Sosarin Demar

Congratulations, Firefox. It's been a great run, Lestat. Thank you for your service and guidance for the sake of Ordo.

Which would you say is worse, the Star Wars Holiday Special or this? My brother didn't last, either. IS THERE NOT A KNIGHT OF THE REALM WHO CAN STEP FORTH TO CONQUER THIS EVIL? (Playing it on a second monitor while doing something else dun count, hehe!)

Yeah, I lost in a minute too. I felt like I was sitting in church ... the church of catface. Anyway, the "100 Ways to Love a Bat" is far more interesting video. Debuting near a youtube in a parallel universe.

Gakuen Mokushiroku: High School Of The Dead Synopsis: I haven't really watched it so I don't know if it's good or not. It looks like Japanese Animoo meets Left 4 Dead. So, I find that lulzy, having such a thing take place in a Japanese High School and all. Didn't see that coming. No sir. You can watch it at Animeseason.com

The face of a true hero.

I feel for ya.

Space Bat. The bat that aspired for more, and clung to the shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank as it rocketed into the sky. Rest well among the stars, Space Bat.

Trinity Blood [Check It Out] Synopsis: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__4PiVKMuAQ (Opening. It's loud, will need to turn your volume down.) It's kind of like Trigun (when observing the protagonist -- an old, powerful dude with a sense for good who pretends he's naive) meets Hellsing (human org. fighting the vampires). I hate comparing animoo to others in this way, but it's day four of broken A/C with temperature climbing back up to the mid-nineties, so I'm too groggy to write something thoughtful. Lol! So yes, it's a vampire animoo. Despite not being too hot for the whole vampire thing, I rather enjoyed it and I enjoyed its gothic fantasy aesthetic. There's political intrigue abound and you get to discover some surprises about the vampires of this universe. Not all of them are bad peeps and they just want to live among the rest of the humans like fellow sentient beings. It's one of those, "let's find a common ground" kinda deals between blood suckers and their weaker, human cattle-parts (erm, counterparts). The more I think about it the more parallels I find between this show and Trigun. The protagonist is much less annoying, thankfully. Anyway, check it out!

Yeah, some series are "classics", but they don't age well. I recently re-watched Super Dimensional Fortress Macross (from 1982 no less) and ... it really didn't age well in storytelling. Old animation I can forgive, but cheesy storytelling I can't overlook. Took me over a month to finish it, too. That really says something. Anyway, 'tis good you're still at the party. Please continue to share you input on the subject, particularly what you consider non-anime's. Because good anime's are non-anime's according to Zrazor dictum -- so please share your non-anime's that-look-like-anime's-but-are-good-so-they're-non-anime's.

Outlanders (1986) [There be Dragons ...] I think there's a Neko in there, somewhere. A one shot OVA thing. As for it being decent ... well, I remember it being "okay", but it's been so long that I honestly dont' know. Here's a yahoo question thread where someone asked that and a bunch of people spout out suggestions: />http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080721081219AAGwzkD

Please by all means feel free to throw in obscure stuff, too. That would be really helpful for most of us who are actually interested in this thread. Haha, I'm kinda with Cyphre and her reaction. Don't get me wrong, I think it's worthy to list it. But, the thing that bugs me about it is that it's essentially a slasher anime that tries to get really deep, when in actuality it seems like it's just posing and has no depth. Kinda like Evangelion. *Gasp* But that's just me. Amazing opening music, though.

Yeah, that's an often cited complaint, which stinks. I haven't read the manga, but I can agree that the ending didn't tie up enough ends or tie up ends properly. Do not watch the English dub as it's extremely obnoxious. The English dub made me avoid this anime for a decade. Oh lordy, I dont know if I want to start at the very, very beginning. Haha! I yet may. And Gundam Wing ... that one has kiddies I think. I'm so tired of barely pubescant boymans piloting the robots. Le sob. ;.; Anyway, danke!

Strait Jacket [Check It Out] Synopsis: A short, 3 episode OVA. Moral of the story: don't fuck with the warp. It will fuck with you. Wee~! 8D I'd like to see them spawn a series out of this.

Nice compiled list, Tsume. Could you point out which are the more really good ones and which ones you would recommend to someone new to Gundam? I've been interested in getting into Gundam but I have no idea where to start, honestly. Anyways, here's a few more to tack on. I'll add more periodically when I feel the muse. Macross Plus [Must Watch] Synopsis: Probably the only series or OVA I would recommend to anyone out of the Macross Franchise. Macross has its quirks with its love triangles and "song will save the universe" bullshit. However, Macross Plus is like the Silent Hill 2 of the Macross universe. It's the most mature and best portrayed tone of the franchise in my opinion, despite the fact it doesn't tell a massive space opera and feels like a side story. The characters are rather stock, but their relationships develop and blossom as the story progresses. The soundtrack is done by Yoko Kanno and is excellent in its ambiance. The animation is superb for the time (1994). It's safe to say that you can watch it without knowing much of the Macross universe. It's a nicely self contained story. I probably should have marked it as a "Check It Out", but I just like it too much for my own good. Macross Zero [Check It Out] Synopsis: It's a 5 episode prequel OVA series and as far as storytelling goes ... well, let's just say that I don't really find any memorable characters in this one. Except for maybe Roy Fokker, but even then he seems to be rather toned down in this one. You'll also suffer if you go into it not knowing much about the Macross storyline. There's a lot revealed in this one that makes you strain your eyes paying close attention to the subtitless. I put this in the list for its beautiful marriage of CGI, lineart, and action. This is one of those you watch if you want to see some awesome aerial combat with those lovable variable fighter transformer airplane robots. But if you want to watch something with a memorable story, you might want to pass. I'm too afraid to add Macross Frontier to the list, being the newest release. Macross isn't everyone's cup of cheese.

New Word: Bat (Sorry, had to do it.)

The second Ghost in the Shell movie is definitely a good one. It's much different than the first one, but it's still dazzling in its own way. It's definitely worth checking out. And yes, I agree anything by Miyazaki is a "must watch". They're just great "feel good" movies. You walk away from them feeling uplifted in some way for most of them. Ghost In The Shell 1 & 2 [Must Watch] Cyberpunk galore. Shit-Done-By-Hayao-Miyazaki [Must Watch] It's fun for the whole family. And your pants. Some of his films: Castle in the Sky Princess Mononoke Spirited Away Howl's Moving Castle

Been watching too much animoo (anime) lately. Thought I'd share some recommended, rather recent shows for those who casually peruse animoo or are just curious. I encourage other peeps to do the same. (However, if someone recommends a stupid anime I will call them out on it.) You can watch some of these series at www.animeseason.com , which is a pretty reliable site. Not a definitive source of everything, but pretty good. I am going to place them in two categories accompanying a summary. I suggest anyone who posts a show recommendation does the same. [Must Watch] -- This particular animoo is so good, you would stake your life on it. Literally. If Jason Voorhees "The Otaku Slayer" would spare your life if you could show him one truly awesome anime, this would be one of those. This is an animoo you wouldn't be afraid to recommend to people who typically don't watch anime. Do not be foolish and put most of your recommendations in this category. [Check It Out] -- For whatever reason it's really great and awesome, but it has its quirks that may put some people down. There's probably a schoolyard in there, or an annoying character or two, or a twelve-year-old romance, or very little character development, or oxnoxious panty worship. Most anime you recommend should be in this category. Black Lagoon [Must Watch] Synopsis: "The story follows a team of pirates/mercenaries known as Lagoon Company, that smuggles goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia in the early 1990s." One japanese business schmuck finds himself betrayed by his corporation and pretty much left to dry. He finds himself in their employ and goes out to kick some ass, finding more about himself and how to make his balls drop. This show doesn't fuck around and it's a good, short length. It doesn't take three or five episodes to get into it. It gets straight into the meat at episode one. There's a lot of references to popular culture and some good, serious comedic moments. Among the flurry of rich characters is the female protagonist is Revy, who is just as dark as she gets. She's a true bloodthirsty psychopath who looks like she's going to turn on the main boyman on any second if he pisses her off. And, she gets ticked off easily. A worthwhile investment of your time. Code Geass [Check It Out] Synopsis: There's a lot of hype with this show, which is a shame. People equate it to Death Note, due to the deus ex machina super conquer-the-planet power, but the story is altogether worlds apart and the main character is infinitely superior in manliness and intellect than that pussy-shit Light or whatever the fuck his name was. Even though the main dood gets a super power, he uses his wits foremost to devise strategy at both the strategic and tactical level. You watch the show to see what happens next -- what stunt he pulls and whether he succeeds or fails. The super power is just a gimmick on the side and not the only thing that makes the show interesting, which is a GOOD thing. The soundtrack is superb and the animation quality is equally so. The art style of the characters suffers at times (rice bowl chin, anyone?), but that's not why I didn't mark this as a "must watch." There are schoolyard parts and the treacherous need to somehow include all characters, allies or no, in the same fucking academy. However, this schoolyard stuff thankfully doesn't last and doesn't detract horribly from the show -- however, it didn't need to be there. At all. One of my more favorite anime's of all time, despite its imperfections. Certainly has one of the most epic endings, with Lelouch being one of the more darker and likeable heroes in the histories of ever, donning an outfit that would make Cobra Commander jealous and wet in the boycunt. If you like anime, fucking watch it. Today. It's in two seasons, the second season probably being a little weaker than the first but still glorious. You can watch it at www.animeseason.com in the "full series" listing. Claymore [Check It Out] Synopsis: Awesome demon slaying. Great animation, good music. A good gothic fantasy series with entertaining action and powahs. Kuroshitsuji [Check It Out] Synopsis: It's anime anime with some engineered humor, but a good'un. Recommended if you like anime. If you're a casual watcher, probably not so much. For a little boyman Ciel Phantomhive is srz bzs and isn't immature, so that's good. It really is a Faustian story, with Ciel damning himself to achieve his own revenge for the plight that befell himself and his house. He's given multiple chances to somewhat redeem himself, but he remains steadfast in his convinction. Or does he? Bottom line, I think a handsome ass-kicking demon butler person who can do anything and everything is awesome. I'd do Sebastian. I would. Monster [Must Watch] Synopsis: If I had to choose a favorite anime of all time, this would be it. It is rather long though -- close to 75 episodes. Thankfully it isn't like Bleach of One Piece in duration. The funny thing about most anime is that they're usually telling riveting stories with science fiction or fantasy elements in them. This one has none of that. It's a suspense thriller based on history -- particularly the divide between east and west Germany and the fall of the wall. It delves into psychology, mind control experiments, and all that whacky stuff. The synopsis above doesn't do the show much justice. That just covers the first four or so episodes. The characters are rich and develop well. They're all likeable in their own way. The villain, Johann, is mysterious and quite evil. Even neo-nazis saw him as the second coming of Hitler. He's just that ebilly awesome. With that pretty face of his, I don't blame them fascist fanboys. Samurai 7 [Check It Out] Synopsis: A re-imagining of seven samurai in animoo format, with mechs and stuff. The mech bandits steal the rice for batteries and ... well it sounds stupid but it's fucking awesome. If you want to watch stupid samurai mech fighting with like samurai swords cutting three story robots in half ... it's stupidly awesome. Watch it, stupid. Also has nice music. Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Sacred Spirit) [Check It Out] A linear story with probably one of the more realistic approaches to storytelling I've seen in a long time. The child the bodyguard is charged to guard isn't retarded and annoying. Great character development and a story that takes itself and events seriously. It's just good stuff, overall. Animation and soundtrack is superb. I'm tempting to put it into the "must watch" category.

Okay, after calming down a bit from the sheer level of pissed off that post Wolfshaman made I've decided to post some more coherent thoughts on the matter. Then I'll shaddup. The problem isn't whether or not the Apostles meet the definition of Alpha Squad. My beef is that I want the Apostles to be special. I want them to feel special. Why? Because they are special. They do something that no one else quite does. It's quite easy to equate them to "Airplane Schola", or something like the "IEA", but when you consider the fact that it encompasses people who are required to fly well, teach well, and monitor well -- it operates on a whole new level. In Schola for instance, people are initially put through combat exercises. They are not necessarily required to excel at them. In flight instruction, the Apostle instructor is required to teach and excel every flight cadet that coems their way. A flight cadet has to exceed a standard and not merely jump through the ropes. An Apostle Instructor is a breed all their own. While not every Apostle Instructor may have initially been awarded the Ace Pilot merit, they are individuals chosen and trained because they were capable of the job at the time. They've proven themselves worthy beyond mere rewards. I have a bad habit of thinking of rewards as secondary, so my apologies there. If they don't have the Ace Pilot Merit yet, well then by gods tell me and we'll fix it. When I said I "didn't care" about Ace Pilot Merits, I meant it in this regard. The Apostles may be spread out amongst the various flights in the Tactical Squadron, but they can potentially operate as their own entity as well. That is why I have an Apostle Commander. The prior Apostle Commander, Heather McKay, did not take advantage of this. She did things well, but her responsibilities in Curia and real life restrained her from paying sole attention on the Apostles. However, my role as superior above Heather also makes me share some of the blame. With Kryo Recreant in command, I hope to see more autonomy among the Apostles. I want to see them integrated among the flights because we don't have enough people to have them be entirely separate. Hopefully someday soon, but not today. Astra is a different creature and operates differently from Terra. And so, the Apostles as our Alpha Squad is defined differently as well. If we can mirror their practices and definitions, great. If not, then let's be unique. I see nothing wrong with being unique, either. Edit: One more thing. Astra peeps -- everytime you post something that makes Astra look confusing, chaotic, or shitty -- that reflects on you. So yeah. Times have been rough, but start thinking about what you want to say, where you want to say it, and who is going to be listening.

I am rather disturbed by this previous post. I feel that it is an effort to shine light upon the attempt that was Terminus. I find that admirable. However, I find the execution of the post seems to demean the image of the Apostles. I am not fond of this. Awarding the Apostle the Alpha Cont. merit so late was a mishap. It was an, "Oh, we should have handed it out to these guys some time ago." A "my bad" on my part. As for every Apostle Instructor being required to have the Ace Pilot merit to be an "ace"? Well, I guess another mishap. I honestly don't care about ace pilot merits. I haven't recommended someone for one in many months and don't plan on doing so for a long, long time. A long time ago I approached Aryte on this topic of whether or not the Apostles were an Alpha Squad. I asked him what constituted one. He inquired, "is it made of elite people?" I said yes. When Terminus came along, I leaned the title to them in an effort to match the paradigm of the Terra Alpha Squads. It didn't work out. So, the title goes back to the Apostles. The Apostles are our Alpha Squad at the present. The king has spoken. One more food for thought. Just because Terra has more Alpha Squads then we do doesn't mean ours has to be the same as theirs. Astra operates differently because it has to. I feel it would be best that we swept this Apostle discussion under the mat. We've all shared our two Applebees coupons on the matter. This is about Alpha Squads in general and not just the Apostles. If people want to continue this debate, then erect another thread.

Apostles have always been Astra's Alpha Squad. Some confusion over the years, but this be the truth. Jus' sayin' (Great post, btw.)

take care of yourself, ribena. :c

Robot Unicorn Attack

Awesome as always, Inoue. Thank you.