweet and emotional. And it's practically the only thing I freely admit made me cry. The last half gets you steadily worked up until the final episode, which is heart-wrenching. You must watch it ^^

Tsubusa: I had a hard time resisting the urge to destroy it =P

Master Hiko: It was permanently stuck in that loop that brought it back to that screen. It would go on forever if you left it alone, and manually restarting didn't help at all.
Looks like we ended up in that 5% o_O
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Friday, February 29, 2008

Computer Went Over the Edge / Favorite Anime OPS #1
Yup, before I had a chance to figure out what was wrong, the computer went completely mental.

After yet another random restart, it went to the text page that tell you the computer shut down to prevent damage because something was wrong, and you get to pick what mode to start up in - Safe Mode, Last Good Settings, etc.

Well, no matter what mode I tried, it would just restart and go back to that page. It was an endless loop, going to that page over and over and never fully rebooting. So the whole tower had to be taken down to Best Buy, and they're keeping it for a couple of days to figure out what the problem might be.

I'm not too fond of my laptop, but at least I have it so I won't go insane while the PC is away.

Oh, and if anyone wants to check out the X TV series, you may have to find and download a DVD rip. It was a Geneon series, which means DVDs will eventually dry up, if they haven't already.

So, I went searching through You Tube recently, collecting OPs from some of my favorite anime in my collection. Here's the first batch:

BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: TOKYO 2040


THE DEVIL LADY


ERGO PROXY


GUYVER


HAIBANE RENMEI

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Raina: Thank you, my editor ^^

Iruka Sensei: I hope they can fix mine o_O

Schultzie: Yeah, you didn't miss much. It was visually beautiful, but that alone wasn't enough to negate how bad the story and acting were.

2short: I like Tokko, for all it's faults ^^ It isn't meant to be high class, and it knows it. It's just a fun splatterfest =P

Allamorph: I like Noein because it has a good scientific sense to it. It portrays actual ideas from the world of theoretical and quantum physics. It's rare to find a scientifically 'smart' anime.

TwistedCyberChick: See, you know exactly what I mean, they butchered it! o_O

Tsubusa: Heh, I have enough memory problems due to too much anesthetic in the hospital, not to meantion the traumas I've dealt with in my life. I'll avoid intentionally hitting my head, thanks =P
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Thursday, February 28, 2008

What I Specifically Didn't Like About The X/1999 Movie
My comparison is between the movie and TV series, since the manga remains unfinished, and I didn't even get past Vol. 1 due to the shoddy translation (one of VIZ's low points, in my opinion - it really should have been better than it was).

I have done some checking on Wikipedia though, to back up my basic claim that the TV series is not only better, but more faithful to the manga than the movie in certain aspects.

STORY & CHARACTERS - MOVIE:
- Apocalyptic battle storyline and a cast of at least 14 characters condensed down to two hours. You hardly get to know anyone before they are killed off. They've been reduced to canon fodder.
STORY & CHARACTERS - TV SERIES:
- Every major character's backstory is explored, with a couple of exceptions, with most even given an entire episode of flashback to tell their tales. The series spends more time fleshing out the charatcers, revealing their varying motives and giving the audience a chance to get attached to them. It also casts them in more grays and less of a black/white-good/evil stereotype.
Several of the characters also survive in the end.

THE DUB - MOVIE:
- I'm not always critical on dubs, since I prefer them and am quite happy with the dubs I own (but then I am picky about what I buy and watch). But the dub for the movie was beyond sad. It was overrought, full of clunky dialogue, and quite a few crap vocal performances.
THE DUB - TV SERIES:
- This dub is much better. It has more well-known VAs in it who know what they're doing and do it well, and the voices fit the characters much better.

KUSANAGI SHIYU - MOVIE:
- In the film, Kusanagi is a nasty character who actively takes part in the battle and tries to kill those on the other side.
KUSANAGI SHIYU - TV SERIES:
- The series gets his character right, and true to the manga. He is a much gentler person who, although on the side that intends to destroy humanity, is compassionate and concerned about all life, and wishes the conflict could be resolved with as little bloodshed as possible.

FUMA MONOU: MOVIE
- In the film, Fuma is plain sadistic, wantonly killing anyone and everyone, even those on the side for which he is meant to be fighting (thus adding to the ludicrous body count). The moment he turns from good high school kid to evil destroyer is also not depicted clearly.
FUMA MONOU - TV SERIES:
- A more clear moment of transition from good to evil, and his motivation to perversely grant the wishes of others is much better than being just a slaughterhouse on legs.

So, there you have it. This probably won't mean too much to those who haven't seen either the X movie, TV series, or read the manga, and I could go on, but those are my major gripes.

I wonder also if SciFi will get some disgruntled correspondence from viewers, because their broadcast itself was rife with problems, mainly commercials interjecting themselves at random and chopping scenes to bits. It made watching it all the more difficult.

Oh, and now my computer is REALLY screwed up. After yet another restart tonight (I've lost count of them by now), it kept going to the text-only screen that said a hardware problem was preventing normal fuction. No matter which mode I tried to start it in - safe, normal, or any other - it just kept restarting and going back to the same screen.

Looks like I'm calling Geek Squad once I'm up in the morning. Maybe they can send someone to check it out.
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Raina:
The memory-eraser, and the Noisey Cricket XD


Ichigo:
Deathblossom. Best. Attack. Ever.

Agreed

Now you. Go and take out the Kodan armada all by yourself with a lizardman for a copilot.

Which wasn't really that hard, when you think about it. One gunship and a bunch of fighters hardly constitutes an "armada". Plus Xur was a total military idiot. I honestly wonder why the Kodan made him their emperor.

Still, I cherish that movie.


Mims:
*hugs you back* Keep coming up with the fun names, please ^^


Nikorasu:
I'll try. Just take my advice and never subject yourself to the same pain.


Tsubusa:
I'd prefer to avoid blunt force trauma =P


Naideana:
You don't get SciFi? You are deprived o_O


2short:
Noein has a decent dub, they played that. I was still surprised they played Tokko when they had to edit it so heavily. I'd rather be able to watch it with all the swearing kept in than all those annoying silences inserted.

Ukitake was the captain with the long white hair. I'm not sure what else to say except look him up ^^
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

DO NOT WATCH X THE MOVIE!
Tonight, SciFi Channel aired the X/1999 movie... and OH MY GOD IT SUCKED! o_O

Yes, the animation was pretty, but that did nothing to take away from how much the story died from condensing it down to feature film length. Not to mention a bunch of character and plot changes that were painful to see.

If you ever have the desire to watch X, please watch the TV series. It is so much better, the characters are more fully explored, and people actually survive at the end.

Plus the dub acting in the movie was atrocious...

Dammit, I wish I could erase it from my mind completely. It's like comparing the movie and TV versions of MASH. It doesn't matter that the movie came first, the TV series is a million times superior.


And now, a more elaborate explaination of my nicknames:

Congrats to Mimmi, 2short, and especially TwistedCyberChick for correctly guessing why a friend called me Ukitake. A friend from Anime Pulse, Division-Ten, called me that due to my sickness, and how I would cough up blood, just like the character. Not the best way to get a nickname, but it fits =P

TC: Pretty self-explanitory, this is the easiest abbreviation of my screen name.

TeeCee/TeeSee/Space Continuum Hunter/Mecha Tiser/Clock-Stalker: These are all variations, plays on, and anagrams of my name that Mimmi has dreamed up *hugs Mims* ^^'

Timey: The name Red Tigress tends to use.

Chaser: A few people have used this, but primarily Schultzie.

Persuer of Chronolgy: What SomeGuy used to refer to me in the most recent Otaku Opinion Poll posting.

Danny Phantom/Ukitake: Both names were given by my friend Division-Ten. You already know why she calls me Ukitake, she uses Danny Phantom as well because it sounds cool and it doesn't annoy me (even though I pretend it does).

DB/DeathBlossom: DB is the name I use on the forum and chatboard of Progulus Radio. DeathBlossom is a play on DB used by my friend MAVIII. It's a reference to the movie The Last Starfighter.

Lil' Bro: A name used only by my friend Cutenpurdy. One of the first online friends I ever made, she's a sweet older lady who considers me the brother she never had.

Senpai: The name Raina calls me by =)


Ugh... I've had to finish this post on my laptop, because my computer was restarting every time I tried to do something online. We really need to figure out what's causing the PC to go loopy.

And in the next post I'll go into a more detailed breakdown of the differences between the X movie and series that managed to piss me off.
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

   Nothing Is Ever Easy
So Dad installed the new RAM cards and the external hard drive while I was over at grandma's house this evening.

I have a suspicion that something was missed or installed incorrectly. The computer has restarted randomly several times, I get errors once in awhile and have to close things, and the whole computer has also frozen a few times o_O

I'll see if I can get a hold of my friend who lives on our street when he's got some free time, he's good with computers and maybe he can figure out what's going on. The other option is to call my brother-in-law, which I thought Dad was going to do anyway while he was installing everything.

And just for fun I decided to add on to my intro. I went back and cobbled together a list of nicknames people have given me around here, on Anime Pulse, and on Progulus Radio.

See if you can figure out why one friend called me Ukitake. And yes, it is a refernece to the 13th Division Captain from Bleach.
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2short:
Well, there's a non sequitor for ya. :D
Yes, it was a leap from uncle's grilfriend visitng to heavy metal videos, but I wanted to pad out the post, and I need very little excuse to push more music upon everyone in the hopes I get people listening to something =P
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Sunday, February 24, 2008

Metal Doubleheader
Uncle's girlfriend showed up today to visit for a while and check in on grandma. I wish she could've stayed longer, but she had to get back home in time to pick my uncle up from work (they live on the other side of the state, about 3 hours away).

For the rest of today's post, enjoy a couple of videos from two excellent metal bands, To-Mera and Evergrey.

TO-MERA - BLOOD


EVERGREY - A TOUCH OF BLESSING

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CosmicSailor: Yeah, it's great to see a shift back to written content for the site. If I could draw, I would, but I can't so my words are about all I have to work with.

Ryosuke Forever: I'll look forward to reading your story =)
Hopefully the store will have Kurau and NHK there next time we go. I'll be going back next weekend for new Mushi-shi and Hell Girl anyway.

Raina: I have the same issue with bookstores too =P We went to the bookstore after Best Buy that night, because Mom was looking for something. It was painful not being able to buy any books, having just spent my money on the DVD set, so I just didn't even look at anything D:

Schultzie: I've been hoping to give my computer a serious upgrade for some time, and I'm glad we can finally do it. I'll have to pay Dad back in installments, but it's worth it =P

Mimmi: Aww, that's sweet of you =D Heh, I don't get worried about it.
I suppose I should inform Adam of my plans for the Watercooler, maybe he can give it an "official" announcement.
Yes, there is a moon, and it's made of cheese :3

Red: Wait what movie? I don't remember mentioning a movie o_O
Hm, yeah that's a point (about the Rambles). That's why it's just an idea for now =P

Nehszriah: SQUEEEEEEAAAAL! =D

Master Hiko: Yes, the Watercooler is going to use the "multiple user blog" format for World accounts that Adam announced some time ago.
I plan to set it up and be the primary caretaker/admin of it, but it will be a place where anyone who want's to join in can post there. The idea was developed as a means for those of us who tend to spam the Podcast comments to have a legitmate way for us to have our spamming without breaking the rules.

2short: Yeah, by the time I'd though about submitting written works, articles and the like were gone o_O I'm very excited that not only are they back after a fashion, but that the types of written works we'll be able to submit has broadened.
Yeah, disease and computer problems have been the big thing the last few months.
Let's hope this time Adam will hold to the date he has set for VV's launch.
Comments (5) | Permalink

Friday, February 22, 2008

All Hail Version Vibrant!
3) New site: FAN WORDS, which will include FAN FICTION, FEATURES, ESSAYS, and GUIDES – this new site will also include built-in Photo/Picture Hosting and full use of BB code for formatting. I want all of you to help us with this new site as it’s a huge risk for us. If you know someone who writes amazing fan fiction or essays, especially, point them our way

(4) Ability to submit works to new meta categories: ANIME/MANGA, VIDEO GAMES, TV, MOVIES, BOOKS/COMICS, PERSONAL

OH YEAAAAAAAAH!

Finally, those of us who can't draw or even do computer art to save our lives can contribute to TheOtaku in the one way we can: WRITING!

I am quite excited by the news of these new features. Especially the meta catagories. You'll likely see me posting stuff about Doctor Who =P (and probably some anime reviews as well).

I went out with my parents this evening for a bit of shopping. We hit Best Buy first, and I was hoping to get the new NHK and Kurau DVDs, but they were out of stock. Of course I can never leave without getting something, so I grabbed the Fullmetal Alchemist: Season 2, Part 1 box set.

Dad was also there asking about an additional hard drive for my computer. After talking with a couple of the tech guys, we settled on 2GBs of extra memory, and a 500GB external hard drive.
We went this rout because the guys there told us that trying to install an extra internal hard drive is much more complicated than people think it is.
We'll install everything tomorrow and have my computer geek brother-in-law on the phone at the same time to make sure we don't screw it up.

In General Response to Everyone Concerning The Watercooler:
I'm glad most of you think the 'Ramble Of The Week' idea sounds fun. I would definitely put some small restrictions on it do it doesn't fly out of control, although I would hope those picked to write a ramble would also exercise some restraint.
I'll keep the idea in mind for now. We'll spend the first week or two making sure the Watercooler is all set up and running adequately before we think about additions to it. It was developed on the original idea of having a place for fans of the Podcast to congregate and have our silly, run-on converations without spamming the front page comments. I don't want it to become too complicated by other things, but having some chats about subjects outside the Podcast would also be cool.
I just want the idea to work. I'd like to feel that I'm actually DOING SOMETHING! I've never organized something like this before, and I welcome the challenge.

I just finished watching a program on National Geographic Channel about conpiracy theorists who claim that the Moon landings were all faked. Just listening to these sods flap their mouths, talking drivel like that makes me want to strangle them D:
They must have a very unimaginative, unexciting view of life. KILLJOYS!
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Master Hiko: As stated above, the Watercooler idea was developed BECAUSE of the podcast spamming. It will be the place where we can take our spamming fun and still have it without technically breaking the ruls of the TheOtaku.
And the podcasters themselves like the idea.

Twisted Cyber Chick: If it's decided that the 'Ramble Of The Week' idea can work, I'll come up with a system for picking who to write one each time.

Schultzie: That's not a bad idea. I'll run it by Ichigo and see what he says.

Iruka Sensei: Um, I think you're a bit confused o_O
I've been talking about the WATERCOOLER, the blog site I want to set up on Version Vibrant for podcast spammers and anyone else who wants to join in the fun, not WATERCOLORS as in the painting.
I hope I'm not the one confused, but that's what it sounded like you were saying in your comment.
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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Idea for a Watercooler Feature
An idea came up in a PM conversation with Miss Anonymous over the weekend: a 'Ramble Of The Week'. Each week someone would be picked to type a 'ramble', and everyone could then post responses.

I figure this is something we could do weekly at first, then perhpas if it works out, we could increase it to a couple times a week or every other day.

Other than that, there is posting general topics for discussion. I'm trying to think of things that can sustain the site between podcasts. But on the other hand, I don't want the Watercooler to be TOO regimented, since it is supposed to be a place for us to just chill and have fun conversations. We'll all have a better idea once we can see the new Version Vibrant features in action. Right now my brain is still trapped in MyO-mode.

Again, if anyone else has ideas, feel free to message me about them.
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Allamorph: I can't imagine losing a kitty, but I guess I have to get used to the idea o_O
Heh, sounds a bit like one of my sister's cats. The poor thing was always tumbling over and running into things. Turns out she had eye problems.

TrigunCat4: From my observations, it generally takes 2 years for a series to be released in box set from the time the first individual disc is released. Even if this figure is slightly off, it definitely takes a long time for sure, a lot longer than I think it should. With a disc coming out roughly every couple of months, it takes 12-14 months for a 6 or 7 volume series to be released disc by disc. Then it takes several more months after it's complete for a box set.
Since I don't have the patience to wait that long, I have bought most of my anime one disc at a time.
Most of the box sets I own are of series that were already out by the time I became interested, or had the time and money to finally buy them.

TwistedCyberChick: I have considered Netflix from time to time.

Somegirl: Actually the cat is almost 17, 2-4 years is the estimated time the vet has given that he has left.
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

So the kitty was at the vet today...
The chest X-ray was good, there's no infection in his lungs. His heart is also in good shape, and there was no sign of sinus infection either.

So why has he been hacking and sneezing?

Well, he's got problems with his kidneys. The membrane has become permeable, and it's allowing a lot of protein from his food to leak out, which is why he's hungry a lot of the time. The vet figures this is also leaving him more sensitive to things like allergens.

We can increase the protein in his diet: more wet food, and try to find a dry food with higher protein content. But this kidney condition is part of aging, so it's irriversible. In anywhere from 2-4 years he'll start wasting away from it. So we pretty much know it's only a matter of time now until we'll have to put him to sleep -_-

Of course in that time we'll give him all the loving we can =)

Raina: Yeah, the gingivitis is in his gums, but it was caused by buildup on his teeth that has never been properly cleaned.

As for Tokyo Majin... I may just hold in my spending urges until it comes out in a box set =P I've actually been looking forward to later this year when I would be finished with the series I'm currently collecting. Ive been buying anime like mad for almost 2 years now and I'm close to experiencing burn out.

I just wish it didn't take 2 years for box sets to come out D:
Add the time it takes for all individual volumes of a standard 6-7 volume series to get released, and typically a year after the last one is out until a box set arrives. That's just way too long...
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