Anime

[Kieli]

LMAO! Well I'm down to Ep 25. I won't rest until the end. I just gotta know! *bleh* I'm like the Paper Sisters that way...books or shows, I can't stop until I know what happens, otherwise it will drive me nuts.



BTW, have you checked out Infinite Ryvius yet? And one thing I forgot to mention....if you want to check out some quality dubs of old animes, the best ones (even better than some of the dubs of newer animes) are the dubs of Star Blazers (better known as Battleship Yamato) and the early eps of Robotech. Just in case you're curious.

We kissed for hours, wrapped around each other in the dirt, immersed in the heady, religious world of deep sex.
Love is just a different form of ego. It's nothing but a flatteringly worded form of possessiveness.--Kannaduki no Miko

[WebWarlock]

I am going to be delving back into this thread soon!



I just got the Witch Hunter Robin 6-DVD set and I LOVE it.



Point of Notice to Hollywood: I never would have bought this if I had not been able to download the fan-subs on BitTorrent first. Keep shooting yourselves in the foot.



Anyway here is the biggest surprise of it.



My wife loves it too!



So I have been charged with finding more at this level or better.



Warlock

Web Warlock, web.warlock@comcast.net, The Other Side.

Liber Mysterium: The D20 Netbook of Witches & The Dragon and the Phoenix: New Adventures of Willow and Tara

"We’re gonna light up the dark of night like the brightest day in a whole new way."

[Kieli]

Yes you evil evil man *sigh* I wish there was a more definitive ending for Anita and Hisa but still them remaining friends (well and Anita not being dead LOL) is awesome! Heh, Anita is quite the little tomboy, ain't she? Kickin' ass and takin' names and letting anyone in her way know it. I was so damned brassed off at Yomiko though for just giving up and letting Joker one up her. *bleh* I wanted to smack her around.



Eh, whilst you're scheduling anime series to view, may I suggest that you take in some truly awesome Anime soundtracks?

We kissed for hours, wrapped around each other in the dirt, immersed in the heady, religious world of deep sex.
Love is just a different form of ego. It's nothing but a flatteringly worded form of possessiveness.--Kannaduki no Miko

Edited by: Kieli at: 3/9/05 2:24 pm

[BBOvenGuy]

Quote:

---

BTW, have you checked out Infinite Ryvius yet? And one thing I forgot to mention....if you want to check out some quality dubs of old animes, the best ones (even better than some of the dubs of newer animes) are the dubs of Star Blazers (better known as Battleship Yamato) and the early eps of Robotech. Just in case you're curious.

---

Actually, with my schedule, it's all I can do to keep up with what's currently running for now. I do have a list of completed series to check out, though, when I have time.



So did you finish R.O.D?

"...what we leave behind us is, in fact, not our opinions but our examples." - Christopher Isherwood

[BBOvenGuy]

Quote:

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whilst you're scheduling anime series to view, may I suggest that you take in some truly awesome Anime soundtracks?

---

Already there. I have one from My HiME and Uninhabited Planet Survive, and am looking to get R.O.D the CD in the near future. I like a lot of the Miyazaki ones, too.



A question, though - what exactly are a "Drama CD" and a "Character Album?" (I think those are the terms.) I've run across a couple of them on the USEnet, but since I don't understand Japanese I have no idea what's going on.

"...what we leave behind us is, in fact, not our opinions but our examples." - Christopher Isherwood

[Kieli]

Drama CDs usually have outtakes and skits (and in My Hime's case, rather naughty skits...lots of yuri-ish behaviour and there are a couple skits with Shizuru being quite the little perv) that are done by characters in the show. Marimite has a Drama CD and some DVD shorts that are just hilarious. The downside of getting the drama CDs is that they're all in Japanese and unless you've got some rudimentary understanding of the language, you'll miss all of the double entendres and stuff. Anime Suki has some of the Drama CD for My HiME translated already if you want to check it out.



Character Albums usually have songs written with the characters in mind that are sung by some of the seiyuus that have talent (you MUST get the My HIME Character Album...it is worth every penny....there are songs sung by the seiyuus for Midori, Mai, Mikoto, Nao, Akane, Shiho and Natsuki). Not all Character songs are vocal...some are instrumental.



Might I make another suggestion? Don't walk but RUN to get the Witch Hunter Robin soundtrack. It is far and away the best soundtrack to date besides any soundtrack done by Yuki Kajiura (she did the soundtrack for My HiME as well as Noir).

Edited by: Kieli at: 3/9/05 4:53 pm

[BBOvenGuy]

So Keili, have you checked out Tsukuyomi ~ Moon Phase ~ yet? The fansub for Ep15 came out a few days ago, and there was one bit that was pretty amusing...





It involves a character named "Elfriede," a female vampire who was bound to the main character Hazuki's master, but was then freed and now looks out for Hazuki. She's a naughty vampire lady...



The rules for vampires in this series is that they have to suck someone's blood at every full moon - not a lethal amount, though, which is why they like to have a "shimobe" aka humans who become their slaves. One of the main points of the series is that Hazuki bit the spirtually clueless Kouhei and he didn't turn into a slave, so now there's the spiritual mystery of why that didn't happen and the relationship story of why these two characters are together if Kouhei's not a slave (aka, they "like" each other).



Okay, so now that the exposition's out of the way, here's the bit from this latest subbed episode. Hazuki decides she needs to find another shimobe, so she goes out hunting under the full moon. She runs into this character who she thinks is a man but is actually a woman - a woman who wants to take Hazuki to "the forbidden lands." Hazuki isn't interested, but then Elfriede appears on the scene, and Elfriede promises to take the woman to "the forbidden lands."



Alas, we never see this side of Elfriede again in the rest of the series... but it was fun.





And I still want to know why all those metal washtubs keep dropping on people...

"...what we leave behind us is, in fact, not our opinions but our examples." - Christopher Isherwood

[Kieli]

Quote:

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And I still want to know why all those metal washtubs keep dropping on people...

---

ROTFLMFAO! Well when I start downloading the subbed eps (hopefully this week sometime), I'll answer your question.



Right now, I'm downloading FullMetal Alchemist and am trying my damndest to get the rest of Ghost in the Shell: SAC 1 & 2 before they go away. I finally finished downloading Infinite Ryvius.



As for Mai HiME, I'm of two minds about that show. I totally loved it overall but it had moments that just made me go "ARGGH!" Some days, I think anime fandom is just completely dense, homophobic and barely adolescent, bordering on outright childish. I should've stopped going to AnimeSuki before my blood pressure got up but apparently I'm a glutton for punishment.

We kissed for hours, wrapped around each other in the dirt, immersed in the heady, religious world of deep sex.
Love is just a different form of ego. It's nothing but a flatteringly worded form of possessiveness.--Kannaduki no Miko

[BBOvenGuy]

Quote:

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Some days, I think anime fandom is just completely dense, homophobic and barely adolescent, bordering on outright childish.

---

Only some days?



Yeah, I've stopped going to Anime Suki for now, although I'll probably go back the next time there's a new series that I want spoilers for. Otherwise, I don't have time for the kiddie games there.



With the new Doctor Who on the air, I'm not looking for any more anime series to download these days. Someone on the USEnet is posting Twelve Kingdoms (Juuni Kokki if I remember the Japanese spelling correctly), though, and there might be a new series that catches my attention. Otherwise, it'll probably be summer before I go back and watch an older show that I haven't seen before.

"...what we leave behind us is, in fact, not our opinions but our examples." - Christopher Isherwood

[Kieli]

I've crossed over into obsessive fandom....I started writing a Shizuru/Natsuki fic. Totally sad....and there's going to be a 2nd season of My HiME. I hope the hell they leave the rape plotline in the trash where it belongs but I have to say, I'm intrigued.

We kissed for hours, wrapped around each other in the dirt, immersed in the heady, religious world of deep sex.
Love is just a different form of ego. It's nothing but a flatteringly worded form of possessiveness.--Kannaduki no Miko

[BBOvenGuy]

There have been rumblings about a second My HiME series pretty much since the finale, and now apparently it's been posted on the official Sunrise website:



www.sunrise-inc.co.jp/my-...stage.html



Beats the heck out of me what that says, but the girl pictured looks an awful lot like the one who was in the background of the closing shot in the finale.

"...what we leave behind us is, in fact, not our opinions but our examples." - Christopher Isherwood

[Kieli]

It's official that I know of (and the girl is indeed the one shown in the background of final ep) but everyone is speculating about what the 2nd season will entail. BTW, have you voted on the Sunrise official My HiME poll? Shizuru and Natsuki are winning!

We kissed for hours, wrapped around each other in the dirt, immersed in the heady, religious world of deep sex.
Love is just a different form of ego. It's nothing but a flatteringly worded form of possessiveness.--Kannaduki no Miko

[SmilingDRK]

Howdy, I just thought I'd drop in here, because anime is definitely my current love at the moment. ^^ Most of my favorites have been recommended already, so I'll try not to reiterate them.

In terms of yuri (lesbian) content, the good recent ones have already been stated: Mai HiME, Kannazuki no Miko (well, okay, not GOOD, but umm... yeah ^^;;), etc. Maria-sama ga Miteru has been mentioned, but only in passing. It surprised me, considering it's the big shoujo-ai fad at the moment. But I'm a huge fan of the show, so heh, I'm a bit biased. Others might feel it's a bit slow, while I think the show moves too fast! The characters are all so fun. Oh my, going off track. Sorry. *^^*

For good recommendations, I recommend checking out Erica Friedman's Blog. She gives reviews on current anime/manga that have a yuri-vibe to it. http://okazu.blogspot.com/

I also thought I'd recommend some manga, since I haven't seen any recommended and manga and anime tend to go hand in hand. If you enjoyed an anime, I highly recommend checking if there's a manga version out with scanlations. It's always a treat to see a story you love in different formats, and possibly two different storylines in the same setting. A good example is the Utena show/movie and the manga versions. All in all, that gives 4 different Utena storylines because each had their own take on the characters/world.

Ah, rambling again. Sorry. ^^;; Two good ones that I want to recommend are "Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou" AKA "Yokohama Shopping Trip Log" and 'Emma." YKK also has some anime OVAs out, but I really prefer the manga. It's... really hard to describe YKK. It's just really beautiful and wonderful. That's the only way I can really describe it. If you want plot, it's not for you. But if you are in one of those moods where you're feeling lazy and content and happy (ya know, have a hot cup of cocoa after a hot shower and just feeling good kinda mood), I really recommend reading YKK. http://ykk.misago.org/Contents

And 'Emma' is similar, but has more of a plot. Sorry for yuri fans, it mostly revolves around a het romance. But it's a very beautiful story with great characters. It's about a girl living as a Maid during the Victorian era in London and this guy who completely falls for her. Actually... everybody falls for her! XD There's also an anime out if you want to check it out, too. Or if you look at manga by the same author, there's another one called "Shirley" which is also about a maid, but she's only 13 or something. Very cute. ^^ The author really likes maids... but she's so cute about it! Read the author comments that the translators include with each volume of the manga! The lady who draws the manga just absolutely loves the whole concept of the Victorian age and maids and she gets all excited about what she draws. ^_^ http://cerealandmilk.net/iichan/torrents.php

If you look at the IIchan translation group's site, you'll also see a torrent for a doujin called "Polychrome." If you liked "Emma" and/or "Shirley" I really recommend reading it. It's made by Japanese fans of the manga and actually has one of my favorite doujin artists doing a little story. It's very fun.

[BBOvenGuy]

A new show of interest - Gokujou Seitokai, which means, I'm told, The Best Student Council.

Why is it of interest? Well, it's just plain weird. Or at least I think so. It's about the goings-on of a student council at an all-girls school, so it probably has some things in common with Maria-sama ga Miteru, which I could never get into but I know a lot of people liked. There also seems to be some kind of shipper-like vibe between the Student Council President and the new student. Oh, and the Student Council also has its own Assault Force and Covert Ops Force.

Oh, and did I mention the puppet?

I'm also liking Juuni Kokuki, or Twelve Kingdoms, which ran a few years ago and is currently being reposted on the USEnet. Nothing much there for shippers, but if you like good dramatic fantasy with a rich, detailed world and three-dimensional characters, it's a hit. I just wish they'd made all 68 of the originally planned episodes instead of stopping at 45.


Edited to add: Interesting things in Episode #3 of Gokujou Seitokai. The main character, Rino, awakens to find the school President, Kanade, in bed with her. The other students see Kanade coming out of Rino's room, and suddenly the school is ablaze with the rumor that the two were doing "payapaya." What's that? Well, it's depicted in my new avatar. Various other students are either shocked, excited or jealous.

The rest of the episode deals with the student council trying to save the President's reputation - and the President herself saves the day by reassigning herself as Rino's roommate. There's no scandal if she's in her own room, right?

By the way, both Rino and her puppet are voiced by the same actress who played Midori on My HiME, another favorite character of mine.

[J uk]

New series of Mai-HiME: Mai?MAiD.

http://matthew.animeblogger.net/archive ... vealed.php

Yes, you read that correctly And you do read the star there, making the title Mai Star MAiD. Giving a few more details from the article here (paraphrasing)... the MAiDs aren't quite your usual run-of-the-mill maids. They support royalty and politicians, and act as advisors to them as well. It's a profession all the girls want to do when they grow up. Girls who want to become MAiDs are gathered from each country and attend the MAiD training school, Galdelupe, for two years and undergo intensive training, after which they become MAiDs. The chosen among them who have the abilities might dream of becoming "My Star MAiDs".

Character Descriptions:
Arika Yumemiya
The bright cheerful, and optimistic protagonist. 14 years old.

Nina Won
Quiet and unsociable, but very skilled as a MAiD. Arika's rival.

Mashiro
Queen of the kingdom of Vintoblum. She seems to have some kind of secret, but...

A few details to add to the Mai?MAiD story from yesterday, coming from MOON PHASE as usual. My Star MAiD is neither a story taking place years after My-HiME nor a "Part 2", changing the characters and set in the same world. The My-HiME characters, like actors, will be performing new roles in this new story and setting. They're calling it "Bishoujo Sci-Fi School Drama",

You know what? That might actually work.

[Kieli]

A new show of interest - Gokujou Seitokai, which means, I'm told, The Best Student Council.

Why is it of interest? Well, it's just plain weird.

Oi oi! I love this show! Actually there a lot of familiar seiyuus in this particular anime.....Kaori is voiced by Chiwa Saito (best known as Anita from R.O.D. TV), there are a plethora of Maria Sama Ga Miteru seiyuus and others you might recognize:

Kanade (seiyuu is Hitomi Nabatame who played Eriko in Marmite)
Kuon (seiyuu is Kaori Shimizu who played Noriko)
Rino (seiyuu is Yukari Tamura who played Midori in Mai Hime and had a bit part in ROD TV)
Sayuri (seiyuu is Ayako Kawasumi who played Chikane in KnM)
Ayumu (seiyuu is Eri Sendai who had a bit part in My Hime)
Rein (seiyuu is Yuki Matsuoka who plays Evangeline in Mahou Sensei Negima)

It's quite star studded and I laugh my butt off at almost every ep. I really feel sorry for Rino because she has no clue and is just a lonely kid. It's grown on me, what can I say. BTW, has anyone else checked out Mahou Sensei Negima? I started reading the manga (something I almost never do) and got hooked on the anime after that. It's worth a look if you can spare the time.

As for this new Mai Hime spinoff/wannabe/what-the-hell-is-it?, I'm not liking what I've read thus far. Mai HiME was good because it was original in its own right...if they just use the name to push some fanservice laden, mindless show, I'm tuning out. Seriously.

[BBOvenGuy]

[Kaori is voiced by Chiwa Saito (best known as Anita from R.O.D. TV), there are a plethora of Maria Sama Ga Miteru seiyuus and others you might recognize:

Kanade (seiyuu is Hitomi Nabatame who played Eriko in Marmite)
Kuon (seiyuu is Kaori Shimizu who played Noriko)
Rino (seiyuu is Yukari Tamura who played Midori in Mai Hime and had a bit part in ROD TV)
Sayuri (seiyuu is Ayako Kawasumi who played Chikane in KnM)
Ayumu (seiyuu is Eri Sendai who had a bit part in My Hime)
Rein (seiyuu is Yuki Matsuoka who plays Evangeline in Mahou Sensei Negima)

I never got into Maria Sama Ga Miteru, but I do know this:

Chiwa Saito was also Hazuki (and Luna) in Tsukuyomi ~Moon Phase~
Yuki Matsuoka was also Arisa in Uchuu no Stellvia

So I guess it's a small world in anime-land.

Meanwhile, the description of Mai?MAiD sounds kind of like what I've read about Futakoi Alternative, in that it's the same characters playing completely different roles. I suppose it might work...

[Scarecrow]

Anime! Love this stuff.

I think my favourite show is possibly Neon Genesis Evangelion currently... what starts out your typical mecha series changes gear half way through and becomes an exploration of reality, depression, pain and who we are.

There's some frankly disturbing stuff in there but the story holds together and despite the eventual outcome there is a positive note at the end.

Also, a guilty pleasure..

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon.

Not the horrible dub that's cut out anything even remotely adult or interesting but the original version, it's simply wonderful. Has an average start but develops over its 46 episodes into something really special with a strong and wonderful message about friendship and hope.

The characters are really detailed and well drawn out with Usagi-chan growing from someone cryign and useless into a real fighter whilst Rei-chan is just damn feisty!

Wonderful stuff with the villains too, with Nephrite's story being fantastic. I know people might be annoyed by the relationship between two villains Zoisite and Kunzite because, after all, they're evil, but they're just so dman romantic and sweet and I love them! Besides it's somewhat balanced by a number of same-sex relationships shown in a veyr positive light.

Oh and it has the most beautiful opening theme ever, all about eternal romance and love. Yeah, I'm a total softy. http://sailorss.trappedinshards.com/oggs/1SMM1.ogg

I also, of course, love a large number of films with favourites beign Metropolis and Ghost in the Shell and, predictably, Akira.

- Scarecrow

[Kieli]

Wanted to post this before addressing others' comments later:

Just got the Mai HiME Character CD and it is so funny, I can barely contain myself. Shizuru's character song is rather....chilling! It sounds dark and villianous but is actually kind of...heartbreaking, I guess. It's written in the Enka style, which I am told is a traditional Japanese style that is usually dark and depressing. I got a friend to translate the stuff I didn't understand and the lyrics make Shizuru out to be a stalker type. *shudder*

On a happier note, Haruka's and Yukino's song, as well as Chie's and Aoi's, is just hilarious. You get to hear Chie and Aoi flirting in little snippets of dialogue within the song. If you didn't think they were a couple before, they practically out themselves in their duet. Must get it, Bob. Seriously.

[foreverendeavor]

everyone should go see miyazake's new film, howl's moving castle. it's soo good =)

[Kieli]

everyone should go see miyazake's new film, howl's moving castle. it's soo good =)

I had heard that Howl was going to be quite good.....then again, any film by Miyazaki is going to do well.

[BBOvenGuy]

Two more shows I'm checking out.

Newly subbed is Zettai Shonen, which is described as a "slice of life" show, which I think is supposed to mean that it's slow. I've seen it compared to AIR TV, though, and I liked that. Plus the cast includes Saito Chiwa, who seems to be everywhere these days, and Shimizu Ai, who played Mikoto on Mai HiME.

And now appearing on the USEnet is Tenshi na Konamaiki, a show from a couple of years ago about a high school girl who used to be a boy. In the pilot episode, we see him at age nine, meeting up with some kind of little clown-spirit and asking it to make him "the manliest of men." Instead, it turns him into a girl, and now only she and her best friend remember that she used to be a boy. Even the old family photos have changed. I've been hoping for some nice bits messing with traditional gender roles, but through the first three parts it's mostly been about people hitting each other. Still, I think I'll hang in there for at least a few more episodes.

[eponinethen]

Hey... I like anime a lot but I honestly don't know that much about it but I've got a friend who forces me to watch it all the time (which I really don't mind)... I love all the popular stuff like My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away and Princess Monoke... I recently started watching some TV shows, really fell in love with Yami To Boushi... Gotta love that..
And I have seen parts of things like Maria Sama Ga Miteru and well, a lot of other things, just haven't seen that much of it... Iäm trying to learn though, lol, 'cause it seems all cool.

[Tyrex316]

OMG-Everyone has to see Burst Angel. I've just finished the watching the first series DVD and the relationship between Jo and Meg is so text. Jo is ''the kick !@* butch chick"(a quote from the voice actor that portrays her from an episode audio commentry) and Meg is her constant companion and ever in need of rescuing by Jo of course:) And the series borrows from so many anime genres, I mean its got mechs, it's part western, sci fi, girls with gun....and more. but Jo and Meg and just exactly what their relationship will be later on is what I'm exicited about. LOL-In the first episode Sei(the leader of their group) hires this male chef who having met Jo more or less while she was in pursuit of some bad guy, says "Excuse me Miss, but haven't we met before?" and Meg jumps all over him, "Excuse me Miss...what kind of lame pick up line is that, you're not hitting on her are you!?!" There are some more things in the third episode that make you go....hmmm as well.

[Kieli]

OMG-Everyone has to see Burst Angel. I've just finished the watching the first series DVD and the relationship between Jo and Meg is so text. Jo is ''the kick !@* butch chick"(a quote from the voice actor that portrays her from an episode audio commentry) and Meg is her constant companion and ever in need of rescuing by Jo of course:) And the series borrows from so many anime genres, I mean its got mechs, it's part western, sci fi, girls with gun....and more. but Jo and Meg and just exactly what their relationship will be later on is what I'm exicited about. LOL-In the first episode Sei(the leader of their group) hires this male chef who having met Jo more or less while she was in pursuit of some bad guy, says "Excuse me Miss, but haven't we met before?" and Meg jumps all over him, "Excuse me Miss...what kind of lame pick up line is that, you're not hitting on her are you!?!" There are some more things in the third episode that make you go....hmmm as well.

Heh, Bakuretsu Tenshi (or Burst Angel) has been around for a while. I think it just got licensed too so downloads will be hard to come by. I downloaded the eps before it got licensed and am quite glad I did. Meg is hilarious. All possessive of Jo and what not. Jo is the typical broody type. Amy drives me nuts but Sei so rocks. She's calm, cool and dangerous. And what is UP with her outfits?! Talk about fan-service.

You might also want to take a look at Kamichu...God is a little schoolgirl in that one and it's rather cute. I'm stuck on Gokujou Seitokai until the final eps...Oh and do check out the movies The Place Promised in Our Early Days and Howl's Moving Castle now that they're out in theaters. Steamboy was worth a watch too.

[BBOvenGuy]

You might also want to take a look at Kamichu...God is a little schoolgirl in that one and it's rather cute.

Well, more like a little schoolgirl is a god. This is a Shinto culture we're talking about, after all. There are gods of various shapes and sizes running around all over the place in this show - which is part of the fun.

Gokujou Seitokai has lost a bit of its steam in recent episodes - but then, I'm only watching the subbed ones, and they've only gotten as far as the bratty little sister showing up.

[Kieli]

Well, more like a little schoolgirl is a god. This is a Shinto culture we're talking about, after all. There are gods of various shapes and sizes running around all over the place in this show - which is part of the fun.

Not just Shinto but Buddhism and Confucianism as well, though it's not predominant. I've not gotten to look at more than a couple of eps because my attention is divided with other shows and this whole Mai-Otome thing that's supposed to be coming out in October (God help us all...)

Gokujou Seitokai has lost a bit of its steam in recent episodes - but then, I'm only watching the subbed ones, and they've only gotten as far as the bratty little sister showing up.

You're missing out on a lot then. GS has picked up quite a bit after Ep 13. We get to see the serious side of Seina, some cool backstory on Kuon and Cindy, and just some really whack stuff regarding Pucchan and Rino's true history with Kanade-sama.

[Tyrex316]

Kieli-You've seen all the episodes right? No spoilers but does it get any better than it already is? I mean Vol. 1 was great, Vol. 2 had me picking my jaw up off the floor. That scene in the pool dressing room on the sixth episode while hilarious also showed Jo finds nothing weird or wrong with Meg forcibly taking off her clothes-lol-almost like it was an everyday occurance. And there was that momment at the beginning of the sixth ep after jo saves meg from that creature in the forest, Meg's "Ohhh, Jo." as she hugged her was just so sweet and gotta credit the actress for that, she put a whole heck of a lotta love in that simple statement. Vol. 3 will be out in Sept. and I can't wait:)

[MellindraX]

A little random, but I'm putting it on here anyway.

I just purchased Gundam Seed and began watching it yesterday. This, of course, was a bootleg copy from China acquired off of eBay. It has the worst translation you could possibly imagine. It gives you the distinct impression that whoever was doing it had never actually seen the show, or anything related to it. It is the translation on crack and heroin and acid at once.

I love it.

[Kieli]

Kieli-You've seen all the episodes right? No spoilers but does it get any better than it already is? I mean Vol. 1 was great, Vol. 2 had me picking my jaw up off the floor. That scene in the pool dressing room on the sixth episode while hilarious also showed Jo finds nothing weird or wrong with Meg forcibly taking off her clothes-lol-almost like it was an everyday occurance. And there was that momment at the beginning of the sixth ep after jo saves meg from that creature in the forest, Meg's "Ohhh, Jo." as she hugged her was just so sweet and gotta credit the actress for that, she put a whole heck of a lotta love in that simple statement. Vol. 3 will be out in Sept. and I can't wait:)

The manga gets better but leaves off where the anime begins. I hear that the OVA that will encompass all of the manga volumes is supposed to be out soon. The anime, however, really doesn't do the Jo/Meg dynamic enough justice. I was actually all teared up at the end, in between being rather annoyed. Poor Meg.

I just purchased Gundam Seed and began watching it yesterday. This, of course, was a bootleg copy from China acquired off of eBay. It has the worst translation you could possibly imagine. It gives you the distinct impression that whoever was doing it had never actually seen the show, or anything related to it. It is the translation on crack and heroin and acid at once.

I can almost guarantee you with 98.5% accuracy that anything you get off Ebay will be a bootlegged fansub. Or just a really crappy bootleg in general. The Hong Kong and Singapore bootlegs are notorious for having crappy video quality and questionable translations. You might want to do yourself a favour and save your money. Find someone how already has a GOOD fansub and ask them for a copy. You'll be money and quality ahead.